The other weekend, some pals and I made our way to a little walking loop track by the name of Washpen Falls. It is a marvellous wee nature walk in a place called Windwhistle, if you can believe. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the Bench of Gratitude, but I did manage too come away… Continue reading Windwhistle Adventures
Tag: new zealand
Adventures in Tāmaki Makaurau
Entirely due to a steep incline in my obsession with Remi Wolf, I did something ~highly spontaneous~, at least by Abby standards. They Cool, They Tight Somewhat late to the game, I hadn't an inkling that she was touring the Antipodes until my mate gave me a heads up. Unfortunately, The Babe Herself had sold… Continue reading Adventures in Tāmaki Makaurau
Ex-Christianity Revisited: God is ___
We're throwing it back hardcore, to my first ever blog post on this site, God is Good?. I was still living Bahrain when I wrote this. God is _______. Fill in the blank for me. Seriously, do it. I'm interested in this as an exercise. As a part-time boat-rocker and full-time philosophiser, I would like… Continue reading Ex-Christianity Revisited: God is ___
Qualified, Medicated, Elucidated.
Despite numerous drafts on the back burner, none have quite made it live for quite some time. I would say must do better, but this is my playground, not homework. There are no deadlines, quotas or gradebooks. I'm not letting anyone down by not posting - at most I'm just barn-egging my free range-destined ideas.… Continue reading Qualified, Medicated, Elucidated.
Karen Carpenter, Fatphobia and Cultivating Self-Love
On Karen Carpenter When I was about six or seven, I learned that my favourite singer in the world at the time had passed away at a young age. In age appropriate language, my mum explained anorexia to me: about how Karen Carpenter (vocalist of the 70s brother sister duo The Carpenters) got told that… Continue reading Karen Carpenter, Fatphobia and Cultivating Self-Love
The Covid19 Diaries: Isolation Staycation?
I'm all Coronavirused out, so I'm fully not going to talk about it - other than to say it has been a weird, chaotic and uncertain last few weeks, has it not? I hope everybody is staying safe, well, and being nice to their flatmates/family/partners during this stressful time. Sparing a thought for all the… Continue reading The Covid19 Diaries: Isolation Staycation?
Mahuru Māori
Kia ora glorious humans! This month, I have decided to get involved in Mahuru Māori, which is all about normalising te reo, and participants can opt to pledge the whole month or a day per week. For me, it will involve pledging to speak, sing, and write solely in te reo Māori for every Tuesday… Continue reading Mahuru Māori
Why Te Reo Māori is Relevant Now
Kei hea tātou reo, Aotearoa? Where is our language, Aotearoa? This is a question that has been buzzing around in my head over the last few months. In January, I attended a summer camp in Ōtaki. It was an opportunity for youth aged 17-30 to come together and discuss politics, environmental issues, play music, dance,… Continue reading Why Te Reo Māori is Relevant Now
Colonialism in Aotearoa and te Ao
Yeah, so, New Zealand is not doing a fantastic job. We're miles ahead of Australia, for example - make no mistake - but our micro-aggressions towards ngā tāngata whenua are all too real, sometimes subtle and sometimes more like actual aggression. I will never ever know what it feels like to live in the skin… Continue reading Colonialism in Aotearoa and te Ao
Kimbra to Weinstein – Everybody Knows
I have been enthralled and in awe of a somewhat recent single by Kimbra, titled Everybody Knows, released September 2017. To my knowledge, she wrote it in response to the Harvey Weinstein cases of sexual abuse. Devastating. Her words and her musicianship have shone a light on such a dark and hideous part of our… Continue reading Kimbra to Weinstein – Everybody Knows