Entries Tagged 'Out and about' ↓

City Gallery is opening this weekend after being closed for 9 months for earthquake strengthening. Nikau was run off their feet today with people around for this and the WOW Awards – World of Wearable Arts. The Gallery is decked out in spots for the occasion.

Found an awesome spot on a rock beside the runway today to watch planes and feel the rush as they took off, especially the 737’s. I managed to get high enough to feel like I was eye-level with the windows as they began their roaring run-up to lift-off.

In the wind and spur of the moment before lift-off I just can’t help waving, just to the plane really, never mind the people on it who probably think I’m a 5-year old trapped in a 30+/-40 woman’s body, however The Mister was on one of them today and he reported from Auckland that’d he’d seen me waving to HIM 🙂

And if you’re the people that tooted and waved at me from a white car (some kind of Toyota I think) I’m sorry if I should’ve recognised you and given you more than a confused ‘who me?’ wave back. Actually I rarely get over to that side of town so went for a walk along Lyall Bay, and the small villiage that Wellington is had turned everyone out for some air – I saw those ‘friends’ from the white car, bumped into other friends and we walked together for a while, the Xero car drove by and another car carrying a couple more friends.

Another reason not to park under a tree, apart from avoiding bird poop, is to avoid it being used as a stage for a pigeon to lord it about over the other pigeons pecking around on the ground, and in fact humans. We practically came eye to eye and you could tell he was pumped to be in such a staring contest although as The Mister pointed out he probably wasn’t staring at me given that his eyes are on the side of his head – probably the person standing next to me! Hopefully whoever owns this car doesn’t come back to a whole lot of pigeon claw scratches on the roof from his strutting about.

Nikau is on schedule for opening Monday – wahoooo! We were invited for a special friends and family practice lunch today. We were chuffed! It was such a glorious rushing back of routine and memory. Lots of familiar faces there, both staff and customers. The cafe is still the same, there is a new bar top and toilets and till, but it was neat to see lots unchanged, right down to the My Little Pony on the coffee grinder.

I can’t explain the swell in my heart when I rounded the corner via the familiar route from home and saw people sitting inside at the tables. Felt like I was home or something.

Familiar lunchtime view

Little coffee pony

Smiling at the bar (The Mister had kedgeree & I had asparagus with this great pistachio/lemon/parsley mixture on top … no date scones today)

Sad SAD news is that there’ll be no Sunday opening. Nice lifestyle choice to balance their hard work but we’ll have to have a family conference to figure out how to deal with that! We had a brief conversation with Kelda and a few suggestions for what she could do on her Sundays – perhaps date scone or sour dough loaf baking sessions! I think that’d be great!!

Just received some official photos from the NZ Internet Industry awards we went to 10 days ago. Not often you see professional photos of yourself at the beginning of the night before all the random blurry iPhone photos with shiny faces, flat hair and red eyes. And a nice one of us both in the mix. The other 10 were of The Mister with various famous people and trophies.

Our last 2 planned activities for the Wellington on a Plate festival were today. First up was the Food Heros market in the Moore Wilson’s carpark – The Mister was keen to find the whitebait sandwiches and I was keen to find Supreme coffee.

Man the place was jam packed! There were loads of food stalls and wine tasting from Martinborough. Half the carpark and the space in between the new deli fresh building and the grocery building was wall to wall people scoffing and drinking many of the samples on offer.

The Mister found his whitebait sandwich

And I found the Supreme guys (that’s Benn).

We also did a ‘smell’ test on some coffee ‘oudors’ – similar to wine tasting some, there are specific aromas that you get when smelling and tasting single blend coffees – you’re suppose to use the little smelling jars to hone your senses – we were pretty hopeless. We got vanilla but were totally stumped by malt (so our lemon guess was wrong) and even more phased by butter (I guessed rimu, the Mister tried good old lemon again!) Gotta get us one of those kits!

Then it was off to Osteria del Toro for a long Italian Family Lunch.

Scheduled from 1.30 – 4.00 it was 2 and a half hours of eating banquet style – anti pasti, pizza, pasta,paella and dessert. Never thought lunch could take that long but I did manage to pick at bits and pieces the whole time and we felt we should leave when the restaurant was empty and they were loudly scraping the tables around and cleaning the floors after 4pm! It was a great afternoon and the food was really good so we must go back there for dinner some time.

So, 2 more events in the Wellington on a Plate food festival attended on Thursday and Friday.

Continuing on the coffee them we went on a tour and tasting at the new Mojo ‘Coffee Central’ roastery and retail outlet on the waterfront on Thursday. One of the old wharf sheds near their Kumutoto cafe has been transformed into a roastery, offices, retail and training/showcasing space. It was pretty cool.

The cupping part of the tour was just like what we did at Supreme but I don’t know whether I’m so tainted by my loyalty or so disappointed in Mojo coffee in cafes that I thought that the taste of Mojo’s single origin beans was definitely not as nice as Supreme’s beans. At that stage in the process when beans are cupped they’re  essentially just a bean that’s been roasted … what could go wrong. However at Mojo we learnt a lot about how the shipping and transit storage of beans can have an impact on the end result so who knows, perhaps that’s something to do with it.

It was quite cool seeing the roaster working and listening to his stories about his techniques and how he’s grown up with coffee – including a story about his mum roasting coffee on their open fire and him as a little boy turning the roasting canister on a split-like device to keep the roast even.

Then it was off to Floridita’s bakery on Friday. A tiny almost windowless space in a dark alley way off Cuba Street. They used to go by the name Comtessa so we’re really familiar with their baked goods having sampled several from Moore Wilson’s. And when they say everything is handmade using only ingredients you can get yourself as a home baker from the supermarket, they’re absolutely right. We saw Emily the head baker making pastry “don’t be afraid of the pastry” was her advice and she was so swift and confident with it and her pastry cases just perfect. She also make a chocolate brownie using the same chocolate bits that you can get from the supermarket, a tray of hand cracked eggs and the final mixing was by hand, up to her elbows in chocolate! Gross.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see or sample the date cake with caramel icing that we so love and have been inspired by in our own attempts at home but we did come away with some great tips and advice and enjoyed a delicious white chocolate, macadamia and orange cookie.

The Mister and I represented Xero at the NZ Internet Industry Awards last night at Parliament, in the Banquet Hall. It was a very glamorous evening and amazingly, we won again. Very humbling especially as there were only 3 awards – Best Business Application (our award), Best Education Product or Service and a Societal Impact Award.

The Mister had to line up on stage with the 3 other nominees in our category and wait for “And the winner is …. envelope please …” then give an acceptance speech. And he gave a really great speech – someone at our table said he was “sincere yet direct”. I was so proud.

It was pretty cool being at Parliament, and I felt quite movie starrish posing on the Parliament steps!

And a close up of my frock and wrap for Mothers 🙂

And Dad, the jewels I wore were Nanna L’s gold bangle with ruby in it and the little oblong gold brooch – but I can’t remember if I got them at my 21st or when Nanna died.

First Wellington on a Plate event was a tasting at Fuel Espresso. Nice to visit the roastery again and see old faces. We slurped espresso shots of Fuel’s 2 brands and searched for ways to describe the taste off a big wrap sheet of coffee descriptors containing words like ‘acidy, musty, caramelised, nutty, sweet, winey, grassy, buttery’ – very like wine tasting. Was interesting to taste straight shots because I drink both their blends every day and both with milk. They also had the roaster going so we got to see a freshly roasted batch of beans come out into the cooling tray and smell that freshly roasted smell that wafts around town sometimes up close.

Our old friend and also long time Fuel drinker Keith joined us. It was a great evening.

Just found out today that Xero is in line for another prestigious NZ-based award so The Mister and I have been asked to put on our posh tux and frock and represent. So we’re off to the NZ Internet Industry Awards to be held at a black tie dinner at Parliament this Thursday.

However I’ve got frock nerves – I’ve gotten away with wearing my same black dress to a few awards now but have only ever been caught and published on Xero film at the last awards – the Webbys in New York. So if we win, and I am photographed again, apparently the fabloids will be out to criticise me for wearing the same frock. Yikes! I was consoling myself thinking that our shareholders might appreciate that I am not paid enough of their hard-earned investment to go out and buy a new frock every time I am called upon to attend a black tie event for Xero. Which turns out to have been quite a few over the last 3 years.

However, am laughing in the face of societal pressure, again, and will be wearing the same frock. But this time, being that it’s winter, I’ll finally get to wear this gorgeous wrap of orange felt, velvet ribbon and beads, handmade by my sister for me last year.

Which I will try to be wearing if I am photographed!