Weekend social 23/08/2013

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 24 comments
Categories: weekend social - Tags:

Christmas truce 1914Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever.

No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

24 comments on “Weekend social 23/08/2013 ”

  1. Lets gone warriors.

  2. ianmac 2

    Paying for goods and services in Ho Chi Minh City is fascinating. All their money is paper money and called Dong. A pineapple cost 15,000 dong. (That’s about NZ80cents.) The catch is a wallet full of paper money of dismaying denominations. I start looking through my wallet trying to pay 65Dong for a meal. Which bits should I use? Then a tentative set of fingers hover over my open wallet. I nod to the waitress/stallholder. She deftly plucks out the right money, holds it up to show me how dumb I am and we smile to each other. Done Dong the Vietnamese way.

    • Lanthanide 2.1

      65 dong for a meal? At 15,000d = 80c? Your meal cost 0.35 NZ cents?

      • ianmac 2.1.1

        Sorry. You are right Lanth. Should have been 65,000 Dong. About $NZ3.30. Very nice flavoursome meal too including a can of beer.

    • Murray Olsen 2.2

      Belarus is a bit like that. From memory, a bottle of beer was 9 or 10,000 rubles. The food was not delicious. After 8 days or so in Minsk, Luftwaffe airline food tasted good.

    • Rosie 2.3

      ianmac, I enjoy reading your travel stories. I was particularly interested in the phenomenon of the cleanliness of Slovenia. (Is Slovenia also known as Slovensko? Just wondering) We could definitely take a leaf out of their book.

      Enjoy your travels:-)

      • ianmac 2.3.1

        Thanks Rosie. I think that Slovensko is Slovakia.
        Slovenia though is a small country which was first to break away from Yogoslavia in 1992. Croatia to the South and Austria to the North.
        I did find one piece of rubbish, a discarded orange juice container, but realised that we had strayed over the border into Italy. It really is clean and green. NZ is a very long away from this standard – sadly

  3. http://whoar.co.nz/2013/the-jubilation-acapella-gospel-choir-are-doing-an-auckland-gig/

    it’s at 305 queen st on sept 7th..

    ..can book in link..(which i wd advise..as they usually sell-out..)

    ..vid in link..

    phillip ure..

  4. aerobubble 4

    The new 20% deposit for mortgages is non-political, since its the independent bank that introduced it… …anyway I almost thought finally a policy I agree with… …anyway I have a lot of neighbors who have two cars, they maybe renting, so spending their dosh on their cars rather than a mortgage… …anyway given I live slap bag between the town center and a mall, with four supermarkets all with 10-15m cycle along a dedicated cycle path, I got to wondering why there was no economic stress for people to cycle rather than run two cars, I means schools are just around the corner, four buses pass by within a block… …and then I heard 20% up front on a mortgage, people will start saving to get on the rung, that’s so good, since those who cycle aren’t paying a hundred dollars (more!) just to keep their cars on the road a week, that’s 5,000 a year toward a down payment. And when the world economy picks up, or fracking can’t handle the excess demand, and a barrel starts creeping up (as it has to $110), then homes in my area will start becoming more in demand… …so I welcome this new policy, lol not that it was a govt policy.

    • ianmac 4.1

      Yes areo. I live in a provincial town so bike/walk everywhere. Every couple of months I charge the car battery as its disuse is otherwise harmful. Even here there are so any who drive the 2 or 3 blocks to the Supermarket. Baffling. There will be a forced shift when oil gets to $120+

  5. I broke some ribs 3 weeks ago (a slip on a bank with a back landing on a treeroot – classic slapstick really lol) – this weekend I’m going to sleep lying down instead of sitting up on the sofa plus my loved one bought home a newborn lamb rejected by its mum – nice to look after it at least for a while.

    • We had a great evening with Helen Clark Thursday night . What v a great social,democrat she is.
      Had a photo taken of Helen giving my wife and I a hug/ What a great memory for our grand children.

      The Hamilton west LEC supplied the lovely nibbles also wine available but not for this driver .One glass and Im giggling, So I will have one with today’s dinner at home.

    • Make sure your ACC is kept up,to date Marty . And make sure you have dates and time available if needed,
      Get better and keep,warm.

  6. rosy 6

    The last night of my month long trip swapping the stifling heat of a European midsummer for an amazingly mild NZ winter. Could have done without the earthquakes, but.

    Impressed with the artisan foods industry that appears to be developing. Saddened by a sense of depression in Wellington. Already missing my nearest and dearest.

    • ianmac 6.1

      Hi rosy. The “stifling heat of a European midsummer.” Powerful eh! Wilting. Gasping. Leaking sweat onto your ankles.
      I like it in NZ because of the distinct seasonal change. But its a bit savage that European continental effect. You will greet Vienna like home though? Sad to leave family and friends behind I expect.

      • rosy 6.1.1

        If home is where the heart is, I have two, although despite an extended stay Vienna is only a temporary home.

        If you want distinct seasons Central Europe is the place to be 🙂 i certainly wasn’t sad to miss the August heat. Back to the comfortanble mid-20s for the next couple of months, i expect.

    • happynz 6.2

      …swapping the stifling heat of a European midsummer for an amazingly mild NZ winter.

      Where I currently live it is stifling hot and humid all year. Why, just yesterday I was having a mopey “y’know, I really miss New Zealand…” day. I miss brisk walks. Walking isn’t all that pleasurable here.

      • rosy 6.2.1

        yeah nah… I love to walk. We don’t own a car and walk everywhere we can. Wouldn’t be able to manage that if it were hot all year. I hope you have a shady time-out space somewhere outdoors, happynz.

  7. lprent 7

    Wow. I must have been really tired. Slept most of yesterday, and the whole of last night. Time to get up. I feel a bit reluctant. 🙂

  8. Huginn 8

    I read this and I knew that my life would be better. Yes, really!
    Apologies fr coming over all evangelical.
    Really, really useful to to know.

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/gabbynoone/18-everyday-products-youve-been-using-wrong

    • veutoviper 8.1

      What a great site, Huginn.

      I learnt a lot of things that when you realise, they are just so simple and logical! Some other good links on there also.

    • ianmac 8.2

      Thanks Huginn. A sort of site for saying, “Why didn’t I notice that?”

  9. bad12 9

    Today i smell Spring, Yes, time to get the seed raising mix from the garden center and dust off the seed raising equipment,(i cheat starting mine under lights),

    Having plodded along all winter feeding my garden plots they are ready for this years crop…

    • Have loaded the Vegetable garden with horse manure over the winter . Early potatoes well up ,cabbage lettuce seedlings almost ready to plant out . The most amazing thing has been my carrots
      I plant in a large square just spread all, over last November and we have been eating all year they are just coming to an end .

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