No independence day festivities to report in wellywood -- just a great walk on the beach in full sunshine this morning. It was one of those days where you can see the cliffs and mountains of the south island across cook strait crisp and clear. My friends Leeann and Cat are sailing to the sounds today and invited me along for the 2-week holiday back at port ligar (it's "winter" holidays for school now), but I need to stay here and work to save $$ for samoa next month.
This week my grandpa Archie died, so it's been difficult sending all the hugs over the phone lines, but I'm thankful for skype and cheap calling cards that can keep my family so connected. You can honor Archie this weekend by going to a garage sale and offering "2 bucks" for something (well, everything, in Archie's case) or quoting him saying, "I don't know what it is, but it's the best one I ever saw." Here's a pic of Archie, Norma, me & my sis in '05.
I've been keeping pretty busy w/work/music/etc. Already finished 6 weeks at the Royal College of GPs as the Southern Regional Coordinator and they start me on a new project this week (though my temp stint there was supposed to end, they found another project to keep me). Te Papa work this week included attending one of our off-site workshops. We traveled up to Otaki to present a taonga conservation workshop, bringing Te Papa conservator Rangi Te Kanawa, who is the only Maori textile conservator in the world. It was facsinating, though I only attended one day. Our iwi hosts provided heaps of kai (food) and it fueled great discussions!
I had a fun Alaska coincidence at Te Papa a week or so ago. I was in the library doing some research and overheard a school group presentation on volcanoes... I perked up when the guy mentioned Redoubt and a recent trip to Alaska + collaboration with
AVO. I caught him afterward and, sure enough, he'd been to Homer in May, met plenty of my peeps and is still in contact with Elizabeth W (Pratt ranger extraordinaire). Small world. If you want to learn about AVO's counterpart in NZ and our exciting geologic behavior, check out
GNS Science (a partner w/Te Papa) and their
GeoNet link (recent seismic activity).
But the AK coincidences didn't stop there. The same week I was up at Paraparaumu singing a choir concert and a guy from the US Embassy attended. Turns out he's from Anchorage (there's probably only 3 Foreign Service Officers in the world from Alaska, if that). Conversation turned to lamenting the fact that FSOs and Peace Corps staff can't get Alaska's PFD, whereas US military can. Seems like anyone serving our country abroad for peace should be eligible, especially when they don't claim any other state as their residence. Military working stateside, on the other hand, own homes in other states, live very much as residents of other states, and still collect PFD. Not saying they shouldn't, but it seems discriminatory not to allow Alaskans in other branches of US service abroad. Oh well. I'll eat the sacrifice and stick it out for the PC Country Director position.
The news on that front is a return in October for final DC interview w/Director's Office, then back to AK to work until they offer me a country (12 months into the process now and I fear it could go to 24). Timing is a little bit of a bummer, as I'd really like to stay here through the end of the year. Had an invitation to present at the National Digital Forum conference @Te Papa later in Oct, and that will likely be where we get a larger forum together for the taonga database project I've been working on. Definitely hard to depart just before that opportunity, but I've taken the last possible date for the final PC interview. I am, however, excited to have time in AK before the unknown date of Peace Corps placement. Certainly if their process pushes 24 months it will be hard to keep me interested . . . it is still something I very much want to do, though. I'll be visiting the Samoa post next month to get a taste of the real job . . . happily their Country Director is in and willing to meet with me.
And on that note, I'm dreaming of my Samoa week in August, looking forward to my sister joining me there and our 2 weeks roundabout NZ. Sistas beggs take on the south pacific...
Have a flash Independence Day! I was going to celebrate our freedom from the British colonial yoke by inviting a Brit couple over for dinner, but they had to cancel. So please eat a burger and down a beer for me at your 4th of July barbie!
Next weekend my choir (Kapiti Chamber Choir) performs Handel's Dixit Dominus in Wellington Cathedral (among other works, including Moses Hogan where yours truly taught them how to move like a gospel choir). We rehearsed there yesterday -- hadn't been inside since I sang there with the St Olaf Choir in 1997! Great organ + that lovely cathedral 10-second return on sound. Should be fun next week . . .
Since that reminds me that I heard the Three Pacific Tenors sing at the opening of the All Blacks game (above, singing national anthem), I'll leave you with some warm up shots of our favorite rugby team. Don't try this at home! 
