Things I wrongly thought I was ambivalent about.

A former lover returns…..

(Not like that – Im a good mormon girl.)


Scene: an old school hall, painted sea foam green. Me standing nervously outside with the rest of my classmates furiously studying flashcards. We are called inside, the chairs are rickety, the desks even more so – an unopened booklet sits perpendicular to the edge of the desk. Time is called, I open the cover and there she is, as I hoped she would be.

Rita and I go way back to early in my 7^th form year when I first realised I totally got where she was coming from. Mostly.  We had quite the passionate relationship – totally one-sided of course(what do you expect from a woman who painted 55 self-portraits) Most of the time I loved her, then I would start to hate her oh, and then sometimes I would love her and hate her all at the same time. But, that day in my final art history exam when I saw her face staring back at me – there was nothing but love and the intrinsic knowledge I was totally going to ace 7^th form Art History – which I did.

But as with all good things it came to an end. The minute I shut the exam booklet cover actually. Never to spare a thought for her again or so I thought….. (this is the dun, dun, duuuun moment)

Sometime last year at the museum it was mentioned in one meeting or another that we would be getting a small retrospective from Te Papa of Rita’s work. By then it’d been many years since my association with R and I’d moved on several times from her, I’d discovered Piero, Artemesia, Pablo, Jackson, and Damien to name a few so it was with a vague twinge of ‘Oh yeah!, I remember her’ and not much more I felt about seeing her again.

But Monday! As I walked through the front of house to head down stairs I was literally stopped in my tracks because Ohmyfreakinggoodness there was central Otago- what? Is that flight? And then there she was glorious – and finally - no longer in the pages of a text book or online or in an exam but REAL oil and canvas- better than the Mona Lisa.

Rita you still make my heart beat fast after all these years……

Flight 1969

Central Otago 1953-1959

Self Portrait 1929

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes…..

On Monday I was sitting at my desk overlooking the carpark- which is not that bad ‘cause the carpark overlooks the river – anyway, when in bursts a colleague who shall remain nameless squealing with delight about it snowing. I look to the car park.

the carpark

 

 I squint my eyes. And finally I see something that looks like it possibly could maybe be snow.

 But Id totally seen snow before, snow that was way more awesome and more obviously snow, so I didn’t care, or so I thought….. (this is the next  dun, dun, duuuun moment).

Until I walked outside and I got hit by my first genuine Hamilton snowflake. That’s when I started squealing delightfully myself. And calling and texting a bunch of people to tell them it was snowing and then giggling like a child at how awesome it was for it to be snowing in H-town.

 I went into subway to get a sandwich, the very manly Maori guy serving me didn’t know it was snowing – so when I pointed it out he opened his eyes wide and started delightedly giggling so much he totally almost abandoned making my sandwich.  The snow literally brought a grown man to tears of happiness right in front of my eyes.

Now it hasn’t snowed round these parts for like 70 years, so don’t judge us top-north north islanders too harshly.  Also, watch this awesome video I pinched from my cousin Melissa's facebook about the snow in Cuba mall.

Party time at the Gym

For the past month in every gym class I go to, each instructor had been pushing the Les Mills New Release Party. An all day class marathon with a whole bunch of les mills instructors coming from all around to release new versions of les mills classes. Sounds out-of-control hideous. Marathon exercise classes?  I might as well do an ACTUALmarathon.

awesome

Anyway I had to work Saturday morning so I couldn’t go anyway or so I thought…..

(Sometimes I think to myself why are you so cheesy and lame Jaz? writing that last sentence was one of those moments)

After work on Saturday I guilted myself into going the gym after eating something the vegan police would arrest me for.

I was reluctant. I thought it was going to be lame. But I needed to exercise.

So I get to the carpark and already I can hear people whooping and cheering and the music was pumping. I hesitate – there’s still time to make a quick exit. I Look up to the group fitness windows and disco lights are flashing in the middle of the day  on the sweaty faces of a hundred synchronised people jumping up and down -  and I won’t lie, despite my best intentions I start to get EXCITED.

I ended up staying for 2 hours, whooping and cheering with the masses and having a generally awesome time.