This week is Māori Language Week/ Te wiki o Te Reo Māori. So I will be sharing some beautiful poems, proverbs and words in Māori and English for you to enjoy. Here is a poem by Haare Williams from his incredible book of wisdom: Words of a Kaumātua. E Pii, e Paa tiny bees swarming…
Do you need some hope in your life? Do you want to feel some love and light in your bones and restore some wairua (spirit) to your life? Here is a beautiful Māori waiata (song) Whakaaria Mai (How Great Thou Art). I'm not really that religious, but this song made me feel something in my…
Continue reading ➞ Whakaaria Mai (How Great Thou Art) by Hollie Smith & Teeks
The Māori language is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. Here are 60 proverbs for you to keep and use. #TeWikioteReoMāori #MāoriLanguageWeek #MahuruMaori.
Captain Edwin Dyason, master of the freighter Woodfield will welcome any ablebodied seafaring cat wishing to join the crew of his vessel, sailing today for Manila and China. "We missed the ship's cat shortly after we put into port here," said the Captain. "Her name was Cleopatra. She joined on in Fremantle, Australia and did…
"When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
Book Review: The Joy of Missing Out by Svend Brinkmann This book could have become a shallow antidote to the internet term for FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. Yet the Joy of Missing Out is brimming with exciting, novel and interesting ideas. It’s a slender book of around 90 pages that’s jam-packed full of…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Joy of Missing Out by Svend Brinkmann
“Wisdom is oft-times nearer when we stoop than when we soar.” ― William Wordsworth, The Excursion 1814 “Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher.”― William Wordsworth “With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.”― William…
Max Frey's Magical Monsters Max Frey (1874-1944) was a German painter and graphic artist associated with the Symbolism and New Objectivity movements. His work in 1920s and 1930s is particularly inspired by Magic realism. Five of the world's weirdest wild dogs I discovered a nice blog run by a pet shop and pet supplies business…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Quirky Things I Found on the Internet this Week #16
Nadir ˈnā-ˌdir (from Arabic) The lowest or worst point. The sunken place of great depression or degradation. Astronomically, it is the point to opposite to the zenith. Merlin by Ralph Waldo Emerson He shall not seek to weave,In weak unhappy times,Efficacious rhymes;Wait his returning strength,Bird, that from the nadir's floor,To the zenith's top could soar,The…
New Zealand is no stranger to woo, religious cults and strange pseudoscientific 'cures' for various ailments. Have a look closely at this vintage 1932 poster from the New Zealand Railways, advertising Rotorua as a 'health spa destination' and peddling all sorts of odd 'miraculous' treatments! Then learn more about the unusual cults that are tucked…
Continue reading ➞ A Compendium of New Zealand Woo, Cults and New Age Claptrap
Great historical novels are fully immersed in time, place and have a tangible effect of bringing you into a time period that you may otherwise never know. This is what’s truly exhilerating about the historical novel. The setting and surroundings become like a fully formed character in the novel. Whether we’re talking about a British…
Continue reading ➞ Seven suspenseful and unforgettable historical novels
*No spoilers Patrick Hamilton isn't really as well known as he should be, which is a crime and a shame. He is a fantastic and yet underrated British writers of the post-war era. You may recognise his work in the play Rope which was turned into a well-known Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b6h4hYBSgM [I will write a poem about a place that I've been each week with music to match] Neist Point on the Isle of Skye Swirling batons of time Erasing thoughts and hushing life and death On a clear day you can see all the way to Iceland it's said In any case there to…
Continue reading ➞ Words and Music: Stases & Neist Point on the Isle of Skye
A Love Letter to my dog by Leena Henningsen Empath and spiritual seeker Leena Henningsen's videos all have a cosy, gentle and inspirational vibe. She moved from the stressful bustle of Hamburg to rural Norway along with her beloved dog Aivy and her partner. In this intimate and moving short film she talks about why…
Continue reading ➞ 10 uplifting and quirky things I found on the internet this week #15
Here is 10 hours of BBC deep ocean footage in 4K without narration or music. Bliss out and enjoy these wondrous and cute creatures that dance on the ocean floor. No need to watch news just escape to the world of the ocean. No wonder people in ancient times mistook these animals for monsters! https://youtu.be/t_S_cN2re4g
Noun: Vellichor from the Latin Vell (paper) and ichor (essence). An ethereal perfume that is extruded from the earth and infuses old book stores with mystery, wistfulness and nostalgia. Books are worlds unto themselves that reveal tiny and huge universes all co-existing side-by-side. The aroma of books is the smell of the passage of time.…
Soundtrack for story - Hear playlist I saw your name on a wall. I paused and couldn't look away. It was a busy day in our cathedral to capitalism, our hive of activity where there was a lot of people milling around but mostly they were seated, with headsets on like train drivers of the…
I've been doing it regularly as usual and making each post high quality. I've been getting the same amount of traffic but hardly no likes or comments. I know you all aren't ignoring me, because on Twitter I seem to get a lot of feedback from people saying that they like these posts. Anyway if…
Continue reading ➞ Weirdly…I am getting almost no likes on my posts nowadays?!
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) implored people to learn from the silence of the lily and the bird. In other words to learn to refrain from speaking. He believed that we should learn this because we humans possess the power of speech and so we should learn the art of silence. According to Kierkegaard our…
Continue reading ➞ Comforting thought: The silence of the bird and the lily by Søren Kierkegaard
When the covid-related quarantine began back in March I had this idea to start a big watercolor piece that would be constructed out of people's submissions. Imagine a large painting that is like a weird salad where everyone's thoughts, memories, dreams and ideas are mixed in a bowl and dressed with my imagination - well,…
Continue reading ➞ Amazingly intricate surreal art about lockdown by Marija Tiurina
A lot of fuss and attention is given to how wealthy women dressed in ancient times. Yet for every affluent woman there would be 10 other women of more humble origins, toiling and working in low paid and thankless jobs. Here are some really incredible videos that showcase how these women dressed over time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t__RhUyZMDM…
TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo is a remarkable audio-visual attraction in Tokyo and a must-see in the city if you ever visit. It's on expansive, harbour-facing area of Odaiba which is encircled by the very scenic train ride, along with excellent shopping centre Diver City, which features a showcase level of award-winning ramen restaurants from throughout…
Continue reading ➞ Content Catnip TV: Team Lab Borderless, Tokyo
Japan is a country close to my heart and since I first went there a few years ago, I have become a big fan of Japanese fiction and Asian fiction translated to English. Japanese fiction tends to emphasise the liminal and fantasy aspects hidden at the edges of everyday reality and also exploring the inner…
Continue reading ➞ Seven Unique and Moving Fictional Books Set in Japan
Skip to the end for an amazing playlist of these artists on Youtube Aldous Harding From Christchurch, Aldous Harding is known throughout the world for her strange, unnerving stage presence and her delicate and yet raw brand of folk. She's quite enigmatic and unlike any other artist. You may take a while to warm to…
Continue reading ➞ Awesome low-fi / house / ambient / psychedelic artists from New Zealand
