Eggshell Green

I like bukakke

Went to this Japanese restaurant called Tatsushi the other day. (What – did you think this post was about something else?)

I got the bukkake udon. Partly because they sold out of the oyako donburi, but mostly because I’m immature and it made me snigger. “Can I have the bukkake udon please?” I asked. I coudn’t make myself just ask for bukkake.

I just expected noodles and soup, but was curious about the bukkake bit. I saw the lightly poached egg on top – white, wobbly and translucent, and I went “Ahhh.”

The dish was good. It came with crispy deep fried bits of batter, spring onions, bonita flakes and a poached egg on top of udon noodles. I got bukakke udon and I liked it, and wished there was more actually. I had to stuff my face with an icecream from Movenpick afterwards to fill the gap.

Fact: “Bukkake” is the noun form of the word “bukkakeru” which means to pour and splash. Bukkake udon is noodles splashed over with hot broth. Get your mind out of the gutter, and mine too while you’re at it.

I did like

Tags: restaurant, review

High tea at the Hippopotamus

Coktails and tea

When a friend from Auckland came down to visit me, I thought it was a great excuse to splash out and treat myself to a high tea at the Hippopotamus. Not only was it a high tea, at the Hippopotamus, it was a cocktail high tea – ooh la la.

I can’t say I’ve had cocktails with tea at the same sitting before – it was rather odd. Tea tends to make me thirsty so I appreciated the thirst quenching effect of icy cold alcohol. At the same time, having sweet treats with sweet drinks was a little too much. A third-world problem – OK, moving on.

Pros

• The treats were beautiful.
• There were macarons.
• There were lots of new yummy things.
• I felt posh.
• I got tiddly.

Cons

• Wanted more savouries.
• The cucumber sandwich: boring with dry bread.
• The purple mousse thing that looks like brains in a glass tasted and smelt like parmesan (and you all know what some people think parmesan smells like). I like parmesan, but this didn’t taste quite right.
• Overall, too sugary for my liking.
• Where are the cupcakes? (Alright, I’ll let this slide as it was a French restaurant.)

Because the dentist needs more money

Tags: review, tea party, Wellington

Another freak storm

It wasn’t a snow storm this time, but today Wellington had what the media has called a hail storm of a decade.

Icy pearls

I certainly hadn’t seen such big hail stones before. One moment it was the usual small balls of ice, the next I heard what sounded like stones being thrown at our window. I looked outside and the deck was covered in hail the size of chickpeas. Impressive. (Apparently they were marble-sized in the city.)

Ooh, I'll have some thank you

Abby wanted to go outside, but yeah, nah. I scooped some up and took it inside for her to play with though.

This weather isn’t doing any good to our seedlings. I noticed some of our seeds had germinated and then this happens.

Tough time for our seedlings

There’s also a trough next to the pot in the picture, but I purposefully didn’t include it – why? Because our dear little dog decided to take a dump on it because he was too wussy to venture out onto the lawn. Little SOB (and that’s literal too, ba-boom!)

Tags: hail, weather, Wellington

Snowing in Wellington

We’ve had the craziest weather these last couple of days – there’s been snow in Wellington and we normally don’t get snow. (Even Auckland got snow!)

Ooh, what's this "snow"?

It’s been quite a delight for a lot of people, and I was probably more excited about it than Abby. She did like being outside trying to catch the flakes, and kept saying “More snow!”

"More snow!"

It didn’t get heavy here in Hataitai but lots of Wellingtonians got to properly play in the snow and built snowmen and the likes. I want there to be a “good” snow day so I can get some cool Wellington snow photos too. And so Abby can have some more snow play as well of course.

Peach blossoms and snow

Snow on the lemon tree

Tags: snow, weather

Playtime with Abs

It’s great watching Abby play on the slide all by herself. She’s a bit shy when other kids are about but when she’s by herself she goes for it. The baby playground in Kilbirnie is perfect because it’s quite safe (so big pregnant ladies don’t need to do much but supervise) and just the right size for a toddler.

She’s also a pro at riding her rocking horse now – complete with hat and a “Yeeha” at the end.

Unfortunately any time is play time and Abby still won’t stay in one place to get her nappy changed. Today she took off while I was trying to clean up a sticky poo, and then sat her dirty butt down on the rug. I picked her up to reveal a nice brown butt-shaped patch with some chunks, which Fez promptly ate – EWWWWW!

Tags: baby, play, Wellington

Fine then!

You know you’re having a bad day when you get a parking fine for thinking you have twice the amount of time you actually have. Thanks Kilbirnie – how are we supposed to shop at your shops when 30 minutes is the maximum? Ok, so I should really just walk there from my house but I’m seven months pregnant and have low energy as it is.

Then you get home, and the baby runs off during a nappy change, pees on the floor (while watching herself curiously), then comes back and sits her wet butt on the change mat. Sheesh!

Gosh darnit, not again

Share and share alike

There’s been a bit of flack about the new bus lanes in Wellington city. They’ve cost lots of money, ripped up a popular pedestrian mall, and cars are still allowed to share most of the new road after all that.

However when it comes down to the risk to pedestrians (three have been struck while crossing the new lanes), why can’t people just use common sense? If you cross a road, you look both ways. You cross at the crossing. You don’t weave in and out of buses to save a couple of minutes or a few metres of walking. The number of people who just casually walk out in front of buses and traffic in general is disturbing (as well as damn annoying and frightening when you’re driving).

Having said that, I also think bus drivers need to share the road better as well. Having been a public transport user for years, there’s a lot to complain about. Despite the slow speed limit in the city, in my experience, bus drivers do speed, and often. They go through yellow and even red lights, often accelerating to do so. They don’t give way at pedestrian crossings. Of course I’m not saying all bus drivers do these, but certainly some do.

I can’t really comment if these new bus lanes have improved public transport and congestion as I have not had to use them, but as it stands, the mall is now a normal road. It should be treated as such, and buses and pedestrians need to act responsibly as they should on all roads everywhere.

And to all drivers everywhere: don’t be a dick and block pedestrian crossings – that does not help anyone and makes you look like a stupid driver (and I may take a photo and share it with the world).

Go Wellington - isn't it ironic that I can't go?

Tags: buses, public transport, Wellington

Old people are good value

Seriously.

When I worked at the supermarket, this little little old lady would come to my checkout almost every week and ask me if I was from ‘Ch-eyna’, then tell me she was from Scotland. No sorry, I’m not from China, just like the last time you asked (of course I was polite and didn’t actually say all that). I should’ve stopped her half way and tell her that I can predict what she’s going to say next.

Today I was at the post shop and an old lady was fidgeting with the stuff on the shelves, commenting how expensive everything was, and knocking stuff off as well as dropping her letter on the floor. She started cooing over Abby, and told me what lovely skin “you people” have. I told her that Abby’s dad was Kiwi, so she’s whiter than me, lol.

I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere, but old people seem to be invincible to traffic around here. They literally walk out in front of cars and everyone just stops for them like magic. I saw three old folk doing this along the little stretch of shops on Bay Road in Kilbirnie. I guess you can’t let out that road rage like you would with other people – I would feel very bad for making an old lady cry. Or they might hit my car with their walking stick/frame.

Senior citizens can get away with so much. I guess it’s the reward for putting up with so much crap in their lifetimes.

You know the grumpy-old-man-sitting-in-the-rocking-chair type? Abby’s (step)Grandad’s a bit like that. I won’t repeat the things he’s said (political correctness – what’s that?) but let’s just say, lucky he’s old. He’s not really grumpy, but will voice his opinion, even ringing up the local MP, and good on him for it. Maybe we should all be like that – when we’re old.

Let me end with a quote from Dumb and Dumber – I guess they’re right – old people: though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.