Blog 89
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The Princess and the Queen...
The Princess and the Queen...
My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks.
As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."
On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed this well-dressed and rather Arabic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle.
"Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."
She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."
To which (I swear) the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen so I outrank you. So put the tray-up, Bitch"
http://huttsblogesphere.blogspot.com -
John's greatest gift to his best friend...time.
John's greatest gift to his best friend...time.
A blogging friend from another site wrote some years ago about a man she believed had been a real and true friend to her husband, who had a stroke in recent times. This is part of what she wrote.I would like to share it with you here:
"John visited my husband in the hospital after his stroke, and later in our home. He carried the conversation--because my husband couldn't. He entertained my husband with stories of old times, while they created a few new stories. John encouraged every little progress my husband made, and although a disability changed life as my husband knew it, John continued and continues to treat him with respect as a fellow man.
Aphasia not only robbed my husband's speech, but it also robbed his ability to establish new friendships. Physical disability resulting from the stroke compromised his cognition and physically robbed him of doing what he used to do for fun and entertainment. A real friend, John found something to do with my husband that enabled him. He brought cards."
So John didn't just visit his friend while he was recuperating, he became proactive and brought life to him at home. He carried the conversation and entertained his friend with tales of the old times they had also shared as friends in their younger days. It has been painfully slow as recuperation from a stroke usually is.
He created new stories for his friend about now, in the present. He brought cards and involved his friend in trying to teach him to play again. Most of all he treated his ill friend with the deepest respect.
In my book the greatest gift John gave his ill and recuperating friend was good quality "time", his time to share. Just as important and valuable as the time you share with your partner and children, then good quality time is important to share with your friends. That is an example we can also share from John's selfless act of personal kindness
Acknowledgements: Jellen -
Liam Finn's Guide to New Zealand...
Liam Finn's Guide to New Zealand
View video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cEOlK1c-kE
http://peter-petterson.blogspt.com BEYOND THE HUTTRIVER -
Daylight saving signaled the coming winter and mountain seas
Daylight saving signaled the coming winter ski and mountain season in New Zealand...
By Peter Petterson
First published at Qondio:
Its quite appropriate that daylight saving has just finished last Sunday in New Zealand.Down here it is a signal that winter is on its way. Brrrrrr!
However it is being celebrated down in the South Island's world renowned winter resort town of Queenstown. The upside being another edition of the Southern Hemisphere's biggest winter party - the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival.
From June 24 to July 3 this year, 2011, there will be ten days of snow fun,coupled with mountain action, fun and games, glamour, street parties, parades, fireworks, live concerts, comedy and theatre, and will rock the pants off this beautiful little southern ski town.
Got some holidays due? Jump on a plane and come on over to New Zealand in June-July for the winter festival.
http://huttriver.qondio.com -
Brews up -old beer found in shipwreck...
Brews up - old beer found in shipwreck...
Pete's Blogging Place
By Peter Petterson
First published at Qondio:
Finnish scientists are in the process of analysing a golden, cloudy beverage which was found in a 19th century shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. They hope new beers can be modeled on the very well-aged brew.
The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said recently that through chemical analysis it aims to determine the ingredients and possibly the recipe used in brewing what is called one of the world's oldest preserved beer.
A VTT scientist, Arli Vilpola reportedly said he had the 'honourable task' of becoming the chosen one on the research team to sample the brew. He said it was a little sour and had a slightly salty taste.
Divers stumbled onto bottles of the brew while salvaging champagne from Finland's Aland Islands, last July, 2010. The wrecked schooner is believed to be an early 19th century vessel.
Scientists are also keen to establish what sort of yeast was used, but are unsure if yeast can actually survive two centuries in a cold seabed at a depth of 50 metres.
Divers had recovered 168 bottles of Veuve Clicquot, and the now defunct Juglar champagne brands, when they came across the well-aged brew now being analysed. Research continues.
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http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk -
Three young Kiwi women struck down after eating toxic seawee
Three young Kiwi women struck down after eating toxic seaweed in Thailand - one has died...
A young south Taranaki woman is on the road to recovery after eating toxic seaweed, which claimed the life of her friend.
Amanda Eliason, 24, and Sarah Carter, 23, were struck down with what they thought was a bad case of food poisoning on Friday.
The two had eaten seaweed they bought from a food market while on holiday in Thailand.
Less than 48 hours later, Carter, a chemistry student at Victoria University, died at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital, NZPA reports.
Her dad, Richard, told reporters he and his wife Anne received a call from the hospital on Friday to tell them their daughter was ill.
''We spoke with her about 10pm that night and it appeared to be just bad food poisoning. She appeared withdrawn and not sounding that good but seemed all right.
''And we just said, ‘oh yeah, well have a good night's sleep and you should be fine in the morning, you should be all clear'.
''But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart.''
The mother and brother of Ms Carter are expected to bring her body home this week.
A third friend, Emma Langlands, 23, who ordered a different meal, also suffered food poisoning but was not seriously ill.
Eliason's parents, Peter and Kay, from Kaponga, flew to Thailand on Monday to be with their daughter.
She is recovering from emergency heart surgery in intensive care.
"We're taking each day as it comes...They won't allow her to fly (home) until they are very sure that - because of the heart - she's very ready to fly," Kay Eliason told Radio New Zealand.
She said doctors had taken blood samples but were still unsure what caused the illness.
Acknowledgements: MSN NewsBeyond the HuttRiver
Related articles
How Do You Know If You Have Food Poisoning? (mademan.com)
The long awaited 2nd instalment - Nong Khai, Thailand (travelpod.com)
Have You Ever Had Food Poisoning? (fitsugar.com)
Thirdish week of Thailand - Chiang Mai, Thailand (travelpod.com)
Can E.coli Food Poisoning Affect Your Heart? (healthmad.com)
Posted by Kiwi Riverman's Blogesphere -
NZ wins Wellington Sevens - unearths new star
Beyond the HuttRiver
Three tries to speedster Declan O'Donnell ensured New Zealand landed the Wellington sevens rugby tournament crown with an emphatic 29-14 win over England tonight.
The Waikato teenager had earlier scored twice against Australia to send the hosts into the final and it was his blistering speed and the team's defiance after the loss of captain DJ Forbes early in the match that saw them claim their fifth Wellington title and a share of the world series lead.
Forbes, playing in his 38th sevens tournament, left the field with a knee injury following Isoa Damu's try that handed England, winners here in 2009, a 7-0 lead.
But New Zealand drew inspiration from old hands Tomasi Cama, Lote Raikabula and Forbes' replacement Solomon King to score 29 unanswered points to deny England.
Cama provided the first try for the busy Toby Arnold, before 19-year-old O'Donnell sparked into life in wet conditions.
He fended off Dan Norton twice to score under the posts and give New Zealand a 12-7 lead at the break.
From the restart, New Zealand pounced on an England error and Arnold repaid the favour for Cama who sold an outrageous dummy to scoot over next to the posts.
O'Donnell, who overcame an ankle injury to play in the tournament, then showed why he is being tipped for big things with a 80-metre dash to the line after New Zealand had soaked up concerted England pressure.
He had his third try and his 10th for the tournament with 90 seconds left and despite a minor melee near the close the final say went to England with substitute Simon Hunt scoring their second try.
New Zealand had earlier beaten Australia 17-0 to make the final, while England, who held the outright world series lead heading into the final, beat Samoa 7-5.
In addition to O'Donnell's two tries in the semi-final, Tim Mikkelson scored from 50 metres out and New Zealand withstood the sinbinning of playmaker Cama midway through the second half.
A conversion was all that separated England from Samoa in the other semi-final. The leading points scorer in international sevens, Ben Gollings, dinked over the extra points to give England a two-point lead but they then had to dig deep to deny a late surge from Samoa.
England, down a man after repeated infringing, were almost undone with time up on the clock.
Reupena Levasa opted for the kick and chase and it looked to have paid dividends only for his third kick to slide dead in goal with the try line begging.
Samoa, who struggled on the first day and had been thumped 29-5 by Australia in their final pool match, had made the semi-final after a surprise defeat of the in-form Fiji.
They led at the break after an unconverted try to Ofisa Treviranus, but England's John Brake capped a 95-metre move by England to give Gollings the chance to put them into the lead.
Elsewhere, defending champions Fiji won the plate final after beating South Africa 26-12, Kenya won the bowl after downing Tonga 19-0 and United States beat France 19-12 to claim the shield -
The Pride of the Hutt Valley and the Melbourne Storm NRL clu
The Pride of the Hutt Valley - and the Melbourne Storm NRL club...
By Peter Petterson
The photographs attached(on Qondio) are of my 15 year old grandson, Pride Petterson - Robati, from the Hutt Valley in Wellington, New Zealand. who has been signed up for a six year contract with the Melbourne Storm NRL professional rugby league club in Melbourne, part of the Australian National Rugby League competition.
Qondio.com
The talented rugby league player has had a great season locally. His Upper Hutt Tigers club Under 15 side won their competition. His Wellington Orcas U15 rep side finished second in the national competition. He was top try scorer and points scorer. Once this competition was completed, he was called into his Upper Hutt College school team for the play-offs of the Wellington Secondary Schools competition. They won the final for the third successive year.
Last year Pride competed in school athletic events, being placed in the Wellington representative shot put and javelin finals. He was awarded the Top Sportsmen of the Year award at Upper Hutt College, and was a member of the champion rugby league team as well, at the age of 14 years. He was discovered by the Melbourne Storm at a bootcamp trial in Lower Hutt late in 2009.
He has competed at the provincial level in rugby league for many years. He was also nominated in the NZ Merit Team this year. This is a non-playing side to recognise those players not eligible for The New Zealand Junior Kiwis rugby league team.
Pride is a very modest young man who is a dedicated player and trainer. His fitness is unparalled by other players of his age grade. His manager described him as the best player of his age in New Zealand. Obviously the Melbourne Storm thinks so very highly of him to contract him for so many years - an investment for the future. He is a tall, powerfully built, extremely fit young footballer of huge potential.
Playing football is only half of the deal; young players also have to prepare for life after football. The Melbourne Storm will finance Pride through one of the top schools in Melbourne during 2011, to do an accountancy course. He actually did well at school back in New Zealand during 2010.
He will live with a local family, will be paid living expences and an allowance in future dependant on his age and playing grade. He will be flown back to his family regularly. He is at present on holiday leave with the club - returning to Melbourne on Jan 10 2011.
Barring injuries and unexpected circumstances, this young man should be ready for the top level in about five years. We all wish him luck. The Pride of his family, his friends his football club and his country. He is and will for ever remain our little Pride. Good luck!
http://huttriver.qondio.com -
Congratulations to my grandchildren, Danielle and Pride...
Congratulations to my grandchildren, Danielle and Pride...
by Peter Petterson
First published at Facebook
Congratulations to my granddaughter Danielle Petterson for passing her NCEA Level 3, which is University Entrance in the old language; and also to my grandson, Pride Petterson-Robati, for passing his NCEA Level 1, the old School certificate. I don't know how these compare with North American qualifications, but Danielle is 17 years old, and Pride is 15 years old.
A lot of people here will have heard of Pride Petterson- Robati who has a full contract with the Melbourne Storm NRL club for another five years at least. That is professional rugby league. Pride has moved to Melbourne in Australia, and the Storm will put him through school there this year, commencing an Accountancy course. He is nowhere near the flooding in Victoria. i said to Pride that I didn't want him coming home with an Aussie accent. LOL
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Brisbane's volunteer army cleans up...
Brisbane's volunteer army cleans up...
A volunteer army of more than 22,000 people in Queensland registered to help up in the recovery operation alongside 1200 defence force personnel involved.
Armed with shovels, spades and brooms they were ready to clean-up around homes and streets after the floods had subsided and left mud and debris across Queensland cities and towns.
Flooding affected more than 26,000 Brisbane homes, with 11,900 completely submerged and another 14,700 partially submerged.
The clean-up could take weeks or months, and the reconstruction of homes years.
As after the massive earthquake over the Tasman Sea in Christchurch, NZ, last year in 2010, locals have rallied around to help neighbours in that ANZAC tradition.
Civil defence help has already been received from New Zealand, with Kiwi firefighters and defence force personnel on standby waiting for a call from Queensland.
http://huttriver.blog.co.uk
Please wait...
