In between airbnb guests, friends and family I have enjoyed a huge variety of social events just making me realise what a great place Christchurch is to live if you enjoy free or inexpensive outdoor entertainment of all sorts and incredible food!
First up this week was a visit to the Night Noodle Market with Mark and Emma. This annual event is getting incresingly popular and is just a wonderful place to sample all sorts of different Asian food.
I went back there last night before the classical concert in the park. What a shame it finishes tomorrow!
Right next door we were treated to some marvelous classical music, not heavy stuff at all, played by the Christchurch Syphony Orchestra
What a perfect evening, with just a gentle breeze blowing and later, clear, starry skies. I have never seen so many people at this end of summer concert. The fireworks at the end were truly spectacular and lit up the skies with intense brightness and deafening booms!
Next day, in the calm of the afternoon I revisited the Park and made my way, as I have done every Sunday this year, to my favourite tree by the Lazy Sunday stage. I was early and thrilled to find that there was a short concert before the main act. The music was called Gamalan, the music of Bali and Indonesia. It is played on an instrument not dissimilar to a xylaphone, using a hammer to hit the keys, and fingers to change the tone. It was extremely pretty and I am perhaps tempted to give it a go later in the year!
The grand finale was an accompanying dancer who must make any person who loves their nails super jealous!
I have to say that it was an incredible sight and the mask was somewhat scarey. Several young children scattered when he started moving towards them!
Then came a short performance by a young musician Jade, who had written the most beautiful and thought- provoking song called
' just be me'. She wrote it for a fellow pupil who was being bullied and for an 11-year-old, it was a true masterpiece.
It was great to finish the day off with a meal with Mark and Emma and a visit to my fast-growing grandkitten, Storm!
As if concerts in the park weren't enough, I also got a really cheap, last minute ticket to Michael Jackson History show. Wow, although I am not a particularly ardent MJ fan, the show was absolutely brilliant . I had a seat in the front row in the absolutely gorgeous, recently refurbished Isaac Theatre
so apart from my ears being blasted out by the speakers ( luckily I had earplugs) I had the most amazing 2.5 hours of music and entertainment. The dancing and singing was incredible and the look alike MJ sensational.
To watch him doing the famous moonwalk was phenomenal. It looks so difficult to do. I left the theatre exhausted after dancing too most of the evening😀 he got all the audience involved the majority of the time - such fun!
Days later, the mood changed and there was time for reflection.
Seven years ago life changed here in Christchurch where vast, empty spaces still remain, gathering plantlife and reflecting the graffiti on the walls in the puddles left by cyclone Gita, whilst new buildings continue to slowly swallow up these grim reminders of that catastrophic day.
we remembered those who lost their lives. It is such an incredibly sad feeling looking at the 185 chairs, each representing one of the dead. Adam, family friend , we will not forget you.
A theatrical group put on a chilling reinactment of the earthquake and its aftermath, entitled ' Earthquakes and Butterflies, in the magnificent transitional cathedral. It was quite moving andvery well done.
It was remarkable to sit in this beautiful cathedral known as the Cardboard Cathedral to view this.
I at last made it on Friday to a place called Little High, a group of etgnic restaurants under one roof in a massive hall brimming with atmosphere. Food fantastic too. It gave me a chance to see a different part of the city with some great new places, like Little High, but also places waiting for money and the okay to go ahead and repair or rebuild. The street art is fabulous. This is one of my all time favourites next to a wall which has een held up by containers in the hope of salvaging an historic facade
I loved the sheep used to block off the road!
Lots going on in this area of town. I guess by the time I come back from Europe it will look very different. Exciting times.
I was fully booked with interesting and really great guests from Australia, America, Germany and Switzerland. I did not have one empty bed for 10 days and even had ex airbnbs sleeping in the office. Fun though to have such a vibrant multi- cultural community at home!
I was able to mix showing Thomas, a Swiss friend of a friend, around with the pleasure of visiting my favourite farmers' market in Lyttleton. It was a perfect day with the loveliest shadows on the light greeny blue waters of Lyttleton Harbour.
Then, after a frenzy of activity making toasted sandwiches for 6 , with all my wonderful guests helping, we set off to the first rugby match of the season.
I was sooooo happy to be wearing my red and black shirt again and to see the sea of red and black in the crowd and to enjoy this marvelous spectacle.
And, the best thing of all, we won!😀A good start to a long season. My entire household was there, with Mark too. Perfect!
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