Partying and playing

Yesterday saw Auckland reveling in party-like atmosphere as the rugby World Cup Commenced on our doorstep. The planets aligned as it was a perfect sunny day, Aucklanders were mostly let off work early and were in a good mood. Then came the amazing opening ceremony that involved music and light shows choreographed from all parts of the city centre and waterfront. Three tonnes of fireworks from across the wharves and barges on the harbour. Topping off, the All Blacks won their first game against Tonga.  As one writer in the Herald put it, "Auckland is going off like yogurt in the sun".

Back to business. Both the games under development are making significant progress. We will be putting out a newsletter once every couple of months to let everyone know what we're up to with the company. The first one can be seen here.  Currently we are utilising various friends dotted around the country who've never seen the prototypes to do blind testing for us.

A sneek preview of one of our playing pieces

In the name of research I have been buying up games on TradeMe and looking forward to playing some of them this weekend : Jambo, Pandemic, Wasabi, and 'Break the Safe'.


A sniff of summer in the air this week as temperatures approached the magical (get the socks and woolies off) 20C moment.

Business or pleasure?

You often hear that phrase. Well they have certainly mingled for me recently.

It started about four months ago when I became friendly with Julia, a very smart and talented American lady I met through Mensa.

We share a common love for great board games (usually Euro games with a mix of strategy, luck and beautiful components) and vivid imaginations. Events transpired and we are now proud Co-Directors of a new company, SchilMil games.

We have designed two games so far, made prototypes of them and are holding play-testing sessions, commissioning artwork and talking to potential manufacturers.

More will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Hello and Ding Dong

Long time away but this may change soon - with exciting news of what I have been getting up to.

In the meantime I came across this beautiful sounding site. Click the squares to play.

Off to Melbourne next week, Sydney in May. Have not succumbed to any winter blues just yet.

My X0th birthday in Feb. was great fun -

Crazy Coromandel

Leaving Auckland ferry terminal for the 2 hour run to the Coromandel

Me on the 'flying bike'

Jacek of Mensa Poland has a twirl in the giant hamster wheel

The swimming hole in the river

A friend from Mensa Japan fights 2 others in the water cannon game

One of the many odd contraptions you can play with and not avoid the dousing

A beautiful tiled bridge halfway along the Driving Creek Railway

Driving Creek Railway pic taken from the 2nd train as we followed the first one around the hilly spirals

View from near the top of the railway

Now and Len

Leonard Cohen at Vector Arena 29-10-10

It's been three weeks since we came back to NZ. It took two weeks for my system to catch up, sleep to work properly, and to rid myself of the tonsillitis I developed on the homeward legs.

At least summer is kicking in here and we are able to once again laze around in the outdoors world that becomes uninhabitable in the winter months.

It has been full on since I got back, what with catching up with a month of paid work, helping to get Mensa NZ ready for the IBD (International Board of Directors) meeting which was here last week, and associated other stuff. oh yeah, and interviewing new tenants for one of the rentals. Now sorted as I've just signed up a lovely family from the UK who couldn't provide a NZ reference but offered 3 months rent in advance instead.

Friday we went to the Leonard Cohen concert and was amazed by the power of his voice, at 76 yrs of age he still sounds smooth and strong.  At the start he said "I don't know if I'll be back this way again so I'll give you everything I've got tonight". He was on stage for almost 3 and a half hours. We were getting exhausted. He ran off the stage doing a little dance and waving his arms like a gypsy. The supporting band were all great musically and his female trio of singers Sharon Robinson and the Webb sisters sounded truly sublime.

I cannot believe the shops are filling with Christmas items. It always seems too early, and always seems wrong in summer despite living here for 18 years.

PS I will post a few holiday photos here before long

It's all a bit Greek here....

Several times in the last 10 days we've had occasion to roll our eyes and declare that "It is a bit Greek here".

After a few days in Corfu and a day trip to Paxos we ferried to the mainland at Igoumenitsa and then drove down the coast to the Island of Levkas, which is tied to the mainland by a causeway.

The Greekness is evidenced by the following key features that contrast with our NZ life:
1) Lack of service. Businesses just don't seem all that interested in taking our money off us.
2) Apalling road signage. I reckon the transport dept gets a kickback for the volume of petrol sold as we've spent quite a few gallons driving the wrong way or looping around to work out where we are.
3) Pure ineptitude, summed up by the hotel laundry that took 3 days to wash 2 pairs of jeans, 5 shirts and some undies and managed to ruin 2 of the shirts: one stained with pink splodges, one with holes the size of walnuts in the front.And they folded it all up and didn't say anything but we wondered why they delayed giving it to us until the morning we were leaving town.
4)Mess. Natual beauty spoilt by rubbish. Everywhere. Such a shame.

Why then are we thinking of living here? Hmmm.