31 July 2010
Each day during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we’ll be bringing you te kupu o te rā – the word of the day, complete with audio so you can hear the word said aloud and read in a sentence.
Today’s word is : Cheese – Tihi
This cheese is yellow.
He kōwhai te tihi nei.
31 July 2010
The blog is currently occupied with thoughts of the forthcoming international film festival. Idly flicking through the free festival brochure in the local pizza take-away awaiting my Meatlovers Special, I recalled one of the films that is to be shown – Red Shoes.
I’d watched it as a child and could remember little about it except that Moira Shearer’s pointe work was pretty damn impressive as was the Technicolour process used. Having conjured up my first non-speaking film I then tried to recall the first sub-titled film I had ever watched and to my amazement it became clear that I’d left it pretty late in life before starting to watch non-English speaking films!
I can’t remember how, when or why (possibly somebody recommended the music score to me) but I do remember bringing home a video version of Cinema Paradiso. It was absolutely fantastic – I got so caught up in the story and the characters that it proved no problem at all to read the sub-titles, and the storyline, photography and music just ‘gelled’ perfectly.
A few years later I watched it again in DVD format and an ‘alternative’ ending had been added. Part of me wishes I had never watched this alternative ending as the original ending was far more emotional and moving …
Who else out there can recall the first sub-titled film they watched and whether they could still recommend it today?
30 July 2010
Each day during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we’ll be bringing you te kupu o te rā – the word of the day, complete with audio so you can hear the word said aloud and read in a sentence.
Today’s word is : Cake – keke
The cake is delicious.
He reka te keke.
30 July 2010
We asked for some poems for National Poetry Day and boy, you delivered. Thanks to the poets Stephen Trinder, Jeremy Lefebre, Kathy Watson, Karen Wilson and Philip Morrison for their poems, published here for your pleasure.
We’ll let you know who won our competition next week. First up, a library related piece by Stephen who enjoys the new library carpet in Central Library for its “smiley pink Canterbury Plains on acid expanse”:
Gone the days
Of typewritten title cards
In overstuffed wooden drawers
Gone too
The cassettes and vinyl LPs
Albums slid into red cardboard sleeves
Gone the dust
And musty corners
Due by date stamps and overdue warnings
Gone the manila
Folders of cuttings
Carefully collated by reference librarians
Gone the brown carpet
Admonishing stares
Silently sitting on uncomfortable chairs (more…)
29 July 2010
I’ve always wanted to be a Goonie ever since I saw The Goonies when I was a kid. Whenever I watched it I always felt part of the gang and I was right there with them as they went off in search of One-Eyed Willy’s treasure, hoping to get further than Chester Copperpot and take home the booty. It’s one of those movies that I watch now and can relive my childhood. And I’m not alone. There are plenty of fan sites on the internet, run by grown-ups like me who loved the movie and want to relive the Goonies’ adventures. You can find out all the background information about the movie and the characters, visit Astoria where the movie was filmed, and there was even a 25th anniversary celebration in Astoria last month.
If you’re like me and you haven’t left your childhood behind, Hoyts are showing The Goonies on the big screen this weekend. I’ve already got my tickets but if you want more information go to the Hoyts website. If you can’t get there, we also have The Goonies on DVD in the library.
29 July 2010
The Lyttelton Naval Artillery. 1889.
Do you have photos of Christchurch? We love donations.
Also contact us if you have any further information on any of the images. Want to see more? You can browse our collection.
29 July 2010
Each day during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we’ll be bringing you te kupu o te rā – the word of the day, complete with audio so you can hear the word said aloud and read in a sentence.
Today’s word is : Noodles – kihu pāraoa
The noodles are hot.
He wera ngā kihu pāraoa.
29 July 2010
Karen Healey is coming here for the Christchurch Writers Festival in September, and I can’t wait to hear her read.
I’ve recently finished her book Guardian of the dead. Set mostly in a moody, misty, musty winter Christchurch, it comes alive with recognisable places and believable characters then effortlessly warps into a kind of magical realism, with lots of Māori mythology – patupaiarehe, taniwha, rituals and more.
Healey’s writing is slick and pacy, and has been honed to a fine finish.
I was also struck how all the elements for a classic movie are there – goodies, baddies, mystery, drama, intrigue and a big finale – so someone, quick, call Peter Jackson! Oh, and get your diary out for the festival – it’s not far away.
Given the opportunity, which of the books you’ve read recently would make a great film?
28 July 2010
I say! Hodder Children’s are updating Enid Blyton’s Famous Five to encourage a “new generation of readers“.
Super!
New contemporary covers, changing “mother and father” to “mum and dad”, “school tunic” to “uniform”. Dastardly stuff.
My personal favourite? ”Awful swatter” now becomes “bookworm”.
28 July 2010
Each day during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we’ll be bringing you te kupu o te rā – the word of the day, complete with audio so you can hear the word said aloud and read in a sentence.
Today’s word is : Sandwich – hanawiti
I have a sandwich.
He hanawiti tāku.
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