the young mephistopheles

As keen observers of the built environment we note that Wellington has its fair share of graffiti and graffiti artists.

But someone Wellington has that the other homes of massed humanity does not is Mephisto Jones. You've seen his work, even if you haven't known who was behind those near ubiquitous stencil artworks across Te Aro and further afield. And if you've ever wanted to know more about the artist and his work, you are not alone.

Proceed immediately then to Rex Royale at 106 Cuba Mall, where Mr Jones (otherwise known as Otis Chamberlain) is exhibiting some of his latest works (through to August 11). And a minor mystery of your Wellington sojourn will start to be resolved.

Further information on Mr Jones may be obtained here and here and here...

Thanks to Taniwha a.k.a. Brenda for the photo.

Overheard on the Cable Car

On this very wet, rainy afternoon...

Young Woman 1: "Wotcha been up to?"
Young Woman 2: "Working"
...

Young Woman 2: "Wotcha been up to?"
Young Woman 1: "Shopping at the Kirk's Sale."
...

Young Woman 2: "Wotcha buy?"
Young Woman 1: "Knickers."
...

Young Woman 2: "And an umbrella."
(Unwraps umbrella to show it)
Young Woman 1: "Cool"
...

(Coming to the end of the trip, Young Woman 2 starts to carefully wrap the umbrella up again.)
Wellingtonista: "You'll probably want to keep that unwrapped?"
Young Woman 2: "But it'll get wet!"
(Wellingtonista butts out).

Sale Time at Kirkcaldie & Stains!!

A Wellington institution, the Kirk's Sale. OK, it started Monday, but that doesn't matter. Now is the time to go. By now, the shoppers are a little less extreme than the 1. Rabid, and 2. Catatonic zombie that they ranged between on Monday morning.

Still plenty of bargains to be had. The sale ends on Sunday. SO go, make it worthwhile for the tired & harassed sales staff, who STILL represent the sort of customer service you're hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world.

Kirkcaldie & Stains

Links for Monday, 25 July 2005

• Mark Blumsky, ex-Wellington Mayor and now National Party candidate for Wellington Central, gets beaten up during the weekend. Sir Humphrey's point out that self-professed left-wing nutter Millsy last week expressed his desire to see right-wing 'blood on the streets' last week. Any connection? Lots of comment over at David Farrar's blog as well.
• MiramarMike reports on King Kong progress, and the Park Road Post facilities currently being constructed out Mirarmar way.
  
• This picture (which is actually a section of this wider panorama) of night-time Wellington was Wikipedia's featured picture of the day for July 23 [hat-tip - David Farrar].
  

What I Did On My Holidays

School Holidays means a very quiet time around Wellingtonista Towers, as all but one of the regulars are fully-fledged card-carrying parents. And Jo won't come in if there's no-one to regale her stories of horrifying medical treatments and bowel-movements to.

As well as looking after the kids, the homebound Wellingtonista have been taking some time to get those long-planned-for, often-postponed garden and landscaping plans into action. And there's been a Film Festival on (some reviews of that to come, perhaps).

Anyway, this particular Wellingtonista had a fantastic time looking after his two wee lads for a few days this week. The boys were amazed at Zappo the Magician's tricks (while the parents were astounded that he could manage to pad out a one hour show with only half a dozen bits of actual magic). Te Papa proved its usual haven for kids needing a runaround somewhere warm and dry on a cold and wet day. And Boxes - the big puppets play put on at Capital E - was great fun - much (much) better than some of the big budget American kids' movie fodder that's been thrown at us for the break. Throw in some beach action, some park action, a TV-free week, visiting friends and a couple of not-too-disastrous gingerbread making afternoons, and it was a top week all round.

And now, all we can think is: "roll on the next holidays."

Backyard Theatre - Misconceptions

-Misconceptions-

Strange images on the fax?
A dead Okapi in Copenhagen zoo??
Abused blackberries from the freezer???
And Ratty from The Wind in the Willows????
Who the *#@* is Zoe?????
Does she really have wings??????

For the answers see "Misconceptions" - David Lewis' virtuoso comedy, by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, straight-talking and surreal.

Matthew and Linda are the perfect professional couple: successful, prosperous and happy with their lives together. They've had their problems like everybody else but those are safely behind them, and, yes, they'd really like to start a family soon, but the biological clock is ticking away, and after years of failure, they decide to enlist the help of Matthews' friend Barry.

All together the three persevere with their do-it-yourself fertility clinic, and though the results are still negative, they remain hopeful, until one night events take a totally unexpected turn.

A play about the games we play and why we play them. It explores the topical issues of fertility, our biological place in the world, the way we live our lives today and reveals a very novel use for frozen summer fruits!

Contains adult themes and some strong language.

Starring: Katrina Baylis, Simon Boyes, Darren Stubbersfield and Anna O'Brien.

Performances: Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee Street.
8pm - 13-16 and 21-23 July, 4pm 17 July, 6:30pm 19 and 20 July.
Tickets: $20. Groups and concessions :$15.
Bookings phone 934 4068; www.backyardtheatre.co.nz;
e-mail:backyardtheatre@paradise.net.nz;
PO Box 11390
Wellington

A Backyard Production

Wing! Leila! Live!

Wellingtonians are spoilt for choice when it comes to their foreign-born-but-now-kiwi female singing stars tonight, with two of the country's most distinctive performers putting on shows around town.

First up is the debut Wellington appearance of the world famous Wing at the Mercure Hotel on Willis Street. Wing, an expat Hong Kong resident who now lives in Auckland, has been, err, entertaining New Zealanders with her unique take on all sorts of classic hits - from Abba to AC-DC - over the last few years. The songs really have to be heard to be believed (to do so, visit her website and head over to the downloads page). Somehow the makers of South Park heard of Wing's idiosyncratic singing style, and she recently featured (as herself) in an episode from the latest series. Now that's famous.

Perhaps a touch more serious in her approach is the extraordinarily talented London-born (of Ghanaian heritage) Leila Adu, who will be releasing her second album tonight at Happy. Leila has recorded the album with a who's who of local Wellington talent, including the likes of local jazz-legend Jeff Henderson, ex-Muttonbird guitarist and now producer-extraordinaire David Long, and ex-TrinityRoots member Ricky Gooch. Supporting Leila will be Sam Scott of The Phoenix Foundation, doing a nice low-key solo set.

Te Horo's Hydeaway!

I know a dark secluded place
A place where no one knows your face
A glass of wine a fast embrace
It's called...Te Horo's Hydeaway...CAFE
(Apologies to Adler & Ross.)

About 50 minutes drive North of Wellingon on State Highway 1, is the turnoff to Te Horo beach. On the corner on your left, is Hyde Park, a small craft & cafe complex that boasts an excellent brunch & coffee. And an adjoining memorabilia museum which Wellingtonista families swear is haunted.

Well worth a look anyway. And the museum is free.

The Best Bang Since the Big One?

If I understand this correctly, at around 5.52pm tonight, in the sky near Jupiter (very bright & very high in the North at that time), there may be a big explosion in space....

STUFF : INSIGHT - STORY : Comet versus spacecraft probe.

Update: Apologies for the worst post ever - wrong night, wrong direction. All corrected now...

Cameron Burnell Photography

We've just discovered and added Cameron Burnell's excellent photoblog to our links list. Cameron was the man behind the also brilliant A Wellingtonian in Aceh photoblog, and both sites are well worth your time.

[Hat tip to Bloggreen]

lions in the house

Town is fully swinging this evening for the 2nd test between the Lions and the All Blacks.

So much so that even some of the more suburban orientated of the Wellingtonist collective found ourselves in Courtenay Place this afternoon, sampling the atmosphere.

And what atmosphere it was: a good natured crowd; loads of dressed up people, some in black, but more in red; and our young Miss Wellingtonist saying a cheery hello to any Lions fans in those "special Scottish dresses called 'kilts'"; street performers, big screens; singing fans on the balconies; families agog; and a great vibe.

Well, not all of us can be in the cake-tin watching the test; but at least down town there is plenty of great action to sustain us.

Get down there now.