Raphe -> NZ

Last Post

2010-04-25T13:35:00.003-04:00

This will be my last post..

..since I haven't been posting to this blog for a while..

but I have a new blog! Email me for the website address :)

My email address is: raphaelmatto@gmail.com

Auckland

2009-01-21T02:45:00.004-05:00

On Christmas day, we flew up to auckland to spend time w/Mel's family:

climbed a tree:

Mel's grandmother Nora keeps a beautiful tidy garden:

& then went to mel's uncle's cow milking farm:

..headed out to the beach.. nice & warm!

Christmas

2009-01-21T02:27:00.003-05:00

Mel & I overdid it a bit this year w/Christmas presents, since last year we were stuck in a hospital in India.

there were some pretty exciting presents:

Mel observing the family croissant tradition:

& then exhausted from opening tons of tupperware:

bugs

2009-01-21T02:04:00.005-05:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while. It's because I don't have a computer anymore. But I've been taking HEAPS of photos, & HEAPS of crazy amazing things have happened.

I'll start trolling through photos, but I'll go backwards b/c I don't think I'd ever catch up if I went forwards.

firstly, I've been taking photos of bugs and tiny things. Here are some.

reverse culture shock

2008-10-15T22:30:00.014-04:00

click on any image for a larger / sharper view.

reverse culture shock -- this is kind of what it looks like:

some shots from the last few moments in the states..

leaving Nantucket on a tiny Cessna, headed for Boston:

Our f!@#$ crazy pilot (there was a dog in the plane, too):

on the way to the italian bakery in Byron & Sophie's neighborhood:

across the road from Byron's flat:

Byron's got a really nice place!

In L.A. -- waiting for the flight to NZ..

it was a loooong flight..

...now we're settling back in to our New Zealand lives. Mel & I have been taking a poetry workshop at Victoria University -- one day a week. here are some photos I snuck during class (w/my new fancy stealth camera):

The class colaborated with Massy design students to make typography poems -- we read them at the NZ Stock Exchange:

Here's what Mel's looked like:

Trevor reading:

Melody:

Mercedes:

Linley's partner:

Linley

Ali:

Mark, the typography students' teacher:

Chris Price, our teacher:

oh wait.. this is Linley -- I don't remember what that other person's name is:

Chris:

Julie:

sept flashback

2008-10-15T21:26:00.014-04:00

I thought I'd post some old shots while the film from Byron's wedding is getting developed. All these shots are from some time in August / Sept. Click on any for a larger/sharper version..

Eva's Cafe (right next to Weta -- nice warm fire in the winter):

A visit to Joan when she had the flu:

A day in the bird sanctuary with Maggie & Charlie:

Maggie's just picked up a nice OM-1, & is learning...

ooooo

Melody interfacing with my laptop before it was stolen:

nice weekend up in Waikanae:

sailing little ships down the beach rivers:

here's a melody flipbook.. she eats very healthy things,

and gets fingerprinted on the weekends,

...and acts like a tourist in the meat isle at Pak 'N Save,

and sometimes jumps into my photos at the last second.

the end (of the melody flipbook).

It was Catherine's birthday abitago:

the usual suspects ..or some of them wa ha ha (Glen on the right)

& Shruti had a gin & tarro night. Gemma arrives:

Nic

ooooo

moley -- watch out, Joan!

a couple shots from the writer's group (we've been going strong now for almost two years -- meet every other thursday, rotating houses). Here's Jen & Harvy:

Hamish, Summer, & Lee

very suspicious.

some nights it's really misty outside our flat.

some shots w/the Yashica (click for large view):

robbed oh no

2008-08-31T20:18:00.007-04:00

Our flat was robbed last monday. They took my laptop boo hoo -- I'm going to try & live without a computer now. Below are some photos of the coppers investigating.

The Constable securing the permimiter. Our burglars squeezed in through Jack's open window (the gardener left his ladder on the side of the house):

Fingerprinting chemestry in action:

The plentiful & questionably useful clues emerge.

Sara's rifled through room:

the situation explained (they wont catch them) -- click for bigger image:

..but on the off chance, what did they take?

Dan xCountry

2008-08-06T05:51:00.004-04:00

Mel's brother Daniel came in 14th place in the NZ national xCountry championships. This isn't him in front here:

this is him:

leaf practice

2008-08-06T05:21:00.002-04:00

more practice in the bird sanctuary :)

glow and poems

2008-07-22T17:55:00.014-04:00

I'm having trouble with my medium format camera. It underexposes by several stops & draws strange glowy images. Sometimes they looks nice, but I wish I could find the problem..

Click on images for a larger view.

and here are a few poems for a workshop that Mel & I are taking:

//--

she plays piano like a boy,
slamming different sounding doors

to build the empty house.
she can turn things satisfyingly off

with her foot, like a spider --
Off, or a cockroach Off Off Off.

the computer is too important to turn off.
a nauseous quivering lifts

from her captain sized father.
he is sitting there

when he jogs down the beach
and pretends to skip rocks

by throwing a rock so it skips.

even the angels who would help her
appear distracted by something electronic.

they flap like paper bags from phone lines,
and hum at tires on the busy road.

//--

yes, there's dark matter here on earth

we fill our tires with it.
there's a little in number 2 pencils,
in telephone wires,
and under the doormat (that's why
I can't hear you from the garden).
the librarian is mostly dark matter --
she tends a large patch of it
over the fire station
(sometimes birds fly into it).
there's dark matter in the pills
certain cardiologists prescribe,
my cousin's yellow lunchbox,
the sink in the girls bathroom,
and our dusty math books --
Simon stamps it off his boots.
there's dark matter in the reflection
of my co-worker's wedding ring,

which has us both taking careful steps back.

//--

poem gun:

I

at the party, a bullet will ease toward you
like a stranger's finger
and touch the sweat behind your ear.
it will press aside the atoms in your skull
to make way for its atoms
and will nest as a silver song in your head.

the world will begin to change, for you.

II

it's one way to lose. love, I have no love
left -- for poems. the backyard is full of them,
hit by cars
and the garage is full of dented cars.
hateful -- they were never alive,
pawing at windows with their cold paws:

coincidences of movement, tricks.

III

I had my wits about me when I lost.
there were many spinning parts --
we struck a tuning fork against the bullet
as it passed, lifted our wine
and drank from the shattering glass
while the tablecloth stained.

eventually, it finally died, and we left.

//--

The three beds we build for God

I

The black bed, with filligree on the lid.
The bed with glass walls (he swims its boundries).
The bed we lower him into.

God is about the size of a cow;
Most people arrange to meet him in their garage.

He doesn't seem to mind us, and takes his time
wandering back and forth across the highway;
We drive around him at rush hour.

He attends from the pew in back,
flipping through clothing catalogs
and unwraping different colored candies
with his stone fingers.

II

We found him on a freight train
headed for Santa Monica in a hailstorm.
There were no signs he was coming.

We dragged him in a large net to a field
where he shook himself free. when the weather improved
we peeled open his wings to dry in the sun

and helped him to handfulls of dirt.
danelions began to grow from the cracks
on his shoulders, and in his nose.

III

The devil fell through the clouds
and landed on the gas station.

I got there late, to help Brian
sweep up the broken glass
and hose puddles of gasoline into the gutter.

We joined a group of people
who had gathered to watch from the cemetary gate.

The devil was galloping in circles,
clapping his hands to raise quantities of dust.
God stood on his hind legs, like a man,
and let out a shrill whistle.

around suppertime they calmed down, sat down
and stared at each other through the high grass, like cats.

new lens

2008-07-07T19:45:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I get gear acquisition syndrome (G.A.S.) and break down & buy new camera equiptment:

http://mylittlemoleskine.blogspot.com/2007/02/quest.html

Here's some pics w/my new lens :*(

film flashback

2008-07-05T18:02:00.015-04:00

I got a few rolls of film scanned, so here's a flash back over the last month or so..

these folks are "mindfully walking" at a yoga retreat in Otaki Forks:

Some pics from a trip to Paikak:

here's where we stayed one night:

yup, I 've got lots of pics of melmelmel

we gathered mussles & steamed them up, yum

some pics from a drive out to Makara to gather seaweed for the garden:

took some shots in the Rumatakas while on a rainy walk with flatmate Jack:

Mel takes a pic of me taking a pic of her

ferns ferns, lots

strange fallen trees

shots Mel took w/her new Pentax MX:

pics from a party at Durham:

Kerryn & Caleb before she left for Portland:

Mr. Bleakley:

shots of Mel at Otari Wilton's Bush

a pic of scraggly me meltook sometimeorother

bush

2008-06-21T07:51:00.010-04:00

Mel is up in Auckland for the weekend, so I took a walk in the bird sanctuary & photo'd some bush.

someone left a bird's nest on the picnic table

Botanical Fall

2008-05-28T09:33:00.004-04:00

It's Fall here. I took a walk in the Botanical Gardens last Wednesday.

This is my old flatmate, Kerryn. She's going to give me her cutting board and then move to Oregon. Kaleb (the dude) is going to take her room. They're both using the same laptop I'm using right now.

forgot about these pics. I'll add them now (sept 9th, 2008)..

Lemmon Bed Party

2008-05-28T08:24:00.011-04:00

Big Ol party at my old flat -- the "Jon Lemmon's got a bed, Party." Jon's bed was in the living room & everyone danced around it (I messed up developing my film a bit -- no hilights).

Maggie -- on the left -- has replaced me in room #2.

blurry shots from the party:

my old flatmate, Gemma:

popped in at Shruti's another night to watch a good movie.. I don't remember the name of it.

I got a Yashica 6x6 film camera from the 80's. Here's a few of my first shots (click for a larger view). This is my friend steve (works at Weta).

More shots.. I developed the film at home w/poor results. I've had better luck since. Jon is now working at Weta as a shader writer.

Moi

This is my new flatmate, Sarah:

You all know Mel by now..

..she's off at uni on another all night study mission..

Moana Move!

2008-05-17T22:02:00.009-04:00

I've moved flats! To Moana!

Melody did a huge Fall cleaning in the Kitchen. Now she's got a cold.

We spent some of my first paycheck on big pots and culinary measuring devices.

Here's our room in one of its various 'states.'

Mel had this photo lying around -- of the sun room.

Jon Lemmon makes a point.

me in the kitchen on a rainy day.

Our new flatmate, Jack:

Views from the chilly back deck.

I'm riding my bike to work every day now -- 11 km through rain/hail/wind, down Byron street:

Detour..

Mel sneaks a couple snaps at the cafe.

Mel says my mom will like pictures of me.

yay, and here's mel again!

..quick stop at the Anarchist rally:

Duathlon

2008-04-06T02:33:00.008-04:00

Joan and Mel participated in a Women's Duathlon this Sunday

Mel has been training for a couple months & was a little nervous, but she flew the whole way (she came in 37th out of 600!):

Joan had a pretty good time, too :)

nice day for it on the harbor:

Dan showed up to cheer on his sister -- he ran over Mt. Victoria & back to cheer her on from both sides!

in other news, I'm moving out of my flat on the 19th -- & leaving some great flatties behind:

..but there will be a party, oh yes.

Easter Tramp 2 bw

2008-04-06T00:42:00.005-04:00

Some more pics from our tramp in the Tararuas. Here's Dan:

Mel shows us a tiny bug:

Mossy misty woods (click for larger images):

Mel gets worried about the markers.

birdwatching (yes I know I have a lot of photos of Mel huff puff):

I went on a long bike ride this past Tuesday. The nice guy walking away was from Holland.

Dreamy trails

Easter Tramp 2

2008-03-29T20:55:00.010-04:00

Mel & I took Mel's brother Dan on a four day easter tramp up to Mt. Hector (about 5k feet).

click any pic for larger view..

Mel at the foggy Top:

Mel hiding in the bush ...really incredible mossy forest (click for larger view):

One day away from Hector:

evil Melody

good Melody

other random leftover stuff: Philip Glass performed "The Book of Longing" during the international arts festival a few weeks ago. Here he is giving a talk:

Gravity and Other Myths came back this year (for the fringe, I think) -- free!

here is a fat skiing man in New Hampshire -- in January.

The vehicle that took Mel & I up Mt. Washington:

Melmel melmelmel

Mel xCountry skiing in Jan:

Mel took a pic of me Skiing, too.

Andres -- he recently moved out w/Bianca :(

a House

That's it :)

Melody India slides

2008-03-13T22:44:00.004-04:00

We got more of Melody's film back -- slide film. She's taken some really nice photos! Click on any image for a larger version.

some portraits:

This is me drinking the lassie that started the whole sickness/malaria thing:

cow patties in Jodhpur

Kalash -- Vesha's cook & house servant:

Melody India Pics

2008-02-23T02:31:00.008-05:00

I bought an old Pentax K-1000 manual SLR camera for Melody. After she fought off a would-be assailant by cracking him over the head with it, she shot a few rolls of film (camera seems fine).

Man sewing packages at Delhi Central Post Office (all international packages must be sewn up in canvas & stamped with wax seals).

Mel has lots of photos of me :)

Folks at the Taj Mahal:

we had to do it.

Melody took a beautiful bw photo of the Taj -- click on the pic for a larger view:

Mel & our friend Jollie from Jaipur:

Walking the back streets of Jodpur with our friend Boulie:

A neighborhood under construction in Jodpur

Markets in Jaipur:

Our friends from Delhi:

Hanging out in Delhi..

Random strangers constantly asked to have their pictures taken with us!

India Photos 1

2008-02-21T10:05:00.013-05:00

Here are some pics from three rolls of film shot in India & the USA. I've lost several rolls of film in packages sent from Agra, blast -- but maybe they'll show up...

An old restaurant in Udaipur:

Pushkar at dusk:

Mel feeds the locals in Jaipur:

French tourists at the Taj Mahal:

The Lotus Temple in Delhi (one of many many temples):

Street market in Pushkar:

Police & mannequins at a popular Delhi market

A Delhi subway terminal:

The "Old City" in Jodpur, painted blue:

An illegal bottle refilling operation in Pushkar:

Yoga / Mental Illness center in Pushkar:

Majnu Ka Tila, Delhi

Obama at a rally in Jersey -- just after his loss in New Hampshire:

In front of my Mom's house in West Hartford, Ct:

Winding Trails in Hartford, Ct:

My mum in Ct:

Melody makes a friend:

Melody skiing in New Hampshire:

Melody at Columbia University in Manhattan:

Grand Central in Manhattan:

India Home Video

2008-02-19T05:24:00.010-05:00

This is a painfully long 40 min home video that Melody and I put together (Melody shot most of the video on a little digital camera & I've edited it together). It follows our adventures from India -> USA -> Canada -> USA -> India.

You can watch the video double size here :)

We're both back in New Zealand now, enjoying the last warm bits of summer :)

Leaving for India!

2007-11-23T02:40:00.000-05:00

I'm leaving for India in two days (will be back in Wellington end of February). ie, no blogging for three months, so...

I just put up a photography website:

http://www.raphematto.com/photos/

check it out -- crits/advice welcome. Please don't pass around the url -- it's just for friends/family :)

& here are some poems:

//--

to your elephant

my elephant is bigger than yours,
and all his parts are disproportionately Huge.

I've untied him; he's run amuck in your town.

his tail drags up pavement in folds.
men scream, children throw rocks,
and women fire guns into it.

my elephant absently railroads the mass.
reporters call him a terrorist and a pachyderm.

his ears listen at the highest windows,
to your executives and their plots.

he sniffs your scientists, screaming
from their wet laboratories

drags you thumping up the staircase,
out the locked door
and, handcuffed, into his trunk
where I will examine you.

my elephant is bigger than yours,
he grows when you talk about him,
or look at him, or think about him --
he will always be bigger than last time.

I've seen him stamp all the sugar out of a cabinet,
without disturbing the salt --
and when he slams into walls, photos
of unhappy people crack.

I call him "mine" because I raised him,
but I don't know where he came from.

my elephant is bigger than yours.
you can see ships far out at sea from his tip top, killing whales.
my elephant eats whales by the trunkfull and is full
of cannonballs.

my elephant accidentally sneezed a cannonball
seven miles.

you have no idea what my elephant would like to do
to your elephant.

we should race our elephants.
we should wrestle our elephants.
we should weigh our elephants,
and time our elephants,
and measure them

just to see HOW much bigger
mine is.

your elephant is cordially invited to a picnic
on top of my elephant. I'll show you the way up.

don't worry,
you'll know the magic word when you get there.

//--

her eyes are dry round bones
she takes out to tap the table with:

Grandma. and Rachel comes running
in her fine fiery dress, run Rachel,

Run Rachel, young, your fine dress flowing,
find fast the soundless light-drained pitch,

find fast the corkscrew, the plug,
we can't have her hungry, the way she points.

like the tablecloth is a shroud,
like the table is a body stabbed by eating:

the fork and knife operating carefully --
and our teeth sew it together with the heart beating,

how we laugh and sew and sing together by eating,
and by eating we're tugging at war (she points)

until the television starts scraping across the floor,
dragging it's eye at our eye.

//--

she hated the dog. it was her pet --
I hated the dog, for breakfast

when she served him in a bowl, hot.
I could see his paw marks

break snow near the doghouse; the broth
and steaming spirit hovered

while something with a smaller life than mine,
flashed its mirrors from the yard.

//--

the red cave is my home.

on warm mornings
I pull back the scrap aluminum door.

the migration of fire, vast bands,
and the wind dressed with dust

scratches the desert. I've switched off
my mechanical cat;

he looks asleep in the corner --
a poor, half charged pet.

I read from a children's Bible:
strange stories, so far away.

the sky: pure, a library of light,
and Earth quiet on her shelf.

//--

(after "The Martian Chronicles")

So this is Mars, he said, undressing.

he fumbled in his foil sack,
then held up a cigarette lighter and produced flame.

My voice is deep here, he said,
eyeing his genitals.

two fish jumped in a pond close to the rocket,
and a swing stirred beneath a tree.

After swimming, drying off,
eating the fish and their bones,

he crouched on all fours
and investigated the town in disguise.

it was afternoon before anything happened.
I've been waiting for you, said the Martian,

and said, I've been waiting for you
again. I've been waiting for you, until

the man, hypnotized, walked up the glass stairs
and into a glass kitchen.

You can't trick me, said the man from New York.
I'm not trying to trick you, said the Martian.

I've read books and am 84 years old,
said the Earth man, I am confident

I will never grasp the mysteries of the universe.
I am here to meet your wife, because I love her.

the two men looked at each other
and enjoyed the invigorating, long-felt hostility.

I mean to kill you with my gun full of golden bees.
Yes. Do you mind if I meet her first?

the man waited on the back porch, lit a cigarette,
and considered the lifeless town.

he could see Sara, his first wife, in her apartment,
practicing flute. And across the street,

the old playground. his sister, with their cat on a leash,
invented a game in the road.

it was organized, tidy, and perfectly built,
but he was only curious about love in this last place.

he fingered the pistol hidden on his back;
finally, the Martian returned with his wife.

she was exhausted and her hands were trembling.
I can't believe you're here, she said.

the man said, it's past our bedtime, and the stars
are getting cold on your plate.

the bees brought a full hot mystery,
and the space between them sealed tight.

//--

Jim polished the rocket with his underwear.
he was naked, except for heavy military sunglasses.

the silver hull fattened him in its reflection
while he watched a beautiful girl approaching from the rocks.

a pistol lay in the sand a few paces off,
with a fully charged battery.

Your machine does not flatter you, said the girl.
So this is Mars, Jim said, jumping down.

There were other movements behind the rocks --
small shimmerings, heat venting.

That weapon will not hurt me.
Jim picked up the pistol. Is that so?

He fired into her chest, and she screamed.
She stood there and looked at him, screaming.

Finally she fell backwards.
She did not look like a Martian. Just a beautiful, dead girl.

the rocket gleamed like a knife
from the first mountain rise -- he imagined its fleshy interior.

//--

I set bone in a keyhole
and grow flesh to fit the lock --

in the room, your dress stowed,
stuck to the shape of a wet woman,

toweled black hair
of the almost-drowned,

of the perfectly good heart --
it shoves you up the hill,

shoves you awake in the night;
dreams about holding a golden knife,

the light high on the house --
and congregation afraid for it.

and it's a real mess when the cat
tries to scrape off your makeup,

the ugly blue makeup you carry
and cast -- with a shout,

the tiny planet floats
in your mouth, like a fly.

like how I carry tied shoes
and your following with my feet,

and my lips with your skull --
the snake rattle and clutter

we carry and cast.

//--

stone girl

as a daughter, at the stone piano
(she still plays the soundless thing)

she'd say, "my fingers hurt"
to her stone mother at the harp.

but she'd play, each note different due
only to finger length, the muffled thumping

thumb, while her hair, a wheatfield of stone,
windless, brushed by sand,

cracked about her as she grew.
the moisture on her skin

turns to a fine dust she coughs at --
her eyelashes, nails, teeth

are black sore stone.
stone tears she can catch and throw

at windows all turned to stone,
as her father, on the dark staircase,

climbs, and her sturdy servants carry
buckets from the shed,

and her brother, a gaping sundial,
reaches between the hours to stop her.

the broken plate wings of crows
cut her feet

on the path to the pond;
the water in the pond is not stone,

nor is the spider, who she ate --
who her brother told her not to eat.

no matter how she kills it,
swallows, it is her constant companion --

it comes back. it crawls from under
a fingernail, or she finds it hanging like an earing.

this is how she stays alive --
eating the spider, its secret.

at night she lies beneath cold blankets
and dreams of things that talk.

Makara and BW photo

2007-10-28T00:21:00.000-04:00

I've recently discovered a nice bike ride out to Makara Beach. I road out with Joan a couple weeks ago (real film pic):

...and then started going by myself -- & up into the mountains. Actually I found a whole mountain biking park! Apparently it's one of the best in the world:

cycle_makarapeak_feature.cfm

I'm trying to go three or four times a week in the mornings. There's this breathtaking pine forest ridge trail -- I'll try getting some photos of that. For now, I just have these shots from the beginning:

Here's a couple pics of Makara Beach (end of the trail, kind of):

Mel came out to meet me & we went jumping:

Found this handsome fellow on the way back:

Looks like he forgot his seatbelt..

I've signed up for a Black & White photography class at the local high school (with my friend Lee). They've got an amazing dark room -- nice enlargers etc. I've only been to two classes so far, so I don't have any really nice prints yet, but here are a few shots scanned from the negatives:

A house on Aro Street:

Amy, Mike & his nephew at Finn's birthday tennis party.

Abby was cold.

Mel playing house...er.. housecook.

Hovig at Peter's place (movie night!)

Vanessa & ?

Charlie on his way to defeating Mike in the semi-finals.

Holloway Road

2007-10-27T00:30:00.000-04:00

Holloway Road is just a minute or two from my flat -- it's a super quirky place w/a nice path up to a stream at the end.

YKK Zipper Factory

2007-10-26T23:26:00.001-04:00

I'm renting out a studio space with ten or so other people -- some writers, a sculptor, some musicians.. it's an old YKK Zipper factory (check your zippers for the YKK logo). The building is scheduled for demolition in June, so we're getting it super cheap ($25 a week each!). Here's what the space looked like when we moved in.

Part of the back room:

Part of the front room:

Since I took these photos, we've filled it up with furniture & had a big moving in party (LOTS of people) -- with balloons!

I took these two self portraits the other day:

..& here's a quick portrait of Mel (she'll kill me when she finds out I posted these ...she hates these pics).

Moana

2007-10-26T22:55:00.001-04:00

I took a bunch of pics on a quiet day up at Moana Road (Mel's flat).

This is above the fireplace:

It's spring here:

nice contemplative spring breakfast..

the sunroom!

joanjoanjoan

yes. raining again.

My mum got me a raincoat!

Mel made this stool:

Karori Wildlife Preserve

2007-10-26T22:46:00.001-04:00

I've spent a bunch of days in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary -- a two min walk from Mel's house:

http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/story/index.html

It's basically an enormous fenced in area for birds -- takes all day to walk from one side to the other & back -- so many little trails & picnic benches to read on -- way out in the bush. Feels like you're miles from the city. Birds everywhere ..never seen so many birds.

Leftover Pics USA

2007-10-26T21:44:00.001-04:00

Rainy day here in Wellington, so blogalogalog...

Some pics from the last dinner at Dad's house before returning to NZ -- near the end of August.

The cake that Sophie made:

Pool w/Meg (elia took the pic):

elia shooting again:

what a pair haha!

left -> right: Valentina, Elia, Dad, Meg, Sophie, Byron!

there's a bunch more film photos from the weekend -- it's just taking too long to scan them all...

flight to Wellington

2007-09-13T00:42:00.000-04:00

Shots out the window from my flight from JFK -> LAX -> ACK -> WLG. Click on any image for a larger version.

midWest somewhere

Outside LA

LA

almost home..

NZ!

Wellington!

USA visit FILM

2007-09-13T00:12:00.001-04:00

Meg inspired me to switch back to film -- so these are all shots from an old manual Nikon film camera. Click on any image to see a larger version.

Posted roughly in order as I traveled hither thither.

Baaron and his ghost.

Baaron's nice NYC 1br spot.

Josko cving at Meg's.

Blurry grand central late at night (just before I fell asleep & got lost in CT in the middle of the night / crazy freeway hitchhiking oddness).

Ian works on something Secret at Blue Sky.

Dad's office.

Pops w/his old pal, Andy.

Byron frowns at my room.

Byron takes shelter under a lamp in dad's office.

being schooled on the minor points of model building.

we all traveled lots, lots.

rare collision of molecules.

Byron & Sophie pose in front of Mum's new digs.

catching up with Grandad at his apartment.

visiting the old house (looks like the new owners are painting it).

Byron poses in front of the Charalambides place.

Byron gets fitted for his suit.

Post wedding calm-down.

After a stroke of luck, we caught the barge to Nantucket.

planted on Great Point.

Byron snaps me just before I take his ass out.

Sophie reads Potter.

the door at the lighthouse on Great Point.

Jon fishes from a point.

Byron kills stuff.

birthday fish for Jeremy.

aye, we have ye old school rods.

more wedding pics

2007-09-13T00:09:00.001-04:00

Here are a few left-over shots from the wedding...

Mum's Wedding

2007-09-06T06:38:00.001-04:00

my Mum was married off about a month ago :)

(click on any of these photos to see larger versions)

the rehearsal (Grandad on the right):

Dinner the night before:

all dressed up & ready bright/early huff puff:

Jon & his boys

in front of the limo (mum off to get her hair done..)

in the limo

Last few precious moments as a single dude:

nobody could get their flowers properly stabbed

Byron secures the chapel

All four of us "sons" were ushers. Corey:

my bro:

& Jeremy:

take a program & SIT DOWN. hi Jazz! hi Josh! hi Leslie!

everyone seated

lily thinks weddings are funny.

Dave, too

and... here she comes..

after the ceremony, folks milled about.

Jon's best man (on the left):

Mum's high school pals:

odd photo (Ira the photographer on the left):

Preux (sp)

...then off to the pond house at Elisabeth park for cake & fooooood

smile, Raphe!

this is how you smile:

uncle Dave & aunt Jody

Mafia pals

Hi Jimmy! Hi Leslie! Hi Josh!

Byron & Lily

photos photos photos

...more on the way...

Dance Lesson

2007-09-03T01:59:00.000-04:00

Dad sprung for a dance class -- for Byron & Sophie -- so they could dance at my mom's wedding.

(they're engaged)

first they got schoolin w/pops:

..& Nichole (the dance instructor):

THEN they get to dance:

flight to SF

2007-09-03T00:21:00.001-04:00

I come in a package from New Zealand.

Some clouds on the way out of Wellington:

above LA:

Leaving SanFran

landing in NYC. total travel time: about 25 hours.

Japanese Warship

2007-08-01T06:49:00.000-04:00

Mel & I visited two Japanese warships that have docked in Wellington Harbor -- Shimayuki and Sawagiri.

Chopper "Made in the USA"

Weapons:
76mm 62 caliber single mount rapid fire gun.
20mm Phalanx CIWS x 2, SSM Harpoon launcher.
SAM Sea Sparrow, ASROC octuple launcher.
SH-60J anti-submarine helicopter.
324mm torpedo tubes.

Mel inspects the missile launchers -- for possible safety hazards.

The instruction manual is up to date:

Okay okay ...some people have asked. Yes, Melody is my girlfriend (in NZ we call them "partners" -- so Melody is my partner). She's super smart & very sweet. I'm in looooove with her.

Mel tells a joke so she can snap me laughing.

Melody wouldn't miss an opportunity to try out her Italian.

Shoe

2007-07-21T04:21:00.001-04:00

This is Shoe (Shoe is New):

It's really hard to find good shoes in NZ!

Shot from the Silver Surfer / Waterhorse / TinTin / 30 Days wrap party:

..leftover road trip pics (from a real film camera!):

melmelmelmel

We had some nice, calm, quiet conversations.

Winter Sailing

2007-07-15T06:51:00.000-04:00

Steve took me and Marty sailing on Saturday (Yes, it's the middle of winter).

Steve lives on his boat.

Peter took a photo & posted at Weta on Monday (he didn't know it was us):

N Isle roadTrip

2007-07-06T09:05:00.000-04:00

Melody & I took a 7 day road trip up around the north island. We didn't take many photos, but here are a few.

Mel clicks at Mt. Taranaki from the window.

We stayed in a mountain hut above the snow line. It was freeeeezing!

...found much much warmer places after that..

..went to a beach party in Coromandel..

..& visited Magnolia & other northlanders in Auckland:

Mags:

the cat is restrained for a good reason.

oh yeah.. haha, & we went to a Guns N' Roses concert -- fat Axel w/fireballs & confetti :P

..also stopped to see Mel's pop.

it was a fun trip.

When I got home, Gemma & Lilly were doing the dishes in the bathtub.

Want to come over for dinner?

Durham Street

2007-06-23T03:05:00.001-04:00

I now live at:

w/four supper flatties. They have great names, but I decided not to put their names here (what if they don't want their names public..)

openMic poem

2007-05-18T17:18:00.000-04:00

I haven't taken many photos recently, but here's a poem. I read it at an open mic last night.

//--

she turns to me, and opens her mouth.
there's a sound, like something tiny
has cracked.

like time is tiny,
like a television is tiny,
a tiny crumbling covering.

she loves riding bareback, the galloping ant,
"I love ants, like strange horses," she said,
leading the beast to the barn.

the fat woman reaches over me
for her glasses, so she can read.

"it's late," she tells me.

something thuds on the door like a newspaper,

her belly is big. when I touch, she says,
"I can feel him winding up,"
then gives birth to a clock.

"fat woman," I say, "I am in love with someone else,"
but the legs of the spider tick,
and sew my teeth together.

I wade through melted ice cream
to your mouth, in a more fortunate time,
where glass ships sail the prism winds

where red light is husked away,
and pushes us blue and yellowly

to islands, with awful jetties.
the equatorial easterly blows our hut,
the westerly, easterly, westerly --
it's like a footstepping,

and a footstep is a kiss
and a kiss is a second less
of what is measured
when anything is measured.

if I had to choose your most charming feature
I would say, "bring me a menu."
the waiter points, rudely:
"the skull is the easiest bone to identify."

but I'll tell you later, under the table:
it's your ring finger.

the fat woman says,
"I want my money's worth!
I want to fall forward into a soft pillow
of what I deserve."

but the seed wasn't designed properly,
and the shell is very hard.

nothing can get in, thank god,
but nothing will get out.

fish recreation

2007-04-25T05:57:00.000-04:00

Another of Amy's recreations -- this time we are fish.

Ollie gets outfitted:

shots may look like this?

fish like to strangle each other.

then pretend nothing happened.

I have six eggs in my fridge.

fish are like nazis.

did we get it?
uh...

and here is a poem I wrote at work:

//--

the cat's home is the cat

I have a good mechanic.
he looked at the engine,
put a hand on the carburetor --
pulled himself close, closer,
finally into the engine.

he shimmied past the crankshaft
and started swimming --
swam deep, past the battery,
piston and piston rings,
around and around the timing belt
out of sight behind the block.

the engine purred.
he said, "you have a problem."

my dentist had to pry my jaw wide,
to fit his boot, then his shoulders
down and into that dark place.
"I'll just be a little while,"
as he lifted up a fang
and locked it behind him, mumbling,

"this is a problem."

if I place my hands on your shoulders
and stand you opposite a problem,
you will always equal it, magnetically.

the cat (I'll never say "my" cat)
is slowly eating a bowl full of

brains. he wipes his mouth and says,
"I'm not in a good mood."

when I broke my wrist
you went wading
into solid matter -- a bone,
then climbed my skeleton, tiny,

the vine forest of veins --
swam the pumping rapids,
the hot water, the cold weather;
breath breath red blue.

a body made of filling chambers
like the earth is full of
packages, tidy for the toy store.

when you found the problem,
you said, "I've found a cat."

"Pull him out by the neck!
I'll eat four barking dogs!
lower them by their leashes down my throat!"
when I breathe I see birds fluttering,
and I always smell the hidden smells.

I will be your bear-filled cave,
I will be your broken clock,
I will weave my fingers into a rope,
and tie myself around you.

Easter Tramp

2007-04-09T05:25:00.000-04:00

Took a three day Easter tramp with some friends -- to the Pinnacles in the Wairarapa.

Sort of like the badlands, but not red.

Fossils!

Esther walks the line.

Finn is the freakin coolest. He hikes in sandals & pulls watermellon out of thin air.

It's kind of fall here.

AmyMikeFinnEsther

cheesorama

Messy me!

WOMAD

2007-03-19T06:09:00.000-04:00

I drove with some friends to WOMAD this past weekend (World of Muisc and Dance) -- & camped for three days in a huge field.

Gemma's car is yellow!

40,000 other people joined us.

Catherine covered the event for Lumiere.

Maori Dance workshop

Joan snaps herself

Argen, Pixie & pals

Femi Kuti steaming

balloon dudes on stilts terrorized everybody!

Retreated to Argen's house for bbq when it got rainy.

& Catherine took some shots. Gemma:

pic taken by Catherine w/a lensBaby

Zander in the bush (local film critic)

tented Melody. dozzed way in on sat morning. music didn't start up til afternoon.

Stopped at beaches on the way back. The water is still warm!

War Hike

2007-03-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

on Saturday I went on a war hike with my friends Kath & Lee.

Unlike lighting bolts, the limbing bolts were easy to avoid.

The war was fought between hollow masked bears (with bluescreen technology!)...

...and suspiciously cute children fixed (or were they...) to a merry-go-round.

Lee has a weird way of walking. Here he bends sideways to avoid the bullet my camera fires every time I take a picture (haven't figured how to turn off that "feature" yet).

I found this amazing wheel. If you look into it...

...you see a rock. But if you try to reach in and grab the rock, something bites you. I don't know what it is! ...maybe the rock?

There were some tiny starfish on this shell before Kath MURDERED THEM.

I buried the starfish next to these slightly more wooden starfish.

I was laughed at.

Thanks for the hike, Lee & Kath!

AND, today I reached a goal. I swam 70 laps (140 lengths) at the pool. That's almost 3 miles! ...and yes, that probably is why this post is so weird (endorphins make you... different... unreasonably happy mmmm).

Carnival and RC

2007-02-25T04:32:00.000-05:00

Carnival! Wellington has a population of 250,000 & there were a million people at the Cuba Street Carnival. It was packed as tight as Times Square on a Friday night.

My good friend Lee (local sci-fi author) & his wife Kath.

Got sprayed with stuff

Folks piled up in windows & rooftops everywhere.

Then I worked some overtime on Sunday & met Christof for some RC airplane shenanigans.

& I swam 47 laps on Saturday (that's 94 lengths)!

fringe1

2007-02-19T03:21:00.000-05:00

spent the weekend at fringe stuff againnnn...

got lots of pics of sidewalk art.

the butcherShop quartet (yes, that's lemmmon):

Joan snaps herself

the audience for the ukulele orchestra & a swearing contortionist.

these things were everywhere.

free iceCream if you jump!

camera fritz

2007-02-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

Baaron says, "update!"

My big camera has been on the fritz, but here's some pics from my little junky one.

Went camping two weeks ago w/Lemmon & Karen.

they goof

before the suspension bridge

veeerrrry wobbly, 30 meters down

wonderful misty mossy forest

We met a hunter who'd "hit one, but it got away." And a log fell out of the trees and cracked in two on my head.

Been going to events as part of the Fringe fesitval -- http://www.fringe.org.nz/

Saw an opera, a drag queen show, a play about a woman who smelled like a dish, & today a ukulele orchestra & Lemmon in a barbershop quartet. Here are two poems:

//--

Little Powerful Engine

"...and the earth is just someone's head."

Okay, then

the sky is a wide man's
open mouth breathing breezes--
suggestions for little birds
who live to be nudged astray.

And

A little bird who
flies in the headlights, harnessed,
shifts into third gear growling,
and drags my sports car up the hill

to the park! where

I see a bird fly at the wind and stick--
like a thumbtack-- to space.
I pick him out of the sky
and wrap him chirping, still flapping, as a gift.

So now!

when you tear the paper,
and open an empty box,
I can finally laugh and say,
"Poof -- Just kidding!
Somewhere in Wairarapa
a bird is still stuck to space!"

Then we can go hang
a picture of ourselves in the middle
of that empty room.

"...and the earth is just someone's eyeball
blinking 365 times."

//--

the tin can soda-pop
airplane -- silver, wicked --

smile a line from sanFran to Christ
Church, takeoff!

coat, hot socks, dress,
undies, jump in

ocean waves from thirty
thousand feet, wake up

with your shoes on and your feet
in your shoes walking

the plank, a path--
pitch forward into the dark

in-suck of a breath, a free
fall, past

Birthdayay

2007-01-24T03:34:00.000-05:00

I turned 28 on Jan 14th. Yeowzers! But... it was the best birthday EVER!

Harry got new glasses!

Classic harry: shirtless in the middle of winter.

Elia made a model for GQ!

//--

Baaron wrote & described the bDay scene at Blue Sky:

We have a cake picked out for you. We'll call everyone into the Art Conference room ahead of time and then we're going to page you...and wait. When you don't show up we'll be talking idly...nervously at first. But then the atmosphere will begin to switch...and soon it will feel like a wake. Sure, there will be moments of laughter as we remember those moments we all laughed about laughing momentously. Sure. But they will be followed by moments of silence. And as we gaze at our feet, one of us will remark how the cake doesn't taste right...and soon the room will be empty.

//--

And my dad wrote to explain how he & my kitty Milo celebrated:

...Milo and I celebrated it here. We got a little cup cake with a candle. Then We got a picture of you and put it in front of the fan by the side of your bed... between the fan and the lit candle.

Then Milo scratched a hole in the side of the picture, We sang happy birthday, and I turned the fan on. You'll be glad to know that you blew out the candle easily, and your wish will surely come true!!

So just to let you know this is all true...Milo will now sing Happy Birthday!!

Mew mew mew mew, mew mew
Mew mew mew mew, mew mew

Mew mew mew mew mew rarghpheee

Mew mew mew mew, mew mew!

//--

Had a great dimsum (they call it yum chow here) breakfast w/Arun, Eric, & James! I swam 25 laps at the pool! Then Mr Lemmon returned from nyc & organized a last minute bDay surprise party during a concert in the Botanical Gardens. Cake, a lei! A bunch of radishes & a mug as presents. And my mom sent me Glucosamine! Best birthday evveeerrrrr yahooie!

//--

Besides that I've been having too much fun to take many photos ARG. Instead, here are a few poems.

//--

The Tooth Assassin
(after Out Of The Blue)

Each tooth in Martin's mouth
is a god-given bullet;
it makes for a guilty smile.

Martin watches television, the war.
Tall men and strange weight
slung from belts.

Lines of glowing teeth hang
in the black desert, slipping
forward like the warm windows
of a passing train.

they find hands, backpacks, tires,
get stuck in mud.
Mouths of the cannon, free to speak
and perhaps kill, speak.

Martin examines his mouth.
Some day I will kill
(counts) thirty four people.

He constructs a rifle,
loads it with the gray teeth
of a dead jackrabbit,
practices on a blue jay.

He is satisfied, pulls his first tooth.

Martin is about to be the tooth assassin.
And the one with the silver filling
is for the werewolf on TV.

//--

I thought that balloon
was a tiny red man
crawling in the alley on his belly

I am horrified for a blink
when he pops, then think
oh.

//--

Homesick (dream)

I want to leave
but it's getting dark.
I speed out of the city
past rows of crops.

Spitball bodies of bugs
dim the headlights to a glow,
become fat, stiff,
snap like hail -- a storm,

Perhaps they're locusts.

No, they're birds
whose wings spread on the glass
and untie shoelace bodies.

My shoes fly out the window.

I turn on the wipers.
Now I feel the hot squash
of rodents under the wheels
and the steering slips.

It's a quiet night.
I hit a dog -- some mutt --
and now many dogs

until all sorts of animals roll
up off the hood, though

some are only balloons;
their breath filled bodies swerve
dark heavenward in car currents.

When I rub my eyes

I think I've hit a pretty little girl,
or a whole family.
Her father stretches out his arm.

But I'm driving so fast, so fast,
and I never know if time is left

for the friends I love.
their open hands squeak
on the windshield and nothing

is alive in the rear view.
I see my mother standing
in the road, reading a book.

I stop the car and get out.
"I'm really tired, Mom."
"Well, you're home now."

South Island 6

2007-01-12T21:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, last south island post. I'll just mishmash this all together oooooeiiiii!

I went to Christchurch to meet up with Glen -- my old roommate from Pohnpei.

While I waited for Glen, I took a walk through the wonderful park, botanical gardens,

& ended up in some museum, where I learnt fakts.

I almost went to Antarctica over break, but chickened out. So I was interested in the displays about Antarctica.

The first vehicle to make it to the south pole.

Lick that telephone pole, Ralphie.

The first sewing machine to make it to the south pole.

The first... ah.

Ian!

I found myself staring at these for a long time.

sBand3!

Tequila duck!

Had a nice long conversation with Glen & headed north to camp. mmm, swimming.

Stayed on rt 1 the next day (click any pic for bigger version)

& decided to stop at a salt refining factory.

Foam builds up between enormous rectangular salinization pools.

Some of them were empty (left empty, right full),

so you could walk out into an endless eerie desert.

Spongy, weird surface. The pool started to fill up, so I decided to leave :)

eewwww.

Then took a drive on some back roads.

I had to wait a while for the ferry at Picton. The stars came out:

& I wrote for a bit:

//--

That sheep is stupid.
It's just chewing and looking at my face.
Does it think it's eating my face?
You're not eating my face!

//--

The Changing Sandwich

When I started eating the sandwich
it was a ham, cucumber, and tomato sandwich,
which I like (that's why I bought the sandwich).

Later, when I reached the middle of the sandwich,
I found I was eating a salmon, egg, and mustard sandwich.
I decided I didn't like that as much.

When I was almost done
(by now I was holding focaccia bread instead of rye),
it was an ivy, honey, and scotch tape sandwich,
which was hard to eat.

Finally, I discovered I was kissing someone,
not eating a sandwich at all,
and I wasn't sure if she was dead or alive.
"Why aren't you sure?" she asked.

//--

& this one is just an expanded version of something I wrote last summer (winter here).

//--

friends

friends, rusty tractors
asleep in warm grass,
full of picnic wine.

other friends,
all old toyotas and one blue
truck, a bone gearshift,
some white flowers on the sticky leather,
empty, passenger seat.

friends in the cracked rear-view,
missing doors, twisted up laundry,
piled junkyard junk
hiding happy bees,

the chain playfully slapping
after the dog.

dismantled, relaxed after work,
headlights dusty,
friends saying things politely,
give quiet advice, say,

"sit in the back seat,
roll down a window on the hot day,
on what's perpendicularly important."

others, surrounded by wrenches
and books, fixing you
tea, sit at the table
with a second hand clatter
and the radio isn't quite tuned in.

friends whose tire lungs lose
pressure under the weight
of pretty clouds, whose wheels swim
and sink from the dock.

friends, stubborn with phone calls,
pulled over, traded in,
broken smiles on the sunshine barge,
get married, love children;

little toys, easily buried
in the sandbox. watch a spider
crawl into the cab, drive
the whole backyard past puffs of cloud,
and the merry-go-round is full of life.

South Island 5

2007-01-08T03:33:00.000-05:00

My dad got me a balloon ride as a christmas gift. I stopped in Meethven to pick it up on my way to Christchurch.

Here's the balloon:

The inside while it was inflating (I had to hold it open while the fans blew air in).

little men attaching all sorts of wires.

up up up

mmm. quilty.

down down down

Bumpy landing -- dragged 50 meters on its side -- best part!

roll it up like a big tent.

& stuff it away.

South Island 4

2007-01-07T05:25:00.000-05:00

After camping a little north of Greymouth, I headed west via Arthur's Pass.

Took a two hour hike at lunchtime along some old railway tracks & into a field full of purple & yellow.

Then I came across this wonderful trail (click on any pic for larger view)...

...which lead to a cave.

Going Caving? Um. Sure.

This boy was peeing on the sign, so I asked him to take a picture of me.

(ran back to the car for my costume).

VERY cold waist/chest deep water for 2 hours, climbing UP underground waterfalls.

Goodbye cruel world ...& you three little criminals.

I accidentally wrote "more."

& was upstaged by some young grunts.

Trying to "paint" light into the cave w/my flashlight.

Especially deep water here. Had to put my camera away..

made it out the other side (this was one of those climb-UP-it waterfalls).

1/2 way there -- lots more blogging tomorrow night! Cheeeeeeers!

South Island 3

2007-01-07T01:29:00.000-05:00

After Abel Tasman, I camped out in the mountains, & headed for the west coast.

The first place I stopped at was a seal colony (yes, MORE perfect beaches. Tired of beaches yet?)

The seals were down on the rocks, but too far away to get good pics.

Took a long walk along the bluff.

Gimme some of that horse dream.

brains.

Back on the road. What's a weka?

Roadrunner *bongggg* freeze-frame. THAT is a weka. They play this game where they try to explode under your tires.

mmm. hungry for greens.

Dear Farm, Deer farm! (they move in a pack like a flock of fish).

MORE beaches. Skipped swimming here tsk tsk.

Truly endless. FIVE perfect beaches in this pic.

Claimed a spot by *the* beach. Yes, my tent is orange.

Perfect swimming. Best body-surfing waves EVER.

Sunset.

Moonlight photo (notice the beachfire, the lights from the shower house & the stars in the sky).

South Island 2

2007-01-06T22:50:00.000-05:00

After I left Tukura Beach, I drove on a long dirt road out to a grassy parking lot near Amy's house. My car amost got stuck in a stream, but it's a good car pat pat. To actually get to Amy's house, you have to wait until low tide & then cross an empty tidal basin.

Those dots on the right & left are people. It's a long walk -- muddy in patches & you have to ford small streams.

Luckily, I got a ride from a friendly guy w/a blue tractor.

Suckers.

Thanks, Shane.

Amy's house.

Went for a walk. Both Amy & Nick wore black against the orange sand & the light was so nice -- I wish I took more pictures of them!

looking "athletic."

Next morning I went for a walk up into the mountains.

Amy's house is slightly left of center. Later in the day, Nick & I paddled out to one of those beaches.

Here's what the basin looks like almost full. Snappers come in & dig holes in the mud, & sting rays glide around menacingly.

Took a walk to the lodge for internet. Amy's folks have no phone & get electricity from solar panels & batteries (as far as I can tell).

Grinning Louise on the left.

Louise & Nick.

Not so lucky w/the tides on the way out.

South Island 1

2007-01-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

I've just returned from a trip to NZ's south island. Here's a little photo journal:

Ciao Wellington.

Kia Ora, Picton (that's the BlueBridge ferry that ferried me).

Found a way back to Wellington.

Nelson town center:

Cold ocean water slides into the bay & heats up, so by the afternoon, it's perfect for swimming. mmmmm.

I think I was listening to Friend Ship Pagota.

Stayed at Abel Tasman National Park (yes this is a different beach). Endless beaches... mmm more swimming.

Hey Ocean! I'm going to take a picture. Smile!

I stayed w/Joan for a few days. You could toss a rock into the ocean from the front porch.

Joan dances out of frame (beach not as good for swimming).

Joan took this pic of her sis (Clare) & Chris:

& dorky me:

New Years at the famous Mussel Inn. It was PACKED. Best beer EVER.

Happy New Year!

White Wings

2006-12-29T01:32:00.000-05:00

I took Finn & Esther gliding today!

gliders dragged around w/an old honda (tractor drags the office):

Esther pre-excited,

..dragged to 4000 feet,

released..

& then you get to fly around for 40 min (REALLY sensitive controls),

learn how to roll (kind of like a kayak -- use your wing/paddle on the wind/water),

how to catch updrafts etc.

Kipiti island:

FINN.

Killer Whale And SuperBowl

2006-12-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

While working one afternoon, my office-mate got a tip that there were killer whales in Oriental Bay -- just down the road from Weta. Turned out to be a mama & her three babies (also saw some dolphins recently). Here's the video. Oh, & the 2nd half of the video is a super-bowl half-time show starring my two new friends Amy & Biddy.

Besides that, I've been doing the summertime Christmas thing & writing some. Here's a couple bits of things:

//--

In the computer, I make a rock out of a non-uniform radial b-spline with procedural displacement. When I sit down for lunch, I find it in my pocket. It's light, like the volcanic rock my grandfather gave me when I was eleven. The wind blows it off the table, and I scramble for it, worried someone will guess it's not a real rock. Arun sits down. He has filled up our glasses with water from the fountain and has dirt on his clothes. I hand him the rock, and he seems confused. He asks me how I got it out of the computer and I try to explain, but it's extremely hard to explain. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, like I'm trying to push an enormous parked car, and then I realize I have to hold the rock just right, or it will turn into rice, rice is spilling through my fingers, until there is only rice all over my pants & at the center of the rock is a little puff of cigarette smoke.

//--

hurricane woman,
destroyer, beautiful
cloudy counter-clockwise
arguments, windy
slammer of car doors.

I offer sacrifice
in the flooding cellar,
beneath the alter
of your Eye;

flip flops,
a summer skirt,
a lifeless kite
and slack string,

but not me.

not to the tunnel,
the windy drill,
the threaded barrel
and guilty, empty chamber.

twist open gale and flame,
sweep clean, collector
of vital nick knacks,
you've stolen my car keys,

my library card,
my small dog (leashed!),
my wife and family,
my country and way

of thinking. spell
my name with a tangled
line of back-roads --
drive your mood swing
across those mountains, away.

LemmonDay and Rubbish Heap

2006-12-02T21:33:00.000-05:00

'twas Mr. Lemmon's birthday this past Thursday.

Amy & Lemmon make a wish for snacks.

Lucas reads through the HOME-MADE lemmonDay cards.

Marco & D.

Yesterday, I attended some "re-creation recreation." Folks ran & danced in concentric circles to demonstrate how rubbish builds up in the ocean.

Then we played Duck-Duck Goose, Hokey Tokey, & Leap Frog.

Then I almost got my bike stolen, & went to a punk show w/Eric, but none of my pics came out :(

Blew Sky House Tour

2006-11-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

Arun, Eric, & James (Blue Sky Pals) recently rented & moved into a house in Strathmore -- about 1/2 way between Wellington & Miramar. They had a house warming party last night & I shot this quick video tour. WARNING: you might not want to watch this if you live in Manhattan. They're each paying the equivalent of $900usd per month -- w/all the funiture etc included. Plus they have two more bedrooms, so if they get more roommates, it will be quite cheap.

ps: this is an unusually nice place -- not all houses in Wellington are this nice -- or new.

Moon Name

2006-11-25T18:07:00.000-05:00

It was a nice night, so I wrote my name with the moon :)

The moon:

I wrote some other people's names with the moon, too -- but it would take too long to post them. Maori folk have looong names.

& while I was writing names, I cooked all this food on the new grill. I didn't tell anyone I'd never cooked on a grill before.

Burning Sheep

2006-11-25T06:56:00.000-05:00

Burning Sheep: A bunch of kids from Weta set off their leftover fireworks from Guy Fawks -- & burn a large man-made sheep -- after "Burning Man" out in Nevada (is it Nevada, or Arizona?)

Francisco & Vanessa.

Peter & Kelly.

Profile of Arun for bDean :)

The happy sheep.

light is cool.

Ratatat

2006-11-25T06:44:00.000-05:00

Ratatat played at the sfbh on Tuesday -- on their way back from Australia. I went to Skidmore w/these two guys. We had a little reunion after the show.

Whitireia Park

2006-11-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

On Sunday I hiked around Whitireia Park -- one of the film locations for lotr. I'd guess they filmed some of the Rohan grassy plains scenes.

click on the image for a larger panorama.

A wheelchair rolling toward the cliffs.

This gull kept trying to drop "stuff" on me.

I shot more alien rock reference -- for Avatar.

I found a whale that had washed up on the beach.

It was barely breathing, but I was able to drag it back into the surf and out to sea -- with the help of the power cable.

After that, it was time to leave.

It was the kind of place a mad driver might careen his car off a cliff -- so I poked around. Sure enough, further down the coast, I found one:

Wellington Poets

2006-11-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

I've been to a few readings recently. Here's a sample of Wellington's, uh... finest.

And this is called a "backdraft." They must have something like this in nyc.

two week download

2006-11-12T03:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick download from the last two weeks:

A band from Brooklyn (NYC!) called Animal Collective played at a place called The San Francisco Bath House -- behind this guy's head:

They were loud and good.

Last weekend it was Guy Fawkes day -- the guy who tried to explode parliament.

The view from my balcony before I went over to Mr. Lemmon's rooftop party.

That same day I got in a car accident. It was my fault because sports cars suck.

Arun recommended I check out Owhario Bay -- it's a five minute drive from downtown Wellington.

I needed to shoot some reference of rocks for work:

not a rock.

the water is freezing, but people were swimming anyway. I'm going to buy a wetsuit :)

byronSkype

2006-11-11T02:36:00.000-05:00

I'm on Skype now -- look me up as "raphaelmatto" if you're on Skype (free calls w/video over the internet: www.skype.com). I had my first video call w/my brother, who lives in Ashland, Oregon -- it was so cool! I took some "pictures."

He played violin for me. It was romantic.

His engagement ring:

Byron is a nice guy.

He gave me a tour of his music studio. This is his bass:

& this is his face:

hallelujah

2006-11-08T04:33:00.000-05:00

I have internet. I will celebrate by posting VIDEOS!

the first is a quick view of Wellington. I dragged my bike up the hill -- about a 10 minute bike ride from my apt:

this is not Wellington -- but this is how windy it is. I took this video over the summer on the boat to Nantucket.

Raphe buys a phenomenal amount of crap

2006-10-30T00:33:00.000-05:00

Arun has arrived:

I moved into my apartment on Saturday and started decorating:

Just kidding. My decorations look more like this:

I have to start my library from scratch:

& I will hang everything with thumbtacks.

no, this is not a wedding ring.

This will make me a good cook.

This will remind me how awesome nyc apartments are.

This was all I had to eat on Saturday (I stole the 1/2 avacado from work):

So I bought a phenomenal amount of food and crap. The food is boring, but here is some of the crap:

I almost bought this car:

But instead I bought this bike:

And then I bought this car:

It's a boy.

I bought a pillow,

a camping pad,

& a sleeping bag -- which serves as my bed for the time being.

Here is most of the phenomenal amount (click to see large image):

I also bought these towels (so people will know I'm american).

Here's a list of things I still need to buy (but can't because I've overdrawn my account):

soap
phone
heater
notebook
tray to bolt to desk
helmet
filing bin
desk
chair
matress
bedframe
futon
plants
coat hanger
bookcase
ironing board
standing lamp
computer speakers
toilet paper
small dining table w/chairs
superglue
fuzzy slippers
microwave

Rain, Rain

2006-10-23T16:16:00.000-04:00

It's been raining for five days & I'm soaking wet like a dog (it's a long way to the bus). "Stay inside & work on Renderman and go to nice warm dinner parties, Raphe."

//using RFE_noise, setting up a noiseDriven scenerio (add an ADD & MULT noise)
#include "/usr/home/raphe/rman/RFE_noise.h"
surface
learn_srf(

)
{

point PP = transform("object", P);

float warpNoiseA;
float warpNoiseB;
float warpNoiseC;
float warpNoise;

float freqNoiseA;
float freqNoiseB;
float freqNoiseC;
float freqNoise;

float dimNoiseA;
float dimNoiseB;
float dimNoiseC;
float dimNoise;

float lacNoiseA;
float lacNoiseB;
float lacNoiseC;
float lacNoise;

float oldMinNoiseA;
float oldMinNoiseB;
float oldMinNoiseC;
float oldMinNoise;

float oldMaxNoiseA;
float oldMaxNoiseB;
float oldMaxNoiseC;
float oldMaxNoise;

float compNoiseA;
float compNoiseB;
float compNoiseC;
float compNoise ;

float globalScale = .1;

float test = 0;

if (test != 0){

warpNoise = 0;
freqNoise = 10;
dimNoise = .5;
lacNoise = 2;
oldMinNoise = 0;
oldMaxNoise = 1;

}else{

//warp noise
warpNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * .5 + 33, .5, 2, 5);
warpNoiseB = smoothstep(.3, .7, warpNoiseA);
warpNoiseC = warpNoiseB * 0;
warpNoise = warpNoiseC;

//frequency noise (radial effect, like lacunarity?!)
freqNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * 6 + 42, .5, 2, 1);
freqNoiseB = smoothstep(.2, .8, freqNoiseA);
freqNoiseC = freqNoiseB * 0 + 10;
freqNoise = freqNoiseC;

//dimension noise
dimNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * 2, .5, 2, 1);
dimNoiseB = smoothstep(.3, .7, dimNoiseA);
dimNoiseC = dimNoiseB * .5;
dimNoise = dimNoiseC;

//lacunarity noise (why does it have a radial quality -- when octaves are turned up?)
lacNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * 1 + 3278, .5, 2, 7);
lacNoiseB = smoothstep(.3, .7, lacNoiseA);
lacNoiseC = lacNoiseB * 0 + 2;
lacNoise = lacNoiseC;

//oldMin noise
oldMinNoiseA = RFE_noise((globalScale * PP * 3 + 2), .5, 2, 1);
oldMinNoiseB = smoothstep(.3, .7, oldMinNoiseA);
oldMinNoiseC = oldMinNoiseB * .4;
oldMinNoise = oldMinNoiseC;

//oldMax noise
oldMaxNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * 3, .5, 2, 1);
oldMaxNoiseB = smoothstep(.3, .7, oldMaxNoiseA);
oldMaxNoiseC = oldMaxNoiseB * .4 + .5;
oldMaxNoise = oldMaxNoiseC;
}

//composite noise
compNoiseA = RFE_noise(globalScale * PP * freqNoise + warpNoise, dimNoise, lacNoise, 5);
compNoiseB = smoothstep(oldMinNoise, oldMaxNoise, compNoiseA);
compNoiseC = compNoiseB * 1;
compNoise = compNoiseC;

Ci = compNoise;

}

Wind Farm & Wildlife

2006-10-16T01:09:00.000-04:00

Sunday I took a drive. It was a gray day, so I took B&W pics :)

Paekakariki:

Wind Farm near Eketahuna (these things are like huge knives up close -- they spin FAST)

Otaki:

Queen Elizabeth Park:

The sand sharks are scary in New Zealand.

This is the scary road rolling down into Maymorn:

On the road near Opaki:

The wildlife is amazing in New Zealand!

Some stuff: My friend, Ian -- from Blue Sky, started a blog:

http://ibutter.blogspot.com/

Miguel posted more pictures from the Yonkers Power Plant. Click here to check them out (page 2 is really cool).

My brother sent me a weird e-mail:

What up what up
I'm a butterscotch stallion, I wear polyester and a gold medallion, in
sea of people who weigh a buck fifty or two bills, i eat m&m's like a
whale eats crill. i'm fatto, matto, cunning like splinter the rat
ohhhhh

Saturday I found an apartment -- it's really nice!

Cable Car

2006-10-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

Mr. Lemmon took me to some Japanese place on Friday evening & I met some folks. Had to skip on a trip to wine country to check out more apts. boo.

I went up the cable car to the Botanical Gardens on Sunday & wrote for a bit.

//--

the fuzzy dead thing
around your neck
blinked alive in my dream.

actually, I'm dreaming right now!

it's a white lynx
and it ties knots with it's body & snaps unraveled,
biting at jars of flying honey.

did I tell you about the honey?

instead of bees, tiny jars of honey buzz & clink.
in the fields, enormous cartons of milk graze,
cardboard mouths chewing loosely.

when you arrive, it is a knocking mass
of household products, stuck together with leaves --
no no! -- dollar bills.

the mailman will run headlong into the front door
and burst into white letters

I love reading at the cafe in town.

at night I flap my hands in the dark
because anything giving off energy glows, here.

//--

When the wind slows, I hear
The turbine fork of the city pounding,
And the water table is heating up.

holy crapola!

2006-10-05T03:07:00.000-04:00

I am an American. I come in a package from America.

My plane got stuck in Auckland, so I took a bus into the city.

I wanted to jump off this thing, but it cost $190NZ (the bungie jump ropes are on the left):

So, instead, I walked around on the glass floor 350 feet up,

checked out the view (notice the clouds in Aukland),

and attended a show of "Castle Cats."

Then I flew to Wellington. Weta booked me in a huge room at the Duxton hotel w/two bathrooms, a hallway, & a livingroom. Here's the living room:

The view from the hotel:

Then I went to work. Weta is cute (I got to see dragons on my frist day):

You know that sheild that the Urukai (sp) throws at Aragorn & almost cuts his head off? I walk by that on my way to the bathroom.

Weta gave me a rental car for two weeks:

So I went for a drive.

& took a walk:

Then Inge (a nice Weta HR chicka) took me to see apartments (they're enormous. We looked at one that was a four bedroom place & in my price range! Anyone want to visit?)

I'm having fun :)

Flight Tomorrow

2006-09-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

Milo is wounded. He has some medicine for it.

I went on a couple walks with my ma. The leaves at the resevoir:

The clouds at Kilkanie Rock:

The woods on the way to the Hubline Tower:

& her (she's going to be a professional storyteller):

Then I went to my grandfather's house in Shelton for a birthday party. My cousin Nichole & her friends sizing up the pizza:

my cousin Nicholas:

Uncle Bruce & a new toy:

Clouds In White Plains

2006-09-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

The clouds in White Plains. I'm going to start taking pictures of clouds. My flight leaves on Sunday afternooooooon.

Dinner With Elia & Valentina

2006-09-29T02:57:00.000-04:00

Elia & Valentina made a yummy dinner.

Harry on the right, Elia on the left.

grape.

I gave Elia & Valentina my plant; please take care of my plant, guys. Water it once a week. It's name is Milo. It will make star shaped flowers if you talk to it.

These are big, whatever they are.

It's not funny.