Saturday, February 26, 2011

Thematic Photographic 135: Letters

Yay! Thematic Photographic's back! Join in the fun here.

I didn't need to go far to find some letters: a few days ago I took a lot of photos in and around my classroom, with the idea of sometime posting a 'journey around my classroom'.
Here are the Letters which a junior class made to decorate the walls a year or so ago:


And this one:




These were made as a fun activity at the end of the year. They worked in groups and each letter had to have some theme or unifying idea.
This E is one of the best:


You can get an idea of how they sit on the walls in this shot; the Excellence is under the whiteboard, the English down the far end of the room:

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Memories of Christchurch

Some of you may have read my post earlier this week, just after the disastrous earthquake in the city in which I was born and brought up.
The news gets sadder every day, with about 100 now confirmed dead, and another 250 still missing. I have been thinking about my years there and the places I used to know well; these pictures are how I would like to remember the city.

For about 8 years of my childhood we lived in New Brighton. My strongest memory, apart from our big wooden two-storeyed house, is of the beach - stretching for miles, windswept, grey-sanded. There was a long wooden pier, dilapidated and dangerous, under which I very nearly drowned. Today there is a new streamlined pier.



When I was a teenager we moved to Sumner, another beachside suburb. In those angst-ridden times I often used to walk along the beach at night and sit on top of the Cave Rock (centre of picture). I always felt perfectly safe, and never came to any harm.



I attended Christchurch Girls' High School, in an old building only a block or 2 from the centre of the city. Today, there is a new campus on far bigger grounds, further out of the CBD.








Another view of the old building:



















One of the best features of the city is (was?) Hagley Park, a huge acreage of recreational ground wisely set aside by the founders for their descendants.

There were sporting grounds, walking and running tracks, lakes and playgrounds.
A busy main road runs through the Park, and along both sides of it are beautiful cherries which make a stunning show in the springtime.



Of course they have been renewed and replaced many times over the years, but I am very proud of the fact that my father was responsible for the original plantings, when he was an elected member of the City Council.







Christchurch has always prided itself on its gardens. Through the city runs the Avon river (yes, named after the English one). I used to love being taken boating on the river,


and to the Botanic Gardens and Museum


In the background of these two pictures is the old University, which I attended. These days it is an Arts centre; I wonder how much of it has survived the quakes?








Christchurch had a small but busy port called Lyttelton. This is where the latest quake was centred


And finally, another picture of the iconic (yes, that word is badly overused, but in this case it's correct)
Cathedral

Thanks for reading.
These photos are by David Wall or from this site by Michelle.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

More Strangers

I've found some more pics which seem to qualify for Thematic Photographic's 'Strangers' theme.
First, two shots of ceremonial guards at the Mausoleum of Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey:









 


These people are engrossed in what the guide is saying at the National Museum in the same city:

 

A group of friends playing a Spanish version of boules in Barcelona:


"Good things happen when you meet strangers."   ~Yo-Yo Ma 

Friday, February 11, 2011

Strangers

Thematic Photographic's theme this week is strangers, and people are posting fantastic pics in response to Carmi's suggestion.

I'm pretty wary of taking photos of strangers - after all I wouldn't want anyone taking any of me. But I did rustle up a few:

These young guys were enjoying the sun and the water - I don't think they were catching any fish, though.



Meanwhile a mother and her two children watch:


Sunday, February 6, 2011

3 things that make me happy on another Monday

Our new school year has only just officially begun, but already I can feel my shoulders tensing up, and my "to-do" list is of epic proportions. Plus, there are family issues... how old do my kids have to be before I no longer have to worry about them?

So - I'm taking some time out from working and worrying to visit 3 things which have the capacity to cheer me up. Instantly.

#1: Spring flowers
Massed tulips in the Wellington Botanical gardens

#2: Painted skies
Sunset from my window

#3: Water
Well, you know there'd have to be a water pic in there somewhere!
A peaceful, tranquil morning. Not today!

 "Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions 
can you keep it all afloat"                                   ~Andre Lord

What are your cures for Monday-itis?