Broadband?

This is now the second time I have written this post - yesterday, as I clicked the magic "post and publish" button our internet connection failed and my lovingly composed blog disappeared before my very eyes. This is an ongoing saga with our broadband provider (in reality, the connection speed is often slower than a dial-up) - I'm getting close to throwing a tantrum!

So, I'm giving it another go...

What's new in eh10? eh? I have one of those season-change-induced colds - yes, the heatwave is well and truly over! There's a definite autumnal nip in the air, and it wont be long before the leaves change colour. I have finally managed to book some flights for a wee jaunt this year - to Italy (Rome and Venice), in November. Easyjet's sale has cured my disillusionment with the online travel marketplace (see post back in July), temporarily at least!

I have been underwhelmed by the response to my scooter-naming challenge. So far the only responses have been from Dad (who suggests "Aggie") and David's "MacPac" and "outwith". So either the rest of you have had a very uncreative week, or nobody else actually reads this blog. Sigh.

Saturday night I saw the best fireworks I have ever seen - the finale to the festival, spectacularly located atop the Castle (I can't imagine a better location for a fireworks display), nicely accompanied by the chamber orchestra (Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, bien sur). It reminded me a bit of the concerts in the Auckland Domain - everyone gets into the spirit of the event, with picnics and much wine - very festive. Even a bit of rain didn't dampen the spirits (but I'm glad that the torrential downpour after the concert didn't happen during it - our entire group would have probably slid down the steep slope we were perched on). The definite highlight was the enormous waterfall effect over the length of the castle wall (especially exciting when bits of vegetation on the rock face below caught alight).

I've been researching Scottish music (not the hoodrum heedrum variety, something a bit more contemporary) for an award ceremony for young adult learners I'm organising for early next year. This means that we are currently listening to a radio station that specialises in new Scottish music. It reminds me of the bad old days of bFM (very variable, real gems lost amongst the thrash guitar). The music scene does seem to be quite lively here - loads of venues, loads of bands. I'm yet to establish my favourites, though. But we have secured tickets to see the Flaming Lips when they come here in November.

While I'm on a pop culture theme, I really enjoyed Pirates of the Carribbean. It was a good give your brain a rest flick, without being incredibly dumb, and, of course, I'll watch anything with Johhny Depp in it. I was quite keen to see Pirates, as it was a project I had worked on at Film NZ (not that it made it to NZ, but I was curious about the locations they chose in the end). We watched at our local picturehouse, the Dominion, where you are personally greeted and farewelled by the owners (it's a gorgeous old art deco cinema, that's been in the family for decades). Now that the weather is a bit cooler, I'll probably be a more regular visitor.

I was the lucky recipient of a stack of NZ mags this week, including the new Wellington title Staple - glossy and stylish and very cool in a kiwi way (there doesn't seem to be much like that here, or maybe it's just harder to find). Thanks mum!