I wrote last year of my adventures pursuing higher education in New Zealand, at the University of Auckland. It came about as the result of a decision made 3ish years ago that I wanted to pursue a Masters degree in music. I do occasionally question why, as does Troway I'm sure, but I am glad that I have persevered, and ever grateful of the support I have in this endeavour, particularly from Troway (who more and more gets stuck with cooking dinner and cleaning the house, yayteam effort for Denise's sanity!).
Last years' move to Auckland, and subsequent research projects in the second half of the year, resulted in a Post-graduate Certificate in Musicology, as well as introducing me to the ways of university life in NZ (probably still figuring much of that out...). This year I am officially a Masters student, working through a 12-month research project for a degree in Musicology.
It was pretty cool to log in to my account this year and see student level marked as "Graduate." :)
What does this mean for my daily routine now?
I have fortunately been able to arrange my schedule so that I can work in the mornings/early afternoon and then head home to study as needed/able for the rest of the day.
What am I studying?
Nineteenth-century four-hand piano transcriptions by Carl Czerny. One of my projects last year highlighted his transcriptions of other music such as symphonies to be highly complex due to a seemingly intensive effort to not lose any of the original score when reducing it down to a piano version. I have been playing through the piano scores so I can do a comparison of the orchestral scores (or chamber music in the cases of something like a violin/cello/piano trio) and trying to quantify what his method and/or goal was in creating the piano version.
It turns out that in the first half of the nineteenth century the piano was a very popular thing. It had not yet reached its full development to the instrument we have now, which partly contributed to its popularity because each new and improved version was of interest to the musical public. But it also allowed people to socialize musically in the home, while also ensuring their daughters were learning cultivated husband-attracting skills.
In addition to the score playing and analysis, I have a self-mandated extensive reading list to get through over the next few months. It is all interesting to me in one way or another, but my favorite things thus far have been the books or manuals written in the nineteenth century, on a variety of topics.
I have learned that "dazzling gew-gaw" cannot cover up one's mistakes (Carl Czerny).
And that "death can end one's usefulness," no matter how influential one is during one's own lifetime (Alfred Dolge).
A favorite so far is the commentary on a rising opera star, whose figure "did not weary in contemplation" (Edward Holmes).
My program started on 1 March and is a 12-month challenge. By 28 February next year, the goal/assignment is to have thoroughly researched to prove or disprove my working hypothesis, in order to hopefully answer my primary research questions, and produce an approximately 30,000 page thesis explaining all this with, ideally, some useful conclusions.
I am nearly 2 months in and all seems to be going well so far. I will endeavor to give interesting updates along the way.
Happy Easter!
Monday, April 22, 2019
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Maketawa Hut Circuit
At the risk of boring you with too many hiking stories, I am sharing my March hiking adventure with you. We always get a long weekend towards the start of March for Taranaki Anniversary so this year I used the day off to avoid research by trekking the Maketawa Hut Circuit.
In 3 hours my friend and I managed to complete the 6.5 kilometer track, and even timed things so that we were leaving the mountain just as it decided to rain!
From the main visitor center the track plunges straight into native forest. It was a rough but clearly visible track that steadily climbed, although it was not nearly as steep as I had expected (a welcome surprise). The majority of the climb to the hut was wooded, but the views when suddenly arriving at the hut were fantastic. It was cloudy over most of the mountain so we did not get to see the summit, but there was an impressive gorge visible on one side of the hut.
The hut itself was lovely, with 16 bunk beds, wood heating, space to prep food and a lovely wooded rustic feel. I have not yet stayed in any of the huts around the mountain but have mentally flagged this one as potentially the best option for a first hut-stay.
From the hut, the track continues up a rather serious number of stairs, definitely the steepest part of the hike. As we climbed higher there was a rather odd sensation of being almost entirely removed from the world due to the clouds, which by this point had descended far enough that there was visibility up and down the track but not off to the sides much. It must have been my day to be a hobbit wandering the NZ wilderness haha!
But the track soon merged with the summit climb, onto a 4WD track that was a quick way back down to the visitor center, something to be grateful of when it started raining.
Pictures below :)
Check back soon for a grad school update and have a good week!
In 3 hours my friend and I managed to complete the 6.5 kilometer track, and even timed things so that we were leaving the mountain just as it decided to rain!
From the main visitor center the track plunges straight into native forest. It was a rough but clearly visible track that steadily climbed, although it was not nearly as steep as I had expected (a welcome surprise). The majority of the climb to the hut was wooded, but the views when suddenly arriving at the hut were fantastic. It was cloudy over most of the mountain so we did not get to see the summit, but there was an impressive gorge visible on one side of the hut.
The hut itself was lovely, with 16 bunk beds, wood heating, space to prep food and a lovely wooded rustic feel. I have not yet stayed in any of the huts around the mountain but have mentally flagged this one as potentially the best option for a first hut-stay.
From the hut, the track continues up a rather serious number of stairs, definitely the steepest part of the hike. As we climbed higher there was a rather odd sensation of being almost entirely removed from the world due to the clouds, which by this point had descended far enough that there was visibility up and down the track but not off to the sides much. It must have been my day to be a hobbit wandering the NZ wilderness haha!
But the track soon merged with the summit climb, onto a 4WD track that was a quick way back down to the visitor center, something to be grateful of when it started raining.
Pictures below :)
Check back soon for a grad school update and have a good week!
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Pouakai Summit
I mentioned in my previous post that a monthly hike was on this year's to-do list.
My brother helped tick off the February hike, as he stayed on for a couple of extra weeks after the wedding. His final weekend here the weather was looking good so we decided to plan a hike.
We picked up some pies on the way out of town and headed to the end of Mangorei Rd to start the trek to the Pouakai hut. In some respects, the climb to the hut is one that could be considered less challenging due to the track being easily accessible, with minimal erosion and uneven terrain. However, this track is not to be considered too easy, as it is a series of stairs almost the entire way to the hut. The signposts advise allow 1-3 hours for the climb. I am not sure how many steps it really is, but it is a lot, my legs kindly reminded me for the next three days! We did quite well actually and reached the hut in 75 minutes.
Since we still had plenty of time at this stage we decided to press on a bit further. We stopped at the tarns to appreciate the stunning view of Mt. Taranaki, and then decided to carry on to the Pouakai Summit. This was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision, but the sign said only 3.2 kilometers and 1 hour to the summit. It was a beautiful day, we had plenty of water, and it sounded doable.
It was doable, and in fact quite enjoyable for the most part, but it did remind me that if I intend to do many serious hikes I should work on my climbing endurance a bit.
We continued on the boardwalk for a bit before gong through a swampy field area (although it was pretty dry after the recent lack of rain). It was the final chunk that was the big challenge. The track was quite eroded which meant we had to occasionally get creative in finding the most economical way up. But as with all these adventures I have attempted, definitely worth the view! If you stood at the right angle, you could see the Tasman Sea and Mt. Taranaki all at once :)
My brother helped tick off the February hike, as he stayed on for a couple of extra weeks after the wedding. His final weekend here the weather was looking good so we decided to plan a hike.
We picked up some pies on the way out of town and headed to the end of Mangorei Rd to start the trek to the Pouakai hut. In some respects, the climb to the hut is one that could be considered less challenging due to the track being easily accessible, with minimal erosion and uneven terrain. However, this track is not to be considered too easy, as it is a series of stairs almost the entire way to the hut. The signposts advise allow 1-3 hours for the climb. I am not sure how many steps it really is, but it is a lot, my legs kindly reminded me for the next three days! We did quite well actually and reached the hut in 75 minutes.
Since we still had plenty of time at this stage we decided to press on a bit further. We stopped at the tarns to appreciate the stunning view of Mt. Taranaki, and then decided to carry on to the Pouakai Summit. This was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision, but the sign said only 3.2 kilometers and 1 hour to the summit. It was a beautiful day, we had plenty of water, and it sounded doable.
It was doable, and in fact quite enjoyable for the most part, but it did remind me that if I intend to do many serious hikes I should work on my climbing endurance a bit.
We continued on the boardwalk for a bit before gong through a swampy field area (although it was pretty dry after the recent lack of rain). It was the final chunk that was the big challenge. The track was quite eroded which meant we had to occasionally get creative in finding the most economical way up. But as with all these adventures I have attempted, definitely worth the view! If you stood at the right angle, you could see the Tasman Sea and Mt. Taranaki all at once :)
Friday, March 01, 2019
Hiking at Pukeiti
Something I have always enjoyed about New Zealand is the prevalence of beautiful, free, safe places to be outdoors. Mountains, gorges, beaches, gardens and parks are everywhere, and almost all of them are free. The Doc segment of the government works hard to ensure safe and reliable trails and conservation areas are tidy and well maintained. With the wet and windy winters, frequent tourist traffic and natural predators, this is a massive task. Some places are flasher than others, and one should never presume there will be much in the way of amenities, but I have found it is always worth it to get out and discover a new place.
I was having a conversation with dad awhile back, when he shook his head at me and said he was not entirely sure how I managed to cram so much into every day/week/month, whatever. Hate to break it to you daddy, but I am pretty sure it is a hereditary trait :)
But, in order to not disappoint, I have set out to keep busy with a few things in 2019 (the biggie was pulling off the wedding, which I am happy to report was splendid!). One of those things is at to plan and enjoy one hike each month. Of course I am not limited to only one but since I have decided 3-4 hours is a reasonable timeframe to set aside, I figure setting one definite goal is reasonable.
January's hike was a chunk of the outer circle trail at Pukeiti Gardens. This is one of Taranaki's main large gardens, a massive work in progress to protect and main Taranaki rainforest. It is best known for the large amount of rhododendrons, but has a wide range of colorful sections. More recent additions to the garden include a lovely cafe (for the obligatory coffee after enjoying the garden) and several treehouses for the kids.
Mom picked this hike and it was an excellent choice. The outer circle are the rainforest tracks, about 9 kilometers in total that provide treks through rainforest, a summit climb, views of the Pouakai and Kaitake ranges and outlooks to the Tasman Sea. I estimate we did 5-6 kilometers of the tracks, saving the rest for another day when Taranaki summer decided to remind us just how hot it can get! Like any good Kiwi hikers, we retired to the cafe for a cuppa and a treat :)
I was having a conversation with dad awhile back, when he shook his head at me and said he was not entirely sure how I managed to cram so much into every day/week/month, whatever. Hate to break it to you daddy, but I am pretty sure it is a hereditary trait :)
But, in order to not disappoint, I have set out to keep busy with a few things in 2019 (the biggie was pulling off the wedding, which I am happy to report was splendid!). One of those things is at to plan and enjoy one hike each month. Of course I am not limited to only one but since I have decided 3-4 hours is a reasonable timeframe to set aside, I figure setting one definite goal is reasonable.
January's hike was a chunk of the outer circle trail at Pukeiti Gardens. This is one of Taranaki's main large gardens, a massive work in progress to protect and main Taranaki rainforest. It is best known for the large amount of rhododendrons, but has a wide range of colorful sections. More recent additions to the garden include a lovely cafe (for the obligatory coffee after enjoying the garden) and several treehouses for the kids.
Mom picked this hike and it was an excellent choice. The outer circle are the rainforest tracks, about 9 kilometers in total that provide treks through rainforest, a summit climb, views of the Pouakai and Kaitake ranges and outlooks to the Tasman Sea. I estimate we did 5-6 kilometers of the tracks, saving the rest for another day when Taranaki summer decided to remind us just how hot it can get! Like any good Kiwi hikers, we retired to the cafe for a cuppa and a treat :)
Friday, February 22, 2019
Northern Explorer Rail Journey
I have not done a lot of travel by train but have always enjoyed the trips which have come about in that particular mode of transportation. If boasting is allowed, I have trained in 4 countries now, which is not a terribly high number but is enough to know I certainly prefer train over bus!
New Zealand has a few cross-country passenger trains, mostly for tourist purposes. In December when mom came to visit I decided to jump on that bandwagon and booked tickets for us to take the Northern Explorer journey from Auckland to Wellington.
The journey is 680 kilometers, which took about 11 hours. There were several stops along the way, where stopovers could be planned if desired. We made the entire journey in one day but if I were making recommendations, I'd say a night or two at National Park would be an excellent choice.
Once the joy of industrial Auckland was past, the plains of Waikato were the first major part of the journey. Other highlights were Tongariro National Park, the Rangipo Desert and the Rangitikei district. The scenery was incredibly varied, including farmland, plains, mountains, barren landscapes and stunning gorges.
The journey itself was lovely and relaxing. Plenty of on-board information was available for the history and detail around each major district. The cafe car provided plenty of snacks and coffees and a rang of lunch options. And last but not least, the open viewing platform car was a refreshing way to enjoy the scenery. An entire car was open to all passengers for up-close viewing of the scenery. The was a roof and a floor and walls halfway up, but this car was otherwise completely open. Pin your hair back ladies!
See below for photos and read more detail about this rail journey here:
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/northern-explorer/experience/the-journey/
And now the obligatory photos for you to be jealous over my adventures :)
New Zealand has a few cross-country passenger trains, mostly for tourist purposes. In December when mom came to visit I decided to jump on that bandwagon and booked tickets for us to take the Northern Explorer journey from Auckland to Wellington.
The journey is 680 kilometers, which took about 11 hours. There were several stops along the way, where stopovers could be planned if desired. We made the entire journey in one day but if I were making recommendations, I'd say a night or two at National Park would be an excellent choice.
Once the joy of industrial Auckland was past, the plains of Waikato were the first major part of the journey. Other highlights were Tongariro National Park, the Rangipo Desert and the Rangitikei district. The scenery was incredibly varied, including farmland, plains, mountains, barren landscapes and stunning gorges.
The journey itself was lovely and relaxing. Plenty of on-board information was available for the history and detail around each major district. The cafe car provided plenty of snacks and coffees and a rang of lunch options. And last but not least, the open viewing platform car was a refreshing way to enjoy the scenery. An entire car was open to all passengers for up-close viewing of the scenery. The was a roof and a floor and walls halfway up, but this car was otherwise completely open. Pin your hair back ladies!
See below for photos and read more detail about this rail journey here:
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/northern-explorer/experience/the-journey/
And now the obligatory photos for you to be jealous over my adventures :)
 |
| Map of the Northern Explorer route (minus across the Strait) |
 |
| Our train! |
 |
| Waikato farmland |
 |
| Heading into the Central Plateau |
 |
| Tunnel! |
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| Mt Ruapehu |
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| Mt Tongariro |
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| Cool train bridge |
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| Rangitikei gorge |
 |
| Almost to Wellington |
Sunday, January 13, 2019
So you're going to plan a wedding...
HI all!
As the big day gets closer and closer, a lot of my spare time has been spent planning the things that I was not able to do the minute T popped a stunning ring on my finger.
It has been an interesting journey for sure, but an enjoyable one.
I have been amused by the number of times people have seemed surprised at our apparent lack of stress (we have had our moments, but overall I think we have maintained healthy blood pressure), because there seems to be an expectation that wedding planning is/must be/always will be/absolutely has to be stressful.
I think in all seriousness that Troway has put in a massive amount of effort in terms of the non-stress factors. Delegating certain things to him to decide on has helped a lot, and he has been an excellent source of reason when I was unable to make up my mind.
We have had a lot of support from family and friends as well, which of course helps as you think through options or look for inspiration to maintain levels of creativity without getting too absurd.
I think my favorite part of the entire process has been thinking through ways to create an event that highlights both of our individual personalities, while also showing off our relationship. When our celebrant asked us to sum up what we wanted in a ceremony, we came up with "Catholic American New Zealand Maori fusion." I like it :)
Something that surprised me in this process was how much I enjoyed dress shopping. I am not normally a huge shopper, especially on items that come with a single-use large-ish price tag. I quickly learned that what I thought I wanted was too big, too heavy and made me look like a cupcake. It did not make me feel like a princess, it just made me tired haha. More surprising was finding out that the style I liked the best was pretty low on my original "to-try list." But I lucked out and have a beautiful gown. Photos to come of course!!
A very short list of some of the things that have been said to us throughout this process (some amusing, others occasionally less so...). I have included my mental response in brackets for your amusement.
Why would you waste money on a wedding? [Ummm because we want to and it is a great time for a reunion of all our favorite people in the world}
You seem more excited than nervous, that's weird.... [I have no doubt the nerves will hit at some point, but why wouldn't I be excited??]
If I do not like your chosen vendor, I will fire him/her myself. [Keep dreaming, it is not your day and therefore not your choice].
Nobody has asked me that question before, I don't know... [fortunately that was a written response so the shock at slack customer service was less apparent by the time I replied]
Are you just ready for it to be over? [Nope, the day will fly by, even though I am sure it will be a long day at the same time. The rare opportunity to have all of us together in one place is something to be savored and I do not want to wish any of it away]
Have you thought about...... [wait, that list would take too long so I will skip it :) ]
You're a rockstar!! [from my florist, when I paid the bill early, and told her I was more interested in her professional artistic opinion than Pinspiration]
It is all about the two of you and what you want. [from our celebrant as we discussed ceremony options]
My family will arrive in two weeks time, cannot wait to see everyone and show off NZ to those who have not been before. I am sure there will be lots more too tell soon as we wrap up the final things.
And if you are lucky I will get around to posting some of the summer break pictures/adventures....Cross your fingers for that to happen because some of it is pretty cool. I have been busy quilting rather than blogging....
As the big day gets closer and closer, a lot of my spare time has been spent planning the things that I was not able to do the minute T popped a stunning ring on my finger.
It has been an interesting journey for sure, but an enjoyable one.
I have been amused by the number of times people have seemed surprised at our apparent lack of stress (we have had our moments, but overall I think we have maintained healthy blood pressure), because there seems to be an expectation that wedding planning is/must be/always will be/absolutely has to be stressful.
I think in all seriousness that Troway has put in a massive amount of effort in terms of the non-stress factors. Delegating certain things to him to decide on has helped a lot, and he has been an excellent source of reason when I was unable to make up my mind.
We have had a lot of support from family and friends as well, which of course helps as you think through options or look for inspiration to maintain levels of creativity without getting too absurd.
I think my favorite part of the entire process has been thinking through ways to create an event that highlights both of our individual personalities, while also showing off our relationship. When our celebrant asked us to sum up what we wanted in a ceremony, we came up with "Catholic American New Zealand Maori fusion." I like it :)
Something that surprised me in this process was how much I enjoyed dress shopping. I am not normally a huge shopper, especially on items that come with a single-use large-ish price tag. I quickly learned that what I thought I wanted was too big, too heavy and made me look like a cupcake. It did not make me feel like a princess, it just made me tired haha. More surprising was finding out that the style I liked the best was pretty low on my original "to-try list." But I lucked out and have a beautiful gown. Photos to come of course!!
A very short list of some of the things that have been said to us throughout this process (some amusing, others occasionally less so...). I have included my mental response in brackets for your amusement.
Why would you waste money on a wedding? [Ummm because we want to and it is a great time for a reunion of all our favorite people in the world}
You seem more excited than nervous, that's weird.... [I have no doubt the nerves will hit at some point, but why wouldn't I be excited??]
If I do not like your chosen vendor, I will fire him/her myself. [Keep dreaming, it is not your day and therefore not your choice].
Nobody has asked me that question before, I don't know... [fortunately that was a written response so the shock at slack customer service was less apparent by the time I replied]
Are you just ready for it to be over? [Nope, the day will fly by, even though I am sure it will be a long day at the same time. The rare opportunity to have all of us together in one place is something to be savored and I do not want to wish any of it away]
Have you thought about...... [wait, that list would take too long so I will skip it :) ]
You're a rockstar!! [from my florist, when I paid the bill early, and told her I was more interested in her professional artistic opinion than Pinspiration]
It is all about the two of you and what you want. [from our celebrant as we discussed ceremony options]
My family will arrive in two weeks time, cannot wait to see everyone and show off NZ to those who have not been before. I am sure there will be lots more too tell soon as we wrap up the final things.
And if you are lucky I will get around to posting some of the summer break pictures/adventures....Cross your fingers for that to happen because some of it is pretty cool. I have been busy quilting rather than blogging....
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
I'm Still Here!
Dear Readers,
I have been pretty slack about writing good posts this year, but I have a whole list of excuses if you are interested :)
Of late, my reasons are primarily due to ticking some big things off the to-list:
- I turned in (and successfully passed!) the research papers I have been laboring over since July.
- I completed my research proposal for Master's study next year (will hopefully have formal acceptance soon, cross your fingers!)
- I finished my spring cleaning list (I do not recommend flooding the laundry room as part of this exercise...)
- We have made some solid progress on wedding planning, including confirming music to use (and musicians to play it for us!), what we're wearing, wedding bands and the reception menu. Next up: CAKE!
- I made a spice rack for the kitchen :)
We have very few drawers for storing things in the kitchen, and a lot of the cabinet space is taken up with other things so adequate spice storage has been a long time coming. Troway helped ensure there were no major bloopers, but I did enjoy have a mostly - done- myself project (picture below)
- We re-finished our kitchen table.
It was a $10 thrift store purchase that has been perfectly functional, but since we only have finished the job the first time around, it needed a bit of TLC to really look nice. So last Saturday afternoon was spent sanding and cleaning and staining. We are happy with the output :)
- I got my garden planted!
And some things I did not plant....including an extra tomato and either cucumbers or zucchini, it is too early to tell. If I am really lucky maybe one will be a pumpkin, since the slugs ate the pumpkin I planted...
We also have some lovely flowers blooming, which makes all the hard clean-up work worth it.
Hope all is well in your part of the world.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I have been pretty slack about writing good posts this year, but I have a whole list of excuses if you are interested :)
Of late, my reasons are primarily due to ticking some big things off the to-list:
- I turned in (and successfully passed!) the research papers I have been laboring over since July.
- I completed my research proposal for Master's study next year (will hopefully have formal acceptance soon, cross your fingers!)
- I finished my spring cleaning list (I do not recommend flooding the laundry room as part of this exercise...)
- We have made some solid progress on wedding planning, including confirming music to use (and musicians to play it for us!), what we're wearing, wedding bands and the reception menu. Next up: CAKE!
- I made a spice rack for the kitchen :)
We have very few drawers for storing things in the kitchen, and a lot of the cabinet space is taken up with other things so adequate spice storage has been a long time coming. Troway helped ensure there were no major bloopers, but I did enjoy have a mostly - done- myself project (picture below)
- We re-finished our kitchen table.
It was a $10 thrift store purchase that has been perfectly functional, but since we only have finished the job the first time around, it needed a bit of TLC to really look nice. So last Saturday afternoon was spent sanding and cleaning and staining. We are happy with the output :)
- I got my garden planted!
And some things I did not plant....including an extra tomato and either cucumbers or zucchini, it is too early to tell. If I am really lucky maybe one will be a pumpkin, since the slugs ate the pumpkin I planted...
We also have some lovely flowers blooming, which makes all the hard clean-up work worth it.
Hope all is well in your part of the world.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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