snap out of it fishy!

I'm feeling low today. Not sure why, but I've been on the verge of tears all day. I have heaps to cheer me up, so I thought I would post a list and see if that helps...

I have lost 5kg and kept it off for a month.
My husband is back in town after a weekend away.
I have a neat bunch of Year 9,10,13 students (even though my Year 11s are awful).
My HoD likes and respects me.
I am going on a maths course in 2 weeks.
I have two free periods tomorrow.

That should do for now I think.

Te wiki o te reo Maori - rima

Phrase-a-day: Ramere 27 Hongoingoi

Ka rawe to korero Maori
Gee, speaking Maori is good fun!

I probably won't have time to post on the weekend, so that's all from me. I hope you have enjoyed this week. Ka kite ano!

Te wiki o te reo Maori - wha

Phrase-a-day: Rapare 26 Hongoingoi

Today there are two for the price of one!

Kei te pehea koe?
how are you?
Kei te pai ahau
I am well

practice this one with a partner :)

Te wiki o te reo Maori - toru

Phrase-a-day: Raapa 25 Hongongoi

Today's one is a little naughty...
patu i te kumu
smack on the bum - haha!

Put homai te at the front to say "give me..." if you're feeling naughty :)

Te wiki o te reo Maori - Rua

Phrase-a-day: Ratu 24 Hongongoi
ko te aroha taku koe
I love you!

Go and use it on your loved ones. If you don't have a loved one, go find a hot guy or girl and see if they like your lingo!

Te wiki o te reo Maori - Tahi

Kia Ora readers

This week is Maori language week. I will try to post a phrase a day for you to practise. Make sure you visit!

Phrase-a-day: Rahina 23 Hongongoi (Monday 23 July)
ka nui tena maku
You look good!

Off you go, poppets. Practice saying it out loud and you will have it in no time!

Lauren's first night in NZ

Yes, I know that was over a week ago, but better late than never. Not a bad night out, considering Lauren had just had a 36-hour plane journey to get here! I gather staying up late is a good way to prevent jet lag anyway.

Lauren and Fish, having just arrived at the BlacktoSchool karoke party.

Lauren and Merv (Merrrrv!) singing a duet. Awwww.

Fish singing with Jeremy - an ex student who was at the party to run the music machine. Rosita seems to be enjoying herself too.

Choir School is over for another year.

I think I should have gone to boarding school in my High School years. My Ma did, and hated every moment. I think my Dad also went to boarding school and hated it. My Sister reckons she wouldn't be suited to boarding school, but I reckon I would have LOVED it.

Over the last fifteen or so years I have attended heaps of live-in courses and camps and never wanted to leave any of them when the time came to leave. I love the routine, the staff and other students being around, having my own little room or dorm space, and communal activities in the free time. There's always the Harry Potter fantasy aspect too.

Anyway, I had an absolutely fabulous time. We were at St Matthew's Collegiate in Masterton, which has nice single dorms with a few double/triple rooms. I had a wee single with a lovely view of the Chapel out my window.

We had larger numbers than last year, and so there were four Houses, rather than the three we had last year. They were:

Gibbons - trebles (boys' unbroken voices). 9 - 11 year old boys.

Purcell - young sopranos, 9 - 11 year old girls.

Stanford - older sopranos (11-13 year olds) and some broken voice boy altos

Byrd - four part broken voice choir, including mature soprano and alto girls, and two boy altos. It turned out that there was only one tenor, so I helped out at rehearsals, along with Christina. We were literally The Three Tenors!

We had Chapel services twice a day - spoken prayers and meditation after breakfast, and sung services after dinner. Each night service was lead by a different house. The first night, the staff sang a full evensong with versicles & responses, a psalm, Magnificat & Nunc Dimittus, an anthem, and two hymns. We sounded pretty good, considering we had just met that afternoon and had never sung together. I guess my sightreading was better than I thought.

The tutors were all great - we had Stephen Rowley and Alison Stewart from last year's School, and two new tutors from Christchurch; Robert Cross and Paul Ellis. Christina from last year, a couple of parents and myself were all there as mere "house staff" - read "camp mums", but in the evenings, the music staff and house staff all came together to talk crap over a quiet drink in the staff lounge.

The organ scholar this year was a chorister from last year's School - Paul Tarling. Only eighteen, but very talented (and cute too!) I think it might have been a little wierd for him this year being staff, having been just "one of the kids" last year. Still, he loosened up a little as the week continued. I even got a foot rub out of him on the last couple of nights.

The final service was in the acoustic vortex that is St Matthew's Church in Masterton. The digital organ sounded less crap than last year though - maybe they loaded some anti-crap software in it. We sounded awesome and I made only two mistakes in the whole pile of music we sang. My favourite bass (Thomas, 16, from Tawa) scored the only Yellow Ribbon award, and also a sightreading scholarship to come back next year.

After the final service, we all ran around getting photos, hugs and email addresses from each other and headed homeward for a well-earned rest.

The guy standing 2 over from me is Thomas, the one I reckon looks like my friend James from netball. The photo doesn't really do him justice. The dark haired guy right up the back is Harry - the only MALE tenor in the School.

Winter Choir school is in early July '08. I'm looking forward to it already.