My last Budapest story

There was never any grand plan to write so many stories about Budapest; I just somehow kept getting commissioned another one, and another one and another one.

The well has now officially run dry. My last travel piece on the Hungarian capital has just been published in the latest MAS Magazine (click here to read).

Gong Hey Fat Choy

Or Happy Chinese New Year.

Tonight, as part of my current part-time PR contract, I was invited to the Beehive for the annual Chinese New Year celebrations.

The lion dance was outstanding and it was nice to chat to the Prime Minister (second pic). But not as nice as the yummy fish cakes.

The painting marathon continues

Another weekend, another room down...

The Animator is making great strides with hiding the bach's questionable 70s decor under litres of white paint (and no, sadly, it's not even cool in a retro way).

There were, of course, several trips to the beach including an early morning run on Saturday in which I pretty much had the entire beach to myself. Waiterere is truly my happy place...

Five more books

One of the most sublime moments of the month is when a courier arrives, bearing five more review books from North & South Magazine. Today he delivered these beauties.

Oh that I could sit and read all day...

    

Tame Iti exhibition

Tonight after work a colleague and I drank wine and nibbled falafel at the opening of the Tame Iti/Birgit Krippner exhibition at the new Suite Gallery in upper Cuba Street.

I interviewed Birgit for a story in this month's North & South Magazine and she was nice enough to invite me to the opening. The most surprising thing though was standing next to well known activist Tame - he's the only man I know who's shorter than me.

But it was a thoroughly pleasant way to end the office portion of my working week.

Today's visual is one of Birgit's amazing pics of Tame. If you're in Wellington anytime soon, I'd strongly recommend you check out the exhibition.

  

Dynamic design duo

My story on designers Leanne and Brian Culy's Hawke's Bay bach features in the latest Urbis Magazine (click here to read).

   

50 shades of interesting

So that movie opens in NZ next week; I've neither the time nor the inclination to read the book (it's supposed to be soooo badly written) or see the movie which has had horrendous reviews so far (although it does feature the bloke who was excellent, in a dodgy way, from The Fall).

Anyway, yesterday a woman's magazine sent me to interview a real dominatrix to find out what really goes on behind those dungeon doors (and of course she confirmed that 50 Shades was a load of old cobblers). Suffice to say, our conversation was bluer than the sky today but oh my, it was all kinds of fun hearing how she pays the bills.

Sometimes, I love my life...