That’s what the calendar is telling us. As is the wind howling through the trees, and shortly, a string of cold south-westerly thunderstorms and gales. Stay classy, Welly Weather God!

Leaving that aside, the our eternal optimism finds expression in the celebration of growing things that is the Spring Festival, to start at the weekend (through to 3 October).

The first event is the annual Otari-Wilton’s Bush Open Day & Plant Sale, which any aspiring suburbanite should be advised to attend early if they want to pick up the really good stuff. Early bird catches the hard-to-find horoeka variant and all that. But even if you’re not a gardener, the ‘Bush is a very nice place for a stroll, especially on Open Days when afterwards you can reward yourself at the sausage sizzle (and the last couple of years there’s been a coffee cart there too).

The recession may be grinding on, but it seems there are plenty of hospitality operators willing to take a bet on a new venture. In recent weeks, we’ve heard of the following (re-)openings and upcoming rumours:

• Keenan’s (formerly New Orleans)
• Wasabi Sushi (formerly Beaujolais)
• Capri (formerly Koi)
• Victorian Ale House (formerly Stanley Rd)
• Ancestral (formerly United Video in Courtenay Pl)
• Ozeki (brand new, on the corner of Tory St and Francis Pl)

The first three have already opened, with mixed results. Capri has had at least one very good review; Wasabi is part of the respected Kazu empire; and Keenan’s … not so much. If any of you have experiences to share about those, or juicy gossip to share about the others, let us know!

So many good things on this weekend. Maybe Wellington’s about to put its head up out of the winter slump….? 

One highlight is art-poppers Xiu Xiu who are playing SFBH with Siamese (Grayson Gilmour) and talented duo Glass Vaults. Phew.

And here’s a girl in an apple. Tickets$26

Creating content on the interwebs is all very well, but sometimes one has the need to express oneself in IRL.

Fortunately the council have forseen this need and erected giant triangles of expression around town. There’s one under the umbrella sculpture at James Smiths Corner, and other by the tripod sculpture down the other end of Courtenay.

So what incindiary messages will we see? People sticking it to the man and/or lady? Telling the politicians where to go?

Or perhaps something charming and delightful.

So, the Canterbury earthquake. Our thoughts are with our friends and whaunau in the area, and we’re so glad that there haven’t been any fatalities *hugz*

But, of course, living in the shaky city of Wellington, it makes us aware of the importance of being prepared should such a big one hit our fair city. Remember – parts of the two roads out of the city run along the fault line.

Resources for preparedness in an earthquake:

• Wellington City Council’s basic preparedness guidelines
• The Government’s Get Ready Get Thru guide
• The Greater Wellington Regional Council’s earthquake information

In the meantime, let’s count our blessings – we have electricity, telecommunications, running water, sewerage and a roof over our heads.

One News reporter Vicki Wilkinson-Bakers tells it like it is – the toilets at Wellington Station are bloody disgusting.

[O]ver the last couple of years conditions have varied – from utterly disgusting, truly disgusting, filthy, so smelly you don’t want to breathe, to generally grubby and unpleasant.

In my experience of the ladies’ loos, they seem almost perpetually grubby, the toilet walls are covered with schoolgirl graffiti, the rubbish bins regularly overflow and the discarded debris of urban life – ripped pantihose packets, bananas, wine bottles and lipstick packaging. And then there’s the issue of the narrow doors you have to dodge through to enter the toilet room.

The trouble, it seems, is these are really heavy duty, high-use public toilets that are set up for and maintained like much lower-use loos.

Wilkinson-Baker notes:

A while back, staff explained that the railway station is very busy. That’s true, it is, but so is Wellington Airport and their public toilets are fine. Shopping malls are busy, so are picture theatres. They manage to keep things clean and tidy. I’m assured the railway station toilets are cleaned every two or three hours. But it’s not enough. Maybe they need someone there fulltime.

It’s a really simple demand – clean toilets. Is this really too difficult for Kiwirail to manage?

It’s time for another Pecha Kucha Night, but this one is a little different from previous ones – this time it’s the Latino Connection!

People who have come from or gone to the spicy side of the South Pacific will share their stories. Like all PKNs, there’s something for everyone.

El Line-up:

Bella Kalolo – Singer/Entertainer – Lost In Paraguay
Warwick Murray – Musician – From Birmingham Days to Santiago Nights
Amelia Lobo Martinez – Journalist – La Apasionante Historia De Manuel Jose
Alda Rezende – Singer – Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Natalia Parra – Artist – Wellington Through the Eyes of a Colombian Artist
Cori Gonzalez-Macuer – Comedian – How to be Funny in Another Country
Katia Guiloff – Documentary Maker – Musicircus
Alice Hang – World Citizen – Perceptions
Irene Morales – Guatiwi – The Curse of Dr Ropata
Rich Dunmore – Media & Animation Specialist – Tres Amigos
Carlos Navarrete Aka “Carlos Navae” – Musician – Acapulco Soul Machín
María Marquez De Satyanand – Educator – A Work in Progress

This Pecha Kucha will be held at Downstage Theatre, Monday 6 September.

Doors open at 6.30 with a 7.30 start. Tickets are $9 on the door, cash only.