It’s time for another Pecha Kucha evening.

For the uninitiated, a Pecha Kucha evening consists of a number of speakers who present 20 slides, talking about each slide for 20 seconds each.

The details:
Monday, 19 April 2010
Downstage Theatre, Cambridge Terrace
Doors open: 6.30pm, start: 7.30pm
$9 cash doorsales only

This one is going to be awesome for two reasons:

1. It will incorporate the set for Downstage’s current production, "Biography of my Skin", which features a giant video screen – perfect for PK presentations.

2. The Wellingtonista’s own Tom will be one of the speakers! Yes, our Tom will be giving a talk "about a sentence by Baudelaire". What is that sentence? Well, you’ll have to come along to find out, etc.

After the jump, the full line-up.

Some link loving for you to start your week right.

• There’s a new hair salon on Cuba Street called Wildilocks. The pretty girls like it. 
• Metlink Wellington have started a twitter account to keep bus riders informed of delays. They could probably use some feedback about it. 
• The Aucklandista point out that Wellington’s social page pictures in the Sunday Star Times are of Ladies’ Night at the Establishment. How embarrassment. 
• You like food reviews? Here’s one of the Cellar-Vate dinner for Coney Wines. 
• Richter City Roller Derby is throwing a Quiz Night Fundraiser on April 28 at the Watusi. You should go along, but be warned – the Wellingtonista team will probably beat you.

What else should we know about? 

Shinobi Sushi Lounge is having two special kaiseki nights Monday and Tuesday this week.  Tuesday is fully booked and Monday has less than ten places left so if a bloody amazing 3 course feast featuring 18 dishes using only fresh local ingredients appeals BOOK NOW.

We sampled a few of the bluff oysters that will be on the menu and saw the master handmaking ramen for the occassion.  It is going to be an event in my mouth I am sure of it.

Oishii so desu.

What: Kaiseki (multi-course dinner)

Where: Shinobi Sushi Lounge

When: Monday 12 April (tomorrow)

Cost: $80

For more pictures from last year’s kaiseki head over to James Ogle Photography.

We’re not sure if science is the new rock ‘n’ roll, but art and science are coming together in Dialogues with Tomorrow, a series of collaborative talks over the next couple of months:

DIALOGUES WITH TOMORROW places artists in conversation with scientists, business people and thinkers on themes relating to climate change. In each session, an artist or cultural commentator presents ideas and work inspired by environmental issues. A response is provided by an expert in the field, followed by a discussion that brings together the knowledge, ideas and reactions of the speakers.

The first talk is next Thursday, April 15, 5.45pm at Downstage Theatre. Called Antarctica Terra Nullius?, it looks at art’s role in giving us a new understanding of Antarctica. Tickets are $15 and can be booked at Downstage.

Check out the full programme here – there’s a fine selection of speakers and topics.

Toby Morris is pretty famous in Wellington for his awesome gig posters, and for his time in Batrider. 

Now he’s started a new project, called 200 People I Used To Know

This blog is my memories of 200 different characters I’ve known over the years, drawn and written about as I remember them. So I hope I remember right.

Because this is Wellington, we bet you will know at least half of the people too (Hi Jimmy!), so you should check it out, and thank The Morgue for giving us the hot tip. 

Do you have plans for Easter Weekend the weekend after Easter? Well scrap them because something and someone rather amazing is coming to town. It’s not Santa or the Easter bunny, but even better – it’s Maria, of Eclectic fame in Nelson.

She’s arriving with the biggest haul of vintage and retro treasure like last year. But she’s also bringing FURNITURE!
TEXTILES, FABRIC, LACES, LINENS AND BRICBRAC. Plus hats, sunglasses, scarves, jackets, dresses, shoes and all manner of clothing! And there’ll be some guys’ stuff too.

It’s the kind of thing we never get to see in Wellington on jumble sale scale and price! $5-$20 with a few special items.

There is heaps of fabric and lots of jewellery and buttons etc for remaking. 10,000 items!!!!!

You will kick yourself if you can’t make it and there will be something for everyone, plus stuff is put out over the whole weekend so if you can’t make first thing Saturday morning, don’t be put off.

Come anytime over the weekend, go twice even and be amazed!

It will be the place to be. So if you are sad Craft2.0 isn’t on this weekend, well here’s one great place to be spending your money.

 If you want to do anything about the proposal to extend the liquor ban to cover the whole city 24/7, get your submission in now.

To recap: the proposal is to ban carrying or drinking alcohol in any public place in the city. This is meant to deal with the problem of antisocial drinkers in places like the middle of Newtown, but it’s a very broad draconian measure. Advocates say not to worry, because you can trust the police to use their discretion wisely. Some of us think that the right approach would be a bit more nuanced and involve actually engaging directly with the problem of street alcoholics rather than making all citizens who want a beer on the beach or a glass of wine at a picnic potential criminals.

Away you go!

Previously on the Wellingtonista.

 So today we asked on Twitter for people to tell us what’s going to be open and what’s going to be closed over Easter. This is our list so far, please feel free to add more in the comments. 

• Leuven is "open every day over Easter". They get away with it because they are a restaurant.
• The Malthouse is open Saturday and Monday and surcharge free all the way. They’ll be closing at midnight on Thursday and the Saturday, however. 
• Readings Cinema will be open. We kind of figured that, but since they took the time to reply, we thought you should know. 
• The Southern Cross will be open "for dining only" all weekend. Which means they will put cutlery on the tables and you can drink as usual.