Silicon Welly
We didn’t even have to come up with that pun – it came preformed via Idealog, in an article which talks about how Wellington is helping to make the web ‘cool’ again in New Zealand.
With the likes of TradeMe, ProjectX (the latter being the creators of zoomin.co.nz), and, well, us, being based in our fair old town, not to mention those movie guys over at Weta, Wellington is quickly making a name for itself as a hub of creative technological endeavour. As is pointed out over at the ProjectX blog…
Wellington is hotting up with start-up fever. I know of 4-5 startups that are currently in the pipeline. With Weta now scaling up in terms of people and projects (more movies, animation and games) , Wellington is a buzz with all the activity. There are going to be some good opportunities for skilled people to work on some kick ass projects.
How am I funny?
What do ya mean, funny? Let me understand this cause, I don’t know maybe it’s me, I’m a little fucked up maybe, but I’m funny how? I mean, funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh… I’m here to fuckin’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?
Errr, that’s not really relevant, but it is a good scene.
Anyway, if you think you are funny, register yourself for the Wellington Comedy Club’s Rookie competition, taking place at the San Francisco Bathhouse on October 21st (as per the Comedy Club’s website), or maybe the the 19th of October (as per Newtown Ghetto Anger’s website). Head over to the Wellington Comedy Club website for more details.
There’s also a related workshop for budding comedians to hone their skills – a one hour session with some local pros on the 12th of October, again at the SF Bathhouse. More details on that at Newtown Ghetto Anger.
Links for Monday, 9 October 2006
- Gen XY’s Top 10 list of what’s wrong with Wellington parking.
- Mystery Bar 45 at WellUrban.
- Surfaid have a concert coming up in November at the Town Hall, featuring The Phoenix Foundation, Open Souls, The Little Bushmen, Twinset, Odessa and The Wellington Ukelele Orchestra.
- …and Cactus Kate has never “really understood Wellingtonians.” Likewise, we don’t really understand Ms. Kate.
Craftwerk returns
Don’t leave town this Labour Weekend, and if you do, make sure you’re back by Monday 23rd October.
From 2-5pm at the Southern Cross, there were be a plethora of fabulous craft, beer and rock n roll baby.
More detail as soon as it emerges.
Inhabitable art
Wellington Architecture Week kicks off next Monday, including everything from a visit to the exquisite and hidden Futuna Chapel to a sandcastle competition on Petone Beach.
My WellUrban post gives a bit of context, including links to relevant developments and controversies, and the full illustrated programme (in glorious black, white and blue) is available on the Architectural Centre website, but here’s a text listing of all events.
Eating outside my comfort box (heh)
Everyone knows that large corporations eat puppies, but what do the people who work for large corporations eat for lunch?
The Wellingtonista is closing down its Courtenay Place branch on Friday and is opening up in mid Lambton Quay instead. After a year and a half down this way, we’d just finally got the good people at Sahara Kebabs to know that we like just a few onions and garlic yoghurt, tahini and hot chilli on our (mixed vegetarian, mujaver and falafel only) kebabs. Where are we going to eat now?
Big shoes to fill
Most of the time it’s nice being the tallest female Wellingtonista (Martha and Natalie may get the column inches but I gots the height inches), but the trouble with being tall is that I need great big plates of meat as feet to support me. And you know what they say about girls with big feet – they need big shoes.
That’s why I’m so excited that Willow Shoes – a website I’ve been shopping from for years since they specialise in shoes size 10 and up – has just opened up a branch in Wellington, in my neighbourhood even, at 27 C Waitoa Road in Hataitai. This is going to be especially handy (or err footy, badoom chish) now that Minx Shoes have moved their factory outlet from Waikanae to Otaki.
We all knew Petone was part of Wellington
The Harbour Ward comprising Petone, Korokoro, Seaview, Gracefield and Eastbourne are launching a petition campaign over the next 2 weeks to gauge public support for the transfer of the HARBOUR WARD from Hutt City to Wellington City.
They allege that the Hutt Council has failed in its responsibilities to protect buildings, the parks, and the ageing citizens.
There are public meetings planned;
19th September 8pm Muritai School Hall, Eastbourne
26th September Senior Citizens Hall Silberry Place, off Kensington Street, Petone
From my perspective, I think Hutt Council has allowed some beautiful buildings to be annihilated and replaced with such fabulous structures as Rebel Sports.
I also think that the very witty billboard campaign they have at the moment has got up the noses of many Eastbourne residents (imagine implying Eastbourne residents are snooty – the cheek!), and they are behind this move.
I’d be happy to change to Wellington Council. They have cheaper rates. Plus, we all know that Petone is the Riviera of Wellington.
But what about the children?
There are hundreds – nay thousands – of possible venues in our fair city for children’s parties. Today I bring you one that I have recently used and enjoyed.
The YMCA on Tasman St is available for hire at a very reasonable rate. It is pretty rough, which actually is nice and relaxing when you have 20 under 4s hooning around. There are crash pads, a huge foam pit, beams, balls and lots of opportunities for kids to run themselves ragged.
You can take your own food and there is chilled water on site.
No alcohol allowed, so I’ll be rethinking it as a venue for my own birthday. A martini in that foam pit seems very appealing.
I didn’t spot a single Young Christian Man, nor did anyone perform YMCA. We had a goodly dose of the Spice Girls though.
YMCA of Greater Wellington INC
69 Tasman St Wellington 0-4-385 4091
The Player and the Advocate
Oscar is a hotshot young actor in the bustling Elizabethan Wellington theatre scene, loved by the Publick, but resented by the authorities. When he is kicked out of his theatre company for ‘improvising’, he must fight, not only to get his job back, but also to stop the Queen from pushing the country into all-out war…
What if Wellington were the centre of the Elizabethan world, pioneering an explosion in theatre, fashion, new music and coffeehouses at the birth of the modern age?
Awesome. The short pitch is ‘Whale Rider meets Shakespeare in Love’, but the above is the longer synopsis of the plot for The Player and the Advocate – a new film being written by Wellingtonian John Parker.
John’s having a public reading of the feature film treatment on…
Sunday 1st October, 4:00pm
@ Katipo Café, 76 Willis Street, Wellington
Duration: 1 hour (45 minutes for reading, 15 minutes feedback session)
Cost: free!
Featuring: Erin Banks and James Stewart, two of Wellington’s finest theatrical talent
…so feel free to head along and help shape what will hopefully be one of the next great pieces of Wellington film-making at its earliest stages.