Let's go driving ... #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #SuzysIlation

Have you travelled down the same road countless times and then one day you suddenly see that route with different eyes?

Last week I did some filiming on a route to Wellington, a route I take for granted and hardly pay attention to. And until I played back the footage, I didn't realise how scenic this drive is. 

And it was a good test of the image stabiliser on my iphone. Verdict, not bad but could've been better. 

Anyway,  grab a cuppa and let's go driving. Watch this in full screen for best effects. 

On my youtube channel  https://youtu.be/t-yHc1DA9rA

Keeping the writing short today. Hope you liked my video.


Have a fab week.

Linking to:
#LifeThisWeek
#openslather
#MondayMusings
Our World Tuesday
#MicroblogMondays



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Character Traits ... #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #SuzysIlation #FridayReflections

I was a chubby, timid and shy child. At school I was quiet and academic and I was teased a lot. In some ways it undermined my confidence.

It takes a lot for me to take that first step into new waters. Probably at the back of my mind is the fear of being ridiculed. So when I decided to start vlogging it wasn't an overnight thing. It took months for me to take that leap of faith.

But now that I've done it, I'm truly enjoying it.

Courage is the ability to take a step without worrying about the outcome. So for those who are interested in vlogging, but are afraid to take the first step, just do it.

And now grab a cuppa and join me today on a glimpse of a little sand and surf.

 on my youtube channel:  https://youtu.be/1e7h8PWiLpE 

Sadly we didn't see Matariki the whale but there are a lot of youtube videos that you can check out. Matariki put up a spectacular show for those lucky enough to see him - displaying all whale character traits. Matariki got his name from the Maori New Year (Matariki) as his arrival coincided with that.

My friend and I went out on two different days but didn't get to see him. I guess we were not meant to. But I hope he will return or send his friends into the beautiful waters of Wellington.

I hope you enjoyed today's video. I will post some more scenic footage in the next few weeks.

Until then, have an awesome week.

Written for:
#FridayReflections hosted by Everyday Gyaan and Kohl Eyed Me
#LifeThisWeek

Linking to:
#openslather
Lovin'Life
Our World Tuesday
#MondayMusings
WATW Wednesday Around The World


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Stressed? A Distraction Helps #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #SuzysIlation

Some weeks are stressful. No matter how well you organise and plan, things come along to derail them.

Last week was a stressful week. And by Friday I was starting to feel a little flustered. There seemed to be issue after issue piling up with no solution in sight.

There was a time in the morning when I was feeling so overwhelmed that my brain was running in many directions. I just could not focus.

Then suddenly a distraction ... The New Zealand Navy helicopter circling the harbour. And that was just what I needed to break that scattered, panicky, heavy feeling.

This week also had some other nice surprises. But for that you'll need to view my vlog.

So grab a cuppa and join me on a little helicopter distraction.

Btw a helicopter ride is on my "things to do" list. Someday Somewhere!

On my youtube channel:  https://youtu.be/wSUsA_b8Tvc

Hope you enjoyed today's vlog.  What nice surprises did you get this week? Share in the comments below.

Linking to:

#FridayReflections
Lovin' Life
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#LifeThisWeek
#MicroblogMondays



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Experimenting and Life Lessons #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #FridayReflections

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” 

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

I thought a lot about this and tried to link it to my vlog today.

And in doing that, I learned a few things ...

Today's vlog took a long time to edit. I had to experiment a lot with the filming, editing footage and the order of things, transitions, audio, captions, narrations etc.

Through filming I learned that you can't get everything right the first time. The parts that got missed or were badly filmed had to be redone.  Then the weather changed a lot during the day so not all filming had the same amount of light and I had to make many adjustments. Life is like that. Often we have to redo things and in redoing we face other challenges.

Editing the footage and the order of things taught me that often we have to drop a lot so we can be effective.  Less is often more or enough. And sometimes we have to backtrack in order to reset our path.

Adjusting the audio was a little tricky. I had comments on my earlier vlogs that the sound was too soft. And yet it sounded pretty loud on my computer. So how do you strike a balance?  In life we need to know when to turn up the audio, that is, our voice, or lower it. And through feedback and experience we learn how to control our volume.  But we can't always get it right and in my view that's okay.  I hope the adjustments to the audio on my vlog has made it better for those who thought it was too soft.

But I learned the most from the transitions. I had to review footage many times, add footage, delete footage so that the transition to a new clip was smooth and easy on the eyes. Not all transitions occurred nicely blended but there wasn't much I could do with that. Life too is often like that. At times, change is smooth and easy and at other times a bit choppy,  The choppy parts need to be adjusted so that eventually the transition to a new phase or situation is smoother and sometimes one just has to accept and ride the choppy seas.

But now for some easy viewing, so grab a cuppa and join me in my garden  ...

on my youtube channel:   https://youtu.be/s5thnK0hh7A

Hope you enjoyed today's vlog.  Whenever I'm in my garden, life just seems good. And camellias are one of my favourite flowers.

What life lessons have you learned from experimenting with things? Share with us in the comments.

Written for:
#FridayReflections hosted by Everyday Gyaan and Kohl Eyed Me

Linking to:
Lovin' Life
#openslather
#LifeThisWeek
#MondayMusings



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Trying Out a Voiceover For a City I Love #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #SuzysIlation

Having done a few vlogs with just music, I thought I should now venture into the voice-over space.

Was it scary?  Yes of course, but I thought if I really want to get serious about vlogging, then I had better start chatting.  So here it is, my tentative little baby step into a voiceover.

“ You’re never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.”
― C.S. Lewis

Today's vlog is a quick view of a city I love ... Wellington, which is the capital of New Zealand.

It is a beautiful city and has spectacular scenery wherever you go. So it's no wonder that The Lonely Planet described it as the "coolest little capital in the world" and 4th best city in the world to visit.

And for all you coffee drinkers, it is a coffee paradise. In 2014 CNN named it among the world’s top 8 coffee destinations.

So grab a cuppa and join me for a glimpse of Wellington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hcCYZDLWGc

Trying to film from a car is not an easy thing to do and perhaps the focus was a little bit off. But nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this video.

What's your favourite city? Share some information about it in the comments below, or make a post or vlog and post the link in the comments.

Written for:
#FridayReflections hosted by Everydaay Gyaan and Kohl Eyed Me
#WritingWednesdays at The Write Tribe

Linking to:
#MondayMusings


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2018 Is Here At Last ... #MondayMusings #MicroblogMondays

2017 is finally over. Thank goodness.

The year was a mixed bag for me, some memorable moments and many challenges. I am glad to see the end of it and looking forward to 2018.

At the start of the year I chose the word Andante and blogging certainly and unfortunately went at the andante pace which I regret.  Words are so powerful.

So do I have a word for 2018?  Haven't decided on one yet but tossing up a few ideas ... write, achieve, create, learn, enjoy, fun ... will see if anything else unfolds or if one of these jumps out at me.

Have you chosen a word or have some new year resolutions? Please share and tell me a little about it.

Wish you all a fun filled 2018. Happy New Year

Auckland Sky Tower - 1 Jan 2018

Written for:
#MondayMusings at Everyday Gyaan
#MicroblogMondays


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Journey's are ... #atozchallenge letter J @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter J

taken on board Air New Zealand taking off from Wellington.

Journeys are as exciting as destinations

We are always excited to be going on holidays and look so forward to all the places we are going to visit. Destinations are so exciting.

So I sat back and thought about all the holidays I took and it hit me then that actually while I remembered the destinations, I also remembered the journeys there quite vividly. And the journeys were just as exciting as the destinations themselves. Here are some snippets from some of my travels.

When I was 11 years old we took a cruise to Hong Kong from Singapore.  I remember the cruise liner so well. I also made a friend on board. Her name was Sigrid. I wonder where she might be. I also watched the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's on board.

On a visit to the US, we were flying from Los Angeles to St Louis. It was a really beautiful clear day and we had such a fabulous view of the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. That's a sight I will never forget.

The White Cliffs of Dover are another amazing sight from the ferry from Dover to Calais, the little towns in Switzerland, Lake Como enroute to Milan and some of the personal interesting experiences we had on our Europe trip - like waving goodbye to Rome, pushing the van to start it up in Heidelberg.

Travels in India when I was young - stopping by the roadside to have a soft drink and watching the poor man trying to open up the bottles with a bottle opener and failing miserably, the first sight of the Himalayas - a breathtaking moment I will never forget, a trek on the Sonmarg glacier where my aunt's horse decided he wasn't going to behave and so many other incidents.

Train journeys in India travelling with extended family have their own story to tell - The Rajdhani Express from Mumbai to Delhi, Karnavati Express from Mumbai to Bharuch,  The Deccan Queen from Mumbai to Pune and many others are etched in memory.

Even short journeys can be interesting. On a clear day in Wellington, it looks spectacular from the air. The picture above was taken on my flight to Auckland.

Sharing a poem I wrote as an Ode To Places

In this life there are places I've seen

Wondrous, beautiful and so serene

The hills and mountains spiritual and grand

Valleys and plains all across the land

Woods and forests quiet and mysterious

But explore with care for they can be nefarious

Rivers and streams and babbling brooks

Crags and cliffs and caves and nooks

Meadows of flowers, shores and the sea

Any place where my spirit is free

These are the places in this world that I love

Breathtaking, amazing, and those I'm in awe of

~x~

Share some of your journey stories in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, make it easy for me and leave a link to your blog / post.

Teaser for the letter K: Kite flying ...

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny          
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment     
Do or do not                                    
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can


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Find the fun ... #atozchallenge letter F

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter F

Auckland, New Zealand with Sky Tower in the background

Find the fun and snap the job's a game

(from Mary Poppins)

When I was little, I used to sing the song from Mary Poppins "A Spoonful of Sugar" with great gusto. But at that time it was just a song.

The words however are very profound:

In every job that must be done

There is an element of fun

You find the fun and snap

The job's a game

And every task you undertake

Becomes a piece of cake

A lark a spree ...

Household chores are definitely not my idea of fun. I don't mind washing dishes, but hanging out the laundry and most boring of all, ironing are truly tiresome. So my fun in these otherwise boring tasks is to listen to music and sometimes even sing along. That definitely makes the tasks go faster.

There have been a couple of places where I worked that I simply couldn't find the fun.  I was glad to leave and move on.  It's not that it was something different and I love what I do but I just couldn't find the fun. Sometimes things are not meant to be.  I love where I work now. all day it feels like fun even though it's a tough project. 

Find the fun in all you do

If you can't perhaps it's not meant for you

If you find that passion true

You won't feel quite so blue

How do you find the fun in what you do? Share in the comments below.


Teaser for the letter G :  Great Minds ....

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny
Be like the river
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not
Expectation



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#SeptemberChallenge - Postcard from NZ - Rotorua

Postcards from around the world for the #SeptemberChallenge.
Hosted by Everyday Gyaan

Greetings from Rotorua the "hot" spot in New Zealand, city of boiling mud pools and geysers.

Rotorua is the short name of Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, "The second great lake of Kahumatamomoe") and the Pohutu Geyser is New Zealand's answer to the Old Faithful in USA.

It erupts up to twenty times per day and can reach heights of up to 30 metres (100 feet), quite spectacular to watch particularly when you stand on the bridge. I was lucky that we were there are the right time and watched this spectacular moment both from the bridge and from afar.

The Pohutu Geyser is situated in the geothermal area of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao, Try that for a tongue twister!

My earlier posts:
Postcard from Wellington
Postcard from Auckland
Postcard from Dunedin


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#SeptemberChallenge - Postcard from NZ - Dunedin

Postcards from around the world for the #SeptemberChallenge.
Hosted by Everyday Gyaan

Greetings from Dunedin.
It is the second largest city of the South Island and one of the four main cities of New Zealand.
The Maori name for Dunedin is Ōtepoti, meaning the place of steep points.
Like Wellington, Dunedin is a very picturesque city with spectacular scenery. It is my 2nd favourite New Zealand city after Wellington.
By and large Dunedin is considered the University City as it is home to Otago University.
Dunedin claims it has the steepest street in the world - Baldwin street (see picture),  Glad I didn't have to climb it. On the other hand, I would be pretty fit if I had to climb it everyday. And imagine if you had to sit your driving test on that street!

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#SeptemberChallenge - Postcard from NZ - Auckland

Postcards from around the world for the #SeptemberChallenge hosted by Everyday Gyaan.

Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.
Auckland is also known as the City of Sails and its Maori name is Tāmaki-makau-rau (Tāmaki of a hundred lovers)
They Sky Tower is one of Auckland's key attractions and the tallest man made tower in the Southern Hemisphere.
Not as picturesque as Wellington but Auckland has big city charm.
Oh and in case you are wondering what Wellington's Maori name is, it is Te Whanganui-a-Tara (the great harbour of Tara) - now updated on my Wellington postcard.

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#September Challenge - Postcard from NZ - Wellington

I'm taking part in a September Challenge hosted by Corinne who blogs at Everyday Gyaan

My theme is postcards from around the world and this week I will start with New Zealand.

Greetings from Wellington the capital city of New Zealand.
It's one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.
And wherever you go, you get to see spectacular scenery.
I still remember the day I landed in Wellington.
It looked so beautiful from the plane.
Wellington is known as Windy Wellington and Coffee Capital because there's a cafe at almost every corner.
Wellington's Maori name is Te Whanganui-a-Tara (the great harbour of Tara)

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UBC 23 - AtoZ - Tower

Day 23  of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge and the letter  T  for the  AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

T is for  ...  Sky TOWER

After a wordy post for S, I thought I would say as little as possible.

The Sky Tower is an observation and communications tower in Auckland, New Zealand.

Some Sky Tower facts (from skycityauckland):

• Tallest free standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere
• 3 observation desks with 360degree views of Auckland
• There are 1267 steps from the base to the Sky deck
• The tower is often lit up in different colour schemes to promote different events or causes 
• Offers 2 activities, the sky walk (a walk around the exterior of the observation deck) and the sky jump from 192m.

Here are some pics I took on one of my visits there:

View of Rangitoto island in the background from the Sky Tower

Auckland Harbour Bridge from the Sky Tower

View from the Sky Tower

Someone attempting a sky jump 

Sky jump - taken from below - looks so scary.

Have a terrific day.

Warm Regards

UBC 18 - AtoZ - Pohutu Geyser

Day 18  of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge and the letter P  for the  AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

P is for  ... Pohutu Geyser

Rotorua is the geothermal activity pool of New Zealand and the Pohutu Geyser is New Zealand's answer to the Old Faithful in USA. It spurts up to twenty times per day and can reach heights of up to 30 metres (100 feet).

Here are some pictures I took some years ago when I visited Rotorua.

Pohutu Geyser erupting - quite spectacular to watch particularly when you stand on the bridge. 

Photos however are best taken from afar.

boiling mud pools

Name of the thermal valley where the Pohutu Geyser is situated.

Te Whaka-rewa-rewa-tanga-o te-ope-taua-a-wahiao means "the gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao". The name is usually shortened to Whakarewarewa.

And more geothermal activity in Rotorua at Wai-O-Tapu which means "Sacred Waters". 

Wai-o-tapu panoramic view of the central pools

part of the Sulphur Cave crater

The Devil's Bath

Here are some more pictures - source wikipedia

Artist's palette

Champagne Pools

image by  Christian Mehlfuehrer 

This world of ours is so interesting. Grateful for an amazing world and for the chance to see some of its unique wonders.

Have a phenomenal day.

Warm Regards

UBC Day 23 - ABC Wednesday - B is for ...

Day 23 for the Ultimate Blogging Challenge and ABC Wednesday

B is for ...  Byrd Memorial

Thought I would showcase my city of Wellington.

Richard Byrd was an American aviator who mounted many expeditions to Antarctica from his base in New Zealand.

Here are pictures of the Byrd Memorial on Mt Victoria in Wellington, New Zealand constructed in his honour. It was unveiled on 11 March 1962, the 5th anniversary of his death.

I took this picture from the viewing platform at Mt Vic.

Here's a close up I took of the memorial

The sides of the memorial are decorated in tiles representing the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights and 

the stones that make up the internal wall are from Antarctica (see picture below)

Photo taken by Brett Taylor  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Byrd_Memorial.jpg

And here's a picture of the plane that was used in the expeditions.

I took this pic in 2002 when I visited the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.

Enjoy your day and check out some more B entries at ABC Wednesday.

Warm Regards