Archive for December, 2005

Te Reo and Kiwi Culture Links

Saturday, December 31st, 2005

Some things I've found while surfing: Basics of Maori, Maori pronunciation, Interactive Maori conversations, Maori Language NZ Anthem, Background and recordings of the NZ anthems.

Looking Ahead to 2006

Saturday, December 31st, 2005

[I wrote up these thoughts for the NZ-2.0 list, but thought you might be interested] I've been thinking lately about Things To Do In 2006, and trying to figure out where technology will go in the coming year and where there are opportunities to ride that wave and win. I've come up with ...

Weather, School, and Ditch-Digging

Tuesday, December 20th, 2005

It's been an adventurous week, weather-wise. Being away for so long, I'd forgotten the misty mornings that are classic New Zealand fare. We had a front parked over us for four or five days, with what the weather forecasters discreetly refer to as "scattered showers" but which really ...

Boat and Land

Saturday, December 10th, 2005

I'm reading Russell Brown's collection of other people's essays, Great New Zealand Argument, and at the same time I'm reading The Nationbuilders by Brian Easton. Both tackle the subject of what it means to be a New Zealander. I'm reading them in bite size pieces: Easton's in the bedroom and Brown's in ...

VCs and Contacts

Wednesday, December 7th, 2005

Today I went to Auckland to meet Russell Brown of Public Address, to my uncle's work, then finally to meet with some VCs. Russell first. He's an interesting guy, very articulate (as befits a good on-air personality!) and full of background for all the things that are puzzling me about New Zealand: ...

Schools, Rats, and Parents

Monday, December 5th, 2005

It's been hard to balance life and work here on the other side of the world. Some days the work consumes me and I ignore family (bad Dad!) and other days I'm burnt out and can't face the keyboard. I dug in a garden last weekend with my uncle Les and ...