Last Monday for flat night, those of us who were present went up to the Botanic Gardens and climbed a truly awesome tree. It is a great round tree, flat on top with a big hole in the middle where you can come up. There is plenty of room for people to stand, sit or even lie down comfortably, and the view is nice too. I have posted some photos to Flickr, though they do not really capture the awesomeness of this tree. It was also a bit dark, so I took a few more photos this morning in the sunlight.

Once it got too dark, we went down to the playground and enjoyed the flying fox and rocktopus, before heading back a different way and seeing a few glowworms. All in all, apart from the missing people, I think that it was a good evening.

A number of us (Janice, Elaine, Peter, Josiah and I) went down last night to see Magnify play a free concert with Rapture Ruckus at Elim. It was mostly good, though shorter than I expected (just over an hour for the actual concert, though we hung around for a bit afterwards). It is nice to have a bit of free time for such things. Thanks to Josh for letting me know that the concert was on. Perhaps I will find time to hear more live music this summer.

This was the Facebook event, for completeness.

Last night’s flat activity was to go down to an event hosted by the debating society, entitled “Is God Dead?” Tim Mckenzie was one of the speakers so I was really looking forward to it. But rather then telling you about the debate, I’ll tell you about the trip down there (it was at Rutherford House, Pipitea).

The event was scheduled to kick off at 6pm, myself and James were down at the flat at 5:30 so that we could all go down together and get good seats, as had been communicated to each of us separately by different people. Ruth had just finished her thesis after pulling an all-nighter and was trying to get 10mins of shut-eye prior to the debate. Jan txtd to say she’d be late…

Meanwhile, up on the overbridge there was a discussion group facilitated by Ben, about God and Suffering. His car was blocking the driveway and he wasn’t responding to txt’s. James ran up to see if he could get Ben’s keys. When he arrived they were having a time of prayer and James thought it best not to interrupt. When they’d finished Ben checked his phone, offered to give some people rides and headed down the slow way.

The previous day, Peter had borrowed my bike, and had forgotten to return the clicker to open the garage.

Ben arrived, then departed. We ran around the back to open the garage from the rear, used the clicker in James’ car, and drove out. We didn’t get to the road, his car was making odd noises, and fumes from the exhaust could be smelt inside the car. He put the car back in the garage, ran back around the house and we headed off toward the cable car. Approximately 20 metres up the street Ruth realised that she didn’t have her bag, but thought it may be in the car. We ran back around the house to the car to check. James returned with the bag, and we again departed.

There was a reason for getting the car, after the debate James was going to drive Ruth to a leadership training thinga-me-jigga out in Jville. Ruth was anxious about getting there, she was sleep deprived after-all. She received a call from her church pastor saying he could give her a ride, they were leaving in ten minutes. Ruth was celebrating whilst there was a feeling of anger and frustration because this was a flat-night, and Ruth was bailing at the last possible minute, and that after all we had done to try to get there. (Which was forgiven and forgotten not long after).

James and I arrived at Rutherford House, went in the back door of the lecture theatre, in time to hear the last person, and the Q & A session afterwards.

Hopefully someone who attended the debate (in full) can fill all of us in on how it unfolded.

Kelp hosted the third and final part of the VUWCU progressive dinner on Thursday 29^th May 2008, and I made a self-saucing chocolate pudding for dessert. There were a few requests for the recipe, so here it is. Choose your preferred format:
Krecipes
RecipeML
PDF

It should serve 30-40, depending on how much people eat. I suggest serving it with vanilla or chocolate icecream. Sorry this took so long to get online.

Tonight I was assigned to cook dinner for the flat, and I decided to cook pizza. I cooked four more or less normal pizzas (two with wholemeal flour in the bases, for variety). For dessert, however, I and Jordan invented and made another less ordinary pizza. I made a pizza base as usual (a scone dough made from, with 2 cups plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt, 25 mL oil and around 100 mL milk), and on this we put (at Jordan’s suggestion) some custard. I then layered 2 apples (unpeeled, but cored and thinly sliced) on this, and sprinkled a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and mixed spice on top. This was then cooked in the oven like a pizza (200°C or higher until lightly browned).

We each but James had a piece, and it turned out to be nice. To quote The Surrealist’s eBay feedback generator, ‘Quality of item was resplendent! Would buy from again. Distinguished service. A++’.

It’s amazing how many people we can fit around the table despite having to edge it up near the built-in “chair”. 10 was our record so far, and we had 9 for dinner just now.

Dinner time conversations has always been interesting. We have fleeting moments of everyone at the table staying on the same topic, but very naturally and quickly those at the north of the table will find themselves talking about something entirely different from those in the south! But all’s good because eventually we have someone at the border lean over and ask: “So what are we talking about?”

After a scrumptious meal of spaghetti and meatballs topped with spicy pork and eggplant stir fry from our dear guest Felix, some decided to play with rhythms:

Just before most of us headed off for Easter weekend, Elaine decided that the flatties should have an Easter egg hunt. Here are a couple of pics!:)

My first post! whoop whoop! This post is loooooong overdue but yet it’s kinda updated. It’s been about 2 months since the first few of us moved in and it’s been a whirldwind of activity ever since in Rongopai!:) I have to admit, living in a HUGE flat with 7 other people has pretty exciting yet daunting at times. I’ve had a couple of people come up to me and tell me that if they were in my position, they don’t think they would be able to handle living with 7 others. Learning about each others’ habits and quirks have ensured bundles of laughs and occasional voice raising. Well, all part of the bonding process, right?

But I have to say, I’ve been really blessed by my flatmates. The late night heart to heart chats no longer are just confined to the night but happen anytime of the day. The sharing of life-our joys,stresses, struggles, disappointments, hopes, dreams,passions,enthusiasm for life and most of all our love for God and passion for reaching others for God and impacting our generation for Him constantly remind and encourage me of the purposes God has for our lives. It was not by chance or coincidence that the 8 of us ended up staying in Rongopai; it was divine planning. Each of us bring a set of strengths and weaknesses to the table but I know that God is using each one of us to sharpen the other(iron sharpens iron). Looking forward to the awesome journey ahead of us

Just a quick update(if you didn’t know already :P) the 7 in Rongopai have become 8.Here’s the newest addition to the flat!

WELCOME JAMES TO THE FLAT!!!

With eight people we are fortunate to agree on so much of what we do eat. But this is not the case with peanut butter. Two flatmates love their peanut butter to contain sugar and two flatmates lamented that their peanut butter be tarnished in this way. The other half of the flat aren’t fussy enough to care, and are happy enough watching the row unfold. Not surprisingly, it was unanimously decided upon that peanut butter of each sort would be purchased. However, after an extensive search of supermarket shelves was made, sweetened peanut butter could not be found, and so sugarless peanut butter was bought in a double portion. The sweetened peanut butter connoisseurs were horrified to learn that they have to sprinkle sugar on top.

More food disputes and tales of compromise as they unfold…

mid trimester (spring ;-)) break priorities:

NCIS marathon

apple deserts

field day

munchkin

Mt. Vic for breakfast/sunrise

…and heaps and heaps of work but anyway this list will spice it up a bit and should be added to in the spirit of letting the dream of a relaxing vacation run and jump and play about in our heads.