New Year Resolutions Made and Broken by Angela Caldin
Categories of New Year Resolutions We’re into the new year now and many resolutions will have been made – and possibly already broken – concerning food (eat less of it), alcohol (drink much less of it) and exercise (do more of it). I am fine with alcohol because I gave it up many years ago, but food is much more of a problem, especially here in NZ, because my daughter makes the most delicious cakes and biscuits which I find almost impossible to resist. Exercise is a different matter and something I… Read More
The Olympics: The End or the Beginning? By Angela Caldin
London has been seized by Olympic fever for the last two weeks and it’s all gone amazingly, astonishingly well. From the triumphant opening ceremony, a true celebration of Britain past and present (who can forget those superb industrial revolution chimneys and the tribute to the NHS), crafted by the visionary creative force that is Danny Boyle, to the closing ceremony, horrendously naff, but people were too euphoric to care; it’s been a brilliant time to be British. The medals, the venues, the crowds, the wonderful striving of the athletes for perfection and… Read More
Games of the XXX Olympiad by Angela Caldin
The Olympics are imminent and those of us in London for the duration are wondering how it will all turn out. We’ve had the embarrassment of the graffiti-style logo and the mascots, Mandeville and Wenlock. We’ve had the failure to recruit enough security people and the decision to bring in the army. We’ve had the controversy over rooftop missile defence systems, which have been installed in spite of residents’ objections. We’ve had the confusion over the Olympic road lanes and who can use them when, closely followed by the rephasing of traffic… Read More
Mind and Matter Over Time by Angela Caldin
It’s April the world over and that means that here in the Antipodes we’re moving inexorably into autumn. Not for us white and pink blossom foaming on the trees and showy daffodils trumpeting their yellow gaudiness under trees and on grassy slopes. We can’t rejoice at new shoots poking their heads through the soil to reach for the gentle sun and we don’t enjoy lengthening days with light balmy evenings and the smell of barbecues in the air. We have violent winds and driving, teaming rain and daylight saving bringing darker evenings… Read More
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