Aotearoa day 6

[kerravonsen]

Let's see. Busier day yesterday. Went to the War Memorial Museum, which was cool.
We wanted to start at the top and work downwards (vilakins wanted to look at the Spitfire in the "war" part, which was on Level 2) but when we got into the first lift we found, this guy told us that the lift wasn't open to the public, and we should use the other lift at the other end of the building. Humph. So we went through this furniture + clothes + china exhibit, which we looked at closely (but ended up going through that section about three or four times altogether so we didn't look at it closely then). Then we did find the lifts, at the other entrance to the museum -- it has two entrances, both with cafes and museum shops, which did get rather confusing. But we found the lift, and went up to the top floor, and looked at the Spitfire, and a V1 (like a mini-aeroplane) and a torpedo, and some dioramas and we took photos of a gas mask (fannish connection "Are You My Mummy?" though it wasn't the same kind of gas mask). And some lovely stained-glass windows, and the war-memorial-ly part with all the names carved on the walls...

Then down to Level 1 which had Natural History in it. A huge ammonite. A reproduction of a Moa (huge! 3 metres tall!), the usual dinosaur skellingtons, a section on volcanos (which we went back to later).

Down to ground level, and time was marching on -- we'd bought tickets to the "Maori Cultural Performance" which was at 1:30, and we were getting hungry, but the cafe at the end of the museum we were at was actually being rebuilt, and there was only a crappy kiosk with just drinks and no food. But there wasn't time to go to the other one, so we made do with a quick snack while waiting. Then the group of us who were waiting were taken to the performance area -- an auditorium on Level 2 (using those Forbidden Lifts, actually). The performance was great. Oh, they were all in traditional Maori dress (and some of the guys had tattoos on their shoulders, though not on their faces) and they were fantastic singers, and very agile with the sticks and with the poi. Though they said we were free to take photos during the performance, I chose not to, because I wanted to enjoy the performance, not battle with my camera (my camera is playing up).

Then we had some actual lunch, though the kitchen was closed in the cafe that was open, it was about 3pm, so we had to make do with a smaller range; I had quiche and Vilakins had a less-than-satisfactory lasagne. I had what I thought would be lemon iced tea to drink, but it was actually iced tea with lemonade -- that is, fizzy lemonade, so it was really a fizzy drink, so I didn't like it as much as real lemon iced tea, though it was okay.

We went to the museum shop -- both of them, because they had different things in them. Vilakins was exceedingly amused by all the Darwin dolls (there was a special exhibit on Darwin) and the Famous Scientist finger-puppets. I found a very cute soft-toy dinosaur that I couldn't resist. Also some other things. I spent ages at the second museum shop trying to decide which of the pretty Christmas decorations to get; I ended up choosing one which was the same yellow flowers that vilakins has in her "Spring" icon.

Then we went back up to the "volcanos" section, in the hope to see an amusing fake documentary which Vilakins had seen years before, but it was no longer there. Instead, there was a different pseudo-documentary which was very vivid and scary. There was this fake house, which you went inside and sat down like you were in the lounge (two comfy sofas) and there was a TV screen, and also a large "window" which was another TV screen which showed a view out on one of the bays of Auckland. Then the TV screen came on with a news and current affairs about "recent earthquakes" and evacuating people, and an interview with a vulcanologist about how an eruption was immanent, and then they have a newsflash about steam rising from the bay -- which one can also see out the "picture window" and the house jerks and the TV goes blank, and then the view out the picture window -- the eruption has started with steam, and then mud, and it's all boiling up and getting huger and huger, and the lights start flickering and the cloud of mud and steam gets closer and closer and then there's this huge jerk and everything goes dark. Then the "mud" washes away from the "picture window" and you see a new volcano, and pouring rain and grey clouds and ruins. Very well simulated (vilakins said it will give her nightmares).

By the time we came out from the museum it was raining. Not drizzling, but proper rain and grey grey clouds everywhere. Now I understand why vilakins moans about the rain, all that grey can get depressing.

Got home, and I watched the pilot of Eureka while vilakins went out shopping for stuff for dinner. I like it. Copied the episodes that they have, onto my laptop to view later.

We had a guest for dinner, M, a friend of vilakins and her husband; interesting person, a technical writer who's worked on IATA standards for documentation, and traveled a lot. We had a most delicious dinner, and then played a game of Word Rummikub.

Comments

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

Except for the elevator and so-so food it sounds like you had a great time at the museum. The Maoria Cultural Performance and the Volacano doc sound very interesting.

Famous Scientist finger-puppets? heh

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I have pictures and will be posting them!