| Author | Post |
|---|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 01:19 am |
|
I have been compiling a list of the things I'd most like to do in the rest of my life.
I don't mean the generic things which are true - or ought to be - for everybody, like making peace with one's previous spouses.
And I don't mean the highly desirable but completely impossible, like:
* doing School Certificate again, only with some study beforehand this time, and making those stupid pricks who didn't teach me anything at Scots College sit up and take notice
* or getting really fit and beefy in my teens and then joining Gerald Kember in the All Blacks
* or travelling back in time and saving Jane Austen's life so we and future generations might have more of her sublime novels to enjoy (to say nothing of her having a longer life to enjoy)
No, I mean specific goals that are achievable now, at reasonable cost.
Here's my list. I would like to:
* see Queenstown
* eat fresh trout with fried potatoes (not chips) again
* get my next book finished
* see New Zealand win another Rugby World Cup
* see my daughter qualify as a doctor (her lifelong ambition)
* see my son achieve his full potential as a mathematical prodigy
Rule of Ten says there must be at least four more. I'm thinking about it. The Nile? Machu Picchu? The Prada? There are many possibilities.
Attached Image (viewed 198 times):
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 01:49 am |
|
Meantime, I have some suggestions for your list, if you're inclined to make one: things I've done which would be on my list if I hadn't done them already. Things I gently suggest you should aim to do before you join me in the Choir Celestial. Here they are:
* read War and Peace, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and Emma
* spend at least two weeks in Kyoto, preferably staying in a ryokan, and visit as many gardens as you can (autumn, winter or spring are the best times to visit)
* go to Florence, spend at least a day in the Uffizzi Gallery, and walk about the city away from the tourist centre (again, autumn, winter or spring are the best times to visit)
* go to Venice, enjoy the sights but also walk about the city away from the tourist centre (again, autumn, winter or spring are the best times to visit)
* go to Paris (ditto)
* go to a Puccini opera at the Met
Any suggestions for me?
Cherry blossoms at the Ryoanji Temple
Attached Image (viewed 191 times):
|
giraffeinfall
Member
| Joined: | 13 Feb 2006 |
| Location: | Australia |
| Posts: | 191 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 05:09 am |
|
For me-- I' d like to go on an African safari before the wildlife disappears altogether
and
I' d like to make landfall on Antarctica. And yes, this can already be done by tourists, but the trouble is, I'd like to get there without experiencing 30 metre waves either coming or going. ..
Attached Image (viewed 162 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 10:48 am |
|
A list of ten things I would most like to do in the rest of my life. I have many many "one day I would love to" but I shall try compile a list of my top 10 dreams.
* To dig in the sand, creating my own thermal bath in the hot spring thermal waters at Hot Water Beach, Coromandel. The best time for this I am told is a couple of hours each side of low tide.
* To visit at least one of the numerous Norman Rockwell Museums and see an original Rockwell art work.
* To go on one of the organised camel treks riding out to Uluru (Ayers Rock) at sunset.
* To go scuba diving again through a coral reef. The colours are unbelievable. It was the most awesome experience, and also met another 'must do' of mine at the same time and that was to swim with sharks.
* To attend a very big Race Day, simply to breathe in the ambience and the people - to experience. Something like Ascot, but more realistically it will probably be the Melbourne Cup.
* I'd also love to go to the Calgary Stampede.
* See the spectacular scenery at Banff for myself.
I'll keep thinking about the final three.
Attached Image (viewed 184 times):
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 10:54 am |
|
jaybee2003 wrote: * To visit at least one of the numerous Norman Rockwell Museums and see an original Rockwell art work.
I'm pretty sure there are some wonderful Rockwells in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. (where, if you haven't been there, you will find lots of other wonderful things, like the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian). I'll see if the NG website says anything about this.Attached Image (viewed 163 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 11:57 am |
|
David Harcourt wrote: jaybee2003 wrote: * To visit at least one of the numerous Norman Rockwell Museums and see an original Rockwell art work.
I'm pretty sure there are some wonderful Rockwells in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. (where, if you haven't been there, you will find lots of other wonderful things, like the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian). I'll see if the NG website says anything about this.
No, I haven't been to the NG in Washington. Have been to the NG in London though. The trouble with these wonderful big galleries like the Tates, Louvre etc, a day isn't enough. I felt I could have spent a week at the Louvre and still be wanting more time.
The next three on my list will have to be:
* To see orchids flowering in their natural habitat in the wild. I have seen many throughout Asia, but all have been planted, and twice have set off to see them in the rainforests in tropical north Queensland, to discover the areas where they had been growing had been destroyed by recent cyclones, hence no flowering orchids to admire.
* To see a show on Broadway. Any show.
* To visit my sponsor child in India - However, I suspect that is a bit of a pipe dream. More realistically, I will add to stay at a genuine Australian Outback Station to finish my list of top 10.
I was thinking just then of one little wish, (perhaps more of a regret) and one I doubt I will have the chance to readdress, nor is the cost of getting there justifiable purely for this....while in Montemartre, I found a shop specialising in TinTin merchandise. I went back about three times looking at posters, t-shirts, sweatshirts etc....I bought a few little things for family and friends, but, for some reason I stalled at the posters and tshirts. Now I wish I had bought. One of those seize the moment chances in life that I missed. But, I have the memory.
Of all the other dreams I have achieved so far, the most deeply moving was to visit the land of my grandparents - Poland. I never dreamt that to go there, to walk the streets they walked, to learn of see the history, to experience the people, the culture - would affect me so much. It was a highlight of my life, and for anyone who carries a similar dream, I would strongly recommend it.Attached Image (viewed 163 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 12:24 pm |
|
Sometimes life plays a joke when it comes to fulfilling ones dreams and things don't always pan out as planned.
Arriving in Dublin, my biggest wish was to kick up my heels and sing myself hoarse in a night of Irish music at an Irish pub. Finally spying a wee pub with an award as the Winner of the Best Celtic Music Pub, we planned to go there that night for dinner. On arriving, I walked in and stopped in disappointment, cursing. I had forgotten about the World Cup. Not one pub in Dublin that night was filled with music, instead, all were filled with TV screens and the sounds of soccer - and rowdy soccer fans. However, a few days later my dream was fulfilled in a delightful wee country pub outside Doolin.
In Vienna, besides visiting the area associated with the von Trapp family (The Sound of Music) and the home of Mozart, I also dreamed of visiting the home of Steinway and playing one. One Wednesday, the last day I would be in Vienna, after walking the pavements for hours and hours, I finally came across Steinway and Sons - to discover they were closed every Wednesday. So, I have a photo of myself standing outside the closed doors of Steinway and Sons, but I did get to play a Steinway in Vienna later that day.
Attached Image (viewed 162 times):
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 15 Sep 2007 10:07 pm |
|
jaybee2003 wrote: I was thinking just then of one little wish, (perhaps more of a regret) and one I doubt I will have the chance to readdress, nor is the cost of getting there justifiable purely for this....while in Montemartre, I found a shop specialising in TinTin merchandise. I went back about three times looking at posters, t-shirts, sweatshirts etc....I bought a few little things for family and friends, but, for some reason I stalled at the posters and tshirts. Now I wish I had bought. One of those seize the moment chances in life that I missed. But, I have the memory.
You have seen the large, framed Tintin au Tibet poster which is hanging in our kitchen, perhaps?
It was bought at the very shop in Paris which you describe.Attached Image (viewed 163 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 16 Sep 2007 01:22 am |
|
David Harcourt wrote: jaybee2003 wrote: I was thinking just then of one little wish, (perhaps more of a regret) and one I doubt I will have the chance to readdress, nor is the cost of getting there justifiable purely for this....while in Montemartre, I found a shop specialising in TinTin merchandise. I went back about three times looking at posters, t-shirts, sweatshirts etc....I bought a few little things for family and friends, but, for some reason I stalled at the posters and tshirts. Now I wish I had bought. One of those seize the moment chances in life that I missed. But, I have the memory.
You have seen the large, framed Tintin au Tibet poster which is hanging in our kitchen, perhaps?
It was bought at the very shop in Paris which you describe.
Well I never! Yes, I did notice that - and seeing it added to my regret. Thou shalt not covet right?
I found similar posters online one day, but, one wouldn't have carried the same significance. Maybe one of these days. Maybe. Maybe if I won something Lotto.
But then, I'd have to buy a Lotto ticket first, and I can't remember the last time I bought one.
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 16 Sep 2007 01:53 am |
|
jaybee2003 wrote:
I found similar posters online one day, but, one wouldn't have carried the same significance. Maybe one of these days. Maybe. Maybe if I won something Lotto.
There is also at least one Tintin shop in London, too.
The definitive Tintin shop should of course be in Belgium, but then who goes to Belgium?
Tintin belongs to the world, so there's no reason why the French, English, Americans or even New Zealanders shouldn't lay claim to him...
Attached Image (viewed 152 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 16 Sep 2007 03:22 am |
|
David Harcourt wrote: jaybee2003 wrote:
I found similar posters online one day, but, one wouldn't have carried the same significance. Maybe one of these days. Maybe. Maybe if I won something Lotto.
There is also at least one Tintin shop in London, too.
The definitive Tintin shop should of course be in Belgium, but then who goes to Belgium?
Tintin belongs to the world, so there's no reason why the French, English, Americans or even New Zealanders shouldn't lay claim to him...
I've done it. I changed my mind. Life is too short to have regrets. I bought Le Lotus Bleu and L'Etoile Mysterieuse (The Shooting Star).
How ironic that CanTeen (who assist your people living with cancer) rang asking for a donation a few minutes after I had received my payment confirmation email. How could I not donate after splashing out on myself. Now I am broke! And so looking forward to these arriving.
Belgium - a great place to stop for a loo break and to stock up on chocolates before heading for Calais.
Attached Image (viewed 142 times):
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 17 Sep 2007 11:08 pm |
|
I knew I would remember more must do's or I would so love to...
Go to a Ren Fest (Rennaissance Fair), a Medieval Fayre. Performers - Lords, Ladies, Knights, Pirates, Belly Dancers, Peasants etc reinacting jousts, sword combat, scenes, members of the public encouraged to wear costumes. Medieval games, dance, food - manners and protocol...chivalry. I think it would be such fun.
Many years ago there was a venue in Wellington called Bawdy Bills. Yes, it was bawdy, a meal and an evenings entertainment by costumed (medieval)performers and guests were encouraged to join in the mood. No cutlery on the tables, finger foods only, mead etc etc.
I went twice, both times with work mates. On being greeted at the door, one was given the once over and slapped with a hastily labelled name tag. The first time I went as a buxom serving wench. Haha. The label slapped on my cleavage read Hilda Climb. The second time I was Carrie Doubt.
Anyone been to a Medieval Fair? A quick search online and I found this...http://www.jousting.co.nz/NZ2007.htm. Maybe if I keep my ears and eyes open, I might find a local(ish) 2008 event. Attached Image (viewed 127 times):
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 3 Oct 2007 11:22 pm |
|
I was amazed at how do-able most of the things we want to do are.
What's stopping us?
|
jaybee2003
Member
| Joined: | 26 Aug 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 273 |
|
Posted: 6 Oct 2007 03:30 am |
|
David Harcourt wrote: I was amazed at how do-able most of the things we want to do are.
What's stopping us?
We'll all have to revisit here in 12 months time and see if we are any closer to achieving our goals.
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 21 Dec 2007 04:50 pm |
|
I started this thread less than four months ago. Four months, and what a difference they have made.
Here were my original wishes:
* to see Queenstown
* to eat fresh trout with fried potatoes (not chips) again
* to get my next book finished
* to see New Zealand win another Rugby World Cup
* to see my daughter qualify as a doctor (her lifelong ambition)
* to see my son achieve his full potential as a mathematical prodigy
Two of these ambitions have been postponed, possibly forever: as we all know, the All Blacks were humiliated in the World Cup, and yesterday my daughter was advised that she had not been accepted into Otago Medical School, despite her (to me, anyway) amazing grades. She is shattered, and I feel her disappointment as keenly as any I have ever experienced in my own life.
And then there is the matter of the medals. They have not been recovered, and may never be.
What a year this has been! The Clark Government has become one long, frightful nightmare, both for us and - I suspect - for itself. All except its most devoted supporters must surely be deperate to see the end of the farce, and yet we have to wait another ten months or so for this assembly of the undead to shuffle off the stage into the pages of history (which, I feel sure, will be much kinder to them than it ought to be).
So here is my revised list, in order. I would like to live long enough to:
* see my daughter qualify as a doctor
* see my son happily employed
* get my next book finished
* see the medals returned
* see New Zealand win another Rugby World Cup
* and see a manned landing on Mars
This last is a completely new one, and would mean that I'd have to live for at least another twenty years, which isn't going to happen, but this is a wish list, isn't it?
Have a nice day.
Attached Image (viewed 91 times):
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 22 Dec 2007 07:50 pm |
|
Yesterday I bought the book in the photograph below: 100 Things To Do Before You Die (plus a few to do afterwards), published by the New Scientist magazine in 2004.
Perhaps, when I started this thread, I was prompted by a subconscious memory of a review somewhere of the New Scientist book. I don't know. Maybe. Anyway, here are some of New Scientist's "things to do before you die":
* see Halley's comet twice: "Seeing Halley's comet twice must be an incredible experience, but it's not possible for everyone. To join the double-Halley club, you must have seen the 1986 visit, and you'll have to live to see the next visit in 2061. If that rules you out, don't despair. You're in the good company of Halley himself, who never lived to see the return of the comet that made him famous." If I live to see Halley's comet again I will be 115 years old. I think I can rule that one out.
* find happiness: "Being sociable, helping other people and having lots of friends all help. And getting married boosts happiness for a couple of years at least. Then there's money. But we quickly adapt our expectations to new-found riches and end up always wanting that little bit more. Envy on the other hand is a sure-fire route to misery. One last tip: consider moving to Denmark. It's the only industrialised nation where people are happier than they were 30 years ago. Why? The Danes are keeping the answer very close to their chests."
* learn to have multiple orgasms: You'll have to read the book to find out about this one.
*wrestle with a grizzly bear: "Troy Hurtubise, a self-styled inventor and bear researcher based in North Bay, Ontario, can custom-make a grizzly-proof suit for you, for just over $1 million. Models of his grizzly-proof suit have been exhaustively tested by Hurtubise. The Ursus Mark VI, for instance, withstood two collisions with a 136kg truck, 18 crashes with a 3-tonne truck driving at 50 kilometres per hour, and strikes by bows and arrows, shotguns and axes. It has yet to be tested on a wild grizzly."
And so on and so ho ho ho. There is a spooky thing about this book, however. The previous owner has ticked some of the things to do, as if these were things which he or she has actually done. Here they are:
* go down a deep mine
* visit Hiroshima
* save a species
* experience the nocturnal world
* visit an ancient art gallery
* fall in love
* find out how things work
* find happiness
* have a species named after you
Well, at least he/she hasn't ticked see Halley's comet twice. That would have had me really worried.
Attached Image (viewed 70 times):
|
Anna
Member
|
Posted: 23 Jan 2008 02:30 am |
|
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter - if it any consolation, and I'm sure it is not, none of my daughter's friends were admitted either.
I do hope she is able to work around this and find some way to realise her ambition.
Mine meanwhile has no idea what she wants to do except that it will "probably have something to do with Chemistry".
|
David Harcourt
Administrator
| Joined: | 12 Jul 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1083 |
|
Posted: 23 Jan 2008 07:23 am |
|
She's going back to Otago to do a Bachelor of Anatomy degree and then apply for admission to Med School again.
We have agreed that this is not a defeat; it is a setback. A big setback, yes, but not a defeat.
She's very determined.
The determined one, at about the age when she resolved on a career in medicine:
Attached Image (viewed 47 times):
|
Anna
Member
|
Posted: 23 Jan 2008 05:51 pm |
|
Great idea I'm sure she will get there.
I am a little concerned that mine has no idea what she wants to do, but take some consolation from the fact that one of my sons didn't either until a few months ago.
I just want them all to be happy!
|
Anna
Member
|
Posted: 24 Jan 2008 10:56 pm |
|
I would like to return to Europe for a leisurely trip (read a year or two or more), visit Canada - it looks spectacular and probably a lot more I haven't thought of yet . . .
|
Current time is 09:42 pm |
|
|
