Learn surfing

I went to learn surfing for the first time today, and...it wasn't easy. The worst thing about learning a new skill is that you'll be like a complete idiot and there's nothing you can do about it.

That may be the reason why many people hesitate about learning new things, and I know I used to avoid trying certain things just because I really don't like the feeling of being inadequate.

Well, one thing I learnt from travelling, is that if you want to explore new horizons, you just have to accept that being/behaving like an idiot is part of the process, so just go ahead and get on with it. In conclusion, I will continue to fumble and tumble in the waves for an indefinite (but hopefully not too long) period of time.


A thing about the waves at Muriwai today is that it was probably not the best condition for a beginner to learn surfing.

I found this advice on the internet "For your first days surfing the waves should be small, being easy enough for you to walk out to where the waves are breaking, and not have to fight your way off the beach being constantly battered by waves"

The description, "have to fight your way off the beach being constantly battered by waves", was exactly what happened today. I suppose that just made everything more....fun......in retrospect.

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Lost in translation

People are different, so different that you can be talking about the same thing, but your ideas/views/perspectives/realities are so far apart so that not only the other couldn't understand what you're talking about, they could have interpreted your words in ways beyond your expectation. And it's funny because this could be what the other person think of you at the same time.

I suppose once upon a time, when people lived in relatively segregated groups, where culture defined commonly agreed upon ideas and principals for them, it was easier to define what's right and what's wrong.

In today's world, where ideas & philosophies have virtually no boundaries, where different traditions & cultures clash constantly with each other, there's no longer absolute right or wrong.

Without a common basis of understanding, there may as well be no communication.


This was written as a comment to a recurring theme in my life, but seems like it can also cast itself as an afterthought to the movie of the same title. No wonder I liked the movie.

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500000 customers hit by Telecom broadband blackout

A heading from a news website.
It happened last Friday night, the blackout came abruptly and without warning I suddenly find that I could not connect to any website.

Well, a year or two ago this probably would have made me angry or feeling frustrated, but after my time in India, where internet & power outage was part of your daily experience, I simply have lots of appreciation for the quality of life and the stable services I'm getting in a developed country.

The dramatic contrast between India and NZ really put things into perspective. Living in a country, where a company would apologize for the occurrence of an overnight service outage, is, awesome.

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