Anyway, our plan was to climb to the summit of the mountain on Saturday (Josh feels the need to do this. I don't, but I'll go). So we woke up nice and early, but not as early as we planned on, so we got to the mountain and it had a light dusting of...SNOW! And then it was cold and windy and I said, no, I don't think this will be fun in cold and snow, please. So we went back to Hawera, then hung out in New Plymouth for the day. We went to the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, which had some cool stuff by Len Lye, who was one of New Zealand's 'most celebrated artists.' I thought it was fun. And there was an exhibit by a guy (Colombian artist Alberto Baraya) who 'takes the role of a 19th century botanical explorer, collects and catalogues artificial plants and botanical tattoos from some of the most fertile places on earth.' It was hilarious. Plastic plants all cataloged and mounted in frames.
Anyway, we had fun and Josh spent time in sports stores, and then we went home. On Sunday we went to WOMAD, which is World of Music Dance and Art. It's a big ole three day festival that happens not only in New Zealand, but all over the world. They had about 5 stages and a ton of awesome artists from all over...
"a bold cross-section of genres, cultures, nationalities and generations – from the soulful strains of Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed to the pristine classical folk of Finland’s Lepistö & Lehti; from the outrageous chanson ska punk of Babylon Circus to the plaintive oud virtuosity of Algeria’s Kamel El Harrachi. The hot and feisty gypsy fusion of Ojos de Brujo, where flamenco meets hip hop; Mariem Hassan’s emotive refugee cry from the Western Sahara; and haunting prairie rock of Calexico that billows from the hot Arizona winds provide a whirlwind of experience of the wider world of music."
We got to see a bunch of these cool folks--if you want to check out some fun music, we loved Babylon Circus, Lepistö & Lehti--who are a bass/accordion duo (so maybe I loved them more than Josh, Debbie, they are from Finland, look them up), Ladi 6, Calexico (and they played In the Reins, a song they do with Iron and Wine...love it so much!), Anna Coddington. Or just go to the WOMAD New Zealand site and check out all the artists.
Lots of pretty flags! Josh asks if our house (when we have a house, that it) will be decorated in rainbows...I think it will be now...
Let me tell you how fun the people watching was...there was this awesome pair of stars and stripes pants...
And this lovely chocolate shirt. I concur!
Horrible picture, I know, but these are the Gyuto Monks of Tibet. They do this cool harmonic chanting thing...it was awesome.
Graffiti art--fun to watch be created!
WOMAD! There were three or four sets of these letters, and they were always covered with children! And sometimes adults...
This was one of my favorite parts--Taste the World, where the musicians and artists demonstrate how to cook a dish from their homeland. The folks above are from Finland, Lepistö & Lehti, and they made vegetable soup. They were very funny, too, and kept everyone laughing for most of the time.
The monks also do this cool 3D sand art. I don't know what they do with it when it's done, though. Blow on it? Schlack it? I don't know.
I love monks.
Look at that adorable monk. He is, quite possibly, the cutest thing ever.
Ahhh, the mountain and sunset. Can't get better than that!
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