Posts
Couchsurfing reached a million members in March!!
Couchsurfing, www.couchsurfing.com was the first nonprofit organisation I volunteered for back in early 2007. The organisation exists to bring people from different cultures together by hosts opening their homes to travelers - all for free. When I first joined, in 2006, there were about 50,000 members. By the time I joined the Nelson Collective to volunteer for several weeks, there were 100,000 members. And now, only 2 years later, fully a million members around the world!!! And it is still free, and it is still run mainly by volunteers.One of the Auckland volunteers, Kirin Bhalla, contacted me to see if I wanted to meet. I had not realized there was an Auckland group I could join. I was very happy to connect with them. They meet every Wednesday night at the Buffalo Bar and Grill, on Princes Street - right next door to Limon, where I used to dance tango every Wednesday night. It is a fun combination of local hosts and travelers from around the world. Some travelers have arrived that day, some are back in Auckland to catch their flights home, after touring the country for weeks or months. All of them are delightful! I took the opportunity of my first night with the group to set up another Free Hugs event in Auckland.
Devonport
I have been living with friends Kathy and Len and their sons in Devonport for quite a while this year. Several times a week, we catch a huge ship going past, 
heading into or out of Auckland harbour. They seem impossibly large to exist, these ships.
Recently there was a free live music festival on the top of Mount Victoria.
It was a beautiful day in paradise. Mount Victoria is one of the many dormant volcanoes in Auckland, and there are two in Devonport alone! this explains it steep slopes. In 2000, I used Mount Victoria to test my new bike, to see if the gears were set up low enough for me to climb hills fully loaded with all my gear. My then-new Giant Comfort bike failed the test. I was rescued by a member of the Auckland Cycle Touring Association, who put on a tiny chain ring on my front cluster. After that, I could climb up Mount Victoria with my bike and trailer loaded with books and bricks, and knew I would be OK to cycle through Europe with it. Nine years and roughly 10,000 km later, the same bike and trailer with that custom gear is still getting me up the steepest hills - very slowly.
I arrived on top of the Mount, and walked around. Off to one side I was drawn to the children sliding down the steep grassy slopes of Mount Victoria on pieces of cardboard.
Wow. It was just like snow sledding, without ending up with snow down your neck and boots! 
After the concert, I decided the quickest way down was the slide route. It was super! I want to do it again.
One glorious morning I took a walk down to Cheltenham Beach, in Devonport.
Before 9am, people are allowed to let their dogs run on the beaches in the North Shore of Auckland, and it seemed like all the dog owners of Devonport were there. It was such fun to watch the dogs cavort, play, swim after sticks, and roughhouse with other dogs. They so enjoy their freedom! Far more entertaining than tv or movies.
heading into or out of Auckland harbour. They seem impossibly large to exist, these ships.Recently there was a free live music festival on the top of Mount Victoria.
It was a beautiful day in paradise. Mount Victoria is one of the many dormant volcanoes in Auckland, and there are two in Devonport alone! this explains it steep slopes. In 2000, I used Mount Victoria to test my new bike, to see if the gears were set up low enough for me to climb hills fully loaded with all my gear. My then-new Giant Comfort bike failed the test. I was rescued by a member of the Auckland Cycle Touring Association, who put on a tiny chain ring on my front cluster. After that, I could climb up Mount Victoria with my bike and trailer loaded with books and bricks, and knew I would be OK to cycle through Europe with it. Nine years and roughly 10,000 km later, the same bike and trailer with that custom gear is still getting me up the steepest hills - very slowly.
I arrived on top of the Mount, and walked around. Off to one side I was drawn to the children sliding down the steep grassy slopes of Mount Victoria on pieces of cardboard.
Wow. It was just like snow sledding, without ending up with snow down your neck and boots! 
After the concert, I decided the quickest way down was the slide route. It was super! I want to do it again.
One glorious morning I took a walk down to Cheltenham Beach, in Devonport.
Before 9am, people are allowed to let their dogs run on the beaches in the North Shore of Auckland, and it seemed like all the dog owners of Devonport were there. It was such fun to watch the dogs cavort, play, swim after sticks, and roughhouse with other dogs. They so enjoy their freedom! Far more entertaining than tv or movies.Someone had decided to go a little bit too far onto the sand sometime Saturday night.....
There was s huge tree on the beach,
but I am not sure what it is. It had a gnarly trunk, a good 10 feet in diameter.
On the way back to Kathy and Len's, I spotted this amusing sign by a letter box.
And stopped to buy some feijoas.
They grow on bushes, and are as fragrant as they are delicious. They don't travel well, so are not sold much commercially.The feijoa was collected in southern Brazil by a German explorer Freidrich Sellow in 1815 and introduced to Europe by French botanist and horticulturist, Dr Edouard Andre, in 1890. It was named after Brazilian botanist, Joam da Silva Feijo.
Feijoas were introduced into New Zealand in the 1920`s.
New Zealand's ideal climate produced large fruit, and few pest enabled feijoa's to be grown organically (chemical sprays therefore are not applied to New Zealand fruit, making NZ feijoa's some of the most natural fruit available).
The New Zealand season runs from late March to June.
In some countries the feijoa is called "pineapple guava".
In one of the houses I lived in, there were feijoa bushes, and I made feijoa chutney with the abundance of fruit they produced.
And, of course, I had to take a photo of some of the beautiful flowers always in bloom in Devonport:
I have no idea what these are.
Free Hugs Auckland
I knew there would be lots of huggers, so I made peanut butter sandwiches, homemade cookies, and brought a bag of apples so the crew would have some food after an afternoon of hugging.Group Hugs
Cycle hugs,
the driver of an armoured vehicle on his way back to the truck. To my surprise, he accepted! I doubt that would have happened in the USA.
No police stopped by to see what we were up to. No one hassled us. And very few people had ever heard of free hugs. Still. One young woman was so keen that I offered her an extra sign to take with her. She was thrilled to join the ranks of free huggers. Who knows where she will go with it!
More hugs
More hugs
And yet more hugs
Te Urewera and Open Heart Meditation
I took another trip to the Ureweras, for an Open Heart Meditation workshop. Open Heart meditation helps people of all faiths connect better with God, helping people to better feel God's amazing love directly. The people who attend are sweet, loving folks and I enjoy being with them very much.
After our workshops, some of us took a hike to what many people say is the most beautiful lake in New Zealand - Lake Waikareiti. It is perched up on top of a mountain, and deep in the heart of the Urewera National Park, so it is peaceful, pristine, and has perfectly clear water.
The hike up to the lake was magical.
The trail ended at a day cabin built by the Deparment of Conservation. Near the shore was a large rock in the perfect form of a flower. A ranunculus, to be exact. I recognised it straight away,
though I have never grown them. It was one of the flowers I longed to be able to grow in Minnesota, but could not due to the harsh climate. I would occassionally see them for sale as cut flowers in the florist shops. 
You can see how perfect it is. And it was not carved by human hands.
Crazy Malc - Another Independent Global Volunteer
The trail ended at a day cabin built by the Deparment of Conservation. Near the shore was a large rock in the perfect form of a flower. A ranunculus, to be exact. I recognised it straight away,
though I have never grown them. It was one of the flowers I longed to be able to grow in Minnesota, but could not due to the harsh climate. I would occassionally see them for sale as cut flowers in the florist shops. 
You can see how perfect it is. And it was not carved by human hands.
Crazy Malc - Another Independent Global Volunteer
One of my friends from Harbour City Church mentioned that her brother Malcolm did volunteer work independently, like me. She gave me his web address, http://www.crazymalc.co.nz/ I have been following Malcolm's work and adventures in Korea. He was supporting the Korean comfort women - those Korean women who had been held as sex slaves by the Japanese in World War II, and have never been given an apology or compensation.
I happened to be at my friend Penny's house, and Malcom's sister Janice was there. She told me Malcom was coming to New Zealand for a visit, and I asked if I could meet him. He had a busy schedule, but made time for us to have coffee in Devonport together.
I happened to be at my friend Penny's house, and Malcom's sister Janice was there. She told me Malcom was coming to New Zealand for a visit, and I asked if I could meet him. He had a busy schedule, but made time for us to have coffee in Devonport together.
I had learned from Malcolm's website about the beautiful necklaces made from waste paper, and wanted to ask him about them. He was wearing one when we met for coffee, and explained to me how they were made. When I asked how I could get one for myself, he took his own off and gave it to me. Thanks, Malcolm!! 
He told me there is a YouTube video on the Ugandan women making them. I found it here.
Malcolm said he has trained 100 women in Uganda to make them, and they are bringing in some much needed cash with them. You can see more here: http://www.grassrootsuganda.com/ I am interested in case this idea has potential for the disabled in Kashmir and elsewhere.
Preparing for 6 Months in India
I am getting ready to head to India for 6 months to volunteer. I have never been to India, and like a typical American, my knowledge of other countries is miniscule. So I have been reading several books about the region and its history. Books on Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and several others. Holy Warriors by Edna Fernandes, and The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple were both eye-openers regarding religious and other violence in India. I read Q & A, by Vikas Swarup, the book that the movie Slum Dog Millionaire was based on, and Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. Most recently I read Three Cups of Tea, which is about a Minnesota climber, Greg Mortenson, who returned from a failed attempt to climb K2 to build schools for girls in Pakistan. I would love to meet Greg Mortenson someday!
And I can see I will want to be stocking up on salwar kameez while in India. Long tunics over pants are perfect for cycling!
He told me there is a YouTube video on the Ugandan women making them. I found it here.Malcolm said he has trained 100 women in Uganda to make them, and they are bringing in some much needed cash with them. You can see more here: http://www.grassrootsuganda.com/ I am interested in case this idea has potential for the disabled in Kashmir and elsewhere.
Preparing for 6 Months in India
I am getting ready to head to India for 6 months to volunteer. I have never been to India, and like a typical American, my knowledge of other countries is miniscule. So I have been reading several books about the region and its history. Books on Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and several others. Holy Warriors by Edna Fernandes, and The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple were both eye-openers regarding religious and other violence in India. I read Q & A, by Vikas Swarup, the book that the movie Slum Dog Millionaire was based on, and Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. Most recently I read Three Cups of Tea, which is about a Minnesota climber, Greg Mortenson, who returned from a failed attempt to climb K2 to build schools for girls in Pakistan. I would love to meet Greg Mortenson someday!
And I can see I will want to be stocking up on salwar kameez while in India. Long tunics over pants are perfect for cycling!
On a walk through the Domain in Auckland, I captured these photos for you:
