The view from here

Look what else was in the news today! Nasa astronauts fixing the space station with our country 400km below them. That's so cool. Haha, don't let go little guy. Feh feh.

Tattoos

Sometimes. No, quite often I get asked about what my tattoos mean.
They each mean a number of things to me, and most of the time I can't be bothered explaining this. I fear that by not explaining every single meaning, that I will not be properly doing them any justice.

In fact, chances are if you have asked me what they mean I might have just said that I really like sailing...or that I think roses and birds are pretty.
Upon seeing my revolver belt buckle, one guy even asked me if i was just a big Guns'n'Roses fan!..I just said yes.
I wasn't even old enough to like music when they were a band.

Nevertheless, if you are reading this, you need to know the fundamental meanings of my tattoos. Though they have a number of significances - these are the main ones.

My left arm has some writing that has been taken straight from a translation of the Bible, the New Living Translation, around it is a rose and its green vines. Steve Wood did the artwork - at Talisman Tattoo in Te Atatu, Auckland, NZ.

New Living Translation - John Chapter 15 Verse 13
"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends "

In the chapter, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He talks about himself being the vine, and us its branches. If we remain in him we will bear the good fruit :-) and then goes on to tell us about love, and Gods love for us, and then that there is no greater love than to lay down ones life for his friends.

For me, it is about selflessness. A reminder of Jesus' death on the cross for me and what that means. Forgiveness. To put others before myself. The rose and vines were a later addition to the tattoo. The vines are Jesus, the branches are me and you, and the rose is a symbol of the purest love - no greater.

My right arm has a large tall ship on it, a clipper ship I reckon. Although it is not from any particular time period, it is wooden hulled and I like to think that it predates the 20th Century. It is in full sail, and is sailing east in light blue skies, away from the bats, and towards the rising sun and some soaring seagulls. Dean Sacred did the artwork at Illicit Tattoo on K'Road, Auckland, NZ.

I love ships, boats, waves, the ocean. I am fascinated by them, just as I am fascinated by clock towers, old buildings, and rooftop gardens :-)
The ship has long been a christian symbol. Sometimes it is a symbol for the church. The Bible talks of ships a number of times, most notably Noah's ark, and the ark saving Noah's family during the flood (1 Peter 3:20-21). But it also mentions them when talking about the sea of Galilee, the calming of the the storm, etc. As well as that, when Christians needed to hide their cross, the ship provided a cross in its mast. My ship is in a way, like I am wearing a cross.

But there is one verse in particular that my tattoo refers to. If John 15:13 could be called one of my 'life verses', then the other is Proverbs 3:5-6. My favourite translation is from the NIV.

New International Version - Proverbs Chapter 3 Verses 5 & 6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight

The ship is me, my freedom, my blessed ability to go wherever I might feel, explore, find my way. Ships are not bound by anything. They can float from place to place as they please - stopping only when they feel. The French theorist Michel Foucault called the ship a Heterotopia par excellence. You can read about it in "Of Other Spaces" (1967).
I wear my ship because it reminds me of that verse (Prov 3:5&6). That I am not sailing alone, and He fills my sails and guides me where I need to go. A reminder of my mission, to help spread order, sense, and justice into the chaotic and disorderly world that I reside. It is a reminder of looking ahead, and trusting in something that is not necessarily visible, but is constantly there. The Wind. God.
He will make your paths straight.
Plus, ships are just awesome aye!

Psalm 139: 3 & 5
You chart the path ahead of meand tell me where to stop and rest.Every moment you know where I am...You both precede and follow me,You place your hand of blessing on my head.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too great for me to know

[EDIT:] Added on Thurs 11th Jan 2007.

I found this poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox that sums up perfectly why I wanted my ship tattoo before I even got it.

THE WINDS OF FATE

One ship drives east and another drives west
With the self-same winds that blow;
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
That tells them the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the winds of fate
As we voyage along through life;
'Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal
And not the calm or the strife.

[EDIT:] Added Tuesday 20th March, 2007. - New Tattoo.

Behind the Ship on the back of my right arm there is now a Swallow. Like the Rose on my left arm, it was drawn and inked by Steve Wood at Talisman Tattoo in Te Atatu. Expanding on what is becoming quite the traditional/nautical theme. Deliberately I am going with a different style for each 'piece', making sure that they remain individual pictures, quite separate from each another.

In the spirit and style of Sailor Jerry I went for clean lines, and bright primary (for the most part) colours. All of my art is 'happy'. Swallow tattoos means many things. Heck, people used to get them after being in prison! - but they were originally used by sailors as a symbol of experience at sea. A swallow would be tattooed on the chest or arm after a sailor had sailed a certain distance - they might have been more valauble, or trustworthy.

Anyways, the Swallow has also been a symbol of Home, Safety, and (true) Love - and these are what mine is to me. They return home to the same place each year, and when you see a swallow, it means that you are close to land, safety from the disorder and uncertainty of the open ocean. And most of all, the swallow meets its little mating buddy, and stays with them for life. Loyalty, Love, Caring, and Pride. Yup, so that's the swallow. For Home, and for Her.

And what tattoo would be without a verse from the Good Book. Psalm 84:3 from the New International Version is in praise of the mighty God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

The Herald tried to find a clairvoyant to back Mr McDavitt's experience and scientific know-how, but none would commit to predicting rain or shine for Christmas Day.

that quote above comes from this story in the Herald this morning. Haha, awesome that our national newspaper uses clairvoyants to do the weather forecasting. I know we are heading into the slow news season. But that just is an indicator of how much the paper is often just a joke. Be wary of what you read. Think for yourself. The hot tips of the day.

Two turtle doves

Merry Christmas to the one person that I care about the most

seeing you smile tonight was more than I could ever want for Christmas

I mean every word that I speak

surely it is obvious to anyone that has ever met you

that you deserve nothing but the best

and I promise I will always give you everything that I have

because I love you







"And that's the way the cookie crumbles"

Dear Alex

You are in Australia, Gold Coast. Just where I was a week ago. except now Im in New Zealand. Dumb that we missed each other! It would have been so rad to go down some of the slides at wet n wild together! I love that place!

So im bored. so incredibly bored. Tonight I watched Home and Away, Friends (it was the one where Ross and Rachel first hooked up), then Shortland Street, then watched some Bro Town after going to Shell to get a chocolate ice cream, and then pulled back the lazy boy to watch the movie 'The Cable Guy'. oh my goodness this is what my life is like without you here!

I thought of calling up some of my friends to hang out or catch up... but they are all either now living far away, are overseas, or are married.... yikes

It used to be so rad when you could just call your friends up and they would all just be there. I miss that. I guess its the simple things we take for granted. My life is changing rapidly and I kinda dont feel ready. Uni is over and now Im a big working girl with a full time job for next year. Sometimes I wish I could go back to high school and do it all again. it was so much fun! I miss being able to see your friends everyday and going through lifes dramas.... hhmmmm

Alex

I miss you alot

come home

and....

Coralee xox

I want to have time to keep reading the books that I have started
I want to blog about the crazy trainsurfing
I want to blog at Imagining the City about Trams in Auckland - and I want to know why on earth did we have electrified public transport in our city 80 or 90 years ago, and why we don't have it now.
Where did all the overhead electric wires go.
They managed to keep them in Toronto
they managed to keep them in Vancouver
That is all of the examples that I can think of right now
I wanted to talk to you
But I was probably not fun to talk to
so you wanted to go
And i deserved it i guess
But I really miss you.
And thats why I was sad.
And now I miss you and I'm not talking to you.
Still working on that sonbg.
Lyrics come a word every other day.
Time, good things, takes.
Church was amazing tonight.
Learnt about Advent.
And took one of my most real communions ever
you know when you actually have that realisation of why and what you are doing.
How much more praise does my saviour deserve.
So much more than I have given
So much more than I could possibly ever give.
Newly engaged couples
Seeing old friends
Speaking to people that I should have befriended half a year ago
...but that's how long it takes to get me to talk to you.
Vodafones Best mate super prepay thing sounds good
Almost a better deal than our current plan
Coralee, remind me to discuss the benefits of changing when you read this
..if i already haven't
Two more sleeps til you are home.
YAY

Plenty more to come.
Kayak trips, sunburn, unnecessary shopping.

Going to brush my teeth, and perhaps shower too.
back soon........


.............A LOT of moisurising later I am back.
At least I got that initial summer burn out the way eh!
My back is all burnt in the places my hands couldn't reach!
I was sure that I would have more to say.
Perhaps not.

Check lonelygirl15
Check news
Check email
Check pink is the new blog.
... and then its time for bed

Nite.

Below: the sunburn cause (beautiful Mahurangi)