Starlight Spectacular

Yesterday was one action-packed day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY SZELIN!!

It started off with a Chinese New Year celebration at the Glenfield Community Centre. What made it special was that my dad was to perform Tai Chi with a group as part of the celebrations. He was even asked to give a little introduction to Tai Chi! 

The Tai Chi performance went pretty well. As well as that, there was a Chinese singer, a dragon dance, and an Iranian lady doing a dance. Unfortunately she was let down by a very poor sound system which kept cutting out! While this performance was going on though, Hamish, Aonghas and I had to occasionally dash across the road to the Music Education Centre to have our accordion lessons. That was very convenient!

Once we came home we had very little time before we had to set off again for the annual Sky City Starlight Symphony at the Auckland Domain. Every year the free open-air concert is held in the domain, with over 200,000 people from all around Auckland attending the event to watch classical, pop and show performances. The weather was great, with only a slight fear of rain. We sat right up near the front of the huge television screen and the stage, so we had no problem watching the action! There were plenty of fireworks throughout the night, including a spinning fire wheel and fire fountains. The host John Hawkesby was as good as ever and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra was at its best! The concert ended with the usual 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky accompanied by a magnificent display of fireworks, lasers and the cannons of the army. Can’t wait till next year now!

 

Sunday school started today at church, and now together with Aida, Jennifer the translator is helping to teach the class. This year the class is made up of four girls and two guys – Hamish and me. Lucky us!

Szelin this afternoon came over to our house to visit. I’m not sure if it was to visit us or our kitten? Anyway her family went out and she was home alone so she thought she might just come over.