Amsterdam.

 

Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the 'Venice of the North' because it has a large number of canals. It was originally a small fishing city in the 12th. century. It became a major world port during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th. century when the Netherlands was an economic powerhouse. Amsterdam was the leading centre of finance and trade.

So, why am I writing about Amsterdam?

Well, anything is more exciting than reading the blogs of Peter and Robert. With Peter you get a short post about him moving or opening boxes. Then he takes a quick snipe at the other bloggers. With Robert you get told whether or not he has cleaned the Presbyterian Hall. Then it's a quick few lines from the bible and a lecture on sin. Bloody sin!

Boring.

I won't tell you about my violin practice today because someone is bound to complain about that. 

I drove Peter and Lynn to a 'remembrance get together' yesterday. I was driving my Note.

It was a tricky drive for me because it turns out that they are both experts at driving around Wellington. I was given unasked for directions all the way to Lyall Bay. This was a real distraction. It even led to me making a few mistakes. Passengers should know when to shut up, or simply catch a bus.

I need to do a tidy up around our section today. The guy we got in to cut our lawns turned out to be a bit useless, so I think I'll have to say goodbye to him. He missed quite a bit of grass around the back of the section. I'll need to cut that today. Such is life. There are a couple of other jobs to do as well.

That's it for today. I hope you found the bit about Amsterdam interesting.

Buona giornata.

A round hole in the ground.

 Still no post from Peter. 

A variation on the old 'post' joke.

We're meeting up today to go to a 'function' in memory of a lady we knew who died. It's in a brewery, of all places, in Lyall Bay. We don't intend to stay long, but it will be a chance for Peter to have a ride in the Note.

Lucky Peter.

I read Robert's blog after getting up but I'm not going to quote from it. That wouldn't take us anywhere positive.

I practised for an hour yesterday and ran through bits of each of my ten unaccompanied violin tunes. I thought that was a good workout. 

Well, there you go. That's it for today.

Buona giornata.

The 28th. Sorry, I couldn't think of a better title.

 All dressed up for my hospital appointment this morning.

Then I'm off to try and get a marriage licence (notice the spelling of that last word). I read Rob's latest post where he went on about marriage licences and speaking English in Aotearoa. Unfortunately, he's a bit stuck on American spelling.

Peter might be moving his boxes to Seaview today, if he approves of the weather. 

"This hat will keep me dry!"

Who knows, we might cross paths. My hospital appointment has been moved to an earlier time and hopefully it won't take up all morning. I guess that time will tell.

15 tunes to think about. That's quite a few really, but you can only take them one at a time. I'll try to put in some good time today. Between jobs. Well, I'm picking Prowsey Snr. up from childcare again today (I do Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). I then hang around at his house until daddy gets back from work. Prowsey Jnr. is there too, with his mummy. It's fun spending some time with him.

I have no other news really. At least, unlike TC, I post pretty regularly. Hey, I don't think I'll bother about checking out my marriage licence. I wasn't married in the Catholic Church, so I guess it's just a legal document with no sin attached. I was actually married by a bass player friend, Harry Botham. You can't get better than that! 

That's it.

Ciao.

Robert may look like Jesus, but I look like Hanuman!

 

I'm off to do some double bass practice shortly. You know how I have a repertoire of 10 unaccompanied violin pieces, well I'm putting together a repertoire of 6 unaccompanied double pieces. All written by me!

They are:

• Sii Gentile
• Almost Blues
• Gypsy Feet
• My Gentle Giant
• Things Aren't What They Seem
• Shelley, My Dear (aka SMD)

Except for Sii Gentile (Be Kind) I think I wrote all the other tunes around 1998! Sii Gentile is dedicated to Jacinda Ardern and was written in 2021. 

I bet that, in her wildest dreams, she never expected to have a solo double bass tune written about her!

I'm expecting to see Peter this morning.

I wonder what god he looks like? Probably Zeus. Especially in that helmet.

Here's the photo of Robert looking like Jesus, in case you haven't seen it.

Is the vanity of thinking you look like Jesus a sin?

Ah well, the painting was probably done by someone who didn't really know what Jesus looked like. Maybe Robert really looks like a French man who lived in the 1800s?

Well, I suppose I'd better play a few notes on that bass.

I think I need to check out SMD first. I remember playing that at a double bass clinic over ten years ago and it was very well received by some important bass people. A bit of showing off there. I have no music for it, so I'd better go and see if I can still play it.

Ciao tutti.

Monday.

 

I did no practice yesterday. The day before I started looking at A Night In Tunisia. I've played this great tune many times before, but I've decided to add it to my other nine unaccompanied tunes (instead of Anthropology). Do you remember what the other nine tunes are?

Well, here they are:

• Orange Blossom Special
• Irish Medley with Take Me Home Again Kathleen and The Irish Washer Woman
• The Accordion Lady
• The Immigrants
• Romance
• Manha De Carnaval
• Nature Boy
• Sweet Georgia Brown
• Oh, Lady Be Good

A Night In Tunisia is an interesting tune to play unaccompanied, but I think it'll work very well. Although I didn't practise yesterday, I did spend some time thinking about this tune.

As far as I know, I have no gigs coming up, but that has never stopped me practising in the past. 

It's still wet in the Nui. 

Blood test day today. Hey, I feel like a little prick.

I'm taking my neighbour, Jim, because he needs one too. He's the guy who wants me to practise violin in my shed. The good thing about travelling with Jim is that he does all the talking. You can think about other things. I'll think about A Night In Tunisia. I'll certainly try to get a bit of practice done today.

Nothing new around the blogs this morning. No big surprise there. 

I've decided that my favourite god is Hanuman the Monkey God.

Hanuman is also known as Maruti, Bajrangbali and Anjaneya. He is considered to be the son of Anjana, a celestial nymph, and Vayu, the wind god. 

I might start praying to him for better health.

Well, that should do for this morning.

Remember to listen to Hanuman.

Ciao tutti.

It sounds like I've lost my place!

 

Peter mentioned a hero of mine, Dizzy Gillespie, in a recent post. Robert said, on his own blog, "All those old jazz dudes sound the same to me."

That made me think.

Gosh, if you can't recognise the sound of Dizzy Gillespie, what's going on with your ears? I know an awful lot of people who don't like jazz. "It sounds like they're playing the wrong notes!" "He sounds like he's lost his place!" Yes, I've heard it all.

People who say these things say it knowing they are right and there is really little point arguing with them. Certainly don't mention, or try to explain, the Lydian mode! Or the Locrian#2 mode!

That made me think about religion. There is really no way that you can show someone that their religious beliefs are a load of nonsense. People often grow up in this way of thinking. The other people in their church all believe the same stuff. Without this set of beliefs they would be lost. Their whole life is built around a set of things. Often a really crazy set of stuff.

It's a complete waste of time arguing about religion.

One of the true gods.

I have got to try to get my violin practice happening again today. I did 15 minutes yesterday. Shame on me! Though, as you probably know, I haven't been well.

Hey, but it's time to lower the bucket and get some practice happening. I'll probably run over A Night In Tunisia, a famous old Dizzy Gillespie tune. Any Classical music fans passing by the house will probably think it's one of Hayden's cello concertos with some wrong notes thrown in.

Wrong notes?

Did you know that, in our Western Music system, there are only 12 different notes? If you take away the 7 notes that make up the safe major scale, there are only 5 notes left. That doesn't leave too many notes for getting very wrong!

This is a rocket. The science that
makes the rocket work really has 
nothing to do with how our 12 music
notes are put together.

In my humble opinion, the best thing a musician can do is to learn to play by ear. Think of a tune you've heard, say 'Colours' by Donovan, and play it. Don't worry about mistakes. In time you'll play like a singer sings. 

Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair
In the morning when we rise,
In the morning when we rise,
That's the time, that's the time I love the best.

Well, that's it from me.

Have a good Saturday.

Ciao tutti.

God Almighty!

 The things people choose, or need, to believe in.

It's not hard to understand how early humans, or whatever they were called, looked at the sun and thought that it must be some sort of a 'god' figure. Life probably becomes a bit easier when you find a plausible explanation. Civilisations all over the world came up with explanations that worked for them. 

This hat only belongs to one line of belief.

This outfit only goes with one form of belief too.

So, how many 'gods' can we have?

Most people seem to think that there is only one correct form of worship. Obviously, not everyone has chosen the right 'god'.

The Catholics go with a thing called the Holy Trinity - three entities making up one god.

Two sort of human form creatures and a bird.

A bird? Yes, I know, that's a tricky one to get your analytical mind around. 

A question I would ask too is do these three entities in one god need to go to the toilet?

Hey, can you imagine God the Father taking a shit?

He certainly got around the need for a cock when he impregnated Mary.

I'll continue this line of thought at a later date.

Not much practice getting done at the moment. I'll try to do a tiny bit this afternoon, before picking up Prowsey Senior. The old health is slowing me down at the moment.

Well, I'm off now.

Chi va piano va sano e va lontano, e arriva in ritardo.

Ciao.

Day 6.

 Okay, if you've been reading this blog for the last five days, I don't need to explain what today's title means.

So, I guess I'll just get on with things as usual.

Oh, and no surprise that Robert's blog has shut down again. I guess I'd better write a biblical message for him.

Graham 1:23 A man walked among the people at a market. He had the look of a holy man. Maybe he just needed to buy some new clothes at the market? He approached a store where male clothing was sold. The man running the store asked his name. At that same moment in time the man hit his big toe on a rock that was partially hidden and hard to see. He said, "Jesus Christ!" The store owner replied, "No you're not. He was in earlier."

Years earlier.

God the Father: Okay, son, I'm going to send you down to Earth on a mission.

God the Son: Is that the place that we originally called Jasper? 

God the Father: Yes, the humans I made needed a simpler name that they could remember, but don't worry about that now. It should be a nice little trip with no big dramas. [G the F giggled to himself] I'm sort of trying to get rid of Original Sin in a slightly different way. We'll have to get you looking like a human.

God the Son: Can I wear makeup? I like makeup.

God the Father: [under his breath] Jesus Christ! [speaking normally] Hey, that's not a bad name for you to use. Jesus Christ! It sort of has a ring to it. Let's go with that. Look, don't overdo the makeup. Just a little bit. We want you to blend in. We don't really want to push the idea that they can bonk anybody. Come to think of it, I'll have to make some marriage rules too. I'll invent the word fornication. That has quite a ring to it!

No practice yet today. Today my intention is to get a contractor to cut our lawns. I guess I've reached that stage in life. I'm also going to resign from the job of playing the bugle on Anzac Day. My job today is to try and work out who runs the day now. I'll start by making enquiries at the library. I've heard that there is a group that is in charge. Remember how one of them wanted to interview me until she found out that I probably wasn't related to Richard Prouse. (Richard Prouse Park, Wainuiomata) I guess she could play the bugle this year. It's not that hard.

Then it'll be just about time to pick up Prowsey Senior from daycare. 

That's it for today.

Ciao tutti.

5/5

 There's an old man who often sits and plays his harmonica in Cuba Mall.

Hey, every little bit of music can help.

Lately, another man has shown up quite a bit wearing a very unusual hat. He doesn't seem to be a local.

Maybe he's from Alaska? No, those who have heard him say that he speaks with a Kiwi accent. When the old fella is playing his harmonica, he starts singing what he calls blues scales very loudly. It spoils the gentle sound of the harmonica. People on the spot are obviously not enjoying his interruptions and would like him to shut up. 

I think I'll need a comment apologising for that.

Also, PLEASE DO NOT wear that hat in Thorndon. Please.

* * *

Okay, this post is named 5/5 and will be the last time you will hear Peter speaking kindly to me. Next post it's back to reality.

I guess I'd better enjoy my last 'treat'.

This is Peter in 1970.

He seems to have had some dress sense then. Now it's shorts and a t-shirt. 

He may think he looks like this.

When actually he looks like this.

Hey, I just had a thought!

All this 'teasing' of Peter is going to come back to haunt me on my next blog post.

Please ignore all the stuff up above!

I'll start again here.

I did 25 minutes of violin practice yesterday, which wasn't bad because I'm still not well. I really am sick of being sick. At least the bells seem to be improving.

So, it's Wellington Anniversary Day today.  Really no difference for me, but good for the hard workers who get a day off. I guess that Shelley and I will drive over to the Hutt. That's what we do most days. We'll visit a supermarket. Exciting!

That's it.

Ciao.

4/5

The PB's recording session went well yesterday. Rob took over the 1st. violin part, because I wasn't feeling well, and did a very good job. I played the much easier 2nd.violin part.

I think this photo is from nine years ago.

Peter and I had a big argument on the phone yesterday. He tried to tell me that the C blues scale contained the notes C Cb Eb F Bb B. He said that's what they use on the bagpipes. We finished up yelling at each other and I feel that I need an apology. The C blues scale is C Eb F F# G Bb.

He also said that there's an eighth mode called the Sheesh Mode and it is frequently used on the bagpipes.

I'm looking forward to a comment from Peter on these two topics. REMEMBER that this is the second to last post where he has to be nice to me. He promised that.

I did 5 minutes of violin practice yesterday. 5 minutes down from the 3 hours I was doing not long ago. I guess that's what happens when you're sick. 

Ah well, I'm off to have a shower.

Enjoy your long weekend.

Ciao.

3/5

 Peter has a big day today. His bulky furniture is arriving. The big stuff. In a big truck. His neighbours in the other town houses aren't going to enjoy this.  Well, a person has to be able to move into their new house. That's not rocket science.

Though rocket science made this possible.

You've no doubt noticed the title of this post. I helped Peter move some boxes and he offered, in return, to be nice to me on five of my posts. We're up to number 3, two more to go.

Robert has buggered off again. No big surprise there. The PBs are doing a 'practice' recording this afternoon, so I'll see him there. The tune we're playing isn't hard to play but you've got to have your eyes and ears open. I'm sure that, the last time we played it, I was a bit out of tune at times. You can't have that on a recording, so I'd better do a good warm up this morning (well, in what is left of it).

I had a bad night. I'm getting yet another reaction to the medication I'm on. My nose is swollen and I have big bags under my eyes. I look ten years older. Hopefully the antibiotics my local doctor (his nurse actually) gave me will help. I did a HUGE vomit yesterday evening, which is not something I usually do. I largely missed the toilet and it took a lot of cleaning up. So I didn't get out of bed until closer to ten. Not much time left until I have to go to the recording session.

I'd better leave you there.

Ciao tutti.

Hey, this is a pretty non offensive post for Peter to deal with. I'll try to make the next one more 'interesting'. By 'interesting' I mean that I'll give him a few challenges.

2/5

Peter (aka The Curmudgeon) has promised that he will be very kind about everything I write, for the next four posts, because I helped him move some boxes.

Okay, here goes.

Something weird happened at St. Patrick's College in 1966. Two classes, and their results in the entry test, got confused. In reality, 3P should have been 3G and 3G should have been 3P. Consequently, the brightest boys in that year level were made to study Bookkeeping and French. The dumb kids in the other class got to study Latin and Becoming a Priest. 

Very unfair, as I'm sure Peter will agree.

The real 3G in 1966.

Fortunately, Peter wasn't accepted into the priesthood, though he did try hard to get there. He spent most of his time at school distributing communion hosts.

It's great to see Peter showing such an interest in my violin practice. I thought I'd take this chance to pass on some music theory knowledge to him. Okay we have the major scale. It can start on any of the twelve notes used in Western Music - obviously they all sound the same, at different pitches.

Let's look at the C major scale.

It contains these notes - C D E F G A B C.

It is also called the Ionian Mode.

You can play the C major scale starting on any of the other six notes in the scale (D E F G A B). These give you different modes (really like scales, just from an older system).

Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.

These modes cover minor scales (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian) and the dominant 7th scale (Mixolydian) as well as other scales.

Really, apart from these scales, there are only three others that matter - Chromatic, Augmented and Diminished.

The harmonic and melodic minors come from small adjustments to the Aeolian Mode.

I hope you enjoyed that, Peter.

Okay, I'm off to do some violin practice soon. The new strings are on and are settling in.

I'm looking forward to Peter's very positive comments.

Ciao.

Rainy Thursday.

 Yes, it's very wet in the Nui.

You might have noticed a bit of a change I made to yesterday's blog post.

I'd started telling a story about a moth that I was intending to develop. 

Then, much earlier this morning, that Catholic blogger with the long silly name left a very long comment that took over my story. I guess he thought he was being clever, or something. Anyway, I deleted his comment and the story.

Beh, non me ne frega una sega.

However, it feels like a boundary has been crossed when you have the cheek to take over someone else's story. He has done it before. 

Moving on...

It was good spending time with Peter yesterday. We got quite a few boxes moved into his new house. It's in a nice area, but the parking could be a problem for a visitor. Anyway, it seems to have a nice big space - AND three toilets!

I'm sure he'll be happy there.

I also spent time with H & H, my grandsons. I pick up Harrison three days a week, from childcare, at present. He is very fond of his Grandma, which is very nice. He had a bit of a wrestle with his Grandad yesterday. Grandad came out in second place before mum came and saved him.

It's still raining heavily. 

I think I might change my violin strings this morning. I have a new set of Pirastro Violino sitting in my drawer. 

They're not my favourite strings, but they are very good strings. It'll take me about half an hour to change strings. Then I'll need to get them settled down for the big recording session on Saturday (no TikTok involved). It takes at least (if not longer) two days of plentiful playing to get violin strings settled down. Ah well, that'll keep me busy today and I won't have time to finish off other people's stories. Ha, ha.

That's it.

Ciao tutti, ma non i cattolici.