Author: Fee Writes

Fee Writes

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My Hobby, Comedy Improv

Perhaps you don’t know this about me, but my favourite hobby is comedy Improv.

And if you’re not exactly sure what that is, think “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, the classic T.V. series that you can still find on YouTube. This comedy improv programme was started in England with comedians like John Sessions, Stephen Fry, Josie Lawrence and Paul Merton. Later on, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie joined the team, and they went on to the American version, which is the one most people remember.

Enough of the history. Improv is alive and well, even here in Papamoa! So for those of you who don’t know, I’m part of the Honest Liars troupe who meet every Monday for wonderfully constructed chaos of wit and laughter. Once a month (first Sunday, to be exact), we do a show at the Jam Factory, Historic Village in Tauranga.

Beginning last Wednesday and going through to Sunday, there was a Comedy Improv Festival held in Auckland, which, naturally, we trundled up to the big smoke to be part of.

Workshops and shows were the order of the day. To say that I got saturated with information, learnings and tools would certainly not be an exaggeration. But we also got to perform an hour-long show which was the scariest part for me.

Not only did I have five family members in the audience (thanks for the support), but we were also playing on an unfamiliar stage, and to our peers, many of whom have years of experience.

But NO PRESSURE.

This is why I love improv. I never have to learn lines and so have to remember them, all I need to do is be present in telling a story, and surprisingly enough, the ‘funny’ just seems to happen.

The whole festival was held at the Covert Theatre in Ponsonby. A brilliant suburb with quirky eateries (and people), fun shops and lovely old homes. There wasn’t a lot of time between workshops to simply ‘hang out’, but I did manage to stroll the streets and take in the vibe.

My hobby is alive and well. I learned, I laughed, and I lived in the moment, absorbing the beautiful energy that surrounded me from both my improv friends and the new improvers I met.

Life is grand.

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Fee Writes

When is Something Eco-friendly?

I often hear funny stories, and this one about eco-friendly packaging is undoubtedly one of them.

Have you ever been in a situation when you think, does this person really get the gist of what it means to be eco-friendly? (Or anything else that you may be discussing).

Recently a friend of mine who owns a promotional product company told me how bizarre the whole eco-friendly is. They have a beautiful pen they sell. This pen is made with eco-friendly material like bamboo and recycled cardboard. How cool is that? But wait, unless my friend tells the manufacturer specifically not to, each pen is wrapped in plastic. Huh? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of the ‘eco-friendly’?

So let’s see – plastic … eco-friendly?

Plastic is a by-product of the oil industry, and there is no way that it is eco-friendly no matter what the industry tells you. The only “friendly” thing would be if the packaging were made from recycled plastic, but it would eventually find its way into the landfill, so what’s the point.

We see it all the time, especially in supermarkets. Who hasn’t seen the cucumber tightly wrapped in plastic film? Or the capsicum in packs of two or three? Then there are the halves of vegetables such as cauliflower or, and this is my pet peeve, half a pumpkin. The problem with the pumpkin is taking the plastic off. It’s sucked on so tight; one has to be very vigilant in getting all the bits because, through my experience, it doesn’t come off in one go.

Obviously, I am fully aware of the ‘why’… doesn’t mean I like it. Wherever possible, I choose fruit and veg that are loose, and the leftover pumpkin gets cooked, mashed and frozen so I can use it for sauces or soups.

Sadly plastic is very much a part of our world; however, some amazing alternatives are being invented, which gives me hope that maybe one day we will be plastic-free.

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Fee Writes

Random

The Fortune Teller

Have you ever been to a tarot card reader or any one of the many psychic modalities?

What is the allure of fortune-tellers? And why do we need to look into the future?

As far as I’m concerned, the jury is still out as to whether they really can predict what is going to happen in my world.

Over the years, I have been to many different psychics, from card readers, astrologers and numerologists to clairvoyants and palm readers. All have been able to tell me my traits, personality etc. and be pretty on par with that.

But for telling the future… pretty darn abysmal.

Yes, I know, free will means that I can block anything they’ve told me from happening. But, hey, if it’s good, then why would I??? Wouldn’t I be more likely to be looking forward to the predicted outcome?

There have only been two occasions when what the psychic told me has come to fruition. And of those two, only one was very much outside the square and not something I was expecting at all. Which brings me to wonder … was it a lucky guess? Or was she an excellent clairvoyant?

As for all the other things that should have happened, well, I’m still waiting. There’s a man from Portugal with the large yacht yet to sail into my life – geez, it’s been over 20 years! And what about all the public talks around the world I was to give??? Mind you; perhaps the cards couldn’t foresee the virus putting a dampener on any travelling.

The funny part is when I see a card reader, I’m still tempted to sit down opposite just out of curiosity. It’s a bit like being tempted to take a lotto ticket. But I don’t spend on the lottery because of the enormous odds, so I probably won’t be looking into the crystal ball either for the same reason.

P.S. And just so you know – the two clairvoyants that seemed to get it right… I jolly well can’t remember who they were – now, isn’t that just a rotten plot twist!!!!!

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Fee Writes

Environment | WTF

The Power of Words.

Spin doctors – copywriters – marketing hype etc., all rely on the power of words to tell you a story.

The latest comes from the oil industry who have finally come on board with the whole climate thing. In other words, no longer saying it’s a hoax.
But now, especially in the U.S., since the new government is back into the whole ‘save the environment’ mode, big oil is getting the message out that ‘natural gas is now ‘low carbon gas’.

Come again?

Yes, you read that right. The ‘low carbon’ talk is being ramped up and being spun in all sorts of directions. ‘Low carbon solutions’ or how about ‘low carbon technologies’? These are the words that are currently being used.

Now methane (short-lived but 86 times more potent than carbon) is a massive problem. It comes from many different sources, including leaking out of pipelines or being burned off at refineries. By the way, methane emissions are increasing more rapidly than scientists thought, and in the past 20 years, it’s risen by 150%, whereas carbon’s gone up 50%.

So our friends at big oil want us to keep our eye on carbon and are getting us to believe that natural gas is the ‘good guy’ because it is ‘low carbon’. Don’t fret your beautiful head about methane – it’s short-lived, so not the worry.

It’s all bullshit. No matter what the industry or governments, for that matter, tell us. Coal, gas, oil, animal agriculture, rotting food all play an enormous part in the mess we find ourselves in as they all emit methane. And my money is on methane being the elephant in the room.

So ‘low carbon’ is just another play on words that is being spun to the plebs to get them to believe they are doing something that will help reduce emissions.

And on we will go – forever forward and upward with our emissions.

Research ref: Research.noaa.gov

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Fee Writes

Memories

The Little Triggers

Every so often, things happen in life that become little triggers for memories.

The older I get, the more those little triggers fire up a memory. The trouble is, often, the memory is not in full coloured detail. More likely, it’s a fleeting “oh, yeah, I remember…. Um… how did that go again?” type of picture. Other times a little trigger can transport me back to a place, and I experience a full re-enactment of a long-ago time.

Of the five senses we possess, it appears that smell is the most dramatic.

A smell can trigger all sorts of recollections and recapture moments in vivid detail.

To give you an example.

There is a particular supermarket here in Tauranga. It’s not one that I regularly frequent as it is some distance away. But on the odd occasion that I do, as soon as I walk in, I am immediately transported to a specific supermarket in Arcata, California. I would go there with my daughter whenever I visited her. Sometimes even going on my own driving her American ‘truck’ with its column change and steering wheel on the wrong side – my adventure!

But why does this one N.Z. supermarket remind me of the one in Arcata and not other markets? It’s definitely the smell that is exactly the same the moment I step inside. I believe it could be how both of them are laid out. The N.Z. one has a café with the coffee smell to the right, the produce to the left, and that includes the bakery. The Arcata one is laid out slightly differently, but the combination of the smell of the coffee, the bakery and the produce is the same and this is the trigger.

So on the odd time when I am missing my daughter, especially during this last year when neither one of us can visit, I go over to the city and saunter into this supermarket. I close my eyes, and I’m right there with her.

And just so you know it’s not only me. Her father has the exact same reaction.

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Author: Fee Writes

My Hobby, Comedy Improv

Perhaps you don’t know this about me, but my favourite hobby is comedy Improv.

When is Something Eco-friendly?

I often hear funny stories, and this one about eco-friendly packaging is undoubtedly one of them.

The Fortune Teller

Have you ever been to a tarot card reader or any one of the many psychic modalities?

The Power of Words.

Spin doctors – copywriters – marketing hype etc., all rely on the power of words to tell you a story.

The Little Triggers

Every so often, things happen in life that become little triggers for memories.

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