Introducing Caffeinated Weka

It's a new year. New challenges. New excitement. New adventures ... and maybe time for a change. Today, Café Chick becomes Caffeinated Weka.

It's a name I've been mulling over for a few months now, trying it on for size and thinking about whether or not I'd make the move. I wondered on Café Chick's 6th birthday whether it was time to grow up a bit; it's harder to kid myself and others that I still lead the life that someone with the name of Café Chick would. Then, today, it was all on; suddenly I was looking for new blog templates, Twitter headers and themes, lining up some of my favourite things for a mugshot and the transformation was happening! *gulp*

Don't get me wrong: I have thoroughly enjoyed being Café Chick and I'm still her underneath. I won't be changing this blog's URL (too complicated!) and will probably keep the Twitter account name, even though I have a new handle and look now. I don't want to 'lose' anyone I've met and got to know online - and it's still just me here, after all. But I expect there will be a transition time as I gradually update all my online accounts.

So why Caffeinated Weka? The caffeinated part is (probably) obvious. I like good coffee and it's always been part of my family's way of life. Coffee is my one little indulgence that I look forward to and enjoy on most days. In times gone past, good coffee has got me through years of working ridiculous hours, late night study sessions, juggling several jobs, as well as endless good times and heartaches with family and friends (theirs and mine).

The weka part may not be so apparent. This bird is native to a part of the world where my father's family comes from. They are cheeky, inquisitive and don't stop in their quest to acquire the finer things in life. My first weka encounter came as a seven-year-old. I was fascinated to watch one sneak inside my grandparents' house and steal half a bar of Sunlight soap. Many years later, we now have photos of a weka wandering into my cousin's house while my sister-in-law was getting ready to marry my brother. We were a bit late to the wedding as she and my nephew were captivated by this cheeky bird ducking out from underneath the trampoline to pop in and out of the house, just like she lived there herself!

Doing a quick search to see if there are any other "Caffeinated Weka" out in the big wide online world, I discovered that someone had taken a photo of a weka eyeing up a cup of coffee - and that's when I knew that this is who I'd become ... except I needed a new picture of things that this caffeinated weka loves to indulge in.

Some of this Caffeinated Weka's indulgences

So, this transformation is a work in progress; the look will no doubt evolve in the next wee while. I look forward to sharing my adventures as a Caffeinated Weka in Wellington.

6th birthday bash

You say it's your birthday

It's my birthday, too, yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

It's time for a virtual party because Café Chick is 6 years old today! It seems like a veeeerrryyy long time since this first hesitant post six years ago, but at the same time it almost feels like just the other day. How does time play tricks like that? Join me in a song.



Six years of blogging about everything and nothing has been tremendous fun. There have been busy times and quiet times, ups and downs, excitement and everyday goings on. Undoubtedly the biggest bonus for me has been what I've learned from the online community over the years: recipes to try, music to listen to, books to read, movies and tv programmes to watch, places and events to go to ... and a million and one practical tips about almost every topic imaginable, as well as those I would never have otherwise dreamed about. Gosh, what a ride!

Thinking about things, I wonder how old I can become and still credibly tote a name like Café Chick; she is definitely a lot younger and far more fun than I am in real life. I have been ruminating on a new name for a while now but am not sure about making the transition to a new persona, or whether it's even worth bothering. The spelling could be a little confusing. I'd need new themes and art work and it would take a while to update all my social media accounts, but a change of name may better see me through more years online - or not. Time will tell.

Of course, it wouldn't be a blog birthday without an obligatory screen shot of my pretty red Clustr map. This is two years worth of dots, as it didn't reset last year. The map represents more than 46,000 coffee breaks from all around the world - 192 countries, in fact. Wow! Blogging activity feels quieter during the last couple of years but I realise that my online community has merely shifted into other spaces and Twitter is where most of my interaction and relationship building takes place now. I'm fine with that. :-)

Thanks for dropping by!

So join me with coffee and a cheese scone (it is Cheese Scone Friday, after all) and help me celebrate six years in the blogosphere. Thank you to each and every one of you for visiting, commenting, posting links, chatting and coming along for the ride. Cin cin!

Happy 5th birthday to Café Chick

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday dear Café Chick

Happy birthday to me

Five years old today! On 29 November 2007, Café Chick joined cyberspace and hesitantly started blogging with a few self-indulgent posts. Things grew gradually and before I knew it, blogging regularly became something I really enjoyed, especially as I got to 'virtually' know others in the blogosphere. Twitter followed a year or so later and then things really took off ... and here we are, five years on. Woo hoo!

No birthday would be complete without birthday cake, and a chocolate cake makes it even better. As you will have worked out, I love baking and have really stepped up with my baking and decorating this year. I still love coffee, reading, music and taking time out to enjoy the little things in life. Sure, I had to apologise to my poor, neglected blog a while back and promise that all is not forgotten. To steal a thought from John Lennon, "Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans." I try to live by the philosophy that life is for living and life is good. Thank you to everyone who regularly reminds me of this when I get sidetracked, either virtually or in real life. :-)

My trusty Clustr map has once again let me know where people have been visiting from during the year - more than 33,000 from 188 countries! Numbers dropped off quite a bit after Blogger changed my domain to a .co.nz suffix, but that just means there is more coffee and cake to go around so everyone is welcome to have a second or third helping. I am still thrilled to see little red and yellow dots build up every day and absolutely looooooove it when people leave comments, either here or on Twitter.

So what's in store for the next year? Probably more of the same, or maybe something different ... that's what I love about blogging (and tweeting). I never know where it will take me but enjoy going along for the ride. Thank you all so much for joining me. Please help yourself to more cake.

Dear blog

Dear poor, neglected blog

Where shall I start? You’ll be thinking that I don't love you anymore. That's not true at all! You’ll be wondering if I still read (lots), listen to music (all the time) or go places (often!). You'll be doubting whether I bake any more. Rest assured, I bake at every opportunity but don't always get the chance to share my recipes with you as often as I used to. Heck, you're probably questioning whether I can still form sentences longer than 140 characters! No, you have most definitely not been replaced by Twitter.

Please don't feel like this.

Life has been very busy lately and there are heaps of great things happening for me right now. There has been lots of time with friends and family and we've been doing some really exciting stuff, with plenty more coming up. I know I usually tell you all about some of the places I've been and things I get up to so you can share it with the blogosphere. It's a job you do so well and I don’t mean to stop you from doing this. After all, it's almost 5 years since you first said hi and soon it will be time for another blog birthday. I might bake you some birthday cupcakes, just to prove to you that I still know how!

I know you can see all the draft posts I have hidden just beneath the surface. You'll notice that some need a bit of tidying up and finishing while others are just a random collection of notes and links that I plan to develop further ... at some stage. There are also lots of notes in my phone, which you can't see, but be assured that the ideas are there even if I don’t always manage to show them to you.

So, my dear faithful blog friend, I have no plans to abandon you or take a break. I think about you often and thank you for standing by while I seem to be on hiatus, but let me assure you that there are plenty more tales to come.

Please continue welcoming coffee buddies to our little piece of the blogosphere. I'll pop by as much as I can!

Yours always

Café Chick

Recipe for living

I adore Peta Mathias, not necessarily for her cooking or her ostentatious sense of style, but for her unshaking ability to be one person: herself. I recently read about Peta's recipe for living. I thought it was a brilliant idea and the recipe format appeals to the baker in me. I especially love how simple Peta's recipe is; there are three basic steps: wear red, beat egg whites until stiff and never, ever strangle your mother. Delightful!

Last month, I came across this link to the top five regrets of the dying. I currently stand at 0/5 on this list. I am reminded of the Sunscreen song; I don't do too well on that list, either. That needs to change.

The holidays have really got me thinking. Last year, I finally learned why it's important to put your own oxygen mask on before helping someone else fit theirs; chances are, they're up and running again while you're still gasping for breath. It's unlikely they've even noticed you at all.

So, the new year is a time for some exciting changes. I've decided to create my own recipe for living and focus on perfecting it in 2012. I'm still experimenting with measurements and the order of each step but think at this stage that it's more important to get the ingredients right. What do you think?

Caffeinated Weka's recipe for living

• Begin by cleansing the palette, peeling away all toxic elements and people. Discard these quickly and definitively; this may be difficult to do, as they tend to find their way back into your ingredients list without you even realising. It is important to review this step at least annually as the elements may have changed during the year and this will alter the flavour of your life.
• Bake at every opportunity and not just on special occasions. Share your baking only with those who deserve and appreciate it and indulge in the rest.
• Drink one cup of good quality coffee every day. Savour and enjoy it.
• Add generous doses of smiles, cuddles and kisses from loved ones, nephews and nieces - the more, the better.
• Ensure you ingest liberal amounts of natural light and daily doses of Vitamin D - directly from the source is most beneficial.
• Sprinkle everyday life with massages - both giving and receiving. Do not make excuses justifying either.
• Play with kittens, nephews and nieces daily. It is important to carry out this step (repeatedly, if possible) before attempting such activities as cleaning the house and folding washing.
• Listen to the music you love, even if it is just privately. Use noise cancelling headphones if necessary. Do this for at least a couple of hours each day.
• Go to concerts and shows of artists you enjoy whenever the opportunity arises - even on a school night. This is often more enjoyable when shared with someone else but can also be carried out alone; the most important thing is to do it and not let opportunities pass by.
• Dance every week, even if it's just on the inside.
• Read for pleasure at least once a week, even if it is just for fifteen minutes at a time. Doing this regularly enough will ensure you don't need to recap the plot of your novel every time you pick it up.
• Stew at work for the exact number of hours stated in your employment agreement. Check the details carefully as conditions may vary and overcooking (or following someone else's recipe) will lead to a spoiled life.
• Remove from heat at regular intervals as follows: at least one day every weekend, one full work day every month or two, and a couple of weeks every year.  

What's in your recipe for living?

Cafe Chick's 4th birthday

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Don't they all? Things started quietly on 29 November 2007, grew a bit, built up a lot ... and now it's Cafe Chick's 4th birthday! Along the way, I've joined Twitter, participated in the 101 in 1001 project, had a go at Project 365 and most recently launched Café Chick's Jukebox, sharing tiny snippets from the soundtrack of my life. Whew!

Enjoy a slice of Café Chick's 4th birthday cake

So, what's up with Café Chick four years on? Well, I still love Wellington. I still love cafés. I still love coffee. (It goes without saying that I will always love chocolate.) Sunshine makes me happy, as does my sweetie and the occasional good book. I bake every chance I get and still am thrilled with my little corner of the blogosphere. Tiny red dots and comments (or tweets) from blog visitors always make my day, even four years after this blog began. :-)

As with every blogging birthday, my Clustr map will archive in a few days and my world map will be devoid of pretty little red (and yellow) dots until my coffee buddies start visiting again. I somehow managed to avoid my map being archived last year, so it is looking beautifully red today. 81,000+ visits during the past two years - gosh, that's a lot of coffee and cake!

I've been a bit quiet lately but am still here and plan to celebrate at least another birthday or two. Thank you to each and every one of you who has dropped by for a cup of coffee, a recipe or a song. It really has been a blast!

Pinterest

Goodness knows I don't need another online time waster. I chew away at enough spare time maintaining three Twitter accounts, 2.5 blogs, Facebook, Google+ (ok, not completely into this one), delicious and Diigo online bookmarking, various online forums and numerous other web 2.0 goodies. That's in addition to far too many emails from 1 day deal sites and entering competitions from anywhere that entices the competition junkie in me. Oh, and I teach online, too.

So why, oh why, am I intrigued by Pinterest when apps like my Flickr account bit the dust barely after I got them off the ground? Is it because I can collect up pretty things to look at when I need a boost? Or because it's going to fulfill a fundamental need in my life? (I don't expect it will.) I suspect that, like other personalised web 2.0 tools, it's because it's all about me - and why wouldn't I want to see all of my favourite things all in one place? (Actually, Facebook and Google+ pretty much do the same ... oh, and Flickr, or maybe even my blog? Hmmm.)

If you want to follow my Pinterest boards, or think I should check out yours for inspiration, come on over or grab a cup of coffee and leave me a note pointing me in the right direction. I'm still getting the hang of things but am sure that I'll quickly become addicted. I suspect my Pinterest boards will grow and evolve exponentially in the next few weeks before I eventually cull everything and go back to basics, just like I did with Facebook.

As I get going, does anyone have any words from the wise re Pinterest?

Stylish blogger award

The awesome Sandra at Kiwi Cakes has nominated me for the Stylish blogger award. Aw, shucks!

Naturally, the glory of being a nominated stylish blogger comes with a set of responsibilities. I started writing this post a couple of days ago and have finally managed to finish the 'tasks' involved - well, there are still a few bloggers to notify. Here's what I had to do:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Thank you

Thank you Sandra from Kiwi Cakes - I really appreciate the award. Here's a link to the Kiwi Cakes blog. :-D

Seven things about me

These are scattered all around my blog (I did something similar a couple of years ago, so I'll see if I can think of some different things).

1. Baking is my preferred mode of procrastination. If I have a deadline looming, you can guarantee there will be yummy things in the house. I also love having baking binges, where I will attempt to bake several new recipes within an unrealistic time frame and get frustrated when they don't all magically work out perfectly.
2. Last year, I indulged my addiction of all things ukulele. It continues in 2011.
3. I have an ever-growing TBR list of books I want to read. For every title I finish, I have no doubt added another three to the list. I find it hard to walk into libraries and not leave with an unrealistic stash of books under my arm. Thankfully, I'm not a 'book buyer' so I'm safe to let loose in bookshops.
4. My ongoing affair with cupcakes continues. I have baked lemon cupcakes to decorate for my nephew's birthday party tomorrow night. I love planning what to bake next and how to decorate my creations.
5. I am not a cat person but our little fur baby is adorable beyond belief! In less than three short weeks she has got her human mummy and daddy firmly wrapped around her elegant white-gloved paws.
6. I love winning stuff - I am a true competition junkie. I'll enter anything (with free entry) and am pretty good at picking up prizes. In the last few weeks, I have won a book, kahlua-filled chocolates, movie tickets and a night at the zoo.
7. I hate shopping, especially for clothes, shoes and stuff I really need. I have a mortal fear of gift vouchers. However, I'm surprisingly good at buying baking supplies. A couple of weeks ago, I went out to get shoes and came home with a cupcake stand and a fruit bowl. Go figure.

Awarding 15 recently discovered bloggers

I have gone through my RSS feeds and, although I've been following some of these blogs for a long time, I thought they each merited an award.

1. The Well Read Kitty. If you're a book fan, this blog is for you. I have furnished much of my TBR list with recommendations by Kelly.
2. Cupcakes Take The Cake. Endless ideas and inspiration for decorating cupcakes - an opportunity to dream (and drool) several times a day.
3. The Culinary Explorations of Mrs Cake. Don't read this blog on an empty stomach - you'll be hungry before you finish the first post. Mrs Cake shares recipes, restaurant reviews, cooking tips and a multitude of culinary treats. I have learned so much from her!
4. Reaching For Pink. Donna is on a life journey and is bringing us all along for the ride. Blatantly honest, warm and thoughtful, Donna is someone I really admire.
5. A Little On The Side. Kelle's photography constantly wows me. Her progress on her 101 in 1001 list also keeps me in check with my own 101 project, due to wrap up in a few weeks.
6. Gusty Gourmey - Wellington Food Life. Millie hunts out and reports back on some of the best food haunts in Wellington - lots of great tips if you're a local.
7. Reasons To Smile. Alli has also recently started a 101 in 1001 project. I like the title of her blog; sometimes we need reminding that we have more reasons to smile than we realise!
8. Apparently Jessy. Jessy is a really funky chick with an eye for all things creative and chic. She also shares some pretty yummy recipes.
9. Wellington Road. Reflections of an expat transplanted to just north of Wellington. Painfully honest at times, frequently tongue in cheek and always with a dry wit that only Juli can manage to pull off.
10. 40s - Reasons to Live, Love and Laugh Out Loud. I love reading this blog. La Tonya tells stories about her life and family that will have you in stitches with laughing out loud.
11. Kiwi Cakes. I have learned so much about baking and cake decorating from this blog and made a big list of all the goodies I'd like to buy.
12. PostSecret. I don't know how I'm going to let the author of this blog know that he's won a Stylish blogger award, or that he'll even be interested, but I really look forward to the postcard secrets revealed each Sunday.
13. Seeds of the Heart. Life with two young children has to be challenging at the best of the times, let alone when you're a creative superwoman like Sab. I enjoy reading about what she gets up to and confess to having stolen a few of her craft ideas to try myself.
14. 1001 Book Reviews. Not that I need any excuses to read more books ... I am following this  collaborative book review blog with interest. I have only read a few books on the list but am also looking forward to reading reviews for those books and seeing if we share the same views.
15. Wellington Daily Photo. Scenes from in and around Wellington - great for locals and expats alike.
    

The eight irresistible princples of fun

Such a tempting title! A friend posted this link on her Facebook wall. I rarely follow links or watch videos posted on Facebook or Twitter unless they are accompanied by a compelling argument. Today, I'm glad I clicked this on link 'just because'.

We all know how to have fun and know who we are as individuals, right, just like we know what we want for ourselves? Wrong! I thought I was getting a pretty good handle on this during the past few years but now am having second (and third and fourth) thoughts.

Four years ago, I decided that my life needed some drastic changes. Making a career out of being a perfectionist and a workaholic only left two things: more work and no satisfaction. So I left a supposedly 'good' (ie stable but dead end) job in a career that was all I'd ever wanted to do and took a leap. It took quite some time but I let go of sooooo many self-imposed restrictions, as well as those imposed by others who had no right to impose them, and started doing things (or not doing things) just because I wanted to. I was the most 'selfish' I had ever been and life changed dramatically. I was genuinely happy for the first time in years!

A few months later, Café Chick was born. She had a lot of fun and allowed me to do many things that I had previously denied myself permission for. I tried new things, went out more, made lots of new friends and my lovely sweetie came along. I started my own 101 in 1001 project. Things were going great!

But Café Chick is only a part of me, not the whole me. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the 'old' me and her stress-making, workaholic ways to creep back up and start strangling the me I was getting to know. I managed to keep things in check for a while and get back on track. However, I'm not sure I know who I really am now, let alone what I want. Don't get me wrong: I've got a pretty good idea of who Café Chick is as well as who my work persona is. I know how a lot of people around me see me. I can usually work out how they want me to be and act accordingly. I just don't know who I am.

The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun is fantastic and just what I need at this moment in my life. I'm sure I am not alone in this. I need to have a declutter, both physically and mentally, work out who I am then be that person instead of feeling ashamed of her. I have an elaborate history of being walked over and subsequently passed over personally, professionally and in many of my relationships. I need to work out how to stop this and not feel bad about it. Maybe this is what 2011 really has in store for me? I certainly hope so - how very exciting that would be!

Welcome to 2011

Happy new year! Buon anno a tutti! Welcome, 2011.

Here we are at the start of another year. So many options, so many possibilities. True, today is just another day like any other, but there is something so incredibly exciting about moving into a new year and everything it promises. I can tell it's going to be a good one!

We saw in the new year in quiet style, staying at the Bolton Hotel in Wellington overnight. We had been given a voucher from my sweetie's family and decided to put it and a bottle of Moët et Chandon to good use. Success!

Like any other year, 2010 had its ups and downs but overall was a great year for me. 2011 is going to be even better! Like every other year, there will be no new year's resolutions for me; I can choose to do something or change my life any day of the year, thank you.

My 101 in 1001 project is due to wrap up in a few months. I know I won't finish every activity on my lits before then but they are all things I still want to do so I'll see where things are at on 29 March and continue with my list until it is complete.

I need to start thinking about what I'm going to spend the money I have put aside after completing each activity on. Spending is not my forte. I had already decided when I first made up my list on 1 July 2008 that it would be spent entirely on something I want, and not necessarily need. I have a couple of ideas ... suggestions welcome. In fact, if I did make anything that resembled a new year's resolution, it would be to spend money on myself in 2011.

So, what does the new year hold for you? What are your hopes and plans? I hope 2011 is as wonderful for you as it is going to be for me.

Getting to know you meme

It's been a while since I've done one of these. I saw this meme doing the rounds on Facebook yesterday, had a few minutes free, so copied and pasted here.

Getting to know Café Chick:

1. What time did you get up this morning? The alarm went off at 6:40 am, the usual time for a work day.
2. How do you like your steak? Medium-rare. Don't bring it to me if it's overcooked!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Inception (2010). Loved it.
4. What is your favourite TV show? It was Outrageous Fortune but I'll have to find another one now that the Wests have packed up for good.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Probably still New Zealand.
6. What did you have for breakfast? Breakfast?
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian.
8. What foods do you dislike? Capsicums. Euw!
9. Favourite place to eat? I don't have one in particular, but I'm pretty fussy ... if it starts with 'food' and ends with 'court', you won't find me there (except to buy sushi).
10. Favourite dressing? Does chocolate sauce count as a dressing?
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? A silver one. (Ford Laser sedan.)
12. What are your favourite clothes? Pretty summer dresses. I don't wear them much these days.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Europe.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? I try to make it half full but some days are easier than others ...
15. Where would you want to retire? Somewhere by the sea.
16. Favourite time of day? It used to be after midnight but now I'd say mid-afternoon on a sunny day.
17. Where were you born? Wellington.
18. What is your favourite sport to watch? I don't really have one ...
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? Well, I haven't actually 'tagged' anyone to do this meme but somebody might pick it up and put it on their own blog.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? See above.
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Anyone. :-)
22. Bird watcher? Yep, I love them!
23. Do you consider yourself attractive? I used to ...
24. Pets? None of my own but my sweetie has a cat called Zed.
25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share? Umm, watch this space.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher. (And I was.)
27. What is your best childhood memory? Long summer evenings.
28. Are you a cat or dog person? Neither - I love birds.
29. Are you married? Nope.
30. Always wear your seat belt? Absolutely.
31. Been in a car accident? A couple of minor dings but nothing that would qualify as a crash.
32. Any pet peeves? Soooo many! For starters, see this post. Add to that: supermarket or retail staff who greet you by asking "are you ok?". Yes, I'm fine, thanks. However, you could help me ... oh, and don't call me "ma'am" - I'm not as old as you seem to think.
33. Favourite pizza topping? Cheese, tomato and basil.
34. Favourite flower? Giant daisy.
35. Favourite ice cream? Bon bon rocher gelato from Kaffee Eis.
36. Favourite fast food? Sushi.
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never.
38. From whom did you get your last email? Lotsa junk email and advertising at this time of the year.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Oh dear, I'm a dreadful shopper - this would be a nightmare for me!
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Walking in the rain.
41. Like your job? Technically, yes ...
42. What was your favourite vacation? One month backpacking around Italy back in 2002.
43. Who's your favourite actor/actress? Probably Morgan Freeman. (I don't feel particularly strongly about this one.)
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My sweetie.
45. What are you listening to right now? Just Walking In The Rain by Johnnie Ray - but in my head. How sad is that? (In my defence, I posted it on my blog earlier today.)
46. What is your favourite colour? Purple.
47. How many tattoos do you have? None.
48. Coffee drinker? Oh yes!
49. How many children do you have? None.
50. What was the last book you read? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I currently have three more books on the go.

Does anyone else want to have a go?

Third birthday

Whose third birthday? Mine! Well, Café Chick's. Three years ago today, I set up this blog and started the journey of Café Chick. She and I have had a lot of fun both blogging and on Twitter. At the start, I had no idea where  either of us would end up. I still don't know where we're going but am loving the ride.

My 101 in 1001 project is in its final few months and I'm trying to wrap up as many activities as practical before 29 March 2011. I have completed 19 activities in 2010 and made progress with several ongoing goals. I did a bit of a roundup of progress when I reached the one year to go mark back in March and am pleased to report that it's still ticking along nicely.

Look at the state of my Clustr map! That's over 21,000 visits during the past twelve months from 145 different countries. It's been lovely to have your company. Alas, as with each birthday/anniversary, the map will archive tomorrow and all my lovely red dots will disappear. Hopefully they will be repopulated in a different combination during the upcoming year - I'll need your help with that.

Café Chick's visitors

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone in the blogosphere for joining me on my journey. I'll be around for a long time to come so hope you'll continue to pop in regularly for good coffee and fresh baking.

Overheard in a café

Her: How are you?
Him: Oh, not feeling too good. Got a headcold.
Her: You had one last week, too.
Him: Yeah, it's the same one. Still trying to get rid of it.
Her: Have you taken anything for it?
Him: Nah, I'm too hard for that.

*Café Chick shakes head in disbelief at typical Kiwi male*

What funny things have you overheard lately?

End of year meme

I saw this on Jane Yee's blog today and considered replying to some of the questions then decided to go for gold and steal most of it for myself (in true Café Chick style). Feel free to do the same if you've got a few moments to yourself.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
   I experienced snow for the first time. A bad back meant that I'll have to leave skiing until maybe next year.
   
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
   Many years ago I stopped making new year's resolutions, so I guess I've stuck to that. I prefer to keep focusing on my 101 in 1001 project instead.
   
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
   Not this year, unless you count a couple of school friends currently living overseas.
   
4. Did anyone close to you die?
   Thankfully not this year. Some years I go to far too many funerals.
   
5. What countries did you visit?
   Just good old New Zealand.
   
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
   A secure job/career situation. It's been a year in limbo. I'm hatching a business plan for 2010 and am quite excited about it.
   
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
   None immediately spring to mind. That's not to say that it's been an uneventful year, though.
   
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
   Surviving thus far. Or perhaps completing the Wellington Marathon 10km walk with a stuffed back. (I didn't realise how bad it was at the time.) 
9. What was your biggest failure?
   I'm the sort of person who sees far too much of what I do as failure. I'm mostly disappointed in what happened (or didn't happen) with my career this year but am hoping for better things in 2010. Also, my back injury (see below) has restricted my ability to do quite a bit; it has been both painful and frustrating.
   
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
    Nearly six months of osteopathy for a damaged disc in my back hasn't been fun. :-(
11. What was the best thing you bought?
    I've really enjoy accumulating bits and pieces for my baking and cupcake decorating collection. How domesticated is that?
    
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
    Ummm ...
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
    A few family members; I won't go into details.
    
14. Where did most of your money go?
    Far less money came in than during usual years, so it's mostly been on the basics and occasional treats.
    
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    Going to Auckland to see Simon and Garfunkel in concert. (Well, mostly excited about seeing Paul Simon.) "Hello Darkness, my old friend ..."
    
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
    Oh dear, I've been a 'new music' isolate this year ...
    
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    a) Happier or sadder?
    About the same.
    b) Thinner or fatter?
    About the same.
    c) Richer or poorer?
    Poorer - thank goodness I'm a good saver.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
    Dancing. I really miss it.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
    Worrying about trying to make other people happy.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
    With 50+ whanau at the Chatham Islands, where all our parents were born and our grandparents lived and are buried. Also, my brother is getting married there on Boxing Day.
    
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
    Maybe. ;-)
22. What was your favourite TV programme?
    Outrageous Fortune. My sweetie and I got out the first few series on DVD to catch up on all the episodes I missed before I realised what a great show this is.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
    I try not to hate or dislike people; I'm not always successful. Yes, there are a few people who have disappointed or upset me during the year.
24. What was the best book you read?
    I've read a few books that I really loved, including: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, On Chesil Beach, and The Glass Castle.
    
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
    Alas, a reduced budget this year has interfered somewhat with my musical addiction.
    
26. What did you want and get?
    Massages. Mmmmm. (Thank you, sweetie!)
27. What did you want and not get?
    Where do I start ... no point dwelling on things like this.
    
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
    Although it wasn't released this year, I loved watching The Pursuit of Happyness.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    Ouch. Thirty something. A quiet family dinner. Move along.
    
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    Finding a career direction to get excited about before December and be able to start making plans in other areas of my life as a result. Roll on 2010!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
    If it still fits and hasn't worn out, wear it.
32. What kept you sane?
    How do you define 'sane'? :-P
    
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
    This isn't really my 'thing'. I'm sure my sweetie would be able to offer a few suggestions on my behalf better than I can.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
    Education national standards. Don't get me started!! Grrr.
35. Who did you miss?
    There's not one specific person at the moment. I do miss a few friends who died far too young and some friends and family members who are a long way away.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
    Tamara Jane, the amazing cupcake lady from tempt. It's always wonderful to meet someone who is so excited about what they do and so willing to share; you can't help but catch their enthusiasm. The cupcake decorating course I took earlier this year has ignited in me a real love of baking.
    
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
    Some people will never change, and they probably don't want to. Don't let them beat you just because they take a strange satisfaction from putting you down or seeking sympathy for themselves. This is not always easy to cope with.
    
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
    "Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up ...".  Yep, it's been that kind of year!
    

Congratulations if you've made it to the end! I'll understand if you skipped most of it. Upon reading through this meme as a whole, I realise that things probably sound a lot worse than they are or have been, but that's the luck of the draw when you answer pre-determined questions. If you're inclined to give it a go yourself, I'd love it if you posted a link back to your own blog. :-)

Café Chick's 2nd birthday

Today is Café Chick's second birthday. Gosh, time flies when you're having fun! It doesn't seem like two years since I first said hi to the blogosphere back in 2007, and my first birthday might have only been a month or so ago! Help yourself to a virtual birthday cupcake.

Here are the locations of everyone who has joined me for a cup of coffee this past year - 116 countries in total. Some have popped in briefly; a few have stayed longer for another cup, and others are 'regular' coffee buddies. Thank you for visiting, all 10,000+ of you! I have loved getting to know you all virtually. I still get excited by every tiny red dot that appears on my Clustr map and, of course, the comments you leave.

My 101 in 1001 project is still plodding along nicely. I have completed 24 goals this year and have several more in progress. I am still really enjoying working towards the activities and goals on my list, which have largely remained unchanged this year. I'd like to say the same about my Project 365, which limps along sporadically, but I'm trying to not let it bother me too much.

So, once again, my Clustr map will soon be blank and a fresh new canvas laid. I look forward to you helping repopulate my map with those little red dots. Who knows that the next year will bring? Thank you for being part of Café Chick's journey.

Clutter and world peace

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test I took ten years ago with my teaching staff. My test came out to be ISTP, with S/N and T/F giving very borderline results. (Confused? This might help. But, then again, it might not.)
I took an abridged version of the MBTI test on Facebook tonight. While I take every Facebook quiz application with a grain of salt, and initially resisted taking the test altogether, I wondered how close it would be to my original result. As it turned out: pretty darn close.

This time, my result was INFP - almost exactly the same as I was ten years ago. I wondered what had changed; MBTIs are usually stable as they refer to a natural preference or tendency, rather than learned behaviours. However, being borderline S/N and T/F, I was aware that these could fluctuate either way. I'm still very much introverted and perceiving (and actually quite like it that way). I think age has contributed somewhat; I'm much more inclined to trust my intuition and feelings now than I was in my twenties.

A friend came out with the same result and found a series of posters to describe INFP personality types. Some of them are so accurate that they're almost scary! For those of you who know me, please stop laughing.

Source of images unknown

Process or product?

I've long known that I am a process person, and not a product person. Metaphorically speaking, I take far more pleasure from the journey than the destination. I gain more satisfaction in working towards something than just 'getting there' and ticking something off as 'completed', or even basking in achievements. I guess you could say that I'm a typical 'work in progress' kind of person; it's not really surprising that I'm drawn to projects such as 101 things in 1001 days and Project 365.

A number of years ago, at the school where I used to teach, our whole staff of about 10 teachers went on a course related to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. During each two hour session (one a week for three weeks) we answered questions about ourselves and discussed what our preferences were for handling different situations and scenarios.

My Myers-Briggs results came out as ISTP, that is introverted (rather than extroverted), sensing (rather than intuitive), thinking (rather than feeling), and perceiving (rather than judging). Of these four continua, I scored extreme levels of introversion (I) and perception (P) and was borderline between sensing/intuition (S/N) and thinking/feeling (T/F). But what does this actually mean?

I recently carried out a search for explanations of the Myers-Briggs personality types. In one, ISTP was described as a mechanic. While some of these traits are true, most of this explanation could not be further from my personality! (You won't catch me skydiving, and I don't really care about how things work - I'm more of a 'big picture' person. And as for tying up loose ends?? LOL)

At the time of the course, the descriptions we studied all made sense. Yes, I'm very much introverted. Yes, I try to make sense of a problem before tackling it, although I tend to let gut feeling and intuition influence my final decision. Yes, I try to rationalise problems and think my way through them (not always successfully - I'm still quite close to 'feeling' on the continuum, and I'm a champion at over-thinking). It's the perceiving/judging continuum that causes most confusion when explaining it to others, though. The definition for perceiving involves someone who is able to handle multiple scenarios at once, including unresolved situations; instead, perceivers are happy to come back to them later to pick up and carry on with when ready. Judging personalities, however, need closure; they need to have the box ticked, task completed, desk tidied (that's definitely not me!) etc before they feel comfortable enough to move on to the next activity. Disorder bothers them.

After the course finished, we sat down as a staff to discuss our similarities and differences with the purpose of better understanding each other and, therefore, working together more effectively. From a teaching staff of ten, eight were judging personalities; myself and another colleague, both creative/musician-type teachers, were very firmly perceiving. I'm sure you can already picture how different our classrooms looked to the other eight teachers'. We would each have several projects on the go at once, our school reports were usually the last finished (but often of a higher quality), we preferred to spend time seeding and developing ideas rather than rushing through a process just for the sake of completion, paperwork bored us, and we were always the last to leave our classrooms on a Sunday afternoon.

Then, one day, someone came across a cartoon book of The Wizard of Id. Each cartoon was based on how the sixteen Myers-Briggs personality types approaches solving a problem. This anonymous colleague had very thoughtfully photocopied my page (ISTP) and left it in my in-tray for all to see. The accompanying quote read: "Let's all just have a glass of wine and think about this later." I was gobsmacked. Well, I suppose if you substitute the glass of wine with a cup of coffee, I could be guilty as charged. (The cheeky colleague, to this day, remains anonymous.)

This invariably leads to the art of procrastination. I can procrastinate along with the best of them. I've been formulating this blog post for about a week now, and it has taken a visit from the Insomnia Fairy tonight to get me to write it. I also had plans to procrastinate this afternoon but have decided to leave that until tomorrow instead. ;-)

How about you? Are you a process or a product person? Do you know what your Myers-Briggs indicator is and, if so, does it represent you fairly?

Project 365: To be, or not to be?

I am contemplating starting Project 365, taking a photo a day of something which I have learned, something I found interesting, or something which simply sums up my day in some way. I have set up a new blog, Café Chick's Project 365, and will continue to develop the site during the next week or so. I like the idea of looking back at a collection of images as a kind of visual library after one year; I just wonder about my level of commitment to get there. However, looking back to the time when I contemplated starting 101 goals in 1001 days, I see my mind was going through the same sorts of questions, and I definitely went ahead with that project.

I won't elaborate on Project 365 here, but instead point you to my blog post about it on my new blog. I'm about 80% convinced that I will start the project on 1 June. That leaves me 9 more days to either talk myself into or out of it!

So, who wants to come along for the ride?

Café Chick on Twitter

I have been an irregular tweeter for the past year and a half in the context of my job. I remember raising an eyebrow to Twitter in the early days and wondering when or how (and why) I would want to use it. I set up an account and released a few hesitant tweets. My network slowly grew as colleagues and other work associates also came on board, but mostly I sat back and lurked while the Twitter world exploded around me, participating occasionally.

I found some tweets really helpful when compiling work-related resources, looking for research and supporting links, or for keeping up with who was doing what in their professional lives. What quickly became tiresome, however, were the exhibitionist-type tweets from people who including tweets such as these:

"Putting on my pyjamas now, ready for a cup of tea and bed. Night!"
"Just been for a run. Hope it motivates me to work now."
"Sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Nelson. It's late, grrr."
"Flight is delayed further. Damn *insert airline name here*"
"The kids are still awake way past bedtime. Any suggestions?"
"Morning all. Another gloomy day in Rotorua but heading home tonight.""Not sure what to have for breakfast. Toast or cereal?"
"Toast it is, then. Now, jam or peanut butter?" etc ...

Ahem. Yes, I realise that Twitter's strapline is What are you doing? but isn't this taking things a little bit too far? I guess it depends on your purpose for tweeting, and which kinds of networks you wish to develop. While I'm sure some people would find the tv programme they are currently watching to be fascinating, I don't really need a minute by minute update of what's going on. Then there are the repeated tweets back and forth between two people, ie a complete conversation but in full view of the rest of the Twitter community. I have a suggestion, people: instant messaging.

The thing about the Twitter monster is that the bigger it grows, the more it consumes you. Once you starting following 100+ active tweeters, or have them follow you, then the frequency of updates can easily run away on themselves. Logging in less frequently only results in hundreds of tweets banking up to be read later; in reality, I skip them by refreshing my Twitterrific to start each session with a blank slate. Ahhh.

The international media's recent interest in Twitter intrigues me. Seen as the 'latest' trend, I don't think people realise that micro-blogging has been around for a few years now. I also smile at the way some try to get to grips with the associated terminology: a Twitter page/site (technically: account), "Twitter about it" (tweet), etc. When Ashton Kutcher attempted to break the 1 million followers mark (and succeeded), it started a Twitter-war with CNN, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears also jumping on the bandwagon. In New Zealand, there are newspapers and airlines trying to drum up followers, whereas an RSS feed will work just as well.

As a side note, I'm both chuffed and amused to see that a former student of mine is just starting out with Twitter. She follows all of the above-named celebrities, and me, LOL. :-)

And now here I am with a brainwave: in order to avoid being an exhibitionist in my professional life, I'm going to set up a second Twitter account (yes, another one!) for Café Chick. Yes, folks, two for the price of one. I'm not sure it's really necessary, but I've opened the account and started transferring some of my more frivolous links. (I'd imagine Zen Cupcake would be perfect to follow on this account, lol.) Feel free to join me for the ride.

Blog about blogging

I'd been thinking about blogging for a while and had started putting together a post in my head about why I blog: what is it that makes Café Chick who she is, and why does she bother? And then, along came Donna with a meme about blogging from Sunday Stealing. A perfect place to begin!

1. How did you come up with your blog title OR what does it mean?
I like the nature of story telling, so I wanted my blog to reflect this in some way. Whether the stories were long or short, I felt that the word tales captured this well. As for Café Chick, I played around with a few names and thought that this one sounded funky, yet multi-faceted enough to blog about whatever I wanted.

2. What are your general goals for blogging?
I originally started blogging about places I'd been to and stories I'd encountered along the way. Some of my early posts are almost reviews of cafés or restaurants; I now use Dineout and Menumania to review food and dining experiences, but often relate the stories on my blog. In July 2008 I started the Day Zero 101 goals in 1001 days project and use my blog as a way of documenting this. I generally aim to have one main subject per post, and to try and cover a range of topics. My purposes are multi-fold and incredibly self-indulgent; I blog partly to document/diarise events in my life, partly to explore things I find interesting, but most just because I can. ;-)

3. Do people “in your real life” know that you blog and do they comment on your blog OR is it largely anonymous?
As far as I'm aware, there are two 'real life' people who know my identity. One is my sweetie, who reads almost every word I post, probably to check what I write about him. :-P The other is a former work colleague, whose blog I enjoy following. I enjoy the anonymity that being Café Chick allows; she is a small, but fun, part of who I am as a person. She probably also gets away with sometimes saying things that the real me wouldn't be bold enough to come out with in real life. (See notes re self-indulgent, lol.)

4. How often do you post (x per week)?
I aim to post every day or two, depending on what I've been up to. I think I average about five posts per week.

5. How often do you read other blogs (x per week)?
Heaps. In addition to the many blogger blogs I follow, my RSS feed is full of blogs related to work (education), blogs written by my colleagues, blogs about blogging, blogs maintained by a couple of my real life friends, and Post Secret. I try to read through them daily.

6. How do you select blogs to read (do you prefer blogs that focus on certain topics or do you choose by tone or…?)
See above. I believe that many people blog for different purposes, and some bloggers maintain more than one blog or may cover a range of subjects. For the most part, I choose the one that's most relevant to me to follow, or one that has simply caught my interest.

7. Do you have any plans to copy your blog entries in any other format, 0r do you think that one day, you’ll just delete it all?
I don't think I'll just delete it all but, having said that, I did end up deleting most of my professional blog from a few years ago. I suppose I didn't need to; I just didn't feel that it was relevant any more. I also don't think I'll use my blog entries for any other purpose, although I sometimes enjoy browsing back at earlier posts and thinking, "wow, is that what I was doing around that time?" etc.

8. What are the things you like best about blogging?
I like to write. I like to read. I am also interested in people. Blogging, for me, brings together all three of these aspects, and I have got to know some amazing people from all around the world via their blogs. I find this to be one of the most valuable benefits of blogging.

9. What are the things you don’t like about blogging?
Nothing, really. The day I find blogging to be a chore is the day that I'll stop.

10. How do you handle comments?
I enjoy them, but I don't necessarily write for the purpose of eliciting comments, even though I am mindful of my potential audience. I don't see a comment-less post as being less successful than one which has sparked a whole screed of comments; as an educator, I know that so-called lurkers are still a valued part of any online community. Heck, I'm Lurker #1 in many instances, as I certainly don't comment on every blog or post that I read. I don't necessarily respond to comments I receive, even though I read every single one; I see comments as a valuable part of the blogging experience, but one which helps develop a wider blogging community, and not just a 1-1 relationship between me and the commenter. I love tracking visitors to my blog via my Clustr map (those little red dots are so exciting!) and my Flagcounter (ditto for each new country that pops up). It's amazing to think that people who don't know me and who live in more than 70 different countries have visited my blog!

11. Do you have any burning thoughts to share on blog etiquette?
Not really, although I get incredibly annoyed when people attempt to bypass my word verification and make a generic comment like "I like it" for the purpose of posting advertising links to dodgy websites on my blog. Grrr. I sometimes find it hard/annoying to read a pale font on a dark background, but mostly read posts via my RSS feed, which removes all the formatting. Oh, and writing all in CAPS or with Random capital Letters annoys me. (Yes, I was a teacher. Don't get me started on apostrophes.)

12. Any desired blog features?
I quite like the Blogger format, but occasionally would like a bit more flexibility re layout etc but don't feel motivated enough to develop my own template from scratch. I may do this eventually. I experimented with a new background this week; I'm not sure it will be permanent.

13. Have you suffered blog addiction?
Maybe ...

And how about you? What burns your blogging fires?