With big hands the trees on Hakanoa street have an imposing presence. In summer they flesh out with strong big leaves. In winter they sit bare, allowing light through into the houses below. No matter what the the time of year they stand there, strong, beautiful and present with the seasons.

Last year I finally got a dSLR after playing with a film SLR for three years. I wanted to learn to use a manual camera and understand aperture and so on, before moving on to digital. Now I’ve taken the leap it has made me realize how much there is still to learn. I don’t really understand much at all about light or anything like that but want to so have enrolled in a night course starting next month. Very excited!

I have a collection of Takumar manual lenses from my film 1974 Pentax Spotmatic so purchased an adapter so I could use them on the dSLR. These are from testing the 50mm f1.4 lens on my beloved La Pavoni espresso machine.

Every spare moment I would jump on my fixie (if it wasn’t raining, or bus if it was) and explore more streets, more galleries, cafes, or neighbourhoods slowly getting to know Manchester and all her intricacies, loves and history. I would glow in beginners mind, in awe of everything.

In the time I have been back in New Zealand it has been a long transition of moving. It feels like that was 2011, even though we have been back for longer. Moving and settling, no adventure, no balance, no freedom, no fun, none at the same time. No beginners mind. It has become a habit that I do not like so it is time to change it. My mission for January to drag me out of this state of being, is to treat Auckland like a tourist. To throw on my beginners mind glasses and explore. Usually I write massive lists of what I want to do but it is simple this year and I guess this is my resolution.

My favourite pictures from Manchester:

At work, looking back toward Manchester City. I was besotted (and still am) with the snow.

Outside one of my locals, Tea Cup.

At the edge of Piccadilly square highlighting some of Manchester’s sites.

After 9-months of living in the Northern Quarter I moved out to Whalley Range into an old Victorian Villa that was once attached to another. All that was left behind of the ‘other’ was its entrance way.

History poking through. I love how the cobbles poke through in Manchester’s little allies. Reminding us…

These little spaceman decorate the city and on a map make the picture of the spaceman. I only ever found one.

Oklahoma Tuesday’s.

The Manchester Buddhist centre where I spent a lot of time.

I got engaged to these hands.

I love taking the train in Auckland. It feels like I am in Europe again.