CRISTINE FARINAS

Never in my life did I dream of becoming a Fashion Stylist. Yes, I love clothes but I can't even dress  myself easily at times. In the past, I used to consult one of my friends who is a legitimate fashion stylist for some tips on how to dress up for certain occasions. But now, perhaps I can say that I can put on together a good ensemble confidently without having to ask for anyone's opinion. It's all because of Dress For Success (DFS), a non-profit organisation with a mission to "promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and life". I found DFS through Volunteer Wellington   in March when I was seeking for volunteer work . There were only three words from the advertisement that convinced me to volunteer for them: Dress, Success, Women. I knew that this  was something that I wanted to do.  I submitted my CV and a cover lette

The train ride to Porirua for our Whitireia Park walk completed my public transportation experience in Wellington, and I have my friend E to thank for that. It was indeed a very pleasant 20-minute journey from the city and very cheap as well (NZ$11.50 return). Not a bad choice for mode of transport to get in and out of the city in my opinion. From Porirua station, we took the bus (220) to Titahi Bay where we had lunch first before we commenced our walk. After that, we walked all the way to the end of the beach. Unfortunately,  t here was no exit from there so we had to go back up the hill to continue with our walk.  On our ascent to Stuart Park, we were rewarded with beautiful views. The track was paved with small rocks scattered in some areas and it was quite steep, so it took a little bit of an effort to climb up. This part of the walkway provided a good view of the Mana island though. We walked  all the way to the "Sewer Outfall", where we were greet

There is no doubt that I love Chinese food. I have been to numerous Chinese restaurants over the years and although I often get disappointed with the service, this hasn't stopped me from indulging myself with some cholesterol-worthy food. One thing that I have always wished for though, is to find a Chinese restaurant that has everything - amazing food, top-notch service and warm ambience. Sadly, none of the Chinese restaurants that I have been to in the past had all three.  And then I came to Wellington and was introduced to the world of Yum cha(r). Of course I've had dim sum before, but I didn't know that it is also called Yum cha. As far as I can remember, I never heard anyone saying, "I'm going for Yum cha" . It has always been, " I'm going for dim sum" . But however you want to call it, it's still one of my favourite meals. Basically with Yum cha, the staff go around with a tray of different dishes and you just take what you want

As far as I can remember, we only had three really nice days in September. Luckily, one of them was when we visited Somes Island. It was actually the first time in spring that I walked around without wearing a thick coat, so I was the happiest. Somes island sits in the middle of the beautiful Wellington harbour and is accessible by East and West Ferry from Queen's Wharf in just 20 minutes. It used to be a quarantine station but is now a scientific reserve. We arrived on the island around 1220 and before we could even walk anywhere, there was a mandatory introduction to the island. We were then asked to check our own bags for any unwanted companions, aka pets or pests. After which we queued up to clean our shoes. I'm not sure if you were meant to clean your shoes twice but I did, first on a mat and then on a massive green brush.    I wanted to ensure that my shoes met the standard for the walk. :) And then there was the giant dead Weta. According to the Ranger,

The first day of spring looked promising with blue skies, white clouds and mild to moderate breeze, so we decided to explore the Eastern Walkway as apparently it is short and easy and technically still within the city. From Courtenay Place we hopped on Bus 11 to Seatoun and got off in Seatoun Park. From there we followed the signpost to Pass of Branda and then to Breaker Bay. Man, this is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Wellington. We walked down to the beach and made our way to Point Dorset. We knew that it is quite a distance to walk to and from Point Dorset but we just had to do it. The weather was good anyway and we both love walking so it would have been a shame if we didn't do it. And I am glad that we did because I finally found what I have been looking for. Almost half-way through the beach walk is the hole in the rock which is one of those things that I needed to see. I missed it the first time I went to Breaker Bay so I was so happy to see