Good morning. Just popping in for the day.

I'd like to move from Holland one time, and my eye is always on Denmark, New-Zealand or Australia.

 

Oh, you'll have to tell SFL, Graal and all the other blokes that I'll be back to posting in the Tolkien quiz as soon as I get out of here. I've really been missing it!

 

We could do one here, Kerryn, but you'd destroy us.

 

Hehe. That's sweet.

I will be the Tolkien OVERLORD!

 

LOL.

That was my favourite scene in the film, funnily enough: the beginning when Sauron was standing there, waving his fists in the air. "I rule!"

 

Hehe. My hammer is bigger than your hammer!

Great scene!

 

Where did JP go all of a sudden?

[image=http://www.batmannews.de/bilder/pics/Batman/zeichen.jpg]

 

Maybe he had some fush and chups to eat.

 

The positive thing is that he can keep you company here when no one else is present.

The negative thing is... well, his character. His personality.

 

[image=http://home.no/tolkien-norge/sauron.jpg]
"I rule!"

 

I guess now you all know where I live, I should tell you about me.

[image=http://www.breathe.co.nz/jp-30.jpg] [image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/leila/images/leila-dad.jpg]

That's me a year or two back on the left, and a more recent one with my daughter Leila at the zoo a few weeks back.

Born in Auckland NZ in 1971. Two younger brothers, one of whom posts at the JC, but doesn't venture out of Games & NZ FanForce. And another who wouldn't know how to turn a computer on.

Did a degree in Engineering Science at Auckland University in the early 90s. Hated it.

Ended up working in a winery when I finished the degree. After a few years of this I decided to study for a Masters Degree in Oenology. Moved to Christchurch for a few years, and got 3/4 of the way through before I couldn't handle being a student any longer, and living apart from my girlfriend Shannon who was based in Auckland. She was a tour guide, so passed through Christchurch for a night every month or so.

Living in Christchurch was a lot of fun, had some great parties, as only large groups of students studying to become winemakers can have.

[image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/skins/jp-speeder.jpg]

I worked in some other wineries in Marlborough, then Shan and I moved to Northern California and worked at a great old winery there for 6 months. Lots of Aussies & kiwis working there, which was great. Spent a month either side of the harvest travelling around the states, satying with people I'd met on the internet (on a Crowded House mailing list). Met up & stayed with online friends in LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC (where one'd got us "Star Wars Magic and Myth" tickets!), Richmond VA, some little place in Jersey, New Orleans etc. It was amazing having locals to stay with at all the major cities we visited.

So upon return to NZ I got into the wine industry again, but that didn't last long. Decided there would be more opportunities and a more stable lifestyle (winery work can be seasonal, long hours and little pay) if I found some online work. Some winemaker friends and I had started an online wine retail site, but it wasn't turning a profit.

So here I am, the one-person web department for a record company. I love it! Even though I'm confined to a small office every day, the perks are great.

[image=http://www.breathe.co.nz/office.jpg]

Shan and I got married 3 years back, and as you saw above we have a 15 month old daughter.

[image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/leila/images/leila-one.jpg] [image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/leila/images/leila-croc.jpg]

We're expecting our 2nd child on 21 October. Leila came 2 months early due to some complications, so Shan and I are starting to get a little nervous...

... but Shan's being monitored very closely this time round, and there are no early warning signs that the condition will reoccur.

// whew! //

So how you doin'?

 

Very cool, JP.

And very familiar.

The "Landospeeder" is still a classic!

 

> Maybe he had some fush and chups to eat.



No I was getting that damn bio together!


>The positive thing is that he can keep you company here when no one else is present.

That's right...

The negative thing is... well, his character. His personality.

I'll say. I'm a lot like you Casper.

 

That's why we get on so well, stupid bastard!

 

And is that why you seem to get on with Kerryn so well too?

Due to your mutual negative attributes... ?

 

You sound like a great guy, JP! What an ecclectic life... I envy you. Your daughter is a darling little cherub, BTW.

 

Did you see his monitor? It has the JC log-in screen.

That's what he's doing at work all day, wondering how to log in.

 

What an ecclectic life... I envy you.

It's a cliche, but life is what you make it. You only get one go at it, so sometimes a total career change or uprooting to work in a different country is a wonderful way to, well, make one's life more interesting in the retelling.

> Your daughter is a darling little cherub, BTW.

Don't let the exterior fool you. She's a MONSTER!

[image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/leila/images/grinner1.jpg]

 

That's not the login screen, Casper. That's the BANNIFICATION screen.

Let's see;

Name: Debo

and [click]

 

Cute.

Have you been thinking of possible names for your second one yet?

 

Yeah. Shan picked "Leila" so I get to pick this one.

We don't know the sex, so it makes the job twice as hard.

One possibility we are considering is the name of my Grandfather who passed away 2 months back, Henry.

Probably work best if it's a boy, though.

Here he is, he got to meet Leila while she was still in hospital (he lived at the other end of the country).

[image=http://www.hansen.net.nz/leila/images/withpoppah.jpg]

Shan's suggested a nice girl's name which we'll probably go with if i can't come up with anything better.

 

In our family, there are also many people named after our ancestors. My mother has my grandmother's middle name, and her mother's third name. My mother's second name is her grandmother's first. Et cetera, et cetera.

 

That's a wonderful story, JP!

I haven't heard of any NZ wineries. Are there any ones I should try?

 

Of course there are!

Our Sauvignon Blanc is our most famous wine. Anything from Marlborough's great.

Martinborough Pinot Noir is another making waves internationally.

I prefer the aromatic whites (gewurztraminer & riesling) and the gutsier reds (syrah & cabernet blends).

The syrah here's different to the Aussie style (you call it Shiraz). Ours is closer to the French style.

 

Wow, it's really cool to read more about you JP, I didn't know you are a fellow dad.