time
It´s time now for one last lunch at Angelitos, one last kiss, one last dance lesson, perhaps one last milonga and one final breakfast at my favourite breakfast cafe. Then a long trip home and my bed, my garden and my house.
It´s time.
fish heads
Fish heads, Auckland
Whenever I see fish heads, like this glorious lot, I am reminded of the story by Apirana Taylor, called Fish heads.
I used to get students with low literacy levels to read this story and they always responded to it. It talked to them and their experiences.
It’s a story of a young Maori guy trying to buy fish heads from fishmongers who don’t understand the value to him.
I see that it is recommended for school students too.
And I loved this visit with friend Mo to the newly updated Auckland wharves where lovely sculptures, old silos and fish markets replace the tatty old waterfront, that we did use to like a lot. The new one is better though.
the gorge, the gentleman and goldie
1910 c1910s-30s Bowler hat by Scotts of London and Calhoun's of Canada prv.jpg
As I drive down Ngauranga Gorge on my way to work, I frequently spot an elderly fellow walking down the gorge. It’s unusual to see anyone walking down the gorge but this particular fellow attracts my attention for the way my mind references him.
What’s distinctive about him is his clothing. I swear on most occasions he wears a bowler hat, always a black suit and my mind has concocted a long pounamu earring. He walks with a long walking stick which he holds away from his body.
I’ve associated him with Charles Goldie’s painting of Te_Aho-o-te-Rangi Wharepu called All ‘e Same t’e Pakeha. I can’t copy the image here ‘cos it’s copyrighted and I haven’t asked permission.
It’s an odd sight, though, to see someone like this walking down amongst the cars.
A month later: I saw this fellow at the local supermarket. He was carrying a carved walking stick, has a facail moko and indeed wears a bowler hat but carries a supermarket bag. I almost went up to say ‘hello’. He does look remarkable.
snow and tulips
The previously mentioned snow in Porirua has enabled the previously not terribly flowery tulips to flower!
he called me ‘darling’, the bastard
About 3 weeks ago I toddled down to my local gym, only to find it inundated with people. No park. So I eased the car up onto the pavement. No it’s not legal and yes, the crippled car parks were all taken.
After passing all the young men trying to give me some kind of pamphlets, and after being so polite “no thanks” I began to get irritated when I heard one of them make that kind of “ohhya” noise that means “Suit yourself you old bag”.
So, I tried to make a complaint and was sent downstairs. The complaint forms had all been taken into the event so I had to walk past more people trying to give me pamphlets, nearly tripping over several children to grab the complaint forms.
By this time I was getting a bit more irritated so I filled out complaint forms and exited, only to find that the car in front was leaving. Just as I began to ease off the pavement an SUV decided to enter. It backed really close and since my car still carries the signs of the last time an SUV backed into me I tooted the horn.
The smarmy fellow got out of the car and made some indistinguishable hand gestures. As I drove away I called out “You just needed to let me out first” and he replied “There’s plenty of room, darling”. You may be able to guess my retort. Not polite.
So today I went to the Argentinian day at Te Papa, and after the fellow at the entrance was unable to tell me where the tango stuff was and I tripped over several small children and the coffee took ages to be made, I was a bit irritated with myself for losing the exit ticket to the parking lot.
The mature fellow wandering around was extremely helpful, getting me a ticket for the exact amount rather than making me pay the $20.00 ‘fine’.
So I felt better and I’ll tell you what I thought of the Tainui exhibition too. Next post.
it’s the proximity to the sea
If you live in a country surrounded by sea, and in the windiest place in the whole country having snow that falls and stays is a once in a lifetime thing. So we are all delirious with excitement.
oh, crap
For some of my dearest readers this post may be inevitable.
About 2 weeks ago, while playing an intense but slightly complex marble game with the two great nieces, I received a frantic call from a friend who uses a flat in my house. The bottom floor was flooded with sewage. While I did go home reasonably quickly I was relieved (pun in case you didn’t get it) to find that the mess had been pretty much cleared up by the time I got there. It was up to me to deal with the cleaners (wonderful people at Jae’s) the carpet layers and the busy people at State who ended up dealing with the latest in a series of earthquakes in Christchurch rather than my flat.
However, it has been raining pretty much for the last 2 weeks, and the combination of cars and trucks up my drive meant that last night my car slid back instead of UP the drive. The very nice man from Porirua Towing with his big truck and eftpos machine helped me out. It was a situation not unlike the one reported here but more vertical in nature. No pix, I was too busy pouring the whisky.
Also the tv has broken again (it did this last time I went away) and believe me there’s a whole heap of other stuff going on too, just in case you think I over-share.
Must be time for that new beginning! Meanwhile friend in Auckland deals with even more rain.
mid year
In New Zealand it has become popular to celebrate Matariki: it’s the time when the Pleidedes are visible in this part of the world and marks what the rest of us have come to call the Maori new year.
It is also the time when we remember the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi in this area. The time when local iwi, Ngati Toa Rangatira signed the Treaty on a ship off the coast of Mana Island. We used to walk up the local puke (hill) called Whitireia, which means “light of day” – Whiti te ra. We used to get there so that when dawn broke we were ready to welcome it in with karakia and at times haka. 
So it was both wonderful, and a relief, yesterday to join staff at Whitireia Polytechnic inside the library and to watch the hill as dawn broke. It was also lovely to hear elder, kaumatua and friend to many of us, Turoa Royal give the speech for the day. He wandered around the history of the Treaty and gave his own impression on how things are: better than they were but with room for improvement.
This week is also the week that our friend Krysia died. Not passed away, on or over. Died.
Krysia
She went to Malaysia, had her stomach stappled and died. Four years ago. So today we went to her unveiling. Stood on the damp ground and remembered her. Cried when her cousin sang, in te reo Maori “Over the rainbow.”
And it was wonderful to see her daughter last week, taking on the old Krysia style and organising a Matariki festival at Whitireia.
Whiti te ra.
a community event
is a fine thing -especially when the weather clears…
