little chandler is on holiday...

the last days in australia were sweetened by seeing the half-and-half Oz-Kraut couple katrin and kate, and spending days on Coogie and Bronte Beach (don't you love the names.. I do...) as well as dining like all the royals of the world at a private house party : every guest seemed to show up with their best dinner recipe; except me, admittedly, but I brought wine. (As a former lover once said, everybody does what he does best (don't ask no questions). Surrounded by these beautiful, charismatic, intelligent women, who were moreover sweet and charming towards each other, I felt like in an episode of The L Word...

Now, here, in Auckland, my powers of observation - or my vindictive/spiteful strain - are weakened by the Kiwi's amazing friendliness. People here actually THANK THE BUS DRIVER! repeatedly!!
Considering that the shuttle bus to Sydney airport had first forgotten about me and then rode Thai-style in frenzied speed to the airport, upkeeping his sullen mood, and me having just reignited a loose religious alliance, I am enthralled - the simplicity (every fare is a cheap NZ$1.60, disregarding length of journey, age, gender or status of passenger, leap year etc).

Another example of New Zealander's frightening friendliness: For those of you who didn't know, I'm quite superstitious and a great lover of "signs" (or names). Thus, the fact that my current lovely accomodation is on Franklin Avenue, name sibling of my Brooklyn sanctuary after the rocky beginnings in NYC, is a Great Plus. Secondly, this accomodation was recommended to me by a Scot (good sign), in a French bakery (!), a Scot who looks, moreover, like one of the Beatles (can God be more explicit?!). Climbing up one of Auckland's volcanoes (or so it felt) to reach the place (the Scot wasn't too precise), I asked a young woman about the way. Not a backpacker, not a tourist, not an old lady, not somebody with ulterior motives, just anybody, on a regular Thursday afternoon. And she, apologetically about not knowing for sure, OFERED TO WALK WITH ME! Just a random person!! would you ever, EVER, do that? Well, maybe it's me, but I fear I will soon feel with the NY-Wall Street guy on the sailing trip who told me he found the Japanese politeness "getting to him" during his vacation there, probably because he was just rude. Yes yes, word. (have you all watched "The Wackness" now? Do it!)
Or maybe it's the Christmas spirit. The whole of Franklin Ave is plastered with lights and sleights and other tacky trash, the sidewalks are full of families (apologizing to each other I guess), eating icecream instead of moulded wine. I'm drinking Shiraz in the garden, calming down after the frenzy of Australia. Love to you, my fellow gnomes, elfs and fairies (your choice... )