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May 19

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Across 110th Street

I went to Bobby Womack last night. He rocked an old theatre in Auckland in a red leather suit teamed with red shoes, red glasses and a red leather hat. He looked a bit like this:

Bobby back in the day.

And he sounded terrific. I was there for just one song, Across 110th Street, one of the greatest disco hits ever made I think and Bobby’s best tune. And, luckily, it was the first tune he played last night. It made me think of New York, The Big C and the time Janey and I drove across 110th Street in Harlem, singing Across 110th Street. I had a little tear as I clapped along, but I so, so enjoyed it.

Apr 23

8 Comments

Let Me Entertain You

One of the things I’m really enjoying about suburbia is entertaining. In New York, people hardly ever have friends over, partly because their apartments are so cramped, partly because they work so hard, and partly because they’ve never learnt to cook. Instead you spend your social time in restaurants and bars and coffee shops where as soon as you’ve finished your food and drink you are expected to move on. You get used to catching up with people in one-and-a-half hour blocks. And to never having to do the dishes after dinner. But that’s not how I roll.

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Apr 8

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Use Your Noodle

I’ll tell you one thing that sucks about New Zealand: the ethnic food. Not all ethnic food. Thanks to its proximity to Thailand and Malaysia there are amazing curries and laksas to be found*, but you really have to hunt for them. And while you hunt, you have to eat a lot of average, overly-sweet, under-spiced dishes.

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Apr 3

4 Comments

Home and Away

Almost everyday someone asks me, ‘How are you adjusting to New Zealand?’. Sometimes they have the most pained expression on their face that I want to give them a hug and tell them not to worry so much. Sometimes I just let them bang on about their own horrendous/traumatic/ongoing return to New Zealand after years overseas (for you ‘foreign’ readers, almost all New Zealanders venture overseas for a few years in their early adulthood – it’s pretty much compulsory). Always I tell them I’m fine.

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Mar 28

6 Comments

Working Girl

OK, I’ve been horribly remiss. It must be about six months since I’ve updated this blog after promising to be much more reliable. I feel bad. But I also have a great excuse.

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Nov 29

5 Comments

I Like to Move it, Move it

Actually, I don’t like to move it, move it, so that’s a total lie. But I do like the idea of moving for the final time in this long stretch of relocation. (And I like the song.) Read more

Nov 5

8 Comments

She Works Hard For Her Money

Well, I did it. Three and a half weeks into the job and I’ve finished my first issue of Urbis. Yesterday afternoon she went to the printers.

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Nov 3

4 Comments

New York State of Mind

It’s been a terrible week for New Yorkers and their neighbours, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. And a weird one to be millions of miles away from it all.

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Oct 7

4 Comments

What a Way to Make a Living

My first few days in the new job are now under my belt and here’s what’s happened (or not happened as the case may be):

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Oct 3

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In My Face

Sometimes people you know really well aren’t very nice to you. And sometimes, people you don’t know well at all, are amazingly kind and generous. (So, it sort of evens out in the end.) Like Janet the eyebrow genius. When I got back to New York she sorted out my eyebrows as only she can. And, when I was about to leave again last month she spoilt me rotten with way more than a pluck.

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