Friday, April 20, 2012

Sometimes my fingers get away on me!

I have recently reconnected with a dear friend and it felt like I had only seen her yesterday. She knows that this is her I am writing about. We both have an endearing way of talking to each other--- that’s a nice way of saying that we call a ‘spade a spade.’ Put another way—our English is colloquial plus! Shall I put it yet another way? Surely you have gathered by now that I mean we let it rip when it comes to describing things. If we feel like swearing, we go for it.
Now with that scenario firmly in mind, imagine what could happen if you add that fact to my stone-age technological skills. Bring in yet another factor. I had been operating under the understanding that whatever I say to my good friend in an email would be just that---- in an email.
Oh no silly man. How was I to know that it would then appear as a ‘post’ on Facebook? Suffice it to say that I nearly had to change my shorts when I saw some very colourful language (written by me a few seconds before) appear on my postings.
I panicked, seeing visions of mass desertions from my blog readers and worse still, some of my colleagues from work seeing them. My close colleagues know what I am capable of, but I was mortified that they would see my techni-coloured utterings.
I noticed a little ‘x’ near my posting so I clicked on it and lo and behold--- it was a delete button and viola---- my post disappeared, then reappear minus the bad words. That didn’t leave many words.
One hopes that this writer has learnt. I am able to laugh now and I am sure my friend is still laughing her ti’’ off—oops.

ROSKILL---one chapter at a time---chapter 1


ROSKILL


ONE


   ‘James! You can’t live on music! Do you want food?!’
   James pulled his earphones out so that he could hear his Mum. She had been trying to attract his attention for the last minute, and it was only when she shouted that he took notice.
   ‘Do you have to live in that damned thing James!? I just asked you if you want something to eat.’
   ‘Sorry Mum­­----- yeah, I’m starving. Can we have KFC?’
    They were driving through Hamilton, avoiding the main street and heading past Frankton.
    ‘I think there’s one back on the Te Rapa Strait’ his Dad said, scratching his head as if that helped his memory.
   ‘Yeah, come on Dad.’ The magic words had pulled Lucy out of her day dream.
    The Campton family had been travelling all day since leaving Wellington at a ridiculously early hour. They stopped briefly at Taupo to eat the sandwiches Moana had made in the motel that morning. She insisted that they needed to save money, but was now relenting at the thought of a greasy mouth-watering KFC meal. Her husband John needed little encouragement, ignoring the advice his doctor in faraway Christchurch had given about a more healthy way of eating. He thought of the letter for his new doctor in Auckland, telling of his high cholesterol, blood pressure and Type Two Diabetes. Maybe he should just throw it away. Those thoughts were quickly banished by his wife’s next comment.
   ‘That will be the last feed of KFC you’ll see for a while then. It’s back to the healthy stuff once we get settled.’
   ‘Well I’m going to damned well enjoy it then, aren’t I’ John replied stubbornly.
   ‘Go Dad,’ James laughed. ‘Mmmm------I want the Wicked Wings.’
    The car pulled into car park of the KFC and the Campton family ambled into the restaurant, James happily leading the way. It was a hot late January day and the air-conditioning in the aging Nissan was not working at its best, and they were all hungry. After collecting their trays, they found a quiet corner and for the next ten minutes they were relatively quiet. It was James who brought up the issue that had dominated their lives over the last few months.
   ‘I’m gonna miss Christchurch,’ he said quietly.
   ‘Don’t you think we don’t know that, James?’ his mother chided him. ‘What choice did we have?
   'It’s OK Moana,' John said in an attempt to avoid yet another argument. The last few weeks before the big move north had taken a toll on his relationship with his wife and the children.
   ‘The boy’s right. We have all spent our whole life there, and my parents before that. Maybe it’s a bit easier for you, because you will be closer to your family in Auckland.’
   ‘Don’t you go bringing that up again,’ Moana replied angrily, drawing curious looks from other diners. ‘You forget that I have been away from them for the last ten years, apart from quick visits every so often.’
   ‘I know love. Let’s not fight. Losing my job and moving as well was always going to be hard but it was either that or having a lot less money.’ John tried to be calm.
   'What about me? All my friends and I’m gonna miss Granddad and Nana too,' Lucy said tearfully.
   ‘Right, if you are all finished, I think we better get out of here before they call the cops on us for creating a disturbance,’ John said, clearly frustrated with his family.
   They left the restaurant and it wasn’t until Taupiri that the mood seemed to lift. Moana asked if they could stop for a few moments before the sacred Taupiri Mountain. John parked in the car park and they all stood looking up at the mountain. As with most of the family spats, the short term events were forgotten.
   ‘Many of your Tanui relations are buried up there,' Moana said quietly. 'I think it’s time that you learnt more of your Maori side.’
   ‘How come you never talk about them much Mum?’ James asked.
‘It’s a long story. Maybe it’s time I told you, but not today-OK?’
John moved closer to Moana and his arm found its way around her shoulders. She responded by pressing against him, as if to say that things were going to be all right.
   ‘It’s alright, honey. Let’s go;' she said. Mt Roskill, here we come.’
    Thirty minutes later they were passing through the southern suburbs that make up the Greater Auckland area.
   ‘We’ve been on this motorway for ages and we still aren’t anywhere near Sky Tower,’ James observed. ‘I saw it when we passed Manukau City Centre, but it’s gone again.’
   ‘Yeah, Auckland is about three times the size of Christchurch darling,’ Moana replied.
   ‘It’s got a lot more Maoris. Look---heaps of the cars have Maoris in them,' Lucy said excitedly.
   'Mmmm---some of them are Pacific Islanders, honey,’ Moana corrected her. ‘There aren’t so many of them down in Christchurch and I suspect that you will have lots of different people at your new school near the city.’
   James’ face took on the appearance of his earlier mood in the day again as he thought of the move to a new school. Moana noticed his troubled look and attempted to sooth his anxiety.
   ‘You don’t have to wear uniform dear and it’s got an excellent reputation.’
   ‘Yeah -----but we don’t know anyone’ Lucy said in the tone that usually drove her older brother mad.
   ‘Since when did that stop you from gabbing away with your friends?’ James teased his sister.
   ‘That’s enough you two----here’s the turn off,’ John said, half-heartedly trying to stop yet another argument between the two siblings.
   ‘Awe Dad-----aren’t we gonna drive through the city first,’ Lucy pleaded.
   ‘We have to meet the movers, dear,’ Moana informed her daughter.  ‘We can go for a drive tomorrow and we can also show you where the school is too.’
   ‘School starts the week after next, so you have a chance to get to know the bus routes too,’ John added.
   ‘You said I can drive us to school, now that I have my licence,’ James reminded his father.
   ‘That’s when you get your full licence next month and when we sort out a car,’ John answered.
   James thought about the upcoming test and when he looked at the crowded and unfamiliar streets they were passing through, he shuddered at the possibility of failing.
   ‘Well----- they have trains here, don’t they?’ he asked.
   ‘Yes son, but not through Mt Roskill------but there are plenty of buses and we can get that sorted next week,’ John said.
   ‘So where’s our new house then?’ Lucy asked.
   They were driving along Dominion Road near the Balmoral Village and she had noticed the old villas.
   ‘I hope our house is like these. Look at all the Chinese writing on the shops. Is this Chinatown or something?
   ‘No----but there are many Asian people in Auckland Lucy. I think you will find it all really interesting,’ Moana said, hoping that Lucy wasn’t going to become a problem and act out like some of their neighbours had in Christchurch. She baulked at the thought of the skin-heads they had often seen in the Square back in Christchurch. Moana secretly admitted to being happy to leave behind some of the attitudes that had prevailed in the southern city.
   ‘OK----we’re nearly home,’ John announced as they turned into a side street off Dominion Road, not far from the main Mt Roskill shops.
   Lucy’s face dropped when she observed the houses they were passing.
   ‘These houses look like state houses. Yuk---they’re horrible. Look at all the kids running around in the street---I don’t like it.’
   ‘Don’t be such a terrible snob Lucy.’ Moana admonished. ‘Most of them are probably privately owned and if I told you how much they cost to buy, you would get a shock. The same money would buy a nice house in a good suburb in Christchurch.’
Her words meant nothing to Lucy, who had made up her mind that they now lived in a bad area.
   ‘Where’s our school anyway?’ James asked. ‘There’s a sign there about a Grammar School near here. Why can’t I go there?’
   ‘You could if you want,’ John replied, ‘but we’re going to buy nearer the area by the Zoo, so I have managed to enrol you both there, on the understanding that we’re buying in the area. It took a lot of persuasion, I can tell you that.’
   ‘We are only renting here until we find a house we all like,’ Moana added, ‘so don’t get to like this one too much, eh?’
   ‘Don’t think there’s much chance of that happening,’ Lucy said sullenly, as the car pulled into the drive of a small house. The lawn had not been mowed for quite some time, adding to the run-down appearance.
   ‘Look----the removal men are already unloading,’ James observed.
   He jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and rushed into the open front door. By the time the others joined him, James had explored the whole house.
   ‘It’s a bit crappy compared to our old house in Christchurch,’ he said. ‘Look at the carpet----it’s got holes in it.’
   ‘Mmmm------- I think it will take a bit of work to make it nice, but remember, it’s not for long,’ Moana reminded him.
   ‘Right let’s start getting this sorted then,’ John said looking at the household and personal items the movers were haphazardly unloading anywhere they could.
   ‘So much for the labelling system we used,’ Moana sighed.
   ‘They can forget their bloody bonus too then,’ John retorted angrily.
   ‘Well at least we get a room each,’ James said hopefully.  ‘Can I have the room at the back of the house overlooking the reserve?.
   ‘I suppose that’s OK, but remember our deal,’ Moana reminded him. ‘I’m not going to be your slave any more, now that I have a fulltime job to contend with. We’re are going to need the extra money, if we move to Grey Lynn and looking at the prices; it’s going to be a close call.’
   'I want to get a part time job too,' James said. 'Then I can get a better car, Dad?'
   ‘Mmmm------we’ll see. But don’t forget what I said. No more than eight hours a week.’
   An hour later the movers left; a little disgruntled about missing out on getting their full bonus. John had relented at the last minute and gave them about half what they had expected, but they seemed to get the message that the Camptons were not pleased at the slack way they had worked. By eight in the evening, the family finally decided to stop for the night. At least they had somewhere to sleep. The rest of the unpacking and setting up house could wait until the morning.
   ‘Right-----don’t go getting used to this, but I think it is going to be the second fast food meal of the day,’ John announced, ignoring Moana’s feigned horror.. She was far too tired to argue the merits of preparing a meal.
   ‘Cool Dad,’ James said delightedly.
   ‘I want vegetarian,’ Lucy suggested. ‘I don’t want to get fat.’
   ‘Bit late for that, ain’t it,’ James taunted.
   ‘That’s enough of that. I am just about done in and I don’t want to put up with that crap-----OK?’ Moana said wearily.
   ‘In the car--------now, before we just stay and have toast and jam,’ John said, hoping that they didn’t call his bluff. The kitchen was not anywhere near ready for that most basic of food preparation.
   They drove down Dominion Road until Lucy spotted a small Thai cafĂ©.
   ‘Can we have Thai, Dad? James got what he wanted for lunch, so it’s my turn to choose,’ Lucy pleaded.
   ‘God, you sound like a spoilt kid when you talk like that,’ James accused his sister.
John jammed on the brakes, almost causing the car behind to run into him. The angry driver gestured as he passed them and shouted a few choice obscenities.
   ‘Welcome to Auckland, dear hearts,’ John said, ‘Let Lucy have this one James.’ It had the effect of diverting his quarrelsome offspring to something they both agreed on; they were hungry.
A few minutes later they sat down at a table and looked over the menu. 
   ‘What about the chef’s choice for starters?’ John suggested. ‘I see there’s some vegetarian options on it and the mains will be no trouble. You can have ice cream from the diary if you want desert. That will keep the cost down.’
   The food arrived and the tension seemed to disappear as quickly as they consumed their orders.
   ‘Nothing like good food to stop the quarrels, eh kids?’ Moana said. ‘Perhaps your father will take us through the main part of town before we turn in for the night.’
John looked hopelessly at his wife.
   ‘Don’t blame me if I get a bit lost darling,’ he said. ‘I’m buggered if I know my way round there. It’s been years since I drove through the city.’
   ‘Come on my big brave boy,’ Moana teased her husband, while James pretended to throw up.
   True to his worst fears, twenty minutes later, John announced that he was lost. They were in a back street near Karangahape Road. As they drove down the narrow street, James noticed the scantily dressed ‘ladies’.
   ‘Wow-----look at those tarts.  Shit----what are they doing standing there like that?’
‘James----stop that language right now, or you will be walking home-----and if you really want to know-----they are not ladies,’ Moana reprimanded her son.
   John laughed. ‘You have a lot to learn about life James. Those ‘ladies’ are actually boys.’
   ‘Yuk-----that’s sick,’ Lucy said disgustedly. ‘They do look sort of pretty in a funny sort of way though----‘
   ‘I guess you are only thirteen, and year nines don’t really know much,’ James said, unable to resist jibing at his sister.
   ‘You’re just a year eleven arsehole,’ Lucy whispered in a voice she hoped her mother didn’t hear.
   ‘If I hear one more angry or disgusting piece of foul language from either of you, I will stop your pocket money for a week!’ Moana shouted angrily at her children. ‘No--- make that two weeks!’
‘Here we are,’ John interrupted. ‘I think we are near Queen Street. Let’s just go home and we can explore the city more another day. I’m bushed.’

    For the remainder of the journey home, James and Lucy managed to hold their tongues---just. Their looks told another story.
‘Home sweet home,’ John said; relief clear in his tone. ‘Now for Christ’s sake, let’s have some peace----OK?’




Perdy went surfing by the Takapuna beach cafe

I love taking Perdy to the beach and when I get a chance to indulge in my other great love/passion/addiction; call it what you want, I am indeed happy. Look at the picture of the beach. No wonder all of the walkers, with or without dogs were smiling all the time.
We went about 9am, hoping that the tide was out enough to avoid the crowding that can occur when there is a narrow patch of sand for the walkers and dogs to share. Apparently, it has become an issue at times. There was plenty of room for the dozens of dogs and their humans.
As soon as we hit the beach, I let Perdy off. She initially kept jumping at me looking for her ball, but I had decided that today she could run and meet the other dogs for a change, rather than be fixated on the ball. It didn’t take long for her to catch on---- she was off to meet new friends, of both kinds. Perdy has this unshakable belief that most dogs and humans will love her--- she is correct in that assumption. She was also by far the most ‘energetic’ dog on the beach.
She ran, sniffed, jumped, explored and did the odd poo (yes I picked it up). I noticed that she wanted to chase sticks that other people had thrown for their dogs and she kept looking at me as if to say—‘come-on you lazy bugger--- throw one for me!
I picked up one that should have been far too big for her and threw it into the gentle surf. Perdy had not been in anything more and a few centimetres, so I was curious to see how she would handle the little waves. Surprise surprise--- she jumped over the wave, retrieved the stick and plopped it by me on the sand and then jumped back into the water and I swear she was using the waves like a body surfer. Somehow I think she will want to try something a bit bigger next time.
People laughed at the sight of a little Jack Russell, ruining along the beach with a stick that was longer then her. It looked hilarious. My camera is on the blink so I didn’t get pictures of her until later at the cafĂ©.
The TAKAPUNA BEACH CAFÉ AND SHOP has to have one of the best urban views in New Zealand. The long sweeping beach with Rangitoto Island and the Hauraki Gulf providing a wonderful backdrop is a sight to calm even the most frazzled nerves. The café is positioned only a few metres from the boat ramp and beach.
We should have waited to be seated, but we didn’t see the sign so we plonked ourselves down at the first outside table that became available. (I think that the sign applied to the seat inside--- well that’s what I want to think). A waiter appeared and we ordered coffee. It was Alpress coffee, one that I always enjoy. When the friendly, immaculately dressed waiter brought our coffees, we placed our orders. Perdy had settled down to shiver under the table, but I made sure that she had the sun warming her. She was way too absorbed in observing the other dogs and the business of the cafĂ© to worry about mundane things like being cold---she was still a little wet from her swim.
It was then that I notice the linen napkins and better quality cutlery. This cafĂ© is not at the lower-end of the market. The prices reflect that too. It was when we surveyed the menu that we realized why. Don’t expect the usual bacon, eggs and ‘big breakfast’ type offerings. The menu is far more varied and quite exotic.
I chose a smoked snapper hash, topped with a beautiful freshly made green concoction, one organic poached egg and pancetta. It came with a pea relish. The overall affect was almost spectacular. It was a bit more expensive than our usual breakfasts, but you won’t hear me complaining.
My sister ordered Moroccan eggs, baked with other goodies. (They had gluten free bread—always a plus with us) She was delighted and made it clear that she would like to try the luncheon menu next time. We were both more than satisfied with the ambiance, the quality of the service and food and the fact that we could have Perdy with us. There was a bowl of water in the corner that they regularly replenished.
 General MacArthur once said----We will return. We won’t need to be in a conquering mood though.

The View from the cafe.



Perdy sitting under 'His Highness.' The chair did not collapse.