The news in The Dominion Post is pretty banal, as usual. People not getting claims for legitimate PTSD, a wealthy restaurateur trying to keep his niche restaurant when the council wants to cater for the average Joe Blo. This is an interesting point, as Wellington has such an egalitarian society it is a pity when choice venues on the waterfront cater only for those who have enough disposable income to afford their quite high prices. I am all for the change suggested.
But a disturbing piece of news which struck me to the core, was the reported missing of a young tennis professional instructor from Australia who had been coaching in Hamilton. His disappearance smacks strongly of a 'gay bashing', as there is no other explanation for it. He did have a wallet full of cash apparently.These events are indeed rare, but the fact that they occur at all is a subject of great concern to minority groups such as gays, and should be to society in general. I am wondering what follow-up will occur after this 'disappearance' becomes perhaps, a mortality. New Zealand is obsessed with reporting sport with its accompanying triumphs and disasters, but such things as gay bashings may still not warrant the air space.
Btw, we had our final Six on Six meeting last night when the Auckland Body Positive CEO gave an excellent report on the state of 'disclosure of status' in New Zealand. This position has gone from archaic to reasonable, where now the onus is on everyone to behave responsibly, sexually. B was a fount of knowledge and is certainly on the coal-face in this fight against the spread of HIV. It was a stimulating and informative session to end with. We are all sorry it is over for the year.
Finally I get to the City Library where there happens to be a sale on of old books, CDs and DVDs and it's quite a good one. I buy a DVD biopic of Ray Charles, which I have long wished to see, and a CD of Jose Carreras singing fabulous arias - what nice things to take home.
On the shelves I hunt for more Witi Ihimaera books and find The Matriarch and Dear Miss Mansfield - they should keep me going for a while, and then I see perched on a shelf all alone, a book called 'Between Men' a modern anthology of best gay short stories; there are sure to be some I have not yet read, so I take it home too. Its foreword, which I read immediately, by English writer Richard Canning, is exhaustive and fascinating. There has been so much 'gay lit' out there in the last three decades that a lot just passes under the normal radar. I now have lots of holiday reading to do. This library is very user friendly and I can easily spend a half day here and it just disappears in a moment.
Oh, btw, did I mention my Nelson Christmas house sitting job which I had enquired about at least three weeks ago, has come through with a belated request to 'please come'. I balefully reply, 'sorry, too late'.That may be a Kiwi way of doing business but not mine, at this stage anyway, perhaps later I may become a little more kiwified! lol!
Below, the Michael Fowler Centre, the major concert hall in Wellington which is..
...next to the old Town Hall, now being refurbished......opposite (below) the cafe Felix
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