Shopping today is a nightmare as everyone is out making their food purchases for tomorrow's gargantuan feast. I just recoil thinking about it, as Christmas for me is not an especially happy or nice time of the year. Over-indulgence in food and drink, people overspending, and families getting together when often they don't want to at all. Tomorrow I have two meals to go to and will hopefully stay a short while at both so I will have an early start on Boxing Day to drive to Lake Taupo where I plan to stay one night en route to Auckland. Friend Floss runs the backpackers at Turangi on the Southern tip of the this great fisherman's lake and I will stay the night there.
In today's paper a story of sports millionaires giving up their wealth early to live the quiet life. Something my good friend and confidante M did when she was world golf champion at only 21, she retired to work in golf administration and has never regretted it, although she would have been a mufti-millionaire had she stayed golfing.
On the phone last night she asked me if I was still sure of leaving Wellington next year. Sure I'm sure, I said, and today it is reinforced one hundred per cent. I will be going back to a very hot NSW and possible bushfires, but that is where I grew up and where I belong for the next few years at least.
Strangely at Tiwhanawhana last night I made a tiny glimmer of a contact with a Maori man who may be interested but dares not say it. As I am about to leave I may approach him with the possibility of a long distance type of friendship, which I know he has had before. It would be nice not to leave NZ without some contact being made in this Maori context as I do appreciate the Maori race for what they offer to the community at large. I can't even pronounce this man's name as he has sensibly decided to keep his Maori moniker which is his right and pleasure.
Sports champions giving up riches..
At Italian delicatessen
With broken glasses!
It is really quite hot today so the airconditioned Penthouse Cinema at Brooklyn is the go. Folies Bergeres, a recent cinematic vehicle for Isabelle Huppert is showing and it will be a welcome break before the madness that is Christmas. I am fending off insistent invitations from J to go to midnight Mass but I am seriously going to ignore them as I have other things on my plate and Mass is not one one of my priorities although she will take it personally I fear. But so be it, I cannot do everything she wishes and my attendance at The Long Hall yesterday was my Christmas offering, c'est tout!
Isabelle Huppert having a fling
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