Now Voyager: Sunday at Chaffers

It is a beautiful sunny warm day today but in the air is wind chill to make you aware that this is still Wellington. I took Alice to the quayside market and decided to have a coffee at the Café Chalk right on the quay where the very expensive apartments lie. It is very busy with all sorts of locals having coffee and breakfast, served by a seemingly harrassed Asian manager who is overburdened withpeopleusing their credit cards. I feel for him. My American waitress is very attentive and serves me a muffin with butter and a fork to spread it with. The smiling barista then gives me an excellent coffee and brings me the required knife. She is still learning the ropes.

Busy Chalk Cafe

Looking my age after a four a.m. start to hear the Wallabies beat Wales in the WC this morning.

The book I have just finished.

It is an excellent study of trans-gender problems in Tehran's very backward society. As the author, a young Iranian transplant to NYC, she seems to have experienced first hand the state of being born in the wrong gender body. It is well written and finally quite tragic, where the true same-sex love is never able to speak its name in Iran. Homosexuality is totally illegal, but the Sharia Law permits, nay, encourages, gay people to re-assign their gender so they can then marry the 'opposite' sex. Such a weird country, once a leader of all things literary and cultural, but now because of its military dictatorships and religious fervour, falling so far behind the progressive world. These people would be much happier in the gender bending country of New Zealand I am sure.

This afternoon I am off to hear the the Glamaphones concert at St Andrews, and to hear a few gender bending songs I am sure. Then on to do some same sex dance sports at Thistle Hall at 7pm.

Sunday is normally quite busy although I had to discover it is quiet in Thorndon when I discover a closed National Library cafe. Ooh well, I can always go to Cuba Street, it is always open.

However I go instead to the Botanical Gardens which have wonderful flower beds to see. After that a visit to see Beth in Wadestown and then on to the concert which happens to be not at St Andrews but at the war museum theatrette...a great venue with a fabulous concert offered. I decide to see it again at six pm it is so good! I am now thinking I may rejoin the choir in January next year! It has changed its attitude and direction quite a bit since I was last in it. My swimming training days may be over!

Botanical Gardens