Saturday of interviews..

Today, Saturday, was a busy one with two interviews scheduled for the about-to-be-vacated room in my home and an unusal party at night. Interestingly, the interviews were with two Kiwi girls, both 25 and obviously career types with good jobs who loved the photos of my views. I had a few negative feelings though, as I really feel the room is for a foreign national who needs what I have to offer. And in this case I was right. Laurien arrived, long blonde tresses flowing, and perfect teeth. She was originally from Nelson and now in a big job with the Ministry for the Environment and also finishing her Master's Degree.

We chatted at length and she met with Alice and Mou Mou who was asleep on Alice's bed. MM gave her a bite as she always does, so I don't know if that was a premonition lol! Anyway she loved the room and the view but I knew she was not the one as we said goodbye. So I settled back to wait for Sarah while cooking at the same time the salted-caramel poached pears to take to the party which was on tonight for a dancer friend's sixtieth birthday. Well I wasn't too surpised when after a few texts saying she was coming, Sarah didn't turn up at all. At least we didn't waste each other's time as I had learned something from the first one.

So the pears turned out perfectly and I discovered the reason for the sea-salt in the caramel sauce, it was more than delicious it was arresting! But ironically when I got to the party later I was not to deliver the pears as the party was not at all what I had expected. First it was a community hall which was out of the ordinary, I had thought it would be at a private home, the balloons were on the floor and the tables were bare but the food was prepared and the party was going to be a jumping one, later anyway. I arrived at the prescribed eight pm and met two girls outside the darkened locked hall, both were wondering why the door was locked and no-one around. So did I! But in a few minutes all was revealed as the gpeople started to arrive, slowly at first then quite in numbers. It was to be a BIG sixtieth party, totally catered for and with Margarita cocktails being prepared for everyone. I knew no-one there at that stage except the birthday girl who was smiling and welcoming people. They were practically all women with a few male escorts, it was a to be real Wellington Lesbian party and I had never been to one so it was going to be interesting for me, a rare gay male  who was not only alone, but a foreigner. And they were all Kiwis who knew each other very well indeed. The tealight candles were lit on the many tables, (it was very sixties!) and the drinks started to hit in as I sat alone 

with my cocoanut water and wondered what would happen as no-one spoke to me. They were all very busy and then I noticed  another dancing friend but she too was very busy. After about half an hour I saw my chance and quietly disappeared from the front door realising  I would never be missed and I needed an early night anyway for my early mornng bus trip the next day to Whangani to stay with Graeme.

Rober de Niro explaining his stance on the drug industry.....

The Kiwis always enamoured of British Royalty.

Another dying piece of paradise in this very beautiful place... I wonder where it is?

The ex PM strutting her stuff on the world stage, soon to become jeven more famous....

Local boy does well and is certainly a heart-throb!

Here is a typical modest achieving Kiwi with Czech roots....

..but now another obituary of this quintessential Brit whose career of smuggling hashish certainly outdid my very modest experience in 1969 in Tangiers. But he, of course was addicted to it and also the excitement. Now he is dead and was born exactly the same year as me, but what an amazing story... c'est la vie!

Again a legendary Kiwi who left his mark on world science in the UK, and on the world!