Apologies

Sorry for the long pause since my last post: I was in Wellington to visit my brother and take part in a Creative New Zealand arts reviewers' seminar (a good day, but what's up with all the domineering theatre reviewers?). This is my brother's apartment building, reflected in the one across the road. (It's the middle building, with scaffolding attached.)

His apartment is small but very convenient to important locations like government ministries (he works in one of these) and Caffe Astoria. And he has Sky TV, so we could watch the French Open men's final live at 1 AM.

On my last night there, we went for dinner with my friend, the brilliant Milton Bell, to Monsoon Poon. I was gesturing wildly with my wine glass, and managed to sever the bowl from the stem - glass all over the floor and the table, red wine all over Milton. Ten minutes later: blood seeping from Milton's elbow when he made the mistake of leaning on the table. Come to dinner: I will cut you.

It was sunny the first day in Wellington, which means Wellingtonians go around saying "you can't beat a good day in Wellington," as though said good days come along all the time there. This is the waterfront, near Te Papa (our national museum).

It's Matariki, the Maori new year, as advertised in the Te Papa shop window. I'll post more about next week.

I have to hurry now: I'm in a Starbucks on Ponsonby Road (for the purposes of wireless access only! I don't want hate mail from NZers outraged I'm not patronising one of the many local places) and I have to race to pick up my niece from ballet, plus get ready for a night carousing with Top Author Charlotte Grimshaw.

Here's a picture taken from the plane window (probably illegally) on the flight back up to Auckland - it's of Mount Taranaki.

Sorry for the scattered nature of the post. I have so much more to report. From where I'm sitting, in Starbucks, I can see the sun setting over the Waitakere Ranges. Auckland is a beautiful city. But the traffic is hell, so I better go.

Comments

[Amy Guth]

Ha! "Come to dinner: I will cut you!"

That *must* appear in a novel eventually, you realize, hmm?

Hope you are well.

[Dawn]

Thanks for the invite but I might skip dinner!