“You can’t beat Wellington on a good day.†And today is one of them. Clear silvery sunshine beats down on the jackets everyone is wearing, just in case. The autumn freshness means they’re still comfortable. The harbor’s waters retain summer’s friendly turquoise, only a hint of darker cold currents in the deeper spots. Even the […]
Entries from March 31st, 2010
Reunited
March 26th, 2010 Comments Off on Reunited
It’s Winona’s turn to be in a cafe, tapping an iPhone. She has taken a morning off from flat hunting to catch up with an old friend. It wasn’t entirely successful, chiefly due to the old friend’s two-year-old. She is waiting to hear from Will about a second interview he’s been on when someone behind […]
Tags: real estate · willow · winona
Moore Wilson’s
March 24th, 2010 2 Comments
After letting Will sleep in while she looked at an exceptionally disappointing downtown flat, Winona decides to take a peek into Moore Wilson’s. She has heard that this wholesale distributor – cum- gourmet retailer has renovated their central store. Fifteen minutes later, she is in mild shock. The former dark, cramped grocery, with its snaking […]
Tags: food · real estate · willow · winona
Wellington Hair
March 22nd, 2010 Comments Off on Wellington Hair
Winona sits in the chair at her mother’s salon. This is not half as cozy as it sounds. Wilhelmina may be 67, but she is a fashionable Wellington woman, and her salon is one of the city’s many ateliers of avant-garde hair. Winona wonders how much its pressed raw concrete walls and deliberately industrial sinks […]
Not An Interview
March 19th, 2010 Comments Off on Not An Interview
Will is at the strange ritual of Having Coffee With A Potential Employer, a Wellington phenomenon as measured as a Japanese tea ceremony. First, there is the hosts’ disclaimer that this meeting of minds isn’t an interview. They just wanted to meet him. It is unspoken that, if he is found worthy, an actual job […]
Tags: coffee · jobs · social mores · will
Flat Hunting In Wellington
March 17th, 2010 Comments Off on Flat Hunting In Wellington
Flat hunting in Wellington. The sheer hell of it. Several days after their arrival, Will cases the To Rent ads on TradeMe while Winona rustles the paper (thrust upon her by her mother.) Pretty soon Will’s cellphone rings. It is a former colleague of his. What’s he been up to? Has he got a CV? […]
Tags: real estate · unreal estate · winona
Perfect Anywhere But Here
March 15th, 2010 Comments Off on Perfect Anywhere But Here
“Well, tell Win and Will they must come around sometime soon. We’ll get the spa pool going and have a barbecue, if this gorgeous weather holds. Ronan! Ronan, down! Can’t you hear him barking? I must go take care of this beast of ours.†Helena is the middle Wellington sister. She takes after their fair, […]
Tags: helena · hutt valley
Up The Coast
March 12th, 2010 Comments Off on Up The Coast
“You didn’t have to call to tell me Win’s back, Mummy. I’ve been reading her Twitter posts all week. At least now that she’s back she and Will can reduce their carbon footprint properly.†Even Mina has to admit that her eldest daughter, Karin Kapiti, takes herself rather seriously. Karin has her mother’s height, topped […]
Tags: kapiti coast · karin
Who Is Will?
March 10th, 2010 Comments Off on Who Is Will?
That night, Winona lies next to Will, under the red and burgundy quilt. He’s asleep as if jet lag didn’t exist. Winona is not so lucky. She lies there, staring at his shoulders while he sleeps on his side. Everything that’s wrong and right about Kiwi men is wrapped up in Will’s history. He’s a […]
Meet Walter Wellington
March 8th, 2010 1 Comment
Winona’s father, Walter, blocks Will when he tries to go into the kitchen to help with dinner. “Come and have a drink, you look bloody exhausted!†Walter is shorter, rounder, younger, and jollier than his wife Wilhelmina, and still working for his own government department. Less outdoorsy than most New Zealand men, he’s a Corgi […]