So I’m writing this offline and doing the copy ‘n paste thing because the Otorohanga wireless crawls. Also I have 52 minutes of purchased internet time left this evening and I’m using it frugally. I’ve got an unidentified SKY movie on mute and have discovered some rather enchanting pre-loaded pipey music on my phone, which I’m, um, piping through my laptop speakers. When that runs out I think I will resort to the bedside radio clock. I also have the accompaniment of an electric fan, some cicadas and the intermittent room-rattling of logging trucks as they traverse State Highway 3, which just so happens to be about 10 metres from my open window, the net curtains all aflutter. Plus there are train tracks about 100 metres beyond the highway. The trains aren’t quite so frequent, though.
I didn’t know – until today – that Otorohanga is our official Kiwiana Town. Tomorrow I’m being shown some Otorohanga hospitality and going to see some glow worms and kiwi birds (as my Swedish friend Annie calls them). I’m quite excited about it. I’ll be sure to take photos and do a bit of slapped together after-the-fact Otorohanga photojournalism here in days to come. Even though I only have my very shit camera with me. But there’s seriously more kiwiana here than you could poke a piece of no. 8 wire at (a whole glass-walled arcade of buzzy bees and tributes to Sir Edmund Hillary, even (I just had to look at a $5 note to check how to spell Ed’s name… what kind of kiwi am I?)), so even shit snaps will be worth a punt.
Today at 3pm sharp I got served tea and biscuits by a real live tea lady. I didn’t know – until today – that there was even such a thing as tea ladies any more. And when our workshop wrapped up today at about 5.08pm and we left the meeting room, the entire place was empty and in almost complete darkness. I think I might move here permanently.
katyink 