Yesterday I was in Auckland. It was a beautiful sunny day, not too hot - just right. I was filling in some time before playing snooker at the excellent Ponsonby Pool Hall with Gary and wandered down Queen Street in the morning, doing some shopping and ended up at my favourite little shopping arcade - Queens Arcade at the corner of Queen Street and Customs Street.
This has a neat little coffee bar I've been going to for nearly 40 years, the best record (music) store in the country and a hairdressers that I've always trusted. Now I used to, many years ago, have a good head of hair, now it grows sideways and continually disappears on top. The two gentlemen barbers always gave me a nice cut though and even when we moved up north 10 years ago I would, on the odd visit to Auckland call in for a trim. Yesterday I called in and discovered that my two gentlemen barbers had sold the joint. The new owner was an Asian woman (sub-continent). I don't know if she was Indian or Pakistani. I discovered that she bought the place two years ago and is making a real go of it, working hard and building up the business. We chatted while she cut and tidied my messy hair. It was very pleasant. I told her that I used to call in regularly when I lived in Auckland and occasionally since I moved away. When I told her that 10 years ago we had moved to Northland she asked:
"Is it safe?"This surprised me and I assured her that it was and that she and her husband would enjoy trips up there to take in the beaches, the bays and the bush walks. I didn't think much more about it until later when talking to Lynn about this and we decided that the bad press that troubled towns like Kaikohe and Kaitaia get - see NORTHLAND TOWNS BATTLE HIGH VIOLENCE RATES do influence people's opinions. Only a week ago the newspapers were full of a story about German tourists having all of their possessions stolen when they took in some scenery.
This of course was yesterday morning and my, now to be proven naive response was - "of course it's safe". This was from my perspective of a white, I guess privileged fifth generation New Zealander.
The distressing events of a couple of hours later in Christchurch was to prove me wrong.
I don't know if my hairdresser was a Muslim or not. I do hope that she and her family do not lose faith and heart at living in this country. This barbaric act by one or more selfish, sick fucks will have a long-lasting effect on so many good people.
Bastards!
4 comments:
Robert's comment has gone!
Yep, he's history.
Fair enough, freedom of speech is only guaranteed to USA citizens!
Weird!
I found this comment by Robert in the COMMENTS SPAM folder in my blog. He wrote it on 17 March this year.
"It was a long rambling post but I persevered to the end. Why does it matter what your hair dresser's birth place is? Why does it matter what your hair dresser's religion is? Today is St Patrick's day will you only buy beer from an Irishman?"
It makes no sense to me. He was pissed off that Richard and I took exception to his earlier racist comment and he removed that. Maybe his judgement was addled or maybe, more likely, he just doesn't know how to express what he's thinking. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
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