Posts by Jackie Clark
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Okay, this has made me think. Everyone is, at some stage, strangers to each other. So how have you initiated your friendships? Have others initiated, or have you made the first move? Did someone introduce you? I am curious, because I'm thinking about how we make friends. So if you don't do small talk (I'm assuming we mean that initial "Hi, how are you? etc" that people do when they first meet), what does that first blooming of friendship look to many of you?
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Up Front: Casual, Shallow and Meaningless, in reply to JacksonP,
Wouldn't that be great? Except I have no iPhone, so, you know, maybe not quite as workable as we first thought.
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Up Front: Casual, Shallow and Meaningless, in reply to Emma Hart,
Well, maybe my biggest secret is - not only do I not remember peoples' names, but I also don't know where I know them from. Case in point - and highly pertinent considering the hairdresser meme (did I use that correctly?) - is a woman who's just started coming up the mountain. Yesterday, I say to her, "look, I know I know you, and quite well, but where from". Yes, she was my hairdresser. Who I last saw 6 months ago. But who I have been going to, on and off, for maybe 18 years. You see? I am BAD.
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My big secret is that I can't remember peoples' names. (As Rich will testify) Or I get them mixed up. I know faces, but I can't often match them to names etc if I have met a person less than, say, 10 times. I pretend I do know people, and I'm very good at hiding my secret shame, but I do have to do better.
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Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to Russell Brown,
Yes, well, I do acknowledge that these are strange times we live in. Funnily enough, in 1987, at the time of the last RWC that we won (and I'm not holding my breath, but one can only live in hope), I was in Wales on a little holiday. I have always been proud to call this lovely land my home, but none more so than when walking into a pub in Harlech as a stranger. The locals all started speaking in Welsh, and then noticed my "NZ is....." sweatshirt, and we were off and running. They were thrilled, I was thrilled, and temporary friends were made. This game, this one game that was played on Sunday, made me excited again, about a game I rarely bother with. And for that, and for everything it's brought to Auckland, both directly and indirectly, I am thankful.
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Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to Bart Janssen,
And let's not forget that " half the nation" actually refers to "half the people that have those meter things on their tellies". I would be very surprised, anyway, if the actual number wasn't far higher than that. Everyone I've come into contact with since Sunday, including the lovely staff at the Auckland Council service centre in Greys Ave, did, certainly.
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Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to Leopold,
I enjoyed their commentary very much. I found them entertaining, and very genial.
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Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to Richard Aston,
I noticed that too, Richard. With one kick, I think it was the first one, he was murmuring to himself - maybe an entreaty to his koro?
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Well, I had no idea who most of the players were. I kept having to ask Sally. But I, for one, will be watching the final next weekend. I mean, how can you not?
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I haven't watched a game of rugby for years and years. and I did tonight. A friend of mine has come from Wellington, and wanted to walk the Fan Trail, absorb the atmosphere, that sort of thing and then wend our way to Dominion Rd to have something to eat and watch the game. I am so glad she insisted. The Fan Trail? Meh, could have done without it. Too many fuckwits around us - all talking it up big in a really misogynistic and unpleasant way. The highlight was one of them asking when the next pub was, as we walked up the St Kevin's Arcade stairs. "Just along the road" says I. And lo and behold, they spied Family Bar (a famously gay bar for those who don't know it) and yes, they went in. Oh, I pissed myself laughing. Because, you see, it wasn't really a lighthearted walk. I got the feeling this particular game meant too much to too many people - there were, after all, very few foreigners accompanying us, it was mostly NZ fans. We got to Eden Park and it looked magical, and then we walked past on our way to find something to eat. As I said to her, here we are swimming against the tide. All is as it ever was. We made our way to an eatery - which had just emptied of rugger buggers, and as we made our exit, was expecting another deluge - and settled in to watch the game. I'm not a great rugby person, but the game had me enthralled from the first minute. I was hooting and hollering with the others who were there (mainly the staff). It was fantastic. My new catchphrase is "Touch. Pause. ENGAGE". Love it. And I'm thrilled that NZ are in the finals. I never thought that I would say this, but that game made my heart sing. Don't tell anyone I said that, though, or I may have to kill you.