Tanned arms and high heels... And reflections about Urban living....
34 days before our cycling adventure in China.... My random thoughts:
I love the views of Auckland, as you reach it from the North.
Yesterday, it stood basking in the sunshine...shimmering like a jewel, surrounded with blue waters filled with marinas and sail boats.
It was almost evening, when we reached the city, and we decided to put our "no dinners diet" on hold, while we are here, and have some gourmet dining experiences.
At the end of Ponsonby Road, on a small side street, there is a fabulous Japanese restaurant called "Soto."
It is a world -class restaurant, which could have been located in any fabulous city, from NY to Tokyo...
But we arrived too early, and we needed to spend 30 minutes somewhere, before they officially open for serving dinner.
We decided to follow the after-work crowd, who walked into a beautiful old building, which was a restaurant-bar and which had a lovey beer garden in the back, with a large stone outdoor fire place, and plants.
Over a delicious "Leffe beer," which is produced in a Belgium Monastery, we reminisced about the joys of living in a city..............
The classical music concerts....the great variety of foods.... The farmers markets.... Coffee shops.... Independent bookstores... Museums.... And the vast veriety of people.... Oh, how I love people....
My gaze fell upon a group of four young Kiwi women, who were sitting in the table next to ours.....
They obviously just finish work, as they were still dressed in fashionable feminine work cloths... And high heels.
I never wear high heels, but I ADORE diversity...
And I silently admired their pink shoes....their beautiful tanned arms and legs.....tanned from a long summer spent wearing summer dresses....
I adored and enjoyed their sweet energy... Their shared friendship with one another....
Jules saw my eyes, and asked me what am I thinking about?...
I told him that I miss living in a great city.....
I miss seeing people wearing pink shoes and non practical clothing.........
I miss beer gardens and seeing people with such diverse ethnicity........
The girls, also heard me, and turned to me with a cheerful laughter, and created for us a spontaneous comedy show...
They staged it easily, saying that they are having a reunion....that they had actually NOT seen one another in ages...
And that they are now, trying to impress us and one another, by showing off.... Talking about their successful husbands.... Their lives full of comforts and luxuries...
They were obviously single women, but so playful, and cheerful... And fun....
One girl said that soon, they plan to join their husbands in the Cook Islands....
Another girl, corrected her, and said that the COOL term to use, is: "We will join them in the 'Cook'.............. Do not add the 'Islands', because this shorter, familiar term, make it sound as if they go there very often...."
I laughed so hard.... Feeling so fortunate to be here...with these beautiful
and life loving girls....
Jules and I started talking about the practicality of moving to a city again.... Maybe buy an old warehouse and renovate it...make it into a large and very cool contemporary living space....
Maybe do it in Wellington...or Auckland....
Make new friends and have intimate fun dinners...share ideas...invite musicians.... Be able to influence a greater change......
We already live in one rural place in Colorado.... Maybe to counter it, we need to move to Auckland or Wellington....
Urban living...Mmmmm........... Have not thought about it in ages...
After a divine dinner in Soto... the idea seemed even MORE appealing...
I love the views of Auckland, as you reach it from the North.
Yesterday, it stood basking in the sunshine...shimmering like a jewel, surrounded with blue waters filled with marinas and sail boats.
It was almost evening, when we reached the city, and we decided to put our "no dinners diet" on hold, while we are here, and have some gourmet dining experiences.
At the end of Ponsonby Road, on a small side street, there is a fabulous Japanese restaurant called "Soto."
It is a world -class restaurant, which could have been located in any fabulous city, from NY to Tokyo...
But we arrived too early, and we needed to spend 30 minutes somewhere, before they officially open for serving dinner.
We decided to follow the after-work crowd, who walked into a beautiful old building, which was a restaurant-bar and which had a lovey beer garden in the back, with a large stone outdoor fire place, and plants.
Over a delicious "Leffe beer," which is produced in a Belgium Monastery, we reminisced about the joys of living in a city..............
The classical music concerts....the great variety of foods.... The farmers markets.... Coffee shops.... Independent bookstores... Museums.... And the vast veriety of people.... Oh, how I love people....
My gaze fell upon a group of four young Kiwi women, who were sitting in the table next to ours.....
They obviously just finish work, as they were still dressed in fashionable feminine work cloths... And high heels.
I never wear high heels, but I ADORE diversity...
And I silently admired their pink shoes....their beautiful tanned arms and legs.....tanned from a long summer spent wearing summer dresses....
I adored and enjoyed their sweet energy... Their shared friendship with one another....
Jules saw my eyes, and asked me what am I thinking about?...
I told him that I miss living in a great city.....
I miss seeing people wearing pink shoes and non practical clothing.........
I miss beer gardens and seeing people with such diverse ethnicity........
The girls, also heard me, and turned to me with a cheerful laughter, and created for us a spontaneous comedy show...
They staged it easily, saying that they are having a reunion....that they had actually NOT seen one another in ages...
And that they are now, trying to impress us and one another, by showing off.... Talking about their successful husbands.... Their lives full of comforts and luxuries...
They were obviously single women, but so playful, and cheerful... And fun....
One girl said that soon, they plan to join their husbands in the Cook Islands....
Another girl, corrected her, and said that the COOL term to use, is: "We will join them in the 'Cook'.............. Do not add the 'Islands', because this shorter, familiar term, make it sound as if they go there very often...."
I laughed so hard.... Feeling so fortunate to be here...with these beautiful
and life loving girls....
Jules and I started talking about the practicality of moving to a city again.... Maybe buy an old warehouse and renovate it...make it into a large and very cool contemporary living space....
Maybe do it in Wellington...or Auckland....
Make new friends and have intimate fun dinners...share ideas...invite musicians.... Be able to influence a greater change......
We already live in one rural place in Colorado.... Maybe to counter it, we need to move to Auckland or Wellington....
Urban living...Mmmmm........... Have not thought about it in ages...
After a divine dinner in Soto... the idea seemed even MORE appealing...
