Cultural Weekend in Wellington

Yeah, last weekend was a big success: I did not only manage to see two plays (of which the Polish play T.E.O.R.E.M.A.T. was quite challenging) but also caught up with most of our friends who live in the NZ capital. Interesting enough most of the conversation was held in West-Flemish, a language that I still speak most fluent of all and the same counts for my fellow country men




This time I stayed in Hataitai with Pippa and Euan, who we met at the campground in Nelson before Christmas. They’ve got two kids of nearly the same age as Ilias and Jacob. Because Pippa got really sick while I was there Euan had to look after the kids all weekend. While watching him I realised what Scott was going through 700km further up north.




I was very lucky to be able to stay at their place, because it’s really close to the city center and they live in one of these lovely old wooden houses, which are hard to find in Tauranga. Before moving to NZ I always pictured myself living in such a house, even though everyone knows they’re not insulated, draughty, damp and very cold in winter.



I really enjoyed being back in Wellington. Of all the cities here it reminds me the most of Europe and that’s probably because it’s got a city center full of cafes, bars, little restaurants and cool shops. The inhabitants are quite different from the rest of the country: they’re a lot more into arts and fashion (except maybe for the half naked teenage girls on Courtnay Place on weekend nights). From the city you can get some spectacular views on the harbour.



Pieter and Branka, originally from Leuven (and Croatia), dragged me along to some new bars and tried to convince me again to move to the Kapiti Coast, about 45 minutes drive from the capital, where they’ve bought a house. Because it’s 3-4 degrees warmer there and very close to the beach, this might be the place where we will move to eventually. Our only worry is that Scott might have difficulties finding a job there. Apparently the Kapiti Coast doesn’t get as much wind as Wellington (the Windy City). Amazingly enough there wasn’t hardly any wind this time. But I haven’t forgotten the last time that we were there at the beginning of January, when our tent nearly blew away at night.

I also caught up with Stefan and Petra, the photographer from Merkem, who showed me some more cool places to hang out at night.



Sunday I went to the City Art Gallery to pick up Annegreet, who’s originally from Watou in West-Flanders and is working at the gallery as well as at Capital E, ‘the only organisation in New Zealand that gives children access to a wide range of creative technology and live performance’. One of the projects she’s finished recently is an exhibition of selfportraits made by kids from a local school. The result is quite impressive, don’t you agree?




By Sunday night I had done so much walking and talking, that I was quite happy to fly back home. The view outside my little window was overwhelmingly pretty, with all those little lights and the estuaries everywhere. At the airport I was met by Scott and the kiddies, who were both wearing their pyjamas and gum boots (called ‘Wellingtons’ by the British…).





I guess it was just as good that I didn’t stay away for much longer…