I tried to get on with my mowing today, but it was very frustrating, because the darned thing kept breaking down. I’d mowed down to a section down under the trees, which obviously has been left for a very long time, + is very overgrown. As a result, the mower is being seriously overworked, so keeps stalling, + then not wanting to start. And especially for me, not the most mechanically-minded of blokes, it’s very difficult. However, I would find something else to do + try the blasted thing every so often – when it finally agreed to start I’d mow for a bit longer until it packed in again.
In the evening, I was a barman again at the Cascade. They had a new tour in, quite a young + pleasant bunch. Highlight of the evening was Mike offering us all a meal. A bit of alright it was too. Does this mean a huge transformation? I doubt it.
Getting into a pattern now, with two jobs occupying my day, plus some occasional work at River Park to cover our rent.
I have been asked for my views on New Zealanders. As I have already observed, the whole place resembles Britain in the 50s, and in many ways the social attitudes are from that era too. There is a grudging admiration for the Maori people (who, at least as rugby players, are welcomed) but that exists alongside a condescending attitude to them, seeing them more as a social problem than anything else. Apart from the Maori population, the country is pretty much exclusively white – I guess that must have changed now. And while we always encountered generosity and friendliness – viz the ease of hitch-hiking, I’m not sure that would always be the case if we weren’t white. English, indeed, seeing as most people we met had English roots.
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