Why I love Auckland
Working from home, the rhythm of my daily life has fallen into step with the school over the back fence. I hear the bell go for morning break and I put the kettle on. Next time it goes I make myself a sandwich. Finally, at 3pm, the bell tells me that my own children will be home soon. When term finishes I miss the playtime screams floating through my windows.
One playing field further on from this junior school is the senior school. Both schools have a large proportion of Pacific Island children, and this week, school groups have been using the fields and halls to rehearse for Polyfest – the Auckland secondary schools Maori and Pacific Islands cultural festival. As I sit at the computer on a blazing hot day, the sounds of drums and that ‘hoo!’ thing they do mingle with the screeching of cicadas and the whispering of the palm trees outside my window, and Auckland feels very exotic.
Yesterday evening I took my usual walk across those playing fields to one of the school halls for my Wednesday night zumba session. (Yes, a small smile on your part is allowed, I concede that I look fairly ridiculous, but you know, I don’t care, I have a lot of fun and sweat buckets, which has to be a good thing when you eat too much chocolate.) As I walked across the grass I disturbed half a dozen rosellas, and as they rose into the air their green and red feathers caught the slanting evening sunshine in a burst of brilliant colour. Onwards, and outside our hall a group of Pacific Island boys were playing their drums, twirling their clubs, stamping their feet … quite goosebumpy I was, by now.
Some parents and siblings had come to watch the boys, and as our zumba class got underway, a number of children drifted over to see what we were up to. Little heads popped round the door, then one or two sidled in. A brave one inched out from the wall into the back row and tried a few moves. A couple more joined in. Then there we were, a collection of sweaty women attempting Latin-American moves to Shakira, and behind us a row of Island children with enormous smiles and eyes to match, having a ball, wiggling their hips, giggling away.
Our zumba teacher is Romanian, and at least half of the class are Asian. As I staggered back across the field I reflected on life in Auckland. What a cool melting pot of a city it is.
One playing field further on from this junior school is the senior school. Both schools have a large proportion of Pacific Island children, and this week, school groups have been using the fields and halls to rehearse for Polyfest – the Auckland secondary schools Maori and Pacific Islands cultural festival. As I sit at the computer on a blazing hot day, the sounds of drums and that ‘hoo!’ thing they do mingle with the screeching of cicadas and the whispering of the palm trees outside my window, and Auckland feels very exotic.
Yesterday evening I took my usual walk across those playing fields to one of the school halls for my Wednesday night zumba session. (Yes, a small smile on your part is allowed, I concede that I look fairly ridiculous, but you know, I don’t care, I have a lot of fun and sweat buckets, which has to be a good thing when you eat too much chocolate.) As I walked across the grass I disturbed half a dozen rosellas, and as they rose into the air their green and red feathers caught the slanting evening sunshine in a burst of brilliant colour. Onwards, and outside our hall a group of Pacific Island boys were playing their drums, twirling their clubs, stamping their feet … quite goosebumpy I was, by now.
Some parents and siblings had come to watch the boys, and as our zumba class got underway, a number of children drifted over to see what we were up to. Little heads popped round the door, then one or two sidled in. A brave one inched out from the wall into the back row and tried a few moves. A couple more joined in. Then there we were, a collection of sweaty women attempting Latin-American moves to Shakira, and behind us a row of Island children with enormous smiles and eyes to match, having a ball, wiggling their hips, giggling away.
Our zumba teacher is Romanian, and at least half of the class are Asian. As I staggered back across the field I reflected on life in Auckland. What a cool melting pot of a city it is.
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