After lunch, the three of us played a few games of pool at a nearby pool hall. I almost beat Paulo for one of the games! He looked at me with a surprised expression and said with his strong French accent, “You have got much better since Napier. Very good.” Haha. The guys were off to see X-Men before heading back to Waiheke, so I said goodbye early. It was good to see Paulo again though. When they left for the movie, I went on to do some much needed op shopping! I was still in dire need of work-appropriate clothing, and my over-worn backpacker clothes just weren’t going to cut it. =) My shopping trip at the Recycle Boutique was a success; I was properly prepared to go back into work on Monday looking sharp. The weekend was made even better when I got back to the flat, and Emma asked me if I wanted to go to the French Market with her the next morning. Yes please!
The French Market is held every weekend in the trendy suburb of Parnell, and chilling there on Sunday mornings has become somewhat of a routine for us now—one which I quite enjoy! Freshly made crepes, hummus, paella (rice dish), cheese, pastries, bread, cupcakes, fruit smoothies, etc. Mmmmm mmm good. I love just walking around, checking out what the different vendors have to offer, sampling the foods, and then sitting down at one of the tables or on the sidewalk to people watch. The typical routine is for Emma and I to eat breakfast there (potentially a chocolate twist danish), stay for a few hours, then get some paella to take home with us for lunch. That morning though, some of Emma’s family was in town from Hamilton, so they joined us at the market too.
Emma introduced me to her older brother Scott, his wife Amanda, and their little cutie Amos who is only about two years old. They were all really nice. We chatted for a while at one of the tables and remained quite entertained by Amos. I couldn’t help but giggle at him when we were all leaving: he was wearing new shoes and still hadn’t quite learned how to walk in them properly, so his stride was rather comical. After the market, Emma and I rented a few movies, and came back to the flat for a full afternoon/evening of movies, popcorn, and wine. What better way to spend a Sunday, eh? The following week was pretty relaxed too. I signed up with two more temp agencies, interviewing with them a couple of afternoons after work. The only night I went out was on Thursday when Emma invited me out to dinner with her and her cousin Fernando from Australia. Fernando was in town on business and treated us to a delicious meal. The three of us went to Elliott Stables to eat, appropriately described as “Auckland’s Epicurean Village.”
Basically an up-scale food court, it has gourmet eateries of Spanish tapas, French creperies, Italian Bruschetta, German sausages, and more. In the evening, soft glowing white Christmas lights light up the place, and its wooden furniture and cobble stone floors make you feel far, far away from the big city. Such an alluring environment! The food was delectable too. We ate a variety of tasty tapas, and delighted in some sangria and wine. Fernando was so nice and easygoing, so between good food and good company, it was a nice night out =) Other than that, I mainly chilled at the flat after work, did some blogging (obviously not enough) and chatted with my Argentinian flatmate Daina. Daiana and I haven’t hung out much outside of the flat, but we get along well and have watched many a movie together and are known for getting into long discussions at the flat about life, travel, and friends. She came to New Zealand on just a one-year visa as well, but it wasn’t long before she decided to make it her permanent home. She and Emma keep telling me I’m not going home, even though I keep telling them otherwise haha.
Cheers,
Ash
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