The Berbs
Trip Start
Sep 09, 2004
1
142
393
Trip End
Ongoing
Queenstown,
New Zealand
Friday, August 12, 2005
On Shiny's indisputable recommendation and kind temporary lendage, I've just started 'Tuesday's with Morrie' by Mitch Albom. It broke me quickly - a tear slid down my cheek on page two - so I know I'm doomed.
Last night I went in to town with Ade, pron. 'Addie' (important.) He's the Brazilian guy who I met when I arrived here in April around my birthday. He works for the same firm and we agreed last week to grab a few beers at some point. By coincidence he lives directly over the road from me too, so deciding a meeting place was simple enough. In his free time he (very passionately) bakes cakes. Last night's was 'carrot'. He opened the oven door four times to show me.
His housemate John seems friendly enough too, though Ade thinks he's too quiet and secretive. He caught him red faced and out of breath the other day and John refused to give him an explanation. Ade was frustrated by this.
I've been listening to one of his CD's in the car while I've been working. I can't understand a single word but it's totally, totally superb. It's like an unplugged Brazilian acoustic set. I'm totally addicted to it; the guy's voice is amongst the best I've heard. Ade calls it 'Romanchka' and nods.
He reminds me of my childhood days, sat cross-legged in front of the TV eating corned beef and salad cream sandwiches cut in to squares, watching Chips. He's like a little Eric Estrada clone. He does actually look the part though, with his long leather jacket and crisp white shirt. His English isn't fantastic but you can understand him most of the time. In town his eyes were everywhere. He's absolutely mad for the ladies. We slipped in to the Altitude Bar and got a pint in. He stuck his hands out in front of his imaginary bosoms and looked down, sticking out his bottom lip. Then he looked back at me. 'I like-a the berbs.' This I understood but had to confess to being more of a bum and leg man. He squinted his eyes almost shut and took a deep breath, holding his thumb and finger together. Then he shook his head slowly. He was one too. After four pints he was rendered, totally muntered. We visited a few bars and he introduced me to one or two of his friends, some of them the unlikeliest of people. One guy had all the facial features of John Travolta, but exaggerated ten-fold. Even the bar was called 'Surreal'.
Considering it's the middle of winter and we're in an Alpine climate, the weather here has been unusually good (or bad, depending on your chosen pastime.) For skiers and snowboarders it's been nothing short of shit. For those of us who've not managed to get up on the slopes, the weather has been perfect. Over the last two weeks, as I've spent a lot of time living nocturnally, I've noticed a crisp, cloudless night sky often filled with a glowing moon but always sparkling with the southern stars. It has rained and snowed perhaps just once during this time and lots of people are well pissed about it. Even the average temperature is starting to get warmer which is totally unusual for Queenstown at this time of year. It looks like the ski season is coming to an end early, the exact opposite of last year. I'd have loved to have had a go myself but I've been told it's far too icy and dangerous up there (not great for beginners) so I'm just gonna sit tight and hope for better conditions. I've been out of action enough in New Zealand, I don't need any more limb complications.
This is a private blog 
