February 6. I always find this a strange day. It’s Waitangi day, the closest we have to a National Day in Aotearoa. 163 years ago a Treaty was signed between Mª ori people and the Queen of England... but some people don’t realise that there were two versions of the treaty – and they are very different. 39 chiefs signed the English version, which gives sovereignty to the Queen. More than 500 signed the Mª ori version, which gives kawanatanga (government) to the Queen, but tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) remains with Mª ori. Since then, the government have barely recognised the English version, let alone honoured the Mª ori version. 163 years of injustice, social and political discrimination, wars, land being ripped away from the people, pain and struggle... and we have a public holiday to commemorate it all... and I’m never quite sure what to do with the day, whether to feel hope, anger, or despair.
There’s another reason why I’m usually a little quieter, sadder, and contemplative on this day.
The beautiful child whose photo is under my profile, Saskia Marama, would have been two-years-old today. She was my flatmate's baby, and died after she didn't get enough oxygen during a breech birth.
Happy things (before I start to cry)
The sun is shining... and this lovely woman at the organic shop gave me a huge bag of scallopinis (sp?) and they’re delicicious with garlic and olive oil and a little homemade vinegar... and I’m going to take them along to the house of someone who I don’t think I know but I will soon... and barbecue them. Yum! And then I’m going to go to the Bluenote cos it’s Thursday, and if I have the guts I’m going to sing a song I wrote for Saskia.
If I’m ever arrested, it probably won’t be for Art Crimes, it’ll be for stalking Kim Hill.
This morning I went for a bike ride at 5:00am (see 100 things number 99). I totally recommend getting up two hours before sunrise. The sky is amazing, the city is so still... and then when the sun does creep around the edge of the hills, everything is so sharp and in focus and close - it’s as though someone has done paper cutouts of the hills and buildings... It’s beautiful being alive.
It’s also very surreal... in a "I’ve only had two hours sleep what the hell am I doing with my eyes open" kind of way. And then there’s that bird (at least I think that’s what it is) at the zoo. On still mornings you can hear it calling, and it is the most eerie chilling sound I have ever experienced.
Anyway, at the point I left the house there were no strange alien calls and it was still dark. I rode into town without lights cos I’ve lost them, and I didn’t get arrested for having no lights, or for stenciling political messages on footpaths (see 100 things number 75). Now, I wouldn’t publicly endorse graffiti, especially since governments have brought in new laws that mean that if you’re a punk / environmentalist / anti-capitalist / poor person / student / queer / pacifist etc then practically anything you do could be considered an act of terrorism. But, there will always be a few people who insist on committing dangerous and violent crimes against footpaths... photos will follow when the shops open again and I can get them developed, but in the meantime I’ve compiled a list of stenciling tips based on extensive street level interviews and eyewitness accounts.
1. Take a screwdriver. I cannot stress this enough. Otherwise you’re going to feel really silly when the same guy passes you again half an hour later and you’re still trying to get the lid off the spray can – not cool at all.
2. Watch out for taxi drivers (they like to pretend they are cops), rabid dogs, and especially council workers driving trucks with big steel brushes at the front - they’re even scarier than the cops (see 100 things number 76).
3. Silver shows up best and lasts longest. The cheap brands from the Warehouse seem to work well, but they don’t last that long, perhaps 15 or 20 stencils.
4. Go with a friend – it’s less efficient but much more fun. And you don’t get so scared when you get chased by the scary scrubby brushes!
5. The waterfront is a good spot – it’s like an immense smooth black canvas just waiting for stencils – and have you seen how many people go there during a sunny lunch-break?!
6. Don’t wear your favourite jersey (spraypaint is hard to get off).
7. Do wear gloves (see above).
8. Take a snack. Trying to bike up the Brooklyn hill on two hours sleep and no breakfast and a pack full of groceries (cos it seemed like a good idea to get the shopping out of the way while you were in town) is not fun.
I was the first person to walk in when the supermarket opened – what a geek. I found myself "spending time in the plastics aisle, examining the ranges of containers available" (see Jenny Bornholdt and appliances). I chose one with a clip-on lid, and I bought a corkscrew. Yay! Now I can open the wine and feed my vinegar plant!
And, on the way home, I think I saw Kim Hill. She lives near here, and I keep on thinking I should take a detour past her house on the way to town, but I’m always running late so I’ve never done it before. But today, it genuinely was the shortest route home. And there she was... or at least, someone who might have been her, sitting on the porch enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning sun, or maybe it wasn’t her at all, she was too far away to be certain. Nonetheless I was star struck. For the second time this week. Hmmmm... that’s my stalking quota out of the way for the year! I’m going to try and be a normal, sane, respectable citizen from now on, I promise.