The End of the Golden Weather

The prolonged summer we enjoyed is now over and autumn is well and truly with us. Because of this, our afternoon walks often find us at the local shopping centre. It is affectionately known by our family as 'The Inferno', ... somewhere you could imagine being consigned to for eternity if you died and had not lead a good life. It's retail mania gone manic and its claustrophobic arcades,its lack of natural light and its bland exterior well qualify it for the 'least imaginative architectural award for 2005.' It's Hell, but it's where Sujin and I make for on cold rainy days as its warm, its dry, there's plenty of 'buzz' and there's lots to look at. Good coffee too.
It's also an important part of her social development creating a familiarity with her environment as we stop and talk with acquaintances we meet, as we pass familiar land marks; the school, the church, park and library and as we simply sit and watch all the surrounding activity.

Whilst I'm sure all this could be achieved without visiting the Inferno, it will have to do till the good weather returns or till they build something better!

(apologies to Bruce Mason , NZ Playwright, for stealing his title)