It’s a bit overcast in Auckland today. How is it in your neck of the woods?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Poorer Cousin
On 18 May the sale of two of Fiona Pardington's works at Art + Object in Auckland attracted the highest price paid at auction for a photograph in New Zealand. The previous record of $30,000 was shattered when Fiona's Quai Branly suite of nine Heitiki realised $64,275, and her single image Ake Ake Huia sold for $30,385.
Photography has shed its reputation in New Zealand as the poorer cousin of painting and sculpture.
Photography has shed its reputation in New Zealand as the poorer cousin of painting and sculpture.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
New Lid
And I thought the art of service was lost in Auckland. Well you have your Crane Brothers, but I have never had a particularly good time there. Treat me like I look, poor. Does anyone still read Murray’s blog any more? I thought not.
No I thought the art of service was lost in Auckland. Until recently that is when I decided it was time for a new lid.
I was not returning to Leo O’Malley’s on the Karangahape ridge. For the last lid purchase I basically had to order the lid from Hills, get them to deliver to Leo’s, call to check it had arrived, go and collect it. Sorry besides your margin what was your part in the transaction again Leo? Smith & Caughey and the word service used in the same sentence, not in my tenure in Auckland.
Seems I had ticked off all the old school stores or stores with old school beliefs.
Until a walk down the high street had me stumble across RJB Design. An unassuming store, I entered assuming nothing. I was met by a portly gentleman who greeted me with sincerity and informed me that he would be right with me as soon as he was finished with the other lone customer in the store. This other lone customer (also of portly stature and not so lone as he was with his wife (well I assumed it was his wife (she seemed to know rather intimate details of his measurements))) was after the Richie Benaud look. I think that statement there sets the scene of the type of store I had found myself in. This man with the Benaud yearning and his suspected wife looked like they had just walked off the cruise liner that was currently docked at the Auckland foreshore. Further eavesdropping into their conversation in formed me it was at the case. The dribble that was coming out of this mans mouth was enough to stain an expensive looking beige suit. But the store clerk showed the utmost patience and continued to provide this man with a level of service I thought was restricted to south of the Bombay’s.
As Benaud took to the dressing cubical it was my turn to experience this first class service first hand. I was given full range of the available lids, offered advice to where on my head the lid should actually sit, complemented and finally given a nice friendly pat on the tush. He didn’t really I was just checking that you were still reading my blog.
End result was I left the shop happy and with a new lid.
No I thought the art of service was lost in Auckland. Until recently that is when I decided it was time for a new lid.
I was not returning to Leo O’Malley’s on the Karangahape ridge. For the last lid purchase I basically had to order the lid from Hills, get them to deliver to Leo’s, call to check it had arrived, go and collect it. Sorry besides your margin what was your part in the transaction again Leo? Smith & Caughey and the word service used in the same sentence, not in my tenure in Auckland.
Seems I had ticked off all the old school stores or stores with old school beliefs.
Until a walk down the high street had me stumble across RJB Design. An unassuming store, I entered assuming nothing. I was met by a portly gentleman who greeted me with sincerity and informed me that he would be right with me as soon as he was finished with the other lone customer in the store. This other lone customer (also of portly stature and not so lone as he was with his wife (well I assumed it was his wife (she seemed to know rather intimate details of his measurements))) was after the Richie Benaud look. I think that statement there sets the scene of the type of store I had found myself in. This man with the Benaud yearning and his suspected wife looked like they had just walked off the cruise liner that was currently docked at the Auckland foreshore. Further eavesdropping into their conversation in formed me it was at the case. The dribble that was coming out of this mans mouth was enough to stain an expensive looking beige suit. But the store clerk showed the utmost patience and continued to provide this man with a level of service I thought was restricted to south of the Bombay’s.
As Benaud took to the dressing cubical it was my turn to experience this first class service first hand. I was given full range of the available lids, offered advice to where on my head the lid should actually sit, complemented and finally given a nice friendly pat on the tush. He didn’t really I was just checking that you were still reading my blog.
End result was I left the shop happy and with a new lid.
So the art of service was alive and thriving in A Town. Well that was what I thought. Until I decided I needed a box to keep my lid in….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)