“I’m from Pukekohe, but my wife and I now live just outside San Francisco.”
“Where abouts?”
“Oakland.”
“Yeah I know Oakland. You guys didn’t wanna venture to London like most kiwi adults?”
“We did. For about a year. Then we couldn’t do it anymore. It was cold, shitty weather. The people there were quite grumpy too, they just looked to start something, you know.”
“Yeah I’ve heard, so.. you reckon Auckland has changed much since 2002?”
“Yea housing prices and rent have gone up. There’s a few more shops and shopping centers then I remember, but .. not really. We have a son now and we’re thinking about coming back.”
“How come?”
“Dunno, these public school shootings in the states. They’re a bit scary to think about.. Or we might just send him to a private school.”