Through long residence in the west, a son who is progressing through the various school levels and Consider The Sauce, I appear to have surrounded myself with a pretty darn good network of family, friends, acquaintances, connections and various mixtures of all of the above.
And for that I am truly grateful.
We enjoy meeting and greeting friends and followers of CTS at our now regular Feasts, other foodie events, pre-arranged smaller, more private gatherings in restaurants or even spontaneous introductions on the streets of the west.
That figures – Bennie and I have hardly been shy about running photos of ourselves; and our T-shirts!
We enjoy these opportunities immensely.
But the truth is, other people’s homes – with a couple of exceptions – are a mystery to me. As is ours to them.
Perhaps this is one of the downsides of having such wonderfully easy access to outstanding cheap eats.
Why bother cooking for a crowd when you can just as easily – actually, much more easily – hit one of the great local noodle or curry joints?
This seems to be not just true of a quick feed on a regular week night when the fridge is empty, but also for myriad celebrations that would’ve once been held in family homes.
Although, in a broader context, there are far more profound forces and factors at play than those merely pertaining to our great westie eats circumstances.
It really is a different world.
Forget my very early days in Dunedin.
Even in my 20s and in Wellington, the pubs (and the music) would finish about 10pm or 11pm, and then it was usually off to somebody’s place for a party!
How often do regular folks hold parties these days?
OK, tick them off – elections, AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup, New Year’s Eve.
And that’s about it.
Even kids’ birthday parties are conducted out and about.
So perhaps in many cases it makes sense to think of the places where people sleep as living spaces or some such, rather than as homes.
I think there are both positives and negatives to what really is a seismic shift in how people in metropolitan settings live their lives.
But maybe it’s time to get back into the habit of having guests at our joint for great Indian thali meals – as we so often did at our previous abode.
That’s right – the one right next door!
Buy a BBQ and start a garden?
Hmmm, maybe not so much …
consider the sauce 
Do it Kenny. Put in a simple garden and enjoy the outside with friends before the weather turns.
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Ahh, I like the idea very much. But cooking or eating plants is much more my go! Though I do get weary of buying bunches of parsley and coriander!
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There you go, a vegie garden. Easy peasy and great rewards!
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Check out Little Vege Patch/Ol’ Man Nonno
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OK, we’ll see … I actually have a clear day off tomorrow, so who knows? I know it would be good for my head. And no doubt my heart and soul, too!
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Yes, so true about not doing meals at home for guests any more. When I lived at Sorrento, I probably had people round for a meal or drinks & nibbles once a week. In Melbourne now, I just don’t do it. But you’ve got me thinking…
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You got me thinking about that too Kenny. I remember living in Sydney for a year many years ago and noting that Sydney people hardly ever invited people into their houses but Melbourne was different. Now it seems to be the same here. Bit sad really.
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I am all for eating out- less mess to clean, I can relax and most importantly it helps provide and keep jobs for locals in the hospitality industry where most get their first job.
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Thanks, Lisa! I like the half-full outlook!
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I still like inviting people into my home – we had three or four ‘housewarmings’ last year as we introduced various clusters of colleagues and friends to our new flat. (Sadly our shy little cat doesn’t agree – I think he’d prefer that we went out!)
Potlucks are a great way of having lots of people over without too much drama. But I also enjoy going all out myself – shopping the markets, preparing three courses and sharing it with a few guests in the evening.
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