Herald Hysteria
Going by this article in yesterday's 'Herald on Sunday' newspaper, I think Wendyl Nissen needs a stiff drink and a lie-down. 
Ms Nissen is utterly fed up with the new residents from "Middle White New Zealand" moving into her Grey Lynn suburb;
"We older Grey Lynners, on the other hand, have earned the right to stand up for ourselves, so, for the New Residents who might be finding it hard to fit in, here is a guide:"
Ms Nissen is an "older Grey Lynner" ? I have been told she only moved into the suburb seven or eight years ago.
Wendyl chastises the newcomers for spending too much time in the local cafes ("[Cafes] are for eating, talking to friends then pissing off. [Not to] while away three hours"), for discussing house prices in the supermarket within earshot of the "Samoan shelf-stacker," and for not befriending the local homeless people;
"They are a part of us, they belong there… We like them, and some of us talk to them, not about them. The least you can do is leave them alone."
Ms Nissen’s middle-class cringe is so great, her 'Us' includes the local bums, but not the new residents with their "really bad clothes," and Lord forbid what the Samoans might overhear! Furthermore, the New Residents are "insular," so she advises them;
"Do not try to engage us in conversation. That's why we're wearing headphones on our walks around the neighbourhood now... Nor do we want to partake in a street party, a pot luck dinner, or form a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. If you’re lonely, you only have yourselves to blame."
Which is probably the best example of insular behaviour I have ever read.
"… in the cultural richness that is Middle White New Zealand, money buys you the right to be pompous, insular, judgmental and wear really bad clothes."
As a new resident from Middle White New Zealand herself, I think that is a fair description of Wendyl. Does she think the area's real "older Grey Lynners" – the working-class, the Pacific Island families, the homeless, all who were a characteristic part of Grey Lynn for decades before Ms Nissen ventured over the harbour bridge – really feel any differently about her?
14 comments:
Good thing I purchased in Kingsland, where its socially acceptable to shoot bums..
I've heard they make good compost.
Who is responsible for the "Free Paris" at the top of the page?
Ha ha. A subliminal message...
Wow. what a narrow minded piece of **** article. I wish I'd read it.
Maybe she should be thanking the new Grey Lynners for driving up the value of her land! Or is she complaining because she's only a lowly renter?
As of Saturday, I'll be a new Grey Lynn resident. However as I survived the wilds of west Auckland as a teenager Grey Lynn natives be they the be the true old residents, the Wendyl Nissan old residents or the mysterious new residents of which I suspect Wendly Nissan is actually part of the problem, I'm sure Grey Lynn should be a breeze. It's just like Titirangi minus the commute.
"Titirangi like Grey Lynn"? well I guess the black tee shirt will fit in at SPQR. Try not to leave your car wrecks on the street please though. We generally allow only the original PI residents to do that.
Nissan is a professional whiner. She epitomises that common middle classer who contributed to gentrification but objects to others joining in. She doesnt wear sandals but by the way she harps on about the latest socialist cause, she may as well. I wish she would piss off back to Mairangi Bay.
BTW, that tramp still in St Marys Bay park? He was alright. I used to feed him the odd treat from Bakers Delight on his bench.
Hi, just thought your readers might like to see all my Herald on Sunday columns which I publish on my site and get really outraged.
www.wendylnissen.blogspot.com
enjoy
Why? Are they all that bad?
Shelf-stackers are probably as interested in house prices as mice.
(school kids gaining valuable work experience excepted)
Befriending homeless people aka bums is the same as feeding pigeons. You shouldn't or you will get shat on!
She is extracting the urine!
Let's see
Titirangi has artsy/bohemian types.. check
Working-class, pacific Island families, the homeless... does New Lynn count? Check.
Pretentious wankers... anyone suburb who calls their centre shops/cafes 'the village' has exceeded a level of wankerdom far in excess of what is found in Grey Lynn
well, for once i agree with you dear. Mrs N and her hand wringing, bonecarving wearing, middle class, debt laden, PC, wannabe snobs should fuck off and live in mangere bridge if they want to get down with the working class. Anyway, who'd want to live in grey lynn? It's a shit box of a place with "redeeming" features of a few shitty cafes. Wendy really needs to get out more, but I guess when youve got a strangling mortgage courtesy of living in aspirational (thanks bank)nouveau chic auckland what else can you do but slurp down one decafe soy latte and then quickly scurry home in your singapore import volvo estate to drool over a 6 month old house and garden portaying places you'd really like to live....
Methinks Wendy's would substantially improve her class standing if she sold down to Otara, and spent the balance of the cash on a medical procedure diverting her voice from her nose to her mouth.
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