George Penney

#Spotted at a Multicultural Festival in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A man (30s?) surrounded by backpacks and toys is lying on his back in a sunny patch of grass, listening to a band play a traditional Greek tune. Hands behind his head, shades on.
A tiny new human sprawled on his chest. Fast asleep.

A woman (20s?) says: "Right. We'll do a recce and then decide what we're gonna eat. I think it's sensible to have a plan."
Her partner nods: "Yeah sure. But uhm... I'm just gonna get some of that Colombian brisket first eh. And maybe some of that popcorn over there. And some dumplings yeah?"

A small human (3?) is standing in front of a stage, holding a small stick, conducting studiously while a group of wāhine singing a waiata. Voices reaching the sky.
Mum asks: "Whatcha doin' Pookie?"
Small Human says: "Helping them SING!"

A burly man steps up to a Polish food stand and says: "Two of everything bro!"
The stallholder blinks: "Everything?"
Burly Man grins and rubs his tummy: "Yep. Everything."

Two women (40s?) are herding a mob of small humans, excitedly running around throwing colourful Gulal powder* up in the air, at each other and onto themselves.
Colours flying everywhere.
Excited laughter, giggles and shrieks.
Delighted mayhem.

(continued below)

#Spotted on a Camping Trip in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A woman (50s?) with flyaway silver hair is coasting in her wheelchair along a country track lined with flowers. Two little perky dogs trotting at her side. Stopping to chat to friends coming from the other direction.

A teen (14?) is chilling with his mum in camp chairs in a shady spot near their camper van.
Reading paperbacks and sipping coffee from enamel mugs.
Dad barbequing steaks on a small grill nearby while humming to himself.

A woman stops suddenly on a walk track and points excitedly at a brown bird. "It's a KIWI!"
Her friend laughs and says: "Nope. Weka."
"No it's gotta be a kiwi!"
"Weka. Show it your sandwich and see."*

A woman (40s?) is sitting at a picnic table at the beach while smoking a cigarette.
She takes a puff and rests the cigarette at her side only for a weka to dart out from beneath the table and steal it.
Smoking Bird scarpering with Picnicking Woman in hot pursuit!

A small human (5?) and Grandad, wearing matching plaid shirts, are moseying along a stretch of beach. Stopping to inspect promising stones here and there.
Is this one special?
Hmm. Maybe not.
How about that one?
It has potential...
Or what about that one?!
YES!

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#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:

In a library: A woman (50s?) with a gloriously messy bun, wearing a tartan dress is embroidering a cross-stich sampler.
An overspilling basket of colourful thread at her feet.
A tranquil expression on her face. People browsing shelves around her.

In a library: A teen (15?) is furiously writing in a notebook. Dense slanting words. Head resting on the desk, air focused. She's got things on her mind and it's imperative gets it all down NOW.

A woman (30s?) in a straw boater hat with flowers on the brim, a floral dress and bare feet is ambling along. A tiny black dog at her side with little legs a jaunty blur. Stopping every now and then to inspect a promising tree or flower. They've got nowhere to be. It's all about the journey.

A couple (80s?) are sitting across from each other in a cafe.
A server brings two individual quiches and they inspect them, cut them both in half and swap. Sharing two different flavours.
Elbows up, knives and forks deployed.
There's trencherwork to be done!

A man (30s?) walks out of a supermarket with a cloth bag of groceries and then carefully begins packing some sturdy panniers on his bike.
A small tent and backpack strapped to the back.
A whirligig tied to the handlebars. A faint breeze making it spin.

(Continued Below)

#Spotted During a Vintage Car Festival in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A couple (70s?) are motoring along a sunny beach side road in a Cadillac Model A (Build in 1902). He's wearing a flying helmet, goggles and driving gloves. She's wearing a warm smile for the small human waving from the footpath.

Two men (60s?) are sitting side-by-side in the front seats of a vintage (1930s?) Ford.
Wearing fedoras and overcoats.
James Cagney cool.
But what is this?
Two double scoop ice creams in their hands?
Ah well, even old school gangsters have a sweet tooth sometimes.

Two women (40s?) in crew cuts and plaid shirts are roaring along in a 1970s Holden Kingswood.
Fluffy dice hanging from the rearview.
Crochet blankets on the back seat.
Lace covered tissue box on the dash.
Blue sky overhead and mountains on the horizon.
It doesn't get much better than this.

A man (50s?) in a 90s Suzuki Swift is cruising behind a parade of vintage cars.
Chrome is glinting, but his car is way cooler.
Baseball cap on backwards, windows down.
Shades on.
EMF's song "Unbelievable" blasting.
Singing along.
If he can just reach 88mph, he'll be able to get home!

A woman (60s?) is driving a red Cadillac series 62 convertible (1950s?) along a winding country road.
Floral hair scarf fluttering in the breeze.
Big movie star sunglasses on.
A fluffy white dog in the passenger seat wearing goggles, chomping euphorically at the wind rushing by.

(Continued Below)

#Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand:

Two small humans (6?) are standing in side-by-side phone booths, blowing raspberries and making "woo woooooo" ghost noises into the receivers.
Cackling with laughter and peeking out to exchange notes on extraterrestrial communication.

A couple (70s?) are walking to their home, which is at the top of a very steep hill. Carrying a cloth bag of groceries between them, one handle each. Quietly talking and pausing every now and then to admire the view of the city, distant sea and mountains.

Two women (40s?) are walking through the markets, trying to remember the words to the theme from the movie Beaches. One keeps starting, then stopping, then starting. Then says: "I dunno how the verses go. Let's just do the chorus! It's all anyone remembers anyway!"

A man (20s?) is proudly telling a friend about how good his tiny human (2?) is getting at swimming. He says: "What I do yeah, is we go to the pool every Sunday morning for an hour and she can kick like a champ now. Best bit of the week by far!"

A woman (50s?) is inspecting some paintings with a very serious expression. Eventually, with a sigh, she says to her friend: "This doesn't arouse me."
Her friend hoots with laughter: "Can I have THAT on a T-shirt?!"

(Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A couple of tourists(70s?) have gone off piste in a quiet tree-lined street at the edge of the city centre.
Unfolding a paper map.
Studying it intently before looking this way, then that way...
Which way to go?
AH!
Back where they came from!

A tiny human (2?) in full princess regalia has been given a clean white hankie by Grandad.
Grandad's enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit nearby.
Meanwhile Tiny Human Princess is ushering patrons in and out the door with a delicate hankie flutter.
The most polite princess in all the land.

A small human (3?) is strutting along in a very eclectic outfit.
Small Human Fashion Statement is in a fluffy headband, an adult-sized plaid shirt, fairy pajama pants and too-big green gumboots*.
Strutting her stuff as much as the big boots allow.
What use is practicality?
This is FASHION.

A seagull has spotted a promising lunch.
A foolish human has sat outside to eat salmon sushi.
Foolish Human is about to eat a bite then...
WHOOOSH!
Seagull swoops and snaffles the salmon in the blink of an eye.
Piratical Bird is VICTORIOUS.
Landing on a lamp post to eat its booty.

In the open kitchen of a quiet burger joint, a dishwasher and a server (20s?) are waged in a magnificent lip sync war.
One first does Lady Gaga's Paparazzi.
The next does Jay-Z's 99 Problems.
A customer (60s?) applauding.
Chef shaking her hips, focussed on the job.
Lunch rush about to begin.

(Continued Below)