Visiting Los Angeles, an Aucklander can’t help but think of home, though not in ahomesick way. It’s more to do with wondering if this vast, sun-baked, car-mad, homeless-filled place is actually future Auckland.
The taxi driver from the airport is garrulous but, unusually liberal for an LA cabbie, says the city is hurting over the Hamas-Israel war. “There’s a lot of fear.” And, as usual, he’s never been to New Zealand, but he hears it’s very beautiful.
Wife working, me tagging along, for our first few days in Hollywood we’re based at the Thompson Hollywood, new and hip and full of rich youngsters. There’s a rooftop bar and a pool. It’s just a hop off Sunset Boulevard and I can see
