Mainstream

I popped up in the mainstream media this week - albeit with my name spelt incorrectly. Journos are good like that.

The Sydney Morning Herald has this light-hearted section called "Column 8" which is intended to be for little bits and pieces of general discussion about life, all generated by readers.

I found myself leaping to the keyboard this week to respond to this item:

Column 8, Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday Jan 3"I was browsing through my new 2006 diary," writes Fiona Choy, of Castlecrag, "and noticed that Tuesday, January 3 is marked as 'Day after New Year's Day' in New Zealand. I found it puzzling to say the least." Could it be that the day after the designated New Year's Day holiday, which would have been yesterday, is also a holiday in New Zealand, and thus falls today?"

So they printed my reply in the paper today and here it is online ...

Column 8January 5, 2006
URL: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/01/04/1136050494936.html

And if that doesn't work:
"The Day after New Year's Day (Column 8, Tuesday) is indeed a public holiday in NZ - a much needed and sensible one it is too," writes Kiwi Leigh Catkey, now of Concord West. "Your head's only starting to come right by January 3. I bet I'm not the only Kiwi who arrived in this country, didn't know it wasn't a holiday here, and happily failed to show up for work. Nobody cared, so I reckon it should be a day off here too." This is the most astute thing we've heard a New Zealander say since "Piggy" Muldoon described the exodus of Kiwis to Bondi as having raised the IQ of both countries."

Well - I don't know if being compared to Rob Muldoon is a compliment or not (my Uncle Bill says it is but he's a nice chap) and my husband Greg says it's just as well they spelt my name wrong cos otherwise the company I used to work for would want to be paid back for the day off they paid me for, back in 2004. Now I can say it wasn't me. Obviously they will have to remain unaware of this blog. Which I'm sure they are, as nobody knows about it except that park ranger guy (see previous blog).

They used a bit of literary licence to shorten it ... this is what I sent them:

Yes Fiona, (Column 8 03/01),
"The Day after New Year's Day" is indeed a public holiday in NZ - a much-needed and sensible one it is too. (Yes I am a Kiwi). Your head's only just starting to come right by Jan 3 and another day off means two really decent short weeks if you have to work in between the 'stats' - not just one.
I bet I'm not the only Kiwi who arrived in this country a few years ago, didn't know it WASN'T a holiday here, and happily failed to show up for work on this particular day. Nobody cared. So I reckon it should be a day off here too ..."

This is the second time the SMH has printed something I've written. They are so discerning! It is interesting I get a much bigger kick out of seeing 'opinion' I've written printed than I used to get from seeing news stories I'd written printed. I guess the opinion is me. The 'facts' in a news story were not.