Madeleine Sami couldn't be here to talk to TimeOut about her new show Super City. She sent her mates instead.
JO the personal trainer, who takes spin classes at Les Mills and has suppressed feelings for her (girl) friend Trix - despite having a hot boyfriend.
"I'm a born-and-bred Dorklander. Jokes, LOL. Auckland's nature's just so great for an outdoorsy type like me. After some back-to-back PT [personal training]
sessions I can just pop down to Vic Park and work up a sweat doing my Fartlek training or chuck my mountain bike on the rack on the back of my Terrano and head to the track in the Waitaks for a hardcore sesh. My partner Paddy, a man, and I just bought a neat little do-up on the Kingsland fringe. When I saw it I had a right mind to just grab my strap-on tool belt, chuck up some scaff and get at that weatherboard with my trusty Makita. Paddy thinks I'm mental but I love my DIY, eh. Honestly, shove wood in my face and I know exactly what to do with it. The Aucklander I most admire is probably my best mate Trix. She pushes me in my training and stuff. And she's just a real great friend ... so yeah. Mint."
AZEEM, an Iranian immigrant and driver for Discount Taxis.
"I moved here one year ago. I love New Zealand. It's a very nice country. Sandringham is so beautiful. There are beautiful shops like ATM budget food, halal butcher, canoe and kayak and the community centre where study my Maori lessons. I'm learning Maori you know? Ka pai. In the weekends I play football with my friends and study my Maori for a few hours. Then in the night I start my taxi work. My boss Gary and his wife Roimata are the people I most admire in Auckland. He has very successful taxi business in Auckland. Discount Taxis. He gave me my first job. Oh they are such nice people. Perfect example of New Zealand culture."
LINDA, an art critic from Parnell, who wants nothing more than to support an underprivileged artist.
"I'm an Aucklander through and through. I just adore it. Parnell just has such a wonderful array of shops. I just love being able to pop out for a quick trim latte with a sneaky shortbread on the sly. Then I trundle over to see an exhibition or two at one of the many galleries in the Parnell arts quarter. I love Alphabet bistro. They do an absolutely divine blue cheese, fig, artichoke heart, capers and rocket sourdough foccacia. With just a drizzle of organic chilli infused avocado oil, a smidge of aioli and onion relish. Divine. If there is one Aucklander I most admire its Rosie Horton. I just think she has done so much for so many people, with all her charity work and what have you. Absolutely inspirational."
PASHA the ageing blonde-Indian cheerleader and promo gal.
I live on the shore with a bunch of my closest gal pals. It's the shizz. Non-stop party central alert. Who doesn't love the Shore? I step out my door and I feel like I'm on the set of Home and Away or something glamorous like that. Like, just beautiful blonde people everywhere. The first night I stepped into R'totos, Candy and I downed a couple of Breezers at the bar and then I just starting bawling coz I felt like I finally belonged. If there is one local personality I most admire it's Nikki Watson. She's, like, my idol. She's kinda on the d-low at the moment but I can't wait for her to rock a comeback. I have this totes awesome idea for us to make a calendar with, like, cream and little dogs called Biatches and Cream. It's gonna be next-level."
GEORGIE, the homeless chick
"The park where I live is really, really cool. It's got toilets and I can make slide there and its really cool. My mate Chip leaves free pizza for me outside his work. And the Mission is my favourite restaurant on hot-dog night. I like playing in my park with my dog, Sad Guy. Or watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome on VHS. I also love the library. It's a bookshop but it's free. I like reading. The New Zealander I most admire is Mel Gibson."
-TimeOut
