My Holidays: Simon Van Praag of Fresh Concept

Simon Van Praag, of Fresh Concept.

What was your greatest holiday?

Would have to be the nine months I took off before moving to Auckland: Southeast Asia, Nepal and India. Plenty of adventures were had. A lot of this was done overland with local transport, which I think gives you a closer view into people's communities and places. I found having a well-crafted moustache in India and Nepal most advantageous. A lot more street cred.

If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?

I love to talk to locals and listen. I think being curious can lead you into all sorts of places and situations you otherwise would be closed off from. The international language of raising a glass and sharing a drink or cuppa has opened many doors.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, what are you most likely to be doing?

It would be the Hokianga, and I would be be eating freshly cooked flounder and drinking a good chardonnay. While I'm up those ways, a trip to the Opononi Beach Takeaways for an Opo Burger is a must.

How about for a dream holiday internationally?

I'm really looking forward to taking my daughter, Goldie, on journeys when she's old enough. I can't wait to show her round Japan and where my roots are from in Europe. I know it doesn't fit the bill as a holiday per say, but going back to where my grandfather was born in Belgium and also getting a little closer to where a lot of my family were persecuted during the Holocaust I think would be a tough but worthy process to go through.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done travelling?

It's fair to say that the adage "when in Rome" isn't always the best approach ...

Aisle seat or window?

Most definitely aisle. I get a little claustrophobic being penned in.
Complete this sentence: I can't travel without ... My notebook, I find when travelling and having a bit of separation from my day-to-day routine, ideas and thoughts tend to come to mind often.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?

Dining at Attica in Melbourne with a band of close friends from Wellington's iconic hospitality industry was a memorable experience. The street eats in Seoul were some of the best I've ever experienced.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?

I have a piece of art from Jorge Selaron, bought on a trip to Rio de Janeiro where I met the man himself, or my kippahs (Jewish skull caps).

Favourite airport at which to land?

I've landed in a few airports in my time, but Wellington airport is still my favourite. It's probably a mixture of the beauty and nostalgia I have for my hometown.

What's the next trip you've got planned?

I'm planning a trip to the US in June this year for a month, I think it's about time I see the US of A for myself. This will include meeting other organisations that work in placemaking initiatives like Silo Park. I will also have the tough task of venturing around various food truck and pop-up food and beverage events during this time as "research".

Simon Van Praag, of Fresh Concept, has curated the Silo Park Summer Calendar, which closes at the end of April.

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