The White House - House of Ill Repute?

---

August 21st and 22nd

Monday I spent up at Auckland University trying to blend in with the students. To spend the afternoon on campus was a great treat. It was like I was a student again and makes me consider my graduate degree options. Architecture library is similar to WSU and UW libraries. Musty smell of old periodicals and literature waiting to be opened. Models of the Pantheon, Egyptian Step Pyramid, projects that could be built and project that would never have a chance to get off the drawing board. Students feverously studying for the unending stream of tests and assignments. The wooden desks were the same as that found in the UW Architecture Library (fingernail marks from desperation and other signs of late night desperation).

I checked out the possibility of procuring a library card at the university, count that idea out. For a one year pass I would need to spend $500 dollars, non refundable. I’ll just read the books in the evening.

There are a number of free lectures that I can attend over the following weeks. I’ll give you a list of lectures attended as the weeks go by.

I also checked out the public library in Auckland. It’s been recently renovated and includes some innovative spaces not typically found in a library. The best space is a coffee shop in the library, patrons can read books while enjoying a latte. I think this idea would work well at a library in the states (Vancouver Public regional library). The other area is a kids play area, parents can browse the stacks while the kids release their pent up energy in an environment that in the past is considered to be a quite zone.

Tuesday I went to an interview at an international Construction Management Cost Consulting firm -- Sinclair, Knight, Merz - they have a website if you want to check it out. I got the impression early on in the interview that the interviewers had arrange the interview just to humor me and their interest, however as the interview proceeded I got a strong feeling that they became very interested. I have other things lined up for later this week.

Tonight is the pub quiz night, perhaps our team will place higher than we did last week.

All my best.

---

Photos

The White House – House of Ill Repute
The word on the street is that this is a brothel, no confirmation on that fact, the place never seems to be open, the gate is locked up. Cannot confirm if this was established during the Clinton administration.

Queen Street and Victoria Street Intersection
Notice the pedestrian traffic patters?