Walking Around Auckland in the Rain

It's raining, with intermitant pauses and then, as if having caught its breath, the rain pours across the streets in layered surges which splash onto the pavement as if imitating a jackhammer, constant, unrelenting, loud.
The streets, though, are filled with people - people from every corner of the earth. This is the United Nations without translators. Above the loud slashes of rain you can hear French, German, all forms of English, Japanese, Thai (I think), Arabic and on and on. Central in this babel is the common meeting place, America's great contribution to international peace, McDonald's. Who doesn't want a Big Mac and fries? No one. "Number One!" pointing to the menu. Their eyes glitter in anticipation. While always there is staring down on this crossroads of mankind and marketing is the statue of the stern Maori chieftain, staring solemnly, arms folded beneath his cape.

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