Australia Part 6
As mentioned, not having phone made for for some interesting logistical issues-lie having to redo the “pat and play” via email and trying to set up a meeting time for my online friends. But we were back off to pat that original wombat and see downtown Healeville.
Sadly, most of the store were closed for New Years so we just sort of wandered past closed stores and through a local Framer’s market. We saw stuff that would have made excellent gifts but would not have survived the trip back (Abalone carvings, cool plants, local jams) so we ended up eating back at the Zoo. We passed lots of breathalyzers on the way in and asked the young man at the gift store why so many.
He just sort of shrugged and said
“Australians” so I believe they don’t come by a rep as drinkers undeservedly
We saw a section we hadn’t the previous time and tooled around until
Maggie the wombat!
She was very cute and was very interested in Frank’s shoes (which smelled like Mariah the Wombat but we didn’t say anything.) It was a very different experience -this is a fairly corporate zoo and they let it slip that they kept a stable of young animals (aka San Diego Zoo) rather than for rehab. I can see both sides of the situation but will always financially back rehabbers over collections. But we were hustled out and found ourselves at a few hours before we’d agreed to meet my FB friends in Melbourne. We had passed a shopping center on our way out so we stopped on the way back Cranbourne Park Shopping which combined a mall with a grocery store-so we picked up a few sundries and then back to the apartment.
A little backstory, I had met two sisters when I joined an INTJ group on Facebook and they seemed super nice, smart and “woke.” We had been in one group and then some “aggressive” personalities drove out a lot of the saner members and they started their own group which is a bit more cerebral. I don’t have things to contribute but I do enjoy the suggested reading and it’s nice to know that there are other human, caring people all over the world.
So we’d Facebook messaged back and forth and decided on a section of the city were it was reputedly more college-hipster. The bar they had us meet at was clearly taken over by college kids who stared hard when I popped my head in to look for them-The Brunswick Hotel. I ended up waiting outside after quick duck in themselves, we opted to eat at another place :) We wandered streets with cool concrete couches, wall art and graffiti and it is close to the local university so lots of people half my age or younger. In a funny aside, I apparently wear my “bitch face” everywhere and scared off a guy begging for change. He started, faltered, eased away with alacrity before my friends arrived.
Anyway it was nice Karen and Michelle look just like their photos and were super-welcoming. We gave them hats and we went off in search of supper while Karen told us a bit about the neighborhood and she and Michelle commented on the changes. It reminded me a of our old neighborhood in Worcester where we lived but funkier. We opted for a place that offered Pear Cider-called, The Cider House which reminded me a lot of Armsby Abbey
Now, as always I have NO IDEA how restaurant/Bar etiquette works so we had a couple of drinks before Karen was brave enough to suggest ordering at the bar and moving tables. The food was okay but I had to agree that the fries/chips were soggy. (And we all know my Irish-American street cred drops when I don’t “eat yer potatah.”) We had a really nice chat and it seems Karen and I had some similar experiences with non-profits. We also had a good laugh about American habits. They were a lot bolder then Frank’s LJ folks, we had no problem discussing politics, racism and more. For instance did you know that there is no “Freedom of Speech” in Australia? So no, you can’t just spew any old garbage with no repercussions-you can be fired and banned. It made me a bit wistful for living in a more restrained society.
From there we wandered off for ice cream and other frozen yummies. The neighborhood is filled with old Victorian-era houses with wright iron and is a bit grungier than the touristy part of Melbourne. In fact we came across a shouting match and had to detour. Karen mentioned that the Aussie police were mellow and we saw an excellent example of that. They mostly just watched the shouting match, asked if they were done and got got themselves a soda before leaving. The place we stopped for Ice Cream was gelato messina which had *cases* of treats and was busy. Once again that Aussie chill, they didn’t mind that we took a while to decide and my friends treated us to dessert (Thank you if you read this!) In a similar parlor in Cambridge they would yell at you to decide or get out of the way. I asked for Chocolate and Peanut butter. Karen teased me about “How American” but got one as well :)
From there we wandered a bit, checked out some street couches and took pictures. I was so happy-I’ll try to explain since I’m a weirdo. I like situations that involve meeting new people where we have really stimulating discussion. I liked that my husband was welcome as well and that my online friends were as I expected them to be and more. And they weren’t afraid to discuss dark stuff-right into the deep end of the pool. I enjoyed meeting the LJ folks as well but I felt more intimate with Karen and Michelle.
Anyway, time for goodbyes and we head went our separate ways. We had parked above a Coles to Frank was able to scratch his TimTam itch and we bought the “souvenir” TimTams at the same time as well as some cleaning supplies. We’d be going to New Zealand and would have to clean the apartment right after.
Frank’s Entry
http://fbhjr.livejournal.com/1130570.html