kissing elephants

Coming home

So this is it. Time to go. Had a strange moment yesterday while packing when it suddenly hit me that this was the end of something unique. I shed a few tears and thought about how privileged I was to have been able to do this and what an amazing time I've had. And next came a wave of fear over what comes next. Then I went for cocktails in the Shangri-La La La.

People ask me how I feel about 'going back'. If I thought I was doing that I wouldn't get on the plane. The way I see it, this is just the next step in my little adventure. I still don't know what comes next.

Well there is one thing I know. I have a job interview next week and while I'm very excited about it, it has reminded me that I can't be a gypsy (or unemployed vagrant as someone else put it) forever.

So onwards into the cold. I will miss it here but I also can't wait to see everyone. Despite what that place has thrown at me in the past few years, it's still home.

Some people have asked whether I'll continue to blog. I get the feeling that Adventurer Meroe has more pulling power than 9to5jobwiththreekids Meroe but I'll let you know on that one.

But anyway I'll leave you with my favourite quote from Proust:

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having
new eyes."

Festivities

Suddenly realised it's only a month until Christmas. You just don't feel it here. There's very few annoying ads on the TV, you have to go to the fifth floor of the department store to get cards and decorations and I have yet to see any Christmas lights or one of the many Santas.

I am hoping for a white Christmas this year.. see what you can do weather fairy. What's everyone got planned and for that 'celebration' that never fails to disappoint, New Year?

Body sculpture

Friday was a day of forget-me-not blue skies and big waves. Bondi in the morning is like stepping into a mini-California. We wandered along the beach front to visit the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition past surfers riding huge rolling water and avoiding the sewage scum churned up by the recent storm. I sniggered too loudly at all the keep-fitters who charged at us like an army of low-fat sausages in lycra. Can they really imagine their leathered skins, tiny speedos and glistening, vein-bulging bodies are what could be termed body beautiful?

The sculpture show was worth seeing if only because it provoked a new examination of the amazing landscape round there. You can keep all your giant deckchairs and fishing nets embroidered with environmental messages but I really liked this one. It had the grace and poise of a dancer and its rusting curves made the sky even more blue.

Bondi life

On Thursday I headed off to Bondi for my dinner party and more time by the sea. You'll be pleased to know I behaved myself at dinner although most of the conversation was about pornography and Ralph magazine which for the Brits is a low quality Loaded if you can get any lower. It's funny how people have the same terms of reference because Lizzie (who is British) and I both had the same instant reaction to the name of the magazine. We turned to each other and said 'Do you remember Judy Blume?' The Ozzie boys had no idea what we were talking about.

Reading Judy Blume's book 'Forever' seems to be a momentous point in many pre-teen girls' lives. In it, the young protagonist meets her first example of male apparatus, which is lovingly termed 'Ralph'. I can remember vividly the day at school when the playground was buzzing with stories about this book. I was so excited when I got my hands on it and so shocked by the reality of the content. But I'm sure now it would seem very tame to 12 year olds. Did anyone else have this shared rites of passage? I know at least one of you did...

Blog searching

I can tell from my site statistics that my blog is now getting picked up by search engines. Google has it listed number 4 for the words 'kissing elephants' but it has also been found by people doing searches on 'naked nymphs Sigiriya' and 'Nha Trang prostitutes'. That worries me.

Anyway, Thailand photos are now up for your perusal. Off to a dinner party tonight. I've forgotten how your supposed to behave at these things... oh dear.

Ouch!

Having been oh so concerned with getting bitten in Sri Lanka for fear of malaria and other such nasties, I've found that since getting back to Oz, I have become the local delicacy for the neighborhood ant colony. Whilst in Adelaide my bottom was feasted on in about five minutes of sitting outside, last night I was two minutes taking a photo on the balcony and now I have an elephant's foot.

OK, maybe I have a tendency to exaggerate a bit, but it bloody hurts and itches! You wait - when I see them I'm going to stamp on them with my newly enlarged foot.

Keeping an eye on you

Well friends, it's almost a month since I left and I'm about to start the next step of my adventure. But before I do, I want to find out what you've all been up to. So, I want you all to give me a summary of your life this month in no more than 20 words.

And that means all you peekers (I know who you are) can start posting. It's easy - just click on comments, put a name and email in (doesn't have to be your real one and you don't need a website url), type in the text box and click post. No excuses.

I'll start....

More books, bikes, birds, bed, buildings, buses, bridges, booze, bats, and blog - less brochures

Your turn...

All gone a bit arty

You really know you've made it when you get your name in nice font painted on a white wall in a gallery. Some of you may not know that my dad, as well as being artificial intelligence advisor to the stars and cameo actor in high quality Hollywood films, is also 'a ground-breaking interactive artist'. I went to his first exhibition opening in Sydney last night and was very proud. Did my best to understand it all but failed miserably. One very intense young man tried to explain what his technology research work was about and he lost me in the first sentence. From then on I just smiled sweetly and nodded until he got bored of me and pretended to need a drink.

Ernest shared his opening with a Saab sponsored arts event which consisted of cars parked in a building, jazz, a giant paella, copious flowing wine, cute penguin waiters and a little bit of art. All a bit surreal. The event organisers were worried people at Ernest's event would steal all their food and drink - which we did. Think I'm going to go out and buy a Saab now.

Shangri-La

If you ever make it to Sydney and can deal with heights, cocktails in the Shangri-La is essential viewing. You get amazing views of the harbour (better than the bridge walk) and the longest cocktail list. It's a good place for contemplating life, love and the universe - we covered most of that last night - and the sunset of course. Also, not a bad place for spotting pop stars.

Cellar Door

Tolkein said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, that “cellar door” is the most beautiful. (I only know this from Donnie Darko, not my literary knowledge). Well I saw a lot of them on Sunday in the Hunter Valley wine region and they were pretty nice looking and the wine was good too.