They say Hobart is one of the most photogenic cities in the world. A maritime city, it is where river, ocean and mountain meet, a place where you can breathe in the freshest air in the world, where the seafood is so good it'll hurt you to take another bite, and where the pedophile jokes just don't make any more sense. It sounds like a cliche but I'm not here to convince anyone because nothing I can say, no picture I can post will do justice to this place. The word we have agreed on is charming. It charms the socks off you when locals you meet on a random pit-stop invite you into their home for a cup of tea, when middle-aged men come up to you in a pub on karaoke night and insist you do an Abba with them, when fish and chip men allow you to have lunch with them in their 'VIP' lounge, when the dog won't stop running circles around you begging you to play... I am well and truly astounded at what I've seen and what I've done of late. I can't imagine that in eight days I will be returning to a land where it's custom to mind your own business, do your own thing and regard other people with aloofness. A place that I call home, but which does not bring out the best in me. It is now that I must leave aside the nagging doubts about re-entering this space once again, and start thinking about the wise words I once heard: please change my heart, not my circumstance.

posted by beautiful at 3:07 am