I'm back from the Gold Coast. I am now the proud owner of Tim Tams (there are new exotic flavours) and a souvenir tan. People are bound to ask how it went, and my answer is, it was okay. It was nice to be back Down Under, as always, and I got to meet nice people (with the exception of two guys: one, a condescending show producer whom I blame entirely for not having time to shop on my last night and the second, a snobbish European waiter who said 'I don't know' when I asked for a recommendation - what a fucker) and it was somewhat relaxing to be away from home for a bit. It was a trip of many firsts. My first time going snorkeling (with sharks, to boot!), my first time sampling damper, my first time going on a dinner cruise. The things I can learn about this continent are simply inexhaustible. I learnt about the 'old queenslander', a type of house that used to be commonly found on the Gold Coast, which is raised above the ground on slatted wood, which allows the sea breeze to circulate and cool the house down. Talking to the locals, or reading through the local papers, will always make for valuable learning experiences. And now, I'm back home, where the minute I step into the airport, I feel something inside me close up and harden. But then again, I'm back to my own bed, my cat and the ability to choose what I want to do, whenever the hell I want to do it. I can be an unfettered bitch again. Not a good thing necessarily, but oh, what a relief.

posted by beautiful at 6:38 am