For some strange reason, my comments aren’t showin…
For some strange reason, my comments aren’t showing up now. This could be a problem with the browser on the computer at the Internet cafe I’m at right now…I hope so, anyway. I also refreshed my archives so that they all appear to be there. I don’t know why they disappear from time to time, but they do. Probably out carrousing or something. Someday I’ll wake up and see “Poagao’s Comments Arrested after Police Chase. Archives Called in for Questioning. Report at eleven” on TV.
I’m just downstairs from the hostel I’m staying at on George St. in Sydney’s Chinatown. The weather’s getting a bit hot, and nobody seems to have air conditioning. My tiny triangular room certainly doesn’t. I hope it doesn’t get too much hotter, at least not at nights when I’m in my room. On the other hand, hot weather means beaches and swimming, which would be cool. I’ve already got a bit of colour after getting out of the office, so that I don’t appear so white, although I’ve been a good deal darker, still, at least I don’t look like The Undead Office Monkey anymore.
Speaking of monkeys, I went by ferry to the zoo at Taronga today. It was most entertaining, mostly because I hung around the gorillas most of the day, taking pictures of the frolicking primates. There’s a beautiful view of downtown Sydney across the harbour as well, and I bought a postcard of the largest gorilla, a huge gorgeous silverback.
After watching the people at the zoo and comparing them with the animals, I’m left in doubt as to who really belongs in captivity. Most of the babies and many of the adults were louder and more obnoxious than any animal there, and none of the animals smelled quite as bad as many of the humans. Even as I type a woman next to me is constantly rearranging the chairs so that she gets the most comfortable one. She has tried every single chair in the cafe, and I’m expecting her to demand mine soon. I suppose our general cruelty and pettiness has allowed us to succeed so violently.
After the zoo I walked through some of the parks back to Hyde Park, where I narrowly fended off some more of the ever-present Mormons before nearly falling asleep on one of the wide greens there. At about 6:30pm I went in search of Quizmo’s, a sub shop that beats the pants off of Subway since the former actually toasts the sandwich, but it seems that even in Sydney things close ridiculously early. Nothing at all was open, so I settled for KFC for dinner and returned to the hostel to do my laundry, which resulted in marginally cleaner, though strangely spotted clothes. I was thinking of going out again tonight, but I doubt anything will be open.
Dean wants to interview me and Steve about our books for the government magazine he works for. It sounds cool, although we’re both travelling at the moment. The woman next to me is typing rather furiously. I wonder what it is that demands so much speed and comfort? Blogging, most likely.
As always, no idea what’ll happen tomorrow. I may walk around Chinatown and Darling Harbour, or call some people up and bug them. What I really want to do, now that I’ve seen a bit of the countryside from the rental car, is travel to someplace fairly remote and reasonably scenic, rent a motorcycle and just ride around for a day or two. I’m planning to travel to Canberra to see Shauna on Sunday as well. Although she denies anything of interest in that fair city, I’m sure we’ll find something worthy of our attention. I think that Jeb might be back in town after his trip to Melbourne (lucky bastich), so maybe we’ll get in touch.
