what do you do?

27 april 2008

what a day! lovely, animal themed fun and one of the best times i’ve had in my entire life, ev-er.

first, an alpaca fiesta (ole!) where we got to pet an alpaca and watch a baby being fed - and learnt that alpaca wool is tubular rather than… something else, like sheep. (that bit was less interesting).

then we went to guildford (not the one in surrey, england…) and to a posh cafe for the most delicious meal. i had chicken and a stack of red peppers (or capsicum as aussies insist on saying) and pumpkin with lightly sauteed spinach and puy lentils. it was faaaaaaaaabulous. while eating, i look at a map i picked up earlier. i see the most wonderful sight: a place called swan valley cuddly animal farm. squee!

my stepmum gem looks at the map, understands how to get there, and it is agreed: we must go! while my dad, um… sits in the car, gem and i spend the happiest two hours of our lives bonding with lambs, baby goats, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks and best of all, two little piglets who are mad on gem’s shoes and my bag (le sportsac from new york city, thank you very much), which they attack with their noses.

my bag ends up upside down, contents spilling out as the pigs grunt excitedly and run around squealing in a frenzy and gem and i laugh until we hurt. to my dad’s delight (< < sarcasm alert) we talk pigs, lambs, rabbits, goats and sheep the whole way home.

29 april 2008

off to the salvos (salvation army charity shop, always called “salvos” here) this afternoon, where i pick up a couple of cheap books (paul reiser and meg cabot) and a fluffy pink scarf (for when i get home; it’s hot and sunny today). then we go to gloria jean’s, west australia’s aswer to starbucks (they don’t have starbucks here!) followed by a chain bookshop, angus and robertson, where i get the new marian keyes in paperback and a bar of “chockie” - cadbury’s, of course… made in tasmania. then to a book exchange (why don’t we have these back home?) where you can bring the books back for credit to spend on more - genius. i buy a book about an australian “journo” who moved to new york. next up: woolworths, the same company as in the UK, but they only do supermarkets here. discover sheets and towels are called “manchester” and wonder why.

it doesn’t sound like much, but a day off, gorming around and looking at books? plus sunshine? this counts as one of my very best days in oz.