The Other Side of the World

Flinders St. Station, Melbourne. The place to meet under the clocks.

I am genuinely curious as to why I (with an intense dislike and phobia of dead birds) am constantly stepping on them with my barefeet (or in this case, bits of them). Does this happen to other people too? Here, I am attempting to channel my intense horror into an art form by photographing the disgusting little foot.
Tomatoes at my grandparent’s house. Pronounced with the long ‘a’ please.
Prickly pears. Yes, yes, it’s cactus, it’s fruit.
beautiful grapes (there’s a raging contest between my cousins and the birds over who can steal more, faster)
Two types of plums from the same tree. Well, really two trees spliced together. Bizarrely wonderful, no?
A myriad of shrimp, Footscray Market
Crabs turn bright red when you cook them, right? Apparently some are bright red whilst still alive. However, until I was peering right at them, and they started writhing towards my nose, I was not aware of this. Apparently crabs and not-being-quite-dead are a theme of 2006? (Also Footscray Market).

Luca with his cricket bat (apparently, along with the ball, you can also throw the bat, your shoes and mud during informal cricket games)
And for the record, I would just like to inform the general body of people who may be reading this that - I may be a girl, but I too can pee off the pier into the ocean

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Now in a can
passion fruit + mango
The Pepper Gamble: Most of them are mild, but every once in awhile you get one that’s so hot you’re rolling on the grass with the garden hose in your mouth for the next 2 hours. *
Cheese balls, ravioli. Sorry K. . . .
Peaches in my grandfather’s wine
Grape Bender Paddle Pops - they’re popsicles made of frozen jelly that flop over instead of melting

* true story

Great film we watched last night. And even my cynical preference for dark and bittersweet endings was eventually won over. Especially liked the hints of Run Lola Run in the rapid shot sequences.

It’s been sunny and hot since I got up this morning at 7:45 a.m. I’m going to put on a skirt, go to the market and buy more coconuts and then maybe find an ocean to stick my feet into.

* note to self, do not be surprised when $0.80 batteries enable one photo to be taken before running out.

As I mentioned in my last post, I went to see his exhibit in Mornington. For those of you wondering if I have suddenly become a conoisseur of mud painting - Leunig is a brilliant Australia cartoonist.
* yabby - large crayfish

Sat. morning cricket (my youngest cousin is the one mid-step in the foreground). A confusing, slow, but also strangely soothing and enjoyable game.
Then out to the pier at Half Moon Bay (where I memorably saw a man’s naked tanned bum when I was 14)
To sniff the salty air and have fish and chips. . . . the best fish and chips that is - Flake (shark) with dim sims (totally unreasonable conglomerates of meat? wrapped in dough? and definitely fried).
And then back in the car, but not before stopping for petrol (gas) and a paddle pop - the perfect balance between the creamy and icy chocolate icypole (popsicle).
In order to get to the Mornington Peninsula to see the Michael Leunig exhibit. This one covered and entire wall and was painted with mud.
sedition
n : an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority and tending to cause the disruption or overthrow of the government

Coming down the steps to the beach at Mornington
Instructions on becoming a human salt lick: insert, agitate, remove, dry, repeat
And that was just the day. Then there was pool playing with ‘the guys’ and interesting conversation to listen in on, and an enormous platter of chili-stir fried clams, mussels and crab (no twitching this time) plus sting-ray on the side.

*special thanks to the uncle responsible for aforementioned Fine Day

There is something to be said for only making rare appearances at your grandparent’s house. Especially when it incites the procuring of the Large Pot. Into which Large amounts of Gnocchi are placed (and please everyone, it’s gnock-ee). Now, I know my brother is dying of jealousy by now, and that elaborating on the details like; I ate four bowls, there were also cheese balls, the gnocchi were of perfect texture and balance between flour & potato . . . . will probably make his insides churn. But, given the circumstances, I think you can forgive me for lovingly reflecting.

Eggplant stuffed with parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs and raisins and then fried.

The Venerable Patriarch presides. Note the bottle of potent homeade wine (the grapes are growing about 10 feet away from where this was taken) which he repeatedly tried to ply me with by insisting it was “coca cola”.
The After Effects: My cousins and I, well beyond sated and into comatose And for the record, it was 40 degrees C in Australia last week. It was 28 degrees C in New Zealand before I left. And now it is about 20 degrees C and raining here. A conspiracy just like the last time! But I will wait it out! It can’t be cold for 15 days! (apologies to anyone in Canada for saying 20 degrees in cold).

Step 1:
Get up before sunrise. Hey, if you want to cross the Tasman Sea before breakfast, what else do you expect?

Step 2:
Admire this for four hours, and try to forget you’re jaded about air travel
Step 3:
Sit down for a lovely breakfast in Melbourne, resplendent with peach trees ripening and uncles serving toast
It’s really that easy.