A Day Off!

Considering I often don't feel like I'm really working here (I spend a LOT of time playing silly games, or in rough and tumble on the grass outside with Annie and Michael (the latter in particular LOVES to be chased, held upside down, spun, you name it) and/or eating really well, and drinking quite a lot of wine (only when offered by Paul or Cherie in the evenings, I hasten to add...) I was surprised to be really looking forward to my day off. The main factor, I think, (ok, I know) was being able to sleep in, and do my own thing without feeling massively guilty that Cherie had been up, feeding people, organising stuff for Paul and doing housework since 6am. When I eventually emerged, I had to hang around, rather embarrassingly in my pyjamas (the top of which is apparently a weeny bit low-cut to withstand 'UP' demands :S thankfully I managed not to flash anyone though), waiting for a shower whilst aforementioned semi-obnoxious family used my bathroom. After a hearty breakfast, (and a rather endearing play session in the garden - during which even the awful Joshua seemed passably cute) the other family left, thankfully, and Paul and Cherie offered to drive me to the Harbour Town outlet mall, as they needed to get some last-minute stuff for Paul's UK trip. I gratefully agreed - bearing in mind my recent directional ineptitude - and we spent a surprisingly pleasant few hours there (I think going off on my own once we got there, and actually getting the chance to spend some money (not that it isn't wonderful to have things paid for so often) probably played a rather large part). I ended up buying quite a bit, including an A5 painting notebook, which I will hopefully have a chance to use soon, and three warm tops, as a tragic concession to the fact that (at least in the evenings) it really isn't as warm as I'd hoped it might be.

We then moved on to the Central Business District (CBD) where Paul needed to go briefly to sort out a new Sim Card, and I was finally left to fend for myself (albeit with strict instruction on where the bus stop was, which buses I needed, and exactly when to press the bell...I still managed to walk in the wrong direction for a few minutes when I got off the bus though. Directional ineptitude prevails!). The best (by which I mean most hilarious) bit about the shopping area in the CBD was 'London Court', which is a street supposedly designed to replicate London. I strongly suspect it was designed by someone who has never actually been, but thought that making things really narrow, throwing together some mock-tudor frontages with crests dotted around, and old school 'Tea Shoppe' would suffice to recreated Blighty right there. Other than the overwhelming authenticity of the place, it was pretty bemusing, as the majority of shops there sold supremely tacky Australiana, rather than British goods, and the overwhelming majority of people visiting the shops there (and in some instances, working in them) were Asian. I bought numerous horrendously tacky souvenirs (most interestingly some aboriginal painted items from an authentically Australian (read, Middle-Eastern) man. I suppose in a way, it was really an Australian experience, given how much of a cultural melting pot this Country seems to be. Anyway, I made it home, rather triumphantly, with my goods, then filled the rest of my evening with Skype calls to various lovely people (you know who you are ;)). I'm looking forward to next Sunday already...

A xx