Pic: signing in at the gym for a day pass...
I knew there was a reason she chose to study linguistics. It's so the subtle things like differences in spelling and meaning can't get past her any more. Let me give you an example of how useful the last semester has been for her. Jim's place - a few minutes' walk down Bradford Street. Great food, great company, a widescreen TV and various on-demand movies and other programs. Gym - a longer walk in the other direction with no food, nobody to talk to and very small TVs on brackets high up the wall, with captioning so she can see the dialogue as she sweats. And yet, both words sound the same. Homophones, they call 'em. Gym, Jim. Life's funny, isn't it. That's gotta be worth the fees she paid at Melbourne Uni last semester.
Pic: in the girls' locker room at the gym :-)Well, as you can see I am sweating the small stuff. That's just my way.
She went out last night. Her friend Zoe Lewis was playing at the Vixen, a club in town. So Miriam went to the Squealing Pig first, for a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Mackenzie (mentioned in previous blogs) was there (some things never change...) and it was great to see him. Derek was there too, behind the bar, just where she left him. Remember the Squealing Pig was where she took the shot of me last year. It was a hangout of hers, a place that she could go and eat without having to cook... So after a glass of wine, a nibble of chicken and a good read of Mackenzie's TV guide she toddled across the street to the Vixen. She didn't bring her handbag last night - she wanted to feel free or some rubbish. So I was in the pocket. Everything was a bit muffled through the woolly material but Zoe sounded great as usual. An intimate crowd listened to Zoe play and sing some of her songs. I like her song Eyelashes alot, and that was the one Miriam and I walked in on. Here's a link to Zoe's website if you want to take a look. www.zoelewis.com
After the gig, Zoe's friend Sharon, from New York taught Miriam how to play Ms Pacman. She (Miriam) is really really bad at it but did manage to get some points by about her third game. Sharon is a great player and was actually straining her shoulder with the joystick. I may have to try and talk Miriam into hanging out at the Vixen and learn to play the game better for next time she gets the chance to complete. I mean it's really embarassing to be sitting in her pocket and listening to her lose and lose. She squeals when she loses. Ye gods. I'm blaming it on the wine of course. It's always the wine with her.
The embarassment did not stop there. We all went to a place called Enzos, across the road from Bubbalas. A great little underground grotto-ish place with a fireplace and nice people. She had a glass from a great bottle of Sangiovese wine, a few more nibbles and lots of conversations. I was really enjoying myself just hanging in the pocket (!) and then she met an author named Michael. He seemed nice. We started talking about the writing process and then of course she thought she'd ask him what his surname is "in case she'd seen his work somewhere". Well, it was only Michael Bloody Cunningham (author of, among other things, The Hours). She blushed. I could feel it from the pocket but hopefully the light was dim enough down there in the grotto that nobody could see her face changing colour! She decided to play it cool and say "hmm. Yes, I think I may have seen your work around." Gotta love the girl under pressure.
Tonight we're going to Jane's house. Jane lives in a street called Aunt Sukey Way. Miriam loves the name of that street!
I'm going to put the camera near the front door now so she can't bloody leave it behind - you'll get pictures next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment