TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Sunday, November 30, 2003

3:18 PM
Posted by jodi rose

...and then my slightly bruised faith in humanity was restored.
It all started on Thursday night when I ventured out to St Kilda's Linden gallery for David Young's 'Instrument Building,' (www.aphids.net) which I hoped was going to be a performance actually playing the building as an instrument, but turned out to be people making a variety of instruments in the building. Some were beautiful and strange, and I did play the resonant guitar strings set up in a doorway - hard to explain, but sounded great, and met a fabulous couple one of whom made violins.

Then wandered down to the beach and was chilling out watching the waves and sunset, thinking, this is good for the soul, when this girl came over and said, 'you look a bit upset. would you like to come and have a beer with us?' how cute is that. She was lovely, completely genuine and friendly and it was the nicest thing anyone has said to me in weeks, so I almost cried, even though I didn't feel that upset, just a bit lonely and sad about the whole wearing your heart on your sleeve and having it ignored.... again..... thing. So I ended up having a great night, Ruth and Ben both really cool, interesting, fun, intelligent, adventurous, lovely people - we got on like old friends reunited, went to dinner at Bluecorn, interesting mexican which I have been wanting to try for ages, talked for hours they gave me a ride home and we're catching up for a game of pool or a drink in the next few days.

I'm a simple girl at heart, that's all I ask - is for people to hang out with and enjoy life now and then. (oh, ok I'm askin' for a lot more than that, but, for right now, it's a damn good start)
It confused me for a minute when I noticed I had been talking for a while and realised they kept asking questions and seemed genuinely interested in who I was and what I had to say. Have been around too many self-absorbed people lately, so that was something of a novelty. (not my close friends, but other cameo players). I guess leaving Collingwood sometimes is a good thing!

One of those experiences you have more when travelling, and open to the world, it was a really timely reminder for me that there are fantastic, open, engaging, adventurous people out there and you will find each other. Leave the grumpy old men at the bar to drink themselves into a stupor.

It's suddenly turned insanely hectic, with multiple social and cultural stuff to do almost every night. Went to Bar Open for Leroy's band Maximus Bouffantas after the lollyshop on Friday, they were funking it up and had a small dance with Kim and the other lollykids. Then last night caught the train out to Footscray for Snuff Puppets and Acrobat combined show, Circus Ole!

.....more about that later, now I have to run off to a housewarming party.... then go home and collapse on the couch on our front porch.