Day 73 - Wear Something White

I'm Recycling this one

June 20th, 2015

Today I get up at the time I set, and reply to my messages. Procrastinate the gym for a couple hours, watching informational videos until I'm disappointed with myself and start moving. I really don’t like leg day....

My breakfast for most of the time I’ve been in the share house has involved this large bag of oriental noodles, wrapped in small, coiled portions. It’s been enough to eat that and drink a coffee before the gym, but I recently bought frozen vegetables to mix in. I wanted something with broccoli, but there weren’t any good options. But they all included string beans! I’ve always hated string beans... down there with asparagus and most mushrooms. But hey, nutrition, amirite?!

The plan for today is this “Wear white!” social event on meetup.com, though I’m not sure if I’ll be the youngest person there or not. It’s also back at Tiger Lil’s. How convenient.

Canadian Victor said he was planning something tonight, so I might meet up with him, and extended an invitation to the meetup thing. We’ll see what turns out, but Shimou is also supposed to be heading out tonight with friends. Should be an eventful time!

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Hey look! A stuffed Swan!

After writing the above, I walked the twenty minute trek with Mr.Lovecraft whispering sweet darkness in my ear. Tiger Lil’s is a cool place, with a lot of parasols and Chinese lanterns strung about in dim lighting. Probably should’ve mentioned this in yesterday’s visit, but nah.

I rock into the club behind a string of people who are dressed fairly fancy, some wearing 50’s attire, with a white highlight. My shirt, a checkered black and white one, hardly fits the theme of “wearing white” for the event, but it's the best I’ve got. It’s at this point I realize that I’m arriving alone, again. For some reason, I expected there to be an easy beginning. You know, someone actually welcoming the new arrivals. Wrong. 404: host not found.

Here we go: I tap a guy in a suit on the shoulder and start chatting. He is Lush [Lew-sh] from Sri Lanka, and works as an accountant. He’s been all over the world for work, with highlights being Cambodia, the United States, and Australia where he decided to stay because it’s more stable. We kind of fall into clingy comfort with one another instead of branching out. He knows some of the random guys around, but it’s like we’re all too afraid to speak to the women. Women = scary!

Monsieur Skelet

Stuff it. I see a short, bored/nervous looking woman standing next to this young-looking Asian woman who is wearing a fuzzy white sweater. Well, that’s an in, I guess. I say hello to them, and the Asian woman, Fung(?) doesn’t say much, but Manchester Heather is playing along. She’s funny. I’m just breaking into my stride at this point, dragging her along for the ride. I start making up strange rumours about British women, and ask her how she feels about the Scots. Did she become a nurse because she has a morbid fetish for mortality, and that she’s really there to see people die? I definitely accused her of it! Funnier still (to me), she’s actually a nurse in the emergency ward, so it kind of fits. Around this time, Fung had drifted like a melting iceberg, and Heather’s other friend has drifted closer by. I extend my hand and rope her into my ridiculousness.

The game “would you rather” comes to mind, warping the conversation further. I’m hesitant to put my questions up here, but they were pretty extreme. I made the new arrival, Aussie Meg, come up with her own: Sleep with your sibling, or cut off your own hand? Yes… more ammunition. I bounce.

Impressive Freyo Art!

There’s an older gentleman sitting alone, whom I had briefly met earlier. My skill with names has gotten a fair bit better at this point, and I address him with his. Aussie Nick tells me his back is hurting, and we chat a bit about that. He says these events aren’t fun your first time because you don’t know anyone; you have to come to a few before they’re any good. Pah! Just something for me to work on defying. I bounce.

There’s this small, timid, Indian gent who I had seen when I first arrived. I introduce myself to him. He puts a real effort into the conversation, but I see two women looking open to talk nearby. Let's see how he does there. Indian Palash, Aussie Natalie, and Aussie Demelza all seem a little awkward, which allows me to carry the conversation. After learning about what they do and playing some guessing games (accent, age, height, profession.. the usual), Palash finally starts speaking. He doesn’t last long. After he evaporates, I stick around to play the game of the night. They choose to lop off their hands.

This seems like it might belong here...

I say hello to Nick as I pass by to investigate the other half of the bar, which is separated by the washroom/courtyard. I'm wandering through when I find this strikingly attractive girl looking me in the eye. I walk up and say “hey,” which they mishear as “OY” and give me shit for it. Pff, Brits. On to would you rather. Brit Demi, and Brit Haley tell me their respective answers, both choose their sibs. Pff, Brits. I’m about to walk away when a question pops in my head. Part of my goals it to sensor myself less, to be consistent in thoughts, words, and actions. Well, what better/more intimidating place to start? Haley is wearing heels, bringing her to around 6’3”, a black flowing dress with an extremely deep V down to her bellybutton that features her massive breasts. “I have to ask, are your boobs real?” They were not, and she was completely unfazed by the question. Sweet as. Excuse me.

I perch on the couches in the draped alcoves, discovering large plates of food that have been abandoned. Tempting, but.. well, I am that poor*. I check my phone, and remember that I agreed to meet Shimou after this. The last bus requires me to leave in 15 minutes.  I retrace my steps, collecting the contact information of the people I thought I’d want to keep in touch with, and speed walk to the bus stop. This is where I meet Ray, an Australian who looks strikingly like Ari, the guy who came to Kolsch with Laurens and I. In fact, I had run into Ari in this area the night before, so I thought it was funny. 

...this one, too.

We talk about my night, about the Canada vs America hockey game that had just ended in the Perth Arena, and how it wasn’t really any of the A-team players. He describes his job engineering in the off-shore oil/gas field, clearing up what they do out there. I get his Facebook before jumping off the bus, nearly missing my stop.

Given that I don't like to pull out my phone mid-conversation, I check my messages to find that there was miscommunication with Shimou. She wanted to meet in Northbridge, not at her place. It’s raining, as it has been the past couple days. Some semi-homeless/mentally unstable looking guy is sitting at the bus stop next to me while I try to figure out what to do. He doesn’t know which street is which. I thank him anyway, giving him a candy I'd produced from my pocket. Cheers, mate.

It all becomes clear, thanks be to the good lord, Google, and huddle in Shimou's open-concept garage to hide from the rain. Ella eventually comes out to tell me that I can come inside. Shimou returns home, a little tipsy. We drink a some wine while hanging out with her other roommate, Dennis.

Piece of Chinese wisdom from Shimou: If you eat 100 hamburgers… you’re going to die. This was in relation to eating competitions in the states and how she heard people eat as many as 100 in one sitting.

Note: In case you're wondering, I stopped being a tourist for a brief period and didn't have any pictures to put up. I'll either be recycling or throwing up random ones I didn't include yet.

*:No, I didn’t eat any of the discovered food.