tales from an ordinary world
1999-01-02
The first real day of the year, as everybody knows. On the tram on the way into town, I was wondering what my first CD purchase of the year ought to be, but ended up feeling silly for thinking that it mattered in the first place. I ended up with -
- The Far Out Corporation, Grant McLennan's new band. It's one of those things I bought mostly out of loyalty, although the single had sounded ok the two half-times I heard it on the radio.
- Bend Sinister, being my 15th CD by The Fall now (so I might almost have half of their stuff now - frightening !). This one's got their ever-popular cover of Mr Pharmacist on it...
All my usual cafes and eateries are still shut for the festive season, so I had to improvise. Today, this involved heading down to the Blue Train Cafe (I was short on ideas...), one of those industrial-sized establishments-with-a-reputation down by the river. It attracts all sorts -
A young twentysomething couple arrived and sat down nearby, to have their fashionable midday breakfast. He lit up a rolly, while she wandered off and came back with Harper's Bazaar, or somesuch.
A nice elderly couple were shunted off into the corner next to me (perhaps they didn't look hip enough ?). I watched them for a while, wishing I could just walk up and ask "please tell me about your LIFE ?". I like stories. I like hearing my girlfriend tell me random bits and pieces about growing up in Croatia and Bosnia, or Mum telling me about growing up in England, or Dad growing up here, or whatever. It's always such a different world. But I digress...
A snatch of conversation wafted out from indoors, with a posh-sounding voice asking for "another glass of Chardonnay, if you don't mind ?"
...but I don't mean to dis the place - it's fairly enjoyable, the food's good, and the waiters aren't too far away when you want another Stella. There's a nice view of the river, and all the goings-on, but you still manage to feel somewhat removed from reality, being up on the first floor - you can pretend that all the noise and shuffling feet downstairs is somebody else's problem.
It was hot today - around mid-30s - so rather than stay outside any longer, I headed home to the air conditioning, and loafed about all afternoon. Whilst a G&T in the lounge isn't quite as, uh, hip and groovy as one on the porch, I don't have a porch to speak of at this place, so I'm reduced to fondly dreaming of the porch at my previous flat, which was one of the few things it had going for it in summer, what with no air conditioning and all.
