Where do you start when talking about people you haven’t seen in 10 years? Some people change, some people don’t. I guess that’s the way life is.
I guess my weekend started on Thursday when we drove from Adelaide to Whyalla. Dave, a mate from work has just got a transfer to the Whyalla Harvey Norman store and was starting on Friday, and offered to drive me up. So that was good… both of us had been out the night before for his farewell with a whole bunch of people…. That was a fun night (and having remembered it now – I should say my weekend started on Wednesday night…) It was an interesting evening. For starters; everyone was in a very strange mood… a mixture of depression and frustration seemed to hang over the group like a prickly fog, straining people to breaking point in some cases… tears were shed, walls were punched, stomachs were pumped… funny to say that it was a good night with all that hanging over it, but it really was… the pinnacle of the night was the Hakka performed by one of the guys who is of Maori decent. Really powerful. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, the Hakka is the traditional dance done at the beginning of most of New Zealand’s sporting forays to try to intimidate the opposition. Australia’s version is a little more relaxed… we just stand there and shrug, have a beer maybe, and then beat them at most things anyway. (I say most – and I’m really only having a dig guys… take it easy)
On a side note to do with New Zealand – I have a few relatives over there… last time I went over there I was surprised by how many jokes the Kiwis have about us Aussies… to the point that I found a book titled “New Zealand’s favorite jokes about Australia” which I bought and read. When I asked my uncle why this was the case, I think he answered me with a joke about Australians…at the end of which he said, “c’mon you must have a few jokes about kiwis, tell us one” To which I replied “well, there’s the ones about the sheep, but you’ve got exactly the same ones about us and sheep, so they don’t really count, to tell you the truth, we don’t think about you often enough to make up jokes…” I think he was quite shocked. Honestly though, why make up jokes about them when all we need to do is play them in cricket for a good laugh.
ANYWAY
So, got to Whyalla Thursday afternoon went for a swim that night (the pool is kept to an awesome temperature of about 30C). I spent Friday morning in the pool, and then in my continued and as yet un-completed search for a hat. Friday afternoon I called an old mate from school – Alberto (Fonz) Salatino and arranged to catch up for a beer that night – just a couple, don’t want a big one, reunion tomorrow, yeah right. Then I called Donna and she and Pam were going out as well (Apparently so Don could escape her grandmother’s tango lessons) so we all went out “for a couple of drinks” at about 8.30. I think we got home at about 1.30. Met some more people from school while we were out and ended up having a really good night. And I woke up without a hangover, which was awesome.
The day of the reunion dawned and the temperature quickly headed up to the expected maximum of 36C, and then kept climbing to about 42C. The meeting place was our old school for a tour around to see what had and hadn’t changed, but I think the highlight was watching people rock up and walk into the staff room. Being judged by how the years had treated them. The tour was interesting, but I think most people were over it before it started... it really was just too bloody hot to be wandering around a school that’s mostly made of concrete. But anyway, it was interesting to see all the changes that have happened since we were there, I tell you what, these kids have everything. The Home economics set up is an ACTUAL kitchen, run by an ACTUAL chef! They have a music room now, the woodwork shop is pristine, every student has their own email address and access to broadband… crazy stuff… but good on ‘em, you have to keep up to date with the world, and I guess even schools are competitive, if you want the best students, you should have the best facilities.
By the time the tour had finished, needless to say, everyone wanted a drink. So we headed to the New Whyalla (once known as the Gowrie Hotel). Drinking started at 3pm. I remember the vast majority of the night, there are very few photos on my camera that I don’t remember taking. I guess there are stories I could recount, or people I could talk about, but I don’t think I will… I think I’ll leave it by saying that I think everyone had a good night, weather it ended at 8pm or 4.30 in the morning as it did for me… falling asleep on the floor in Pam’s hotel room. Not very comfortable carpet… not very comfortable at all… I’m sure everyone will remember the night for different reasons…
Morning was a time I will leave to your imaginations, but I was not a very well boy… very glad that I had changed my bus ticket from leaving at 10am to 12… and even gladder that it could be pushed back to 3. Yeah… not very well at all…
Now I’m on a bus on my way home, mostly full of kids on their way to “schoolies” which is the big party for kids just finishing year 12. Sort of funny … What can I say? I sort of feel that some words would be appropriate… To everyone just finishing year 12 – keep in touch with your friends, even if you move away, make the effort. In the end friends are all we have in life…Stay excited with life, if you feel it’s getting stale, mix it up. Have plans, and then break them. Have Ideals, morals and expectations of yourself and try to live by them, but don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes – everyone does… that’s what life is about… Take your time… if you can live without a car do it! Try to stay fit. I guess in the end, live your life, it’s yours to live. Just remember that the next 10 years will go by very very fast.
Peace out.
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