Monday 26 September 2016

thoughts on David Sedaris - "Me Talk Pretty One Day" - City of Angels

Haven't quite finished this book...

I am sure I have mentioned before that I am a terrible reader...in the sense that I start something, get right into it, usually about a quarter of the way through, and then it sits, next to my bed gathering dust like most of my good intentions.

I want to share my thoughts on the chapter "City of Angels".

I could really relate to how Sedaris described New York.  As a tourist there, many years ago, just after 9/11, I honestly marvelled at how "un-American" the place seemed.  I loved it.  I loved that the Americans there weren't "Americans", they were "New Yorkers", they were different, much less obnoxious, much more fun.  So I laughed as he described Bonnie, I mean he essentially described  the American stereotype.  I have met a few like Bonnie in my time working and travelling, so it's always funny to hear an American describe a fellow American in that way.

I did question how Alisha could not see Bonnie's true colours prior to travelling with her, however then I remembered the two times I went overseas with people who I got along great with in my everyday life, but who in the travelling life - were the complete opposite.  Now I know I am not the easiest person to travel with, but it's so interesting how you can take two people who have great relationships out of their comfort zone and see the relationship capitulate.  Flash back to me, left standing on a subway platform in the middle of NYC in 2004 as my "best friend" stormed off after I mentioned we'd caught the wrong train...to be fair, I may have mentioned it in a certain tone....come on, don't judge, it was the end of the trip, we'd been travelling together for a month, it was time for a break!

Week 7 - Humour "Missy"


Missy was a RSPCA reject, a dog on death row because no one wanted her.  I wandered in there, a 23 year old looking for some K9 companionship, something I had never really had.  As soon as I entered the gates of the compound I burst into tears.  I'm such a sook when it comes to animals, couldn't even watch the opening credits of "My Dog Skip" without crying my eyes out - cause we all know movies about animals end the same freaking way!

Missy and I traveled, we gallivanted, we had some great times and some shitty times.  Missy loved the beach.  I used to love watching her sprint along the break before the sets came in, you could see Missy was carefully choosing which wave she wanted to "surf".  The confusion on Missy's face when we moved back to Darwin and there were no waves - gold!

After almost 10 years, Missy had become dog aggressive.  The dog companion Missy had lived with in perfect harmony for the past almost 6 years was no longer someone she wanted to curl up with next to the heater.  The first fight wasn't too bad and then they kept getting worse and worse.  It was impacting my relationship with my partner, there were a few ultimatums thrown back and forth.

....

"I'll take her"

I paused and because pauses are hard to decipher on a phone, and perhaps because I paused for a little longer than what would be considered "normal" length and perhaps because my mum has no faith in technology, she immediately assumed that the line had dropped out.

"Are you there? If you're talking I can't hear you, I think the service has dropped..."

I put her out of her misery.

"I'm here Mum, would you really?" I had to make sure. 

"Yes" 

I reminded her of the last time she took my dog in, when I gallivanted across the Australian countryside - trying to find myself - mum had Missy for 6 months.  I left her in prime condition, 12kgs, 2 x walks a day and a very specific diet.  When I had settled and mum sent Missy back to live with me, Missy was 8 kgs heavier, resembling something sausage roll like - she is a staffy.  Mum had admitted that she "may" have fed Missy a few plates of spaghetti bolognaise here, immediately justifying it with "But Amber, she loved it!" Well of course she loved it, Mum!

"No leftovers this time mum, Missy's too old too be fat now!" I pleaded.

There was a huff at the end of the phone line, obviously I had missed something.  Perhaps she'd changed her mind, oh gosh, please take her mum.

"Amber, I am a pensioner now," She bleated "I can't afford leftovers!"