Dingledodies

"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn..." JK.

Music.

I have decided to joing CSS and jump on Lupe's bandwagon or rather her tour bus and start dating music.

Reasons:

- It doesn't give you colds
- It takes you for walks
- It is there when you have to clean the house
- It talks nonsense often
- It can break your heart but then you can just skip along to the next track and all is better (great for someone as emotionally retarded as me)
- It can teach you
- It gets along with your friends
- It dances with you
- It makes you smile

Music took me on the best date yesterday. We walked to the botanical gardens, hunted for fairies and smelled flowers together. We then walked home and cooked dinner and cleaned up together. Contentment.

And your heart is like a garden
And your heart is in the cities
And your heart is confiscated
And your heart is on the table.

Eating Daisies

I fell asleep beneath the flowers

For a couple of hours

On a beautiful day

Daydream

I dream of you amid the flowers

For a couple of hours

Such a beautiful day

(Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin')

My poet/stylist/confidante came up with a term "eating daisies." I took this phrase and I thought about. I thought about it a lot - as I seem to do.

Only a happy person would ever eat daisies. That is logical, right? A sad person would not go around eating daisies. No, definitely not! Sad people do not go around eating flowers.

So when I am happy I am "eating daisies" and when I am really happy I am "eating daisies dipped in gin."

I am eating daisies when..

- The theme music for The West Wing comes on.
- I buy new shoes.
- I visit Patchewollock.
- There are fresh flowers in the house (obviously not daisies, they are not safe).
- I have someone to talk nonsense with.
- My sister pats my head just right.
- I can leave work at 5pm on a Friday.

I am eating daisies dipped in gin when..

- I am lying on my bed reading a good book with my legs dangling out my window, kicking about in the dirt and among the geraniums.
- I am hanging out on the deck with my parents, Manna and Matt getting drunk with Sparticus at my feet.
- I slip into newly washed white sheets and into the welcoming snuggle of Joshua (my teddy bears) arms.
- Dad and I go for walkies with the dogs and Mum meets us at the park.
- I can kick my shoes off at a gig and dance.
- I am falling in love.

The Chillum

Heartbeats

So my song for Laos was Kings of Leons Slow Night, So Long. This trip my album was Jose Gonzalez's album Veneer and especially his song Heartbeats.

One night to be confused
One night to speed up truth
We had a promise made
Four hands and then away

Both under influence
We had divine scent
To know what to say
Mind is a razor blade

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

One night of magic rush
The start a simple touch
One night to push and scream
And then relief

Ten days of perfect tunes
The colors red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough

And you, you knew the hands of the devil
And you, kept us awake with wolf teeth
Sharing different heartbeats
In one night

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

Why like dis?

I learnt a few new words and phrases while I was away. Probably more Hebrew then anything else but really every different state in India has their own dialect and the Israelis are like locals there? My friend Annette and I formed our own language which was a mixture of Hebrew, English, giggles and mmm's - we named it Hebrish.

(before you go on I am well aware that many of these phrases are spelt incorrectly - I'm just not sure how to correct it)

Why like dis?

This is the answer to everything.

- mosquitos? Why like dis?
- a bike running out of fuel in the middle of no where? Why like dis?
- an expensive thali? Why like dis?

It can be said in disbelief with a raise of the arms. In horror. Or sadly with a sorrowful shake of the head.

My friend

Everyone in India is 'my friend'

- My friend how much?
- Come on my friend, good price for me?
- My friend!

Bhaiya

"Baya!!!!!!!!!!!!!" meaning "Brother!!!!!!" and said in context like "Baya!!!!!!!!! Where is my banana lassi?" We mostly used this in Havelock. The more endearing term if Ji.

And from my Hebrew friends...

Sibabba

- good, all is good, oh really? good!

Wallah (my favourite)

- really.....
- really!!!!!!
- really!?!?!?!?!

Yellah

- Lets go!
- Get out!!! (as in 'no way!!' not leave here please kind of way)

Yellah Yellah

- Lets go, lets go! (impatient)

Also everything is possible in India.

Disembarking...

I left Havelock with:

- 36 sand fly bites
- 2 infected sand fly bites
- a grazed chin
- a grazed knee
- a toe leaking puss
- strange bruises
- new friendships
- a few old friendships cemented
- 1 broken heart
- a tan
- regrets
- and a few new words

I left Havelock without:

- 2 pairs of Havs
- a few tears
- my sarong and my favourite hat

So I am sitting on the ferry shoeless, choking back a few tears (hiding under the lifeboat – I am tres discreet) with a mindful of regrets and legs so itchy I want to scream.

Most of you are shaking your heads in disgust right now. Not Again! Right?
But this timeit was my own doing. All my own doing. So I will suffer in semi-silence. I promise.

I can also promise come September I will not be in Australia. I have plans people.