This week has been a massive improvement on last! I’ve gone on a bit of a health kick starting with the elimination of alcohol. I’ve realized that it is all too easy to turn to the friendly green bottle and allow him to transport you into a happy place all for the price of a headache and a flabby physique. Unfortunately I’ve made the difficult decision of entering into a trial separation; I’m sure that after some time apart we can once again be friends. Monday saw me launch into the week at a cracking pace. After coming to the realization that I was living in a fish bowl akin to high school I had developed a somewhat disturbing bout of anger that needed to be dissipated. Consequently I pounded the pavement at Hash and left Matt & Kate in my wake. After burning off the wretched feeling I made a vow to myself that I would a) not talk about other people because what goes around comes around, and b) I would go by the motto of one of the other Hasher’s proud t-shirt “You’re living in a third world country, lower your standards”. Completely exhausted I fell into a restful slumber and awoke the next day to a bright light.
Yay! Finally I got 5 minutes to sit with the EPC General Manager who finally approved some of the documents I had sitting in his in-tray. Despite the press releases having distinctly declined in relevance, the advertising space now having been sold and the communications plan being deemed too ‘thick’ to read (all 15 pages of bullet points) I got the much sought after signature I needed, sneakily made adjustments to the releases and set them loose on the media. Low and behold the next day my release appeared partly butchered and partly pasted in the national newspaper. It was when the little proud butterflies started and I realized that my work isn’t go to waste, even if its been made to look like the work of a 4 year old armed with a pack of crayons and too much time on his hands.
After work, I continued on my health kick and walked a couple of km’s to Health Attack for my yoga class. I have decided that if I’m participating in this alternatively glamorous class then I can trick my brain into thinking that I’m really attending class at Bondi Icebergs and I resemble that lithe child-like woman clothed in white lycra who can turn herself inside out. As the teacher calmly led the class I felt myself descend into the happy realm of my imagination and at the end of the class I floated out convinced that I would be able to stop into the 24 hour Coles on the way home to pick up some broccoli and a bbq chook. Whilst my bubble was quickly burst as I walked past the oil drum on top of which were some mamoe (mutton flaps) steadily turning to charcoal, the relaxed feeling didn’t disappear and I went home to a happy household and the news that Matt had been employed and his package included a car.
We are so excited about having access to a vehicle and being able to dictate our own exploring! Matt has been employed as a Transport Officer for the South Pacific Games and will basically coordinate all aspects of transport operations for the 5000 athletes and predicted 15000 spectators that will descend upon Samoa in August. It is going to be a very challenging job but knowing Matt he’ll land on his feet and get it done albeit in Samoa time. Matt starts work next week so I’ll soon be sans househusband and will sadly have to start cooking again.
Yesterday began less positively than the rest of the week as I was rounded up by Karin’s dogs when I went to drop something off at her place. On approach I thought that someone would come out of the house and rescue me but as I got closer and the bared teeth became apparent I realized that I was alone. It is amazing though while I sharply barked out “halu” (go away), I didn’t dissolve into a puddle of girly muck but remained calm and the dogs couldn’t sense any fear. Luckily someone came out of the house and rescued me just as the teeth were getting dangerously close to my skin. The whole event made me realize that I quite easily could have been mauled into an unrecognizable state but taking the Samoan ‘don’t worry be happy’ attitude saved me (plus the fact that the owner came and called the dogs off). Anyway I think it is indicative of how I should approach survival in general here. I just need to go with the flow.
As I’m on the path to mind and body transformation I felt that 2 yoga classes in the one week wasn’t over doing it and as such I ran to the gym again last night, keen to replicate my happy place from Monday night. To my surprise however, I found a French man floating around like a fairy frog proclaiming 20 years worth of experience in the yoga industry and was I ready to breeeeeeeeathe deeeeeeeply? The class was a nightmare and I came out feeling tenser than when I went in. Tom the fairy frog quickly learnt my name and made it his mission to humiliate me in front of the rest of the class. As he yelled at me to breeeeeeeaathe into the stretch I found myself light headed and nauseated by his body odour. Concerned that this man was actually an alien imposting a yoga teacher and the result would be more damage than good, I calmly explained that no, I couldn’t breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeathe into the stretch any further. This only sparked more targeting of me and smirks from the other yoga participants. I left with my tail between my legs and went home to do some therapeutic housework convinced that I would not be attending any future fairy frog classes.
So here I am, it’s Friday and a big weekend lies ahead. Tomorrow I will be watching Samoa V Fiji in the rugby then I am volunteering at the Samoan Fashion Awards Fundraiser for HIV. This should raise some interesting stories which I’ll be sure to share with you all next week! I may meet up with my friend in the green bottle tonight, I think sporadic meeting is the best way to approach him taking over my life….
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