Thursday 1st June 1995

The day I discovered bagels.

Just an impulse I'm sure, but I witnessed a guy come up to a girl in the street and give her a red rose! I finally got through to Monica today (and mum and dad too).

Visited Mike Wade at the uni today, and was shown around their physiology lab. Scammed a free departmental T-shirt when I tried to buy one then discovered I didn't have any cash. Nice looking uni and facilities. Wouldn't mind going there except it gets very cold in winter. Snows even.

Went clubbing and pubbing with an American Indian. It's true but probably misleading. He was born in India and now lives in the States. After a few JBs and Pepsi, we caught a bus downtown and walked around from place to place. It was pretty quiet which was usual for a Thursday night. At one pub, a girl accused me of looking like someone out of 90210 - even with the Australian accent. At some of the bars people just sat around watching sport on TV, which they do a lot over here. We also checked out a couple of topless dancing bars. Gunny (my Indian friend) seemed to enjoy this, and convinced me to give the girl a buck (yes I said buck) then she went and put her chest in his face. I wonder what he would have got for a few more dollars. It was quite an amusing night. And I suffered for it the next day.

Lesson learnt: You cannot tell Americans that Australia is better than the US. They take it personally. You have to lie all the time and complement their 'perfect' country.

"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. There is no such thing as being too late. Over the bleached bones of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic word: 'too late'. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the dark corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality and strength without sight"

Martin Luther King