Wine and Sherry

Let me tell you about Sherry (like the wine as she explained it to me), but I am getting ahead of myself. In the lounge of the YHA a travel auction was being held where trips and special packages were being given away at reduced prices. Their was also free wine being served. As I have been feeling slightly lonely lately I made a commitment to myself that I would try to make a friend. So with that goal in mind I headed down to the lounge to check out some of the trips and maybe meet some people. When I arrived all the seats were taken, except for one, that was offered to me by a kindly old Australian woman. (I tell you I don't know what it is, but for some reason the elderly are drawn to me on this trip). Sherry quickly engaged me in the usual conversation of where I came from, what I am doing here, where I am going, etc... For my part I learned that Sherry grew up in South Yarra, married a frenchman, moved to Paris, and has returned to persue a lawsuit which she is a part of in regards to some botched drug she took. In her youth she was an avid drinker of wine, but has since been forced to give it up as she had health complications, and has since sworn off drinking on recommendation of her doctors. (I hope through all of this you can get a sense of exactly what type of woman, Sherry is.)


Found this while walking the other day. It is
good to see that Kool and the Gang are still
alive and well in Australia.



So her untouched glass of wine went to me and we continued a very lively discussion. Mostly, she spoke of the things one would expect when talking to the older generation. "The streets were growing more dangerous," "What ever happened to all the railroads," "And the argumentative disposition of Germans." All in all, I had a very interesting time talking to this rather excentric but interesting woman. She spoke of her one son (who she felt was too French and not enough Aussie), and of the wrong doings of certain politicians. She even helped me pick out a good trip to purchase which helped save me almost A$300. Moreover, my selected journey will help me conquer three of my goals in one trip, but I will save that for another post.

 She was amazingly helpful in the trivia part of the night. When questions about Australian geography, wildlife, and other such facts were mostly being met with blank stares by the rest of the atended audience. She was able to coach me in several answers. Together we won a bananna, two bars of some candy called a "Picnic" (Chocolate, nuts, honey, and peanut butter), a koala holding an Australian flag that attaches the end of a pencil, and a sleeve of pasta and a jar of tomatoe sauce. At the end of the night I bid her farewell with an exhcanging of emails a promise that maybe would meet again to try make a pasta dinner. You never quite know who you are going to meet on these sorts of trip.