Karaoke

So, I went to a Japanese karaoke bar with a couple of co-workers the other day.

The reason why I haven't mentioned it before is that I just started coming back to my senses. The weird thing is that I went there with some of my co-workers, including some people who're basically running a lot of stuff in the office.

We first had a couple of drinks at the office, sitting outside and chatting about stuff. I taught one person how to say some things and once I got back from the kitchen, half of the people were yelling "jebeni zaaaakon", which means something like fucking awesome. I should've gotten the hint there and then...

Anyway, after being offered two rides home, I still said yes to the crazy plan of going to a Japanese karaoke bar in the CBD and that's were we ended up. I was talking to the guys how I'm sure it's a great way to bond, but I'm not a particular fan. I mean, I sing and hum all the time, but getting up on the stage and singing is a bit of a different story.

But I wanted to give it a try anyway (since I was there), so I applied while I had the guts and the next song was mine. It was Englishman in New York, which was kind of appropriate for the situation I found myself in.

Being that we got there really early, the bar quickly started filling up with regulars, everyone was saying hi and I ended up meeting a lot of people, drinking uncountable beers (I even said no to some rounds being offered) and, if I remember right, I was hit on by someone who I'd just met. She liked the fact that I was 30 even though she thought I looked too young at first. She told me that.

So yeah, after basically having spent the last day and a half reminiscing what the hell happened, now I'm thinking about how I'll make it through the BBQ and drinks today...

Sunday arvo

One of the first thing you learn when in Australia is that the weekend is highly appreciated. Unlike people in Croatia, Aussies tend to use every single minute of their weekend for fun, seeing their friends, eating out or going on a trip.

Since I woke up quite late, I missed the breakfast, but I joined H and G for lunch. Lunch meaning beer and pizza. We went to a place called The Flying Scotsman in Mount Lawley, which is a pretty cosy place, with occasional DJs playing and quite a decent offer of snacks and drinks.

It's big and covered in wood, so it gives out a friendly and outdoorsy atmosphere, and there are tables filled up outside even though it's winter time. We met up with R, G's cousin, who's sixty and riding his bike around, wearing his festival bracelets and a red wool scarf with pride. He's the open type that starts a conversation with a joke about himself, and we hit it off straight away.

We talked about everything from real estate and book stores to travelling around India and children's books. This was probably the first time that I had the feeling that I was actually in Australia. I could connect to him on so many levels, but at the same time I was aware of the fast that I was so far away and that no one really knew anything about me. It was a weird combination of satisfaction and helplessness.

Luckily, Aussies know how to hit it off. Sundays at the Scotsman offer a pizza and a beer for ten bucks, so the place was crowded and (I have to use this word eventually) merry. Even though the Island guys (as the locals dub people from Polynesia) are quite hard core when it comes to their security positions, it's still a rather nice place to stop for a couple of rounds and a snack.



The rules here are a bit weird (but they still remind me of rules in, let's say, Slovenia), so you can't sit at the table and smoke, but you can't stand up and drink your beer either. That didn't stop the smokers from standing right next to the table and keeping the conversation going. That's rules for you.

We were going to watch see the new Batman movie, since everyone's quite excited about it here, but we ended up going to R's daughter's place instead. She served curry and gin and tonic, which amazingly got together pretty well (probably because of the quinine). I can't believe I had some of that too, especially after the four little pizzas that we shared, but I have to admit it was a really tasteful snack.

Living in a cute, nicely decorated house with her son, and eating dinner with her father, I couldn't help but notice the relaxed atmosphere that was present all throughout the evening. So many topics were covered that I can't even recollect any of them, but there were so many mentions of childhood memories, vacations they took together, trips to India and 90s bands.

The music playing in the background was always subtle, but never too boring to listen too. Every once in a while there would be someone who's start swinging from side to side to the rhythm of the song that was playing. At the times when the music was secondary, there was so much laughter that no one could actually hear what was being said.

I was also complimented on my English skills, which - coming from native Australians - sounds really good. I always figured that if one can joke in a foreign language, that shows that one is fluent in it. The guys seem to have proved me right, because there were cracks of laughter every now and then.



All in all, after two round of tea and a round of raspberry cupcakes, some Metallica in the car and a glass of water, here I am, in my bed, ready for my first day at work tomorrow...