Stay weird, Newtown …

[blamebrampton]

So, my home is a short walk down a medium-sized hill from Newtown, a slightly bohemian, really rather queer university town/suburb with far too many frozen yoghurt bars these days. I lived there for most of my Sydney time before I moved down the hill. It's cheerfully odd: I ran out of clean clothes one day, so carried my washing to the laundromat wearing a 14th century cotehardie that I had made for a party. Not only did no-one think it odd, three people asked me where I got it. That dress had tippets!

Yesterday morning I was on the bus headed up King St, the main street of Newtown (it's pissing down rain this week, so I am not riding). As we slowly passed a major cross street, I saw a large number of police cars and fire engines, the road was clearly closed, and there was a woman standing beside her car with the door open, obviously asking the police what the hell was going on.

The body language was writ large, and it was unexpected. She was very clearly saying, 'I hear what you are saying, and I respect your role in protecting our community, but I strongly, strongly suspect you of dipping into the Acid stash in the evidence room.'

Their body language was also clear. It said, 'Madam, we honestly cannot blame you, because what we are saying sounds like utter insanity even to our ears, but we swear to you it is all true.'

This was the problem:


Yes. Those are water buffalo. Two of them. Who jogged more than 2km up the road before being trapped on the side street. And yet traffic was an order of magnitude better yesterday morning than this morning.

This morning, Newtown Fire Brigade had changed the sign out the front of their station: it now reads GIVE ME A HOME WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM. Bless.

No injuries, property damage seems to be limited to the garden they ended up cornered in, where several plants became brunch, and the buffalo were relieved of filming duty (they had been shipped into the city to shoot a commercial) and returned to their country estates.

Full report here. Less sensible report here.

Comments

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

For a moment there, I thought: "oh, she is in India". Newtown sounds great. You must wear that dress whenever you come here, you´d feel at home; in and with it. Of course, we only have parrots at the local pharmacy and sometimes camel-riding on festive days...the number of originals and rhinoceri walking the market would blast the comment space but they´re all mad here. Except me (it´s not contagious) but I feel free to be, any time.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It felt like being in India, or rural parts of the Northern Territory ;-)

And it is a French C14 dress! Though it is currently in NZ. I have a strange idea you used to be near St Severin and have now moved out of Paris, but this year has just been a muddle for me, so that could be horribly wrong. I do need a month in Europe! I will try to get one and stop by your local café where we can drink chocolate and laugh about the world!

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

I´ll tell you in private where exactly I am but it´s not Paris though many Parisians come here by train for the historic sites, it´s a 2h ride from there. Don´t know, if I´m a good tourist guide but I´d do it the same way I do my conversation courses: my way. They say, I´m "exceptional" and look content at it, too;) Waugh, Kipling and Grahame have been dictates and I make them see strange films and discuss the weirdest topics like caterpillars, etc.
We/I´ll show you around anytime you come, if in town. When the Short People are not in the house we can squeeze someone in though promise no great comfort, unfortunately but the view makes up for a lot: gothic cathedral from bathroom, river view up front. It helps, to know you´ve lived in that kind of place before you come to this Quartier...