01. Two things have happened this week that felt ‘normal’ (dare I say it?). The first was sitting in a full theatre to see the musical production of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. It was terrific – the transitions between Alison as a child, young adult, and adult were so clever. And there was one song (the children’s advertisement for the family funeral home, complete with a Jackson Family beat) that had me crying tears of laughter.
02. After the theatre we had gimlets and snacks at Gimlet. All felt so wildly, exictingly normal.
03. The second thing was attending my cousin’s wedding. Sure, weddings aren’t everyday occasions, but being able to be with extended family at a celebration was really good (and the groom is Sri Lankan, so the festivities came with more dancing. drumming, colour, and conch shells than I have seen at a wedding before).
04. My Stella Prize 2022 predictions will be grossly ill-informed but I’ve had fun choosing.
05. Speaking of predictions, my Australian Eurovision pick did not come through but I’ll live with the judges decision and start gearing up for the main event (so far, my favourite is Slovenia).
06. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival tickets went on sale this week – snapped up some seats to my first-choice event, but missed out on some others (clearly Melburnians are champing at the bit to get back to Festival events).
07. Watched: The Tinder Swindler (people are unbelievable, aren’t they?). What should I watch next – After Life S3; The Lost Daughter; or Below Deck Sailing Yacht S3? (I’m a person of wide-ranging taste when it comes to tele).
08. Our rotisserie works and the results were delicious.
It certainly sounds like things are getting back to normal in Melbourne. Great to hear Kate. Am looking forward to tonight’s Stella announcement.
I have a big family dinner coming up, outside as it happens, but I think Covid has put me off crowded spaces – shopping centres and theatres – for good.
Yea, I’ve never liked crowded spaces to begin with, I have a real fear of being crushed, so covid has sealed the deal now. I heard Tim Winton speak at the Perth Festival last night and that was the biggest crowd I’d been in for a while. I deliberately sat myself in a place where there was an aisle behind me and a vacant seat either side. It was outdoors, albeit with a roof, and everyone wore masks, so I felt relatively “safe”.
Do you think rising case numbers in WA has influenced how you’re feeling (given WA has largely not had to change too much about day-to-day activity until now)?
Nope… I had pneumonia in 2006 and it took my immune system at least 3 years to return to normal. I had countless chest infections, sinus infections and ratty colds after that. I don’t want to catch covid, which is an unpredictable respiratory disease, because even if it’s just a fraction of what it’s like to get pneumonia I really wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I don’t have a reliable support network here, either, so don’t fancy being sick while having to fend for myself, as it were. We knew rising case numbers were coming so it’s not a shock. I live opposite a covid testing site, so it’s always a nice reminder that covid is here — I just look out the window and see all the cars in the queue. LOL.
Yes, be careful. I am certainly not subscribing to the attitude of ‘we’re all going to get it, so get it over and done with now’. As I said to a friend (who thinks this), if someone you knew had glandular fever, you wouldn’t try to catch it from them!
I have friends in the UK who have had it twice… so trying to get it thinking you’ll become immune is nonsense.
Also – lucky you hearing Tim Winton. I’ve only heard him speak once, and it was so interesting.
He’s brilliant. I interviewed him in London back in 2011 (?) for Shiny New Books and he was so hungover and grumpy, but soon warmed up when he realised I was Australian and knew his backstory. I must dig that interview out. I had enough content to post something on my blog, but think it got lost in the move from Typepad to WordPress.
I think this time last year I felt the same about crowds, but now, after so long without group events, I want them again. I’m taking precautions (eg. Continuing to wear a mask) but I’m also getting back to pre-Covid routines. That said, I draw the line at getting on a plane at the moment – would prefer case numbers to be a bit lower!
Oh I’d love to see that play – sound fascinating!
It’s just wonderful being able to go out and about again isn’t it? I had a theatre trip this month too, and family meals in pubs. Just have to be careful. I had covid over New Year, caught from my son over Christmas. I’m three times vaccinated so was over it in a fortnight, no it wasn’t fun!