Good Conversations

Even though Phill said to me not to call up the panel beaters cos I've called them since Wednesday to ask if my car is ready (they told me to call them wednesday and day after). He said it'll sound like I'm harassing them. But today, I had to know. I called them at about 1pm.

And the wife picked up and was very nice and said she'll check with her husband. She said it'll be ready in 45 mins time and then said "men don't know that you need abit of a lead time to drive up here" and we giggled about it. So anyway, Phill came and picked me up and we were there at 5.05pm. Saw my beautiful car in its original shape!!! Yipppeee! I was told not to park under trees too cos the sap spoils the paint on my car.

After collecting my car, I told phill I'll park it behind the police station cos we had a dinner appointment anytime from 6.30-7pm. We walked around the newsagents and supermarket and then drove to my church member's house where we were going to have dinner. My church member and her family, Kathy, Pete, Hannah and Harry, are heading to Singapore next Wednesday for a holiday and wanted to find out more about Singapore and where they could get certain stuff.

We arrived at the road her property is on at 6.30pm but decided not to go to their place til 6.45pm.

They had a nice, cosy house which I noticed wasn't that neat and tidy but that made me feel really welcomed. It's just that homes that are too immaculate makes me very uncomfortable and I feel I can't be myself. Clean is another matter altogether and their house was clean.

We settled down to dinner some time later to gnochi (think its spelt this way) and spaghetti sauce. The sauce was yummy but I wasn't used to the taste of gnochi. I thought it was very doughy. =P

The chocolate cake dessert they served afterwards was very yummy! Very delicious and sinful! Looks fit to be in a restaurant. Really divine!

All through dinner, our conversation just flowed easily. We talked about a whole range of things, from each of our holidays - we to Hongkong, Taipei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kathy and Pete to Italy and Greece.

We also talked about how some people in town never have a desire to travel overseas or out of town and think of people who have such a desire as weird. About people who depend so much on welfare, that their kids have never seen a day of their parents working, never know what hard work means.

About the Australian government, about kids and the support they need from their parents, of a boy in Phill's class whom Phill thinks is the smartest but gets no support from his single mother who cares more about her boyfriend whom she changes from time to time (I wondered where he gets his motivation from since children gets their most motivation from family, from the fact their family believe they can do it, they can do their best).

About so many other different things that it was so good to be on the same wavelength and share the excitement of their impending travels to Singapore as we talked about Singapore's Banana Leaf restaurant and the fish head curry, eating on banana leaves, the elephant rides at the zoo, the different kinds of yummy local food, durians which Pete eats (I always find it a thrill when a non-Southeast Asian likes durians), and us scratching our heads to tell Pete where they could get good laksa.

I always enjoy sharing experiences with people who truly want to experience another country's culture when they travel rather than those who ask where the western food places are or where the good Chinese food are (unless you're in China!). I can understand if we eat some of this for part of the trip but not the entire trip!!!! I once knew someone who would rather eat Chinese food no matter where he is, Paris, London, wherever??!!!

Anyway, we finally left their place at 11pm after several false starts cos the conversation was so good that everytime we tried to take our leave, we'll launch into another topic to talk about. I must say, I enjoyed the evening.