Walking the Walk

Once a year, for just one week, the part of Carillon Ave that leads from the Village to the Institute bursts into a sea of brilliant purple. It's jacaranda week right now, isn't it? When the jacarandas are in full bloom. It's sometimes early, sometimes late, but always awe-inspiring.

It's makes walking to Merewether such a joy.... Almost cancels out the horrible bits of October -- getting swooped while jogging, having to wear multi-layers because of schizo weather and itchy, pale skin leftover from winter. It is the one week of the year that makes me think: Nature still has a way of making us stop, gawk and smile.

The only more beautiful usyd moment I cherish is the 4.45pm walk from Carslaw to Merewether on my teaching days. As I emerge from the classroom, the sun is slanting just so. The walk takes three minutes, maybe four if traffic is heavy. But it is the most poignant few minutes of the week. It's something money can't buy, and time cannot take away.

Work has been good this week. At least the "work" part of it was. I had to go for a business lunch this week, the kind you have with publicity folks from some outfit who want good publicity. Realised I'm can't schmooze if my life depended on it. I'm like, nice to meet you, so ...um....what's for lunch? Awkward silence...

If there is such a thing as a schmooze gene, it's not part of my DNA. Can't do plastic. Just can't. Which is sad, coz while I'm "doing lunch", the list of friends I actually want to eat lunch with is growing longer and longer.... While I'm caught up in this "serious" stuff, real life is happening around. Kids are growing up, people are getting married and the incomparable Chanel left the race.

Time passes so fast, like the fading of jacaranda season.