Free Entertainment

A few families in the church have taken me under their wings. This has been hugely appreciated and beneficial to my ability to enjoy my stay here. I am a social being and enjoy being near people I like. 

Today, one of these families, who I really do like and feel like I belong with, took me with them on their family outing to see if we could see whales. We went to a lookout in thee bay where whales hang out and took turns among the seven of us looking through the binoculars at the whales playing and blowing around. To see whales from a boat is $50 or more and it is chancy about whether you will see anything interesting. Then we went to look at the light house at the bit where the Indian Ocean joins the Southern Ocean. To go to the light house or even to the lookout costed money so we opted for free entertainment and looked from a distance. Then we went to a beautiful forest of tall, straight trees and had an argument about what kind of tree this particular one was. We sang songs from memory and also from ipods and tapes, we talked and we played in rock pools.

What makes these outings memorable and fun for me is the company and the laughter of the people I am with. I get the same enjoyment out of going to tourist attractions with people I like as I do washing up with people I like. Walking with people I like, driving with people I like, eating with people I like, washing up with people I like, cleaning with people I like, mucking out stables with people I like. All of these activities are preferable to me to, for example, having a meal alone, walking alone, driving long distances alone. Very occasionally, when on a car ride with people I like to be around, I wish it didn't need to end. 

Free Entertainment like going for a walk with friends or playing a game with friends is far preferable to me then a guided tour without friends.

  

Good Times 2

Yesterday afternoon a friend and I went touristing. I am not usually big on touristing but we went to a quaint little lolly shop where you can watch the confectionery get made (though unfortunately not on Sundays) and buy interesting lollies, fudge and chocolate. We also went to a dairy farm and had hand made ice-cream and lay on the grass while the girls played in the park. What really made it special though was the conversational opportunities that the drive and the relaxing offered. We had some good, interesting and fun conversations in a relaxed atmosphere. It was pleasant weather and it was generally just perfect.

The other thing that made it special to me was the fun we had when we had a water fight. It is no secret that I enjoy a good water fight and yesterday we had a good one. After that I went to Sunday night bible study and enjoyed meeting some of the other people in the church as I made myself at home in their house.

My idea of a good time involves laughs and talking, energetic fun and comfortable relaxing. Yesterday was full to the brim with both of these things.

Canteen

At the Rodeo in Warwick, I was volunteering at the canteen for two of the busiest days. They gave me a volunteers wrist band so I could get in, a blue ticket so I could park and sore feet so I couldn't sleep that night.

I was my usual cheerful, probably annoying self, and there was a lot of laughing at my expense, like when I went out to give people their meal and called 89 about ten times before looking at it properly and then calling 98. There was a lot of laughing and chatting, they were mainly women in the canteen, and I wondered if they would normally be that happy at the end of a long week, or was it just that I was happy. I remember mentioning to my brother once that a friend of ours was always smiling and laughing and Matthew said "not really, only when your there." Maybe one of my gifts is to help people laugh at themselves and me. This is a good gift to use, all I need to do now is learn when to use it and when to let people be sad.

That was an odd post and did not turn out at all like I expected. The other thing I learned is why I don't work in hospitality, it is fun for a one off but every day would be stressful