One of the great things about Darwin in the dry season is that the place feels alive. Gone is the oppressive humidity. Instead, there are these perfect summer days - 32 in the shade, a hint of a breeze, and thankfully, the air is dry. Your washing dry in the shade outside - and doesn't smell of mold. It's great.
But it is still hot, which means going for a quick swim after work. As the pool at the hotel is still being jackhammered, much to the chagrin of the locals, I popped over to a neighbouring hotel for a quick dip before heading out to dinner at the pub.
While in the pool, I struck up a conversation with a lovely woman who was in Darwin after a trip on The Ghan. Her name was Cecelia. Cecilia from Mosman in Sydney. Cecelia was in her seventies. In the fifteen minutes in the cool pool water, we got into a chat about all sorts of things. Her travels, life as an older woman, where we agreed, our invisibility is our superpower even if it is annoying. Travelling as a single woman and how it can be a bit disheartening to have to eat by yourself every night - all sorts of things.
We then got onto the subject of what to eat in Darwin on a Monday night.
Monday night is not great for food in Darwin. Everything is closed.
She told me she's been in Darwin for a few days and was getting sick of eating at the hotel restaurant. She wanted some options.
This, being my fourth trip up here, had a couple of thoughts. She was told of the good barramundi at our hotel across the road - this comes highly recommended.
The other option was to go down the Cav. The Cavenagh Hotel is a bit of a legend in Darwin. It does fantastic steaks. It's busy. It's friendly. And it's not the hotel restaurant. I said that's where I was going and if she was down there, she was welcome to join us. If she was lucky, she could maybe meet Merv Hughe, Australian cricket legend.
I didn't think she'd take me up on it.
After running back to the hotel, grabbing a quick shower, I went down to the Cav to meet the crew. I followed Merv Hughes into the pub.
Twenty minutes later there was a tap on my shoulder.
"Hello, Pandora."
"Why hello, Cecilia. Would you like to join us?"
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Looking down the table, I asked those near me if my new mate could join us.
"Who's this?" one asked.
"This is Cecilia. She's a rando I met at the pool."
"Sure." One of the team found her a chair.
Over the meal, we introduced Cecilia to the team. She was fascinating - and very interested in return in what a group of contractors, guns for hire, whatever you like to call us, were up in Darwin from Melbourne, who come up here once a month to work.
We got our meals and had a couple drinks and my colleagues took on Cecilia the Rando with aplomb.
At the end of the meal, we all saw her back to her hotel before we headed off to the local ice cream parlour for a quick fix.
"Who was that?" one of the team up the other end of the table.
"Cecilia the rando. I met her at the pool."
"She seemed nice."
"She was."
Cecilia is flying back to Sydney today. She said it was lovely to be around a group of people who took her on and made her feel welcome. So much better than having yet another boring meal in the hotel restaurant. We've all been there.
For me, I'm grateful to work with a mob of people who are fun, easygoing and accepting of others joining in on the fun.
It makes a difference.
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