Travelog 2: Sheung Wan avec Lonely Planet

So call me Lucy Honeychurch. Give me my room with a view and let me go gallivanting around the place like a woman possessed.

What do you mean you haven't seen A Room with a View? I've been modelling myself on Lucy Honeychurch for ages. She's been my hero for decades. (If you haven't seen A Room with a View, hunt it out - it is British cinema it its quirky Maggie Smith and Judy Dench before they were aat their international megastars best).

Unlike Lucy, my room does not have sweeping views of the Arno in Florence, but a construction site next to the market lanes of Mong Kok. It is not the middle of summer, so I don't get to wear cotton and linen. It's a drizzly, overcast day and I'm glad I brought my denim jacket with me. There is no George waiting either  - which is both a pity and a blessing on so many levels. A blessing as I get to explore this remarkable city on my own terms. A pity, yeah, well we won't go into that.

So, it's just me and my trusty little Lonely Planet pocket guide, the equivalent of Lucy's Baedeker, which up until now, hasn't let me down.

The worst thing about discovering a city on your own is working out what to do and where to go first. This took a bit of courage, mostly due to not really knowing how to navigate the transport situation. I shouldn't have worried. Hong Kong does public transport very, very well. It's cheap, quick, reliable and people follow the rules - like no eating on the trains or trams. Like who knew?  The MTR is great. Once you have your Octopus card, the city is at your fingertips. HKD10 (a bit under $2) to ride the trains, HKD3 to ride the Ding Dings.

The Ding Dings - a small, quaint tram network that runs around the island. They're a bit dilapidated, a bit odd looking being both double decker trams which probably only hold 40 or so people, but they run up and down the island regularly. The sort of remind me of the Knight Bus in Harry Potter.  My first stop was to hop on a Ding Ding and take a ride out to Kennedy Town, along the waterfront. They're a great way to have a look at a city around. You climb on. Tap your Oyster card when you get off. Simples.


(From the Ding Ding window)

After the Ding Ding adventure, it was time to get some bearings. And find some lunch. Eating with the locals is fun. You never quite know what you're going to get.

Going with my plan of things to do every day, I made my way to Man Po temple, by way of a chat with some friendly locals and a trio of three small dogs, Pretzel, Pudding and Popcorn. The dogs' owner had the most awesome plummy Oxbridge accent. Pudding the Pomeranian gave wonderful cuddles.

Solo travelling tip: If you're in need of a short conversation, find a dog owner walking their dog - nine times out of chat, they'll give you the time of day.

Man Po is a wonderfully atmospheric place, filled with incense and flames and offerings. I want to go back and have another look. There was a school group and a film set there when I was there and there is nothing that takes away from exploring a temple like a dolly grip having a hissy fit.



A wander down Cat Alley to look at the antiques. Found some jade trinket sown the way, in particular, a small old jade Kuan Yin - a favourite goddess of mine which I can take travelling with me.

When I look back at yesterday I don't think I've done that much, but scaling the streets, wandering around, looking in shop windows, watching people go past. The people watching here is fantastic.

After returning to the hotel for a rest and a lie down, it was back out into the streets of Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok to find some dinner. The concierge recommended a noodle place  in the back alleys out near the Ladies Market. It was a sound recommendation. Lovely food, not too much of it and dirt cheap.

A roam around sneaker street and the market had me back at the hotel around 10 pm with a new pair of Converse runners in my possession.

This place never seems to sleep. It's great. I have no idea where all the people come from, but it's fabulous.

So now, after a lazy morning, where I made yet another rookie mistake - when you think you're buying milk for your tea and you end up getting yogurt - joys of not knowing any Chinese at all, I'm going to head out into the drizzle and explore Tsim Sha Tsui and take the ferry over the the island.

At least it's not hot. The only thing the drizzle is stopping me doing is going up to the top of Victoria Peak. There isn't much point in doing that if you can't see anything.

Onwards, I say.

(By the way, Plastic Mancunian - I see why you love it here)

Today's song - The Ting Tings - in recognition of the Ding Dings that roam the streets of the island.

Travelog 1: Lost in Translation

Kowloon: Friday Morning: Day Two

I love being a Gringo, a Xeni, a Gori,  a traveller. A passenger. Somebody who is deliberately out of place in a place they probably have no real right to be, but you are there anyway, and you're only there to find out about things before you move on.

Some of the places I've had the best time being a gringo include Mykonos (where I became a part time masseuse, part time club hostess, part time English teacher for a few weeks), Bangkok (where I would love to live for a few months because the place is just madness), The Hague (only for an afternoon, but that half hour with Vermeer's The Girl with the Pearl Earring all alone was sublime) and Philadelphia - where an afternoon with my uncle took me from the Neshaminy burbs, to gang territory to the Mutter Museum in the space of a few hours.

It's all experience.

I've done it before, this gringo thing. I'll do it again. It's something I live for. This feeling of wanting to find out about stuff. The feeling of being lost, and getting lost, only to find out more

So here I am in Hong Kong.

This Hong Kong trip is something I've planned but not planned. It's been six months in the offing, and I've really thought about is how do I get my sorry arse from the airport to the hotel. Literally, that is it. As I've done in many cities in the past, I've plonked myself down for a few days and finding out what happens from there.

The nine hour flight was both effortless and easy, thanks mostly to a box set of Riverdale, which was surprisingly nostalgic and fun. I used to love Archie comics as a kid. Nearly sent off for the sea monkeys and everything.

I was seated next to a Hong Kong grandma who's English was as fluent as my Cantonese. We smiled and nodded to each other. Meals were problematic for her. Our most prolific conversation went something like this:

Grandma: (Pointing at the snack box) ??
Pand: Sui Mai. (I know my Sui Mai from my Shao-long Bao)
Grandma: Sui Mai? (As if to say "What is this shit?")
Pand: (Nodding) Sui Mai (As if to say, it's not going to be Hu Tong Dumpling good, but it's better than nothing)
Grandma: (To the cabin crew) Sui Mai. (In resignation that this was airline food and there were still three hours of the flight left)
Pand: Sui Mai (Wishing that they would offer me another Bloody Mary - the one with lunch was wonderful - and yes, it was only eleven a.m. Melbourne time, but it was midday somewhere and tomato juice has lots of electrolytes in it - and they were serving doubles.)

She was a nice lady. She gave me her Weis Bar. She couldn't eat them. The cold got to her teeth. I never say no to an extra Weis Bar.

I've been here less than 24 hours, but I like it already. So far, it's been easy.

The trip from the airport to the hotel was seamless.

Buy a ticket. Get on a train. Get off the train and go to the well signposted courtesy hotel bus. Get dropped off at the door of the hotel. Simples. You don't get that with a transfer or a taxi. $20. Better than the Skybus - then again, anything is better than the Skybus... don't get me started on a Melbourne Airport Rail service...

The rail trip was great. Looking out of the window, a line from PJ O'Rourke came into my head. "Commies love concrete". There is a lot of concrete here. But it's concrete with character, so it is forgiven. Hong Kong has been back in the hands of the Chinese for over 20 years. I wish I'd seen Hong Kong before 1997. Just for the comparison.

The hotel is fine, good even. I've been upgraded. My deluxe room on the 16th floor looks over the Waterloo Road and a large, noisy construction site. Being up near the top shields me from most of the noise. To room is spotlessly clean, the decor tidy and functional and there is a kettle and a safe. The bed is not unpleasantly hard. The pillows thin but workable.  The English channels on the telly involve a generic BBC and ABC channel and that's it. The wifi is fast and reliable, so Netflix might be getting a bashing in the evenings after a day of exploring. I love that if I reach up and stand on my toes I can touch the ceiling.

Being tired from the flight, all that was in me was to source out some dinner and retreat for the night. The concierge gave me some directions to a local place across the Nathan Road.

I was the only gringo in the place. Thankfully the lady serving has good English. A feed of chilli wantons, Beef and flat rice noodles and an eponymous mint and lime slushy and Pand was left a very happy girl. Lime and mint slushies and chilli wonton are possibly some of my most favourite things.



A trip to a local bakery on the way home secured me something for breakfast. The 7/11 found me some milk for my tea. I'm not even going to try find an almond decaf latte here. What's the point of that?

When in Rome. Or in this case, when in Hong Kong...

So, today's plan. Go across to the island. Make my way to Central. Maybe take the Star Ferry over. Life is always better when you're on a boat.

I've got an agenda for this trip. This includes:

• Eat with the locals.
• See a temple a day.
• Find a museum to discover.
• Learn how to say'thank you' in Cantonese in the next day or so. 
• Write every day.

For I get to pretend to be a travel writer for a few days.

Yep, I'm as happy as a pig in muck.

Today's song:

'

The Curious as a Cat Questions

It has been a big day. I've come back from a trip away, I'm heading overseas later in the week and I have just given the cats back to their parents - all stuff which has stopped me getting this blog done - so now it's late in the evening and I'm struggling to get this done on the Sunday.

Good questions this week, thanks to Bev at Sunday Stealing.


1. I wish I had enough money to ________.

Travel the world for extended periods of time and in great comfort.

2. If you had to enter a competition for the "Most Uselessly Unique Talent," what would your talent be?

I can do the following - all are useless:

• I am a founding member of the Ministry for the Bleeding Obvious
• I can recite Jabberwocky (and sing Khe Sahn) when really drunk - by rote. 
• I am very good at finding The Young Ones and MOnty Python quotes for any occasion. 

3. When it might hurt their feelings, how do you feel about telling your friends the truth?

If it has to be done, it has to be done - but done gently, in private, and as kindly as it can be done.

4. Peanut or plain?

Both have their merits. Peanut just trumps plain.

5. Is there someone you would like to take your place in life for one day? Who and why?

Part of me would love my sister to step into my shoes for a day. I think she thinks I have it easy. We had the same opportunities growing up, but went on very different paths. She knows nothing of my life. I'd like to open her eyes to a few things.

6. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

My French teacher at high school in my final year was great. A mentor as well as a bloody good teacher. She helped instill what little confidence with which I left high school. I have a lot to thank her for. She also helped give me the love of the language I wish I could use more often. Nothing three months in France and some intensive classes wouldn't fix.

7. What do you think is the ugliest thing or event on Earth?

Do not get me started on what our Federal Government is doing to refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. This is the definition of ugly.

Huntsman spiders are up there too. (Americans - look them up... they are the size of the palm of your hand).

8. What is your least favorite of your personality traits or quirks?

I can be stubborn to my own detriment and I can cave in too easily at times. A bit of an oxymoron, me...)

9. I wish I could see ________ because _________.

What happened to all of the characters in the West Wing ten years on, because that was the BEST show and I loved them all.

10. Tell us your favorite children's story.

Cinderella.

11. Explain how to play your favorite game.

It's called pool. You pot all the balls by hitting the white ball with a long thin stick, trying hard to put the eight-ball last. It helps if you had a bit of beer to drink before you play.

12. What do you keep in the trunk  boot of your car?

An umbrella, a few CDs, some plastic bags, the spare tyre and tyre changing accouterments.

13. Tell us about your favorite way to get lost in a simple activity — running, chopping vegetables, folding laundry, whatever. What’s it like when you’re in "the zone"?

I get in that spot when I'm reading and writing and going for long walks. I love the zone - most of me disappears.

Oh, and if you really want to see me in the zone, play me Jeff Beck's 'Brush with the Blues'. I really disappear then.

14. What’s your dream tourist destination — either a place you’ve been and loved, or a place you’d love to visit? What about it speaks to you?

I'd love to go back to Spain and Italy. Spain resonates with me on a cellular level. The little bit of Italy I've seen is beautiful - I want to see more.

15. What parts of nature do you like best?

All of it - but I particularly love the sea and the mountains.

16. What kind of program do you enjoy most on TV--detective shows, comedies, game shows--and why?

I'm a big fan of the dramedies - something with a bit of humour and a bit of angst. Shows that show a lot of humanity. Some favourites include Grey's Anatomy, Six Feet Under, Sex Eduation (it's English, on Netflix and wonderful), Suits, The West Wing and Harrow (Australian fare).

17. Do you know any professional athletes?

No.

18. What will the next must-have technological innovation be? Jetpacks? Hoverboards? Wind-powered calculators?

Something that cleans up the oceans quickly and easily. That should have been invented decades ago.

19. Have you ever been the victim of a crime?

I've twice had my wallet stolen - both times on the tube in London. Both times, there was no bodily damage done, just had my wallet lifted from my handbag. The police got one of the offenders a week or so later. I've also had my credit card skimmed. Thankfully, that is it. Long may it remain.

20. What if you woke up tomorrow with the ability to understand animals. What do you think you’d hear from them?

I could see the cats I've just been sitting saying, 'Where the hell were you this weekend, and when is Mum and Dad coming back?'

21.What is something that makes you melancholy?

The thought of another four years of a conservative government here in Australia. Bring on the bloody election (It's due in May - and the current government are stalling).

Today's song:

The Compassion Questions

This is my last weekend home before I find myself travelling around the place on weekends. It's rather nice being home with the cats and doing not very much at all. Ah well. I should be writing and cleaning. We'll see what happens.

Questions are supplied by Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. What is the most fun thing you have ever done?

I've done lots of really fun things, but I do remember taking a balloon ride over Melbourne one year. The guys at work gave it to me for a birthday present. I've traveled all over the world. That's been fun too.

2. Are you left-handed or right-handed?

I'm predominantly right-handed, but I can use my left hand in many situations just as well. I can only use scissors with my left hand. I can play pool just as well with my left hand. My left handed writing is neater than my right handed writing. I often swap my mouse over the my left hand too. It's good to mix it up.

3. What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

My step-dad paid for my flight over the London many years ago. They also forgave me a small student debt. These were big things for me.

A friend brought some weed over to me when my Dad died twenty years ago. It was a small kindness I've never forgotten. (I gave most of it back a week later when she came around - but it was a very kind act).

4. What is the biggest animal you’ve seen in the wild?

I've seen some bloody big kangaroos out in the wild. And I remember when I was a kid being around some Clydesdale horses in paddocks. They were huge - like 18 hands high horses.

5. What is the smallest animal you’ve seen in the wild?

I love that my parents have antechinuses floating around the front lawn. What's an antechinus you ask? A small carnivorous, marsupial rat, about the size of a mouse that lives in Australia. They're quite cute.

6. Do you ever have funny dreams at night?

I used to. I can't remember the last time I had a dream. It's been months.

7. If you could make a law for your country, what would it be?

Oh, where do I start? Other than four year parliamentary terms, reforming senate voting to under the line only, and allowing parliamentarians to be sued and jailed for their treatment of asylum seekers an rorting the system, as well as those breaking the building codes end up being jailed when people die... oh I don't know. I would make it law to be kind, at all times. See where that gets us.

8. What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

Funny, I'm a middle aged woman - I feel invisible all the time. But if I would be really invisible, I'd probably sneak myself into a session of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." At $320 for a ticket to both sessions of the play, I think that would be a use use of the ability.

9. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?

Clive Owen's wife... or Sarah Rafferty. I'm not going to explain this. :)

10. What would you like to change about yourself?

I wish I had a faster metabolism. And a better response to menopause. I've over the hot flushes. Damned genetics.

11. What is your daily routine.

Weekdays: Wake up around 6, get out of bed . shower, breakfast about 7, go to work at 8, in work from 8.30-5
00. Around 10 head down for a coffee, lunch around 1. Tram/train/walk home around 5 pm. Gym / dinner after this. Telly/write / chores after this. Shower 10.30, bed around 11-12. It's a long day. Weekends don't have to

12. What would your perfect day be like?

Any day which has swimming, sleeping in and reading is a great day. Throw in a room at the Westin in Sydney and I would be a very happy woman.

13. How old were you when you learned to read?

I was five. I was picking up things before this, bit I learned at school like most kids.

14. What is the most interesting thing you know?

I know all sorts of stupid stuff - repository of useless knowledge. I know a lot about Shakespeare and cats and strange bits of history, but I'm not sure anything like that is overly interesting. I used to now how to get out a Rubic's cube (in under two minutes, mind you) Still not interesting.

So, the most interesting thing I know? Hmm. Maybe this:  The male antechinus  lives for exactly eleven-and-a-half months, dying from stress-induced immune system breakdown about two weeks after mating.

Is that interesting enough for you?

15. What makes you nervous?

The thought of another three years of a Coalition Government.

16. What is your favourite flower?

Roses. Any rose will do.

17. Have you ever ridden on a horse or any other animal?

I've ridden horses as a child. And I've been on the odd elephant ride - the last time when I was in Thailand ten years ago.

18. What time do you go to bed?

Normally around midnight. 11 pm if I'm lucky.

19. What time do you get up?

Weekdays, I'm awake at 6 and up between 6.30 and seven. Weekends, the routine varies a bit more.

20. Do you know how to swim?

Of course. I'm Australian. Swimming lessons have been pretty much a compulsory part of the school curriculum for over fifty years. I'm a capable swimmer. Love swimming

Today's Song:

The Aesthetic Themed List

A lovely quiet weekend. It's bliss. The furthest I've gone from the front door was to the hairdressers a few miles away and into the city for a mammogram (That was fun) So in all, lots of reading time and that has been about it. Going back to the gym after I do this seeing I piked this morning in preference to going to breakfast with Trish.

Good questions this week, thanks to Bev at Sunday Stealing.


1. When did you last sing to yourself?

Earlier today. I sing to myself all the time.

2. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?

There is a part of me that would love to know what some of our politicians are really thinking - I have no idea how they can come up with some of the policies they put forward.

3. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

Completing my Masters Degree. Running a handful of half marathons is something to be proud of too.

4. What is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?

Playing with my dog as a puppy. I loved that dog.

5. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?

Yeah, I'd quit my job and go travelling for 11 out of 12 of those months. So many places to see, so little time and money.

6. Do you feel you had a happy childhood?

No. But we'll leave it at that.

7. Would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?

Yes. I've done that in the past. I spent too much time in Ubud, Bali not to have done that.

8. What would you title the autobiography of your life so far?

Don't Try This At Home or Nevertheless, She Persisted.  I'm writing a novel based on some of my experiences, at the moment. It's working title is Kryptonite.

9. How do you feel about tattoos and piercings? Explain.

Each to their own. I have my ears pierced and a very small tattoo on my hip. I'm good with that - I don't need any more body modification. What other people do with their bodies is up to them.

10. Do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?

I only wear eyeliner, mascara and lipstick during the day - a bit more if I'm going out. I don't need to wear much makeup. I don't like the feeling of it on my skin to wear it regularly. I'm lucky, I've got good skin.

11.The world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them.

Just be kind.

12. Who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?

There is somebody in England who I wish would write and say that he is sorry. He won't do this, but it would be nice to have him say sorry for his behaviour.

13. Do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?

My desk is organised chaos. I know everything is. Everybody else thinks it's a tip. This is true at home and at work.

14. What’s your Starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?

I don't drink Starbucks coffee as it's dreadful - seriously, coming from Melbourne, the coffee is famous for being good, Starbucks serves crap coffee. You break up with friends when you find out they drink Starbucks coffee. And as I'm off caffeine, I will normally have an almond decaf latte in a large mug. I like it that there are coffee shops around like the one near the gym, where I can walk in, nod, and one will appear in a few minutes without asking.

15. What is the most important thing to you in your life right now?

Looking after my health and writing my novel. Pretty simple really.

And with that, I'm off to they gym.

Today's Song:

The Book Questions Meme

Well, I am down at my mother's place in Myponga, South Australia. I have just been swimming with some friends, down at one of the best beaches in the world - Silver Sands. It was warmer in the water than out - and it is Mid-February in Adelaide - it should be sunny and thirty degrees and look something like this.



Breakfast with my friends at the wonderful Maxwell's in Aldinga - best Egg and  Bacon roll and coffee I've had for a while  - gluten  free roll, caffeine free coffee with almond milk - all good.

So we have a party here then I head back to Melbourne tonight. A good weekend, really.

I love these questions, supplied by Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Oh, this goes to most best sellers. Liane Moriarty being one of those people. I don't mind her books, I don't love them. I think I'm better than that.... but still I've read three of her books. Surprised by one of them (Big Little Lies) and underwhelmed by the other two (Truly Madly Guilty and Nine Perfect Strangers - both were okay...) Oh any anything by Stephanie Meyers. Like Mormon Vampire Soft Core Porn. No thanks.

2. If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

I would love to bring Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird), Little Bee (From Chris Cleeve's The Other Hand) and Dorrigo Evans (From Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North) to a Writer's Festival talk about injustice. Three amazing perspectives, three incredible characters.

3. You are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

That would probably to the second of the Fifty Shades of Grey series. The first was bad enough... I got about fifty pages into the second one and nearly put the book in the fire for burning it was that bad.

4. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

I used to say The Great Gatsby. I have read that now - and enjoyed it - but it only took 25 years to read. Slaughterhouse Five was there too. Love that book. Nope, now it's Catcher in the Rye. I have it. I know I need to read it. I will get there. Should have been done years ago. What is it with me and American Classics?

5. As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

I think there are a couple of Dickens in here. I've never read A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist or A Tale of Two Cities (Though I have read Bleak House, Little Dorrit and Great Expectations)

6. You've been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why?

Okay, if it's a man, he gets told to read Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North. It won the Booker. It's about war, and the pity of war. It is phenomenal.

If it's a woman, I'd nominate Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things. It's perfection. I demonstrates women's rage better than any book I've seen.

I need to differentiate - I often get asked to nominate books. These are both very import books for very important people.

7. A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Easy. French. Gorgeous language, and I would love to read Moliere in its original French. If not Italian - to read Umberto Eco in its native form would be sublime - though it is pretty great in good English translations.

8. A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

I will make it choose between one of these four books - because I can't choose between them:

• Louis de Bernieres' Captain Corelli's Mandolin
• Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North
• Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex
• Richard Zuzak's The Book Thief

I've re-read all of these books numerous times over. Would happily re-read any of these one a year. 

9. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

My appreciation for performance art has increased greatly since reading Heather Rose's The Museum of Modern Love. Actually I've read a few novels with art as there themes. Highly recommend Dominic Smith's The Last Painting of Sara de Vos too.

10. That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

Look, I just needs lots of shelves, a regular restocking of new, literary paperbacks and a big leather chaise lounge - I'd be happy with that. The new paperbacks with things like the Man Booker long list, the Pulitzer Long list and the Stella Prize and Miles Franklin long list will see me very well indeed.

Today's Song:

The Three Wishes Meme

Quick one today as it's going to be a bit of schlep to the airport. The trains are all buggered up due to track work. I can either go the long way round through some place called Wolli Creek, or catch an Uber. I think I might Uber out there. The joys of Sydney.

Questions, as always, courtesy of Bev at Sunday Stealing.

16.) What is your favorite wild animal?

I'm very fond of seals and lions - so it is a toss up between the two of them. Wombats are pretty good too. 

17.) Name 3 of your favorite childhood shows:

• MASH
• Wacky Races
• I Dream of Jeannie

18.) If you could live as a character in a movie who would it be?

Please, please, please can I be Hermione Granger. If not then I'd like to be Holly Golightly, Matilda or Amelie Poulin. All have their good points. 

19.) Favorite vegetable?

Potatoes. Not that I go about eating them regularly - now I eat sweet potatoes - better for you. 

20.) Favorite Fruit?

Passionfruit. I'm also a lover of mangoes. Best eaten naked under the shower. 

21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it?

Frank. I name everything Frank, so why not a dragon. 

22.) What do you put on hotdogs?

Tomato Sauce (read ketchup, my American buddies) and sometimes a bit of American mustard. Note I have to designate the mustard - not grainy, not Dijon, not French, not Hot English - all can be found in my fridge. I currently only have a hot dog when I go to Ikea. The best ones are found out of the Keith Roadhouse on the way back to my mother's place. 

23.) Do you play online games?

Does Candy Crush and Words with Friends count? Then yes.

24.) What's your favorite way to get inspired?

Go for a walk. That normally inspires me. If not, go exercise. 

25.) Do you have a middle name?

Yes. It's boring. My middle name is Jane - just like half the Australian population born in the sixties and seventies. 

26.) If you had to order from a kid's menu, what would you get?

Probably fish and chips or pizza. Or just go find another place which sells healthy food. 

27.) Do you speak any other languages?

Sort of. I have reasonable schoolgirl French, a smattering of Greek and Spanish and a little bit of Balinese and Italian. I'm a polyglot - I pick up languages really easily. 

28.) Do you use Twitter?

Not for posting - more for Darvey trash and big news events. 

29.) Do you go onto YouTube?

Sometimes. It's good for music clips. 

30.) Do you play Angry Birds?

Not any more, thank goodness. 

Today's Song 

(For a little girl who is currently battling brain cancer up in Brisbane and her family - she's an inspiration - and I can't get this song out of my head):