Embassy

Today after crawling out of bed (or should that be couch?) I went down to Australia House (our embassy/consulate thingy) to vote. The line was halfway down the block so had to wait about half an hour before getting inside. During this time I was given a flyer for the play Cosi (which happens to be one of my favourites) and was harrassed by people from the major political parties. I go to the other side of the planet to vote and I still have to put up with how-to-vote cards and flyers. I politely told them I had already decided (well I did have a nice chat with the man from the Greens, but can you blame me?). This is an improvement on what I said to a Liberal campaigner a few years ago who asked me (whilst waring my nursing uniform) would I vote for John Day who the previous week had blamed the nursing and hospital crisis on nurses, my response wasn't very repeatable. This year there seems to be heaps of right wing, anti choice, religious nut jobs that just had to be put below all the other parties meaning that the two major parties were about halfway down my senate form rather than at the bottom.

The security wasn't as tight as at Singapore, but still a closed road and police with guns. They let me take my camera in and didn't ask for ID. There is a funky sculptor as part of the building of a naked man and some horses. I have decided that this is someone who has gotten sloshed on Melbourne Cup Day and is streaking before the race in a fine example of Australian sportsmanship.

I then hiked out the the Brazilian Embassy to sort out my visa. After waiting 15 minutes I was told that I had to go to the Consulate. Of course it was about 40 minute walk in the direction I had just come. So I hiked back. By then it was after 4pm so they were closed. I would like to thank the nice security guard who ran upstairs and got me a form anyway. So, yes more paperwork. Though on the upside I did get to walk through Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Regent Street and other places found on the Monopoly board. Also walked along the Thames and saw Big Ben and Dowing Street (which you can't actually go down) too. Some very pretty old buildings.

Tommorrow I am going out to Swindon to vist Fryers for a few days which should be fun. I hope my cough goes away. All of you going to Wastelands, I hope it's a riot of a weekend and you better be having fun and creating gossip you can tell me about. I demand gossip! Seriously though, I do appreciate the occassional email, it's nice to hear from people.