Thursday, January 15, 2015

When cultures meet

Yesterday evening marked the first efforts of our little band of fledglings at leaving our resplendent nest for some real, live cultural interaction. With some tentative baby steps, we braved the outside world (...with such people in it!) first exploring the hermetic mall, then finding the ATM, then scattering across the cityscape in an awkward ballet of pure Brownian motion.

Some of us had more success than others. And when I say 'us,' I pretty much mean 'them,' because I essentially did a truncated out-and-back reconnoiter without any particular gain or purpose. At least I accomplished one of my personal favorites, which is wandering around on my own in a new city. For point of reference, that seems to mean a whole lot more in Lion City than it does in, say, Pierre, South Dakota.

The more focused and intrepid reported back with tales of sights seen, tours toured, wagers wagered and spectacles enjoyed. But really, how can you compare that with a single overpriced beer quaffed from a plastic glass in solitude overlooking the cityscape before turning in early to battle jet lag to a draw?

I'll promise to try and do better tonight. I feel like I purged something unpleasant from my mental landscape in a long night of fitful sleep and turbulent dreams.

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