When I got offered the job here at Melbourne Uni, I was in Cambridge, MA doing some training. I hit the COOP (the Harvard bookstore) and picked up a copy of Bill Bryson's
In a Sunburned Country. I read it cover to cover. He starts out by listing all the various reptiles, jelly fish, fish, spiders, and other creatures that are deadly. Apparently Australia has more than any other continent. My bro-in-law Steve, who lived here for two years, chimed in with other creatures, like the dangerous drop bear, that I needed to beware of on my adventures. In honor of those two wise men, I thought I would include pictures of the two deadly creatures I see on my way to and from work.
Aggie the cat lives at University College. She enjoys laying in the sun on parked cars, relaxing in the mulch pile, and guarding the garden shed. We tend to have a Mexican stand off (or maybe its an outback stand off) on the sidewalk in the evening when I am coming back to my flat, with only three results so far. 1) She will sniff my hand when I offer it, and then stalk off. 2) She will give me the evil eye, and then keep moving a few steps ahead of me. 3) She will let me scratch her head while she ignores me. She does not respond to "Gato!" She also doesn't respond to "Aggie." I did see one of the undergrads cuddling her, so apparently she likes some people. Just not me. Cats.
I haven't learned this fellow's name, but he has a prime spot right next to the sidewalk along Royal Parade (one of the main streets near campus). He doesn't bark or whine. Just hangs out in his corner waiting for his friends to stop by and give him a scratch. He usually has the undergraduate girls, cute elderly couples, and newly appointed senior lecturers lining up to give him some love. (Don't tell Maxx.) Yesterday, this mellow fellow gave a hearty tail wag when he saw me, which made me glad. A happy-to-see-me dog is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Speaking of, if you haven't read "Because of Wynn-Dixie" I recommend it!.
Sa glad to hear you've found a local doggie friend. Perhaps your sanity will be restored during your interactions with him/her.
ReplyDeleteBill Bryson "Down Under" is also excellent. It includes the sentence, "Nine out of ten of the deadliest snakes in the world can be found in Australia, though it may be more accurate to say nine our of nine of the deadliest snakes in the world." Though I am sure I am misquoting him. the blue tongue lizards are apparently also poisonous (not sure if they are in Melbourne or not, they were all over the place at UNE) but they are way too laid back to bite.
ReplyDelete