After work last night I wandered home and watched television for a while. After having dinner at the “Happy Garden” Chinese restaurant (which has an outdoor area with fans, where you can have a beer as well), I returned to work to do a “cross” about “life in Darwin” with James O’Loghlin on the Evening Show. I emphasised the architectural change occuring here and read him a few funny stories from the “NT News”, including the obligatory crocodile story.

It’s Saturday morning and I think I may have malaria, or at least I think I have “gone troppo”, as some of the smallest things are giving me the giggles. I’ve just been listening to ABC Radio’s “Gardening Talkback”, and the first few questions were “I have a palm tree in the backyard that’s about to die”, “I have a termite mound growing in my front yard”, and “I’m having trouble getting my coconuts out of the tree”. I swear it’s true! And last night, I wandered to the local bar and met a girl, Michelle, who was from Snowtown, South Australia. I also swear it’s true. She, apparently, never worked in the State Bank, but did have an account there.

The local “bar”, the The Railcar Bar & Mississippi Queen is just as I remembered it with Damien two years ago, except this time a couple of people actually spoke to me, albeit briefly. The bar is in an old converted tram. The guy who owns it either has a massive inferiority complex or a massive ego… one of those people who wants to be the centre of attention, and commands a fair deal of attention, but frankly, wouldn’t be anyone anywhere except Darwin. As for the people… a strange combination of Tennant Creek “style”, but Sydney “attitude”. Maybe I will be able to present a better review with subsequent visits.