Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Lunchtime realizations

Yes, indeed, post #2 of today. Sometimes you're at a temp job and you have time to write...

So, the past 8 months or so for me have been about change. Ok, understatement of the year, really. And when I was back in the States, a few people asked if it was strange to be back. And my answer was that nothing feels all that strange anymore, It's all sort of relative in the sense of cultural things, celebrity gossip, climate, or accents. You go to a city, there's coffee shops, bars, and Thai food, right?

But lately something has struck me as a bit different or a tad uneasy, especially as I make these baby steps back into working world. It is the office worker's food court that gets me more than anything. I take buses, go shopping, order food, browse bookshops, and it doesn't feel strange. Maybe, I even feel a bit exotic -- imagine that, a girl from Wisconsin. Then I make my way into some worker realm and the respective lunchtime digs and that's where I feel different, on my own, and sorta lonely. A bit of the kid-in-the-cafeteria-alone complex.

I get struck by how my life has changed when I'm sitting in some food court filled with crisp, tailored shirts, trendy pumps, and messenger bags, whilst eating a Tandoori Chicken Wrap from Boost Juice, as you do. I kind of look around at the buildings and co-workers eating together and that is when it strikes me: I'm in Sydney and I'm on my lunch break.

Foodcourts of the world, unite.

--tc

No comments: