Stranger in a strange land
17/02/2004 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaIzzie has slinked off to the Ministry to escape the icky sticky stinking steamy heat outside. The temperature is expected to remain above 27 degrees celsius all night, just like last night and today reached a sizzling 41.5 this afternoon.
At that stage Iz was probably lurking in the local Sushi bar for happy hour 30% off munchies. Perfect place to go on such a yukkie day. The usual Izzie haunt - the Secret Garden Cafe was waaay waay too hot to visit today.
Since I don't have air conditioning in the lair, the Ministry computer lab is the perfect place to be. Also making the most of the last week of freedom. Still got the house elf job to do of course and in this weather it's like a sauna in the showers.
It's times like these that Iz seriously considers the alternative of relocating to Middle Earth. It is so reassuring to know that Iz can live anywhere she wants in Euroland or Middle Earth without ever having to pay people smugglers and slink in in a leaky boat and be tossed in nasty detention centres for years like they do to people who arrive in Izzieland without the appropriate papers and stuff. The purpose of this has less to do with border security and more to do with the convenience of having scapegoats when you want to create a climate of fear to get re-elected.
And I never forget that it is simply a matter of pure luck to have such choice. One of those things in the genetic, cultural lottery.
If you want to stay here illegally, it is always best to do it coming in on a plane because they never seem to bother all the British, Europeans and North Americans who overstay their visas but are much nastier to Iraqis and Afghanis which is a bit of a cheek really considering this govt is helping Uncle Sam to bomb the hell out of those places.
And as for so called terrorists sneaking in on those boats, Since 11 September 2001, it should be quite apparent that travelling by plane (often with first class tickets) is the preferred means of transport for the real terrorists.
Iz was getting rather nostalgic today. Could not decide whether to spend time thinking about Tuesday February 18 last year when I was spending my last night in Christchurch, Middle Earth and had a grand time admiring their gorgeous botanical gardens or Tuesday 17 February 1998 when Iz went to lurk outside a U2 concert here along with another 15 or so penniless church mice and after about 90 minutes the security guards took pity on us and actually let us in for FREE!
Iz was certainly not expecting that. The price of the tickets was totally unaffordable for ickle Iz and certainly not value for money, especially since I'd already seen them twice in Dublin and they are one of those groups where the music can stand on its own without all the glitz and glamour and Michael Jackson space ship dance routines. So I was still getting the most important thing - the music without having to sell the Izzie soul for the privelege.
I guess I could say that they still are my favorite group of all time. Bono's preachiness does get a bit tiring but since he does put his money where his mouth is, Iz does not object too much to it.
There are not too many groups who can sing about God sort of stuff without coming across as corny or preachy. And the true sign of having made it is when other people start covering the stuff and also do a good job of it - though not quite as good of course.
At that stage Iz was probably lurking in the local Sushi bar for happy hour 30% off munchies. Perfect place to go on such a yukkie day. The usual Izzie haunt - the Secret Garden Cafe was waaay waay too hot to visit today.
Since I don't have air conditioning in the lair, the Ministry computer lab is the perfect place to be. Also making the most of the last week of freedom. Still got the house elf job to do of course and in this weather it's like a sauna in the showers.
It's times like these that Iz seriously considers the alternative of relocating to Middle Earth. It is so reassuring to know that Iz can live anywhere she wants in Euroland or Middle Earth without ever having to pay people smugglers and slink in in a leaky boat and be tossed in nasty detention centres for years like they do to people who arrive in Izzieland without the appropriate papers and stuff. The purpose of this has less to do with border security and more to do with the convenience of having scapegoats when you want to create a climate of fear to get re-elected.
And I never forget that it is simply a matter of pure luck to have such choice. One of those things in the genetic, cultural lottery.
If you want to stay here illegally, it is always best to do it coming in on a plane because they never seem to bother all the British, Europeans and North Americans who overstay their visas but are much nastier to Iraqis and Afghanis which is a bit of a cheek really considering this govt is helping Uncle Sam to bomb the hell out of those places.
And as for so called terrorists sneaking in on those boats, Since 11 September 2001, it should be quite apparent that travelling by plane (often with first class tickets) is the preferred means of transport for the real terrorists.
Iz was getting rather nostalgic today. Could not decide whether to spend time thinking about Tuesday February 18 last year when I was spending my last night in Christchurch, Middle Earth and had a grand time admiring their gorgeous botanical gardens or Tuesday 17 February 1998 when Iz went to lurk outside a U2 concert here along with another 15 or so penniless church mice and after about 90 minutes the security guards took pity on us and actually let us in for FREE!
Iz was certainly not expecting that. The price of the tickets was totally unaffordable for ickle Iz and certainly not value for money, especially since I'd already seen them twice in Dublin and they are one of those groups where the music can stand on its own without all the glitz and glamour and Michael Jackson space ship dance routines. So I was still getting the most important thing - the music without having to sell the Izzie soul for the privelege.
I guess I could say that they still are my favorite group of all time. Bono's preachiness does get a bit tiring but since he does put his money where his mouth is, Iz does not object too much to it.
There are not too many groups who can sing about God sort of stuff without coming across as corny or preachy. And the true sign of having made it is when other people start covering the stuff and also do a good job of it - though not quite as good of course.
