Killing Time I

I was waiting for Mauzi in the city tonight. She was off at a wine-and-lotion opening of a new Aesop store and I came in to meet her afterwards for dinner and drinks. As things go, “a drink” at six turned into “a few drinks” till whenever. After four years of living with a publicist I’ve learned a few things. First, how to small-talk a crowd and second, (handy tonight) how to kill time.

Killing time in downtown Melbourne isn’t hard to do. Just a quick footnote about referring to downtown Melbourne as “downtown Melbourne”. In Melbourne it just isn’t done. Two tips to avoid instant embarrassment: first never, EVER pronounce Melbourne as “Mel-Born”-it’s like referring to St Louis as “St. Loo-ee” or Illinois as “Ill-a-noise”. So don’t do it unless you want to sound like a total dickhead and believe me, I cringe every time I hear a visiting diplomat on the TV or radio get corrected by the local commentator-It's pronounced "Mel-bun"; and secondly it just isn’t called “downtown”. Yes, I reference the song, and everyone says they love the song, but it just never stuck here. So remember, it’s not downtown, not uptown, it’s just “the city”.

I’m killing time in the city tonight. Sitting in a pub, staring at the night skyline…just me, my computer, and a Cooper’s green label pale ale.