Mon 27th Nov – XPT (South Bound)

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When committing yourself to a 9.5 hour train ride, a pleasant mist settles over your brain. You can make out the shadows of activities – there’s the two books optimistically packed, there’s a laptop fully charged ready for holiday admin and bag of food mum packed early in the morning (thanks Mum!) – but they are generic, rather than tangible, concepts. Sort of like an Arts degree. Yes, you could choose to do that, but let’s just hypothetically say you expend that time and effort, are you any different a person to if you stared out a window the whole time? So I stared out a window for a long, long time.

Lost song I rediscovered on the train: 2001 – British Blues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XhbxWDWqDVQ
A failed Australian band. I saw them live a couple of times during my first year of university, and now can only find two songs online. I remember going back to the singer’s Surry Hills terrace with Georgina from college. I wonder if he managed to pay back the mortgage on the terrace.

Book completed: what i’d rather not talk about – Jenta Posthuma. My copy is going to be gifted to Hannah Beader, likely by way of Miriam. I declare this worth a reservation at the library. It is a brief but rewarding book.

My first time in Carriage A of the XPT. The lady with the window seat was the matron of the carriage, and bestowed upon me the knowledge that usually you have to call Transport NSW to book these seats. My last minute date change must have disturbed the natural order, and subsequently I ended up in this wonderfully quiet and secluded 3 seater cabin.
Sadly, while the tray takes pains to say it is reusable, the vast plastic and unnecessary packaging in the $8 coffee and scone deal killed a family of turtles.
If I had to pick somewhere along the XPT to stay a day, Gloucester would be it for me. But please don’t make me, please take me back to Sydney.
I knew it was going to be good, as it comes in at sub 300 pages, beyond which these personal histories can suffer and feel repetitive. Yes Dad, I paid $28 for this.

Cait

1 Response

  1. I’m not concerned about the price of the book.

    However I’m not sure I was ever told about first year uni ladies going back to the singers home after the gig.

    This was a sad day as we lost cait to the big smoke.

    Thanks for coming home. It was great to see you and hear about your exciting travel plans.

    The in house catering also goes up a few notches when you are here so that is a pleasant side benefit of your visit.