Australia Day

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Here we go. Someone had said that the Channel Seven morning show team came out to meet the public on air so it seemed a good idea on Australia Day. Got there about 8am and held flag and sticker in full view. It was on the monitor so I expect it went nationwide!!! Time will tell. If you stand in the streets long enough someone will let you know. Will report later.
Then I drifted into Hyde Park where I soon had the repeat unpleasant experience of attack underlings telling me to go away. Seems an epidemic of prohibition is plaguing Sydney. So there was a big confab of two city rangers and four police to nut out what the hell I was legally able to do. They were saying I couldn't accept money or that would violate the contract of the mob that had bought the rights from the Sydney Australia Day bureaucracy. All bullshit. The interesting and really cool event here was a woman in her sixties who was listening and had read the SMH article and really wanted a sticker stood there resolutely. So the final absurd result was that she made a donation to me and I GAVE her husband a sticker. Hey Sancho I'm only telling the story. Next I'm strolling the park on a fine Australia Day and when asked for a sticker I'm saying if you lose a gold coin ( i.e. drop it on the ground) I'll give your spouse a sticker. That really was a laugh shared with a few people.
So next I'm thinking I'll go back to hotel and drop off the flag that I had tucked in the back of my pants. Heading out of the crowd I see an area fenced off with a low white fence. For a moment I flashed that it was the Australian Republican Movement. It turned out to be the aftermath of a swearing in ceremony for new Australians. A guy waved me over and said he wanted a sticker. I said give me a sandwich instead of a donation which he did. He loved the flag. I continue my walk when I"m called back by a bunch of women in the enclosure. One of them actually has a copy of the SMH article from last week. They want stickers. I tell them the problem and we work out that I give the one woman seven stickers for the various ones in the group and I meet another on thirty meters outside the enclosure and she gives me $14!!!!!!
You've got to admit I could be excused for being giddy.
Struggling back to drop off the flag, I have a soda, rest for few minutes and, ever a glutton, return to the park. A few more bizarre sticker transfers and I'm heading toward the Opera House but find myself on a corner outside the no-go zone where I can spruik openly. Nice. Then a couple comes up and are dead keen on the design. They get stickers and -yes- WANT A FLAG. You figure, Sancho. They finally decide to give me the money and I've got to send it tomorrow. OK. A half an hour later I'm thinking BEER. I go into downtown Sydney and see a pub. No problem. As I approach I can see the name -The Republic. No word of a lie. So in I go like a drover's dog to a flock of sheep. Stickers flying. I'm cool.
My last entry is at Circular Quay where some deranged guy gets ugly. Time to retire. Train back. Beer at 3 Wise Monkeys. Australia Day 2006

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Comments

[alice]

A-day
The stories are a hoot...hope the interest continues.