Pub Work 2/4

I was living with my grandmother when I worked in the pub just a short distance away. I must have been a casual employee and not part time as I did not receive sick pay or holiday pay.

The workers at the nearby concrete factory drank in the saloon bar of the hotel. They would be more suited to the public bar. As they emptied their pockets of change, concrete dust from their pockets spilled onto the carpet and mixed with beer spillage, set the carpet like concrete. The carpet in that bar had to be cleaned frequently, and often.

One of them was a bit different to the rest. He was well liked by his mates even though he was a bit of a pretty boy, with long curly fair hair. He wasn't as overtly ocker (rough uncultivated male) as the others were. He may have been ten years older than me. One day he quietly asked me if I was camp. Lol at that word. The way he said it was so loaded. I replied no. I was nineteen years old and had been hunting for sex with men since the age of 13, yet I denied myself what I think might have a pretty good time with a rather hot guy. I didn't want anyone at work to know I was 'camp'.

Of life's regrets...

I saw not the owner but the hotel manager who was an ok bloke and told him I would be away for two weeks visiting Queensland. I told him I would return on a certain date and would be available for my usual shift that day. I returned to work only to be told there weren't shifts available. I can't remember now how long it took, but I did get my old shifts back. I think it was only a day or so.

Mirka Mora

Before Mirka died she expressed regret at being more famous for being Mirka Mora than her copious artistic output. I understand that but would she have been so well known for her art if she wasn't the larger than life Mirka? I doubt it.

The Jewish Museum in St Kilda has a Mirka exhibition running until the end of this month. We booked a time slot, paid and took a look.

I know rather a lot about Mirka and have mentioned her in a few posts over the years. It is so interesting to look back at comments in 2007. https://highriser.blogspot.com/2007/12/iconic-women.html

My writing was not the best at holding a reader, but still I take some pride in this post and the research I put into it. https://highriser.blogspot.com/2012/05/puzzlement.html

Funnily just today (Thursday) we lunched with a friend and his partner who we had not seen for a couple of years (it's complicated). The partner works in aged care and nursed Mirka in her final year. He came home one night and said to his partner, an old lady died today, Mirka. The partner is Indonesian born and had no idea who Mirka was. Mirka who? our friend asked. Mora was the reply, and it dawned on our friend who his partner had been nursing.

Mirka was outrageous at times, and we loved her for it. She was maybe not quite as extreme as Miriam Margolyes but similar. 'I got under the table and.....'.

Here are some photos from the exhibition.

A young Mirka.

Sewing box on the right?

Coming out of a loo.

One of Mirka's sons piggy backing her across water.

She decorated pottery too.

Mali the elephant was a big deal at Melbourne Zoo but I can't remember why. Melbourne Zoo has a very worthwhile campaign against deforestation for the production of palm oil. Mirka decorated this sculpture.

Recorded by the photo name as the French Embassy in St Kilda, but it wasn't. 

It's partly covered over at one end but this Mirka work is at our main city Flinders Street train station.

Polls count

Polls can notoriously be inaccurate but when I heard today that 70 percent of Australians did not think world champion tennis player Djokovic should remain in Australia to play in the Australian Open tennis tournament, I added 10 percent not sure and 20 percent thinking he should stay and play.

Of course our judiciary is independent but when you have a figure like a 70 percent vote to deport him, it was fairly clear what would happen.

At 22.30 Sunday night there is a flight to Dubai and it seems like Djokovic will be on the that plane, deported and has to pay government legal costs. If the usual visa breach ban applies, see you in three years you tosser, if you must visit here again. 

Sunday Selections

 A quick Sunday Selections today. Have a look at Elephant's Child and River's efforts.

I had reason to be up at 6 but I can't remember why. I was rewarded with what I thought were four balloons, but more and more kept appearing until there were eight in the sky. One was out of shot when I took the final photos.

TV Repeats

It is a non rating tv and radio period in Australia so we get many repeats of tv shows including the very good 'A Very English Scandal' which is not bad to half watch with its repeat broadcast. We've seen it before. A young man was bare topped.

Me: He was young in this.

R: Yes.

Me: His name starts with W. Wiseheart or something like that.

R was not that interested and put his tablet earplugs back in. I was not deterred. I consulted my Celebs File compiled over twenty plus years but not really added to of late. I knew his last name began with W. There you go. Wishaw, Ben. I told R. R took out his earphones and I repeated myself. 

Me: Ben Wishaw is his name. 

R: Ok. Yes, nice.

Me: He has a big cock, but a hung slim smooth young man would not interest you, hey hon?

R: Of course not. Let me see.

Lies are part of daily life. 42 years ago R was very interested in an above described young man, though rather less hairy.