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Year View| Summary| Highlights| Month View| Wednesday 13 August 2003 (Day View)

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13.08.2003 – Wednesday 13 August – Royal Brisbane Show

• When I awoke, the blister on my finger had swollen larger, and was now filled with puss. It’s now officially an abscess, because that sounds more heart wrenching and is what they’re called in all the online literature I found. I’m a bit worried about it. It seems that it’s either the most common finger infection, or an alien implant, depending on what I read. Either way, it needs to be fixed before it spreads or the finger has to come off, and in the case of the aliens, humanity is also doomed – but that comes as no surprise.

Afternoon

• As it’s the show holiday today and I’ve never been before, I shall go and see what it’s like, but first, Joe has a friend over, who I’ve just remembered is a nurse, so I went down and showed him my finger. He suggested soaking it in very warm salty water, then putting Betadine on, and if it didn’t clear up within a few days, seeing a doctor. Unfortunately for the soaking plan, my train comes in quarter of an hour, and unfortunately for the Betadine plan, my Betadine expired before Noah’s waters had fully subsided.

Show

• I caught a train in to Roma Street, spent $14 on a student ticket to the show, and caught the train on to the Exhibition Grounds. I then spent all evening walking around viewing various things at the show, saying “hello” to all the animals, and all the various things one does at a show. I was surprised at how small it is. I had a mental image in my mind that as Brisbane is much larger than anywhere else that I’ve seen a show (apart from Sydney and Perth I guess) that the show would also be much larger, but it wasn’t. It looked almost the same size as the other shows in much smaller places that I’ve been too. I guess the difference is that this show goes for ten days or so, whereas they only went for one or two days in the other places. I watched the fireworks, and the motocross riding display and a driving display that followed, headed up to sideshow alley, had a look around, took a few photos, and then caught a train home. It can’t have been too far before nine when I left as by the time I arrived at Roma St Station it was after nine. It hurts too much to type with my finger, so I’m stopping here.

Fire Pasta

• I found a sign that said “Hottest Meal at the Ekka”, so I bought one. It was pasta, which I shall call “Pasta del Fire con Garlic e le Green Things” for want of a better name. Generally, when things say they are hot, they’re not really – not these public consumption things anyway, they can’t afford to be ridiculously hot, however this one was hot – quite hot. It reminded me of the sun’s corona, and had an aftertaste reminiscent of Mexico’s best fire ants. After paying eight dollars for my plate of pasta with its little pile of virile lava in the centre, I only managed to eat a quarter – at most, and had to throw the rest out in the name of humanity and all things cold. Fortunately, a well-placed soft drink saved me from insanity and a trip to the medical tent, and I stuck to milkshakes and ice creams for the rest of the night.