This is a series of three delightful encounters from my trip to the United States in 2014.

Part 1

Scene: On a bus tour with some American women from Hawaii one of whom starts a conversation with me about her trip to Australia.

I’ve been to Australia.

Oh. Where did you go?

Um, now let me see. I can’t seem to remember the name of the place.

Whereabouts in Australia was it?

(Crossly) Oh you know. The main part.

Um. (Thinking. Thinking. ) Do you mean Sydney?

Yes. That was it.

(Grrr…..)

It was really nice and we went to a garden where they had koala bears.

(Thinking really hard now.) A garden? Was it the zoo?

Yes. That was it. And it had a funny name.

Taronga Park Zoo?

Yes. That was it. Aren’t you clever!

Yes.