...and fly right? 18 oct 06

okay, I'm' not trying to be mean, but...sydney has a fly problem. i noticed a lot of files swarming my face not long after i got here, but didn't think much of it. and yet, here i am, a the royal botanic gardens, swatting the air around my head, looking like a crazy person. at first, i was worried-- is it me? am i emitting some 'come-hither' vibe or scent that draws them to my eyes, ears, hair? i mean, please tell me i don't smell like dead meat, rotting fruit, or poop. or do they sense my almost buddhist ''i-will-not-kill-anything-unless-they-are-a-threat'' mentality? but, then i started paying attention and found i wasn't the only one flapping my hands in front of my face.

i suppose i should be happy that these are not the big-ass biting flies, but rather, petite, buzzing flies with no apparent mission other than annoy the hell out of you, and occasionally land on you. (i later discuss this with shannon and she says the hand waving in front of face thing is known as the 'australian salute' and that the flies in melbourne bite you...well at least i'm not alone).

even as i sit on a rock here writing at the end of the harbor, i am swatting them away, shaking my head and cursing them loudly under my breath when they come near. what the hell do they want?! i'm feeling a bit like a third world orphan baby-- maybe if i look at her the right way, madonna will adopt me, too.

i think i'd rather have some non-disease spreading mosquitoes. i can handle a few bites. and mosquitoes are more quiet and try to stay out of your line of vision, and don't generally bother to buzz in your ears to let you know they're nearby. they annoy you most in their absence. it's a different sort of relationship, i suppose.

i just googled for information on this fly stuff, here's helpful link: http://www.viacorp.com/flybook/fulltext.html