Free beer (C8) really will get you places. Merran Loewenthal of Vienna, Austria, notes that “the Bierpartei is one of the newest political parties in Austria, set up by a medico who also plays in his own rock band, Turbobier, under the stage name Marco Pogo. [For context, Granny is listening to their current album, Nobel geht die Welt Zugrund. It’s good but it’s no Irokesentango.] It started as a satirical party in 2014; after doing well in the local Viennese elections with its slogan ‘Free Beer For All’, it’s eyeing a run in the general election on September 29.”
“On a recent visit to the fabulous cathedral Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, our guide advised it received 3.8 million visitors a year,” writes Paul McElhone of Avoca Beach. “At €20 a head at a rough 1.6 conversion, that’s more than $120 million a year. You’d think they could finish it or get a new builder for that.”
Judith Sutton of Banora Point did her vocational guidance test (C8) at Macksville High School in 1960: “It resulted in an option to be an occupational therapist. At home, my dad said I couldn’t do that because he didn’t know what it was. Such newfangled professions hadn’t arrived in the Nambucca Valley. Later, I taught art and craft, so the test wasn’t wasted.” Nola Tucker of Kiama copped the OT suggestion a little earlier: “Was this the trendy thing in the ’50s? I had no interest in macrame or basket weaving, nor had I shown any particular artistic abilities. Occupational therapy was lucky I ignored that advice.”
“I, like Jim Pollitt, (C8) also fell through a time-space continuum,” says Angela Hakvoort of Glen Oak. “One morning, driving to work, I saw a farmer riding over the crest of a hill with the sunrise behind him, on a horse to muster his cattle, complete with check shirt, Akubra and whip. Made my day.”
“Although it’s challenging to better George Manojlovic’s ‘Homebush Merkins’ (C8), consider adding to the list: ‘Young Pre-school’, ‘Newcastle Battlements’, ‘Cardiff Automotive Mechanics’ or ‘Linden Arborists’,” suggests Evan Bailey of Glebe, while Hugh McGinley of Drummoyne “always wanted to open an exercise studio called ‘Pontius Pilates’”.
“I hope the medical practice that is dating its emails 1/1/1753 (C8) isn’t doing the same with its medical certificates,” ponders Kerrie Wehbe of Blacktown. “That would be a bit hard to explain to the boss!”
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