Shopping & Meeting The Locals

It's been a busy two days! Friday was spent mostly shopping - first at Koorong (?) bookstore - a big Christian bookshop, where I wanted to get a CD/DVD combo for the parents, but only came up with the CD. They like it though. Australia isn't like SA - back home every CD shop has a Christian section, here there's nothing.

I also had an appointment on the way there with a guy at the church headquarters, who now has the task of checking whether I can get a job/sponsorship through them or not. We'll see what that turns up... He's a cool young bloke, spiked hair and all, and we had a good chat about options.

The entire Friday afternoon had to do with some serious clothing acquisitions - firstly from second-hand op-shops, and then the mall itself. I picked up HUGE bargains. The op-shops yielded the perfect lined, tailored black jacket, 5 tops, a Steven King novel (for the long airport waits on the way back) and 2 board games for the kid - all for around $40!!! The mall gave up 2 boy's t-shirts and one for me. I dunno what happened, but the kid's shirts were priced $5.50 - yet when we got the till they rang up as $1.86! MAJOR bargain. Same thing with a big Dragons play set my son bought - said $50 on the box, got it for $40. We ain't complaining.

Today, being Saturday (Sabbath), it was off to church with the parents. With trepidation, as I'd heard all about those "church bachelors", and they'd heard all about me. Well, right away I met a very nice bloke - though I was told 47 is too old for me (he's 47? looked 37...!). Ran into yesterday's interview guy manning the coffee machine, and then the cell group folk. After service and the weekly lunch, I met a few more people. Oh, had to stand up and say hi in the old folk's service, but thankfully not the main Audo one...! Ran into one guy who knows my parents well (my dad reversed his new car into Kev's recently), and who, along with his wife, fancies himself a bit of a matchmaker. He managed to get the last folk he matched married, and is looking for further victims. So he promptly called up all the eligible chaps to meet me. One heard South Africans are wild, and ran away rather fast (good laugh we had!), a couple others stopped by to say their hi's. And Kev is still scheming... :) He's importing someone from outta town for next week's service!

Out of all of them, the "old" bloke is the best so far. But I ain't dropping no hints to anyone in the family as to what I liked and what I didn't out of everyone I came across (Kev says it's not matchmaking, it's "networking"). Apparently there will be more to meet me next week...

Had a ball at church though. It's a super one, and the boy-band (no women on the worship team today) did excellent musical work. There are a load of friendly faces every place you turn, all glad to meet this SA girlie.

We got to walk home through the valley, which is quite a climb in "church" shoes, and now some have gone walking while others sleep. Me, well I was asked to come up with ideas for table decor for next week's communion, so am surfing the net for stuff.

We're (maybe) off to Hillsong tonight to check it out (me, kid and mom), but will not stay for the entire thing. Just enough to say been there, done that, took the pics.

I hope my dogs are surviving without me. I really miss them.

::update::
We're giving Hillsong a miss tonight. Mom's hands are really bad once more, and a couple of family friends from Zimbabwe days just pitched up. No loss though.