Last night Sonia and I decided to go out for one or two drinks to catch up, as we had not seen each other for almost a week. We decided, for a change, to go to the Hotel Mosman. I have been there a few times with Adam and Bits, it is a nice place and the food is good.
We settled in for a few and, as we tend to, started talking about the other patrons. We were particularly enamoured of a group playing pool in the corner, which was a few guys competing for the attention of a girl with whom they were playing. After our second drink, our resolve weakened, we got a third and headed for the other pool table for a quick game. The quick game turned into two, and on our third game the girl came over to talk with us. Her name was Kathryn and she was from Essex, one and a half years into a four year working visa. She was very young.
Kathryn stayed with us and it became the girls versus me. I only just won, and at 1AM the bar closed and we had to leave. We had been chatting to a few of the randoms between shots and so we all (everyone) decided to go on to Minsky’s, a dodgy late night venue, the finest the North Shore has to offer. Our group has expanded to eight: Sonia and I, Kathryn and her friend Aaron, Dan and Bek, and David and Lorel (sp?). Aaron is a cartoonist and likes Penny Arcade, Dan runs a jerky business, Bek is a waitress at Hooters, Kathryn works in a cafe, David works for an oil company. I don’t know what Lorel, David’s wife, does.
We decided that we were having so much fun that we had to do it again on Thursday. Kathryn gave me her details, and I think the tone of the night is best summed up in what she wrote on the coaster:
After we were kicked out at 4AM, Dan drove us to Maisys (a 24-hour cafe in Neutral Bay) where we had breakfast. One of the barmen joined us a few minutes later for a cup of coffee and we all had a grand old time. I kept shuttling back and forth, bringing water from the slow slow tap. Sonia and I were relieved that the cool waiter was working that night and not the evil, spiteful one that we hate. People started disappearing and before long it was just Sonz and I, Kathryn and Aaron. We decided to call it a night and agreed to meet again on Thursday.
A night out with randoms. It was just like Amsterdam, except with friendlier people.