Have a drink mate? Have a fight mate?

You know that something is not quite right when the person standing next to you on the peanut-ridden floor of "Bo Jangles Saloon" turns to you and says "Your eyes aren't even blood shot - of course you should have another drink."

Bo Jangles Saloon is pretty much the highlight of the night scene in Alice. It is the first time I have ever experienced being in a bar that advertises that it has live feed. No, this does not refer to sick satanic animal sacrifice, but to the greater evil of online voyeurism. Yes, it's true, you can watch people drinking themselves into a stupor, throwing peanut shells on the floor and rubbing up against each other in time to such classics as "Loosen up my Buttons," "So Crazy Right Now" and "The Time Warp," at www.bossaloon.com.au.

Other great features of Bo's include its western-style saloon doors ala "Back to the Future 3,"the skeleton wearing a cowboy hat, and red faced men everywhere force feeding themselves rum and cokes. Can't wait to join in the fun? Neither could I.

"Samson and Delilah"

Last Friday night we caught a cab up to Telegraph station to watch a free outdoor screening of "Samson and Delilah" a love story set in Alice.

The cab dropped us off and we walked through the dark bush with dozens of people carrying picnics and chairs. We arrived to the melodious sounds of a band called something like “Desert Death Metal (apologies if this is but a loose interpretation of the band’s name).” 

Besides the sheer musical genius of “Desert Death Metal,” what struck me first was that there were nearly equal numbers of Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewers assembled, waiting for the film to begin.

Although there are more Indigenous people in Alice than I have ever seen before, the cultures seem very separate here, in every day life. White people and Aboriginal people in the town seem, for the most part, to stay out of each other’s way. But on Friday night, it felt that everyone had come together for the same thing, to watch a movie about Alice. That in itself made the event feel unique.

The screen was framed on either side by huge ghost gums. The film was remarkable. Samson and Delilah’s romance played out with not a word spoken between them. The film managed to capture humour and tenderness inside a tragedy. Samson and Delilah were both exquisitely beautiful and unaffected actors. The events of the film were horrifying, because of the unavoidable truths it presented. We’re used to film being a genre that allows escapism but whilst watching this film all I could think was “this really happens to people, this is real.”

Sitting under the ghost gums, at the Alice premiere of this film, listening to the proud shouts when a friend’s face came up on the big screen or when the local Coles was recognised, I felt privileged to be here in Alice Springs, and really felt a part of something special.

"Can Do" Women

I am sitting on the patio at my new home in Alice Springs. Shaded from the sun's harsh rays by elegant bottle green shade cloth, I gaze upon the visage of our hills hoist and the ceramic dog wearing a hat, named Reginald Percival the 2nd. Life doesn't get much better than this.

Our garden is actually rather lovely, all jokes aside. We have an enormous lemon tree, full of fruit and three white rose bushes. We're all rather concerned that they may not survive our four month tenancy. After careful consideration, watering them seems like the way to go.

My three youthful, exuberant companions and I have all become domestic goddesses, we think. We were off to a roaring start on night one when, full of good intentions, we came home armed with the ingredients for a roast dinner. By eight p.m. we had everything ready to go and went to turn on the oven. An hour later, we had all stuck our heads too far inside the oven, singed our fingers, dropped gas bottles on our feet and argued extensively. Someone suggested we get a taxi to Macdonalds. Another suggested taking our raw bird next door and wooing the next door neighbour into letting us cook it in his oven. 

As it turned out, we wooed our next door neighbour into coming over and fixing the oven for us. "Fixing" is a relative term in any case, as it was a matter of holding the knob down whilst lighting the gas. "They just don't make them like that in Sydney," we said, shaking our heads.

There have been moments over the past week when I've felt like Paris Hilton's sillier, sweatier and less attractive twin in The Simple Life. But not to worry, my three robust companions and I have vowed that by the end of our time here, we will be "can do" women, for whom no challenge is too mighty. Stay tuned.

No more endo, gin and juice

What is it about farewells and large amounts of alcohol? And in this case cigarettes too? It's nearly inevitable that you will have important things to do the day after you consume these large amounts of alcohol and cigarettes, such as catch planes, pack, write blogs, and make sense when you talk to your parents. However it is very difficult indeed to escape the consumption of large amounts of alcohol when going anywhere at all. For example, I was merely on my way to university for a 9a.m. lecture last week when a man sprang from the bushes and insisted I share a glass of fine French champagne with him. It's not right, I tell you.

Wake in Fright

"Wake in Fright" is a working title that I have shamelessly poached from my grandfather. Perhaps as things progress, I will find something of my own that suits. But for now, it will have to do. I chose the title because my grandfather's novels have inspired me to see outback Australia. I chose the title because of the nights of the week gone by when I have woken, frightened at 5 a.m. I chose the title because my grandfather was a brilliant writer, whose work I have always aspired to emulate. This blog is my first public attempt to do so.

I am moving to Alice Springs on Sunday. I find this slightly baffling. It's one of those notions that seem like a very good idea while sipping Beer Laos by the river in 2008, but by 2009 seem bizarre and somehow unnecessary. Beer Laos leads you to shout magnanimously at your Australian companion about discovering one's own country and combi-vans (in various combinations.) Beer Laos lead me to fill in the application form for a rural social work placement. I blame Beer Laos.

In 2009, my magnanimous attitude towards outback Australia has become one of mild apprehension and, to be honest, total denial. I haven't packed. I haven't found anywhere to live. I don't know anyone there. When people politely ask me about my imminent move, I only grunt in reply. I have stuck my head in the sand dune, as it were. In fact, if we were really to analyse things, this blog is one of those elaborate procrastinations that appear to be in support of your overall goal, but is actually you putting things off.

My denial is mainly the product of ignorance. I know very little about Alice Springs or what I should expect when I arrive.

What I know so far about Alice Springs: 1. It might be very cold (the phrase "below freezing" was used in my placement interview and I am having trouble reconciling this with the words "outback" and "desert") 2. It's depressing (see next paragraph) 3. Food is expensive 4. Aboriginal people are not allowed to drink in the pubs.

Reactions to my move are fairly evenly divided into two groups. The group that thinks it's going to be a wonderful, soul-enriching experience and the group that says, "You're barking mad - Alice is a hole." What worries me is that on further questioning, only the latter group tend to have actually been there.

"Wake in Fright" (the original) is a story about the harsh brutality of the outback and of human beings in their behaviour towards themselves and each other. This is a rather pessimistic first posting in what I hope will be a good experience. I wonder, will I find the Australian outback harsh and brutal? Will the people I find there be harsh and brutal? As a social worker I expect things will be difficult but ultimately I expect that I will find that Beer Laos was on to a good thing when it made me sign those forms.