The last day

It was quite timely, that my boss had scheduled our first team lunch since I've been working at the library, on my last day of work. In my absence, the rest of the team had voted to go to a local trendy cafe (even in this relatively un-trendy city, there are trendy cafes - well, at least two). This place was so trendy it had outdoor tables which weren't on the footpath.

I'd had my heart set on a warm Thai beef salad - something protein-y and salad-y. They didn't have any, but the vegetarian paninis were quite nice. So was the spider (a frothy concoction barely mixing ice-cream and cola), which took me back to my childhood when ice creams were five cents and you could buy two sweets for one cent.

It was a scorching hot day. Temperature-wise it only somewhere between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius, but around these ozone-less parts that's enough to fry even an olive-skinned local in ten minutes. Fortunately I was well-covered by a t-shirt, but my co-worker in the sundress is going to have a very uncomfortable hot shower tonight.

I was allowed to scoot off an hour early, on the understanding that this was to enable me to say my goodbyes to everyone. I'd actually only intended to say goodbye to whomever I saw on my way out, but I felt obliged to do the rounds and was rewarded by bear hugs and the kind of nice things people always say to you when they know they'll never have to lay eyes on you again (really folks, it's been nice). Then it was time to go to the art supplies shop and spend my gift voucher.

Buying paints, canvases and stuff didn't appeal because I knew I wasn't going to get around to using them; they'd just sit next to the paints and canvases I already have, indefinitely. So I decided to get some scrapbooking gear and use it to turn my travel diaries into a book.

After buying custom-cut book covers, acid-free plastic sleeves, special glue and acid-free photo stick-y things, I had enough credit left over to purchase some yummy dark red handmade paper with diamond-y bits on it (very India)- to cover the cover - and a greeting card with a photo of spices on it (also very India). Now that I have it at home, I almost can't wait to get stuck in. But first there're those pesky MLIS assignments to start and finish.