Jungle Girl arrived in Australia and suddenly, all sorts of weird things started happening. She could understand conversations taking place around her, she could read menus, she could shop for items with set prices, things moved quickly, and when she asked for directions, she received directions in a language she understood. All of this made Jungle Girl very enthusiastic - something which confused Australians.
Australia was not anything like her home. She liked to look at the variety of different people - the different skin colors and fashion styles. She liked feeling comfortable eating food out of pots at street stands and when she forgot about the concept of queuing, she bowed and pleasantly apologized - laughing to herself like her confusion was endearing. People did not seem amused. "Oh, Australia - what an interesting place," Jungle Girl mused as she allowed herself to be caught up in the stream of busy, moving, going.
It was exciting being consumed by this pulsing, busy city and she imbibed the atmosphere. Yet, when the city lights had flickered out and the morning light set the stage for a new day, Jungle Girl found that the pace continued - an undertow of plan, act, move. Even as she traveled out of the city, working her way down the winding coast, she could feel the momentum of the place - the motion under her feet like the moving walkway at the airport. It was time to go, go, go.
She observed the whirlwind of organization, plans, and priorities. Caught up in the hustle and enchanted by the "newness" of the place, she had forgotten to pick up a watch or a clock. Money, money, money. It became obvious that she would need to get one before too long. Everyone seemed to know when it was time to go, go, go, while Jungle Girl only wanted slow, slow, slow.
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