Probably Not Sane: "Vegetarian Camp"

   So just over a week ago, I heard from FS (Friendly Stranger from the previous post) who informed me that his couch surfing journeys had taken him to Dunedin, where he was due to attend a gathering. He then sent me a link to their website, and contemplated asking me to join him there. Unfortunately for him, I'd already decided to attend Summer Gathering, based on approximately two minutes of reading their website, so whether he liked it or not, I would be there.

"Muuuuuum! Mum, can I go to this thing that FS has invited me to?"
"Isn't he the one who took us to the Topp Twins?"
"Yes. That one."
"Ooooh I liked him, he took us to the Topp Twins. Where is it?"
"Dunedin."
"Oh, pass the phone here, I'll just get you a bus ticket."

   My mum can be rather easily won over. I blame the nice shirt FS was wearing the night he met her. That was forward thinking on his part.

   Feeling more free than fruit from the bin, I informed him that I would see him there, realised it started in only a couple of days, and hastily started packing and arranging to meet people in Dunedin. (Namely David.) Decided I ought to let boyfriend know too, considering he generally comes to see me almost every day.

   Informing boyfriend proved to be something of a mistake.

   It was the fact that all the meals were to be vegetarian that started him off. He (for some bizarre reason) found this hilarious.
"You're going to vegetarian camp!" he declared. I sighed and took another bite of the chicken I had roasted. As explained in the previous post, being a vegetarian in the south of the south island isn't always easy. People always call you a bit of a funny burger. Also. Meat is delicious. This may explain why boyfriend found it so funny. Ugh, carnivores.

   Despite his teasing, I was still keen to go, and gladly skipped onto the bus in the morning with my six bags (half of which were bedding, because I am a notoriously bad traveller) and little sleep. I fell asleep in the bus and missed a food stop in Roxburgh, which was gutting because I assumed it was the last time in a week or so I'd be able to enjoy meat. Unless I'd just had a Jimmy's Pie. Mmmmm, a whole golf ball of fat. How nutritious.

   I arrived in Dunedin, was hug-raped by my friend Stevie, who looks like a duck, and we sat and waited for David and his girlfriend, Anita to turn up. Then we all headed into town and Anita and I sat and stole David's lollies and giggled as David and Stevie played a game of chess. Yes. Chess.

   Had a lovely time with them, eventually made it to the Steiner school where the gathering was being held and said goodbye to them.

   Bam. Massive atmosphere change. I'd gone from laughing and singing and yelling out car windows with Stevie the duck and co, to this incredibly quiet, peaceful place at the gathering. FS introduced me to a few people there, and I set up my bed, with the wonderful smells of vegetarian pizza permeating my nostrils. I was starting to enjoy this whole situation.

   Look. Let's just clarify. The food over the whole course of the gathering was freaking wonderful. It really was. I barely missed meat at all, until the second-to-last night when I had a dream involving beautiful, delicious steak. But when there are twenty or so people and meals with a high bean content... It's not the best aroma. Oh god. I just made a flatulence reference on my precious blog. Oh dear.

   We participated in many wonderful activities. One of these was a treasure hunt, created by myself, Rene, and FS, but mostly FS, because he's probably the more intelligent one. Oh, and it was his idea. It was an epic adventure about Blackbean the Pirate, who was on the run from Captain Rene the Red, who he had stolen treasure from. The treasure being delicious Black Bean Brownie. Anyway, with all these B's and R's, naturally, the treasure hunt ended with a team challenge, to provide a raving rendition of the Queen classic, Bohemian Rhapsody. I do believe FS was the only person to truly get into it. Air guitar for the win.

   Within only a few days, a really open, caring community was created at this gathering. I can put this down to the fact that everyone there was awesome. Seriously, there was no one there I was able to dislike for any reason at all, and it was lovely.

   In fact, it prompted a small of us to attempt a "cultural experiment" when asked to create a cultural experience for the rest of the group there. We decided to contrast the lovely culture we had at gathering with the culture we would experience outside of gathering. We started at lunch time, sitting individually away from everyone else and just being quite rude and antisocial- in a subtle way. Afterwards, people pointed out the difference. It really showed what a positive atmosphere there was there- and how easily that could be spoiled with elements of negativity. It was fascinating.

   One evening, David came to join us, as he only lives a couple of streets away from the school. He joined in with a game we were playing, which was basically a confused game of charades, in which, during the first round we had to describe the character, then in the second round make a noise to represent the character (which was somewhat impossible) and then a gesture. FS was, naturally, fantastic.

   Near the end of the gathering, a very small group of us went to paint murals by the new stadium. In the pouring rain I might add. Good ol' sunny Dunedin rolling out the good weather for us as ever. Our "summer gathering" had mostly occurred indoors, due to the lack of summer. However, we eventually completed our two murals. Because David goes past the new stadium on a regular basis, I included a painting of Rainbow Boots herself, with a little speech bubble reading "Hi Cookie" because that's all I could fit in it. One girl with us, Rachel, who is rather (healthily) obsessed with Michael Jackson painted one of his quotes beneath my Rainbow Boots hero. The sun even came out temporarily.

   On the way back, we called in to see my birthfather rather briefly as a lovely end to my time in Dunedin. It was, as ever, fantastic to see him again.

   Liz stopped in Roxburgh to buy me a Jimmy's Pie so I could get my meat fix. It was disgusting. I filled up on fresh orchard fruit on the rest of the car trip. Much nicer.

We also stopped at a strange shop in Alexandra, where I purchased two cans of coloured hairspray, a giant candle and a canvas print of Michael Jackson (Rachel would be proud of me!) all for $23. Amazing.

I've had a lovely time in Dunedin, and boyfriend can laugh at me all he wants.

By the way, sorry about the lack of pretty pictures. ~~I'll put some up later.~~

Pretty pictures time!