Simpson Down Under: [10.11.2009] English Second Language Text Messaging aka "ESL SMS", Paintings and Adapt or Die

Inspired by conversation with Vince I would like to dedicate the beginning of this blog post to the string of ridiculoustext messages I have been getting from newly acquired foreign friends. So, here are a few of them, original formatting and spelling intact (ranked in order of ascending "ridiculousity"):

8) "But hey that was cool. I guess I just act like the bum I am and sleep on a bench in the park"

-Matt Pierre, Swede

7) "Hey you what are you up to today , something cool ?"

-Matt Pierre, Swede

6) "Ey man! Tomorrow its gonna be a awsome party at your hostel! Becouse a little bird told me that is your birthday! :-) see ya! / Jocke"

-Joakim, Swede

5) "Hey no worries Scott ;-)! We will come,but later than 8!Maybe around 9:30.Is it o

k?How long do you will stay at the hostel before going out tonight?"

-Kristin, German

4) Where do you gonna go tonight? Gaff, our a other club? I think we come to you now butt we dont know where your hostel is answear quickly!"

-Joakim, Swede

3) "When do you need me?"

-Matt Pierre, Swede

2) Ey gays, whats happen? I think we gonna go to "the gaff tonight! And I hope you gays come n join ous there! Before 10 pm have they 2 free drinks, free entryes and alot of swedish girls. "i think" ;-)see you about one houer! Ok!"

-Joakim, Swede

1) "of course i will take your jacket. What does it look like i love you. From yes and j"

-Joakim, Swede

Some seriously funny stuff. For example, in 2) I'm pretty sure my friend meant to write "guys" both times, which only makes it funnier. As far as I know all my friends here are straight; for starters, my swedish friends jump at opportunity to discuss their beautiful swedish wo

men. Still, if you reference 1), the aformentioned misspelling in 2) could be construed as wishful thinking...

When not being showered with Swedish bro love, I have made an effort to check out Sydney a little more. Yesterday I walked around part of the harbor, ran into an Australian Naval base, pondered waterside, and stumbled across the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Here I saw some beautiful Australian landscape paintings dating from the mid to late 19th century. My

personal favorite was "The Flood of

Darling 1890" by WC Piguenit (on right). The attention to detail requisite in this kind of painting is almost unfathomable.

Today Vince and I checked out the Sydney Museum and throughly enjoyed the "Adapt or Die" exhibit examining some of the absurd extinct creatures that once inhabited this place. Some of these things you just look at and go "Are you f****ing kidding me? That actually existed?!!".

Seriously. Some of the old mammals from this

continent put the Wooly Mammoth lineage to shame. My personal favorite was a gigantic steroidal wombat called

a Dyprotodon, classified as one of Austrlalia's Mega Fauna but which actually originated on the planet Hoth. (Gray thing to the right). Apparrently they weighed over 4000 pounds and carried their young in a sack under they're stomach. There was a cat like thing with bulging linebacker forearms and an D-line stance. (Orange thing below) And don't even get me started on the Demon Duck of Doom (actual name, on the brochures and everything, see bottom).