This hostel has a very unique feel, being two stories yet having a tight town house type feel to it. Fortunately I am sleeping on the second floor, as last night there were plenty of crazy drinking games going on on the first floor. I met some great people from Taiwan and enjoyed dinner with them. It was a real contrast. On one side of the room was I, being the only white guy, sitting with a group of Taiwanese people drinking tea and having a good conversation. On the other side, every single western person in the hostel was absolutely wasted, or at least acted like it. Thinking on this now, if this had of been a few years ago I probably would have been with them, purveying the same actions as them. I can definitely see a level of maturity that I've developed from this trip, and a nature I wish to continue with once this trips completed. I thought, perhaps I need to surround my self with more East Asian people, as finding people of this nature is quite hard back home. I then wandered, what if the Taiwanese people had more social confidence to interact with westerners, would they themselves be drinking with everybody else? I know culturally they are very different in regards to alcohol consumption. I hope that they themselves can maintain the will power to not socially conform to the mainstream ways of western living. They can certainly integrate without getting pissed and turning into a bunch of savages like most others.
The weather has been dismal, having poured down the whole day. I haven't had any real opportunity to see anything so far in Albany, as it has literally been pouring down the whole time. I managed to have a quick look at the local farmers market this morning, but that's just about been it.
It costs $27 a night here, and if it weren't raining I definitely wouldn't be staying here another night. Because of the price I was planning on tenting it somewhere tonight for free. As the rain hasn't stopped, and it looks like it will continue tomorrow, I have booked in another night here.
The upside to another night here is the good company, but also the free food bin. I was in absolute shock as to the quality of food that people have discarded, or left behind. In the box was two quarter full bottles of olive oil, yellow lentils, three perri-perri flavoured sauces, natural citrus rock salt, jam, garlic cloves, a bag of natural confectionary lollies along with many other things. All of those items mentioned I have consumed or stored away in my bag for the oncoming days. I took advantage of the full bag of lentils, garlic cloves, peri-peri sauces and olive oil to cook up a big feed to share with my new Taiwanese friends.
The dinner was delicious and has been great to share it with other hungry travellers. I was also happy as I realised, most probably, nobody else would have cooked these lentils and the cleaners would've otherwise thrown them out. I would almost describe it as a fear I have, when realising food will be thrown out (especially without being recycled in some fashion). This is an inherent feeling, perhaps developed after living with my Oma and her teachings, but also aided by environmental understanding (of both food production and landfill pollution).
After the feed I played a bit of table tennis with the others. I'm hoping the weather clears up tomorrow as I have told my self I definitely won't be staying another night here, despite how much I'd like to.
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