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从机场到住处，的士师傅是伊拉克人，1998年来澳洲，这么多年过去，口音仍然很exotic，他让我猜他来自哪里，我第一个想到的是巴基斯坦，但是还没等我开口，他就说他来自萨达姆·侯赛因的家乡，说完哈哈大笑，联想到1998年萨达姆在伊拉克的作为，这笑声很有意味。从机场到住处并不远，很快到了。店家说要下午两点才可以check in，我说没事儿正好可以到处走走，但是能不能让我有间房子换下衣服，从40度的浙江过来，一下子到5度，有点受不了。她上下打量我一眼，说那一定是（我穿着短裤和短袖，套着羽绒服），但是对不起，我们没有房间了。我说其实bathroom就可以。她说哦那可以的，feel free to use the disable one（请便使用那件残疾人专用），我用眼神Huh？她一脸，她立马补充说那间空间更大，方便换衣服。算你圆过去了。收拾停当之后，出门前问她叫啥，说叫Sarah。果不其然，Sarah。
去墨大校园里逛了逛，由于是周末没什么人，走了一圈从南门出去，发现对面正好是墨尔本公墓，这次不进去，下次再说哈哈。往东走，是一座公园，有牌子写着Princes’ Park。进去之后发现有两队人在踢足球，都是小孩子，一边是女孩子队，一边是男孩子队，父母围在旁边鼓掌加欢呼。我随机找了个白人男人问这是什么比赛，他说这是14岁以下的比赛，他是来看儿子比赛的，我再问详情，他就说不清楚，主要是英文不太好，听口音有可能是东欧人，他指着远端，说教练在那边，你去问他，他能讲得很清楚。我走过去问教练，这家伙本地人，讲得贼溜，介绍得很详细，说这些孩子主要是初一和初二的，都是附近公立学校的。他说James，你对足球感兴趣的话，你联系我，我们每周在这个princes’ park都有大人踢球活动的。我心里说很好，非常友好，心想我肯定不会来的，我老了。没想到他又补了一句是princes’ park，不是princess’ park，我说嗯嗯我刚进来看到路牌了[Smart]，他就像完全没听见，继续强调这一点，眼神仿佛在说，不，你不知道。[Smart]
Translation by Chatgpt:
From the airport to my lodging, the taxi driver was an Iraqi, who came to Australia in 1998. After all these years, his accent remained quite exotic. He asked me to guess where he was from. The first place that came to my mind was Pakistan, but before I could speak, he told me he was from Saddam Hussein’s hometown, laughing heartily. Considering Saddam’s actions in Iraq in 1998, the laughter held meaning. The trip from the airport was short and I arrived quickly.
The innkeeper told me I couldn’t check in until 2 PM. I said it was fine, and I could walk around, but asked if there was a room to change clothes in; coming from 40-degree weather in Zhejiang to 5 degrees, I was struggling. She looked me up and down, noticing my shorts and short sleeves under a down jacket, and said they had no rooms. I suggested using the bathroom, and she allowed me to use the disabled one, noting it had more space for changing. Satisfied with her response, I got ready and asked her name. It was, as expected, Sarah.
I wandered the University of Melbourne campus, and since it was the weekend, it was quiet. Exiting from the south gate, I noticed the Melbourne Cemetery across the street but decided not to go in. Walking east, I reached Princes’ Park and found two teams of children playing football, girls against boys, parents cheering on the side. I asked a Caucasian man what was going on, and he told me it was an under-14 match. He couldn’t explain much more due to his limited English and perhaps Eastern European accent. He directed me to the coach who spoke fluently and explained the details.
The coach told me the children were mainly in grades 7 and 8 from local public schools. He offered to include me in their adult football activities at Princes’ Park, very friendly, but I knew I wouldn’t go. I was too old for that. He corrected me, emphasizing that it was “princes'” not “princess'”, even though I’d seen the sign. He looked at me as if to say, “No, you don’t know.”
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