Yesterday night Gaz and I took his mom and my friend to Mulan, an acrobatic show in the Arts Centre in the city. What became our topic of conversation that night was not about the 15 or so contortionists who made up the Chinese troupe but the sudden downpour as we were heading to the show.
We arrived in the city around 7:oo pm and spent the next 1/2 hour before the show began, first shell shocked at the sleet of rain pouring from the skies above, then praying for some reprieve from the rain, then navigating our way from building to building trying to find cover from the carpark to the Arts Centre a short distance away.
By the time we reached the venue, we were drenched even though we had two large umbrellas between us. The strong winds and rain had rendered the brollies useless. An attendant ushered us into the hall, we squeaking in our wet shoes behind her and slunked into the nearest seats.
Thankfully we weren't the only ones arriving late and drenched from the unexpected downpour. There were another couple of families looking bewildered and wet too. Later at intermission, I went into the ladies toilet and found a row of people perusing the hand dryer to dry their wet clothes and hair... typical Chinese!
On the news this morning, I learned that we were quite lucky indeed to get into the city and out without any dramas. The rains were brought about by the Cyclones Anthony and Yasi which had hit North Australia recently. In the city, the main train station Flinders St Station had been flooded, as well as many other train stations around Melbourne leaving the tracks looking more like little rivers than train tracks.
Around the city, shops were immediately closed as the water started rising into the interior, and cars were stuck on the road with water halfway up to the car doors. A major freeway was closed off due to water rising over the road.
All that time these were happening, we were watching and clapping at the various acrobatic feats of the kids in the Mulan show...
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