Yesterday was the true day 1. I had the hotel's excellent breakfast buffet, overate and went for a walk in King's Park, which is up a steep hill - one that could compete with the one in Dunedin for the title of World's steepest street. Got lost - how on earth can you get lost in a park? - and found my way back with the help of a lady who was walking on an unfamiliar street. She said she did understand how you can get lost in Kin'gs Park! I organised a bed and a second key for Sally, who arrived late morning. Iwent to some panels, went out to lunch with Sally and Zara Baxter and a couple of others, in one of the few places in Perth CBD on Good Friday and got a vegetarian fried rice for only $5.95. Back at the hotel, I enjoyed a panel on Balancing Writing With your Day job, the first one with Charles De Lint, who seems a pleasant, approachable man. Then I overspent in the dealer's room, getting Richard Harland's new novel, which he signed for me, and spending a LOT of money on a Charles De Lint HC which will never get into paperback. There was then a panel on short ficiton and another on "It came from the slush pile." I've told Sally that I once picked an Edwina Harvey story in a competition slushpile, though it didn't have her name on it. There were some evening events which I attended, but fell asleep, as I do. I had never heard of "Simono, the world's most beautiful fan" but the large audience had and laughed appreciatively. Sue Isle and I went up to her room for tea and an expensive hand-made Easter egg which I'd brought from Melbourne. I fell into bed at 10.00 a.m. This morning, several of us breakfasted together with no pre-planning and I met a lovely couple from NZ (but she's originally from Perth and a friend of Sally's) - Robin and Alan. Sally and I went off to find an Internet cafe - the hotel's dreadful kiosk was broken anyway.
More tomorrow (I hope!)
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