Tag Archives: afraid

Adelaide Zombie Walk

Have you ever seen a zombie walk? Basically it is a social gathering of people dressed as zombies walking around the city! It is becoming more and more popular and a lot of cities such as London, Montreal etc… are hosting a walking dead procession around Halloween time! I have seen a zombie march when I was living in Montreal and I must say despite the cold it was really entertaining some people were really into their “characters”.

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I look very disconnected!

I moved to Australia early September 2014 and when I heard there would be a zombie walk in Adelaide CBD in October, I decided to make it count! This time I would not just watch, I would be one of them: walking crooked, looking disconnected, groaning… But first, I had to find a costume, a character that would express my story… how did I become a zombie, what was I doing last before being bitten? Since I had just moved to Adelaide I did not have much (no accessories or clothes to trash) so I decided to go to a charity shop or like they say here an “Op shop” (opportunity shop)! For less that $10 I found a girly pink top and a dress that made me think of a gardener apron… I decided that it would be perfect since there were some gardening tools in my fully furnished house that I could use to complete my costume! Now I had my story: I was a garden lady taking care of my roses when I got suddenly attacked and bitten by a crazy zombie! Then the trick is about make up, then laminating my costume (using a cheese grinder!) and make it look dirty like I spent weeks wandering in the streets of Adelaide (I scrubbed it on the pavement and in the grass outside)… the result was absolutely perfect!

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Hungry and scary zombie!

Then I joined my peers and it was really good fun. Some costumes were unbelievable and very realistic! I could swear some people have been zombies in previous lives… if it does make sense! Thousand of zombies got together to raise funds for Foodbank SA which is a noble cause (you can donate money or non perishable food)! The event is very well organized with policemen closing the roads where the march takes place (East terrace, Rundle street, Pultney street and Pirie street)… it is hilarious to see people faces when you are walking down the streets: some are curious, some are excited and others are totally speechless because they have no idea what is going on, why all this blood and these strange faces… I am still smiling when thinking of this old couple who nearly had a stroke when they saw me 😉

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Marie-Antoinette had it coming!

I think it is so cool that Adelaide can compete with other major cities by hosting a really amazing and entertaining zombie walk with thousands of walking dead marching on our streets! When you think it all started a couple of years ago with a few people who were passionate about it and decided they will make it happen no matter what… at the beginning it was a really discrete and small event but as the years go by it is getting more and more famous and important and I think it is wonderful to be part of it!

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Did you ask for a pizza with anchoves?

Adelaide Zombie Walk

Every year in October

http://www.adelaidezombiewalk.com/index.html

Be prepared to face Adelaide “City-Wildelife”

When you think of Australia, the first things that come to your mind are: the cute koalas, lively kangaroos, playful dolphins and happy platypus.  But what you maybe don’t know is that Australia is also the home of dangerous animals such as: the Box Jellyfish, the Taipan, the Saltwater Crocodile, the Blue Ring Octopus, the Stone Fish, the Red Back Spider, the Brown Snake, the Tiger Snake, the Funnel Web Spider and the Great White Shark… scaring!

I must say I am more like the city girl type: spending time with my friends, going to cafes, reading in the Botanical garden, gazing at the shops…  and Adelaide is the perfect place to enjoy these activities! I mean it is lovely and friendly ❤ so you would think my chances to bump into a dangerous wild animal when walking down the city streets are close to zero, right?!

I guess yes but…. yes there is a “but”… after 5 months living here I also realised that Adelaide CBD is also the home of not so friendly creatures. I assume for locals they are part of your everyday life but for a French girl it is pretty scaring… so I thought I could share my experiences so foreigners like me are more prepared to the “city-wildelife” when they move here!

  • First say hello to creepy cockroaches!

IMG_0462This is what I found one morning on my kitchen floor. A big cockroach lying on its back, agitating its little legs. Absolutely disgusting… I was really surprised by the size of it: nearly the size of my little finger… YUK… much bigger that the ones I have seen in France! No wonder nearly everybody here has a Mortein spray in the kitchen cupboard (and my rented fully furnished house is no exception). So I terminated the wild animal by spraying it and I must say the product is very efficient. My Australian neighbor told me that cockroaches are on their back when they are about to dye so in a way I did him a favor by finishing him… He added that on warm nights you can hear them crawling in the back of the lane. I have asked him what would happen if one night for example I can’t sleep and it is dark in my house and I want to have a glass of water, should I switch on all the lights and wear flip flap shoes all the time so I don’t walk on one of them?! He laughed at me saying that I should be all right it never happened to him and anyway cockroaches run so fast, there are no risks so “no worries”! Well I wish I was that relaxed and that cool…  maybe after a couple of years living here I will 😉 But at the moment, I have put cockroach baits nearly everywhere in the house so problem solved… I guess.

  • Now meet psychopath spiders!

IMG_0270This is what I found one afternoon on my bedroom window. A gigantic black spider…. I swear it was the size of my hand!!! I have never imagined before that such animals could be found in big cities! I tried to knock at the window so it will go away…hopeless… it did not make any difference.  I was so scared I did not sleep well on the following night because I had nightmares… dreaming that the spider could come into my house and walk on me with her hairy legs when I would be asleep! Again I talked with my Australian neighbour about it. He smiled and he said I shouldn’t worry. These kind of spiders are called “Huntsman”  and don’t be fooled by the name because NO they are not hunting men, they are hunting LIKE men (speed and technique)… actually they are pretty harmless… So I guess I was relieved but then he added that I should pay attention to small spiders with a red spot on their back because they are very dangerous and potential humans murderers… creepy… but then when he saw my face he said, don’t bother too much, they are peaceful and generally they keep to themselves in the garden… really?! Anyway a couple of days ago, I found a sneaky black spider in my shoe – size of a 50 pence coin (more like the ones you would find in France in a dark cellar… but I still don’t like them). I had just the time to check that it was not a “red back spider” and then I managed to neutralize it! I hope there will be no revenge from any spider family members…

Well I hope I did not scare you with my stories! I just think it is part of the experience of living abroad… Most of the times you will fall in love with everything you see in your new country…  and sometimes you will discover things you dislike… and it is OK, I mean it is natural and inevitable! Afterall it is not that different when you are in love with somebody, you like the good sides and you learn to cope with the not so good sides, that’s life! Falling in love with a country does not make you blind, actually it is the opposite: it makes you open your eyes and your heart to new experiences, new feelings and new ideas and then it is your choice to go with the flow and make it work ❤

“El jardin de las munecas” (the garden of the dolls)

When I am passing by this house on Wright street in Adelaide CBD, I feel afraid and curious at the same time. There are mutilated dolls hanging in the trees in the garden. It is so creepy but I can’t help looking at it each time and wondering why it is here for? What does it mean? Is it the masterpiece of a lunatic? or some garden ornements that I don’t get?

I still remember the day when I tried to take a picture of it. Some grating noises started and got louder… and there was no way I could tell for sure if somebody was trying to scare me (and having good fun) or if the house was haunted or something… maybe it was just the wind and the trees were rubbed against the metallic gate… but it did not feel right and I was unable to take a good picture of it!

Another day, I went by and the garden gate was opened and there was a glass of water on a small table under the porch… so I assume somebody lives in this place. If I am correct then I am wondering why some dolls are hung in the trees, with screws in the head… Maybe the work of a twisted mind…

I had a discussion with my brother about it and he told me that it reminded him of “la isla de las munecas” (the island of the dolls) in Mexico. I have googled it and what I found is pretty scaring… Basically there is an island there full of terrifying dolls hanging all other the place: some are injured, others are decapitated or blinds… supposedly to honour the spirit of a dead little girl. If you  dare you can visit the place but be prepared to be followed by soulless eyes…creepy… creepy….  http://www.isladelasmunecas.com

But back to my story or should I say my unsolved mystery…  I was so intrigued that I looked on the internet if I could find a ghost story or strange events about Adelaide.. but I could not find anything related to this house facing Whitmore square on Wright street.

I had absolutely no leads, no evidences, no clue! So I decided to let it go… Afterall I am not Veronica Mars and I am here to enjoy my time in Adelaide and not try to investigate on some strange dark secrets.

I sent the picture to the City newspaper (just in case) and I moved on… both literally and figuratively. I stopped “obsessing” about it and anyway I moved from CBD to North Adelaide …so the creepy house is not on my usual path anymore.

I had actually nearly forgotten about it… but a couple of days ago it came back to my mind and it was quite unexpected! I was walking in North Adelaide charming streets, gazing at the birds and the trees when suddenly I have seen this horrible and scaring painting on the pavement leaning on a tree!

Four white little kitties standing on a shiny blue sheet: the simple idea of having a painting like that hanging in my living room is already giving me a headache. But there was even more scary to come… somebody used a black pencil to blind the cats, like they were  crying blood tears or something… they looked like satanic cats… I could not help wondering if the owner of this painting made it himself?! Then you can imagine his wife complained about it so he decided to get rid of the painting in the street hoping somebody would appreciate his sense of home design… Or another scenario is  that a simple passer by or a psychopath decided to ruin this kitty scene to spice up its day… You never know, can you?!

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Don’t worry for me, I still sleep very well at night.  And despite these 2 creepy scenes, I still think Adelaide is a charming city…  like I said before, there is always something new to discover here and it is impossible to get bored!

By the way, if somebody knows anything about “el jardin de las munecas” (the garden of the dolls) on Wright street, I am definitely interested 😉