I've been so lucky with the people I've met so far! The folk at the Society for Arts in Healthcare were wonderful! I met up with a fellow Aussie, Margret Meagher who is organising an Arts in Health conference in Australia for November this year in Port Macquarie at the Glasshouse. Margret has managed to "snaffle" a number of 'movers and shakers" in arts and health to present at the conference including Naj Wikoff, Mike White and others. I'm hoping Sandra Bertman will also come (and maybe we can find her an appletini!) Of course "Four Funerals in One Day" is also playing at the Australian conference so people who attend will get a chance to meet my gorgeous friend and playwright Alan Hopgood and the wonderful cast (who are always so giving of their time)!
In addition to meeting the board of SAH, I met the Chair, Jill Sonke (who I will spend some time with in Florida next week) and Betty Haskin who I am meeting with at Duke University in Durham later this week). I don't want you to think it was all work and no fun, cause those arts people sure know how to party. I saw a wonderful performance from Julia Sweeny titled, "God said Ha" (Julia used to be on Saturday Night Live here in the U.S). The one woman show was at the University of Buffalo.I also met an expat French artist (he's actually from Brittany) who lives in New York, loves fine food and has a real taste for cognac, Christian Le Gars. I must say, as all good Frenchmen, Christian was a bad influence........."there's always room for one more cognac"! His work is amazing......intericate prints and watercolours. He uses copper plates to engrave his prints that are so detailed, it takes him weeks to just prepare the plate before he can start the printing. I must say it inspired me to start painting again (in my spare time!!!!)
Now to Mr Moe. When I wanted to go up to the falls, the guy at the hotel said he'd get me a set price taxifare (otherwise you can get to the other end and be up for heaps!). So I said "great" and half an hour later "Mr Moe" arrived. A happy, jovial, extremely informative man who couldn't do enough to help me. He drove me around Buffalo and showed me the sights en-route to the Falls, found out how I could get over to Canada and left me at the entrance with his number to call when I was ready to come back to town. So I did my thing at the falls and gave him a call on his mobile when I was heading back over the bridge. I waited in the appointed spot and he was there in no time. On the way back to the hotel we talked as he drove me past places he thought I'd be interested in (of course he asked me if I was in a hurry first). He was happy to stop outside old buildings so I could take photo's and filled me in on the history of Buffalo. I think I learned more from Mr. Moe than anyone else I met (about Buffalo, I mean). Then the next day he picked me up to go to the airport to fly here to Durham. I told him I had plenty of time, so he took me to the War Memorial and past some of the churches I'd missed the day before. He was happy to sit and wait while I looked around and then filled me in on all the details when I hopped back into the car. What a nice man! It can be a scary thought travelling in countries you don't know, but when you meet up with a genuine man like Moe who just wants to chat, show you his town and make your stay a good one, it makes you feel really grateful for the goodness in human nature. So anyone heading to Buffalo..........hail Moe and he'll look after you (email me and I'll give you his number). All round to date I've been lucky, Moe, Christian, Bonnie, Meg, Margret, Sandra, Naj, Stuart, Killie, Betty, Joan et al you made my stay on Buffalo extremely memorable! Now for the next step.........on to Durham. Over and out (oh by the way, missing home and family and all the gang at NWMRPCC.........and my state wide palliative care pals, but will have lots of info to bring home). Carpe diem!
Photo of Moe "the guy in Buffalo who knows where to go!'
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