Snippets

Ongoing conversation concerning traveller's woes:

'My feet hurt.'
'So do mine.'
'And my neck.'
'Uhuh.'
'I'm crippled.'
'Me too.'
'I don't want to get old and be like this all the time.'
'God, no. How perfectly awful.'

Handwritten note posted in the lifts, hallways, bathrooms and dining rooms of YMCA Berkeley hostel, Boston:

'Bianca left her lavender coat in the laundry last night and who so ever has it can they please leave it at the front desk?'

Conversation on leaving Alcott home:

'I had no idea Little Women was so autobiographical. I mean, I knew parts of it were based on her family life but I didn't realise to what extent.'
'I can't believe we actually saw the desk where she wrote it, and that everything has been preserved - how is it possible all that furniture was saved?'
'I know - how incredibly fortunate. We should make sure someone saves our stuff - so that when it comes to putting together our museums they don't have to fabricate anything.'

What was wrong with that magical book:

'I still think Jo should have ended up with Laurie.'
'Me too. What was Louisa thinking?'
'What did the video say? She didn't want her readers to think that marriage was everything, some feminist notion.'
'Hmm, I'm an enlightened reader and I still would prefer a Jo-Laurie ending.'
'Of course, especially seeing as Christian Bale played him in the movie.'

Conversation on visiting graveyard with its 'ridge of writers' section:

'Oh,I found the Alcott's. There's Louisa.'
'Beth's here too, isn't she? She must be the E - only 23. She was younger in the book.'
'They were all younger, weren't they? Oh, look, Louisa has a civil war marker.'
'Why didn't she write a book about her experiences?'
'Jo's father fights in the civil war.'
'True, but it's not the same.'
'No, it isn't, I suppose. I wouldn't mind reading her collection of letters. Look, the Emerson family are here - there's Ralph.'
'Can you see Nathanial Hawthorne?'
'Not yet - how lucky Louisa was to grow up with all these writers coming in and out of her life. And how exactly is it, that they arranged to have all the writers buried in the one place?'
'Maybe they relocated the graves or perhaps they got together before they all died and said, frankly it would be easier for the tourists if we were all lined up nice and neat.'
'They could have thought a bit further and asked, do tourists want to trek up a steep hill?'
'They were only writers.'
'Ooo, it's cold. Cupcake?'
'Yes, please.'

Conversation had while exiting the train station:

'I think it's colder than yesterday.'
'That's the wind.'
'No, really, it's definitely colder.'
'What's the point in the sun being out when it doesn't do anything.'


Conversation had on way to dinner:

'I think the first bookshop was my favourite.'
'Mmm, I liked the third one - I did get 5 books for $14.'
'Actually that was pretty good. I'm going to have to send another package home soon.'
'Uhuh, me too. I have way too many books. Hey, is that a Borders across the road?'
'Wanna go in?'
'Of course.'

What occurred when walking back to Berkeley St after China Town dinner:

'Boy, I could go a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie or even, say, a donut.'
'Yeah, me too - it's not like we haven't earned it.'
'True - we must have walked miles today. Not as much as yesterday, though.'
'It's winter - you have to eat more in winter or you might die.'
'Oh, definitely.'
'Besides those Eskimos eat whale blubber to keep warm - this weather definitely rates a donut.'