Nicholas Quirke was frantically trying to sort out last minute preparations for his departure from the land of OZ on 25th February. By tomorrow he would be somewhere over the rainbow and on his way to Beijing. His visa for India had finally come through but he needed a  hard copy Kim contacted Maureen who offered to help. He made a short walk to the park and had a reassuring FT chat with Cole before taking a final stroll through East Melbourne and absorb the architecture and calling in on Maureen to collect a copy of his Visa. Ross and Maureen invited him in for a quick Green Tea before they had to head off to a memorial service. He was glad he got a chance to say goodbye and thank you to them. He packed his bags. As a result of his impending flight the day had a temporary feel and the anxiety attached to the new phase of his Odyssey was prevalent. There had been some negative feedback from folk about being in China and the reliability of contacting friends and family and using internet. He had planned for any disturbance in his lines of communication but the underlying concern that he would be adrift and unable to blog did bother him. Kim wanted to see ‘Film Starts Don’t Die in Liverpool’  and he felt this would occupy his mind and distract him from his worries. This story of the actress Gloria Grahame and her late life romantic liaison with a young British actor from Liverpool was deeply moving. Annette Bening confirmed her status in his eyes as one of the most remarkable actress’s working in film, and he was delighted to see Jamie Bell deliver a truly sensitive performance. Somehow everything seemed an effort, but while they were the IGA Supermarket Kim was inspired to cook a vegan curry. They bought some ingredients and while Kim prepared the food Nicholas gave the apartment another clean. The supper was delicious and as they looked out at the view from Kim’s widow spotted the tree was laden with parakeets. just squawking and hanging from the branches like vivid coloured fruit. It was an enchanting sight and once again he found it almost impossible to capture the essences of this marvellous sight. They ended the evening watching a touching documentary Tashi and The Monk. Then he hoped for oblivion through the night.