New and old friends

Friday evening was a night of meeting up with new and old friends. I hobbled over to Smithfield on my crutch with Samantha, where we met up with Annabel and Emile. The four of us had coffees and were chatting away. Emile described a surreal conversation he had had earlier in the week with his niece and nephew. Emile told them that he had applied to be a volunteer at the Phoenix Zoo. His practical, accountant-like nephew was unimpressed, while his open-minded niece was delighted. He went on to explain that he wants to volunteer so that he can steal a penguin and a giraffe. The accountant-like nephew was disbelieving. 'Where would you put them?' he asked. Emile said, 'Well I'd bring them back to live here' (in his terrace home).
After a moment's silence, the nephew asked 'how would you get the giraffe through the house?' 'Obviously, I would train it to crawl on its belly.' Enthusiastic nods from the niece, 'that would work.'
I reminded Emile that I lived near the zoo so he could stop off with the giraffe and penguin on his escape with them. His eyes lit up, 'a safe house'!
The kids in my neighborhood would love that.
The giraffe conversation reminded Annabel about the Dublin guy who actually stole a penguin from the zoo a few months ago. We had all heard at least part of the story. After stealing the penguin, they guy made his getaway in a taxi. Apparently, the penguin was kicking up a fuss and the guy reconsidered his plan. Stopped at lights somewhere in town, he opened the door and tossed the penguin out. Only in Dublin.
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Later that evening I went to Cherie's going away party. She and her boyfriend are going to live in Vietnam but are traveling to several countries beforehand. Cherie speaks Vietnamese, French, and English fluently; she is planning to get a proper job when she gets there. Her boyfriend knows how to swear and order food in Vietnamese so he is sorted.
Cherie was a bit nervous about living in Vietnam, a bit sad at leaving her friends in Dublin, and a bit excited about everything. We hadn't talked properly in a long while so she filled me in. I already knew about her background, problems with her parents, and other things; the hassles with her "in-laws" was new. However, Friday night was the first time it hit me just how isolated she must feel sometimes. We had joked in the past that she was like my sister; I have plenty and can always do with more. She said on Friday that she has no family. I reminded her that she is my little sister and that if she needs to talk to someone while she is away to email me and I would call her back wherever she is.
I gave Cherie a bracelet that I had made. Later that evening she was joking with a few of us that she would sell it on her travels for say $2. Melanie scolded her, 'You can't do that; it has sentimental value.' Cherie thought for a minute, 'OK, $2.50.'
I am going to miss her.