No such thing as a free lunch

Byron Bay is a beautiful place - green rolling hills that cascade down to the sparkling ocean. It has a certain magic to it. 

Because of this it attracts all sorts of people. Many people move here to find themselves, run away from themselves or reinvent themselves. It's that kind of place.

It makes for great people watching, which is one of my favourite Byron pastimes.

Last night Skip and I went out for dinner at the local Japanese and overhead a conversation that could only happen in Byron.

Hippie 1: I'd like to order the sizzling tuna but I'd like it raw.

Waitress: umm. (long pause) well I don't think that's possible...

Hippie 1: why not? Just don't cook it! I don't like cooked tuna.

Waitress: well, it comes on a sizzling plate and a bit hard to serve raw. The flavours wouldn't work. 

Hippe 2: we live in a tent. We don't care about that stuff.

Waitress: oh I get you, I really do, but it's the only cooked tuna on the menu, why don't you try one of the other raw sashimi tuna dishes? 

Hippie 1: I really want that one. The vegetables sound nice and there's rice.

The conversation went on like this for another few minutes, the hippie determined to get his sizzling raw dish. I guess we all want a bit of sizzle in our lives, even if you're on a raw diet. 

In the end I couldn't listen any more as I was laughing a little too hard. I know I couldn't be a waitress here - the nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, all natural, organic, vegan, raw, with a sprinkle of quinoa dishes would drive me nuts. And then it wouldn't be nut-free...