I have just returned from a wonderful long weekend in North Otago with Aspie friends. A long trip from Christchurch, but worth every kilometre! I was not prepared, however, for the drain on my brain in terms of tiredness and general dysfunction. It took me out for about a day of the weekend and so far, two days on my return. Not sure whether it was the heat of the unseasonal weather, the length of the road trip, or just the need to totally relax which led to what seemd like a complete deconstruction of my thinking processes! Sleep and reading are restoring me gradually.
On our trip home ( the point of this post), we stopped for an early lunch at a well-known cafe south of Oamaru. I remember this from 30 or so years ago, when it was a pleasant, quiet cafe backed by tall gum trees and with a rather wonderful "stopped time" atmosphere. A reviving cuppa could be had in peace and gratitude.
Now, however, the trees are mostly gone and the corner site has filled up with transport-related businesses. The cafe itself is an aspie acoustic nightmare, with hard and resonant surfaces everywhere. The (?) terrazzo floor is the platform for exquisitely scrapy chair feet. There are no curtains to provide some acoustic dampening and the stereo was pumping out badly balanced "music". Badly balanced in the sense that all that could be heard was the thumping bass. I asked for this to be turned down- these days, most public restaurants etc are reasonably obliging with these requests- but was met by a look of alarm in the eyes of the assistant- "I'm not sure whether that will be possible". I explained that we had sensory problems but this didn't seem to mean anything. Eventually, after anxious scurrying and talking, they told us that the music had been "changed" and hoped this would be OK. It was- for one track- and then back to the offensive thumping.. in addition, the front of the counter has a visually disturbing graphic apparently meant to convey the greatness of the food. It looked like something from a horror movie, with agonised faces on it!
The food looked great but the ambience ensures that you will have a poor digestive experience. My wish to suitably enlighten the Manager (not seen) was thwarted by the busy lunch hour and we left as hurriedly as possible.
On our trip home ( the point of this post), we stopped for an early lunch at a well-known cafe south of Oamaru. I remember this from 30 or so years ago, when it was a pleasant, quiet cafe backed by tall gum trees and with a rather wonderful "stopped time" atmosphere. A reviving cuppa could be had in peace and gratitude.
Now, however, the trees are mostly gone and the corner site has filled up with transport-related businesses. The cafe itself is an aspie acoustic nightmare, with hard and resonant surfaces everywhere. The (?) terrazzo floor is the platform for exquisitely scrapy chair feet. There are no curtains to provide some acoustic dampening and the stereo was pumping out badly balanced "music". Badly balanced in the sense that all that could be heard was the thumping bass. I asked for this to be turned down- these days, most public restaurants etc are reasonably obliging with these requests- but was met by a look of alarm in the eyes of the assistant- "I'm not sure whether that will be possible". I explained that we had sensory problems but this didn't seem to mean anything. Eventually, after anxious scurrying and talking, they told us that the music had been "changed" and hoped this would be OK. It was- for one track- and then back to the offensive thumping.. in addition, the front of the counter has a visually disturbing graphic apparently meant to convey the greatness of the food. It looked like something from a horror movie, with agonised faces on it!
The food looked great but the ambience ensures that you will have a poor digestive experience. My wish to suitably enlighten the Manager (not seen) was thwarted by the busy lunch hour and we left as hurriedly as possible.
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