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Really Really Free Market Perth

A typical Perth afternoon, sunshine and light breeze, grass dapple-patterned under huge Morton Bay Fig trees. The south west corner of Hyde Park was a hippy's paradise, with everything there for free.

The idea behind the free market is to foster a community of swapping, giving, helping each other out. It has that usual vibe you encounter at such events, of everyone being welcome, but vegetarians, vegans and those with incense-scented dreadlocks being the preferred clientele. But no matter, smiles were friendly and conversations with strangers were easily started and effortlessly continued.

The stage hosted several talks and discussions on whatever topics people wanted to raise. There was an hour or so of bongo drumming, various people coming and going, jamming together. Face painting took up one corner and clothes, books, zines and knick knacks jostled for prime viewing positions. There were even Popamatic Stress Relief Sheets... rebranded bubble wrap!

The best part was, as always, the food. The picnic blanket played host to platters of dip, mountains of bread, two giant pots of soup and innumerable biscuits, scones and nibbles.

I walked away with a pretty ceramic water vessel, complete with a sweet little wooden stand. I heard a girl say "what would you want one of those for" and I laughed at such a pointless question with such an obvious answer.

I had also collected some feminist zines, in which I discovered that the Gardasil vaccine is in fact a conspiracy by the patriarchal medical profession which is doing strange tests on women by injecting us with unsafe vaccines, a human trial to investigate whether they are safe enough for use on men. Because apparently men get cervical cancer too.

I love the air of these sorts of events. It's an intriguing insight into how various elements of society interact with each other. It's great that the take-it-too-far-feminists can have their rants, the born again vegans can offload their steak sauce, the booklovers can find new inspiration in someone else's cast offs and the artists can perform to an open minded audience.

With my zines, my ceramic and my free loaf of bread, I jumped into my friend's car and we went home, smiles sitting wide.

http://rrfmperth.blogspot.com/

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