ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Government propaganda and big sunscreen will have you believe there’s nothing healthy about a tan.
That’s according to Jackson Chongdale, who’s recently returned home to Betoota from a North American odyssey-of-a-lifetime.
However, the now-bronzed 28-year-old city worker wouldn’t tell you unless you told him.
“He’s pretty reserved, old Jackson,” said one friend who spoke briefly to The Advocate this morning.
“Not one to lead conversation but he certainly contributes to it with sharp, un-minced words. An efficient raconteur if you will. Loves to travel, but. He’s been everywhere he has. Europe and Africa. Asia, too I’m pretty sure. He’s done the whole cocaine thing in South America. Now he’s just back from the States,”
“Let the good times roll. He’s certainly got the wanderlust bug.”
When our reporter caught up with the worldly Picses, Chongdale asked if it was OK if they sat out the back of the Speight’s Coup Hotel in the French Quarter so he could regale The Advocate as he smoked a mid-afternoon dart.
As they found a table, Jackson slapped a fresh deck of branded town smokes down on the table.
“Oh, I see you’ve been overseas,” said our reporter.
Jackson nodded.
“Yeah, just got back from the States, my friend,” he said.
“Help yourself if you want, I’ve got heaps. My carry on had chock full of cigarettes. As an approachable-looking, polite young white man coming in from Los Angeles with nothing to declare, the chances they’d go through my luggage were slim-to-none,”
“But yeah, mate. It was amazing, hey? I could live in America.”
More to come.
