Y is for Yack

Let’s address the elephant in the room first, shall we?

Y is also for Yule, and in case you hadn’t noticed – perhaps, say, you have a hearing disorder which means you don’t register the sound of carols played loudly, and on heavy rotation, in every retail establishment, in which case I commend you on your evolutionary advantage – the festive season is bearing down upon us with the  speed and scariness of a bullet train laden with plutonium.

In Australia, Christmas is not just the time of year when a large proportion of us demonstrate, as we sit down to roasted meats and plum puddings, that we haven’t quite accepted it’s not actually snowing outside.

Here, Christmas is also the Mother of All Deadlines.

This is especially true if you are in any way involved in the construction or development industries: submissions that no one will so much as glance at for four weeks must be lodged with councils before Christmas, drawings must be finished, and desks must be tidied with the same intensity that at home causes chest freezers and spare fridges to be jammed with enough food to ‘tide us over’ in the two whole days that the shops are shut.

This time of year also brings the Christmas Party: at its worst, well, you know what that looks like. At it best, a chance to pause, draw breath and have a yack with people whose company makes the cheap wine bearable.

The best places and spaces make it easy to stop for a  yack.

But I’ll stop yacking now, because I know you’ve got hams to order, World’s Best Teacher mugs to wrap (hi Sis!) and rum balls to make for your favourite landscape blogger.

Just sayin’…

So please, enjoy these spots that demonstrate exemplary yackability!

Yacking can be undertaken in places you'd expect,

like parks,

and plazas,

but also in less likely places such as median strips, 

or even cemeteries.

Sometimes animals like to join in the conversation.

Other times they simply couldn't care less.

Sometimes yacking is assisted by comfortable furniture,

such as daybeds,

sun loungers,

or more.

But oftentimes it's enough to use just what's at hand.

Good streets provide lots of spots for yacking.

Parks can accommodate small, private yacks,

or larger groups of yackers.

Some people feel very comfortable and unselfconscious about what they're doing when yacking.

Or what they're wearing.

Some prefer a more low-key yack.

Finally, if all that yacking starts to become too much...

the very best cities also have places where you can enjoy sweet silence.