Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day here in Australia. No, it has nothing to do with fighting your relatives. There are many different theories as to the origin of Boxing Day and what it means, which you can read about here. For Australians, there are three big events that happen: the after Christmas sales at department stores, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and the Boxing Day Test cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG). About 72,000 people turned out for the first day of the test match against South Africa. As for myself, I went to see King Kong this evening. The movie is great and the special effects are incredible. I thought Naomi Watts did a really wonderful job acting and making you feel sympathy for King Kong. Definitely check it out on the big screen- you'll walk out amazed.

Happy Chrismukkah!

I have survived my first Australian Christmas. The morning began with a phone call from my family. They were kind enough to FedEx me my Christmas gifts this week, as well as send a floral arrangement for my table since I didn't get a tree. Mom tortured me by reciting the menu for Christmas dinner and brunch the following day. I'm jealous I can't be there to eat all the yummy food! After getting off the phone I headed to mass at St. Ambrose's Church. I spent the afternoon relaxing at home, and then went out for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with my friend Ben (he took pity on me). Weather wise, it wasn't a hot Christmas as today was partly cloudy and mild. That's ok though- I'll have enough hot days to deal with in the upcoming months.

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Today is Michelle's 28th birthday, so she decided to celebrate with a barbecue at her place. We started with snacks in the backyard and then moved on to salads and a cornucopia of barbecued meats. Desert was a stack of Krispy Kreme donuts (with candles and sparklers) that Ruth and Danny brought back with them from Sydney airport.

Christmas Crack Up

Last night I went to the HiFi Bar for an evening of comedy. During this time of the year, laughter is very important. The show featured a wide variety of comedians: straight stand-up, character driven pieces, and musical comedy acts. It was a top night of entertainment.

Kalorama Christmas

Today I went up to Peter and Mark's house for a Christmas party. Rosemaree was kind enough to let me ride up with her. The weather today was showers, so there was some debate as to whether we should eat outside or in. Peter decided on outside, but we ended up moving the tables under the overhang when raindrops started to fall. A minute later is was pouring rain and hailing! After the deluge the sun came out for a bit, and then we had more spots of rain. However, it didn't matter, because Peter and Mark had cooked a huge feast for all of us to eat. All the food was delicious and I was so full by the end of lunch! Presents were opened in the games room by the Christmas tree. I got the boys a lantern from Dusk (the Australian equivalent of Illuminations) that they can use outside. After relaxing and chatting for a bit it was time to head home. Thanks Peter and Mark for such a great afternoon.

Channel V Bus Show

This afternoon I headed down to Federation Square for the free Channel V Bus show. Channel V is a music station here in Australia (like MTV). Today's show featured Rogue Traders and my faves The Living End. There were about 5,000 people who turned up for the show in some very hot weather. I staked out a spot near the side of the sound board along a railing. It was a good spot because I avoided all the overexcited teens and had a view of the big screen above the stage. VJs Andrew G and Sumi did interviews and crowd segments between videos and the bands playing. They did their best to keep the crowd calm and safe.

Rogue Traders played four songs and had to deal with some boos from the crowd (not deserved at all). Once The Living End came out the place went nuts. Security was a bit slack because several people made it up onto the stage- guitar tech Matty was having to tackle some of them. It was a rocking 45 minute set, so if you have Channel V, check out the repeats over the next few days.

Driver's License

You would think that getting a driver's license here in Australia would be difficult. After all, in California you have to do the written test, and then a driving test. They check your eyes and make sure you have driving insurance. When you pass through all those hurdles (and pay your money), then the state sends you your license in the mail. Well, today I went to VicRoads and after about 20 minutes I walked out the door with a driver's license in my hand! Even though they drive on the other side of the road and have different road rules, I didn't have to take any tests. All VicRoads needed was $42, and proof that I live here and already have a valid license in the US. That's it! Who knows when I'll actually use this driver's license, but at least I have one now.

Sydney

I flew into Sydney on Thursday, December 1st around midday and then hopped onto the Airport Link train for the 12 minute ride into the city (I wish Melbourne had public transport to and from the airport). I got off at Museum Station and walked up the street to the Y Hotel. The Y Hotel is great because it is centrally located and cheap. I stayed there way back in 1996 with the University of California group when I arrived in Australia for the first time. After checking in and unpacking some stuff, I headed out for a walk. First I went up Oxford Street, but they were doing sidewalk construction, so after a few blocks I turned back and headed toward Hyde Park. I walked past the ANZAC War Memorial, and down to the Queen Victoria Building. There are lots of great shops in the QVB, so I wandered around and got some Christmas shopping done. I also checked out the great architecture in this historic building. After a couple of hours it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for the Finn Brothers concert that night.

On Friday I spent the day being a tourist. I walked past St. Mary's Cathedral on the way down to the Sydney Opera House. From there I walked to Circular Quay, and then onto The Rocks. It was incredibly hot and humid (31 degrees C/88 degrees F) and I was dying outside. A breeze did start to kick up in the afternoon, which made it a bit more bearable. I had a delicious chocolate thickshake from the Royal Copenhagen Ice Cream stand to cool down. The Rocks area has lots of shops and restaurants, but I refrained from spending money in them. When I couldn't handle the heat anymore I made the long trek back to the hotel. I walked past the Domain so I could check out the situation for Homebake. That evening there were huge thunderstorms, so I spent the night indoors.

Saturday I was at the Domain enjoying the Homebake Festival (see below). On Sunday I had some time to kill before my flight home so I checked out a Scottish Heritage celebration in Hyde Park, and also looked at the Christmas windows at David Jones. They have animated "The Night Before Christmas" this year. Myer in Melbourne has done The Santa Kid. Animated windows are big for the department stores here. Around 11:30 am I headed to the train station and caught the train back to the airport. The flight to Melbourne was a bit rough because of high winds, but I made it home in one piece. I will post pictures once I get my film developed.

Homebake

Today was the Homebake Festival at the Domain in Sydney. After a night of thunderstorms, thankfully the weather held today. It was warm with periodic cloud cover, which provided some time out of the sun. The show was sold out (20,000 tickets) and the lines to get in were huge when the gates opened at 11:00 am. Once I entered I had a wander around the grounds. Along with the stages there were merchandise and food tents scattered about. The food was pretty good considering it was a festival show, and not overpriced.

As you can see from the timetable, there were four stages going at the same time. I spent most of the afternoon at the Dome Stage and caught sets by Expatriate, Architecture in Helsinki, The Go Betweens, and Sarah Blasko. I then headed toward the Main Stage for the end of Wolfmother's set, and stayed there for the rest of the evening. I got a nice spot by the sound board along a front barricade, so I could lean against something as well as watch the big screen. Ben Lee was his usual optimistic self and threw flowers to the crowd when he came out. The Living End rocked and the place went nuts, which wasn't that surprising considering how drunk a lot of people were. I got to hear a couple more new songs from their upcoming album, which was cool. The evening ended with the Finn Brothers, and I made my way up to the front of the stage to get as close as I could. Their set was pretty similar to what they did at The Enmore Theatre on Thursday night. The crowd sang along to the Crowded House and Split Enz numbers, but didn't seem to know the latest material. They played for an hour and a half and then the show ended at 11 p.m. because of curfew. It was an amazing day of music, and I was exhausted by the time I got back to my hotel.

The Finn Brothers

Tonight I got to see another fantastic concert- this time by the Finn Brothers. This show was a secret warm-up for the Homebake Festival on Saturday. They played at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, which is a lovely art deco venue. Now, for those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of Neil and Tim Finn. Their musical careers go back to the 1970s, starting with Tim's band Split Enz (which Neil joined in the late 70s). When the Enz broke up in 1984, Neil and Paul Hester went on to form Crowded House. I have been a massive Crowded House fan since 1987, and have followed Neil's solo career since Crowded House broke up in 1996. Last year Neil and Tim released their second brother's album "Everyone Is Here," and these are the last concerts they will be performing as the Finn Brothers for a while.

What made this show extra special was the band the Finns had joining them. On piano was Eddie Rayner, who played in Split Enz, and on bass was Nick Seymour, who was in Crowded House. For the drums they brought in Joey Waronker, who has played with Beck and REM. The concert was amazing. It had an energy and looseness to it that had been missing in previous shows because with Eddie and Nick there is a lot of history to draw on. They played a mixture of Split Enz, Crowded House, and Finn Brothers songs. Tim was his usual frantic and slightly psychotic self on stage as he let the music take him over. There was joking and lots of banter between the songs, and the crowd was really into it because it was mostly an audience of hard core fans. The boys played two encores and could have gone on the entire night. The show ended with a touching crowd sing-along to "Four Seasons In One Day," which was dedicated to Paul Hester, who committed suicide in March of this year.

"The Long Necks"

Tonight I went to see "The Long Necks" aka The Living End at the Corner Hotel. This concert was part of the Corner Hotel's 10th anniversary celebrations under the current ownership. The boys played for an hour and a half, and the set list was a mix of old material and five new songs off the upcoming album, which is due out early next year. My favorite of the new ones was "Nothing Lasts Forever." As always, The Living End rocked- they are one of the best live bands out there. If you want to check out the latest single and video for "What's On Your Radio," click here. I can't wait to see them again this Saturday at Homebake in Sydney. Yes, I am heading up to Sydney for a few days. Should be a fun trip.

Art Show

Last night I attended the opening of an exhibition for artists Alice Byrne, Peter O'Doherty, and Susan O'Doherty at the Span Galleries, 45 Flinders Lane. Michelle, Will, and Helen came along as well to check out the art and enjoy the free drinks. My favorite pieces were all of the different trams that Peter O'Doherty had painted. Too bad they aren't in my price range. Susan O'Doherty's work is much more abstract, but still interesting and also not in my price range. After the exhibition we had dinner and then Michelle and I headed for home.

Kalorama

Today I helped Peter and Mark move some boxes to their new house in Kalorama, which is located in the Dandenong Mountain Ranges. It was only about a 50 minute drive from Prahran, and the place is gorgeous. It was built in the 1920s and was a boarding house before it became a private residence. The photo above was taken around 1940. The grounds are beautiful and lush, with lots of birds flying around- including parrots! The inside of the house is huge. The top level will be their residence and the bottom level the office. They will officially be living there as of Tuesday when the movers come to take all the artwork and furniture out of Greville Street in Prahran. I hope to be able to visit them and relax on the veranda.

Living Room

The good people at Freedom have finally delivered all of my living room furniture. I have a couch, tv stand, coffee table, side table, and desk chair now! At last I can lounge and watch the telly. Happy day indeed. I'll put up some pictures soon so you can see what it looks like.

Walk About

Today was a lovely day in Melbourne- perfect weather. My friend Matt is in town from Canberra for a conference this week, so we spent the day walking around town. We met up for lunch on Lygon Street in Carlton, and then walked downtown, going past Medley Hall, where I lived when I was at Melbourne Uni, and also where Matt and I first met. We went through stores in Melbourne Central and Bourke Street (I refrained from buying anything). Next we hit Southgate along the Yarra River. They had a little market on there with various crafts. In search of coffee and dessert, we headed back to a cafe on Little Collins Street.

After our break we walked back across the Yarra to the Royal Botanical Gardens. If you are ever in Melbourne the gardens are a must see. It's just beautiful and there are many places to lay out on the grass and relax. You forget you are in the middle of the city as you look at all the plant collections and see the wildlife. Oddly, we did not spot any fruit bats this time (where have they gone?).

Around 7:00 p.m. the sun was starting to disappear, so we walked back to downtown and had Chinese food at the Post-Mao Cafe Chinese restaurant on Little Bourke Street. How can you resist eating in a place that promises to serve you Chairman Mao's mysterious recipes? There were statues and posters of Chairman Mao all around the restaurant. After dinner we hopped on the tram and I headed for home while Matt caught the train to get to his friend's house. It was a fun day.

Democratic Republic of San Francisco?

Conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly is at it again. He feels that San Francisco should no longer get federal funding just because voters passed propositions on Tuesday against handgun ownership and military recruitment in public schools. Oh, and the City shouldn't expect any help if terrorists attack. O'Reilly said, "And if al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead." Can you feel the love? And people wonder why I left the US. Read more details here.

On a completely different note, I had no idea that the video for Night Ranger's massive 80s hit "Sister Christian" was filmed at my old high school. I wish I could see the video again to spot locations. Read all about it here.

A Day At The Races

Today was the last day of the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne, so I decided to head to the races. I walked over to Michelle's house in the morning and we packed up a picnic basket with lots of yummy food. Fashion is very important and Michelle was kind enough to let me borrow a hat to wear for the day. Once we were ready, we headed out to catch the tram.

It was Emirates Stakes Day at Flemington Race Course, and we arrived around 12:30 p.m. and met up with Felicia, Donna, and her husband Brenton. After buying a bottle of champagne, we staked out a place on the grass near the finish line. The weather was perfect- not too hot and a breeze blowing most of the day. I placed bets on horses in two different races, but didn't win any money. The others were luckier than I was though. Race 7 was the Stevie Nicks Plate, and yes, Stevie Nicks was there to award the winner. It's the most unique way of promoting yourself that I think I've ever seen.

Besides the horse races, it was amusing to check out what other people were wearing. There were a lot of girls in some unfortunate Paris Hilton-esque dresses. We also had a sunburn watch going on as some people became lobster red as the afternoon went on. I did pretty well and only got a bit sunburned on my shoulders. It was good that we had sunblock and a parasol to keep us protected.

After the last race we packed up our stuff and headed for the trains. After a bit of a wait we got onto the platform and traveled to Flinders Street Train Station. From there Michelle and I hopped on the tram and headed back to Brunswick. It was a great day even though the horses let me down.

Melbourne Cup Day

Who would have thought that a horse race could cause a public holiday, but that is the case today with the Melbourne Cup. They say that it is the race that stops a nation, and today was no exception as Makybe Diva became the first horse in history to win three Melbourne Cups in a row. It was an exciting race with 24 horses competing for the $5.1 million purse. Over 100,000 people turned out at Flemington race course in their finest dress to enjoy a day at the races.

Culture Vulture

Tonight I headed down to the ABC tv studios in Elsternwick to watch the taping of this week's episode of Vulture. I met up with Will, his mother and sister, as well as Helen's parents. The topics this week were the convict miniseries "Mary Bryant," the Australian architect awards, "raunch culture," and the death of copyright. The panel had good discussions on all the topics, and even though it was a bit more academic this week it was still interesting.

After the taping, Helen, Will, and I met up with host Richard Fidler, and audience warm-up comedian Justin Kennedy at Grossi Florentino on Bourke Street. We had a delicious dinner, a couple bottles of Shiraz, and entertaining conversation. It was a good night.

Happy Halloween to all my US friends. I can't say that I really missed dealing with 20 hyper second graders loaded up with energy and sugar this year. I hope the Wilson School Harvest Festival was a success and that you made lots of money for your classrooms.

Christmas in October

You thought the American stores were bad with jumping the gun for Christmas shopping, but they have nothing on Australian ones. I was shopping at Myer today after finally enrolling in Medicare (government health insurance), and you would think it was the middle of December. There are Christmas trees with ornaments everywhere! So, in the spirit, I bought my Christmas cards early. I also got some picture books to send to my old school (be on the lookout for some Aussie-themed reading, my Wilson friends). And I bought an umbrella because it will never stop raining here- four seasons in one day indeed.

Happy 28th Birthday to Natasha in London. Have a great day!