Big Day Out

Yesterday was the Melbourne stop for Big Day Out. Big Day Out is an annual concert festival that travels the country, and was originally inspired by Lollapalooza. There is a mix of international and local acts on the bill and it's just one big day of music. I met up with Will and Helen along Sydney Road and we took the tram for a quick ride down to Princes Park South in North Carlton, where the show was happening this year. Thankfully the line moved quickly and we were inside around noon.

So many acts are scheduled on the eight stages throughout the day that you have to plan out who you want to see. Inevitably, there are conflicts and hard choices to make. There is no down time on the main stages because once one band finishes, the next band plays on the adjoining stage. This gives the crews time to set up for the next act. The main area on site was the Orange and Blue Stages. The other big place to see acts was the Green Stage and Converse Essential Stage, which were side by side under a tent.

We wandered around the grounds, caught a bit of Gerling's set on the Orange Stage, and then went to see Sarah Blasko on the Green Stage. Next was Cut Copy, who were very entertaining with their mix of pop and dance music. At 3:00 p.m. is was time for Wolfmother on the Blue Stage. Wolfmother are the Aussie band of the moment with their 70s inspired classic rock and extended jams. One of my favorite lines of the day was when lead singer Andrew Stockdale asked the crowd, "Are you ready to go to a new dimension?" They closed with their big hit "Mind's Eye" and if you are in the States, they are doing some shows in February, so go check them out. The next band we went to see was The Go! Team from the UK. They were another dance/pop band and had the crowd going at the Green Stage.

After taking a little break and eating some food, it was time to settle into place at the Blue and Orange Stages for the rest of the evening. We chose the Orange Stage side because the big screen allowed us to see what was going on much better. First big act of the evening was The Living End, and they rocked as usual. Chris played "Waltzing Matilda" on the guitar and the crowd sang along. Next up was Franz Ferdinand, who were excellent. Helen and I had a good dance to all their hits, and it was great to finally see them live. I love the whole look and attitude of the band, and their videos are never dull and have a great sense of humor to them.

Then is was time for Iggy and the Stooges. The Stooges are the godfathers of punk rock, having put out records in the late 60s and early 70s. Iggy Pop has been releasing solo albums since then, but the Stooges have reformed in the last couple years and have been touring. Their set was relentless and insane. Iggy is amazing to watch. Half way through the set he invited people to come up on stage from the crowd and sing and dance along. Iggy also went down to the barricades and almost surfed the crowd a couple of times. Henry Rollins was watching it all from side of stage and loving every minute.

The final act of the night was The White Stripes, another band I love that I had never seen live before. It was a ripping set of songs taken from the last few albums, as well as their cover of "Jolene." Jack White was amazing to watch as he went from guitar to piano and sung into the multiple microphones placed around the stage. Meg White even sang a couple of songs too, which was great. There's a definite intensity watching the two of them perform together as they communicate with each other through the music. Jack is also such a fantastic musician. I love that their crew is required to dress in suits and hats- it's a well dressed entourage.

After The White Stripes finished Helen and I headed over to meet Will, who was dancing to 2manydjs in the Boiler Room. We stayed outside because it was so hot in the tent. Helen ran into her brother, and around 11 p.m. we headed for home. Despite the sunburn, (and I did have on a lot of sunblock) it was a magical day of music and worth every penny.

Australia Day

Today is Australia Day. It's sort of like the 4th of July, but instead of celebrating independence (because, you know, they haven't ditched the monarchy here yet), it marks the day on January 26, 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor. The only equivalent day in America would be Columbus Day, and if you know the history around that day, you can imagine how Australia Day is perceived by the Indigenous population here. Jackie Huggins, Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, has the following personal thoughts on the day:

It's a day of reflection and mourning, a time to think about what the invasion of their country meant for my ancestors, and on the terrible suffering that continues for many Indigenous Australians. It wouldn't make any difference if the date of Australia Day changed - this is what the day represents for me.

Some articles/opinion pieces to read about Australia Day:
Christopher Bantick "The Old Australia Day-ja-vu"
Michael Leunig "A Picture of Innocence"
Karen Kissane "Latest Outfit Flags a Trend in Patriotism"
Stuart Rintoul "Come Let Us Rejoice"

I spent my Australia Day catching the first season of the award winning Aussie drama "Love My Way." It stars Claudia Karvan, who was in the show "The Secret Life of Us." I was really impressed by "Love My Way"- very well written and the acting is superb. They are about to start the second season here, which is why they had an all-day marathon. There aren't that many quality Aussie dramas on tv, and this one is on pay cable. The first season is coming out on DVD, so if you can, check it out.

My CD Binge

From time to time my music wish list gets too long, and I have to do something about it. As a result, I've been ordering CDs online and I went a little crazy at JB Hi-Fi today:

Afternoon in the City

Today I met up with Adrian for lunch in Carlton. We went and had pizza at Cafe Corretto on Lygon Street. Now, one of the amusing things about eating on Lygon Street is the absolute obsession with Formula 1 racing, and Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in particular. I've walked past shops in the area that have posters for shoes or pasta that are endorsed by Michael Schumacher. It's bizarre. Our restaurant had Ferrari memorabilia all over the place, including the shell of a Ferrari Formula 1 car hanging from the ceiling. In honor of this, I chose to eat the Ferrari pizza, which was quite good. It had cheese, tomatoes, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Adrian went with the American pizza- it had salami, and I'm not sure why that makes it "American." After eating lunch we walked down the street to get some gelati at Casa Del Gelato. I had a chocolate and lemon mixture, which was yummy. We headed back towards Melbourne Uni trying to eat the gelati faster than it was melting. I said goodbye to Adrian (he had to go back to work) and headed into the City.

I finally decided to get private health and apartment contents insurance from HBA. We do have government funded health insurance in Australia (Medicare), but it does not cover dental or optical. Having private insurance means that you get these "extras" and can avoid government surcharges and waiting lists for needed medical treatments. The Federal Government does rebate 30% of the costs as an incentive. I went with a medium level of cover hospital plan and basic level of cover for extras. It's good that you can pick a choose what you want. The only bummer is having to pay out of pocket for a higher level of health care that would be standard in the States with employer provided health insurance.

It was a hot and sticky day today. We reached at top of 37 degrees C/98 degrees F. As I headed home the sky was turning very dark. Right now it is absolutely pouring rain and cooling down a bit- yay for the thunderstorms! It's still meant to be very hot this weekend though (especially Sunday). Hopefully I'll survive.

DVD Screening

Tonight I was lucky enough to attend the screening of "How to Make an Album and Influence People," which documents the making of The Living End's new album "State of Emergency" (out February 4th). The screening took place in a small theater at the Victoria College of the Arts on St. Kilda Road. It was great to watch the process of how this album was made. JT, the director, followed the boys from pre-production and demos to the recording and mixing of the album with producer Nick Launay. Interspersed throughout the film were interviews with Chris (guitar/vocals), Scott (bass), and Andy (drums), and some live concert footage of them trying out songs before going into the studio. After the screening they held a Q&A session with JT, Andy, and Scott. I got to ask them a question about how their disappointment with the last album influenced their decision making going into recording the new album. It got a fairly thoughtful and insightful response from Scott and Andy, which was cool. After the Q&A the boys signed autographs and took pictures with fans. I had a brief chat with Andy, as I had met him before in San Francisco on the Aussie Invasion tour in 2004 (he even remembered me). He was kind of shocked when I told him that I'm living in Melbourne now. Unfortunately our chat was cut short since the guys had to leave. If you are interested in seeing the documentary, it will be released as a bonus DVD with the limited edition version of "State of Emergency."

Good News, Bad News, Good News

Good News: My shipment finally arrived today! I rang up the removalists in Sydney on Tuesday, and they told me that my stuff had been freighted by rail down to Melbourne and should have arrived on December 30th. Keep in mind I had no idea it had cleared customs since they never called. So I rang their Melbourne office and sure enough, it was there, and I scheduled delivery for today. If I hadn't called them, I wonder how much longer my stuff would be sitting in their warehouse... In any case, I've opened about a third of it, and no broken glass so far. Big thanks to Lynne for her help with packing and cushioning all the picture frames. I haven't done the kitchen stuff yet, so we'll see if all the glasses and dishes made it intact (one box looks a bit dodgy). Only bummer is that my box of files with all of my school worksheets, etc. has gone missing. They better find it. Update: Only one broken glass in the entire shipment!

Bad News: Yesterday my iBook decided it was time to die. I did have slight warning on Tuesday when all these lines started to appear on the screen, but I was able to shut down and reboot, and everything was fine- so I thought. On Wednesday morning when I went to open up my laptop I was faced with a black screen. I thought it was just the screen that had died, but it turns out that the logic board was fried and there was a real possibility I would not see anything on my hard drive ever again. However...

Good News: My wonderful and talented friend Ben was able to rescue all my stuff off the hard drive! It took some time, but the iBook had a glimmer of life and he was able to get everything- Thank God. This is a reminder that you should always back up your data. At least I had my address book on my iPod in case things didn't turn out ok. So how am I typing this message, you ask? Well, I am the proud owner of a brand new 15" PowerBook G4 that I got for about half of what it would have cost me, thanks again to Ben, who got me a ridiculous deal. I am forever indebted!

Zoo Twilights

Tonight I went to the Melbourne Zoo for the first night of their Zoo Twilights concert series. Vika and Linda were performing. Michelle and I met up with Donna and her friends. It was a bit of a Medley Hall reunion because Adrian was there- he lived in the room across the hall from me. Adrian has just finished his PhD in physics and will be moving to Los Angeles in July to work at UCLA. Everyone brought some food, so we had a picnic on the grass, along with hundreds of other people and families. It was a fun night of music and we could hear the lions as we left the zoo.

New Year's Greetings

While I sweated my way into the new year (it was 43 degrees C/109 degrees F on New Year's Eve), my family and friends in the Bay Area had to deal with torrential downpours and flooding. I hope you made it into 2006 in one piece! A new year allows you to step back, take stock, and start fresh. Resolutions or goals help you to focus on what you want to accomplish, and writing them down is one way to make sure they happen and keep yourself honest. So here are my goals for 2006:

1. Find a Job
The job hunt so far has been unsuccessful. Each school does its own hiring, so when I see postings I apply for the position. There have only been a couple of postings for government school jobs, and I'm hoping that will be changing soon as people return from holidays and start getting ready for the new school year at the end of this month. I have applied to quite a few Catholic schools, but since I am not accredited to teach religious education, I think that has hurt my chances of getting hired. I would really like to have a permanent classroom position for the start of the school year, but if all else fails, I will substitute teach through an agency. This would allow me to get to know some local schools and more than likely result in a permanent job. At least they pay substitutes twice the amount I would get in the States.

2. Finish Decorating my Apartment
There are still some small little things I would like to get. I also need to rescue my belongings, which have been stuck in customs and quarantine in Sydney since the ship docked on November 18th. All my posters, photos, and picture frames are in there, along with my dishes and pots and pans. I know there were big computer issues at the docks a few months ago, but I would have thought they had straightened it all out by now. Time for another call to the removalists who are handling my stuff.

3. Have a Consistent Exercise Schedule
I have been a member of the YMCA Brunswick City Baths since I moved in to my place. They have a great schedule of exercise classes to choose from and are just a short walk down the road. I usually go 3 - 4 times a week, but I would like to get more consistent and make it there 5 - 6 times a week. I already do Body Pump (weights) and RPM (cycling), but I want to add in kickboxing and yoga on a regular basis.

4. Better Communication with Friends
Moving half way around the world can make it difficult to stay in touch with people. You get busy with the day to day events and pretty soon it becomes weeks since you last spoke with someone. I really want to make the effort to stay in contact with my friends and family. This blog lets you know what I am up to, but without e-mail or phone calls, the conversations get lost. I want to do a better job of corresponding, so I promise to respond back in a timely fashion. And don't be afraid to write to me- I love hearing what people are up to. As for my Aussie friends, I should be seeing and talking to you more frequently than I currently do. We are finally living in the same city together (well, most of you are at least), so let's do something fun.

I hope you and your family have a fantastic 2006! Maybe I've inspired you to write your own list of goals for the new year.

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!

Happy Birthday Ruth

Last night Ruth's birthday celebrations continued with a big night in downtown Melbourne. We started off at the cocktail bar Murmur on Warburton Lane. They had lots of designer drinks which were quite tasty, and a cool vibe. After staying there for an hour we headed over for dancing at the Chaise Lounge on Queen Street. Saturdays are 70s, 80s, and 90s nights, and considering he had three decades to choose from, I wasn't that impressed with the DJ's music selection. The place was packed though, with a line out the door when we left around 1:00 am.

Today is a mellow day of relaxing and building furniture for me. My IKEA items arrived yesterday, so I will be assembling bookcases, a desk, and file cabinet. Yesterday I got my chairs and dining room table put together (I finally have seating!). Tonight the ARIA awards are on tv. These are Australia's Grammys. Should be a good show.

All Moved In

I am officially at my new residence now. Last night Michelle and I brought over all my luggage, and today I unpacked while waiting for deliveries. I got my bed, fridge, washer/dryer combo, microwave, tv, and recordable dvd/vcr. I was quite proud of myself for the prices I was able to get for these items. Now if only I had some furniture to sit on.... that stuff doesn't come for another couple weeks. I didn't make it to IKEA today to order the rest of my furniture to get delivered, so I will be doing that tomorrow. However, the cupboards are now stocked with food. At least I can eat!

Music For A Cause

Tonight my friend Julie and I went to a show at the Corner Hotel in Richmond which was a benefit for the Edmund Rice Camps, which offer holiday programs for some of Victoria's most disadvantaged children. The artists performing included Deborah Conway, Rob Clarkson, Jaimi Faulkner, Things Of Stone and Wood (duo), and Paul Kelly. All the acts did about 30 minutes each and there was a lot of diversity between the sets.

Things of Stone and Wood were fantastic. It's been a while since I last saw them, and tonight it was just Greg Arnold and Justin Brady. They played a wide selection of songs, and I was amazed that the young crowd was so familiar with the older material. There was a big sing-along to several of the songs. I also learned that TOSAW had released an album a couple years ago, which I will need to go buy. I'm not sure what the other members of the band are up to- I did enjoy Michael Allen's solo albums (maybe there are more?).

Paul Kelly finished off the show. He is an amazing Australian singer/songwriter who has been recording for over 20 years. Paul's songs always tell an interesting story, often featuring things about Melbourne. It was great to see him perform solo in such a small venue with just his guitar and harmonica. Justin Brady came out and played violin on a couple songs as well. The crowd were really into his set and sang along nice and loud to most of the songs.

A Place To Call Home

This is the outside of my new home! Since the search for a decent house was taking too long and not very successful, I decided to check out some of the new apartments that have been built in Brunswick. I got word today that I have been approved for an apartment. It is in the Brickworks development, which was an old brick factory. There are apartment buildings as well as townhouses. It should be a good place to live, and it's located near both the trains and trams. I get to pick up the keys on Monday.

Since the house hunt is over, it's all about furniture and appliances now. I went with my friend Will to IKEA today and picked up some kitchen stuff to tide me over until the boat arrives with the rest of my belongings. I've also priced out some furniture, which I will be ordering for delivery.

Besides the trip to IKEA, I had brunch with Will, his girlfriend Helen, and their dog Bella. It was great to catch up with them, and I got to see their house in Abbotsford. If you are in Australia, you can check out Helen on Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. on the ABC tv show Vulture. She is a panelist on the show, which discusses art and culture.

Wandering Around

This week I have been busy doing various things. Besides the house hunt, which has switched to an apartment hunt, I opened a bank account at an Australian bank. I also went down to the Victorian Institute of Teaching to register to teach here. It should take about a month for them to process my application. I cannot do any teaching jobs until I am licensed in Victoria.

Today I headed down to Prahran to catch up with Peter and Mark. I last saw Peter on the Finn Brothers tour in Austin, Texas last year. It was nice to see them and spend some time in their Greville Street property, which will be going up for auction at the end of October. It's such a great house and I will miss it a lot. You can check out the listing here.

Swing, Baby

Last night I went out with Michelle, her roommate Ruth, and Ruth's boyfriend Danny to a swing dancing event sponsored by Swing Patrol at the Malvern Town Hall. It was a performance ball where different swing groups from around Melbourne performed routines, and there was time for social dancing as well. Ruth takes lessons with Swing Patrol Brunswick, so she was in a couple of numbers. It was amazing to watch how talented everyone was and some of the costumes were fantastic. I'm a bit inspired to start taking dancing lessons myself.

After the event, we headed over to a house warming party in Prahran for Danny's friend Luke. It was a good night and I got to meet some new people. We made it back home around 3:00 am. As a result, today we are taking it easy. I'm having tea, eating Tim Tam cookies, and watching the cricket. How much more Australian can I get?

House Hunt

The past few days have been an adventure trying to find a place to live. I have been all over town getting keys from real estate offices and looking at properties. This is a bit difficult to do without a car. I checked out all the places I could on foot by myself, and today my friend Fran helped out by driving. I've seen some good places and some real shockers. The worst had to be a place in Fitzroy where over half of the power plugs didn't work! There are two places in Brunswick where I have submitted applications, so I'm hopeful that I will get one of them early in the week. It will be exciting to move into my own place. Next I'll have to deal with furniture and appliances. I did do some preliminary pricing on appliances, so I've got an idea of what I want. Hopefully the sticker shock from all this stuff won't kill me.

The Flights

The journey to Melbourne began on September 30th with tearful goodbyes to my family and friends. The first leg from San Francisco to Los Angeles was delayed a half hour, but I still landed pretty much on time. I had to take the shuttle over to the international terminal at LAX, and it was hot and humid even at 9:00 p.m. I checked in at Air New Zealand and met a woman who was taking the same flights as I was, and was also a teacher. We made it through security and chatted before boarding the next leg- Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. I had an aisle seat on an emergency exit row, and was next to the kitchen area. It was nice to have leg room though. The 12 hour flight was long, and I didn't get much sleep. Once we landed in Auckland (on October 2nd), it was a quick walk over to another gate for the final flight to Melbourne. I got my second breakfast meal of the day on the flight, and was very happy when we landed 3 1/2 hours later. Customs was quick and easy. After about 24 hours of traveling, I was ready for a hot shower! My friend Michelle picked me up at the airport and we headed over to her house in Brunswick.

After cleaning up and eating lunch, we took a drive around Brunswick and checked out some of the places I had bookmarked from the real estate websites. The next step is to set up inspections and hopefully I will have a place to live in the next two weeks. There are several promising properties. I still can't believe that I'm in Melbourne, and I don't think it will click with me that I'm here to live permanently and not on vacation until I have my own house.