MICF: Tim Minchin: So F**king Rock

Tonight Belinda, Natasha and I went to see Tim Minchin's show "So F**king Rock" at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Tim is a genius musician/comedian and he interspersed stand-up bits with his songs throughout the hour show. I had missed Tim's show last year, so was very happy to be able to catch him this year. Here is a sample of a couple of the songs we heard tonight: "Peace Anthem for Palestine" and "Canvas Bags"

Update

I hope you all had a good Easter/Passover. In the great Aussie tradition, we had a four day weekend- Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. People at work even lamented that they don't get Easter Tuesday off anymore. I just laughed and told them to be happy to get any days off. It was great to have the long weekend to relax. I was a good Catholic and went to mass on Easter Sunday. I was shocked at the lack of effort in the dressing appropriately department for a large part of the congregation. Why on Earth would you wear shorts and flip flops to church, let alone on Easter? The other big thing in Australia over Easter is this weird obsession with the national Easter road toll. Victoria lead the way this year with nine deaths, which we're supposed to feel ashamed about (I wasn't out there speeding). For Tuesday night trivia we named our team "Easter Road Toll Shame." Unfortunately we lost by two points.

Work is getting interesting. The Department of Education is currently undergoing a restructure, which will go into effect at the start of May. No one is losing their jobs- it's a realignment of people to meet the newly elected government's priorities. They have renamed the four offices and each one has a different focus area. Most divisions and branches are moving as whole chunks, but our branch will be split up between two offices. My boss is becoming the general manager of student learning programs, which means I will now be higher up in administrative responsibilities for her (more involvement with the ministers' office and briefings). It should be a good shake up and ultimately I hope it means that some senior policy/project officer positions will open up so that I can advance in the Department. I want to get involved with the policy research side of things, which will be in a different office to the one we are moving to.

The Australian Rules Football season has begun, and Essendon are doing much better than last year. We won our first two matches against Adelaide and Fremantle. However, yesterday's game killed me because despite having a 48 point lead over Carlton in the second quarter, we lost by 3 points! So utterly depressing and it should never have happened.

MICF: Meshel Laurie- A Shadow Of My Former Self

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on once again, so tonight Belinda and I went to see Meshel Laurie's show "A Shadow of my Former Self." In the show she told stories about her life based around segments of a tv taping she did ten years ago for the series "The Smallest Room in the House." To get on the tv show she had to tell a secret about herself- hers being that she was fat. She joked that after the taping she gained a lot of weight and her image on the tv became her goal weight. The show was very funny as she talked about members of her family, celebrity, and the desire to be thin. In the end she urged everyone to accept themselves and be happy. She's achieved her dream of fitting her body into one leg of a pair of pants by making really big pants!

Minor celebrity sighting of the night: Australian Idol 2006 contestant Dean Geyer, who walked past us on Swanston Street.

Trivia at The Drunken Poet

Last night I joined Tash, her sister and their friends at The Drunken Poet for trivia night. It's a cute Irish pub across the street from the Vic Market. The questions over 8 rounds covered general knowledge, movies, music, sports, geography and celebrity faces. Our team did quite well and actually won the night! This may become a Tuesday night tradition.

Moomba

Belinda and I went to the Moomba Parade today along Swanston Street. Moomba is a cultural festival along the Yarra River over the Labour Day weekend. Besides the parade they had rides, carnival booths, waterskiing, and other entertainment. The most amusing highlight of the day for me was the Code One Police Band performing the Black Eyed Peas "Pump It" (and they weren't that bad).

The Whitlams

Last night I finally got to catch up with Natasha as she had a spare ticket to see The Whitlams play at the Corner Hotel. We ate dinner at Mexicali Rose in Richmond and chatted about what she has been up to since returning from London. Fingers crossed that Tash gets the job she has applied for since it would mean her working in the city. After eating we headed to the venue and sat through the opening acts before finding spot in the crowd for The Whitlams. Tash is a big fan, so you should read her review for all the details. It was a good concert and I was impressed with how tight the band played. The second encore finished just in time and we made the last tram back into the city. I'll have to dig out my two CDs of The Whitlams and give them a listen- it's been a while.

Helen O'Sullivan

My great-aunt Helen O'Sullivan passed away last Friday, March 2nd at the age of 92. Helen and her husband James (Jay-O) were the closest thing my brother and I had to grandparents growing up. Helen always remembered us around our birthdays and the holidays and would send cards with the greatest gift a kid could ever want- a check inside. I have fond memories of eating Thanksgiving Dinner at their house in Terra Linda and also going over there to visit. Helen always had See's Candies lollypops and Andes chocolate mints around for us to snack on- I'm sure my love of Andes started at her house. My condolences go out to Jim and Nancy and their son Tim. Rest in peace Helen.

Sydney Road Street Party

I spent my afternoon at the Sydney Road Street Party. I met up with Ruth and we stopped for some gozleme to eat on our way up to Victoria Street for the fashion parade. Ruth's friend Danielle joined us, and we enjoyed the fashions from Episode, Lulamae, and Frau Skill, among others. When the runway show ended we wandered back down Sydney Road and stopped at the various booths, performance stages, and shops. Thankfully the weather wasn't too hot, and there was a good turn out of people. We had a rest and chat at Kaleidoscope Cafe before hunting down some jam donuts and then heading for home.

Music and Lyrics

In order to escape the heat and humidity that Melbourne is currently suffering through, Michelle and I headed to Melbourne Central to see the movie Music and Lyrics. I always enjoy Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, and they were great in this film. Hugh plays a washed up 80's pop star who is currently playing the county fair circuit. He and Drew's character end up writing a song together for current teen pop sensation Cora (modelled off a sane Britney Spears) called "Way Back Into Love." It's a cute little movie and really has some good parodies of the music business. The songs aren't that bad either. Definitely stay for the credits where they give the Pop-Up Video treatment to "PoP! Goes My Heart."

Happy Birthday To Me

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes my way. The best present to me is new music, so here is Neil Finn performing "Silent House" at the SCOPE Benefit in the UK on February 8th. This is a song he co-wrote with the Dixie Chicks, and it should appear on the new Crowded House album. It's not the best quality audio/video, but the beauty of the song still shines through.

Tim Finn

Tonight I went to see Tim Finn play at The Forum. Before the show I wasted some time in the city with Belinda and we had dinner at Taco Bill. The food was okay, but still not up to my standards of good Mexican food. After wandering around some more we parted ways and I headed to the venue. I was surprised how packed it was inside as the majority of seats were already full.

Josh Pyke opened the show and did a good job. After his set I headed down to the booths in front of the sound booth to meet up with Rosemaree, Fran and her sister. Peter, who had been kind enough to comp us all tickets also reserved us the booth. We had a perfect view of the stage. Tim played a range of songs from throughout his career. The setlist was as follows:
Currents
Weather With You
Couldn't Be Done
Still The Song
Shark Attack
Unsinkable
Six Months In A Leaky Boat
Persuasion
Parihaka
Midnight Coma
Dirty Creature
Salt To The Sea
Horizon
So Precious
It's Only Natural

Not Even Close
So Long For Now

Astounding Moon
Poor Boy
I See Red

The pace of the show was non-stop since Tim went immediately from one song to the next. I was really impressed with his band, especially the rhythm section of Matt Eccles on drums and Mareea Paterson on bass. I personally think Matt is one of the best drummers in the world, so it's always great to watch him. The Split Enz songs really held up well even though they are over 20 years old. "So Long For Now" was a highlight to hear. Of the new material "Astounding Moon" is a beautiful song and "Salt To The Sea" was somewhat emotional since it's about Paul Hester's death. The crowd went crazy at the end for "I See Red" and a bunch of people were dancing at the front of the stage. Overall it was an impressive show and a good night.

Crown Casino

Tonight Adam and I headed to Crown Casino for dinner. He was kind enough to pick me up from work (this also allowed him to say hello to everyone). We had a wander around the Casino as I had somehow managed to never go inside the place before. The complex has assorted shops and restaurants, which get more upscale and expensive depending on what area you are in. There is also the casino, a movie theater, bowling alley, and concert venues/clubs. In the atrium they have a little show on at the moment for Chinese New Year which includes a dragon as well as lanterns that descend from the ceiling. We watched that for a few minutes before heading off to eat dinner at the Automatic Cafe. After eating we had a nice walk along the Yarra down to Southbank to have gelato at Trampoline. It was a nice evening and lots of fun to chat about work and how Adam's new job is going.

Connex Nightmare

The Melbourne train system has gone completely to hell this week. The Siemans trains (their newest ones in the fleet) are having braking issues and overshooting platforms. Each time it happens the train has been pulled out of the system. As a result, 37 train services on various lines have been cancelled, and more importantly for me, my train line has gone from 6 carriages to 3 until further notice, including during peak commute hours when they were already full. After two days of cramming myself onto the train in the morning and being a sardine, and the start of the school year on Wednesday (kids with backpacks) I decided for my own sanity to take the tram to work until Connex gets their act together. It may take a bit longer, but at least I can breathe and not be pressed up against people I don't know.

Articles to read on the topic:
Soapy Suds Too Much for Trains in Make or Brake Tests
Connex May Halt Fleet Today
Dangerous Tracks Slow Rail Speeds on Busy Lines

Happy Australia Day

Today is Australia Day, which means I had the day off work. I didn't do too much (other than watch a lot of American talk shows on tv). However, I did head out to dinner with Fran tonight. We ate at Rumi in East Brunswick and shared several dishes. It was pretty good Lebanese food. Afterwards we headed down the road for some gelati. It was nice to catch up with Fran and have a chat about what she's been up to lately.

Crowded House Reunion

My favorite band of all time, Crowded House, announced this week that they are reforming! Neil Finn explains his desire to reunite the band here. There has been a lot of press internationally, including this article in the LA Times:

Crowded House stands out in the Coachella crowd

"I just wanted to be in a band again," says lead singer Neil Finn.
By Randy Lewis, Times Staff Writer

There's "Something So Strong" about New Zealand rock band Crowded House after all: The group that disbanded a decade ago is re-forming for a new album and tour that will begin at this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

While most of the headlines regarding the latest Coachella talent lineup announced Monday focused on the one-night-only reunion of rock-rap group Rage Against the Machine, fans have been buzzing worldwide about the resurrection of Crowded House.

After charting hits with Crowded House in the late '80s and '90s, including "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong," the group's lead singer and chief songwriter Neil Finn decided to retire the band so he could concentrate on a solo career and on sibling projects with his brother Tim Finn, who also joined Crowded House briefly. Both had previously been members of Australia's Split Enz, which did a reunion tour in 2006.

But after the suicide of Crowded House drummer Paul Hester in 2005, Finn says he slowly came to the realization that "I just wanted to be in a band again. And what other band could it be, really?"

Speaking from Auckland, New Zealand, where he's been finishing the new album with bassist Nick Seymour, Finn told The Times today that he and Seymour came together again after Hester's death, and last year began working on new songs. They also spent time revisiting the band's past for "Farewell to the World," a 10th anniversary expanded DVD release of the film of their final concert at the Sydney Opera House, which came out earlier this month.

"It just feels like something good and true," Finn said. "We sought each other out in the shadow of Paul's passing. That helped us reconnect and gave me a reminder of what bands are and what they bring, with the sharing of the load between everybody, and the humor of not being the only guy at interviews and photo shoots. It all started to feel very natural to me."

The new album, due in the spring, will be called "Time on Earth," signaling the fleeting nature of life, a theme that came into sharp focus for Finn and Seymour with the loss of Hester.

"In ways I can't really elaborate on, Paul's presence looms large on the record," Finn said. "I didn't want to make a record that was wallowing in anything.... We were moved to write and to do things that remembered him to some degree, to acknowledge what happened. It affected us both very deeply and it still resonates very strongly. I dream about him a lot, and it will always to some degree haunt me. But ultimately it's an act of free will and choice, and you have to recognize that too."

Keyboardist Mark Hart, who toured and recorded with Crowded House, also will be taking part in the reunion tour, but Finn said there were no plans for his older brother, who has a solo album due soon, to join in. He and Seymour have been holding auditions in New Zealand and Australia and will continue the search for a new drummer with additional tryouts in Los Angeles in the next couple of weeks.

"It's pointless trying to find another Paul, because there isn't another Paul," he said. "It will be different, but hopefully it will be something that can grow and develop.... I'm very concerned that we do this properly so that it becomes a real band, and not just a brand."

Acknowledging rampant skepticism about the ever-rising tide of band reunions, Finn said, "There are people who may choose to see it in cynical ways, and I can't blame anybody — they can look at it any way they want. I know what drives me, and I'm not doing it for the money. I've done very well and I've got a really great, loyal and significant community of people who follow what I do as solo artist, with the Finn Brothers, and this is very exciting and has got me very fired up."

Farewell Adam

Today was Adam's last day in the office. He's going back into schools to work with the Leading Schools Fund on improving school performance. We had a big lunch for him yesterday at Da Hu Peking Duck on Little Bourke Street, and then a farewell morning tea this morning. It will be sad for me to see Adam go as he has been my partner in crime in the office (we started around the same time). I'm sure we will catch up regularly when he comes into the city to visit though.

Heat Wave

This past week has been my own personal hell because it has been consistently hot. On Tuesday we reached 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) and had a major power outage throughout Melbourne. I was very fortunate to be on one of the few train lines that was actually running and made it home, only to find the power out. The rest of the week the temperatures were in the 30s (upper 80s-90s Fahrenheit) with increasing humidity by the end of the week. If there is one thing I hate more than heat it is humidity. Friday was unbearable outside since the humidity levels were around 75%. It felt like the tropics! Thankfully we have had some good rain falling today and it has cooled down. I also finally bought a fan this week, so that has helped to circulate the air in my apartment.

Back Safe

I survived the flights back to Australia. I did manage to get some sleep and was able to watch Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen (both excellent films). It is very hot here in Melbourne and quite a shock to my system. It was 36 degrees (97 degrees Fahrenheit)- about a 40 degree difference from when I left the Bay Area. I ventured out to the supermarket and my cupboards and fridge are now stocked. I'm unpacked and feeling ready to go to sleep. It will be interesting to see how I make it through work tomorrow.

Farewell San Rafael

Today is my last day in the States. I stayed up late last night to get my packing done, and thankfully all my new purchases fit in the bags. Around midday I headed out to visit my old colleagues and students at Wilson Elementary School in Richmond. I spent the first part of lunch in the staff room catching up with people, and then hit the yard to see my students who are now in fourth and fifth grade. A few of the girls spotted me immediately, started yelling my name and ran over to hug me. It was sweet to see them all and have a quick chat. They are all getting very tall.

After my visit I met up with Lynne on Fourth Street in San Rafael to have some Starbucks and say goodbye. We had a wander through some local shops and ended up buying these cute red suede mary janes which were on sale for $20. I've had such a great time visiting my family and friends and being able to catch up with them in person. My parents are kindly driving me to the airport tonight. I can't say I'm looking forward to spending 14 hours in the plane. Hopefully there will be some good movies and I will get some sleep.

More Shopping and Visits

It's been a busy last few days. I met up with Angie on Wednesday and we headed up to Petaluma so she could torture me with trying on bridesmaid dresses. Being the maid of honor for her wedding in 2008, I get first choice of design. I think the current thought is to go with separates- tea length skirt and choice of top. After our bridal adventures we headed up to Santa Rosa so that I could see her and Andy's brand new house! It's in a new development and will be perfect for them. On Saturday I was back up in Petaluma to spend some time with Angie and Katie, and help her pack up some of Katie's toys and clothes. Katie was very entertaining- we read some books, hid under blankets, and Katie named the different parts of her face. You can see how cute she is.

On Thursday I headed into San Francisco to meet up with Lynne for our shopping excursion downtown. We started at Union Square and then headed down to the new Westfield Shopping Centre on Market Street. It's really nice in there and puts the San Francisco Centre next door to shame. Despite all the great shops, I didn't come out with too much stuff. I got a purse at Macys, finished off my gift card at Old Navy, and got the latest Badly Drawn Boy CD. I was really bummed out that I didn't find anything good at H&M. I think they are clearing out their winter items and don't have the new spring stuff in yet. The highlight of the day was our trip to Ghiradelli Square for a hot fudge sundae. They are the best things ever. Lynne had a hot chocolate because it was absolutely freezing outside with the strong winds.

Friday was spent walking and talking. Lynne came over and we headed out to Tiburon and had a good two hour hike around Blackie's Pasture and the downtown area. We stopped in the most bizarre coffee shop ever which was run by an old lady. I can't even describe it- it was like walking back in time. We would both recommend that you never go there to order anything. After a quick rest back at my house, Lynne was eager for more walking, so we hit the neighborhood and did a loop up Elizabeth Way and back down Fairhills Drive. It's a steep hill but you can see the Marin Civic Center at the top of Elizabeth Way. To reward ourselves for all this physical activity we baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Saturday morning I finally caught up with June for breakfast at Bubba's Diner in San Anselmo. She recommended I try the creme brulee french toast with a side of bacon, and yes it was as good as it sounds. When I returned home there were deer in the driveway, so I took a picture of them. Dad wasn't too thrilled to hear they were there, since they love to eat the plants. I remember one year when I was younger we had all these tomatoes ripe and ready to be picked on the front deck, and the following day they were all gone because the deer got to them first. These are the hazards of living amongst nature.

Today I went along to the Modern Bridal Faire at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco with my mom, Simi, and her mother. It was basically a bunch of vendors trying to sell you their wedding services. We checked out the booths and sampled some food. The bridal fashion show never happened, which was kind of a bummer as that would have been fun to watch. I think Simi has found a couple potential photographers/videographers for the wedding, so that's good. I'm glad I don't have to deal with all this planning (and Jamie doesn't have it that bad either). I just get to show up in October and everything should be done.

Mexican Food- Yum!

One of the things I love that I can't get in Australia is decent Mexican food. I have had two days of yummy goodness, starting last night with dinner at Simi's apartment. Her mother brought homemade tamales up with her, so my family and I got to enjoy those along with beans and rice. It was fantastic. Today I met Angie for lunch at Chevys restaurant, which has the best chips and salsa (in my humble opinion). This time I had spinach and artichoke enchiladas and they were tasty as always. If only someone would open a good Mexican restaurant in Melbourne- I would be there weekly.

Happy New Year to my Australian friends! We still have a few hours to go here on the West Coast. I plan to watch Anderson Cooper on CNN ring in the new year from Times Square in New York. He also shows the Drag Queen Drop in Key West, Florida, which is very entertaining to watch.

A Mellow Week

After all the Christmas excitement I have had a fairly relaxing week. My mom has been off work so we have been hanging out. On Thursday I was on a mission to spend my gift cards. Our first stop was Northgate where we hit Macy's, Bath and Body Works, and the Gap. The Gap was having major sales, and I got a pair of pants for $9.99. Next we traveled up to Vintage Oaks in Novato. I exchanged a couple sweaters at Ann Taylor Loft for pants, and got a few more things at Old Navy (I had done some pre-purchasing from there before I arrived in the US). We also went to Costco, which for those of you in Australia is a large warehouse store where you can buy things in bulk.

Yesterday I went with my mom to Pt. Richmond when she got her haircut so I could say hello to Keith (who also used to cut my hair). He was very surprised to see me, so that was fun. I have also signed up for a 10 day trial pass at 24 Hour Fitness so that I can exercise for free. I did a spin and kickboxing class and the spin instructor even remembered me. I plan to motivate myself to attend more classes next week. The kickboxing class is so much better than the one at the YMCA.

I have really enjoyed being able to sleep in (I didn't realize how burnt out I was) and drive around! Thankfully I have had no issues with driving on the other side of the road. I plan to try and catch up with people next week, and also see more of Lynne and Angie, who have been out of town on vacation this week.

Merry Christmas

Tonight we had our annual Christmas dinner at my parents' house. I finally got some mulled cider (yay) and my cousin Leilani led us through a wine tasting exercise. She started by having us smell different things that we might find in the wine (50 possible scents!) and then we tasted a variety of red wines. I couldn't really decipher the exact things I was smelling/tasting, which I chalk up to the fact that I'm not a big red wine fan.

Dinner was very delicious, and as you can see we had a wide variety of things to eat. I was happy to have some turkey and stuffing, and the sweet yams with pecans served in an orange were great. After dinner we opened presents and I now have some new gift cards to spend. Then we ate dessert, which included a pumpkin pie and snowball cookies that I had made. Overall it was a top night and one of the main reasons why I wanted to come home for the holidays.

A White Christmas- in Australia?

I guess I didn't have to come home for a wintery Christmas after all. I'm glad some rain is finally falling in Victoria to help with the drought and the bushfires.

Visits and the Hills of San Francisco

On Saturday I headed up to visit Angie at her coffee shop. Lucky for me Katie was there and it was great to see how big she is (18 months old now). She's walking and starting to talk, and is as cute as a button. I brought them their Christmas gifts- various Australiana for the whole family. It was a short visit as the girls had to go get their hair cut, but we will definitely catch up after the holidays.

I went shopping with my mom in the afternoon and ran into Joanne at United Market. We had a quick chat in the aisle about what's been happening at Wilson School and I plan to go see Joanne's new house sometime next week. That night Lynne came over and picked me up to head into San Francisco for dinner and a movie. We ate at Pluto's and I had turkey, stuffing, and butternut squash in an attempt to capture a Thanksgiving style meal. It was quite delicious. We met up with her husband Jeremy and his brother Josh to see We Are Marshall, mostly because the boys wanted to go. It was your typical sports movie- tragedy to triumph, etc. Matthew McConaughey has some very strange acting quirks, and it was distracting seeing Matthew Fox with poorly dyed red hair. I'd only recommend you see it if you really like football.

In the morning Lynne thought it would be good to take me on her new walking route. After bundling up for the cold we headed out towards the Presidio and up a large amount of stairs to Pacific Heights. It's good that I walk so many stairs during the day at work (train station and my building), so it wasn't horrible. Once we were up at the top we wandered around the neighborhood and checked out all the expensive homes. There are some great views of the Bay, and we were out for about an hour. Lynne had me try her latest drink at Starbucks- the green tea latte. It's good- they put a bit of melon syrup in it which gives the drink a unique taste.

After showering we headed back to Marin to meet up with our friend Dominic for lunch at Crepevine on Fourth Street. Ironically, none of us ordered crepes to eat. I hadn't seen Dominic since Lynne's wedding so it was nice to catch up. He's currently living in Utah doing real estate and mortgage lending.

In the evening the Glisson clan kindly invited me over for Christmas Eve dinner. Josh was there as well. It was nice to see Lynne's parents and brother again. We had a great meal and dessert, as well as lots of laughs. We got out Lynne's yearbooks and Lynne and I came to the conclusion that we were dorks in high school. ;-) I also got to look at an album of pictures from senior prom that I hadn't seen before. My hair was very long back then. It was a fun night, and thanks again to the Glissons for including me in your holiday celebrations.

Shopping and Baking

Today my lovely friend Lynne came over to Marin for a visit. We stopped for lunch at High Tech Burrito, and my Ya-hoo! BBQ burrito was delicious as always. We then headed down to The Village for some last minute Christmas shopping. It wasn't overwhelmingly crowded, and I was able to buy those last few gifts I was missing. They have opened an Anthropologie store there, so that was very exciting. I bought a couple tops for myself.

We returned to my house and baked some gingerbread cookies, which turned out well. Lynne stuck around for dinner and we went through some of the wedding stuff she had brought over for my mom. It was a nice night- and also the first time I had seen my mom since arriving home.

Going Back To Cali

I have made it in one piece to a rainy San Francisco Bay Area. After celebrating Michelle's birthday on Wednesday night, I was up late packing and strategizing how much to bring home (I plan to do a lot of shopping while here). The whole flight day was a bit rushed because the taxi took forever to arrive, and I had extensive security screenings in Melbourne- metal detector, customs, thorough carry-on bag inspection, and then a pat down search! The flight up to Sydney was short and sweet and we deplaned right into the gate area for the San Francisco flight. I couldn't leave the gate since I would face a repeat of the security checks listed above.

About a half hour later I was back on the plane for the 12 1/2 hour flight to SF. As expected at this time of year, the flight was full. We had some potentially bad turbulent patches (you tend to get a bit nervous when the pilot asks the flight attendants to strap in), but the pilot flew around the severe thunderstorms over the Pacific the best he could. We arrived early and I made it through customs without being searched. Unfortunately, I forgot to exchange my Aussie dollars for US money and didn't realize until after I was on the Airporter. Thankfully, my Dad came to pick me up and was able to pay for me. ;-) I'm tired and ready for bed as it has been a really long day. It doesn't feel that weird to be home, but I am finding hearing all the American accents to be a bit jarring.

Christmas Parties

The Christmas season is upon us, and that means parties! On Thursday after our Branch planning day, we all headed to The Yak Bar for drinks. Friday afternoon was the Department of Education Christmas party. We paid $10 and had unlimited drinks and food. I got a bit sunburned as I was standing in the sun too long. Nothing scandalous happened except for a creepy Santa.

Saturday it was off to Kalorama for Peter and Mark's annual Christmas gathering. I met Fran at her house in Preston and then we headed to the mountains. I hadn't seen Fran in a few months, so it was good to finally catch up in person. Peter did a very colorful decorating job on the deck- using prayer flags and other items he got in Nepal. We had a wide variety of foods to choose from. I finally had Mark's famous sausage rolls and ate pavlova for dessert. It was a fun time.

After we returned to the city I ended up tagging along with Fran and her boyfriend Pete for drinks at The Brunswick Green. It was a gathering of Pete's friends, who were nice to meet and chat with. Fran and I tried to avoid the smokers in the beer garden (not very successfully). The temperature dropped fairly quickly, so I ended up inside by the end of the night. We lasted until the place closed at 1:00 am, and then I headed for home. I was good and even made it to the gym this morning!

Suzuki Night Market

It was a very smoky day in Melbourne as all the smoke from the bushfires in Eastern Victoria descended onto the city. The smoke even entered my building through the air conditioning system. It wasn't a very pleasant day outside, but the air quality got better in the afternoon.

After work I wandered down Bourke Street for some Christmas shopping, and then headed up to the Vic Market for the Suzuki Night Market. I was meeting Julie for dinner, but beforehand I wandered around checking out all the booths. It was better than the average stuff you would find in the stalls during the day. I did pick up a great ceramic sake set for Peter and Mark (I was at a loss as to what to get them for Christmas). The Market was packed by the time Julie made it from work. We got some food from the large selection of vendors and managed to find a table to sit down and eat at. It was nice to catch up as I hadn't seen Julie for a while. I would definitely recommend you check out the Night Market if you are in Melbourne- there are bands, food, and goodies to purchase.

Update

I have been a bit slack in updating the blog on what is happening in my life. Work is going well. We just had an election here in Victoria and Labor retained power, although we now have a new Minister for Education. It will be interesting to see if there are any big changes in policy or direction. My division should be fine, but the "training" side of things will be leaving the Department so all the post-compulsory people may be moving elsewhere.

I have been participating where I can in projects. I volunteered to work on the speaking and listening portion of the English Continuum. The previous parts of the continuum were done over a couple months- we had about 2 weeks to do the speaking and listening one. Amazingly, it did get finished pretty much on time. I'm also involved with the website team, and that work should be picking up. We are updating and transferring our old sites onto the new student learning portion of the Department website.

Although I have learned a lot in my current position over the past 5 months, I am on the lookout for opportunities to advance, so I have applied for a couple senior policy officer positions. I'm not sure how much of a chance I will have, but there is nothing to lose since my job is still good for another year. Both the positions I'm applying for are ongoing- one is in my current branch, and the other is in the research branch downstairs. We'll see what happens.

The big family news is that my brother is engaged to be married. The wedding is scheduled for October 27, 2007 at St. Raphael's Church (well the Mission part). The day James proposed it was Simi's birthday. He took her out for a picnic lunch at Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon, and had a large "gift" which included two of my five pound weights in the box to fool her. As she opened each box there was a smaller one inside, until she got to the ring box. James took that, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She excitedly said yes. The wedding planning has already begun, and they have secured Deer Park Villa in Fairfax for the reception. I can't believe my little brother is getting married. I now know when I will be home next, after this trip home for Christmas in a few weeks.

Is This Proof of Climate Change?

Last week it was snowing and today Melbourne hit a high of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). Then there are all those icebergs floating off the coast of New Zealand. What is happening down here?

Spring in Victoria

Today was a lovely spring day here in Victoria. In Melbourne we reached a balmy 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit).

Melbourne Cup

It's the race that stops a nation, and a public holiday for those of us who live in Melbourne. Delta Blues upset the favorites Tawqeet, Yeats, and Pop Rock to win this year's race. It was a one-two finish for Japan as Pop Rock came in second. The weather today has been overcast and cool, so many of those fashions on the field had to be covered up with jackets and hats held on heads tightly to keep them from blowing away.

You Call That An Earthquake?

Last night we had an "earthquake" here in Melbourne. Many people were talking about it at work this morning- I told them they shouldn't get excited unless it's at least a 5.0 on the Richter Scale.

Happy Birthday Ruth!

Tonight I met up with Ruth and her friends for dinner to celebrate her birthday. We ate at the restaurant Cookie on Swanston Street. The place is pretty popular, and they have an extended bar area as well as Thai restaurant. The food was delicious- I had the Pad Thai which was fantastic. Everyone's dishes looked great. The funniest thing was that they delivered the bill in a small children's book. I'll definitely have to go back to try more dishes.

It's Bloody Hot!

It's only the start of spring, and yet today we reached a top of 36.6 degrees Celsius (that's about 98 degrees Fahrenheit). Thank God I work in an air-conditioned office.

Tesselaar Tulip Festival

This afternoon we headed up to Silvan (in the Dandenong Ranges) for the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. Ruth's family runs the place, so we got free admission. It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of people out there to see all the tulips and take part in the food, jazz and wine weekend. In previous years Ruth has worked the festival with the rest of her family- dressed in a full traditional Dutch outfit (including clogs). This year she got to enjoy it without having to work. We wandered around the grounds and admired the huge range of colors of all the different tulips. It really was amazing to see. After a long wait in the ice cream stand line, we sat down at the tables to enjoy the jazz band. Yes, they did do Tiny Tim's "Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me" but I don't think many Aussies have a clue as to who he was. All in all it was a great afternoon in the mountains.

AFL Grand Final Parade

Tomorrow is the AFL Grand Final match between the West Coast Eagles and Sydney Swans. Melbourne has been inundated by interstate fans of both teams and as is the tradition, today was the Grand Final parade through downtown Melbourne. Since the parade finished around the corner from my building, Adam and I decided to watch the speeches in front of Old Treasury Building before heading to grab lunch. There was a big turnout- around 50,000 people along the whole parade route. The players greeted the crowd and at the end a player from each team held up the trophy they will all be playing for tomorrow at the MCG. I really don't care who wins, as long as it's a good game.

Fun with Cake

Here is Katie celebrating her 1st birthday in June. Very cute!

St. Kilda

Today is my parents last day in Melbourne, so I decided to take them out to St. Kilda Beach. We started at the Esplanade Market and looked at all the arts and crafts for sale. There was actually some decent stuff there and it wasn't too expensive. I may have to head back in the future to get some art for my walls. We also passed by the great music venues on the street- the Espy, Palace and Palais Theatre. Luna Park was hopping with screaming children on the roller coasters. It definitely has that Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk feel to it. Plus the entrance is always amusing to look at.

After working up an appetite looking at all the cake shop windows on Acland Street, we decided to eat at the Stokehouse. It was a good and filling lunch, although I don't remember it being that noisy in there (could be because we were downstairs). Next we walked along the beach and headed towards the pier. There were some great views of the city skyline and the sun was finally shining. We walked to the end of the pier to see the St Kilda Pier Kiosk, which has been completely restored after burning down in 2003. Since it was windy and the clouds had started moving back in, we decided to head for home.

It has been so nice to have my parents here with me this past week. Tomorrow they head off to Canberra, and then on Wednesday they will be in Sydney for four days until they head back to the States on September 17th.