Out & About
The Peg Leg Tavern (ballad to a Sydney landmark)
Just returned from a short break to Oz.
Had a fantastic time as always; too many great experiences to recount but there is one in particular that I wanted to do a little rave about.
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+148Olympics British Style
DATELINE: LONDON
In view of the ongoing heavy rains in the UK, representatives of the British government and the London Mayor’s office have met with the emergency committee of the IOC to propose a number of 11th-hour changes to the upcoming London Olympic programme.
London’s Mayor Boris Johnson has announced that all Olympic staff will be undergoing SCUBA lessons this week and his office are currently in the process of buying up wetsuits, fins, masks and snorkels from every dive shop in and around the Red Sea. Supplies of diving equipment in the UK have already been appropriated and set aside for use by visiting dignitaries, due to their virtually-unused and near-new state. … more
+28All Blacks Take the Cup
For the second time in 24 years, New Zealand are the RWC champions, after a nail-biting final against France at Eden Park this evening.
Well done ABs! France is never a pushover and has a history of upsets. They’ve also been RWC silver-medal winners 3 times, so it’s a mistake to underestimate them.
Fortunately, the ABs didn’t make the mistake of complacency but it was still a damn close-run thing. Still, victory is victory and for the next 4 years at least, the cup is back where it belongs!
+28Walking with Dinosaurs
Decided to take a short break away to Auckland to see the much-publicized Walking with Dinosaurs show at the Vector Arena.
After checking in to the nearby Barry Court motel (handy to the arena and great harbour views) and having a bit of a stroll around, it was time to join a steady stream of people with tickets in their hands and kids in tow.
+22Flip Grater days
Photo Credit: Justus Nussbaum (Own work) (CC-BY-SA-3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Last winter, I wrote a review of Flip Grater’s latest album of the time, called: While I’m awake I’m at war.
It was a fairly dark and stormy night, all electric flashes and distant rumbles. I had a good fire going, a whiskey in my hand and my feet up in a comfortable chair, listening to a few of the album tracks, while the rain fell in squalls on the tin roof. It was bliss! … more
+2315 Years Young
Fifteen years ago today, I headed out to the sunny climes of Malta in the late summer, with three new friends. It was a trip that marked the beginning of an incredible bond of friendship, which is celebrated throughout the Bandanna Club website.
For me, it was a life-changing time.
It had been a tough year. My younger brother had recently passed away and his birthday which had occurred a few days earlier, was still a sharp and painful memory.
+42Hangin’ in Hong Kong
Well, it’s almost time to fly again.
I’ve spent the last 5 days in Hong Kong, braving the drippy-wet humidity levels, the bursts of torrential rain that are always a part of the Typhoon season and for some reason a large influx of extremely fat, loud, crass aussies, in their “best” clobber (i.e. grotty old Bermuda shorts, tank tops and floppy sandals…Jeez, what’s with that?)
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