It's been a very busy couple of weeks, with lots of deadlines and more than a few balls that require juggling and constant attention. Quite rude, actually.
Last weekend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama stopped by for a chat with me and a few (approximately 20,000) friends. The talk itself was interesting if relatively predictable, thought the political backflips that PM John Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd pulled off about the visit were pretty incredible. I suppose that it's an election year here only magnifies it, though the relationship with China is also a major motivating factor. "A busy schedule" seems to be the preferred excuse. John So, the mayor of Melbourne (and a generally lovable if whimsical character) and of Chinese background, joined the fun and got himself in a big fix over the visit - apparently he met the Dalai Lama twice in the '90s, and therefore has no plans to hang out this time. Oh well - he's only a major worldwide religious figure, and once you've small-talked over coffee a couple of times, what's the point? It's been fascinating, and more than a bit ridiculous, to watch. At least political spinelessness is a global phenomenon.
While I made a self-promise somewhere along the line to NOT make this
an online diary - how indulgent and horrendously self-absorbed! - this
weekend I went out for drinks on Friday for my (alleged) birthday a few
weeks back (pictures on Facebook, I'm sad to report), as well as taking
part in a wonderful trivia night on Saturday with a bunch of frisbee
folks at the pub that is sponsoring my team for Mixed
Nationals in October. Great fun, and I'm not just saying that because
my team won and I managed to win two jugs (i.e. pitchers) of beer over
the evening. Honestly. We won by one point...to win the game, could
YOU recognize this country with the game on the line? :)
Weekend before last, I attended a coaching clinic here in Melbourne that, once I finish the appropriate paperwork, will result in me being a certified Level 1 Ultimate Frisbee coach. It was great fun, and though we already have a coach for the Melbourne University team (Steve Wealands, a fellow Chilly guy and a damn good photographer), I'm already putting the training to good use by hosting a "Frisbee 101" class for Melbourne Uni players; we had 10 for the first week, which I was pretty happy with given that we were still in the middle of the final exams. Then again, maybe that's why we had people show up.
At the moment, I'm listening to "The Reminder" by Feist. Bruce Springsteen's The Seeger Sessions and Live in Dublin, The Hold Steady "Boys and Girls in America" (cheers Ben for the rec; wow's it catchy), Beirut "Gulag Orkestar" (listen to Postcards from Italy, then listen again straight away), and The Killer's Sam Town (amazingly good for a heavily hyped "follow-up" album). The aggregate effect has been to make me think, wistfully and fondly, of home. More on that later, perhaps.
*If you're interested, Angola is the country in question. (My answer had NOTHING to do with vague recollections of country profiles during last year's World Cup, I swear.) We got a $50 gift certificate at a French restaurant for winning...admittedly, a somewhat trivial prize once split between 5 people, but there was plenty of tension in the last round when we knew it was close...we're pretty excited. :)
Comments