sydney journals :: march 2008
Following on from my blimey, my London journals, and strewth, my original Australian travel blog, I'm back in Sydney. Far out!
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Thursday, March 6 2008, 10:15
Smashing
You probably already guessed that Ms Minogue did not make an appearance at the Mardi Gras Party on Saturday - it would have been all over the news, and no doubt I would have been firing off hysterical text messages as fast as my thumb could punch them out. As it was, I couldn't be bothered to go and see the shows graced by the advertised starlets, Olivia Newton John and Cyndi Lauper. Instead I cut the rug up on a very small patch of dancefloor (as much as I could clear with my elbows), jostled by the other thousands of smashed queens. As always happens, we fruitlessly tried to stay together and inevitably got separated, so I wasted a good hour of my time sending text messages with explicit directions to our dancefloor location...
Anyway. Onwards and upwards. John and Tim went home, followed by me and Chris a bit later, and I managed a good two hours' snooze (who'd have thought it?) before the alarm woke us for Toybox. I felt like our cab was a simmering pot of excitement on our way to Luna Park, and I bounced into the Big Top like a coiled spring of anticipation. [pause for dreamy sigh]. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by this party. Where do all these gorgeous men come from? I swear there's a secret gym somewhere in Sydney where at least 2000 guys work out 364 days of the year and only come out to play after Mardi Gras, under the Bridge, to bouncy, fluffy, feelgood trance music. You might expect them to be stuck up bastards with generous portions of attitude, but the mood across the room is always fun and friendly :) And the music was A1, Ross! Right from the word go. My favourite tunes were playing before there were ten people on the dancefloor! Every year the party ends with a bang, and even if the last song isn't that great, or we know what's coming, you can't help finishing up, grinning from ear to ear. On Sunday, as daft as it sounds, a drag queen dangled, Peter Pan-like, from the ceiling as shiny (ooh! shiny!) streamers went flying in every direction and the lasers went mad, and the long white skirts hanging below her were taken up by every hand in reach, until the dress came billowing out, overtaking everyone like a huge wave that became a tent over us. It makes me smile just to think of it. When it came to me, I reached up to pass it back over my head too, but I can't even remember what happened to it afterwards - just that silly grin as I wiped the bits of tape and glittery things off me.
And Mardi Gras's over for another year. It'll probably take that long for the smile to wear off, although I don't intend to give it that much of an opportunity... I'm sure there's a party with my name on it in London next month ;)
Monday, March 31 2008, 15:24
Exit and excitation
I was just telling one of my colleagues how I sometimes lose sight of the long term plan - so at the moment I'm quite keenly focussed on the million small and forgettable details and prerequisites that are all part of the build-up to the holiday that begins on Thursday. It probably won't be until midweek that it actually sinks in that I'm not just going preparing to go on holiday, I'm going on holiday! Cue much rejoicing. The weather reports quite clearly indicate that noone told the authorities in the UK that winter really should be over by now, and that daffodils should be pushing out of the grass, and fresh, green leaves uncurling on every tree. Instead, there appear to be most unwelcoming flurries of sleet and snow. But there's definitely a silver lining: you know how before a holiday you have to wear all your least favourite clothes so the good things will be clean and ready to pack? Well I don't have to worry about making sure my shorts and singlets are in the wash - all my jeans and jumpers are ready to go! :)
The purpose of this little transglobal jaunt is to attend the wedding of my friends, Andrew & Andreas, the soon-to-be Fox-Masons (or is it Mason-Foxes?); I can't wait! I think it may go down in history as The Most Well-planned Nuptials Ever given how über-organised those two are, so I had to have a dress rehearsal of my formal finery last night, just to make sure everything went together; John graciously remarked, "very nice - you look like a different person." Some sort of backhand compliment, I suppose. Of course I'll look fine if weddings without shoes are the going thing, otherwise that's another item on the to-do list this week.
So with all this holiday and matrimonial excitement just ahead, it's hardly surprising that I haven't really dwelled upon the fact that I'll be starting a new job when I return. After fifteen months at Massive, it's time to move on. I've worked with some great people, learnt a lot of new tricks (I guess I can't be an old dog just yet), been involved in some exciting projects, and I've enjoyed my harbour view; I'm leaving just in time to avoid the low-rising winter sun roasting me at my desk every morning too, so that's a good omen. When I get back, I'll be starting work at Amnesia, which is happily still within walking distance from home and gym, although I think there will be no harbour view. Sniff sniff. I wonder how the heady cocktail of post-holiday-blues + jetlag + induction works out. Watch this space.
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