Pat In Australia: You'll Be Hanging Round In Corner Stores, Trying To Catch Somone's Eye

Okay okay whirlwind update.

Since my mom has been here, I have been just bumming around with her. She got here on a national holiday. A very very important one. Australians take the 4^th of November off to bet on, and watch, a single horse race. No, seriously.

We went to Dumplings since it was about the only thing open, (the cheapest eats in town!) which she loved. She was a bit apprehensive since I told her the place had been shut down many times for health violations…but it’s a Melbourne institution and experience, so whatever. E. Coli? Psh, we can handle it.

Since Dumplings we have moved on to bigger and better things. We went and did all the city touristy stuff, like pictures of Flinders St. Station, St. Paul’s, walk along the river, go through the laneways and most important of all: my office!

Anyways, she has about a million pictures that I will post sometime soon.

We went to the NGV again (which has all new stuff!) and the botanical gardens, which are like this dreamland fairytale grove right outside the city. It was a mindtrip. Went up to the Shrine of Remembrance and the Eureka Skydeck (88 floors up!)…both of which offer a really cool view of the city. The Skydeck lets you go out in a glass enclosed room sticking straight out from the building. We didn’t, because I didn’t want to piss myself and cry in front of all the nice people, but it looked pretty intense.

We have eaten at all the good restaurants: Von Haus, Blue Chillies, Concorde Crepes, Claypots, and Cookie…which was incredibly overhyped, but at least we got Trampoline chai ice cream to cool off the insane burning of our mouths from the ‘way too many chillies’ found in Cookie’s Crunchy Fish Salad and Duck Salad. Thanks Cookie, couldn’t taste shit for half this week.

Joan and I went out to see the Lucksmiths for their album release. It was really good, and the new album is really good, and the band that opened just blew me away. Some of the best music I’ve heard in ages, and I think the best band in Melbs. Find them on myspace, The Harpoons.

Mom and I booked a last minute trip to Cairns (pro: Cannes…pro: CANS) to go out on the great barrier reef. Sadly mom couldn’t snorkel really well, so she took the submarine tour instead, what a pity right? Snorkeling was AMAZING though. It really is like they make it seem in those stupid nature programs. It’s not stupid though, totally amazing to swim all day with fish and coral and rays and shit. I saw a fish the size of me, it was a bit scary to be that close…but oh well, no stingray tail through the heart no foul. Oh but I did get all stung up by some jellyfish, although seeing them up close was WELL FUCKING WORTH IT. I love jellyfish. Plus we got to eat kangaroo, crocodile, and barramundi in the TASTE OF AUSTRALIA! (which was just an overpriced meal at Buccaneer Bill’s Seafood Inn, no, I’m not joking. That’s the name of the restaurant.)

We got out to Phillip Island again, JUST in time to see the penguin parade. Really, it’s just a mass of tiny little penguins marching up from the beach all the way their little habitat and homes. They are really cute, but they don’t let you take pictures of them, so we have none, even if mom tried to sneak a few. The beaches on Green Island (where we went snorkelling) are coral, and hurt, and suck x100 so it was a nice change of pace to go back to that massive beach I had taken pictures of and posted up here before. The weather was great, and we got out on time, got fish and chips at San Remo, and then drove the couple hours down to Wilson’s Prom. It was really really cool, the beach we went to in Wilson’s Prom squeaked under your feet when you walked and it was such a weird experience. Joan and I got videos…which will be up soon. I guess it’s the only beach in Victoria that squeaks, but up north they squeak a lot. It’s just something to do with the fine sand, although wikipedia said it was volcanic crystals or something. Whatever wikipedia, make me sound like an idiot some more. I should never trust you.

All and all I think it has been a great trip, it’s been wonderful for mom, considering she hasn’t been out of Colorado area (surrounding states) in about 15 years. Hopefully she catches the travel bug.

Anyways, other than the mom stuff, not much has been happening. I interviewed Mike Relm a week or so ago, and it got put up on the Good Vibrations festival website for everyone to see…which is neat. I interviewed Digitalism for a festival they are coming to Oz for. It was really fun, and really cute. Jens (one of the Digitalism guys) was really fun to chat with. I finally have a full on meeting with Barrie and Robbie and Frunch to propose my ideas to increase the music coverage of the site. I gave them my big one a few weeks ago but didn’t have adequate time to talk about implementing it. I also don’t know what I’m going to propose to make a music blog that isn’t totally lame…besides what I already gave them. We will see. Hopefully thought it gets put into motion because I could use the raise/money I am expecting from this.