Outside on December 25th

The quintessential Christmas activity: Cricket with the Family. It doesn't matter if it's on the beach, in the backyard or in the back forty...everyone has a go at bat and bowling!
Safety first, especially when Brandy Alexanders and Champagne has been freely flowing!

Christmas Bocce was also on order. Everyone was sun safe and wore a hat...and we bowled in teams: Team Australia Vs. Team World.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

There's nothing like having a little friendly Christmas day competition! Windup Bees don't race well...they just kind of hop in circles...but toy cars on the other hand...

The boys had a few car races in the kitchen after lunch. That blur in the center of the photo? Alex's fist mid-Victory pump!

Christmas luncheon

It was a hot day in Murrindindi...probably topped out at 35 degrees. Lunch for 17 was served inside, and there was SO MUCH food!
There was also some concern a few days earlier that the traditional Gingerbread House was not going to make an appearance at Christmas...so Jas and I made a Gingerbread Surf Shack, complete with a quiver of surfboards...some of which dwarfed the house. We obviously did not design to scale, but it was good and tasty and chewy, and we just poured lollies around the house before the rest of the guests arrived to make it legitimately festive.

Christmas in Murrundindi

Matt and Jasmina invited Alex and I to join Matt's family for Christmas. They live in the Yarra Valley. Well, the YEA Valley, actually, but same same.
We drove up Christmas Eve night and had a fabulous Christmas day at Rex and Sue's home.
Matt and Jas traditionally prepare an appetizer for Christmas Day. This year it was Smoked Salmon Blinis
Rex was in charge of the BBQ. He roasted the Xmas Ham and an amazing Roast Beef. Here he is making up a wine and mustard glaze.
Uncle Brian makes Brandy Alexanders every year. He has a wicked secret recipe!
Alex and I and Carline and Burt-Rene, friends of Matt and Jas's from the Netherlands, are now firm supporters of Uncle Brian's skills as a Brandy Alexander mixologist.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas Holiday season!
Here is our Christmas tree in reception at the Great Ocean Road Cottages. (Notice the lack of lights. Lights = fire hazard. Fire hazard in Oz= not good.)

Kris Kringle

I went to my first bona fide Xmas event of the season the other night in Lorne. Zoe and Miles hosted a Kris Kringle party, and we all brought a gift and a plate. Aussie phrase: "Just bring a plate!"
Canadian translation: “It’s potluck!”There were heaps of food and drink, and we had some fun exchanging Kris Kringle gifts.Komung is stoked to choose his gift!
Alex got Ray Bans from Santa.

(NOTE: It's not that warm here yet...it's been about 19-20 degrees this week. You'll notice people are still wearing jumpers and hoodies. It's meant to fine up by next week though, and layers will start to come off!)

Rain. I guess it's good. There is a drought after all.

It's December and it's raining in Melbourne. In fact, pissing down rain across the whole region for three days in a row with more in the forecast!

I have to admit that it makes me a bit homesick. I'd be alright if there was the usual surreal hot weather leading up to an Australian Christmas on the beach...but there's not...yet. And it's got to be said, there is something SO RIGHT about Christmas shopping in soggy shoes with hat head and a dripping umbrella!

Let it be known that I miss you all back in Canada. Please drink a Bailey's and Hot Chocolate and think of me!

Techno Feeb

Okay, You've got to see this movie! (I may have given you a bum steer with the link and the searches, but I'm still learning how to text competently on my mobile phone, so bear with me!)

I think our movie is pretty damn good....and you probably won't get a lot of it...but I'll explain bits if you ask me to.

Try searching YouTube for : Post Grad Directors '08: A Retrospective or VCA Directors '08

That movie you're all waiting to see...

No...it's not Baz Luhrman's AUSTRALIA! God! It's the movie my director cohorts and I made for our last day at VCA.
If you'd like to see it, in jokes and all, then follow the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14FGKxapGX0

And if (no surprise!) I have messed up the link, go to YouTube and search for...
VCA Directors '08: A Retrospective

Australian Pastoral

Simba the horse, Zephyr and Connie the kangaroo in Matt and Jasmina’s paddock.

Schoolies '08: THE END

Huge pile of dirty laundry from Schoolies.

We worked like maniacs on Saturday to clean up after the last week of school-leaving revellers and prepare the property for normal guests in Lorne.

I don’t know from Cricket….

10 things I learned when I went to watch SHANE WARNE: THE MUSICAL:

10. It’s a good idea to drink spirits before watching any musical theatre.
9. It’s just that much more entertaining when your theatre date has a good sense of humour too.
8. Sometimes it physically hurts me to watch performers mime sports activities.
7. Eddie Perfect knows his audience. So does Neil Armfield.
6. Gospel, soul, power anthems, bollywood and boy band-inspired tunes can live together in harmony.
5. I now know what a legspin bowler is.
4. While there were a few cringe-worthy moments, this show is very far from a “cringe fest”. (And you know, maybe it was just me and my issues with musical theatre!)
3. Cricket is massive in Australia.
2. Shane Warne is massive in Australia. (At one point, he thought he was so massive that he took dieuretics to lose weight. This led to being banned from the game for testing positive for a prohibited substance. Who knew!)
1. After this sports-inspired theatre experience, I’d consider going to see a musical about hockey and Todd Bertuzzi.

Welcome to Rancho Deluxo

Whilst in Melbourne, (How funny is that word "whilst"?! Australians use it all the time!), I am staying in Collingwood at the Rancho Deluxo, Nadia and Benny's top floor apartment in their retro six unit building. They're off in Sydney until January. I love Rancho Deluxo. It's cozy with heaps of character. They have a great espresso machine that pulls a wicked coffee, a chandelier, and their place is close to some cool shops, neighbourhood pubs and cafes. I'm thrilled to have a whole space to myself again for a while.

Leaving Elwood

I'm moving out of Chris's flash Elwood apartment this week. Part of my stuff is in Collingwood at Nadia and Benny's apartment, part of it is in Lorne, and the rest is in storage. I'll be bouncing between the Coast and the Big Smoke for the summer.
I might miss Elwood Beach...I'll be sure to visit when I meet Chris for a drink and to pick up my mail!

First Day of Summer

A clear blue sky and a fresh breeze marked the first day of summer here in Lorne. I've been down here this weekend helping Matt and Jas with the annual Schoolies changeover weekend. After a few days in Melbourne, I'll be back next weekend to help with the last Schoolies cleanup of 2008...and I'll be staying on in Lorne for most of the summer, HOPEFULLY working and of course, spending time on the water!

Chain Link made Beautiful

Passion Flowers in Collingwood.

Something for Everyone

Melbourne is known as a "Festival City"....it seems as though there's something going on every weekend! The International Arts Festival, International Comedy Festival, the Fringe Festival, Food and Wine Festival, Moomba Water Festival, Midsumma Festival, Harvest Festival, Buddha's Day Festival, Thessaloniki Festival, Women's Circus Festival...and of course, the Bicycle Film Festival. At any given moment, somewhere in the city there is a group of people celebrating something!

Who Needs Discretion?!

I think I've been pretty discreet when it comes to blogging my nocturnal activities here in Australia. Discreet?!! How about completely Close-Mouthed! So...for those of you who are dying to know the nitty gritty...here are some pics of our Year End Party.

Rinske, Samara and Brenda and I are freaking out because we are literally TEARING UP the dance floor!...board by board.

I am about to dance Samara into a corner and she knows it!

Directors and Sound designers actually do get along! This is Tim.

Olivia and Mike and yours truly.

I am glassy-eyed and dancing with Sapidah and Kev. It's water... I swear.

The Final Showing

Yesterday was the last day of the school year at VCA. There was a performance for industry people and acting agents, graduates were formally presented, and then a few hours later, the final school meeting was held. (School meetings happens at the end of each term -- basically big assemblies.) The directors filmed some crazy footage after our season closed, and I edited it all together to present in Mockumentary form at the school meeting. It was WELL RECEIVED!

The beautiful Post Grads: Animateurs and Directors

Acting Company 08

Me and Sapidah and Samara

Note to Self #16

As a rule, visitors to a country should avoid speaking to the press in regards to topics of federal politics about which they are ill-informed. Especially when the journalist will not take "But I'm CANADIAN!" as an answer. I mean, come on! I don't know from cars! However, flirting with said journalist can work in your favour.( Note the age!)

New Additions to Elwood

This week we welcomed the new (real!) COWHIDE POUF and 2 COWHIDE CUSHIONS to the fabulous leather furniture family here at #10-106 Addison St.

The Turtles

If we were a rock band, we'd be called "The Suffragette Turtles". Nadia and her partner Benny have taken off early to Sydney for a month and a bit, so the picnic we had on Monday seemed a nice way for us all to end the year together.

Directors

Six Post Grad Directors, and One Theatre Training Methodolgist, all part of the VCA Company 2008. At the back: Paul Terrell (aka "Dada") and Alex Rigozzi (aka "Tech Boy").
On the park bench: Paola Unger (aka "Cookie"), Samara Hersch (aka "China"), Nadia Townsend (aka "Hatchet"), Brenda Monaghan (aka "Bender"), and Sapidah Kian (aka "Irania").

Picnic in the Park

Things you'll need to enjoy a basic Aussie picnic (Non BBq):
* Green space, preferably a park, within walking distance.
* Beer and White wine
* A lot of cheeses
* Bread and chips for dipping
* Dips
* Salads
* Olives
* Brownies
If you look hard, you'll notice the "blanket" is actually a towel with the Australian Flag printed on it.

Remembrance Day

I stood out on the deck at 11:00 today in order to just take a moment and quietly observe Remembrance Day on my own. ANZAC Day in April is the public holiday here, so it was business as usual, and I was going in to school to work on a presentation at noon. I was lucky enough to get to hear the ceremony held at the Primary School around the corner. It was piped out to the neighbourhood on loudspeaker. Interesting to hear the Australian national anthem sung...but of course, why wouldn't it be?

The Value of a Sense of Humour

"Inspirational" words from artists like Cecily Berry and Stella Adler have been posted in the VCA stairwell throughout the year. Their message has been more subliminal than anything. Who posts them? Staff using every opportunity to inculcate student actors? Young zealot actors whose eyes are glassy with theoretical fervour? I've got no clue.
The theatrical lesson here is really all about timing. The end of the school year is here. The directors finished classes today, the actors will finish up projects next week, and the third years will be released into the big bad entertainment industry. Sure, the theatre is a stressful place sometimes.... but there really is no need for emergent theatre makers to take things SO seriously! The levity is appreciated!

Research

Some of us met Humphrey at the Melbourne Zoo on Monday to do some research for our adaptation of WISH. One of the main characters in the story is a Gorilla, so we watched the Gorillas in their habitat and listened to the Keeper talk about them. Shy Gorilla, do you think?

After that, Sam, Nadia and Alex and I wandered around to check out more of the zoo.
The Gibbons were the most entertaining of all the animals on that particular day!
It's not the best zoo in the country...I'd say that Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo top it easily in terms of animal habitats. Having said that, Melbourne Zoo does have a Platypusary, and that's got to count for points!