Mele Kalikimaka!

FOR the second year running, JP and the Balmain Ukulele Klub (BUK) put on a great Christmas meeting at the Gladstone Park Bowling Club. Adorned in antlers and a scratchy plastic lei, I headed over after work with my friend and uke student LH. There were at least 10 carols and holiday songs on the schedule and we all ploughed through them as best we could. Each song was led by a BUKaneer and I'd been given "White Christmas". I was a bit nervous (as usual), but I think it turned out OK and LH managed to get a rare snap of me in action. It's a fantastic little club and I hope there are many more Xmas gatherings to come. "Mele Kalikimaka" means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian.

Camel Man

ON DECEMBER 14, my mum, dad and I trotted over to Glebe's Harold Park Paceway for a spot of traditional Christmas camel racing. The Paceway, which usually plays host to harness racing, has been out of action for quite some time due to the dreaded equine flu, so the owners have been forced to improvise. With no Wise Men in sight, the riders were drawn from the crowd - mostly people celebrating birthdays or bucks' nights. After a considerable amount of growling, the proud ships of the desert would parade past the assembled masses (a few hundred) before turning and running about 250m. Betting wasn't allowed, which is probably just as well as one huge camel (No. 1) kept winning. Its reward? To have a harness attached to it (a world first, apparently) and be led all the way around the Miracle Mile twice! On the second circuit, it stopped about halfway. Fatigue? No, it was picking up FATHER CHRISTMAS! Once the jolly bloke made it round, he started handing out sweets to the kiddies...and then it got ugly. A drunk twat appeared out of nowhere and tried to steal Santa's sack! Following a short scuffle, it looked like security had the situation under control and they started to escort the twat towards the parking lot...BUT he escaped, jumped the short fence and legged it up the road! As I always say, you just can't beat a night out at the camel racing.

Red Bull Air Race

Aloha!
Bet you didn't think I'd keep the blog going!
On November 1, I went to Perth, WA for the finale of the 2007 Red Bull Air Race World Series (www.redbullairrace.com).
It didn't start well as my brother and I missed our plane, thanks to the overwhelming ineptitude of Qantas. We got to the airport 40 minutes before our flight to find a massive line at check-in. Only six of 28 counters were open and by the time we reached the sour-faced clerk, she informed us we were five minutes late and wouldn't be allowed on. Consequently, we had to catch the next flight (Adam Gilchrist walked past us as we queued to make the switch, which was cool). Qantas really is a national disgrace...but I'll save that rant for another entry.
On November 2 (Friday), I picked up my media pass for the Race. I'd recently interviewed series contender Mike Mangold for "People", so I was in with the organisers. Aside from an unlimited supply of Red Bull, the main benefit of the pass was special entry to the pit lane, where I got to chat to the pilots and check out their awesome aircraft up close. Naturally, I got a pic with Mangold.
On Saturday, we watched qualifying and then went on a cruise up the Swan River. It's no Sydney, but I like Perth.
When Sunday came round, the atmosphere was electric. An estimated 300,000 people lined the river, armed with eskies and cameras. One after another, the extreme machines zipped past us at speeds of up to 400kmh.
By far the most exciting pairing was that of 2005 champ Mangold (USA) and series leader Paul Bonhomme (ENG). Mangold took the heat by about one second and went on to come third in Perth and overall champion for a second time. Amazing flying.
We flew home with excellent Virgin Blue, so there were no more dramas. Hopefully, I can go back for next year's race.

Home

Well, I'm finally back in good 'ol Sydney town and I'm happy to say it's still my favourite city. You can find a selection of my holiday photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/TheMurraysAustralia/HolidaySnaps

I'll keep the blog going, but only for big events, so don't expect it to be updated every day or even every week.

Thanks to whoever read this thing while I was away, and particularly to those who left comments. It's always nice to know someone's on the other side :)

Cam

Fanta Grape!

Akihabara is awesome - full of amazing electronic stores (going to upgrade my camera in a minute) and girls dressed as maids touting 'maid cafes', which are basically just themed eateries (maybe later today, AW!). Yesterday, I went into the centre of Tokyo, did a bus tour around the Imperial Palace and then headed to the ultra-trendy neighbourhoods of Harajuku and Shibuya. For those who don't know, I'm staying in a capsule hotel. The best way I can describe it is camping indoors. The actual capsules are surprisingly spacious, but the walls are thin so you hear every sneeze and snore. Oh, yeah - Fanta Grape. When I moved from SA to Oz 12 years ago, I was shocked and dismayed one of my all-time favourite beverages wasn't available. I even contacted Coca-Cola and asked them for an explanation. But Fanta Grape LIVES here in Tokyo! I'm liking this place more and more...

Turning Japanese

Greetings from rainy Narita, Japan!
A lot's happened since my last post, but I don't have much Internet time, so here are the highlights...
After Brittany, I got two trains to Cognac (took ALL DAY!). I did a private tour of Hennessy and the lesser-known Otard, which is housed in an ancient castle that was once the home of French king Francois I. Both tours were fantastic and after six cognacs, I thought pretty much everything else in the quaint town was fantastic.
After returning to London on the Eurostar, I went to the British Museum on Friday and I think it might be the best museum I've ever visited. It has such a wide variety of stuff. My favourites included their extensive Egyptian collection, medieval Europe collection and their "Enlightenment" section, which comprises a bunch of kooky gear collected by various nutjobs in the 19th century.
Two minutes left...
I visited the temples of Narita yesterday and now I`m off to Tokyo on the train. Hello capsule hotel!

Back in action!

French keyboards are different to ours! The letters are in the wrong place. It's been a damn busy week. Last Monday, I did a Jack The Ripper walking tour of Whitechapel in London, checking out the murder scenes and what still exists from 1888. It was led by a pretty blonde who's writing not one but TWO books on the fascinating subject (AW - she knows the guy who wrote the book on Tumblety, but apparently new evidence has ruled him out completely. Damn!). I was going to check out a ukulele store called The Duke Of Uke while I was there, but it's closed on Mondays! Just my luck. However, I did have an absinthe in a pub called The Ten Bells. It opened in 1753 and was a favourite haunt of the Ripper's victims. On Tuesday, I went to beautiful Paris and visited some amazing museums before coming to Brittany (where I am now) for my friend's wedding. I'm glad to say it all went off without a hitch. Great day. And someone gave me two Euros for playing 'When I'm Cleaning Windows' on the steps of the chateau where the reception was being held. Tomorrow, I head to Cognac (hic). More from me when I return to London on Friday...

It's been another busy week in Blighty. On Tuesday, I headed to my aunt and uncle's house in the small, picturesque village of Braughing in Hertfordshire. The lovely house they live in was originally built as a general store in about 1850, but it's not unusual to see buildings dating back to the 1500s. A highlight was visiting my great-grandmother's former house in a place called Wallington, which is just up the road from George Orwell's old cottage and opposite the barn that's said to have inspired him to write 'Animal Farm'. We also went to WW2 fighter base Duxford, which houses one of the most impressive collections of vintage aircraft in the world. I came back to London on Friday and on Saturday night my other aunt took me to see the spectacular stage version of 'The Lord Of The Rings' at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. I hope it eventually goes to Oz 'cos it's damn hard to describe! It was about three hours long (with a 20-minute interval) and covered the epic story quite comprehensively. The effects were incredibly incredible and the acting was spot-on, particularly from the Orcs that invaded the audience about halfway through! I can't recommend it highly enough. In other news, I sat in a pub called the Beehive yesterday with a few other footy fans (including a midget) and watched a boring game between Liverpool and Portsmouth while trying a few more 'real ales'. I dunno why they're called 'real ales', but the combo gave me a real headache. The next exciting instalment will include random ukulele talk and everyone's favourite serial killer Jack The Ripper! Stay tuned...

Formby lives!

On Saturday morning, I took a high-speed Virgin 'tilting' train (it tilts into the corners to improve its aerodynamic flow) to Stockport, changed to a regular choo-choo and went on to Blackpool for the George Formby festival. I didn't see Old Trafford as I passed through Manchester, but I did get a good view of the Reebok Stadium (home of the Premier League's Bolton Wanderers). Blackpool's a funny place - a peculiar mix of dilapidated Victorian splendour and seaside-town tackiness. The Illuminations along the promenade were disappointing, but I did happen to find the Dr Who Monster Museum, which houses a lot of original props and costumes from the classic sci-fi show. I spent most of my time inside the magnificent Winter Gardens - an elaborate Victorian exhibition centre consisting of bars, ballrooms and theatres. The Formby fest was absolutely incredible. After joining the GF Society, I went into the Spanish Hall and the first thing I saw was a 'thrash', where anyone who wants to gets up and plays en masse. The standard of uke playing blew me away as most of the members (including a 10-year-old girl!) had pretty much mastered Formby's famous 'split stroke'. The members are some of the nicest people you could ever meet and I was lucky enough to be invited back to a hotel (thanks Laura) where some of them were staying and ended up jamming until 2:30am! On Sunday, they even let me play on stage at the Winter Gardens. I did 'Five Foot Two' and 'Our Sergeant Major'. One of the coolest things was meeting Dennis Taylor, a former GFS bigwig who actually featured my grandfather on his web site (check it out here: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dennis.taylor/Page_034_richard_maingot.htm). One of the best weekends I've ever had.

Londonium

I arrived in London on the night of the fifth after changing planes in Helsinki. Both flights were good. Yesterday, I went on the London Eye with my aunt (I'm staying with her and my uncle in their historic 1885 flat on Edgware Road). One revolution takes about half an hour. It's definitely worth doing as you get a great view of the Houses Of Parliament and a few other landmarks. I also had a quick look around trendy Covent Garden. Today, I visited St Paul's Cathedral for the first time and was duly impressed. It's a magnificent building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire destroyed the previous Gothic cathedral in 1666. There are 434 extremely worn and narrow steps to the top of its famous dome and its crypt is home to the likes of WW2 Field Marshall 'Monty' Montgomery and, awesomely, Lord Nelson. Venturing to the other side of the Thames, I checked out the new Globe Theatre (didn't have time for a proper tour) and dropped into the Tate Modern art gallery. Tomorrow, I catch a train to Blackpool (should take just over four hours) for the George Formby Society's annual exhibition!Much ukeing and hilarity are sure to ensue...

Pandas!

Yes, I went to see some pandas today at Ocean Park - a Disney-esque theme park on the south side of Hong Kong Island. How would I describe them? I think lazy, degenerate Ewoks just about covers it. Two of the teddy bear creatures were fast asleep (one woke up later) and the two new ones - Le Le and Ying Ying - kept themselves amused by stealing each other's bamboo and play-fighting. Very cute. I picked up my new green suit today. Had it custom made in two days by mister Johnny Nawaz of Romantic Fashions! Indian/Middle Eastern tailors are like a plague over here. You can't walk down the street without being propositioned by five or more. I just had some fresh steamed mussels with garlic and 640ml of San Miguel beer for under AUS$10 at the Temple Street Night Market. Time to go pack - my flight for Helsinki leaves at 9:45am.
PS - Dan, I couldn't get the dried panda penis - sorry, mate. And I just realised I spelt "restaurant" wrong in that last entry. I didn't have time to spell check as the PC I was using at the Hard Rock Cafe suddenly went all Chinese...

Sore feet

Today was a big one. I hopped the ferry from Kowloon (where my tops YMCA hotel is) to Hong Kong Island (34 cents one way!) and headed for Victoria Peak and its famous tram that's been in constant operation since 1888. It's steep, really steep...and there's only one cable pulling it. At the top, not only did I find a brilliant view, but also a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restuarant! I ate cajun shrimp and drank a pint of Tsing-Tao while watching boats in the harbour. I decided to walk down the mountain to the next tram station...couldn't find it and ended up on a two-hour journey through a tropical rainforest. I then set out in search of the Mid-Level Escalator - the longest escalator in the world. I knew it'd be long, but holy hell! The thing's incredible. I also visited the Man Mo Temple, which was so full of incence, I could harldy breathe. Tomorrow, operation panda begins...

Hello Hong Kong!

It's not even been four hours since I arrived in Hong Kong and here's my first blog entry! Not bad, eh? Flight over was OK, but was sandwiched between two blokes, one of whom liked the odd cough. However, I was impressed by the new-to-me Qantas entertainment system. I managed to see three decent films - "Sunshine", "Paris, Je T'aime" and "The Shooter". Will try and do another entry tomorrow. I've got lots planned...TTFN.