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Shoot photos on Flickr at Moorabbin Airfield.

We were ready to leave the house by about 9 pm. The pictures scream volumes but a sum up is that I had Sally Hansen's "Airbrush Legs" from the neck down, a tight yellow imitation Ralph polo, and a pair of cut off jeans with a large banana in the front.

Some explanations - the party's theme was "Wear what you were always too afraid to wear".

OTT? That's me.

The banana was a hit. Andrew's iDVD was impressive too. We roasted Shaun with speeches, and ate plenty of two cakes.

We ordered two Maxi Taxi's to ferry us out, and I managed to get a few honks before launching the now mashed banana against some Toorak Rd flat window, before the taxi came.

Diva turned out to be outrageous, we didn't stop for anything, and with what I was wearing, I think I had a licence to! And we all did - until close.

Taxi's were had to come by, with the races and everything, and en route to HJ's I got my fair share of heckling for hairy legs and manliness.

Anyway just shake your head and say 'oh mat'.

We were getting into bed finally by 6. Andrew said he woke at 7 in his clothes, and in his pyjamas.

See the full picture set.

Here's Eri's take on the event.

Update: Yukako, Atsuko's friend who was flying home the next morning, sent us this image (probably edited on her phone).

The Japanese reads shougeki eizou!

Shocking Images!

Yesterday Laura, Peter, Carlo and I went upcountry towards Ballarat for a rally car drive, taking a picnic and esky with us. Not a long trip out of the city, but enough for the air to be fresher than usual. It was good to be out in the bush again, with a real Aussie canopy and rough bark trees.

We had our picnic on the tray of the truck, and cracked open some sparkling shiraz and beers.

The rally cars, as I learnt, are timed individually. Some tore around the corner sideways kicking rocks and dust up at us, some just driving around as anyone would.

I shinnied a skinny tree up to a bigger one for a bit of sport and found a vantage spot to see the cars come through.

By afternoon we had strolled through the bush and then we headed back to the city.

Some Highlights:
Getting strewn once with rocks (deliberately?) standing at an exposed corner.
Climbing the tree
Spending quality time ;-)

It really was a fun and different way to enjoy the day.


I snoozed with the seat reclined on the way home, preparing for Shaun's 21st.

See the full set of pictures.

We spent the night bar hopping: Polly, Bimbos, bar open, some other place we didn't get into, Alia then, aah, DIVA bar.
(From left) - Nigel, Shannon, Mat and Carlo at Alia.

It's amazing what you can whip together with a little Italian Inspiration[1] (I've had quite a bit of that lately) and the left over and ignored food in your pantry.

Makes 2
Ingredients:
1. An old red capsicum
2. Phillippa's Bread-crumbs
3. Mint Sauce
4. Ravida olive oil (that's the odd one out)
5. Can of kidney beans, rinsed
6. A smallish onion
7. Caperberries
8. Tomato Paste
9. Three Asahi Beers (for inspiration)

I wont delve into the method...

Of course, you don't have to know what it tasted like, but doesn't it look all right?!

--

[1] By the way all I got from the Italian cookbook was the roasting technique - I do not purport that this recipe is in any way Italian!

I said:

"I'm just going to move this spoon from here to my mouth and if the
ice cream gets in the way then it's its own fault!"

Andrew: "You fat Bitch"

Mat: "I'll take that as a compliment".

Andrew: "Yes it's an endearing term now isn't it."

Mat: "Yes I'm quite fond of it."

I don't wear Nike shoes, but in light of their latest running campaign, I offer my own before and after. Well only the after for starters. You've probably seen the before already.

I didn't go out this weekend at all. Rather I spent the time galavanting about Melbourne on foot and wheel.

1. Friday Afternoon - Home to Crown Casino's Prada then to Flinders St Stn 12 km.
2. Saturday - Ride to Brunswick St for a gander and a coincidental coffee c/o Carlo. 26km round trip.
3. Sunday - St Kilda to home via Fitzroy St, Chapel, Malvern. 13km - iPod music theme: Madonna. esp. Express Yourself.


This is my 'after' photo. 2, 3.

When I heard about the tragic events taking place in Kashmir, I was reminded of a quoted analogy I read in a book by Arthur C. Clarke last week:

"Let the height of the Empire State Building represent the age of the Earth; on this scale, a foot is about two million years. Now (if the wind will let you) stand an average-sized book upright on the TV tower. It won't look very conspicuous from the ground level --- but its few inches of height correspond roughly to the entire existence of Homo sapiens.

However, we haven't finished yet. Now place a slightly worn dime on top of the book. The thickness of the coin corresponds to the whole of man's civilization, right back to the building of the pyramids. And if you want to represent the era of modern science and technology --- that is about as thick as a postage stamp."

Update: This animation of the 2004 Tsunami gives a good idea of the scale of that event.

I bought Harry Potter And the Philosopher's Stone (Japanese Version) in the APU bookshop back in '02, and I just finished it today. Not that I've been reading it solidly, but it's still satisfying to close it.

Even though I don't understand all the words, I believe I learn and get a feel for them through context while reading. As I'm 'watching' the story I learn, for example, whether a word has positive or negative connotations. I build or reinforce the natural usage of grammar and language which is used to convey infinitely complex nuances.

It's a real treat to have all this coming through, reading up and down, right to left; to find myself just watching the adventure, not thinking about the language at all.