A summertime Merry Christmas to you!

There's no snow. No sleigh rides. No Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

There are sunburns. There are barbecues. There's plenty of sweating while wrapping Christmas presents.

One benefit of a summer Christmas is the ability to spend an entire evening on a picnic blanket eating sausages and singing carols in the tradition of carols by candlelight. From the professional production in Sydney to the local elementary school grinches and asipring Santas join together for some holiday cheer.

 Every Aussie loves a good sausage sizzle, especially when it's a fundraiser for scouts.

I don't think the Mystic Seaport carol sing has a tug of war...

From O Come All Ye Faithful to Jingle Bells and some Go Tell it on the Mountain inbetween we filled the hills with song while the natiity was painted on a truck. Yes, that is correct...

Because it's Australia, and the entire country is combustible, we had battery operated candles which fr an extra 50 cents, you could get the color changing ones. Hours of entertainment for young and old :)

And while every one back home is waiting for Santa to arrive with his reindeer and sleigh, Santa came in  a ute. Because after all, this is Australia...

Wishing everyone a warm, bright, and very merry Christmas from down under!

Hotel Howie

***This entry is at the request of my little brother, Doobie, who turns 24 today. He is accepting gifts.***

Stay in the heart of Perth

Overlooking the Swan River and riverfront parklands, Hotel Howie features a state-of-the-art fitness centre, personal kitchen, and chef.

All rooms feature cable TV, and a private bathroom with hairdryer, rubber ducky shower curtain and any soap, toothpaste, or sunscreen you may have forgotten. Accommodation options include queen bedroom with ensuite bathroom, single couch, or ample floor space.

Free WiFi and free fireworks are available. The fully equipped fitness centre includes rubber resistance bands, pull-up bars and playground. See concierge for customized holiday itineraries and private tour guides.

Offering international cuisine in a relaxed setting, Oh-Kay Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Cocktails, wine and beer are available on the second floor balcony.

Located in heart of the city centre, Hotel Howie is a 30-minute drive or bus ride from Perth Airport.

Seasonal rates
Queen bedroom w/ensuite...........1 lb. Dunkin Donuts french vanilla coffee per week
Single couch.................................1 bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch light dressing per week
Floor space dormitory.................1 extra large tootsie roll per week

*All prices in US prices and include meals

Enquire within for availability.

Santa found me in Perth

Santa Claus came a little early to Perth this year.

 Packages are a little sweeter when they travel around the world and are sent with a lot of love :)

Get Lucky

I come from the land of casinos. Both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods are within a 10 minute drive from the house where I grew up and still call home.

 Yes, Foxwoods does resemble the Emerald city of Oz coming out of the trees.

The casinos were a bit controversial in my town growing up (yes of course I have read Without Reservation), but I don't think there was anyone who hadn't been there for roulette, Bobby Flay's burger bar, a night at MGM Grand, or as an avid fan of women's basketball to watch the WNBA Connecticut Sun play.

I have never gambled. I'm not morally opposed, I just like my money where I can see, eat, or drink it. When I first started going to the casino to see the Rainmaker and eat at the buffet, I wasn't old enough anyways. I couldn't cross the famed change in carpet colors for those who were of age. By the time I was willing to put in a couple of quarters into the slot machines, they had switched to tickets and the lowest amount of money you could put in was a $10 bill. Pshhh! No thank you.

Perth has it's own casino. Formerly known as Burswood, it is now Crown Perth. It's a pyramid of a fixture along the river.

 And just like my hometown ambling goliaths, this one is complete with gambling, shows, clubs, and restaurants. I went to see Lee Kernaghan there (aka Australia's Garth Brooks).

I've been to two of the restaurants so far. One, Merrywell, is American themed. How could I not try their trendy lollipop chicken wings, mac n cheese bites or corn dogs? The Aussie who accompanied me had never had a corn dog, and I believe was impressed. The lollipop wings were exactly that: tiny lollipops, but they get a shout out for the effort.

Of course there's gambling (though no pictures allowed so I was super sneaky, obviously trying to scam the system and win big). Staying true to my "morals" no gambling for me. Though I did see a new game, Casino War. Yes, it is the childhood game of War. That requires absolutely no skill.

We did try Club Eve, but instead of the R&B through the halls of Mohegan Sun, true to Perth form, this one had duff duff dance music. So we went back to the rock cover band in the Irish Pub for a little Brown Eyed Girl. Much more our style. After all, I had my dancing shoes on.

My One Complaint (so far)

Dear City of Perth,

After living in Perth for 14 months, I have one complaint. I thank you for the investment you have put into superb cycle paths. As a recent transplant from an un-bicycling friendly city, I find the high quality of separate, paved cycle paths to be a welcome change.

As a resident of the CBD and an employee of Curtin, the cycle paths around the Swan River make it an easy and enjoyable cycling commute. However, as I cannot ride on water, I must ride over one of the bridges.

 

And you seem proud of your bridges as evidenced by the plaques.

The Narrows and Causeway Bridges, are in general, deplorable for pedestrians. Particularly the Causeway Bridge. The path is too narrow, with a single railing guarding against the city traffic and a tall cement barrier all too close for brushing elbows with. With gusty afternoon sea breezes and hungry, tired cyclists racing home after work (or maybe just me), it's surprising that I haven't mowed down a pedestrian with my bike.

 And while all the other cycle paths are neatly paved, the bridge is made up of uneven cement tiles that lead to my irrational fear of getting a tire stuck in the rut. Recently, you've even tried to advise cyclists of the uneven surface. And the poor roller bladers might as well take off their skates and walk across.

The eastern side of the Narrows isn't much better.

You clearly know how to build proper pedestrian cycle paths on bridges, as the western side of the Narrows and the Windham Bridges are ideal. Which I would ride over if they happened to lead where I needed to go.

Unfortunately, it is the Causeway Bridge that I, and many others, ride over twice daily.

Please smooth out the connections between north and south. Other than that, great city!

A concerned resident,
Uneasy Rider

Something more boring than baseball

Who knew that there was a sport more slow paced than America's pastime?

Well there is and it's cricket.

This weekend I have the privilege of going to the cricket. Yes, it's "the" cricket. Crazy Australians and their need to use articles for sporting games.

I walk or ride by the WACA (cricket ground) every day but have thus far not been inside.

Now I have tried to be culturally competent and accepting and have tried to watch a few cricket matches on TV. But I just couldn't figure it out on my own despite our modified soccer cricket played at soccer camp.

What did I learn? First of all, there are different kinds of cricket matches. Tests, one day interantional (which is what I went to), and 20/20. Test matches can last 5 days! One day internationals do have a break for lunch. Yes, that is correct. And 20/20 is supposed to be the high paced fast action version of cricket. The verdict is still out on that one. I shall report when I witness that in person.


Australia vs. South Africa. Some international, commonwealth rivalry. Seemed like a big deal to me.

I could attempt to explain the rules to you. But I would probably leave you more confused than when you started. Instead, I will summarize the key points I learned.

1. To get a "home run" the ball just has to roll over the boundary (which is possible without even hitting it if it sompletely misses the batter and "catcher". That is 4 runs.
2. A "wicket" is equivalent to an out, even if it doesn't actually hit the wicket the three pronged structure thing.
3. Not too much happens. Enough not-much-happens happens that players in the outfield can sign autographs between bowls.

The problem with cricket is that it's played in the summer, matches can last all day, and the cheap seats have no shade. That leads to some intense attempts at sun protection and an entertaining display of hats.

In general, the crowds try to keep it as interesting as possible, cheering at each bowl, chanting, and even trying the wave. They even brought out free popsicles. It's a nice outing, regardless of what's happening on the field. But if you're bored, no worries, cricket on a nice day is just an excuse to lay down and sun bathe in public.

Is it AFL footy season yet?