A good cinema experience watching Mr Turner. He’s Jan’s favourite painter and we are familiar with his work, having spent some time at a recent exhibition at the Tate in London.
Excellent film with some wonderful portrayals and brilliant landscapes. Jan has a book entitled How to Paint Like Turner so I’m expecting some impressive works soon.
I remember Timothy Spall in the TV Series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He’s come a long way since then.
It’s that time of year again. We headed off to the Sydney Cricket Ground by train for the opening day of the Sydney test match against India. It’s a great occasion with lots of ceremony. Australia has already won the series, but there is always pride to be played for in these matches.
Our chaps won the toss and elected to bat. We saw a fine display of batting during the day, very entertaining, especially from David Warner. Also entertaining were the Indian fans – the Swami Army – with a fine drummer, lots of flags, and some interesting chants.
The Aussie supporters in the cheap seats were vociferous as well, especially when officials confiscated some of the many (illegal) beach balls being thrown around the stands. Later in the day, after much beer consumption, the fans started collecting empty plastic beer cups and stacking them together to make long “beer snakes“. The snake record is 175 metres, but we didn’t see one that big.
Great day.
We had a quiet New Year’s Eve, watching the fireworks on television with our neighbours, Paula and Dean. We’ve had many enjoyable years right on the harbour with close-up views of the action (including at the exclusive Lord Mayor’s party!) but were happy to avoid the crowds this time.
We had our first swim of the new year yesterday at Fisherman’s beach near Long Reef. We like it there because there is a little reef sheltering the beach making it relatively calm for easy swimming. The surf beaches are good fun, but it can be hard to just swim unless you get way out beyond the breakers.
Despite still being a holiday for many people, traffic was light and we found an easy parking spot near the beach. Lovely temperatures, in and out of the water, and a relaxing time. Of course we are super careful not to get sunburnt, easy to do when you haven’t been to the beach for a while.
I tried out one of my Christmas presents, a GoPro 3-way mount and took some underwater video. It was a bit murky, but fun. I shall dust off my mask and snorkel and try again there when the water is a bit clearer.
A belated Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers (and the unfaithful ones). We’ve had a busy time. On the 19th it was our turn to host the neighbours’ Christmas party which was fun, but a fair bit of work – tidying up the garden and putting tables and chairs outside on the patio.
We had more than 20 people to feed – they brought starters and desserts and we supplied barbecued snags, steaks, spuds and salads.
All went well and nobody starved! It was a multicultural affair as usual. We have a couple originally from Serbia who have been in the street for ages, another couple from South Korea, lots of dinky-di Aussies and some new neighbours from Guangzhou in China. They were a brother and a sister studying here at Macquarie University and another sister visiting with their Mum and Dad.
Selfie at Train Works
They don’t speak much English so I dusted off my Cantonese and (with the help of Google translate) we got on quite well.
On Christmas Day, we went out for lunch (for a change) to the Novotel Hotel in the Olympic precinct. There was lovely food there and a great atmosphere with loads of families having fun. Santa came along, but we didn’t sit on his lap.
I got some new fishing gear for Christmas which will help in my quiet contemplation of the beach and sea, and possibly enable me to catch a fish. (But remember, it’s called fishing, it’s not called catching!) Jan got a ukulele which will not help with quiet contemplation. She also got a micromotor tool to use for grinding and polishing jewellery. At full speed it sounds just like a dentist drill!
The Tin Hare
We’ve spent a couple of lazy days watching test cricket.
Today we ventured out with a trip to a railway museum at Thirlmere south of Camden, an hour and a quarter away. It calls itself Train Works – Australia’s newest and biggest rail experience. It has lots of old NSW Railways engines and rolling stock in amazingly good condition. A few of the steam engines are in working order and are used to pull trains on special outings.
We went on a little trip on a Railmotor – a 1926 two-car diesel-engined train used on branch lines. It was a fun rattly journey in the beautifully restored quirky vehicle. Railmotor CPH18 is known as the Tin Hare.
Jan was able to make use of another quirky Xmas gift – a selfie stick. When in New York we saw loads of tourists taking selfies with sticks, so of course she had to give it a try!
Switzerland is a play about the American crime writer Patricia Highsmith (Ripley et al), who lived in Switzerland. We saw the Sydney Theatre Company’s production at the Drama Theatre at the Opera house.
“It’s the early 1990s, and Highsmith (Sarah Peirse) is reclusive, creatively stymied and ailing, having been diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually kill her.”
She has a visit from a young man who is representing her New York publisher. Patricia is a cranky, nasty old woman with a great line in vituperation!
The play is very funny at the beginning, then gets more strange and creepy with an amazing twist. Great theatre.
