Soweto Gospel Choir on Acid

The House of the Holy Afro...what a brilliant show...to break the image of all African stereo types...coloured Afro wigs..men in high heels wearing, funky felt skirts...it was Rocky Horror goes Soweto..I lurved it...but the comments around!. Next to me sat two older (my age) ex Australian beauty queens, good figures, and died blond hair (like mine)..."Well honestly this is not what I expected, I thought they'd play drums and do something a bit more African"...on my left sat the 'Baitz's' friends, a very funny conservative couple from Joeys....Jo Anne bent forward to ask them how they were enjoying this piece and Elaine said "I hate it, we really hate it" So SA cannot jump into the year 2009 without some flack..those that live in other countries and miss their little ole South Africa, want little ole fashioned Zulu dancing, with swinging beads and boobs. The crowd in front were going beserk, us on stands, clapped politely. Then I decided to go down....the others followed. Here was the pulse of Africa going straight for the jugular...There was the most beautiful couple on the dance floor, he tall, handsome, black with dreads, she tall gorgeous with her very own Anjolina lips....I had hoped they lived here in Perth, but I think they might have been crew.....I could have stayed to party and shake that bootie, which one is invited to after the show..but my partners in crime and their mates had had enough.....I felt proud to have been born in Africa man!

Oh quaint Perth

Now you go to a world class musical performance by Seckou Keita...from Senegal...the unique sound is mind blowing and really tuneful and evocative.....gush, gush...and it is almost in your front lounge. These big Australian cities, with very few people. Perth Festival they erect a temporary amphi theatre, which is half a white marquee and there are sofas, for those who come early and then rows of chairs. The concert was so intimate....I had gone out earlier to look at the Perth' Eye' white in the sky and to get a little stoned, on Oz gold and herbal....only joking! and I returned to make myself comfortable on my own fake suede sofa...now this is about lifestyle, surely.....at one point I went to the toilet and thought I was on a moving train...was this the Oz gold or the antibiotic I was on...now for the 4th time to get rid of my amoeba! I had my blood tests, to find out my cholestral has gone too high and my liver is looking a bit peaky from the dodgy gut....now they wanted a POOH Test...surely not...shirley not...I am a grown up woman, not me poohing into a small plastic jar, fresh out the plastic, shawly not me! Back on the sofa the crown of my head begins to hurt...what is it with me.....back home drinking tea and rusks...we get a little hysterical, Jo Anne says Steven was on the same antibiotic, and he lost the plot. Well I can't remember anything and start telling them if I was to have a tattoo it would be a "V" engraved on one buttock cheek and the other would have "W" so that when you bend over it says VOW...we are hysterical. I can't work Australia out, but the concert was really amazing.....so they do come all this way....most of the people there where over 40.....My cousins tell me that everyone leaves Perth when they are 20 and they return at 50.....well maybe this is a very well kept secret!

be centred it's all in the seat of the matter

designer packaging

Been to this place for a long flat skinny white, and they sell products with slick packaging.......

It's a Family Affair

Howdie Cuz....love Perth it is like Bulawayo by the sea....nothing like Bulawayo but there is a feel...it's chilled.. Look I have arrived and this is festival month, so good music, theata, Mwoozeeck, so it's gentle but happenning. Went to watch good Jazz at Bar Llama...ate fab dinner, or should I say YUM dinner with Jo and Steve and Steve and Judith, two different couples, one Steve my close first cousin, and the other Steve an old friend from University days...and tonight being an old hippy, watching an old hippy documentary "TheExpressT" train, with Janis Joplin and Grateful Dead...a MUST!

Perth

Well I believe it is close to 40 degrees in Perth....a little warmer than Sydney....off to see the cousin the wonderful cousin of Perth......more connections....more family.....more food, more best coffees......more and more.  I think Perth must be my new birth.....time to prepare myself for myself.....to returning to the Uck...the U Kay.....looking like I've changed forever....been through a lifetime of experiences and growth.....2 weeks Perth , few days Hong Kong...and back ome!

From Byron to Bilby

It is gorgeous, Byron the beautiful...poetical and magical...with warm ocean and fine white sand. We arrived to stay with Gerry and Christy....they had prepared a delicious fresh fish dinner, Leslie an old friend was there as well.....we laughed we reminisced and retired to our wonderful rooms that looked out on to the centre square garden of lotus flowers and water....Balinese style. First day we went to Belongil ( one of the many beaches) and swam and swam, those that know SA, it is a bit like Muizenburg, warm with decent waves for body surfing...then went up to have brunch, which the Australians do so well...and there was a duo singing Spanish songs at 11.30 am...we were in the land of hippyville. Later we went into pure hippy nostalgia...Channon Market, one hour from Byron, driving thru green lush countryside, and they call this the BUSH... we arrived and immediately bought freshley squeezed lemon juice, Shelley then bought an organic fruit icecream, while I booked myself in for a 15min accupuncture and talked to some 50 year old fairies, who were selling wings! The drumming circle was starting to pick up rhythm...mary- juana...floated through the stalls, a bunch of regulars danced in the centre of the circle, ages ranging from 5 to 60......I took off my rings and joined in the drumming.....a little bit of Africa took over! That night we went into Byron town and had dinner at the Beach Cafe Restaurant....the food was exceptional and the oysters were silky and sexy.....this whole trip is turning into a big fat food fest!

The next morning I had planned to take a swim in the lap pool, but there seemed to be a little something floating...I thought it be a rat...but I was informed it was a bilby...a baby marsupial. Now all good and fine, and perhaps a little sad but I'm afraid not to warrant it being put in the fridge so that Christy's daughter could give it a burial. I just couldn't get over it...I kept on seeing the plastic bag and the rigamortisy bilby...I didn't even want to take the milk out...ok a little pathetic but then I went to the front gate and saw a battered toad, belly up. Gerry informed me that it was a cane toad and that the only way to deal with it is to beat it up with a 2 B 4. I have since learned that whatever the Australians have imported into this country for some reason or other have become huge pests, the rabbit, the cane toad, the dung beetle....the convicts and now the Russians!!! We made dinner for Gerry that night and bought huge fresh prawns.....but because garbage collection was only in 2 days time, and he didn't want the place smelling of fish, the shells went into a plastic bag and into the fridge....it was time to get out...were there guests that didn't outlive their stay?...Could it be possible that the other bits and pieces in plastic bags were the odd 'ladies fingers'....or were we in for a big stir fry, the Australian delicacy... Bilby a la Byron......

Les owns a store called Red Ginger, it is wonderful,red and sells Chinese giftware. A highlight ( we are back to food) is the dim-sum and home made black rice and coconut pudding...So everyday we popped in after our swim at another fabulous beach....we went to neighbouring villages....and explored as much as possible in our five days. Byron we love ya!

SUnshine Coast

It's the Sunshine State...where the sun doesn't shine and it is in a helova state.......Just returned from Noosa...and it bucketed it down...It was 2 and half days staying with Ed and Jan Harris, ex Zimbabwians, at their amazing Rose Farm.....Shelley and I had our own cottage....came with cuckoo burrows, guinea fowls and 2 peacocks! Have you heard a cuckoo burrow? You certainly don't need an alarm clock. The view is extraordinary....giant cycads, and a lake in front of you. The trouble was it rained, so all those walks to the waterfall and to the lake, rushing back for a dip in the pool didn't happen....but we had Jewish orgasims (shopped), had a delicious lunch, a breakfast here and meal there! Did some tourist attractions, the ginger factory ...the Eumundi market....and Hastings Street. On Valentines day, it was Ed's birthday and there was a party with some fellow Zimbabwians. Shell and I were roped into doing some cabaret...so the two single girls sang for their supper, and a bloody good show they had....so I say so myself. We danced to the nostalgic 70's disco tunes which came from a very fancy schmancy juke box now programmed for CD's....but we did have a little disaster...Shell had wanted to take a nap in the afternoon and had collided with a stationary wall...a very expensive business when you don't take insurance on the hired car... I cannot talk about it...for two women our age, it was F...g...ridiculous neither of us insisted ... (we just didn't take it.)..it wasn't going to happen, it never does until it does....anyway the excess damage is up to $3000.....you want to vomit.....the flight back was very silent....we came back to Sydney and rain......but friends popped in to say goodbye to me and a lovely time was had by all!

OZ POEM

ON YA MATE SEE YOU LATER

ONE FLAT WHITE ITALIAN WAITER

WEAR YOUR BATHERS TAKE A 'PITCHER'

DOUBLE PAY IF YOUR RICHER

LOVE A BARBIE WHERE'S HER KEN

BONDI BEACH CHECK OUT THE MEN

PICNIC LUNCH DEVOUR THE 'CHOOK'

GO DOWN UNDER TAKE A LOOK

BULK BILL IF YOU'RE ILL CHINESE DOCTOR GIVE YOU PILL

SHRIMP ON BARBIE IN THE YARDI IT'S DARN HOT NO NEED FOR CARDI

FACTOR 50 ON THE BEACH DON'T WANT CANCER THAT'S A LEECH LIVE YOUR LIFE OUTSY DOORS RUIN YOUR LIVER DRUNK'S ARE BORES RATHER WALKABOUT ON FOURS HAVE THE ASIANS DO YOUR CHORES LOVELY COUNTRY GIMME MORE.....

V V V VEGIMITE, VB SPICE UP THE NIGHT, PLAY FOOTIE PUT UP A FIGHT, FAIR DINKUM AND YOU'RE RIGHT.....

                                                                                   

                                        

STRALIA it's all in the HAT

THE HAT WRECKIE

GET A HEAD

GET A HAT

Leonard we love you

Oh my Gawd.....what an awesome concert, what an inspirational man, performer and poet...it is a privilege to have seen him. Thanks Shell it should have been my treat since it was your birfday but it was her treat!...A few days a go I had to go and fetch my childhood friend from the airport, in her car, in her city...never having driven in Sydney.....don't tell her but I left at 7am to get there at 4pm....and I made it in time. Actually only got lost once and enjoyed that part, found out where I had been by train the previous day. She had been in South Africa, staying with some of my friends and going down the garden route with my cousin.....all very bizarre! Anyway it was her birthday weekend so I hung out in Bondi slept on the blow up matress and went for early morning swims...the things I imagine doing when you have a surfboard and wear "Bathers' as the Ozrites, call it! First night we ate at a lovely restaurant 'her local' and had pasta in a paper bag...saves cleaning the plates. Then the next day was a pre birthday picnic, in Nielsen Park with her buddies, some whom I had met when I was there in 1899 I mean 1989...whotever it was still a bloody long time ago! I had been to the park then and remember everyone speaking Greek...it was Hydra come SYdney, 4 generations and "efcharisto parakalo"....this time the lovely group that gathered were a mixture of SA, Ozrite, Italian, American.....the colonies. The highlight of the food was "CHOOK" if you don't know what it is....just repeat the word fifty times and flap your wings....GET IT.....that's what they call it and it was scrummy. We were there well passed sunset....a little tipsy and quite hysterical. Her friend that I met in India (who I now call VOW) sometimes cos I can't remember her name, and sometimes cos that is her...were telling them about the Oceana where we stayed in Varkala and the German inmates. Another friend then told his travel stories and we were literally falling about! VOW, SHell and I came back to her flat for a night cap...I was already in night nap mode.....polished off some liquorice chocolates....REALLY liquorice sweets chocolate coated..must be an Ozrite delicacy! and I had to go to sleep. Birthday morning presis....I have been with Shell for quite a few birthdays...it is the time of year, winter for me and summer for her...we try and meet every few years for an adventure and a reality check and Feb is a good time. We had a few hours of beach and then made our way down the south coast to the concert...stopping off at some wonderful craft places and a shop called '3 monkeys' which had wonderful jewellery and THINGS from all over the world....I recognized quite a few pieces, so ticked off the countries I had visited and ones I have to go to, Vladivostock is top of my list!!!! We both bought some designer "Industrial Jewels" but Shelley's was a self birthday gift by an Italian designer..gorgeous! and mine was a bit of cheapie chic.....The people we were meeting had baggsed a place so we could easily see the stage....the setting was a beautiful vineyard and the rest of the evening was total bliss....even emotional bliss.....we love you Leonard.....I thought of going backstage, as an excuse to say " Didn't I know family of yours...the Cohen's from Harare...he had quite a good voice?"