Australia Day 2012

We spent the latter part of Australia Day 2012 in the city this year, attending a concert in the Sidney Myer Bowl. The theme this year is 'What's in Your Suitcase?', a tale of multiculturalism in Australia. There were various dances and performances from Samoa, Greece, Italy, Japan, Somalia etc.

It was going to be a two hour concert so we went as best equipped as we could, with water, reading materials, and most important, food. We ate a bowl of noodles in the Bowl while waiting for the the concert to start - we got there around dinner time and the only thing around was Noodle Box so we got a takeaway serve of fried kuay teow which was packed in a plastic bowl. The event organisers would have been proud of my attempt of capture multiculturalism. So would Sidney Myer.

Then it was Maltezers during the drum performance by at least 5 different groups. This was my favourite, the drums, although Maltezers are great too. I suppose the point of the piece was that everyone was 'beating to the same drum beat' - Aussies on oil barrels, Japanese on taiko etc but all blended in very well together.

Next were fresh grapes, between the Greek dancing which started with someone playing a bagpipe made of quite literally a dead goat, and the Russia dance. Both dances were interesting, but the dance I enjoyed the best was the Samoan warrior dance accompanied by drums in the background.

Next out of our backpack was Peppero, normally a chocolate coated biscuit stick but Gaz had gotten the inside out version this time. A biscuit stick coated chocolate. It did not taste as good. We nibbled on that during the 250 person choir singing a medley of Australian ad jingles - 'We are happy vegemite kids!', aeroplane jelly etc, all ads which Gaz could sing along but me staring amusedly at him while nibbling on Peppero.

The finale of the performance - Norm in the suit in the middle is a mascot from an old ad by the govt encouraging citizens to be less couch potatoey and more active.

The puppet show had barely begun when the annual fireworks from Birrarung Marr started behind us so the whole crowd turned around and started oohing and aahing over the spectacular display. This is the ONLY time I had watched fireworks so close to the source and without a gazillion sweaty armpits crowded around my face. It was beautiful and might I add, refreshing.