Major Adventures: July 2008

Rhani (aka Barney)

Awww, You!

Family Day Out - Melbourne Winter 14oC Blue Skies

What's on the menu today?

It has been over 24 hours since I have landed in Australia and I have managed to fit in quite a bit of this summer holiday in winter. I have slept about 5 hours, which was great, in my own bed, in my bedroom in my Mum's home - that is kinda sweet to do again. I have met and conquered hernew dog, Rhani (Rarny Rubble), she is a black ball of cute fuzziness with teeth - she was a little nervous at the start but soon enough she was won over with food, games, tackles and walkies.

Headed up to Aquinas today to catch up with friends and took my gorgeous friend, Mary, a coffee scroll - 2 reasons; the frist, because we like them and have a history of sharing them in our life together and second reason, was cos i haven't had a coffee scroll since March 2007 - that's a long time for a lad that used to have 3 or more a week. After catching up with everyone at my old work place, I headed to the mega shopping centre called Eastland in Ringwood.

There will be a couple of you reading this blog who may just appreciate my love and joy of Australian shopping centres. It's not just the vast array of shops under the convenience of one roof - but the humble, understated, however immensely pleasurable world renowned concept called the Australian Food Halls. Once I re-instated my mobile phone in Oz, I then proceeded to go to the wonderful food hall at Eastland, where I was surrounded by cookies, huge sandwiches, dim sims, Japanese hand rolls, kebab stalls, chicken sores, fish mongers, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese plus the obligatory American FF chains. Ohhh salivation as I ordered my sushi, dim sims and then was too full to explore the others - back off to another shoppnig centre tomorrow to continue the experience.

Took Rhani for a huge walk whilst waiting for the mother to finish work - happy mother, happy rhani, happy Jordi. I have a new pair of shoes and a pair of boots and Ezio has his first present.

Good night from Oz - Day 1, Night 2.

Mamma Mia - How much fun did we have?

OK so there are some great movies that I have seen and enjoyed and laughed out loud through, cried in and of course tapped my toe to the score; basically been very excited to see and to watch over and over again. Coming to my immediate memory would be Moulin Rouge and Enchanted - just good fun.
Then, on a lowly London night, Orange Wednesdays gave Ezio and I the opportunity to go and see the spectacle Mamma Mia at Grant's in Croydon. What a show, what a movie. I haven't read any reviews or heard or seen any interviews about this show - but that cast must have had so much fun making the film as it was all involving and absorbing as a spectator. It gave the feeling that we, the audience were really there, with the characters.
Very rarely in British cinemas would people speak or converse throughout a movie or jeer or laughed totally out loud. In tonight's showing of this movie, the audience hummed, toe tapped, jigged and jostled, they clapped, they sang, they laughed with so much vigor and enthusiasm. At the end of the film, the audience cheered and clapped and many were seen dancing out of the cinema dancing.
It's a film to see with your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your Mum and your grandma -- what a hoot - and ow much fun that it turned my frown upside down and a smile cracked my face. Go and see it.