Lessons in Aussieness
Marianne hadn't experience the finer points of Aussie culture until
a couple of months ago. Sure, we'd gone to the Edinburgh Walkabout for Australia Day drinks - where we drank VB and danced to Khe Sahn until we'd run through our £24 (after about 45 mins) but that wasn't enough to really get a grasp on our way of life. So, you can imagine how overjoyed I was to discover that Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson was coming to town while we were staying in Bournemouth. "He sings funny Aussie songs," I told her.
Anyway, I think the same day we visited Mary Shelley's grave we
went to see the potty-mouthed guy whose tunes I remember well from the primary school playground. He hasn't come up with a lot of material since, it must be said, but he was still as funny as he ever was... Each familiar song was met with a cheer from the crowd, and each sing-a-long chorus met with knowing laughs, before we'd all get a little bored and hang out for the next number. Highlights, for me at least (I'm not sure about Marianne), were, "Do you f*ck on first dates?" and the one where he calls Santa the C word for not bringing the gifts he wanted. I couldn't help but think I would have found this a lot funnier if I were still twelve.
Marianne's next cultural experience came with the Wallabies
northern autumn tour. The missus was happy to discover that on a Wallaby game day I, like any good Aussie male, would be out of her hair for 12 hours or so. I'm sure she was also pleasantly surprised to find me in fine song upon my return from the pub on game day. My blokeish tenor turned an irritating sleep disturbance into a moment of great mirth and merriment.
My mate Alex (from Stanthorpe) and I have also been talking a lot
of cricket - for the missus's benefit of course. I'm hoping some of the talk will rub off and our enthusiasm for the beautiful game will rub off. Just like what happens at home when you talk cricket around women.
Another Aussie Day looms so, without the presence of a Walkabout in
town, I might have to make a few lamingtons (can you believe that the spellchecker thinks this isn't a word), get a case of VB and get the folks to send over taped copies of Kingswood (bloody spellchecker again) Country.
The poms are pretending they're not interested in cricket
again after getting a pasting in the Ashes. At least I don't have to hear another, "How about that Ashes series mate?" from them, like I did for the last year.
I'm off to the Socceroos/Denmark friendly in London in Feb with
Alex and Guinea. It's at Lofus Rd Stadium in Shepherds Bush ('She Bu' to the locals) where approximately 2 million Aussies live. Should be sweet. ((Note: we lost 3-1 and our defence sucked))
a couple of months ago. Sure, we'd gone to the Edinburgh Walkabout for Australia Day drinks - where we drank VB and danced to Khe Sahn until we'd run through our £24 (after about 45 mins) but that wasn't enough to really get a grasp on our way of life. So, you can imagine how overjoyed I was to discover that Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson was coming to town while we were staying in Bournemouth. "He sings funny Aussie songs," I told her.
Anyway, I think the same day we visited Mary Shelley's grave we
went to see the potty-mouthed guy whose tunes I remember well from the primary school playground. He hasn't come up with a lot of material since, it must be said, but he was still as funny as he ever was... Each familiar song was met with a cheer from the crowd, and each sing-a-long chorus met with knowing laughs, before we'd all get a little bored and hang out for the next number. Highlights, for me at least (I'm not sure about Marianne), were, "Do you f*ck on first dates?" and the one where he calls Santa the C word for not bringing the gifts he wanted. I couldn't help but think I would have found this a lot funnier if I were still twelve.
Marianne's next cultural experience came with the Wallabies
northern autumn tour. The missus was happy to discover that on a Wallaby game day I, like any good Aussie male, would be out of her hair for 12 hours or so. I'm sure she was also pleasantly surprised to find me in fine song upon my return from the pub on game day. My blokeish tenor turned an irritating sleep disturbance into a moment of great mirth and merriment.
My mate Alex (from Stanthorpe) and I have also been talking a lot
of cricket - for the missus's benefit of course. I'm hoping some of the talk will rub off and our enthusiasm for the beautiful game will rub off. Just like what happens at home when you talk cricket around women.
Another Aussie Day looms so, without the presence of a Walkabout in
town, I might have to make a few lamingtons (can you believe that the spellchecker thinks this isn't a word), get a case of VB and get the folks to send over taped copies of Kingswood (bloody spellchecker again) Country.
The poms are pretending they're not interested in cricket
again after getting a pasting in the Ashes. At least I don't have to hear another, "How about that Ashes series mate?" from them, like I did for the last year.
I'm off to the Socceroos/Denmark friendly in London in Feb with
Alex and Guinea. It's at Lofus Rd Stadium in Shepherds Bush ('She Bu' to the locals) where approximately 2 million Aussies live. Should be sweet. ((Note: we lost 3-1 and our defence sucked))
posted by woden pete @ 11:14 PM
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