The Marrickville Festival - Marrickville is a multicultural suburb in the inner west of Sydney, not too far from uni/where I live. They have an annual festival that is a celebration of different cultures. Rose and I went this afternoon. 

Watussi - I discovered them at the Spanish festival and we came early to hear them. They sing mostly in Spanish with African inspired beats as well and they are pretty good. 

Rose discovers the fairy floss and gets all excited! 

Funky icee containers 

Colorful banners at the festival. They shut down the main road for it, and there was food, food and more food plus stalls with lots of stuff and live performances. 

Rose trying on a hat 

Me trying on a hat at one of the stalls 

We passed this store as we walked down Marrickville road. I couldn't resist taking a picture as it had a funny name... 

Rose's Peruvian skewers. I think they are called Aparcaba. I really wanted a bratwurst but they didn't have any (shocking!!!) so we opted for Peruvian food instead. It was a good experience. 

Peruvian food. Now if only I could remember what its called. Chicken & Pork with potatoes, mushed together with spices 

Maori Performance at the Centre stage. They had some funky movements that I wasn't able to capture. They're also wearing flourescent outfits, much like what a roadside worker would wear so people can see him in the dark... 

Goodbye, Crocodile Hunter

My first ever memories of Steve Irwin are of him trying to pick up a spitting snake without wearing anything but a pair of goggles, never mind that their spit can burn your skin. (This was after my friend Dyne did his best crikey accent and convinced me that the crazy Aussie guy was worth watching.)

When my cousin first told me that he was "reported dead" I refused to believe it. I mean, Aussie news is notorious for its exaggerations. (Nothing much happens here, so there appears to be the need to sensationalize everything.)When it was finally confirmed later on and the tributes started showing on tv, I finally believed it was real.

People ask me what it's like here, if people are freaking out. They're not. Steve Irwin was a bazillion times more popular in America, even in the Philippines. Here they recognize his great contributions to conservatism and Australian tourism, but he's not as big a thing as he is everywhere else. I mean, the man made worldwide news and CNN did a tribute.

In an interview Andrew Denton of Enough Rope did, he asked Steve why he thought that Aussies were "a bit embarrassed" about him. Steve said, "It's because there's a little bit of me in every Australian." And he's right. He was bold and passionate and committed. My Aussie friends agree that he epitomized Australianess but he took it to another level that most regular Aussies considered a bit too much sometimes. He was very much respected, though. And I think a lot of people here have come to look at him more differently now that he's gone.

To me he was a good man - a great man, a devoted father/husband and animal lover. He will be missed.


Goodbye, Steve.
from cute overload.

Whassap? Yesterday was Caleb, my friend Kat's son's 2nd birthday. It was a children's party with only two children. The rest of it was all filo adults and the teenagers they dragged with them, eating, in fairness an aussie style barbecue with sausages and salad. And lots of cake.  

Mum's new gadget #232323423423423. Kat has just bought a new camera, and a video cam and possibly something else. She has now joined the ranks of the gadget whores. (hee hee) 

I still haven't figured out entirely how to use this camera, so there's a bit of a delay when I take pictures. Thus, Caleb isn't facing the front anymore! 

Me & Caleb. He looks sungs and I suddenly have this gigantic forehead. 

Caleb blows his cake with lolo. I ate three of those cupcakes and a piece of that cake. (Saturday is chocolate day)