We went to the footy at MCG yesterday, and saw Richmond lose to Carlton 118-88 after the worst fourth quarter meltdown ever. They led 73-72 going in, and then it was 108-75 shortly after the period started. Though they lost, I'm a Richmond Tigers fan for life! And I'm kind of addicted to footy now, as it was one of the most fun sporting events I've been to. It defeats my explanation of high scores = no drama, since there's a lot of buildup to score either 6 or just 1. So it's fun to watch the whole time. While there I ate a footy pie.
It looks like I'm eating the wrapper as I attempted to show what it was I was eating...
Anyway, after the footy that we had a traditional Aussie barbie, which as Laxy's flatmate is quick to point out "still isn't a fucking sausage sizzle," even though we just had sausage, since we had alcohol too. A sausage sizzle is for kids. The things you learn. Oh, and there's been lots of Halo - we're gonna try and get Pete into a game online.
Friday night I went out with Laxy and 50 of his coworkers. He told people I worked with Pete at Vitale (part of their firm's international network) and that I was here either visiting or on secondment. All the new secondees and grads were there that night anyway, so it worked out beautifully despite my t-shirts and sneakers sticking out like a sore reddish-orange thumb. I then left my credit card and forgot half the night in a drunken haze. Go me. Had lots of fun though - I remember that much. I now also understand how there's so much firm-cest there, as they pretty much all get blind drunk there every Friday night.
Oh, and on the plane I met this guy who drives a Porshe and lives in the tallest residential building in the world, and the tallest building in Australia. Before I knew this he tried to convince me to eat all organic. He was reading In Defense of Food, by the Omnivore's Dilemma guy on the plane. Anyway, he gave me a ride into town, showed me the South Melbourne Market with is pretty awesome, and then his apartment, which is pretty nice - about the level of the Devonshire, but with Ferraris in the garage. Of course he's only on the 21st floor, so I have to go to the Skydeck to see it all. The whole thing was kinda odd, and it seems like he was trying to pick me up, though he kept talking about his female "partner", so I guessed he really was just uber-friendly and a little weird in that same way you'd suspect of a guy who eats organic and has a "partner".
Anyway, I'm having a good time here - I may actually see the city today, which I haven't really done yet. Then it's off to Cairns, the rainforest, and the Great Barrier Reef. Odd that I have to come somewhere where it's winter to get the only actually tropical part of my trip... Ah well.
As promised, a glossary:
The Footy: An Aussie Rules Football match.
Footy Pie: Meat pie eaten at the footy.
MCG: Melbourne Cricket Ground. About the size of the Big House - 110k seats or so.
Secondment: Three month exchange program:
Secondee: One who participates:
Barbie: A cookout in which there is not, nor have there ever been shrimp. At least not in Hugo's experience. And there must be alcohol or it's just a "fucking sausage sizzle."
Fucking Sausage Sizzle: The kids' version of a barbie.
Laxy: Pretty cool guy I'm staying with that I met went he was a secondee in Boston. Name's Andrew, but they all have nicknames. Aussies are lazy enough to shorten everything.
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