A posh little affair.....street performers and Sydney's creepy crawlies

Well well! It's so nice being able to type in the comfort of our home. No more sketchy internet cafes for us!

I just returned from the opening reception for the East Asia/Pacific Fulbright conference. It was in a swanky little club on the 16th floor of a building near to harbor so there were some great views. When I got into the room, I was the only person under the age of 45. Also, when they said the dress code at the reception was 'business casual' I didn't think it meant 'wear the nicest suit you possibly owned.' Everyone else did. I only have 1 suit and it is somewhere between Fargo and Sydney right now. I did manage to get myself to wear a tie.

All in all, it went much better than it started. I met some really nice Fulbright folks and some not so friendly ones(who shall remain nameless as I didn't bother remembering their names). There were two Americans involved with the Fulbright commissions from Tokyo and Beijing who were very friendly and knew about music and Indiana. There were several people who had actually been to Fargo! The US Consular General in Sydney was a very charming man who could either schmooze REALLY well or he really liked me. Also a diplomat from New Zealand gave me his card. The other Fulbright students I met were pretty nice. All the same questions were asked by everybody so I got really good at answering them(almost like a family reunion!) The food was very good but fairly scarce.

There are several more receptions later this week I get to go to.

Now onto a more amusing topic: the street performers of Sydney. They seem to be everywhere and are able to play anything! On the walkway of Circular Quay where all the ferries dock and cruise ships unload, there is a huge walk way that attracts some good and not so good performers. There are aboriginal men with their bodies painted playing didjeridoos(with a techno beat in the background), a harpist, a tuba player, steel drums, bagpipes(with the tightest grace notes I've ever heard!), human statues, a huge cross-eyed banjo player, accordion, an old Chinese man who is just learning violin as he plays, and my personal favorite: a guy in a donkey costume. He doesn't sing or dance, he's just dressed as a donkey. I put a few coins in the hat to see if he'd do anything and all I got was a hoof raised to shake my had and a very sincere 'Thank You!' Everytime I think about it, I laugh till my sides hurt!

And now onto another topic which merits mentioning: the bugs of Sydney. Prior to coming, we had heard about all the poisonous spiders of Australia. I assumed Sydney being very mild and moist of climate would be rife with creepy crawlies. When we moved in, I bought roach motels and prepared to declare war! We've slept with the window in our bedroom open(no AC) with no screen(they don't seem to be used in OZ) every night and all we've seen are several millers, a daddy longlegs spider, two beetles and a couple of gnats. All these have been sent on a nautical tour of Sydney's plumbing system. Now I'm not naive enough to think they're not there lurking in the shadows, but at least they stay out of sight so that I don't have to think about them. And if they do show up, I have shoes placed throughout the apartment(much to Ruth Ann's chagrin!!) to take care of them!

Ahhh, Australia! Land of charming diplomats, entertaining people, and polite bugs!

Have a good night!
~Mike