Another reason why Melbourne is better than Sydney. . .

A national survey of Australian attitudes toward diversity has identified New South Wales as the most "racist" of the nation's states and territories. Forty-six per cent of survey respondents stated some ethnic groups "should not be in the country." But only about 10 percent of Australians went as far as to say that different ethnic groups shouldn't inter-marry or that certain ethnic groups are inferior. So I guess that means half of Australians are racist, but only 10% are REALLY racist. Well, that's a relief. . .

Australia Does Epcot

Apparently, visitor's to Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival can now get a taste of Melbourne's famous laneways and cuisine. Tourism Victoria managed to land Melbourne a spot at the famous food gig (not that anyone in America actually knows where Melbourne is). For some, it may provide some incentive to make the great trip down under. But for most, I reckon Epcot is as close as they'll get to the sunburned country.

All Victoria Grand Final

Another year, another footy Grand Final. I've decided that there is no greater spectacle in Victoria than the Grand Final. Melbourne Cup is a close second, but horse racing just doesn't have the mass appeal to all ages as footy. As great as the World Series, the Superbowl and March Madness might be, I'm not even sure they can compare. After all, any town that can support nine professional teams in the same freakin' sport is going to be tough to beat when it comes to fanaticism.

In any case, this year's Grand Final came down to a clash between the defending champs, Geelong, and Hawthorn in front of a crowd of 100,012. We had to pull for Hawthorn, because you've got to go for the underdog and because we've been to Geelong (aesthetically, it leaves something to be desired, and we can't pronounce the city correctly anyway). A Grand Final is not something to be watched alone, so we experienced the festivities at Ernie and Lisa's new penthouse flat. And fortunately, but surprisingly, the Hawks broke loose after half time and cruised to victory. This was followed by lots of fist pumping and ass slapping by the victors.

The Grates - Burn Bridges

The Grates have a new album out and you know what that means - a whole suite of catchy new tunes and a few very odd videos. . .

Cousin Ralf

We spent the evening with Cousin Ralf last night, who was in town for the weekend on one of his routine tours of the region. We took Ralf for dinner at Hairy Canary, followed by a quick drink at The Birdcage.

Finally!

At long last, our asses can enjoy the comfort to which they are entitled. After 9 months of pain and suffering, delays and frustration, the sofas we ordered at the beginning of the year have arrived and have been installed in Casa de Preston.
Although it took a bit of sweat to get them into our apartment (suggestion for furniture delivery companies - probably not wise to hire 16 year old boys that weigh 40 kilos to deliver furniture), our abode is now filled with the fine smell of rich Chinese leather.

Now, however, it has become apparent that the new sofas are far finer than most of the other stuff that exists in our home, so we may have simply doomed ourselves to a long-term series of furnishing upgrades.

The old sofas (and all their history) have moved down the road to the house of young Master Julian. Hopefully they will prove kind to his bum.

Physics Rap?

Newley tipped me off to this little gem. . .a "rap" on the Large Hydron Collider

New Governor General

Australia will be swearing in a new governor general today. Quentin Bryce, the former governor of Queensland will be the 25th GG, and the nations' first female to hold the office.

If you're wondering what the GG does, here's the official word:

A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty’s representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen’s pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him [emphasis added to reflect the fact that they may need to update the Constitution to make it more reflective of the 21st century].

Based upon the above, and the general hands-off approach of the Queen with respect to the Commonwealth, I think it is fair to say that the GG is symbol of Australia's relationship with the UK, but not much else. And given the constant debate over Australia becoming a republic, I reckon the days of the office are numbered.

Coffee

The Backpacker had a bit at The Age online about the quality of coffee around the world. Apparently, some of the better nations for getting a decent cup of Joe include Italy as well as a few spots in Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Malaysia) and South America (Argentina). Those nations more notorious for coffee include the UK and, of course, the good ol' USA (although in defence of the USA, what it lacks in quality, it makes up in quantity).

The single best place (allegedly) for coffee in the world: Melbourne, Australia. But this is coming from an Aussie, and if you're looking for a coffee snob, you'll be guaranteed to find one in Melbourne.

America

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

After spending a couple of months in the US and Europe, I checked back in on Australia for a few weeks only to head back to the states for a more formal holiday. We arrived in an America struggling through high fuel prices, absorbed by the Olympics (Go Phelps!), dodging tropical cyclones, and with presidential campaigns well underway.


First stop - Madison, Wisconsin (via Chicago)

I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Via Chicago

We dropped in on the family in Madison, which in winter is one of the last places on the planet you want to be. In summer, however, this progressive college town is quite pleasant. As our first port of call, jet lag was an issue, but Uta at least overcame her sleepiness with Olympics fever, staying up to the wee hours of the morning watching Michael Phelps and underage Chinese gymnasts do their thing. We spent a day at the outlet mall in the Dells buying everything they had (and laughing hysterically over how cheap everything was). We also made the mandatory stroll down State Street and sat out in the sun at The Terrace.


Second Stop - Atlanta, Georgia

Welcome to Atlanta where the playas play
And we ride on them things like every day
Big beats, hit streets, see gangsta's roamin'
And parties dont stop til' eight in the mornin'

Home sweet home. We spent ten days in Atlanta, hooking up with many friends and loved ones and continued our binge shopping which necessitated the acquisition of an additional suitcase. We arrived just in time for me to catch the 11th annual South Atlantic Karate Association summer training camp and for us to participate in the 2nd annual cornhole tournament (we were eliminated in the first round). We also hit Midtown's Cypress Street Pint and Plate, the Midcity Cafe, Rosa Mexicana at Atlantic Station, and the old favourites of Fellini's and Moe's and Joe's (which has gone a bit up-market since being bought out, but still has pitchers of PBR for $3.25 on Tuesdays). A highlight for Uta was a visit to Friedman's, where shoes can be found in absurd sizes - I bought a pair of sneakers while Uta got to see how her feet measure up to Shaq's (who reportedly is a size 24). I also dropped in on a few folks at Ga Tech and spent a morning tyring to inspire a few young minds over at Fernbank Science Center. We topped off our stay in the ATL by peeking in on a real estate development where we discovered that for the price of our little two bedroom apartment in Melbourne, we could have one of these brand new monsters in Atlanta. Food for thought. . .


Third Stop - New York, New York

New york, lookin down on central park
Where they say you should not wander after dark

Despite Uta's many trips to NYC over the years, my experience with the city consists of only one prior trip which occurred during the early 80's. If things have changed since then, I don't remember. We checked in at the SoHotel (which is actually more in Little Italy than in SoHo, but that's marketing for you). Our first night, we hooked up with the SoHo Swede for dinner, and then rested up for what would prove to be a 15k forced march on Monday, from SoHo to Central Park (stopping in at the Empire State Building) and then back. Tuesday, we headed to Flushing Meadows to witness Day 2 of the U.S. Open, where we saw Haas triumph over Gasquet, Robredo nail down the lid of Zverev's coffin and where some clown mistook me for James Blake's brother, Thomas. Wednesday it was more tourist stuff - Chinatown, St. Pauls and the WTC site, Wall Street, Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry. We met up with B-Rob and Trey for dinner, followed by drinks at the requisite hip cocktail lounge. Thursday we walked through the West Village, did some shopping in SoHo (including the cleverly named stores "Shoe" and "Bag") and then wrapped up the day and the trip by catching Rent on Broadway (in it's last week).

I'll be heading back to the US in November (Florida) and January (Phoenix). In the meantime, if you're dying from visions of the silly land, go here.

Look at Them Wheels!

This article in The Age reports on the world's rapidly expanding love affair with the observation wheel. Melbourne's own version is due to open later this year (with commanding views of the port), and I'm a bit disappointed to discover its size is rather tame in comparison to the behemoths being erected in Beijing and Singapore. But, as with all things Australian, I'm sure it'll be big enough for the city to boast that it's wheel is "the largest in the Southern Hemisphere."

Starbucks

The coffee giant, Starbucks appears to be losing the coffee wars in the Antipodes, with the hot beverage retailer announcing the closure of 61 of its stores in Australia. Outlets in Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra will evaporate, leaving only Melbourne and Sydney to hold the line.

SPO

On the return from the UK, I dropped in with mom on the in-laws in St. Peter-Ording, Germany. It's just not summer without a trip to the coast, a bit of unpredictable weather, and some tasty German cuisine. The trip offered the opportunity to see the results of the renovations that were underway in Bad during our visit last year, including the new Gosch (which proved quite tasty). I also got to take the new Dittmer family Smart car for a spin around town and managed to squeeze in a bit of golf (a challenging endeavor in the face of North Sea winds). The sadness associated with having to leave was offset slightly but the upgrade to business class on the return home. Sweet!

Around Nofolk

After mother was safely shepherded out to Norwich, we did spend at least one day out and about in the countryside. We rented a smart looking Peugeot, which was marginally drivable due to the rather small space available for a driver's feet (apparently Frenchmen have wee feet). We took the Peugeot out to Blickling Hall, a Jacobean estate first constructed in 1620 and subsequently occupied and renovated up until 1940 when it was turned over the National Trust. This was followed by a jaunt over to the newer, but still impressive Sandringham Estate of the Windsor Family ("the Norfolk retreat of the Queen"). While the several houses of the room were viewable by the public were chockers with twee stuff, I found the collection of family photographs in the museum out back the most interesting.

London

What better place to spend the Fourth of July than London. . .I spent three nights there over the revolutionary weekend, meeting up with ex-pat friends of various nationalities and picking up mother so that she could enjoy bit of a European vacation. Due to stereotypical London weather, we did some stereotypical tourist stuff, catching all the sites as it were - from Harrods to Westminster to the Tower of London to Greenich.

Norwich

Norwich, UK - the town where medieval cathedrals are as thick as coffee shops in Seattle. If one's looking for untouched country, this is the wrong place. It's pretty hard to step anywhere without stumbling upon something from at least the 11th century. Claims to fame include the Norwich Market, the Norwich Castle, and of course Norwich Cathedral (that's the big one).

Despite being a relatively small nations, the UK can be a bit of a challenges to get around in. It took me the same amount of time to get from Heathrow to Norwich as it did to get from Washington, DC to Heathrow. Apparently, the folks at Paddington Station sent me to Kings Cross rather than Liverpool Street. Hence, I had to change trains in the less than quaint village of Peterborough and was forced to spend quite a bit of time hanging out there.

So, I'm here in Norwich for at total of four weeks, hanging out at the University of East Anglia as a "Visiting Fellow". In addition, I'm working out a couple of times a week with the Eastern Shotokan Association, and keeping up with the European Cup 2008. I've already traveled up to Newcastle to visit the University there and will be celebrating the Fourth of July in London next week.

I've enjoyed uncharacteristically pleasant weather - not like that Washington, DC place which was stinking hot. Sure, the rains roll in now and then, but I've managed to dodge the worst of it. The harder thing to dodge is the exceedingly large number of pensioners cruising around town in their little electric scooters. They're everywhere - the health service must subsidise them. Also, it's interesting to be in a town where the bicycle really is a core method of transport for everyone.

Back in the US

I managed to spend the first two weeks of June in Australia's official capital of Washington, DC, where I attended the American Meteorological Society's summer policy colloquium. This in an of itself was quite a treat - 10 rather intense days of digging into policy for science and science for policy, with access to some fairly senior members of the federal government. And subsequent to this, I had some free time which allowed me to pay a visit to my old stomping ground.

Meanwhile, I'd forgotten what a hot and sticky place the U.S. east coast can be. My first week there, temperatures soared up to the high 90s. Now that in an of itself is nothing by Australian standards, but throw in some God-awful humidity and being outside was rather unpleasant. Contrast this with the other thing I'd forgotten about the U.S. - the ever present chill of air conditioning. Not sure who decided 65 was a comfortable temperature. Other things I noticed about America:

1) they like plaid
2) but not as much as khaki
3) which is second only to baseball caps in terms of fashion significance
4) stuff is cheap (but they think they pay a lot for gasoline)
5) they love trucks (but not as much as they used to as a result of #4)
6) they like to talk to strangers (or yell random stuff at them)
7) the nation hasn't managed to sort out its health care woes in my absence
8) cable news has morphed into an unintelligible mess of rubbish
9) God hates the Midwest (or maybe he just likes testing its faith)

Of course, I managed to catch up with various friends and loved ones - the boys from W&M, the ATL ex-pats, former students, work colleagues, etc. Also worked out with the Washington DC Shotokan Karate Club, and even toured Mount Vernon (something I never did when I actually lived in the area).

Australia's Top 50

The Age recently conducted an exercise to attempt to compile a list of Australia's top 50 albums (of all time, of course). Some are predictable, some I'm vaguely aware of through having learned a bit about Australia music culture, others remain complete enigmas. The results:

THE TOP FIFTY
1 10-1 - Midnight Oil (1981)
2 Radios Appear - Radio Birdman (1977)
3 Living in the 70s - -Skyhooks (1974)
4 Hi Fi Way - You Am I (1995)
5 Stoneage Romeos - Hoodoo Gurus (1984)
6 Gossip - Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls (1986)
7 (I'm) Stranded - the Saints (1977)
8 Kick - INXS (1987)
9 Diesel and Dust - Midnight Oil (1987)
10 Back in Black - AC/DC (1980)
11 Magic Box - Loved Ones (1967)
12 Easy - the Easybeats (1965)
13 Born Sandy Devotional - the Triffids (1986)
14 Crowded House - Crowded House (1986)
15 Human Frailty - Hunters and Collectors (1986)
16 High Voltage - AC/DC (1976)
17 Sunnyboys - Sunnyboys (1981)
18 Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies will Float By - the Drones (2005)
19 16 Lovers Lane - Go-Betweens (1988)
20 Prehistoric Sounds - the Saints (1988)
21 Circus Animals - Cold Chisel (1980)
22 Hourly, Daily - You Am I (1996)
23 East - Cold Chisel (1980)
24 Doughboy Hollow Died Pretty (1991)
25 Goodbye Tiger Richard Clapton (1977)
26 Daddy Who - Daddy Cool (1971)
27 Prayers on Fire - the Birthday Party (1981)
28 Charcoal Lane - Archie Roach (1992)
29 Rose Tattoo - Rose Tattoo (1978)
30 Less is More - Even (1996)
31 Let There Be Rock - AC/DC (1977)
32 Since I Left You - the Avalanches (2001)
33 Icehouse - Flowers (1980)
34 Toward the Blues - Chain (1971)
35 Anthology - the Easybeats (2000)
36 The Good Son - Nick Cave (1990)
37 Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979)
38 The Low Road - Beasts of Bourbon (1991)
39 The Swing - INXS (1984)
40 Lovetown - Stephen Cummings (1988)
41 Face to Face - the Angels (1978)
42 Post - Paul Kelly (1985)
43 Woodface - Crowded house (1991)
44 Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express - Go-Betweens (1986)
45 Tu Plang - Regurgitator (1996)
46 Eternal Nightcap - The Whitlams (1997)
47 Diorama - Silverchair (2002)
48 Starfish - The Church (1988)
49 A Toast to Panama - Red Masters' Apprentices (1972)
50 Get Born - Jet (2003)

Snow Anyone

As we head into the start of Australia's ski season, there appears to be just one problem. Notice anything missing? While last year was a big season which lifted the spirits of the nation's ski industry, this year is off to a slow start. Not only has there been little snow to speak of, it's even been too warm for snow making.

Heavyweight Champion of the World

Australia has finally made its international mark, with a new report declaring Australia the most obese nation in the world, thicker around the middle than even their American allies.