Celebrations

December 18, 2010 Saturday

Yesterday was our 41st wedding anniversary. There’s a Thai restaurant in town that we have wanted to try since we got here but have saved it for a special occasion. So we went there. Our first clue was the Indian fellow who greeted us at the door and was our waiter. The 2nd clue was that we were the only patrons there at 5:30 on a Friday night. (It was always crowded during tourist season, but evidently the locals know that is isn’t the best Thai food in town.) We ordered Garlic Fish and Sweet and Sour Pork. We continued to be the only ones there. The food was beautifully presented, but it had none of the delicate Thai flavors that we love. And it had no “hot” in either dish! Orson asked for the Thai hot sauce and that helped. We asked the waiter why there wasn’t any heat in the food. He explained that it had been “Aussified.” Evidently the first owner was an Australian married to a Thai. What seemed strange is that one of our inactive members has a Thai family living with her and the husband cooks at that restaurant. They must make him follow the Aussie recipes. Oh well, we will continue to stay married even if the celebration wasn’t all that we had hoped.
Tonight “Woolworths Carol,” is on TV. It’s a Christmas spectacular filmed at a huge stadium in Sydney complete with a children’s choir, orchestra, popular recording artists, and “traditional Christmas fireworks.” Fireworks are a new addition to Christmas for us. The show is good; every other song is a traditional Christmas carol that everyone sings along to. Many audience members are holding special candle holders that they sway along to the music. They did that at the carol singing thing we went to last week too. (Woolworths is one of the 2 huge grocery chains here in Australia.) The Tap Dogs, a group from the US are performing now—looks like cloggers made it big. The Wiggles are coming up next. Good thing Melinda’s little boy, Ben, loved them so we know who they are! Oh dear, Jack Black is now singing a fractured version of the “The Little Drummer Boy.” The Wiggles are singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” “Snow” is now falling on the stage because Santa has arrived. This is really fun. Most of the audience is made up of families, and lots of folks are dressed in red with little kids having cute Christmas face painting on. Santa hats and reindeer antlers are everywhere. The cameras show different folks dancing and enjoying the music. The cutest was the little two year old girl’s reaction when Santa came it. Well, now you know what a Christmas program on TV is like down here.