A wedding and a funeral

Paul, a dear friend of Rod's who only just attended our wedding in Sydney last week passed away from a suspected heart attack while riding his bicycle yesterday. He was about Rod's age and looked fit and healthy. Rod is still in Vietnam and he called to tell me the news, he's is quite lost for words. I didn't now Paul very well but I wanted to cry as well. I spent a lot of time talking to his little girl at the wedding and my heart goes out to his poor wife Paulette. We will probably be going down to Melbourne this weekend to attend the funeral.....Its been a shocking week for all of us.

Wedded Bliss?

We've started married life with a really bad week. First we had really freak weather at the wedding, snow, hail, rain, gale force winds and some sunshine which really put a damper on our plans. We couldn't get married outside and we moved indoors into a room to do the ceremony which was set up quite nicely as a wet weather alternative but it was nowhere near as lovely as our orginal venue. I'm glad I didn't allow my dissapointment to show on the day and I'm surprised how blase' I was at all the disruptions and despite everything that went wrong I quite enjoyed myself.

The next day though, I felt it. Irony, dissapointment, resentment, regret and relief. I thought about how I didn't have time to stop and take in the day. To cherish those little moments. From the moment I woke up it was GO! Go! Go! right till the end. In hindsight I wished I had gotten my priorities right. I had put alot of emphasis on minor trivial things like the flowers and had not found the time for more important things like taking up my dress properly. I kept pulling the bodice of my dress up the whole night and was uncomfortable and afraid one of my boobs would pop out. I wish I had time to relax and breath. I was still wiring buttonholes and hadn't taken a bath yet when my make-up artist turned up early and I hurriedly took a 5 minute shower and didn't even mouisturise my face. When my make-up was gettig done instead of kicking back and enjoying being pampered, I fretted about the things that still needed to be done and then it started hailing. It was probebly at that point that something in me gave up and I knew that nothing was going to be perfect like the way I imagined it. After that nothing fazed me, I was as composed as the Buddha.

What would have made the day easier would have been the help of family. I got no help from my sisters. Both were too self absorbed on the day to see that I was crying out for help. My younger sister who is 24 but behaves like a 16 year old emo brat was still sulking over getting told off that she couldn't play her gameboy at the dinner table of a swanky restaurant we ate at the night before the wedding. My elder sister who had a baby 2 months ago was putting up all sort of excuses that she was busy tending the baby so she couldn't help me but last week she threw together a huge baby bash for 30 of her friends with no problems. My mom on the other hand was wonderful as she tirelessly dethorned all 100+ roses for me the night before (hence I am beating myself up about my priorities). My cousin who I initially didn't want to invite to the wedding was such a little helper and I don't think I could have finished everything without him. Everyone was still lounging around in thier pajamas watching TV and when the photographer arrived, everyone wasn't properly dressed except for me, despite none of them helping me to get ready, they couldn't even dress themselves on time . Only when Rod came and we got into our car, just the two of us that I felt at peace again.

I've tried not to think about the wedding so much and have concrentrated my thoughts on Rod and thigs that really matter to the both of us. We had a lovely morning just us two, taking our time driving back home. By Monday it felt like we didn't have a wedding at all. I can hardly remember the details now. Don't get me wrong, there were great parts about the wedding, and when I feel like talking about the good parts. perhaps when I see the pictures, I can write more favourably of the day. but it was not the best day of my life to be sure.

Then Rod had to fly off on Tuesday for a business trip which would take him away for the rest of the week till the weekend. I knew this was coming before the wedding and we made the best of the two days following the wedding to cherish that freshly married feeling and then he was off on a plane bound for Bangkok. The next morning I read the news that anti goverment protestors had taken control of the airport and that all in-coming and outgoing flights to the capital have been canceled. I'm frantic the whole morning and it isn't till midday I get a msg from Rod saying he landed safely at the Bangkok domestic terminal where they got diverted and had spent 6 hours sitting on the plane on the tarmac while waiting for immigration to sort them out. He was meant to catch another flight to Vietnam for more meetings but latest reports say the airpots have been closed indefinately till futher notice. It looks like he won't be back this weekend. I've been feeling a bit fearful, and a little bit angry as well (at his company, don't know why because they wouldn't have predicted this would happen) I thank god that he didn't go on a business trip to Mumbai and pray that the protest in Bangkok is a peaceful one and that it is just an annoying inconvinience and that he will return safe and sound to me soon.

Before & After

Pictures of the flowers I prepared for the wedding, Rod and I went to the Flemington Flower Market at 5.30am and my dad drove the lot up to the cabin we were staying the night before the wedding. My mom and I stayed up till 1am the night before arranging half the flowers and I worke up at 6am to finish the rest and also my bouquet the morning of the wedding. I loved my bouquet. It had 3 large pink/cream roses in the centre encircled by peony roses in shades of white, soft pink and deep pink with feathers. The reception flowers were David Austin roses in red, apricot and pink with lisianthus, sweet pea, hydrangea and statice.

The morning after, we had a stroll around the garden of the B&B we were staying at and I look a little worse for wear but you can see the relief on my face that its all over and later we are lounging back home again, with our cats. our certificate of marraige is on display on the sideboard.

Still too tired to write about the wedding...perhaps when I get my pictures back . Its weird and perhaps I shouldn't be feeling like this. It definately wasn't the greatest day of my life. I liked the morning after much better. I kept admiring my wedding ring, called Rod, 'Hubby' plenty of times. I suppose it was the stress of the day and not liking to be the centre of attention..plus there was the very bad weather that spoilt a few things...sigh.......















The sheer bulk I bought at the markets because I didn't know what I was doing




















My absolutely gorgeous DIY wedding bouquet.





















Bunches and bunches of reception flowers














More ceremony flowers
















After the deed is done. Looking relieved and relaxed with my new husband. Rod wearing his wedding hat















Relaxing with the lads

Changing of the old Guard

Love it or hate it, one can't deny that the US elections have been riveting entertainment to all us non voters. Its not just the candidates that are interesting, the whole election system is fascinating and so complexed starting from the primary elections leading up to today. As like with everything American its almost like one big game show.

I haven't said anything before and I prefer to keep my opinions about the matter to myself or risk coming across like some uneducated nut because frankly I don't know a thing about politics. For months I have been bemused by the heated opinions of Sydneysiders, most very pro Obama in an election that doesn't directly concern them at all. As some Americans have said:- they don't care what Australia is thinking because the Australians aren't voting. So when I see someone on the train getting all excited and rallying behind Obama and vilifying McCain/Palin. I want to ask them if they really understand the exact differing policies of the candidates? Are they making an educated choice or are they gunning for Obama because he's way cooler than an old fart like McCain? Are they being swayed by the media propaganda that seems overwhelmingly in Obama's favour or do they just want to see the changing of the old guard for the sake of having something different. As a white American comedian said, he's voting Obama because he wants a black president to misrepresent black men as white presidents have been doing for white men throughout history. And don't get me started on the Palin haters either. How can I take them seriously when all thier negativity is shaped by a spoof they watched on YouTube.

I readily admit that I prefered Obama to win, this I say in the same vein that I would like a particular football team to win because I prefer the colour of thier uniforms. Nothing more. Beyond that, I am highly skeptical that one man be he black or white could change the course of America and indirectly the world in 4 years. The win is symbolic more than anything else.

But at anyrate, Obama had won by a landslide. Good on him I say. Lets hope Obama 08 delivers more than Kevin 07.
nuff said

Unmentionables

One of the last items on my list to do b4 the wedding was to buy bridal underwear. I found a shop which specialises in bridal corsettry all the way in Wentworthville. I ask Rod to drive me there as the trains were not running that weekend. We made the mistake of taking the Paramatta Highway which is chock a block every weekend and it takes us over an hour to get to our destination. As with all long car trips, I start to feel drowsy(which is unfair to Rod who does all the driving) so for his sake, I pretend to stay awake by sleeping with my eyes open. This, I achieve by rolling my pupils back into my eye sockets. Does it really work? No, not really and after a feeble attempt to appear awake, I'm fast asleep and wake up sheepishly when Rod pulls into park at the Wentworthville town centre.

The shop looks pretty unassuming, but when I walk in, I realise its a very different underwear shopping experience. I'm told to wait for a vacant changeroom. All four changerooms are occupied and every customer has a personal shop assistant who does all the running around in the shop and gives the customer thier personal attention and advice on fitting. Usually when I buy underwear, its a fairly uncomplicated operation, I know my size and its a quick in and out for me, but these ladies take thier time and the assistants are very obliging and helpful. They aren't too fussed with trying to get a high turnover in the rooms hence I was in for a rather long wait. I didn't intend to spy but with nothing else to do, I notice the four women in the changerooms are all very large women. The bra sizes the shop assisantant are carting around look gigantuan and would fit my whole head and then some (I don't say that to be crude but that was really what I was thinking at that moment because I found the sizes so gobsmackingly huge! And even though I was in the land of indian takeaway and hot chips, I was bemused to find not just one obese woman in the store but 4??? ....and they weren't related either). No wonder they took so long because the fit and support had to be perfect. I think it would be terrible to feel so weighed down all the time and small breasted women the worldover should be thankful. and another thing, the assistant and customer aren't modest either. There is alot of boob baring, pulling, shifting and lifting them puppies into place in order to find the perfect fit. I'm reminded of those two British stylemakers 'Trinny and Susannah' . I watch thier show with open mouth horror at the audiacity of these two women who go around grabbing British women's ample bosoms and butt cheeks in shopping malls and telling them to love thier curves and jiggle bits.

When it comes my turn, the girl asked me for my size. Now I don't know if by juxtaposition with her last customer, I appear positively anorexic but when I tell her, she looks at me in disbelief and says "Nooooo, you're at least a size ten!"

"Darl, that's sweet but I haven't been a size ten since high school and even then just barely!" I thought.

We agree to try a size 12 and she runs off and bring me the corsett and belive it or not, the darn thing is too big. Damn these girls are good. The size ten fits perfectly and I fully understand the allure of the pinched waistline. Dita von Teese eat your heart out. Unfortunelaly the ribbing of the corset shows through my gown which is a very light silk. In the end I settle for those dubious adhesive chicken fillets and alot of Hollywood tape. Perhaps I should complete the look with some grandma knickers.

What a day Packs!

It was cold today so I had a toasted Subway sandwich for lunch. Only because the queue that usually goes out the door at Subway had transfered across the street to the TAB today. Yes, its Melbourne Cup day. The race that stops the nation but manages no effect on my office whatsoever. No office sweeps or even stopping for cheese and crackers. This is the only workplace I've been in where we work right through the Melboune cup race. Its sacrilege!

Actually, It had completely slipped my mind, with talks about interest rates cuts and the US election at the forefront of todays news, It wasn't till I saw women wearing race hats and fasinators on the train that the penny dropped. Women all over North Sydney have thrown on thier pretty spring dresses with paper thin shawls, even though we're in the middle of a cold snap heading towards summer. With style winning over comfort, they soldiered onto thier Melbourne Cup lunchoens cluching thier hats and holding onto the hems of thier short dresses as the cold and blustery winds tried to make them look foolish and ill attired.


(only Jen Hawkins can pull off such a look - taken from the SMH website. Reminds me of that ad where there is this sexy bikini clad model drinking Sprite and the tagline says, 'Drink Sprite, look sexy*' and at the bottom the disclaimer
*you must be sexy first)

I like Mebourne Cup, Not so much for the races, or the gambling but definately for the fashion. For weeks the shops have been selling the prettiest dresses, shoes and fasinators for race day. Its the only day where pple actually dress up for the occasion. There was a lacklustre response to Halloween in Australia because its perceived to be an America tradition but pple pull out the stops for Melbourne Cup. Its so uniquely Australian. I only wish it was a public holiday here like it is in Victoria.

Have just heard over the radio, Bart Cummings horse ' Viewed' has won the Melboune cup.

Caucus Race

Attended the most hilarious meeting the other nite..it was work related, we were going to meet the 'Friends of the Balmain Townhall', a group of women with an interest in the developement of the Townhall..all of them over 60 for sure. and carrying on in that naffy old woman sort of way. They had convened a general meeting in which to discuss the carpet selection. We had turned up especially as a courtesy to allow them some creative input into what carpet would be chosen, mind you we didn't have to and they weren't the clients but because its a public space, the community gets rather sensitive about these things so its good to make them feel involved.

If this was a real business meeting we would have turned up and gotten right into it, as professionals, time is money, but we had to sit thru an hour of rather trivial general commitee stuff. 15 minutes of wrangling wheter the group should meet half and hour earlier, the monthly budget report, the treasurer reports they had received $4.50 in interest this month. A collection of monthly membership fees, I reckon looked to be two dollars and the silliest was vacating all commitee positions ( it was actually thier AGM) all annouced and done rather formally only to have everyone re-elected 5 minutes later in the same roles (there were only 8 of them you see). I felt like Alice in Wonderland running in that riduculous caucus race. It was pretty difficult not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. How they tried to keep the air of formality and structure in the preceedings, but it didn't have the decorum of a usual business meeting. All the women talked at once and didn't listen to each other. They complained and nitpicked about the smallest things...and when finally we got to selecting the carpets, the process was a hoot..they tried to table a vote but everyone was speaking at once and the chairperson just said "Alright! Everyone go and stand on the carpet they like best" and it was like that game 'islands and crocodiles', four ladies stading on a 500mm square carpet sample. They picked a colour that was pratically identical to the current carpet..which was hideous by the way but thats democracy for you. Afterwards they got to the real reason of the meeting..a party! Even I had to laugh because it was all quite quaint really. Old ladies are funny creatures