Praise be to the small food gods

After a month of luncheons and festive catch-ups I’ve finally managed to push my chair back from the collective Christmas table. With minimal movement, so as not to cause a minor tsunami with my newly acquired reverberating paunch, I make my way onto my hands and knees...

Once there I give thanks to the creators of small food everywhere …from the tapa chefs beavering away on miniscule anchovy toast, to the pastry chefs churning out hundreds of shrunken pavlovas and pintsized profiteroles. Without such dainty morsels I’d surely have ended the month three dress sizes heavier. There is however one thing left to do ….

I’ve been pondering about writing to the World Health Organisation and requesting they compel event organisers to put side plates on dessert buffets instead of dinner plates … the mind may be willing to limit the number of mini desserts that venture onto the plate, but the stomach and eyes are weak. Do I have your support?



Desserts at the Hyundi Hopman Cup Players Welcome Night

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Magical Reindeer Appendages (Burswood Casino Christmas display)

This photo was taken at Burswood Complex or should I say Crown Perth, where I sat watching people have their photo taken underneath the reindeer, usually gravitating towards its hind legs.

As I waited for my colleague to arrive I pondered ….maybe Rudolf isn’t the only reindeer with magical appendages ….perhaps Santa heard what Posh calls David Beckham and decided he wanted some of his own …rumball anyone?

Wish you all a relaxing, safe, happy holiday season surrounded by loved ones.

Coming up: If all goes to plan over the break I'll be launching two books early next year.

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Christmas doves

After a year of kookaburras and ducks….

It seems nature decided to end the year by turning my garage into a manger with the birth of two doves …no turtles though…..that I know of.

It’s also left me pondering....

I think I heard somewhere that it’s bad luck if a black cat is the first thing across your doorstep in the new year. So what if two doves are the last thing to inhabit your belfry at the end of the year?

Am I doomed to a year of crap? Or at the very least a lot of car washing? Here's hoping someone gives me a box of Shamwows for Christmas.

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Finally a see through Stig (Top Gear Live Australia Part 4)

And to finish off ... for anyone who wanted a peak inside Stig ...



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Essential ingredients for a good game of soccer (Top Gear Live Australia Part 3)

A ball ...

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players

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gooooaaallll

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and an argument with the ref if you don't win

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yep, nothing unusual there.

Flamethrower envy (Top Gear Live Australia Part 2)

First hand evidence of why BBQ lighting needs to be supervised this Christmas (as suggested in the previous post) ... it's a boy thing.

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Why socks wont cut it this year (Top Gear Australia Part 1)

This weekend had me pondering whether across Australia men will declare Christmas 2011 ‘the most disappointing Christmas ever’. Here’s my reasoning …

On Thursday night the Burswood Dome, or ‘Bouncy Castle’ so named by Jeremy Clarkson, hosted the final leg of Top Gear Australia. Clarkson was joined by James May and Shane Jacobson in what was essentially a taste of their long running TV show. Clarkson had been gagged somewhat after his recent outbursts about striking workers, which left the show feeling slightly scripted in parts. Still Jacobson did his best to step up and the testosterone drenched audience didn’t seem to mind.

 

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Half way through an assortment of high speed crashes, wheelies, and flame throwers came a moment a respite as ten high-end cars patrolled the Dome. With only one car residing in Perth, the realization about the transport and insurance costs helped put the shows ticket price into perspective.



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Copious orgasmic sighing from the much hyped audience had me hurriedly lifting my complimentary Top Gear Magazine off the floor. A second slower and it would have been lost in a sea of high octane drool.

 

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Later as I watched most of the crowd leave, (except for those with ‘paddock passes’ who were moving backstage where the cars were on display), I pondered the flow-on effects of the unfortunate scheduling of Top Gear Australia so close to Christmas …
 


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1. Should someone put out a Community Announcement warning wives about the dangers of asking their precious two year old daughter to gleefully hand over a pair of socks, to a man whose heart was set on a Maserati, particularly socks with a Lamborghini car motif?
2. Similarly perhaps husbands shouldn't be left in charge of lighting the gas BBQ for fear of them trying to replicate one of the flame throwing scenes.
3. Do not, repeat do not try to placate them with half strength beer or eggnog.
4. If you're a teenager whose father went to Top Gear and mother went to the Linneys Pearl/Diamond show I suggest you go to Christmas in the Park and try pleading your case to the Salvation Army.
5. Have Lifeline been informed?

 Stay tuned for more posts about the Top Gear show.

 

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A heritage building, a car, a projector - Part 2 (ISAF Sailing Worlds 2011 Fremantle)

Some more images from the light show in Fremantle.

W.A. school kids submitted drawings which were then projected onto the Round House. Some of the kids were there on the night and it was so good to hear their squeals as they recognised their work. Such a simple idea. At the end is a photo of Kate working her magic.



 Kids Work © The Ponder Room



 Kids Work © The Ponder Room





Not the kids work © The Ponder Room



Not the kids work © The Ponder Room





 Kate working her magic © The Ponder Room



A heritage building, a car, a projector, and ... (Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships)

Years ago when the America’s Cup was held in Fremantle I was privileged to spend 12 months roaming the town investigating alcohol and drug related behaviour. The project came with a bar tab in every pub and a host of ‘preventative’ hepatitis injections, just incase I stepped on something untoward during one of my diversions down a back alley.

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Returning to the scene on Friday night it was a delight to see Fremantle alive again. The curbside tables were full and the pubs overflowing, this time thanks to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships link

Either muscle memory or stupidity soon had me venturing off the main drag. As usual it wasn’t long before I was rewarded. This time by an amazing light show Projections On High put on by Perth company VJ zoo.com. Beautiful images were projected on 18 buildings.

Curiosity had me pondering how?

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Parked off to the side was an average looking car with a $30,000 projector on top.

Next to the car was a person sitting at a card table tapping on a laptop pulling up the images.

While the images were remarkable as you’ll agree (I’ve split them across a few posts), even more amazing was the scene of strangers gathering talking about the images.

Better than that was the fact that there wasn’t a security guard or policeman in sight and yet Kate from VJzoo sat alone with the equipment … perfectly safe … now that really did warm my heart.



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What constitutes a family? (The Women on the 6th Floor movie)

The Women on the 6^th Floor is the heart-warming upstairs downstairs comedy smash by director Philippe Le Guay. In Paris it screened for 6 months and received over 2.3 million admissions. If that's not enough ...

In Berlin it received a standing ovation at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival. Moving to Los Angeles it was the recipient of the Audience Award at the City of Lights film festival. Lastly in Australia it was the highest performing fim in the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival.

Set in Paris in 1962, the family (father, mother and two boys) reside downstairs in richly wallpapered rooms. The intricate décor providing colour to their soulless existence, where the boys have been sent off to boarding school, and the socialite mother (Sandrine Kiberlain) crams her days with beauty treatments and social engagements.

After their long serving maid leaves, the father, wealthy stockbroker Jean-Louis Jouvert (Fabrice Luchini), does the unthinkable and hires Maria (Natalia Verbeke), a Spanish maid.

From the moment she produces the perfect soft boiled egg, lives are turned upside down. A dinner engagement with the women upstairs uncovers questionable plumbing, and grey walls that ooze with the love and laughter lacking downstairs.

The movie is an easy, feel good ride that offers many giggles. In the end it left me pondering ... that trinkets can never warm the heart like love, friendship and family - a good message as we sink into the silly season.

For those of you in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Palace Films is bringing Phillipe Le Guay out for Q&A sessions during December 5th to 11th, before it's national release on December 15th.