Breakfast Treat
Gave myself a bit of a “mid-week treat” and went out for breakfast at nearby Cafe Mint.
Good coffee, good food, and a good book – the perfect way to start a day.
Similar Posts
Wonderful Darwin
“Excuse me, Sir, you’ll need to show me some form of I.D.”, the young man at the bottle shop said to me tonight. That he was probably half my age, didn’t help, and so I put it to him that I was 52 years of age and hadn’t been asked for I.D. in about thirty years. It was then he explained the situation: “We have a register of banned drinkers in the Northern Territory, and you can’t buy take away alcohol without some form of I.D.”.
Though I’m still a little surprised by it all, I can probably understand the environment in which the law came into being: the Northern Territory has a reputation for being a place of many people who drink far too much, and alcohol is banned in many communities.
The big drinking culture of Darwin was fairly evident when I first visited here back in the late 1990s, and then with subsequent visits up until about 2010, which was probably the last time I visited. I’m not sure if the legislation has changed their big drinking reputation of Darwin, but it’s surely a sign that Darwin has changed somewhat.
And you can see it in the centre of Darwin. When I first visited here, central Darwin was low-rise, with only a handful of apartment blocks. The centre of Darwin is now made up of lots of apartment blocks and hotels up to about ten stories. And there’s the development down at the wharf, which was once an old pier with a few fish and chip shops and bars, which is now quite an exclusive place to live or visit.
I’m staying on the third floor of an apartment block in what’s described as “City Heights”. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk to work, and the team here have provided me with a list of places to grab a coffee on the way.
Thankfully, though, there are some things about Darwin that haven’t changed. Government House is still wonderfully beautiful, an example of older style Darwin architecture. There’s Parliament House, often described by locals as looking like a wedding cake. And there are bits and pieces of pre and post-Cyclone Tracey architecture to be found.
And of course, there’s the famous Mindil Beach Markets (now held on a Sunday as well as a Thursday), where you can enjoy music, a terrific atmosphere, and some awesome food from some of the many different cultures you’ll find here.
And of course, there’s the awesome sunset, where people sit on the beach and watch the sun disappear and applaud. Today’s was especially good, as there was a low tide, so I was able to walk out quite some distance.
Ø’Brien
I rang my sister Pat today to wish her happy birthday. Pat isn’t her real name, but that’s what we call her because she was born on St Patrick’s Day. And why not? Our ancestry is mostly Irish Catholic. I also caught up with some of the family who moved from Dublin to Denmark after the potato famine. How else would you explain so many people out and about in Copenhagen celebrating St Patrick’s Day?
Yes, I am in Copenhagen for a couple of days to attend a conference. “What do you think of Copenhagen?”, a bloke in a shop asked me this afternoon. I had just told him I was spending a month in Stockholm and just two days here. “It’s more of a city than Stockholm”, I told him. “Stockholm is much more laid back and relaxed which I like very much. But I also really like Copenhagen. It’s terrific. It has more of a buzz”, I added. If I had to rate the two though, of course Stockholm wins.
Since arriving around lunchtime I’ve done a little bit of sight-seeing – taking a tour of the canals – and a bit of shopping. I’m getting a little sick of wearing the same clothes most days. The jacket I borrowed from Damien is getting a work out. And my jeans are due for a rest. But honestly, so far, they’ve been the perfect clothes for Stockholm most days. Here in Copenhagen, I need lighter clothing. So I bought a pair of jeans from H&M. How great is that store? A really nice pair of jeans for the Danish equivalent to $65. And best of all? The legs are the right length for my waist.
The canal tour was excellent. You travel around the old town, out into the harbour and into some of the new developments around town. One of the interesting things was to hear about how many of the major city projects, like the opera house, for example, were paid for by the private sector as a gift to the nation.
You also get a brief visit to The Little Mermaid which was good, because I was told it was difficult to find. You also go past the Royal Palaces – they’re in town at the moment – and the guide pointed out a tower you can climb to the top of. Hopefully, if the weather improves I’ll do just that. It’s a little grey, to say the least, not the sunny conditions I’ve become accustomed to in Stockholm.
The tour guide did the commentary in three languages – Danish, English and German – and mananaged to make everyone feel welcome, it seemed. But oh my Lord, the Danish language! What kind of language is that? To my ear, it sounds like Swedish spoken with a Dutch accent. My ears are used to Swedish and German, but Danish has offered a whole new range of sounds to the ear. I guess it hasn’t helped that I haven’t prepared with the usual please, thankyou, hello and goodbye pleasantries which I normally like to do. But I’ve found the people to be quite friendly so far.
I went out for dinner and had the rather odd experience of being able to speak more in Chinese than I could in Danish. Just around the corner from where I am staying there is a Chinese noodle place where I was the only non-Chinese person staying. In some ways it’s just a “hole in the wall”. The food was good, and they seem to appreciate that I could say please and thankyou in Mandarin, but not in Danish.
I also went out tonight to check out some of the gay bars listed in the local guide. The first one was just around the corner called, “Gimmick”. It was very, very quiet. Just a couple of young guys sitting in the corner, an older bloke reading a magazine and then a bunch of women playing Wii.The second bar I went to “Cental Hjornet” was also rather quiet. I got the impression it was very much a “closed shop”, so I didn’t stay long.cThe third bar I went to was, “Can Can” was a little more friendly. Still only a handful of people, but I went there and found the barman and the people sitting at the bar to be very kind and friendly. And then finally, I went to another bar a little closer to where I am staying. In fact, it’s just around the corner.
I’m staying in the hotel district, which also happens to be the red light district. I have a gay bar just 50 metres away. Only problem is, to get there I need to dodge all of the prostitutes. I’ve been approached three or four times today going to and from my accommodation. I guess it doesn’t help that I’m a 44 year old man walking around by himself. I guess I need to take the advice of a friend who mentioned a few years ago that I don’t act gay enough. I guess I need to flame it up a bit more.
And then tonight on the way home, it was three approaches in 30 metres. As I struggled to find my card on the way into the hotel, the bloke on the counter let me in, sensing my frustration. I found it quite distressing actually.
The other negative? They still allow smoking in bars in Copenhagen. Yes, really. Thus I’ve arrived home and my clothes stink of cigarette smoke for the first time in years.
Climate change needs to start with smoking in bars, I reckon!
Stockholm Pride Parade
“Stockholm Pride is more political and less humorous than Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but it also seems more inclusive,” I explained to an Australian friend who has lived in Stockholm for 12 years.
“That’s not to say Sydney’s Mardi Gras isn’t political,” I added. “It is, but it’s usually expressed with humor and satire.”
Stockholm Pride is more explicitly political than many other Pride events. Most of the major political parties participate, and I even saw former Swedish Prime Minister Mona Sahlin marching. There is also a greater awareness of broader political issues beyond Sweden’s borders, which I appreciate. Organizers recognize that people in some parts of the world do not enjoy the same freedoms as LGBTQ+ people in Sweden.
It’s not only political, though, and there’s a fair bit of cross dressing and fun, colourful costumes.
Having seen a fair few of these types of parades over the years there’s not a lot that can shock or surprise any more. That said, the sight of a heavily tanned and reasonably overweight completely naked 60-something woman did kind of shock me. In the midst of all the glitter, there was someone completely naked walking down the street! After the shock wore off I was left with a feeling “good on her”, knowing I could never do anything like that myself.
I especially loved being able to watch the show with my friend Graeme who is here right now, along with Sandra and Robert.
Sandra is my “pen pal”, as we might have said thirty years ago before the internet. We’ve been following each other’s blogs for a couple of years now. We met last year in Sweden, and this year in Sydney. And once again now in Stockholm.
“They’re a really great couple”, I said to Graeme, as we bid Sandra and Robert a fond farwell later in the afternoon.
Approaching deadlines
The countdown has officially begun for my overseas trip. In just over three weeks, I’ll be flying out for a three-week holiday through parts of Asia and Europe. I’m incredibly excited, but as the date approaches, the logistics are weighing on my mind.
During a catch-up lunch with friends yesterday, someone asked if I had any concerns. Honestly? My biggest worry is the transition from the extreme heat of Thailand to the extreme cold of Sweden. As a below-knee amputee, I have to be hyper-aware of my health—specifically regarding my residual limb and my intact leg. We even joked that it was a “farewell” lunch just in case I disappeared down a hole in the ice! While I don’t actually plan on putting myself in that situation, the physical toll of these environments is a real factor.
My schedule is quite extensive, but I’ve been careful to build in “buffer time.” Fatigue is still a daily reality for me post-amputation, and managing diabetes adds another layer of complexity. I’ve learnt that as long as I factor in a rest every day and don’t over-exert myself, I can manage well.
The climate isn’t just about comfort; it’s about management. For example, during the recent 40°C heatwave in Sydney, my blood sugar levels spiked, and I had to spend the afternoon resting and cooling down. Transitioning from that kind of heat to sub-zero temperatures will be a challenge, so the next few weeks are dedicated to very careful planning.
Between travel prep and recording new episodes of the Amputee Limb Loss and Limb Difference Podcast, it’s a busy time—but a very exciting one.
Barangaroo Reserve
Do we really need another casino in Sydney? Do we really need more tall buildings in the city? Do the people in public housing at Miller’s Point really need to move? Although there are some parts of the Barangaroo development in Sydney which concern me, I was very impressed when Kate and I visited the space earlier today.
The official opening will be tomorrow, and of course, since it’s Sydney, there’ll be fireworks. So it was good to visit today, ahead of tomorrow, when many thousands of people will descend on the space to see what it’s like, and before it becomes the next “must do” thing for visitors to Sydney.
And why not? It’s really bloody impressive, though deceivingly simple. Put simply, they’ve built a new car park. But above that car park, they’ve created a wonderful reserve space where you can enjoy amazing views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Anzac Bridge, Darling Harbour and more.
But closer to the shoreline is where it becomes really amazing, with beautiful stone blocks right down to the water. “There are no signs that say you CAN’T swim here”, Kate noted as we sat on the rocks, enjoying the sunshine, and the wonderful, wonderful views.
Although it seems so many of the big decisions in Australia these days aren’t being made with a view to the future, only about the short-term, it’s wonderful to see this space remain open to the public.
Bravo.
Melodifestivalen 2013 #4
“What a bunch of bogans”, I thought to myself as I watched how the Swedish public voted in the Heat 4 of Melodifestivalen, the finals which choose the song which represents Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest.
I had no doubt Ulrik Munther would make it through. He’s talented, very popular with teenage girls, is family friendly, and he sang a rather average song with great passion. The song itself was pretty ordinary, but Ulrik’s performance was really fantastic. He’s come a long way from the nerdy boy who looked like a character from Oliver Twist when my friend Graeme saw him perform at Stockholm Pride a couple of years ago.
I also knew there’d be a “rock song” that would make it through to the finals. There always is, as there’s obviously a significant market for the “odd man out”. And in Melodifestivalen, which consists of pop, schlager, and so on, the “rock guy” is always the odd man out who obtains a significant personal vote. Maybe I’ve become a bit of snob, a bit of a Stockholm-centric Swedish elitist, but as he sang, I had the image of the guy singing “Bed On Fire”, as someone you might find in a late night bar somewhere in rural Sweden picking a fight with someone over their musical taste. Just sayin’.
There were a couple of songs I knew wouldn’t make it through. Sylvia, who famously had the 1974 hit song Y Viva España – which I love – would have had appeal to an older audience, of course, but unfortunately the song wasn’t all that great, and neither was her performance.
I also knew Army Of Lovers would struggle to get through, since it was so completely “out there”. “Army Of Lovers” was a legendary Swedish pop band of the 1990s thanks to their international hit, “Crucified”. The individual members of the band have had varying degrees of success ever since, though it’s Alexander Bard who has gone on to achieve the greatest success with bands like Gravitonas and BWO. Meanwhile, female vocalist, La Camilla, went on to have an affair with the King of Sweden. Twenty years later, they’re a very eccentric, slightly off-beat bunch of middle-aged Swedes who continue to be a little bit “out there”. Ten years ago, slightly crazy out there performers would still make it through to Eurovision. That was before the impact of Pop Idol, American Idol, X-Factor and so on resulted in Eurovision also becoming similar. The Russian Grannies were a welcomed oddity. Deep in my heart, I’d hoped the Swedish voting public would have at least allowed it to go through to “Andra Chansen”. the second chance final. But no…
I was also really disapointed Lucia Piñera failed to make it through. Even though it was completely derivative of Adele, I thought her song “It Must Be Love” was an incredibly catchy song performed well. And hey, what’s wrong with sounding like Adele? She seems to have done quite well in the last few years.
The surprise of the night for me was “Jalla Dansa Sawa” (Come On And Dance) by Behrang Miri. Sung in Arabik, Swedish, Fench and English, I thought it had a good melody and was quite catchy. Even if it did look like the band had dressed for Saturday night karaoke, I thought it had a lot of potential.
But no… the Swedes have decided to send Ulrik and Ralf through to the final. They did a great job selecting Loreen last year. I’m just not sure if they can be trusted this year to choose the right song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest.
On a brighter note, it was lovely to see Danny Saucedo perform the role of Magnus Carlsson in the return of Alcazar. Again, not wishing to appear grumpy and cynical, and I love Alcazar, but I have this vague memory of having seen Alcazar’s final performance at Stockholm Pride in 2011. Mabye it was the excitement of it all, maybe I’d had a drink or two, but I am sure it was their farewell performance, never to be seen again…