My sister Annette wrote on her birthday card to me that I should do forty amazing things this year.
I have taken her advice, and this year, before I turn 41, I plan to fulfill that dream.
I have gotten off to a great start too. In the three weeks since my birthday I have managed to experience four amazing things, so I am well on the way to success.
Follow this link for the chronicles of my adventures.
Showing posts with label forty amazing things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forty amazing things. Show all posts
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Billy Joel
Billy Joel came to town at the weekend, and Eileen, Kelvin, Mena and I went along (you didn't think Orlando came with us, did you?).
The Rod Laver Arena was full: fifteen thousand fans, some of whom have been coming to see Billy Joel perform here for over thirty years.
The concert was fantastic. From the moment the grand piano rose from the belly of the stage he had our complete attention. He played for a solid two hours, hit after hit, jumping from the nineties to the seventies and back again.
He engaged with the people in the "bad" seats behind him, and those in the cheap seats right at the back of the auditorium. He gave the audience the choice of what he would play next.
But most of all he played and sang and entertained. His voice was strong, his backing group awesome, and the light display theatrical. Highlights for me included Allentown, My Life and Movin' Out. He didn't get to play some of my other favourites, but he had so much to choose from.
In a surprise performance, the lead singer of AC/DC joined him on stage (introduced as a guitar roadie getting his first break) and belted out Highway to Hell. The Aussie crowd bellowed its appreciation as Joel took his guitar to the back platform of the stage and did his best impersonation of Angus Young, AC/DC's school-boy lead guitarist.
New York State of Mind was a poignant but powerful memory of the time he performed that song with the helmet of a fallen firefighter on his piano, days after the World Trade Centre attacks.
For me, the pinnacle had to be his final encore - the song we'd been waiting for all night. As he placed the harmonica holder over his head the crowd cheered in anticipation, and the first notes of Piano Man were heard. Fifteen thousand fans sang quietly along with him. word perfect through the first verse. It was just a man and his piano, and he held us all in the palm of his hand.
The Rod Laver Arena was full: fifteen thousand fans, some of whom have been coming to see Billy Joel perform here for over thirty years.
The concert was fantastic. From the moment the grand piano rose from the belly of the stage he had our complete attention. He played for a solid two hours, hit after hit, jumping from the nineties to the seventies and back again.
He engaged with the people in the "bad" seats behind him, and those in the cheap seats right at the back of the auditorium. He gave the audience the choice of what he would play next.
But most of all he played and sang and entertained. His voice was strong, his backing group awesome, and the light display theatrical. Highlights for me included Allentown, My Life and Movin' Out. He didn't get to play some of my other favourites, but he had so much to choose from.
In a surprise performance, the lead singer of AC/DC joined him on stage (introduced as a guitar roadie getting his first break) and belted out Highway to Hell. The Aussie crowd bellowed its appreciation as Joel took his guitar to the back platform of the stage and did his best impersonation of Angus Young, AC/DC's school-boy lead guitarist.
New York State of Mind was a poignant but powerful memory of the time he performed that song with the helmet of a fallen firefighter on his piano, days after the World Trade Centre attacks.
For me, the pinnacle had to be his final encore - the song we'd been waiting for all night. As he placed the harmonica holder over his head the crowd cheered in anticipation, and the first notes of Piano Man were heard. Fifteen thousand fans sang quietly along with him. word perfect through the first verse. It was just a man and his piano, and he held us all in the palm of his hand.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Bollywood Movie Stars Party
It was the party of the year (well, in my diary it was the only party in the year). A Bollywood Movie Stars bash to celebrate my 40th birthday: it doesn’t get any better than this.
Twenty or so of my family and closest friends gathered on 4th November dressed in what can only be described as Bollywood-tastic outfits to dance the night away.
Eileen and Kelvin won the Most Fabulous Outfits award with their stunning outfits from Little India in Dandenong.
My family made a great effort too: Lee looked sophisticated and graceful in a black and silver sari, and Mena had more Bollywood Bling than the rest of us put together.
Orlando looked rugged and handsome in his all-black kurta pajama, and has made such a fuss of me throughout all my birthday celebrations. He is a superstar.
Photo Gallery
Other highlights of the evening included:
Paul Curran as a Bollywood Bad Guy, complete with maximum eyeliner, dark glasses and shark’s tooth medallion
Damien’s Derby Day extreme facial sunburn including a rather fetching white band where his sunglasses had been (it turns out some people thought he'd made himself up to look like that)
The Irish contingent doing the entire (it seemed) Riverdance, then Mena and Mairead’s solo reel, finished by Mena, Mairead, Eileen and Carmel in full Indian regalia doing a full set of the Walls of Limerick
Mena leading the soca dancing into the wee hours (“Follow me – I’m the leader of the parade!”) ("This is the music of my soul!")
Sam’s amazing bum-wiggling dance which reduced all women present to tears
Sam and Paul's talented dance interpretation of the song "A-E-I-O-U" by Freeez: popular consensus is that Paul's "E" was particularly impressive and rendered all audience members helpless with laughter
The main conversation in the back yard about which song you want played as the last song at your funeral (and if you didn't make a choice it was going to be November Rain by Guns N Roses)
Kelvin dancing, full stop
Kelvin almost being tempted to sip some rum instead of red wine
Mena at 5am having a smoke: "I am the oldest one here, the birds are singing and I am the last one partying"
Mena about the Irish dancing - "You are all doing it wrong, here let me show you"
Eileen about the Irish dancing - "You are all doing it wrong, here let me show you"
Lee talking to Orlando - "Now let me guess which food you put out: the cake and the popcorn"
Lee - "The thing I like about this sari is that I can breathe out and it hides my belly"
Carmel - "The thing I like about this sari is that I can breathe out and it hides my belly"
Orlando - "I am going over there to act as a buffer between Sam and the TV"
Paul's AEIOU - " I am not happy with my 'E' I have to rethink this"
Sam about raising children "I have a secret weapon, it is called music"
Mairead talking about cooking for the party - "...So I said to myself, I will show him, I will make the Tandoori chicken red..."
Paul takes off his sunglasses "I thought it was a bit dark in here, and I could not work it out..."
Sam dancing with Carmel - "Grab me from behind"
Paul talks to Orlando about dancing with Sam's wife -"I don't think it is your hands that he is worried about"
Orlando teaching Sam and Amanda soca - "Get in closer, don't be shy, you are married"
Mena (a number of times in the evening) - "I'm back!!!"
Mena (a number of times in the evening) - "Why is it that every time I go to the toilet, all I can hear is people calling 'Where's Mena?'"
The delicious food that everybody brought
Mairead and Eileen trying to do their much-awaited Party Piece, drunk, unprepared, and with at least one Achilles tendon injury; but their smiles never faltered: divas to the last
Paul and Carmel vainly trying to teach Sam and Amanda to twirl properly like Irish dancers
Thanks to all my friends for making such a huge effort on the night. Nobody knew more than one or two other people but you'd never have known it - the noise of the conversation was deafening and the dancing spirited to say the least. Thanks for all my beautiful cards and gifts too - it was the most special birthday for me and I am delighted you could share it!
Twenty or so of my family and closest friends gathered on 4th November dressed in what can only be described as Bollywood-tastic outfits to dance the night away.
Eileen and Kelvin won the Most Fabulous Outfits award with their stunning outfits from Little India in Dandenong.
My family made a great effort too: Lee looked sophisticated and graceful in a black and silver sari, and Mena had more Bollywood Bling than the rest of us put together.
Orlando looked rugged and handsome in his all-black kurta pajama, and has made such a fuss of me throughout all my birthday celebrations. He is a superstar.
Photo Gallery
Other highlights of the evening included:
Paul Curran as a Bollywood Bad Guy, complete with maximum eyeliner, dark glasses and shark’s tooth medallion
Damien’s Derby Day extreme facial sunburn including a rather fetching white band where his sunglasses had been (it turns out some people thought he'd made himself up to look like that)
The Irish contingent doing the entire (it seemed) Riverdance, then Mena and Mairead’s solo reel, finished by Mena, Mairead, Eileen and Carmel in full Indian regalia doing a full set of the Walls of Limerick
Mena leading the soca dancing into the wee hours (“Follow me – I’m the leader of the parade!”) ("This is the music of my soul!")
Sam’s amazing bum-wiggling dance which reduced all women present to tears
Sam and Paul's talented dance interpretation of the song "A-E-I-O-U" by Freeez: popular consensus is that Paul's "E" was particularly impressive and rendered all audience members helpless with laughter
The main conversation in the back yard about which song you want played as the last song at your funeral (and if you didn't make a choice it was going to be November Rain by Guns N Roses)
Kelvin dancing, full stop
Kelvin almost being tempted to sip some rum instead of red wine
Mena at 5am having a smoke: "I am the oldest one here, the birds are singing and I am the last one partying"
Mena about the Irish dancing - "You are all doing it wrong, here let me show you"
Eileen about the Irish dancing - "You are all doing it wrong, here let me show you"
Lee talking to Orlando - "Now let me guess which food you put out: the cake and the popcorn"
Lee - "The thing I like about this sari is that I can breathe out and it hides my belly"
Carmel - "The thing I like about this sari is that I can breathe out and it hides my belly"
Orlando - "I am going over there to act as a buffer between Sam and the TV"
Paul's AEIOU - " I am not happy with my 'E' I have to rethink this"
Sam about raising children "I have a secret weapon, it is called music"
Mairead talking about cooking for the party - "...So I said to myself, I will show him, I will make the Tandoori chicken red..."
Paul takes off his sunglasses "I thought it was a bit dark in here, and I could not work it out..."
Sam dancing with Carmel - "Grab me from behind"
Paul talks to Orlando about dancing with Sam's wife -"I don't think it is your hands that he is worried about"
Orlando teaching Sam and Amanda soca - "Get in closer, don't be shy, you are married"
Mena (a number of times in the evening) - "I'm back!!!"
Mena (a number of times in the evening) - "Why is it that every time I go to the toilet, all I can hear is people calling 'Where's Mena?'"
The delicious food that everybody brought
Mairead and Eileen trying to do their much-awaited Party Piece, drunk, unprepared, and with at least one Achilles tendon injury; but their smiles never faltered: divas to the last
Paul and Carmel vainly trying to teach Sam and Amanda to twirl properly like Irish dancers
Thanks to all my friends for making such a huge effort on the night. Nobody knew more than one or two other people but you'd never have known it - the noise of the conversation was deafening and the dancing spirited to say the least. Thanks for all my beautiful cards and gifts too - it was the most special birthday for me and I am delighted you could share it!
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