Strandbeast

2012, Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia. More at the creators website.

Sunday Selections

Well, here we are, another week gone and it's time for Sunday Selections again with River at the helm. 

Mine aren't random this week but show an impressive sound and light show I saw at Melbourne Town Hall. I was there for about thirty minutes in total. The action was on the main floor of what I guess is the Town Hall ballroom. As I was leaving, the door person asked if I enjoyed the display and I said yes, and she then directed me to the stairs to climb to the balcony. I've been up there before. She asked if I could manage the stairs, and there our relationship cooled, as I felt like slapping her. I exaggerate, and there was a lift which I noticed later.  

From the balcony I had an overview of the display. But first a photo of Jass I took around the same time. 

I am not sure which photos were taken from above and which were taken at ground level. No matter. You get the idea. The music was themed to whatever the lights were doing. 

The music was loud, and it needed to be to create the atmosphere.

It was a little unsettling at times, as I heard the sound of Martian laser guns that I remember from the 70s or earlier.

Slipped in was some music from the movie ET, a film that made me cry. I just searched for ET and a question people had asked, 'Is the movie ET a true story?'. God help us. 

The ballroom is quite lovely.

Crass commercialism

I've showed Federation Square before, but something stimulated me to again take photos. Some people like me took time to like the space. Some continue to hate it, but generally, it has been embraced. Even Hels after some period of doubt, came to like it. 

Earlier this year, advertising and mammon overcame style and part of one of the lovely aspects of the square was spoilt. I think the ad was removed before its expiry period by way of public outrage.

I got out and took some pics.

The atrium is lovely, with all the special shapes.

I like the quirky exterior.

The small cobble stone  colours are so beautiful, as paving goes. They are a bitch for prams, wheelchairs, and the feeble.

 

Aside from the forecourt. the rest of Fed Square is friendly to the less abled.

I've seen the space filled with hundreds of people at times.

I love these shapes. 

The design of the whole square  is so interesting.

But then the outrage happened, a covering up of an aspect of the building by crass and huge advertising. I think it was contracted to be there for two months, but the public outcry saw it quickly removed. 

Christmas Eve

Jackie in Toronto asked me if I had taken Christmas photos around town. I'd taken a couple but it was a bit hard to be enthusiastic about it for some reason. 

Still the paperwork comes and has to be dealt with. I had spent a total of 45 minutes in two calls to our motoring organisation and an hour with my bank in person, partly to do with the task in hand, to sort changing the car insurance into my name from Ray's.  I did not want to lose the benefits of his Gold level and the savings that would make. It was another twenty minutes on the phone yesterday and I was becoming concerned. I thought by starting the process in early December, it would be done by when the car insurance was due today. No!

Although there is a two week grace period after expiry, the bank back office does not return to work until the 6th of January, so still the estate account wouldn't be set up until after then. This also needed to be set up to get the mysterious $500 in Ray's bank account. I cleaned it out but I guess it was a last social security payment. On advice I visited the office of the insurer in the city yesterday after the phone call and it was all sorted out in twenty minutes. Online, on phone or in person. There is no way to know which is best, but I think in person seems to work quite well, if there is a person in an office to see. 

A few days ago, "Kosov, come. We are going to town to take photos and I will buy you lunch." 

"Yes, Andrewwww".

Royal Arcade. It is a case of a camera not really capturing the scene very well. It looked nice.

At QV. I suppose it is Christmas like

As we left the tram. 

Looking downstream to the Evan Walker Bridge. 

The Christmas tree in Federation Square, followed by more photos at Fed Square. 

Outside Melbourne Town Hall.

Steep hill. 

"Andrewwww, you missed a photo opportunity." 

"Andrewwww, I know of another thing. It's the street with trams."

"That narrows it down a little bit Kosov." 

Eventually I worked out he meant the Bourke Street Mall. 

Australian style Christmas flowers from Ray's three sisters were delivered. 

Our building's Christmas tree in the entrance foyer.

I rid the place of boxes of Christmas decorations, including the Christmas trees. Yes, more than one. I had no intention of doing any decoration. But, I ended up deciding a little tinsel would be nice, along with a few Christmas ornament. 

I ain't no style queen. My first Christmas alone is ok. I will do better next year. I feel guilty about not making more of an effort for the younguns, just giving cash. 

A hexabition

Tolarno Gallery sounds a bit posh, but I can pretend to be posh and visit. I put on my best singlet (English word, vest). shorts and flip-flops and walked a distance to get there. But there was no need to dress up as I was the only person there to visit these bright sculptures. 

I quote Tolarno, 'The gallery spotlights cutting edge contemporary art in a variety of media'. 

Well, the works were bright and pretty and not a total waste of my time. But is it art?

Nearly there

If you are near my time zone, it will be the eve of Christmas as you read this. If you're not, you probably should be tucked up in bed or thinking about it at least. It's time for some Christmas cheer that doesn't come in a bottle with some Christmas themed photos I've taken. I haven't been out and about too much of late on my own, but I plan to resume roaming the city in the New Year.

Acland Street, St Kilda.

Prahran Square.

Melbourne Town Hall for the next few.

Above the masses queuing to see the Myer Christmas. While we did see the Bluey animatronics display with our Friend from Japan, when we took Jo, the queue time would have been a couple of hours, so she didn't get to see it this year. I didn't think that much of the display myself. 

 

Oh yes, there is a religious connection to Christmas.

Federation Square.

Darls, it's a tram on a tv screen. There is no point in waving to the passengers.

Now a few from home.

Annual Christmas party across the road, not as big as in the past. This year the wait staff were all in pink full length aprons.

R's Christmas cake. It has had a weekly brandy feeding since it was made Cake fringe seem impossible to find now, so he had to make do.

He ummed ahhed about putting the tree up, as he has for the last couple of years but two weeks before Christmas, up it went.

Frosty would be thirty plus years old, as are most of our decorations. A tea candle is placed inside him and the light comes our of the star openings. We don't want smoked walls so we don't light him up every night.

We were a bit overwhelmed with flowers when Mother died, and none have reappeared since. R stopped buying the weekly flowers. I've not mentioned the matter. I think it may be grief related. R's three sisters sent this bunch for Christmas.

The light bulbs were painted? by Ex Sis in Law many years ago.

The reindeer were back but the volume had been turned down this year, so I didn't find them as good.

And how could we not celebrate without Kim Wilde, a little the worse for wear and her brother on a train, concluding with Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

We will be away for a week or so, staying in a seaside cottage near Sister's. It's going to be a rather different Christmas this year without someone who I have spent every Christmas dinner with for all of my life.

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings to you all.