Deforestation on a domestic scale

The first phase of our grand renovation plans was always going to involve the careful removal of the mish-mash of trees in our yard. Bluntly encouraged by our respective parents to hurry up and do something, we've booked to have some professionals come in mid January to see to our unproductive mango tree along with an ugly wattle that threatens to sever the telephone line.

In anticipation of an incoming wood chipper, Alsie and I donned woodsman gear and launched a naive assault on the smaller resident flora. Weapons of choice were a pair of long handled snippers and a trusty hand saw on loan from John. While the blade at first glance seemed inadequete for the grand task before us, I've come to understand, as an man of Asian descent, that it's not size that matters, but what you do with it that counts.



Imagine my surprise when we began to slowly decimate the humungous oakish tree next to our verandah, followed by a heavy pruning of the frangipani out back. By the end of the day I could sense the fear in the surrounding plant life as I lifted the remains of my nemesis over my head, roaring in exaltation. They call me the destroyer of trees, annihilator of shrubs, the Arborator!



I don't have the tools or the knowhow to remove the actual stump in the ground, but rest assured that any green branches that try to grow back will soon taste the wrath of my shears. Or teeth if I'm feeling particularly vicious.



Now the way has been cleared down the side of the house and we can finally bask in the sunlight. Actually... it's getting a little hot now. Maybe we should plant some trees there. Hrmm...

Bang Bang Bang Bangalow

Alsie and I had such a great time in Byron last month that we figured we'd take mum back there for a little day trip. Mum and I decided to forego breakfast with the promise of smoking hot German sausages on our arrival, so my tummy was rumbly by the time we pulled into the car park. I ordered a sweet and tender buffalo sausage covered in sauerkraut, onions and wrapped in fluffy soft panini. Seems like mum really enjoyed her Bratwurst.



The three of us had a great time browsing the stalls until the heavens opened up. Our dinky little umbrellas weren't much help and before long my shoes were absolutely soaked. That did however give me a perfect excuse to get out of my soggy Campers to pick up a cheap pair of Crocs thongs, sadly my only purchase for the day.



Retreating from market drenching, we proceeded slowly into Byron itself to have a light lunch at the Beach Cafe. Tempted by the fusion choice on the menu, I ordered a spicy crust Atlantic salmon on a bed of soba noodles, rocket and cherry tomatoes dressed with soya sauce.



The sky looked pretty threatening once again after lunch so we blitzed by the lighthouse and hit the road once again back to Brisbane. Driving up the Pacific Motorway in a torrential downpour was nerve wrecking to say the least. It turned out to be a pretty uncomfortable three hour trip back home in the end but at least we had a fun time trying to keep dry in NSW.

Merry Christmas

Another Toowoomba Christmas has come and gone, though this one was particularly special as mum got to share it with us this year. I think she did remarkably well to remember names as the avalanche (har har) of Snows descended on us Christmas Eve. The evening proceeded in typical fashion with Peter taking on Santa duties, a belt busting feast and an involuntary choir recital of the 12 days of Christmas. It's what we do every year but I wouldn't have it any other way.



James and Dora were sorely missed this year at the long table, as they're currently busy galavanting around Spain. With the wonders of technology (and a recent purchase for John) we managed to catch up with the two of them in their Barcelona hotel room virtually through Skype. Peter was predictably impressed by the whole concept of video conferencing.

Presents for us this year had a decidedly domestic slant which was absolutely brilliant. I'm now the proud owner of a full complement of BBQ utensils along with a book of outdoor recipes to inspire me once we fork out for a new barby. Alison I've never seen so excited as she ripped open her bottle spray of weed killer that will come in useful in our battle with the front lawn.



I'm pleased to say that we've made some great steps to tech up the house in Toowoomba. John has inherited my old Netgear wireless router and we braved the raging mob at Harvey Norman on boxing day to pick up a webcam for Sheena's computer along with a set top box. I tried to convince them to just get a PVR but that's going to have to be a fight for another day. At least Sheenie has access to ABC2 now.

Alsie and I won't have to return to the stress of working life till early January so we intend to spend the rest of our break showing mum a little more of our corner of Australia. The first trip should kick off tomorrow with a leisurely drive down to the Bangalow markets. Ah, I love holidays.

Team Dinner

Had a chance to take the team out to dinner this week, both as a thank you for all the great work they've put in on the project and to finally meet the everyone's partners. I'd booked a table for twelve at Arrivederci with the promise of huge meter long pizzas. Of course some people on the team didn't heed my warning of large servings so we ended up with quite a few left overs.



The restaurant wasn't as busy as I thought it was going to be, especially in Christmas Party season. I'd actually found the pizzas to be overly cheesy and salty in the past but our order that night turned out to be really light and tasty. A good thing given the meters of Italian goodness that stretched the length of our table.

Alison wasn't feeling too well so we didn't press on especially late, but we had a great time chatting and chowing down. It was nice to see the full complement of our work family at dinner and I hope to do this again. Think I'm pretty darn lucky to have such a great bunch to work with.

Circus of the Sun

Ann and Sanj had invited us to see Cirque du Soleil in Brisbane a while back and last night we finally got a chance to see what all the fuss was all about. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really have high hopes for the performance. I enjoy a display of acrobatics as much as the next person, but every time I'd seen Cirque on TV it didn't seem all that special. When I read the premise for Dralion I was even less impressed, expecting an over produced, "kwai-lo" take on traditional lion dance and Chinese performing arts.



The night itself didn't start off brilliantly as we were battered by heavy rain on the walk from the car park to the big top. Thanks to clever forward planning by the girls we had brollies to shield us from the elements. Other patrons weren't quite as prepared and we took a sadistic pleasure in pointing out drenched bogans in tasteless frocks.

Finally getting to our seats in our sad soggy state, things surprisingly began to improve. Two clowns did a brilliant job of keeping the crowd entertained while we waited for the main show to start. Soon enough the lights dimmed and we were treated to an explosion of colour, action and music that didn't let up for the next two hours. The choreography was unbelievably clever, making great use of trap doors in the stage and a hidden compartment above the tent as well as sensational props. Granted the acts still had obvious origins and influence, but the total package injected so much originality and beauty that the final result was an absolute joy for the audience to behold. Solo acts were breath taking, costumes were stunning, music was moving and... I seem to be out of superlatives.

Didn't think I'd be a fan but both Alison and I are happy converts, eagerly looking forward to the next show that graces Brisbane. The videos on TV don't do the show justice at all, but have a peek at the promo video to get an idea of the spectacle we were treated to last night.

Tree with lights

We never found space to put up the Christmas tree in our previous unit in Annerley. At least that's our lame excuse and we're sticking to it. In fact, the last time we put up the big tree was when mum was out last time. How appropriate that we waited till her next Australian Christmas to break out the fairy lights again.



Now that we have a real house with space we'll try not to wait three years before decorating again.