Contd.

I lied, the previous post was only two days, not four. I just felt it was a better spot to cut off. So, here’s the rest.

Tuesday morning, I slept. I slept for quite a long while, but it was not a good sleep, like I am used to. It was much less restful. To be honest, it was one of the few times I have not enjoyed sleeping. But it turns out that I wasn’t the only one who slept late, Teo had planned to wake up at 5, but slept till 9. He had procured a local prepaid sim-card for me, though, at some point before I got up.

The two of us went up to Glenroy and the nursing home, which is also the construction site. The old building will be partially integrated and partially demolished, when the project is all complete. If they manage to buy the two remaining properties on that block as well, the complex will grow still further. It is quite interesting to witness.

After Teo had finished his business, he decided to treat me to a local delicasy. Fish and chips, Australian style. They call it “flake” but it is actually shark meat, from the so called gummy shark. We also had potato cakes and Dim Sim. I have to say, the potatos were the only less than delectable part of the meal. Oh, and we ate in the BMW, with the top down, on the freeway.

Once we got back home, I started to seriously plan what I want to do with the rest of the time I am here. I did get a pretty coherent list done, but also managed to get myself to be extremely sleepy. I decided that since I am on vacation, an afternoon nap wouldn’t be all too horrible an idea. And it was a nice nap too, not too short or long, not too deep. Just good.

When I got up, after having Oliver he dog stand on my chest and stare at me, Teo had finally agreed to open his presents, which had been laying in boxes in the bedroom corner, ever since the party. Barb, Teo, Oliver and I were all there, and it was quite a happy, relaxed moment before dinner.

After dinner, which was at home once more, we sat around and watched some TV. Oh, and the bats flying around outside too, of course. All of a sudden, my neck started playing up. And I do not mean a little discomfort, this was a full on Chuck Norris scale* issue. I managed to procure a beanbag thing, the type you heat up and use to ease muscle pain, and luckily it helped somewhat.

The next day my neck was still quite stiff and sore, and thus it was a day spent rather less productively than I had planned or hoped. However, I did manage to do my good deed for the day, in helping David install World of Warcraft onto his laptop. His own DVD drive was busted, so I installed it onto my computer and transferred the game files over to his. Great success. We went on to have Indian food at a small corner restaurant that evening.

* For those who were not aware, The Chuck Norris is the highest magnitude on the Richter scale.

Half a week in one go.

This post will detail Sunday through Wednesday of the first full week of December.

Sunday was spent in one part having a breakfast/brunch at another Hornung residence, this time belonging to Dinah. Yet again in Caulfield, a very large, yet rather uninvitingly empty house. Definitely not a home. We had something of a discussion and a look at the family tree there, as well. She also called Ruth Littner-Shaw in America, who I had been in correspondence with previously, and we had a talk.

When we got back, it was back to making the invitations and menu for the party. This took all afternoon, finishing the day’s portion just in time for dinner. I had a grand total of three steaks, although they were quite a bit smaller than the ones at Stefan’s.  This was at home, that is.

Monday, Monday the massage day. Because my neck had been acting up, Teo had arranged for me to visit his masseur that morning. He had an amazingly friendly and lovable dog, an Australian Terrier. I miss my Kulka, so very much. The massage was good, yet, probably due to his busy schedule, I feel he did not give me all the attention he should have.

After the massage, we went grocery shopping. Got some nice cheeses, fruit and the like. Took my father out, to buy a skirt for my sister in town, had a bit of a walk there. On the way back we had to go grocery shopping again, since there was more stuff needed. A less fanciful store this time, Safeway. I got myself a packet of Tim Tams, about time too.

Came home to finish the menus for John, which came out very well. So did the invites as well, by the way.  With evening approaching, and with it my father’s departure, we decided to watch the movie Bangkok Hilton, since we had discussed it in the preceding days. Highly recommendable, as long as you aren’t stuck in the Hollywood fantasyland.

Father left that evening, I escorted him to the airport, helping him find his way to the appropriate queue and so on. Despite his obvious nervousness, I feel he will do fine. He tends to excel when he has to work things out for himself, but is much too ready to let anyone else be his eyes, ears and mouth.

High Steaks

Another day, more swimming. Its nice and hot, beautiful sunshine. Perfect for it. Well, perfect for the algae in the pool as well, they are making quite a nice green coat on the edges. Time to clean it, then. Nicky, who has done it before, takes charge and I pretty much just spectate, despite calling it management. It is all done by high pressure systems and is in fact rather fast and effective.

John, another of these faces I have grown accustomed to, now, showed up with an invitation idea for his wife’s 60th. Well, to be honest, I have no idea how it all happened, but before I knew it and before I remember either being asked or saying yes, I was sitting there with Photoshop open, putting together my vision of his idea. I think the important thing was that he liked it, and that it came out better than the version they had made in Word.

Dinner, my favourite part! And what a dinner, too. A Yugoslavian man by the name of Stefan came to this country some time ago, with a keen knowledge of meat. He started his own restaurant, and is the only member of kitchen staff there. He he can have over 20 steaks on the grill at the same time, and still know exactly who each is for, their order and how done they are wanted.

He is, simply put, amazing. And the whole idea in his restaurant. You go there for a three course meal, starting off with skinless sausages “Cevapcici” or a vegetable broth. Then you have a pick of different cuts of meat, each served with a single baked potato. After dinner there is crepes or cake with a scoop of ice cream. And these steaks are full sized buggers too.

I ended up having two. First my own, plus one extra cevapcic from Nicky. Then, as I was finishing, both my father and David C said I should have some of theirs, because they couln’t finish, so of course I had to oblige. Got half a steak from each, and I took Nicky’s baked potato, because she doesn’t like sour cream… go figure.

I sound like a pig, but to be honest, I wasn’t nearly as full as two nights earlier, at Colombo’s. I was just perfectly satiated. I probably couldn’t eat like that every night, but then again, that is a good thing too. I do highly recommend Stefan’s, though. Then again, I also recommend the other places I have mentioned.

Shit, I just wrote four paragraphs about dinner…

Dande, what?

Sorry about the absence of new material for a while, I haven’t been in the mood to write. Still aren’t, but I have to force myself at some point, no? So, this will be a combined post for what has happened in the past few days. Nothing altogether spectacular, or else I would have written, right? Well, there has been a few things, I guess:

We took a drive up to the hills surrounding Melbourne, the Dandenongs they are called. Honestly, the names they have here are terrific. I have to say, though, that it was a rather interesting drive, that area is unlike anything I have seen, yet similar to a lot of places. This trip was on Friday morning, somewhat before the Czechs left for the airport and New Zealand.

That day also included swimming, this time testing out my snorkeling gear and my camera’s underwater housing. I have to say that, being hindered by rather impaired vision, it is not the easiest task working with it. My mask obviously has my prescription lenses on it, but still. A major issue is also that the housing is obviously not entirely transparent, so it is yet again another layer of material between my eye and the focal plane of the camera.

We had dinner at home, nice and quiet, nothing all too fancy. Chicken paprikas (with an accent on the s) and pasta. [I am aware that this has turned into a food blog, but I just can't help the way I am....] Then, to be honest, I can’t remember if I watched TV or had an early night, but it hardly matters.

Calming Down

Yes! I finally have my own space, my own room in fact. With en suite bathroom and jacuzzi! I am extatic! But right now all I want to do is rest. Just for a day or two, but I need it. Don’t know if I caught the disease that everyone else seemed to have, but I am just dead tired right now. And it is my decision, no? I am on holiday ater all, I have the right to rest I think.

Rest and blog, that is. As you can see, I have been doing a bit of catching up again, in a vain attempt at making this blog as current as possible. This post is at least written on the correct day, which is a notable improvement. A notable improvement in the weather too, it finally seems to be clearing up properly.

We went out driving with Teo today, just the two of us in his beautiful BMW convertible. We got the sun to come out for us and everything. It was absolutely lovely. The drive was mostly to look at the Yarra river and the parks for a bit, but just the driving was a great exerience. I have to say that I have never been in a car that has such comfortable seats… If I could get an armchair that comfortable, I might never get up again. And obviously, being a bit of a hot rod, there was quite a bit more to the car than just the comfort.

Since the sun was out and the others were doing it, I decided to go for a swim in the pool. Very nice, warm water. Salty, because it keeps the pH right, or something. Probably spent about two hours in the water, but could have been longer. Even got the dog to swim for a bit… Well, had to drag him in the water, to be honest.

And once more, ladies and gentlemen, we have reached dinner. This time it was at an Italian restaurant in Balwyn. We started off with garlic bread, but to call it that, we would have to stretch the definition of bread quite far.They were family-sized pizzas with garlic and cheese on top. Amazing. Next I had king prawns in garlic sauce, and because it was my first time and I had no idea how big these portions were, I also had fried Calamari. I did finish it all, but it wasn’t easy walking out, let me tell you. And I had to unbutton my pants, kept the belt on though, loosely.

Getting home, I took a break, a rather long one to be honest. Then I joined the others for a bit of Port and left over birthday cake. Now, to reward myself for a blog well done, I am going to have a nice long soak in the jacuzzi. Good night, world!

Wednesday, 28.11.07

My father’s birthday. Not that it came up, not until later anyway. We were having dinner at the Hornung’s, and Nina had said that no one was allowed to eat lunch. Before dinner, though, we were going boating for a while. Unfortunately, quite a few people were feeling a bit poorly. I think it was because of the AC in the cars, it always makes me a bit nauseas. Then again, it did seem that there was a bit of a fever involved as well, so I am not sure. Could be just a cold, I guess.

The boat, the biggest in the St. Kilda marina, called the Sea Ray. Owned by either a friend, or family, not quite sure to be honest. A nice open sterned “dayboat” with white leather upholstery. We took it out for a bit of a spin around the different areas of the Melbourne waterfront, St. Kilda, Port Melbourne, Williamstown and back. We got dolphins this time, about a dozen of them, actually. Unfortunately I did not manage to get pictures of them, mid jump, but I got a few of their backs, racing each other next to the boat and in the wake.

After we got back, we had a bit of time to kill, so we went along the St. Kilda strand again. Its funny how we seem to keep visiting the exact same places a lot. I have to say, it really is one of the least inviting beaches I have seen. But even so, there were still quite a few people there, sunbathing and even swimming. With a bit of a storm brewing on the horizon, we decided to just head over to the Hornung residence, in Caulfield.

My what a house it was, absolutely huge. Very sterile though, a bit too minimalist to be honest. They had a covered pool, with retractable glass roof, a tennis court and vast rooms. Every door post was fitted with a M’zuzah, and there was lovely pieces of Judaica to be seen. Nina was in her kitchen domain, and had prepared the most wonderful dishes, once more.

For starters there was seared tuna, raw sushimi tuna, gravlax of two kinds as well as marinaded capsicum (bell pepper), artichokes  and the like. It has to be noted that all the food in that house is 1) Kosher, and 2) prepared by Nina from start to finish. Raw ingredients to the ready meal. Amazing stuff.

The actual dinner consisted of salads, sweet potato and three kinds of meat, beef, lamb and duck. I honestly wonder how one could justify so much variety in a single meal, day in and day out. I have quite a strong suspicion that they did it all just to show off a bit, and are not usually quite so overtly over the top.

After dinner we had a few slide shows, of their trip to Botswana and Zambia in August, of an earlier trip to  Canada and my pictures from Teo’s party. After this we had a surprise birthday cake for my father, during which he repeatedly accused me of not remembering his birthday, which was of course not the case.

The Drive Back

We left Peter and Nina’s after breakfast, which was at a nearby hotel. We drove over to the Sorrento-Portsea area, from where you get ferries over to the other side of the Rip. We spent some time walking along a lovely beach, first the cliffs surrounding it, and then back along the waterline, getting my feet wet in ocean water for the first time in years.

There were some schoolies there as well, but nothing major going on, still too cold. The good thing about that beach was the rock-pools that not only offer shelter from the unforgiving waves, but also make for much warmer water in them. Even so, only a few people were in the water, most just loving the sun on the sand.

After the beach, we went to town to check the ferry schedules and had a drink. With time to spare, I visited the local surf shop and picked up a pair of Oakley surf shorts, which I have to say look rather great. This was the first money I spent on this trip, a total of 69.95 AUD for them, not exactly cheap, but I felt like something nice. The right side thigh pocket comes equipped with a Oakley Beach tool, with bottle opener and cutting implements, genius!

The ferry ride was pretty unspectacular, no dolphins. The views of the beaches were nice, and you could see the white water of the Rip from dozens of miles away. That current is amazingly strong. The trip takes a bit over half an hour, just a straight bit of traveling from one side to the next.

On the other side, we passed the old fort, constructed around the time of the Crimean war. No Russian ships ever arrived, but they were ready for them, nonetheless. All the buildings on this side are older, a it more run down and dozy. Much more my style, to be honest. We went for lunch to a small, rustic cafe. Their specialty was Crepes, I had Chicken Hawaiian. It was nice, the service was a bit slow, but then again we were a huge group.

The drive back was through classic Australiana, the buildings as well as the landscapes. Vey nice, yet a bit, well… Woozy. I slept. Not the whole way, but for a bit.

Cape Schanck

Monday and Tuesday were reserved for a big group outing to Cape Schanck, an hour and a half from Kew. It is a place on the outer edge of the Mornington Peninsula, which forms the eastern edge of Port Phillip Bay. We took the scenic route, from Brighton to Mt. Eliza, Mornington and so on. The coastline wasn’t exactly prolific, but it was hardly disappointing either.

We arrived for lunch at the exclusive The National Golf Club. We had been given the dress code, no denim, which I found ridiculous, since denim is a lot nicer than, say any sports clothing. But, golf is golf, so we all did our best to obey the rules. unfortunately they came up with more as we were entering, no outside pockets on pants, for instance. So I had to go back, change out of my shorts, and put on David’s dress-pants.

Food wasn’t anything particularly good either, definitely not worth changing clothes or the money I am sure it all cost. We went out for a bit, walking around the course and then a bit further, up to Sorrento near Portsea. Took a quick detour by the beach, but nobody was in the mood to walk much. Up in town we followed a car full of schoolies who had a big water gun and shot at anyone by the roadside, including people in cafeterias, roadside workers and the like. It was actually quite a bit of fun seeing the expressions on people’s faces when they got hit.

After a bit of that, it was time for dinner at Peter and Nina’s vacation home. They have a Kosher home and it was very nice to see, firstly the M’zuzah on the door posts, but also the meticulous care Nina took in the kitchen to ensure that everything was done right. Because the house was not built for it, she has had to improvise with the sink and so on. Most importantly, the kitchen was her domain. She wanted no help, and would have accepted none either. I asked, just out of courtesy.

The dinner. Thee kinds of meat, different salads, my oh my! We had absolutely wonderful beef steaks, lovely lamb chops and scrumptious Satay chicken. This was after quite a few rounds of bread and dips, sausage and whatnot. Corn grilled to perfection as well, just to top it all off. And desert too, after everyone was much too full to even think about any more, of course.

Before dessert, however, we went out for a little dusk drive to see the Kangaroos. And we saw quite a few of the little buggers too. Some weren’t all that little either, to be honest. Unfortunately it was already dark enough to pretty much ruin any freehand shot, so no spectacular photos this time. I guess I got a few passable ones though.

The Afterparty

Sunday was a slower day, reserved for a lovely drawn-out family lunch. Quite a few of the guests from the night before attended, food was from a catering service. The weather was lovely, not too hot, yet rather sunny. Plenty of conversations as it was much easier to talk without all the noise and hassle of the night before.

Caterers are always odd, because they take over your kitchen and then it’s no longer yours, for as long as they are there. Not that Teo’s kitchen is mine, but he did tell everyone to feel at home and treat it as their own. Not being able to get a drink yourself makes everything a bit more of an ordeal.

The Big Saturday

Saturday morning started with a big group wander around the Docklands area of Melbourne, in rather nice, mild weather. Looking at the new buildings around in that area, some of the street artwork and of course the yachts in the harbour. We had lunch there too, at an absolutely lovely seafood place. They did get my order wrong, but what I got was probably better anyway.

After lunch the boys went to take a quick look at the beach in St. Kilda, also taking a quick drive around the F1 circuit. The beach was not unlike other city beaches in that they are not the type of place I would walk with bare feet in. A gas station by the beach had what I felt was interesting pricing: All drinks seemed to be discounted with a “2 for XX” system. 0.6l Coca Cola was 2 for 4,99 and 1.25l Coke was 2 for 4.49. Interesting the pointless facts I write here, and how much stuff I leave out…

We left the beach to get ready for the evening. Apart from grooming and dressing, I also took the time to do a meticulous cleaning of my camera, lenses and filters. It’s surprising the places you get fingerprints, it really is. We were picked up at 18:15 by a driver, to be taken to the Aquarium for the party. For those not in the know, the Aquarium is located in Melbourne’s CBD, on the bank of the Yarra River. The car was, I think, A Bentley Continental, but to be honest I am not that good with cars. Very nice and roomy, though. Wouldn’t mind one myself.

Arriving at the Aquarium, I first noted how closed everything was. No one was supposed to be there until 7pm, and since the drive was only about 10 minutes, we were there quite a bit early. Somehow we managed to convince the receptionist that we were needed downstairs to help with the set up, and got permission to go down. Unfortunately the lifts had been locked, and the receptionist did not even have the key for the escalators. Once she got the stairs working, it was fine though, and we gotg down.

Places like schools, amusement parks and so on give me the creeps after they are closed. All the corridors are so quiet, yet they seem to know they should be full of noise. All the corners seem dark and threatening, and happy smiling faces on posters and statues seem too fixed. On top of this, the Aquarium had the eerie blue glow to enhance all of these feelings. I do have to say though, that having the fish swimming in the walls did add to the mood, after the lights and sounds came back and dispelled the ether of the gloom.

Speaking of fish, there was a shark there, so fat that he was worse than any cartoon I have ever seen. He was probably about three times as wide as the other sharks, and they weren’t exactly starving either. Apparently the big guy is on a diet though. Apart from the sharks and smaller fishies, we also had a diving Santa Claus, who danced as we sang Happy birthday.

The place was done up very nicely for the party, great cocktail waiters with hors d’oeuvres and drinks to begin with, and excellent attentive dining room staff during dinner, which was great as well. I know its just because we only visit the finest places, but food here is amazingly good. I just can’t stress that enough, I love the food here! The band was good as well, playing the classics of dance music. There was a electronics operator, guitarist and two singers. I had quite a nice chat with the lady singer, Juliette, I think her name was.

As well as the band, we also had a special musical number, by Andrew Ronay-Jenkings, another nephew of Teo’s. He has fantastic stage presence, it has to be said. I wanted to post some of his contact details here, but it seems his website is unaccessible. Andrew’s girlfriend, Nicole, was also there. She is an actor, and a very warm person as well.

Speaking of the people there, my how many came. Teo himself said that apart from one or two, the whole of his family was there. And for the first time ever. Later on in the evening, he told me how he wished his father could have been there to see it. Family is the most important, after all. Mishpocha, mishpocha.

Sure, most of them are related to me only through distant marriages, and whatnot, but what is important is that they are. Even the two-meter tall Czech who dances like those balloony-men you get outside of car dealerships, flapping their arms around all day to encourage shoppers. I must say, he did have the most fun of anybody on the dance floor.

The night went on for quite a bit, talking, drinking, having a good time.