Australia Day was a holiday for everyone but Deborah, who was cleaning up after guests who had checked out. Her new position as innkeeper has firmly reinforced her opinion that some people are pigs. A glance at the recycling bin reinforces another conclusion: that Australians drink a LOT of beer. Granted, the weather has been quite hot and even I, who didn’t drink at all until about a year ago, drank a beer three days in a row. Unprecedented for me. Deborah asks if I’m becoming an alcoholic. I tell her no, I’m just becoming Australian.
I spent Australia Day painting (what else) and also watching Cricket on television. I saw a bit of it back in November but had no idea what was going on and quickly abandoned it. But Merrilyn, before she left for the beach house, sat down and explained the basics of the game to me, and now I actually enjoy watching it. The novelty may wear off eventually, but for now it is entertaining, if for no other reason than to hear the announcer use bizarre terms like bowlers, overs and wickets.
Apparently there are a number of variations of the game, some of which last about 3 hours and some of which are played over 5 days! The one I watched (off and on) yesterday was “only” a one-day game, lasting maybe 8 hours or so. I can’t imagine the numbness in the behinds of the spectators who sit in the grandstands watching the entire game. One of the amusing rituals of the long games is when they break for tea. Cricket is played by virtually all the former colonies of the British Empire. Yesterday’s match saw the Australians, who are supposed to be the world’s leading team, lose to the South Africans. Perhaps that explains the surplus of empty beer bottles.
Another view of Lake Jindabyne
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