The Fourth of July 2009

By now, everyone should be aware that below the equator July = winter. That's why Christmas movies appear on TV. That's why locals wear heavy coats even if the daytime temps are 68F. That's why I made a Thanksgiving Day-esque turkey supper. Bought it on super clearance the day after Christmas, a day when insensible Europeans will roast a turkey for 5 hours in 98F heat, and put it in the freezer for a better day.

And what better day than the Fourth of July, an Independence Day feast. Our neighbor, Keith, loves roast turkey yet rarely gets to eat it. I tried new recipes for the sweet potatoes and green beans (well, it wasn't actually Thanksgiving Day, so I thought some experimentation was allowable) and, Miracle-O-May, everything was ready at the exact same time! Oh yeah, send me my Girl Scout cooking badge now. Keith brought the usual two bottles of champagne and a special surprise for dessert. It was a mud cake (like a cheesecake) decorated with an American Flag in frosting. PLUS, adorned with star sparklers-shaped like four-leaf clovers instead of straight sticks-which I have never seen before. What fun! I giggled madly as sulphur smoke filled our tiny townhome, John Phillip Sousa played on the CD player and we toasted the day with another glass of bubbly. Predictably, we all fell into a food coma that night and it was leftover turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner today.

We could have had guests last night. A U.S. naval ship, the USS George Washington, is anchored just offshore and the city is awash with moneyed sailors on their first leave in 30 days. I bumped into two yesterday morning in the downtown area and made an open invitation to join us for supper. A former sailor myself, getting an invitation to a local home is most welcome. They didn't show up (their loss) but that's OK. Funny, I did not ask if they were US sailors, I assumed they were as I recognize my own breed. Kev can, also. It is sometimes hard to define exactly, but one can tell who the Europeans, Americans and (foreign) Asians are at a glance.

Anyway, Perth is thrilled to have cash ladened sailors in town. Put up a big sign saying so. The TV news channels have been heralding the arrival also with video. One of the stories showed sailors in full dress uniform visiting sick kids in the hospital. This beaute of a PR move preemptoratively coats good-will over any potential future negative "incidents" that might arise from sailors on leave. I spotted a few of these guys in a pub at 11a.m. with a beer and high amusement at the sports programming on the TV. Can't blame them--rugby can often look like a cross between football and Twister, very amusing.

Something I didn't know: the USS George Washington is likely to be anchored in open water rather than docked (probably in Fremantle at that) is because some countries do not want nuclear weapons in their country (Canada being one, say my friends) and the U.S. will not disclose which ships are or are not carrying. So, the good sailors tender in (take small boat shuttles to shore) and book hotel rooms for a couple of days.

Three-thousand-plus sailors could do worse than Perth for a few days leave. I hope they have a good time.