Perth International Arts Festival

The Perth International Arts Festival is THE jewel of the WA arts scene. It has the usual contemporary art, edgy three dimensional pieces, the oh-so-trendy video screen art installations and an extensive foreign film festival.

The three-week festival has some great surprises within it. The Mobile Sewing Company moves their exhibition about the CBD...on the bicycles that power old PFAFF sewing machines. The artists ask passers-by for articles of their clothing and then sew on theatrical embellishments. A very fit female pedals the now-raised bike at the desired speed and the seamstress presses her pedal to engage the tire to the needle gears. Lots of fun to watch.

A French company has a unique and very edgy exhibit called

Revolt of the Mannequins. Put into store windows and altered daily, everyone does a double take at the decidedly more animated dummies in vignettes unexpected. Madness at a "going out of business sale." Roller derby at the jewelry store.

Today I attended the first of three days in the Writer's Festival section. A fabulous multi-venue matrix of author presentations. Some of the expected: characterization, short form writing, researching facts, etc. Anatomy of a Thriller had a young Aussie novelist James Phelan and former Director of MI5 turned author Stella Rimington. Alan Weisman, author of "The World Without Us" (if humans all disappeared at once, how would the earth change?) paired with 'fish' author Mark Kurlansky with a message "You don't have to be right, just not wrong." The Censorship in Young Adult Writing unit didn't excite me but as it was free --as are 86 of the 116 modules-- I hardly felt it was a waste. Two more days of different topics, different perspectives, different lessons.

What's not to like about this premier event?

Let me entertain you...

For one who exhorts people to take advantage of the myriad entertainment options here in Perth on her radio show, I don't get out too often myself. So these past two weeks have been noteworthy for couch potato reform. Let me share a bit of it.

On the auspicious day of Friday the 13th, we met up with Kevin's brother, Brian and his partner (they're not called boyfriend/girlfriend here) at a Lebanese restaurant, Elie's Tent. Lots of swagging at the ceiling shooed away the strip mall business appearance with hookah pipes and other decorative elements adding atmosphere. We ordered a flavor medley for four--you know, the table smorgasbord for those who can't make up their minds--and ate way too much. Donna decided it tasted decidedly Iranian. The floor show reminded me of Egypt.

Belly dancing! Woo hoo, gold wings, silken veils and shaking hips. Tap, tap, tap. Whoa. What's this? The star of "My Two Left Feet", the man who refuses to dance with anyone (unless you are wearing a skimpy costume, apparently) is out on the floor. Waving a diaphanous veil, shaking coin-clad hips and clearly having a very good time. What an obliging bloke. No other guy would get up and dance with Habiba. What fun! And with a pair of Entertainment Book coupons (a fairly recent arrival in noncoupon-centric OZ), affordable. What a night.

Last night was "Dinner & Theater" night. Let's make a second try at Mexican. OZ is not the border you want to make a run to for Mexican food. I am not an aficionado, but I recognize spaghetti sauce on Fritos, so topping it with boiled wedges of onion and a canopy of cheese isn't fooling me as a plate of nachos. Add a couple of watered down Happy Hour drinks and we dug in like starving men in the desert. Hey, we're making the most of the aforementioned Entertainment Book.

Now off to the theater. Kev is amused. Sherry (dry, semi-dry, sweet and very sweet) is being sold and enjoyed by the predominately older crowd before the show. I've never seen that before. Didn't bother to ask about liquor laws--more a suggestion than mandate around here. The play was about what happens to a family when they (or their elderly relative) wins the lottery. At intermission there was a stampede of seniors. Apparently donation is optional on the pre-poured coffee and cookies in the lobby. Kev & I have our own mini-debate on what to do with big winnings before the alls-well conclusion of the show. [full disclosure: these were unclaimed tickets from my radio show. Hoping no one claims Phantom of the Opera or any other tickets I can arrange to get.] I enjoyed the evening immensely. Kev had a beer and listened to the Cricket.

A Sports-Mad Nation

One cannot underestimate the importance of sports in the minds of Australians. It's not an obsession as much as a tight weave in the fabric of their lives. Let's start with Aussie Rules Football, celebrating its 150th anniversary of bone crushing and brain numbing action. Melbourne and its immediate suburbs support no fewer than nine (9) professional teams! And all seen on national TV.

There are two different rugby sports. Rugby League is most like American Football and Rugby Union is for the Ivy League cum Rhodes scholar types. Basketball is a growing sport with imported American coaches.

And add a splash of cricket, played in wicked summer heat in "tests" that last for up to five days. The World is the league: India, South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. "Away" series usually last 3-4 weeks.

Sports isn't just a spectator sport. Club sports abound for the everyman.

What do you play? Soccer, cricket, lawn bowls, croquet....name it. Municipalities build club houses and pitches (fields) for organizations to use, rent and maintain. Even croquet.

Lawn bowls resembles bocci ball and there are clubs all over the place. Heavily identified with the pensioner set, this is actually a fun past time that has strategy, skill with wobbly balls and the requisite arguments over the nearness of the ball to the white Jack [easily resolved with a tape measure] and whether real grass or

artificial turf is best [let's not go there...Kev's club has real grass.] There is no debate that the cheapest drinks in town can be had in a lawn bowls clubhouse. The old-person image tends to keep potential converts (particularly the middle-aged in denial) away. That, and ever rising land values, are getting cities to rethink some of this benevolence. Perhaps sports clubs should start them young, like soccer in the U.S. Anyway, if you can get the movie, "Crackerjack" [2002. Mick Molloy stars] from the library or videostore, you will have the complete picture picture of the joys and foibles of lawn bowls in Oz.

I've given thought to actually joining a croquet club. One, it is closest to my home. Two, with only 14 members rumored to be registered, they might pay me to join. Three, I fancy it would immediately make me sound like "old money." Four, it would be a unique experience probably only found here! Five, it is a heck of a lot safer than rugby.

Random Musings

Supersize Me- Australians worry that they are mere ounces away from the obesity problem the United States has. I don't see it, in the Central Business District anyway. Young, skinny and clad in designer fashions. Or, is that what is meant by "well-presented" in every employment classified?

There must be 2.8 restaurants per person here in Perth. All different kinds and ethnicities. Does anyone cook at home, anymore?

Now, I love post offices in general. The stamps in Malaysia glow in the dark! (are those safe to lick?) The post offices here are retail havens. Stamps are almost a sideline to all the cell phones, toys, DVDs, phone cards, games, stationery, etc. Australia Post regularly rotates its stamp design stock, so one has to act quickly to get Harry Potter movie, The Simpsons, Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe stamps. As you can see, you don't need to be real or dead to be licked & fixed around here.

So why, after so long, do I still get surprised to see people walking around barefoot all the time? All those signs in the U.S. stores and restaurants stating "No Shirt, no shoes, no service" simply don't exist here. No place is a barefoot-free zone. Sometimes I feel rather prudish walking into the shopping center with shoes on my feet. They remain tied, anyway.

In order to stream line the cost of government, WA has the idea of "amalgamating" sections of suburbs. Jaw drop. Long established suburbs like my own are seriously balking at the idea of jettisoning their community identity to save paperwork for the state. Can you imagine the uproar if this was suggested in any metropolitan area in the U.S.?

Woolworth's. Found everywhere but in the U.S. In Mexico, it is the store you remember. In Australia, it is a chain of grocery stores. Same font and logo. Odd or homey?

Vegetable shortening does not exist in Oz. People here use butter or lard. Just have to have your Crisco? Look in the International Gourmet Foods section of the high-tone department store...right next to the chocolate Pop Tarts.

Evidence that the sun hangs out here in its spare time: It seems like there are as many skin cancer clinics here in WA as there are heart hospitals in Columbus or convenience stores anywhere.

Thursday Late Night Shopping: a 'family event' and the only evening, by law, that stores are allowed to be open until 9 pm here in the 'burbs. Downtown Perth gets Friday nights and extended weekends (including Sundays.) I'm not sure I understand it, either.

I'll muse more later...

...and it's free!

I have to admit, that, on occasion, at a few times in my life, I could be considered...thrifty. And as a charter member of the Cheapskates Club, er, I mean, Thrift Society, I am always looking for added-value options that don't unnecessarily flatten my wallet. Let me share a few gems that will aid your visit to the land Down Under. Perth seems to have an image problem. Most east coasters and entirely too many Perthians seem to think of this city as an characterless Dullsville. Columbus, Ohio tends to get this unwarranted rep, also--contrary to the evidence otherwise in both cities. Now, I can recommend a good tour service in Columbus, but in Perth, the secrets are revealed for free. Funny enough, the service is a secret to a number of natives, also.

There are free walking tours starting from the central shopping area twice each weekday. The morning is a general city orientation. The afternoon tour has a theme; Boom or Bust, Art City, City Gardens & Parks, Convicts & Colonials and Town Hall. The volunteer iCity guides know their stuff and have great stories. One of my favorite stories is about the convict labor in Western Australia. Perth, settled by the upper crust, had long resisted the wretched east coast policy of importing convict labor. Eventually the amount of public works needed to be done necessitated the importation of extra hands. But not your garden variety cutthroats and horsethieves, WA brought in only high quality convicts who could read, write and already had a trade. The last building built with convict labor was the old Town Hall. It is also very interesting to see where old and new construction have been seamlessly interwoven into the fabric that is Perth today.

Other notable deals here in Perth: Take a walking tour on your own schedule by downloading into your MP3 player the i-Walk City of Perth Trails audio tour from www.rtrfm.com.au/walk . There is a system of CAT buses that will take you to all corners of the Metro area which run frequently and are free. Also, many of the public museums and art galleries do not charge admission. Good news...in an expensive town.

George Washington slept here

Eventually, you will have to pull yourself off our free couch and investigate places far enough away to have to pay for lodging. There are posh hotels and chain motels aplenty. A liberal sprinkling of IYH hostels and grotty backpacker lodgings. Skip all those boring options. Stay at the same place George Washington did.

Welllll, not exactly where George slept [I cannot tell a lie, either] but in the kind of places that only existed in his day in the U.S. Think: the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio. More than a rest stop. It is a bar, restaurant, hotel, meeting place, entertainment center and the fulcrum of the area.

In Australia, they are called country pubs. I've mentioned these establishments before for their cheap eats on a large platter. Until the last couple of decades, every pub was required to have sleeping space for its liquored up patrons. And then the states got tough: they lowered the blood alcohol rate to .05 and pushed responsibility onto the drinker instead of the publican. The big cities were the first to ditch low profit sleep rooms and some cinderblock country pubs don't have them,either.
But there are many of these grand, glorious (and creaky with age) buildings remaining. Many are easily recognized by their similar architecture in one town after another. The top floor, where the rooms are, have verandas for guests to hang out on. The interiors are made with richly colored native wood like jarrah, karri and marri.

Some of the staircases are jaw dropping. They rise centrally and then split in opposing directions halfway up (very high ceilings give way to such extravagance.) The Empire Hotel in Launceston, Tasmania has its stairwell listed on the National Trust --the entire reason we stayed there. Squint when you go inside, the carpet is a bit threadbare, not every corner has a spit-shine and the cutlery in the dining room is not the Queen's pattern. Who cares? I feel like royalty is these very affordable, comfy as an old shoe places. I don't even mind going down and around the corridor to find the showers and rest rooms --which you will indeed do in any authentic colonial hotel.

Represented here are some of the more distinctive hotels. But there are surprises inside ones that rate zero in the visuals category. Originally furnished with old stuff picked up locally, those same rooms (with the same furnishings) start to remind you of a cross between a cowboy western movie and an antique showroom--again with great native woods playing a star role.

We attended a weekend event at the Wongan Hills Civic Hotel pictured here on the right. Christmas in July. No heat. Six wool blankets. Bathrooms across the hall. Next stop Outback. I loved it!

Glamour shot of the hotel at New Norcia-the only monastic town in Oz. Founded in 1846 by Spanish Benedictine monks and still run by them today. The hotel was originally built for families of the students of now-closed schools, now even the old student dorms are available for groups. In almost the middle of nowhere, creaking & threadbare, central staircase, bathrooms down the hall, huge verandas, monks in the next building, bikers and locals hanging out on the cracked tile porch making lively conversation and joyful noise. Holiday Inn just doesn't come close.

Moonlight Cinema

There is nothing quite like, on a summer's evening, sitting under the stars and watching the stars...on the silver screen. Outdoor or Moonlight Cinema they call it here. And far from a few golden oldies projected on a small screen behind the library, there is an entire season of daily, in-the-moviehouses-now choices on gigantic, inflatable screens at a number of showplace garden locations.

Some places are big open spaces; bring a "rug" or chairs, a picnic, don't forget your wine or beer (allowed at most every public concert or event you can go to, it seems) and make it a party. Bring a little table and your wheelie cooler. Spread the tablecloth, whip out the cutlery, plates and pates and you have a nice night out under the stars. You can even rent a reclining beanbag chair for the evening!

Other outdoor cinemas like things a little tidier, they provide chairs and (as they have a liquor license) insist on pouring your nectar for you. Hands free (you're hiding the goods under your sweater or in large pants pockets) arrival and departure from a swanky backyard celluloid sensation. The price of a movie is only marginally cheaper than at the theaters, but a few pride themselves on donating profits to charity. Running on volunteer ticket sellers, takers and an 84 year-old projectionist keeps the donations high every season.

For as many walk-up movie options we have, a local drive-in theater, The Galaxy, still exists. I promote them heavily on my "What's On Where" radio show as I wish them to continue to exist. Plus, they are the cheapest ($7.50pp or $10 a whole car on Tuesdays) movie ticket around. Also, for those in the Wheatbelt country who don't have a permanent theater, a company brings their gigantic inflatable screen and projector to each community on a rotating basis so they can enjoy a good flick also.

Now where did I put my popcorn?

Aborigines

It's a story repeated many times over the years: Powerful nation sails the seven seas and claims lands that it likes and will suit its purposes. Indigenous population gets moved or marginalized in the process. Newcomers best/sincerest attempts to improve and reassimilate the native population fail miserably. Natives find new feet in their "new" land.

As the story here is pretty much the same, it does not need to be repeated. But I'd like to mention the view from where I currently sit on this timeline. The aboriginal people were officially covered by laws for humans (as opposed to the previous Flora & Fauna governance) in 1967. Forty years on and I get the curious feeling that I am observing the United States 100 years ago. The legal writ for genuine opportunity and advancement is in place. What remains is for all communities to get on board. Prejudice and practice makes this easier said than done.

Traditionally a nomadic people travelling in extended family packs with a great connection to the earth, this way of life is not exactly a contemporary model anymore. As a Noongar elder said at a recent Australia Day event, "What our life used to be will never be again. And that is sad. But this is a new world today and we must live in it. We must determine our own destinies. Maybe we can be like Barack Obama!" It was an empowering statement from an elder. And not one that eschewed cultural values. Native dance, paint-dot art, didgeridoo music, traditional foods (and that gets interesting), making and using boomerangs and talking "in language" are encouraged not just by the aboriginal community.

Looking for a movie that touches upon aboriginal life in Oz? Try "Rabbit Proof Fence" or "Ten Canoes". Yes, even films like "Australia" and "Crocodile Dundee" (I & II) will give you some insight into the native people and their customs. For example, any program on TV that has Aborigines in it will have a warning that aboriginal people now deceased may be seen in it.

Some famous Aborigines: Sydney Olympian Cathy Freeman, tennis play Yvonne Goolagong, actor Ernie Dingo and a slew of rugby players.

The Neighborhood 'Roo

I used to believe that the animals found here in Australia were from a completely different universe. My proof was that so many animals here are found no where else on Earth. I've been rethinking this lately. The more I ponder kangaroo, the more like deer they are.

OK, their bottom halves seem over developed with top halves underdeveloped and they carry their babies around in a pouch. But those are about the only differences. Watch their feed and grazing habits. As dusk draws near, mobs of roo emerge from the shade of the woods to graze their way across open fields. And then plop themselves down to digest their food...usually in the middle of the road. So, as you drive out in the country, the shiny eyes in the headlights aren't going to be deer (which don't live here anyway) but will do equal damage to your car should they meet.

Which is why the word "pest" is spat out frequently when kangaroos are mentioned by some people. Others are fairly protective of their (exurb) neighborhood troop and make sure that food is available and illegal hunters are at bay. Now, I live just over the causeway (a bridge that connects my suburb to the downtown peninsula) from Perth. City with a capital "C", yet I have kangaroo just eight blocks from my home. Heirisson Island is located just below that causeway with half being a fenced area with Western Grey Kangaroo living there. No sign says how or why they are there. Convalescing? Teenagers run away from home? Who knows? I just like strolling through their fields being guarded by a statue of an Aborigine elder, Yagan. Heirisson Island is a prime viewing spot for all fireworks and activities held on the Swan River or its foreshores. Unfortunately, only the kangaroo mob is allowed there during those times.

Oh, more similarities. Kangaroo meat is every bit as gamey tasting as venison and the hides are used for shoes and slippers.

If we are talking domestic, odd-ball animals; let me put in a few pictures as a bonus. And it is just a few.

1.Pygmy possum 2. Bilby 3.Wombat 3.Echidna 4. Kookaburra

The Old Pearler

We recently took a road trip to the southern half of The Coral Coast, north of Perth and a popular destination. We get to hang with wild dolphins at the shores of Monkey Mia (pronounced MY-ah and no monkeys there), wander a very windy national park and stroll a sandless beach at Shark Bay. Hamlin Pool is not a beach made of rocks but of mollusc shells. Looks like sand until your feet send back a message that small conical shells are not soft. Billions of these shells wash ashore daily and have done so for ages. Time and pressure have cemented these shells into a very hard mass. And here, a bit of Aussie ingenuity kicks in. Cut into 'cinder blocks', these shellblocks were used in the construction of some of the local buildings.

Our favorite: The Old Pearler Restaurant in nearby Denham. The tiny restaurant and its two tinier outbuildings are made entirely of shells, earning the double distinction of being the only restaurant in the world made of shell and of being the western most restaurant in Australia. The not-so-uniform block size and the incredible roughness of the surface (careful near delicate clothing) are actually endearments rather than flaws.

The interior is decorated with tackle from the historic old vessels. The tables and settees are made from timber salvaged from the old Peron Station shearers' quarters. Exposed electrical wires power the few lights. The trapped air in the shells provide superior insulation for the small air conditioner and small fireplace efficiency.

We walked in early one evening, wrote ourselves into the reservation book and enjoyed an excellent oceanside meal. We were next to the kitchen and heard one and a half people working in it. The other half was waiting tables with laid-back, but efficient, service. A real treasure rising from the sea.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Go ahead and ask me, "Where's your favorite place in Western Australia?" This is the point where one hems and haws and says stuff like, "Well, every place has its own charms..." Nope. I can put my finger on two places that have real purpose in my existence (although the others do have their charms...) and charms above others.

Kings Park and Botanic Gardens

In 1890, just over 400 hectares at the top of a hill alongside the Swan River were set aside so people could see "the beauty of this land 1000 years hence." It has been developed, preserved and conserved into the prettiest garden in WA. An excellent native plant park, perfect for picnicking, walks, bridal parties, playing hookey from work, outdoor cinema, concerts and, for me, a proper chlorophyll fix. Conveniently and centrally located at the end of the CBD, developers view this more as a tantalizingly untouchable gold mine.

KAKULAS BROTHERS


I adore this store originally founded for the Greek and Italian immigrants and since tweaked a bit for emerging health-minded people and immigrants from other lands.

Most of the food here is sold in bulk. Rows of square bins filled with sacks, boxes or pails of grain, seeds, spices, snacks, candies, rices, cereals and the like with old fashioned scoops at the ready. Breathe in. Look at the colors. Listen to the swoosh sounds of scoops digging into bags of beans or raw popcorn. Feel the buzz of customer activity. No one aspect is overpowering, commerce at its most basic form with handmade cardboard price signs cutting any inclination of crass haggling. I love watching chefs buy huge amount of spices and other people 'measuring' out the exact amount of whatever for a recipe they are going to make. Oooh, what's that? Hee hee, I can make my own version of Cream of the West's 7-Grain Cereal with this selection.


So, just how many types of flour does Kakulas have?
Brown rice, white rice, soya, arrow root (polenta), atta, spelt, bourgal, stoneground meal, rye, chick pea, falafel, potato, gramdahl, wholemeal (self-rise & regular), barley, millet and country grain bread mix.

Almost as many olive, cheeses, dried fruit, oil, meat and soap choices.

Just one thing that keeps this whole picture less than perfect: people putting their fingers in the bags/boxes/pails. They tend to be nonWestern immigrants or older people who, not reading multiple signs in multiple languages saying not to, get a little too touchy feely with the product and then drop it back in the bag. This doesn't just annoy me, it keeps the entire Kakulas staff on guard for the store cannot tolerate that behavior either. I don't think Kakulas would mind if you scooped a bit into your hand and then dropped in on the floor or bin bottom-just don't contaminate the bags.

Just one thing that puts the whole picture past perfect (besides the creaky, uneven floorboards and well-worn wooden shelves): the sight of one of the founding Kakulas brothers, aged 93 and officially retired, happily pulling a shift behind the registers.