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.