A bouquet to the state government, for sponsoring the Queensland multi cultural festival at Roma Street Parklands on Sunday, letting the thousands of people in for exactly zero dollars. Was a beautiful day, although a bit hot at thirty degrees, lots to do, lots to see. Lots of shiney happy people around, lots of smiles. Can you tell I enjoyed myself?
The jam packed programme started at 9.30 - about seven major 'stages' with stuff doing for most of the day, and entertainers just walking around - but I didn't get there until quarter to eleven. I was meaning to get there earlier, but after walking around Toowong for five hours the day before, I had to have a bit of sleep in between.
I was meaning to head over to the Argentinian tango people first, but got distracted by some enthusiastic Morris dancers. Put a smile on the face, was cute and entertaining, all those jangly bits, and they got a 'volunteer' in a blindfold that they danced around. And then I was going to see the tango bit, but then some Bolivians got into some pretty gorgeous costumes and I stuck around to watch their bit for about twenty minutes.
Finally got to the tango stage for the last five minutes or so, and was suddenly glad I was morris dancing and Bolivian pan piping beforehand - the grand piano, the flute, the violin, the bass, dressed up to the nines - not my scene at all nowadays. Sure, I like a good suit as much as anyone, but I just got the feeling that noses were in the air.
Scoffed down some Hungarian snap bread, with sour cream, cheese and goulash, and tried to catch the Aboriginal welcome to the Upper Parklands - yes, I discovered that the place has a lot of steps, gradients and the like, would hate to try running around the place, lots of step training. If I hadn't had the goulash, I probably would have made it to see the welcoming ceremony, but missed it by that much - they were just walking out of the 'sand pit' as I got there.
Headed over to see the Sudanese Catholic Church choir - I just love the style, the cut and especially the colours of most clothes that Africans wear. I spent about five minutes trying to word that sentence right, without trying to sound err racist or anything, but gave up trying, and I know what I mean and it isn't offensive, hope it doesn't come across that way to others. And the Sudanese had pretty good voices as well, even if there was a bit too much hallelujah in it for me LOL.
Then it was a tough choice, either to see the Premier do his welcome to multiculturalism or to go to the Dutch pavilion. When an Amstel beer is on offer, well, can you guess which one I took? Quenched the thirst, but would have been nice to share it with somebody - yes, I did go by myself, very much the Loser from that Beck song perhaps. I have just gotten so used to doing things by myself, more's the pity.
Then went into the actual gardens part of the Parklands, took a photo of a grasshopper eating a leaf, with the shadow of its body against the leaf itself - very nice. Was actually the first time I had been down to the parklands ever, and, apart from the thousands of people there last weekend, found it quite peaceful. Kudos to whoever put that idea together - was it disused railyards before probably?
Found some Bolivian food, some doughy thing with beef in, like a funny shaped spring roll maybe - with chili and sour cream, and then proceeded not to sit down at a table where I could have eaten it civilised like, but instead found a chair watching the Abyssinian dancers. With the beat of the music and the red, yellow and green scarves, it could have been a Bob Marley concert. Although I think I was more concerned with spilling chili all over myself at that stage.
Watched the Poles, Croats and Kurdish dancers before being seduced by the samba beat of the mock Rio Carnival outside. Well the samba beat and perhaps the samba dancers, in those bikini outfits - at least they were well dressed for the weather, the poor Bolivian, Polish and Kurdish men, their traditional outfits were all in stifling wool. And love those big tin drums that the Brazilians have. Only thing missing was a football motif, although they did crash out of the World Cup earlier in the year, maybe it would have brought up too many bad memories.
At the end of the carnival procession, my camera battery, which had been promising to expire since about an hour into the festivities, finally gave up the ghost. All through the time, since that Sudanese choir, I had been thinking, as long as it lasts to the carny, I will be okay if it dies after then. The battery must have been listening to me, to give up the ghost the first time I tried to take a picture of the Russian dancers.
Must remember to buy a spare battery for these big photo days in future. I would have quite happily taken shots of the Russians doing their cossack moves. Watched a bit of the Scottish dancing troupe before realising without a camera there was no use in sticking around to watch the Police Pipes and Drums band - which I would have had to wait an extra hour to see anyhows.
Next year, I will have that second battery. This year, I had heaps of fun anyways - with the crowds as they were on Sunday, and the happy go lucky vibe of the day, it is somewhat, well actually very surprising that the multi cultural thing has only been going for three years.
Mark it on your calendar for next year, all you Brisbane readers. Is a great day out.
Pauly
The jam packed programme started at 9.30 - about seven major 'stages' with stuff doing for most of the day, and entertainers just walking around - but I didn't get there until quarter to eleven. I was meaning to get there earlier, but after walking around Toowong for five hours the day before, I had to have a bit of sleep in between.
I was meaning to head over to the Argentinian tango people first, but got distracted by some enthusiastic Morris dancers. Put a smile on the face, was cute and entertaining, all those jangly bits, and they got a 'volunteer' in a blindfold that they danced around. And then I was going to see the tango bit, but then some Bolivians got into some pretty gorgeous costumes and I stuck around to watch their bit for about twenty minutes.
Finally got to the tango stage for the last five minutes or so, and was suddenly glad I was morris dancing and Bolivian pan piping beforehand - the grand piano, the flute, the violin, the bass, dressed up to the nines - not my scene at all nowadays. Sure, I like a good suit as much as anyone, but I just got the feeling that noses were in the air.
Scoffed down some Hungarian snap bread, with sour cream, cheese and goulash, and tried to catch the Aboriginal welcome to the Upper Parklands - yes, I discovered that the place has a lot of steps, gradients and the like, would hate to try running around the place, lots of step training. If I hadn't had the goulash, I probably would have made it to see the welcoming ceremony, but missed it by that much - they were just walking out of the 'sand pit' as I got there.
Headed over to see the Sudanese Catholic Church choir - I just love the style, the cut and especially the colours of most clothes that Africans wear. I spent about five minutes trying to word that sentence right, without trying to sound err racist or anything, but gave up trying, and I know what I mean and it isn't offensive, hope it doesn't come across that way to others. And the Sudanese had pretty good voices as well, even if there was a bit too much hallelujah in it for me LOL.
Then it was a tough choice, either to see the Premier do his welcome to multiculturalism or to go to the Dutch pavilion. When an Amstel beer is on offer, well, can you guess which one I took? Quenched the thirst, but would have been nice to share it with somebody - yes, I did go by myself, very much the Loser from that Beck song perhaps. I have just gotten so used to doing things by myself, more's the pity.
Then went into the actual gardens part of the Parklands, took a photo of a grasshopper eating a leaf, with the shadow of its body against the leaf itself - very nice. Was actually the first time I had been down to the parklands ever, and, apart from the thousands of people there last weekend, found it quite peaceful. Kudos to whoever put that idea together - was it disused railyards before probably?
Found some Bolivian food, some doughy thing with beef in, like a funny shaped spring roll maybe - with chili and sour cream, and then proceeded not to sit down at a table where I could have eaten it civilised like, but instead found a chair watching the Abyssinian dancers. With the beat of the music and the red, yellow and green scarves, it could have been a Bob Marley concert. Although I think I was more concerned with spilling chili all over myself at that stage.
Watched the Poles, Croats and Kurdish dancers before being seduced by the samba beat of the mock Rio Carnival outside. Well the samba beat and perhaps the samba dancers, in those bikini outfits - at least they were well dressed for the weather, the poor Bolivian, Polish and Kurdish men, their traditional outfits were all in stifling wool. And love those big tin drums that the Brazilians have. Only thing missing was a football motif, although they did crash out of the World Cup earlier in the year, maybe it would have brought up too many bad memories.
At the end of the carnival procession, my camera battery, which had been promising to expire since about an hour into the festivities, finally gave up the ghost. All through the time, since that Sudanese choir, I had been thinking, as long as it lasts to the carny, I will be okay if it dies after then. The battery must have been listening to me, to give up the ghost the first time I tried to take a picture of the Russian dancers.
Must remember to buy a spare battery for these big photo days in future. I would have quite happily taken shots of the Russians doing their cossack moves. Watched a bit of the Scottish dancing troupe before realising without a camera there was no use in sticking around to watch the Police Pipes and Drums band - which I would have had to wait an extra hour to see anyhows.
Next year, I will have that second battery. This year, I had heaps of fun anyways - with the crowds as they were on Sunday, and the happy go lucky vibe of the day, it is somewhat, well actually very surprising that the multi cultural thing has only been going for three years.
Mark it on your calendar for next year, all you Brisbane readers. Is a great day out.
Pauly
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