Thanksgiving Down Under

This past Thursday I boarded a Virgin Blue flight down to Sydney to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend. My co-worker Caryl went along with me as well.

After checking into our hotel, The Vulcan, and laughing at how small the rooms were we set out to explore this capital city of New South Wales, Australia. 5 hours of walking later being lost for 4 of those hours had us seeing most of the sights that makes Sydney famous.

Our main goal was to find a restaurant that would be serving up a helping of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. After searching high and low we realized that although there are alot of American tourists and companies in Australia we were not going to have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. To make matters worse the restaurant we did pick undercooked my barrimundi fish fillet and overcooked Caryl's steak. Luckily that was the worst of the weekend. The rest of it was great.

On Friday we set off to the Aquarium at Darling Harbor and then took a Sydney Harbor boat tour. On Saturday we didn't let the clouds and mist stop us from boarding a bus and heading over to Bondi Beach. After a 30 minute bus ride we arrived at Bondi and as we arrived the sun arrived too! We lucked out by having a great sunny day to check out all of the sights at Bondi. On Sunday we boarded a sightseeing double decker bus and took a 90 minute tour of Sydney. This was a great way to learn about all of the historic places in Sydney.

The Opera House was the scene of the Australian Idol finale on Sunday night. We were trying hard to see if we could take part of the event by scoring some tickets but we had no luck there either. At one point a producer came out to the crowd with a handful of tickets scanning the crowd to see who would be lucky enough to get in. I thought that this would be my chance. I went up to him, seeing the golden tickets only inches away, and asked if I could have two for my co-worker and myself who were over from Boston. He looked at me up and down, and very politely said in his thick Australian accent 'Sorry mate, you don't have the right look'. As I walked away dejected I saw him hand out the tickets to young teenagers and 20 somethings who were dressed to the 9's. I started to laugh to myself thinking that the guy could have said 'Hey mate, you are way too old'.... LOL!

My next flight will be to head back to Boston on December 14 for two weeks to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends!

Pass Thanksgiving Go Straight To Christmas

This Thursday millions of Americans back in the States will be sitting down with their family and or friends to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I on the other hand, will be in Sydney searching high and low for a restaurant that will be serving up a Thanksgiving feast! I am afraid that this will not be an easy task.

The weather is not getting cool, the leaves are not changing colors, and the airports are no less crowded this week than any other week in Australia.

You really begin to realize how far away from Boston you are when it is mid to late November and you are wearing shorts day in and day out and the daily temperature and humidity is climbing up and up upon every forecast!

The Australians, like most things American, are intrigued by Thanksgiving. I have been asked a lot of questions about its history and what the traditions are. Luckily the Australians can't give me too much grief on how the native Americans were treated in the years after the Pilgrims first landed due to the history the Australians have with their original people, the Aborigines.

About two weeks ago all of the stores in Brisbane have gone full tilt towards Christmas. The decorations have gone up and the sales have already started. Its easy to look forward to Christmas as an Australian because not only is it a time to share with family but its also the unofficial start of their Summer.

I wish I was back in Boston to wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving but I have a date with Bondi Beach for the weekend in Sydney! I may even try my hand at surfing!

The Race That Stops A Nation

Last Tuesday, the first Tuesday of November, there was a 'race that stopped a nation'. This race stops the nation every first Tuesday of November every year. It is the Melbourne Cup and it is the Superbowl, World Series, and Final 4 all wrapped up into one for Australia. Australian's loves horses. Horse racing here is a way of life. Melbourne Cup day is a holiday in Victoria, where Melbourne is, and in every other corner of the country there are empty offices and people gathering at local pubs or restaurants to celebrate the history, the glamour, and the joy that is the Melbourne Cup.

Mark Twain said, "Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me."

There is an entire festival that lasts 6 weeks in Victoria building up the the Melbourne Cup. This race has been run every year since 1861 and has never been cancelled due to war or any other natural or human disaster.

The Australian's respect the Kentucky Derby back in the States but they always ask, already knowing the answer, 'does the race stop the nation' to which my reply is 'no, it doesn't stop the nation'.

The Melbourne Cup is a 2 mile race and although I was at work I did manage to sneak away with a few co-workers down to the local TAB (betting place) and put some money down on a few horses. One scratched, one came in second to last, and I almost hit the trifecta by pure luck on a computer generated quick pick. Our office did shut down for about an hour to have a catered lunch and to watch the cup in all of its glory! This truly is a 'race that stops a nation.'

When Ships Were Made of Wood and Men Were Made of Steel

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

Folklore has it that my father was born not in a hospital but in his house in the bathtub 80 years ago today, November 6 1927! This folklore is fully supported by my father and I believe him 100%.

What my father has done since that day in 1927 is nothing less than amazing. He was drafted into WWII, hitchhiked across the USA back to Boston with his best friend, met a beautiful young girl in Oak Sq, married her, and over the last 50+ years has raised 8 children! If that isn't enough for one person in a life time my father also decided to venture out on his own and started up his own Mechanical Contracting company, Frank Bean Inc.

Most importantly to me is that my father over the past 40 years that I have been in existence has been a great friend and mentor. I put friend first because having a father that you can also call a friend is special. My father has been there for me in the high times in my life and in the low times of my life. Its easy to be a friend and a father when things are going good but the true character of a man is shown when times get tough. And this is why I titled this blog 'When Ships Were Made of Wood and Men Were Made of Steel'. This is a quote on a framed picture that hangs in the basement of my childhood home. It is also a quote that describes my father and his generation.

Here's to a great man, a better friend, and an amazing father! Happy Birthday, Dad! Here's to being able to celebrate many more down the road!

Trick or Treat

Since coming down to Brisbane in August I, for some unknown reason, have been very concerned about Halloween and if the Aussie's celebrate it. Maybe its because I have some great memories of Halloween's past from being a youngster 'trick or treating' to an adult going to numerous Halloween parties.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I can't quite figure out why but I think its because although it is very commercialized it is still a holiday that allows young and old to put on costumes, be creative, and have fun along the way! When else during the year is it acceptable to eat candy like you do during Halloween? When else do you want your front door bell to ring? You know that on Halloween when your door bell rings it will be a local neighborhood kid dressed up as their favorite hero of the moment proud as can be and saying those magic words 'trick or treat'

When I got to Brisbane I asked some locals if they celebrate Halloween. Overwhelmingly the answer was 'no'. I was told that some people have Halloween parties but the whole act of children dressing up and going from house to house to gather candy was a foreign concept to them.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Halloween wasn't all lost on the adults though. Last Saturday night I was walking around Fortitude Valley, the Brisbane hotspot for bars and clubs, and I saw many adults dressed up in everything from Vampires to Mel Gibson's character in Braveheart.

On Halloween night the national news asked people on the street if they felt that Australia should celebrate Halloween and have more trick or treaters. There was about a 50/50 split of Aussies saying 'sure, its a fun holiday and good for the kids... bring it on' to the other half saying 'that is an American thing. Leave it in America'. Although there are negative things that can be said about America one of them isn't that we celebrate Halloween. I only wish I could show the parents of Australian children how happy their sons and daughters would be if they dressed up every October 31st and went house to house 'trick or treating' and then the sugar high they are on for next 2 weeks!

I guess you truly have to be an American to enjoy some things!

Happy belated Halloween!

"Atta boy, Mikey"

"Atta boy Mikey".... those were the words that resounded the most to me yesterday when watching the Red Sox capture their second World Series Championship over the past 4 years. The words were said to Mike Lowell, Series MVP, as he came into the dugout after hitting a solo homerun in the seventh inning.

When all is said and done baseball is still 'just a game'. Hearing an unknown player or coach say those words to Mike Lowell reminded me of any extremely proud mother, father, aunt, uncle or grandparent congratulating their Mikey for a job well done on any sports field. Of course MLB is not 'just a game' in so many ways. This is big business with a lot of money on the line. But take that away, forget about that, watch how happy the Red Sox are during all four World Series games and you will see that they play baseball as it should be.... a game.

Yesterday's game 4 had all the drama that is made for TV. The red hot Rockies had their back against the walls at their own Coors Field. The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was a young man who only one year ago was receiving treatment for caner and didn't know if he would ever play baseball again. On third base for the Red Sox was a player who is also a cancer survivor and is going to be a free agent at the end of this season. What more could Fox TV ask for.

Due to a very untimely Microsoft Access training course at work I was unable to 'chuck a sickie' for the second time to watch the Red Sox in the post season. If it wasn't for ESPN.com and their game cast showing every pitch on a computer generated field I would have been pulling my hair out. I did concentrate 90% on the course and the remaining 10% was all Red Sox. When I got home I plopped myself down on my couch, grabbed the remote, and hit the play button..... and yes... there it was..... game 4 in all of its DVD glory. Since I already knew the outcome I was able to scan through most of the game and therefore I wasn't subject to the commentary that Fox was sure everyone watching wanted to hear.

I didn't scan from the 7th inning on and even with knowing the score I had nerves and goose bumps. This is just a game right?! When Bobby Kielty hit that home run I pumped my fist in the air just as I did when Jonathan Papelbon threw that 94 mph fastball by the final Colorado Rocky to win the World Series!

I am so happy that for a few weeks in October from 10,000 miles away from Boston, via the modern technologies of the Internet and DVD recorders I was able to be transported back to Boston and experience what Red Sox nation...nation?.... more like Red Sox universe was experiencing!

Now if I can only figure out how to experience the rolling victory celebration!!!!!!

Let's Go SOX!!!!!

Bring on the Rockies! Bring on the Yankee's..... Bring on anyone right now. Even from almost 10,000 miles away I can sense that there is something special in the air in Boston. The Red Sox did what few teams do in any sport. They came back from a 3 -1 game deficit and won the Pennant for the Championship Series in the American League. So now its on to the big time. The World Series..... try explaining to Aussies why we feel we need to call it the World Series and not just the North American Series. My reply is that World Series sounds better!

At 10:00 am Brisbane time on Monday morning I sat myself down on my couch infront of my TV and for the next 4 hours I was blissfully transported via Fox Sports to Boston and to seeing why I love that city so much! Although the first 5 or 6 innings had me barely being able to watch due to nerves the last few innings were complete joy! When Coco Crisp caught that final out and slammed into the Wall I jumped off the couch cheered and did my own little version of the Jonathan Papelbon Red Sox jig!

I knew when we had Kevin Millar throw out the first pitch that it was going to be a special night. He is a great guy with a great sense of humor and he deserves to be a Red Sox in some form or another (player, coach, front office) going forward! He is our good luck charm. We no longer need that midget that Pedro used to have around. That was just strange. Millar is what baseball and Boston is all about.

My new dilemma is to find out how to best follow the World Series. Game 1 is on Thursday morning here in Brisbane. I can't continue to 'chuck sickies' but I will find a way to follow the game. If there is a will there is a way. If there is another elimination game or a chance for the Sox to win the Series then I will change my schedule at work to be able to follow the games. Until then I am going to see about downloading MLB.com and listening to the game via headphones and watching pitch by pitch on ESPN. I warned Sr. Management prior to coming to Australia that if the Sox made the World Series or the Patriots were in the Superbowl my schedule would be changed to allow me to watch. The good news is that my Sr. Management back in Boston were the ones who told me about listening to the games live and where to watch the games in a local Pub!!!

Here's to hoping that we see the Jonathan Papelbon Red Sox jig one more time in the next week or so!

'Love that dirty water...... Boston you're my town!'