Melbourne has been – up to the time of writing – a mixture of meeting new and old friends, shopping, eating fine food and – particularly – drinking.  Especially yesterday at the Crown Plaza – the enormous 24 hour gambling city within a city.  In fact John’s stag do (or buck do or gentleman’s evening) stretched from lunchtime up to the small, small hours of the day after.  It introduced me to two things I don’t normally do – (and there’s a  good reason why I don’t do these things).  The first was formula 1 driving in a computerised simulator somewhere out in the far eastern suburbs (In Kath and Kim’s country), arriving there by minibus.  I came last or second to last in most races, crashing so badly on one occasion that I crashed the computer too.  Jack, who joined in this part of the buck, fared better.  It was really hard and I was absolutely useless – so it’s not a new career option.  The second thing, much later in the evening was gambling in the Crown Casino – just play gambling.  Whilst all my classmates were busy ripping each other off at my school, I just didn’t get it and still don’t.  But we had good tuition, it was great company (– very easy going and friendly.  A mix of family, Australian medics (anaesthetists) and the UK representatives.me and the best man, Joe)
and fascinating to get a glimpse of another culture.  This was a place in which the concept of night and day was lost (even more than being on a plane).  Money poured out of people.  Cash machines rang out.  Drinks were following faster and faster as the night hurtled towards its inevitable conclusion.  Kebabs in the centre of Melbourne at 3 a.m.

The day after was long and slow.  Jack and I used the web at Port Melbourne Library.  Alice and went in to the city to sort out some more of the wedding preparation and then we wandered into Federation Square.  Lots of new buildings and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. ACMI.  Fantastic.  Digital storytelling – archival material featuring Australians and their memories. Selections of students’ digital work which was great…