Speechie Grad Dinner

Kind of funny to have a grad dinner when we don't actually know if we've passed yet, but I guess this way everyone is feeling merry and no one feels like a horrible failure! It was a fantastic time. This is the GEMS class (graduate entry master's students) minus a few lame people who didn't attend. This was our silly picture.

My dinner table. Starting from the left - Hayley, Anita, Lisa, Pranika, Jody, Vicky, meeeeeeeee, Nicole. Not pictured is Ken, Nicole's fiance. He was roped into taking a few group photos that night! He was also one of only four males at the event - I let Jeremy stay home for this one!
The girls in my research gruop, Alyssa and Nicole with our research advisor, Dr. Deb Theodoros. Google her - she's published so many things! The woman is a machine!! She's amazing and we were really lucky to have her.
Friends! This wasn't the dress I intended to wear, but when I put on the other one, I had lost too much weight in the upper body (ie boob) area and it was gaping off me. Jeremy agreed that it wasn't the most appropriate look. So I rustled up this little number from my closet. I got it at an "op shop" (thrift store) in Byron Bay with the tags still on. I think it was $80 on the tag and I paid $15. Not bad, eh? I think it's quite cute...if I do say so myself!
I had to take this picture - the Australians do this weird dance called the "Nutbush". No, seriously. This song comes on and they all rush up to the dance floor and start dancing in sync. It's hilarious because the Canadians just sit there gaping and have no idea what is happening! I just looked it up on Wikipedia, ever my wise and knowledgeable source and here's what it had to say:

The Nutbush is a dance categorized as a line dance, performed to Tina Turner's song "Nutbush City Limits" and has gained massive popularity in Australia.

In the 1950s, the dance was known as "The Madison".^[1] Inspired by Tina Turner's song, a variation of the dance emerged again as "The Nutbush" in the 1970s disco era. A comparison of the step sheets, however, does not support the conclusion the dances are the same.

The song of the same name by Tina Turner is generally recognised as being 'the song' to which the dance is performed. The dance is generally performed by a group of people both male and female at a social function where dancing is appropriate. Also, the dance is performed with the dancers roughly in a box configuration, like that of a chess board.

The steps are fairly simple, such that one who does not know them can generally pick them up by watching other dancers. A key in the song and dance being a popular combination is that the song has a moderately long introduction before the strong dance beat starts, which allows people who are sitting down to get up and to the dance floor and for all dancers to assemble themselves in a grid. Without this introduction, it is unlikely that the song and dance would be as popular.^{[citation needed]} For comparison, see "Bus Stop" (song).

The Nutbush continues to be a staple at many wedding receptions in Australia, along with the YMCA and Hokey Pokey.