Rewind to Hawaii and the wedding reception!

We have just dropped Laetitia off at the airport after a wonderful visit.  We spent our last morning having brunch in Semaphore and taking a stroll down the boardwalk.  We did some people watching, admired the crystal clear blue waters, and saw the little steam train that takes children for rides along the beach.

Now I'm going to continue reliving our Hawaii trip, going back to the wedding reception.  I believe I left off at the PARTY BUS (!!!) which was transporting us to Ray's on the Bay, where the wedding dinner was to be held.  The party bus couldn't quite fit our entire group, so the idea was that it would make two trips.  There was a slight miscommunication and the second group ended up being abandoned for about an hour and a half, but it was all sorted out and they had plenty of food and drink and good company to keep them occupied while they waited, so...crisis averted!

The party bus driver kindly stopped so we could get out and take a picture of the sunset.

Parents and Christmas display inside the Sheraton Hotel, which was where Ray's on the Bay was located.

Enjoying the view.

 More Christmas fun at the Sheraton.

Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads, fish heads, fish heads, eat them up YUM!

The reception dinner consisted of an array of yummy things, such as steak, whole fish, spring rolls, sushi, spider shrimp, etc etc etc.

The newlyweds were given champagne by the staff for a little toast.  We had the speeches at Ray's once the second bus arrived and I was so impressed with all of them.  You can tell Ronan and Adam are surrounded by people who love them very much!

Their first dance was to Roch Voisine's "I'll Always Be There" - Canadian stamp of approval!  They even had a choreographed dance to go with it.

 Emotions ran high from morning until night.  My mum got a little teary watching the dance, and very late in the night there was a big love/cry fest while listening to Macklemore's "Same Love". 

Lots of love and all the best to my wonderful brother and my fantastic new brother-in-law <3 br="">

A guest from afar

This Christmas, we have been very fortunate to have Laetitia (Jeremy's grandmother's cousin) stay with us for a few days following her tour of Australia.  The family connections are becoming more clear with every explanation, but it is a lot to take in!  Karen (Jeremy's mother's cousin) and her son Tristan flew down from Sydney for the occasion as it had been a couple of decades since Karen had last seen Laetitia.

It is really funny how you notice similarities between relatives who are not immediate relations.  For example, when I think of Laetitia, Karen and Kath, they seem to have a few traits in common - delightful personalities, a manner of speaking, and very long legs!  Jeremy and I visited Karen in Sydney in 2009 so we had already met Tristan but there is a large difference between a 15 year old and a 21 year old.  This visit, we saw his sense of humor and penchant for telling jokes, his obvious passion for mountain biking and rogaining, and someone who seemed to actually not mind spending time with all of us older people!

We have had a lovely few days which have included Christmas Eve dinner with some other Canadian friends (Jane and Andy), a picnic at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, a sausage dinner which we had to have inside because it was actually cold (!!!), and a trip to the Mt Lofty summit and Hahndorf.  As we speak, Jeremy is cooking a special meal for Laetitia's last evening with us.

Managed to get a family group shot at the beginning of our botanic garden walk on the rhododendron trail.

We were enthralled by this strange tree which looked like it had eyes all over it.

We had to quickly make our way through a stretch of the trail which had sprinklers going.  Getting wet was unavoidable.

'The Guardians' sculpture.

Went back to the sign at the park entrance and realized we had taken Laetitia on one of the ! tracks - steep gradient.  She handled it like a champ.

Today we stopped at the secret koala spotting area and found this big boy!  When I went in to get a closer look I also found a smaller one.  Koala bonanza!!  Karen was super excited.  25 years in Australia and it's only the second time she has seen a koala in the wild.

Today was the clearest I've seen the Mt Lofty summit.  Great views out to the city and beyond.

They were very obliging to pose for another family photo.  Tristan was off doing a 300 m loop walk.  We had almost perfect weather...sunny, clear skies, cooler than usual for this time of year.  I believe at the same time last year we were hitting the high 30s.

It has been a special thing to have all these people together in one place and to hear some more about Jeremy's family history.  It makes me want to learn more about mine!  Merry Christmas everyone :)

A December evening in Glenelg

We have Laetitia here with us, and after work today I will be collecting Karen and Tristan from the CBD.  We spent last night in Glenelg - it was beautiful.  I took several pictures to remind myself that I live in a wonderful place and it's okay that we're not in Hawaii anymore!

Celebrate!

All weddings are special and unique to the couple in various ways.  Ronan and Adam's wedding was...pretty much indescribable.  One day, I hope that we won't have to specify 'gay wedding' and 'coming out' won't be a thing...people will be able to be who they are without hiding a huge part of themselves.  I think we are well on our way in certain parts of the world and I hope people continue to grow in acceptance and love.

So that being said, I think everyone at the wedding realized how strong Ronan and Adam's love for each other is, and how much they have been through in the last 11+ years.  This made it an extremely emotional day.  We went through a few runs of the rehearsal the night before the wedding, and even then I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears when I saw them walking each other down the aisle.  The ceremony was beautiful and I would be surprised if there was a dry eye anywhere to be seen.  In all of the official photographer's photos I'm dabbing at my eyes with a kleenex (which the boys thoughtfully provided in their welcome baskets - could they be any cuter??)

This picture is actually them walking back down the aisle after the ceremony.  Their ceremony included a lei exchange and you can see the leis adorning their necks.  During the rehearsal, Tracee jokingly said "It would be fun to do a conga line on the way back!" and all of a sudden we were incorporating it into the wedding party's walk.  Ro and Adam are high fiving everyone while we wait to get into formation for the song "I'm on top of the world HEY" (kick our right legs out on HEY, continue as such).

Absolutely gorgeous setting - the only decorations were the leis on the chairs.  Nature took care of the rest!

Had to get a photo with this handsome guy.  The bouquets were so lovely - beautiful assortment of colours and different flowers.  We also had fresh flowers for our hair pieces.  Jeremy used a bit of ingenuity and picked a flower from the property and attached it to his Hawaiian shirt (bought in Kona specifically for this occasion).

Very very very newlyweds relaxing in the pool post wedding ceremony.  These guys put so much effort into making sure their day was perfect, but at the same time were so laid back and just had such awesome attitudes about the whole thing.  It can't have been easy organizing accommodation, welcome festivities, welcome baskets, a wedding, a brunch, a dinner, and all sorts of holiday activities...but they just took it in their stride.

The most brilliant idea ever.  My question was "How are we all getting from the property to the restaurant for dinner?" Their answer: PARTY BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Like, seriously.  They rented a party bus.

 
The party bus came complete with a smoke machine, a disco ball, and of course...a pole.  You were allowed to bring as many drinks as you wanted.  Our party bus was the first group to head out.  There ended up being a mix up and the second load of party bus people was delayed...not to worry, they had lots of food and drinks to keep them occupied and they were quite the rowdy crew when they joined us at the restaurant!

Paradise

We are safely home from our Hawaii trip - one of the best times of my life!

Jeremy and I arrived at the Royal Kona Resort on Tuesday Dec 2nd, the first of our group.  I instantly fell in love with Kona.  I had never been to any other place in Hawaii, e.g. Honolulu, Maui, etc...but Kona just seemed like the perfect destination.  Small, laid back, and the perfect place for Ro and Adam to tie the knot.  J and I interspersed napping with walking around and exploring the town.  We shopped and ate amazing American food.  

Our first American meal - I got coconut shrimp, Jeremy got a sandwich, and we got nachos to share.  So much food.  He is incredibly happy!

This is the view from our room at the resort.  We got to fall asleep to the sounds of waves crashing.  We had initially booked the 'volcano view' room but we were persuaded to upgrade to an ocean view and it was totally worth it.  The girl at the check in also insisted that it was our 'honeymoon' even though we told her we had been married for six years and we were here for my brother's wedding.  She wrote down on some paper that we were honeymooners and we had free champagne sent up to the room.

The front of the Royal Kona Resort.  Loved all the colours and lushness of everything.

This is pretty self explanatory - quintessential Hawaii: palm trees, ocean, sunset viewed from a restaurant balcony.

Here I am wearing my 'Hawaiian' shirt that was actually purchased in Canada.  Tracee and I had a lucky moment in Winners when we found the perfect shirt for Ro and Adam's bachelor party.  Obviously the shirt was meant for Hawaii, so I had to bring it along.  I was hoping to get a drink served in either a pineapple or a coconut, but settled for this pina colada with an umbrella and a mermaid.

The main drag of Kona.  You can kind of see a sign for 'Bongo Ben's' which became our favourite breakfast place.

Probably unwise to pose under a palm tree that has a warning: "Watch for falling coconuts".

Museum in Kona.

We got to wear these glamourous glasses on our tour of the Kona Brewing Co.  Their pub also makes the most excellent pizza!

Back at the resort.  I thought this was a pretty cool shot of Jeremy in his tourist duds.

We had a couple of days to ourselves, but were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Adam and Ronan.  Unfortunately, their flight kept getting delayed until they weren't going to be getting into town until 3 am, so we didn't have the initial reunion we expected. We ended up finding each other in the lobby of the resort, and had a great night of laughing, hugging, and even crying.  The rest of the group trickled in over the next couple of days, and we headed to the most gorgeous accommodation booked by Ro and Adam for our group - Homes over Kona.  Obviously the wedding deserves a post of its own...so stay tuned!

In approximately 18 minutes, Jane will be picking us up to bring us to the airport where our Hawaiian adventure will kick off!  We fly from Adelaide to Brisbane, Brisbane to Honolulu, and Honolulu to Kona.  We leave the morning of the 2nd...and arrive the morning of the 2nd.  So strange!  However, on the way back we leave on the 12th and arrive back on the 14th so it all evens out.

My little bro/best friend is getting married!  I hope I can be the awesome maid of honour he deserves! I have been looking forward to this for so long - can't believe that it's actually here.  There are sure to be many pictures and updates in the coming 12 days.  I even bought an underwater camera for the trip.

My thoughts are all scattered and I'm just too excited, so I think I will leave it at that.

All of the things!!!

It's probably time for an update and what better time than a lazy weekend day.  This is the time of year that things normally ramp up and become extremely busy, but looking back on the past few months I would have to say that life has been steadily busy since we arrived back from our trip to Canada!

Last week I got to attend two events that I was quite excited about, and they could not have been more different.  The first was the musical 'Once' which was adapted from one of my favourite movies, also called 'Once'.  My gorgeous friend Claire agreed to be my date, even though she hadn't even seen the movie.  I would have gone alone if necessary, but having a friend with you is much more fun.  I happened to be in Melbourne for a workshop on neurodegenerative diseases (which was actually excellent - thanks Calvary Bethlehem Hospital!) and cleverly planned my musical outing around this 'business trip'.  Hehehe.  I also got to spend the day with my friend Nicole who now works as a speech pathologist in Hobart, Tasmania.  It was short and sweet, but just lovely to have a few laughs and see her face!

Here is a review of the musical:

ONCE is an exquisite jewel of a musical that will make you want to go home and hug your loved ones to your heart.

Its beguiling story, music and characters are uplifting, enchanting and funny, but Once is simultaneously an achingly melancholic theatrical experience.

This Australian premiere of the Tony award-winning Broadway show is an unusual co-production between musical theatre producer John Frost and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Just when a disillusioned Irish busker, known simply as Guy (Tom Parsons), decides to abandon his lacklustre music career in Dublin, he meets a young Czech woman, aka Girl (Madeleine Jones), who makes it her mission to revive his love of music and heal his troubled lovelorn soul.

John Tiffany’s smart, swift-moving and imaginative direction looks deceptively simple, but he skilfully balances intimacy with bold passion, using a complex theatrical language to transform the stage and transport us into the world and music of the characters.

A vivacious chorus of actors play the eclectic, evocative music (Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova) live on stage, and Steven Hoggett’s movement provides an inspired physicality that combines stomping, folksy dance with a subtle, abstract, gestural language.

Completing the vivid picture is the rustic, naturalistic design that recreates a Dublin pub (Bob Crowley) and atmospheric lighting (Natasha Katz).

Enda Walsh injects his witty, beautifully structured script with his wicked Irish humour, whimsical dialogue, poignant romance and surprising Irish and Czech characters, all of which makes Once a play about and with music, rather than a traditional musical.

The beating heart of this nearly-a-love-story is Hansard and Irglova’s music and lyrics — much of which featured in John Carney’s original movie — including Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly and moving tunes such as Gold, The Moon, When Your Mind’s Made Up and The Hill.

With its blend of indy-rock/Celtic-rock/pop-rock and plenty of minor keys, Martin Lowe’s outstanding musical arrangements make the music lull then surge as strings, percussion and the harmonies of a fine chorus build to crescendo.

Parsons captures the blossoming and healing of Guy as he grows from glum self-doubt to confidence and the rediscovery of his love of music and of a woman.

He plays guitar throughout the show and his voice has warmth and a bright timbre, but also incorporates an occasional light twang or a raw, emotional quality in songs such as the heartfeltFalling Slowly.

Jones is deliciously eccentric, sweet-voiced, funny and versatile as the brutally honest Girl and her rendition of The Hill is touching and If You Want Me is captivating.

The accomplished, multi-talented cast creates a thrilling environment, impressive sound and quirky characters including: Amy Lehpamer as sassy Reza; Colin Dean as Billy; the hilariously belligerent piano-seller Brent Hill as waggish Svec; Anton Berezin as a musically challenged bank manager; and Greg Stone as Guy’s quietly supportive Da.

Once is ever-so-nearly a love story but it is poignant because, despite the pair’s meeting of hearts, minds and spirit through music, they are destined not to be together because each has an “unfinished love” to resolve.

This production tells its story without spectacle but with simplicity and humility, all of which makes it a musical for people who don’t like musicals.

And of course, a picture:

I returned from my whirlwind Melbourne experience Thursday evening and had plans to go see NOFX Friday night.  Like I said, the two shows could not have been more different!  Seeing NOFX live had been on my list for about 16 years so when I saw that they were coming to Adelaide, I knew that I had to go.  Lucky for me, Jeremy doesn't mind them and didn't take much convincing to accompany me.  It has been years and years since I really listened to their music and I definitely felt out of place in the very punk crowd.  It did bring back long ago memories of Barrymore's and the amazing times I had seeing my favourite bands perform.  The security guards at Barrymore's, however, would never have let people fling full cups of beer all over the crowd which was a regular occurrence at this show!  We left NOFX covered in sweat and beer (and I even got hit in the side of the head with a plastic cup).  Everything you could ever wanted from a NOFX show!  They ended the show with Jeremy's favourite NOFX song, "Theme from a NOFX Album".  When the show ended, we went straight home and immediately showered...hahaha.  

This last weekend was no less busy.  Friday night was the Griffith Christmas party which I knew from last year would be filled with shenanigans.  The theme was 'loud colours' and the Griffith staff certainly took this to the extreme!

In these pictures, you can see just how loud the colours were!  There are a variety of staff represented here, including physiotherapists, an exercise physiologist, physio assistants and a speech pathologist (guess who!)  Actually come to think about it, most of these people in the pics are physios, but there were lots of other staff there - occupational therapists, nurses, doctors, the director of nursing, admin, kitchen, housekeeping, recreation, pharmacists, etc etc etc.  

The timing of this (open bar) event was spectacular, given that I had signed up for a 5K colour run the next morning...bah! I did manage to successfully attend both the party and the run which was actually quite fun.  Here I am with my awesome team, the 'Fluoro Churros'

It was rainy and not a particularly nice day, but that kind of added to the whole experience.

Otherwise...hm...well, I am still doing work at Griffith and Modbury, so very busy in that sense.  The Modbury work will probably end soon but that works out fine because I will be starting a PhD in January!  Jeremy is doing his last rotation of second year at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Anaesthetics so I actually get to have him around for a few months.  Still no confirmation of where he will be next year, but he has interviews next week in Clare (awesome!!) and Whyalla (not so awesome).

Hope everyone is well - looking forward to seeing some family and friends very soon in Hawaii!!!