and the Impossible Orchestra played on and on..

Last Sunday I was waken up  before 4 am. When did I get up so early last time? Probably in June, when our grandson was sick and two his siblings spent night under our care. It was quite natural - a child cried.
This time the alarm was painful. Very quickly we were ready. Travel to the city centre lasted only 16 minutes. 16 minutes at 4 am.  At that time someone was called by a crying child... someone had to get up to help someone... and the Impossible Orchestra played already 11 hours.
Finally we reached Melbourne Concert Hall..



We were warmly welcomed by the staff.






This was IT - The Impossible Orchestra - 24 hours musical marathon organised by CareAware.




We proceeded to the auditorium. Orchestra played interval music - Mozart's divertimento.


The clock showed running time, next session will start in 54 seconds...



It started with an overture to Ruslan and Ludmiła. There were some thirty people in the auditorium and full scale symphonic orchestra on the stage. My idea to listen to Impossible Orchestra at Impossible Time was fully justified. Brett Kelly - the conductor - welcomed us and invited to come closer. Closer to the stage, closer to each other. That was a good move, caring move.

In an interview on ABC Classic Brett Kelly promised energetic music and there it was - Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss, even John Sousa. Why not?

Young man sitting nearby admitted this was his first ever encounter with symphonic orchestra. How familiar.. One of the first pieces of live music I heard some 60 years ago was Franz von Suppe's Light Cavalry Overture. And here it was - breaking time and age barriers.
There were some gentle and slow pieces of music, such as Asa Song by Edward Grieg used as a background for a story of Aboriginal father about his love to his daughter suffering Down syndrome.  Music from cold Norwegian fjords brought to the Australian bush. Connecting hands and hearts of performers and public, young and old.  We were connected to outside world by twitter messages.

The concert ended with music from Bizet's Carmen - Torreador Song - the piece, which switched on my interest with classical music. Start and end - connected.

We left the Concert Hall at 8 am. Swanston St. was still asleep, as was Yarra . We called for a breakfast to nearby Hilton Hotel. Only there I felt excitement leaving my body and soul. I felt tired and sad. We drove home in silence. Someone was taking kids for a walk... someone was helping his disabled mother in morning toilet... someone looked with love in absent eyes of his or her life partner... someone extended strong hand to trembling hand of his or her parent. And the Impossible Orchestra played on and on...
 

Click above to see more photos.

Gusto - some taste, no substance.

In the first days of September I visited the State Library to see a very tasty exhibition - Gusto - a culinary history of Victoria. First impression was very encouraging...

Inside... I know, that my expectations were very high, but why should I lower the bar?
Here is a summary of what I expected and what I found.

1st chapter of the exhibition was titled - Indigenous foods. Sounds exciting - doesn't it?
I read many stories how nutritious bush tucker can be, how white explorers died of thirst and hunger in environment where Aborigines lived quite comfortably. And I always wondered - why there is not a single restaurant serving Indigenous food? Why? (If someone knows one - please leave me note).
The only feasible explanation so far, I found in a movie - Crocodile Dundee - "you can survive on it, but it tastes like shit".
And what was the answer at the Gusto exhibition? An archeological map of some river with marked places where Aborigines fished for eels. Explanation how eels were trapped supported by 1 photo. End of the story. Not much as for some 20,000 years of history and hundreds of thousands of people. They even did not bother to mention the Bogong Moth :(

Chapter 2 - Sources of food. It started promisingly - list of goods brought to Portland by the first settlers in Victoria - Henty Family. Unfortunately the list is quite faded, I managed to decipher only one position - a box of 50 knives. It wouldn't be too much effort to place alongside a readable copy.
Anyway - 50 knives sharpened my appetite - to what extent these people depended on importing food from Tasmania? When they became self sufficient? Whether they hunted local animals or ate whatever bred on their pastures? When they produced first crop?  Is there actually any food harvested in Victoria at all? Question marks - question marks - question marks. The only answer was a big.. big.. bull....

Next chapter - alcohol - mostly copies of warning posters and prohibition campaigns.

Next chapter - II World War times - rationing. There is a  page from food rations book - how interesting. But which food produce were actually rationed? What was food quota for say - 4 people family? Was there a black market for rationed food? Was non-rationed food easily available? There is a poster about cooking classes - how to manage on ratio cards alone. Great! But we have no chance to learn the answer.

Final stage of exhibition is a random list of restaurants, which were and some of them still are landmarks of Victorian culinary scene. Memories and sentiments soften my heart, but the brain still asks: what was the origin of China Town in Little Collins St? Why Lygon St is what it is?

The best part of exhibition is probably in the bookshop. Great choice of cookbooks written by Victorian chefs. My recommendation below...

On the trails of Lady Melba

Nellie Melba (Helen Mitchell) was the first Australian known to me. All thanks to Melba ice cream cream, which I tasted many, many years ago in Poland. No wonder I was keen to see some memories of her in her native city - Melbourne.
Some things are obvious - Melba Highway so noticeable if someone drives to Healesville, Melba Hall at the Melbourne University, statue of the singer at waterfront. Then I tried to find places related to her life and death. The first was Coombe Farm, which unfortunately is not accessible to visitors, but it was at least partially compensated by visit to the winery belonging to it. There we found the plate, on which Melba dessert was served for the first time..

There was also a portrait of the singer...

.. and a selection of good wines. The other place was Lilydale Cemetery. It was not so easy to find grave of  the famous Melbournian, but finally we found it..

In the evening, over a glass of freshly purchased wine, we listened to some opera arias, which Nellie Melba sang long ago and for this while, the time ceased to exist.

MS Walk - mission accomplished

Sunday morning promised a nice day, but few minutes before the Walk started it changed mind, there was some drizzle. But nobody bothered, people walked cheerfully..

A short slideshow is HERE.

The main purpose of the walk - raising money for MS Society - was a great success, I collected $728!
Great THANK YOU to all sponsors. See you nest year!

MS Walk - breaking the first barrier

My first target was set by default on $200. Thanks to generosity of my friends and supporters, we broke it! Thanks.
The next barrier is $334, which is equal to the speed of the sound.
Will you help me to break it?
We are very close. I will walk soundless then.

Preparing for MS Walk

Almost a year ago, I participated for the first time in MS Walk. This year, the event will take place on Sunday, June 3rd.

My encounter with MS happened a year ago, thanks to a blog managed by a very brave Polish blogger - annablack (in Polish). From there, I learned about this extremely abject condition, which usually attacks young females. I learned also about brave fight they undertake to fight the illness and very serious shortcomings in Polish health system.

My last years' walk was quite successful, I collected almost $650. I hope to achieve similar result this year. At the same time, I feel some frustrations, that my efforts here do not bring any help to Anna and other MS sufferers in Poland, who are in much worse position than people in Australia. I will try to make a personal donation to Anna as some proportion to money collected for Australian MS Society. Now, time for ACTION!

I invite my readers to:

- walk with me in Albert Park on 3rd of June - entry cost $25. You can also run, unfortunately I will not catch up with you.

- make donation on my webpage,

- make donation personally to me, I will give you an official receipt - contact me by email - pharlap@gazeta.pl

- just give me an approving nod in your thoughts on this day.

Thank You.

Note: all donations above $2 are tax deductible.

YMCA - no country for old men

From time to time I visit Ashburton swimming pool, which is managed by YMCA - Young Men's Christian Association). This year they raised the entry fee - $4.40 for concession ticket. It looks as 25% increase. For a pensioner it is not cheap. For $22 I can visit Melbourne Recital Centre - first class concert venue - and enjoy Mostly Mozart concert performed by world class orchestra. This is only 5 times more expensive than entry to a very average swimming pool. I visit the pool in low peak hours. Very often I am the only swimmer in the outdoor pool and, I suppose, the lifeguard must be very bored watching my slow progress in the water.

Previously, when the price was $3.60, I could buy a card for 10 entries for $33. I think that was a fair deal - company was paid upfront at least for a month and got a faithful client. Now, cards for 10 swims are still available, but with no discount at all. I do not see any sense in it.

I see my world shrinking. As a member of charity organisation, I visit frequently people pushed out on the margins of the society. Less and less space for less efficient people.

Fortunately we live in a prosperous country with solid safety nets, with network of charity organisations, with generous sponsors. So people receive help and support they need. Sometimes I think - maybe they would have not needed so much help if there was some space for them in the mainstream of the society.

Anyway, I do not need so much swimming, I can extend my bike rides beyond Ashburton swimming pool. Bike paths are still for free.

Paving the way to Rome with muffins

Our parish priest - Fr David and Aunty Marjorie - Aboriginal elder, are planning to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Our parish organised a cake stall to help to soften a bit costs of this adventure. The sudden thought stroke me - it is the first time in my life, that I can sell a product of my hands.

But what can I bake?
 MUFFINS!
 I mentioned my idea to my wife, who is Iron-Chef and Master-Cook in one person. She nodded approvingly and placed in front of me an appropriate cook book opened on the right page.
I read - YES - even I can make it!

I decided on apricot muffins, it goes like that:

- 1 cup of grated dried muffins - Iron-Chef suggested just to cut them into thin slices.

Cover them with boiling water and put aside for 20 minutes.

- 125 g of butter, chopped

- 3 cups self-raising flour,

- half cup of castor sugar,

- half cup milk,

- 3 eggs.

Now the hard part started. Instruction said: mix four and sugar in a large bowl, rub in butter, beat lightly eggs, combine eggs them with milk, mix everything with fork - do not over-mix. Well, my brain was already mixed up. The Super-Cook said nothing but armoured the kitchen robot. Vroom!

I greased the muffin bake form and sprinkled it with breadcrumbs. 20 minutes in moderately hot oven (180 C) - voila..

Iron-Chef tried one and nodded with approval. 

On Sunday I brought my achievement to the church and asked ladies at the cake stall for pricing. $2 each. 

It sounded fantastic. I got so excited, that I added from my pocket $1 for each muffin sold. After a bit of arms twisting I sold them all. 

Total income $35. 

Well, it will drive you guys only half way to the airport, but first step is most difficult. Bon voyage!

SuperTuesday

First Tuesday on March means counting bikers. Today was my fourth year on duty..

This time I selected a crossing of busy road with a bike path. At 7 am, it looked like this..

It was not the best place as someone must be crazy to ride a bike on busy road in thick petrol fumes. At the end of 2 hours count my control card showed 62 riders, only 6 females among them..

Next year I will try to count at better location. I mean less cars, more bikers... and more women please!

Clean Up Australia

On Sunday we have Clean Up Australia day. I noticed the news only last Friday, but luckily I managed to find a team in my suburb. After registration, I received my own web-page to promote the event. Our team started activity one day earlier. The day was rainy, but when I arrived my location, I found that I was part of a very tough bunch of people - girl-scouts..

Kids started work a bit earlier...

Our site was nicely marked - safety first ...

I received two bags, yellow for recyclables, white for other rubbish..

And here is my first success..

Later on, I was not so successful. It was pretty clean area, I collected only few empty cans (after lemonade) and some candy wraps. The only interesting finding was a dead rat. I finished my task in some 45 minutes and received a formal certificate..

Well, I feel it was not fully deserved. Next year I will try to find some dirtier place.