Priscilla, the Musical

When I arrived in Sydney, Gigi had already lined up lots of things to fill up my itinerary. One of the things on her list was watching a musical, and she gave me two choices, Billy Elliot or Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Billy Elliot has received rave reviews (both for the movie and the musical), but it was no contest for me- I definitely wanted to watch Priscilla live. I loved the movie, and I remember buying the CD of the soundtrack as soon as I got out of the theater. That CD became well-worn, since there were just too many drag queen karaoke favorites in it that I could sing along to. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert also marked my early days as a fag hag.

Gigi had a hard time getting tickets, as a lot of the shows were sold out. After a lot of conscientiousness on her part, she finally bagged us two tickets for the eve of my birthday. I was really pumped to see the musical (and sing along to the music, of course!) So I started to sing the songs from the soundtrack any time I got a chance, to get into the mood. (While walking along the street, in the shower, while strolling in the mall etc.)

On the night itself, we had a typical late start from the apartment, and got to Lyric Theater a mere five minutes before the show was to begin. Well, we made it, and that's all that mattered. The show was everything I expected it to be, and I was amazed by how effectively they were able to translate the film onto the stage. (A quick summary for those who have not seen the movie- three drag queens from Sydney travel across the Australian outback in a bus nicknamed "Priscilla" to perform at a casino in a remote town. It is revealed later on that the drag queen who planned the gig actually agreed to perform as a favor to his wife, who owns the casino. He is also revealed to have a son.) They were able to communicate the vastness of the landscape with the use of a revolving stage.

The music was great, the performances funny, and the costumes, just FABULOUS. They hired the same costume designer as the one hired for the movie (the costumes in the movie merited an Oscar in 1994), and the costumes just added to the visuality of the whole performance (Cupcakes as skirts, and candles as headdresses!). And how could they go wrong with the songs? "I Will Survive", "I Love The Nightlife", "I've Never Been To Me". Gigi gave me the CD of the soundtrack as my birthday gift. It had more songs than the film version, for some reason. I had a wonderful time during the show, and I was singing the songs in it for days after. "I don't think that I can take it, 'cause it took so long to bake it, and I'll never have that recipe againnnnn......."

Birthday Celebration Kickoff

Blowing out my birthday candle

It's my birthday weekend, and Gigi helped me make plans to make sure that I celebrate it in style. First on the list, a visit to Rockpool, consistently ranked as one of the best restaurants in the world. I wanted to have my actual birthday dinner there, but they're not open on Sundays. I tried to get reservations for Saturday, to make it the eve of, but still no go, since it was fully booked that evening. They had an open slot for Friday, so Friday it had to be. I was psyched to try their twelve-course tasting menu.

So tonight, after much primping and preening, Gigi and I set off for the Rocks, which is (obviously) where the restaurant is. We got there a few minutes late because of traffic on the Harbour Bridge, but thankfully we didn't lose our table. There's really not much else to tell about the dinner, except that it lasted for four hours, the food was excellent (especially the desserts), they gave me a beautiful birthday cake (the picture doesn't do it justice- it's chocolate cake in a nest of spun golden sugar), and that Gigi and I went home with distended stomachs. Pigging out is a must when celebrating one's birthday, after all.

Tomorrow evening, we're watching Priscilla, Queen of the Desert- the Musical, and on Sunday, we're off to Hunter Valley for some wine tasting. Food, wine, and drag queens. No better way to celebrate getting older.

More Good News/Bad News

So, the good news is that someone from CNN emailed to inform me that they are offering me a post as a video journalist at their head office in Atlanta. The bad news (OBVI, as some would say) is that I can't take the job. I emailed her back to say that I have to serve a two-year sentence in my home country before I could even think of working in the US. Again, I felt pretty bad that I had to say no to an opportunity like that.

I was expecting her to email back to say "that's too bad, have a nice day" and the like. Well, I was very happy that, instead, she wrote:

"Please hold on to my contact information. As CNN continues to grow, we are always looking for top talent! While you may be unavailable to discuss opportunities at this time, we no doubt will have opportunities in 22 months when you return. I would be more than happy to discuss at that time what opportunities are a match for you."

That made me feel much, much better :)

Last Hurrah in Sydney, Australia

I'm on the last leg of my 2-year break from work, and I'm spending it in Sydney with Gigi. I flew here the day after James' despedida (with a slight hangover), and I've been having an awesome time so far. I'll be staying here until the 22nd, so I'll be celebrating my birthday here as well. Sydney is great- the food is excellent, and you get a glimpse of the sea from many points in the city. I hadn't known that the food here would be outstanding; apparently, this city is heaven for a foodie.

At Hyde Park

Gigi in front of the Opera House

Gigi's been a great host, showing me the sights, bringing me whale-watching, and taking me to her favorite eating places. Gigi has a special role among my friends, in that she is my eating partner. Of course, I eat with ALL of my friends (it's kind of a requirement), but she feels as strongly about food as I do. We talk about food for hours, and even better, she is a great cook. So she gives me a lot of recipes (her going-away present when I went to Columbia was a cookbook of her own concoctions), and while I'm here in Sydney, has been cooking for me.

So whether we're eating out or in, the food's been great. One thing about Sydney, though, EVERYthing is so expensive, as the city has a very high cost of living. Even stuff from the grocery costs so much more compared to the US. When it's time for me to go home, I'll be heavier from all the eating, and poorer from all the spending. Well, that's what holidays are all about.