Australia Day 26/1/2010

Neil — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:32:52 +0000

I think I hear the sounds of then,
And people talking,
The scenes recalled, by minute movement,
And songs they fall, from the backing tape.
That certain texture,that certain smell,

To lie in sweat, on familiar sheets,
In brick veneer on financed beds.
In a room, of silent hardiflex
That certain texture, that certain smell,
Brings home the heavy days,
Brings home the the night time swell,

Out on the patio we’d sit,
And the humidity we’d breathe,
We’d watch the lightning crack over canefields
Laugh and think, this is Australia.

A few of the lyrics to a tune I like by a Ozy band called GANGgajang. Here is a link to the song

It was exactly that, a warm and humid day that started at 25 degrees in the morning and just got warmer and warmer during the day. We started as always at 5′ish with Mr.’s morning bottle and then an extra little snooze until around 8. I got the 2nd half of Jake’s cold and woke up with a thick head, blocked nose and the always accompanying cough. I rallied the troops and a very ill prepared ( no pun intended ) Uys family head down to the beach to join in on this important day of festivities.

Luckily I remembered the beach tent and something soft for Jake to sleep on. After 5 min in the sun Anne remembered that she didn’t pack her swimmers and decided to go home and get them. I took the opportunity to get her to bring back the cooler bag with some beers a bottle of sparkly and the camera. Jake and I went down to the waterline and he played in the sand for the best part of the morning. He loved chasing the water withdrawing into the ocean and then tried to out run it back to me – over and over.

Got home at about one after we gave up the battle with the sun and spent the rest of day in the pool with some tunes and a few cold ones. Great day with my family !

This year, luckily, I didn’t see or hear any stories of the few bogan idiots that use the day to force immigrants to kiss the flag or do other demoralising things in public to prove their allegiance. Funny how un-Australian that actually is since everyone here come from somewhere else.

I know it probably sounds silly and I am not sure if it was simply my subconscious at work, but by 6:30 on Australia day I found myself sitting at the movies with a few mates watching Invictus, smiling from ear to ear remembering running through the streets in Jozie with painted faces screaming at the top of voices Ole, Ole Ole Ole, Ole Ole when we won our first rugby world cup in 1995.

A few photos of the beach.

Neil Uys Blog Site » Dee Why

Australia Day 26/1/2010