Hakuna Matata

After six years of licensed driving I finally have my own car. Problem is I’m too scared to touch it. At the moment it’s at home sitting in the driveway.

You see I had plans to buy a Hyundai Getz like Sammie’s however one weekend Dad cunningly drove me past the Suzuki dealership and since we had no other plans we took the new release SX4 for a test drive. We speed down the range though I was more distracted by all the blocks of land for sale than the car’s attributes.

The following Saturday I again found myself at the Suzuki Dealership. I had fallen for all the corny brochures and movies:

http://www.sukukisx4.com/

I wanted another look but found that I had no eye for cars, I couldn’t even tell the models apart and couldn’t grasp what Dad was going on about with Alloy Wheels, All Wheel Drive, Trim etc. Finally, as we stood behind a line up of Swifts and SX4s Dad pointed out the aerials which I had completely missed (too busy comparing colours). Straight away I took a dislike to the thick black antennae sticking up in the middle of the roof - very un chic – it looked like a Warthog, actually rather like Pumba from the Lion King. “Pumba!” I exclaimed.
“What?” Dad replied with furrowed brow.

Now I knew that the first rule of farming is DO NOT name the animals that later in the season you’ll be sending to the abattoir. But it was too late. I had named the SX4 - Pumba, and from that moment I was going to have to find a way to take it home.

...and they even threw in a free jumpsuit.

Such an exciting moment; even the camera man's hands are shaking

International Gala 2007

I always wondered, how did a dancer become a Principal ballet dancer? Was it freakish talent, the persona of a total bitch, having a Sugar-Daddy, or a pushy Mother? On Friday night at the International Gala of Ballet I found the answer quite simply. Somewhere between the Korean Pas de Deux and the interval I leaned over to my host and whispered, Who is she? He knew who I was talking about straight away and casually dropped,

Well, that’s Rachael Walsh. The Principal.


So the answer is not talent, nor image, technique or contacts it is pure and unadulterated charisma. It was as if the whole company were merely her backdrop. I was mesmerised by her eyes, the way she portrayed the emotions of the piece without resorting to cheap facial expressions. I was drawn into an Havana Nights fantasy as she performed with Samuel Colbey, who from row D is the image of Diego Luna. The score from Gladiator had my soul soaring into the rafters of the Playhouse as Weir’s chorography of The Gathering took shape across the stage. The group dance was a spooky contemporary piece which reminded me of cult scenes from Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and in my opinion, the locals stole the show.