Family Trip to Trinidad 2017

Family Trip to Trinidad 2017

For many a year, my beloved wife Mary-Anne has been asking me nicely to take her to Trinidad, the country where I was born.  As our children grew up, they too thought it would be good visit the homeland of their father.   In April 2017, circumstances arose that provided the opportunity for our entire family to visit Trinidad together.  Only in hindsight did I appreciate the coincidence that this year marked the fiftieth anniversary of my arrival in Australia.
The notes below are simply some comments on each day that we were there and are not meant to be a comprehensive journal of the trip.  Likewise, between us, we took a very large number of photographs.  The small sample associated with these notes are meant to capture some of the key aspects of the trip.  

Many people helped to make this trip the success that it was.   There were too many to mention all without the risk of missing some.   Special thanks goes to:

·  David (my Mum’s brother) and Joy Knaggs, who among other things organised our accommodation - including stays at their houses in Blanchisseuse and Tobago, acted as our local currency bank, suggested special places to visit, and even lent us a car to get around in. 

·  Bernard Pantin ( Mary Knaggs’ brother) , our chauffeur at times who went well above his duty to provide us with guided tours around Trinidad. 

·  Anthony Agostini for helping us get money out of Renel dividends that bankrolled our trip.

·  Geoffrey Agostini for his hospitality Down De Islands.

·  Debbie and Phillip Cosgrove for hosting Mon and Andy in their Houston home when they needed a bed on their way back to Australia.

12-Apr Wednesday

Air New Zealand 732

Extended Stay America - Houston - Galleria - Uptown 2300 West Loop South Houston USA

Greg Kelly took us to the airport.   All went smoothly for our flight to Auckland.  There we no problems waiting between flights in Auckland.  Our flight from Auckland to Houston was not comfortable as we all felt very squashed.  Andy and Bob were in the middle of the middle with no access to an aisle.  Mary-Anne, Mon and Katie were also in the middle.  The food was good, and movies were fine, but the conditions were very cramped, which meant it was impossible to get much sleep.  Katie started throwing up for the last few hours of the flight.  When we arrived into Houston, we picked up the hire car, a very smart Ford Edge.  It took a bit of setting up the GPS system and getting used to a different car with the steering wheel on the left not helping.  Andy was navigator so he translated the GPS and passed the info to me as driver.   It was important for him to do so before the opportunity to take each street turn passed.  The intermittent drizzle also did not help.  Alt least to the relief of all, we managed to get safely to the hotel.  When we were able to get in contact with Debbie Cosgrove via WhatsApp  but unfortunately meeting up did not suit.  Katie and Mary-Anne had a rest while Mon, Andy and I went exploring.  A giant mall was nearby, so we checked that out, as well as finding a little something to eat for lunch.  After lunch Mary-Anne went in search of a jacket after getting advice from Debbie.  Mon and I accompanied her as a stepping stone to dinner.   Success with the jacket hunt morphed into success with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory as suggested by Debbie.  Nothing like I imagined - great food.  We took back some desert for Andy and Katie.

13-Apr Thursday

United Airlines Inc 1457

Port of Spain - Moniques

There was not a lot of time in the morning, so we packed up, then Mon, Andy and I went for breakfast. Giant pancakes for Mon, waffles for Andy and muesli for me. Katie was still not 100% so she just had a coffee at the hotel. We gave ourselves an hour to get back to the airport and made it with only minor panic as often GPS instructions were difficult to put into place, missing some turns, but recovering.  We made it to airport just in time no hassles handing back the car, we did not even have to fill up with petrol given that we used so little.  Flying with United Airlines we needed to pay for movies and for meals which meant it was time to trial our new Citibank card.  All worked okay.  A not unpleasant flight especially compared with the previous long haul into Houston.  At last we had arrived at Piarco Airport, Trinidad.  It took quite a while to make it through immigration as we had to fill out and pay for visas once we reached the end of the line.  Thankfully Bernard was waiting when we got out.  Also thankfully, Bernard had arranged a friend to help carry the bags.  We could have coped fitting the bags in one vehicle but once we got to Moniques Guesthouse it was handy to take Mon, Katie and Andy to their rooms up the hill as Bernard could not access it with his low clearance vehicle.  Mary-Anne and I had a room adjacent to reception, quite far from the others but very handy to the 24 hour beer fridge.  Initially we thought this would be a problem but it eventuated as a very good scenario.  We got to bed sometime after 11 pm.

1. Big Brekky in Houston for Bob, Andy and Mon

2. Trinidad is just off Venezuela

14-Apr Friday

Port of Spain - Moniques

We all had breakfast in the dining room.  When we contacted David and Joy re what was happening and how we could get our cash, we were informed that we could borrow Joy's old car while we were there.  Joy drove it to Moniques then Andy and I drove back with her.  Thankfully it was not far. I drove back with Andy and had an interesting time when we stopped to fill up with petrol and buy some things for lunch.  Firstly I needed to get used to the pay before you fill up concept, then I learnt about the secret handle on the bowser that needed lifting before the petrol came out.  When I was ready to go the engine would not turn over, I tried a few things then when I lucked in by putting it in neutral, I was keen not to stop it again at least till we got back to Moniques.  We were invited to David and Joy’s for dinner that night as well as coming over earlier to enjoy the pool before  their son, Richard, his wife Heidi and family joined us for dinner.  Linda and John were also in Trinidad when we were there as part of Linda’s research for impending book.  It was good that they could also join us.

3. View from upper rooms at Moniques

4. View from David and Joy's house

15-Apr Saturday

Port of Spain - Moniques

Bernard picked us up at 9 am and took us to the Power Boats where Geoffrey Agostini met us with his boat, his brother Anthony, his son and grandson.  We had a little wait as Linda and John who were coming along with Gussi (Geoffry's sister Helen) were delayed.  Gussi went to the wrong boat club.  In 15 minutes on the boat we were at Geoffry's house ‘down de islands’ (DDI) where we spent a very enjoyable day, swimming or floating in the sea, sipping rum punches and participating in conversations reflecting our long lost cousin status.  On the way home Bernard took us up to Fort George to check out the views.  Another bonus was a stop to pick up rotis and beers for dinner back at Moniques.  A very delightful way to spend our first full day in Trinidad.

5. Katie and Mon Down de Islands

6. Port of Spain - view from Fort George

16-Apr Sunday Katie’s Birthday

Port of Spain - Moniques

We got up early and went to mass before Bernard picked us up at 9am for our big day trip to San Fernando and La Brea pitch lake.  We got to see some of the countryside and experienced a police check along the way.  The pitch lake did not seem too inspiring for most of the family. I was much more nostalgic finding it  still the same as when I last remembered it 50 years ago.  For lunch we dined in style at the Royal Hotel in San Fernando in honour of Katie’s birthday.  After lunch we looked around San Fernando for my old house and school.  We had success with the house eventually but no luck with the school.  It was a long day but a good appreciation of Trinidad.  Bernard's commentary along the way helped considerably.

7. Rostant Street St Joseph's Village San Fernando where Bob lived as a boy before moving to Australia

 8. Pitch Lake La Brea

17-Apr Monday

Port of Spain - Moniques

Linda and John were having a look around Trinidad and speaking to a couple of people to help Linda with her book.  They were happy to take Mon, Katie and Mary-Anne for the drive. I stayed back at Moniques for a restful day with Andy who did some Uni work.

18-Apr Tuesday Jeff arrives

Blanchisseuse

We packed up from Moniques then went to David and Joys for lunch.  It was very tasty takeaway Indian curries etc.   Linda and John joined us.  Andy and I went with Howard, David’s driver, to the airport to pick up Jeff who was due in early that afternoon.  Mary-Anne then had the unenviable task of reducing our luggage to fit in the cars that were going to Blanchisseuse that afternoon.  Mon and Katie went up with Linda and John while David and Joy waited for us to return with Jeff.  It was going to be a tight fit as Jeff, Andy and I were going in the little old Peugeot while Mary-Anne went with David and Joy in the more roomy Volvo along with clothes and food for the few days we were to be there.  We made good time to the airport, Jeff's plane was on time but we had to wait a few hours as Jeff was delayed in customs. Apparently he did not have the address of where he was staying.  By the time we got back to David and Joy it was getting quite late but they were still packing up trying to fit in all the intended stuff.  Linda and John had already left with Mon and Katie so that they could do some sight seeing on the way.  I decided that because the little Peugeot could be potentially dodgy, we should go ahead in case we needed rescuing by the others.  It was almost dark when we left and Andy volunteered to drive, thankfully.  The narrow road was littered with potholes which were difficult to see in oncoming traffic lights.  Early on the trip we went into a huge unseen pothole, we did a lot of thanking when we made it out the other side.  That served to set the cautionary tone for the rest of the drive.  When we got to the sign that said Blanchissuese, we started looking for the house with the description David gave us (an ivy covered fence with a mile post in front). Unfortunately, we had already passed the house by then.  Luckily, earlier that day, Andy got a local sim for his phone, so we were able to ring Linda and get directions to make it back.  It seems that Linda and John had enough fun finding the house earlier in daylight.

9. Blanchisseuse - Andy, Bob, Jeff, Katie

19-Apr Wednesday

Blanchisseuse

We awoke to beautiful weather and spectacular views.  I went with David and Joy to get some groceries while the younger ones went for a walk.  The power went off about 10 am and remained off until 9 pm that night.  We had ice for the drinks and the cook had gas for the cooking so all was okay. Linda and John left for Port of Spain before it got dark.   In daylight, I did do a quick check under the Peugeot to see if there was any damage for our visit to the pothole.  A small bracket had busted so the trailing wire needed tying up with a piece of fence wire improve clearance underneath.  Thankfully it did not seem to effect its performance for the rest of our holiday.

20-Apr Thursday

Blanchisseuse

Another quiet day relaxing in the superb surroundings was the order of the day. The young ones were a bit restless with not much to do except play cards.  David taught us a couple of games of patience and a card game called Control so these got a bit of time.  With our children keen for exercise, I dropped them nearby where they could go for a bush walk and a dip in a cool pool.  Otherwise we just quietly enjoyed the sunset, sunrise and David and Joy’s company.

21-Apr Friday

Port of Spain - Moniques

We all packed up relatively early and headed back to Moniques where Bernard was picking us up at 2pm to go visit Yerette, a hummingbird sanctuary.  That place was amazing.  The custodian Theo Ferguson did a lot of background introduction and discussions afterwards.  Some of this was very helpful in understanding the situation, however, he did drag on for a long time which slightly diminished the experience.  Wandering around the garden watching the hummingbirds up close was truly incredible.  Katie and Andy in particular took heaps of excellent photos.  Theo was also into leadership and philosophy so I found it interesting browsing his books, sufficiently so to purchase a thin book on leadership to bring back home.

10. Jeff off with the birds at Yerrette

11. Hummingbird at Yerrette

12. Drinkies for Mother and Son at Moniques

22-Apr Saturday

Port of Spain - Moniques

This was a full day.  Bernard took us to the Aysa Wright nature reserve up in the hills where we went for a guided short stroll checking out the trees and birds including a woodpecker.  While having lunch we saw a goanna and a agouti among a variety of birds.  After lunch we headed for the Caroni River where we went for an afternoon/dusk cruise to see the scarlet ibis and flamingos when they came in to roost for the night.   It was a peaceful cruise.  The sunset was very pretty and the scarlet ibis was an amazing flight.  Apparently the flamingos were a bonus.  Katie and Andy got incredible photos while we all had an unforgettable experience.  Afterwards a quick drop in to Moniques for a change of clothes before going to Nigel Galt's house for a de Verteuil family get-together. Fifteen first cousins turned up including Linda, Peter and I from Australia.  We had traditional Trinidad snacks including mini rotis.  It was good to catch up.  Andy and Jeff easily slipped into conversations with the gents on european soccer and cricket.  Bernard picked us up about 11pm.  Not too late after a huge day and getting ready to go to Tobago the next day.

13. On the Caroni River Boat - Bob, Mary-Anne, Jeff, Mon

14. Scarlet Ibis & Flamingos - Caroni Swamp

15 de Verteuil first cousins - kneeling- Steven; sitting - Randall, Peter, Carol, Terry, Anne, Gussie, Douglas, Nigel, Christopher; standing - Linda, Anthony, Susan, Bob

23-Apr Sunday

Tobago

While we initially booked the ferry to go to Tobago, uncertainty about the ferries going and very long waits involved, helped us decide to fly instead.  Bernard picked us up and David followed in his car with Joy.  We needed to get there early as per normal airport routine.  Even though we had a couple of hours waiting at the airport, the flight itself was only 20 minutes.  It was uneventful except for a screaming child in front of us while we were waiting to takeoff.  Once in Tobago, David and I picked up our hire cars and headed for the house.  After unpacking we needed to go for groceries.  By that time on a Sunday afternoon, the grocery store was shut.  Fortunately the owner was just shutting up as we drove past.  He opened the shop for David so we got some basics which we were to pay for the next morning.  It pays to have influential friends and help from above.  There were some problems with getting water to the house so David spent some time sorting that out by getting a hose to one of the neighbours.  I took the younger ones to find a beach while Mary-Anne had a  rest.   I then came back for Mary-Anne so she and I could have a dip.  We also had a short drive to get a feel for the land.  On the way back, the car stalled going up the steep hill so Jeff and Andy got up and walked/ran up the last little bit.  That night the place we wanted to go was closed so we were semi-forced to book into a super flash restaurant.   The ambience was great and the food excellent but a few of us were feeling a bit off so not quite as enjoyable as it could have been.  

16. Knaggs's Tobago view

17 Dining in Tobago - David,  Katie, Mon, Bob, Jeff, Andy, Mary-Anne, Joy

24-Apr Monday

Tobago

Mary-Anne and Andy woke not feeling too well today with upset tummies.  David took us on a brief tour of parts of Tobago while Joy stayed with Mary-Anne.  Afterwards our family except for Mary-Anne went to Pigeon Point for a swim while David and Joy returned to Trinidad.  Pigeon Point was very pleasant, we enjoyed the Trini cuisine shark and bake, had a few swims, played pool and had a few beers.  We enjoyed the sunset from the house that evening.

18. Pigeon Point Tobago

25-Apr Tuesday

Tobago

We booked a boat trip with Capt Jack for half the day.  After a bit of confusion at the start, we met with Capt Jack and enjoyed a very pleasant time on the boat.  Firstly we went to the reef where we did some snorkeling.  The choppiness of the water at the time made snorkeling difficult as water kept coming in through the top of the tube. Next stop was a place where it was shallow and sandy so we anchored boat, jumped out and had a walk around or a swim. Then onto an island that got submerged during very high tides.  Later Capt Jack took us cruising among the mangroves where we could see several large fish in the clear water.  He then took us on a speedy trip to check out a posh hotel from the sea side before dropping us back at Pigeon Point.  Unfortunately getting out of the boat Mary-Anne took a tumble so got soaked with her phone getting wet.  It did not take long to dry out.  Having spent a large portion of the heat of the day on the water with little shade, most got well burnt - especially Jeff and Katie.  We spent a little time at Pigeon Point before back to the house for our last evening in Tobago.

19.  Jeff & Katie walking in water

20. Some of us had enough sun on the boat

21. After the day on the boat Tobago - Jeff, Andy,Mary-Anne, Katie, Mon, Bob ( Captain Jack's boat in the background)

26-Apr Wednesday

Port of Spain - Moniques

We  dropped the others at the airport then Andy and I took the car back to the depot.  After a bit of driving around we finally found the right place.  Our comment about the car not being able to make it up the hill all the time was met with the retort that David should not have built the house on such a steep mountain.

27-Apr Thursday

Port of Spain - Moniques

Jeff returns to Aus on early plane.   American Airlines (AA)

Jeff was due to fly out early, so Mary-Anne and I went with him to the airport. Howard took us.  At that hour of the day it was a very smooth run out and back.  Later that day we went souvenir hunting at the mall.  That was some experience.  The five of us crammed into the little Peugeot and spent an hour or so in the traffic.  The mall seemed to have all the stuff we needed.  It was another hour in the traffic on the way back.  Even though the traffic was slow it was not particularly stressful as we did not have any time constraints.

22. Mum and Dad farewell Jeff at the airport on the way to China via Australia

28-Apr Friday

Port of Spain - Moniques

We finally tasted doubles for breakfast after going to the Savannah early for Katie to take a few photos of the magnificent 7 houses. This day was a quiet day with only lunch with Debbie on the agenda.  Linda and John joined us with Debbie and her sister Lorraine.  Debbie’s daughter Danni met us at the restaurant at the end of our meal.  It was good to catch up with Debbie as Mon and Andy were staying in her house on the way home to Aus.  It was also good to meet Danni.  It was nearly stressful trying to find a park.

23. Knaggs cousins - Debbie, Linda, Bob, Lorraine

24.  Next generation cousins - Katie, Danni, Mon and Andy

25.  Typical Trinidad fruit stall - this one located close to Moniques

29-Apr Saturday

Bernard takes us to airport, Mon & Andy to Australia via Houston staying overnight with the Cosgroves. Bob, M-A, Katie fly to Europe via Miami.   Jeff arrives in Australia

30-Apr

Sunday

Mon and Andy leave Houston and head for Brisbane

1-May

Monday

Mon and Andy lose a day travelling back to Aus

2-May

Tuesday

Mon and Andy arrive in Brisbane

One year on and still retiring

Where did that year go?

It seems a long time since last putting fingertips to keyboard, September and October have come and gone.  Lots of good things have happened since then.  For starters, the anniversary of my retirement slipped past without any fuss although not sure I have this new phase of life down pat.  I am still unsure of the ramifications of adopting an “either it will get done or not done” philosophy.  I did get  an occasional buzz after efforts in the garden seemed to produce the desired effect.  Other achievements include - conquering the waistline to fit into ancient clothes, becoming proficient at household duties, understanding the environment around the P.A., RBH and Prince Charles hospitals, and hitting a few excellent golf shots.   It was great to have the freedom of spending as much time as needed with members of my family when it looked as if they needed me.  

Since last post

I was given first hand a good example of someone who is doing their bit to make the world a better place.  This person noticed that I did not park particularly well so took the time to write me a note viz. “ learn how to park dimwit.  Where’d ya get ya licence from ..... a cereal box?”   I was very pleased to get this note rather than my paint scratched or tyres slashed.  Now I am more conscious of how my parking effects others so will take more care.   More people should take the  time to right the wrongs they see in this world.  

Swimming

Swimming is becoming a regular habit. The warm start to spring has helped convince me to take the plunge and do the lot rather than rely on a token effort early in the month.   I even managed to get back on track with 80 laps on 1st of October, not long after my September effort.  Have recently being popping in each week to soften up my toe-growth prior to trip to podiatrist - almost getting into a routine.

Walking

In watching Jeff learn to walk again, I have gained an appreciation of how hard it is to get your muscles back working if you have not used them for a couple of months.  It is amazing how many different muscles are required for the simple act of walking - that song line “you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone” rings very true.

Which sport is that

Footy is over and cricket is spent a month in Sydney - it was enough to drive a man to not drink and join in Octsober which has passed without succumbing to many temptations.   Maybe golf is the go.   Speaking of golf, how easy is that game?  All you need are good partners and good luck to win competitions.  When playing socially, the mystery of golf remains - whether the ball will go where you want it or off on its own path is indeterminate from day to day and shot to shot.  Even the trees are unpredictable - sometimes they put your ball out of bounds or in an unplayable lie and other times simply correct the wayward tendencies of the ball and bring it back to the fairway or the green.

Closer living

Our household is looking to be full again at least for a short time with the return of the travelling vegan.  A couple go foreign friends are likely to join us for a little.  With the increase of mouths from five to eight, I hope the dishwasher and fridge can cope.  Just was well fridge capacity has recently increased courtesy of a hand-me-down.  

Designs for Living detonates demands for laughing

It is a whole new world and social conventions are out the window in Noel Coward’s “Design for Living” as put on by the Queensland Theatre Company.  Humour adeptly coats the outrageous situations and brilliant acting fulfils the exquisite words.    When this play was written in the 1930’s, it pushed the limits of societal acceptance - no doubt the clever script and quality of the actors at that time helped gain approval.

The story of the infatuation of the central trio with each other questions the conventional need to restrict one’s love affections to a single person.  Leo, Otto and Guilda all love each other.  Their older colleague Earnest enjoys their company as well as being attracted to Guilda.  The storyline in a few short sentences could be summarised as follows:

Otto and Guilda live together in Paris.  Leo becomes successful.  Guilda sleeps with Leo when Otto is away.  Otto finds out as they go to little pains to hide their liaison.   Leo and Guilda live together in London.  Otto sleeps with Guilda when Leo is away.  Guilda leaves and marries Earnest and they live in New York.  Otto and Leo track down Guilda who then leaves Earnest to be reunited with her true loves.

The play is in three acts with time breaks of 18 months and two years.  Having the two intervals reinforced the temporal discontinuity.  Moving from a Paris studio to a London apartment then to a New York penthouse reflects the rise in affluence and the progression of success.

There are four other actors in this play.  While their time on stage is very short, they add immeasurably to the humour.

Throughout the play the acting is first class.  The scene where Otto and Leo get drunk on realising that Guilda has left them is a classic which had me almost in tears of laughter.  I wonder how much of what we saw on that night was reproducible or whether each performance had an individual twist for for this scene.  It is hard to imagine those intricate physical movements being choreographed.  

Noel Coward provides a commentary on the tensions between our inner passions and our reliance on conformity with the extra tidbits that success can bring.  

How much do we give away of our souls to satisfy our bodies?

How much of an aphrodisiac is success?

How easily does the playwright and director portray outlandish behaviour as a normal design for living? 

A wonderful show and a fitting end to QTC’s 2013 season - the perfect mixture of laughter, pointed questions, clever words and exquisite acting.

Another winter almost gone

This was meant to come out last week except unwellness to my family and now I slowed it down.  Extra household duties arose when three of our household were struck down, leaving one on crutches and I.   Getting to the end of it now so should be back to normal soon.   Another excuse to limit Bridge to Brisbane preparation, so will just start the way I am and hopefully get to the other end in time for Gma’s birthday brunch.

This addition is mainly a review of “Other Desert Cities” and some comments about the merits of live theatre. Here goes

Deceit in the Desert

“Other Desert Cities” by Jon Robin Baitz was put on by the Queensland Theatre Company in collaboration with the Western Australia Theatre Company.  This play is sset in Palm Springs, USA in the 1980’s.  The action takes place in the home of Lyman and Polly Wyeth on Christmas Eve.  Their daughter Brooke, an author, and son Trip, a reality TV  host, have come to visit to help celebrate Christmas.  Silda, Polly’s sister, is living with them as a reformed alcoholic.  Lyman was an actor, then became involved in politics, a republican who classes Ronald Reagan as his friend.  Polly was a writer as was her sister , Silda.  Brooke published her first and last book six years ago and has since been struggling with depression and the like.  She has now written a memoir about the family, has a publisher lined up and is seeking the blessing of her parents before going to print.

Hence the scene, a family full of artistic personalities and differing political viewpoints coming together at that emotional time of the year.

Brooke’s book is mainly about a part of family history that is generally taboo in polite conversation.  To assist in getting the “facts” right Brooke uses her aunt who has a loathing for her sister.   

With lots of tension in the air, all manner of family secrets come to light.

The interval took its time to turn up accentuating the slow start to the show.  For some it must have been too much as three in the seat in front of me did not return.  There was action aplenty in the second part as twists and turns continued to keep me engrossed.   Earlier, when I had ample time to think, I wondered what conclusion would eventuate.  I had no idea and would not have got close with three guesses.  When it came, it was the perfect ending.

The set was superb.  Perfect for putting me in an affluent central west american home looking out onto a desert landscape as morning turned to day then dusk to night.

The acting was loud and out there as the playwright might demand.  It seemed the older three were more polished  while the young ones may have been a tad over-the-top, which could well be in keeping with the play.

For me the script scored ten out of ten for those looking for a commentary on US conservative values of the eighties with a healthy dose of family relations thrown in.   It raises the questions of truth and historical perspectives - how history can be vastly different depending on what you know and what you don’t.  How okay is it to live a lie when doing so can damage those close to you, albeit unwittingly, but exposing the truth can hurt your reputation, destroy your social standing and put someone you love in danger?  It was a great reminder that the “truth” will find its way to the surface regardless of how hard you try to cover it up.

“Other Desert Cities” as a title purportedly comes from a sign on the way to Palm Springs  that says “Palm Springs” one way, “Other Desert Cities” the other.  Perhaps a hint that the play may not be what it seems at first glance.  Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the play once the momentum was achieved.

Why go to the theatre?

When I was about to leave for the play briefing on “Other Desert Cities”, my son asked me why I would go to a play preview, indeed why would I go to a play.  I gave some half-baked  response about seeing stars up close.  When I got to the briefing, the question got there before me.  Wesley Enoch, QTC Artistic Director, and the acting cast provided me with a much clearer response.  I hope the following summary of their input can do it some justice.

Apparently, the aim of the players in ancient Greece was to capture the souls of those in the audience, take these souls on a journey and return them at the end of the performance.   So you go to live theatre to give your soul a break from everyday living thus  revitalising the whole you to better cope with the tasks ahead.   When the actors were discussing the difference for them between live theatre and TV or movies, it was clear that each theatre performance is unique as the response of the audience contributes to the actors portrayal of the part they were playing.  Rebecca Davis (Brooke) was asked why she took up acting.  She described her experience as a young girl going onto the stage a a particular performance and just sitting there enjoying the magic that still hung in the air long after the show had ceased.   It is this invisible aura that draws people to live theatre.  In the movies, you know when an actor does a superb performance, but try describing why that performance was so much better than those around them or indeed their previous performance.   That is why I go to the theatre, to be part of “ordinary” actors producing oscar winning performances.

Swimming Challenge

I did manage 8 laps of our cool pool in August - could have easily done more but did not want to push my luck with the wogs engulfing our house at present.  The extra warm August helped so should be no excuses in September.

Time breezes on

Footy finals are on us, it must be close to spring, elections, then back to a full house, ending our career as school parents, end of Chemo , Christmas, and soon after, only big people at this house.

"Trollop" Review

It was too late to include two reviews in my July contribution so have added an early August update to include review of "Trollop" which Mary-Anne and I took in last night.  Here it is for anyone interested.  Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys different theatre and can cope with confrontational theatre.

Trollop Review

We were part of the preview audience of Maxine Mellor’s “Trollop” put on by Queensland Theatre Company last night.   Thankfully we had the opportunity to scan the program while   waiting as such knowledge provided for a greater appreciation  of the developments on stage.   When we were introduced to the four co-directors/designers before the play, it seemed odd to have four “bosses” while only three actors.   This was easily accounted for by the end of the show.

The play centres around an unemployed writer (Clara) who is reluctant to seek other jobs.  She stays at home (her boyfriend Erik’s apartment) all day where she is bombarded by the news of destruction all around.   A large flood has affected the area although leaving her home untouched.   

Erik manages to convince her to write another pop-up children’s book and is happy to oblige when she seconds him into collecting a variety of weird materials that she needs.

The action on stage certainly confronts.   Words and actions seem deliberately chosen to give the “in your face” effect.  Much would have made less sense without the pre-reading, nonetheless, a bit of head scratching was still required.   Perhaps to strategically reflect the “other world” that long term unemployed can find themselves drifting into when surrounded by constant negativity.

It was well past half way in the play before the third actor, Eugiene entered.  When she did, a whole new dimension was added with the inclusion of religion, sex and drugs.  From here it was particularly difficult to discern between “reality” and “fantasy” - the effect of alcohol and pot being indulged in by the characters might have dispersed to the audience - was it sex or salvation being peddled?

The ending mimicked the other parts of the play screaming “what is the point?”   Maybe that was the desired effect.   As a regular season ticket holder over the past few years, I can not count the number of times that I have walked away from shows put on by QTC with the assertion “wow, that was different”.  Certainly this applied to “Trollop”.

In contrast to “1001 Nights”, I am not sure if I “enjoyed” this play.  I certainly was glad that I went.   The stage effects were extraordinary - no wonder four directors/designers were required.  Other aspects might have overshadowed the efforts of the actors who might have performed brilliantly or ordinarily depending on what they were trying to portray.   In keeping with the play overall, I gave up trying to discern what the writer intended to be obvious and what might have been implied.

As time goes by

It seems ages since the inclination and endeavour  to add to this blog came together.   So much  new things of significance to me have happened in that time, including:

• 5 days of a wonderful family holiday at the Sunshine Coast - Grandma joined us in an adjoining unit , we all enjoyed a break from schools, uni and hospitals
• 40 laps in a big warm pool over 4 days - using this as a substitute for a few laps in a cool pool
• Fishing and watching fishing - nothing to eat but fun for the boys
• 105 holes of golf ( 87 in an 8 day period with Andy & Jeff to ensure Jeff had his fix of golf before his impending long break as he gets used to his new steel leg bone)
• Jeff’s femur replacement - a big op that kept the surgeons happy, the lump of steel should set the airport alarms off
• Ben & Tanya’s engagement party at Canungra - a big bright affair that went off well
• A wonderful weekend in Adelaide with Andy where footy was the focus and Port had an impressive win over Collingwood - lucky enough to stay in a flash hotel
• Semester 2 started at Nudgee and Uni - now starting to sink in
• Parent/ teacher interviews with Andy’s teachers to get a heads up on what has been happening and is to happen in Year 12
• “1001 Nights” with Mon (see brief review below)
• Numerous Skypes with Katie in Italy seems like she was just around the corner
• Hickling family reunion in Warwick at Uncle Terry’s 50^th anniversary of being a priest- very well represented with each family there- some of us had to rush off in time to get back to see the Lions beat the Suns at the Gabba
• Andy’s first rugby match on Ross after a few years absence - a bit different from aussie rules
• Fiesta did a coil and a tyre in separate incidents - gives Andy an indication of costs of running a car
• Andy featured in Nudgee Rock Band 2 at St Rita’s Fete - first time away from Nudgee, more to come shortly
• Andy’s formal - all gents and ladies scrubbed up well
• Lots of thinking and talking about training for the Bridge to Brisbane - hoping to rely on a lot of muscle memory from a long time ago

Additionally , quite a few things remained the same, e.g.

• Queensland won another State of Origin series - on their way to ten in a row
• Aussie batsmen get out cheaply - about to break that habit in the third test
• Lions, Bombers and Port won some footy games and lost some others - maybe two out of three will play finals
• Phil Taylor keeps winning at darts- just when he was thinking of retiring
• Getting organised is much more a thought than a deed with positive thinking working its way forward.

“Ancient Tales Refreshed”

We went along to “1001 Nights” as part of our season ticket membership with Queensland Theatre Company.   Without any clue about the show, we were pleasantly surprised.   It was a refreshing experience, probably one of the most  enjoyable theatre shows that I can remember.   It seemed a pity that Bille Brown was less that two-thirds full as the deserved full house would have accentuated the atmosphere created.   Maybe being a Thursday night and the first of the shows was an excuse?

Essentially “1001 Nights” is a series of short Arabian stories tied together.  Some of these were familiar tales – Ali Baba, and Alladin, although with details not quite as I remember.   The other tales:- Sherazade & Shahriyar; The Genie & the date stone; Sidi Nouman; The Little Hunchback”; Father of Farts; and , Envious Sisters, were of similar style but varying plots.   Despite some of the stories being ridiculously fanciful, that did not stop me from sharing the mesmerised attention of the sultan in the first story who remained enchanted  for the 1001 nights of the play’s duration before seeing the light.

It was incredible how the minimal props used to garnish the tales worked with the expressions and movements of actors to bring the stories to life.   The five actors were joined by three musicians who used a variety of quaint instruments to produce an extraordinary resemblance of the sounds of ancient middle east as set in my mind.

Storytelling was an ancient art form that targeted the heart rather than the head of each in the audience.   It is easy to see how those endowed with this gift can be just as powerful today as they would have been way back then.

It made for an enjoyable evening escape into a fantasyland where laughter, sadness, magic and wondering submerged the normality of daily life.  Thanks, QTC.