Oh Great Scot!

---

I've learned a lot over the past two and a half years since boarding that first flight from Sydney. For example, I've learned that I can become a monster if the golden triangle aligns-hunger, tiredness coldness-and it's near impossible to pacify me until one of these conditions is addressed and equilibrium is restored. I now know that maps are not always trustworthy; dry socks are worth their weight in gold and you can tackle just about any disaster if armed with a plastic bag and some safety pins! I'm proud to say I've truly mastered the art of packing. Show me what you've got, and I will make it fit! We've yet to ever be charged for excess baggage, despite being above and beyond the specified weight limit/number of bags allowed. It's a record I'm proud of (and we've had to sweat to hold it...literally!)

But while I can very occasionally be a little bit smug and congratulate myself on a job well done, more often than not, I am forced to confront situations where one fact is abundantly clear-while I may be a little older and worldlier, I've not always managed to turn my wealth of travel experience into wisdom. There are still so many moments when I realise that despite all the adventures I've had and all I've learned to date, I still have the natural propensity to completely defy logic and my own well-honed common sense and make silly decisions as a crime of passion or complete 'brain fart'. This was highlighted during our second visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year when I found myself combing the cobbled streets of Edinburgh with blistered feet and sprinting toward over hanging ledges or overpasses to take refuge from torrential downpours. Yes, I made two fundamental errors during this years pursuit of fun and frivolity. Number one, I succumbed to my love of my little black shoes (which I reasoned were flat and therefore completely practical) and forgot entirely about the uneven cobbled streets, the hilly terrain and the sheer distance I'd be covering as Adam and I once again raced from one venue to the other in the pursuit of art! Secondly, and perhaps most embarrassingly, I actually failed to consider packing either a rain jacket or an umbrella for our weekend to Scotland. Yes, to Scotland of all places where if the sun is shnes for consecutive days, people start anxiously wondering what on earth is going on?

Apart from my foibles (which necessitated a last minute hunt for a pair of thongs to get me through!) the Fringe this year once again lived up to all expectation. We varied our programme a little to encompass music, drama, dance and comedy this year and yet again, we were completely thrilled with the choices we made. We crammed a lot into the few days on offer. The highlight for me was by far Adam Hills with his show 'inflatable'. This whole show was about building people up, inflating them with love and good will and humour-it was abit on the soppy side but totally hilarious at the same time. Other close favourites were Aussie newcomer Celia Pacquola who did a whole segment on man trouble and this fantastic guy who did a Charles Darwin skit, complete with songs about barnacles and the origin of the species. Bizarre but brilliant. Ads was a huge fan of the Bodega Brothers afternoon delights and this amazing dance group from Italy who made their bodies take on positions that I wasn't sure were even anatomically possible...definitely not for me anyway! Yet again, it was a wonderful few days and I'm already looking forward to 2010...

Our 2009 programme
Flamenco Jazz
Jason Cook 'Fear'
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Adam Hills 'Inflatable'
Bodega Brothers 'Afternoon Delight'
Celia Pacquola 'Am I Strange?'
Matt Kirschen 'Shorter than Napoleon'
Kataklo Athletic Dance show
The Late Show
Origin of the Species
Noir Dance Group
ATeam The Musical

---