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Published: February 21st 2006
Well..... it's official, I am the worst blogger alive. I think about blogging, when i do stuff I draft blogs in my head, when I email people I tell them about things I do and then write "but I'll blog more about that later" and then I never do. Well, todays the day I finally restart my blogging, theres tonnes to catch up on. So much has been happening since Ive arrived in Melbourne, so maybe I'll backdate a few blogs to bring you up to speed however, theres is something im bursting to tell you all.............I MET HAROLD!!!!! I'm not kidding, I met him and he gave me a big hug and I got my photo taken with him! How wicked is that??!! Its kind of hit home now that I am, indeed, living in the land of Neighbours. It's brilliant. The suburbs all look like Neighbours, the cars look like neighbours, the boys look like theyre from Neighbours, theres even school girls that get my tram that are wearing school uniforms like on Neighbours. People say "Strewth" and "G'day" and strangely enough, they all have australian accents! (or maybe not so many in St Kilda since the ratio of backpackers to locals is about 2 to1!)
Anyway, I went to the famous "Neighbours Night" with the Irish boys. Its a must-do tourist attraction in melbourne where you can meet the neighbours stars in the comfort of a traditional british pub (which happens to be around the corner from our flat). We had to book in advance and then still turn up half an hour early to queue. It was $35 for the ticket and that included one free half pint. How generous! The pub was chock full of British backpackers and while we waited for the stars of neighbours to appear there wasn't much else to do but drink. Once the drink had been flowing for a good hour or so the host came out to warm up the crowd. They started getting members of the audience up to do dumb stuff like there was a single girl and a single guy and they had to kiss for a minute and they won a free trip along the Great Ocean Road.
I was starting to get a bit fed up with all drunkeness and 18-30 type entertainment, I just wanted to meet Harold! We were waiting for ages when finally the cast members arrived, Harold was there (of course) and also Max and Janelle. I havent seen neighbours properly for about a year so I didnt know who Janelle was and Max seemed to be on some kind of controlled substance. After they introduced themselves and answered questions from the audience Harold went away and Max and Janelle started making their way to each table to meet everyone and have photo opportunities.
Each table was taken individually to another room to meet Harold. I think he got special treatment because he's such a legend. To keep the rest of the pub occupied while the stars made their way round everyone there were more games and competitions. They had a singing competition where they picked 4 members of the audience to sing either a patriotic song from their country, their national anthem or the neighbours theme tune. The host plucked me out of the crowd along with two english yahs and a very drunk welsh girl. I didn't even really volunteer, the host just caught my eye and when he pointed at me I thought "Sod it, im never going to see any of these people again so im not bothered if i screw up or dont win, its worth a shot" There was a trip up the coast to adelaide worth $400 up for grabs. The welsh girl went first and sang some random song in welsh and the crown applauded politely but werent impressed, then an english yah guy got up and sang the neighbours theme tune and tried to be funny but screwed up and the crowd wasnt too impressed again. At first I thought bugger, he's totally stealing my idea, he'll win for sure. I had pretty much made up my mind to sing the neighbours theme tune since I didnt know the words to the national anthem (and its crap anyway) and I didnt think a patriotic scottish song would appeal to a big enough section of the audience to secure a loud enough applause to win. I also figured that if I did it in a weegie accent, the audience wouldnt detect the fact that I cant sing. But this guy was singing purposefully crap and in a broad essex accent to be funny so I thought I didnt have a chance. However, he didnt carry it off well and ended up being practically booed of stage. so it was the other english girl up next and I was getting more and more nervous, swinging from "oh my god I have to sing infromt of all these drunk backpackers" to "I dont give a monkies, whats the worst they can do? theyre all probably too drunk to pay too much attention anyway" Thankfully the girl sang a West Ham song (Did these people think it through at all?) She was also jeered and barely got through the first verse. So i figured I was still in with a chance, and with these kind of competitions the person to go last has an advantage anyway i think.
So I sang the Neighbours theme tune, with no backup music, in a broad scots accent, and i danced. Yes, I danced. It was hilarious, I could see the Irish boys in the corner of my eye, pissing themselves laughing, which made me laugh, but I soldiered on. Alot of people in the audience were also laughing, but with me, not at me and after the first verse half the pub were singing with me, in a scottish accent! It was so funny. Towards the end it sounded like pretty much the entire pub were singing. I'd nailed it. Eventually the host came up to stop me and they did a "cheer the loudest for who you want to win" There was no competition really. I won hands down. He he!! Naay.....BURS....Uvry boadee needs gid naay....BURS!!! Before I went up to receive my prize I did the whole "beauty pagent hug the loser" thing, hugging the other contestants and telling them how great they did. They were just like, yeah whatever, bite me. It was so fun! And I won a trip to Adelaide, which is perfect. I get to go along the Great Ocean Road and visit wineries and go through the mountains all inc. Ill have to wait until april to do it though since I cant take holidays from work and its a 3 day trip.
So we were waiting for another good hour and a half and we still hadn't been taken to meet Harold. I was getting a little impatient because it was Marchellos birthday and everyone else was back at the flat having drinks. Marchello and Paulo had been baking pizza bases all afternoon to make real itallian pizzas and Paulo had also bought a huge cake. We were starting the party at 1030 and when I looked at the clock it was 1035!! bugger! so i got up and went to the room where harold was and pleaded with the security guard to let me skip the queue and meet harold now. Harold then came up and asked what the problem was so I explained to him and he told me to come straight through!!
It was so weird seeing him in the flesh, I felt like i should be at home having my tea infront of the telly. I was so shoicked and excited I told him how weird it was meeeting him because I'd pretty much grown up watching him on telly. He told me I was making him feel old! So he gave me a big hug and we had a photo taken and I thanked him and the security guards and the guy in the queue who id jumped infront of and ran all the way home, just in time for pizza! Perfect.
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Lori
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Good for the Auzzies- bad for the Yanks....
What gives? You post pages and pages on all the fabulous places you've been, and gues what- you're missing about 3 months honey! And those three months were spent with me! What about Hollywood? what about Orange County? YOu love the OC! Venice Beach - the sight of Baywatch??? Mammoth? - the snowboarders paradise???? And how could you forget sweet dadies! All the good vibes and all the sweet punanni! RIP Sweet Daddies! If you don't get on it I'm going to start blogging about my own damn town!!!