Hey ya Rippers*, what did you do for Australia Day? Yep, the lovely land down under has it’s own day. Though were anyone to actually consult Moi on such matters of state, I’d have informed them that a day simply could never cover it. Days? No. Weeks? Maybe. Years? I’d give it a burl*. I’ve always had a fascination with Australia. It holds an almost mystical sway over me.
In 92′ -while I was living in Spain- the Spanish town of Sevilla (as in The Barber of) played host to the World Expo. It was a sweltering Spanish summer. The place was over crowded and many of the exhibits -including the American one- were just so-so. Then we set foot “in” Australia and…
I. Was. Home.
So a few weeks ago when the National Aquarium invited the ankle-biters*, The DH and I to accompany the Honorable Kim Beazley Australian Ambassador to the United States, on a tour of their Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit, I was IN!
The Lil Nuggets and I started by playing a little game I came up with called, Is It Aussie? What a BLAST! Want to stump your kids -even the know-it-all teens and tweens- play a little of this game. If they can name at least 5 of the animals they win. They can’t? YOU WIN!
We elected Lil Nugget #4 as our emissary
She might not have been the best choice for an impartial diplomat considering that the moment he bent down to remove a worm from her path (and feed it to the bird for which it was intended) she became smitten. The Ambassador made the mistake of telling her she should come visit Australia. Not that we wouldn’t love that, but in the mind of a five year old that means it’s a done deal. Of course this has resulted in hourly, “Are we going to Australia this weekend?”, chants. Looks like we’re saving up those airline miles 
Do you speak Aussie?
Cocky: A Cockatoo, which I had no clue was an Aussie bird!
*Ripper: Someone, or something, really good. Naturally that doesn’t apply to, Jack The.
*Ankle-Biters: Small kids. Here we speak the same language!
*Give it a Burl: Or as we’d say.. give it a go.
Who wouldn’t want to go visit a country with so many terms for hooch?!
Schooner: Big glass of beer
Sherbert: Beer
Neck Oil: You guessed it.. BEER!
The whole crew had a blast, were way impressed with the aquarium and honored to spend the day with Ambassador Beazley and his wonderful wife Susie.
The Mulga mail has it that I might be roused at sparrow fart tomorrow. So it’s a cuppa, bikie and bed for me. (translation: Rumor has it I might be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. So it’s tea, a cookie and bed for me.)
As they say, there is nothing like Australia!
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