I spent some time hanging out at the hotel this morning before getting started with my last day in Melbourne. Thankfully, to go along with my lovely, free breakfast, the hotel stocks an array of local magazines and newspapers to peruse. I’m most amused with the local newspaper, which has the same type of stories that you would find anywhere in the US, including coverage of Morgan Freeman’s car accident (as Cara said, I guess he won’t be “Driving Miss Daisy” for a while -- ugh) and suspicions over Mary-Kate Olsen’s alleged refusal to speak with police regarding the details of Heath Ledger’s death.
The cover story is a sports scandal brewing within the world of the AFL – the Australian Football League. Days before, Collingwood Magpies player, Heath Shaw, had been involved in a car wreck while under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the accident, he lied about the car’s other passenger, teammate Alan Didak, who was on a team-imposed curfew due to previous alcohol-fueled antics. I would say that this is a typical day in American sports except for the fact that the two players were suspended for the REST OF THE YEAR, including any possible playoff or finals games!! In the US, you have to run a dog-fighting ring before you get that kind of reaction.
After packing up and leaving my luggage with the front desk, I went to the National Gallery of Victoria to see Art Deco: 1910 – 1939, an exhibit on the celebrated style and its influence on everything, includ
ing architecture, fashion, jewelry, posters, furniture and cars. It was a stunning collection of items, including a pants suit designed by Coco Chanel, elaborate Cartier jewelry, travel posters, the foyer from London’s Strand Palace Hotel, film of Josephine Baker and, my favorite, a vintage Cord 812 Westchester Sedan in mint condition. (The car pictured is a vintage Mercedes -- not quite the Cord but not too shabby, either).The main theme of the exhibit was the juxtaposition of the movement’s classical influences with the desire to create something that looked modern. In addition, many of the items were influenced by the new freedoms and independence that women experienced after WWI. I made a mental note to discuss how Art Deco relates to the women’s suffrage movement in the US with my friends, Jeanette and Danny, who teach history and art, respectively, and begin brainstorming ideas of implementing a cross-curricular project.
After getting back to the hotel, I headed out to the Melbourne airport for my one-hour flight to Sydney. My friend, Cara, and her boyfriend, Cristian, met me at the airport and drove me to their place in the world-famous, Bondi Beach. After a quick pasta dinner, I unpacked and climbed into bed, with my hooded sweatshirt, gloves and socks on, under two layers of blankets. It turns out that, despite the fact that it can regularly get into the 30s and 40s at night here during the winter, most of the apartments DON’T HAVE HEAT!!! I’ve never been so thankful that we have laws against these types of conditions in the US.
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