Where's the mo? Oh! THERE's the mo!

let's play a game.


Look at this photograph. What was not here (there) a week ago?

I'll give you a hint. One of the things involves facial hair. And the other involves permission to live and work in Australia because of me.

The week has ended well.

welcome to Tierra Santa.

Last week was stressful. I am not going to go into details because they are depressing and awful and annoying and ridiculous.

Instead, look at the souvenir George brought me back from Argentina!

This superbly crafted plastic mug depicts the Parque Tierra Santa in Buenos Aires. Literally: Park Holy Land. Yup, you guessed it: Argentina boasts the only Jesus-themed amusment park in the world. Sigh. I always miss out on all the fun. It has shows and plastic oxen and plaster palm trees and mechanical angels. But on top of that awesomeness, a 18 meter (60 foot) statue of Jesus is resurrected every hour. I'm not making this up-- watch it happen here.

I can say no more.

The world has outdone itself.

Thank you George for brightening an otherwise horrendous week!

P.S. the coffee I drank out of my mug this morning was absolutely divine.

Whew. The mayhem all started a few weeks back with the Australian Beer Festival. We* decided to give Australian beer another go (even though it didn't deserve it) and sacrifice our day drinking sips of Australia's most prestigious specialty beers. That night ended at the Waterloo with the purple lady singing to a jolly tune and Harry, a very enthusiastic local, being invited to Mary and Toby's wedding next year (even though I'm not sure they'll follow through--they're heartbreakers, those two). I also vaguely remember meeting a guy who is doing his PhD on why America is so awesome and his friend doing his masters on why koalas don't make good lunch meat**.

Next was a sobering week filled with reading and writing and data annotation and all those linguistic-y activities that I love so much. But since the weather is starting to not be ridiculous (although as I say this the temperature has dropped like 25 degrees), Vincent and I headed out last weekend to Sculpture by the Sea 2009--an art exhibition along the coast from Bondi to Tamarama. My favorite were the dominos and the stick sculptures. And maybe the little guy looking out to sea. And the huge wrist-watch. And...and...

Then Bec got home from overseas.
And yesterday, I went with her to the annual Flame Free Melbourne Cup Lunch at the Rose. I won 8 WHOLE dollars in the sweeps. Great food. Great company. What a lovely way to spend a Tuesday!

Now it's time to get back to work--I am presenting about sign language lexicography at an upcoming conference. Because, as you all know, that's my specialty***.

* "We" being the Germans and the Kiwis mostly, save me, the lone American and Kat, the lone Australian

** The details are a bit fuzzy.

*** Along with medical interpreting.