AustraUSA - Where Australia Meets

Australia's Day in LA - Australian BBQ Los Angeles Aug 31st 2008

2009-01-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Lemon-scented gums stood casually in a circle a bit like a few blokes standing 'round at the pub having a chat. The summer breeze circled the leaves releasing their scent. Wafts of Lemon scented Eucalyptus floated through the park, luring any stray aussie to their midst like flies to an Aussie barbie.

Speaking of which, we fired up the BBQ's and threw on some snags (and shrimp - just to perpetuate the myth). Picnic rugs were laid out like a patchwork across the grass. Thongs were flung off (the shoe variety) so we could pad around barefoot, the sunscreen was slapped on, and the chin wagging began (after the obligatory hugs of the surrounding gum trees).

Rachel passed around the vegemite and cheese rolls, while Tulip put the finishing touches (aussie flag toothpicks) on her huge batch of lamingtons she brought to share.

The announcement was made that the competitions were about to begin.

The Best Aussie Accent (for our non aussie mates)
The Best Dressed Aussie - which was won by a tube of travel vegemite and Dame Edna
The Kookaburra Call off and the Peter Garrett Dance Off, plus the Outback Treasure hunt for kids and the Emu Egg and Spoon Race.

In between competitions, the barbeques were being worked overtime, even leading a few aussies passing by to join in on the fun (like flies I tell you!), a birthday cake was shared, the lammos were demolished, while others wore a vegemite and cheese moustache.

As the food settled and the sun lowered in the sky, Barry from LA Outback performed for us all playing various didgeridoos and other aboriginal instruments, before teaching us all how to play the didgeridoo in a group lesson. Courageous with a newly learned skills, competitiors thrashed it out for the title of best didgeridoo player while LA Outback handed out boxes of prizes.

After the last aussie accent faded off into the distance, a single eucalyptus leaf spiralled down from the branches above, adding the final authentic touch to Australia's Day in LA.

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Sea Kayaking and some meat pies! August 10 2008

2009-01-25T18:35:00.002-08:00

The sun is out
The sky is blue
There's not a cloud to spoil the view...
~ Buddy Holly

Summer's here! Let's go kayaking! That's what we say every year as our sea kayaking and Sea Lab tour has etched it's way into it's annual spot on the AustraUSA calendar. Our resident Marine Biologist leads the day with games of sharks and minnows, tours out past the sea lions, shark wrangling and halibut feeding at the Sea Lab, followed by a Four N Twenty meat pie and sausage roll for dinner at a nearby pub.

The over the shoulder pose typical of all celebrities in Los Angeles

Heading out into the bay

Our Marine Biologist took this photo while tredding water up to his neck.. this guy's gotta have gills.

At the pub for dinner.

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Didgeridoo Jam, and lesson - Orange County July 26 2008

2009-01-25T18:35:00.001-08:00

It's probably the last thing you'd expect to find when you waltz in to a coffee shop, but there amongst people sipping their tea, sat a group of avid didgeridoo players sitting bellowing on the didgeridoo loud enough to blast the froth off your cuppa joe.

With Barry Martin from LA Outback guiding us along, we were also joined by a reporter from the OC Register.

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AUSTRALIANS ALL LET US RING JOYCE - Free Aussie Movie night - Kenny - and a cuppa afterwards. July 19 2008

2009-01-25T18:34:00.001-08:00

Australians all let us ring Joyce, for we are about to go and see KENNY the Movie. FREE! Seriously. That meant AustraUSA was busier than a one armed bricklayer in Baghdad taking down rsvp's to add to the guest-list. The Aussies sure came out of the woodwork to get a good dose of aussie humour.

Quotes like "Better stock up the poo tickets boys, this one's gonna get a flogging today"
"It's as silly as a bum full of smarties" and "There's a smell in here that will outlast religion" brought the house down, while some of us played 'Pick the Aussie" in the theatre, as it seemed only 'one of us' would or could find humour in some (or most) of the movie.

Perhaps it just seemed funnier on foriegn soil. Expressions and accents that we weren't used to hearing, brought a slight tear to the eye, disguised behind that roaring laughter. Or were our eyes just sweating?

With faces lit up like Luna Park with cheeky grins, a group of us headed to a local coffee shop for a cuppa afterwards.

A great night - Thanks to Xenon and KENNY, our sponsors.

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This Aint your Nanna's Lawn Bowls! Annual Lawn Bowls Lesson, Tournament and Picnic - Beverly Hills July 13 2008

2009-01-25T18:31:00.002-08:00

Granny's beware. These lawn bowling lunatics will bowl you over with a mean arm and fierce competition. Devious tactics ensued (after our lesson), knocking out the opposition away from the jack. Cheers, and jeers could be heard erupting from teams across the green, whilst tactics and game plans were whispered behind sheilding hands, over the refreshment trolley.

Breaks were taken in between rounds to shoo the ~~roos~~ squirrels off the green, and the refreshment cart. It seems one squirrel had an appetite for sugared doughnuts - his waistline was quite the reflection of that.

As the games continues, teams were knocked off one by one until the final playoff between the Tassy Devils and the Banana Benders. Thankful to be out of the sun and the blistering heat, many of us retired to the club rooms for a cool bevvy and a sit down. Ok ok, so this IS your Nanna's lawn bowls!

Peter and Kathy (the most devious of all players) bowled over their competition and remain the 2008 AustraUSA Lawn Bowls Champions.

Next year Pete - next year... you just wait mate!

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Didgeridoo's and Opera - Aliso Viejo June 21st 2008

2009-01-25T18:31:00.001-08:00

Meeting at the Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo, the summer heat blew through the patio, almost droning the dideridoos which were leaning idly against the wall - as if waiting for a stray aussie to come by.

They were in luck.

AustraUSAers joined in on the beginners didgeridoo lesson, tooting out sounds more like a koala's mating call than an ancient ceremonial instrument. Okay, so we need a little more practice - but it's a great way to clear out a previous bustling coffee shop!

After our lesson, and all those laughs, we headed across the road to take refuge in an air-conditioned restaurant where we dined whilst being seranaded by a young opera singer. It isn't over till the fat lady sings.. but this is LA, so we settled for skinny.

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Full as a goog

2008-07-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

ORANGE COUNTY BUFFET BRUNCH - MAY 2008

The best thing about getting together with other Aussies, is that most of us travel back to Australia each year, bringing back goodies for the rest of us who have a craving for Aussie food or drinks that just can't be sourced from any store either online or locally.

Today was one such day where mild mannered David seemed to have a craving for BUNDY RUM! I wouldnt have picked him for a Bundy bloke, but after Australia Day's Jam session where the boys rocked it out, I shouldnt be surprised. Seems Dave has a wild side. Yup he was as full as a goog that day. So was everyone. But not on Bundy.

The food at Orange Hill Buffet is delish and could almost make an expat forget about any food craving thy may have had before they walked in. Situated high on Orange Hill, our Aussie and British guests soaked up the view of the Southland and Pacific Ocean while dining on endless food and desserts. As always, we have new members come along and everyone enjoys laughing about our experiences on our travels. More often than not, we've all put our foot in our mouths on more than one occasion and made some cultural faux pas. Thankfully they are all funny ... now.

Have you got a hankering for something that only Australia can provide? Bundy? Crunchie? Chicken Twisties? If you come along to an event, one of our mates may just pick it up for you.

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A day to Remember - Anzac Day - Los Angeles 2008

2008-07-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

April 2008 - it should be spring, but Los Angeles gave us a scorcher. Hundreds of Australians and Kiwis headed the Los Angeles National Cemetery for the Anzac Memorial Service hosted by the New Zealand Consulate, for an early ceremony. Many guests wore their finest, but visibly regretted it later as the sun burned into our backs. The crispness of starched shirts and jackets soon faded as they were tossed away or used as shields from the sun.

An arc of perfectly arranged chairs soon rearranged themselves into spots of shade as people migrated into the cool provided by the surrounding trees. The program's were used as fans, but could offer little relief. We looked on with sympathy as the uniformed cadets stood unflinching in the fierce heat.

I've never really been comfortable coming here. Tiptoeing through graves appologetically. But my discomfort pales compared with those we are here to remember. I have no idea how to even imagine what it was they went through for us, so instead I am grateful for them. Grateful for this peaceful day. Grateful for our peaceful home we as expats are lucky enough to enjoy.

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A Squirrel Up a Gum Tree?

2008-07-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Huntington Gardens - March 2008

"The things I miss most about Australia are the smells and the sounds of Aussie bushland", says each expat after they've been here for a few months and the memory of Australia echos in their brain like a long lost coo-ee.

There aren't too many songbirds around this part of town, and most disappear for the winter, so it was a pure delight to visit the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens this March and take a stroll through the Aussie bush with birds chirping merrily and the odd gum leaf floating down in the breeze.

The Americans in our party giggled that our "Aussie Garden" was less like a garden and more like a mess of bark, leaves, and a mosh posh of bushes and shrubs plonked all over the shop. Yet we felt most at home. Though it was most odd to find a squirrel up a gum tree instead of the usual koala or two.

We fawned over the fiery bottle brush, and the sunny wattle blooms, until our eyes welled up ... not so much from nostalgia, but allergies. Hmm, perhaps we didn't miss the wattle all that much after all.

After Australia, we were headed home to the USA, via China and Japan, and some other beautiful gardens too.

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Tracky Dacks Day out

2008-07-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Daggy Lunch ~ Torrance Feb 2008

Dig out the trakky daks, the Broadmeadow stilletto's, and chew on a bit of gum ala Kylie Mole, and we might just let you come along to our daggy lunch.

We were a bit tired of frocking up, and considering we're all really 'family' we figured we didn't need to dress up for this one. Not to mention that it was an all you can eat buffet with unlimited crab legs and jumbo prawns (shrimp for our American mates). I think most of use left with a few morsels on our shirts (saving it for later).

Now you'd think after the feed we had that shopping for aussie food afterwards would curb our appetites a little.
HAH!
We headed next door to Cost Plus World Market to stock up on Tim Tams, Vegemite, REAL CADBURY'S CHOCKY!

This bloke cleaned out the shelves, and was already half way through a block of cadbury's by the time he got to the checkout.
If you've got your trakky's handy, we'll let you come to the next one!

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Australia Day 2008 ~ Los Angeles / Orange County

2008-07-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Someone once said to me, "I've heard those Aussies sure know how to party". And after today, I think we've proved it. Isabel and David threw an Australia Day bash to remember at their beautiful home and sprawling grounds located in the OC. They had everything a misplaced aussie could desire. A campfire, surrounded by Aussies. A spread of Aussie foods, surrounded by Aussies. And an aussie quiz which the brits won! Sound familiar. Yeah, I think we lost on not knowing the 2nd verse of the bloody national anthem. I also think we'd fail the citizenship test too.

Moving on... We lounged about, outside by the fire, inside in the kitchen, lounge, etc etc and there were some of us who rock and rolled - David on the drums and a smattering of aussies on other instruments. Did they play Waltzing Matilda? Or rock the National Anthem to a Jimmy Barnes Song?

I cant tell you. You'll have to come along next year to find out for yourself.

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The Royal Treatment

2008-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

We're off to have tea with the Queen! She's an old gal alright, with a wide berth too! Regal and stoic, she sits there entertaining hundreds of guests at her Sunday morning tea party in the Grand Salon, and we were included on that exclusive guest list.

We feasted like royalty, gnashing our teeth into a variety of delicacies spread before us whilst we enjoyed the heavenly sounds of a strumming harp.

Wandering pirates from a nearby party filled the role of the Court Jester, much to our delight. Cajolling and "argh hargh-ing" at each other. There was one pirate in particular who caught our eye. We marvelled at his commitment to his character. Such a realistic limp(implying wooden leg, we thought), and an authentic eye patch (implying missing eye, we thought). In fact, it was too authentic. It was at this point, we suddenly realised, this was no costume, he was no pirate and we just made a huge mistake! We assume the Queen was not amused.

As our glasses of champagne and tea were refilled by and endless steam of attentive waiters, we were told tales of many ghosts who like to haunt the salon, and specifically our table, posing for photos, frightening guests and giving them unexepected chills.

We exchanged gifts, stole them from each other, then bargained to get them back again, before heading off to explore the Queen Mary ship further.

Dripping in Art Deco, the halls and boutiques still shined with glamourous beauty, allowing us to imagine what life would have been like cruising aboard this ship with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and old Hollywood. We stopped for some more snacks and drinks in the Obseravation Art Deco lounge at the bow of the ship, while others headed down to the Russian Scorpian submarine for another tour.We all met up again at the Observation bar again for cocktails before being blown of our chairs by both the ship's horn blasting unexpectedly and our hysterical laughter that followed.

Thanks to Peter and Kathy for organising such a great day out, and to Val for organising the gift exchange.

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Giddy Up!

2007-11-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

Cloudy? Foggy? In Los Angeles? How perfect! Our city known for it's sunshine, pulled one out of the bag for our day at the races, delivering traditional Melbourne Cup weather, making all of us feel right at home.

Ladies trotted in like show ponies, with feathered hats & gorgeous dresses flowing behind them, while the stallions proudly wore crisp suits & ties.

The vino and champers flowed freely as we enjoyed Aussie Pies and Sausage rolls making a small compromise by adding ketchup instead of Tomato Sauce. We were chomping at the grub and champing at the bit!

Every half hour, race goers gathered to watch local races at Santa Anita, selecting their steeds from the form guide, cheering on their fillies, followed by the award ceremony.

After each horse race, guests prepare for the next race, choosing to select their steeds, by throwing away their form guides, and peering into an esky instead.

Big ones, little ones, uni clawed, double clawed - CRABS! All numbered and eager to be lead to the starting gate. Punters could be heard discussing the elements of each thoroughbred.

Predictions were made, and concerns were raised especially considering the uneven weight distribution of the uni-clawed crab, suggesting it would run in circles. The one armed bandit proved to be the first winner of the day much to the delight of it's supporters and the others nearby who had gathered around to watch our unique races.

Every 15 minutes, prizes and booby prizes were given to 1st and last place respectively. Everything from board games, Yellowglen bubbly, DVD's, CD's, Neutrogena products and Aussie treats were handed out to the winners and those with last place.

As dusk settled above us and the air developed a fine Melbourne chill, we gathered our winnings in our arms, and rode into the sunset.

For all of our upcoming events please visit AustraUSA

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We're gonna have a little fun todaaaay ...

2007-11-30T19:17:00.001-08:00

In true American style, 4 gals from AustraUSA piled into a 2 door Mustang, with knees up around our earlobes, we try to be as classy as possible in our precarious position as we headed to NBC studios in Burbank along the 101 to see the Ellen Degeneres Show.

As soon as we arrived, we are corralled into a confined area and arranged into tidy rows which were painted onto the ground. We fought the urge to "mooo" in the herd as we proceeded single file to get branded, er, I mean receive our number. It was quite fitting that we were simultaneously overwhelmed by the smell of manure from the freshly fertilized gardens nearby.

After our security checks and lining up for an hour, we wait in line again to be escorted to the restrooms. Once escorted back, we join another line, sit and…. Wait! For 2 more hours! To amuse ourselves during this time we played ‘Spot the Ellen Lookalike’, of which there were many, and of which we were a little scared. Some of them were Ellen VERBATIM! Her Hair, her clothes, her shoes, her walk.

TV screens scattered along the wall by the waiting area played the current Ellen episodes for our enjoyment. Far more considerate than many other TV shows in LA. When the time came to head into the studio, we were once again corralled according to our branding number and forwarded in an orderly fashion into the studios via the Riff Raff Room.

The 4 of us were given our own podium seating with only 4 chairs - our own private seating area just behind Stryker (the DJ)! No sooner than the cattle were in the pen, the music blew through the speakers shaking the floor and it was time to… DANCE! 1 song… then another, then another, then another… The Aussie girls continued to rock on for another 2 songs before Ellen finally entered the stage beginning her monologue about talking.

First up? Amy Brenneman from Judging Amy. (we didn’t know who she was either). Then she interviewed the reporter who was reporting on his own home burning down in the California “FIRESTORM”. During each add break, we danced and frolicked and dance competitions were held. Back on the air, Stryker begins cooking a hamburger in his DJ booth in a Sunbeam rocket grill. THEN! Ellen gave away a Sunbeam Grill to everyone in the audience!

As the show was aired the next day, the 4 of us were in a featured in closeup, applauding furiously as Ellen entered the studio.

No autographs please, we need to roll.

For all our upcoming events please check the event calendar at AustraUSA

All Ellen Photographs are available HERE for Members Only

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Beside the Big Pond

2007-11-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

Oh I do like to brunch beside the bigpond

Oh I do like to chat and sip some tea

I crack jokes and drink some wine

with these Aussie friends of mine

Beside the bigpond, my friends and me.

Sunday, October 7th, 2007 - Laguna Beach, Orange County

For more information on AustraUSA please visit our website at http://www.austrausa.com/

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Common Sense is makin' a comback!

2007-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Below - our members watching
in the Audience at the Dr Phil Show
"We're not here to watch television. We're here to MAKE television" exclaimed the crowd 'warmer' followed by 2 swift groin thrusts, a side kick, a backwards moon walk and a booty shake.

Giving away Dr Phil weight loss solution hand books and Dr Phil mugs, our warm up guy had the studio audience in a frenzy in order to get their hands on a freebie.

We were sitting front and center (right in front of Robin - the good Doctors wife) in our VIP seating. A great position to view every tender moment, every finger pointed, every falling tear.

Today's topic? Childhood obesity.

So it was a little difficult to make the transition from frenzied, cheering audience member to become a serious and concerned one. One sideways glance at my friend next to me and it would be all over. That dreaded hysterical laughter at an inappropriate time left me feeling like I was sitting in the principal's office with Dr Phil as the Headmaster.

But as the show began, it was pretty apparent that there was nothing to giggle about. This isn't just TV, these are people's real lives, dealing with very real problems. One child weighed more than a baby elephant, while other children were so obese, they were suffering from diabetes, and many other illnesses expected to be found primarily in aging adults, from cholesterol issues and blood pressure to even more serious diseases.

"This year, common sense is makin' a comeback!", Dr Phil tells his first guest after she folds her arms over her ample belly and unequivocally denies she was directly respsonible for her daughter's weight problem.

The odd thing that struck our members, was the fact that during the ad break, The Doctor appears to stare off into space, while his guests sit and sob next to him. But what did we care, we had since left the studio after the taping and were now chowing down at The Grove. After all that talk about food, we were STARVING! and we rather amused by it too.

But we must have been on our best behaviour, because the Dr Phil show called again today and asked when we would be coming back... seems the good doctor, loves us Aussies. Now that's what I call common sense!

All the photos and videos are online for AustraUSA Members only! Remember to log in first.

Up Coming events for AustraUSA:

Australians in LosAngeles, Orange County California and St Louis, Missouri!

Sunday 7th October 10:15am - Brunch at Laguna Beach
Sunday 21st October 10:30am - Getty Villa Tour, Malibu
Sunday 4th November - Pre-Melbourne Cup Celebration Redondo Beach
Sunday 11th November 1:30pm - Ladies Fashion Day, Laguna Hills
Sunday 2nd December - Christmas Celebration - SAVE THE DATE

No part of this article or articles on this page or on AustraUSA may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Author and AustraUSA.com and AustraLAevents.com

Wazza from Westwood

2007-11-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

You might think that the 26th of August was just an ordinary Sunday in Los Angeles.

It's probably exactly what a wandering Aussie thought too, as he was heading off to play a game of tennis in the Westwood Park. Until, there before him in the swaying heat of the horizon, 10 Peter Garretts thrust around to the sounds of The Power and the Passion.

As he ventured closer to the mirage, the Garrett clones were replaced by a flock of laughing kookaburras; the Australian flag soaking up the breeze behind them. Australian voices filtered through the trees and the sounds of didgeridoos stretched around him, welcoming him in.

Like a stunned mullet he staggered into the Aussie Oasis and exclaimed "Where the bloody hell am I?"

"You're at the AustraLA Annual BBQ!" The 100 strong crowd replied.

It seems the bush telegraph hadn't quite reached Wazza from Westwood by way of Wagga Wagga but now that he was there, he was determined to join in on the fun.

Replacing his racquet for a silver spoon and a big blue egg, Wazza found himself running for his life in the Emu Egg and Spoon Race, tossing boomerangs, and taking a didgeridoo lesson under the shade of a Coolabah Canopy from SportsMart.

IndidgDance entertained the cheering crowd with traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait dances and songs, telling stories of Kangaroos, Emus and Mozzies.

He tucked in to the hot Four'N Twenty Pies, chasing them down with Pavlova and Lamingtons, taming his Aussie taste buds. With his belly full, Wazza leaned up against the trunk of a gum tree, closed his eyes, and savored the tastes and sounds of home...

Storm clouds rolled in above his head, announcing themselves with a crack, snapping Wazza from his Australian dreams, to find himself sitting all alone.

The Kookaburras had vanished, and the dancing Garrett's had faded away.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" He exclaimed for the second time that day. As he glanced down, he found an empty Four'N Twenty wrapper resting in his hand.

For more information on AustraLA Events please visit http://www.australaevents.com/ or email info@austraLAevents.com

Our next events:

Thursday 27th September 10am - VIP tickets to the Dr. Phil Show

Friday 28th September 7:30pm - AFL Grand Final and Aussie dinner

Sunday 7th October 10:15am - Brunch at Laguna Beach

Sunday 21st October 10:30am - Getty Villa Tour, Malibu

Sunday 4th November - Pre-Melbourne Cup Celebration - SAVE THE DATE

Sunday 11th November 1:30pm - Ladies Fashion Day, Laguna Hills

Sunday 2nd December - Christmas Celebration Orange County - SAVE THE DATE

No part of this article or articles on this page or on AustraUSA may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Author and AustraUSA.com and AustraLAevents.com

Beautiful Souls

2007-11-30T18:13:00.001-08:00

It was the last thing I expected to say at 4pm that afternoon. In fact, at about 2:30 that same day I was muttering the exact opposite, with the assumption that I had just paid $8.50 to feel thoroughly depressed and miserable.

8 AustraLA'ers were about to watch 3 Australian prisoners live out their last hour of life in a Thai jail before their pending execution.

A real pick me up!

There they stood. The 3 of them. 3 separate cells. David, Justin and Beth. Miserable and scared. Nothing in their cell except a thin bamboo mat for a bed, a bamboo chair and a pot for a loo. They were dirty. I could almost smell the stench. But I could smell their fear.

Amidst the despair, they found comfort in each other's presence, and lifted our spirits with humour at their darkest hour. Finding the beauty in themselves and recognising one another as beautiful souls, forgiveness freed their spirits.

As they lived out their last breath in front of our eyes, I wiped the tears from mine.

"BRAVO!"

8 beautiful souls!

Upcoming Events for Australians in Los Angeles and Orange County -
Aug 3 - Dodgers Game
Aug 12 - Dim Sum
Aug 26 - AustraLA BBQ and Cultural Day
Sept 28 - AFL grand final Party
October - The Getty Villa
4 Nov - Melbourne Cup themed day
Dec - AustraLA Christmas party

No part of this article or articles on this page or on AustraUSA may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Author and AustraUSA.com and AustraLAevents.com

I went to Rove LIVE in LA, and all I got was this lousy lacker band . . .

2007-11-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

Cast onto the sidewalk like a bunch of desperados, we stand in line and wait for 3 hours in the scorching heat of the day just to see Rove film his weekly TV show in LA.

There were a few bursts of "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi's" as the 100 strong crowd attempted to amuse themselves to pass the time, others chatted, and others closed their eyes while standing.

Eventually, we were herded through gates and into pens and like cattle, we were branded on our hands with either a red smiley face, or a blue 'thumbs up' or was it a thumbs down? Perhaps one was to distinguish grade A Aussie beef and the other for the cannery.

Then, in a long holding pen, we sat on cold metal benches, patrolled by wardens with red jackets and walkie talkies.

As another hour or two passes, the initial excitement of the prospect of heading into the studio dissipated and once again we waited.

In the mean time, some of our members cruise the aisles with AustraLA Events Signs and begin chatting to the crowd. Everyone chatted to their neighbours, saying G'day and doing the usual expat sniff. "Where are you from in Australia?" "How long have you been here" Before long, a line of strangers became group of mates getting together and having a yarn.

It seems we had forgotten why we were there in the first place, and when it came time to enter the studio, it was as if someone had ended the party.

We were seated inside the PRICE IS RIGHT studio, then we were forced to practice our crowd cheers.

Level 1 - Clapping

Level 2 - Clapping and woo and yeah. The woo for the women and the yeah for the men.

Level 1 - Genuine Laughter

Level 2 - Fake Laughter

As our throats became hoarse, we were joined by those who had 'reserved seats'. Studio execs, talent scouts, Aussie Nikki Whelan and David Spade with drink in hand.

Now I have to be rather honest here, but by the time Rove came out, we were bloody buggered. We'd been going now for about 5 hours, and those studio chairs were so comfortable in comparison with those metal benches, I caught a few people taking a kip.

Rove's opening line? TOILETS.

Rove's opening line to his first Guest David Duchovney? "Nice Arse."

Rove's end to the same interview? Grabbing his guest on the ass.

Our mate Mr. Spade only made it to the first commercial break before he made a dash for stage right... possibly to "shout for Ruth".

Mid way through, all those in reserved seats bailed for the exits, never to return.

Then it was Hamish and Andy who brightened the crowd with their daggy recount of their experience on the streets of LA. As the city of Angels is home to 100's of gangs, these boys thought they'd start their own.

And what would an Australian Gang be called?

The GANGAROOS!

The Gang colours?

'Gang Green' and gold!

The Gang Sign?

Visiting some pretty scary people, The boys went on a recruiting drive across LA. Finally recruiting the Gang Leader - Bob Sagat.

It is here that AustraLA proposes Bob Sagat is initialted into the Gangaroos, by participating in our Annual Aussie BBQ. What does he have to do to pass the test? Dance like Peter Garrett and laugh like a Kookaburra at the same time?

Others Rove guests included Michael Vartan and Radha Mitchell, Claire Danes, Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) and then they finished it off with a performance by Good Charlotte.

After the show, Rove and his cronies stuck around for question time and by the time we exited the building, the sun had set and our clocks were pushing closely toward tomorrow.

As I collected my camera and phone from security, I was left with a parting gift... a lousy lacka band.

Upcoming Events for Austrlians in Los Angeles and Orange County -

Aug 3 - Dodgers Game

Aug 12 - Dim Sum

Aug 26 - AustraLA BBQ and Cultrual Day

Sept 28 - AFL grand final Party

October - The Getty Villa

4 Nov - Melbourne Cup themed day

Dec - AustraLA Christmas party

Frankie at Franklins

2007-11-30T18:02:00.001-08:00

Sunday 22 July - Aussie Movie Matinee at Landmark Theatres - West Los Angeles

Our collective bums winded the leather sofas as we made ourselves comfortable - Air whistling from cushion seems. Wafts of popcorn drizzled with cheddar made its way up our nostrils and gourmet pizza tapped along our taste buds. The darkness soon swallowed us whole.

Thick Australian accents engulfed our ear drums making us giggle. Do we sound like that?

Soon, the lives of a typical atypical quirky Australian family unfolded before us. A British mother with a love for the spotlight, a teen in love, torn between his emotionally needy mother who wont let go, and the needs of his intellectually challenged brother, Mark, who was also falling in love.

Then there were those recognisable faces. Like a best friend, a father, a long lost relative. What were their names? Rebecca Gibney! Lead scrubba. Frankie J Holden! The divorced father of the teen boys, and security guard at Franklins supermarket.

A whisper floated into my ear "This must be old! Franklins doesn't exist anymore!" Then another "That's Sydney!"

Tangled with phrases we hadn't heard in years, this Aussie family's 'coming of age' story came together with darkness, reality, and sprinkle of comedy, ending with a surprisingly squeaky clean conclusion one wouldn't expect for such a tumultuous family.

As the credits rolled and the sofas filled their lungs once more, our own Aussie family made its way out of the darkness, and back into the LA groove.

I tawt I taw a puddy tat

2007-11-30T17:56:00.000-08:00

Purring at the sight of Aussie beer and pawing at the hot Four'N Twenty Pies, these Geelong fans knew that The Cats would always land on their feet once they leapt into the air during the first bounce. Call it animal instinct. Over 300 AFL fans joined AustraUSA Events and On The Rocks in Redondo Beach for a Grand Final Party - The largest gathering in Los Angeles.

The Cats tossed the ball around like a toy mouse laced with catnip - hungry for the kill, and toying with the other team - all for the devious pleasure of the team and the fans scattered across different time zones, cheering them on.

But this wasn't the only cause for celebration. At half time, party-goers jumped from their seats as gifts and prizes were hand balled into the buoyant crowd. Each prize becoming a chance to score a mark, until it came to a prize to heavy to launch into the crowd. A 42" plasma TV went to the lucky winners below when they turned in the lucky ticket.

As the Toohey's New and the 'Kangarooter' Bombora cocktails were lapped up by the crowd, the previously mousy Port supporters gathered a little more courage, daring to cheer their team, or boo the opposition. But it seems nothing was going to make these Cats hiss as Geelong managed an outstanding victory of 133 points over Port's meagre 44, leaving Port to choke on a furball - er football.

Meow.

Sausage Rolls and Sea Lions

2007-11-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday 15th July 2007

Sunday's event was little beauty. We had the SeaLab in Redondo Beach to ourselves for a private party led by our event leader - our very own Shark Hunter. Well not really - he rescues all sorts of marine life and was recently on the news for SEALab's conservation efforts. He was nibbled by Rays, fed the fish fingers (his own) at the Halibut pool... and after a quick count, we were pleased to find none were missing , and he even wrangled sharks with his BARE HANDS! May I mention here that one of our members (who shall remain nameless) managed to get bitten by a horn shark, and even caught it on video! And when we say horn, we are not subscribing to the language of Kath and Kim. It really has horns.

After our private tour of the sea lab, feeding Halibut (spooky things that tango sideways), sharks and other sea creatures, we took to our kayaks and headed out to see the sea lions performing on a vacant pontoon in the bay. Besides the stink, they were fascinating to watch... barking, playing and sunning themselves. But you had to keep an eye out for the tour boats and the wake they left behind them. Waves seem like Tsunamis in a little kayak. Strangely, it was the Coast guard who conveniently floored it right next to us, that nearly put us head first into the drink.

Nothing quite like an afternoon out on the sea to work up an appetite, and strangely, we had developed a craving for seafood... But this was soon forgotten when we heard about the Aussie Pub down the road. We savoured (scoffed) the tastes of Four'N Twenty Pies and Sausage Rolls, and washed them down with Tooheys 'nectar'. A great end to a fabulous day.
Our next event for Australians in Los Angeles, and Orange county is :

Friday July 20th - Aussie Movie night.

Visit http://www.australaevents.com/ for all event details.