Sunday, September 04, 2005

Birthday Recap

Today is Father's Day here in Oz, so I decided that it was easier to do most of my birthday celebrating last night and avoid conflicting with the Father's Day plans of most of my pals. So last night I had dinner with a bunch of friends, including cyber pal turned real-life friend Bodhi, at my favourite Thai restaurant Thai Pothong. Good food was had, lots of laughs and conversation, and I scored some lovely gifts (although lets not tell the Naturopath, Doctor or any future Cardiologist about the big sampler of deluxe soft cheeses I received, 'mkay!). Bodhi came back to hang out after dinner and we sat up talking until until the early hours.

I had a lazy start to the morning this morning, lying in bed drinking coffee and reading. Back in January I posted an entry about my visit to Canberra to see the excellent Vivienne Westwood Restrospective at the National Gallery, well my sweet friend Judy (who also went to the exhibition) bought me the fabulous book that accompanied the exhibition as a birthday gift. Nice way to spend a cool and rainy birthday morning, just me and Viv.

Late morning I met up with Bodhi again and we headed to Bondi Junction for A Shopping Outreach at the new Westfield Bondi Junction. I have to say that I was quite impressed, I was expecting a big shopping centre, which it certainly is, but the design of the centre and the stores, and the mix of retailers which favours the higher end, was a pleasant surprise. I did some Retail Therapy and birthday-treated myself to a very cute black straw pork pie hat, some favourite lemon verbena scented soap and a DVD of The Name Of The Rose. Bodhi and I had lots of laughs and headed home around sunset after having a Good Day.

It was an enjoyably low-key(ish) birthday with lots of friendship and laughs, just what I was hoping for.

2 comments:

Bodhi said...

Your [now belated} Birthdayness,

Thanks for a fun weekend Andrew, it was indeed most enjoyable. The dinner on Saturday was great, with both really good food and fine companions to share it with. It was great to meet many of the people I often hear you talk about, and I must say that they all put me at ease reasonably quickly. They were all completely mad of course, but one is indeed used to that (you know my friends!). Rabbit wishes he could have been there, but as you know had otherwise prior engagements. Its a shame that your ex Mikey could not make it (he's soooo much fun), but with that slight geographic technicality called Honkers (Hong Kong) I understand why that would have been a little tricky.

You indeed got some lovely and funky gifts, and I'm glad you liked mine. For the record people, I gave him a Japanese inspired ceramic tea set (with teapot and four cups), along with an absolute tea favourite of mine appropriately called Buddha's Tears (green tea with Jasmine, believe me when I say its quite divine).

And our retail therapy on Sunday was indeed good fun. I knew that you would love Westfield Bondi Junction as much as The Kid and I do. Andrew got in touch with his inner-Martha at all the good design, homeware and craft stores. And of course my good self got in touch with my inner-Blingness at all the jewellery stores. And naturally we both made complete Queer Eye Carsons of oursevles at all the labelled fashion stores, not to mention being kept constantly alert by the ever present "let-spot-a-cutie-Eastern-Suburbs-boy" game.

Anyhoo, glad you had a good birthday weekend Andrew. Till next time ...

Bodhi :-)
Sydney, Australia

The Other Andrew said...

Hey Bodhi,
I think you get to write all my recaps from now on - you do such a good job of them!

It was indeed a fun birthday. Thanks for helping make it so much fun.