Aussie-land, Day 3

Work started today with an interview with a former Chief of the Australian Army and now professor, another trip to the War Memorial, and then an interview with a former government official and now professor at multiple universities. So, only a few random observations and pictures:

• Aussies are a cheeky lot: A car passed by, advertising Farmer's Daughter's wine, with the line: Have you had a farmer's daughter?  Oy.
• Are parrots or something like it just a common bird in Canberra?   Ok, not a great pic.  But you make the call.
• Saddam Hussein gave great gifts--gold-plated Kalishnakovs!! 
• It seems that I have ended another drought.  I ending a seven year drought in San Diego during grad school by daring to have a wedding planned to be outdoors.  Now, by just appearing in Canberra and hoping to walk around a lot, a long drought seems to have ended here and in other parts of Australia.  
• One TV channel seems to focus solely on crappy American movies: Paul Blart/Mall Cop, the wedding fight movie with Anne Hathaway, the Eddie Murphy alien inside an alien movie, and so forth.  Almost makes me want to watch German programming on Romanian TV.  Ok, not really, but still.
• Eharmony is here, too.  
• Speaking of global fashion, the very popular fashion in Montreal of young women wearing tights and then barely covering their assets with a shirt has made it across the Pacific.
• Caught a series of video/light shows at the War Museum, including one on the air war over the WWI trenches--by Peter Jackson (yes, that Peter Jackson).  And it was very, very good.  
• I am discovering that Canada and Australia have many commonalities (not a big surprise) including much resentment towards British military leaders who were wasteful of their lives in WWI.  Gallipoli and Vimy seem to be very similar, nation-altering events.  And ultimately led both countries to develop better military relationships with the US.
• Diane Kruger and Charlize Theron both find ways to undermine their beauty.  Yuck on their Oscar choices.
• Australia was used for British nuclear testing in the 1950s?  I had no idea.  Should not be surprised, but I am.