March Sadness

Ryan not knowing what to do with his used meat skewer
while enjoying a cold beverage.

Last Friday Steph and I attended our first cocktail party. The event was hosted by the mining consultancy that I work for (Mintrex) and was attended by its employees and clients. It was held at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle. The event was scheduled to start at 18:30 and the museum was open for viewing from 18:00-18:30. We had a little difficulty navigating from the Fremantle train station to the museum and, as a result, found ourselves walking aimlessly through the deserted parts of the shipping yard. We managed to find our way, but no longer had sufficient time to view the museum's displays. What we were able to experience was enough to warrant a future visit to completely appreciate what the museum has to offer. 

Steph enjoying herself at the cocktail party.

At 18:30 we made our way to the banquet hall and received our name tags for the evening. The banquet hall was located on the second floor of the museum and had an attached outdoor foyer overlooking the harbour. It was a breathtaking view. From that point forward we were continuously catered to with delicious appetizers and beverages. We had some delightful conversations with colleagues and friends. By the end of  the night our bellies were swollen with food and our faces sore from laughter.


Now the sad bit. Gambling. I gamble once a year. More specifically, every March. But this year, I have been deprived of my only vice. Australia appears to be immune to March Madness fever. Every year the NCAA men's basketball tournament consumes my weekends in March. I spend countless hours researching the tournament teams so I can fill out a legitimate bracket in hopes of winning it big. The research usually proves fruitless, and I end up gambling away tens of dollars every year. Even as I write this blog, I am trying to resist this harsh reality. I'm trying to stream the games online live, but it's just not the same. The feed is extremely choppy. It's like watching a game while blinking your eyes at one second intervals for durations of one second. Sometimes I miss an entire fast break. Often I have to rely on the colour commentator to describe the events that transpire over the course of the game. Luckily I have parents that share my yearly habit, however. I've entered my Dad's yearly sweet sixteen pool and pledged to give any winnings to my Mom (she paid my entry fee). Also, just recently, Steph has agreed to challenge my basketball savvy by putting a wager against me on the elite eight games. I guess this tournament year isn't half bad after all.


In closing, "On March 11 at 2:46pm JST a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near the northeastern coast of Japan, creating extremely destructive tsunami waves which hit Japan just minutes after the earthquake, and triggering evacuations and warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake and tsunami have caused extensive and severe damage in Northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people confirmed dead, injured or missing, and millions more affected by lack of electricity, water and transportation." Google Crisis Response has been responding to disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. For the latest information about this crisis, resources for those affected, and ways to contribute to relief efforts in Japan please visit: http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html