Our last couple of days in Los Angeles were pretty busy as we tried to pack in as much sightseeing as possible.
On Wednesday we bought tickets for the Big Red Bus. We have discovered that these 'hop on and off' buses are a great way to see as much as possible in a short time. They also give you a chance to see which attractios you would like to get back to for closer inspection. They are usually double decker Englsh buses and give great views from the top story.
Our first stop was Rodeo Drive, obviously not for shopping (!!!) but it was fascinating to see all the famous designer names and drool through the windows! We then headed for the Santa Monica Pier. This place is fantastic. It is a huge old pier which is lined with places to eat, souvenirs, games, carnival rides and a roller coaster. It is quite a long walk so there was plenty of exercise involved as well. After looking around I knew I wanted to ride the roller coaster. Knowing that Russ absolutely hates rides of all kinds, especially roller coasters, I was ready to go on my own, but he totally surprised me by offering to ride too. I would really like to report that he had a great time, but he was all gritted teeth, closed eyes and clench hands!!! I, on the other hand, loved it and could have happily gone around a few more times!
Once Russ was able to retrieve his stomach we decided to have some lunch. We chose a place called Bubba Gump. This place is made to look like a hillbilly shack and has lots of references to Forest Gump around. There arlocals of humerous signs hanging around and each table hs two signs - Run Forest Run /Stop Forest Stop - which are used to signal whether you need attention from your waiter.
The menu is seafood based, especially shrimp, which suited me as I am currently having a love affair with prawns! We shared a entree size tasting platter which was more than enough food for us (and a few more)!!! after a stroll along the very beautiful (and extremely wide) Santa Monica beach we jumped back on the bus and headed back to town.
Our next planned stop was going to be the La Brea Tar Pits museum but as time was running out we passed that and had a look around the Farmer's Market instead. It was getting late so we took the bus back to Hollywood Boulevarde, checked out the hand and footprints in concrete outside Graumann's Chinese Theatre and then packed it in for the day!
Our last day in LA we had to catch up on some domestic chores like mailing stuff home and doing the washing. I had a swim in the pool and at lunchtime we went to Paramount Studios for a tour. We met our guide, Betty, and after the introductory talk boarded the golf-cart. Our first stop was an empty studio. It looked like a huge aircraft hangar and the walls were lined with excess military mattresses for sound-proofing. The ceiling consisted of wide beams for hanging cameras and lighting plus an office area for production work. The next few studios were in various states of being set up or broken down for different productions.
We saw the area where Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez had their dressing rooms, production offices and a small apartment for when filming went late. It was all built around a replica of Lucille Ball's garden at hoe to make her feel more comfortable. The garden is also used for filming various shows including The Brady Bunch, 90210 and Glee. We were told the story that when Ball and Arnez divorced, he moved out of his dressing room and Lucille Ball had the doorway concreted over to indicate the relationship was done and dusted. It stays that way today!!!
I was then very excited when our next stop was Dr Phil's studio. He only records from August to February , so because it was not being used, we were able to check it all out. We saw backstage where Dr Phil and Robyn have their make-up done, the gym where he works out 4 hours a day, the green room and of course the set. I even got to sit in Robyn's chair in the audience, which has special lighting hidden under the seat in front so she always looks perfect. Her box of tissues was sitting ready under her seat and I could not resist pinching a couple of tissues as a souvenir!!!
Next stop was the area called New York where they have permanent street facades of each area of the city. It was so interesting walking up the steps to a building to find it only about 4 foot wide behind the door! Buildings that look like huge towers in films are actually only 4 stories, which are duplicated electronically for film.
Our last stop was the huge water tank where all underwater scenes are filmed including some from Titanic and the parting of the waters in the Ten Commandments. While we were touring around, hundreds of people were preparing the whole place for a huge party the next day to celebrate Paramount's 100th anniversary. It was looking amazing and really made me wish I was famous enough to attend!!!
We caught a taxi back to our apartment, quickly changed and headed out to CBS studios. I had managed to pick up two free tickets for the taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I love this show and watch it as often as I can at home so I was rapt to see it in person. We had a terrific time watching the interaction between Craig and his gay skeleton side-kick, Geoffrey Peterson. His guest was some lame comedian flogging his we book but on the whole it was a good night.
So that was our time in Los Angeles. We loved it but were very excited to be heading for Las Vegas despite our 5am pick up time!!!!
I am sorry I have been so slack in blogging but I promise to keep up better now. Thanks for hanging in there.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Santa Barbara and the Beach Boys
To fulfil our dream of almost our lifetimes, on Monday 28 May we boarded a shuttle bus to LAX airport where we met the shuttle bus to Santa Barbara. It was a very pleasant journey of about two hours. We were luckily able to check into our hotel room early and had time to catch an electric trolly car up the main street and have some lunch at a terrific place called "Joe's" which had booths for eating and a long bar if you are just there for a drink.
We shared some delicious shrimp/prawns and Russ had a huge plate of pasta, then it was back to change and get a taxi to the Santa Barbara Bowl.
The Bowl is a spectacular place. An outdoor amphitheatre which holds around 4,000 people. The stage is surrounded with stone and the whole place blends in perfecty with the surroundings.
We lined up to collect our special package goodies, which included our access passes (how cool do you feel wearing one of those!!!) plus tote bags, special edition t-shirts, posters and lots of other bits and pieces. We were then loaded on buses and taken (up a VERY steep hill) to the seating area where we were sllowed to watch the sound check. While lining up waiting to go in to sit down I could hear Brian singing one of his songs .... talk about excitement!!!
There were probably about 100 of us and we sat and listened as they rehearsed three songs which they performed later. Then they mucked around a bit and sang us a couple of their new songs and some oldies which were not included on the playlist for that night. As they left the stage we were ushered around the back of the stage and before I knew it I was MEETING AND TALKING TO the Beach Boys. I spoke to Mike Love and Brian briefly and then had a conversation with Al Jardine and Bruce Johnson about their upcoming tour to Australia. It went so quickly and at the same time the moment seemed frozen in time. Russ was rapt to actually shake hands with all of the boys, especially Brian Wilson. A moment we will NEVER forget. We had a photo taken, which will be available on line in a week or two. Cannot wait to see it!!!
After that excitement, we had a chance to grab some food and then made our way to our seats in the third row for the concert. We had the opportunity to the some more photos in front of the stage and before we knew it the concert started.
Russ has a full playlist of the concert which I will not bore you all by reproducing there. Suffice to say they played everything we wanted to hear and more. Because this tour is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band starting, they played songs from all eras including a couple from their soon to be released new cd 'That's Why God Made The Radio'. Some really beautiful harmonies reflective of the early days. I was so glad I'd bought a new camera in Hawaii as I was able to take ome great photos as well as film my three favorite songs. I think I have watched those three clips 10 times already. The sound may not be perfect (we were sitting a bit of close to the speakers I think) but the memories are irreplaceable.
It has been 20 years since Brian Wilson has played with the other original Beach Boys. They're doing a huge world tour to celebrate their 50 years but after that I am not sure if we will ever see them together again. It was a historic and totally memorable event for both Russ and I. Something we will always treasure.
On a total high, we returned to our hotel for the night and next morning caught the bus back to Hollywood. The most amazing couple of days ever!!
We shared some delicious shrimp/prawns and Russ had a huge plate of pasta, then it was back to change and get a taxi to the Santa Barbara Bowl.
The Bowl is a spectacular place. An outdoor amphitheatre which holds around 4,000 people. The stage is surrounded with stone and the whole place blends in perfecty with the surroundings.
We lined up to collect our special package goodies, which included our access passes (how cool do you feel wearing one of those!!!) plus tote bags, special edition t-shirts, posters and lots of other bits and pieces. We were then loaded on buses and taken (up a VERY steep hill) to the seating area where we were sllowed to watch the sound check. While lining up waiting to go in to sit down I could hear Brian singing one of his songs .... talk about excitement!!!
There were probably about 100 of us and we sat and listened as they rehearsed three songs which they performed later. Then they mucked around a bit and sang us a couple of their new songs and some oldies which were not included on the playlist for that night. As they left the stage we were ushered around the back of the stage and before I knew it I was MEETING AND TALKING TO the Beach Boys. I spoke to Mike Love and Brian briefly and then had a conversation with Al Jardine and Bruce Johnson about their upcoming tour to Australia. It went so quickly and at the same time the moment seemed frozen in time. Russ was rapt to actually shake hands with all of the boys, especially Brian Wilson. A moment we will NEVER forget. We had a photo taken, which will be available on line in a week or two. Cannot wait to see it!!!
After that excitement, we had a chance to grab some food and then made our way to our seats in the third row for the concert. We had the opportunity to the some more photos in front of the stage and before we knew it the concert started.
Russ has a full playlist of the concert which I will not bore you all by reproducing there. Suffice to say they played everything we wanted to hear and more. Because this tour is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band starting, they played songs from all eras including a couple from their soon to be released new cd 'That's Why God Made The Radio'. Some really beautiful harmonies reflective of the early days. I was so glad I'd bought a new camera in Hawaii as I was able to take ome great photos as well as film my three favorite songs. I think I have watched those three clips 10 times already. The sound may not be perfect (we were sitting a bit of close to the speakers I think) but the memories are irreplaceable.
It has been 20 years since Brian Wilson has played with the other original Beach Boys. They're doing a huge world tour to celebrate their 50 years but after that I am not sure if we will ever see them together again. It was a historic and totally memorable event for both Russ and I. Something we will always treasure.
On a total high, we returned to our hotel for the night and next morning caught the bus back to Hollywood. The most amazing couple of days ever!!
Hooray for Hollywood
Our first full day in Los Angeles and we started on Hollywood Boulevard. The apartment we were staying in was only one block away which turned out to be very convenient for organising things and sightseeing.
We started by walking the length of the boulevard checking out the stars in the pavement. Along with the name of each person, the star also has a symbol to show which area of the arts they won the recognition for. A little tv for television (obviously), a clapper board for movies, the sad/happy masks for theatre and a microphone for radio. Some celebrities have a star in more than one category and only a very select few have all categories.
A star is earned by completing five years in the chosen area. The person then has to be nominated and approved by a huge panel. They then have to pay for their star and the cost of the presentation ceremony, plus costs to actually put the star into the pavement. I think it is around $30,000 per star. Sounds like a lot of money, but to these people it is just small change.
While walking along Hollywood Boulevard there are just heaps of characters and star impersonators. Some are there to promote a new movie, others just to give people photo opportunities. We saw everyone from Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Chewbacka and Charlie Chaplin through to heaps of superheroes including Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman and lots of what looked like Transformers (they are probably from a new movies that I have not seen!!!)
There are also many recording artists trying to sell you their latest hip hop or reggae cd. We did get some photos taken with some characters but if you are ever coming here my best advice is, do not speak to anyone or take anything from anyone UNLESS you are prepared to pay!!! The character actors are usually happy with one or two dollars but the singers/rappers believe they are worth lots more. We were able to negotiate with a couple, down to $5.00 but I heard about others who were handed a cd and then asked to pay $20!!!
In the afternoon we were lucky to get tickets on a "Tour of the Stars Homes". Now I know this is tatally naff, but I have wanted to do it for as long as I can remember and boy was I excited. There were about 10 of us in what looked like a convertible Tarago van (or something like that). It was very comfy and gave great views of everything.
After a quick drive down Sunset, Melrose and some other pretty well known streets, we headed up Mulholland Drive and had our first view of the famous Hollywood sign.
It was then on to the very plush suburbs of Beverly Hills, Hamby Heights and West Hollywood. We saw so many homes of famous people including Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan and Tom Cruise. We also saw the hedge where Lindsay Lohan crashed her car and started all her troubles, the houses where Britney Spears had her big breakdown and where Michael Jackson died.
One big highlight for me was seeing Dr Phil's house. It is just gorgeous. One of my favorite homes was the new place Simon Cowell has built. It is very modern, sleek and clean looking. He has two huge palm trees on each side of his driveway which cost him $10,000 each ..... yup $20,000 just for two trees!!!!
We finished off our day with a quick look at Madame Tussauds and dinner. Great day.
Monday and Tuesday were spent in Santa Barbara and I will write a separate blog on those two special days.
We started by walking the length of the boulevard checking out the stars in the pavement. Along with the name of each person, the star also has a symbol to show which area of the arts they won the recognition for. A little tv for television (obviously), a clapper board for movies, the sad/happy masks for theatre and a microphone for radio. Some celebrities have a star in more than one category and only a very select few have all categories.
A star is earned by completing five years in the chosen area. The person then has to be nominated and approved by a huge panel. They then have to pay for their star and the cost of the presentation ceremony, plus costs to actually put the star into the pavement. I think it is around $30,000 per star. Sounds like a lot of money, but to these people it is just small change.
While walking along Hollywood Boulevard there are just heaps of characters and star impersonators. Some are there to promote a new movie, others just to give people photo opportunities. We saw everyone from Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Chewbacka and Charlie Chaplin through to heaps of superheroes including Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman and lots of what looked like Transformers (they are probably from a new movies that I have not seen!!!)
There are also many recording artists trying to sell you their latest hip hop or reggae cd. We did get some photos taken with some characters but if you are ever coming here my best advice is, do not speak to anyone or take anything from anyone UNLESS you are prepared to pay!!! The character actors are usually happy with one or two dollars but the singers/rappers believe they are worth lots more. We were able to negotiate with a couple, down to $5.00 but I heard about others who were handed a cd and then asked to pay $20!!!
In the afternoon we were lucky to get tickets on a "Tour of the Stars Homes". Now I know this is tatally naff, but I have wanted to do it for as long as I can remember and boy was I excited. There were about 10 of us in what looked like a convertible Tarago van (or something like that). It was very comfy and gave great views of everything.
After a quick drive down Sunset, Melrose and some other pretty well known streets, we headed up Mulholland Drive and had our first view of the famous Hollywood sign.
It was then on to the very plush suburbs of Beverly Hills, Hamby Heights and West Hollywood. We saw so many homes of famous people including Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan and Tom Cruise. We also saw the hedge where Lindsay Lohan crashed her car and started all her troubles, the houses where Britney Spears had her big breakdown and where Michael Jackson died.
One big highlight for me was seeing Dr Phil's house. It is just gorgeous. One of my favorite homes was the new place Simon Cowell has built. It is very modern, sleek and clean looking. He has two huge palm trees on each side of his driveway which cost him $10,000 each ..... yup $20,000 just for two trees!!!!
We finished off our day with a quick look at Madame Tussauds and dinner. Great day.
Monday and Tuesday were spent in Santa Barbara and I will write a separate blog on those two special days.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Finishing up in Honolulu
The morning after the wedding, I had to be up fairly early to make an appointment at the Apple store in Ala Moana Shopping Centre. As you have probably noticed I have not been able to post photos with my blog (very frustrating) and it turns out tht I have a problem with my Itunes store. My very patient and caring friend Nick, has been emailing me trying to solve the problem but it was beyond repair, so off the Apple store I went.
The good news is that the problem looks like being solved very soon (hopefully even tomorrow) and then I will update all my posts and fill in the the photos I have been taking.
After some wandering around and lunch, we decided to take it pretty easy in the afternoon. We headed back to the apartment and I went for a long swim in the pool while Russ slept on the sun-lounge. Guess all the excitement of the previous couple of days caught up with us!!!
Friday we wentured out to Pearl Harbour. We caught a shuttle bus out the front of the apartments and it dropped us off a little way up the street from the entry. Russ had already visited Pearl Harbour when our cruise visited Hawaii (about 3 years ago). Because time was timited then, he only explored the Aviation Museum. (I went shopping !!!!) This was his first choice as his Dad had been a pilot in New Guinea during WW2. This time we planned to visit the Arizona memorial and the site in general.
I must say that some of the things I do not enjoy are ... museums, history, war and killing. You can imagine then that Pearl Habour was not my first choice of how to spend a day. I basically left Russ to explore all the museums and exhibits on his own. I wandered around and took some photos with my new camera and just took in the scenery.
We then went into the theatre to watch a 15 minute film about the history and facts of the bombing on 7 December 1941. I found this extremely moving and very informative. We boarded a Navy boats for the very short trip to the Arizona memorial itself. This is the iconic white builidng you see on anything about Pearl Harbour. It is a very simple, stark memorial built over the remains of the sunken battleship. The ruins are the actual grave of approxiately 1100 men who never escaped the battleship before it sank after a direct bombing. It is supposed to be a place for no talking and just quiet contemplation. Unfortunately many people failed to understand this which I found really disrespectful.
If you look at the huge marble wall engraved with the names of all the men who lie beneath, you could not help but be moved and grateful for their sacrifice.
Our shuttle bus was very late picking us up, so we ended up getting stuck in peak hour traffic at the start of a long weekend (Memorial Day). Finally maded it back to base around 6pm. Long day.
Michael had organised a final get together for everyone in the nearest beach park. There was still a fair bit of drink left over from the wedding and they obviously could not take it with them, so anyone who was interested grabbed some food and met at the park. The best thing was that every Friday night there is a massive fireworks display right over the lagoon next to the park, so we also had free entertainment. Can't beat that!!!!!
It was a great way to finish off our time in Hawaii. Lots of the guests were heading home, a few going to the mainland for further adventures and some grabbing an extra few days of sunshine before they returned to Melbourne's winter. Farewells were said and then a longish walk back around the lagoon to our apartment.
We packed up everything before going to bed as we had a VERY early start this morning. The airport shuttle I had booked picked us up at 5:30 this morning and our flight left Oahu at 8:00am. We arrived in Los Angeles around 4:30pm and FINALLY got to our new 'home' just after 6pm. After a quick orientation walk, we grabbed some dinner, unpacked and as I type Russ is snoring his way to the land of nod!!!
Time to grab some sleep, so we can start our jam-packed schedule for the next few days. The is sooo much we want to see and do while we are here!!
Hope you enjoyed my post on the wedding. Hopefully I will be able to post lots of photos very soon. Thinking of you all xx
The good news is that the problem looks like being solved very soon (hopefully even tomorrow) and then I will update all my posts and fill in the the photos I have been taking.
After some wandering around and lunch, we decided to take it pretty easy in the afternoon. We headed back to the apartment and I went for a long swim in the pool while Russ slept on the sun-lounge. Guess all the excitement of the previous couple of days caught up with us!!!
Friday we wentured out to Pearl Harbour. We caught a shuttle bus out the front of the apartments and it dropped us off a little way up the street from the entry. Russ had already visited Pearl Harbour when our cruise visited Hawaii (about 3 years ago). Because time was timited then, he only explored the Aviation Museum. (I went shopping !!!!) This was his first choice as his Dad had been a pilot in New Guinea during WW2. This time we planned to visit the Arizona memorial and the site in general.
I must say that some of the things I do not enjoy are ... museums, history, war and killing. You can imagine then that Pearl Habour was not my first choice of how to spend a day. I basically left Russ to explore all the museums and exhibits on his own. I wandered around and took some photos with my new camera and just took in the scenery.
We then went into the theatre to watch a 15 minute film about the history and facts of the bombing on 7 December 1941. I found this extremely moving and very informative. We boarded a Navy boats for the very short trip to the Arizona memorial itself. This is the iconic white builidng you see on anything about Pearl Harbour. It is a very simple, stark memorial built over the remains of the sunken battleship. The ruins are the actual grave of approxiately 1100 men who never escaped the battleship before it sank after a direct bombing. It is supposed to be a place for no talking and just quiet contemplation. Unfortunately many people failed to understand this which I found really disrespectful.
If you look at the huge marble wall engraved with the names of all the men who lie beneath, you could not help but be moved and grateful for their sacrifice.
Our shuttle bus was very late picking us up, so we ended up getting stuck in peak hour traffic at the start of a long weekend (Memorial Day). Finally maded it back to base around 6pm. Long day.
Michael had organised a final get together for everyone in the nearest beach park. There was still a fair bit of drink left over from the wedding and they obviously could not take it with them, so anyone who was interested grabbed some food and met at the park. The best thing was that every Friday night there is a massive fireworks display right over the lagoon next to the park, so we also had free entertainment. Can't beat that!!!!!
It was a great way to finish off our time in Hawaii. Lots of the guests were heading home, a few going to the mainland for further adventures and some grabbing an extra few days of sunshine before they returned to Melbourne's winter. Farewells were said and then a longish walk back around the lagoon to our apartment.
We packed up everything before going to bed as we had a VERY early start this morning. The airport shuttle I had booked picked us up at 5:30 this morning and our flight left Oahu at 8:00am. We arrived in Los Angeles around 4:30pm and FINALLY got to our new 'home' just after 6pm. After a quick orientation walk, we grabbed some dinner, unpacked and as I type Russ is snoring his way to the land of nod!!!
Time to grab some sleep, so we can start our jam-packed schedule for the next few days. The is sooo much we want to see and do while we are here!!
Hope you enjoyed my post on the wedding. Hopefully I will be able to post lots of photos very soon. Thinking of you all xx
The Wedding (at last)
After another full day of shopping, Tuesday night saw us at the Tiki Bar and Grill for the traditional Rehearsal Dinner. This was attended by the bridal party and their partners and all family. I think there was around 30 people in all, sitting along a huge table. It was a wonderful opportunity to get together, chat and catchup with what every had been doing.
The bride and groom provided an amazing buffet meal with everything you could imagine!! Cocktails flowed and everyone had a great time. At the end of the night there was still so much food left that Zac, one of Sarah's bridesmen, and I packed everything up and it went back to the apartments to feed the starving hoards for the next couple of days!!!
The wedding day dawned with more glorious sunshine. After a short sleep-in, I went downstairs for my hairdressers appointment at 11:30. This was when things went slightly askew. There was NO appointment recorded, even though Russ said he had made one, and they were too busy to fit me in anywhere. AGH!!!!!! After a few tears I realized there was nothing I could do, so set about trying to make the best of my hair on my own.
So, hair and make-up done, I held my breath and stepped into the dress I had chosen. I was holding my breath because I had not tried it on since I arived and there wss not a lot of room to spare. Anyway, the dress zipped up easily (phew) and we made our way down stairs to the bus which Mick had arranged to get everyone to the venue.
The bridal party (girls) had taken a limo early in the morning to have their hair and make-up done at the venue. The guys took the morning off to go shooting(!!!) at a local range and then also caught a limo at lunchtime.
The bus wss full with around 50 guests, beers were passed around and the mood was fabulous. Mick had arranged for us to take the scenic route so that people who had been in Honolulu only had a chance to take in some of the beautiful scenery of the North Shore. We arrived safely at the venue for the wedding, Lulu Palms estate, and piled off the bus with many people making a dash for the loo. It had been a 90 minute drive with beers after all!!
Not long after we alighted from the bus, the sky clouded over and some rain fell. Poor Mick, he was pretty disappointed given that the weather for the past two weeks had been continual sunshine. The rain passed quickly enough though, and before I knew it the ceremony was beginning. It was absolutely wonderful and a true reflection of Mick and Sarah's personalities. The procession started with some of the guys, then three couples of attendants, a very cute page boy and two of the cutest flowergirls I have ever seen. (If you haven't seen the photos check them out on my Facebook page). Then the beautiful bride arrived on the arm of her very proud Dad, Juan. She looked absolutely stunning and like an angel. Sarah has dark very curly hair and it hung halfway down her back with Frangipani flowers threaded into it. Her veil was very long and fell from a clip in the back of her hair. Her dress was divine. Cream chiffon with a deep v-neck front and back. I was so delighted to see that Sarah had bucked the ccurrent trend and DID NOT have a strapless dress. It had a crisscrossed tie under the bust which became a very long train. The sleeves were elbow length and made of three levels of frills. I don't actually feel I am doing the dress justice with this description.
Her skirt was gentle flowing and very feminine. The night before the wedding Sarah had sewn some very fine strings of beading onto the neckline and front of the dress. It looked so beautiful.
The ceremony was short and uncomplicated and I wish you all had been there to hear their very individual vows. They were a wondeful combination of sincere love and committment and some humour. I hope to get a transcript so I can share some of it some time.
Once the ceremony was finished the party started immediately. The bar was opened and the most amazing array of food appeared. There was all sorts of delicious things including a huge cheeseboard, salads,savouries, fruit, and desserts. Everyone filled their plates more than once.
There was a huge photo for everyone to sign, a photo booth for instant photos and a tiny clothes line to hang them on, a 'beer pong' table which is a favourite drinking game of the bride and groom (and friends). There were even individualised beer pong balls (like ping pong balls) with the date of the wedding, their names and a flower all tied up in little white gauze bags. So cute. There were games to play, bubble guns for the kids, a dance floor and an excellent DJ who kept the tunes going all day/night. It was some party.
Sure it rained a couple of times during the night, but it was never cold and the rain dried up before you knew it. At sunset everyone walked down to the beach to watch the sun sink into the sea and more photos were taken. It was spectacular.
There were some very funny speeches from some of Mick's mates and some lovely heartwarming ones from the girls.
The cake (red velvet cupcakes with a single top level and bride and groom smurfs) was cut and the groom ended up with cake all over his face (in trye American tradition). Mick made a wonderful speech and I was very proud.
It was such a relaxed and fun wedding. Everyone commented that they could not remember being at a better wedding.
The DJ kept everyone dancing, the barman was working hard and beore we knew it, the evening ended in the tradional "Mick' way. He and several of his mates did their now familiar 'nudie run' round the estate grounds. It was hysterically funny, especailly when someone moved their clothes and they had to search through the bushes using the light from their mobile phones before they found them.
We all finally re-boarded the buses and made our way back to Honolulu. Not sure what the other bus was like but, lead by an able group of young people at the back of the bus, we sang our way home. Everything from Khe Sahn to Advance Australia Fair.
I could not have wished for a better wedding to celebrate Mick and Sarah and their amazing love story. It was a true reflection of them and despite the fact that the stress almost made Mick grey overnight, it was well worth it. They worked so hard to make sure everyone had a fantastic time, not just at the wedding, but during their whole holiday in Hawaii.
I had the most wonderful day. I was so unbelievably proud of Mick and Sarah, I got to spend heaps of time with my gorgeous son David, his lovely wife Kylie and my very precious grandson Brodie (who was impecably behaved all day as usual). I also had the chance to chat to my darling daughter Jess which was a real treat. I could not have asked for anything more and after two wonderful weddings this year I am sure I will be on a high for a very long time.
The bride and groom provided an amazing buffet meal with everything you could imagine!! Cocktails flowed and everyone had a great time. At the end of the night there was still so much food left that Zac, one of Sarah's bridesmen, and I packed everything up and it went back to the apartments to feed the starving hoards for the next couple of days!!!
The wedding day dawned with more glorious sunshine. After a short sleep-in, I went downstairs for my hairdressers appointment at 11:30. This was when things went slightly askew. There was NO appointment recorded, even though Russ said he had made one, and they were too busy to fit me in anywhere. AGH!!!!!! After a few tears I realized there was nothing I could do, so set about trying to make the best of my hair on my own.
So, hair and make-up done, I held my breath and stepped into the dress I had chosen. I was holding my breath because I had not tried it on since I arived and there wss not a lot of room to spare. Anyway, the dress zipped up easily (phew) and we made our way down stairs to the bus which Mick had arranged to get everyone to the venue.
The bridal party (girls) had taken a limo early in the morning to have their hair and make-up done at the venue. The guys took the morning off to go shooting(!!!) at a local range and then also caught a limo at lunchtime.
The bus wss full with around 50 guests, beers were passed around and the mood was fabulous. Mick had arranged for us to take the scenic route so that people who had been in Honolulu only had a chance to take in some of the beautiful scenery of the North Shore. We arrived safely at the venue for the wedding, Lulu Palms estate, and piled off the bus with many people making a dash for the loo. It had been a 90 minute drive with beers after all!!
Not long after we alighted from the bus, the sky clouded over and some rain fell. Poor Mick, he was pretty disappointed given that the weather for the past two weeks had been continual sunshine. The rain passed quickly enough though, and before I knew it the ceremony was beginning. It was absolutely wonderful and a true reflection of Mick and Sarah's personalities. The procession started with some of the guys, then three couples of attendants, a very cute page boy and two of the cutest flowergirls I have ever seen. (If you haven't seen the photos check them out on my Facebook page). Then the beautiful bride arrived on the arm of her very proud Dad, Juan. She looked absolutely stunning and like an angel. Sarah has dark very curly hair and it hung halfway down her back with Frangipani flowers threaded into it. Her veil was very long and fell from a clip in the back of her hair. Her dress was divine. Cream chiffon with a deep v-neck front and back. I was so delighted to see that Sarah had bucked the ccurrent trend and DID NOT have a strapless dress. It had a crisscrossed tie under the bust which became a very long train. The sleeves were elbow length and made of three levels of frills. I don't actually feel I am doing the dress justice with this description.
Her skirt was gentle flowing and very feminine. The night before the wedding Sarah had sewn some very fine strings of beading onto the neckline and front of the dress. It looked so beautiful.
The ceremony was short and uncomplicated and I wish you all had been there to hear their very individual vows. They were a wondeful combination of sincere love and committment and some humour. I hope to get a transcript so I can share some of it some time.
Once the ceremony was finished the party started immediately. The bar was opened and the most amazing array of food appeared. There was all sorts of delicious things including a huge cheeseboard, salads,savouries, fruit, and desserts. Everyone filled their plates more than once.
There was a huge photo for everyone to sign, a photo booth for instant photos and a tiny clothes line to hang them on, a 'beer pong' table which is a favourite drinking game of the bride and groom (and friends). There were even individualised beer pong balls (like ping pong balls) with the date of the wedding, their names and a flower all tied up in little white gauze bags. So cute. There were games to play, bubble guns for the kids, a dance floor and an excellent DJ who kept the tunes going all day/night. It was some party.
Sure it rained a couple of times during the night, but it was never cold and the rain dried up before you knew it. At sunset everyone walked down to the beach to watch the sun sink into the sea and more photos were taken. It was spectacular.
There were some very funny speeches from some of Mick's mates and some lovely heartwarming ones from the girls.
The cake (red velvet cupcakes with a single top level and bride and groom smurfs) was cut and the groom ended up with cake all over his face (in trye American tradition). Mick made a wonderful speech and I was very proud.
It was such a relaxed and fun wedding. Everyone commented that they could not remember being at a better wedding.
The DJ kept everyone dancing, the barman was working hard and beore we knew it, the evening ended in the tradional "Mick' way. He and several of his mates did their now familiar 'nudie run' round the estate grounds. It was hysterically funny, especailly when someone moved their clothes and they had to search through the bushes using the light from their mobile phones before they found them.
We all finally re-boarded the buses and made our way back to Honolulu. Not sure what the other bus was like but, lead by an able group of young people at the back of the bus, we sang our way home. Everything from Khe Sahn to Advance Australia Fair.
I could not have wished for a better wedding to celebrate Mick and Sarah and their amazing love story. It was a true reflection of them and despite the fact that the stress almost made Mick grey overnight, it was well worth it. They worked so hard to make sure everyone had a fantastic time, not just at the wedding, but during their whole holiday in Hawaii.
I had the most wonderful day. I was so unbelievably proud of Mick and Sarah, I got to spend heaps of time with my gorgeous son David, his lovely wife Kylie and my very precious grandson Brodie (who was impecably behaved all day as usual). I also had the chance to chat to my darling daughter Jess which was a real treat. I could not have asked for anything more and after two wonderful weddings this year I am sure I will be on a high for a very long time.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Honolulu
It was hard to be sad leaving on Saturday morning. While it had been incredible being at Turtle Bay Resort, there was still so much to explore and do. So taking my place behind the wheel of our hire car again, we made our way down Highway 99 towards Honolulu. After a short stop at Haleiwa for a burrito breakfast, we arrived back at the airport and it was with some relief that I handed the car keys back to the lovely Megan. Yes, car still intact and in the same condition as when we started out - phew! We caught the airport shuttle into the city and were really excited to see our new home for the week.
Our apartment at the Iliaki is fantastic. Just small with one bedroom but absolutely everything we could possibly need including a full kitchen and balcony (lanai) with the most amazing viws. (I am still having problems attaching photos to my blog, so I will post the photos on Facebook - sorry!!)
We can see the ocean from two angles and right next door is a lagoon where people canoe, paddleboard and of course, swim.
We unpacked and settled in pretty quickly and then went for a walk to the local supermarket to stock the kitchen (I plan to do my last lot of cooking for the next few weeks). It is amazing how inspired you get when you have a brand new luxury kitchen to create in!!
The rest of the day was spent looking around locally and getting oriented. Pretty relaxed. Made contact with 'the groom' who sounded like he was well into celebrating!!!
Today was fantastic - so much fun. We were up early (well for me anyway) and caught the 'Big Red Bus' out the front of the apartments. The bus is a double-decker and one of those 'hop on and off buses'. We went straight up the stairs and really enjoyed the views as we drove around. Our first stop was the Ala Moana Shopping Centre. Did not spend too much time there as we will be back tomorrow. Walked a couple of blocks down to Walmart. Now I know there are heaps of jokes (and hilarious photos/videos) from Walmart but the prices are incredible and that is good enough for me!!! We bought 8 pairs of shoes/sandals/thongs between us. Plus heaps of clothes as well (Kristen you would have been so proud of me!!) Walked back to the bus stop and jumped on again. We did the rest of the circuit and stopped of at Hilo Hatties. This is another clothing and souvenir store which is iconic in Honolulu and I managed to pick up some more clothes and a couple of things to send back home.
Back on the bus and we finally made it back to the apartment complex, laden with bags and with aching feet!!! Great fun unpacking everything though and admiring our purchases. We decided to stay in for dinner. All the young ones were meeting up for a girls/guys pub crawl. I did not want to cramp their style by tagging along. Luckily for us we had entertainment practically at our fingertips.
The building next door is the Hawaiian Hilton and they regularly have a luau on their terrtce rooftop. Tonight was one such occasion, so we sat on our lanai, ate our dinner and listened to the music and watched the hula girls, fire dancers and everything else. It was fantastic entertainment and all for free!!
Tomorrow we are planning some more shopping!! Only three more sleeps till the wedding. Hope you are all well and happy. xxx
Friday, May 18, 2012
North Shore
Aloha
The North Shore is a truly beauiful part of the world. It has been so relaxing here and the perfect way to start our holiday.
Wednesday we took it pretty easy. Woke up quite late and dragged ourselves down to the Ola restaurant for lunch. This resort has about 10 different eating places and this one is right on the beach under a thatched roof. I started off with a Pina Colada ... a very good idea and what will be the first of many I think. Lunch was sliders. These were three medium size hamburgers (filled with beef, pork and fish). The slider has meat that has been cooked and shredded and the 'slider' is a reference to how the meat is shredded (the fork slides over the meat to pull bits off). It came with a huge pile of fries. Thank goodness we only bought one serve to share!!
The afternoon was spent by the pool. I love water and swimming so I was in heaven. I think I was in the water for about three hours. I did not want to get out. There were quite a few people on lounges by the pool but the water was pretty much left to me and a handful of others. Did a lot of my water aerobic exercises and just floated around enjoying the sunshine. Russ set himself up on a lounge and 'read' the paper (I think there was more snoozing going on than reading!!!). That night he went to a talk by a guy called Ricky Grigg, who is a professor of oceanography at the University of Hawaii, and had been around when the 'surf culture' was just starting. Apparently, he was really interesting and Russ had a great time.
Thursday morning we were up and out early (well actually, earlier may be more accurate!!). Drove down to Sunset beach and checked out the scenery - gorgeous. We then had lunch at a roadside prawn farm. Now this may sound a bit dodgy but all along the coast are prawn farms and they have kitchens set up out the front where you can buy cooked prawns straight out of the water. We ate a huge pile of garlic butter prawns with rice and finished off with a massive shaved ice. Bliss
Last night was spent at the Hang Ten bar where we had dinner and watched a presentation by some Tongan drummers and fire sword dancers. Spectacula, especially with the backdrop of the setting sun. Oh yes, this life is really hard to take.
So .. a few things I have observed so far:
The people here are so damn beautiful. The women are so gorgeous that at one stage I did comment that it was a shame that I wasn't gay!!! Russ is VERY glad he has reflective aviator sunglasses (!!!).
The food servings are huge as we expected, but it is still pretty easy to find reasonably healthy things to eat. No-one forces you to eat the piles of fries!!! Sharing one meal between the two of us is plenty (great way to save money).
TV is great ... Discovering lots of new shows as well as some favourites from home (YAY ... Judge Judy). Some of the ads are really funny. For a country that thinks saying 'toilet' is inappropriate, they ads for 'toilet paper' are VERY descriptive!!!
Off now to enjoy our Friday, our last full day here. Will be back once we are in Waikiki. Thanks for reading xxx
The North Shore is a truly beauiful part of the world. It has been so relaxing here and the perfect way to start our holiday.
Wednesday we took it pretty easy. Woke up quite late and dragged ourselves down to the Ola restaurant for lunch. This resort has about 10 different eating places and this one is right on the beach under a thatched roof. I started off with a Pina Colada ... a very good idea and what will be the first of many I think. Lunch was sliders. These were three medium size hamburgers (filled with beef, pork and fish). The slider has meat that has been cooked and shredded and the 'slider' is a reference to how the meat is shredded (the fork slides over the meat to pull bits off). It came with a huge pile of fries. Thank goodness we only bought one serve to share!!
The afternoon was spent by the pool. I love water and swimming so I was in heaven. I think I was in the water for about three hours. I did not want to get out. There were quite a few people on lounges by the pool but the water was pretty much left to me and a handful of others. Did a lot of my water aerobic exercises and just floated around enjoying the sunshine. Russ set himself up on a lounge and 'read' the paper (I think there was more snoozing going on than reading!!!). That night he went to a talk by a guy called Ricky Grigg, who is a professor of oceanography at the University of Hawaii, and had been around when the 'surf culture' was just starting. Apparently, he was really interesting and Russ had a great time.
Thursday morning we were up and out early (well actually, earlier may be more accurate!!). Drove down to Sunset beach and checked out the scenery - gorgeous. We then had lunch at a roadside prawn farm. Now this may sound a bit dodgy but all along the coast are prawn farms and they have kitchens set up out the front where you can buy cooked prawns straight out of the water. We ate a huge pile of garlic butter prawns with rice and finished off with a massive shaved ice. Bliss
Last night was spent at the Hang Ten bar where we had dinner and watched a presentation by some Tongan drummers and fire sword dancers. Spectacula, especially with the backdrop of the setting sun. Oh yes, this life is really hard to take.
So .. a few things I have observed so far:
The people here are so damn beautiful. The women are so gorgeous that at one stage I did comment that it was a shame that I wasn't gay!!! Russ is VERY glad he has reflective aviator sunglasses (!!!).
The food servings are huge as we expected, but it is still pretty easy to find reasonably healthy things to eat. No-one forces you to eat the piles of fries!!! Sharing one meal between the two of us is plenty (great way to save money).
TV is great ... Discovering lots of new shows as well as some favourites from home (YAY ... Judge Judy). Some of the ads are really funny. For a country that thinks saying 'toilet' is inappropriate, they ads for 'toilet paper' are VERY descriptive!!!
Off now to enjoy our Friday, our last full day here. Will be back once we are in Waikiki. Thanks for reading xxx
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