Learning Curve

Hey folks,

a long time has passed since my last post and it has been a tumultuous few weeks to say the least. I hate to start off on a sad note, but before I get into it, I want to let everyone know that the Fegan family suffered a great loss last week when our family dog, Shay, passed away. She had been suffering from liver cancer and her health deteriorated rather quickly in her last few weeks. Anyone that met Shay instantly fell in love as she was unlike any other dog. She was a huge part of our family and a giant hole has been left in our lives. We will always remember her for being loyal, loving, and sometimes a bit daft. It was really hard being so far away from home on this one...so if anyone wants to comment below or a memory they have of Shay it would mean a lot.

To lighten the mood, let me tell you the story of Groovin' the Moo, a music festival at the start of May. A few of the Canadian girls and I rented a car and drove to Bendigo for the weekend, intent upon attending the festival featuring such stalwarts as Vampire Weekend, Tegan and Sara, Spoon, Empire of the Sun, Bagraiders and countless other cool DJs and bands. The only problem was, only two of us had tickets. Krista and I were keen to try our luck and get in without paying (tickets were over $100). So, we arrived at the showgrounds to find the longest line-up we had ever seen (Dom 0 - 1 The Man). It appeared that everyone had arrived at the same time, all dressed up in festival attire (panda costumes, body paint, and the entire cast of the flintstones...etc.) It was going to be a challenge to get in there. We scouted around the perimeter under the watchful eyes of luminous security guards and decided that the main gate was our only option of scamming our way in. Joining the throngs at the front of the line and making no friends in the process, we got past the first gate to the area where they were taking tickets (Dom 1 - 1 The Man). At this point we split up, and pretended to be on our phones so we didn't look suspicious. All the while, we were surveying the system for any cracks through which we could slip. Brooke and Dale were already inside awaiting our arrival. I, still in the midst of an "important phonecall", ambled over to the right side of the ticket-takers, next to the VIP line. At this point, a group of people around my age joined the VIP line and just walked past the security guard. I swiftly side-stepped the barrier and tagged on the end of their group. When they stopped to get wrist bands, I just kept walking, on the phone, head down, heart racing. It happened in a flash but all of a sudden I was inside the show, having not paid a penny (Dom 2 -1 The Man). Krista followed soon after, pulling the same move that worked for me. I went back later on with a sob story that my wrist band had been ripped off in the crowd under the DJ tent and got myself a wristband for the beer garden. Game, set, match. (Dom 3 - 1 The Man).

The show was amazing with highlights being when we were under the DJ tent listening to Bag Raiders and Shooting Star came on, or playing Yolanda B Cool's We No Speak Americano. But the best part of the night was by far seeing Vampire Weekend. Probably one of my favourite bands right now, they blew me away. They were so crisp and their set was so entertaining.

It wasn't until we decided to leave the showgrounds late at night and head to our campsite that it all came crashing down and the Man made a late comeback to bite us in the ass. First off, Silverchair, supposedly some great Australian band, played a set that was nothing compared to Vampire Weekend's which was disappointing. But, we left in high spirits, almost skipping back to the car....only to find our rear right window smashed and our bags stolen. It was a crappy end to the night mostly due to the fact that I lost my backpack, my favourite posession in the world. (Dom 3 - 3 The Man) Tie Game. We decided upon driving back to Bundoora for the night, not keen on partying or sleeping in tents after this reality check.

I think this backpack of mine deserves a tangent all of its own. I bought the backpack, a black, plain-looking, Dakine model back in Grade 10, coming up on 6 years. I used to go through a backpack a year but not any more. This one stuck with me through thick and thin. Every high school party we would trek to, I always had my backpack with me usually filled with beer and the beer of a few others. Every day of classes, every camping trip, every frosh week, every road trip, every pub crawl, every vacation, every day of work, I always had my backpack with me. It came to be very near and dear to me so it will be sorely missed, and tough to replace.

But I am getting by. Last week I was able to get tickets to see the Australia Socceroos play New Zealand in Melbourne. Both teams are in the World Cup so it was cool to see. There were 55,000 fans at the game and we jumped at the chance to get decked out in Australian colours and sing the national anthem. While the atmosphere wasn't what I had hoped for, the game provided a rare treat in seeing Australia claw their way back from being 1-0 to win 2-1 socring in the 93rd minute. The team flew out to South Africa the next day, ready for the big tournament.

I am, unfortunately, almost at the end of my semester here in Melbourne. I am currently in my last week of classes before the exam period starts. My exam schedule isn't that great. One on the 17th, one on the 18th and one on the 30th (the last possible day). Brutal! I am yet undecided on how I am going to spend those interim days but hopefully I will get to see some more of this beautiful country. I also received my Beijing Lonely Planet book so I have started planning for my week in Asia in July. It's going to be action packed and I can't wait to go. China has such a rich history, full of tradition and culture that I can't wait to learn more about.

My next post will cover my trip up to Sydney to visit James but for now I will leave it at that. I hope everyone is well and that you are enjoying the Canadian Summer. I am gearing up for a lot of late nights in the next few weeks, mostly due to the World Cup being shown at 9pm, midnight, and 2am here in Australia. Come on Aussie!

Love,
D