The Melbourne Cup

If this picture says anything, I apparently failed my first test in assimilating into the local culture. I was recently invited to experience one of the biggest events of the year, a Melbourne Cup lunch. All I had to do was show up and wear a silly hat. I couldn't bring myself to actually wear a big silly hat, so I went with a really, big, gaudy clip instead. (which I'm told is an acceptable form of head wear just for the record!) So I took pictures to prove to all of you that I actually participated in this very strange tradition, but the picture doesn't show it! Hmph! So you guys will just have to pretend that you see the thing in my hair, so we can move on. In any event, every year, they have this big horse race, maybe like the Kentucky Derby or Ascot, where the entire country shuts down to watch. For Brisbane, that means all the offices stop doing much of anything in order to have a big lunch and watch the race. For the non-working ladies, that means they make their husbands pick the kids up from school, so they go out for the longest lunch ever. So off I go to see what this hype is all about. While I am waiting outside for my friends (experiencing the best people watching ever!), these guys with their camera and microphone come up to me and ask me if they can talk to me on camera about the festivities. I just laughed and told them that I, the stupid American that knows nothing about horse races not to mention the Melbourne Cup and why it warrants this much attention, was the last person they wanted to be interviewing on camera, so off you go. Ok, so I really just said "No thank you," but that was what I was thinking. In any event, to cut to the chase for those of you who are dying to know what you actually do at a lunch for the Melbourne cup, here goes . . . Apparently, you eat way too much food, while they have a "Fashion Parade," which was really just a bunch of girls a lot younger than me, wearing clothes that I couldn't and wouldn't have worn even if I was still their age. Then, while you are completely distracted by your food and conversation, you hear the loud roar from the people at the bar, signifying that the race started. The people at the bar are the most important component of this day because otherwise you completely miss the 2 minute event that for some reason warrants all of this hullabaloo. So once you realize the race is actually going on, you shout a lot, which should be for the horse you bet on, but for some reason this place wouldn't take our money. So instead, you just pretend that you care, and then, when it is all over, you go back to your conversation. And that's all there is to it. I must admit that I still don't get why the entire country cares this much about 1 stupid horse race, but you do have to appreciate a country that apparently finds any old reason to have a party. Good on ya, mates!