Rain, Rain, Go Away...

For the past two weeks, we have had amazing weather - weather that, by all standards, completely skewed my perception of fall in Australia.

Mother nature decided to kick my ass, and I'm not impressed.

It's been raining for two days straight, and though it's provided excellent opportunity to frequent some local museums, it would be nice to be able to go out and see the sights in the open air.  We've already visited the Maritime Museum, which offered an interesting account of the history of the settlement of Australia and the Navy, and then we wandered to the Australia Museum.

Now, in all fairness, I have been spoiled - I've been the to Smithsonian twice, and I live a stone's throw from the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.  I've also had the joy of visiting museums in Paris, and London, as well as throughout the US.  I'm a bit of a museum snob.

The Australia Museum was a huge let down by all counts.  Not only were the exhibits mostly closed (though there was no notice of that at the time of paying admission) but there were a variety of stuffed animals that were to pass as an exhibit.  We've been to the Australia Zoo and saw the animals when they were alive, but seeing them stuffed was disconcerting.  Even more so when Ben asked a random stranger if they were real, and her response being 'yes, but now they're dead...'  Uh, ok, crazy hippy bitch?!  Explain that to a four year old.

The rest of the exhibits (all two of them) were spent explaining that the animals were a) real and b) dead. We still don't know their cause of death.  The kangaroo looked like he took on a mac truck, but at least now we know why we saw no wildlife during our travels; they're all stuffed and in the Australia Museum in Sydney!

This evening we have sat in, watching bad tv (the only type they have in Australia) and ignoring Ben as he refuses to go to sleep.  It's working very well, actually, as we're eating dessert and vegging.  I'm starting to realize that Australia's population is seriously screwed as pretty much everyone here is driving their cars over cliffs, or fishing on the rocks and finding themselves dead (and possibly taxidermied for the upcoming exhibits in the Australia museum) But having watched their tv, we can understand why.  When 'A Current Affair' is running an expose on 'The Impregnator', we can rest assured, it's bad.

And now, we're watching Australia's Got Talent - and they don't, I swear!

I'm a little worried about the state of the nation: a leader of the opposition who admits he lies when on the spot, bad TV, and a national museum that sucks?  Thank God they have gorgeous beaches, beautiful people, and a reasonably nice climate...

I still love Australia, don't get me wrong...  I'm just learning the bits I like more than others.  ;)