Reflections of the trip so far

beach_gaze
Originally uploaded by icemakk.

As I stare out at the beach where I am living, I can't believe it has been over a month I have been here in Australia. At times it seems I just arrived and other times it seems like I have been here for years. I realize that I will have to go home in a few weeks.
Sigh)
Time to go back to the cold or at least cooler weather in a few weeks (I hope there is not a cold snap when I get home). I will miss Australia and have decided to adopt it as my second home. I am already planning a return trip. If anyone has thought of going to Australia I have one word of advice: "GO!" You will not be disappointed.

My shows have all gone well save one. For the most part Aussie audiences are fun loving, a bit rough around the edges yet polite and they're there to have a good time. They are patient with my accent and odd references from Canada. I have seen very few nasty hecklers and have had a great response everywhere...save one.

So where was this one bad gig? The Manly Boat Shed. A neat little, nautical themed bar tucked in a basement in the trendy Manly Beach area, on the north shores of Sydney. Backpackers and a very young crowd frequent it. I don't do well with young crowds normally. The little pukes they churn out of schools today seem dumb as posts. Last weeks newspaper seems to be ancient history to them so any reference where knowledge is needed falls flat. Add to this a very hot muggy night, which the air conditioning decided to bail and you have the makings of a hell gig; a hot and tired crowd that wanted just simple dick jokes. Sorry kids, I don't do dick jokes, I do cleverly worded penile references. There is a difference.

I found that anything about relationships is foreign to these 'shag and root at random' types. Hey I understand if you are young and have never been in a long-term relationship but I am sure you have lived with someone who has...like mom and dad? Man if I had tried political humor I think their little brains would have exploded. I got some good laughs nonetheless, but it was not the big payoff a comic yearns for.

The next show I did, at The Mean Fiddler, more than made up for the lackluster show at the Boat Shed. The other comics all said the Boat Shed is a hit and miss gig anyway and they look on it as a 'paying the rent' gig.

Will I do it again if I come back? Sure. I will just approach it with a different strategy. Just thought I would put in an entry on my blog that was not all fun and praise. Now I have to get my mind tuned to the fact that in a few weeks, this awesome adventure will come to a close. I have had the time of my life and know that I will be back. That makes the long plane ride home bearable, knowing that I will return. Cheers.