Ashes to Dust

I'm a little bit behind on my blog postings as there has not been that much to write about in the last few days. I have been asked about last minute tickets to shows, especially Wicked but with my budget living, a show at $90 for the cheap seats has not been on my agenda so unfortunately I don't know. I gulp at paying $25 for a night out. I believe that Wicked is very popular and especially since the sad news of dear Rob Guest's death, tickets will be even more sought after. In the midst of life we are in death et cetera. The only help I can be is to recall an overheard conversation at the Windsor Hotel that tickets are still available if you have the right connections and money, I guess. Sorry. Anyway, on with the late blog post.

It's Sunday and I have been inspired by all of the incredible religious architecture to attend a church service to see whether the ceremony of the service lives up to the promise of the buildings.

I chose St Patrick's for a number of reasons. One, I am familiar with the Catholic service. It is surprising how easily I slip into mumbling all the old prayers I learned as a kid. When I realise that I am doing this, I stop myself because I consider it hypocritical for me to be reciting a creed I do not subscribe to. The other reasons I chose St Pat's are because it has the most impressive architecture of the churches and because it has choral performance. It was a close call however because St Paul's Anglican does the evensong peel of bells, however I have taken them in as a incidental to being in Fed Square at the time on many occasions. As it turns out today's choral pieces at St Pat's include one of my all time favourite, 'For the Beauty of the Earth' by John Rutter. Good call then on the Micks over the Proddies.

I am late for church as I took too long wandering around the market for breakfast. Church services are around 11 o'clock here and I am out of the hostel every morning by 8.30 so there is a long time in between of which to lose track. When you share a shower with about fifty other people, you want to be first in – believe me.

So I'm late for church but I can hear the service being broadcast on the loudspeakers from well and truly down the street so I am not officially missing anything. Besides the place is so big that I am assured of getting a seat. As I enter the smoky haze of heady incense just about bowls me over. Oh I do like a good waft of incense, it is grand Gromit and I am so pleased that the Cathedral has kept up this tradition. I have to admit that I didn't stay to the end. Sorry Mum but once you've been to one Mass, you've been to them all and I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't in Latin.

It is a day where the hot wind feels as if it is coming straight off the fires hell. It is a force that savagely projects dust and pollen irritants into the eyes and noses of all around. Sneezing is the sound that prevails this Sunday. I'm told that Melbourne has the highest rate of asthma and hayfever in Australia and that this is due to the prevalent planting of fast growing plain trees. Melbourne is a city of trees. The English elm was originally the popular choice to line avenues and as many other city's elms fall prey to disease, Melbourne has the best collection in the world. The elm buds with clusters of apple green blossom that when fallen, pave the ground in brown paper petals. The streets and parks are currently covered in this organic confetti. As I passed a wedding photography session in Alexandra Gardens, I suggested that it would make an awesome action photo if the bridal party showered the couple in elm petals. One of the bridesmaids had wanted to do something similar but the bride got all huffy about getting dead leaves stuck down her ample cleavage. Killjoy, grumped the bridesmaid.

Another irritant in the city today is cigarette smoke as with the wind, it is impossible to keep this habit personal to the smoker. Smoking is another statistic in which Melbourne unfortunately leads. The councils supply butt bins and stubbing bays on regular bins and Melburnians do use them so that is at least something. I have noticed though that the street bins no matter how often emptied, do not cope with the amount of rubbish generated from disposable wrappers. The city seems to prefer employing troops of street cleaners and they are a familiar sight. It is a twenty-four hour job cleaning up after people. I'm going to have to stop there before I get on my bandwagon of ecology.