Northern Lights & North Winds

I'll show some pretty pictures before the whinge starts. We've had a couple of fantastic visits to Northern Lights on North Terrace as part of the Adelaide Festival. These are my two favourite designs. Above is the Mitchell Building at the Adelaide Uni with a fabulous William Morris-like (or maybe, it is) design. The building below is the Museum with an Egyptian design.

The projections start at 9pm and continue to the early morning, the images changing every 5 minutes. They are intricately designed to fit the buildings, with colours following the lines of the windows and doors and little decorative features.

We had a look at the lights last week and there was a modest crowd. Then last Sunday night (long weekend) we visited again and it was like going to the football! There were thousands! But it was exciting at the same time. So many families and children and older and in-between people enjoying a fantastic visual experience.

We also saw another great free, visual event: Junk Theory. Junk Theory is a Chinese junk floating on the Torrens, that has images projected on its sails and with a soundscape as the boat sails down the river.

Some brilliant shows we've seen too are A Midsummer Night's Dream (the funniest I've seen, the lovers were even interesting!); and When the Rain Stops Falling (a brilliant new Australian play). On Saturday we hope to go to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (crazy German production - we love crazy Germans!). Not a cheap time of the year (if only J could claim a tax deduction: professional development!) but a highlight.

Oh, and it's my birthday tomorrow. So going to COAHTR is for that. And out to dinner to my favourite caf tomorrow night: the best Italian place. I'll have polenta and vegetables. I'm a peasant at heart.

Now for the whinge. It is far too hot. I'll say it again. TOO HOT!! Supposedly we are looking at 16 days over 35ºC (95ºF). It's not interesting anymore. I'm so glad we had a new airconditioner and insulation installed last month. It has made a huge difference. Otherwise, we'd be camping on friends' floors and begging for mercy. I've forgotten what it's like to see rain.

[End whinge]