On the Subject of Toilets...

Some might say I have an unnatural or unhealthy obsession with the commodes in other countries. To those people I would say, "You'd be surprised by what a country's bathroom says about their culture." I'd also say, "Don't knock it 'til you tried it."

Japanese toilets are pretty tough to beat: they warm your bum on a chilly morning; they can provide a recorded flushing sound for the pee-shy; some will literally squirt you where the sun don't shine. Australians are much more practical about their thrones... For the most part, they look like ours, except that they have a half-flush and a full-flush option, since water is such a problem here.

My two main, non-music related, missions here were to see kangaroos and toilets flushing counter-clockwise. Kangaroos? Check. Toilets? Sadly, a no go. All of the toilets I have encountered have just flushed the water straight down! No swirling around the bowl for these Aussies. Never you fear, however, I will find a regular flushing toilet before the end of this trip and report back on its magnificence post-haste.

Last night we played for a full house at the Wesley Music Center in Canberra. The hall was designed by an acoustic engineer and was a spectacular space to play in. A local radio station recorded the concert and will broadcast it at some later date, which is kinda cool. Unfortunately, I feel victim to the pressures of the recording and possibly some jet-lag and had the hardest time concentrating. I've had to play in some tough situations (Carnival of the Animals for three hundred screaming kids, anyone?) but it's hard being so far out of my routine. Stuff just doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Something I will have to get used to if I want to keep doing these types of gigs, though.

Afterward we all celebrated at a Turkish restaurant - who would have thought Canberra would be such a culinary capital? I guess it's because there really isn't any true native Australian food (at least not any that they want to show off.)

Today we head for Goulburn for the night, where we'll play at the Golburn Regional Art Gallery, hosted by the Mayor of Goulburn!