Today was the “race that stops a nation” – the Melbourne Cup.
Yesterday I placed 2 big bets:
- $2 on #24 (Older Than Time) to place
- $2 on #5 (Glass Harmonium) to win
In both cases, the odds were about 50:1 so we stand a chance of winning a decent dinner.
Apparently the country comes to a standstill for the race. People in Melbourne get the day off, and everywhere else, there are parties and office lunches for the occasion, with not much productive work afterwards.
Australians like to get dressed up for special horse races, cricket matches, etc. That was the case today. Clever though my travel wardrobe may be, I do not have anything suitable in my backpack.
We wandered down to the Queen Street Mall to watch the race on big screens. It was a bit like a tame Stanley Cup final game on Granville Mall, but the mob can only get so excited during a 2 minute event. This race was the closest in history and it took several minutes before the winner was announced. The photo finish showed maybe a whisker difference. Neither of our horses was anywhere to be seen.
Seeing Clarely 
I’m sure that if there was a riot after the 2-minute event the culprits would have been dealt with immediately. Not the case in Vancouver.
And where is your fancy hat?…
OK, so I am a complete failure at being properly equipped for the trip. In my defense, though, I am confident I would have whipped something together from the contents of my backpack, if I had been in Melbourne instead of Brisbane, AND if my traveling companion had been equally interested in the appropriate fashion.