Have you ever wanted to play who wants to be a millionaire? Well after Christmas we are able to play it any time we want, thanks to a present from Peta – an interactive DVD version of the game, complete with Eddie’s commentary throughout.Just this evening Eddie popped us the million dollar question. Claire had battled through until the $250,000 mark with no lifelines used just as I arrived back from work. With two questions left and all lifelines we were looking good. At $500,000 all lifelines were used and we were left with two possibilities. An educated guess gave us the million dollar question. Another informed guess and we became millionaires – virtual millionaires that is. Well who would have known, we were jumping around and carrying on just like we had actually won.

Now we have to figure out what to spend it all on……some virtual renovations on our virtual home maybe?

We are such dags……!

There are stump ones, thin ones, petite ones, big ones, yellow ones, purple ones, black ones. In fact if there is a mushroom type or shape that exists it can probably be found here. Well, thats probably an exaggeration but we’ve seen more mushroom types at the markets here than any other market we’ve ever been to. And they all each have a distinct flavour and texture.

Its all so difficult when put on the spot. You have to be stern – “no I’ll have those, those and those, thats all” otherwise you are up for a surprise when it comes to pay.

In pasta’s, risottos, or just cooked on their own with a bit of butter they taste great. I cant remember what these ones were destined for, a pasta I think….bon apetite!

I’ll be short and to the point here. French TV is crap! – commercial TV that is. Even the French say so themselves. The worst part is you come home from work wanting to veg out in front of the TV for half and hour or so and end up more stressesed than when you came home. This is because you end up channel flicking for the entire time in the vain effort that something vaguely interesting will materialise. Ninety percent of French TV involves a bunch of people sitting around a table talking crap for 3 hours. The other ten percent is dubbed American crap.

On the upside, the TV advertising system is really great. You get an extended ad break(around 5 min continuously) before your program, at the end and if the program is long, an intermssion. Much more relaxing than ads every 5-10 minutes like back home. The downside of this is that you have to pay for this system – and not cheaply : $150 euros TV tax per year! The ads are better than back home though they can be crap too.

There are so few regular programs worth watching (actually the one crap show that Claire has embraced is “Star Academy” – she claims it helps her French!) that we end up watching TV series like 24hrs and Lost. Tonight after dinner (which Claire is preparing right this moment) we find out whether Jack lives or dies. Will Tony and Michelle go on their date once they have stopped world war 3 and how will the President make any descisions with Lyn locked in the store room?

Riding to and from work almost every day is a real adventure, especially with the ever present threat of either running into pedestrians or vehicles. The reason? because no pedestrians here bother to look both ways (or more suitably just look) when they cross the roads. Add to that the fact that all drivers think they can just use the force to navigate….turning this way or that, stopping willy nilly with no attempt at using indicators (I think they are deactivated on cars here)! It just doesn’t make sense….given all the money that is paid for a licence here – in excess of 1000 euros.

I was there in 2001 at the MCG when 80 000 plus fans erupted after Australia scored and boy, I wish I could have been there at Sydney’s Olympic stadium this time. The difference this time is that Australia is in the WORLD CUP and need no further qualifying matches. For the first time in over 30 years the Aussies have made it through to the pinnacle of world football.

I was reading the live feeds from the web, and it was still nailbiting right to the end….as you would expect for a penalty shoot out as it turned out. Well I think the win is good payback and well deserved for the socceroos who have come close a couple of times.

Being in Europe at the time and right next door to Germany, I might add, is an excellent opportunity to go see our home country in action. We just may do it!

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!
(image from The Age)