Photo: The Christmas tree in Martin Place, Sydney. The grand old building with the clock tower is the old general post office. It looks better when you click on it:)For the rest of the week, i On Global Trends will be a free-form Christmas Edition
Last night I went in the city, (Sydney) for the first time since Mel came over from the U.S two Christmases ago. Apart from that I hadn't been into Sydney at Christmas for about twelve years.
It was a Thursday night and although it was the night for office or after work drinks, the atmosphere was terrific. Everyone was good natured and although many were a little too full of Christmas cheer, the word "cheer" was the operative word.
Two years ago it was quite different. It was as though no one wanted to know Christmas - too much was happening in the world and it was hard for many to summon up the required Bing Crosby Christmas Cheer and goodwill to all men. Why should anyone? - there was bugger all in the way of goodwill being shown around the world regardless of the season.
It was great to see families out late at night watching the Christmas light shows around the city, and it seemed as though the Christmas spirit had returned.
It was also pretty obvious that the "in-thing" this Christmas is the little party frock - both for social and work occasions. As one Sydney Morning Herald journalist put it, the only question to be asked is, "how much did she pay for that handkerchief?".
Another thing too - it's not often a girl falls into my lap but last night it happened - literally.
Public transport or taxi was the preferred method of transport home for most and I sat in a section of the bus where the seats face each other. This section is normally reserved for invalids or the elderly, but bus after bus, full to the rafters, went past without stopping. When a bus came along - you took what you could. Despite what Sydney's gutter press and radio would have you believe, people here are generally polite and if anyone would have needed those seats, they would have been vacated in a flash.
Sitting opposite me was a girl who had obviously been for after work drinks. She sat with rosy cheeks, a contented smile and a skirt that couldn't have got much higher before it became a bandana. I was mesmerised not so much by her outfit - but by a little broche she wore - a flashing reindeer. I knew exactly what would happen when the bus stopped and sure enough, up she got, smiled and fell straight onto my knee.
A few years ago I would have been delighted - but I am a one-woman man and my only thought was - "mind my bloody camera"!
