Work hard play harder

I think I can safely say that it’s not the best idea in the world to go out and get trashed at a Christmas party the night before an 8am meeting with the SFF board to discuss the marketing and sponsorship strategy for 2007. But I think I got away with it. Well, it’s been quite a week – sorry for the gap between postings, but there’s been a lot going on. I’ll do a whistle-stop tour for you now, skip to the end if it’s not riveting enough…

So firstly I went to the dogs for the ABC Christmas do (Aussie equivalent of the BBC) – and after some tame old $1 bets (40p) I discovered the art of the quinella (betting on first and second place) – and won half of my money back – not bad. I arrived at the track with Clare and we stuck out like sore thumbs – there were some seasoned track-attenders there, eating their pie and chips and studying the form guides. I was brave and went up to an old couple and asked them to explain the form guide to me, which was very complicated. Needless to say I ignored all of that and resorted to picking dogs by their names and colours (well I am a girl) and it served me well. Cool Miss was my biggest win. (See pics on flickr)

The lovely Dominic was in town, en route to Cairns, so I had dinner with him last week too, in a divine little Bavarian seafood restaurant on Oxford Street (yes, another London street!). It was good to catch up with him and talk the usual crap, although having someone from my ‘old life’ appear in my ‘new’ one was a little disconcerting. Especially as he just turned up at work one day unannounced, and I heard his booming voice over the filing cabinets! But it was a fine excuse to bunk off work for the afternoon and have a 'meeting' which involved sitting in my local pub. Sometimes it’s great to relax and stop having to make an effort though, because you’re constantly concerned about the impression you’re making to people you’ve just met. Anyway, Marisa, Dom looks well you’ll be pleased to know – blurry pic on flickr.

Next up was the FFC Christmas party on Wednesday – they are the main funders of films in Australia, so all the major players in the industry were there, along with lots of hot young filmmakers and producers. It was in a lovely terrace bar overlooking Darling Harbour, with lots of free champagne and oysters – yum. Considering I knew no-one I made a pretty good effort of working the room. Being new to the country does have its advantages, you have lots to talk about and people are falling over themselves to give you advice on how to survive Sydney. I met some really lovely people and had a sizeable collection of business cards at the end of the night, which through my champagne fug scribbled notes on to remember who the hell these people were (god I sound like such a pro!). Of course it does help somewhat being introduced to everyone as ‘the girl we’ve snaffled from the hands of Sandra Hebron much to the annoyance of everyone in London and the glee of everyone in Sydney’ etc etc. My reputation goes before me. Now all I have to do is live up to it. And they seem to expect great things of us, these Sydneysiders, in rescuing their beloved film festival and turning round its fortunes. Just give us time.

Not content with champagne and oysters, I stumbled out with some new found friends who were celebrating receiving major funding for their feature, and ended up in a Darlinghurst pizza place until the wee hours… This was before the aforementioned board meeting, where I took more interest than usual in the coffee and croissants while attempting to sound lucid and intelligent. Do you think I had ‘em fooled, folks?

To cure my hangover, I decided to go out with my housemates and chums to their regular haunt, The Gaslight (think Camden meets Soho) and succumbed to their collective decision to follow the pub with some dancing at the Flinders. Hmmm, I suspect that may also become a regular haunt, what fun.

Double hangover on Friday – I expected a quiet night in, but was unexpectedly invited to the Australian premiere of Babel, with the gorgeous Cate Blanchett in attendance, and yet more of the Aussie film glitterati. Red carpet Oz style. Great film but a little disturbing. Wandered along the harbour on the way home, past the Opera House, and soaked up the sea air. Enjoying my new city.

Weekend was chilled out (phew!). Spent almost all of my first wage packet on beautiful Elle Macpherson underwear (do we even have that in the UK?!) And now have a chocca week before Christmas. Can’t wait to chill out in the sun over Christmas. Will take lots of pics. Not that it’s been very sunny – everyone’s complaining that I’ve brought the English weather with me, as it’s been pretty miserable in Sydney lately. Well, miserable is 20-something degrees, so don’t take it too literally…

Ok, have bored you all for long enough now. Will try to write more regularly so it’s not so much of an essay.

Love to all and hope you’ve finished your Christmas shopping.

cx