Clueless in Seattle
Westin Seattle | Blarney Stone | The Whisky Bar | Lava Lounge | Was that it? | Roll of Honour
It had been thirteen years since the first Australian Cultural Evening, and the passing of years has obviously having a negative effect on your humble scribe's memory. As the famous Australian detective Hercule Poirot once mused, "the little grey cells are on the blink". Nonetheless, the invention of digital cameras has proved to a miracle of medicine, and with the aid of these ingenious devices, I am happy to provide a dodgy dossier of the events of Tuesday 31st of May, 2009.
Despite the lack of a MadCap drinkies reception, we were able to start the evening with a traditional pillaging of drink vouchers after finding another event at the Westin Seattle with a bar. The organisation of the event didn't reach even the low standards set by previous events, so there was much confusion as to where the next port of call might be. In fact, the "organisers" had made arrangements with a nearby Irish bar for extra staff to be put on so that the mob of us could be fed, but we now believe that the bar had received its management training in Australia. So the sole barmaid at the "Blarney Stone" was shocked to see 40 Australian revellers abseil in, demanding to be fed.
But let's backtrack one stop, to the Westin.
 Dave still believes the text on his shirt says "I'm looking for a Japanese girlfriend", but we all know otherwise.  In an exercise more difficult than herding cats, the Australian revellers are assembled to head into the night. |
 Dave presents an ungrateful Tony with a stupid yellow t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Aussie Oi! Oi! Oi!" |
 It's seems to be still daylight as we head for the Blarney Stone |
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The mob of Australians was a bit larger than anticipated, and we filled up most of the Blarney Stone bar. The presence of a pool table attracted the attention of some revellers. The drinks started to flow, and a wave of conviviality washed across the crowd.
 New friends are found as readily as seats at the tables. |
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 Normally on the other side of the camera, official photographer Bill with official assistant photographer Susan are caught examining the menu. |
 The sign above the door confirms the venue. |
 Mike, Anthony and Sonja soak up the ambience. |
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 Scott's birthday saw the surprise arrival of birthday cupcakes |
 The fine dining experience included an extensive menu including fish and chips and Caesar salad. (Caesar was, of course, an early Australian political leader and obstetrician.) |
 Things were starting to get blurry for some Australians, such as George, pictured. |
 Eddie and Brandon playing it cool. |
It was a bit of a wait for the meals, but when they arrived, the quality was up to the normally exacting standards demanded by Australians everywhere. It was time to find our next stop.
Our arrival at the Whisky Bar didn't get off to a good start, when the bouncers demanded to see passports before admission could be granted. A quick call to the Australian Embassy and large doses of indignation resulted in us being rightfully welcomed. The decor was interesting, and the range of whiskys quite astounding.
 Arriving at the Whisky Bar |
 That's not whisky! |
 The Whisky Bar was bursting at the seams with Australians without passports |
 As usual, Scott and Paul manage to look suave, stunned and bemused all the same time. (Maybe not suave.) |
 Official photographer Bill has outdone himself with this stunning photo.  This one's not quite as good; it's a shame he set the bar so high with the previous photo. |
 That's not whisky! |
A failed attempt at a sing-a-long of "We Are Australians" was an indicator of it being time to leave, and we headed out again into the night for destinations unknown.
Next stop turned out to be the Lava Lounge. Our numbers had dwindled somewhat, but were bolstered later on when Archie the Australian Boxer dog joined us. Brad demonstrated some goat butting techniques to a confused Tony, and Dave found a good place to rest his tired bones.
 Superb navigation skills allowed us to find the Lava Lounge. |
 Brad regales his comrades with a funny joke. |
 It wasn't long before we'd all settled in. |
 Archie the Australian Boxer dog joined the revellers, and fitted straight in. |
 Matters concerning the universe, world peace and quantum physics were uppermost in the minds of Australians at this time of the evening. |
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Now, it could be that the evening didn't end for some at the Lava Lounge. The stagger home through the comfortable Seattle drizzle turned out to be quite a trek, and it is believed that a few stragglers needed fortification before embarking on the journey. Scott P reckons it might have been Shorty's (but his recent kidnapping by aliens has affected his memory). We only have one photograph from those unnamed Australians at the unknown stop, and it does not serve useful as documentary evidence.
So what happened will have to remain a mystery.
It was another pleasant Australian Cultural Evening, with no major incidents requiring hospitalisation or bail. Three cheers for Australia!
If you enjoyed these photos, you're in for a treat: the official photographer (Bill) has selected a wider range of shots than those here! Take the opportunity now to enjoy Bill's complete photographic record. Bill's collection includes some photos of the art inside the Whisky Bar for culture lovers.
A big thank you to Bill Klemens,
the ACE Official Photographer, has officially uploaded his
entire official collection of
official ACE photos! Check them out!
If you find any errors in identification of revellers, or missing names, or missing persons for that matter, or bars that we stopped at that I've since forgotten about, or any other thing that needs correcting, please e-mail Tony! Sorry for any accidental omissions or inclusions!
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