My Fantasy Dinner Party Guest List

So the other day I was watching the Friends episode where Ross ditches Isabella Rossellini from his list of five women he’s allowed to sleep with. And don’t ask me how but it reminded me of a list I’d made ages ago in my phone of all the people who would be on the guest list for my fantasy dinner party…and I thought it’d make a cool topic for a blog post!

*Note: You will notice most of the guests are athletes, musicians or actors. Also, the list is pretty long and most of the guests are Australian. But hey, it’s my list, not yours.

The definitive list is as follows…

Lisa McCune – Australian actress, singer, theatre legend and according to me and my friend Nikki, a national treasure. She is my favourite actress, and I have followed her career for a very long time. I also live in the suburb next to the one she grew up in – good conversation starter?

 

 

John Farnham – Australian singing legend. Because he has been my favourite singer since before I knew what music even was. Every Christmas it was cassettes of his latest album under the tree, and later CDs that still today are in my car to pop into the plyer whenever I feel like a bit of The Voice. I know every single word to every single one of his songs, and it is one of my greatest disappointments that I am 29 years old and still have not been able to afford to, or had the opportunity to, go see him live in concert. I just know one of these days he is going to retire for good and I will have missed my chance (wahhhhhh!). I once worked in a bar at one of his concerts, so I could HEAR him singing in the distance, but I couldn’t see him (double wahhhhh!).

 

Carrie Underwood – American country music singer. One of the most successful of all time, and certainly the most successful person to have won American Idol. Seems like a genuinely lovely person, and her music has helped me through many a bad day.

Paul Barry – Australian journalist, author, current host of Media Watch, Walkley Award winner. Asks the hard questions, has had his business card stomped on by Alan Bond and written many a scandalous book on the Packers. Pretty sure we could talk all night about his experiences in print and television.

 

 

Liz Chetkovich – Gymnastics Australia’s High Performance Manager and the brains behind the establishment of the highly successful women’s gymnastics program at the West Australian Institute of Sport. Because me and my friends who follow gymnastics in this country call her Queen Liz – I think that’s enough of an explanation as to why she makes my list.

Nastia Liukin – American gymnast, Beijing 2008 all around gold medallist. My favourite gymnast of all time. A huge inspiration.

 

 

Rob Sitch and Jane Kennedy – husband and wife comedy duo who are 2/4 of the Working Dog gang. Creators of The Castle, Frontline, The Dish, The Hollowmen, Thank God You’re Here, The Late Show and many other television shows, books and films. Since they’re married I’m counting them as one person.

 

 

Tony Wheeler – the founder of Lonely Planet travel guides. I’ve read his book, but would kill to just sit down with him and ask him even more about how Lonely Planet began.

John Marsden – author. Even though I’ve read a tonne of books since high school, the Tomorrow series remains my favourite series of books of all time. I have read Tomorrow When the War Began about 30 times since I discovered it at 14. I’ve read the other six books in the series almost as many times.

 

 

 

Tina Fey – comedian and creator/star of 30 Rock, Mean Girls and the author of Bossy Pants. Everyone loves Tina Fey. She is just COOL. We could be best friends.

Paul Kelly – Australian singing legend, a true poet. Farnsy and Mr Kelly are almost equal to me, but because I’ve listened to Farnsy since birth and I haven’t done that with Paul Kelly, Farnsy *just* inches him out. But I still know every word to every one of Paul Kelly’s songs too, and have been lucky enough to see him in concert with Neil Finn in 2013 (it is the best concert I’ve ever been to, no question). In my opinion Paul Kelly is one of the greatest songwriters Australia has ever produced. His lyrics are like poetry and his music comforting and familiar. I cannot celebrate Christmas without playing How To Make Gravy 574385783496593 times. I just can’t.

 

 

Claudia Karvan - Australian actor, director. Because she is just cool. One of the coolest people on television. And one of Australia's greatest actors.

 

 

Bruce McAvaney – sporting commentator. Is there a more iconic Australian voice than Bruce’s? I know he is made fun of, but I love his voice. It’s part of my childhood. I would talk with him about Sydney 2000 and all his other Olympic experiences for hoursssss.

 

Judith Lucy – Australian comedian. My favourite comedian EVER. I would sit her next to Rob Sitch and Jane Kennedy because they have already made a few shows together and talking to the three of them at once would make my head explode – in a good way.

 

 

Stuart Diver – survivor of the 1997 Thredbo landslide. So much respect for this guy. I have read his book 3 times, and feel so inspired by the strength he has showed not just during the 65 hours he was stuck in alpine conditions before being rescued, but also through the loss of two wives and still be able to soldier on today. What a champion.

 

The following people almost made the cut…

Bryan Brown – Australian actor

John Wood – Australian actor

Ashleigh Brennan – Australian gymnast, four time Commonwealth Games medallist, 2 time Olympian

John Adam – Australian actor, theatre performer. For the eye candy.

Nadine Garner – Australian actress, singer.

Ric Birch – creator of the Sydney and Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremonies, among others.

Meryl Streep – actress. Because why wouldn’t you invite Meryl Streep to your fantasy dinner party?

Bridget Sloan – American gymnast, 2008 Olympian, one of the greatest NCAA gymnasts of all time.

Alec Baldwin – actor. The male version of Meryl Streep.

 

 

Who would be on your ultimate fantasy dinner party guest list?

 

Your host,

Jorgs

 

 

*Thanks interwebs and google for the pictures. I promise I'm not stealing them and claiming them as my own.

A Traveller’s Education

Last week I spent five days in Singapore with Mumma Jorgs, and since it was the first time I had travelled with her in about eight years, I realised a couple of things – namely that I have a whole education in me now thanks to my extreme case of wanderlust. I suddenly knew how to do things in Singapore that my Mum didn’t. And what’s more, she was relying on me for it. It was like the roles had been reversed, and it was so odd, as all the other times I’d travelled with her I’d been much younger and she had been the one who had figured out how to get places, how to fix problems, how to get back on the right road when we got lost, how to handle dodgy taxi drivers. But now, it’s me.

It feels good, but scary. Just like that time, at barely 22 and so incredibly young in so many ways, I stepped onto a plane bound for London and left little old Perth behind for three months. I was beyond scared, but also beyond excited. No doubt my parents were worried (especially my Mum, who is a chronic, chronic worrier) that something terrible would happen to me, or that I wouldn’t be able to tackle the challenges travelling occasionally throws at you, but the second I stepped onto that plane and away from familiarity and comfort was the start of my traveller’s education.

Travelling teaches you things you can’t learn in school, or in university. Only the wanderlusters can step into the massive train stations of NYC, London, Paris or Hong Kong and feel confident they can tackle the routes that splay out on the map like veins through the body. Only wanderlusters learn to have the balls to politely but firmly ask for their passport back from a customs official in an airport who wants a bribe in exchange for giving it back. Only wanderlusters can add three nights of two minute noodle dinners and three mornings of free hostel pancakes and know it equals a $300 bridge climb in Sydney or a paraglide in Austria and that it is definitely the right answer to that mathematical equation. Only wanderlusters can have their minds expanded through the meeting of other travellers from far away countries, of other religions, of other races, of greater experience and become better people for it. Only wanderlusters can be so resourceful and quick thinking that they can track down their travel buddie’s dropped mobile phone on Hollywood Boulevard with just a few short phone calls and a bus ride.

In Singapore it was me who found and booked our hotel, made sure it was a good location, figured out the best way to get around and explored the recommendations given to me by friends and fellow crew when deciding what we should see and do during our time in the country. It was me who navigated the complex subway, with its huge escalators and dizzyingly big stations when my Mum just wanted to take a taxi because she saw it as less intimidating and much easier. It was me who educated her on liquids, aerosols and gels and the Smartgate machine at the airport.

And all these answers I had, I had gained through firsthand experience during my travels. Of course it helps that I am now a flight attendant and travel for work every week, but I learnt many things about travel before I even ever entered that profession.

I feel sorry for those who have yet to have the opportunity to learn on foreign soil and in tricky situations. I hope y’all get the opportunity soon. I feel sorry for those who think they don’t need to get a travellers education or who don’t want one. And I applaud and encourage those about to set off on an adventure and start their own traveller’s education – as nervous and apprehensive as they might be, when they return, whenever that may be, they will return a different person. A person able to tackle so much more than they could before they left and a person who will be so much more confident within themselves and compassionate, accepting and open to and of others.

I have a buddy who is about to set off on such an adventure in the coming months, so this blog entry is dedicated to her. Follow her journey as she attends a performing arts summer school in London and then her adventures through the rest of the UK and Europe by following her new blog at https://teashakespeareandthetraveller.wordpress.com/ .

Until next time wanderlusters,

Jorgs