NAIDOC Ball

The museum girls at the ball--with my colleague Shannon and my Australian colleague Olivia.

Well, the conference is over. I'm wiped, and nearly done packing for our trip north in the morning. By all accounts, we are headed for a marvelous adventure! Every Australian we've chatted with thinks this is the most wonderful part of the country. Also, Wujal Wujal is touted as the place where the rainforest meets the sea, and one of the most beautiful places on earth. I can't believe we're going!

And we'll have fantastic company too. Besides Olivia and Amar, we've already met nearly all the folks from the Cairns office. Our other travelers include Alissandra Cummins, director of her museum in Barbados and President of ICOM, and Julien Anfruns, President of Blue Shield International and Director-General of ICOM. I was seated next to him the other evening at dinner, and he's wonderful. We bonded quickly, as he's from Montpellier, which many of you know is where I've lived in France and where my father-in-law teaches the summer exchange program.

The Ball was quite lovely, and quite fun. Amazing entertainment, beautiful setting, terrific awards, and magically refilling wine glasses. Attached are a few pics. Cheers!


A glimpse of the table and the room.


With my friend Joycelin, one of my Vietnam classmates. My colleague Shannon again.



The ICOM contingent at the Ball.


With my advisor Amar. With Olivia.



He he. My Australian friends are really unhappy about this one! He's one of the hottest (in both senses of the word) musicians in Australia now. I have to get his CD -- his band ROCKS.