NAIDOC Ball

Each year, Australia celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures with a week of festivities for NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee). This year, Brisbane was the host city, meaning that they had the awards ceremonies and the Ball. And, it happened during the conference. So Olivia got a table and ICOM got two tables. Shannon and I joined Olivia and her partner Greg. Several of Olivia's friends and colleagues from the library joined there. My friend Joycelin and her friend Rae also joined. I was dreading going -- I'd never been to a ball, and transporting a ball gown halfway around the globe was not appealing. However, we had a fantastic time! The setting was lovely, the food was terrific, and the company, fantastic.


The museum's favorite ladies at the ball: Shannon, Olivia, and me.


The room was absolutely stunning. Yes, about 1100 people.


Me and Joycelin. Yes, she's as beautiful as she looks. She is a former Miss Papua New Guinea, and has competed in Miss World.


Olivia and Greg. He took it well, being the only gentleman at the table....


Terena runs the Cairns office for the library, and we became good friends later in the trip.


We had to have a museum photo.


Ah, the failed ICOM photo. We're nearly all here, but the camera didn't behave well for Greg. Odd, they nearly all disappeared, like the proverbial pumpkin, very shortly after this was taken. We, however, helped close the place down.


The Dutch photo. Steven runs the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden, where the conference was held last year.


Joycelin and her friend Rae. They've been friends for more than 20 years!


Friends.



I think this is the first photo that Olivia and I have had taken of just the two of us.


With two of my best Pacific girlfriends (sorry to my Hawaiian friends--I missed you!), at the ball.


And if you stick around long enough.... Shannon spied the singer from one of the bands. I don't live in Australia, so figured, why not? We had a great little chat, and his friend took our picture. Can I tell you the craziness this spawned among my Aussie and Pacific Island friends as the news got out the next day? Dan Sultan is a heartthrob and idol in Australia. I don't do much that makes people envious, but this did it.

Well, unlike at the ball, my wine glass doesn't magically refill. So I think I'll call it a night. Next, we're off to Far North Queensland.