Australia Day. Oi, and indeed, Oi.

Friday was Australia Day, recognising the arrival of the first European settlers in Australia, and all of that moment's subsequent consequences, for better or worse. I celebrated by listening to the end of the Hottest 100 online, then eating Tim Tams and salt and vinegar chips with Richard. Saturday was a day of belated celebration involving cricket and the Aussie Bar, and lots of Australian company.
First, my expert analysis of the Hottest 100. For non-Australians, the Hottest 100 is a music poll run by Triple J, a national radio station. It's apparently the largest publicly-voted poll in the world. As the name suggests, it's a countdown of the one hundred best songs of the past year. It's been going since 1993, when it was won by Denis Leary's poetic anthem "Asshole." This year's poll was won by perhaps the most unlikely winner ever: One Crowded Hour by Augie March. This is a brilliant song, packed full of imagery and growing from a hushed whisper to swirling, spinning crescendo. On the other hand, it's not exactly catchy, and with all those words, it's impossible to sing along to. Let's just say it's not exactly Jet. Still, in my humble opinion, perhaps the best winner ever, besides Franz Ferdinand. So good for them. Elsewhere, five songs for Hilltop Hoods - the only South Australian band and the only Aussie hip-hop band of any importance. And then the obvious biggies - Scissor Sisters, Gnarls Barkley, Muse, Killers, Snow Patrol.... nothing to really complain about. Good show, kids.

So on Saturday, a bunch of Australians, a Welshman, and three curious Americans found a space along the Asahi River in Okayama to play a bit of cricket. Japan, of course, is not known for it's open public land, and it took a thirty-minute walk to a fairly desolate bit of riverbank in order to find any open space whatsoever on which to play. Still, a good time was had, and it was nice to have a bit of Aussie company, which I don't get much of these days.
Now I just have to get these damn stubborn grass stains out of my trousers.