To Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Edward, the Honourable Premier Steve Bracks and Lord Mayor So *loud cheering*,

Originally I had planned to do many shifts at the Comm Games, but things got a little mixed up. However, I was lucky enough to work the closing ceremony at the last minute, which was a lot of fun. Ruth and Quentin from Barwon Division were also there and we got put in the same room, which was good. My partner for the night was Bev, a St Johnnie from Tamworth who was much more experienced than me and very helpful. Thanks Bev!

It’s a shame I didn’t get to work more of the Games, ‘cause being a part of such a huge event is definitely an eye-opening experience. The magnitude of the organisation and planning that goes into these things is astronomical. And on such a large scale it’s only natural that things will go wrong. With so many different people involved on all different levels, there tends to be wads and wads of miscommunication and so on. However, despite all that, I thought things went relatively smoothly on duty. No major planning stuff ups, we all got along well and the fireworks were mighty shiny.

It was great to meet international and interstate Johnnies. From what Ruth told me there was a lot of swapping going on during the week and a half of events. Because international and even some interstate uniforms are different, people were exchanging British, Canadian, New Zealand and Western Australian (they wear green instead of black and white) items such as hats, belt buckles, pins, epaulets, patches etc. Ruth scored a fair bit of new stuff and some phone numbers too. Way to go Ruth! Apparently, however, the thing to score was the Canadian pants. I never saw any but was told they looked like Mounties pants, with stripes down the sides. Nobody from Barwon got any as far as I know, but we certainly had fun thinking of ways to garner a pair! Unfortunately there were no lumberjacks in our room.

In terms of the ceremony, I got to see most of it. Parts were spectacular, but overall I thought it was a little slow. I’ll be totally un-Australian here and say that the best part was actually the Delhi part (Delhi is hosting next Comm Games). Their music was upbeat and the costumes and dancing were elaborate. They weren’t trying to tell some complex story or get any deep and meaningful msg across. They were just rockin’.

The funniest thing was the cheer Lord Mayor So got. Clearly three quarters of the crowd were Melbournites. But considering I don’t watch the news or pay attention to politics, don’t ask me why they love him so much. I guess he must be a good Mayor. Or maybe they’re just proud of their city.

Purdey was also workin’ the entire Comm Games for M2006. Unfortunately she was outside the G when she called me and we were restricted to our detailed stomping grounds, so couldn’t budge. I’m sure she had an interesting experience anyway and hope she enjoyed her stay in Victoria. Hey Purdey, hope you’ve had some sleep since you got back home to Darwin.

Finally, I just wanna mention all the volunteers that worked as part of the Comm Games, including the Johnnies. It’s amazing to see how many people actually commit their time and effort for something like this. I know a lot of Johnnies sacrificed work time, home time and personal time to help out with organisation and shifts etc. I bet they’re glad this sorta thing only happens once in a blue moon.

Things I’ve pondered during Comm Games: Why are Aussies so sport mad? Why are we so fiercely patriotic when it comes to sport? Should we become a republic? Should runaway athletes be allowed refuge in Australia? What would life be like for those few athletes from the small countries such as PNG – experiencing something like the Comm Games and receiving a medal? Do Johnnies from Australia get to go to Delhi for 2010 and when can I sign up? How can I get a Canadian’s pants?

PS: Pics may be added at a later date.