In the park, these pine trees had the most lovely grey-greenish blue leaves. Wondering if they had pine cones like every other pine tree I know — perhaps enormous ones, like the bowling balls of bunya pines — I pulled down a branch. There they were, like treasures: hidden jewels.
I graduated! Now I can use the title in public, and its all legal. Dr Simon is in the HOUSE!
The experience was weird, naturally, and it also took a while to sink in; the squishy-good-feelings-inside part of finishing happened long ago, and although I’ve been feeling great for most of the year about that, there wasn’t a whole lot to add. Submitting the thesis was an incredible rush of relief that lasted for months, and then after getting the examiner’s reports I was close to euphoric at times. Now, after a year, that’s all done. What’s left?
This is the public ceremony, the public recognition, and so its appropriate that the result for me is a sense of… adulthood. Suddenly, and for the first time, the idea of anyone calling me “Dr” actually seems plausible. And that’s just as it should be, I guess. Tassel’s on the other side now. 
My Mum traveled all the way over from Perth to be there in the action.
Federico, my godson, wasn’t born yet when I handed in the thesis — but he was already gurgling when it was finally completely completed. Natasja was one of the most indispensable members of the voluntary support team. Thanks so much! The feller below, on the other hand, was mostly helpful with distractions…
Would you buy used professional advice off these men? Hard to believe we are both Doctors…
At the bar afterwards — thanks to all the friends and colleagues who bought me a martini that evening! Coco there in the middle is doing her own epic training; a certain national intstitute of theatre arts is helping her into the limelight of international blockbusters, replete with wolverines and all. (She’s seen Hugh Jackman in his bathrobe.) Those kids in the group behind us ordered a mountain of pizza. I mean it — I’ve never seen so many pizzas, not even on the telly. With the market so overstocked, it was easy to buy some at $3 each. What a night!!
And to the girl in the black tights who I didn’t notice at the time — call me!
My friend’s partner is Colombian; he’s a doctor, working at a major Sydney hospital. The other night I asked him what it’s like here. He said the Trauma department is extremely understretched, compared to the same in Colombia. “There is no trauma in Sydney. The hospitals don’t know anything about trauma — they have no trauma!”
In Sydney, apparently, there’s hardly anything happening, no bad cases arrive at the trauma departments, so they aren’t running at top speed. They don’t have to be. Fights in Sydney always stop after a broken nose, he said. A dozen staff will look after some minor case, with tons of forms filled out and consultation, whereas in Colombia it was so busy that one doctor did everything — I imagine it involves stanching blood flow, and things like that. Armed with some cliches about Colombia, I jokingly asked him what were the injuries they had, and were they all gunshot wounds?
“Yes, there would be at least three gunshot wounds every night.”
In Australia girls don’t whistle as a rule. So imagine my surprise a week ago when, sitting outside at the cafe next to work, I hear whistling from very close by — I look around and the super-beautiful Thai waitress is standing there… whistling. I realise she’s whistling up a pigeon that’s walking on the ground between us; I look at her quizzically, she chuckles, I ask her something about her “pet” and we chat for a few moments. (There are an awful lot of pigeons around that area.) She says she feeds it most days, and she’s training it — but we laugh at its lack of obedience.
Most days I get a coffee there. I go in, she smiles at me, I smile at her, and so it goes. Did I mention she’s gorgeous?
Today I went in for my coffee and started chatting: I ask “how’s your pet pigeon”. She says, in half-English, “He is full now,” then adds “but is it a male or a female, I do not know…” “Yeah, there’s no way to tell is there!” There’s a pause and she adds:
“I think it is a male.”
“How do you know?”
[Smiling] “Because it come to me all of the time.”
Yowsa. Especially if you whistle.
This fan was rescued during an expedition to Planet Mungo in the late 1970s — returned to Earth and metamorphosed into a desk light, it seems a lot happier!
A few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be chosen as [Fairy] Godfather to the most beautiful baby in the known world: Federico Pena. We had a welcome ceremony at his uncle’s place in Darling Point, on the harbour, with water and sun and amazing cakes cooked by Grandma. AMAZING cakes, I tell you — truly amazing.
Baby and Mum after a swim
Just borrowing
A good day to be a niece
Fairy Godmother & Godfather
A glimpse into Eden…
You can find more evidence HERE.
Also, I gave a speech. Some folks seemed to like it, and the baby didn’t cry at all
Well, as you all know, Federico is one of the most beautiful babies in the history of the world. He’s also lucky enough to be one of the most loved, by his two beautiful parents. It will be tremendous to watch him grow up and become a person, surrounded by the love and understanding that Natasja and Jaime have to give, in abundance.
Tasj knows me as well as anyone, so for her to choose me to be Federico’s fairy godfather is a huge compliment. It’s also a role that I’m really excited about fulfilling. The responsibilities of being his fairy godfather are a thrillling prospect, and its wonderful to be entrusted with them. In fact, even if Tasj hadn’t nominated me, I would have been very keen on doing exactly these things anyway! Its what anyone would love to be able to do for a new life as it grows and enters the world and discovers how things work.
This child already has two wonderful, experienced, kind, thoughtful and wise parents in Natasja and Jaime. So, what else would he possibly need? I see my role as bringing another influence into Federico’s life. I will try to bring him new perspectives, new wonders, and new possibilities for looking at the world; above all, I hope to be able to bring him a variety of ways of being in this life, so that he will always know that whatever situation he may find himself in, he will always have choices.
His parents will already be doing this, but it doesn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes.
There are so many things I would hope to be able to do for this beautiful new person. The main thing is to be another companion, a guaranteed friend. To be someone reliable he can trust, and turn to whenever he wants another pair of ears to listen. Another person who will always be there, for whatever needs or questions he might have. I hope that he’ll take me for granted — so that it’ll never occur to him to wonder, whether I’ll be there for him. He’ll just know its true, without having to think about it, as natural as breathing.
Natasja and Jaime have given me an incredible gift by asking me to be here. By giving me this responsibility they have added a lot of richness to my life. And, in turn, that is exactly my responsibility for Federico. It is a real privilege — to give the gift back to him. It is a gift made of caring, and connection, and devotion, and I’m so glad to be a part of it. Above all, this is what this enormous joy and privilege means to me: to be another heart that is beating for him.
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