Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company - 30th Anniversary

 And so here is the start of another week and another Monday blog post. How are you and yours?  

We celebrated Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company and School of Dance's 30th anniversary on Sunday with a mini Fiesta in the courtyard of the Bunbury Art Gallery. It hardly seems like five years since I posted about their 25th Anniversary here - Ole-celebration-of-25-years-of-flamenco

Due to the Covid restrictions this year, we had a very different year of dancing with almost two terms of no dance classes. But with our 30th anniversary coming up we were determined to put on a show - albeit much smaller and with only family and a few close friends. However it still proved to be a wonderful afternoon of celebration. 

Unfortunately I didn't dance due to a cold I came down with last week, but I was very happy to be able to go along and take photos (whilst socially distancing), a few of which I will share here. With the late afternoon heat in the courtyard we certainly felt like we were in Spain! 

We were also treated to Gabby from the South West Opera Company singing Habanera from Carmen, Steve Hensby playing acoustic flamenco guitar and Montse and Cesar from Food with Passion South West cooking authentic Spanish paella for us. Montse teaches Spanish cooking classes, so she knows her stuff. Yum! 

We would have dearly loved to have more of our supporters join in the festivities, however, it has been a tough year for everyone, and Covid restrictions meant we had to keep numbers small, and the show as low key as possible. We will be back in 2021 with more for our amazing friends and supporters. A huge THANKYOU to everyone who contributed to our Anniversary celebrations, and danced with us and supported us over the last 30 years.

You might also like:

Dancing in the dark

A celebration of 25 years of Flamenco dancing in the South West

Weekend of art and dance

Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company

Instead of falling numbers of Covid cases it seems numbers are rising around the world. I do hope you and yours are staying safe. I have had a cold this past week, but I know it is just a cold, as we have no community spread here in Western Australia. I feel so lucky to be here - it feels very safe in our corner of the world - though I know it is dangerous to become complacent. Perhaps that is how I caught an early summer cold? 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little look at our 30th Anniversary celebrations. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. 

Please stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask if required and have a wonderful week.  

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

All Seasons 
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
Thankful Thursday 
Der-Natur-Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit
 Month end link up @ Live love craft me

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

How to speak like an Aussie on Australia Day

26th January is Australia Day when we celebrate what is great about our country. We have been suffering lately with bushfires and droughts, but the Aussie spirit, mateship, and helping each other, will always come through. 

So I thought for a little light-hearted fun today - How to speak Australian - abbreviate everything. 

 A couple of years ago I shared this brilliant YouTube video on my blog - How Australian Are You? from Josh Hawkins and Rhys Keir. You can see it here How to Speak Australian

 Here is the list, and I've added a couple of my own....

Australia - Straya

Breckie

Hello - gidday
Football - footy
Biscuit - bicky
Chocolate - choccy
Chocolate biscuit - choccy bicky 
McDonalds - maccas
ACDC - Acadaca
Devastated - dvo 
Definitely - defo!
Aggressive - agro
Afternoon - arvo
This afternoon - s'arvo
 Breakfast - breckie
Tomorrow - tomorra 
Garbage man - garbo
Postman - postie
Taxi driver - cabbie
Musician - muso

Sunnies

Service station - servo
Bottle shop - bottle-o
Registration - rego  
Pregnant - preggas 
Swimming costume - cozzie
Mosquito - mozzie
Tracksuit - trackie
Tracksuit pants - trackie dacks
 Underpants - undies
Sweater - jumper  
Running shoes - joggers
Monday - Mundee; Tuesday - Tuesdee; and so on....
Birthday - birthdee

Chook

Vegetarian - veggo
Lipstick - lippy
Sunglasses - sunnies
Eraser - rubber  
Elevator - lift
Present - prezzie
Christmas - Chrissy
Christmas present - Chrissy prezzie
St Vincent de Paul - Vinnies
Salvation Army - Salvos 
Smoke break (or morning tea break) - smoko
Cup of tea - cuppa
Avocado - avo
Have an avocado -  havanavo
Spaghetti bolognaise - spag-bog or spag-bol
Potato - spud
Chewing gum - chewy
Sandwich - sammo

What could be more Australian - making Anzac bickies

Toasted sandwich - toastie
BBQ - barbie
Sausage - snag
Chicken - chook  
Ketchup - tomato sauce 
French fries - chips 
Mentholated spirits - metho 
Turpentine - turps
Fellow - fella or bloke
Husband - hubbie
Give me - gimmie
Trying to - tryna
Going to - gunna  
Thank you - thanks 
Cigarette - ciggie 
Tin can of beer - tinnie
Ambulance - ambo
Fireman - firey
Policeman - cop or coppa

Tasmania, that island at the bottom of Australia

Bricklayer - brickie
Tradesman - tradie
Rubbish man - garbo 
Toilet - dunny
Umbrella - brolly
Sick day from work - sickie
Kangaroo - roo
Champagne - champers
Cabernet Sauvignon - cab-sav 
Bundaberg Rum - Bundie
Relatives - relos
Expensive - exxy
Brisbane - Brizzy
Tasmania - Tassie
Derelict - dero
Kindergarten - kindy
Big city - big smoke 
Cockatoo - cockie
Television - tellie 
 How are you? - how-ya-goin?
See you later - see-ya 
It will be ok - she'll be right  
good job - good-on-ya
 Put another sausage on the BBQ - chuck another snag on the barbie

There's lots more I am sure. Do you Aussies have some more you can add to the list?
Of course we change names too - like - Tom - Thommo, Shane - Shaneo 

And if you are not confused already - there are also differences between America and Australian words - as demonstrated by Christi (an American) and Mark Brown (an Australian) - Australian versus American words - on YouTube

And a few of our unique Aussie animals - clockwise from top left - Thorny Devil, Koala, Numbat, Dingo, Quokka,  Echidna, Bilby, Kangaroo, and in the centre the Emu

Australia Day is the anniversary of raising the British flag in Sydney Cove on the 26 January 1788 after the arrival of the eleven ships of the First Fleet. 

Whatever you are doing today in Australia or overseas, enjoy your day without forgetting those who came before us, the wrongs of the past, the sacrifices, the mateship, the great moments in our history and the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are all part of what makes us truly Australian. 

 Just found this about 1950s Australia.....

 Someone suggested yesterday that today should be renamed Rum Rebellion Day.
 So I investigated to learn more.... 

Governor William Bligh

Evidently 26 January is also significant as the date marking the only military overthrow of government authority in Australia....
known as the Rum Rebellion, on 26 January 1808, the soldiers of the New South Wales Corps marched with fixed bayonets through the streets of Sydney under the command of Major George Johnston to Government House where they arrested Governor William Bligh. from : Australian National Maritime Museum 

Captain William Bligh was the fourth and last naval officer to be appointed Governor of the New South Wales penal colony....When Bligh arrived the colony was in a poor state. Floods, the lack of supply ships and a reduction in convict labour had severely diminished the self-sufficiency of the colony .....as part of Bligh's reforms, Bligh ordered the destruction of illicit stills and prohibited the bartering of spirits for grain, labour, food or any other goods, especially rum, these orders aroused immediate and heated revolt. From My Place for Teachers

 Interesting! Rum Rebellion Day!

For those wondering about the latest bushfire news from Australia - here is the latest news - 9 News-bushfire updates. Bushfires are still raging, and more bodies are being recovered from burnt out properties.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the families of the American firefighters who lost their lives in an aircraft crash this past week. They were part of a huge outpouring of help that has come to Australia from all over the world. That they lost their lives helping us is tragic. 

Regeneration after the bushfires

  Thank you for visiting today. You might also like - 
Celebrating Australia Day and Waltzing Matilda
How Australian Are You?
Australia Day - Cooee!

Thank you so much for stopping by. If you are Australian, what are you doing today to celebrate Australia Day? Perhaps you would like to tell us in your comments. 
I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit

 
 Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

World Down Syndrome Day - 21 March

I don't usually post twice a week, but it is World Down Syndrome Day today 21 March, and I just had to share this very special video with you. 

 A carpool karaoke lip sync video in support of World Down Syndrome Day features 50 mums and their children singing along to Christina Perri's multi-platinum selling track, "A Thousand Years".

The mums are all part of a Facebook group known as "Designer Genes" created for parents who have a child with Down’s Syndrome born in 2013/14. They got together to show the world just how ordinary and fun life with the condition is and how they "Wouldn't Change a Thing".

The video was originally inspired by Singing Hands - a UK organisation whose videos have helped many in the group learn Makaton for supporting their children’s communication development.
Makaton is designed to help hearing people with learning or communication difficulties using signs, symbols alongside speech.
With thanks to the artist Christina Perri for her support and Singing Hands for the original concept.

 

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

 

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything, take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died everyday, waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed, I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer
One step closer

 

I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

 

And all along I believed, I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more