My Dad's moustache

For thirty years, I've known my Dad with a moustache. He has had it since I was born. For many, many years it was jet black.






Some people say he looks like Borat.


                     (source)

He thinks so too, and perhaps he does, but I am just glad he's not adopting the full Borat ensemble.

                  (source)
Dad's moustache was reliable. I could depend on it being there, just like Dad's there for me ("you'll always be my baby, even when you're 30", he's said.).

His moustache has been there every Christmas, holiday and of course all those times we've bonded over cleaning up dog poo or having a disagreement over the PayTV channels (he's wanted Coronation Street, I've wanted anything but).




So when I set off on my big adventure, I was confused when he met me at the airport. Dad flew to Tasmania the same day I flew to London, so he drove down to Melbourne and met Mum and I at the airport and we spent time together as a family before I got on the plane.

We were in the check in queue when Mum said "there's Dad". Where? I couldn't see him. There was a man in Dad-like clothes, but no, that couldn't be him!

Now I am not very good at recognising people, and I also only see Dad about four times a year. Surely I couldn't have forgotten what my Dad looks like?

"Where is he?" I asked Mum. "There" she told me and pointed. Dad waved. Then Mum told me he had shaved off his moustache recently, after he had a little slip of the razor.

Mum hasn't known Dad without a moustache either, so I asked her if it's like being with a new husband. She said it did take a bit of getting used to. She's been happily married to a moustached man for 31 years.


And so after check in, I ran out under the queue barrier to see Dad, we gave each other bear hugs, and I couldn't stop staring at this 'new' Dad of mine. I had never seen his whole face!


My Dad looks VERY different now. But he's still got everything I love about him. I went off to London trying to save the memory of what this 'new' Dad looks like.

Has your relative ever changed their looks drastically and it took a bit of getting used to?

Puma Hardchorus

My Dad loves football. Dedicates his life to it.

He's an extreme armchair fan. And when in the UK, an active fan.

And I think I get my extreme fandom from him.

I really enjoy Savage Garden. Dedicated my life to it. I am a lifelong fan.

My Dad and my worlds have collided in this Puma ad.

Enjoy!

Me and my Dad

The other day I spoke to my Dad on the phone, and he made me laugh. I'm very close to my parents and we speak pretty much every day.

He said 'I was listening to Triple J and heard your friends are touring'.

I asked who.

'Angus and Julia Stone', he said.

He referred to them as my friends as I've been to so many of their shows and met them and was taken back stage by them in 2008.



(Above is me with Angus and Julia at the East Brunswick Club in 2008)

'I know they're touring, I am going to their show in March', I said.

'I know', he said.

'Why are you listening to Triple J?', I asked him.

I can't recall his exact answer but he said that he didn't mind it. I was suprised, given the only 'modern day' music that I like and he likes too is Crowded House. And maybe INXS, or 'Inksess' as he once called them, on community radio!

Actually a few years ago I did buy him Sleepy Jackson's Lovers album, which he said he liked, and he also liked Steve Poltz.

I like a lot of the music from his day - The Kinks, The Hollies, Simon and Garfunkle, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, The Beachboys and The Byrds. A few years back we went to see Bob Dylan play at Rod Laver Arena. I thought it was going to be great, and I felt very cool to be there with Dad, but honestly, it was the most boring night ever. Bob only played one song I knew. Boring.

Anyhow, this conversation, and the gifts that my Mum brought down to me on Friday, got me thinking about how much I appreciate and treasure the gifts my Dad has bought me. I have to preface this by saying I love every gift I receive, but there's something very special about a gift from Dad.

He's not much of a shopper in department stores. I get my love for shopping from Mum, too.

Dad loves Tasmania, and has been there three times in 2009. Many of the gifts he's bought me have been hand crafted from Tasmania.

I don't want to be one of those bloggers to just post pictures of their possessions, but I really want to share some of my favourite things Dad's given me. They are all really unique, and I get use out of them.



This is my favourite piece of jewellery ever. It's hand made with purple glass and gold. Even though I don't wear gold, I adore this piece, and when I wear it I get a lot of compliments. It's made by a Tasmanian artist and I've since bought a pendant quite similar, though the colours in the pendant graduate to something that looks like a sunset.



This is a leather pouch from Beechworth. Dad gave me this when I was about eight. Mum has one too, but her's is brown. I keep my silver jewellery in it. I loe the greeny blue of the leather.



This is a little bracelet made of shells, by an Indigenous Australian artist from Tasmania. It's so delicate.




This is a small pouch, 'upcycled' by a Tasmanian artist. It's made from a blanket and a shell for the button. I am not sure of the details of artist that made the pouch aside from her first name. Inside the pouch is a tiny necklace that is unfortunately too small to photograph properly. The necklace is made from enamel by an artist called Wendy Wells.



These are all of the beautiful things together, on a plate.



And this is me and my Dad. We are at Penguin beach in Tasmania. He's pretty awesome!