The Parliament begins
Dec. 3rd, 2009 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowanfWe checking into our hotel and left our bags with the concierge since it was only 10am and headed over to the Parliament registration only to find it didn't open until 11am. Rachael & Raul and I sat in Caffe Cino in the Hilton and had refreshments. I had no idea there was Blood Orange Pellegrino, but it is very yummy. I don't believe Diet Dr. Pepper exists here but I have had a very nice Solo lemonade and now the Pellegrino. It works for me. :-) Don & Anna joined us and we headed over to register, running into many friends as we walked the length of the convention centre.
The lines were a bit chaotic but we eventually got ourselves all signed up. And our hotel room was ready. But by now it was only half an hour until the Indigenous Speakers Reception which Don, Rachael & Raul were attending and the Pagans at the Parliament reception that Anna & I were headed for. We all decided not to change clothes. Rachael and I are fairly low on spoons and she arranged through the hotel to rent a motorized wheelchair. It is only $14/day plus some delivery fees. I admit to a temptation to get one too.
The Pagan reception was in the Hilton in a suite that Angie & Drake and some other folks are sharing. There were probably 60 people attending including 8-10 local folks. It was very much a meet-and-greet with loud, interesting conversations on all sides. I talked to several people, including a few I was meeting for the very first time but to whom had spoken over the years. And I saw many old friends.
Afterward I went back to our room to find that the hotel had given us the "amenity" of a fruit basic and some fresh squeeze blood orange juice! So by the time Don called it see if I wanted to join them for dinner I really didn't feel like I needed more food. Huzzah for fresh fruit and being in the Hilton.
The first Parliament event, the opening Plenary started at 7:30 with a symphony accompanied by a digeridoo. Prof. Joy Murphy Wandin welcomed us to her land by offering virtual gum leaves which signify we are welcome from the tops of the trees to their roots. Then we were welcomed by Prof. David de Kretser, the governor of Victoria, Bill Lesher of the Parliament and the Hon. Laurie Ferguson, MP, and Jennifer Kanis a Melbourne City Councillor. The Australians all thanked and praised the Aboriginal Australians in their remarks which I thought was interesting. The Rabbi David Sapperstein gave the first keynote. He said some things about the environment and re-sacralizing the earth... but I was nodding off. I left as the first blessing, from the Zoroastrians was beginning. Many more blessings and performances and speeches were scheduled but I am just exhausted.
Off to bed now.
The lines were a bit chaotic but we eventually got ourselves all signed up. And our hotel room was ready. But by now it was only half an hour until the Indigenous Speakers Reception which Don, Rachael & Raul were attending and the Pagans at the Parliament reception that Anna & I were headed for. We all decided not to change clothes. Rachael and I are fairly low on spoons and she arranged through the hotel to rent a motorized wheelchair. It is only $14/day plus some delivery fees. I admit to a temptation to get one too.
The Pagan reception was in the Hilton in a suite that Angie & Drake and some other folks are sharing. There were probably 60 people attending including 8-10 local folks. It was very much a meet-and-greet with loud, interesting conversations on all sides. I talked to several people, including a few I was meeting for the very first time but to whom had spoken over the years. And I saw many old friends.
Afterward I went back to our room to find that the hotel had given us the "amenity" of a fruit basic and some fresh squeeze blood orange juice! So by the time Don called it see if I wanted to join them for dinner I really didn't feel like I needed more food. Huzzah for fresh fruit and being in the Hilton.
The first Parliament event, the opening Plenary started at 7:30 with a symphony accompanied by a digeridoo. Prof. Joy Murphy Wandin welcomed us to her land by offering virtual gum leaves which signify we are welcome from the tops of the trees to their roots. Then we were welcomed by Prof. David de Kretser, the governor of Victoria, Bill Lesher of the Parliament and the Hon. Laurie Ferguson, MP, and Jennifer Kanis a Melbourne City Councillor. The Australians all thanked and praised the Aboriginal Australians in their remarks which I thought was interesting. The Rabbi David Sapperstein gave the first keynote. He said some things about the environment and re-sacralizing the earth... but I was nodding off. I left as the first blessing, from the Zoroastrians was beginning. Many more blessings and performances and speeches were scheduled but I am just exhausted.
Off to bed now.
