Kangaroo Tacos and the day I drew the line

I guess I've been blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with an odd sense of adventure. Raised in a somewhat traditional Greek-influenced household, where children are reared to develop a healthy fear of everything, there's been myriads of quirky, non-life or limb threatening innocuous things in life that I have done for reasons point blank no more significant than I have never done that before (Anyone else climbed in a manhole "just to check it out?"). That said, the venue of my last venture of this sort took me to the meat aisle of my local grocery store, when I found myself pondering a new life question-Could you make tacos out of Kangaroo?

Australia, a huge beef-eating nation, also has a staunch and vocal contingent that have made the switch to Kangaroo, the other jumping meat, and swear by the leaner, healthier, hormone-free protein. It comes neatly packaged, grounded or fillet, and is economical, quite a bit cheaper, in fact, than its competitors. So then the novelty kicks in. How funny would that be to make and chronicle in a photo montage the time I made tacos out of kangaroo? So I stood there with one-half kilo of ground marsupial in my hands, trying to put it in the cart but could not. Not even for the novelty of it. Not necessarily even out of concern about how a Mission Taco seasoning packet would taste with Kangaroo, but because culturally, I could not cook kangaroo.

Not to make myself out as some Mother Teresa of the trolley (shopping cart), as I've tried it before in appetizer and jerky form, but because of what Kangaroo meant to me as an American. We grow up thinking of these beautiful, exotic creatures, not as the ubiquitous oversized rodent that they are here, but as some amazing, jumping outback animal from far away, the iconic symbol of adventure personified, not as filling for a tortilla.

As a compromise (or wuss-out as you may see it), I decided instead to buy a box of Weet-Bix, the Australian cereal "Made by Australians, Loved by Australians," and endorsed by soccer superstar Tim Cahill, who attributes his intense football prowess, not to natural physical ability or arduous practice, but to mashed up wheat that looks like squares of corrugated boxes (but tastes quite good, actually).

So, as you my tell from the aforementioned, there's a bit of a lack of stimulation here in Queensland at the moment, though I have taken a few side trips and have had some really nice invites from warm Australian friends I have made. But here's a few quickies:

• I have been invited on two occasions thus far to be a guest speaker for other Public Relations courses at the Uni. One presentation I delivered on crisis communication last week, and tomorrow on event planning/events management. Though quite flattering to be invited as an expert on a topic, I like the fact that I'm getting paid, and quite handsomely, for talking about me, which all of you know I can and do ad nauseum, and for free. Thanks to all of you who have contributed your professional expertise to integrate into my presentations.


• I gave my first talk at the meeting the other night. It was on the origins of Easter and New Year's traditions. Not my best work, I would say B-C range, but then I remembered, it's not what you say, it's how you say it, and with that adorable American accent on my side, most people thought it was fine.


• Reading this fantastic travel diary called "Sean + David's Long Drive," a highly-amusing, snarky diary of two Gen-X Australian blokes driving their way through Australia and complaining about everything along the way...It speaks to me.


• Today is ANZAC day. Apparently, ANZAC, the mythical God of giving Australians obscene amounts of time off, is celebrated on this holiday, giving the Uni students an additional 2 weeks off after last month's 2-week Easter Holiday. (Actually, it is the Australian Veteran's day, marked by morning parades and solemn ceremonies and afternoons full of barbeques and drinking too much beer with the neighbors). Next week is Labor Day and intense reflection on the irony of an Australian Labor day.


• I finally have official plans for getting home. I will fly home in early June with a weekend stop in Christchurch, New Zealand. Why Christchurch, you may ask? In addition to some random, anonymous New Zealand customs agent who told me last time I was in the country that I had to go there because it was the most beautiful place on the planet, I have never been there before.


• I'm also reading "Big Aussie Icons, 50 of Australia's craziest roadside attractions" (I've visited one or two already- See photo of me above). Australians and I do share the same beloved affinity for massive sized kitsch. Apparently, "Baa-rt," the 9 meter tall plaster and paper-mache ram in Wagin, Western Australia, elicited quite the reaction from a truckload of Ewes driving by. They said he was not baaa-d. (unlike this joke)


• Did you know??? Wagin, WA has more sheep per capita than New Zealand


• Did you also know??? The reference "The Dingo's got my baby," came from the 1980 disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain from a campsite near Ayers Rock. Mother Lindy, who claimed the desert predator had run off with the tot, was later convicted of murder in one of Australia's still most sensational cases.