365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 282 (Saturday 9 October) : Melbourne Day 2 - Weirdness in a Crush of Humanity

While 'Tits', my new Teddy Bear that I picked up at the Titanic exhibition yesterday reclined in bed in his bathrobe, my gorgeous guy and I fairly bounded out of bed - OK dragged ourselves slowly out but I am sure we were feeling bounding-like....maybe - showered, had brunch down at the hotel's basic buffet (cereals, some fruit, juices, toast) and headed off to meet my guy's deligthful sister, Carolyn, for the Tim Burton exhibition at ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) at Federation Square (pictured).....

The crushingly heavy crowds, and propensity of Melbournians to line up along walls to see exhibits (very ploite but congestion-causing) aside, the exhibition was really interesting. Tim Burton may appear to be a seriously disturbed man when compared to society's idea of what's normal, but then that's the very thing he rails against constantly in his work - the idea that 'normal' (itself a vague and spurious concept) is all perfect and good, and any deviation form it is weird and must be shunned. He grew up in a very bland suburban environment and didn't really fit in because he dared to see the world in warped, colourful tones that very few others did. But how lucky we are that he did, and he does, because all his fantastically creative artwork and films, TV shows etc all show a wonderful ability to cut through the stultifying mass of every day life and celebrate differnence and deviations from the norm. He's an impressively talented guy and the exhibition, chock full of all sorts of memorabilia, showed that off to perfect effect.

Our head full of Tim Burton facts, and showing wall to wall freaky monsters on a constant slide show of fun weirdness, we headed off to the Eureka Tower, which soars 92 stories up into the clouds above Melbourne for a bird's eye view of the urban landscape. It was wonderful - I was finally able to piece together all the various locales I had seen or walked through and get a real sense of Melbourne, a city I am increasingly loving more and more, after intially falling head over heels in like back in June on my first proper visit. While we did go out on the balcony attached to the sealed viewing platform - thick wire stops you from tumbling over the side thank goodness - we couldn't come at the platform that extends out over the ground 88 stories below with a transparent floor. I am not scared of heights but that was a bridge too far, especially a see through one!

Back on terra firma, we walked back along the river to where Carolyn's car was parked, realised we were ropably hungry (and me without rope or string of any kind!) and headed off for a very late lunch at Retro Cafe in Fitzroy - great food but eccentric service - before walking past of Melbourne's quirky, vibrant, colourful graffiti to the Rose Street Markets wheer we found all sorts of very cool one-of-a-kind artists selling everything from jewelery to Tshirts and kids clothes. I loved it all and bought a funky silver ring made from recycled cutlery, a Tshirt, two tshirts for my niece and nephew and a sexy gay-themed apron for my friend Warren. So much fun and all so original!

Heading back to the hotel, we had just enough time to iron shirts, and pretty ourselves into our best party frocks before we high tailed it across town to the Windsor Hotel where we met my gorgeous guy's friends, Mark & Charlie, and close friend, Dilhara, for drinks before we headed to the Princess Theatre just down the block for Hairspray - the Musical....

My lord it was fun! The songs were full of zest and life, the costumes cartoon bright, the sets all video screen creations that the cast interacted with, the vibe intensely joyful and alive..... my Facebook status on Saturday night said it all....

Andrew Gillman just saw Hairspray and it's a riotously delicious gorgeously OTT all singing all dancing spectacle of fabulous wonderfulness!! You have to see it!

I have never enjoyed a musical more and that includes my darling musical, Wicked! Hairspray is such so much FUN that it made the visit to Melbourne worthwhile all on it's own! (Which is anyway why we are here in the first place.)...oh and they even made the toilets get into the spirit of the event! (see below)

We all milled around the theatre afterwards too and got very close to some of the cast members exiting. My beautiful guy & I almost had a photo taken with the lead but a 10 year old girl jumped in first and then the lead actor walked off, and I wasn't about to chase her like a teenage girl for a photo! Well maybe like a giddy 40 + girl but not a teenage one.. no.....

I want to see it again and soon! But first we slept after walking home through the city.....