Grain strain

Breakfast was my first-ever bowl of the apple'n'cinnamon-flavoured American cereal Apple Jacks (bought on clearance at Woolworths). Tasted all right. Was easy to eat, though afterwards I felt barely satisfied.

I've never been a fan of cereal. I certainly never wake up craving it. Sure, I'll often have something like muesli with banana and yoghurt, but only because I know it's healthy. I'd much rather a cheesy toasted sandwich.

While I ate silos full of Corn Flakes, Rice Bubbles, Puffed Wheat, etc. as a rugrat, that was 'cos (a) I rarely had a choice in the matter, and (b) I usually desperately wanted the promotional item that came with it.

The Apple Jacks box has a two-player maze game on the back. That seems about the extent of the freebies these days. No figurines, vehicles, collector cards, etc. Not even a cut-out-and-wear C-3PO mask.

For a while, manufacturers here upped the quality of these extras. I recall scoring a copy of "Monopoly" for the PC (I crushed the AI on the hardest difficulty) and a mini radio in the 2000s. Weren't there pedometers as well? Then either a law changed or the companies realised it didn't make a difference to sales.

Consequently, children today are denied the pleasure of collecting cards randomly packed in their Weet-Bix, then sending away for the poster to paste them onto. How I loved the series on rally cars!

The funny thing is, while I'm in no hurry for a second bowl of Apple Jacks, I would try more American cereals if the price was right. I'm naturally drawn to foodstuffs I've not tried, and years of seeing ads for US brands in comic books has only heightened my curiosity about Cap'n Crunch and his cronies. A future post?

Last five movies watched

"Ewoks" a rewatch.

Pick of the bunch: Egyptian-themed dark fantasy "Sands Of Oblivion" (2007) is so terrible it's fun. If I may be allowed to explain it in RPG terms, imagine a bad module being run by a bad GM for a group of talented role-players who are sports enough to try to make it work. At times, they almost do. The premise is cool - supernatural goings-on at the archaeological excavation of a buried film set from Hollywood's golden age. Shame about the poor plotting and pacing, frequently unbelievable character behaviour, frequently corny dialogue and overall low production values. But along with the main cast, there were obviously some folks behind the scenes putting in effort. There's a special-effects sequence towards the end that impressed me with its audacity (if not the finished article). Hint: Think of a very famous visual from 1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes And The Pyramid Of Fear"...

[Viewed on: Kanopy, Foxtel, Disney+, Netflix, Prime.]

Dream destinations

RS and I decided to blog the 10 places we'd most like to visit, assuming zero impediments. The only rules were that we couldn't choose whole countries and the write-ups had to be limited to 50 words.

To see his list, click the Robot Claw link under "Marching order" on the right.

Here's mine:

1. Broome & the Kimberley Region, Australia

While I’ve been to every state, territory, capital and hundreds of other parts of Oz (often multiple times), the north-west portion of WA has eluded me. I’d love to explore the unique Indigenous-European-Asian history, incredible scenery and wildlife of pearling centre Broome and its surrounds. King tides and camel rides!

2. Tendo, Japan

This Japanese city is known for beautiful woodcrafting, especially of Japanese chess sets. More importantly, it's where sister AC, her hubby and their kids reside. I’d willingly forgo the charms of Tokyo to have family show me around their neck of the woods – and perhaps teach me to play Shogi.

3. New York City, USA

Besides being able to indulge my passion for museums and galleries to the nth degree, the plan with this choice would be to attempt to rendezvous with my pals MR (Brooklyn), DQ (New Jersey) and RS (elsewhere in NY state). Together or separately, I wouldn't mind. Pizza OK with everyone?

4. Liverpool, England

I've been supporting Liverpool FC since the '80s and listening to The Beatles since I was a nipper in the '70s. I'm sure the excellent tourist attractions related to those two things alone would keep me busy during my stay. Catching a "ferry 'cross the Mersey" would also be neat.

5. Delphi, Greece

Of all the archaeological sites this history nut might conceivably visit, Delphi is the most evocative. The idea of ancients trekking to an oracle on a mountaintop to request (cryptic) advice when contemplating a major undertaking is one that I find endlessly appealing...regardless of scientific theories about intoxicating fumes, etc.

6. Bologna, Italy

Wherever I go, if there’s an unfamiliar university campus nearby, I will usually check it out inside business hours. These bastions of learning just speak to me, and I find the tiniest variations between them fascinating. The Uni Of Bologna is the oldest on the planet, operating continuously since 1088!!!

7. Jerusalem, Israel

Another inclusion based on enormous historical significance, but also because the place is a cultural melting pot and physical intersection of three global religions. I envisage this trip as being 78% touring holy sites, 19% eating delicious food and 3% hoping to glimpse the goddess Gal Gadot crossing the street.

8. Copenhagen, Denmark

To practise my Danish in the best possible way!

9. Santiago, Chile

This slot was either going to be a South American or African destination. Can't deny Santiago won out partly for reasons of personal safety. However, I'm genuinely intrigued by its people, diverse geography, mix of cutting-edge and (abundant) classical architecture, and it just seems overflowing with colourful art and life.

10. Toronto, Canada

If Liverpool was primarily LFC with Beatles stuff a bonus, Toronto'd be about my devotion to the group Rush, sons of the city. Attending a Jays game or wrestling show, taking a selfie on Degrassi St, consuming real poutine, etc. would be icing on the cake...er, gravy'n'curds on the chips.

Last five movies watched

"Big Trouble..." a rewatch. Barely holds up today.

"Blithe Spirit" is lame.

Pick of the bunch: The other three are all worthwhile.

[Viewed on: Netflix, Disney+, Prime, Netflix, Kanopy.]

I did a decade of my growing up in a beachside suburb

We swam, floated on various inflatables, boogie-boarded, paddled surf skis, snorkelled and fished off the rocks more times than I could count. The beach was where the community gathered for a big bonfire and the lighting of fireworks on Cracker Night. Catch the parachute! Cricket could be played if conditions were favourable - plenty of firm sand for the pitch, and, ideally, with the tide going out rather than coming in. Bucket sandcastles evolved into the painstaking process of letting wet sand gradually trickle through our cupped hands to form "drippy castles". Later, friends and I would use proper shovels/spades to construct channels and dams, relishing our power over the water...however temporary. Later still, the beach became a place for sly cigarettes or trysts far from adult supervision. (Though I didn't appreciate either thing 'til I'd moved away.) Another innocent activity was collecting seashells. Also driftwood swords and clubs. We once discovered a 40-gallon drum leaking blue goo. You could scrape messages in the sand or form them from the ever-present dried seaweed: "EMERGENCY - SEND HELP." Imagine if a plane sees this! In winter, when the swimmers and sunbathers were but a memory, you had the whole beach to kick a footy, throw a Frisbee, try flying a makeshift kite, etc. We weren't supposed to ride our BMX bikes there (risk of rust), but we did. We weren't supposed to walk our dogs there (signposted law), but we did. My mate MG found a $20 note. That was a fortune then. My buddy BP found a Midnight Oil T-shirt. None of us ever found a message in a bottle. You had to know where/when to look to spot the various fish, rays, crabs and eels. There must have been seagulls, too, although I can't picture 'em. The soft sand was perfect for practising long jump and triple jump for the school athletics carnival. If only you'd recalled this fact sooner. I did a little sunny-day reading on a towel underneath an umbrella. Truth be told, it wasn't as comfy as reading on the trampoline in our backyard. When the mullet ran, we assisted the weather-beaten fishermen in pulling their bulging net to shore - and went home with Friday dinners for a month. Irreversibly bogged tourist 4WDs were reported to the tractor-owning old fella on the hill, who'd tell us how much they'd need to pay for his services. Wild seas. Sailing boats. Coal ships. On the headland once, a rock band. This is by The Radiators! And filming for 1985's "The Lancaster Miller Affair". Avoiding stinging bluebottles in the water. Popping stranded ones with sticks. Mass-producing sand bombs (compress ball of wet, dust with dry, leave to bake). What'd life be like if I was growing up in that beachside suburb now? No Cracker Night. Drone-flying a possibility. Y'now, I think it'd be much the same. I think it'd be wonderful.

Last five movies watched

Pick of the bunch: If you have to ask, you don't know me very well :-)

[Viewed on: Prime, Prime, Netflix, Prime, brand-new DVD.]

NEW -> SYD

I don't believe travel is a right. I know it is a privilege. And so I won't be making any unnecessary trips out of my area while doing so represents a danger to myself or anyone else. That doesn't stop me missing spending long weekends in Sydney. To catch up with fam/friends, attend a gaming convention, soak up some culture, eat unfamiliar foods, or a combination of the four. CM tells me the city now has a "Twin Peaks"-themed bar. No doubt there'll be many such interesting changes when I finally step off a train at Central Station again.