A colleague messaged me yesterday saying “I just watched Caroline Wilson’s speech. I saw you in the crowd”. He was referring to the Andrew Olle Media Lecture, which I’ve written about previously. In reply I asked him if they’d crossed to me with a glass of wine in hand, as once occurred.

I learned my lesson well from that fateful television screening about a decade ago. After crossing to me in the audience (on my third consecutive sip) friends messaged me saying “you look like you had a good night”!!! “Always look interested, and never drink during the telecast” I’ve warned colleagues, ever since.

“Looking and listening thoughtfully”, he told me. So, of course I checked it out today, just to be sure. It’s on iview for the next month. https://iview.abc.net.au/show/andrew-olle-media-lecture-2018

Aside from yesterday’s visit to the Parbury Ruins, it’s been a reasonably quiet weekend. I’ve spent much of it in bed. There’s the heat – yes – but I’ve also been suffering with a bit of hay-fever. Though I love the trees in my street (they provide shelter in the summer, and let the sun through in the winter), they cause me some problems during spring and autumn when they’re either gaining or shedding leaves.

One of the interesting things I managed to note, however, was the large amount of construction still underway in the city.

Combined with the light rail construction, it seems like Sydney is one big development site right now. “How’s it going?”, a friend asked me the other day. “Though I know it will be good in the end, I’m completely over it”, I told him.

The other week, a colleague visiting from Sweden asked me when I would be back in Stockholm. “When they finish Slussen”, I told him, reflecting on what seems to be Stockholm’s longest running infrastructure project which, apparently, won’t be finished until 2025!!