Oz, Gypsies 3 and more turning japanese

Big fat gypsy weddings just gets better and better. As steve said - my hairdressers chap who came with her last week when Kate cut my hair - it is essential viewing. This week it focused more on the female roles of gypsy life and to be honest in my head it looked pretty grim but in my sociological hat, you have to remember and respect this is their culture and way of life. Everything is normal to them.

As mentioned earlier the gender roles are pretty defined. Women have 2 important events in their life - their first communion and their wedding. Life is completely geared around getting married. They tend to be taken out of school around 11/12ish and from what the programme is telling us do nothing but clean, wait on their husband hand and foot and look after children afterwards. One gypsy was saying that they couldn't go anywhere without the husbands permission - even the shop for milk.

This weeks followed two more weddings. One lass was 18, which apparently is pretty old for a gypsy bride. It showed her sister who was 11 I think crying at the wedding as she realised her life now was cleaning and running around after her family as her big sister now  had her own husband and caravan. My heart felt for her. They don't have the opportunities we take for granted. Like the chance to go to university, day trips out, normal things like that.

There were more amazingly large dresses and this week a lady upped the anty with the biggest cake I have ever seen in my life.

This weeks documentary is going to be from the male gypsys point of view. It showed a preview of bare knuckle fighting.

I really wasn't as impressed with part two of JLC turning Japanese though. I really enjoyed last weeks as it showed us several really bizarre things. This week it all centred around JLC pairing up with a japanese comedian and them doing a duo show in japan. Oh and there was a freaky monkey in a cafe type thing too. It needed more stuff. More culture, more weird stuff, more umpth to keep up with the momentum from last week! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the final part has that.

If anyone is interested you can currently see the first episode here:
http://www.five.tv/shows/justin-lee-collins-turning-japanese/episodes/episode-1-293

Finally I would just like to offer my prayers and love to all the Ozzies who have experienced the floods and typhon. I have family in both Brisbane and Cairns so it was pretty scary and worrying for a bit this week. Luckily we have now had a communication from my Aunt and everyone is okay. My cousins house by the sounds of it got battered up quite abit and her cane farm has been damaged. Thats lucky I suppose . . . . .  it could have been a lot worse. My Aunt told me that harbours have boats smashed up together, some houses have no ammenties, the army is on the way out with food and water. In Tully they have had 90% of shops damaged. Its going to take a long time for them to recover and get back on their feet. Much love to everyone, you are in our thoughts.