First, I apologise for the remarkable delay in posting this entry. Two weeks of the time between the event date and this post date were incredibly busy with a wonderful visit with our good friend Betsy Adams from Connecticut, our first non-relative to brave the long journey from the States (and it was well worth it, right Betsy?). And we did take off for a few days during the girls’ two-week October school holidays for a little family R&R. But the remaining time? Just the nitty-gritty of everyday life, I guess.
On September 9, Rick turned 40. I must admit that I struggled with how we should celebrate this milestone. Should I throw a big party for him at the house? Perhaps a large dinner with friends at a restaurant? I thought about a party where everyone would be asked to bring a dish. I thought about getting a caterer and having a grown-up party. I even considered inviting friends with young children, and serving just cake and ice cream and playing silly party games. But honestly, being an introvert, and not a particularly eager creative planner, I find planning and executing parties to be excruciating. Just ask Rick, who has watched me conceptualize and plan what we will do for the girls’ simple children's birthday parties- I get way too anxious to find it rewarding. And Rick has never really wanted a big fuss made about his birthday, anyhow, so I wasn’t even sure how much he would appreciate the gesture.
So, after struggling with this question for months, I basically bailed out and decided that I would simply convince him to take the day off, as his birthday was a weekday. We would do something fun during the day, and then have a nice family dinner out and have cake at home. And that is what we did- while the girls were in school, we went bike riding in Sydney Olympic Park, which has miles of bike trails, with Lachlan on the back of my bike, and then we had a nice family dinner at a local Thai restaurant, and an extraordinarily rich homemade chocolate chocolate chip cake at home. It was a wonderful day and Rick felt properly celebrated.
Apparently, however, when church members caught wind of my faltering party planning, they were a bit concerned that such a significant birthday might pass so quietly. When I was first asked whether Rick would enjoy a party at the church, I thought that perhaps they would have a cake and a festive morning tea after church. “Yes, he’d appreciate that.” Oh boy, little did I realize what I got him into….
Immediately after Rick had walked to the back of the sanctuary and said the benediction for the 9:30am service on September 14, he was approached by six men (all members of the congregation) in black suits, ear pieces and shades. One of the men came to the front of the church and announced that they were from the FBI and that it was understood that the congregation was harbouring a minister whose visa had expired. Rick was handcuffed and spirited off to a waiting car. He was driven to a local park down the street, where they kept him wondering about his fate for about half an hour.
On September 9, Rick turned 40. I must admit that I struggled with how we should celebrate this milestone. Should I throw a big party for him at the house? Perhaps a large dinner with friends at a restaurant? I thought about a party where everyone would be asked to bring a dish. I thought about getting a caterer and having a grown-up party. I even considered inviting friends with young children, and serving just cake and ice cream and playing silly party games. But honestly, being an introvert, and not a particularly eager creative planner, I find planning and executing parties to be excruciating. Just ask Rick, who has watched me conceptualize and plan what we will do for the girls’ simple children's birthday parties- I get way too anxious to find it rewarding. And Rick has never really wanted a big fuss made about his birthday, anyhow, so I wasn’t even sure how much he would appreciate the gesture.
So, after struggling with this question for months, I basically bailed out and decided that I would simply convince him to take the day off, as his birthday was a weekday. We would do something fun during the day, and then have a nice family dinner out and have cake at home. And that is what we did- while the girls were in school, we went bike riding in Sydney Olympic Park, which has miles of bike trails, with Lachlan on the back of my bike, and then we had a nice family dinner at a local Thai restaurant, and an extraordinarily rich homemade chocolate chocolate chip cake at home. It was a wonderful day and Rick felt properly celebrated.
Apparently, however, when church members caught wind of my faltering party planning, they were a bit concerned that such a significant birthday might pass so quietly. When I was first asked whether Rick would enjoy a party at the church, I thought that perhaps they would have a cake and a festive morning tea after church. “Yes, he’d appreciate that.” Oh boy, little did I realize what I got him into….
Immediately after Rick had walked to the back of the sanctuary and said the benediction for the 9:30am service on September 14, he was approached by six men (all members of the congregation) in black suits, ear pieces and shades. One of the men came to the front of the church and announced that they were from the FBI and that it was understood that the congregation was harbouring a minister whose visa had expired. Rick was handcuffed and spirited off to a waiting car. He was driven to a local park down the street, where they kept him wondering about his fate for about half an hour.
Rick realized immediately that it was a practical joke, but said he was a bit concerned not knowing where exactly the joke was headed, as the ring leader of the “FBI” is well known for his epicly creative bachelor party pranks that involve no alcohol, but plenty of rotten fruit and general "mickey taking". To take the mickey means to tease, and Australians have elevated it to an art form. Especially for Aussie men, this humourous teasing has a leveling effect among mates, reflecting the Australian spirit of egalitarianism. As a general rule, if Australians treat you with great courtesy and deference, they probably regard you as an outsider. If they take the mickey outta you, you belong.
I think Rick now belongs. After his wait in the park, he was seated in a chair in the back of a black ute (a very popular type of Aussie vehicle: sort of a half-car/half-pickup with a cab up front and a tray in the back to haul stuff, like the old El Camino), still bound and gagged. Accompanied by the “FBI” agents on foot, motorcade-style, he was slowly driven down the streets back to the church, attracting many curious onlookers throughout the neighbourhood. The congregation was gathered outside the church to greet him, and what a sight it was to see that motorcade processing down the street towards us, Rick helplessly sitting in the back!
Upon their arrival, he was greeted by women from the Ladies' Fellowship dressed as Aussie lifesavers (the iconic Aussie lifeguards that patrol the surf in their red and yellow beanies) holding both American and Australian flags, as well as children with noisemakers and lots of clapping and cheering from the crowd. I must admit that he bore the whole ordeal with more grace and good humour than I ever could have managed--as I told the congregation later on, this was most appropriate payback for the many practical jokes that he pulled in his younger years before he took on the more serious responsibilities of pastoral leadership!
After his arrival, we enjoyed the obligatory presentation of gag gifts, a sausage sizzle lunch, desserts and cake, and then went to the sanctuary, where our family was seated up front during a slide show “roast” of sorts using pictures that Rick’s mom and I had provided. There were some wonderfully hilarious moments.
The whole experience was a great illustration of some of the basic threads that we've seen woven through Australian culture. Australians have a wonderful way of taking what they do seriously, but not taking themselves too seriously. There is a profound good-naturedness and laid back attitude.
Now, our most important task is to actually get that visa renewed by its expiration date, November 3, before we get real immigration officials carting off the entire family! We truly are looking forward to experiencing Australian culture for a bit longer!
The capture
The motorcade
The arrival
The rescue and welcome
