Eurovision Final 2007

This is the third year I've made the pilgrimage to Melbourne for Eurovision (it would be the fourth but I was, alas, on the other side of the world last year... Hehehe)

The party is always fabulous. Dressing up is optional (I opted out this year and last time I just wore one of my stripy shirts and pretended I was french) but Kerry and Dermuid always outdo themselves:(In case you can't read Kerry's badge, it says "Hello my name is Nana. Please note Dermuid's fine collection of ABBA bubblegum cards on the fridge, and admire the bottom half of his costume below:) Each year we have to pick a flag at random (this year it was out of a vintage ABBA vinyl case) and there are a couple of traditions involving them. If a song is particularly dire the chant of "burn! burn! burn!" starts around the room. And whoever "owns" the flag of that country has to ceremoniously throw it in the fire.

Two flags were burned this year. Turkey sacrificed itself with no encouragement and Armenia got a lot of encouragement to hit the fire.

There is also voting under topical themes. For instance, this year I got to be Finland and won the Paris Hilton's "Stars are blind" Jail Bird Song Award which meant I was presented with the following classy prizes:I've included a picture of the voting sheet as the voting system was simplified last year. Each person is given a sheet of stickers with one sticker for each category. There is a piece of paper representing each of the countries hung on the wall. You simply stick your stickers onto the country's paper when you decide to vote for them. Result: final counting much simplified! (See action shot below)Oh, you want to know what some of the categories were this year?

* The Turkey-Slap "Nil points" Award for most likely to be booted out (Ireland)

* Anthony Callea's Best Boy Disco Diva Award (Spain)
* Dig me up before you Go-Go...!! Anna Nicole Smith Best Dressed Award (Ukraine)

And speaking of Ukraine, why didn't they win...

instead of K D lang and Sean Lennon's love child with The Madonna Clones? I don't speak Serbian but imagine the poor thing was singing about how she only had white sneakers and everyone else had black high heels and how she wished she could afford black high heels.

Also high on my list (but, alas, it would seem, no one in Europe's) was the UK entry. Which I think Richard Branson should adopt immediately as the Virgin theme song:

And the themes of this year's final? Black (particularly leather). White. And black and white. Pork pie hats. And after Lordi proved heavy could win Eurovision we had a plethora of heavy and gothy entries (including one of the postcards)

Oh yes, the postcards. There was knitting (once) and Libraries (twice!)