Thank fuck that's over with...

The Commonwealth Games closed tonight. Hurrah!

Farewell traffic jams, insanely crowded streets and trams, and endless droning helicopters overhead.

Admittedly, the sense of excitement in the CBD was rather cool, and I enjoyed the opportunity to play impromtu tour guide whenever I noticed lost travellers looking confused and consulting maps... I just can't stop myself from helping people. My mum would be proud, I'm sure.

I walked down to the Fitzroy Gardens to watch the fireworks tonight- a pretty good view, although the countless panicked fruit bats wheeling overhead were (I suspect) an unplanned addition to the show... but I couldn't help thinking, even as I grinned like a delighted child at the beauty of the colours exploding and sparkling across the sky, about just how much money was being spent before my eyes.

$50 million on the combined opening and closing ceremonies apparently, for a second-rate international sporting carnival that's unfairly balanced in favour of the handful of competing countries who are rich enough to be able to afford an elite athletes training program.

This when small to medium youth arts organisations are lucky to get $80,000 a year in government funding despite the long term cutural creativity they generate for the wider community, instead of for a handful of people who know how to run/swim faster or throw/kick something further than the next person.

This when our health, housing, education and public transport sectors are crying out for better government support.

Bread and circuses. Fuck that for a joke.

PS: Before any of my mates ask, no, my cynicism is not connected to a lack of brief but passionate flings with dark and handsome international visitors while the Com Games were on. I didn't even try, to be honest. I'm finding meaningless sex rather boring at the moment.