Would you fly on that spaceship?

For a change at our general meeting in April we played a game in the form of a Crew Hiring Challenge.

The challenge was for each team to agree on a spaceship and its crew – the crew being the Captain, First Officer, Science Officer, Chief Engineer, Navigator, Medical Officer, Security Officer, Quarter Master, and the Sanitation Engineer.

The rules of the challenge were: everything must come from a fictional universe; the crew and its ship must all come from different fictional universes; and the same ship or character could not be chosen by more than one team.

There was a lot of discussion, some spying on other teams and some laughter before three possibly highly dysfunctional crews and their ships emerged.

In no particular order….

Would you travel on this spaceship?

Spaceship Helva (Anne McCaffrey’s novel The Ship Who Sang)

• Captain John Sheridan (Babylon 5)
• First Officer Chewbacca (Star Wars)
• Science Officer Harry Seldon, (Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels)
• Chief Engineer Conrad Stargard (Leo Frankowski’s Cross-Time Engineer novels)
• Navigator Aelliana Caylon (Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Liaden novels)
• Medical Officer Doctor Conway (James White’s Sector General novels)
• Security Officer Tasha Yar (Star Trek the Next Generation)
• Quarter Master Elli Quinn (Lois McMaster-Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga novels)
• Sanitation Engineer Adam Quark (Quark)

Or would you travel on this spaceship?

Spaceship Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)

• Captain Nemo (Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and other novels)
• First Officer 7 of 9 (Star Trek Voyager)
• Science Officer The Doctor (Doctor Who)
• Chief Engineer Richard Ceason (Sky Layer)
• Navigator Major West (Lost in Space, 1960s series)
• Medical Officer Doctor Victor Frankenstein (Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein)
• Security Officer Flash Gordon (originally from Alex Raymond’s 1934 comic strip Flash Gordon)
• Quarter Master Alfred Pennyworth (Batman)
• Sanitation Engineer Dave Lister (Red Dwarf)

Or would you travel on this spaceship?

Spaceship New York City (James Blish’s Cities in Flight novels). Yes, it is the actual city of New York.

• Captain Aral Vorkosigan (Lois McMaster-Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga novels)
• First Officer Hal (Arthur C Clarke’s novel 2001: A Space Odyssey)
• Science Officer Ash (Alien) 
• Chief Engineer Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” Frye (Firefly)
• Navigator A Navigator (Frank Herbert’s Dune novels)
• Medical Officer Doctor Stephen Franklin (Babylon 5)
• Security Officer Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)
• Quarter Master Vila Restal (Blake’s 7)
• Sanitation Engineer Kryten (Red Dwarf)

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Canberra celebrates Star Wars with bells on

May the 4th (be with you) is Star Wars day and one of Canberra’s institutions is celebrating loudly.

At 12.30pm on May the 4th, the National Carillion is hosting a Star Wars concert – with arrangements of new and original Star Wars themes composed by John Williams ringing out across Lake Burley Griffin until 1.30pm.

This is a free event and a rare chance for Star Wars fans to hear the themes played on the Carillion’s 55 bronze bells.

The full program is:

• Main Theme (played by Peter Bray and Harrison Whalan, arranged by T Laue, P Bray and K Mahajan)
• Imperial March (played by Lyn Fuller, arranged by A Bowler)
• Princess Leia’s Theme (played by Lyn Fuller, arranged by A Bowler)
• Cantina Theme (arranged & played by Julie Wright & Peter Bray)
• Yoda’s theme (arranged & played by Anna Wong)
• Throne Room (arranged & played by Leonard Weiss)
• Finn’s Confession (arranged & played by Leonard Weiss)
• Jedi Steps (arranged & played by Leonard Weiss)
• Luke and Leia (arranged & played by Harrison Whalan)
• Across the Stars (arranged & played by Peter Bray)
• Rey’s Theme (arranged & played by Peter Bray)

ABC returns to the stars

Stargazing Live, the combined television and stargazing event, which will be on the ABC again this year from 22 – 24 May. As a part of this event…

Budding astronomers and space explorers – on Wednesday 23 May, the Australian National University and the ABC will be attempting a Guinness World Record for the ‘most people stargazing – multiple venues’. The current record was set by the ANU at 7,960 people across 37 locations. During this time, we will be hosting a number of events both here in Canberra and up at Siding Spring.

The ABC and ANU are putting out the call to schools, astronomy societies, community groups, and all budding galactic explorers across Australia to join the world record attempt by hosting a Stargazing Live Star Party on Wednesday 23 May.

Yes, you can party with the stars and not starlets!

ABC Stargazing Live site

Details and how to register your party on the ABC’s website. 

 

February Fortune dining

The Canberra Science Fiction Club usually meets twice each month.  The first Thursday is a General Meeting and on the third Thursday members, friends, family or guests can gather together to talk and eat at a restaurant.  Each person pays for their own choice of meal.  Everyone is welcome.  You don’t have to belong to the club to join in.  The only requirement is that you notify the Secretary at least two days before attending the dinner.

The Secretary has pre-selected the restaurants for this year and the cuisines are varied – Chinese, Ethiopian, Indian, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Nepalese, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese, just to name a few.  Most restaurants have a banquet as well as a normal menu.

February’s choice was Chinese – we gathered at the Fortune Cookie at the Melba shops.  Many attendees had dined at the there last year and were looking forward to an excellent meal again.  We were not disappointed.

This restaurant is amazing.  The staff is friendly and willing to alter dishes if needed. (One of us had a pork allergy and they were happy to substitute chicken for pork in the San Choi Bow.)

Their menu has seventeen classifications for the food – Signature dishes, Entrees, Soups, Beef, Lamb, Pork, Duck, Chicken, Seafood, Prawns, Squid, Scallops, Omelettes, Tofu, Vegetables, Noodles and Rice.  They also have a Banquet for 2-5 people or for 6+ diners. And a separate Dessert menu.

The Banquet was chosen (just $40. per head ).  I will just describe the dishes we had.  Three entrees:- Spring Rolls, Prawn Toast and a Dim Sim type ball.   It did not take too long before these were heartily attacked and enjoyed by all.

Then the main dishes were served:-

– San Choi Bow (the meat and spices served in a lettuce leaf),

– Peking Shredded Beef,

– Pepper Fillet Steak Hotpot,

– King Prawns with Ginger and Shallot,

– Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetables with Tofu,

– Boneless Chicken with Lemon Sauce,

– Mongolian Lamb,

– Yeong Chow Rice (a fried rice) and plain Jasmine Rice.

This provided a pleasantly balanced meal with no chillies.  Strangely most conversations ceased as everyone tucked in.  I think the most popular dish was the Hotpot.

And to finish off – a Dessert of the day.

Two of the diners elected to order separately – a single entree and main, but also followed up with a dessert.  They were not disappointed in their choices either.

Drinks available included the usual selection of water, wines, soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Everybody had a excellent time and very much enjoyed the food.  We will definitely be back there again.

-SH

Meetings

These are the CSFS meeting dates for the rest of 2018.
This list will be updated through the year with any changes of venue/date. Please check this post for the latest information.
All general meetings start at 7.00pm, at the Canberra Southern Cross Club in Woden.
For all restaurant meetings, please email or phone the Secretary Sandra to confirm you’re attending and will need a seat to be booked.

• March 15 restaurant meeting (RM) at Turkish Delight, Belconnen
• April 5 GM
• April 19 RM at Flavours of India, Woden
• May 3 GM
• May 17 RM at Ethiopia Down Under, Pearce
• June 7 GM
• June 21 RM at Thai Ayutthaya, Belconnen
• July 5 GM
• July 19 RM at Iron Chef, Mawson
• August 2 GM
• August 16 RM at Turkish Grill, Wanniassa
• September 6 GM
• September 20 RM at Hellenic Club, Woden
• October 4 GM
• October 18 RM at Cisco’s Mexican, Kingston
• November 1 GM
• November 15 RM at My’s Vietnamese, Weston
• December 6 Annual General Meeting
• December 20 RM at Saffron, Kingston

Younger than Bilbo

2018 will be the CSFS’s unofficial 50th and official 47th birthday!

The CSFS was officially named in 1971 but the first meetings were held in 1968.

Do you think we should celebrate our society’s birthday?

• Do something
• Do nothing

Star Wars flying into Canberra first

Usually Canberra doesn’t get to see visiting science fiction exhibitions and models. However, that changes this week with an Australian first for ‘Star Wars’ fans.

A full scale model ‘Star Wars’ x-wing will be “flying” into the Tuggeranong Hyperdome from this Monday, 19 February, for a week, on its first stop around the country.

The x-wing exhibit has set opening hours – 11am to 4pm Monday 19th to Friday 23rd, and 10am to 3pm Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th.

The businesses in the Hyperdome are joining in with Limelight Cinemas showing ‘The Last Jedi’ at $6 sessions daily, and discounts on ‘Star Wars’ merchandise at various stores.

Perhaps the best thing for ‘Star Wars’ fans will simply being able to enjoy a celebration of the universe you love.

Hungry Buddha

The Canberra Science Fiction Club usually meets twice each month. The first Thursday is a General Meeting and on the third Thursday members, friends, family or guests can gather together to talk and eat at a restaurant. Each person pays for their own choice of meal. Everyone is welcome. You don’t have to belong to the club to join in. The only requirement is that you notify the Secretary at least two days before attending the dinner.

The Secretary has pre-selected the restaurants for this year and the cuisines are varied – Chinese, Ethiopian, Indian, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Nepalese, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese, just to name a few. Most restaurants have a banquet as well as a normal menu.

January’s choice was Nepalese – we gathered at the Hungry Buddha in Belconnen. Many attendees had dined at the Hungry Buddha in Curtin (before they moved to Belconnen) and were looking forward to an excellent meal. The Banquet menu was chosen (just $35. per head). I won’t go into the Nepalese name for each dish, just describe the dishes.

Four entrees were provided:-
– Steamed chicken dumpling with homemade tomato pickle,
– Corn kernels sautéed with authentic Nepalese spices,
– Spicy peanut salad with lime, tomato and onion sauce, and
– Tender chicken fillets sautéed with chilli flakes, diced capsicum and onion.
It did not take too long before these were heartily attacked and enjoyed by all.

Then four main dishes were served. These were accompanied by Rice, Naan bread, Raita and Pickles:-
– Lentils flambé with cumin, coriander, a touch of chilli and cooked with Himalayan spices and tossed with herb jimmu (or jimbu),
– Nepalese style vegetable (mild) curry of cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, peas, potatoes, bamboo shoots and other seasonal vegetables,
– Boneless chicken cooked in exotic Himalayan spices, and
– Village style bone-in goat with flavours of fenugreek, cinnamon, tomatoes, bay leaves, ginger and garlic.

Drinks available included the usual selection of red or white wines. soft drinks and Lassis.

Strangely enough by the time all this was eaten, nobody seemed interested in a dessert.

Everybody had a excellent feed and very much enjoyed the food. We will definitely go back there again.
-SH

Star Wars the Last Jedi

Members of the society are putting together a group to see ‘Star Wars the Last Jedi’. The date and time will be agreed at the AGM

AGM 7 December

The CSFS’s annual general meeting will be held Thursday 7 December at 7.30pm at the Canberra Southern Cross Club in Woden.

Members, if have any other business you would like to raise or contributions to the agenda items below – please contact the Secretary or leave a message below.

CSFS AGM Agenda
1. Minutes from the 2016 GM
2. Reports from office bearers – Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and President
3. Nomination and election of new office bearers
4. 2018 Restaurant meeting venues
5. Other business