Kristin Mack Alnaes: Merry November!

Usually I look forward to November only for one single reason; my birthday. Beyond that the second to last month of the year is dull, dark and depressing. November in Australia is a wonderful contrast.

Firstly, it is not raining permanently, even though the humidity is high. Secondly, November down under has something to offer that no other months have; a nation that stops. And a nation (or at least half of the nation) dressed in moustaches.

Need to know more?

Aussies are good at sport. Levels of both participation and achievement are much higher in comparison to the population of the country. They bring home medals from the Olympics. Winning appeals to them (I can't argue that). And so they enjoy gambling as well. Pokies, scratchies, racing — they like it. However, there is one event in particular that brings Australia to standstill and makes blood boil. They prepare for it for months, charge their spirit, book restaurant specials a long time in advance — and all the optimism peaks into three and a half minutes where the people either hold their breath or roar loudly. Let me stress that: 3.5 minutes! It is The Melbourne Cup. At around 3 pm Melbourne time on the first Tuesday in November they all watch this classic 3,200 meter horse race. Apparently no other race in the world exercises so strong a hold on the public. The atmosphere is electric on the actual racecourse. But the impression from the streets is that everyone takes part. We stopped working for an hour to watch the 149th Melbourne Cup. The hats and fascinators were put on (see the photos), we placed our internal office bets, had some drinks and cheered while we watched the telly.

I enjoyed it. I have always liked horses (even though that is not a requirement for being a racing enthusiast), and I have got the hang of small-scale gambling (my favorite Australian horse, Viking Legend — can't resist a horse with such a name — increased my income previously). Unfortunately Viking Legend was not on the starting line in the cup. So how do you know what horse to put your money on? You could go for sheer luck, but the good gamblers know that the big prices are not merely due to fate. There are many variables and key pointers to consider placing your bet on a horse: jockeys and trainers, age and sex, saddlecloth number, handicap, preparation, breeding, even the odds. As you might have understood already: I choose the horse by the name. No need to ponder. Why put your bet on horse named after a teenage alcoholic drink (Alcopop) or a murder (Crime Scene), when you can go for a beautiful spring flower (Daffodil) or an Italian town (Fiumicino)?  You might say that I have a gambling problem, because Fiumicino sure did battle for the lead for a very long time — but ended up second to last...

I have done some research trying to reveal what amount of money that was wagered for the mentioned three and half minutes. Supposedly there was a record on last Tuesday. Despite the financial crisis, punters spent a lot at the Melbourne Cup, with New South Wales and Victorian gamblers betting a record $95.6 million (Norwegians; multiply that with the exchange rate at 5,2 and you have two and a half times as much as the annual charity fundraisings on TV accumulate). However, the amount varies by 40 million Australian dollars. Which means that it is not only some that might have a gambling problem, but also TAB (the official national betting agency) may have trouble adding.

The government's attitude towards the cup is a contradiction in terms. On the one hand they advise the people with gambling problems to contact the dedicated gambling hangover counsellors. On the other hand the Melbourne Cup is a public holiday in the state of Victoria, and even the government is suspended so that the decision makers also can watch the live show.

So, if you think it is comical (but convenient) that a whole nation is standing still due to a horse race, you might consider November an amusing month after all. Imagine also preparing for Christmas in summer (and yet purchasing Christmas cards with snowmen and snow crystals). Or imagine fighting diseases by growing your moustache! Movember is here now for a whole month. Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression.

The conclusion is that November does offer much more than rain. If I had the ability, I would perhaps grow a moustache myself. For several reasons:

1. Not to be recognized when people see that I have a gambling problem

2.To socialize with Santa

3. For a good cause

Merry November!