we have the, er, honour of living some 20 minutes away from russell crowe. this was something i actually did not know when we moved here. it did not, however, take me long to find out.

just weeks into our residence here, my (visiting) mother ran shrieking at me, local paper held aloft like a trophy, gesturing wildly towards the opened 'entertainment' section and making loud noises about "seeing russell's band".

needless to say, this excursion did not happen. it's not that i have anything personal against russell himself. that would be silly, considering i have never met the man. it's just that, to australian women, russell crowe is simply not that unique.

in fact, you just need to visit any local music venue, watering hole or beach to find yourself three-deep in russells', each one barely distinguishable from the next.

russell crowe is what i refer to a "a real man". he typifies the salt-of-the-earth australian man: loves his football, enjoys live music and mates, dresses how he damned well pleases and doesn't take crap from anyone.

i'm sure russell crowe knows that the international media make a big deal about photographing him in the same shirt a few days running, and i'm just as sure that he doesn't give a shit what they think. i guess he just can't see the point in wasting time and money trying to impress people he doesn't know, and frankly, i can't either.

it's wonderful to think that a man who could make his home anywhere in the world chooses to marry and raise his family in the beautiful country in which he himself grew up. as locals of 'nana glen' can tell you, not everybody likes the 'fuss' that sometimes occurs around their very own home-grown superstar, but everybody likes the man himself.

in a world of highly polished performers, i find it truly heart-warming to see an oscar-winning actor shake his fist in the air and shout until he's hoarse supporting a tiny local football team called "the orara valley axemen"(even if he does arrive in a helicopter nowadays).

and as much as russell crowe is not my kind of man, the fact remains that he is a person of international standing that is damned proud of his homeland and remains firmly balanced by his involvement in the local area. this is a man with a community spirit. (rare ?. oh yeah. and even rarer in a superstar).

as an australian woman, i understand the attraction to aussie men. that rough and ready no-nonsense manner can leave even the most capable woman feeling all squishy. and whilst i will never be amongst those who go weak at the knees at the very sight of the gladiator himself, i will say that i think russell crowe is a damned good bloke.

and that’s high praise indeed, dear russell. high praise in-deed !