Ash reports

Moving

2007-04-17T22:07:00.000+10:00

Ze blog is on ze move!!!

I'm tired of the limitations of blogger, and I want to revamp my blog with a new look, a new name and a new panache.

So we are moving. Ash Reports is no more (though I will probably be dragging my archive of old posts over to my new home).

My new blog is called betty loves blogging, and you can find it at http://bettylovesblogging.typepad.com.

Please bear with me while I experiment with the design over there, give me any feedback, and please update any links you have on your own blogs. Thanks lovely lovely readers.

Maybe Kate and Wills...

2007-04-16T21:41:00.000+10:00

... just got tired of each other. Grew apart.

(I'm talking Kate Middleton and Prince William here for the clueless)

Maybe there was no royal family conference. The Queen probably didn't butt in. Maybe Kate and Wills had a screaming match with each other in the kitchen and decided to end it. Maybe she was sick of being chased. Maybe she was sick of him never doing the dishes. Maybe he wants to try and find himself before making a big commitment. Maybe they are just young, changable, and everyone should get over it.

It seems that the most plausable explanation (that their lives had changed dramatically in the past four years and they had possibly grown apart due to that) has been completely overlooked. But hey, that's not an exciting read, is it?

That is all.

Cupcakes

2007-04-15T12:40:00.000+10:00

My housemate was baking cupcakes for a friend's 21st, so I decided to get in the way with my camera to play around with black and white. And then I helped iced some. And then I ate some. And they were good.

The Great Escape Festival

2007-04-15T12:14:00.000+10:00

Over the Easter long weekend I went to the Great Escape music festival at the Newington Armory at Homebush. It went for three days, and it was Glastonbury-style, with camping (I didn't camp), and it even had really cold weather and constant drizzle, as well as mud. But other than the weather it was pretty good, saw some cool acts. Missy Higgins played some of her new stuff with such bravado that I will probably rush out and get the album as soon as it comes out. Also saw some cool bands that I hadn't heard of before like Fourplay, Coda, Waiting for Guiness, Lou Rhodes and stuff. Ziggy Marley bought the peace and da love man... the mosh smelt so strongly of weed it was amazing, but it was very peaceful for a mosh! Bob Evans, as well as Ben Kweller, were very cool indeed, and the John Butler Trio also did an amazing job at holding the Saturday crowd there until the end despite the freezing weather.

Overall it was pretty cool... (disclosure: I had a complimentary ticket to the festival). There were markets and rides and stuff, and the stage down by the riverside was very chilled, and with the sun setting over the Parramatta River, quite a gorgeous setting. It wasn't at all crowded, plenty of muddy grass to hang out and chat on.

I didn't take many pics of the bands or anything unfortunately, so sorry bout that.

Thai photos

2007-04-15T12:06:00.000+10:00

Here are a couple of photos I took while doing a food review for work a week or so ago. It got me thinking... being a food photographer would be a pretty awesome job. Food doesn't talk back... it doesn't blink when the flash goes off... and you would get to eat the yummy food after the shoot. Sounds like a pretty sweet gig really. Dealing with the chefs might not be so fun though.

Shorthand from hell

2007-04-05T21:43:00.000+10:00

We have to do a Teeline shorthand course at work. Three hours once a week, a group of us young journos are crammed into a meeting room around a little crowded table to learn how to write quickly. Our teacher says we are the worst group we have ever had. Especially the girls... apparently we just sit around looking pretty. She also thinks that many of us may be dyslexic or stupid, and she has told us this on multiple occasions. A colleague of mine was called "ridiculous" in the first week, and at this weeks lesson we were all labelled "disgusting" and "a disgrace".

For our teacher, shorthand is a way of life. She even seriously recommended that we practice shorthand while driving... I kid you not. "Look at the street signs and think about how you would write them in shorthand" she said. Parramatta Rd... pedestrian on windscreen... accident... ambulance. How would I write that in shorthand? Maybe I could write my insurance details down in shorthand for whoever I ran in to, I'm sure they would appreciate that.

We are also apparently supposed to practice shorthand for several hours a day. In fact, our teacher vouches that if we read our shorthand book on the bus, people will approach us because we will be cool and they will think it is cool that we know shorthand. The only people that approach each other and talk on the bus are either nutters or someone trying to steal your wallet/ipod/phone while distracting you. I don't want to attract these people by reading squiggles in public.

She also actively encourages us to go home and show our shorthand to mum and dad, who will apparently be impressed. This goes down really well with a group of cynical young professionals in their early or mid 20s. We really appreciate being patronised. The beauty and lifestyle writers are particularly disgruntled at having to waste their time at a shorthand class. As one girl beautifully put it; "Why do I need to know this? I write about handbags and lip gloss."

The irony is that learning something that is supposed to save time is really wasting me a lot of time. Time that I doubt I will ever get back. When I get back to the office I have a backlog of phone calls and stuff to tee up. The sad thing is that my own pride will not allow me to suck at shorthand and bomb out on the speed test, so I feel like I should actually practice it at some point. *sigh* It only goes until July....

It seems like shorthand is some sort of right of passage passed on from the old days of newspapers when stories were clanged out on typewriters and nobody went to university. You have to learn it, but then barely anybody actually uses it. Ask most editors or high up journos if you need shorthand and they will say "oh yeah it's really important", ask them if they actually use it and they will often answer "no" or "not much". I can see it would be important for court reporting and stuff like that, but it's just such a chore...

Something to love....

2007-03-25T21:17:00.000+10:00

With the cold (poms.... don't laugh.... cold for Australia) weather starting to begin, it makes one want to nest. It makes one want to settle down, potter around the kitchen and make comfort food, and look after something. With no child (a very very good thing), no pet (also a good thing.... especially for the pet), no man (not such a great thing)... what can I mother and fuss over while indulging in seasonally influenced nesting?

Mine is the one in the blue pot. Aren't they cute? It was hard to decide which colour pot to choose. My last fish broke my heart by suiciding when life in the tank became too much for it, so hopefully this plant will live for a while.

I bought it at the Norton Street Festa, which was a big Italian festival happening in Leichhardt this weekend. There was lots of yummy food, stalls selling cute things, cultural performances and even Bob the Builder! Yes!!!

In a grand stroke of luck, I managed to lose my wallet while taking photos... and have it returned to me by a valiant policewoman on horseback. I was very grateful indeed.

Oh it's raining outside. I wonder if my plant needs attention?

Polled over

2007-03-25T20:36:00.000+10:00

Working as an "election official" at a polling booth in the Balmain electorate for the NSW State election wasn't just a nice way to make a bit of cash for a days work... it also provided thrilling insights in to the following;
a) the complete lack of knowledge most people have about politics and the way in which the democratic system functions (even in an electorate with a high proportion of university educated professionals). This also includes people actually working at the polling booths, who frequently gave voters incorrect information about how to vote, what the different papers were for, and had no clue themselves.
b) voting is for everybody... that includes idiots, assholes, cranky old people and crazy people reeking of booze who spent all day drinking in a seedy bar and declared it loudly over and over again while I was trying to issue their ballot paper
c) counting things is boring, especially when it's not money

Some of the classic moments included dealing with people who when asked for their surname, would give me their first name.

"Good morning, surname please?"
"Barry"
Find Barry in electoral roll.
"first name?"
"Oh nah Barry's me first name. Barry Jones*."
Then have to find Jones in the electoral role while Barry grumbles about how long it all takes. This happened sooooooooooo many times.

Or people that would say a surname.... I would ask how it was spelt... they would say "oh, the usual way". Spelling Smith Smythe is not usual.

Or the people who didn't understand the question "are you enrolled in this electorate?" that they were asked in the queue. So they would get to me, make me search for their name, get shitty when it wasn't on the roll and rant about it for ages about how they had voted a million times before. When I ask where they live, they would answer a suburb that was sometimes as far away as Bankstown.

Another classic moment was a young gentleman who when handed his ballot papers, looked at me stunned and asked "so like how do I know what their policies are and stuff?".... I was gobsmacked, but withheld making a comment suggesting that maybe he should have taken notice of some of the media saturation coverage in the past few weeks.

Most people looked completely shocked to be handed two papers.... not just because of the size of the upper house "tablecloth" paper... but because a lot didn't seem to know there was an upper and a lower house.

Counting the papers was also interesting. One person (I assume a young gentleman) had drawn a giant picture of a penis and wrote "I have the biggest dick in the world" across the senate paper. I wonder if he realised it's an anonymous vote?

Another person wrote across their paper "this is such a huge waste of paper and is so bad for the environment". They then didn't vote. Maybe putting 1 in the box for the Greens would have made it less of a waste of paper?

A vote for the Fred Nile Christian Democrats was accompanied by a senate paper covered in quotes from the old testament. Freaky.

Ah, democracy.

*names changed to protect the stupid

Happy birthday bridgey!

2007-03-19T21:54:00.000+11:00

All the celebrations for a birthday for an inanimate object might seem a little crazy to most people, but Sydneysiders get it. They are happy to say happy 75th birthday to the harbour bridge, even if it can only give a frown in return.

The bridge means a lot to people. It is so distinctly Sydney, and many people cross it every day. It's also a symbol for struggle, progress and change... but over 75 years, it has stayed pretty much the same. And in a city where skyscrapers are constantly being built, torn down and rebuilt, and heritage suburbs are being tunnelled under to make room for new motorways, the fact that the bridge stays the same says a lot about it.

Inspired by the bridge's birthday, I headed down to Balmain East wharf last night to take a few photos. My lack of a tripod makes it difficult for night shots, so I ended up taking some rather "artistic" shots of the city at night. For me the bridge is significant because I used to work there for a while at Bridgeclimb, and because seeing the bridge reminds me of why I came to Sydney in the first place... which is sometimes easy to forget when you are stuck in traffic, choking on smog and stressed to your eyeballs. It's also pretty beautiful at day and night... for a big iron coathanger. I can't imagine Sydney without it.

Mardi Gras 2007

2007-03-19T21:29:00.000+11:00

Here are a few pictures that I took at this years Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. As always, there was lots of colour, sparkle, fun and crazy costumes. Unfortunately it was hard to take good shots in the jostling crowd but these are some of the better ones in my opinion. Sorry it took me so long to post them!

Laneway Festival, Sydney

2007-03-06T22:53:00.000+11:00

On Saturday I went to Mardi Gras, and I most post up a few photos of that tomorrow. I also pranged the car by driving it in to a pole in a carpark... not sharing pictures of that, its embarassing enough driving around with the battle scars.

But on Sunday, I went to the St Jerome's Laneway Festival, which despite the humid weather, was good fun. It was set up really well, with two outdoor stages and an indoor venue. It wasn't too crowded, there was a nice crowd, and it was over 18's so no kids. As the lovely Heather put it, it was a bit of a boutique festival, and that gave it a nice feel. Also, a lot of my friends ended up being there as we had all bought tickets so long ago that we forgot to tell each other we were going, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Some of the highlights were The Crayon Fields starting off the day in the Basement venue, Camera Obscura rocking out on the park stage, Peter, Bjorn and John playing a great set and of course Yo La Tengo getting the crowd going at the end. I particularly enjoyed Camera Obscura, a band whose music I have had little to do with but will endeavour to get to know better because they played a great set. The lead singer also had a super cute haircut.

Peter, Bjorn and John were fantastic, I am a big fan of their album Writer's Block, and the song Young Folks is undeniably catchy. Plus they are Swedes, and hence are cute with cute accents to match. The performance of Young Folks with Tracey from Camera Obscura singing the part of Victoria Bergman was great, and had the crowd singing along and dancing. The bass line just makes you want to move in that song, and the whistling refrain is sooo catchy. Super fun!

I found a recording of the performance that someone made on YouTube if you want to check it, I will post it in a bit.

Yo La Tengo were also great... I found the extended guitar playing earlier in the set to be a little indulgent, but as the set became more poppy stylistically, I soon found forgiveness in my heart and really enjoyed their performance. A great way to finish the night.

Youth Group also played a solid set, they are a band that handles live performance extremely well, and it was great to hear their cover of Forever Young and their song Shadowland played live. The Crayon Fields suited the cosy basement venue really well and I am thinking of investing in their album.

I heard bits of pieces of sets by Love is All (seemed quite fun), Sleepy Jackson (I wasn't that taken with what I heard), My Disco (loud!), The Walkmen (was busy eating crappy overpriced food at the time), Holly Throsby (I love acoustic, but she is a bit drab). Another strong performance came from Fionn Reagan, except he was a bit lost behind a big hat and oversized sunglasses... I would have preferred to see his face while he was singing. It also looked a bit faux Bob Dylan.

Here's a few snapshots we took on the day on my camera phone. Unfortunately without a media pass I wasn't allowed to take along a "professional" camera, so couldn't take any pics of performances.

Anyway, I'd definitely recommend Laneway Festival, depending on future lineups, but it was worth the dosh and was an enjoyable experience. There were even real toilets to use, not just portaloos. Food and drink was super expensive though, but that comes with the territory really. The next gig I'm going to will probably be to see The Waifs at the Metro in April, which I am really looking forward to as A Brief History... was a travelling companion for me on my iPod and I've heard they are amazing live. Back to the acoustic stuff again, these days my tastes are swinging between blues and roots/acoustic to indie pop/rock.

Scooped on my day off

2007-03-01T22:26:00.000+11:00

Today I had the day off work. It's been so hectic lately I've been working lots of overtime, and we don't get paid overtime, just time in lieu, so today was a bit of a catch up, as you can probably tell by the several blog posts I have put up tonight.

Anyway, this month for our paper that comes out tomorrow I had a big story that I was tipped off on by a source. Secret documents, the works. Guess what story was on the front of today's Daily Telegraph? Yep, mine. Scooped. Oh well, I'm still proud of the work I did on the story, it was just a bit annoying... but also slightly flattering in a way because I proved to myself that I could do what they did at a national daily.

Other than that, slept in, went in to uni to catch up with some peeps (it was a bit weird being back at the old UTS now that I am no longer a student), we went and had yummy burritos for lunch, and wandered around the shops in Newtown (see purchases photographed below). Pretty chilled day, twas nice. This weekend will be busy, Mardi Gras and St Jerome's Laneway Festival. It was really nice to have a day off.

Happy birthday Jimmy

2007-03-01T22:21:00.000+11:00

Here are a few photos I took of well known indigenous Australian entertainer Jimmy Little for work the other day. Today is Jimmy's 70th birthday, so happy birthday! If you want to know more about Jimmy, or help support the work he is doing for kidney disease in remote Aboriginal communities, visit his website at www.jimmylittle.com.au.

Bugs

2007-03-01T21:48:00.000+11:00

Today I had a day off work and ended up at one point in a cutesy little knick knack shop in Newtown where I invested in these two cute windup toys that charmed Meredith and I. Charmed me to the point where I spent a good half an hour playing with both the toys and my camera around the house and in the back courtyard. Here are a few of my favourite shots from playtime.

Cute, are they not? Don't try and tell me these toys were a waste of money. Everyone at work I'm sure will have fun racing them down desks tomorrow as well, so they were so worth the investment.

Photos of sister

2007-03-01T21:26:00.000+11:00

Here are a couple of random photos and some photos that I took of my little sister when I was back in Albury for a couple of days a few weeks ago.

Stuck

2007-02-25T22:06:00.000+11:00

Apologies for my lack of blogging, I've been super busy. Which is why being stuck in a shopping centre carpark for two hours today was quite an inconvenient waste of my time.

I went to a hideous soul zapping monolith otherwise known as Westfield Burwood to do some shopping. As one does. I parked, did said shopping amongst crowds of pushy people with strollers and packs of teenagers in short shorts chewing gum and saying "omigawd" constantly, and then returned to my vehicle. On my return, I noticed the massive traffic jam that seemed to be clogging the entire five storeys of the carpark. I couldn't reverse out of my park because of said jam, so took the opportunity to make a couple of phone calls for work and to my mum to prattle on. 45 minutes later (my mum talks more than I do), and I was still stuck in my park (oh my editor would roast me for starting a sentence with a number, oh well). So 15 minutes later I decided to go back and do more shopping. The car I had my eye on as an indicator for the expediency of carpark exiting had only moved about 10 metres in an hour. I had forgotten to buy museli you see. That took an additional half hour, so I returned to the car to find myself still stuck. Luckily a kind driver let me reverse out and join the queue snaking towards the exit. Another half hour later and I was out. What an ordeal. I still don't know what caused the jam, but it was incredibly frustrating, and a Westfields carpark wasn't where I wanted to spend the afternoon.

One thing though that was interesting to observe was that just like copious amounts of alcohol, being stuck in a shopping centre carpark reveals people's true colours. Just like the lovey dovey drunk, those people who normally feel compelled to hide their friendliness behind an apathetic Sydney mask (best used on public transport) suddenly strike up conversations about the traffic and the weather and the state election, while those people who after a bottle of bourbon begin punching walls begin punching walls, or swear loudly in the presence of small children, or beep their horns even though it will clearly not produce any sort of outcome. Interesting indeed. Perhaps the most curious behavior was those that got out and tried to look over the sides of the carpark to see what was causing the chaos when there is no view at all of the road below from the carpark. Or one man, who got out and started polishing the fittings on his car with a tissue and a bottle of water... even though the weather was drizzly.

The crazies come out to play...

2007-02-07T22:00:00.000+11:00

For some reason at work the other day my phone was like a hotline for nutcases. Three examples;

1. Politician calls to fill me in on his conspiracy theories about community forums being "stacked" by an opposing party and to rattle on about his election chances. It doesn't sound so crazy, but it kinda is. Especially since it was accompanied by an email saying the exact same thing.

2. Old man rings to tell me some tiny insignificant detail in a story isn't quite right, but he doesn't blame me, it's the council. They have apparently given me the wrong information because they are out to get him and all that he stands for. This was a minor story about a carpark that we are talking about here, but apparently its all part of a council plan to undermine one individual in the municipality.

3. Was ringing around local real estate agents to talk to them about Sydney's rental crisis. Crazy one calls me back, here is the conversation.

"Between you and me, I'm not actually a practising real estate agent anymore. This is my home phone number and I just keep the license because I want one of my sons to become a real estate agent. They are 21 and 23 but they can't decide what they want to do and they don't listen to me when I tell them that real estate is a very good career choice. I don't understand why they don't want to do it. I don't know what to do with them. They are very lazy. So between you and me I don't really want to talk to the media, you should try somewhere else."

WTF! He didn't have to tell me his life story, and he could have just ignored my answering machine message if it wasn't relevant. But hey, it's more entertaining this way I guess.

Afternoon Tea

2007-02-07T21:42:00.000+11:00

Because we are ladies who lunch, and our dear friend Ella (in the first picture) is going to Spain for a year, the ladies who lunch decided to do afternoon tea at the Sheraton on the Park on Sunday afternoon. It was a lovely affair, there is something very charming about things being in minature. Little cakes, scones, sandwiches and of course, copious amounts of tea (Earl Grey thankyou very much). And a glass of Moet to toast our dear friend. It was all very sophisticated and fancy! After tea we went to Hyde Park to sit around and chat, and take a few happy snaps.

Picnic in the park

2007-02-03T23:42:00.000+11:00

Last night we had a picnic in Victoria Park to say farewell and happy birthday to a friend who is going on exchange. It was really lovely. The park has great views of the city lights, and it felt somewhat mischievous to be indulging on wine in the dark park when I am pretty sure you aren't supposed to drink there. The only problem with parks in Sydney is that there are no public toilets, and a trip to relieve ones self behind a bush could well put you in full view of an overenthusiastic dog walker, even when night has fallen. A friend who moved to Melbourne and we haven't seen in about 18 months also showed up to the picnic, so that was really cool. It was just like old times... things have changed a lot recently, but it really was how it used to be, us all relaxing and talking at a million miles an hour. A nice night was had by all. Tomorrow we are having high tea to also say farewell.... tonight I am lolling about with sore muscles from yoga, tired eyes from a stressful week at work, and a full stomach from overindulging on some yummy toffee flavoured icecream.

Yum Cha in Hurstville

2007-01-28T15:48:00.000+11:00

It's been a pretty alright long weekend. Went to a housewarming last night then went out on Oxford St... ended up sleeping on a friend's sofa, her mum made us scrambled eggs in the morning, which was awesome. Just after I had done the walk of shame home in my evening attire at midday on Sunday (while all the Italian families were pouring out of church haha), a friend from home who is in Sydney for a while messaged me and we ended up going for Yum Cha for lunch in Hurstville. The weather today is great so it was a nice drive. When we got to the place, there were families outside all over the footpath waiting for a seat in the restaurant. We had to get a number and stand outside for half an hour in order to get a table, which was quite surreal. Especially since the numbers were being read out in Chinese... we were the only Anglos there, so we were excited cos we knew that meant the food would probably be awesome. Once we got in, it was worth the wait. Yum Cha is so fun, with everything coming in little size... not very healthy, but oh so tasty. We ate heaps, and it only cost us $17 each. The restaurant had fantastic service as well, especially considering how insanely busy it was. I think it was called Sunny's Seafood Restaurant... highly recommended. It was very nice to catch up with my friend, and fun to venture out of the inner West and city for once, as I'd never been to Hurstville before.

I'm really sleepy now though, my friend's sofa was good, but I think I might need a nap. Especially after all the food I have eaten today haha. Back to work tomorrow though, ugh.

What a difference a year makes...

2007-01-27T17:20:00.000+11:00

Australia Day '06- going to uni in London during the day where I was frustrated with Protools as usual, going out to the Finchley Road Walkabout straight after class, getting totally smashed, meeting tons of new people, having a wild, crazy fun night- my first big party evening in London. Being freezing cold. Going home at 12.30 to catch the last tube. Listening to some of the web stream of the Hottest 100 the night before.

Australia Day '07- public holiday... but having to go out and take photos and do interviews for work at the local citizenship ceremony and celebrations. It was boiling hot. Listening to the Hottest 100 on the radio while lying on our uncomfortable sofa. Going out for dinner in Newtown (as usual) with friends where we sedately sat and talked and recieved really bad service at the Thai restaurant we were at... listened to my recently returned friend's Europe/UK travel tales. I whinged about my salary being too low and how I need to get a second job to possibly save up to escape overseas again. I was too reserved to really properly chat to some friends of friends that I hadn't met before. Going home at 11.30 just because we were over it.

Australia Day '08 promises more of the same, but hopefully '09 will be another winner.... but thats just soooooooo far away......

Don't do it!

2007-01-25T22:36:00.000+11:00

Reviews are useful things. It's always nice to have some sort of idea of what to expect from a film by reading a movie review. Book reviews are great, and I am becoming addicted to electrical appliance reviews for helping me make important purchasing decisions.

But this website, well I will be interested to see if the concept catches on. Reading reviews of men from their previous users is an interesting concept.

Don't Date Him Girl is a site that lets you name and shame (very Today Tonight style) past boyfriends who have scorned you or burnt you or given you nasty diseases or left you with a baby and no welfare cheque.

I don't entirely agree with the concept (cos hey, girls can be pretty crazy about this stuff sometimes, to be fair both sides should get their say), but some of it sure makes interesting reading. It's like Jerry Springer on the internet, without security guards or chairs to throw. The one thing it leaves me pondering is how the hell the site can exist when there are these little things out there called defamation laws.... it's probably only a matter of time before the lawyers cash in on this potentially untapped resource for filing civil suits.

Here is one thing that was posted about someone from my hometown;

Girls...I have a real winner for you here:He is very non attractive.Black curly hair,glasses,big nose,and works at the rubbish tip & dresses like he fell in one.A very heavy drinker,mentally abuses woman,children and animals.He works 7 days a week.Does not like people at all,has to tolerate them because of work.Will swear at you.Hates family.Cheats on you with his ex defacto.If you have had the bad luck of losing a child,he will acuse you of killing it.He has been diagnosed with manic depression,he does swear & talk to invisable people or something.He is a compulsive liar,this man cannot tell the truth about anything.He will call you horrible names,then expect you to sleep with him.He is one horrible human being.Oh yes...he does not ever use protection,has had crabs,goodness what he may have now.

Have fun perusing the site!

(via Spin Starts Here)

Dinner Party

2007-01-21T22:05:00.000+11:00

We had a lovely dinner party at a friend's house last night to celebrate one of my friends shoving their foot in that heavy entry level door of the media. Mel and I got all domestic during the day, making salad and vegetarian fresh spring rolls and lemon slice to take, because it was too hot to venture out of the house during the day.

The party was held at my friend's house in the fancy part of Redfern. Shame about the sawn off shotgun wielding madman and police road blocks plaguing the suburb that evening. At first we thought the police helicopter had just heard about our amazing cooking... then we thought that maybe something more serious was going on outside. Oh well, just another night in Redfern. More tea anyone?

It was a lovely evening. Good food, good company, great conversation. Very civilised, despite the kerfuffle outside. The police helicopter continually flying over was slightly disconcerting though, but easily ignored. We were lucky that we got a cab without too much hastle, retiring to the safety of the Inner West.

I'll WYSIWYG yo' ass!

2007-01-20T10:00:00.000+11:00

Wow I haven't updated this blog in nearly a fortnight. How slack of me. Anyway, I haven't been up to much. Bumming around. Going to work. Enjoying the wonderful discovery of Sanitarium's Lentil Patties and my rediscovery of how easy it is to make rice paper rolls. They are very tasty.

Now I'm sick with a fever, which isn't very much fun. My ear infection is also making a triumphant return just when I thought I was truly rid of it. Great. Especially since everyone is finally back around town and hence it was looking like I would have some kind of social life... I still should be able to make it to a dinner party we are holding tonight, just not sure what I will make. Rice paper rolls anyone?

Work has been annoyingly quiet because a lot of people are away on vacation, but this week I will have to work hard to get stuff done because deadline is now close.

I can't believe I didn't share my story about the training we had to do for a new computer system they are installing at work. It was hilarious.

They bought a guy out called Ronnie from Tampa, Florida. Ronnie was a lovely guy, but a class-A geek. He told us how to get our metadata in order, but "I don't want to resort to too much geekspeak" he told us. Any time that someone would ask a question he would nod profusely and be like "Right, right, okay, let's work through that workflow right now" (You have to imagine the accent to go along with this).

Because it's an editorial system, learning how to use it involved us writing fake articles. My equally zany collegue and I took this opportunity to practise our creative writing skills. I wrote a stream of conciousness style piece on backpacking in Poland, a "what I did on my holidays" account written like a 10 year old and rewrote a children's poem I authored in high school. I also wrote a few essays on Australian Princess and the pressures facing Kate Middleton. My collegue wrote the most amazing rap/poem about her entire self being, including a shoutout to fellow vegetarians. Ronnie appreciated our creativity, and apparently was using our especially wonderful articles to demonstrate the system to our editor when she had training (with all the other editors in the company) the following week. I'm not sure if she was impressed or slightly embarassed by our handiwork.

One other fantastic feature of the system was the ability to leave notes on other people's stories, something which we also decided to play about with by using the notes system in a manner equivalent to MSN messenger. It was OK though, Ronnie was down with us because we hung with him at lunch and asked lots of questions about Tampa, Florida. And we turned the phrase WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get, techo term used to describe some types of software) into some sort of gangsta response. Three examples;

Gangsta 1: "Yo' biatch, yo ass is big"
Biatch 1: "WYSIWYG!"

Gangsta 2: "You my bro' yo, we got ties, respect."
Gangsta 1: "WYSIWYG bro, WYSIWYG. Keepin' it real."

Gangsta 3: "Your girl is one scary biatch, mother****er!"
Gangsta 2: "Shuddup about my bitch or I'll WYSIWYG yo' ass!"

We also thought WYSIWYG could be a slogan for post post-modern feminism. Embracing the geek-grrl and intelligence within while showing no regard for the pressures to comform to contemporary body ideals and traditional notions of femininity. WYSIWYG grrl-haters, WYSIWIG!!!!

It truly is a wonderful term.

Domestic Goddess!!!

2007-01-07T23:53:00.000+11:00

I'm back in Sydney and things are pretty dull. I've got the house to myself as the others are away, the office is pretty empty as many people are still on leave so work was quite a drag last week, and yeah, there's not really much to do.

So tonight I decided to make an exciting meal for myself that would be a time consuming exercise.

MENU:

Hungarian Paprika Chicken served with handmade cottage cheese dumpings with lemon slice for dessert.

Quite an undertaking! But all went well. I had to make the dough to make the dumplings, something I've only done once before in my life in Year 8 Home Economics.

I made everything from scratch, which I am very proud of. Here is what my main meal ended up looking like, it was very tasty!

And here's a picture of my lemon slice in the fridge chilling;

Yum! It was fun, kneading the dough was quite theraputic, and licking the icing bowl reaffirmed my sense of self worth... and the Hungarian theme (minus the lemon slice) took me back to those wonderful days spent in Budapest. The only thing missing was a bowl of steaming hot proper (that means spicy with paprika) Goulash to go along with the chicken and dumplings. This postmodern girl was reclaiming traditional femininity... for a short time only!

All in all, I was quite impressed with my domestic skills, especially since they are so rarely practiced!

Here are the recipes I used;

Hungarian paprika chicken

Cottage cheese dumplings

Lemon slice

Hume Weir at Sunset

2006-12-31T00:41:00.000+11:00

These are a few pictures I took out at the Hume Weir at sunset tonight. My favourite is the last one, the Weir wall provides a nice frame for the sky. The Weir is pretty empty because of the drought, it's really bad here.

Short holidays...

2006-12-30T01:34:00.000+11:00

Argh I can't believe its straight back to work on Tuesday, I don't miss uni but I miss uni holidays!!!! Been working a bit for my parents plus kindly donating my time to design them a website and MySpace. Took a few promo type pics for them the other night and some of them turned out quite cool. I especially love this one of potato cakes looking quite sexy;

Pretty cool eh? Here is a pic of our cookies;

And here is one of a rack of pizzas waiting to be cooked;

I've been working at the shop a little bit. It's nice to get back to my roots in some ways haha... it reminds me that
a) Office jobs are pretty cushy
b) My parents have been busting their butts making pizzas for years so I can flit around doing whatever I want
c) Standing on your feet for more than 8 hours straight hurts a fair bit

More pics on Flickr if you are keen.

Other than that I haven't been up to much, just chillin', eating too much food and yeah.

New years resolutions are to save more money and to go back to the gym... regularly!

I probably won't post before new year, so have a good one everyone!

Christmas

2006-12-27T02:45:00.000+11:00

A few photos of Christmas at my house...

My sister Britt played a few carols on the violin.

My brother Bishop is a big kid under the tree...

Nanna was surprised about something.

Oysters were on the menu

Later in the day I went for a walk around the bush and took this photo on top of a large rock on top of a hill. Random.

New hobby

2006-12-24T13:17:00.000+11:00

I'm trying to teach myself how to play the guitar. Since I have such a love of acoustic music and my dad has an old guitar he never actually learnt to play I'm trying to teach myself... I might take some lessons when I get back to Sydney to speed up the process, otherwise I know I will just get frustrated with it. I can still play the flute, but I never practice because I don't have any cool music to play. Flute is kind of hard to jam on as well... but so is the guitar at the moment with my complete lack of skill! I've learnt 6 chords and 2 scales and that's it so far, but I did only start playing yesterday....

Other than that, I'm just back at home. Been out the last couple of nights and it's been fun catching up with people and hearing what everyone is up to these days. I have to work tonight, my first time behind a pizza bar or cafe counter in about a year, but it should all come back to me just like riding a bike haha....

Speaking of bikes, classic quote from my mother the other day;

"Albury is just like riding a bike. You never forget."

Hmm interpret that one yourselves.

Another great quote, this from some trashy TV gem on Foxtel called "Blow Out" about some uber chic hairdressing salon in West Hollywood and the self obsessed wanker that runs it.

"Are you kidding me? You wouldn't ask Picasso to paint with a screwdriver would you?"

Said in response to the spray nozzle on one of his hairspray bottles not functioning adequately. Gold. I so want to use that quote in some sort of everyday context now.

A strange little thing that I have noticed, probably due to the terrible lack of males in Sydney, is that there are some quality young gentlemen in the country. They aren't all bogans... well, there are quite a few bogans... but the balance between the sexes is much more normal back here. Sydney is a very abnormal place I guess. Just an observation, don't read anything in to it...

Christmas in Sydney

2006-12-24T12:58:00.000+11:00

Christmas decorations in a Darling Harbour Shopping Centre

I was walking around Sydney the other day with my camera and decided to take a few photos of Christmassy stuff around the place to give you all an insight in to how Sydney is decorated for a toasty and warm Christmas. No snow here!

A Christmas tree outside at Darling Harbour

Santa at Darling Harbour

Christmas flags along the Pyrmont Bridge

Santa reading stories to children in the Pitt Street Mall

The huge Christmas tree in the Queen Victoria Building which is covered with bows and crystal decorations.

Have a good Christmas everyone! I'm back home now in Albury for the festive season, and hopefully will take some cool photos and do some crazy things to tell stories about in the blog.

More pics!

2006-12-17T02:19:00.000+11:00

Haven't gone crazy with the photo-taking yet, but here are a couple more pics that I like that I have taken this week.

The only flower in the backyard at my house. It's a pretty manky flower but the camera made it look nice!

A photo of a local woman that I did a profile on for work.

Expect lots more photos in this blog now. Photos will be an improvement on me not posting anything, I've been slack lately.

New camera!!

2006-12-11T21:25:00.000+11:00

I got a new camera! It's my Christmas present from my folks and it's really cool. It's a DSLR, so a proper camera, not a point and shoot. It's a Canon EOS 400D with a twin lens kit. Here are a couple of random pics I took this arvo (it's been rainy so I couldn't do a lot).

It's my new baby and I think I will spend every spare moment wandering around taking photos of random things. Plus because I have to take lots of photographs at work I can use it there too. Yay!

Fun weekend

2006-12-03T12:53:00.000+11:00

I've had a fun weekend this weekend, with our work Christmas Party happening at Luna Park on Saturday night. It was a Bollywood theme and the free champagne was free flowing (my glass kept on being instantly refilled while I was in mid conversation so I have no idea of how many glasses I actually drank). I was well behaved though, but was cutting some crazy moves on the dance floor and went down the slippery dips at Coney Island in a little black dress and heels haha. I think I might be seeing myself in some interesting photos on Monday...

Last night there was a party at a friends house so despite being colossally hungover from said work party, I soldiered on and partied hard again. We were playing poker, talking ALP politics and I was even Dj-ing for a while, paying a great deal of attention to the levels on the mixer because its not my strength! Except people were rather frustrated with my music choices... I think someone threatened to kill me if I played another Belle and Sebastian track. Alright by Supergrass seemed to shut them up and get them dancing though. I didn't know half of the music on the playlist, I'm so mainstream compared to some folk haha. But it was a fun night, shame that the weather was so crappy.

So now I'm about to roll to the gym to try and burn off some of the booze related calories and yeah. I have been so bad with blogging lately. It just seems that after being on a computer typing all day at work that the last thing I want to do is come home and jump on the computer. Internet overload!!

Bad Blogger!

2006-11-25T13:21:00.000+11:00

Nothing written for a week! Bad blogger *slaps own wrist*.

I haven't been doing much. Just been working. Went to council meeting the other night. Went out on Wednesday night and saw a band called Walrus play and hung with my girlies. Went to a party last night. Oh, yesterday morning I saw Nova 969's Merrick and Rosso do a live outside broadcast from a house in the local area, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte (from Neighbours and the Rogue Traders) was there and I took pics and stuff. Excitement. That's about it. Got a friend's b'day tonight which should be fun. Just bought a Beatles remix CD called Love which is kinda cool and a couple of second hand books and I might start reading one of them in the park this afternoon. That is all really, just been bumming around.

I need to get more exciting if I am going to be any good with this blogging gig. Hmm. I'll see what I can do.

Happiness!

2006-11-18T17:33:00.000+11:00

I love how my own time is now my own time. Instead of worrying about assignments I should be doing, I can relax and do whatever I want! Even though I don't have summer holidays really, when I get home from work and on the weekends, its my own time. No stresses. It's lovely.

My room is now lovely and clean, all my laundry is done and my bed is reconstructed. Yay. I've got a few little projects I want to work on, but there's no rush. There isn't any deadlines for these- I had enough of those at uni and I have them every fortnight at work.

Ding dong the bitch is dead

2006-11-16T22:24:00.000+11:00

Tonight I handed in my last assignment. I am officially finished my degree*!! I'm outta there*!!

I'll never forget the weird sounds the lifts in the humanities building make. As the shiny silver doors closed on me and I decended (painfully slowly), then waited two or three seconds for the doors to recognize the lift had stopped, the lift made that demented ding dong noise that anyone who frequents the Bon Marche building knows and I realized, that's it. I'm done. My connection with the demented ding dong is done*. It is but the stuff of nostalgia*. No more prententious arguments about political correctness*. No more assignments thrown together just in time*. No more student discounts (well, my card doesn't expire until Feb so I will be milking that for a bit longer).

Bye bye demented ding dong lift noise. Bye bye uni.

*As long as I pass all subjects.

Ouchies!

2006-11-14T17:31:00.000+11:00

My ear is so soooo painful. Apparently it's a severe middle ear infection. I'm on antibiotics and painkillers to make it through the day. Not sure if they are supposed to mix, but I don't care!

Still 1700 words until freedom, all I could do was crash and fall asleep last night due to throbbing ear. Then woke up at 5am... then fell asleep again...

I just wanna finish this last assignment so I am free!!

Oh, also, my Ikea bed construction efforts haven't held up to nights of tossing and turning so now half my bed is unsupported because one of the support struts has unattached itself... I never was too good with a screwdriver... but I won't fix it until I have finished this assignment and can clean my room and reconstruct my bed properly!

My ears are sore (and not from Idol)

2006-11-12T22:00:00.000+11:00

I have an ear infection! It's painful! It's like swimmers ear but the last time I went swimming I was in Germany, so I have no idea how I got it. It is really irritating me though, and I have a funny feeling that this stuff from the chemist is just glycerine with a dropper thing. It's doing nothing, so I fear I will have to go to the doctors and get antibiotics which will really curb my drinking when I finish writing the 1700 words I have left until freedom.

It feels a bit like I am hearing the world with a fishbowl on my head, so I'm not really in the best position to pass judgements on Idol this evening. But Kyle's quip about his penis size was a bit disturbing and reveals something about his character... he says it is big, hence it must be small, and that is why he is such a bitter and twisted thing. Private school locker room bullying must have taken its toll. And Sandipants, just because you have taken Deans viginity you don't need to try and get him to announce it on tv. The teenage girls won't dig that man.

Hearty parties

2006-11-11T14:30:00.000+11:00

Still have one assignment left to do, starting to work on it now. 2500 words stand between me and freedom (and also the house needs a good clean) and I am going to try and get them down as quickly as possible.

On Wednesday night I had my last class, and the event was marked by mass consumption of champagne, getting home at 3am and then having to work for the whole day with tired tired eyes and a bit of a sore head. But I didn't complain once. You make your own bed and you lie in it.

Last night was the journalism awards ceremony and while my lacklustre work was lucky enough to scrape one nomination, the highlight of the night was chatting to everyone, hearing some interesting speakers, and then partying hard at the Claire afterwards. We did get home though at the reasonable hour of 1.30 due to tiredness and the knowledge that I had this stupid assignment to do this weekend.

I've been invited to a 21st tonight and I feel I should make an appearance, even though it's over the bridge. I think the last time I went over the bridge was when Roz and I went to Luna Park in 2004 and discovered it was pretty crappy...

The guy on the computer next to me at the library is really freaky, I might move!

Could Christmas come fast enough?

2006-11-10T00:02:00.000+11:00

Continuing on the interesting topic of interesting names being called over store PA systems, I was in Coles the other day when I heard this announcement;

"Would Christmas please report to the service desk. Christmas to the service desk."

I thought maybe this was some kind of joke, but I actually saw staff member Christmas. It's true. Some parent called their child Christmas. Fantastic.

Lucky there wasn't more than one person named Christmas working in the store. Otherwise, with that announcement, all their Christmases would have come at once. *boom boom ching*

I open a competition to any people who read this blog (are there any besides my parents?). There is no prize. But what's the worst name you have heard over a PA system? And what names would you like to hear called out throughout a shopping centre over a PA?

Jackie Chan's newest starring role; Kmart team member + an Idol scoop

2006-11-07T14:05:00.000+11:00

Looking at some new Bonds undies in Kmart. Oh aren't the colours fun. Oooo shouldn't I be at home doing uni work. Do I really need new undies? Would I be buying them if there wasn't a sale on?

No time to think about that. Someone's saying something over the loudspeaker that has interrupted Rhianna's insincere call of SOS.

"Would staff member Jackie Chan please come to the layby counter. Jackie Chan to the layby counter."

All of a sudden I had a crazy image in my mind of the film star Jackie Chan working in Kmart. He would be darting around with his price gun, doing backflips over the clothing racks and crashing through the piles of 16 piece dinner sets any time some punk high schooler even thought about shoplifting. When I had a brief stint as a Coles Myer employee we had to watch all these horrible training videos that were really boring. Maybe Kmart team member Jackie Chan should remake the videos in his Hollywood blockbuster comedy/martial arts style. I sure as hell would have cared a lot more about how to lift things safely if someone's ass was gonna get kicked if it wasn't done right. The best we got was Lisa McCune (yes, gold logie winning Lisa McCune) talking on the fire safety video. One of her greatest performances I would say.

On a completely unrelated note, I loved this comment from James Matheson on Idol verdict last night;

"Some of our former Idols have been shooting up (long pause)... the charts." Andrew G turned to him and supressed laughter. Since we know they haven't been shooting up the charts, this was clearly a sneaky reference to the fact that a few of our former Idols have a penchant for mind altering substances these days.

I have it from a friend of a source within the Idol institution that a certain former Idol contestant is so drug f*cked now that she/he has to have adrenalin shots in their neck before every performance just so they can sing. When the story breaks, you heard it here first kids. I can't say who, I don't want to get sued. Not that I have any money anyway.

I don't know what to think.

2006-11-06T18:53:00.000+11:00

So it's my last week at uni. I have two assignments left to do (one of which will only take a couple of hours to finish off) but on Wednesday it's my last class.

Today was the end of two of my subjects. Class finished, and that's it. Nothing happened. It's such an anticlimax. When you graduate high school or primary school there is all this celebration and craziness surrounding the whole process. But for uni, you just pick up your notebook off the desk and leave class. And that's it. Three years and that's how it ends. I probably won't see half the people in my classes again. Thanks for the memories UTS.

On Wednesday night we will probably have a few drinks. But then what? It's over. I am happy that it's over, but there is kind of very strange feeling about it all as well. One sort of feels like there should be some kind of big commotion to mark this passing from one phase of life in to another. There will be a graduation ceremony, but not until March or April next year... more than 4 months away. And by then I will be even more nonplused about the event than I am now. But on Wednesday night I will finish uni. And then I will work full time in a job I have already been at for nearly 6 weeks. And that's it. It's done.

I don't know what to think. I'm finishing my degree. I'm not sad. I'm not excited. I'm not scared. I don't have regrets about it. I'm just sitting here wondering how I am supposed to feel about it and why I am not really feeling anything.

I guess I have to wait and see if I pass before I get too carried away. But it troubles me that an airplane passing over my head or a picture of a double decker bus or a song that I screamed along to in some seedy pub overseas stirs up so much more inside me than the fact that I have finished my degree. A degree I busted my butt to get the mark to qualify for. A degree through which I have worked extremely hard throughout to afford to live in Sydney and afford things like my exchange. A degree where I have met many interesting and amazing people. A degree that has changed the way I think about and look at the world in many ways. And a degree that has gotten me a job as a journalist, which ultimately is what I wanted. Yet I feel nothing. But if someone handed me a plane ticket overseas right now and a bit of cash to get by, I'd throw it all away in a second. What's wrong with me?

On the home stretch...

2006-11-05T13:28:00.000+11:00

I've almost done my political theory essay, only around another 800 words to go. Woo. Have to recut my radio and record links and play with that, but hopefully it shouldn't take long.

Gotta start investigative journalism piece properly, but it's not due now until the 17th. I'm on the home stretch and I'm surviving and I just can't wait until it's all done.

Sick

2006-11-03T10:42:00.000+11:00

I've been really ill the past couple of days, which is badly timed because I've got so much work to do but I've been too ill to do it.

I've also had to call in sick to work which I hate doing as well.

Today I have to go in to uni though and tell people how totally awesome and amazing exchange is and answer their questions and stuff. I don't feel that well but this is kinda payback for my exchange experience so I feel like I have to do it really. Karma and all that shit. Hopefully I will feel even more better this arvo and can write some of my essay.

Grey's Anatomy! Omg!

2006-10-31T14:36:00.000+11:00

As you can tell by the amount of television related blogging I have been doing lately, I haven't been doing much uni work. My political theory essay is very slowly plodding along, and our whole class got a 10 day extension on our investigative assignment... without even asking! But I want to get it done sooner cos I will be working full time by then. And I just wanna get my passes and get my piece of paper that says I paid lots of HECS and then get out of here.

Well, last night I got back from the supermarket just in time to see that Ricky Muscat was out of Idol (yay!) and for Mel and I to open our packet of communal Tim Tams just before Grey's Anatomy began. Sadness! That show is seriously amazing, can't wait for the next season. You would think the medical genre would be dead and gone, but this sexes it up and is so emotional, I haven't been this in to a TV drama for a long time. We were nearly bawling by the end. This show always has so many twists, and it isn't afraid to experiment with its narrative format to keep viewers on their toes.

In other procrastination measures, I moved all the travel posts from this blog on to Ash Reports Europe and UK so they don't get lost in my maudlin self pity and sad television viewing habits.

You know, this essay is making me really think Stalin was a pretty insane fellow. Well, I knew that already anyway, but yeah.

Apple buys my TV box and renames it iDull

2006-10-30T16:14:00.000+11:00

Last night we watched Idol.. iDull if if was owned by Apple. It was pretty dull. Damian deserved a touchdown and didn't get it, Chris didn't really deserve one and got it, Jess sung like an R and B diva, the judges told Dean Geyer he was hot and Ricky Muscat looked like he was about to murder/rape someone... oh and Marcia and Mark had a tiff which result in her saying "nah ah", spinning her little black judges chair around and holding her pose with a "talk to the hand gesture" for a good 90 seconds before deciding to move on with her life. Where has all the excitement gone? There wasn't even the "WTF!" looks Andrew G makes when Stunned Mullet Matheson says something weird, because Matheson was snorting up before his gig hosting the ARIAs. Wow... I reckon half of Australia could do a better job hosting stuff than Jimmy Matheson... without the drugs.

Then on to the ARIAs, where the main excitement was Wolfmother continually winning awards, coming up on stage completely blind and trying to construct sentences. It was getting sad when they had to resort to thanking "all the people". Wow, thanks for thanking me Wolfmother, I'm not even really a big fan, but thanks for the shoutout! The guys from Midnight Oil said something political (yay... but where was the political stunt, your shirts could have said something interesting at least... you've gone soft Garrett, have you been taking policy tips from Beazley?)... the Veronicas giggled and talked in unison and sang badly... Bernard Fanning tried to make some statement about the superficiality of awards ceremonies but then decided to revoke it so it didn't offend anyone, Calire Bowditch (who I was happy to see get something) gushed, as pregnant women are want to do...

The best live performances were definitely Youth Group and Bernard Fanning/Claire Bowditch/Casey Chambers doing their trio. The lead guy in Wolfmother was sounding like a racehorse for some reason, and the Veronicas were pretty bad.

Love the D grade celebs from the states they hauled over... one teen hit wonder who sings Beautiful Soul and Johnny Knoxville, who must be appluded for turning around to say hi to the underage fans and revealing the large bottle of whiskey he had shoved down the back of his trousers. I also loved when Wolfmother were drinking from a bottle of spirits while accepting an award. Think of the chillun' you role models!

Most ripped off for me this year was Augie March, surely One Crowded Hour deserved to win something... I love Youth Group's Forever Young sadly enough, but it shouldn't have been nominated in best song because it's a cover. Yeah. Blah. Don't have anything else to write really. Should get back to the essay (why can't I write an essay about iDull?)

*swivels in her office chair at the library and puts hand up to computer in a talk to the hand nah ah Marcia Hines inspired move*

*blinks*

Haven't you gone yet? That's the universally recognized move that means "get out of my face now yo bitches"

Drag, doof doof and totalitarianism

2006-10-29T15:33:00.000+11:00

It's been a fun weekend. The first one in quite a long while actually. Yesterday we had the amazing Mexican Eggs at Martini's in St Peters (one of our favourite cafes in Sydney)... then we had gelati from Bar Italia back in Leichhardt... then we had yummy organic coffee (I live in one of Sydney's coffee heavens, it's kinda bad as I hadn't drunk it at all for a long time) and sat around and talked and stuff.

Went out last night to a guy from uni's 21st and farewell... he is going to China to produce a film which stars the divine Johnathon Rhys Myers. Lucky fellow. He could coach my soccer team any day.

It was a nice night, nice to vent and relax. We ended up at a cafe on Oxford Street watching the craziness (which wa wackier than usual due to many Halloween costumes and a few fights) pass us by and being served coffee by a fabulous tranny who was bitching to us about how annoying men are. We hear you sister girlfriend, ah ha. Ah Sydney... one of my friends had a cousin here from Brisbane who had her eyes wide open and was taking it all in and it made me remember how insane it actually is to be served coffee by a man dressed as a woman... it's good to remember how I used to feel about this city when I first got here- awed and shocked.

We then went to have a few drinks at the Judgo for old times sake and dealt with their rude service and the crazy druggos around the place. Then we went home and had a hilarious old cab driver who was talking about the boys driving along Paramatta Road with their "doof doof" music playing.

"Whaddya think it will do," he said. "You have nice car and big speaker, driving up and down fast doof doof doof music playing, four boys in car, hanging out window..." he then turned his Taxis Combined baseball cap sideways. "Hat on like this looking stupid, doof doof music," he continued, fixing his hat. "Do you think you will drive up to the girls with your doof doof and say something rude and they will just get in the car with four boys? They won't, the girls will think its stupid. Idiots."

We were in stitches and told him he was so right. We then moved on to another much loved subject of Sydney cab drivers... how crap other cab drivers are who don't know where things are. Older ones especially love to berrate young ones and love to hear stories of hopeless cab experiences. Our friendly driver also reminded us that daylight savings started, so we hastily changed our watches right then and there.

Today I am sitting in the library writing my case study on totalitarianism in the Stalinist Soviet Union. Arendt is pretty interesting actually, but I'm just in the piecing it together stage.

I'll leave you with a thought from Arendt's seminal "Totalitarianism in Power".

“For the totalitarian ruler is confronted with a dual task which at first appears contradictory to the point of absurdity; he must establish the fictitious world of the movement as a tangible working reality of everyday life, and he must, on the other hand, prevent this new world from developing a new stability; for a stabalization of its laws and institutions would surely liquidate the movement itself and with it the hope for eventual world conquest. The totalitarian ruler must, at any price, prevent normalization from reaching the point where a new way of life could develop…”

and another gem...

"Even a single individual can only be absolutely and reliably dominated under global totalitarian conditions."

Hmm. Food for thought. Tonight Heather is coming around and to watch Idol and the Arias with Mel and myself so our pop culture critiquing will be at its finest this eve. But now, I really should do some more work considering I have enjoyed the weekend away.

Lofty dreams

2006-10-28T11:48:00.000+10:00

Last night I went to the Loft at uni for drinks after work and there ended up being a 2SER party there with free drinks and food and not that many people there to share them with, but it was good fun and a nice way to end the week after a busy time at work.

Afterwards Mel and I went down to the courtyard at UTS Housing and sat there in the balmy night next to the fountain and talked about how much we had changed since we last lived there, how UTS Housing had failed to meet our expectations in so many ways and how it was a pretty lonely place to exist sometimes. We talked about how its funny that we aren't that sad to leave a place (UTS) that has been the institution of which we have been a part of for three years, which really says something about the experience. Uni is supposed to be the best time of your life, and I got a taste of that on my exchange, and moving to Sydney has been fantastic in ways, but the structure of uni hasn't really been a structure that has induced a massive amount of fun and celebration. I've learnt a lot, but to be honest most of the learning has taken place outside of the classroom.

While I don't really have any regrets because my degree has gotten me where I want to head and I have met some awesome people and I got to go on exchange and stuff, I think UTS really provides a poor undergraduate experience compared to other unis and they need to look at that and try and fix it. The degrees are good, but the social life (particularly in housing for those who have moved away from home) is crap. Westminster wasn't anywhere near perfect either and the halls there could be pretty dull, but it was better than UTS.

Back to essays now...

A new love...

2006-10-26T23:29:00.000+10:00

So yeah I'm still stressed, busy at work and uni, and yeah.

But I have a new love... my flatmate bought the delicious Regina Spektor album "Begin to Hope" and it's awesome. I love the single Fidelity which has been getting a fair bit of play on Triple J lately and has a totally cute video clip. Beautiful lyrics, with different tracks all having different influences... some have bluesy and jazz piano roots, others take their inspiration from pure cheery pop. ITunes calls it "alternative"... their category for anything that has a bit of fusion or isn't pop or rock!

Ms Spektor is American, which makes a change from my normal British/Australian musical inclinations.

Other songs on high rotation in my life at the moment include State I am In, Belle and Sebastian and We Rule the School all by Belle and Sebastian, as well as See you Soon by Coldplay, Memories and Dust by Josh Pyke and for some reason and another Better Together by Jack Johnson has made a resurgence in my mind lately and has been pushing it's way up the most played list.

I'm hoping to invest in the new album by the divine Miss Sarah Blasko over the weekend as I have eagerly awaited it's release since I loved The Overture and the Underscore. I can't believe she has just turned 30, I would not have said she looked a day over 25!

Arrrghhhh

2006-10-22T21:26:00.000+10:00

Yes I am back to argghhhh mode... watched Idol, it was pretty dull. Have eaten heaps of food because it is the time of semester where I stack back on any weight I lost due to exercise or backpacking due to assignment related stress. Yay. Steamed dumplings.

Now back in room, trying to keep on plodding with crap reading... now, my lightbulb has been blown for about 3 weeks now or more. We don't have a ladder or high enough chairs so I actually have no way to change it. It's like a bad "how many blah blah does it take to change a lightbulb" joke except the lightbulb isn't getting changed at all dammit. It's a bit of a problem as I am now sitting here trying to read stuff about Stalinism by fairy light. Yes... fairy light. It isn't good for my eyes, it isn't good for my patience and its not aiding my understanding of our totalitarian dictator friend. Grrr and I can't go downstairs and work cos my brain doesn't function in a communal environment, I will just end up making crude jokes and eating icecream.

Plus I saw an ad for that new channel 10 show called Tripping Over which Mel and I are wetting ourselves with anticipation over and there was a scene where they were on Oxford Street and I knew exactly where they were and it made me wanna go back. I've been out about 4 times this whole semester... in London I used to go out 4 times a week. I have met a grand total of about 10 new people this semester, I used to share dorms with more new people than that. Arrrggghhh *bangs head on wall* I miss it so much. I hate everything being predictable and normal. I work from 9 to 5. On Mondays I go to uni, never do the readings and bullshit my way through class discussions really effectively. Every night I come back and watch the telly or try and do work or do my laundry or wash dishes or listen to music. Nothing controversial happens, nothing different happens, nothing exciting happens and I know I have to do this for at least another year and a bit until I can go away again.
I mean I have great friends, I like my job, but I miss the excitement and thrills and learning and adventures. Sydney is so same same. Everyone is "scene" and it makes you wonder where the hell the normal people are. It's a beautiful city blah blah blah but sometimes it's like a pretty shoe that you wear but it doesn't quite fit properly and it gives you blisters. Not to mention that there is a huge drought of nice straight boys... what kind of city has 5 single women for every straight single guy? It's abnormal.

There are people that I really miss and it's surprising me how much I am noticing it... I can't wait for uni to finish, but my wanderlust is already nagging again and I know it is going to be a long time before I can satiate it and quite frankly it depresses me at times. Some people crave stability, and maybe I will eventually too, but at the moment, I don't.

I made a start!

2006-10-22T18:33:00.000+10:00

Clap your hands together everybody, I actually made a start on my uni work. Yay!

I did a couple of hours worth of reading today for my political theory essay! Yay!!

I've also decided what I am going to do my radio feature on... I think I will focus on the insecurities/fears/dreams/goals attached with the idea of graduation. Interview random peeps, mesh it together in a trippy ambient way, throw in some interviews with careers advisors and a councellor or psychologist, and bob's your uncle hopefully.

I still have heaps of work to do but at least I have made some kind of a start. Maybe I should go to the library more often, I seem to be more productive and less distracted there.

Except on a sad note my Pink Star Walk free eco bag has broken! Oh noes!!

Aussie Idol tonight kids, though I'm not as inspired now to watch it without the Bobby meister in it. It's some weird ass theme tonight, Swing Rock or something... taking rock hits and making them in to big band songs? I wish they were just going to do normal big band, I like hearing the old skool big band tunes. Maybe they will have a musical theatre night to compensate me. Or a "Belle and Sebastian and The Smiths" night... highly doubt it though. A best of British night could suffice possibly, or maybe just a night called "please please please don't sing any American R'n'B crap we are so over it". Maybe a piano tunes night... yeah. It will be interesting when they have the public's choice night as to what songs will be chosen...

OK yes I am sad and obsessed... back to political theory. Ohhh Arendt's theories on totalitarian states, excitement... see why Idol excites me so easily at the moment!

Arghhhhh

2006-10-20T11:47:00.000+10:00

I'm sitting in the library, my back is painful after taking a beating at the chiropractors last night, my chair is uncomfortable and there are people sitting next to me having a loud and uninteresting conversation about the transmission of Ross River Fever. It's the mozzies guys, it ain't that crazy.

I want to change my idea for my radio feature... yes... now... but I'm not sure what to do with it. I want to something cruisey but also a bit out of the ordinary where I can do some unique stuff with sound. Any ideas?

2006-10-16T22:52:00.000+10:00

Boo hoo Bobby has gone!

The musical concept of Bobby Flynn will no longer be nightly gracing our television screens. Tragedy! My flatmates and I were truly devestated as he was really our Idol favourite (being the suckers for acoustic indie blues and roots that we are).

I found this video of vintage Bobby (before Idol) on YouTube... he has always been great, but I think on Idol he really pushed the boundaries, it was awesome. It was filmed last year apparently.

What a sad sad loss for Aussie Idol, and further indication that the Australian public are stupid. Not that I wasted my money on texting in to vote though.

Aussie Idol and underarms

2006-10-16T14:47:00.000+10:00

Last night's Aussie Idol showed some top talent... except dicky Ricky, who hopefully will finally leave the competition this week (much to the relief of my flatmate Mel and I who can't stand the bogan footballer turned pop star). Albury's Lisa Mitchell from Albury sang really well for the first time in ages, which is special since she is from Albury. The Albury schoolgirl sang Coldplay (they are not from Albury) and probably has singlehandedly increased the number of things you will find if you type the word Albury in to Google. Cos she's from Albury. Hometown respect! I'm from Albury too you see.

But perhaps a greater enlightenment was brought upon the world than the fact that Dean Geyer is actually even cuter in a non-threatening boyband way when he is holding a guitar (even horny little Kyle Sandilands wants to see him naked it seems). During the ad breaks, my housemate Mel and I were shocked to discover why we are both single. It seems that the one part of our bodies that we thought we could safely ignore and not objectify could be the reason why nobody loves us... not only does the modern woman have to worry about cellulite, fat, pimples, tans, fat, acne, flabby arms, stubby fingernails and the like... the underarm is really what guys are after now. Thankfully it is now possible to use the goodness of pearls (I am assuming its more like a chemically generated pearly like substance, otherwise it would be friggin expensive deodorant) to make your underarms beautiful. By ignoring your underarms, you are not fulfilling your female duty to be a sex object and your boyfriend will promptly dump you. The age of the beautiful underarm has dawned and there will be no going back from this point.

Enough with the feminist rant, back to Idol, where snide innuendoes abounded last night making the show actually semi entertaining. Kyle thought Bobby "was going to blow me" (his own words!)... Andrew G and Holden made some joke about Holden's wankery Touchdown thing being "all in the hands"... Kyle and sister girlfriend Marcia made some reference to Holden taking Viagra... it was fantastic. Not to mention the crowd doing some kind of football cheer for the "concept" of Bobby Flynn (he is no longer an artist it seems... he is a whole concept and philosophy according to Holden "it's all in the hand"). Next thing in art school you will learn about impressionism, post structuralism and Bobby Flynn-ism. Albury's Lisa Mitchell from Albury was awesome and the Albury schoolgirl made Albury proud (as anyone from Albury knows, a rare and glorious achievement). Damien Leith was fantastic. Dean was hot. Jess was divalicious and cute. Chris Murphy was dull. Ricky was dicky, and Kyle and Mark promptly blew him as a result of this (opps I made a sexual innuendo *cue audience laughter and quick backtracking to disguise underlying smuttiness during prime time viewing*).

But this week is set to get better. For some stupid reason, the Idols have been suppressed from singing us the songs they really want... until Tuesday night "where the Idols will sing you the songs they really want to sing". Presumably, when the Idols get to sing what they want to sing rather than conforming to stupid theme nights they do a much better job based on last night's viewing... one wonders why we have had to wait this long to be bestowed with such a glittering and rare treasure. Oh wait. That's right. Cos ultimately Australian Idol is about voting for who you like best when they are forced to sing songs they have no passion about so that when they release an album (in time for the Christmas spending spree of course) full of prewritten bog standard pop shit that they don't care about we won't be too surprised at what it sounds like. We wouldn't want to be disappointed with the album... if they make sure we don't get out expectations too high during the finals, it's all good. But it's all about the music of course...

Smoke that spliff buddy

2006-10-14T16:47:00.000+10:00

So I was walking down Parramatta Road
Thinking shit it's hot, I've got a heavy load
When this guy up ahead starts actin jiggy
I was like what the f*ck is this gangsta's wiggy?
He was dressed in red and navy and white
With a Ralph Polo backpack, he was lookin for a fight
I noticed as I was approachin', a spliff from his lips was this hispter smokin'
And I thought to myself "geeze he ain't got troubles,
'Magine if the fuzz came, they'd fine him up doubles"

*insert musical doof doof interlude with gangsta hoes singing RnB back melody*

Then his act kinda got real shabby
The kind of schizz that could make a gal crabby
He starts going nuts outside the mirror store
Screamin' and dancin' but oh wait there's more
*Gangsta hoes say "woah oh" and "nah ah" in shock in background*
He starts chargin' at himself, well what he sees in dat mirror
The shopkeep, his patience is gettin and gettin thinner
As the Ralph Polo bruddah starts freakin' out
Dis mirror trip thing makes him scream and shout
Then he falls back trippin and 'most gets clipped by a bus
Drops his spliff in all da fuss
What a waste, yeah I know it, a half smoked rolly
But dat wigger almost ended up with da old man holy.
So think baby bruddahs before you smoke and you stroll
How dang'rous could be dat mirror store
Down at Parramatta Road
Uh huh.
Yeah.
Peace out to da walkers and the public transport users like! Wid love from da homie G'! Aiight!
*Gangsta hoes backtrack fades. Fin.*

I hope you got all that kids. Does it need clarification? Smoke pot while walking and freaking out outside a mirror store and you may get hit like a bus and look like a bigger fool than a white middle class girl trying to express herself through rap. Aiight.

Now I should get back to my real work. Just had to share the story with y'all.

I like my job

2006-10-13T11:56:00.000+10:00

I like my new job. I can't wait until uni is finished so the whole time management deal is less stressful. Today I basically quit my community radio role and I feel terrible about it... the self imposed guilt trip about it is likely to last for months and months. I did what I could really, but I hate letting people down so much.

Anyway, back to my job. Last night I had to go to a Town meeting about a big development proposal. Normally, a building wharf thingo being built wouldn't interest me. But what I like about my job is that I have to be interested in what other people are interested in... it's their interest that makes it interesting if that makes any sense. And hence I get to hear about things that I would normally ignore. Plus it's a real grassroots type of journalism... I get to go to these things, talk to people, walk around, hear what they have to say. It's nice... no working off press releases and phone calls only. Plus I get to take pictures, which is taking some getting used to, but practice makes perfect. I met a couple of local councellors and people running in the state election as well last night, making contacts and all that jazz.

The meeting went until quite late which is why I am still at home. I will be rocking in to work soon...

At the moment, I pretty much like my job. Which is always nice.

In other news, Smoke Radio was nominated in three categories at the Student Radio Awards in Britain, including best station. That is awesome! Congrats Smoke Radio kids, you all deserve it for your hard work!! It's especially special considering the station is so young, only about a year old really. Fantastic job kiddos!

Oh, and I found more hilarious Idol blogging over at The Spin Starts Here. It's pretty harsh stuff but made me chortle a bit.

Argh! Is the end a little too close?

2006-10-10T12:00:00.000+10:00

I've come to the realization that in four weeks;
-I have to write a 2500 word investigative feature which involves a hell of a lot of phone calls, a substantial amount of research and paperwork sifting plus sitting down and writing the damn thing up (which is the easiest bit for me)
-Create a 12 minute radio doco... I need to arrange interviews soon, because the editing process doesn't always go smoothly for these things, and if I don't have enough good sound when it comes down to me and Protools alone in a dark room, it will be shite. And I just realized it is supposed to be accompanied by a project diary... wtf! That's a new one for UTS...
-Write a 3500 word political theory essay (to be honest, the least of my worries. Essays can be written at 3am in the morning... they don't involve interviews and contact with other human beings)

All this must be achieved in three weeks, plus working three weekdays and going to class as well. And I am still a bit under the weather, not as bad as before thankfully. My current schedule means that I don't have any free weekdays to ring and harass major corporations and government offices who could be unwittingly involved in the conspiracy I have discovered for investigative, or toddle out to harass people with my microphone in the wee hours of the morning...

Plus there are a lot of random little things that need to be done before finishing uni.

I think, unfortunately, my somewhat unreliable commitment to community radio is going to have to go. Then I will have four Tuesdays (only 3 for some subjects) to pull all this crap together.

Wow. Scary.

And I am sitting on my bed listening to "World Hold On" by Bob Sinclair and all I wanna do is go out dancing and partying... I haven't danced at all since my last night in Harrow and the UK, when we had a brief stint at Trinity before dashing back to catch the last tube to our hostel. And before that... gee... it was some seedy expat club in Krakow with two really stupid Australian guys who thought the kebabs in Krakow were actually good... geeze...

I need to go dancing dammit, but there is too much work to be done! ARRRRRRGHGHHHHHHGHGHGHGHHGHHHHHH!

When I finish my last class/hand in last assignment (which ever signals the end of my degree) I wanna party hard... I can't wait for uni to finish...

I don't feel like I did at school, where it was bittersweet and slightly scary to leave (largely cos I have my job now, if I was facing uncertainty I would probably be a bit worried). I don't feel like I felt when I had to leave Harrow, where it was downright heartbreaking. The UTS experience, while being educationally and career path heading down good, has been somewhat socially lacking, and has really pushed my patience in many respects. It's been good, but at the same time it's been a little bit like trying to wear a pretty shoe that doesn't quite fit properly. I've been lucky to find friends here who are great, but I've had to sift through some interesting characters and some lonely times to get there.

At the moment I feel like I am in a bit of a rut.. work or class, come home, sit on sofa and watch TV or cook, come up to room and try and do research or screw around online and listen to music, go to bed. Repeat. When I have a bit more structure in my life in terms of just being able to go to work, then come home and not have uni stuff to do, hopefully I will be able to bring a bit more excitement in to my existence. I am actually thinking about going back to some kind of dance class or something, joining a local gym or maybe UTS gym again... it may sound weird, but working 9 to 5 is exciting and it's going to give me some kind of structure so I can work things I want to do back in to my life again. But thank god for finding and living in this house, it's so much more sane that student housing was.

But for now, it's back to the paperwork. World, hold on.

Pink Star Walk

2006-10-08T12:43:00.000+10:00

Last night, Mel, Lam, Mez and myself went on the Dove Pink Star Walk to raise money for breast cancer research. It was a pretty cruisey 5 km stroll, starting at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour, then walking around Millers Point, past the Bridge and the Opera House to the Botanic Gardens where we got a free gift bag with lots of random exciting items like laundry detergent, a Marie Claire cookbook with recipes far too complicated for me to ever contemplate making and some deoderant and shampoos and and stuff. The lights of the city are so very pretty at night time, the city at night is when I like the city best... the way the lights reflect off the harbour is awesome. Except you couldn't see any real stars on the walk in the sky, too much light pollution here for that!

When we were at the finish line I ran in to a guy from UTS who I met in a hostel in Wroclaw in Poland... it's a small world after all!

Myself with Lam... you can't see my pink top in the photo... noooo!

Mel and Mez on the bus having a pout

Lam chose to wear his glowstick in a special place...

Sick+ Work+ Pink (wow, creative title)... oh and a test

2006-10-07T14:29:00.000+10:00

Basically, I have been really ill but I am now feeling better, except I am really tired. Work has been good. Been out mixing and making connections with the locals and all that. It's fun cos I get to take photos as well as interview people so I feel like I will get a fair few different skills from this job.

I'm screwed in terms of uni... behind with a proposal, work non existant on radio feature, didn't go to class this week. Whatever... I'm at the P's get degrees stage to be honest.

I did a cadetship exam today at a major news organization. I'm not hugely interested cos I already have my job and there were hundreds doing the test, but it was more for personal interest. I didn't even know half the answers to the current affairs questions, being out of the country for a large part of the year didn't help much. But I now know what kinds of things to expect if I go for one of those tests in the future which will give me a head start.

This arvo I have to go out and take a photo for a story I am doing for work, as well as try and figure out a proposal for investigative journalism, and then tonight I am doing the Pink Star Walk that I posted about earlier. I will try and take some cool photos, I have a camera from work that I can play with.

And then tonight I will finally get a decent sleep hopefully. I was at a friends place last night catching up with people which was nice, but I was too tired to be overly social after going to a networking breakfast as well as a full day at work.

Flu, Work, Pink

2006-10-03T17:44:00.000+10:00

I'm back in Sydney and am suffering from a flu, which is a bit crap, cos I start my new job tomorrow. I got all the contracts and stuff in the mail today, rather dense, except there are two copies of everything of course. I also did my tax today, and I will actually be getting a bit of a refund which is exciting as I thought I might be facing a tax bill.

Looking forward to starting work, should be good. Just hope I am feeling better.

I'm excited cos on the weekend Melissa, Meredith and I are doing the Dove Pink Star Walk through Sydney. It involves a 5km walk, seeing Sydney's sights at night, and waving pink glow sticks! It also involves dressing up in all pink clothes... what more could you want! Plus it is for a good cause, breast cancer research. Any Sydneysiders looking for something fun to do on the weekend should check it out!

Holidays at Home Part 2

2006-10-01T00:59:00.000+10:00

Chapter 2- Which Work?

Last night I caught up with old friend Katrina and we chatted over hot chocolate, then the crazy gangsta rapper that is Roz and I went and saw a smokin film called Step Up... it involved a boring white girl meeting a white but black at heart boy falling in love and her tighty whitey dance moves having some flava put on them. Mmm hmm girlfriend. Plot was lacking, dance was plentiful, and laughter insued though usually in parts of the film where the director and scriptwriter probably weren't trying to make the audience laugh.

Anyway, after that we drove around and decided against going out due to packs of males on football trips prowling around the town...

Then I went up the shop with my microphone to try and record some stuff for my radio feature on shift work. But instead I ended up washing dishes until 5am in the morning because it was busy. First hand experience of shift work (something I am very familiar with). No recording done for feature.

Chapter 3- Saturday night in

Everyone else is out and my sister is staying with my nanna so I have the plasma screen, cable tv, dvd player, and whole house to myself. Tonight I watched Dodgeball, Bend it like Beckham, and some doco show on MTV called "Virgin Diaries" where a girl with an uncomprehensible (to me) Manchester accent angsted about her lack of a boyfriend and sexual activity. All Manchester accents are difficult for me to understand, for some reason out of the whole of the UK, Manchester accents (and some thick Scottish accents) are the hardest for me to comprehend.

I am now watching Love Actually. Lovely London-ness... but along with the Virgin Diaries and Bend it like Beckham, it creates a night of rather tragic single female viewing. It's all good though, an indulgence!

And does anyone have an idea for an investigative print feature? The proposal is due on Thursday...

Holiday at home

2006-10-01T00:18:00.000+10:00

I'm back in Albury again for the long weekend, looking to record some of my radio doco on shift work as well as chill out a bit. I won't be back in town now until Christmas so I thought I would take the opportunity to hang in the ol hometown.

Chapter 1- Train Trauma

Every time I catch the Countrylink service between Sydney and Albury or vice versa it;
a) runs late
b) is completely full
c) of weirdos

I think it's because you can get discounted tickets if you have a pension card etc so there seem to be so many crazies on the train. This time there were two people sitting near me who were antsy and jittery the whole time due to not being able to chain smoke on the train. They kept on trying to get off and have a few puffs every time the train would stop and the countrylink woman would yell at them. Then an announcement came over the speaker through the train in a broad ocker Aussie accent...

"For those passengers who missed the announcement in Sydney this is a non smoking service. The person smoking in the toilet between carriages C and D will be faced with a $440 fine and will be removed from the service at the next station."

Some poor bastard got kicked off the train at Cootamundra... made me chuckle.

Then there were randoms walking around looking lost, people who couldn't understand they had to sit in their assigned seats because the train was full etc. I felt sorry for the countrylink staff having to put up with all the crap.

Five Things

2006-09-25T22:33:00.000+10:00

1. Australian Idol. Yes. I know I am a sadcase. But even if it was some carefully crafted television moment, I loved Jessica Malboy coming out in a white dress and singing "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera a week after Vile Kyle Sandilands told her not to wear white cos she had a jelly belly. Stick it to the man sista, oh yeah! And she sang it so damn well even though I don't really like that song. Speaking of Aus Idol, I just popped over to the forums to see who got booted this week (cos I couldn't be bothered to watch the verdict show... a whole hour to tell us something that can be said in two words)... and I saw some classic posts in response to Dean Geyer (yes, he is hot in the pretty boy way... but girls, he is a god head. If you want to get with him, you will literally have to have his babies, and half the mortgage, so don't get ahead of yourselves...) being in the bottom three. I shall share;

Touchdown said:
"I HATE THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SOOOOOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU PUT DEAN IN THE BOTTOM 3 TONIGHT HAVE YOU PEOPLE NOT LISTENED TO THE JUDGES WHEN THEY SAY VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE IDOL MAN WILL YOU PEOPLE PLEASE LISTEN TO THE JUDGES AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE IDOL".

Yeah I am fully with you. And I am pleased to hear that you are also in the elite club of us Australians who are not actually part of the Australian public.

ilovedean01 (obviously an unbiased Idol spectator) said:

"THATS THE EXACT SAME THING I SAID WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED DEAN GEYER IN THE BOTTOM 3 I WAS CRYING I WAS SO SAD CHRIS MURTHY NEEDS TO GO HOME AND SO DOES MUTTO I HOPE DEAN WINS I VOTE FOR DEAN EVERY WEEK"

Crying? Well it makes me seem like less of a sad case then for just watching the show and casting my cynical and bitchy eye over the contestants.

The best place for Idol blogging is Scott to be Certain's blog, it's hilarious. Love it.

2. Cocktails. Mel and I took our housemate holiday bonding to a new level by rocking up to the fabulous happy hour at Kuletos in Newtown on Saturday night. You can get two (yes... two) amazing cocktails for between 10 and 12 bucks during the happy hour, it is truly divine. This week we sampled the Devil in Disguise (yum!), Bananarama (it had real bananas in it, making it even more of a bargain in the current banana drought climate) and of course, our favourite Honeycomb Delight. All were well recieved. Josie joined us late and only just managed to grab a double serve of Strawberry Dream before Happy Hour ended. We then whinged about how much boys suck, how journalism is overrated, and about the wonder food that is a tin of chick peas. A good night was had by all.

Devil in disguise... oh and the drink is called that too!

Mel has devil eyes going on and everything in anticipation of happy hour cocktails!

3. Truckies on Speed. A story I did for The Wire today. I spoke to a truck driver who used to take speed to stay awake. Really interesting. You can listen to it here.

4. Lily Allen. This girl rocks my socks at the moment. Her fun pop beats hide deliciously sarcastic and crass lyrics, but are still perfect for wandering around during sunny summer days. At the moment my fav track is Knock 'em Out, a thesis on the modern problem of being hit on by ferals who won't get the hint that you ain't interested. I love the English accents in it too, where every "th" sound is pronounced as "f"... You can't knock em out, you can't walk away, try desperately to fink of the politest fing to say, just get out my face, just leave me alone and no you can't have my number cos I lost my phone! Fun stuff.

5. There was a fifth thing... can't fink of it now like. Oh yeah, it was about the weather. After a couple of beautiful days, its dropped to a chilly 21 degrees... yesterday there were gale force winds! The twigs and seed things from the tree in our back yard that we affectionately call "The Triffid" (in reference to the sci fi novel "Day of the Triffids") were being catapulted against my window all day yesterday. Argh Sydney weather is always unpredictable at this time of year... I want the warmth back though! I think it's going to be a hot summer though.

Money slips through her fingers!

2006-09-23T02:29:00.000+10:00

I'm on holidays. I'm not working, no class. So what does a girl do? Hit the shops. Despite not being financially well endowed at this point, I have still been spending money I shouldn't be.

I think the retail spending deprivation I experienced in both the lead up and during my European exchange/adventure has led to this latest rise in consumer spending. I also think public confidence in the state of the Ashlee dollar has continued to rise due to unemployment rates decreasing to zero in the immediate future. All this has resulted in a buoyant attitude towards spending which is concerning for the reserve bank (aka Ashlee's credit card) due to the likelihood of an increase in interest rates spurring inflation.

In other news... there isn't really any. The weather has been sunny and 30 degrees in Sydney today.

I'm bored. I feel my social life is lacking lustre lately.

The sun is in the sky oh why oh why...

2006-09-20T00:12:00.000+10:00

Just been tuning in to Smoke Radio again tonight and they played the Lilly Allen song that goes "the sun is in the sky oh why oh why would I wanna be anywhere else"... that was what the weather was like today, absolutely beautiful. 29 degrees... for the poms, that's a heatwave. In Sydney it's the start of Spring. I walked all the way in to uni (one hour walk) and also back, so lots of walking in the sunshine today. I didn't do much else. A spot of window shopping, listening to my iPod, etc. Mel and I watched High Fidelity tonight on DVD, it was a cool movie.

In the spirit of High Fidelity, here are my top 5 sunshine songs at the moment... I'm not up with what the cool kids are listening to, but yeah.

1. Love Generation (Bob Sinclair)
2. The Car Song (Cat Empire)
3. She moves in her own way (The Kooks)
4. Where did our love go (The Dials)
5. Light surrounding you (Evermore)

I'm also loving my recent Belle and Sebastian purchases, particularly the Dear Catastrophe Waitress CD... Belle and Sebastian were also mentioned in the film! As were the Smiths... another thing I decided I liked while in England.

It's a little bit weird listening to Smoke Radio, seeing everyone on the webcam and talking to everyone on MSN... Australia is so far from everything... sitting in my room that is now heady with the scent of incense and dimly lit by fairy lights while communicating with people who are everywhere but here seriously makes me feel like I am on another planet sometimes. A planet with nice weather though.

How to build an Ikea bed

2006-09-19T01:43:00.000+10:00

I finally have a bed! The construction effort was quite difficult though. The little blob Ikea man thing wasn't very helpful in demonstrating some of the stages of construction. It took me an hour to get one of the screw things to work. Apparently one tiny screw was magically supposed to join four pieces of metal together and it was the most infuriating thing! But it's done now. Construction girl conquered the flat pack bed challenge. Complete with orange sheets that don't really match anything I own, but hey.

My room is eccletic. Crazy bedspread, fairy lights, red office chair, nordic pale bed and desk, black and white photos of London, caberet posters from Paris, an ad for Spanish olive oil and a photo of two Parisian ladies at a cafe. The overall theme is... trippy.

It's also the kind of room that is hard to fit in a photograph properly.

Macbeth and more

2006-09-18T23:19:00.000+10:00

Tonight I went and saw the new Australian film Macbeth... we had free media preview screening tix, free movie is always good. I liked the film. It moved Shakespeare's story in to contemporary Melbourne and it is was an interesting adaptation. Very visually based story telling style. It was strange to hear Shakespeare spoken with proper strong Australian accents, everyone normally expects it to be said with a bit of British influence.

Today I was at 2SER working on The Wire. I did a story about the Singaporean government stopping activists from attending a civil society groups forum organized by the World Bank. It was an interesting story, but unfortunately recording someone in Singapore speaking on a mobile phone with a bit of an accent meant the sound quality was poor. You can hear it on The Wire website.

I'm currently listening to Smoke Radio, which has started back up for Freshers Week. It's nice to hear the familiar voices, sounding even more English than I remember, making me remember all the fun we had there. I miss it... but if I didn't miss it, it would mean I hadn't had fun while I was there, so it's an ok payoff.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-09-16T19:35:00.000+10:00

Last night I saw Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth, and wow, it was powerful. It really made you think seriously about the ramifications of climate change and how we can alter our behavior now to try and stop it in its tracks.

Everyone should go and see the film, I can't recommend it highly enough. When the three of us who saw it came home we immediately started trying to do things the lower the CO2 emissions our lives generate. But we quickly realized that since we don't have cars, don't have heating or airconditioning, don't have a tumble dryer, don't have much hot water, always always use eco carry bags and not plastic and try and cut back on our water usage we aren't doing too badly.

But I think the most important thing that the film did was encourage the audience to try and create political change to aid the situation. It was amazing to see how a few changes made by governments (particularly the US) could really make a large difference to the global warming problem.

The one moment of the film when I really felt ashamed was when Al Gore mentioned that the US was one of only two developed countries who haven't signed the Kyoto agreement... Australia being the other. Shame shame shame Australia, particularly the Howard government. The refusal to sign this treaty is an absolute disgrace.

In other news, I finally bought a bed!! Yay! I've been on just a mattress on the floor since returning overseas, but figured since I have scored myself a job I can afford to lash out and buy an actual bed...

Sleepy!

2006-09-14T21:12:00.000+10:00

I'm very sleepy today. At work I was a space cadet. Perfect example of space cadet-ness this morning. I was running a bit late, so while I threw together a chick pea salad to take to work for lunch, I chucked some bread in the toaster to eat for breakfast. Made salad, packed bag, left the house. Remembered toast halfway to train station. Had to text Mel to make sure it was removed from toaster. Then I was hungry :(

Tomorrow is my last day freelancing, yay! It hasn't been too bad really though, but it can be quite boring indeed some days. I have a two week break from both work and uni (but I have assignments that need working on) and then I start part time at my full time job until the end of semester when I obviously go full time at my full time job.

I watched Jamie's Kitchen Australia tonight and was somewhat disheartened to realize that most of the Jamie stuff was clips from when he did the London show. But it's still going to be quite an interesting program I feel, despite not having as much of that lovely Londoner accent infiltrating the Aussie drawls.

Should be heading out a bit this weekend which will be nice, I've been quite a homebody as of late, been too busy. I did hang at the pub for a bit after class last night though, where I heard a fantastic joke to share with you all;

Q: What is the difference between Australia and a tub of yoghurt?

A: If you leave a tub of yoghurt for 200 years it will actually develop a culture.

Boom boom kaching! I liked it, I think the poms out there reading might too. See, we Aussies can laugh at ourselves... well except maybe some pretentious Sydneysider types, but whatever.

Neo-cons, liberty, civil libertarians and singing in the rain

2006-09-10T17:21:00.000+10:00

I'm currently working on an assignment for political theory and the whole thing is incredibly convoluted. Basically it involves writing responses to some newspaper articles, talking about how political theory informs or structures the situations etc. Because I have been so busy as of late I haven't done many of the readings for this subject and it is all so horribly convoluted. Neo-conservatives, conservatives, liberals, liberty, positive and negetive liberty, socialism, communism, Marxism... so many theories, so little time!

I only have to write one more crappy 500 word rambling response to an article I have chosen about increasing nationalism in Peru and then I am done. I am in at uni at the moment, to try and escape from the distractions in my room at home. It's very very quiet in the newsroom here... it reminds me of when I used to go to Harrow campus library at Westminster very late at night to use the internet when halls net wouldn't work. It also reminds me of a time when my internet in Sydney wasn't working and it was a balmy summer evening and I was wondering around the UTS Tower block with no shoes on, eating an icecream while typing up an essay that was due the next day.

I wish it was balmy now... the weather has been cold (for Sydney... top of 16 degrees today, well cold for us!) and really rainy. I can't complain about the rain because of the drought, we need the rain badly, but it does make for a fairly dull and dreary weekend. Oh well, holidays at the end of this week for a fortnight! Yay! I do have a fair bit of uni work to do in them though, but I'm not working and I should have some time to chill, check out some cafes in my new neighbourhood and catch up on things I have been meaning to do for ages, like ebaying some clothes and stuff that I don't wear anymore...

Retail crazyness

2006-09-09T23:36:00.000+10:00

So last night I went out for dinner in Newtown with Josie and a few other people and it was really nice. Just having a few drinks, chatting, hanging out. A nice way to finish the hectic work/uni/two assignments due/weekend in Albury/community radio week.

We went to this fantastic Japanese restaurant where you could buy these dinner boxes that had like chicken teriyaki and sushi and salad and rice in them for less than 10 bucks. So cheap, so tasty, so good! I will definitely be going back there.

I have an assignment due on Monday that I haven't made much of a start on. I'm so unmotivated for uni lately, it's probably good there are only 7 weeks of class left yay! Only 1 more week until holidays. I can't wait.

Today I went kinda crazy in the retail spending way. I bought three Belle and Sebastian CDs as I developed quite a taste for them in the UK thanks to the lovable and musically knowledgable Kim. I also bought a DVD of the first season of Little Britain (will buy the second season shortly), and then they had heaps of DVDs on sale for really really cheap so I grabbed a couple of trashies to watch with the girls at home.

I also bought a super cute work shirt (which is probably the only purchase today that was actually justifiable). It sort of says "I am professional-ish, but also young, hip and approachable so don't be scared by me". I think that's a good type of statement for a shirt to make. Plus, it's one that you don't have to iron. Bonus! And it was 20 per cent off the price. Double bonus!

Employed!

2006-09-07T22:26:00.000+10:00

I have scored myself a full time print journalism position starting part time in a couple of weeks then full time at the end of semester at a community newspaper group. Tis rather exciting, cos I now have some certainty over what will happen after graduation. I also think the small team environment at this newspaper will be positive and I will get a lot of opportunities to experience different things. So quite exciting, and also a weight off the shoulders.

I still have to finish this semester though and this week has been really hectic with freelancing work and uni plus assignments. Ugh. Can't wait for the mid semester break... I'm desperate for it!

I've also been busy as I am contributing to community radio's national current affairs show at 2SER 107.3 called The Wire. I did a story the other day about the ABC's denial to release details about their complaints procedure requested under freedom of information. You can listen to the story here, scroll down to "FOI under fire". I like doing this kind of stuff, but I am so busy at the moment, it's crazy. I've barely even had time to blog.

So yeah, things are going quite well here at the moment... well but hectic!

A couple more Albury pics

2006-09-07T22:00:00.000+10:00

Sorry, it was such a nice weekend, I took quite a lot of pics of the old hometown when I was back there to record a radio feature. I thought I would share them with the world...

View over Mungabereena River area

Dean Street in Albury

View over Mungabereena and farm land

Australian native plants: wattle and gumtrees

Albury Photos

2006-09-07T21:37:00.000+10:00

Roz snapped me filling up the car with petrol... expensive petrol!

Sunset on the Murray at Noreil Park

The Mighty Murray River

The Paddlesteamer Cumberoona on the Murray River

Roz strikes a pose at Monument Hill

View towards Wodonga from Monument Hill

View of Albury city from Monument Hill

The Albury War Memorial on Monument Hill

RIP Croc Hunter

2006-09-04T17:17:00.000+10:00

I'm so saddened by the news that Steve Irwin, AKA Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a Sting Ray. It's sad cos he has little kids and was pretty young, but it's also sad because he was such a great figurehead for the conservation movement.

I regarded his massive personality as all show when he first became popular, but I watched an Australian Story episode a few years ago where he was interviewed and I realized it was actually genuine. He was really compassionate about animals and also about Australia. Many Australians are very sad about this news as he was a true larrikin with the "no worries mate" adventurous personality and characters like that are harder and harder to come by these days. He never got political, and yeah he made a couple of slip ups, but he was only interested in using his fame to help save animals.

Home again?

2006-09-03T22:28:00.000+10:00

I've ended up back in Albury for the weekend, due to me arsing up an idea for a feature just to cover the fact I had no clue what I was doing, and then ending up in Albury making a radio feature with no focus or interesting factors whatsoever.

Whatever.

It's been a crazy week. Work. Uni. Work offers. Uni. Ending up in Albury randomly. Job interviews in Dubai... insanity.

Shall post some lovely pics of the hometown when I get a chance. I realized I never take photos of the place.

The House is now warmed

2006-08-26T16:53:00.000+10:00

Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I wrote a post the other day but my computer spazzed out and I lost it when trying to post it up. Grumble grumble.

Last night we had our housewarming, twas uber fun. We only played the best of 1990's and 1980's cheese and a good time was had by all. It was my flatmates birthday, so this meant her parents supplied us with copious amounts of food which was great, we shall be eating homous all week.

I just thought I would take a moment to share my favourite part of the new house with the blogosphere.

It's my kitchen sink. It's yellow. Notice the chic wood cladding throughout the kitchen (it's also through the bathroom). A lot of my uber cool friends go shopping for vintage clothes. Well I live in a vintage house! Beat that!

Another weekend rolls by

2006-08-20T22:50:00.000+10:00

Another weekend has flown past. It was full of good intentions of things I was going to achieve. However, it mostly consisted of time wasting, delicious sleep ins, stuffing around on the computer, and achieving about a quarter of what I needed to. The location of my computer on my mattress in the following photo should demonstrate my productivity levels.

I went for a couple of walks the past few days. I walked all the way back from uni on both Friday and Saturday to Leichhardt. Apparently according to the road signs, that's a seven kilometre walk. Today I caught the bus in to the city and spent some time being a tourist in Sydney down at Circular Quay. The weather was beautiful today though... two really good things about Australia. One is the weather, two is that our food is so much better than in England. I had forgotten these crucial points.

I hadn't been in to the city yet since coming back so it was good to see the old haunts... I used to see the Bridge every day where I worked last year, so it was nice to hang down at the Quay in the sunshine. And after all my travels I was feeling particularly aware to the plight of the tourist. I spotted a couple trying to take a photo of themselves together in front of the bridge, so I offered my services. I discovered they had not asked someone because they barely spoke the local language. Ah, I know their plight... and I envy them!

A random photo

2006-08-17T21:36:00.000+10:00

This is a random photo I took in Budapest. I like it, and it kind of reflects my mood right now. Like, I'm where the camera is. I need to be up on the bridge checking out the view, but the tunnel is in the way. Like, totally yah. Ok, I'll stop now.

Still glum

2006-08-17T21:32:00.000+10:00

I am still having major problems getting motivated. I am supposed to have already proposed my feature story for radio journalism... but I have no inspiration. I'm not going to propose something I have no passion to do for the next 3 months. So I will wait... I will search for inspiration, hopefully I will find some in the next few days.

Today I just looked through all of my photographs from my trip... I want to get some printed out. There are so many of them, and quite a few are decent, or at least have potential. I think I want to do a photography course... I would love to do a photojournalism course but I don't think it is really offered.

Hmm other than that, I haven't been up to much. Have fallen in love with the music of a guy called David Ford, he is from the UK, is a friend of a friend of mine, he was on sunrise the other morning. I really like his stuff.

That's all from me really.

Boring boring bored

2006-08-15T20:15:00.000+10:00

Work today was so boring. I barely did anything.

I just have no motivation. No concentration. I'm just tired and bored... even though I have stuff to do.

I have an assignment due tomorrow and I still have 500 more words to write and I am trying to concentrate with every ounce of my strength and it is just so hard. The assignment is easy, and that's what scares me.

Today at work I was so bored I even noticed something very strange. There is someone who lifts the toilet seat all the time in the ladies loos. Does one of the women at work have a hidden secret? I'm going to be tempted to watch who goes in and out of the toilets and keep on dashing in to see who it may be... the only evidence is the haplessly raised toilet seat. Hmmm.

But work is so incredibly dull. Just like every prostitute says, I only do it for the money. Except I'm whoring my words and my journalistic ethics instead of my body. Commercial "journalism" is the new name for the job, but it is not journalism at all.

The only interesting things that happened today were

a) a really strange bra arriving at the lifestyle editor's desk that was seriously bizarre looking.

b)a freak hail storm (despite it being warm and sunny most of the day) that meant Sydney kind of looked a bit like it had been snowed on. Victoria Park looked all white and frosty, and it reminded me of all those below freezing mornings in Harrow when the grass would all frost over, or those cold days when the snow would fall. Except it wasn't cold. And it was Sydney- it never snows in Sydney- so it was looking pretty bloody strange for Sydney.

Brain block

2006-08-13T17:37:00.000+10:00

I have an assignment due tomorrow. It's not that hard. But I have only written half of it and my brain is just dead... I guess it has been three and a half months since I finished my coursework at Westminster, and that is a long time. That's a longer period than the Australian summer holidays... my brain is completely unable to concentrate on reading anything. Argh. Plus it's just a stupid assignment, one of the ones they set just to make sure you actually do look at the readings every now and then. Speaking of readings, I haven't done my readings for Political Theory tomorrow yet either. Ugh.

On the upside, while procrastinating today I have found some good music on itunes, discovered that they now vodcast the Chaser's War on Everything and discovered that I still have no idea what I will do my 10 minute radio documentary on. Hmm, deja vu? Wasn't I in a similar situation in London at the start of the year (without the Chaser vodcasts)... that's because the radio subject I am doing now is almost identical to the radio subject I did in England called Radio Features... wow!! Grrr it's a little bit annoying.

Things can only get better...

2006-08-12T16:42:00.000+10:00

My last blog post was reflective of the extremely downbeat mood I was in the other day. While not bouncing from the rafters or anything, I am happy to report I am feeling a bit more chirpy. I went to the chiropractor and my back is a bit better, still not quite right though.

It's amazing what a day of journalistic conquest at the community radio station (I had the notebook out, the pen, the phone tucked in the crook of my neck and I did four interviews in one day...) followed by walking in to one's house to find one's flatmates crazily dancing to the best the 1980's and 1990's had to offer in terms of musical hits and one's mood must instantly improve. We ended up going over to a friends place, partaking in a few drinks, and then heading to a bar on Oxford Street where the trademark power posse's cackling laughter and excited screaming went on until the wee hours. Mel and I dragged ourselves through the front door at 4am, made toast and then went to bed.

Then today I have just pottered around (completely unfazed by the fact I have an assignment due on Monday and a proposal due on Wednesday) and listened to music and made yummy chickpea salad ala Jamie Oliver and washed my clothes.

So I am feeling a bit better. Still not looking forward to work, it's shit. Slightly less panicky about graduation. Still missing travelling... my back is still not quite right but I have found a local chiropractor who is friendly and has a student discount... but yeah, things are feeling more bearable than they were earlier in the week.

The grind

2006-08-09T07:47:00.000+10:00

Back at uni, listening to silly little girls spout off silly little ideas.

Back at work, writing crappy commercial copy that gives me no sense of satisfaction whatsoever.

And now my back is stuffed again, I'm in total agony and today I have both work... and uni. A 12 hour day, how lovely. Need to book chiropractic appointment ASAP. It never rains it pours.

Plus we have no electricity downstairs at the house at the moment, but that should hopefully be fixed today.

And I have two assignments due next week. And heaps of other things to do... and yeah. I am still not particularly overjoyed to be back. And this morning those little brats in the Qantas choir will be grinning at me from the Westminster bridge when I get off the train reminding me that I still call Australia home. Grr. I never realized how depressing coming back would be.

Coming back is hard to do

2006-08-05T16:07:00.000+10:00

It's been a weird week. Lovely evenings of domestic bliss and laughter filled with days of running around on errands. I've found work, back whoring myself as a freelance commercial writer, but hey it will pay the bills. It's only while someone is away on vacation, but it's a start.

Catching up with people has been joyous, but it's still all very strange. When I got off at the train station to go in to work yesterday the rain was pouring down heavily... and the two large advertisements alongside the platform only added to my woes. One features a large photograph of the Grand Canal of Venice... happy memories of summer days wandering around the city with Roz. The other was worse still. The Qantas childrens choir, lined up in their little white shirts along Westminster Bridge, with the lights of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament sparkling in the background. Ugh. Yes kids, I still call Australia home, but as I am trudging off through the rain to write about motoring and boating I don't need such a potent reminder that those heady days of jetting around Europe during the glorious summer where the rays only tanned instead of burning are over. Finished. Back to the daily grind. Talk about cruel irony... of all the advertisements in Sydney to have those two at the station where I have to get off for work!

And then there was uni. One of the subjects I am doing here is almost the same as a subject I have already done. The class is way too big and it's the same stuff over again... not exactly inspiring. I still haven't been to the other two classes, but the whole 6 hours of class straight on a Monday thing doesn't sound particularly appealing. Especially since investigative journalism is apparently an insane amount of hard work... and political theory involves a lot of reading.

Then the added stresses of preparing for graduation are looming, I'm already having to start applying for cadetships... trying to decide what lengths I am willing to go for to get a job is stressful. Would I move to the Queensland outback or Alice Springs? Maybe... it could be an adventure. Would I move to Wangaratta (a commutable distance from my hometown). No, I don't think so. That would just be boring. I have to get my CV in order and do all that and it just fills one with a gaping sense of inadequacy seeing how little one has to show for 2.5 years at university. Particularly after seeing some of the amazing stuff produced by some of the go-getters in my course in London.

Argh. At least the house is a happy happy house. And it's nice to see everyone again... even though I sometimes space out when things digress in to conversation about parties and happenings that I missed.

I think that's the scariest part of it all... how little things have really changed, how much I have changed, and deciding how much change I want to happen at the end of the year. Ugh.

She's moving in

2006-08-01T17:42:00.000+10:00

Well I got back to Sydney yesterday, and with my Ikea mattress wedged in to the car as well as a few boxes that apparently would turn in to a desk with the magical placement of a few pieces of dowel (it was quite a bit more tricky than that... I even had to use a real screwdriver! But I managed to construct it!) and all my junk that I had decided was worthy of repatriating to Sydney Dad and I drove to my lovely little 1970's style terrace in Little Italy, AKA Leichhardt.

I've spent yesterday and today unpacking, constructing and buying groceries. It's extremely exciting to have a proper kitchen at my disposal after months of homecooked depravity while backpacking. It's amazing how good a piece of toast (Burgen bread of course!) with Vegemite can taste when one has been deprived of such simple pleasures. I also have set up internet, the Coop bookshop had a great deal for wireless so I'm set.

This neighbourhood is great. I'm a 5 second stroll from the bus stop, 5 minutes to the supermarket, and surrounded by little eateries and Italian restaurants that all have that one big thing that was lacking in my previous apartment block come student residence post-2002 development home... character. I don't care if the decor hasn't changed since the 70's... if the shop has been there that long, it must be doing something right. You'd hope anyway.

So far, it's all good. Though when I saw a really bad fake English pub off Parramatta Rd, my thoughts did turn to London briefly. I think it will be good once I get back to classes, so I have something to focus on, plus catching up with everyone will be good as well.

Home briefly

2006-07-30T22:18:00.000+10:00

I've been briefly home the last two days and the jetlag is giving me hell. I'm hungry at weird times and tired at weird times. I'm going back to Sydney tomorrow and have to move all my stuff up to our sharehouse in Leichhardt (yay, a real house... I was totally over student residences) as well as buy a bed and desk at Ikea on the way. I'm halfway through packing stuff and am tired now and dusty and I can't decide what to leave and what to keep and what I am forgetting about entirely. Argh.

It's weird being back in Australia. Normality has become strange. Everyone's accents sound so Australian, particularly here in Albury. I forgot how empty the streets usually are and I also forgot how our plastic money feels between your fingertips when you spend it. The sport news always starts with the AFL results rather than if Tottenham beat West Ham on the weekend and the weirdest thing is that I haven't really had a chance to catch up with anyone except my family and I haven't really been down the street to randomly run into people I know so it's all quite surreal.

It's nice in a way, but I think I will quickly tire of it, especially with the looming pressures of graduation and the fact I am totally skint after my 7 months in Europe. It's also going to be quite different living in the Sydney suburbs rather than right in the city, but Leichhardt isn't too far out so that's cool. I got used to be away from the city in London, but I never have had to catch a bus to uni (or school for that matter).

It's weird though. Seven months, and nothing in Albury has really changed. And that doesn't even surprise me. Sydney however is a bit of a different story and it will be good to catch up with everyone and try and piece together what I have missed in the 9 months I have been out of Sydney. I also need to start training up on the current affairs and news I missed in preparation for cadetship exams. Ugh.

Jane Austen was here... and friends

2006-07-29T23:31:00.000+10:00

Me with a keyring I got at Camden Markets

The Jane Austen was here madness begins... in the Circus in Bath

Jane Austen goes to Boots in Bath.

... and to the big pub quiz in Harrow

Lizzy, Joey, Dan, Me... Jane Austen... in Harrow

Farewell hug with Dan P at Trinity in Harrow

Roz, Soph and I in Harrow... looking cheeky!

Roz, Ross and I... I think I am trying to pout or something.

Soph, Ross and Roz in Harrow

Parting is such sweet sorrow

2006-07-27T06:20:00.000+10:00

I'm at Heathrow waiting for my flight back to Australia to start boarding. This whole thing finished the same way it started really... me on a Piccadilly line tube on my own with a massive backpack and grey drizzly skies outside. Except this time it was hot outside rather than freezing. And this time I was leaving a city I loved rather than arriving in a city I knew nothing about.

The last few days have been a lot of fun. We went to Bath, where we enjoyed it's loveliness greatly. We paid to go in to a Jane Austen museum which turned out to be really crappy, basically an overpriced tourist trap. Soph was excited... but then dissapointed as the only Colin Firth as Mark Darcy reference was the poster at the front door. Basically it chronicled every house Jane had stayed in for the entire 5 years she lived in Bath. Wow. It even had a crappy video with this chick walking around randomly in a purple sweater providing minimal narration but getting her face in every shot possible. You just had to see it, I'm sorry.

So from this we hatched an ingenious plan while sitting in the garden in the middle of the famous Circus. We made a sign that said "Jane Austen was here" and in every photo we took in Bath, we held the sign. I shall post the evidence when I return to Oz. We thought it was hilarious.

Jane Austen even followed us back to our crazy hostel in Bath, which had crazy coloured walls and beds that were named after celebrities. I was Whitney Housten. Shame I can't sing, and I wouldn't say my alcohol problem could compare to Whitney's either. But hey, the crazy paintwork kind of disguised the way the walls were crumbling... sorta...

Back in London on Tuesday and it was time for goodbye drinks at O'Neils in Harrow. It was a good laugh, nice to catch up with people, sad to say goodbye to them. We went to Trinity, Harrow's indie club for a bit of a dance but didn't stay until closing time like usual, we had to catch the last tube back to our hostel. So it was goodbye to Harrow, but in true Harrow style the night was a lot of fun rather than melancholy... a good time was had by Australians and English alike. Our team, titled "Jane Austen was here (ask the Aussies)" even managed to come second in Big Dave's Big Quiz at the pub despite rubbishing our way through most of the questions and even not hearing some of them due to our own loud talking. Jane Austen got around Harrow as well, I think my uni friends thought Soph, Roz and I were slightly nuts. In a lovable kind of way.

So now the sun is setting at Heathrow, my internet credit is expiring, and they have just announced that my flight has been delayed by 15 minutes. Beautiful. Farewell London, I will miss you dearly.

Friends and fun

2006-07-24T07:29:00.000+10:00

Some photos of friends playing around.

Ash and Fabian doing who knows what at Konstanz...

Roz, Ash and Soph at Piccadilly Circus

Yay at long last, a pint of Strongbow. My favourite. Cheers.

Soph tries on a petticoat at the V and A Museum

Roz and Ash make a call

Roz and Ash "playing" with the interactive displays at the V and A.

A few random photos

2006-07-24T06:19:00.000+10:00

The spires of Gaudi's Sangria Familia in Barcelona

Italians in Florence getting ready for the qualifying match against Germany in the World Cup.

Crazy coloured pasta in a Venice supermarket

The Colosseum in Rome

Me in a hollow tree trunk in the Black Forest in Germany. Why? Cos Fabian and Roz thought it would be a funny photo. Judge for yourself.

Floating markets in Venice

Me, Fabian and Roz in Germany

A more artistic shot of one of the spires of the Sangria Familia in Barcelona

Lollies at the markets in Barcelona. Yum!

Old friends, new friends, weirdos

2006-07-24T06:13:00.000+10:00

Catching up with old friends in London is great, as is being here with old friends from home. Sitting in Weatherspoons in Harrow with two good pom friends and two good Aussie friends on each side of me and sharing many a laugh was a great way to spend a Friday night. Portobello markets and shopping on Oxford Street was a great way to spend a Saturday. Going out disco bowling was a great way to spend a Saturday night (especially as Joey was doing an absolutely smashing job of taking the piss of the guy in the lane next to us... he was wearing all white so he glowed in the dark and he was taking the whole thing way too seriously... he deserved to be gently mocked. I also can't forget the freaky gangster bouncers who ran the bowling alley... one of whom tried to hit on me when I got my bowling shoes). Camden markets (one of my favourite places in London) was a great place to spend a Sunday morning/afternoon.

As you are probably beginning to see, everything is quite lovely and great at the moment.

This afternoon though as we were chilling in Leicester Square (where we had earlier been approached another day by a strange old man who said "hello young girls will you drink with me" argh!) we were sitting and chatting when this cocky young lad approached us with a toy mobile phone and asked us for our telephone numbers. We just laughed, he then dissapeared... he returned 5 minutes later to have a conversation with us, and then proceeded to tell us that he was the PR officer for this group he was with who were having lessons to improve their confidence in approaching women. Ah ha. We were laughing all the while. One of his friends (or classmates lol) decided to join us and we were chatting, then when they heard Roz likes doughnuts and hadn't had Krispy Kreme they insisted on taking us to the nearest Tescos express to get some. So we are walking with linked arms through London with these guys we only just met, talking shit and stuff (they were harmless, it was daytime, I knew where we were it was all good) to go to the supermarket. How random. Then we said our farewells... we have an inkling that they were trying to show their classmates at the pick up school that girls aren't that scary and that you can randomly approach them in Leicester Square and they will go with you to the supermarket without breaking your balls too much. We should have told them there was a disclaimer... we only went with them cos they weren't too freaky, had cute accents and were reasonbly good looking haha. I don't know if some of their other friends from pick up school would have had the same luck... its a cruel cruel world. It was very funny none the less... rather mysterious, but what a laugh.

Back in your arms again

2006-07-22T03:17:00.000+10:00

I'm back in the arms of this crazy city, the jungle of coloured lines on the underground map, the congestion of double decker buses, and whatever exists in between all those stately buildings that makes me love this place, and makes me not really want to leave it...

We are having fun, a bit tired today, but we did sightsee for nearly 12 solid hours yesterday. We had a lot of good laughs, watching changing of the guard, going to the V&A museum and playing with all the interactive stuff, chilling in parks with our Boots lunch, seeing Harrods, wandering around Leicester Square and central London at night after partaking our currys at the local Spoonies (Thursday night is Curry night! Curry and a pint for under 5 quid, good stuff!)with the lights dancing and the balmy (for England) breeze to cool us down.

Today we were quite tired, went and saw Tower Bridge, walked down to St Pauls and Tate Modern, ate Marks and Sparks food on the church steps... Roz and Soph went to Westminster Abbey, I went to window shop and catch up with a London friend Ross. It was awesome to see him, and I do want to try and catch up with as many people as possible while I am here, but argh I don't really feel like leaving... well nobody ever wants their holidays to end, I will just have to get over it haha.

It's funny cos Roz and Soph think I have an English accent now, but when I told Ross they thought that he burst in to laughter declaring that I don't sound English at all. I wonder what everyone back home will think, I honestly don't think I have an accent, but I probably use some phrases I wouldn't have used before I left.

I've posted up heaps of my photos now on Flickr from Spain, Italy and Germany. Check them out, I might post some of the better ones on here. It's been so long since I've been able to upload photos so I had so many to upload.

Back to where it all began...

2006-07-20T05:49:00.000+10:00

So my trip has almost come full circle... well, circle isnt the best word to decide the route I took around Europe but hey. I'm back in London, which is cool but weird... it's quite strange to stay in a hostel in a city where I so recently had a home... and it's even more strange to come to the slow and gradual realization that its back to reality next week... my plane sets down in Sydney on Friday week. Eeek. Mixed feelings about that one.

We had a great time in Munich, we did this fantastic free walking tour aimed at backpackers with great guides who worked only for tips. It was so fun, and very interesting, they told the history in such a fun way.

But London is cool, its familiar now, and once again I am playing tour guide for my friends. The coolest thing is that we now have three Albury girls in London, an amazing feat, especially considering that we have zero to nil organizational skills. Its very cool to have the three of us together again, on the other side of the world.

Once Soph recovers from her jetlag (she is completely zonked out in bed now haha) we shall set about exploring London... again for me haha.

A flying update

2006-07-18T06:09:00.000+10:00

I have really been so slack with my blogging! Tonight we have free wifi at the hostel so I have finally been able to upload some more photos to Flickr and blog and natter on to London friends about crap.

Well, we did Rome. Twas fun. Old stuff... ruins... camping... great pasta salad... hot... went on a bus... queued for ages to get in to the Vatican in the heat and it just reaffirmed my personal beliefs about the church but had to be seen... bought fake designer sunglasses from funny men who would run away when they saw a police car. Good times.

Slept in an airport, then flew to Germany. Then caught a bus and three trains and met my friend from uni Fabian (from henceforth known as Mr Schramberg) picked us up and drove us to his beautiful hometown where we were treated to a weekend of fabulous food and lots of fun. We went out the first night with two of his friends and got quite smashed due to having to try the local brews. Not the best way to impress his parents quite possibly but they were so so sweet! We went to Lake Constance, the weather was amazing and we went for a fun swim... we drove to Switzerland to buy cheaper petrol which was amazing for us Australians due to its bizarreness... I mean, going to a different country to get petrol... WTF!!!

We chilled out, ate more amazing food, met Fabians grandparents who were so so sweet as well. The next day we went driving through the Black Forest which was so gorgeous. It was so green it almost didnt look real... like one of those photos in Lonely Planet that you look at and go nah, thats been photoshopped. But it was right there... we explored waterfalls, cuckoo clock shops and ate Black Forest cake... it was loads of fun. It was really awesome to see Fabian again and also to experience real German life and meet his family rather than just do the same old tourist sightseeing stuff. So great, Roz and I both loved it.

Now we are in Munich briefly, and are heading back to London tomorrow night. It's almost home time, I have under two weeks left before I return to Oz! Exciting news though, I have a house to live in, so thats one less worry when I get back. All I need now is a job and furniture. Oh, and a life plan. She'll be right.

Internet deprivation!

2006-07-11T05:16:00.000+10:00

The internet is too expensive for me to use in Italy... noooooooo! Here are a few short tales from the last week or so.

1. Storm in Florence- so we were loving camping in Florence. So much that we cancelled our hostel in Rome and booked camping. We handwashed all our clothes and hung them out on trees... at one with nature... to dry. Then the storm came and it pissed down. Our roof started to collect water and cave in... we had to gather together all our possessions and dash up the muddy hill at 5am in the morning for fear of being waterbombed by our own tent roof. Then I fell over on the patio to make things more fun. What an adventure! Our friendly tent neighbours had it worse though, their tent had no poles due to a travel partner (who had the poles) withdrawing from the adventure at very late notice. They slept on the cold hard concrete floor of the laundry.

2. Train to Venice- We caught the train to Venice after our camping adventure and were fortunate enough to be sandwiches between two angsty american teens who were upset because they had no idea what they were doing with their lives despite being just 19 and who were on some water detox diet, and a bizarre couple from Bologna who fully were making out next to us on the train and were trying to hide people who didnt have tickets under the seats. Crazy.

3. Venice coolness- We stumbled upon our hostel in Venice which was awesomely located in a square in the student area away from the hordes of american tourists who cant say anything but "omigod would you look at that"! The local pizzeria downstairs from our hostel sold massive slices of tasty pizza for 1.80 euro and there were several cheap and tasty gelaterias to choose from. The local kids played soccer in the square and we went out one night with two English girls and we were actually at bars where locals go rather than tourist traps. Venice was very beautiful... so much cool stuff though, so little money!

4. Supermarket in Venice- Roz and I were talking in the supermarket in Venice. A middle ages american woman comes up to us "oh wow its so good to hear people speaking English!". I dont know what part of Venice she had been in. You heard more english than italian there... even the checkout chick spoke perfect English. Note: I am not anti American. They just annoy me sometimes.

5. Football/soccer- so Italy was in the final of the World Cup. We sat in our square watching the locals get prepared... peoples dogs were dressed in Totti and Toni team shirts and the atmosphere was fun. We didnt see much of the match as Roz got befriended by a small German girl who was still cheering for Deutchland and who kept on sharing her rice crackers with us. We didnt speak any German, she didnt speak any English, yet we managed to play some sort of pretend photo taking game and she also ran off to get her sunglasses from her mum at one stage cos we both had sunnies on our head. So cute, so bizarre, so funny. Then the Italians won, and as we walked to the train station to catch our night train to Rome we saw them going nuts... jumping in to the canals (which are a funny unhealthy looking green colour) from bridges and speeding up and down in their boats with flags waving and screaming and horns and everything. It was quite cool.

Now we are in Rome, really tired after night train, but our camping ground is pretty cool.

And this is all the internet I can afford, so ciao readers!

Bella Italia!

2006-07-06T01:49:00.000+10:00

Roz and I have arrived in Italy... just in time to watch the match which means Italy qualified for the World Cup final. Florence went nuts... they were all watching it at a big screen near our camping ground, on their Vespas, and then after the game car horns were beeping, fireworks were going off and italian flags were waving. It was absolutely nuts. I secretely was going for the Germans... very secretely. I know where the style of the Italian footballers comes from... the dramatic way the fans watched the game gave some indication of why the Azuri fall over any time a player even looks at them funny. I dont like their style, I wanted to scream "get up you pansies!" at a few points but decided against it due to the make up of the crowd.

Florence is really beautiful, we spent today walking around checking it out. Camping is OK, its really hot during the day, but at night being in a tent is actually cooler than being in an unairconditioned hostel. Yesterday we saw the Leaning Tower at Pisa after flying here from Barcelona. We were very tired after our night sleeping at Girona airport, but we survived, even though we were carrying our packs through Pisa to quickly check it out. I have bruises on my arms though from the plastic airport seats.

The food here is amazing... not just the prices haha the taste. Today I had some Bruscetta with the most amazing tomatoes I have ever tasted in my life, followed by some pretty bloody good gelati. Bella!

Its funny people watching at the camping ground. There is a couple staying near us who have a very strange relationship where they fight loudly in Italian, then make out under the tree, then go in to their little tent and then the whole thing starts rocking. If the tent is a rocking, dont come a knocking. I think they may be travelling with kids on their next camping trip.

Barcelona beats

2006-07-02T20:29:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we went sightseeing... in the afternoon we took in the amazing colours and tastes of the local produce market, then in the evening, after googling "cheap Flamenco barcelona" we were sitting in an intimate little bar in the heart of Barcelona with a few handfuls of both locals and tourists for just a mere 5 euro watching an amazing Flamenco show. The male performers were so passionate, the beats were so strong, it was really powerful and there was something very organic about the whole experience. The locals clapped, there were calls of "Ola!" when the dances reached high levels of intensity and children danced around in the bar as their parents drank beer and sangria.

We went with two lovely Canadian girls from the hostel who were keen on celebrating Canada day... we bought some drinks and went back to the seedy hostel we are staying in where there was a party raging already that the poor security guard had no hope of quietening down. When we all finally got turfed out of the common room (go to street or go to sleep was what the security guard told us in adorable broken English) we just wandered. We were trying to go to bars but the group movement was too slow and we ended up spending the whole night in the streets of Barcelona, having conversations while sitting in gutters, walking down to the pier, and just soaking up the amazing atmosphere. At 5am in the morning the streets were still full... Las Ramblas never ever sleeps. We got back to out hostel around 5 where we tried to have a sleep in the stifling sweaty room. Im still surprised I got in to my bunk so quietly in the dark, Im on the top and there is no ladder, it´s quite a feat.

Barcelona is an awesome city though, I love it.

It never rains...

2006-07-02T02:05:00.000+10:00

The rain in Spain has not yet fallen on the very dry plains but the proverbial rain is pouring for me... something is wrong with one of my uni subjects with the final essay I handed in and I don´t know what, someone stole my towel at the hostel (thank god it was only my towel), its very hot and my room mates were assholes last night. Roz and I also had our sheets taken off our bed(which we had to pay to hire), our washing got locked outside on the patio which was annoying and yeah.

On the plus side, Barcelona is a beautiful place and I know why this city is well loved. Today we visited that never ending construction site that is Gaudi´s cathedral Sangria Familia. It was very interesting indeed, and from the top we got great views of Barca. Tonight we are trying to go to a cheap Flamenco show with people from the hostel and we are hoping that it works out.

We came up here from Valencia where we stayed one night in a hostel that´s only flaw was its lack of airconditioning. Valencia was a pretty nice place as well, and the bus ride to Barcelona was comfortable, except Roz and I were laughing the whole way at the bus driver who was trying to pull a girl sitting down the bus... he looked like a soapie star... as in blonde hair, too much tan, mid 30s. It was funny, it kept us in stiches even though we didnt speak a word of Spanish to hear what he was saying. The body language said it all.

We caught the train to Valencia from Madrid and since we wanted to save dosh we caught the regional train that took 7 hours and stopped in every little town along the way. It was interesting, the landscape is very desert like and catching the train gives you some insight in to the real Spain outside of the tourist centres. So far Roz and I are enjoying ourselves despite my recent dramas. We are sleeping at an airport on Monday night so that should be interesting, then once we get to Florence, we are staying at a camping ground. Haha. Sometimes its more fun on a shoestring despite the setbacks.

Barcelona via Valencia

2006-07-01T17:59:00.000+10:00

Im now in Barcelona after spending a night in lovely Valencia... Im very sleep deprived as our hostel is extremely loud, and so are the people in our dorm. They are extremely inconsiderate and like their beer.

I cant properly update cos I am running low on credit and I am stressed because there seems to be some sort of problem with my assessment for one of my university subjects from exchange. Argh. Maybe later.