Happy Birthday You Old Queen

Ack, hellishly busy day today (end of financial year looms) so a very brief re-cap of the Queen's Birthday* long weekend shenanigans:

• Saturday I spent the entire day at the Buddhist centre (where I'm the bookshop manager) researching new book titles for the bookshop, restocking the shelves and pricing a big bag of jewellery from Nepal for sale. I had to take a huge bag of assorted jewellery, where a cost price and a retail price has been given for the entire bag, then spend the next few hours trying work out a price for each item individually to equal the price set for the bag. All I can say is, there was an Excel spreadsheet involved and very nearly some tears.
  
• Sunday I finally got around to doing stuff like pulling weeds and trimming the out of control ficus trees in my courtyard. I filled my 'green waste' recycling bin and then some. Oh, and did I mention the trees are infested with spiders, which I did not want to kill in the process but neither did I want them running up my arms or inside my shirt. .::shudder::.
  
• Monday I went to lunch at Mikey's lovely apartment, which is in the Philippe Starck designed 'Yoo Meta' warehouse conversion here in Sydney. There was good food (rocket aka 'arugula' salad with goat's cheese, figs and walnuts followed by fettucine puttanesca), lots of top shelf quality wine had by eveyone else, several babies for the cuddling of and some new people I hadn't met before. Lunch went for 7 hours and was fabulous.

All in all a good and demi-productive weekend.

* Yes, Australia has a national holiday for the Queen's Birthday, because we are good and loyal Commonwealth subjects. Actually most of us don't give a rat's arse about the Queen (count me in, Viva la Republic!), but public holidays are not to be scoffed at.

Katie, You Disappoint Me

From the Department Of 'Colour Me Unsurprised' I give you the revelation that Katie Holmes has a new 'religion'. Contractual obligation, much?

Step Back In Time

I really enjoyed watching the first episode of Outback House last night. The series is another in the 'House' series, where they re-create the living environment, trials and tribulations of a given time and place, and then after a period of training in the history and life-skills of the period a family and/or helpers and domestic staff are left to live out the lifestyle as accurately as possible. In this case it is Australia in 1861 and a family of 5 are the 'owners' of the outback sheep station, with shepherds, station hands, domestic staff, governess etc totalling 16 in all.

I think they made one or two poor choices in the first episode, which I guess is an important part of the point of the series, seeing how well modern people cope with the important decisions required by their circumstances. Mixing the pregnant ewes and the lambs with the rest of the sheep was a poor idea, with the result that they couldn't then move the sheep across country without losing many of the lambs and risking the ewes. Poor Dan the young shepherd was left behind without company, food or water, to try and control the huge mass of sheep while everyone else took off for the homestead. I don't blame him for breaking down in tears of frustration and wanting to resign as shepherd. I think Dan is going to be one of my favourite cast members, and not just because in his 'cast biography' he is open about being gay. (Ok, maybe just a little bit.)


"Outback House", Dan the Shepherd.

I've watched all the other 'house' series previous to this and enjoyed them all pretty much, especially the Edwardian House (known as Manor House in the US), the Frontier House and the 1940' House, although I was less excited by the Regency House Party (which at one point was destined to be the last of the franchise).

Lest I be accused of not being shallow, I have to give a shout out to the casting director of The Edwardian House. The male staff were all extremely cute; young Tristan the Groom and Kenny the 'Hallboy', and the two Footmen Charlie and Rob. Yowza.


"The Edwardian House" staff. Rob & Charlie left, Tristan & Kenny right.

The Cabinet Of Curiosities

A little Sunday link-o-rama on a loose theme of things visual:

• From the 'I can't quite believe my eyes' department Ladies and Gentlemen I bring you the all new revised Jack Osbourne. So visually improved is he that he joins the small ranks of The Unfugged. I draw the line at saying he's cute, but the change is remarkable.
  
• Dave Devries is an artist who takes children's line drawings and turns them into full colour, professionally shaded, artworks with spectacular and amusing results. There is a gallery of his finished works at his site The Monster Engine. [Link via Matt at Scrubbles].
  
• A fabbo gallery of Chinese postage stamps, curiously in French.
  
• A cool collection of 1930's Deep Sea Diving cigarette cards. Although, I can't look at an old fashioned deep sea diving suit and not think of Adam from The Amazing Race whining and whimpering as he bobbed on the surface. TV rots your brain people.
  
• Ever asked yourself why a prefectly respectable pretty young woman would collect photos of Electricity Pylons from around the world? No, me neither.
  

I'll Take 'Made-Up Words' For 10 Points Please

Here's the thing, you see, I like to make up new words for things. I know, odd hobby but I promise you it can be lots of fun. The easiest place to start is with a mash up of two exisiting words which combined make a new (and hopefully amusing) meaning.

Here's a couple I came up with this morning:

Perfucopia
N. Perf-you-kopia
The olfactory experience derived from 6 secretaries in one very small elevator.

Phillatio
N. Fill-ay-shee-o
The act of stamp licking.

Anyone care to play?

Rare

Russian book, found on the street. Newtown, Sydney, 2004.

I'm a bit late posting this, and just barely scrape in on the deadline, but last Friday's Photo Friday theme is Rare. I found this book sitting against a tree in my street, about 4 doors up from my house, one day. It sat there for a couple of days, and just as I was contemplating taking it someone else beat me to it. I'm not sure what this book is, but I thought it was a pretty rare find for an inner city Sydney street.

My Dog Was Facing Downwards, Kind Of

I started yoga classes Monday a week ago, and I have to admit I'm loving it. Loosely clad hipsters with yoga mat carriers slung over their shoulders are as common as piercings now in my neighbourhood, which kind of put me off a bit. I don't want to ruin my rep as always being years behind the trends.

My teetotal & vegetarian ways, combined with this new interest in yoga, prompted one friend to ask "Are you a lesbian?". Er, no. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Last Monday we worked in pairs and spent a lot of time getting this position right. I, of course, made a bee-line for one of the cuties in the class and spent an inordinate amount of time make sure his hips were nice and high and well aligned.

I'm a giver, people.

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

Things I planned to do this past weekend:

• Make the house 'new flatmate appealling' by having a major-league spring* clean/tidy of the house and backyard; I'm talking clean-the-tops-of-bookcases, wipe-down-skirtingboards, de-cobweb, trim-the-out-of-control ficus, pull-up-all-the-weeds type thing.
  
• Sign-up with a flatmate hunting service, such as Share Space.
  
• Watch a few of the DVDs I borrowed from my ex.
  
• Go see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on Saturday Night.

Things I actually acheived this past weekend:

• Somewhere around 40% of the planned cleaning and 0% of the garden tidying.
  
• Go see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Not bad, but please give Padme something to do, anything.)
  
• Watch; 13 episodes + 2hr pilot of Firefly, the movies Rules of Attraction (with and without commentaries), Mystery Men and Yossi & Jagger.
  

Productive? Errr, not so much.

* Even though its Autumn

"The Other Andrew Is... Hugely Entertaining... The Best Thing On The Internets!"

Gelf Magazine uncovers the truth about the movie blurb racket. Misquotes, statements taken out of context so as to change the meaning, fictional reviewers - all in a day's work in that business we call 'show'.

[Link via Kottke.org]

My Eyes, My Eyes!

Worst fake breasts, ever.

Modernisme

There is nothing like cleaning and re-arranging the house to make me want to live somewhere sleek, modern and new. So with this spirit in mind, here's some Tuesday linkage:

• MoCo Loco: Modern Contemporary Design web magazine, full of drool-worthy pictures.
  
• Ever wanted to live in a small, modern home like Max wants to? Not all their homes are modernist in style, but Royal Homes of Canada make some very cool looking prefabricated homes. Check out their blog which promotes their more modern designs, but also includes links to the work of other designers and architects.
  
• Eco-friendly modern design is the subject at Treehugger.
  
• Alway's wanted to live in a penthouse? England's First Penthouse will source a location and pre-fabricate your dream penthouse (but the cost is pretty steep).
  
• Given a secluded piece of land and a megabucks budget, I would love to live in a home by like the ones designed by Fearon Hay.
  

Things Are Looking Up

After nearly three weeks of being sick it is nice to be able to post a more positive entry about being on the mend. Although, I skipped going to my night class last night as I was wiped out from my first day back at work, after being off sick for much of last week. I still don't feel 100%, but the coughing is subsiding and I'm no longer running periodic fevers and all that good stuff, and would probably say I feel around 80% better.

I'm starting yoga tonight, and although I wish I had another week before starting the classes, being the first night of a beginners course it probably won't be too strenuous. The rest of the week should be pretty laid back, a few more quiet nights in and then there is a 'thank you' party at the Buddhist centre on Friday night for the people who have helped volunteer at the big functions we have had recently. So far I've deliberately kept this weekend pretty much free too. My old flatmate should be fully moved out by Saturday, so I guess major housework will be on the agenda to ensure the house is ready to start being shown to potential new flatmates.

I've been pretty slack about keeping in touch with friends these past few weeks while I have been sick, a situation that hasn't been helped by losing my mobile phone. So it would probably be a good idea to fit a couple of social calls, even if just to say "see, not dead after all!".

Kindness

I was lounging in bed this morning when I heard a knock at the door. So I threw on some clothes and went to answer it, expecting it to be a friend of my flatmate's come to help him start to move house.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a friend from the Buddhist centre, who is also a student of the course I am doing, standing there with her boyfriend, a take-away coffee for me and some get-better-soon chocolate. As it turns out because I had combined getting sick with missing some of the course and losing my mobile phone (thereby dropping out of contact) my friends at the centre were worried that things weren't ok. We chatted briefly, and I felt bad about not asking them in, but the house was 2+ weeks of non-housework messy and I was headed back to bed.

I've been smiling about the kindness of the gesture all day since. You know, this is the stuff that really matters, don't you think? Keeping someone in your thoughts, taking a bit of time to see if someone is ok, doing something to make someone's day a little brighter. So thanks Tash & Phil, for such a sweet gesture and for giving me a little reminder about thinking of others.

Symbol

Paving stone artwork. Newtown Square, Sydney, 2005.

The theme for Photo Friday this week is Symbol. Outside the Newtown Square community centre, just up the street from my house, there is a large number of public art installations and works that have been done as community art projects. This paving stone is one of my favourites.

A Yearning For Kerning

I'm a fan of the tv show Lost, for quite a number of reasons (and only a dozen or so of those being to do with Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway and Ian Somerhalder), but I must come clean about something that irks me every week.

The title sequence letters.


"Lost" opening title

I quite like the style of it, and I get what they are going for, but the spacing of the letters bothers me. "Er, what?", you say. You see I love typography, and I'm a bit of a font nerd. In the world of typography there is a thing called kerning, which is basically to do with the spacing between letters, and manually adjusting it so that the visual impression is of equal space between the letters. You basically tuck some letters in closer together because the shape of the letters makes them look further apart. See above how the S & T seem further apart?

Ok, I understand that there is also foreshortening involved in this case, that they may be trying to emphasise the angle of the letters receding into the distance. It still looks off to me, the angle is not that strong that after all.

Anyway, I'm aware that I'm possibly the only person bugged by this. So, as you were.

...Such A 'Happy Place' In Fact, That Here's A Kitten Pic

[Kitten pic courtesy of www.freefoto.com]

Awwww.

Going To My 'Happy Place' Now

Well, a little less ranty now. I got sent home from work on account of sounding consumptive and all, so I fled and took myself off to another doctor for a second opinion. Turns out I had a high fever and I don't have congestion in my lungs as per my previous diagnosis, but I do have a wicked infection of the tops of my lungs and trachea. So new drugs, and hopefully a speedy recovery and a better attitude.

:-)

See, if I can type smiley things must be looking up!

Un-Friggin-Believable

Oh crap-crappity-crap-crap.

I don't like to dump on other people about my problems, but I feel the need for a quick rant. So' if you don't like people having a good unload, then you should probably leave now and check back later. Go on, save yourselves.

(start whine)

I've been struggling along with a chest infection for a couple of weeks now, using up all the sick leave (and then some) that I haven't technically earned yet at this new job, and to my joy it's getting worse. The wierd thing about some chest infections is that you can actually get them without having all the classic 'cold' symptoms of a stuffy head, runny nose etc. Which is the case with this bout I have had.

So the past couple of days I have started to get a cold. Unbelievable. Stuffy head, sore throat, the whole box and dice. I was so wiped last night that, although I had a pretty restless night of sleep, I still slept for about 9 and a half hours. Of course this cold just means that the chest infection I have has turned around and joined in for the ride. Goddam opportunist.

Hey, while I'm having a really good complain I might as well talk about the fact that my flatmate is moving out having given me the absolute bare minimum of notice. Yup, if there was ever a time I felt less like dealing with trying to find a new flatmate it would be right now, not to mention the financial strain of maybe paying the rent until I find someone new, plus refunding him the rent in advance which he paid and I have already deposited into the landlord's account. Sigh. I kind of hate dealing with this sort of stuff at the best of times, but this is just not a good time. It also means making sure the house is not just 'regular clean' but 'inspection clean' too. First impressions count people.

So, let's also have a little chat about when technology goes awry. I already posted about losing my mobile phone, so I'll save the rant about that, except to say that the expense of getting a new one is now off the agenda. I already posted about my PC and its new 'no red' monitor policy, but now the CD Rom drive in my PC seems to be erratic. I bought a Sims game the other day, and the CD to install it wouldn't work. I've since tried other CDs, and patchy success. Fabulous!

So that's where I'm at today. Sick, frustrated and a tad pissed off.

Wasn't that a fun post? Check back later when there may be haikus, kitten pictures or other jolly japes.

(/end whine)

Television Ate My Brain, Again

Given that I've been a tad poorly of late, I've been welded to the couch in front of the tv a little more than usual. Like Homer, my sofa now has an ass-shaped groove.

Some highs/lows of the last couple of days:

• Of course there was Eurovision in all it's tackiness glory.
  
• I had high hopes for the handling of the Desperate Housewives boy-on-boy kiss in last night's episode, but it was a bit 'meh'. Of course it's hard to get excited about having The Gays on Wisteria Lane when Andrew Van Der Kamp is such a turd of a character, even if his liplocking buddy Justin is quite the cuteness.
  
• Damn those Celebrity Circus people and their seductive whiles, I started watching one episode innocently enough and the next thing you know I'm only borderline apathetic. Oh, and Outback Jack's real name isn't Jack! Shocking! I guess they tested Outback Vadim and for some reason it didn't fly. Huh.
  
• Oh, and when Cameron Daddo finally conquered his fear of heights by walking the tightrope, then burst into tears. Major. Ah, bless.
  
• I can't even bring myself to watch Big Brother anymore, it is officially dead to me. Where is the mix up of ages, sexualities, life experiences? Instead we get a bunch of twentysomething Sharons & Darrens. Ugh. Once I realised I wanted to haul off and smack every single one of them, it's time to go TOA.
  

Eurovision

So, Eurovision is over for another year. I didn't get to watch the the entire broadcast as a) my tv reception for the channel it is shown on goes from unpredictable to bad, b) still having bronchitis, I split early for bed and c) I was home alone, and so what's the fun in watching Eurovision without having someone to hear your scathing remarks? I visited some friends on Friday night and we sat down as a group to watch the second elimination round, which was almost as entertaining.

Some highlights for me:

• General consensus when Ireland stepped out on stage and we copped a look at Joe of 'Donna & Joe'... somewhere a chatroom is missing a geek.
  
• We actually grabbed an atlas to find out where the heck were Andorra (apparently not Endora) and Moldova (apparently not Moldavia, where people find themselves 'jumping the shark' as part of a massacre on their wedding day).
  
• Slovenia, kind of cute in a Euro-punk-slacker way but with a fairly forgettable song (Voice Of Reason: aren't they all a bit forgettable?)
  
• Latvia, dull pair of Bel Ami* boys
  
• Bosnia Herzegovina, old school. A little bit incomprehensible, a little bit like recycled Eurovision winners from the past 20 years, a bit of iffy fashion and lots of peroxide.

Now that's Eurovision!

*Bel Ami is a purveyor of, shall we say 'all male erotica', specialising in fresh faced Euro boys (18+ of course) - don't ask me how I know this.

Green

Dharug National Park, New South Wales. April, 2005.

This week's Photo Friday challenge is Green.

I took this pic of the re-growth on a bushfire ravaged tree one cold and rainy morning at the Wat Buddha Dhamma Centre, while I was on my 8 day meditation retreat. I loved the colours, and fact that the tree was exerting its survival so vibrantly.

Well I Shall Pick Up My Lung, And Go Then

After having been home sick most of this week with bronchitis, I rolled up at my new job this morning (Hi there, remember me?) only to be back out the door on my way home within the hour. I have a history of bronchitis as a child, and whenever I get it as an adult (thankfully not very often) I have a cough that is part consumptive and part Irish Wolfhound. Soooo, with a look in their eyes which was about 40% concern and 60% fear they bundled me back out the door. Actually they were very sweet, even asking if I had someone at home to look after me.

Actually no, but thanks for rubbing my face in that, bitches.*

* Of course, I kid. I was very touched that they thought of asking.

Happy Birthday!

[Cake pic courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk]

This blog is one year old today. One. Year. Wow, that time has flown fast.

This blog has been lots of fun so far, and I have no plans to step away from it anytime soon. So you'll get no hand wringing and forehead clutching here. Sure I go through moments of doubt; is it interesting?, have I found a consistent 'voice'?, why don't more people visit or comment?... blah de blah. Those are only moments though. I really admire bloggers that have a distinct style or voice in their blogs, but frankly I'm happiest just posting any old crap that jumps to mind or takes my interest.

I started this blog on a whim and too much sugar on 20th May 2004. Day two of my blog my ex-boyfriend Mikey left a comment from Hong Kong (after I gave him the url). My next comment however wasn't until four months later when I got a comment from an anonymous poster and then one from this nice lady on the same post. One day the sister of a friend left a comment out of the blue, which was a pleasant surprise (and a reminder anyone could read this thing).

I gained a bit of momentum, started getting more readers, and when I put a site meter on here early this year discovered that I was indeed getting a reasonable number of readers. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised. Discovering how to post pictures was a revelation, and then fooling around with the blogger template led to such 21st century technologies as sidebar 'links'. Go me!

The past year has seen some fairly big changes. I went from starting to dip my toe into getting more seriously involved in Buddhism, to studying more seriously, getting more involved in the centre and now doing lots of volunteering and running the bookshop. I quit drinking alcohol and gave up meat, both of which I feel better for. I quit the job that I was unhappy in, stepped outside that comfort zone and found that my skills were not only appreciated out there but also quite lucratively marketable. I made some new friends, discovered that small children were not as scary as I had convinced myself they were, and grew increasingly comfortable with being single. Some of the changes were rough at the time, but in hindsight a pretty good year of forward momentum.

So, have a great day. Thanks for visiting, reading and commenting where you feel like it. Drop in anytime, you're always welcome.

May 18: Man On Man Action Day

Over at Towleroad Andy's theme du jour for May 18th is Liplocking Celebrities. First it's an inter-Jedi smooch and then everyone's favourite rockstar hobbit decides to plant one on.

C'mon over here and pucker up boys.

Still Life, With Drag Queen

Myself and Glen at Polly's Follies, 2003.

I was trawling through some old pics this morning and came across this one from 2003. This picture always makes me smile. It was taken at a dance called Polly's Follies and the crazed looking drag on the right is a dear friend Glen. Out of drag Glen is quite the hotness, if you like them muscly and hung that is...

I look like some sort of xerox copy on 80% of a regular sized person in this picture, especially beside the Great Wall Of Drag Queen that is Glen. Let's just call it petite and leave it at that.

Strange Days

Hi, this is your bronchitis speaking...

Urgh. Today has been a really strange day. A day of feeling physically and emotionally flat, frustrated, listless, bored... I guess melancholic wouldn't be too far off the mark. Hey, but I summoned up the strength of will to shower. That's a good thing, right?

Some randomness about today, heavy on the whinge:

Earlier my computer monitor did a weird screen wobble thing (as it does every now and then) and now I have no red. NO. RED. [sigh] So everything is dingy grey greeny blues where before they were almost rosy coloured. Suddenly porn most of my favourite websites have become less apealling.

I think I have lost my mobile phone, I can't find it anywhere and suspect it might have fallen out of my jacket pocket. To add insult to injury, the phone company bitches just sent me a bill.

Of course, my bedroom is such a pigsty at the moment it could be in here somewhere and I probably wouldn't know it. (The last time I know I had it was when I was at the movies, and I turned it off. So I can't even do the 'ring myself to find it' trick.) No phone = no phone numbers. I don't have an address book.

I've just spent the past few hours on Queer Filter finding new blogs to read, and suspecting that everyone is a better blogger than me.

I suspect I'm having a fat attack.

Curiously, I'm feeling oddly horny. Maybe I'm becoming a sexed up depressive 'bear'?

Gah. Don't adjust your set, we will soon resume normal programming.

Journalalia

I've been thinking a bit about online journals just recently. I don't mean blogs, but true journals. Places where people disect the minutae of the day, post about their thoughts and feelings, and so on. Now I know there is quite a bit of a cross over these days with blogs, some are heavy on links and light on personal thoughts, for others the reverse is true, and sometimes the mix is... well... mixed.

In particular I was reminiscing about the online journals I started reading ages ago (last century in fact - doesn't that sound cool?). Pre blogs, pre Moveable Type & Blogger, back when most of the sites were scratch written in simple html.

These early journalers are what primarily got me interested in one day sharing my own thoughts in some sort of format. Most of the ones I was addicted to are long gone now; Esperanca at Hope Wavers, Viv at First Person Particular, Anna at Lucidity, Spinny at Lemon Rind... all gone. Some of these guys I really miss. Hope Wavers was an entertaining look at the life of a twenty something girl living in the United Arab Emirates, Viv wrote long and beautiful entries about everything in her life, Anna was a Sydney local who I once passed on the street but was too shy to speak to... They all had unique voices and points of view which I miss.

Of the early ones I read in '98/'99 when I first started to read online journals, I think The Mighty Kymm and Beth at Bad Hair Days might be the only ones to still keep it going. Stee at Plaintive Wail has made a come-back after some years of hiatus, but in a more traditional blog format. I also just discovered Patrick Cleary (of Inside and then Are You Happy Now?) has a new journal. He was one the earliest journals I ever read, and certainly the first onling journal by a gay man.

So it is nice to see that some of the guys who sparked my initial interest in online journals are back, maybe if I search hard enough for the others I might find that they've returned to the fold too. Here's hoping.

[It would seem that even Barbie has gotten in on the act.]

Pity Me

[Pills pic courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk]

I'm sick. Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick.

That is all.

Sad Face!

Maybe it's too much cough medicine, maybe it's lack of oxygen from the coughing fit I just had... but whatever it is, I found this picture on Popjustice absolutely hysterical.

What, you were expecting blog content?

Wanderlust

wan·der·lust (n.)

A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[German : wandern, to wander (from Middle High German) + Lust, desire (from Middle High German, from Old High German..]

Today I am struck with a dose of Monday-itis and a set of itchy feet that wish to be somewhere else. In the spirit of up-up-and-away, here are some links for the deskbound traveller:

A fab collection of vintage airline carry-on bags at Airline Bag Lounge, collected by Troy Litten author of Wanderlust.

Troy has captured some wonderful images on his most recent adventures in Morocco, a place I have always wanted to visit.

A site I discovered last year, and have been obsessed with ever since, Airline Meals. Primarily a site about (oddly enough) airline meals, and yet so much more than that with its traveller supplied photos and reviews, glimpses into behind the scenes and links to somewhat obscure airlines (such as Yangon Air of Myanmar, Burma).

His trip is long since over, but Mike Pugh's online round-the-world travelogue Vagabonding is still a fascinating read. He followed this route and blogged the experience, quite an achievement. I started reading his adventures when he was in the final phase of the trip, and was enthralled.

I love this collection of aircraft tail livery photos at Airliners.Net "The Wings Of The Web".

Cliff Muskiet, a KLM flight attendant, is also the owner of a huge collection of Stewardess Uniforms. Errr, why?

Bon Voyage!

Woot!

Wow, I just noticed that at the time of writing this my hit stats counter was just a couple of hits off 2,000. I only added the counter early this year, and frankly I'm amazed anyone but me reads this thing. Thanks to everyone who visits and stops to read a little or a lot, I really do appreciate it.

Oh, and if you happen to be person number 2,000 why not leave me a message and let me know who you are? There's no prize, but a little bundle of love and gratitude for you.

The Final Frontier

The theme for Photo Friday this week is Space.


Mural, abandoned Police & Youth Club building. Erskineville, Sydney. October, 2004.

What else but Star Trek turned on a generation to the possibilities of space travel? For me, Star Trek (and perhaps 2001: A Space Odyssey) were the oxygen that helped fan the flames of a teenage obsession with space.

Bend & Stretch

After having done a long 8 day retreat, and a couple of smaller bouts of sitting on a meditation cushion for hours on end, I have decided to take my sorry old inflexible ass off to yoga. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm thinking Samadhi Bliss Yoga looks good. I've heard good reports and it's just around the corner from my house.

Of course, I could always try and find out if these guys have a centre in Newtown. [Warning, this link is Not Safe For Work!!]

Disappointment

[Original teddy bear pic courtesy of www.freefoto.com.]

Retreat, and Surrender

As I've mentioned in this post and this post, I recently went on an 8 day meditation retreat at the Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre in the Dharug National Park, a couple of hours outside of Sydney. The retreat was a silent 8 day Vipassana retreat, led by a reknown Buddhist meditation teacher Venerable Antonio Satta.

This was my first experience with a retreat lasting longer than a couple of days, and certainly my first retreat with a serious schedule of meditation. Up at 5.30 am, onto the cushion by 6.00 and finishing at around 8.30 or 9.00 pm. Of the roughly 15 hour day, around 8 hours of that was spent in actual meditation. The remainder was breaks or time allowed for writing in our meditation journals.


The Sala (meditation hall) at Wat Buddha Dhamma. Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

This building, the Sala (or meditation hall, what we refer to as a Gompa) was really beautiful and where we spent most of the time. The curving and peaked roof, carved doors and curving interior beams led it a real Asian flavour. All the windows in the Sala were screened but not glazed, and fitted with a clever wooden shutters system that could be closed in bad weather or cold. Being fitted with so many open windows, it was almost like being inside a screened porch, and the sounds and smells of the bush became part of the experience of being inside the building.


The Sala garden. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

Around the Sala was a raked Zen style garden, complete with dry 'creek bed' and native grasses.


The far side of the Sala, with raked gravel garden. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.


My spot. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

From my spot inside the Sala, seated facing outwards through the narrow vertical windows, I had a slim view of the raked garden and the sandstone retaining wall. It was wonderful to observe the light change from the dark grey of pre-dawn, through to full light, and then through lengthening shadows back to dark again.

During the retreat we did a variety of meditation practices, such as 'walking meditation' and analytical meditations on specific topics (such as compassion), but the primary focus of the retreat was Vipassana, or 'insight' meditation, a technique designed to create mindfullness. The aim is to switch off the commenting, judging, chattering mind and to simply observe with 'bare attention'. Starting with observing external phenomena, such as sounds, then bringing the attention to the breath and to your mind states, you work towards always being mindfull of the transient mind states and emotions as they arise.

Stopping the chattering mind, for me that was hard. I had some great experiences of clarity during the retreat, lots of other times where it was hard slog, other times where I was struggling to stay awake, but all of these were a valuable part of the experience. The trick is to just watch what is going on inside, without labellingit, judging it etc.


Bronze bells, on the hillside above the Sala. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

The point of the silence, and of limiting distractions such as reading, was to help to encourage this observant mind state. One of the few words I uttered during the 8 days of trying to keep total silence was "Ouch!". I was sitting on the bench seats around the perimeter of the pagoda type structure which housed the two bronze bells shown above, writing in my meditation journal, when I stood up... and rang the smaller of the two bells with my head.


Stupa, on the hillside overlooking the Sala. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.


Stupa top. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

The surroundings of the retreat centre were beautiful and the owners had capitalised on this by leaving as much of the bushland as possible untouched. Hidden in amongst the trees were wonderful suprises such as this stupa, above.


The Road Less Travelled (which we travelled a lot). Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

I grew to love the 10-15 minute walk to and from the Sala each day. Most days we did this walk anywhere up to 10 times (in one direction or the other) as we went to and from the kitchen for meals and breaks. The first and last walks of the day were always in darkness, and walking through the darkened bush was not scary at all. (I wouldn't have surprised myself if I had gotten a whole Blair Witch scenario going in my imagination.) I guess because we were practising mindfullness, and therefore trying to really observe everything in detail, my normally intense imagination was switched off. Mornings and evenings were excellent times to encounter wildlife too, and during the retreat I saw two large goannas, a huge wombat and a couple of either small kangaroos or wallabies.


Shrine, on the road to the Sala. Wat Buddha Dhamma, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

This little shrine I dubbed to myself as The Shrine At The Culvert (also known as Half Way There.)

I gained a lot from the retreat, and it was a wonderful and challenging experience. It was an excercise in emotional highs and lows, fatigue and exhilaration, hope and despair, boredom and fascination... all the emotions we all go through, but heightened and being brought to centre stage. Ven. Antonio was a brilliant teacher, kind but strong and constantly challenging us to really think things through. We had wonderful teachings on a variety of subjects, which curiously always seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear on any given day to give me the kick in the pants I needed.

From a teaching on compassion for oneself, my favourite quote was:

"The best hug one can give, is the hug one gives oneself. ...The hug one gives oneself is called Acceptance."
Ven. Antonio Satta

I'll leave you with that thought.

Abandonment Issues

This abandoned Japanese tree top Lounge Bar could easily pass for something from a post-apocalypse movie set. ...and, cue zombies!

[Scroll down towards the bottom of the page for the best pics. Link via things magazine.]

In a similar vein, there was an abandoned Thai restaurant on busy Parramatta Road near where I live, which used to fascinate me. The tables were set with cutlery, folded napkins and tablecloths, the bar was stocked with bottles, all of which was covered in a thick layer of dust. (I say 'was' because it looks like after years of being abandoned the building has finally been leased by someone else and cleared up.)

I always wondered did they a) know they were closing down, but thought 'well, we might as well keep our standards up and set these tables!' or b) something tragic happened and all the staff disappeared without a trace. I'm sure the truth of the matter is more like the owner just told everyone at the end of the night not to bother coming in the next day, but you would think they would at least go back and sell off all the items that were salvageable.

Am I the only person that ever thinks about this stuff? What is my fascination with abandoned buildings?

Fancy

The theme at Photo Friday this week is Fancy. So I thought I'd enter these two pics of one of the two carved wooden doors leading into the Sala (meditation hall) at the Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, where I recently did an 8 day meditation retreat.

[A full entry about the retreat is to come, but in the meantime there are pics and descriptions of the beautiful bushland setting here.]


Sala door, with images of a stupa and the wheel representing the cyclical nature of rebirth. Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.


Sala door, with images of a lotus and someone meditating. Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

These doors were large and heavy, but beautifully balanced so that they were not a chore to push open. They gave an appropriate sense of 'occasion' on entering the hall. You can't see them in these photos, but the handles were tree branches that had been polished and lacquered but were otherise left pretty much natural.

Beautiful and, I thought, very fancy.

Going Bush

The meditation retreat I went on recently was held at the Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre in the middle of the Dharug National Park at Wisemans Ferry, a couple of hours drive from Sydney. The centre has an interesting history, which includes the purchase of the virgin bushland site before the area around it was declared a National Park. As a result, the centre has been built in beautiful bushland, and the owners not only operate along environmentally friendly lines but have also minimised the amount of clearing done in order to operate the centre.

While I was on retreat, and during the numerous 15 minute walking trips we took to and from the meditation hall (or Sala as the group call it) each day, I was struck by the beauty of the bush setting. Before the retreat started, and after it finished, I took lots of photos to remember just how beautiful it was. I snuck in a couple of pics during the retreat itself, which was not strictly in the spirit of retreat. I figured it wasn't breaking the rules too much though, as the type of retreat we were undertaking was a form of observational meditiation called Vipassana. I was observing, right?


Bushland colours. Bright orange funghi on dead wood, morning dew on a eucalypt sapling and crimson tones of a fallen gum leaf. Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

The 8 day retreat was conducted in total silence, with the exception of question time at the end of each day, and we were also asked to refrain from distractions such as reading or communicating in non-verbal ways. The point of this was to focus the mind on the matter at hand, and also by restricting the senses and minimising distractions to sharpen the attention and allow for greater focus. What I found interesting was the way that this, combined with long hours in meditation, heightened my other senses and I became fascinated with colours, textures, smells and sounds.


Mountain Devil (lambertia formosa). Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

Details of flowers, early morning dew on leaves and cobwebs, the many types and colours of funghi... all became a rich part of the daily experience. At night I spent time looking at the huge dark sky filled with an amazing quantity of bright stars and at the waxing moon.


Misty dawn. Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

Mornings were wonderful. Rising at 5.30 (that's not the wonderful part) we started the day with a walk through the bush in darkness to be at the meditation hall for the first session at 6.00 am. Around 7.00 we walked back through the bush in the early morning light for breakfast. Some mornings (like the one above and below) were cold and misty, making the bush look translucent.

Note the flower spike to the left of the photo above, and there are more in the picture below. These amazing native plants are called Gymea Lillies. Unfortunately the flowering season was over, so the huge flower heads were no longer bright red but instead were black and covered in large open seed pods. Despite this they were still amazing to look at. The flower on the left of the picture above was close to 30' tall (even though most sources say they only grow to about 20'), and the whole area was covered in them.


Silver, grey and green of a bush morning. Wat Buddha Dhamma retreat centre, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. April, 2005.

I'll write about the retreat in more detail, but I wanted to share some of the beauty of the setting with you guys in the meantime. It's because I care.

Put Your Thinking Caps On

On Friday May 20th this blog will celebrate its first birthday. (Note the adorable way I speak about it in the third person, as if I had nothing to do with it? Well I ask you, quite frankly, wouldn't you distance yourself from it?)

Soooo, I'm asking for suggestions on what I should do to celebrate the occasion. Keep in mind that I don't have enough time to get a) a tan and b) lose about 6 kilos, so no suggestions involving baby oil and public nekkidity will be considered. All of you are above that sort of thing, natch.

Should I:

Write something interesting? (Please.) Oh, maybe only in haiku's!?

Pretend I only speak Esperanto?

Set up a webcam and take blurry, arty, self indulgent pics of myself (and maybe my cat, if I had one) and then blog endlessly about how the internet has stolen my life?

Every time somebody speaks to me, scrunch up my face and answer only in a Pee Wee Herman voice?

OK, so see how I'm struggling here? I need your creative input. In the old days I would have added get all liquored up and make inappropriate sexual advances at strangers, but as you all know I have eschewed that sort of behaviour.

I Am Dubious About Anyone Who Describes Themselves As 'Elite'

It seems that getting up a good of head of hate on Ikea is more common than I thought it was. To quote this website:

We are the Elite Designers. We design profound and beautiful furniture for those with wealth and taste. Which is why IKEA makes us furious, livid and angry. Do their designs live, breathe and growl? Are they born from tears of pain? Do they gently touch the bottom of the human soul? Pah! Of course not, no more than weeds can attract a bee. The big blue place is odious, its affordable design is sickeningly shallow and we loathe it even more than we loathe football. Please join us in our unqualified hatred.

Jeezalou, put down the cough syrup and get a grip on yourself. Who knew that it was the role of a side table to 'touch the bottom of the human soul'?

[Oh, and by the way I suspect the entire thing might just be somewhat tongue in cheek. I sure as hell hope so.]

Do You Think He Blogs Wearing A Safari Suit*?

I'm in love with the vintage visual ephemera at the One Man Safari blog. I'm especially fond of the Kellogg's Space Cadet and other vintage sci-fi images, and the pics from when UFO's were only known as flying saucers.

Where he finds all this stuff I do not know, but I'm in awe.

* A reference to the great Aussie sartorial pinnacle that is the Safari Suit.

Weekend Haikus

In lieu of a boring old recap of the events of the past hectic weekend, here's a few weekend recap haikus to bring your enthusiasm for this blog crashing down around your ankles.

Saturday Haikus:

"Volunteering at the Buddhist Centre Bookshop"
Oh, big stack of books
You taunt me and my price tags,
pen, and aching hand!

"As Out Of Place As A Sober Vegetarian At A Barbecue"
Karen's barbecue
I played with her dogs all night
and loved the deaf one

Mmm, fried halloumi
I soberly ate my cheese
Whilst carnivores drank

Sunday Haikus:

"Renate's Party in the Mountains"
Sunday morning drive
With Benita and Dayna
To the Blue Mountains

Scones with jam and cream
In a cafe on the way
Taste like my Gran made

Celebrate today
Renate was East German
Now ist ein Aussie!

Worship At The Shrine Of Ikea

Hey Bodhi, this one's for you. :-)

[For the back story, check out Bodhi's Ikea tirade here.]

Deja Whatsit

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about this blog and even this blog that seems oddly familiar to me...

Good Things, Small Packages - You Get The Idea.

I live in quite a small little cottage, but some of the teeny tiny apartments in the Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest over at Apartment Therapy have to be seen to be believed. A list of all the apartment entries is here, and as of writing this there were 30 in the contest.

Not surprisingly, shopping at Ikea seems to be a prerequisite for most apartment dwellers. You know, not that I have the Ikea catalogue memorised or anything...

Ji Wallace. Medallist, Hottie, Queer.

Australian Olympic trampoline silver medalist [on the right, in the photo] at Sydney 2000 (and gold medal cutie pie) Ji Wallace has come out as gay. To his credit, he stated that he had always been comfortable with his sexuality and that it really wasn't that big a deal. How wonderful, and if only one young person sees him saying 'this is who I am and it isn't a bad thing' then he has done a very good thing in my opinion.

I do understand that there is PR exercise in all this too, in getting his name back into the papers at a time when he is seeking sponsorship. However, that in and of itself is positive in that he doesn't particulary see this as a handicap to sponsorship.

I remember watching his performance at the Sydney Olympics and being impressed with his performance as well as having lust in my heart for his trim, compact cuteness, and thinking 'you know, I think he might be'. Now if only other certain Australian Olympic athletes would do the same...

My Return

Hey y'all, I'm back.

I just had the singularly hardest and most rewarding experience of my life. It was incredible. On top of the meditation experience the venue was also absolutely beautiful. Deep inside native bushland on the border of one of the National Parks, where the only sounds were nature and the very occasional distant airplane. Coming back to the city with all senses heightened and raw from a week of deep and intensive meditation was a jangling experience. It has taken a little while to settle back in and get my head around everyday matters like the new job I started today.

I'll post a proper write-up of the week sometime in the next few days, at the moment I'm still processing the experience and going through the bucket load of photos I took before and after the actual retreat part of the week. I also have to resolve my computer 'issues', but hopefully that'll happen in the next few days.

The Big Long Think

Well I'm off in the morning on my 8 day meditation retreat. 8 days of mindfullness at a retreat hermitage in a beautifull bushland setting. I'm really looking forward to it, especially to what it might mean in terms of strenghtening and deepening my meditation practice.

Back after the 24th... with posts and links, and everything! Be happy and well until then.

Stop The War!

I just bit the bullet and rang the marine construction company to tell them I had accepted the job offer with the share plan advisors and would have to turn down their offer. (See my previous entry) I felt really bad because those guys were so good to me while I was temping with them, and literally offered to have me back and invent a position for me. I really needed to resolve this whole bidding war issue though before I went on retreat this weekend, waaaaay to distracting! It didn't feel right to leave them hanging for an answer either.

I think I have made the right decision though, in terms of career possibilities, income and working environment I think this current job will be hard to beat. Today we are off to lunch to celebrate my joining the firm, and I can say I am now in 100%.

How times change. Just 4 months ago I left my old job after months of wanting to leave and not having the courage to just pack it in. I was feeling under appreciated and certainly under paid, and a bit beaten down by the whole experience. So things are on the upswing. I'm not ego-ing out on the whole bidding war thing, but it has given the portion of my self-esteem which relates to work a boost. It's nice to be appreciated.

Oh My Giddy Aunt!

Hi internets, sorry you haven't heard from me for a while! Here's a quick recap of the state of play.

I finished my contract job at the marine construction company (boo!) and went straight into another temp assignment (yay!) for a couple of weeks, only to have the construction company tell me that they want me back for about three months once I have finished this current temp assignment (more yay!). Towards the end of my first week at this new job, they offered me a permanent position (yay!) on a substantial sum of money - about a 33% increase from my temp salary (YAY!!). I rang the construction company and told them I wasn't coming back (boo!) because I had a permanent job offer, but they rang me with a counter offer. Yes folks, I'm the subject of a bidding war.

Still with me? Good.

My computer died (BOO!). There is no (Yay!) in this part of the story...

Two good friends of mine who were married recently are in the process of splitting up (Boo!), and by all accounts he is being a real prick about it (BOO!!). Oh, and as they are my landlords... well who knows what that'll mean in the division of assets (potential boo!).

On the Buddhism front, I leave this weekend for an 8 day meditiation retreat (yay!) in silence (---!), which I am really looking forward to. Expect a flurry of posts after the 25th, as I have been starved for communication all that time. I resigned my volunteer job as the Buddhist centre care manager as the position of running the bookshop became vacant (yay!). So know I'm ordering like a mad thing so that we have enough books for the big events that are coming up in our calendar over the next few months. But hey, it's shopping, so I'm more than fine with that.

So, phew. The upshot is that in the near future my ongoing financial stress will ease and I'm really pleased that I have the position at the Buddhist centre that I wanted. Tough times are ahead for my married friends, but we'll see what happens. As to the dead computer, that's in the lap of the gods (and my techie room-mate).

Farewell To A Spiritual Teacher

A disciple with sense should not accept as his spiritual teacher someone who lacks compassion or who is angersome, vicious or arrogant, possessive, undisciplined or boasts of his knowledge.

(A spiritual teacher should be) stable (in his actions), wise, patient and honest. He should neither conceal his short-comings nor pretend to possess qualities he lacks. He should be an expert in the meanings (of the tantra) and its ritual procedures (of medicine and turning back obstacles). Also he should have loving compassion and a knowledge of the scriptures.
Excerpt: Fifty Stanzas on the Spiritual Teacher
Aryashura, 1st Century BC.

Almost every Monday night since July last year I have been attending my local Buddhist centre to take part in a two year Buddhist studies course. Tonight was the last night of the current module of the course, The Spiritual Teacher. This is a big and important topic in the particular tradition of Tibetan Buddhism I am involved in (and much bigger than any blog post), but tonight as we discussed the importance of the spiritual teacher we also touched on its importance in other faiths, not just in Buddhism.

A faith other than my own lost an important spiritual teacher this week with the death of Pope John Paul II, a man who was shepherd, guide and spiritual 'father' to millions of people around the world. I am not a Christian and so don't personally follow (or sometimes agree) with his point of view, however I have come to understand the importance he played in the spiritual lives of many millions of Christians. Importantly, especially from a Buddhist perspective, his willingness to show his suffering and to not shy away even from televising images of his body after death (as he requested) should encourage us all to appreciate that we have this the 'human condition' in common.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

Last weekend I watched a lovely film Goodby Lenin on DVD. The film is set in the late 80's in East Berlin, and much of the action covers the period just prior to, and just after, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

It took me back to 1988, when I visited Berlin as part of a backpacking trip I did around Europe with my friend Darren. Travelling to Berlin was magical, bizarre and a little scary for this boy from suburban Adelaide. If my geography was better I would have understood that West Berlin was actually an island of 'west' inside East Germany. For some reason I hadn't considered that the train ride would mean travelling through East Germany to get to West Berlin.

It was a surreal experience, gun toting and (to my eyes) mean looking East German guards travelled the length of the train closing all the blinds and barking at the tourists not to take pictures of the East German towns we passed through. Why? Because it looked like time had stood still, and not in a quaint way but in a 'too poor to repair the buildings' sort of way. The street were empty looking and what cars we could see were ancient looking, and notoriously unreliable, Trabants. Not quite the best advertisement for socialism.

Darren of course tried to take a picture and almost gave me a coronary when he was caught and yelled at by a guard. Fortunately I speak German (although not so well anymore) and was able to apologise in my schoolboy-German-with-heavy-Aussie-accent.

We did the tourist things of Berlin; visited the Wall, visited the museum at Checkpoint Charlie, rode the Berlin subway and stared wide-eyed as it travelled without stopping through deserted East Berlin stations where time stood still at the day the Wall went up, and even went into East Berlin for the day. East Berlin was interesting, strange and depressing all at the same time. West Berlin was lively, artistic and exciting.

In little more than a year after our visit the Wall came down. So I'm glad to have had the opportunity, in at least a small way, to have experienced what must be one of the sadder and strangest episodes in modern history.

Finland, May I Have Your Votes Please?

Love shiny pop music with borderline comprehensible lyrics and a regulation key change? Have an attention span that cuts out at the 3 minutes and 30 seconds mark? Ever wondered what a song performed by three drag flight attendants or a bunch of Eastern European cyber-gypsies might sound (and look) like?

Yes folks, we are heading for Eurovision-land once again. If you need to count off the days, the Popjustice Eurovision Blog can hook you up.

Mr Max Jones, I'll see you there!

GRRRR!! Tiny Tiger!

This week's Photo Friday subject is 'Tiny'.

I took this picture of little three month old Aemon about two or three weeks ago. That tiny tiger suit just took all the cute in the world, gathered it in one place and wrapped up tiny little Aemon in it.

My teeth! They ache from all the cuteness!!


Aemon, Tiny Tiger. March, 2005.

This isn't a great picture, blurry and poorly exposed, but I love it. (I was trying to capture the moment while avoiding hitting Aemon's sensitive little eyes with a flash.) The best thing about this pic is the way it captures Aemon's worried little face. Seriously, you have never met a child this pensive. Since the day he was born he's been carrying the weight of the world on his tiny shoulders. That's a lot, even for a tiger.

What Is The Least Likely Phrase In The English Language?

And the winner is...

Fun With Lentils

[Don't get me wrong, I think lentils are a nutritious and sometimes tasty food... but fun? Not so much. Not like those borlotti beans, huh!? Man, now they crack me up.]

Easter: Or Why Expectations Are Bad For You

Two friends of mine live in one of the coolest houses I've ever seen, a large converted ex-Salvation Army church hall. As they were going away for the Easter break and have two cats, some fish, and four yabbies, and have been visited by burgulars at least one too many times, I offered to house sit for them over the four day Easter break.

Here is what I thought would happen when I had the big ole' house to myself:

Sleep late and claw back a bit of sleep debt, as my account's been in the red for ages

No one else around, so I'd do a bit of a mini-retreat and meditate heaps while I had peace and quiet

Have a nice quiet weekend, and save some money

Watch cable tv, which I don't have, and overdose on 'lifestyle' tv and the fashion channel (shut up!)

Of those items, here's what I acheived:

Watch cable (which I don't have) and overdose on 'lifestyle' tv and the fashion channel

Here is what actually happened:

Go to bed late, get woken somewhere around 7 times during the night as cat sits on face, chest, bladder, groin - repeat. Wake at around 6.30am as first plane flies over, LOW. I swear I could here someone ask Would you like the chicken or the beef?

Walk around in sleep deprived haze, drink too much coffee from the sedan sized Italian espresso machine, discover too tired/speedy to meditate... or construct sentences with adverbs

Discover no food in house and most shops shut, spend fortune on pizza delivery etc. Go out to do a few things and catch taxis rather walk miles in sleep deprived haze, likewise spend fortune.

Hey, but at least I now know all there is to know about redesigning my back yard/living room/neighbour's house and which are my favourite designers from Madrid Fashion Week.

Life skills.

Working 9 To 5

Back in December I quit my regular job, when my distaste for it finally overcame my native inertia, and since then I've been doing short-term contract (or 'temping') work. I have done this sort of work on and off, between regular jobs, over the past 10 years and discovered that it's kind of fun. I enjoy the change each assignment brings and the new skills I pick up, and the old skills I get to flex again. A couple of times temp assignments have even led to me getting a regular permanent job.

The only downside is occasional financial insecurity. Lots of short-term assignments can mean that sometimes a week or two can go by between jobs without any work, and most importantly no income. Financial stress is the one sort of stress that I don't deal with all that well.

So my current assignment in accounts at a marine construction company is due to finish on the 1st of April. To complicate matters I'm going away on an 8 day meditation retreat between 16th and 24th April, meaning that I had to try and either swing a two week assignment to fill the gap, or find a long term assignment that wouldn't be bent out of shape by me taking a week's leave just after starting.

Well call it luck, fate or good karma but I received a call from my agency offering me a 1-3 week assignment to start as soon as this one finishes. The client is so desperate for someone who is talented on the bookkeeping software I use (and used to be a trainer for) that they are waiting for me to finish my current assignment. Of course I jumped at the chance, after checking with the Financial Controller that I was still due to finish on the 1st.

Today two of the three Directors of the construction company came in and gave me a glowing review of the job I have done. I mean, glowing. It was almost embarassing. So, despite the fact that the woman whose job I have been doing is returning to work on the 4th (after major surgery) they asked me to stay on for three months. They are even willing to let me go off and do this other assignment I have already agreed to, go on my retreat, and then come back.

The only concern is that they basically laid it all out that I have done a much better job than the woman who normally does it. It worries me that she is going to come back from having a serious illness only to find her 'replacement' still hanging around. I have met her and she is a lovely lady, and she already told me that it has gotten back to her what a wonderful job I have been doing. She was also pretty keen to return to work, and I could sense that she wanted to make sure she would still have a job to come back to. However, I think she has underestimated how much she will be affected by the chemotherapy she starts in a few weeks time, and I think the plan is in part to have me around as a back-up.

I need to work out some of the details with the Financial Controller, who is on leave until the 1st and knows nothing of the three month offer, talk to my agency and think about how to keep the assignment. Without making life any more difficult for this lovely lady, who is already going through a very tough life experience. Interesting times.

We Made Do With Pipe-Cleaners And Egg Cartons When I Was A Kid...

I think this would be so cool! Toy Lab in Cincinnati, USA, allows kids to choose 7 pieces from their collection of clean recycled toy parts, decide how they want them put together, and then a technician helps them assemble the parts into a working toy.

The end results are very eccentric and fabulous, and generally look like a kooky hybrid of Japanese anime characters and the 'Remades' of 'steam-punk' author China Mieville's novels Perdido Street Station, The Scar and Iron Council. (Wonderful books in my opinion.)

But I don't see coloured cellophane, cardboard toilet rolls or dried macaroni anywhere...

Weather Isn't Beautiful, Wish You Were Here.

If you forgot that Das Internetz is a strange and fantastical place, here's a reminder in the shape of a website dedicated to Vintage Icelandic Postcards.

You're welcome.

(Oh, and I defy anyone to tell me what this actually is a picture of...)

Itchy Palms

Autumn is a drawing in... the nights are getting colder... tv is watchable again after the Summer rating hiatus...

All of which means more nights in front of the tv curled up on the couch, and for me personally it also means the return of craft projects. I much prefer to have something to do with my hands while the tv is on, and being the big Martha-loving hands-on-hips-placing picked-last-for-team-sports gay boy that I am, it'll usually mean needlework.

This winter maybe I should celebrate my newly found vegetarianism, work up a vintage-style bowling shirt or maybe make some pirate gear for the new little ones in my life... like these folks have.

Oh, and if you think craft is for nerds, some people would beg to differ. Although it can all go horribly wrong.

I Dated A Guy Like That Once

Delicious! Nutritious!
Bit slow but friendly.


Japanese restaurant; Parramatta Road, Sydney. March, 2005.

I have to smile every time I pass this Japanese Restaurant; who couldn't find their honesty truly charming?

Buddhist Recovery

A little while back I made a new friend through this site, Bodhi. He writes openly about his experiences with being gay, Buddhist and in recovery from alcohol and drugs. He, and another recovering Dharma student Paul, have just launched a wonderful new site Buddhist Recovery. Their main aim is to act as a resources centre for people interested in a Buddhist approach to overcoming addictions, and already contains a lot of reviews of useful Dharma books. Check it out.

Notes To Self

Dear Me,
Eating Weight Watchers(TM) Apricot Pies(TM) is all well and good. But maybe three at a sitting, sort of, defeats the purpose?
Regards,
Me.

----

Mr Darling Me,
Next time you get a song stuck in your head, please make sure it is a less embarassing one than this.
Cordially,
Me

Phlegm Redux

Oh crap, I'm sick. Sore throatey, chesty, coughey sort of thing that has me sounding like a slightly less butch Brenda Vaccaro.*

My get up and go has got up and went, so here's a poor excuse for an entry in the shape of a quick run-down of the past few days.

Saturday I spent the day all day at teachings at the Buddhist centre I go to, this one was given by our Tibetan teacher Geshe Samten and was on the topic of the Four Buddhist Seals. (Not these sorts of seals.)

Sunday I was off to an Anglican church for the Christening of the new baby of some friends of mine, and then a picnic morning tea/lunch in the parklands (in the middle of Sydney) called The Domain. Everyone went their seperate ways just after lunch, so I decided to stroll through the nearby Art Gallery of New South Wales as I wanted to see the recently refurbished and expanded Asian Art collection. Fabulous.

Monday I called in sick and spent the day manifesting sickness and misery. Nothing to see here. Un-pretty.

Yesterday I was back at work and had an uneventfull day in the office, trying not to pass on the plague, watched some evening tv and had a heroically bad night's sleep. Likewise, today and probably ditto on the bad night's sleep tonight.

So there you have it. No cat pictures, no haikus or sentences ending in OMG!, but a blog entry nonetheless.

* That's a pop culture reference that'll sort the over 35's from the boys, so to speak.

Bollywood Lite

If you have read this site for a little while now you'll know that I love Bollywood films and spend way too much time watching them. So it was with some interest that I saw the 'Bollywood cross-over' film Bride & Prejudice the other evening. It was... okay.

Some things about the film bugged me. I understand that they used the 'Westerners think India is quaint and backward' cliché to help create dramatic tension and the 'star crossed lovers' situation required by the plot. However, but much of the time I felt it made the Western characters (and the ex-pat Indians) look like idiots and the Indian characters sound defensive and strident. Also, there were the big song & dance productions I love, but in English and sometimes with Western style music and at times they sounded a bit like bad songs from a low-rent musical. Maybe it's because I'm too much a fan of traditional Bollywood films, which this isn't.

Now for the good stuff, so you don't think it's all bad. It's mostly good fun. There are some gorgeous set-pieces in the film which use the beauty of India to great effect, and the early (more traditional) musical numbers are great. The very handsome Martin Henderson* and cutie-pie Daniel Gillies** are correctly attractive as Darcy and Wickham. As in all Bollywood films the women are beautiful, the parents know best and it all works out in the end.

Ultimately, I'd suggest see it and judge for yourself.

[Interesting factoids: * New Zealand actor Martin Henderson is the suited cutie in Britney's 'Toxic' music video, and he originally made his name on a New Zealand soapie called 'Shortland Street', and a short-lived Australian soapie about teenage athletes called 'Sweat'. ** Daniel Gillies is a Canadian by birth, but raised in New Zealand also, and also appeared on New Zealand tv. What is it with all these Kiwis?]

Utzon's Sydney Icon

The Museum of Sydney. March, 2005.

Last weekend Mikey and I went to see the exhibition The Studio of Jørn Utzon: Creating the Sydney Opera House at the Museum of Sydney. It was the first time I had ever set foot inside the Museum of Sydney and I can't say that I was all that impressed with the regular permanent collection (although I wouldn't grump "The worst museum ever!" as I overhead one British tourist say). The Utzon exhibition was excellent though, and worth every cent of the $7 cover to get into the museum.

Like millions of people the world over I absolutely love the Sydney Opera House building. When I was a teenager I was seriously considering becoming an architect, and to this day I have a love of buildings and architectural drawing that borders on the obssesive. I have been to quite a few perfomances at the Opera House, and one very poignant and beautiful memorial service for the partner of a friend of mine who died a few years back. The drama of the building and the beauty of the setting has to be seen close-up to really appreciate it. Few Sydney experiences are more beautiful than to stand outside the building on a warm summer's evening during the intermission of a great perfomance, and watch the lights of the ferries on the harbour and the cars crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Enchanting.

The exhibition isn't huge, but has some very interesting models, drawings and diagrams that show the progress of the building, including the future changes that are to be made to add an outside loggia and new interior space that Utzon has designed. The original interior concepts for the halls are interesting (and no doubt would have avoided the current acoustic problems), and give a tease as to what the re-development of the interiors might be like when they are undertaken in the near future. It's also interesting to see how Utzon used inspiration from diverse sources such as Mayan temples and orange segments as inspiration.

More information on Utzon and his other works can be found here.

[If, like me, you are a bit obsessive about typing things like the ø letter correctly, try this list of numeric codes for ISO Latin-1 characters for html. Yes I'm a nerd.]

Recovering Childphobic

I was kind of notorious amongst my friends for being very uncomfortable around small children. I didn't dislike them particularly, didn't overly like them particularly, I was kind of neutral on them. However I generally avoided them because I had no idea how to relate to them; "So, tell me about yourself", never really worked for example. I was uncomfortable physically interacting with them for fear of breaking them, or making them cry/puke/explode into a thousand pieces. I'm also a youngest child, gay, and move in an inner city urban and largely childless circle.

Until recently.

So now I have a couple of das kinder in my life through friends who recently had babies. Aemon and Miss Grizzobel Moans have had quite an impact. Aemon is still very, very small, and so is more of an abstract concept still. However Mizz Grizz and I are becoming fast friends. On Sunday I was at a farewell party for a friend of mine and had some quality cuddle time with her, including letting her fall asleep on my chest. She was snoring quietly and the sensation was not unlike a cat purring.

That's more potent mojo than anything I can stand up against.

Hectic, Much?

Gah, the past (almost) week has been a busy mix of activity. Work, night school, a birthday party, a farewell party, old friends in town for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, a full day meditation retreat, volunteer work... Fortunately the rest of this week is looking a little more sane.

At least I pencilled in sane in my diary for this week.

The List

This meme has been doing the rounds a bit lately, and Bodhi suggested I post mine here. I'm always up for a challenge, so here goes.

My 'yes' answers are in bold

001. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
002. Swam with wild dolphins
003. Climbed a mountain
004. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
005. Been inside the Great Pyramid
006. Held a tarantula
007. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
008. Said “I love you” and meant it
009. Hugged a tree
010. Done a striptease
011. Bungee jumped
012. Visited Paris
013. Watched a lightning storm at sea
014. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
015. Seen the Northern Lights
016. Gone to a huge sports game
017. Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
018. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
019. Touched an iceberg
020. Slept under the stars
021. Changed a baby’s diaper
022. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
023. Watched a meteor shower
024. Gotten drunk on champagne
025. Given more than you can afford to charity
026. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
027. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
028. Had a food fight
029. Bet on a winning horse
030. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
031. Asked out a stranger
032. Had a snowball fight
033. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
034. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
035. Held a lamb
036. Enacted a favorite fantasy
037. Taken a midnight skinny dip
038. Taken an ice cold bath
039. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
040. Seen a total eclipse
041. Ridden a roller coaster
042. Hit a cricket ball for 6.
043. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
044. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
045. Adopted an accent for an entire day
046. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
047. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
048. Had two hard drives for your computer
049. Visited all states.
050. Loved your job for all accounts
051. Taken care of someone who was drunk
052. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
053. Had amazing friends
054. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
055. Watched wild whales
056. Stolen a sign
057. Backpacked in Europe
058. Taken a road-trip
059. Gone rock climbing
060. Lied to foreign government’s official in that country to avoid notice
061. Midnight walk on the beach
062. Sky diving
063. Visited Ireland
064. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
065. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
066. Visited Japan
067. Benchpressed your own weight
068. Milked a cow
069. Alphabetized your CDs
070. Pretended to be a superhero
071. Sung karaoke
072. Lounged around in bed all day
073. Posed nude in front of strangers
074. Scuba diving
075. Got it on to “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
076. Kissed in the rain
077. Played in the mud
078. Played in the rain
079. Gone to a drive-in theater
080. Done something you should regret, but don’t regret it
081. Visited the Great Wall of China
082. Discovered that someone who’s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
083. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
084. Started a business
085. Fallen in *like* and not had your heart broken
086. Toured ancient sites
087. Taken a martial arts class
088. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
089. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
090. Gotten married
091. Been in a movie
092. Crashed a party
093. Loved someone you shouldn’t have
094. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
095. Gotten divorced
096. Eaten meat completely uncooked and loved it
097. Gone without food for 3 days
098. Made cookies from scratch
099. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Rafted any River
104. Been on television news programs as an “expert” *
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Kissed someone who just came in the door, before they had a chance to say anything
107. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to a Casino
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen your favorite band live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror **
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your local member
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. - More than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked or climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Hated yourself the morning after
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone’s heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than Australian states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because you actually needed them
183. ...and gotten 86?ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times,they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts!!!
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196. Dyed your hair
197: Been a DJ
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199: Written your own role playing game
200: Been arrested***

Of course know I look like a romantic, well travelled, carniverous (past tense), Rocky Horror performing, D & D playing, Star Trek convention costume contest winning, Astronomy Club nerd... which of course, I am.

* Partly true, it wasn't a news broadcast but it was a 'ladies programme' on a local tv channel called Touch of Elegance and I was presenting diamond and gold Swiss watches for a boutique I worked for.

** About 60 something times, one week as Frank 'N' Furter and another week as a Transylvanian

*** Not actually arrested, but took part in a civil disobedience action in Tasmania and signed a stat dec to say I had committed sodomy on Tasmanian soil, something which then could have gotten me a jail term. (I was in the company of about 50 other queers, safety in numbers!)

The Night Of A Thousand Stars, And Maybe Paris Hilton

Oscar Saves. February, 2005.

So last night was the Academy Awards, and for the first time ever... I elected to pass. This is a huge change for me. In the past I bugged all my workmates about sticking to a self imposed media blackout so the awards would be surprises, had friends around for Oscars parties, just nerded out on the sheer glamour of it all.

This year. Err, not so much.

I went to my course at the Buddhist centre (Buddha School as a friend calls it) and I had a choice to make. Tape the Oscars. Tape Desperate Housewives and The Biggest Loser.

Oh, you know who won.

[Addenda: Just to prove that I haven't totally had a personally transplant, or become a pod person, or something, I've been cackling it up over examples of Oscars Fashion Heinousness over at Go Fug Yourself. 'Fugly Is The New Pretty', indeed.]