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[15 Jun 2008|12:05pm] |
On a freezing Friday evening, sitting at my desk in full hobo-study gear (headscarves, neck scarf, hoodie, fingerless gloves, all mismatching and looking truly glamourous), with the wind howling, screaming, shrieking outside my window, I am disrupted by a tiny knock at the door. A hand-delivery.
I had missed the monthly outdoor food markets that I look forward to a little too much owing to a take-home exam and lousy weather. It was a week where I spent too little time at home and by Friday craved the cosy familiarity of my peach coloured bedroom. The unfailingly thoughtful littlest brother offered to pick up a cupcake for me, knowing from direct and repeated experience that this is my most favourite part of the entire ritual, visiting the biscuit tree and agonizing over icing flavour choices. But I said no, no thank you, I’ve eaten too much cake this week. There was a white chocolate brownie, a lindt chocolate brownie, new york cheese cake, lemon lime cheese cake, caramel mudcake and a few cookies for good measure. Maybe I am the very hungry caterpillar... But I was thrilled when he arrived home with a cupcake, a present from chocolatesuze who had started chatting to the littlest boy and insisted he take a cupcake home to me. So very very nice. How did I get to know so many lovely women? Thank you chocolate suze.
The previous night, my friend and creative hero Shell and I hit up Wagamamas (so deliciously comforting and sleep-inducing) en route to a Shaun Tan talk and live illustration. He has a new book, Tales from Outer Suburbia, encased in a hard-back but slightly puffy cheddar cheese coloured cover, which has been designated as my end-of-uni-forever bribe. Definitely something to look forward to. Mr Tan read us two stories, explaining where they came from, his awkward relationship and obsession with suburbia and its barely detectable eccentricities. I could empathise and liked him very much. I got that funny beaming feeling I always get when I like something immediately and can’t put it into words, as I listened to him read. The event was packed out and we could hardly see the man from our faraway spot. But ever prepared and ready to share, Shell pulled out her copy of the book from her bag and we read along with him, looking at the pictures. Story time is severely underrated.
And tonight, when this essay is (hopefully) written – at least in it a draft format, it’s off to see the Wackness with Miss Emma, yay! I think there are few people in this world that would take part in dressing as an Olsen twin enthusiastically (Mary-Kate’s in the movie) as part of the experience. Can’t wait. It’s going to be hobo with heels. I will hardly have to change out of my study home clothes.
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| the chicken watches over me |
[08 Jun 2008|04:20pm] |
My sister gave me this chicken pin cushion the other day, leaving it on my bed for me to find later. It's so cute and lovely! I can't find it in my heart to stab him with pins. So there are exactly 17 days remaining of my degree, which means it's study time for exams, but I have decided that unlike the 5 years of my degree preceding this, I will not get stressed. I'm going to work and not stress - which is so far going swimmingly!
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| this corner of the earth |
[30 May 2008|07:39pm] |
I liked this corner very much, I think it was the number 77 that caught my eye. It was an off-cut from something I was cutting and pasting!
So the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur, a (mc) flurry (definitely Oreo flavoured) of anxiety with the end of uni just 4 weeks away and what do I want to do and be when I grow up? I still don’t know. I have trouble deciding what I want to eat for lunch, so sometimes it gets a little much.
I did make a zine though! Which stressed me out a little bit but was ultimately very fun. I’m proud to say I learnt how to do the back-to-back upside-down layout thing all by myself and sold a few at the zine fair which was so much fun! It was crazy that so many cutters and pasters were in the same room, some I’d met in the early hours of the preceding morning, embarrassingly at Kinko’s as the boy and I deliriously tried to finish off our first attempt at a couples zine. We now have an EP – so funny and are called Snowballs & Fistfights… Sadly, I can claim very little credit for the song itself, my main contribution was general enthusiasm and verbal encouragement. ‘That sounds great babe!’ ‘Hey that bass bit is really cool!’ It wasn’t even constructive.
I did play the odd note on the keyboard when I felt I had something to contribute and was tricked into contributing vocally one night when I was very sick. But I am super happy with how it turned out!
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| perpetually distracted |
[10 May 2008|04:00pm] |
A box was waiting for me as I arrived home on Tuesday evening completely exhausted and delirious and no longer able to speak. It was a present from Leila, all the way from Darwin – complete with a very long (and very hilarious) letter, two chunky shell rings, a small collection of photographs from her new life and home, some tacky postcards, a bookmark and the front page of her local paper.
So lovely! She’s in Bali right now but I can’t wait to write back. It’s funny, for all the time she’s been gone, we’ve never called, emailed or even facebooked each other, preferring to send letters instead. It’s so great.
I’m on a cupcake detox (this is about a quarter of the past 2 weeks consumption). Which isn’t that hard, I’ve just resorted to old-school playlunch ‘healthy’ snacks. ‘Health’ because Jatz are covered in salt and I always use way too much peanut butter. But aren't they colourful and pretty?? haha.
One essay to go and then it’s the home-stretch! I’m nearly a graduate!!
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| in the cold cold night |
[28 Apr 2008|10:20pm] |
The long weekend ended with at least three films watched, as many visits to art galleries and the consumption of one too many dumplings. It was a weekend of happy surprises, with the discovery of donut ice-cream at Cold Rock (which had just the right cinnamony sugary smell but sadly none of the warm soft/crunchiness that is real donut) and a girls night where the host promised face masks for all which we ended up ditching for a good ol cocaine trafficking movie (Blow rocked). My attempt to make fondue was short-lived with the chocolate being consumed straight from the pan, along with hedgehog slice, a fresh baked apple teacake and crab dip and crackers. No girl had shown up empty handed.
On Anzac day eve the boy said he was taking me to church after dinner, which I figured was the name of some new club night but literally turned out to be church. Anzac Day service, he’d said over dinner as I asked why why why? Followed by the cryptic suggestion that it was a surprise. It turned out to be Bill Viola’s video projection inside St Xavier’s church, an incredibly confronting experience definitely enhanced by the dark and suddenly rainy night. ‘Hey! I’ve read about this!’ I squealed as the ushers hustled us inside, ‘Quick! It’s just started’ they said in an exaggerated whisper, just like teachers used to do in the library. Despite all the fire and Biblical silhouettes I found it unexpectedly calming and slipped into a meditative type state, until I stumbled out of the church and back into the ushers who demanded to know what we thought. I actually couldn’t speak so made a series of incomprehensible noises and gestures whilst the boy speculated about exactly how the film had been technically made.
The next day we ventured past the art gallery in our travels and decided to catch the second part, which weren’t nearly as confronting than the ones we’d seen at the church. At times it wasn’t unlike sitting for one of those eye tests where the optometrist asks you every 2 seconds what you see. Ultimately we saw this underwater couple scene, which was very reminiscent of the Baz Luhurman’s Romeo and Juliet scene in the swimming pool. Only the colours were very twilight and amazing – that purple! But more than half the fun was watching people stumbling around in the pitch black (well our eyes had adjusted so clearly it wasn’t that dark) of the theatrette. Their motions were exaggerated, slow and unintentionally comical.
And then it was Monday, back to American Civil War and Post-Communism, gladly interrupted by my weekly lunchtime catch up with Nicky. Yay for weekly rituals! Caddie appeared as a special guest, recently returned from Korea-town where she had lived in the very same apartment Nicky and I did. We’ve all decided that we’re not ready for full time jobs, not ready to give up on the pipe dreams just yet. There was talk of making instruments, teaching music and having just seen Stranger than Fiction, I’m very taken by the idea of throwing it all in and opening up a small cake store. With a dangling cupcake sign, cos Maggie Gyllenhaal made it look so easy, lovely and fun.
Another assignment printed and stapled and yay it's time for bed.
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| yellow balloons and liberated bean bags - a true story |
[21 Apr 2008|09:50pm] |
There is much fun to have with a helium balloon, which I found out when my star sister came over to celebrate her birthday. She brought me a present. Two bright yellow plastic containers to house my (still growing) tape collection. And the timing couldn’t have been better because earlier on that week there had been a rather heartbreaking taping over incident that could have been prevented had such a organisational tape shelf thing been in my possession. We had a lovely day, chatting, napping and consuming copious amounts of chocolate chip products. Listening to new favourite albums (shared) together.
So when the rained finally stopped, I walked up the street and saw this.
They look like the things you use to fill bean bags. I remember getting into massive trouble as a kid for deciding to liberate the beans from my Seasame Street bean bag one afternoon onto the loungeroom floor. I’m sure my sister actively encouraged it. But I thought what if they were suffocating in there? Getting squashed all the time?
I’m super crazy about the Saboteurs new album, (especially track 2, which is incredible!) choc peppermint cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt even though they’ve been downsized substantially so you actually need to eat two to get the same effect. And loving a bit of Lula mag. I love it so much I don’t want to cut it up. At least for now.
This fashion story is the cutest. The girl has a very Alice in Wonderland quality about her. And I love the hot pink. It makes me want to wear black less. They’re starting to call me emo at work.
The boy came home today after three weeks away which was great cos I was beginning to really miss him. As promised I made muffins and had them ready at the airport. Three different types! Blueberry, double choc and these banana walnut and honey ones. I got presents! From a very rumpled but festive white and red striped paper bag came two very beautiful matchboxes from a gallery in Glasgow. The tips of the matches are pink and the fire friction bit – covered in sand. So cool! But getting up before 5am makes a girl very tired so it’s to bed, with tomorrow’s essay printed and stapled and ready to hand in. Sweet dreams for sure.
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| miss polly had a dolly |
[17 Apr 2008|10:09pm] |
Denial was shortlived and by Saturday I was undeniably sick sick sick with the flu (flu flu). Still I managed to squeeze in 3 hours of post-communist readings before it really hit. And boy did it hit, by early afternoon I was unable to speak (!), thank god for sms!
It didn't take long for my Mum to crank out her 'magical' soup pot. I stumbled into the kitchen after 3 hours of wishing myself out of bed only to see a huge pile of coloured vegetables - celery, carrots, potatoes, parsley, tomatos. omg I love you! My head shouted. My mouth just made this feeble smile. She suggested I leave my bag of fairyfloss in the kitchen where it wouldn't taunt me (wise woman. Zac's school had had a fairyfloss drive the day previous and being the ever supportive sister I am... although I was a little sad when my bag came home with the floss completely flattened, squashed beyond airy recognition). She traded me with a cup of hot water, lemon and honey. So spoilt.
I had to cancel my cupcake park date with miss Emma. Which was so sad because we had both already picked out outfits. My dress even had a pale blue sash (and if I was of the princess variety, I'd totally wear it diagonally across my body!). She was sympathetic and extolled the virtues of Codral, especially for those who want to keep studying. 'Pseudoephedrine!' she cried and I immediately thought of the Liv Tyler character from Empire Records who takes speed so she can study more. Different kind of nerd? More cancellation sms-es sent and then, it was actually time for more bed.
It was kinda fun at first. I finished the sequel to my most favourite book, got get-well communicatons from the outside world, watched Gilmore Girls and listened to Rubber Soul. I think it was my body's way of saying Stop it! No more study! And it went on strike for a good 6 days. There were points where I couldn't actually move (not fun) and moments where I thought I might never get better (any member of my family will attest to the fact that I am the most dramatic sick person to walk this earth. They laugh at me sometimes for it but at the time, I honestly believe I'm dying. Derrick was surprised I didn't request to be taken to the hospital this time).
I think I'm finally better. And now very good at sitting incredibly still cos some days that was the only thing I could do that didn't hurt!
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| muffins of glee |
[10 Apr 2008|11:00am] |
Thank you flowers for my mother because she’ll bake muffins whenever the oven is on (blueberry last week, double chocolate this week and she notes that my reaction upon seeing them is one of utter glee. I tell her glee with a capital G). She cooked up a massive pot of the most delicious chicken soup yesterday when she thought I was coming down with a cold and has put up with my over-tiredness and general grumpiness of late. She lingers at my doorway as she says good night and good morning with a furrowed brow, watching as I turn pages and type furiously. She thinks I work too hard. I think she does. I think she’s the best. She doesn’t even complain anymore when I bring clothes home from the op-shop.
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| i'm only going to heaven if it tastes like caramel |
[07 Apr 2008|06:25am] |
This autumn’s gotten very frosty all of a sudden and I’ve had to climb into my wardrobe to retrieve some warm clothes. Turns out I don’t have many! But I am digging porridge, crunchy nut cornflakes with warm milk (so good!) and packing presents. Two a week at least! And the new Hot Chip album. Very funny and sometimes Flight of the Conchords-esque.
I've decided to ignore daylight saving and wake up normal time. Which is now 5.30am. There's just way too much to do!
Stay warm and drink hot chocolate! (it’s extra good with soy milk. So delicious.)
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| jitterbug in pinks and greens |
[02 Apr 2008|08:26pm] |
So I think the trick is to make (or keep) everything as colourful as possible.
I love that you can see the spots through the little Walkman window.
So great!
On my way to the library today there was this bright red HB just lying on the dark grey asphalt.
I went back to save it an hour later but someone had beat me to it.
I accidentally had a coffee today and am so incredibly jittery it’s ridiculous.
At first I thought I was anxious or hyperventilating.
Physically struggling to sit still.
It’s kind of a relief to know it’s just the caffeine.
Silly.
But I’ve made some crazy stuff in my hyper state!
Show you soon.
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| broken baskets and stolen eggs |
[24 Mar 2008|01:58pm] |
The morning of Easter Sunday, a small child hovered at my elbow as I prepared by breakfast. How much longer would I be and could I please eat it in my bedroom with the door closed? He escorted me there, mildly agitated, carrying my Sunday morning staples – the morning paper and my fully laden Care Bears breakfast tray.
For the past month or so, the 11 year old has been planning an easter egg hunt for the whole family. Comparing prices of easter eggs, using his Chinese New Years money to buy them well in advance (I was not so lucky and participated in the Easter Saturday egg rampage at the local shopping center. There was nothing left!) There were rules. Between 8-9am no one was to leave their respective bedrooms. From 8.45-9am we were to dress ourselves, ready for the official start at 9am. At 8.56am there was a knock at the door – could I please choose a basket?
At 8.58am my phone rang. ‘I’m gonna kick your assssssss!!!!!!’ So much for a good morning from Derrick. Game on, I stopped decorating my basket and stood ready at my door- hand on the knob. I peeked outside and saw this.
‘UH UH! I CAN HEAR YOU!’ the small boy doesn’t miss a trick.
We were good to go on time – only a voice cried out from the far corner of the house. My father had lost his basket. Typical. Give the man a basket he only had to mind for two minutes and he loses it. Mum, Dad and Zac started searching frantically. I was already in stitches.
And then it started. The pushing, the shrieking, the falling over, the basket breaking, the grabbing. The falling over and basket breaking was all me and the mother, feigning assistance, made a quick grab for my easter eggs spinning on the ground. The boy was fantastically creative in his egg hiding.
Time out fifteen minutes in – could we count our eggs and see who was the winner? Derrick won by one egg, my mother and I tied for second, my Dady, predictably, came last. He won the losers prize – a very special Crunchie freddo. The boy pulled out the calculator – there were still 5 eggs M.I.A.
He's decided that whoever finds them has to donate them to Dad. Pity eggs.
Hope your weekend's going swell.
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| staring at the sun and listening to shells |
[21 Mar 2008|10:20am] |
This Autumn, it's been all about dining alfresco and food so delicious I want to just hug it (though it has been pointed out that this could get rather messy). A couple weeks back Shell took me to the very last session of the Moonlight cinema and we watched Donnie Darko whilst munching on a picnic she'd packed and every Tuesday at 1pm, Em and I have a standing picnic date at uni. We take turns packing each other lunches and pesto seems to be a recurring theme. Anna's also back in town (hurrah!) and I found her clutching a shoebox filled with things from her latest trips. Exactly this time last year she let me sift through her Thailand journals and photos and this time, she lifted the lid to reveal a box carefully divided into sections, each section holding handfuls of shells. We picked out our favourites (I loved the one that looked like a chocolate...) and spent a great deal of time trying to listen for sea sounds. When we could muster the energy to move in this uncharateristically hot autumn, we went upstairs to listen to her buddy play guitar. He performed barefoot, standing on a persian rug. He covered the Bee Gees in a surprisingly calming way. The guy sitting next to us offered us jubes and bubbles floated by outside.
And so it's ironic that on this Good Friday it's raining for the sister and I had planned a picnic and a trip to the beach. It will just have to be indoors. I think I've been quitely stressed - inspired and encouraged by a lot of things - knowing that it's about to manifest itself is something sometime very soon. Can't wait!
Happy Easter!
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[06 Mar 2008|09:16am] |
Markets, zoos and sample sales quickly dissolved back into reality and Sportsgirl reigned once again. It's the end of my grace week and from next week, life as it will be for the next 13 weeks will resume. Meaning I'm back at uni, my beautiful summer job is over and it's time to work work work - on fun stuff and manage to turn up to class.
On Monday I left the patissier which was very sad for me. And not just because I'll be missing out on the autumn season of cakes (which will include a pancake stack thing and a chocolate bomb filled with peanut butter mousse amongst other things). I'll miss the quiet routine of lining the cakes up, carefully and slowly in the morning. I'll miss collecting coloured macaroons and trying to guess what flavour they are. I'll miss showing up on friends doorsteps with an armful of leftover bread. And reading behind the counter and scribbling in my journal.
It's been a week of closure - the up side of which is a website that I've been working on for a while is now live to the world. It was a Jpeg here and there.. maybe one very sleepless night and here it is! These were the mini docos I helped produce last year when I worked at uni.
The most exciting thing at the moment - is the decision to work on creative projects no matter what. It keeps me sane and happy - which is a very good place to be! I've been having a stack of fun trying to organise the first birthday of the Matchbox project complete with contributors and am taking baby steps towards a fashion zine with a new buddy of mine.
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| sunday and the power of suggestion |
[25 Feb 2008|09:53pm] |
I’ve been emailing this girl in the States these past few weeks, she has the most gorgeous FlickR site where she posts pictures of her illustrated books for girls and most fascinating of all – her outfits. An eclectic mix of op-shop finds and her grandmothers clothes she has a very girl and unique style, and I was asking her a few questions for this fashion article I was working on for Vibewire. She told me that she had just found this 1950s pink dress with giraffes on it, which made her daydream about going to the zoo which instantly reminded me of this equally ridiculous dress I own, a strapless white thing with a repeat parrot pattern and a ruffle or two, picked up several years ago at Kirribilli markets. I’ve only ever worn the dress twice, and both times it made me do some very silly things.
So on Saturday I mentioned to Cass that I wanted to go to the zoo. And on Sunday we went. She picked me up a few hours earlier than our said meeting time and we hit Woolies, determined to pack a picnic lunch for our guests. I had offered to loan her some animal related clothing (a pale pink t-shirt with a horse on it? Or a blue leopard print 1950s day dress with a black bow maybe?) but she politely declined.
We stocked up on chicken, rolls, fresh fruit, honey flavoured tiny-teddy biscuits and juiceboxes before heading home to pack lunches. I insisted on drawing animals on all the bags and when our guests arrived I busied myself asking who wanted the bear lunch? Snake anyone?
We rushed to the zoo, Cass was intent on seeing the seal show at 11.20am but sadly we missed it, because the car park was full and we had to hike there from far far away. That and the fact that the seals were in the process of moving to their new home, had to be trained for a new show and were probably busy packing boxes and things.
A 17-year-old German exchange student lives at Cass’s house and he came along. He made fun of me for cheering every animal, saying cute! repeatedly and clapping. Except for the red panda. It was very disappointing. It was small and looked more like a raccoon. My favourite animal was probably the tiger. It was definitely Sunday at the zoo because most of the animals were sound asleep in the shade.
It’s been an animalistic weekend. The day prior I went to the Lover jumble sale with Angie, Nat and Cass. I haven’t been to a warehouse sale for years because I usually find them overwhelming, sweaty and generally not fun at all but there’s something about Lover that made me get out of bed and join the masses in a Surry Hills suite that was severely lacking in ventilation. I think it’s the oversized buttons, the music-inspired collections and their take on girl that makes me, well love Lover.
Anyway, we arrived as close to 9am as we could muster only to find a long line of predominantly Asian girls. Which, admittedly, Angie and I are, but these girls came in packs. Posses even. Clearly I’m not very good at the warehouse sale game because I had no tactics. ‘So what sizes am I grabbing for you?’ Ang asked as we neared the door, the considerate and expert shopper she is. Inside there was practically nothing on the rails and everything in the arms of the small packs of girls who were hoarding and not sharing. I wandered around wide-eyed before realising the game was more about grabbing and thinking later. Despite this realisation, I still wasn’t very good at it.
Maybe it was a waiting game for cast-offs? Not so, the hoarding girls didn’t just leave clothes around, they tried to bargain with you, eyeballing the items you were holding and casually attempting to initiate a swap. ‘Do you need a bigger size?’ one girl said directly to my black Joplin dress, her arm outstretched with the one she had snatched. Apparently a lot of these items will end up on eBay, which I think isn’t very nice.
I did get a few things, which I am very glad about. It sounds silly but I always wanted something gorgeous from Lover in my wardrobe. There was this one girl in my store the other day who was ecstatic about the new season and grabbing armfuls of clothing. She said that Love My Way was her favourite show and that she’d promised herself that when she had money, she’d buy clothes that looked like things the character Frankie would wear. And apparently we were having a very Frankie season. I could empathise completely – and had similar pipe-dreams about being a girl-writer, wandering around the place talking to people and writing stories, ideally in a super cute Lover smock.
I have two stories due on Tuesday (as well as incredibly nerdy plans to digitise my portfolio...) and so I plan to wear this, even though no one will see me, as I type type type, sitting outside on my deck with everyone at work and a gigantic pink mug of tea.
My summer is coming to an end. Well our collective summer is but this is my last week of holidays. I’m sad but had a very relaxing time.
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[19 Feb 2008|08:27am] |
found a whole box of old note-books the other day. it's ridiculous some of the things I've kept, cut-out and transcribed. I'm really glad I have all of those things.
I've been watching the Lagerfeld Chanel doco that came free with Vogue this month. It makes for very interesting viewing. The man is strange. And far too aware of himself as a persona. He talks about himself like he's not there.
Still matchboxing!
After my matchbox related meeting today (not feeling too great about this one..) I'm going op shopping in Surry Hills YAY! Without the weekend crowds. Have a lovely Tuesday.
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| sometimes things don’t always turn out how you’d planned (squish) |
[16 Feb 2008|09:10pm] |
Nicky wanted to visit my cake store, all my gushing about it had made her curious. ‘Wow, it really is a corridor,’ she said as we squeezed our way in late Friday afternoon. She had been in the middle of a very dramatic story but was suddenly silent as she eyeballed the rows of cakes and pastries. She thought everything was beautiful and was keen for advice. She liked custard, and so I ordered a vanilla milliefeuille for her and some fruit sourdough for her mum. My own mother is ecstatic when I return home from work. ‘Oh great! My sourdough has brought my daughter home!!’ she squeals upon hearing the gate.
It had been three days since I’d last worked and a new chocolate had appeared in the window. Fat and log shaped the other countergirl didn’t know what it was. The macaroons too had changed colour – they were now this grey-purple and I hoped they were black sesame. Vanilla, she said, insisting that I try both new items, a kind of on-the-job training thing and into a Perspex bag they went.
Poor Nicky had had a bad week so the only thing to do was to push her gently in the direction of my favourite café, to pick up drinks and picnic rugs and onto the park we went. She was suitably impressed. ‘So this is what you do??’ she squeaked, like it was my occupation or something. But my heart always says cake and a little company never hurts.
It’s been a great week. I had my hair cut alfresco for the first time for free (thanks Lex!), tried this black grass jelly, got given heaps of free stuff from my different jobs and my favourite op shop was having a half price sale. I picked up this awesome circus tent of a shirt, trapeze cut with fat white, yellow and red stripes. Even though I wouldn’t wear it, the sleeve and button details were too crazy to leave behind. I’ve since realised that it’s just Nicky’s thing so I’m going to mail it to her first thing Monday. But best of all, my invoices finally got paid today (I’m a legitimately paid writer!) and so it was straight to the supermarket to stock up on blueberries and expensive yogurt and then onto buy a fat stack of CDs.
So it wasn’t so terrible when I went to retrieve my chocolate bag only to find it supremely squished, with the macaroon actually embedded in the chocolate. It still tasted the same – I figure the chocolate was milk chocolate, coffee and hazelnut. Going to check with the chef on Monday to see if I got it right. I hope there’s a prize.
I'm meeting up with this gallery person on Tuesday to talk about all things matchbox project. Which is very exciting because I think (with the help and creative genius of Shell) that I finally have a strong idea of how it's going to work in an event context. It's going to be a whole lot of fun - even if it doesn't get done at that gallery - it will be done. I think it's what they call a passion-project on Entourage...
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| this is no modern romance |
[13 Feb 2008|09:33pm] |
On Saturday an oversized pink heart appeared in the shopfront window at work, suspended from the ceiling, neon and encrusted with macaroons. The light hearted Christmas display had been replaced by rich red and fuschia satins and perfectly cut-out cardboard hearts in red and white.
Inside, the macaroons themselves (chocolate, rose and raspberry - I wasn't entirely sure and had to do a taste test) were suddenly heartshaped and rows of shiny chocolates appeared in at least six different shapes. I drew a key for the store. Cocoa bean for coconut, the present - this incredible ginger, lime and macadamia concoction, igloo for chili. Big heart meant rose and the smaller heart, raspberry.
At home, a whiney doorbell announced the arrival of a bright red peacock feather, with black speckles and two smaller matching feathers that had been fashioned into rose-like shapes. My brother has been beside himself in anticipation of arrival was more than relieved when I texted him about the delivery. My Dad sat at the computer using word-art to decorate a menu he was making for the special Valentines Day dinner he is organising for the old peoples home. It's going to be a jazz night, he tells me.
And me? I took to making my own Valentines cards, this year not with red cardboard and doileys (which was very two years ago - literally!) but still listening to the Magic Numbers. I altered each message according to the receivers sensitivity to this heart-shaped themed holiday. I read in the paper today that for some it reinforces their perceived inferiority and failure. Which is terrible.
Exactly a year ago, I spent the lead up to Valentines Day wandering around the streets of Seoul, camera in hand, working on this photos essay for the paper I was working at. The highlight was watching this 70 year old Korean man bolt after his wife - who had fled the second she spotted my fat slr. But he was absolutely determined to have his photo taken and took chase, pushing through the crowded subway in an attempt to catch her. She hid behind a bin, quite unsuccessfully but I didn't end up taking their pic. It started snowing on Valentines Day that year as I left the office at 11pm, listening to the Beatles's Michelle and on my way to meet my housemates for drinks.
This year has a lot to live up to.
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[09 Feb 2008|04:19pm] |
The sun came out for (Chinese) New Year’s Eve and I joined the adult family for a mid-morning yum cha. This was a particular novelty as I normally end up sitting on the kids table at extended family dinners – not that there’s anything unfunny about watching the boys have lychee peeling and eating races (and perhaps being the one who started the whole thing…) but it’s nice to have some conversation and not constantly be watching for potential spillages. That said my grandmother is a little hard of hearing and my recollection of my dinner at Carla’s was met with a rather idiosyncratic exclamation – ‘Oh! So you had a blood test!!’ She proceeded to talk at length about green beans – we were all very confused until we realised she meant her green recycling bin.
My family’s not really into superstition but there are some Chinese New Year ones that we do try and observe. Like wearing something fairly new on the day. New Years is always synonymous with bows for me. I distinctly remember being about 8 eight years old and picked up by both of my parents from school of New Years day. With Carla, Derrick and myself squished in the backseat, our parents took us to a department store and said we could have one thing each to wear. Something new for that day. I took forever and ended up selecting this oversized dusty blue bow hair clip. I loved it and wore it only on special occasions before it snapped because my hair got too thick.
And so bows it was this year too. It was a bit of a struggle trying to take a photo of my own outfit. I clearly need to get a boyfriend or learn how to use self-timer. Or take a photo of a reflection. Or try not to be so vain.
I’m meant to be working on a story on Sydney’s Chinatown for a travel magazine and had to find ways to make it look appealing. Mooching around Chinatown trying to take a nice photo was hard and I ended up with many photos of red lanterns, figuring the designer could photoshop it into something passable. Terrible I know. So I did what I knew best, took photos of good looking food. I think I even got a bit of depth of field going - yay for the slightly blurry chilli sauce!
I’ve spent the last few days working – writing, selling cakes, putting clothes on hangers and actively listening to the radio, waiting for this one particular song. Hoping to tape it. So far failing. All the while there has been ample time for thinking, over-thinking and I am truly scared, petrified even, anxious about graduating and maybe not finding a job. Well not just any job but that fabled perfect job. This was incredibly acute last night over dinner, as friends spoke about shopping for houses and settling down and I had absolutely nothing to contribute. It was one of those I’m-about-as-exciting-as-a-chickpea moments and I realised I barely know what I’m doing in the coming week let alone where I want to wake up every day for the rest of my life. And maybe that’s ok. I woke up with a pretty nasty cold and got to leave work early. I'm kinda enjoying all the soup and tea and honey sandwiches while I'm on the mend.
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[06 Feb 2008|04:27pm] |
On Tuesday, my Mum took me on an excursion to Eastwood to visit SuperFresh, home of, well fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and all the usual suspects. It was more like a barn in both size and layout and I was impressed. I'd tagged along so I might pick up a lemon and some hazelnuts for a cake I was making.
Everything in Eastwood has a Caucasian predecessor. SuperFresh was once a BBC Hardware store, the BBQ restaurant a Maccas and we played in a sizeable variety store that had been a Target in a previous life. We grimaced and laughed incredibly hard at the oversized faux mounted eagle heads, which must have been made out of some kind of plaster and she wantered off as I fussed over kitsch wrapping paper to decorate cakeboxes with. Her shoes made this incredibly distinctive high-pitched squeaking noise which made her easy to find in the never ending maze of useless things.
She was less than patient when I wandered to the nearby op shop and even less than impressed when I returned with yet another 'dead-persons' dress. I apologised half-heartedly - the print was so cute!
I've been re-reading Haruki Murakami's 'Norweigan Wood' these past few days and loving the frequent and evocative descriptions of the main character's meals. I know that my writing sometimes mimics whatever I am reading but I never thought my eating patterns would too. When we got home I fixed us big plates of stir-fried vegetables with noodles and a creamed-corn omlette to share. I told her next week I might try my hand at Japanese cooking, starting with Bento boxes. She just laughed. I was joking right?
I went over to Carla's for dinner and she cooked curried fried rice with huge chunks of lup-chung - my favourite. I brought her a cake (a lemon syrup hazelnut cake I had baked earlier - ha! I sound like a cooking show) in a prototype box I had made and a stash of other things. Like her favourite black skirt that had magically appeared in my wardrobe and a bunch of socks - all striped and none of which matched. She was ecstatic, she was sure she had their pairs.
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| Sunday was fun but it’s back to work on the 6.30am bus tomorrow |
[03 Feb 2008|09:33pm] |
8.28 am – made the bus with 30 seconds to spare. Rainy Sundays are delightfully cliché and I don’t mind skipping a sleep-in if I’m eating breakfast out. For once I didn’t get pancakes or eggs benedict and instead breakfasted on this delicious European style breakfast plate which was just my thing. Cold meats, a hard-boiled egg, cheeses and dips, tangy slices of beer bread.
Michelle, her friends Jay-Dee and Helen and I made for a happy breakfast party. We were getting ready for Michelle’s third and final day at the Hope St markets down the road. And, despite a mild case of anxiety earlier on in the week, she did superbly. Her vintage scrabble pendants and brooches were a hit (and even got featured in the Good Weekend – one for the scrapbook!) and I loved watching people going through her tiny badges and stickers. Watching people select scrabble letters was intriguing. I imagined what peoples names were when they bought them (the girl who bought an E was surely an Ellen) and I thought it was super cute that my brother and his gf got their respective initials and traded.
Earlier on in the week I helped out in Michelle’s studio, which was a riot of inspiration and good-looking things. One of my most favourite things about Shell is that she is a keen appreciator. She not only notices things but documents them and then makes them into beautiful re-usable things. So Thursday, I had a great time hanging out in her creative space, eating cake, drinking coffee, chatting and listening to music all whilst sewing, cutting and folding stuff for her to take to market.
Back at Hope st, Frankie had a cake pet stall which was slow to open but Jay-Dee was quick to spot a lady cradling what looked suspiciously like a patty pan. A quick is-it-or-isn’t-it? debate ended with Jay-Dee making a bee-line for the stall and returning with sweet sweet goodies. What is a weekend without a cupcake??
And brown paper packages?
I went home with Shelbyville paraphernalia along with some fairly ridiculous but completely necessary purchases. Like an oversized cream silk flower pin for my hair, which I intend to wear daily. And a navy bonnet of a hat, ready for those sleepy bus rides home from the city when uni starts up again.
It was still raining by the time I left and I took shelter in the Dymocks super-store as I waited for the hourly bus to take me home. The experience would have been all the more romantic (I picked up my first Virginia Woolf book and some Bach sheet music, determined to get back into the piano this week…) if the counter-girl hadn’t been chewing gum so enthusiastically and being generally surly as she chucked my purchases into a bag. Yay for Chinese New Year funds!
There was a perspex box of freshly baked scones sitting on the dining table when I got home at 5pm, slightly delirious, very starving and borderline evil. It even had multiple gold and burgundy ribbons tied around it. Carla and Geoff were over and she made scones! Yay! As I scraped the last drops of raspberry jam onto the little fluffy creature she appeared and placed a box of freshly whipped cream on the counter.
And then it 6.30 and Rines was sitting outside ready to pick me up for dinner. We ate big fat bowls of creamy pasta (what did I feel like eating? She had asked as I got in the car. Gnocchi I replied straight-away and she laughed, having meant a general cuisine. But she was happy to go along with my very specific craving) followed by huge cups of tea and hot chocolate. It was great to spend time with Rines, she’s incredibly optimistic whilst maintaining a sense of reality. Although she was convinced we wouldn’t get booked that night, because she left a note for the Ranger.
And so it's back to work tomorrow - it's been nearly 2 weeks since I worked at the cake store and I'm looking forward to reading books again behind the counter and pastries. I hope it's still raining!
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