Dance Pants

the internet is for hanging shit

2009-12-10T19:31:00.002+11:00

So I've been back on ACTUAL speed net with my 'puter for a while now. Slacking off from my actual tasks and reading random sites for amusement. I've moved on from online comics (for the moment) and there's a new trend emerging. My favourite ones at the moment tend to be collections of stuff that are just plain dumb. Here's a few that spring to mind..

Some Classics:
Fail Blog
This Is Why You're Fat
Average Cats (in response to I can haz cheezburger)
Look at this Fucking Hipster
There I Fixed It

Well written:
Cake Wrecks
Ugliest Tattoos

Text about text:
Texts From Last Night
Passive Aggressive Notes
Unnecessary Quotes

We truly love laughing at ourselves don't we? Enjoy your light relief!

Sea change: take II

2009-10-23T00:57:00.003+11:00

It's gone a full circle. I've spent some time in Perth, done some nice things and now I'm back home again in Melbourne.

It was a great experience and one that I'll value for a long time to come. Although there were some things that did not go as I had hoped and I've ultimately come back to Melbourne because I believe that it suits me better (read: home), I do not regret taking that initial fantastic leap of faith that got me there. In fact, I might go as far as to say that I'd probably do it all again if given the chance.

So now, with my new appreciation for WA beer, I bid adieu to Perth in all it's glory.
The pristine beaches are incomparable to anywhere else in the world. The tropical weather and stunning sunshine; with mild winters to match. The gorgeous, loyal and genuine people. The fun places like Deville's and Hula-Bula. My old hood of East Vic Park and it's gangland shootings. The good times spent with dear peeps. The loving swing scene which took me in under their wing and kept me sane. The traffic-free roads and the ability to get almost anywhere in around 20mins by car. The appreciation of simple things in life and total lack of oh-so-cool-wankers.

And I thank Perth for teaching me:
- to be a little nicer and more polite
- to chill the fuck out and stop being so impatient
- to appreciate what I've got
- to do research and dig a little harder for stuff
- have realistic expectations of myself
- to be a better teacher ..dare I say professionalism?
- have more confidence in myself

But really when it comes down to it, and the same reason that I missed Melbourne so dearly, is because of the people. They shape my experiences, make it real and keep me connected. I love them. And now I miss them.

ps. This post is not meant to sound wanky, just what I'm thinking right now. Shall we blame it on all the Mogwai and Neko Case I've been listening to?

And now back to our regular programming..

2009-08-11T01:58:00.000+10:00

Apologies to DancePants regular readers, it seems that our little blog is not safe from terrorism. Please ignore the previous post. I’m not sure what interest deranged and outspoken ‘hackers’ would find here but we’re taking the appropriate measures to ensure security in the future.

Oh, you're from..

2009-08-02T02:04:00.006+10:00

YES I'm from another city but I'm not ashamed of it! I'm not going to feel ashamed that I feel so misplaced here I feel the need to talk about the things and experiences that I miss from my old life.
"Perth just requires a little more effort, you've gotta dig to find the good stuff" is what they say. I'm digging, I'm trying - but can't I put down the shovel for five minutes and do something fun? And where did all the energetic-spontaneous people go?

I'm so painfully aware of all my terrible habits that I can't seem to shake:
- short with people when I'm in a hurry at the coffee shop or supermarket
- don't always say 'hello' to every single person in the room every time I go somewhere
- expect to be able to do stuff at night that isn't going to the movies
- don't put up with bullshit sales people
- thinking beyond what is happening right now
- talking about the great features of other cities and thereby highlighting Perth's shortcomings.

I've never considered myself much of a bitch but all those things seem to make me come across as the rudest kid on the block. But can't this city just harden the fuck up?

A very mature reaction, but do I have to be careful and serious 24/7? I'm allowed the gratuity of one extreme blog post, surely! 7 months of frustration and biting my tongue cannot be suppressed forever.

In case you haven't heard..

2009-02-17T14:55:00.001+11:00

I'm in Perth!

..more to come later.

get this into you!

2008-12-09T00:06:00.000+11:00

almost done.

2008-11-11T21:49:00.003+11:00

Ok friends, I'm very almost finished my degree I just have to get this last assignment done. I'm running on V limited amounts of sleep, locked away from the world and working like a demon. Something really neat that I've discovered I thought I might share with you. It's an educational thang called 'Power Teach':

Here we see it in action with a grade 6 group who have obviously had lots of practice at it. The class is loud, fast, active and fun. And they're just learning about order of operations. Its the way that they've been taught which is really interesting. Basically this type of teaching has been developed by Chris Biffle in the states and here are his main points:

Whilst I would find this quite confronting at first I'm sure I can see a lot of value in what he is trying to do with his classes. The things I love the most are:

- actions and gestures for kinaesthetic learners (and memory reinforcement for everyone else)
- peer discussions mean social learning is taking place, peer to peer AND teacher to student
- total involvement/participation at all times, not just the one student answering the questions
- short sharp points of attention ensure students are not being over drained or glazing over
- teacher has instantaneous feedback about what students are understanding by eaves dropping in peer to peer discussions. Also in classroom management, she knows who is listening/participating at all times
- work ethic and success standards are built into the approach and not a separate thing to address. Students can celebrate their achievements instantaneously, Hooray!
- use of voice and gestures includes tone and rhythm: created like a game/drama and communication.

So without more information or training I doubt I'd be giving this a shot any time soon but there are aspects of it that I would certainly take away. Like the use of peer to peer talk built in to break the lesson into shorter chunks. Although this makes me think of the only other class that I have observed where that was used on a regular basis with preps and they were all CRAZY talkative - sometimes to the point of utter frustration of the teacher. Could be worse though, imagine if they didn't develop those skills properly at all!

digital immigrant.

2008-09-09T17:49:00.003+10:00

ok ok, so my uni have been going on and on about teaching in the digital age for years now and i'm only JUST engaged. i guess i was skeptical about their approaches and actual depth of knowledge. i mean how many times can someone celebrate the fact that digital cameras were invented? or that you can create a blog? ...zzzz... oh! i'm sorry i must've nodded off there while the rest of my class learnt how to log onto the uni website. BORING! i've been listening to my lecturers and peers complain about how difficult and frustrating technology is to use. For the past 4 years they've been going on about really basic stuff. I mean yes it is fantastic that you can see the pictures right there on the camera and like magic they can be put onto the computer as well. pfft. And it's not like they were describing anything particularly ground breaking in terms of educational applications either. Sure kids can describe the visual elements used in a magazine/newspaper/website/game. They probably come to school like that and can do WAY more stuff than that in their sleep! They'd be about as bored as I have been I reckon.
i mean i understand that the education field is usually always a little behind the rest of the world cause that is just the way it all works: educators adapt to the demands of society etc etc. So realistically speaking I won't expect to see any great developments in technology education for quite some time. Nor will I have the opportunity or experience to explore this area to it's full capacity untill I am actually teaching. I will wait until that day and then find a gap in the system to exploit and possibly become a millionaire (hold your breathe).
So today I was finally given something to think about and engage with when we were shown this:

This stuff is kinda actually exciting. I mean it's obviously really it's just that it's been put into words/a presentation that I havent been exposed to before. Most of use technology every single day for a variety of means. In the past week I have:
- checked my email on 4 different accounts
- social networked on at least 2 different sites
- viewed clips on Youtube
- downloaded readings/resources for uni
- written assignments
- uploaded assignments
- engaged in forum discussions
- searched the internet for technical help with my lappy
- downloaded software/codecs (plus researched their use/effectiveness/cost/system requirements)
- shopped for furniture that I can't fit into my room
- used an online floor planner program to rearrange my room
- read 6 friend's websites/blogs
- kept up to date with comics/humour sites
- looked up directions on googlemaps
- looked up public transport time tables
- pirated and bought music online
- done my banking
- researched travelling overseas/jobs/currency/living expenses/flights/visas/teaching agencies
- practiced dance routines from clips found online
- applied for jobs (well this is in my yet to be fulfilled list - seems the dancing took longer than I thought)
- booked flights online
- viewed an online tutorial about slowing the tempo of songs
- synced my ipod to my calendar and address book.

Yes and that is just to name a few. There are very few days when I don't do at least one of these things. Not to blow my own trumpet* but I'm not exactly struggling to think of uses for the internet. I'm what those theorists call a 'digital immigrant' (I'm not sure how much this actually applies cause I feel like I've grown up with it but I'm technically too old) and those students that I'll soon be teaching are 'digital natives'. So it will my job to help students navigate, decipher, contribute, convey, determine and author a future internet. Web 3.0?**
It's daunting to imagine that all these day to day things that we do seem to be somehow contributing to a massive database of information. A machine. The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The ever evolving structure of our information will be the biggest change that is expected in the next 5 years.
Yes I know this might be old news to many of you but I thought I'd get my reflections down in print whilst the going is hot. Besides all I've got to compare myself with is the ignorance at uni and my sixty-something parents (whom I might point out are getting much better - googlemaps and tour de france website open whilst viewing the race to get maximum enjoyment out of it, I was so proud that night!)

*bwahaha I love saying that on a blog. Irony much?
** I DID start reading about it here but my 'digital attention span' didn't get that far.

dancing thoughts

2008-08-30T10:21:00.002+10:00

well i haven't really blogged about dance for AGES. there was a period there when i didn't really want to but lately i've had all these ideas and struggled to put them into words. so i thought i'd just start and see what comes out of it.

this semester i'm doing primary dance education as an elective at uni. so far it's been really fun and interesting. i often walk out of class feeling totally uplifted and buzzing with all sorts of abstract ideas. but one thing it's been really good for is learning about dance theory and the basic dynamics of dance. these are things that i've never really entirely been aware of or understood. so armed with this new knowledge i'm approaching swing dancing from a different perspective. at the moment the biggest thing that has struck me is the concept of locomotive vs non-locomotive movement. swing dancing is definitely a locomotive dance where our focus is often on travelling and moving across the floor rather than the shapes that can be made on the spot. well that's the initial level. ideally i'd love to explore the other aspects a little bit more. the most enjoyable and dynamic social dances that i have had usually include a variety of levels, shapes, moods, speeds, etc. i'm going to spend a bit more time on this one and get back to you. i think this stuff is especially important in performance/routine dancing - because the audience is not involved in the complex connection and communication that goes on between the lead and follow which seems to take up the majority of our attention during a dance.

so how does swing dancing actually work? .. ..goddamn that stuff is hard to put into words. and every time i think i'm getting closer to the answer i make a new discovery and change my mind a little bit more. ultimately i think that what is at the crux of it all is good movement. i'm still deciding how broadly it can be applied but it's definitely important and desired by ALL dance instructors. do we really actually need to learn specific ways of moving, beyond what comes naturally to us, in order to communicate what we want our partner to do? or would the fact that one person does the movement that the other person is open enough to receive those messages correctly that they can follow(in as loose a term as possible)?

so what do i mean by good movement? i mean good posture. i mean good alignment. i mean using the large muscles for large jobs and small muscles for smaller jobs. i mean using your core centre. i mean connecting your arms to your core. i mean connecting your legs to your core. i mean making weight changes that don't absorb the natural bounce that is present in the action of comfortably switching from one leg to another. the knee/ankle/hip bends then straightens and collects again on the other side.

>ok so when i start think weight changes this is when i get off track. there are so many ways that we can do them. some people would naturally have a much smaller bounce than others. some people would take larger steps etc. also we are able to communicate the types of styling we want to produce through just doing the desired steps, so would it really matter whether the weight changes are what i would consider 'good movement' or not? as long it is a movement that is within the capacity of both partners then why wouldn't it be communicated smoothly?

so this leads me onto my next point: is it all just about creating a vocabulary of movement that is common between dancers? that we move similarly therefore we can communicate more easily? surely that would mean that people from a variety of dance experience would not be able to dance with each other effectively (which we know is not true)? or that people of different heights would have massive problems communicating as the movements are stiffled and restricted by adjustments they make to reach down/up to their partner. to make such assumptions would be ridiculous and discount the variety and range of dynamics(for lack of a better word) that swing dancing has to offer.

bah i don't have any answers at all!

i've also been thinking about how one would go about choreographing a routine. this has been an unattained aspiration of mine for quite some time. the obvious place to start would be with your music. but finding that dynamic kick ass tune that gets every bone in your body pumping isn't really that easy (isn't meant to find you?) plus it needs to be short, high energy and of good quality to be heard on even the crappiest of sound systems.

once you've got your track, i would break it down into sections that are easily identifiable with solid contrasts and progressions. this would form part of your mapping which would define the sorts of genre of movements you want to include or the feel you want to express in each section. for example a bouncier part of the music may include more upbeat charleston-ey type moves etc.

this is probably also a good time to select a genre or theme for the routine. as in who would dance it? in partners or solo? is there a story line or theme? a particular era of dance? any particular styles of dance? are there any hero moves that must be included? any particular original art that you want to reference?

ok so you get that far right? after that i start getting a bit hazy. actually VERY hazy. i can't figure out how to link the moves that i want or fill in the massive gaps. sometimes even navigating the song can be difficult. and i spend hours experimenting with possible solutions to my problems but they seem to fall out of my head as quickly as they come to me.

i'm also not so good at the phrasal stage either. i'm far too detailed in the little nooks and crannies of a song to think in groups of movements. excuses maybe: i suspect this may have to do with years of thinking like a follow and only having that 4 beat increment in which to insert my creative insights. it's really hard for me to get out of that mentality.

well i guess it has been a while since i attempted choreographing anything and i should give it another shot sometime soon. perhaps find someone to collaborate with. ..and.. well.. find a new buzzing song that i'm not sick of!

recently i've learnt many solo routines that have made me so damn excited about routines again. hence this post. but the thing that makes me consider getting back into it is that i can see the ways in which i would alter or adjust the routines to make EVEN better: just a little more arms, a lower energy movement to match the slower build in the music etc.

anyway well i'm just about to start working on something new at uni for an assignment with a group of girls from a variety of different dancing backgrounds which could be really exciting and FUN!

kittehs

2008-05-11T20:36:00.001+10:00

this made me laugh till i couldn't breath.

all sweetness and light.

2008-04-10T22:28:00.003+10:00

well i thought january was going to be more relaxed for me but it turns out i haven't even had timr to blog. what's been happening?

well for a start i'm back at uni again doing my final year which carries all the usual conotations in regards to workload and professional expectations. i'm starting to realise exactly how much i've learnt over the period of my degree and sort out the areas i need improvement in. i've especially been feeling excited this week about the prospect of beginning teaching as i'm out on teaching rounds at the moment. i've had an extremely exhausting but rewarding week. i'm really looking forward to getting more experience under my belt and one day getting my own class of little brains to play with. granted there are still days that i feel less than confident and concerned over how much i have to learn but that, i suspect, will always be part of the process.

i have also had a greater focus on dancing this year than i have had in quite some time. at the end of january i attended a camp in adelaide which was OK but essentially got me reinspired to get back into stuff on a regular basis. i ended up auditioning for a local troupe and becoming a member there. i have only done a limited amount of stuff with them so far but am having a great time with it ..including confronting some light fears of aerials which is proving really exciting!

so between uni, dancing and work i'm finding it hard to squeeze all the normal everyday type stuff in but it's good practice for getting myself organised for next year.

..next year? ? lots of big questions in regards to next year. will i go straight into teaching? what kind of teaching would i like to do? will i stay here in melbourne or head off overseas? not sure exactly what i will end up doing but i suspect it will be the start of a new chapter for me.

febuary/march was also a sad time for me as i said goodbye to a dear friend of mine who has moved up to QLD. whilst we still keep in touch it is not the same as having her giggles, chats and crude comments here with me. (love you sweetness!)

next week i go to perth for another dancing weekend which i will also be using for wind down and party time! woot!

write now i'm preparing my lessons for next week and hoping that i'm organised enough. better get back to it!

goodbye to 2007

2008-01-07T16:54:00.000+11:00

well it's the beginning of a new year once again. time really does fly. i would honestly consider 2007 to be a good year for me. despite a couple of ups and downs there have been some really great things happening for me. i went back to uni and had a delightful old time with that. i also went over seas for the first time in my adult life -got to see some dear friends of mine whilst also exploring stunning cities like Barcelona. i've established some really solid friendships with some beautiful souls. but probably more importantly above all those things is that i'm becoming more myself. i've set up shop in Crinkletown and made myself the president/secretary/treasurer - enjoying all things me!*
meg suggested that it may have something to do with chinese horoscopes = this is the year of the Golden Pig. which could mean that my good year may not be over till feb (coinciding with the return of uni semester).

i spent my entire december working my little butt off. it was mildly painful but i think i'm over it now. that's retail during the xmas period for you. january is certainly going to be alot more relaxed for me - well has been so far. i will be heading off to adelaide in about two weeks to participate in another nerdy dance camp.
i also begin a solo jazz course this week. getting right back into the fun dancing stuff before it's assignment time again.

not sure what 2008 will entail for me but my plans include: completing my degree, visiting some Australian dancing destinations, possibly moving residence and continuing my general 'journey'. ..i might even finally do my tax this year.

*i've even got my own currency thanks to dp

difficult terrain

2007-11-29T15:31:00.000+11:00

i've been having some dreams lately with very simular themes. swamps, desserts, rainforests, landmines. sometimes i walk, sometimes i hike, sometimes i fly. but one thing that always stays the same is that i am navigating difficult terrain.
i'm not complaining or anything. dont get me wrong, i'm more than aware that that's just what life is all about. and lets be honest here, in the last few months i've had quite a few challenges to navigate my way through. some are fairly normal and some have lead to some major life changes.
i've been feeling pretty good about it all on the whole lately (including the usual peaks and troughs). i'm thinking that this might be a new chapter for me. discovering new things about myself, enjoying different aspects of life, seeking more.

right now I'm sitting in a teeeny internet cafe in north hobart. i'll be here for the next few days. just taking some time to unwind - something i havent done for quite some time now. at the moment i'm still battling some impatient/bored tendencies but i'll squish them all too soon i'm sure. ..either that or kara's house will be VERY clean when i leave.

I'm also realising a few dependencies I have on various: substances, people and websites. who woulda thought?!?

logical argument

2007-10-18T14:21:00.000+10:00

omg!

2007-09-26T19:56:00.000+10:00

for those of you who dont know yet "i can has cheezburger" is the best site in the entire world! you can find all sorts of amazing gold like this one.

Kitties

2007-09-25T21:17:00.000+10:00

saturday night fever

2007-09-09T00:20:00.000+10:00

so i finally watched it. for years i was told that it was a classic to go through the ages, at the peak of john travolta's career, he sets dancing milestones and inspires millions.

What the FuCK!!? this film made me want to vomit. i had very little or no empathy for any of the characters and the date-rape/pack-rape stuff was disgusting. the way that the film framed it - casualised it - is highly offensive and sickening. was there a point to it? i dont think so.

this is not a film that i will be revisiting. even the dancing wasnt exactly brilliance ..well, nothing that cant be captured in a youtube clip.

still travelling

2007-08-21T15:34:00.000+10:00

so, i'm aware that my previous post about melbourne was terribly whingy (or may have come across that way). i think what i was trying to express my change in perspective and maybe a change in taste as well.
i've been making different choices lately in the sorts of stuff that i do. i'm much less satisfied with a nite at home on the couch etc. and find that the urge to be out on the town come more and more frequently.
what does melbourne have afterall? an excellent variety of well priced and decent resturaunts. a massive bar-scene. theatre. sports. theatresports (hehe). comedy. art. opera. shopping. photography. film/cinemas. parks. ...that's only the stuff that i can think of right now. but someone recently said "whatever you can think of Melbourne has it!"
so for me to feel happy about living in melbourne it would be fitting to take advantage of all the things around me while i'm here.
that probably would involve not spending all my time on facebook but you get the idea. more experiences, less stuff. i can live like i'm travelling in melbourne.

in the meantime the savings are stacking up and i'm still figuring out where the next destination might be. india, bali, egypt, turkey, france, sweden(again), italy, fiji, USA..

peachie teachie

2007-08-21T15:16:00.000+10:00

i'm on teaching rounds at the moment. i'm learning all that i can about teaching. it's such a strange thing to spend the whole year learning theories and concepts about teaching and only put it into practice for a few fleeting weeks that rush by like crazy. but i'm really enjoying it. i've been practicing giving clear instructions, explaining concepts and generally working with all sorts of different learners. i've been working on my classroom management strategies as well. positive reinforcement is my preferred approach but i also need to show consistently where my boundries are when students push me. and refining many other skills which seem to already be apparent in my personality. things that i've noticed seem to consistent across All teachers:
-being a control freak (gotta be bossy*)
-loving the sound of their own voice (cause they talk all day long)
-being super organised, this is where neuroticism is a necessity ..but coming from the girl who loves labelling arranging things in order (spices, stock, books, cds you name it!) i dont think that will be too much of a stretch.
the thing that makes me wonder is how this will affect my lifestyle when i'm doing this as a full time gig. i mean just in the last week i've totally readjusted my style of speech etc etc. and i'm not just talking about while i'm at work, there's many teachers that i know that are not like that in their own time (and many that are). which category will i fall into?

*not really like kelis but i do sometimes hum that as my theme song with a bit of shoulder action.

melbourne DOES rock -really!

2007-07-31T18:19:00.000+10:00

so i'm back home and back in the swing of things (so to speak- not much on the swinging front that's for sure!). i'm back at work, i'm back at uni, i'm back at home with my parents.
i had such a wonderful time overseas and now it's over. i'm feeling mildly depressed about it. i guess i was looking forward to it for so long and now it's over and there's nothing ahead to look forward to. plus i guess i wasnt as aware of how dull my life can be before being confronted by so many exciting experiences. i was content with everything i had before - and now nothing seems to make the cut.
my lack of motivation is reflected most in how behind i am at uni. sigh.
what were all the reasons why i loved melbourne? i just cant remember now.
melbourne isnt exactly at it's prime with this nasty winter chill!

i keep seeing all these international/exchange students around campus and envy them - i wish i were on exchange. i'm not sure if i'd even care where. infact i would probably love melbourne again if i were on exchange here (hypothetically speaking ofcourse). is this what it's like to be bitten by the travel bug?

in other news, i recently purchased myself a second hand lappy from a friend who wanted to upgrade. this is the first computer that i have ever officially owned all to myself. how exciting!! i'm not sure what this will mean for my online/blogging regularity but it's certainly opened up a whole heap of possibilities.

there are less bunnies in my life now. my household became bunnie-less while i was away. i dont have any commemorative photos right now so i might post one later.

i'm also proud to say, now that the bigbrother season is over, i managed to bypass the whole thing ENTIRELY this year. that's one less viewer they can put on their polls. ..but what's with the other channels just giving in and not bothering to show any decent shows to compete? tv sucks anyway. especially now that i've got access to internet-tv! yay! scrubs season 5 here i come!!

home, safe and sound

2007-07-16T01:56:00.000+10:00

just got off my 30 hour trip home. feeling surprisingly awake.

dont really have time to post a huge amount now but Smoothy's been off to a good start and has even started filling his gallery (have a look here). i promise there are stacks of nice stories and pictures to come. you'll just have to bare with me, and cope with this in the mean time:

tramping around the globe

2007-07-01T04:06:00.000+10:00

well, it´s the end of the second week on my AMAZZZZING european tour.
i´ve been having an absolute ball. just ducked into a little net cafe off the main plaza in Barthelona to check the important stuff. time is tight though, so only a few words to let you know that i´m still alive and well.
the first whole week was very difficult for me due to jet lag and certain disgestion issues associated with the time readjustment. but it was totally sereal to catch up and hang out with some of my dearest friends and catch a glipse of their lives all the way in the UK.
london didnt do much to improve my tan but spain is certainly the ticket. we´ve been eating well, sleeping well and just generally enjoying the sights.

yesterday we went down the coast and enjoyed the beach. we have 2 more days left in barcelona before we head off to sweden.

Smoothy has been posting alittle more than me. have a look here

xxC.

i'm not that tough

2007-06-12T12:05:00.000+10:00

i'm not THAT tough. i didnt sleep a wink last nite.

this week could possibly go down in the record books. i'm ready for it to be over.

i'm so tough!

2007-06-11T14:53:00.000+10:00

what would you do if you were at work minding your own business just doing your job - all alone - when three crazed loonies with machetes come in and held you up and stole all the money out of the till whilst making threats about your personal safety?

you'd probably be pretty scared. you might consider giving them a karate kick to the chest. or pull out some bad 80's dance moves to potentially scare them away. you might try to call someone. and you might do nothing.

either way a robbery is a robbery -and the truth to THIS story is much simpler and less interesting. there was only one loonie, no weapon and no threats. not much was taken. i'm fine, just a little shaken.

..but that's cause i'm so tough!!

studi-licious!

2007-05-29T15:24:00.000+10:00

*studi-licious, so delicious. i'm like a study robot, 'bot!*

"so how are things going?"
"oh ok."
"what have you been doing?"
"working my ass off. just study."
"yeah and what else?"
"what do you mean 'what else'? when am i meant to do that?"
..dont ask me about anything else! there is nothing else!

i'm getting to know my study really well, my eyes get to do alot of reading, my hands get to do alot of writing, my brain does alot of thinking. that's pretty much it.
i am totally one dimensional.
i'm studi-licious!

chase this down.

2007-05-28T16:45:00.000+10:00

my favourite show on tv at the moment is "the Chaser's war on everything" - check out their website here.
why do i love it?
- is it the childish humour?
- the social comment?
- the excessively handsome presenters?
who knows! but it's very enjoyable. for those of you whom dont get to view it on australian tv there are clips on the website to view and enjoy at your leisure.

1click

2007-05-23T23:08:00.000+10:00

i thought it was soo GOOD that it deserved a break in my blogging drought.

look here

it's not caffine.

2007-04-04T23:24:00.000+10:00

now i've done it. i broke the cardinal rule. no clips before bedtime. they're just too exciting for that time of nite. ham says they have a 'no computers' after dinner rule in their household. i cant comprehend of such a thing. if i wasnt online last nite i never would've gotten to chat to some far away friends and organise some overseas-exciting-trip-stuff.
besides i was only on there for a second, just long enough to put a few finishing touches on my blog layout. the clips just found themselves on my screen, i barely even touched them. i swear, my intentions were good- i just got caught up. i mean did you know there was ANOTHER ulhs in the past year? geesh, i'm out of the loop. and look at how todd and naomi's musicality has developed in the past year! do they do all their own choreography? what was their inspiration? and why did they choose THAT song?
i think next time perhaps some self moderation could be applied to this particularly stimulating medium.
man, i'm buzzed up! and it's way worse than that time i was on crack!

Peaches

2007-03-25T23:12:00.000+10:00

about 6 months ago a particular song caught my ear on the radio. i found it interesting because of the provocative lyrics in stark contrast to the style of the music. at first glance is quite feminine sounding with a simple beat-vocal relationship. the lyrics are about going down. but not in the typical mtv/christina aguilira ho style, it's very assertive and about meeting HER sexual demands rather than playing on HIS fantasy. it's so refreshing, i love it. it's called Downtown by Peaches. you can listen to it on her website.

i've just discovered this website and am having a bit of a gander at the other stuff she does. it's kinda empowering and interesting. i love that she's all sleezy just like the culture we are surrounded by everyday(guys objectifying gals) but a complete gender dynamic swap (she objectifies boys).

the music is kinda 80's keyboard inspired. most of the vocals are kinda monotone. and the modern rhythms mean it can get a bit repetitive. some songs suck- but you cant win em all. i reckon the context you choose to listen would need to be particular to fully appreciate her work.

after recently discovering that pj harvey is about 10 years older than i thought, i'm feeling mildly unsure if i've completely missed the boat on this one as well.

online discussions

2007-03-20T13:21:00.000+11:00

i will preface this entry with the fact that i DO realise how long it has been since i have posted and that my blog and the many dedicated readers have every right to feel neglected. i apologise.

it's not easy being in such high demand, you know. i can't do everything. ..as much as i'd like to. and i actually think that i've done quite well to blog AT ALL in the last 12 months considering that i've not really been at a computer on a regular basis and it was actually quite inconvenient. ..right now i'm back at uni and feel like i have even LESS time but i am on or near a computer just about everyday. and i suspect taht this will give me more opportunity to blog.
i'm also using my brain alot more (well.. that's the idea anyway) so, in theory, i should be even more stimulated and inspired to dish out some blogging-gems.

okay,
the thing that i actually wanted to address and talk about actually was more to do with online discussions.
as you may know i have, for many years now, been (in some form or another) a member of an online swing dancing discussion board*. this was probably my first experience at online forums and has been one that i have at times both loved and hated. and i cannot make any such claims about such things across the board even if i have dabbled in other forums as well**.

recently for uni i have been required to participate in a weekly discussion for one of my subjects. where basically you answer particular prompts (topics) listed by the lecturer based on the weeks readings/lecture etc. which will eventually contribute to our next assignment and our overall mark.
i suspect that this is more of a sneaky way of getting students to actually do the readings before the tutes than anything deeper and more meaningful. perhaps the department is going through an experimental stage and doesnt really know how what to expect. perhaps they figured they were improving our IT skills -another curriculum requirement ticked off.
what is actually happening is quite forced*** and shallow. all 35 students want to meet the assessment criteria, not rock the boat too much and probably have a hectic schedule. i know i dont read every single other post before mine (maybe 2 or 8 if i've got time) and pretty much write my response before hand including gaps in which to insert names "I agree with _____, who states.."
blah blah blah.

but the other nite when i did have time found that i actually slipped into a certain role while considering my response. i wanted to write something concise and insightful, but not too insightful and certainly not controversial. i realised that that is exactly what i have done in other forum situations as well = i am a fence-sitter! GAH! what has happened?
..i wonder if this is the reason why i dont post on the dance forum anymore?
either:
-i dont care about the topic and dont bother posting
-or i care too much and cant bare to post.

so, now one of my subjects is requiring me to undertake an online tutorial next week. i'm just reading the instructions now and they are going to assess everyone's posts as either thoughtful or not thoughtful. that's tough. surely, there's something to be said about original material: usually there are only a couple of different sides of the story or angles and if they've already been contributed then how can i make a meaningful contribute to the discussion without repeating what other people have already said? and doesnt that go against the concept of a discussion? it's not meant to be a gathering of people shouting out about who's side they're on.

that's where blogging comes in. it's only one voice -shouting as loud as it wants.

*i know, i know, i havent' actually read it for at least 2 months. you heard it here first folks.
**a pop music forum - where they discuss in detail the personal lives of the artists, lyrical meaning and an opportunity to engage in a very watered down version of internet-sex. the other was a subculture related board that consisted of 2-dozen teens slandering each other and dropping personal jokes - hardly intelligent discussion.
***this notion is stupid and following me. recently i felt like this at both a dance event and a social event. who is actually doing the forcing? (apart from the present situation obviously)

bbq savant

2007-02-03T18:43:00.000+11:00

is it possible? a bbq savant would be a fine title for a girl that gets left outside regularly doing one of the shitty jobs in the kitchen hierarchy.

soon my human fingers will drop off and my tongs will grow and develop into fine impliments of steel perfection. i will become the bbq-girl. my skin would become heat proof and i could store cooked food in my armpits to keep them warm untill serving time.

and i would eat nothing but sausages, cutlets and rump.

my hair would be like the husks of corn and my eyes the colour of charcoaled bacon crisps.

i'm hungry..

t-shirt idea c/o dp

2006-11-29T22:24:00.000+11:00

i'm not cute
i'm just lead that way.

mlx2006

2006-11-29T21:34:00.000+11:00

it was coming, then it was here, and now it's gone. sigh.

the problem with such amazingly fun weekends like this one is the fact that they eventually have to end. everyone eventually all head back to their respective home towns, i eventually catch up on sleep and stop being in a constant state of delirium.

i had the BEST time that i have had in a very long time. i'm totally head over heels in love with dancing again. (but much less in a nerdy technical kinda way and much less in a total succumb to connection kinda way - this time it's all about acting like a total fool and doing whatever the music moves me to do. ..how did i forget about that??)

great music -loved the bands, especially the Red Hot Rhythm Makers whom rocked my very foundations. i also thought the two seperate dj rooms were an excellent idea. not only did they provide to the slow groovers and the crazy lindyhoppers but also gave everyone an opportunity to administer some self-moderated djing - i switched between rooms constantly depending upon my exhaustion, mood, partner etc etc. it also meant that the energy stayed ^UP^ in the lindy hop room and the atmosphere fine in the groover room.

a four day long party was what it was like. so many fun friendly people to hang and chat with. while i had always planned to spend many hours giggling etc with team brunswick, i found myself stalking the perthies like some kind of crazed animal; i wanted to bask in the attitude and energy exuding from their every pore. they've even gotten me to reconsider doing hullabaloo again.

i managed to dance with almost everyone i had intended to dance with. with only one or two people missed. lindyhop is always a nice conversation starter anyway.

another amuzing moment: trumpetor-bf asking if the lindyhop event he was at was a "christian dance" and if there were any drugs.

like all mlx predecessors this one didnt disappoint on the gossip side of things either- although this is the intirnet people, what do you think i am?

sooo.. besides mlx what else has been going on??
not too much, working mostly, teeney bit of yoga, bike riding, sparse amounts of with with the squeeze, and little britain dvds.
today i got free stuff from work - woo woo! a chocolate making kit and a pancake maker. not really encouraging a healthy lifestyle is it?? and not the sort of products that i would ever pay money for.

i will try to find a photo of my new dance shoes and post. i think you will be impressed.

xxC.

ixcellent.

2006-10-26T17:50:00.000+10:00

i'm sorry bloggers, i've been slightly slack lately.

apart from work i haven't been doing anything particularly abnormal or busy. but i'll try to think of a mildly amusing anecdote for your pleasure..

i've been craving and eating alot of asian food lately. i think it might have something to do with the warmer weather. i was also recently reminded of the satisfaction gained from a visit to victoria st. there is nothing like a big hearty bowl of noodle soup with fresh coriander, vietnamese mint & basil, chilli and selected meat. super tasty! mmm-mmm. i really like the broth of the soup and all the fresh flavours. i particularly like the contrast between fried things like spring rolls or chicken against the freshness of lettuce, sprouts and herbs. yum. and it's all so cheap too. ..if it werent for the msg factor i would want to eat such things every single day.

i'm also rather keen on the idea of gaining a kiwi accent. i thought a NZ friend would be a perfect addition to my life until someone pointed out that it's not very nice to immitate your friends - esp seeing as i'm only after the accent, that would be cruel.
i've started saying "yis, thet would bi ixcellint." i wonder what people think of the (not so) subtle addition to my everyday conversation?
i figure it: if i can get the accent right, i'll be able to pull of words like "duvet", "chilli-bin" and "jandals".

i'm not getting a whole lot of exercise at the moment. and it doesnt feel particularly great, i have to say. i'm considering the option of riding my bike to work. my only concern would be leaving my bike on the street all day, even if it is locked up and directly outside my work. we'll see.

i'm also attempting to write a jazz routine to my favourite song. it's not going particularly well so far. it's not an area that i have much experience in and i'm finding it rather difficult. thankfully it's not a very fast song but it is quite long and i've been mulling over the structure for a good month or two now. i'd ask for help but i'm trying to be stubborn on this one and force myself to figure it out independently - it'd be good for me.

speaking of seeking help. i'm starting to feel like the special girl at work. i know i'm the new girl and i cant expect to know everything straight away but my intake of information is at a much slower rate now and i'm asking for help ALL the time. sometimes the same questions over and over. i'm hoping this phase passes soon.

ok, it's time for me to go. and you've already got 5 moderately boring stories out of me.

xxC.

hip-hip-hooray

2006-10-10T16:56:00.000+10:00

well this week i've:
-said goodbye to one seriously crappy job
-started at a rather pleasing job
-started my volunteer work at school
-started my tax for the past 3 years
-started reading again
-eaten out 6 times (and still lost 3 kilos).

i'd say that's a pretty nice looking week would'nt you?
hip-hip-hooray.

i think the important one there tho is leaving THAT job. i'm very, very happy about that. i suspect that my boss would've wanted me to stay on for another month but enough is enough - especially when i've already work 2/3 weeks past my notice period - and i HATE it. it's going directly behind me.

ahead of me is another job which is almost exactly what i had in mind. hours are good, pay is good, they look after me, train me, dont patronise me, follow occupational health and safety guidelines, and is not in the slightest bit boring. woo hoo. i could REALLY enjoy this job.

my planned holiday is panning out to be more localised than i was thinking for a while there. it will however be more of a tropical escape. how exciting!! i can imagine myself lying in the sun, going shopping, eating great food, exploring another culture, seeing nice sights, learning another language.. etc etc.

step, step, one, two, me

2006-09-29T14:28:00.000+10:00

well i've been doing the job hunt thang again and it seems to be much easier this time. i've already had two interviews - one i want, and one i'll take untill i find something better. the one that i had this morning was really good. i was abit nervous tho - infact i'm still feeling a little shakey. it was exactly my kind of workplace with nice managers and a good outlook on how to run a business. good old-fashioned customer service - it's wierd that that sort of thing is so hard to find these days.

other stuff:

i went back to ballroom again this week and with no swing in between it felt like one long week of ballroom. the novelty factor is still there but when i went swing dancing last nite i suddenly realised how much i missed it/love it. swing dancing is soo organic and natural and the movements make sense. perhaps i was feeling slightly oppressed by the shakles of just learning the steps at ballroom- i was craving improvisation, styling, expression, REAL lead and follow, conversational connection.
the thing is that i dont really KNOW if ballroom does have all these things that i love about swing because i'm still in the beginner stages. sure i've been around the traps at swing for a while now* so i'm pretty comfortable with the basic steps etc and have gone beyond these levels and can view lindyhop in quite a different way than say a beginner swing dancer. it could take me years of learning ballroom before i discover all of this and can make an adequate comparison.
in the mean time, as i mentioned earlier, i'm enjoying the novelty factor.
the music is incredibly bizarre as well. it is like EVERY single genre you can think of and nothing really has all that much energy to it (well not the way that i feel energy in music anyway) ..unless you count the pumping, wanna-pull-your-hair-out, disco music.

been shopping alittle lately too. on the search for the ultimate outift:
-comfy for bike riding and yoga.
-breathable fabrics
-still looks nice enough to wear in public or out in a bar (why cant i ride my bike to the pub dammit?)
dont know if such a thing exists but i'm experimenting with a few things. ..and how on earth did leggings become fashionable, i really dont know.

i start doing work at my friend's school next week. i will go twice in the first week so hopefully you'll get lots of nice anecdotes** about kids with snot, crayons and playtime snacks.

for those of you whom are not in melb at the moment: it's grandfinal season, so that means parades, bbq's and terrible traffic. the royal melb show is also on for those of you whom ever forked out $30 to go see the carnies with their front teeth missing. the weather is also starting to warm up and everyone is in a nice sunny mood.

*not to imply that i'm the world's expert or anything.
**within reason ofcourse, i'm not actually sure if i'm aloud to blog anything at all out of respect for the school and it's students.

o brother where art thou

2006-09-25T22:39:00.000+10:00

this film ROCKS!!
watched it on the weekend and enjoyed it waaaay more than The Big Labowski or Intolerable Cruelty. it's a real thing of beauty. every single scene is a anecdote all it's self and the film eventually ambles along into an overall story with a neat little conclusion. it's not very often taht i get to the end of a film and want to watch it all again from the beginning straight away and this is one of them.

right now Smoothie's flatmates are watching a show on sbs called Oz. it is possibly the most violent thing i have ever seen - and i dont think i should be even half watching it this close to bed time.

ballroom.

2006-09-25T22:16:00.000+10:00

last i was taken along to a ballroom dancing class. quite willingly really, i was interested to see what it was all about including the technique, culture, rhythms and any simularities or differences to swing dancing.
we went to a relatively small studio (that seems to operate every nite of the week) and i did a beginners class. it was held in a hall along side two other classes and loud music blarring from the stereo. i spose i cant really complain considering that it was free but i honestly couldnt hear a thing that was going on. but quite a generally enjoyable experience. everyone in the class seemed to be picking it up ok and having a pretty good time. there was no nice introductions to the other students i noticed but those who were keen to make friends made themselves known.
i have to confess that it has been quite some time since i attended a dance class let alone one where i was a beginner in a whole new style. i found it relatively confusing actually. and remembered what it felt like to be tripping over my own feet again.
we stayed for what is called "the circle" where all the dances learnt in the previous class are done in a rotating circle that includes all other students at the school. it's a nice way of bridging the gaps between beginners and everyone else and building communities. i made some nice friends during this phase (and also discovered which ones didn't like participating in such activities).
next was social dancing which went for approximately 2 hours. social dancing entails of much of the same stuff that swing does except (yes the girls can ask the boys too) each dance is dictated by the music played - no making it up as you go along. and despite being a follow- heavy nite (typical) i got quite a few dances. some nice friendly leads showed me many new dances that i hadnt learnt before and some that i had. it was interesting what i discovered about the way i was learning. i really needed to know about the counts: 'how many beats is this step? 6count?' i also found myself much less comfortable with remembering rhythms and realised my reliance upon pure following. it wasnt untill the end of the nite that i found my groove though. and i was able to feeel the dance through my partner.
i suspect i'll go back again this week. my only reluctancies were to do with:
-the focus on certain styling that i might find waaay too over the top for my tastes. like wrist gestures, high chests and chins, pointed toes etc etc. (would i go so far as to suggest that it is "too feminine for me"?)
-while there are something like 8 styles and 38 dances to learn i fear that while i have very little interest in learning any styling that is suggested, i would find it eventually abit boring (?) ..for lack of a better word.

a funny.

2006-09-18T18:18:00.000+10:00

i cant take any credit for the following (this is care of Smoothy - i dont know where he got it from) but this is for those who like funnies:

A husband takes his wife to play her first game of golf. The wife
promptly hacked her first shot right through the window of the biggest house adjacent to the course.

The husband cringed, "I warned you to be careful! Now we'll have to go up there, find the owner, apologise, and see how much your lousy drive is going to cost us."

So the couple walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A warm voice said, "Come on in."
When they opened the door they saw the damage that was done: Glass was all over the place, and a broken antique bottle was lying on its side near the broken window.

A large black man reclining on the couch asked, "Are you the people that broke my window?"
Uh..yeah, sir. We're sorry about that," the husband replied.
"Oh, no apology is necessary. Actually I want to thankyou. You see, I'm a Genie, and I've been trapped in that bottle for a thousand years. Now that you've released me, I'm allowed to grant three wishes. I'll give you each one wish, but if you
don't mind, I'll keep the last one for myself."

Wow, that's great!" the husband said. He pondered a moment and blurted out, "I'd like a million dollars a year for the rest of my life."

"No problem," said the genie. "You've got it, it's the least I can do.
And I'll guarantee you a long, healthy life! And now you, young lady, what do you want?" the genie asked.

I'd like to own a gorgeous home complete with servants in every country in the world," she said.

Consider it done, "the genie said. "And your home s will always be safe from fire, burglary and natural disaster s!"

"And now," the couple asked in unison, "What's your wish, genie?"

"Well, since I've been trapped in that bottle and haven't been with a woman in more than a thousand years, my wish is to have sex with your wife!"

The husband looked at his wife and said, "Gee, honey, you know we both now have a fortune, and all those houses. What do you think?"

She mulled it over for a few moments and said, "You know, you're right.
Considering our good fortune, I guess I wouldn't mind, but what about you, honey?"

"You know I love you sweetheart," said the husband. "I'd do the same for you!"

So the genie and the woman went upstairs where they spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other. The genie was insatiable. After about thr ee hours of non-stop sex, the genie rolled over and looked directly into her eyes and asked, "How old are you and your husband?"

" Why, we're both 35," she responded, breathlessly.

"No Kidding." he said, "Thirty-five years old and both of you still believe in genies?"

onwards and upwards.

2006-09-15T11:32:00.000+10:00

"onwards and upwards" -that's what they say in the classics, right? and how could it not be true in this instance? i'm moving on from something that isn't pleasing me but also increasing my happiness to a higher plain.

for those of you that dont know where i have been working and for the reasons in which i hate it then you'll have to ask me about it when i'm much older and can look back and laugh.
but big changes are occuring at the moment so i while i feel three years older and 10x tougher i wont be enduring much more of it as i have given my notice.

i've also been offered a unique opportunity to go and get some more experience out in the classroom. which is perfectly ideal - considering i was getting the point where i was contemplating doing some sort of volunteer work to feed my soul. but this particular opportunity is far more selfish given my interest in the industry. dont worry bloggers, i will keep you posted.

on other fronts:

-Smoothy took me out mountain bike riding ..which is an entire story all in it's self. hey if you think the professional guys are adrenaline junkies, try doing it when you've only just figured out how to stay ON a bike. death wish?? needless to say there was a stack involved which left me quite shaken. BUT the important part of this story is actually experiencing a slice of the hobby that Smoothy is soo passionate about. it's WAY more fun than road riding - infact it's a whole different ball game- i can see how people could end up spending so much time dedicated to it. ..oh and i saw 2 dead kangaroos.

-last nite i did the supportive girlfriend thing and went along to a race. it was interesting in some ways. i did bring my new friend along though so it was substantially less boring than it could have been. Smoothy's team placed at 3rd which is super considering he did two thirds of his team's laps/riding.

-as of two nites ago i'm considering how likely it is to get my butt on some extravagant trip to some nice place around the world. i'm half way to my savings goal but do i want to blow it all in one go?? bloggers? would i be better off investing in some shitbomb car for next year so that i can spend less time on public transport and more time making money or studying??

-my new friend is very nice. i will write you some funny stories about her all too soon i'm sure. she is rather spontaneous and has a knack for saying slightly inappropriate things in ideal situations. it's very funny.

gotta run spagettiOs.

bah humbug!

2006-09-06T18:06:00.000+10:00

bloggers. there are times in a girls life when she feels like she needs to not ask the advice of her unsupportive mother but rather throw those delicate questions about life out into the VOID that is the internet.
so tell me, what is it all about?
should i hate my job this much?
is it unreasonable to expect more?
am i unemployable?

fuck no. i fuckking rock! and all you mother fuckers that think otherwise can sit on it and rotate.

yes i'm posting mad. and damn it feels good.

weighty questions

2006-09-03T18:19:00.000+10:00

my Smoothy* is quite concerned with weights. he is quite determined in his quest for getting down to "race weight" and has gone a long way out of his way to drop heaps off his bike and is constantly weighing stuff. apparantly he used to take his bike parts down to the local grocer to have them weighed with his fruit and veg.
not that he hasnt tried to find his own scales, that is..

first came the electronic kitchen scales. small, precise and great for nuts and bolts.

then came the digital bathroom scales. we shopped around abit for these. naturally, trying them all out in store.

and finally, because he is SUCH a goldielocks, came the hanging scales. that i think are usually used by fish mongers etc.

ofcourse i shrugged it all off as natural Smoothy behaviour and didnt give it another thought. little did i realise exactly how much enjoyment i would be getting out of such gadgets. i found that i liked measuring myself sooo much that it has turned into a bit of a game. i like to measure myself:
-with or without shoes
-with or without clothes
-before and after a shower
-before and after a meal
..but my favourite one is before and after i go to the toilet. is that wierd?? is there something wrong with me? that i like to get an idea of exactly how many mls pass through me at any one time?

*note: how i use the word "my". possessive much?

round up.

2006-08-25T12:01:00.000+10:00

right so, alot has happened since i last posted.

dory has come and gone with all her many crude jokes, snotty tissues, harrang brownies and serious looks. i guess i had forgotten exactly how much i missed her. before she arrived i guess i was basically nervous. nervous that we might not get along the same way, that we had both changed alot in the year or so that had passed. but it was exactly like old times! sure she had changed - but not reeeally. they were all things that were a part of her before she left but had been given the space to come to the surface. ..and well i guess a little bit of london had rubbed off on her.
so the week while she was here was spent with many nice dinners, breakies, and cups of tea; whinging, listening and giggles. it was really nice. i got to hear all about her life in london which put me much more at ease - i didnt realise it but i guess i was taking on the protective friend role; it was like london was the boyfriend that i hadnt yet met and wasnt really sure if i could trust him. but now i can see that he is making my dory happy. hoooray!

last weekend was spent in tassie. my whole fam went down for my grandma's b'day and also to basically spend time with my grandparents. it has often been noted the sort-of critical mass that can occur when there is two or more members of my family located in any one situation - can you imagine what is like with a dozen of us?? my family is truly nuts!! nuts i tells ya. needless to say i found the weekend most distressing and much unlike a holiday! ..i suspect the reason i had such a lovely time last year had little to do with tassie or my fam and much to do with the fact that i spent most of my time with very fun friends. oh well.
one of the saddest things about it all was the awareness that everyone had about my grandparents' mortality. even them! i was expected to essentially say goodbye to them - but i dont even know where to start - it's not like i have a close relationship with them anyway, they were always the disapproving conservative oldies that no matter what you did would frown. it was all waaay too confronting for me. even without all the other family politics that came along with it.

..while i'm a on whinging note: i flew back before sun rise on monday morning with only 3 hours sleep. i was shitty shitty!! but when i realised i was sitting next to a teenage mum with her mum -and her ugly screaming baby- i wanted to slit my wrists. what is it about babies on flights?? they fucking suck!! especially when they are loaded up with chocolate, coke and chips at 6am. i reckon there should be cry baby flights like there are cry baby sessions at the cinema.

this weekend Smoothy and i are heading down to geelong for some mates party and a looksie around the area. the sun is shining so i'm hoping for some outdoor type activities. i'm guessing he's keen on some riding - we'll see how we go.

here's my map

2006-08-20T17:24:00.000+10:00

i'm in tassie. here's my map

broke back mountain

2006-08-14T19:42:00.000+10:00

watched brokeback mountain for the first time last nite. it was sad. not only due to the unrequited love thang but also with all the homophobic related violence. heath ledger did an excellent job with his tight lipped stuff. and i found all the old fashioned, ranch living, cowoboy stuff abit interesting - it's like a whole other culture.

i also understood why it recieved so much controversy. it's not only a film about boys that love each other which is pretty unusual for mainstream media. but the first 30mins was REALLY full on! i thought there'd just a be abit of head and some kissing but nah uh! yikes.

once upon a time continued..

2006-08-14T19:31:00.000+10:00

we last left our heroine in a state of confusion in regards to the operation of a bike. in her desperation to impress said boy she became far more determined to not fall over and land in some bushes ..or hurt herself in other places.

the girl knew that if she could only stay on the bike without stopping (or going around any tight corners) then the boy wouldn't be as embarrassed to go riding with her. but eventually she figured out how to push off by pushing on one pedal whilst using this force to hoist herself up onto the seat. this prevented many mishaps ..and the boy didnt get that crinkle in his forehead quite so often. but the girl didn't want to be riding forever - she needed to learn how to stop.
as it turns out; bike riding (like ice skating) is much like balboa. "how?" you ask?
a) none of them came naturally to the girl,
b) none of them would make good busking activities,
c) all of them required careful weight changes.
as it turns out; the pedals seem to provide some kind of stepping stone for getting in and out of the seat. this can be done during a cycle or when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke. "that's obvious!" you might say? ..and you'd be absolutely right!

so the girl learned how to ride a bike (sort of) and didnt get nice smooth arms (not her own anyway) and is still pretty uncoordinated. the end.

Mexican Feast

2006-08-14T19:18:00.000+10:00

Smoothy and i made kick-ass mexican food last nite. very enjoyable.
a lovely rich chilli con carne - fairly simple of: tomatoe, mince, mushroom, garlic, onion, cumin, ground corriander, red capsicum, fresh corriander and a smidgeon of chilli. we forgot to put the beans in - but it still rocked!
i also finally made the mexican spiced rice that you get in restaurants. i searched recipesource.com and decided which flavours should be in it and chucked it all together. it's pretty much just lightly puffed rice that gets toasted before you add the water and with a bit of stock and corn in it. but it worked perfectly.
the perfect finish to this ensemble was a delicious salad based loosely on DP's salsa recipe. mine included: tomatoe, capsicum, fresh corriander, red onion, avocado, baby spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper. sides included sour cream and tortias for dipping.
Dp's amazing mexican cook ups have always been very enjoyable and might sometimes include piella or chiroz sausages. but my general experiences in ALL mexican restaurants is that it's over priced and pretty crap. the 1.2litre margurittas do help soften the blow but i'm very unimpressed.
this was also a stand out mexican cooking experience because it wasnt too hot for me - while i do agree that there should be chilli in such food, Smoothy tends to overspice it to such a degree that i can no longer eat it. so now i am The Chilli Controller - oh lai!

once upon a time..

2006-07-26T18:31:00.000+10:00

once upon a time there was a girl with pig-tails who liked to dance. despite her efforts and many hours at yoga she wasnt the most co-ordinated of girls -but her friends still liked her. (..especially when she would pretend to fall over and hurt herself in front of large crowds.)
one day when she was out dancing she discovered a boy with the nicest arms she had ever seen. "my-oh-my! how did you get such smoooth, smooth arms?" she enquired. the boy responded by describing all the wonderful outdoors activities that he liked to do -like rock-climbing, bike riding, and snow boarding. the girl became excited and thought that she would like to do all those fun things too. first the boy took her bike riding. the girl couldnt really ride a bike, but that didnt matter. he was very nice about it and didnt laugh too hard when she tried to stop and start (this took some time).
he said "dont worry, you'll get better with practice."

to find out if the girl DID infact get better, you'll have to wait for the next installment.

bikey-bike

2006-07-23T12:30:00.000+10:00

yesterday i got another brand new toy to match my new glasses. it's spunky. it's red. it's 8x3 speed. and it's speedy. (bloggers, what do you think i should name it?) it's a mountain bike but has relatively slick tyres for a mountain bike and should be quite suitable to road riding as well.
i only took it for quite a short ride yesterday but as soon as i actually get moving today i will get out there and see what it can really do. i didnt believe Smoothy at how much difference a (half) decent bike makes to the whole experience. while i'm thankful that i even had access to my mum's bike, i'm now totally aware of how crap it is to ride. it was stiff, heavy and didnt click into gear too easily. my new bike is lovely - and feels like it has power steering in comparison.
i'm trying to decide where i should ride it to today. i could ride home and hang out there, or i could ride it to yoga in clifton hill, or i could ride it to see cairo club down the street. or i could ride it randomly around the place and see what happens.
the weather isnt as beautiful and sunny today as it has been the last two days. friday was just stunning. not an inch of cloud to be seen and blue-er than i could have hoped. even the 20mins my friend and i spent sitting out on the grass in the sun was more vitamin D than i've had in months. just gorgeous.
today is the last day of my long weekend. i feel like i've done many lovely things with my time off. including: virus, jw, breaky out, dinner with ham and cheese, sleep ins, nice food etc etc.

new specs

2006-07-21T10:47:00.000+10:00

they're here! i picked them up last nite. i REALLY like them.
see pic:

not only do they look way hotter than my last pair but they also help me see. i didnt realise just how much more blind i had gotten in the last two years. i put on these new ones and suddenly i can SEE. i can see EVERYTHING. so far i think i'm doing ok in terms of adjusting to them; i only had one moment of headache-dizziness last nite in the first ten minutes.
and before anyone asks, No i didn't order them online. i'm still very dubious about shopping online -not knowing what i'm gunna get etc. although i know it seems to be quite popular at the moment with some friends purchasing some very cute / nerd t-shirts. ..although there are some rather amusing things out there ..and the savings that Smoothy makes on bike gear is AMAZING!

okay, i'm outta here, it's beautiful and sunny out there and i'm sitting inside on the computer!! what tha? i'm going to the park.

this and that

2006-07-17T18:20:00.000+10:00

i ordered some new glasses yesterday. i'm rather excited about it all really. this will be my second pair ever! i'm quite over my first pair. they are plain, boring and have started fading to a copper-y type colour. my new pair will be none of those things. i might post a pic when they arrive (approx 5 - 14 days.)

i also had my second drawing class on friday. this time we drew glass bottles arranged on a mirror. i had a few issues with my elipses (gone crooked) and lost my centre axis once or twice) - mainly due to the fact that i didnt leave myself enough space to be able to step back from my easle. but i was quite happy with my picutre. it ws quite challenging and i felt a did a good job. i think i got a little lost in the colours again but i'm working towards including other elements like: lightsource, depth, reflections, backgrounds and object relationships.
i look forward to next week. ..although i suspect that my friend is not enjoying it at all and has sudden fits of grumpiness surrounding the classes. i cant help it that, i'm enjoying it. i'm not going to provide sympathy grumpiness. that sucks!

i also had my hair done on friday. got rid of all the little red spots and have gone dark all over in two slightly different shades. quite strong colours - it makes my anticipation for my new glasses grow even stronger.

this coming weekend i will have a three day weekend which i am REALLY looking forward to. these split weekends have been killing me, it feels like i barely have a chance to unwind and i'm back at work again. i'm even dreaming about it. hopefully i'll get used to it soon. but the break this weekend will be good either way.

this time of year is the time to buy underwear as well. oh my god it is cheap. i've bought five SETS for the same price as one decent bra. lucky me. i might need to stop spending money soon tho and get back into saving mode. ..even if i am obcessive compulsive about storage and want to re-do my entire bedroom.

last nite i dropped in to see the cairo club at railway hotel in bruny. quite small, and only oldies there but alright. i had one slow dance with my squeeze, one crazy solo dance by myself on the carpet and one dance with an old guy who took pity on me. i really enjoyed it. i think i might go dancing again this weekend. havent decided which of the 5 possible events i'll go to - but probably one or two, until i'm sick of it again.

ok, that's all from me for the moment. cherio kidios!

the best, the worst and the moderate.

2006-07-17T17:55:00.000+10:00

the squeeze and i have been dining out a fair bit lately - taking advantage of a voucher book that he somehow acquired. we've been going to all sorts of places that we wouldn't normally go which is good. and on those nites when we're a bit clueless it provides to basic ideas of where we can go for malaysian food (for example). i'm sure we're not really saving all that much money but the experience is fun.
on sat nite we went to this place called boheme on bridge rd. it didnt look terribly interesting from the outside and i started getting worried when i read the menu but it proved to have quite nice food. after consulting the waiter* i settled on a chicken disk that was AMAZING. yum yum yum. perfectly cooked, tender with al dente rice and vegies, the sauce not too salty or overpowering. delicious. i wasnt as impressed with Smoothy's meal (some sort of bacon, tomatoe chilli pasta) and the waiter lost points after recomending the mars bar cake (which was then served in a melted mess) but overall an enjoyable meal.
the best food i've had all year has been at place on mt alexander rd called Dimples. not in the book, and chosen by pot luck. reasonably priced. FANTASTIC food! home made pastas. simple flavours done well. they are in absolutely in no danger of getting carried away with too many complicated ideas until it ends up in a mush! very impressed, we'll be going back there i'm sure!

although i'm starting to suspect that eating out isnt really all that good for me. i should get back into the habbit of cooking at home. for starters it's way more expensive than cooking and when i cook, i actually KNOW what i'm gunna get. and it rarely disappoints. i suspect that i may need to invest in my own chef's knife after being spoilt by Smoothy's knife set in his kitchen. a crap knife makes take take three times as long and a million times more frustrating. ..but doesnt a bad worker, blame his tools??

worst place we've been to: Loco Express at highpoint. imagine a cafe, now imagine it at highschool. and was run by highschool students, with primary school food. with expensive prices. not even a voucher can justify that place. crap!

*yes, i'm doing this more and more often lately - it seems quite worth while especially when i'm feeling super indecisive.

pirates of the suck-a-bian.

2006-07-11T18:04:00.000+10:00

friday nite i went to see pirates of the caribean- dead man's chest. the sequal. as a general rule sequals that get made purely because the first film made shit loads of money and dont actually have any relevance to the overall story are a bit sucky. but i thought i'd take a punt on this one - i mean the first one was exceptionally good and the second one still contained marvellous ingredients eg, pirates, johnny depp. unfortunately this film did not come through with the goods. while it was mildly amusing to watch it actually never came together in some sort of sensical way. it had no rhythm almost like the editor just wasnt doing his job properly - surely they can save all taht hoo-ha for the special section on the dvd?
i remembered walking out the cinema feeling jibbed. it just didnt wrap up properly, there was no resolution to the plot and no character development either.
i then watch the original one on sunday nite (as it was shown on tv) and all my doubts were re-confirmed. the first one is brilliant with all sorts of interesting themes going on about good vs. evil /morality etc etc. and the sequal is actually really flat. DISAPPOINTMENT.
so fellow readers, just like all those critics who shit-canned the davinci code movie, i'm imploring you to avoid this film and avoid disappointment.
..at least until it comes out on video (3day rental - after new release but before weekly).

drawing it out

2006-07-07T15:42:00.000+10:00

today i attended my first visual arts (drawing and painting) class in many years. i decided to begin a short course at the community centre with a friend to give my brain some more food - yes i feel like it's going to sleep!
and yes i had an excellent time. and yes i think my brain got worked because now i'm entirely exhausted. in highschool (and well primary) i enjoyed all types of visual arts (i actually changed schools in yr 12 to have the opportunity to do so) and only completed one year of art in 1st year uni. at the time i found i wasnt enjoying it so much and had many a grumble about the unit chair. so i guess i havent really done a thing since. it was really enjoyable to get out there and do some more again. this class is run in a very casual and non-structured manner in order to cater to all levels. this frustrated the hell out of my friend but i found it quite pleasing and was able to approach the whole thing in an impartial manner.
i've often thought that the main problem with my uni art experience was actually more to do with my ego than anything else. i really want to be able to approach this new course as a beginner and try to take on board whatever i can to learn and extend myself. ..although it might be noted that this might not be entirely necessary and that if i wanted to ignore the teacher and any advice they have to give then i could clearly get away with it -as SOME members of the class have been doing for more than one term.
today we did still life with pastels. it was a basic construction of pears, a plate and a knife. i had an excellent time playing with all the different colours i could manage. and felt i really experimented with the limits that i could take it to.

tour de france

2006-07-06T22:58:00.001+10:00

my squeeze has been watching the tour de france. now, i'm going to claim that i know anything at all about it but i'm learning a little and frankly i'm AMAZED. these people race lengths like 200+kms per day for three weeks. can you imagine how hard that would be? people have to train professionally -not just in the sense that they might get some financial reimbursement but they literally dont have any other time outside of training to earn a living - i would consume their entire lives. whoa! it is the/one of the hardest races in the world to compete in and people take it very seriously. there is this one guy that has a fracture in his spine and is STILL racing.
this is an interesting website. purely for the fact that it shows some of the competitors vitals (pulse, speed, cadence etc) live as it happens. you can see it on the telly, and it's happening on the internet too. (kinda like bigbrother)
it seems that despite how seriously these people are taking it all, there is still some sense of etiquette to do with what's appropriate and what's not. for example during the drink pick up section - noone will try to "make a break" and get ahead, it's just NOT done. the squeeze was also describing a situation where a whole paleton (pack of riders) all pulled over to take a piss. i dared ask "what do they do normally?" and he took some time to decide whether they would be pissing over the front handle bars or down between their legs. ewww!! what about all the licra?? that's totally gross.
and i'll leave you with that very pleasant thought.

slack

2006-07-05T18:22:00.000+10:00

alright, so i havent been exactly the most loyal of bloggers lately. in fact i've been down right slack. after reading some other blogging-mad pal's work, i've decided that maybe i should get my feet wet.
what's been going on with me? not a whole lot of interest really. it feels like work work work lately. i'm working full time in a crappy job. you know the ones - where you work it and hate every second of it but you know that it will make going back to uni next year seem way more exciting. not 100% sure how i feel about my course at the moment but that's the plan so far.
i'm finding interesting ways to spend my money, and less interesting ways to save it. there have been some discussions of some kind of massive indulgent splurge at some stage within the next year when i've saved enough. but i'm not giving anythign away just yet.*
hmmm, i'm starting to run out of things to say again..
..well before i start rambling on about mundane things like skin regimes, i best be off (exfoliation is go!). hope all are well. i will TRY to blog again soon.

*i've got to create SOME anticipation, now dont i?

cant get it out of my head

2006-06-06T21:05:00.000+10:00

just love this song at the moment. it's just pumping through my veins and makes me want to bust out right there and then (even if i'm standing in line in a busy shopping centre).
sidney bechet - bechets' fantasy!!

i love it. i love it. i love it.

*haha, well i actually got the name wrong if any of you actually went and looked up this song. it's called something else like "oh naughty, my sweetheart" or something to that affect. it's off the same albumn as "bachet's fantasy".

doors and windows

2006-05-12T19:44:00.000+10:00

you know, they say: just as one door closes..

they might have something to do with glass ceilings..

but how complicated is a part time job meant to be any way??

i'm looking out for windows. lots and lots of windows. big, fat, open ones.

jobs and whatnot.

2006-05-09T21:39:00.000+10:00

i had a job trial at a cafe last week. ..actually TWO. that's right 2.4hours of unpaid work. i also worked 3 hours on sunday and they are yet to discuss any terms(pay) with me. i'm finding rather frustrating.

what's the work like?
well, i havent really ever done any actually waitressing - and the stuff that i did do was a VERY long time ago (like highschool). so it's all pretty new to me really. i suck at carrying plates. i hate the bucket that the sponges get kept in (and the fact that i get stared at by my boss every time i wash my hands after dipping them in the mirky water). i was surprisingly nervous about dealing with customers and especially clearing empty plates - i had the distinct feeling that i was interrupting them. but soon got over that.

so i'll be there most sundays i guess. untill i find something better.

there goes my favourite day/morning of the week. long sleep in and long lazy cooked breakfast.

i'm also finding that my instincts about my age being an issue confirmed. if it's written on my resume you think they'd read it before dragging me out for an interview (after keeping me waiting for 35mins).

i also went to the doctor yesterday to get tested for celiac's disease. it's present on both sides of my family and those nasty (paralysing) stomach cramps followed by noisey wind is not something i want for much longer.
i had a rather surprisingly pleasant experience with the nurse and vowed never to return to a pathology lab ever again. so i'll find out in a couple of days if i have to let go of the mcuh loved GLUTEN.

Buffy

2006-04-19T16:06:00.000+10:00

been undergoing a serious buffy binge lately. all of season 5. previously unseen by my eyes. i'm quite impressed. i'm in the zone a bit. i even had a dream in buffy style the other nite. i really like how each episode is nicely constructed with the same themes in mind despite the overall picture. and how the theme of each main plot is then reiterated by sub-plots and again by random imagery.
plus buffy kicks butt. she's a teeney weeney girl with a heart of gold and will kick yo ass. i REALLY like spike. and even unlikeable anyia (?) has grown on me a little.
i dont think i should get stuck into season 6 straight away just yet - it's all pretty full on. and i need to do something else for a while..

chockies

2006-04-16T10:34:00.000+10:00

it's easter sunday everyone!!
my personal preferance is quality over qauntity and i think i've achieved that so far. right now i'm sitting on the couch with Smoothy sharing a chocolate bunny on a stick from Koko Black. i've been naming Haighs as my favourite brand for some time now (still getting through my supply from christmas) but this chockie is AMAZING. smooth and delicious. i know that their hot-chocolates are the best i've ever had - literally like a cup of liquid chocolate not watery, gluggy, or floury in the slightest. Smoothy seems to be happy with his score. and my Haighs Bilby will go down very nicely. YUM!

bike scene

2006-04-15T19:43:00.000+10:00

a friend of mine was recently telling me this story about a bike scene that they are actively involved in. it seems that there are certain people whom are in a certain position of power and tend to act quite intimidating towards other people as a way of protecting their own status in the scene. they coined the term "fan-boy sydrome" where these people have loads of little teenage fans that look up to them and tell them how wonderful they are etc etc that after a while they start believing it and infact use these fans as a way of boosting up their egos. it's like they are addicted to the position of status and social power and will keep everyone else at as much of a distance as possible.
how shit is that?? that a scene can be built up of people whom are in such great need of that bolstering that they actually make it difficult for others to enjoy the scene as well. in such a small a unique niche it's a real shame because it only takes one or two assholes to fuck it up for everyone else - there isnt really alot of space to not have to deal with such people. it kinda ends up being like a "cant live with them, can't live wihtout them" type deal.
i spose thinking about there really wouldn't be anyone that is THAT bad - i mean come on we're all human. but what if this sort of syndrome were something much more subtle and inherent in the way that a scene were run?
i mean all sorts of human communities have social heirarchies/platforms/structures of status but they dont all need to end up running like some boys club ..do they??

i got thinking about the need for acceptance within the community that you are involved in. like on the question: 'does speaking up make you an outcast?'. this question is loaded with pre established ideals:
-i want to do what's right
-i dont want to be considered an 'outcast'
- i want to be accepted by my community.

...ok my train of thought has gone now and i have to leave for a baptism ceremony. so till next time, team..

short and sweet

2006-04-14T15:37:00.000+10:00

hey guys i'm sorry i'm not going to post properly today but if you're desperate to find out what i'm up to i did write alittle bit on my other blog.

that's all from me for the moment folks. hope all is well.

xxC.

recipes

2006-04-04T23:18:00.000+10:00

Smoothy has begun the long awaited food blog. including the infamous sri lankan curry. very tasty indeed. and the food's not bad too.

* haha!! i totally forgot to post the link. here ya go.

winter, flicks & ikea

2006-04-03T16:37:00.000+10:00

daylight savings finished this weekend. and as if that wasnt bad enough last weekend we had a gorgeous 28 degree day to watch the road-race at 'da games ..and this weekend it's winter. not the start of autumn with a gentle chill settling in but it all smacked you at once. smacked us so hard - we were smacked right into the middle of winter ..in new york.
such dramatic weather changes call for dramatic lifestyle changes. no longer are sundays spent with long lazy breakfasts in your pj's and nice walks in the sun. but are now replaced with brisk breakfasts of porrige and rushes to the shower and wearing all the clothes i own ..all at once. too cold to be outside- off to the movies and ikea. i reminisced about swedish cultural invasions. about swedish food (meatballs & crisp bread) and swedish dinner parties.
i also dream about the prospects of re-furnishing my room with all the neat little gadgets and storage ideas that could improve my life dramatically.

>oh my god! it's not even 5 and it's almost dark. this is soo depressing.<

we watched aeon flux which was fantastic. for those of you who dont know it was originally an anime* about this a female assasin set in a futuristic world where the people are more like insects than actual people. my memories of the actual plot were extremely fague but the visuals stayed with me for a very long time and was my main motivation for see this film. i was not disapointed either. aeon was all sharp angles with whispy haircuts, pouty lips and pointy boobs. there were a few moments when the actress didnt look quite as graceful as would be hoped to pull off many of the unbelieveable stunts in this film (yes very cunning). i keep thinking of Alias and how she has to train three hours every day to be as fit as the character she's playing - another assasin.
so overall, i loved it. sci fi. female super hero. romance. life-as-we-know-it/all-of-humanity-is-relying-on-this type plot. costumes. sets. carefully chosen camera angles. what is there not to love? it's right up my alley.

also watched war of the worlds- which while had me hooked right in for the first half of the film with absolute terror - had the most stew-pid ending i've ever seen and proved to be highly disappointing. far too many simularities to other films that i had already seen like 28 Days Later(which was excellent) except they didnt manage to pull it off quite as well. it was pretty interesting how the most distressing scene for me in the film had nothing to do with the aliens but much more to do with the mass histeria and crazy behaviour from the people who were desperate for their lives. i can totally imagine that gun scene happening just the way it did in other chaotic realities like after a hurricane/tsunami/terrorist attack. i'm petrified of everyone else.

the final film was Sunshine of the Eternally Spotless Mind which was just beautiful. it's a film for anyone who has EVER been in love or been hurt. i loved it. Closer was another film about breakups but came out with a much different sentiment than this one and actually left you feeling better and with a "why bother?" type attitude. whereas this film was really nice the way it put emphasis on all the nice things about love and relationships. sure it can suck sometimes but overall it's got to be good otherwise why would you be there for so long? and god knows that there are times when i wish that i could forget some nasty things from my life but they are kinda there for a reason and it's slightly reassuring that it's okay to trust yourself in the moment(who i was back then) and not get all bitchy/pessimistic in hindsight.

today was also the first day that the heater has been used for the season - that's a bad sign. summer REALLY is over. i had soup for dinner last nite and lunch today and dont feel like eating all the normal foods. i hope i dont start getting super hungry all the time and put on heaps of weight like i normally do at the start of winter. fingers crossed.

it's kinda nice that although this end of the world is heading into the chilled-out months, the other side of the world (like london) is doing the exact opposite. no more grumpy londoners or snow storms. they've even started day light savings. crazy.

*i too, thought this was a spiny sea creature but it's also a japanese animation. i know cause i actually checked the spelling for this one.

unread newsletters

2006-04-03T16:29:00.000+10:00

i'm just checking my email, cleaning out my junkmail box.. reading lovely updates from dear friends afar.
but there's a backlog. a backlog of newsletters that i havent read - nor do i think i will. infact i've enjoyed their absence from my life so much that i dont think i will ever invite them back.
sure they used to provide information about things i was interested in but more often than not they just make me feel shitty. so i'm stopping - that's it! no more.

wow, this is really liberating.

now that i think about it.. perhaps i should stop a few other related rituals? things that shit me. things that arent really neccessary in my life anymore. i'm certainly uninterested in contributing these days. and i only read about %5 of it these days anyway - that's practically nill.

excellent.

FITting it in

2006-03-24T13:13:00.000+11:00

running is usually my fall back option when i have exhausted all other possible outlets for some exercise, it's generally not something that i would choose to do but with a severe lack of dancing in my life at the moment i was getting abi† desperate. monday nite i went for a jog and it was moderately nice - not fantastic and certainly not consistent for the whole half hour but it did the job.
tuesday i went to a class at the gym wi†h my mum called "strong to the core" which is (as you guessed it) basically all about abdominal workout stuff. it wasn't exactly beyond me but i sure was buggered afterwards. my mum said it took her 5 days to recover from her first one of those classes. it only took me 3-4 (it's only been minor pain in the last day or so) but i wasnt able to push our brand new recliners back with my fatigued torso and had to use the (rather handy) handle.
last nite i ran again and god it was GOOD. it felt really good. no stopping every half block to walk - i had made it two train stations up the line before i knew it. usually i tend to do a conservative circuit around my block (allowing a quick return home) - but last nite i just found myself so liberated by this new found ability that i just wanted to keep going and going and going.
so i've decided that i MUST harness this new power and use it as much as i can before i loose it. who's with me?
a treat: brand new shorts, socks, sports bra and sleek hair cut to match. woo hoo.

the games

2006-03-19T13:30:00.000+11:00

well as most of you know the commonwealth games are currently happening here in melb. there's tones of athletes and tourists from all over the world come to visit our home town. what does that mean for people like me? there's way more traffic than usual, lots of quick-fixes have been put in place to make melbourne seem alot nicer than it is. there is less rubbish around the place, new signage ..and even the homeless guy that does laps of flinders street station has new clothes -and SHOES!
what does it exactly mean for ME? well i worked one day on friday as a last minute fill in. part of the linen team helping to drive around the village and drop off/collect towels from 6am to 3pm. most of my collegues were 30 something blokes with big beer bellies and half sneered when they saw that a GIRL was going to be working with them. pfft yeah it's hard manual labour but sure as hell isnt out of my reach. i was pretty fucking buggered by the end of they day but that was probably more to do with sleep deprivation and in contrast to my usually rather relaxed lifestyle.
lunch was provided. it was amazing. they provide more food than i could possibly dream of getting through in an entire day; hot smorgas board, salad bar, fruit salad, yoghurt, bread, sandwiches, chips, chocolate bars, desserts, cakes, muffins, ice creams, water, coffee, tea, bikies, and cereal for breaky. i mean they did mention something about it being a good feed but i would never have imagined that. most people looked rather lethargic after lunch from over eating. i thought i was being disciplined by only have some rice, curry, salad, fruit and yoghurt but it was still too much.
i'm not sure if i will be working again as they want someone who can work the entire way through - i have commitments to my other job etc.
but it was really interested driving around the village and seeing all the different flags for different countries everywhere. then as people started to get up we saw loads of differnt athletes training and getting themselves organised all over the place. i just remembered thinking "oh my god! MUSCLES!!" muscles everywhere - it was beautiful.
i was surprised to discover that all the other workers around the place (besides the police and the cleaning contractors) were all volunteers - even the ones doing shitty jobs like sweeping the tan bark back into place around the gardens - what tha??
there were also a nice scattering of entertainers around. the first ones i saw (and were my favourties) were these guys on stilts in strongmen/lifesaver outfits including the old fashioned striped swimsuit; the lifesavers cap and massive porn-moustaches; and faux rubber muscles all which made their little capped heads look like pin heads in comparison. when i asked to have my photo taken with them they're like "of course you can gorgeous!! wow, that's a bright shirt! are you okay?? are you sure you dont need mouth to mouth resusitation?!" hehe it was pretty cool. as i walked away i realised that the oversized calf muscles were actually massively curved to disguise the springs attached to their stilts allowing them to bounce 5 metres into the air. i was extactically excited.
..there were also four sheep a bit later. covered in (non stuffed) sheep skin suits with puffy chops around their thighs and shoulders. they would follow each other around in a pack and make subtle movements with chewing expressions and sometimes breaking away from the group to get down on all fours to stare at a passer by. they were fantastic!!
i thought they were amazing and positively wasted on the under populated village - just athletes with nothing but sport on their minds. no appreciation.

today it is nice and sunny - a sunday. still considering what to do. Smoothy is contemplating a walk up to the local hippy commune to see if he can find me a pub bike. readers might be interested to know that my bike riding is slowly getting better. i'm still having massive problems getting on adn off when the seat is put up to the actual height it is meant to be. but last week i DID ride all the way back from dp's place and up that enourmous hill with dying. ..we will see.

that's all for now bloggers. xox

literate?

2006-03-08T14:07:00.000+11:00

well, i'm trying to get back into the reading for pleasure thing. it's been a while and i'm feeling extra rusty but slowly getting there.
ham lent me a copy of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency which was quite a lovely read. a collection of short stories that eventually made up one larger picture. great for those with short attention spans. easy language. quaint small town fables.
my next hurdle was lady-trash at it's best with Sex, Murder and a Double Latte. i went to the library and selected half a dozen paper back _lady_ books (many of which were pink and with titles much like this one). this was the only one that actually ended up reading and required 2 renewals but was well worth the work. i really enjyed it. including one rather painful day at work where the anitcipation of reading that final chapter and finding out who the killer was almost killed me. i was so excited and involved that i found myself get butterflies as i read it on the train.
my next trip to the library i found three more nice reads - again must be paper back and smallish to fit in my bag. i got caught up in the excitment of a book sale and free dvd borrowing that i didnt realise that i had borrowed a book called "Odd Fish and Englishmen" and another entitled "Of Cats and Men" ..no-one can critisize me for being inconsitent.
i'm currently reading the one about cats. i didnt realise it but it's all short stories about women and their cats and men. most of them i;ve found rather frustrating. the first was possibly the most annoying with an account of this woman whom becomes insecure in her relationship after stumbling onto her husbands porn collection - i'm mean i'm not that partial to a bit of neurotic behaviour at the best of times but come on! i'm hoping that it gets better. ..or i might have to take drastic action.
i also think that the library rocks. i think i migth go there again today. i like the walk there in the sunshine. and i like taking my ipod.

.. love my ipod - i suspect that nothing in my life could ever be better than my pod. it completes me. i *heart* my pod. sigh.

clips on the internet

2006-02-20T15:06:00.000+11:00

hmmm, as seen in my previous post there are clips available online from the recent competition held in melbourne. alot of competitors are getting upset about having their image (in whatever form) online and available for the wider swing community to access.
sure i feel sympathy for them - it's always wierd when you realise exactly how exposed you are. i'd like to say "yes, if they dont want them online - they should be allowed to request the removal." ..BUT there is another part of me that is just far too excited about moving into another phase in lindyhop multimedia use. it's like we are contributing in a whole other way than just observing what our international counterparts are dishing up. we're establishing an identity of our own. this can only mean great things for australia's visiting potential and perhaps even having our reputation preceeding us as we go globe hopping.
i think it will also put things into perspective alittle more for both sides of the coin. my mind keeps getting drawn back to a particular move that was recreated from the UHLS clips in the competition. it was a rather tricky move and got an amazing audience response in the original context but it's recreation actually had no value because the context was not appreciated at all. a move that is executed at slower tempos in a routine or class has more impact if it can be done at much higher speeds and socially. but if it is just performed for the sake of being performed then it has no impact at all. and just _looks like_ they are purely mimicking clips that can be found on the internet. would it not be nicer if australia were more aware of themselves in terms of holding their own weight. sure rip everyone else off - and make it your own - but when on display to the rest of the world, arent we more likely to want to improvise, extend and challenge ourselves to the limits.
i just went and watched all the footage available online (i still havent gotten around to looking at my own stuff yet) and well yeah, it's nothing to be ashamed of at all. it's pretty nice stuff. aussie's can hold their own! fucken yeah!

sure if i were on there (to a greater extent) i'm sure i'd be much less excited but i'd like to think that i'd be able to get over it ..eventually.

incidentally this whole thing reminded me of another situation where my image had been used without my permission:
-at mlx last year someone came up to me and said "hi my name is X. you must be Y, i know you from the AJC dvd." my reaction was pretty shocked as i hadnt really considered that something like that would either exist or have me on it.
it was somewhat shocking but it's not really doing anyone any harm. and if you think about it- if we all started getting upset about our image being used then there would be no images to use. ...coming from an ametuer film-making perspective at the very least.

*edited to remove t-shirt reference.

Melb Swing Fest

2006-02-20T13:59:00.000+11:00

this is what i wrote a week or so back:

i'm sitting here in my pj's eating the biggest bowl of museli/yoghurt/pear you've ever seen and reading everyone's comments of the weekend just passed on SwingTalk and i'm thinking that if i dont post about it soon, the normal levels of sleep may overtake my memories and it will all be lost forever. what to do?? blog blog blog.
so, what is MSF??
The Melbourne Swing Festival as run by Swing Patrol in celebration of The Harlem Hot Shots and their South East Asian Tour. All nine members of the group were in town for the weekend - no Hannah, but the new face of Jenny which was still lovely.
I think I have a crush on each of them for different reasons. In fact I KNOW that I have crushes on them - I've been telling everyone I possibly can ..including my Squeeze.
Mattias was a bit of a crowd favourite which was no surprise really considering how much of a ladies man he is. I personally like to hang back and just watch him in action - not too excited about the prospect of actually flirting with him. I loved watching him in the disco outfit in the performance - it's his flirtiness that gives him that amazing stage pressence! He's certainly easy on the eyes!
Zackie is the sweetheart guy that you'd most definately like to sit down and get to know, he's much less caught up in the fame of it all and acknowledges everyone. I REALLY enjoyed the dances that we had - he made my nite on friday nite!!
Daniel is just beautiful! I suspect that if he did actually come out social dancing that i would not be able to get enough of him. i like his bouncy-ness and how playful he can be. if he were an animal he'd be a bunny or some kind of playful puppy - i'd just want run up and squeeze him.
Asa -Daniel's parter- is so cool in contrast with him. she seems to be a bit of an ass-kicker and would get his life under control. the fact that she is hubba-hubba-mamma only makes her COOL attitude even more likeable.
Frida was scatting in class one day and i was starring at her porcelain skin as she sung "goo gi di da gah!" and i suddenly thought she was like a dolly. a sassy dolly. of all the HHS's she was the one that let her personality show through the most in classes and made lots of jokes.
And Lennart is totally the eccentric, mad scientist of them all. i often wonder what his story actually is. why does he stay on and train up these young bucks?? he takes the piss out of himself alot - i've noticed.
i did not really get much of an idea of what Fatima and Jenny were like. next time.

i give the workshops a 10 out of 10!! i felt that it was certainly challenging enough even though the standard of the stream wasnt that high. alot of material was familiar stuff that i had maybe learnt before at another stage but was able to REALLY understand it and claim it as my own. i hope i can remember enough to document it for future reference!
i also have a renewed faith in all things old school! the old school swingout. the old school active follows. the old school rhythms. all things that i havent really been doing at all for the last year or 2. i've decided that i want to be much less of a passive follow and put more of myself into my dancing. it makes sense that i did it for a while (especially when competing with those passive follows for leads and dancing with leads that dont appreciate it) but it does not explain why i've forgotten completely how to play; i let it take over. i miss my other crazy girls like lotte, doz and linnea.
i cannot express how unbelievably inspired i was after watching the stage show on sat nite! amazing recreationist dancing and kick yo ass lindyhop. i had about 12 dances before being dragged away for food but they were probably some of the best dances i've had in the last year - and the craziest!! attired in tassles and heels i pulled out some truly stupid stuff - EXCELLENT!!
once again team Brunswick (well part thereof) was back in full form! serious punnage and silly car rides ahhoy!! special thanks to sam and dave for meals, chocolate and looking out for me in general. they kept me from reaching "critical mass".
some lovely faces back in town like perthies make for excellent fun.
the film festival wasnt THAT out of my league so next year i will definately have to enter a film of my own. i just need some more focus. plus Swing Kids sucks balls. i'd much rather be publicly humiliated than sit through that again!.

this is what i wrote today:
uh oh!! yes i am forgetting lots of stuff i learnt. oh dear.
what else happened over the weekend you ask? hmm well i didnt enjoy the competition so much with stomach cramps and upset belly for most of the evening. i missed alot of the events as i hid outside in the fresh air. so disappointed fans i will have to find another opportunity to flash my boobs in public places. there are clips available for your viewing pleasure here.
there are also now a million melbournians going to harrang this year. i'm such a trend setter - ha! ..well maybe i could make that claim if i knew that i was actually going this year: the job hunting is still going on.
since that weekend i've been doing lots of non-dancing type things. abit of yoga, abit of bike riding (i'm still seriously bad at it though). a few films, abit of work.
we finally test drove the new board game i got for xmas. settler fans will be pleased to hear that the cities and knight's extension set makes the whole game much harder and more complicated!!! i found it really hard to figure out my game plan cause there was just so much going on.

anyways, hope all are well. i'm sorry i dont post as often these days. i'll will try to make a better effort. mwuah!

quotes

2006-02-12T00:01:00.000+11:00

there have been a few quotes or moments over this weekend that has just made me laugh laugh and laugh. this was one of them:

"you'd better not be thinking about red shoes as i kiss you!"

says one cheese to a ham.

summer activities

2006-01-23T19:47:00.000+11:00

oh boy has it been hot lately!!! whoa, i get out of the shower and i'm already sweating, so i feel like i'm sweating all the time. my house unfortunately got abit warmer than it should considering i've got lovely thick brick walls and not many windows.

my parents have gotten abit of a shock from leaving weather like this and going to snow in europe - i suspect it's quite a rude shock to adjust to.

but nice summer things can still be done in this weather. desperation sent me to the cinema on friday and i almost went shopping yesterday to escape the heat. some friends held a traditional swedish crayfish party on sat which was lovely in the airconditioning comfort but my fish stinking clothes didn't appreciate stepping outside into the heat - oh boy, that's a stench!! quite an enjoyable lunch tho. sad goodbyes for a visiting swede and nice friends to chat with.

yesterday was lovely too. Smoothy and i packed up a picnic and headed down to fitzroy gardens for some music and lazing about in the grass. the music wasnt exactly ideal and the usual swing demonstration voices were a tad distracting but the food, surroundings and company was extremely pleasant. the original plan included many more poeple and a game of twister but this ws much nicer. ahhh.

right now it's alittle bit cooler- so i'm airing my house out hoping that it will last till the next 40degree day.

i'm starting to get abit lower on my list on MUST-DO summer activities; i've already been to the beach, zoo, jazz in the park, bike riding, pleasant park walk, had lots of bbqs, picnics, games nites, lots of wine and cheese evenings, eaten lots of fruit (including cantalope), late nite gelo bar visits, tuesday nite pearly shells.
things i havent done yet: the nite market, moonlight cinema (although their schedule is much less enticing this year)..

battling

2006-01-23T12:50:00.000+11:00

on thursday nite at the usual weekly social dancing haunt there was an informal competition held in preparation for an upcoming festival involving several exciting events and a much more in depth competition evening.

one particular comp was a "lindy-battle" of the likes which has never been (to my knowledge) held before in australia. the term "battle" to me raises images of hip-hop, break and popping/locking and the format of this wasnt too far from that. we were dividing into 2 teams of 6 couples and to take 2 phrases of music in turns. captains were elected and about 3 mins planning was provided before it commenced.

i fucking loved it!! i had the time of my life. i cant think of a better way to approach competitions. it was like one big massive jam but with your buddies, and the opportunity to jump back in with further ideas again and again. usually with comps you are either dancing while your opponents are or only get one opportunity to out-shine each other during the "shine" periods. this back-and-forth format with "listening" and "speaking" roles opens whole new doors for playing off each other and using the inspiration provided by other parties' efforts as the basis of taking your own dancing to the next level. i might liken it to that "coversation" that occurs during a social dnace between the lead and follow. ..just en mass

i also especially like that it is in team situations. the pressure is not on just one or two people to perform every single time and it leaves it open for alot more variation and showcasing of different people's strengths(weaknesses).
i liked the fact taht the teams were chosen randomly at the last minute as well. there was no time to get caught up in the competitive clicquey stuff because you had no idea who you were going to go with anyway. i also liked the fact that you had to make friends with your team mates just like THAT. it made for a really nice vibe. the fact taht i had some very fine friends on the opposite team meant that i was playing up for them - and the whole (not serious) agressive/fighting/ battle thing - by doing all sorts of playful gestures in an effort to wind them up a bit (and the crowd).

i think i've decided that i prefer there to be as little planning as possible, allowing people to actually respond to the other team as they bring it - rather than just going through the motions of what was planned 5 minutes ago.
not to say that there isnt any value in having a few tricks to fall back on when you're stuck for ideas.

i also think that a flexibility across the team in regards to whom is dancing next and what will be performed allows for more variation and interesting dynamics on the floor. a captain/team that is unwilling to get carried away in the moment/fly on the seat of their pants would be a great hinder on overall creativity of the battle.

i like to think that the actual competition coming up will inlcude a nicer balance between lindy-hop and silly stuff (that's not say that i wasnt one of the main drivers behind the silly stuff - but if i were alittle smarter i would try to hold back and have the silly stuff in context a little more). i'd also like to see more musicality and kick-yo-ass lindyhop/charleston/swing dances.

i did however like that fact that there werent that many aerials going on. i suspect that it would cause a much more dangerous situation than the standard competition-aerial situation. aerials in themselves are quite crowd pleasers but generally a spectating crowd is alot more diserning about how aerials are included/inserted into the dancing in a competion - there is time to watch and listen carefully during a spotlight. but this team-battle-thang is far more frenetic and chaotic ...with some couples being kicked out unprepared by their own team members ..and the music, all but the phrasing, is ignored.

for photos see flickr.com and search dogpossum.

digital freedom!!

2006-01-18T14:58:00.000+11:00

it might be really old! it might be really slow! it might even take up more than half of my desk and give me a neck ache stooping to use it. but it's mine, and it makes me happy.

as seen at dogpossum.org i am now in debt to The Family and will one day need to repay this favour otherwise live in fear of 'taking a trip to Vagas' ..or perhaps Broady, if we localise it.

but really when it comes down to it, i dont mind being looked after by an underground crime syndicate like this one, at least i know that the upmost care will be taken with all food preparation and the their websites will never crash*.

..although i'm not sure how they are going to transport any carpet rolled bodies on the back of their bikes. that'd be some hardcore paneers!

*haha! ..well not without alot of shouting first.

slacker

2006-01-18T14:14:00.000+11:00

yep, thats right i have posted in ages!!! i'm a slacker.

lots been happening tho. well lots of nice summer things, i havent really had a whole lot of time for things like blogging or other such nerdy internet things (unless it involves sudoku - yes i know!)

so, how was my xmas?? lovely! enjoyable! just a nice quiet lunch with the fam and an international visitor. we had delicious oysters, prawns and crayfish with a nice light salad. i drank lots of champagne and wine. my mum made a gluten free xmas pudding with custard. i got haighs chocolates instead of stocking fillers. my dad is still increasingly obcessed with mince tarts. he ssearches them out like a predator. they have no hope of survival. to him xmas is all about mince tarts. when visitors come over he might offer them one (not to the family tho) but you might note than the one he is actually eating is of quite different quality to the ones he's happy to share.

to me xmas is not about the pressies, it's about the food and the grog. i felt like i drank alot over the holiday period. and ate lots too. many evenings with nice wine and cheese. my waist is still feeling it. i'm getting back into the active stuff again but some of my clothes are fitting more snuggly than i would prefer. and i sweat profusely still.

started getting abck into yoga. realised what 2-3 weeks off does to your fitness. ouch!
also starting doing a bit of bike riding. i'm attempting to get myself alittle bit bike fit so that i can do nice social bike riding type things with Smoothy.

speaking of Smoothy ..just allow me to gush for a moment .. :) ahh! what a lovely thing.

he also managed to feed my game obcession for xmas. after solving abit of a mix up i've gained a copy of 'cities & knights' (which is a settlers extension set) and an on loan games box from my good cambridge friends. so it's all sytems games at the moment. i'm currently yet to work out the exact rules of this new thing but i'm ever excited about such prospects.

so yes, zot and lott have left our sunny shores for the cold and miserable winter on the other side of the world. but even more excitingly: much closer to holland and an interesting/impressive new job. i was a tad concerned that they would make the flight at all but all went well. craziness. here's hoping they've arrived safely and are making themselves comfortable in their new home. australia will miss them and wish the best of luck for their new beginnings.

been doing abit of cooking as well lately. with ham, with Smoothy, with my fam, by myself. i've decided to write a recipe blog. possibly to be converted into a database (listed by ingredients) at a later date - depending upon Smoothy's time constraints. last i made a mediteranian rice salad with tuna. there wasnt a whole lot around the house but that work a treat:
-half a can of tuna
-one cup of rice
-2 tomatoes chopped
-half a cucumber
-half a dozen black olives chopped
-parmasen cheese.
cook rice, cool. add other ingredients and pour dressing over:
-T olive oil
-T balsamic vinegar
-t grainy mustard
-half t garlic
-T lemon juice
top with fresh chopped basil leaves and parmasen cheese.
serves 2 hungry people.

other tasty treats that i'm loving at the moment. is lamb. or red meat. has to rare!! thyme is also a new flvour that i'm using a bit lately. made a good thyme and lemon lamb with a olive,fetta and lemon rice salad and a yoghurt and spinach cold salad. sam serves this with a tomatoe and chickpea vegie slop with lots of cumin and corriander. but when i made it my bro made a cumin chicken and i made a sweet salad (well it tasted sweet next to the other things) of: capsicum, picked onion, tomatoe, and cucumber.

Smoothy made an excellent risotto also with tomatoe, spinach and thyme. we had issues with the broth and made it far saltier than my tastes but it was still pretty nice.

hmmm i'm getting hungry now...

it's official!!

2005-12-20T15:21:00.000+11:00

yep, that's right it's official! officially the season for silliness. i was trying to avoid the xmas thing for as long as possible but its here and in all our faces now.
i am far too broke to celebrate xmas and there's a few rather delicate presents to be organised. people are going away to visit their families, other's have their's coming into town. this time last year my parents were on the other side of the world and i had the pleasure of sharing my xmas with some lovely friends. this year it's back to normal with my family doing all the normal stuff (well normal for our family).

something that really struck me this year is the amount of alcohol that seems to be flowing in the silly-season. i for one have only been to 1 maybe 2 xmas parties and found myself drunk as a skunk ..and i'm not really one for drinking taht much usually. other's seem to be REALLY hitting the piss. one friend even expressed concern for their health. it's a crazy time of year that's for sure.

other traditional xmas thangs: the beach!! seafood, chocolate, bbq's, good crockery, candles. the boxing day trip to the cinemas will also be continued with the release of the new Narnia film as an adequate Lord of the Rings replacement.

as yet my fam have not set the xmas menu just yet, but there is discussion of taking our meal out of the house and down to our local scenic river-side luncheon spot. it gives me images of tupperware, over cooked meat, beetroot stains and sticky fingers but who knows, ti could be quite pleasant.

yoga - gemelli

2005-12-14T13:33:00.000+11:00

went to yoga both mon and tues this week. really exciting stuff.

i've got big weaknesses any time i try to twist my hips in a bent position but i've been learning all about how to relax the muscles on the back of my hip and find that good spot. in particular we've been working on the gemelli which is the smaller muscle just under the glutes. i've decided to make friends with it. it might be small but damn it makes a big difference.

in particular we were doing alot of inverted poses on monday nite. think: flat steady hands, upper arms inside shoulders, scapular down back, long spine, then stack hips at the top of this tower by pulling the upper glutes and gemelli on top just like building blocks. it's beautiful really.

Smooth Arms also attended a class with me last nite. oh my god, i was quite surprised. he was excellent. you should've seen his Down-Faced-Dog. it was amazing!! "how do your hands/shoulders feel?" "what?? oh, there's no weight there, i can almost just take them off the floor." i'm always somewhat taken aback/disappointed when someone who never does any yoga can make it look super easy when i've been working on this stuff for 2.5 yrs now. it really was amazing tho. he really IS a natural. ..well minus the wierd rib cage thing.

Ham and i have settled down in yoga these days. much less rowdy, but i'm sure it would've been obvious to the yoga teacher that Smoothy is a friend of mine by his general behaviour. hehe. he's just too much fun, i guess.

so this is the last week of the term for yoga this year which is a bit scary. i'm not sure what is going to happen over summer, i'm in pretty good shape and dont want to loose it. hopefully i'll maintain some of it.

yoga + dancing

2005-12-13T10:58:00.000+11:00

as i said before, jams are fun. and are made even funner if all sorts of different people go in with all sorts of different partners. i've just gotten my hands on some more footage from the mlx weekend, including stuff of some jams on the thursday nite.

it's funny even watching footage of myself dancing makes me nervous - esp performances or jams. it's like i'm back there in the moment with all these people watching me but this time i get to be the observer/critique/cheerer. am i nervous of my own assessment?

anway, so i watched it and was pleasantly surprised by it. infact i was soo over come with joy at the perfect display of posture that i had to gloat to several people (including my yoga teacher). i guess i wasnt expecting it to look too great but i just suddenly realised that the work that i've put into my posture with yoga has been integrated into my dancing (well to a degree).

i liked the way my neck went right into my back and my spine was the longest, leanest thing eva!! not too keen on the amount that my hips are moving - might need to work on some more abdominal stabalising exercises. but my feet were certainly moving fast and while they didnt leave the floor clearly at every moment they were certainly not dragging and I WAS DOING TRIPLE STEPS. another nice point was my arm. lovely and long. outstretched in a nice relaxed way - slightly curved - and right through my wrists and finger tips.

another good thing about watching more 'social' stuff (compared to performance stuff) is that i can see where i missed stuff and the lead has compensated for me. oh i love thy leads. such lovely things.

i know that i already mentioned how i love people actually social dancing in jams and specifically with a variety of different people but i'd like to reiterate. it's my favourite thing!! i have a crush on all leads that do that. mwuah!

while i'm holidays i think i'd like to get back into building my dance fitness up. esp with the http://http://www.harlemhotshots.com/en/ coming to www.melbourneswingfestival.com.au. i've certainly got the time anyway. plus i'd like to work on a few more aerials again. it's that time of year: sunshine, day light savings, no study, holidays.

risotto

2005-12-13T10:57:00.000+11:00

oh boy am i looking forward to my dory to come home so we can make more excellent meals.

that's not to say that im not having an excellent time without her. dp outdoes herself every single time and cheeney is still iron chef brunswick. but i've also had to adapt and have found that Smooth Arms is also an excellent cooking buddy.

on friday we made an excellent risotto that would make the ladies jealous. i had to take a photo to commemorate.

this one had tomatoe, spinach, thyme, basil, garlic, mushroom and a REALLY nice parmasen! hooray for stinky cheese! and yes that is a ladies salad beside it.

bbq round up + pics

2005-12-13T10:42:00.000+11:00

well on sunday i held a BBQ of sorts. partly for xmas, partly for some internationals that are in town partly cause i wanted to make the most of the sun but mostly just cause i CAN and i'm holidays.

it went quite well. Ham and Cheese came over early and offered their services (which i am eternally grateful for). we ate well! oh boy did we eat well. there was; tandoori chicken kebabs; paprika chicken wingets; little hamburger things; 2 x ladies salads; spicy spanish potatoe salad (without the chilli); a variety of bbq-ed vegies (including thyme & red wine mushrooms); fresh crusty bread; a delictable selection of pestos, dips and cheeses; fresh fruit; and other lovely things that some thoughtful guests had brought along. yum!

pictures have been posted on dp's flicker page. cheeney was playing with his fish eye lense which makes everything seem bigger and grander than it actually is. as you can see it was a gorgeously sunny day and the shade that we enlisted from Smooth Arms was much needed. the garden looked superb actually, i was surprised at exactly how well it scrubbed up. the house as well - you can hardly tell that my parent's only realised what was going on 2 hours earlier*. ..mind you i did spend the week leading upto the BBQ cleaning the house in it's various forms on a full time basis. and it's never looked cleaner.

there were also some lovely friendly people there to hold it all together (including one swede**). i also had a moment of realisation that half of my friends that are male are all:
-camera nerds
-bike nerds
-computer nerds
guess what the popular topics of conversation were?? ..and does that say something about me? am I a massive nerd as well?? oh dear.

and like all good event's held at my house i got to have a few drinks to relax after all that running around at the end. it's not like i can take credit for the organisation (i made a good attempt at Miss Delegation) it seems that i dont always do so well in pressured situations like that. ..and nor do any member of my family***. it's all for the learning tho. i think of them like dance competitions or public speaking - it gets easier as you go along.

all in all it was most enjoyable. perhaps i'll be able to manage alittle more independently next time.

*my parents may just be competing with my bro for the oblivious award. ..and yes i did tell them! two weeks earlier and several hundred times inbetween as well.
**sorry linnea!
***as demostrated several times during the day. thanks mum!

london = poop

2005-12-09T01:47:00.000+11:00

does anyone else feel like australia is relocating back to the uk? i'm still constantly amazed at exactly how many people i know that are going/have gone. i cant imagine what proportion of the london population is actually from Oz. at first i was shitty, but now i'm REALLY amazed. what is going on? honestly? i spoke to someone tonite who said "just get a one way ticket. do it now!" ..oh yeah doz, there is a nice frenchie coming your way.

but then again it is 2 am and i'm starting to ramble.. it's REALLY bed time.

jams

2005-12-08T18:25:00.000+11:00

in swing dancing 'jamming' is something that is use quite common - just as musicians use jams as a way to showcase their skills so do dancers. a circle is formed in which there is (usually) one couple that pulls out their bestest stuff for a short period untill (ideally) they are kicked out of the circle by the next couple.

i've noticed that melbourne has been feeling somewhat jam shy in the last few months. i'm not sure entirely why but i had suspected that it had to do with some unwanted attention recieved by certain people who regularly reside in jams. they became reluctant to jump in and others are not neccessarily rising up to the occasion.

during mlx i was surprised to see so many jams (the first nite had two jams and the usually crappy cbd) ..but if i think about who and what was involved in the weekend i'm not entirely surprised that there were so many bursting to get out there and shake their groove thangs. there was a pretty nice vibe during the whole weekend, and people were generally alot more social and excitable than usual. the perthies are also total JAM SLUTS!

jams can also be manipulated to inndividuals/groups advantage. traditionally a spontaneous event, such things are rather easy to stage as either showpieces (for non-swing crowd), ice breakers (at balls), ego builders ..or a whole range of other uses. i was involved in recently in one such event where the music was pre-organised and a routine pre-choreographed to be pulled out in the second half of a jam. this was surprising for some (esp the poor couple that got trapped at the start) but it soon became apparant later on what had occured. i'm still not sure how i feel about the whole thing as a general rule - i mean: how far is too far? how does it make the previous participants feel to be upstaged like that? what about the people who wanted to go in afterwards? what about the audience? did they expect more a traditional performance format? ..it's not like it was the first time someone had done it - it has become an increasing trend to see multiple couples doing short routines in a jam - but i think we just took it to a whole new level.

tonite i witnessed a different kind of jam. there was a band playing at our usual thursday nite haunt and the crowd was getting tired-er and tired-er and the songs were getting longer and longer. so someone suggested that we 'jam' the last song (which was a cruiser track). and i was surprised to see that the whole room got into it. this kind of thing was a very supportive atmosphere and i quite enjoyed it. a simular feeling might be observed in a jam that is part of a class where everyone was included and cheered. my favourite part is not just that all different kind of people were going in - from all different levels - but that people were going in with different people than they usually dance with. mixed and matched dance partners = real social dancing. ..and well, the obvious part (seeing as i dont have a partner for this kind of stuff) is that i get to go in too!!

yes i am a bit of a jam slut. it's true, i wont deny it.

so, how do we encourage different people to get out there in jams? leading by example? cheering harder for new people? spreading the word? staging jams more often? who knows.

my bed time. xxc.

time to say goodbye to a friend

2005-12-07T12:41:00.000+11:00

this household has been the home to two fine furry friends in the last couple of years but last nite one of them passed away.

it was pumpkin that went - as named for her orange fur and excessive cuteness. she was the most active and excitable of the two. my mum went outside late last nite to check on them before bed and found her layed out and still. poor little thing.

the other bunny -spud- seems fine, just pottering along. although i'm quite concerned about her long term mental health because they certainly relied upon each other greatly for support and dreaded being apart for any length of time.

i have been using pumpkin's image (a pic that cheeney had taken while babysitting one day) for quite some time now (as profile pic) but i dont know if i feel so comfortable about that now.

in the past we have burried pets in the garden and planted a new plant over each in memorial but i'm not sure what we will do now.

damienrice.com

2005-12-05T14:43:00.000+11:00

damienrice.com

yes, this is my music of the moment right now. cant get enough. i definately need to get hold of the whole albumn. i first fell in love with 'cannonball' and 'delicate' following a friends advice. but this live version of 'volcano' is also exceptional drewlable. i quite like this chick's voice, it's delicious.

zach braff

2005-12-05T14:34:00.000+11:00

i'm still having dreams about him. cant say much more than that. he's dreamy!!

ps. thanks to free to air tv for still providing my regular hit at 2 x episodes every week day. oooooh!

balboa

2005-12-04T14:26:00.000+11:00

for those of you that dont know, i'm a bit of a dancing freak. i like swing dancing in particular - which includes: lindy hop, charleston, shag and balboa.

balboa is a more upright dance with intricate footwork where the follow is pretty much expected to be passive and allow the lead to put his grand scheme into play.

recently i've been working on this dance a little bit more and i'm becoming increasingly impressed with the mechanics of it all. it seems that while i do tend to get frustrated with the lack of improvisation possible by the follow, if i just relax into it and treat it like blues then i'm much more likely to enjoy it. focus on the all consuming connection.

i like the fact that there are a million different variations in footwork and that it is purely up to the follow paying attention every step of the way to make it work. you can be seriously musical with the millions of options available.

i'm still somewhat disappointed with the fact taht people are grinding* the differences between blues and balboa. how can they not realise that they are more closely related than any of the other dances. while balboa might also be danced with very earlier era music like charleston, i would still make links with blues before charleston. charleston is just too much FUN. ..oh dear i think i'm starting to get back to my 'bal = boredom' argument but when you compare charleston to balboa - i know which one i would prefer.

back to the connection: while it does require quite alot of precision and awareness of both parties i would argue that it would be less than what is required for blues dancing. due to the fact that the precision remains in the same axis the entire time (from head to toe following a straight line down the spine - it almost reminds me of yoga) where as blues requires an ever changing axis that can be moved and realigned at any time.

so if blues requires more awareness then how come blues isnt considered to be harder than balboa? i think blues is a more accesible dance than balboa. in blues you can get by with a few imperfections and issues and still have an enjoyable dance. whereas with balboa you either get it or you dont - there isnt really a whole lot of room in between. and not to imply that if you can follow balboa that you dont have anything more to work on, that would be rediculous. ..and i think i'm already teetering on the edge of sounding like a tool as it is.

*pardon the pun

date # 3

2005-12-04T13:52:00.000+11:00

well all is going well at the moment. since date number 3 i'm feeling like i've hit the jackpot.

on date number 1 0r 2 i think i mentioned something about wanting to see more theatre generally and how it was one of my favourite things to do. and you guessed it -yup- date # 3 Smooth-Arms took me to see some nice ameteur theatre.

not exactly top quality stuff but fantastically enjoyable none the less. the opening scene had me slightly worried with heavy issues like depression being tackled right from the get-go but as it unravelled there was many laughs, bad singing and naf costumes. think: scruffy art students meets local pub band ..right down to the terrible posture.

afterwards SmoothArms and i went to get some ice cream and ate heartely. we're getting along really well. jackpot.

date #4 wont be for at least another few days as he's gone away for the weekend but i'm certainly looking forward to it.

i've had a pretty amazing drought this year and typically: when it rains - it pours! yesterday would've had me extremely excited by the attentions from one particular sat arvo Treat but it was just too little too late. my affections lie elsewhere, now. shame.

yoga

2005-12-04T13:31:00.000+11:00

i've been doing yoga for quite some time now and am just starting to move up to the level 1 class. i'm feeling like this is something i'm ready to do. sure i'm dont always have the same level of fitness but i'm starting to feel like an old hat at the beginners class.

this week samlet and i went to an intermediate class (for the first time for her, and the first time in quite some time for me). we sure were worked a hell of a lot harder than in the beginners class and back to being the worst in the room. i think our teacher was trying to be nice and not scare us too much knowing how fragile i was after my last intermediate experience. but one of the first poses that we were asked to do was very frightening indeed. never had i been more stressed at yoga. i had to choke back a bit of spasmotic demands to come out of it and was clearly in a cold sweat.

not the rope wrapped around my waist - that was digging into my flesh increasingly over pose. the strap wrapped around our feet meant that there was no getting out of this thing wihtout help from others. and we were facing the wall for those of us whom are slightly clostrophobic. afterwards i discovered that this was meant to be 'a supported head stand' which i suspect would've worked much better if my head was actually touching the ground. ahh the agony!

the koreans

2005-11-29T21:35:00.000+11:00

since mlx2005 we've had some fun korean dancers in town to play with. three lovely leads, one shy follow and lots of smiles.

while i barely got to know them over mlx i've since had the pleasure of many dances, laughs and car trips, which has given me more of an opportunity to get know them and find out a little bit about the korean swing scene - in particular the city of Seoul.

considering i had no idea that there was even swing in korea, i'm thoroughly surprised to discover how long it's been around for (about 6 years or so - sortof simular to melb) and how big it is (possibly 800 dancers).

while i've always considered australia to be generally isolated from the wider, global swing scene i think that korea may also be more disadvantaged. they have had far less visiting teachers and are also dealing with a language barrier. it seems that they've only had kevin and carla, solomon douglas and a todd-someone with influential visits - while Oz has had countless visits from many different parts of the world including exchanges, camps and none other than the harlem hot shots.

and even when they do have teachers come out to teach workshops all of the teaching is done via a translator. as someone whom likes to talk about dance theory (to a certain extent) i found this quite exceptional. and when i asked them if they thought it was difficult they only looked at me puzzled - perhaps none of them learn dancing through language but are all much more intuitive learners (like visual, rhythmical etc). possibly it would mean that certain learning personalities would be the only lindyhoppers to survive.

they asked me which dancers i liked and we discussed some different famous dancers from around the globe and it appears that they spend as much time as me searching the internet (being IT nerds would also help) for swing clips to learn from. just like us.

i spotted a digital camera and it also seems that they film themselves dancing and learn from that.

i'm not sure exactly how much influence kevin and carla have had on the scene or if they were already swaying that way but i can definately feel/see/notice certain traits that are simular to kevin&carla students. ...for example the high arm on layouts is something that was very popular in melbourne a few years back, right after K&C were around.

they also have one main studio that they own and can go dancing at every nite and practice at. what a major asset.

there are two main troupes in their town - both ameteur, plus a surplus of smaller groups that get together for various stuff. only one of the three leads that i was chatting to was in a troupe. we got to see some clips taken of the routines performed recently - which were strikingly modern jazz reminiscent. alot of "wiggly hop" type stuff.

someone also suggested that the korean economy is a major disadvantage on the global scale, which would limit the number of visitors they could fly in- or the amount they could travel elsewhere.

i was shocked when they said they had never heard of harrang. what the?

i also asked what were the major differences between melbourne and home in terms of dance styles. it was commented that australian beginners are majorly different than back home. in their general attitude and expressiveness (this is applied to both leads and follows) they are generally quite shy and do not step outside their comfort zone anywhere nearly as much as many of the australian dancers they had seen.
another interesting thing discussed was connection. apparantly right from day one in a beginners class the students are told that tension is the most important thing. that "there will always be tension, whether it be push or pull." that's also really interesting. and explains the feeling that i get when i dance with them. i discussed the locality differences in australia that they may have experienced over mlx (for example the perthies are much more free and relaxed compared to other dancers around Oz.)

i got one of them to show me some of the moves he had lead on me during a dance we had just had and got someone to film it. really complicated moves that require quite alot of technique and remind me very much of an 'oldschool' connection but they've made it work.

can i mention balboa? oh my fricken god!!! one of them is quite nice to do bal with but there is another that has the most amazing wieght change that there is no way in hell that any (beginner even) could miss the fast foot work. i love it, i love it! now how do i work on getting weight changes like that? how?

there is still alot of body rolls etc but are somehow lead.

i wondered about the general korean personality and how much that would effect the overall swing scene of Seoul. would there be that typical sense of pride that i get from many asian cultures? would they have the work ethics of those crazy swedes?

who knows but they sure are fun to hang out with and give my visual communication skills quite a workout - it's like i'm speaking a whole other language and it does get exhausting after some time.

they are currently looking forward to lismore dance camp which i hope they enjoy, but for the moment matt, lotte and i are working on convincing them that harrang is the place to go. and i'm considering that korea might be somewhere to stop over on my way to europe.

mlx5

2005-11-27T11:33:00.000+11:00

what a crazy crazy time!!

it's definately still one of the most exciting times of the year. every year is different and special in it's own way and this one is no exception. for a while there each one was getting bigger and bolder and almost resembling epic proportions but as a nice change this one was brought back down to size with a decidedly 'social' focus.

for a more detailed idea check out the website here: http://www.mlx2005.com/home.html (and yes that is me in the promo pics)

it really did have an amazing vibe this year, the atmosphere was 100% social. sometimes melbourne can have such a focus on workshops or competitions that they forget to embrace social dancing. and this was one of those fine, fine moments with so many different people brought together in their love for da lindy hop! it was all quite competitively priced as well allowing alot more people than normal to come along and party. my favourite part was seeing all the melbourne people going nuts. like crazy spastic nuts - the way that samlet, lotte and i might go towards the later hours of an evening. infact at both of the friday nite and sat nite after parties the WHOLE room was pumped up into this wild salivating dancing frenzy. it sent chills up my spine.

something that i thought i would really miss about this years mlx would be the lack of visitors (international or teacher-like) but it was juust right. we got treats from all over australia and elsewhere as well. keeping us all teetering on the edge of delirium. including: korea, san fransico, japan, canada, sweden, new zealand and other non-specified areas of the US.

i might just be inlove with the perth boys all over again. i thought i'd gotten it out of my system when i went to visit in april, but apparantly not. they challenge, inspire and move me. it might be the relaxed playfulness of their leading, or the to-die-for weight commitment, or a few simple jazz steps/rhythmical variations ..or the bounce. who knows, but i'm always left begging for more. (one lead was about to demonstrate some balboa for me and said to himself "i want you on that foot" as he clearly switched my weight for me - i almost peeed my pants.)

my attention wasnt always focused on dancing tho, i was on a mad rush to make as many new friends as possible - how could you not when surrounded with so many friendly faces? i was also spending a bit of time taking footage in preparation of a dodgy/ameteur mlx video which after watching what i have is clearly not enough and i just dont seem to have to attention span for filming the entire weekend.

actually if i'm entirely honest i was having a few doubts about my dancing on the whole. not feeling the music necessarily, not feeling like i was giving the leads what they wanted etc etc. feeling generally not all there. i did manage to get my groove back quite distinctly at the after parties - in particular the blues dancing tends to reinvigorate my body.

blues is really where it's at. i'm sorry for all those people who it makes their stomachs turn but i cannot express how good it is. on so many levels too. on sunday nite at one of the late late after parties i found myself having this discussion with people about the relationship of balboa to blues. they are sooo simular it's not funny. the precision and amazing connection that you experience with balboa is exactly what happens in blues but just at a different speed ..and instead of being limited to footwork is spread to your entire body. it's about listening really really carefully. and keeping your body in neutral unless otherwise requested.

after about 4 or 5 blues dances i found myself all loosened up and my spine doing crazy stuff. infact i think i forgot what my posture was meant to be for a fair amount of the weekend after that (i went back to my sway- think ")" ).

i lurve blues dancing! it's more relaxing than yoga. it's better than a massage. it spins squillion of endorphines up as your spinal chord is stimulated. it is ALL about the music. ..and dare i make comparisons to sex. ..but i think you get the idea. and it what most people mistake is that it doesnt actually have to be sexual. sure it happens, this i cannot deny, but it's not actually as common as people think. usually when it does turn sexual is when i want tto walk right away from the dance - ewww, can you say creepy?

so where was i? blah blah blah lack of confidence blah blah blah searching for mojo blah blah blah questioning how to take my dancing to the next level and please these more "advanced" leads. ..so the weekend comes to a close and i'm saying my goodbyes to these excellent leads whom are just laying the compliments* on quite thick. and i think "heck, if this is true, why the hell dont i know this already? and why the hell couldnt it have been said much earlier?"

one of my absolute favourite parts of the weekend was spending time with some fun-filled chicks like chez, kara and dp (and of course the cheese). it was almost like the ladies again with oestrogen floating around everywhere. the naughtiness was most satisfying.

while my actual interests were placed elsewhere over the weekend i also wanted to fall in love with a local melbourne lead whom spontaneously dragged me into a jam circle when i was obviously desperate to get in there. he then proceeded to jam with several other chicks from both melbourne and elsewhere that were not his usual dance partner. ahh, just the way jam circles were meant to be** -social all the way!

anyway it's starting to feel quite distant now and i'm remembering less and less interesting anecdotes for you lucky readers so i may have to draw this post to a close.

*for those who care one highly favoured lead claimed "when i think of melbourne i think of you."
**given such sentiments -please ignore my other jam appearance over the weekend. very far from social.

date wrap up

2005-11-27T11:20:00.000+11:00

well it went really really well, for those of you that are interested. we started with lunch at williamstown followed by a walk, then cake and a stroll down the beach.

infact we were having such a nice time with each other that we decided to spend dinner together as well, except i'm wondering if this was such a great idea in hind sight. it was infact a reunion dinner for him with some mates from a trip he'd gone on earlier that year. this was not an ideal situation and i found myself painfully bored (and slightly uncomfortable). thankfully i did manage to avoid meeting his mother that day as well. phew.

so without going into the boring nitty grittys of the situation i feel that the whole day went quite nicely and i'm looking forward to seeing him again. it's a lovely refreshing change not to worry about those stupid mind games that get played in this early stage. its like: we like each other, so we'll spend some time with each other and if it goes somewhere = cool. if not= oh well, no hard feelings. i couldnt ask for anything better.

anyway, i'm still contemplating exactly how much detail i actually want to post on this blog...

i have a date!

2005-11-25T15:48:00.000+11:00

i have a date!

for those of you that know me, you might realise that this is the first thing even vaguely related to a date that i have have had in a really long time. i'm quite nervous too. although i had previously wondered if the other party would out-nervous me. but thankfully this should not be the case.

i was even concerned about what we might end up doing. and was brainstorming as many ideas as possible, but they were not really needed in the end. so it will be a lunch time event, which is totally not scary. thankgod.

some pals insisted i see Hitch to compare dating notes which just made me a little more nervous, and i can just see all of those things going wrong in the exact same way. there could be: injuries, stained clothes, time co-ordination issues, food poisoning, communication breakdowns. what fun!

dont worry i'll make sure i keep you updated with the outcome of the event. just wish me luck.

welcome

2005-11-23T13:39:00.000+11:00

hi all. this is the first post for my new blog. not sure how i intend to use this space just yet, but i suspect that it may or may not take on a replacement of my former blog. vague enough?

i have high hopes of creating a more interesting layout than the majorly flawed modblog experience.

feel free to comment and chat about nothing, cause i sure know i will be.

anyways, i want to get back into this set up. i'll post proper soon.

xxc.