Dreams are really beautiful. Sometimes they're so vivid and real that I can keep them, and hold them close to my heart and let them lift me up emotionally and spiritually*.
I don't remember all the dreams that I enjoy. Sometimes they disappear as I'm getting ready to go out in the morning. Sometimes I can think about them for most of the day, and then I forget them. But the best part is when they suddenly come back to you, out of nowhere, and you can enjoy the moment and smile to yourself, because the thought is all your own, and nobody else can touch it.
I'm really glad I have dreams.
*Being spiritual is different to being religious.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
note to self:
Stop buying things I don't need. I was doing pretty well lately, just spending money on transport and virtually nothing else. I still have to pay off my personal credit card - waiting for my next paycheck to come through. Savings are starting to drop, which isn't a good sign. And then I'll be spending money on my birthday thing which is going to burn a hole in my already small pocket. I will be content if everybody has a good time. That's all I really want. Lots of smiles and lots of laughs.. happy faces are a real treat.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Album Review: Paul Winn Band - "Nothing's New"
Firstly, forgive me if I sound ridiculously scientific and analytical in this post - I attribute it to the fact that I'm reading a neurologically-focused book that talks about how people's hearing and perceptions of music are affected by changes in/damage to the brain.
As a result, this isn't your typical album review, but more an analysis of each of the songs on the album, and my attempt at explaining the images and emotions I feel when I hear each track.
---
Musicians listen to and admire the craftsmanship of other musicians all the time, and it's only natural that one artist will remind you of another, and vice versa, etc. So when I listen to the Paul Winn Band's latest album I'm reminded of the truth behind the album's title, "Nothing's New". I feel that the overall style of this recording is inspired by Sting, the rhythms are influenced by the Dave Matthews Band, and there are certain musical passages that evoke memories of John Mayer's blues performances. Ironically, it's the unique combination of these factors that help establish the original sound that is the Paul Winn Band.
Strangely enough, during my initial listening of the album Paul's voice also reminded me a bit of Pearl Jam. My boyfriend summarised my comments as "Pearl Jam, without Eddie Vedder". But now that I've listened to the album many times, I don't really feel the Pearl Jam link anymore. (An aside: I love how music transforms in your brain even though the recording itself hasn't changed! It's so fascinating and keeps the music feeling fresh.)
I really enjoy the album as a whole, but I have some distinct favourites, and I've marked them with **. Going through the tracklisting..
"The phone dried up but nothing's new / I took a chance, a bet with you / Don't say those words I've heard before / They only make me want you more.."
Nothing's New** is a catchy song that generates a sense of anticipation for the rest of the album. I love how the upbeat, staccato beats of the verse slide easily into a flowing melody that rings out during the chorus. Having listened to the album a few times now I think this is my standout favourite!
"What in the world did I do / To make you go insane.."
I totally dig the percussive phrases in Take It Back**! 'Phrases' is not the word I'm looking for, but it'll have to do for now. During this song my boyfriend asked me whether Paul is a fan of the Dave Matthews Band - and my boyfriend barely listens to DMB, so it must sound as though it's heavily influenced by DMB. I mention this because I'm so used to DMB's sound that I don't notice if somebody else sounds like them. Upon reflection, this is possibly one of the reasons why I like the Paul Winn Band so much ;)
"Then you came and I saw you / The glare's in my eyes, but I don't care.."
Then You Came** is a lovely 'rock ballad' (I use the term tenatively because I hate genre-categorising) that opens up to a sweeping soundscape in the chorus.. I would love to fall asleep listening to this song. Not much else to say because I'm too caught up in the music's beauty.
Lamington
Firstly, the song reminds me of Paul's previous self-titled album (particularly the song "Sinking Down"); and secondly, it reminds me of Sting. It's not that it sounds the same, but more that it conjures up a similar image in my mind, like when I listen to one of Sting's songs. I can't remember the tune, but I think it's to do with dock workers, because I hear the song and I see a misty British morning, workers down at the docks, not many people about, and the sound of the waves gently slapping against the walls..
"Strawberry romance.. a bed of chocolate, full of lust.."
Expiry Date is a fun upbeat track, and I especially love the sudden melody jump halfway through this song. It transports you to a different state of mind, a temporary musical anti-gravity.. and then the chorus brings you back into the song with a renewed energy.
Sleeping Satellite
Great cover of the original! Not sure who the original artists are unfortunately, but I do recognise the song. (Update: the original was sung by Tasmin Archer.) The coolest part of this cover is the guitar at "..the dream that died with the eagle's flight" - definitely an air guitar moment! And the guitar solo, which uses the same 'rough and dirty guitar' effect to add extra bite to the sound.
Rescue Me**
I love, love, LOVE how the song slowly turns and turns again in a lost-love waltz across an empty room of nostalgia and vintage sounds. As the song progresses, the strings that yawn their way into the music subtly hint at a sound reminiscent of Damien Rice, and the bartender reference is (to me) a strong reminder of a Dave Matthews Band song titled - wait for it - "Bartender". Apart from that one line, the evocative and mysterious nature of Rescue Me has me totally hooked.
Trouble Is
The Middle-Eastern flavour towards the end of the track is what really seals it for me on this one. Reminds me of Sting's "Desert Rose" and DMB's "The Last Stop".
Long Way Home**
I hear the first couple of seconds and I can't help but sigh "Ohhh yeahhhh...!" Long Way Home is a really funky track with the kind of groove that will have you tapping your foot or nodding your head (or both!) along with the beat. Strangely, it feels like Jimi Hendrix meets Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Eric Clapton & BB King!
Those Days
The guitar in this song, when it rings out between the verse/chorus, reminds me a little of John Mayer during his Contiuum album phase. I dig the Metallica(?)-style rock interlude halfway through, and the way the strings add an extra flavour to the chorus.
"Taylor sits drawing as her friends play out in the street.. She's mapping out her future in crayons and HB.."
Previously featured on Paul's earlier self-titled album, the band plays a different version of Taylor on this recording. The song has a very Mayer-eqsue bluesy swing to it (especially in the intro), and it also reminds me of The Badloves "Memphis" (I think it's because of the organ in the background, which I love!). This is a really nice take two, and a loving finish to the album.
All in all, "Nothing's New" is a great album by Paul Winn Band, well-presented both musically and visually, and definitely worth listening to!
---
Available for digital purchase on iTunes; or if you're like me and you enjoy holding the cd in your hands, visit their MySpace page for details on buying the physical album. I highly recommend it, as the album art is really great (kudos to the artist/s)!
As a result, this isn't your typical album review, but more an analysis of each of the songs on the album, and my attempt at explaining the images and emotions I feel when I hear each track.
---
Musicians listen to and admire the craftsmanship of other musicians all the time, and it's only natural that one artist will remind you of another, and vice versa, etc. So when I listen to the Paul Winn Band's latest album I'm reminded of the truth behind the album's title, "Nothing's New". I feel that the overall style of this recording is inspired by Sting, the rhythms are influenced by the Dave Matthews Band, and there are certain musical passages that evoke memories of John Mayer's blues performances. Ironically, it's the unique combination of these factors that help establish the original sound that is the Paul Winn Band.
Strangely enough, during my initial listening of the album Paul's voice also reminded me a bit of Pearl Jam. My boyfriend summarised my comments as "Pearl Jam, without Eddie Vedder". But now that I've listened to the album many times, I don't really feel the Pearl Jam link anymore. (An aside: I love how music transforms in your brain even though the recording itself hasn't changed! It's so fascinating and keeps the music feeling fresh.)
I really enjoy the album as a whole, but I have some distinct favourites, and I've marked them with **. Going through the tracklisting..
"The phone dried up but nothing's new / I took a chance, a bet with you / Don't say those words I've heard before / They only make me want you more.."
Nothing's New** is a catchy song that generates a sense of anticipation for the rest of the album. I love how the upbeat, staccato beats of the verse slide easily into a flowing melody that rings out during the chorus. Having listened to the album a few times now I think this is my standout favourite!
"What in the world did I do / To make you go insane.."
I totally dig the percussive phrases in Take It Back**! 'Phrases' is not the word I'm looking for, but it'll have to do for now. During this song my boyfriend asked me whether Paul is a fan of the Dave Matthews Band - and my boyfriend barely listens to DMB, so it must sound as though it's heavily influenced by DMB. I mention this because I'm so used to DMB's sound that I don't notice if somebody else sounds like them. Upon reflection, this is possibly one of the reasons why I like the Paul Winn Band so much ;)
"Then you came and I saw you / The glare's in my eyes, but I don't care.."
Then You Came** is a lovely 'rock ballad' (I use the term tenatively because I hate genre-categorising) that opens up to a sweeping soundscape in the chorus.. I would love to fall asleep listening to this song. Not much else to say because I'm too caught up in the music's beauty.
Lamington
Firstly, the song reminds me of Paul's previous self-titled album (particularly the song "Sinking Down"); and secondly, it reminds me of Sting. It's not that it sounds the same, but more that it conjures up a similar image in my mind, like when I listen to one of Sting's songs. I can't remember the tune, but I think it's to do with dock workers, because I hear the song and I see a misty British morning, workers down at the docks, not many people about, and the sound of the waves gently slapping against the walls..
"Strawberry romance.. a bed of chocolate, full of lust.."
Expiry Date is a fun upbeat track, and I especially love the sudden melody jump halfway through this song. It transports you to a different state of mind, a temporary musical anti-gravity.. and then the chorus brings you back into the song with a renewed energy.
Sleeping Satellite
Great cover of the original! Not sure who the original artists are unfortunately, but I do recognise the song. (Update: the original was sung by Tasmin Archer.) The coolest part of this cover is the guitar at "..the dream that died with the eagle's flight" - definitely an air guitar moment! And the guitar solo, which uses the same 'rough and dirty guitar' effect to add extra bite to the sound.
Rescue Me**
I love, love, LOVE how the song slowly turns and turns again in a lost-love waltz across an empty room of nostalgia and vintage sounds. As the song progresses, the strings that yawn their way into the music subtly hint at a sound reminiscent of Damien Rice, and the bartender reference is (to me) a strong reminder of a Dave Matthews Band song titled - wait for it - "Bartender". Apart from that one line, the evocative and mysterious nature of Rescue Me has me totally hooked.
Trouble Is
The Middle-Eastern flavour towards the end of the track is what really seals it for me on this one. Reminds me of Sting's "Desert Rose" and DMB's "The Last Stop".
Long Way Home**
I hear the first couple of seconds and I can't help but sigh "Ohhh yeahhhh...!" Long Way Home is a really funky track with the kind of groove that will have you tapping your foot or nodding your head (or both!) along with the beat. Strangely, it feels like Jimi Hendrix meets Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Eric Clapton & BB King!
Those Days
The guitar in this song, when it rings out between the verse/chorus, reminds me a little of John Mayer during his Contiuum album phase. I dig the Metallica(?)-style rock interlude halfway through, and the way the strings add an extra flavour to the chorus.
"Taylor sits drawing as her friends play out in the street.. She's mapping out her future in crayons and HB.."
Previously featured on Paul's earlier self-titled album, the band plays a different version of Taylor on this recording. The song has a very Mayer-eqsue bluesy swing to it (especially in the intro), and it also reminds me of The Badloves "Memphis" (I think it's because of the organ in the background, which I love!). This is a really nice take two, and a loving finish to the album.
All in all, "Nothing's New" is a great album by Paul Winn Band, well-presented both musically and visually, and definitely worth listening to!
---
Available for digital purchase on iTunes; or if you're like me and you enjoy holding the cd in your hands, visit their MySpace page for details on buying the physical album. I highly recommend it, as the album art is really great (kudos to the artist/s)!
Changes
I'm one of those people who like to write new year's resolutions occasionally and then promptly forget about them within the first couple of weeks. Not because I want to, it's just that I go through so much self-reflection most days of the year that I have plenty of other self-improvements to think about.
Lately I've noticed a few changes to my daily or weekly habits though, which has been interesting and quite pleasing too. The biggest change is that I've started reading books again, and on a regular basis. Last year I would pick up a book, read it a few times, and then leave it on the shelf for a month or more. Then I got really stuck into Nelson Mandela's "A Long Walk To Freedom" - I read it at every opportunity and managed to finish it before the new year - and I also finished off Ernesto (a.k.a. "Che") Guevara's "The Motorcycle Diaries". Both books made me realise that if I ever want to change the world, I will need to have a good knowledge of law, and a great understanding of the people - and it made me seriously consider the option of pursuing a post-graduate degree in law. For someone who's been trying to get rid of all their legal subjects at uni as painlessly as possible, this is a complete turnaround! But the consideration of a post-grad law degree is another story altogether.
I digress! Now I am currently reading another two books - "Swahili for the Broken-Hearted" by Peter Moore, and "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brian" by Oliver Sacks. The first is a humorous travel diary of sorts - the author starts in South Africa and ends in Cairo, and the narration has an Aussie taste to it (I enjoy the references to Darling Harbour et al, it makes me feel like I'm sharing an in-joke with the author where foreign readers might not). The latter is completely different, focusing on neuroscience and relating tales and cases of people with neurological conditions I've never heard of, with prescriptions of medications that only a Med student might know of. Some of it's over my head, but the stories themselves are quite fascinating and make you wonder at the kind of influence music has on the human brain and perceptions, etc. Once I've finished these two books (I hope to be done by the end of the month at the latest), I'll continue to go through the rest of the books on my shelf that I bought years ago and still haven't read.
Realising that I was reading more frequently has also made me notice just how much reading of other material I've been doing, notably through Google Reader. I've recently signed up to a bundle of psychology blogs, I follow a number of preferred music blogs, and I also read a few friends' blogs - this probably takes up a good chunk of my time during the week.
However I've also noted a distinct lack or decline in an area of my life that used to be all-consuming - musical performance. I no longer play the piano every couple of days - it might be once a week if I'm lucky - and I probably sing even less than that. I truly believe that the quality of my singing and my singing voice is probably now at maybe 40-50% of what it used to be in high school, and it's such a depressing thought that I don't think about it at all if I can help it. But I had this epiphany in the shower last night, and I am hoping to make amends. The irony of it all is that I have more instruments in my house than I've ever had, with Lex lending me his alto sax and his bass guitar!
So if I have a new year's resolution this year - and let's just make it one, because I'd forget any more - it will be to get back into playing music, not just listening to it. How do I propose to change this? Perhaps a bit less blog reading. Definitely devoting more time to myself, i.e. spending less time trying to call the boy when he's busy playing PS3/pool/poker because I'm just disturbing him anyway. Less FB-ing.
Writing all this has brought me to another realisation - I'm not sporty anymore - and most likely becoming quite unfit! I haven't gained any additional weight as a result, but I'm sure a lot of my muscle (not that I had much to begin with) has relaxed into fat. I have great plans in my head that this will all change once the uni semester begins again and I buy a gym membership at Unigym. But until then, I should at least be stretching in my room on a regular basis! I used to do it a lot but then something changed and the routine was lost. Funny how habits fade in and fade out like that.
So - in summary?
More reading. More music playing. More exercise!
Lately I've noticed a few changes to my daily or weekly habits though, which has been interesting and quite pleasing too. The biggest change is that I've started reading books again, and on a regular basis. Last year I would pick up a book, read it a few times, and then leave it on the shelf for a month or more. Then I got really stuck into Nelson Mandela's "A Long Walk To Freedom" - I read it at every opportunity and managed to finish it before the new year - and I also finished off Ernesto (a.k.a. "Che") Guevara's "The Motorcycle Diaries". Both books made me realise that if I ever want to change the world, I will need to have a good knowledge of law, and a great understanding of the people - and it made me seriously consider the option of pursuing a post-graduate degree in law. For someone who's been trying to get rid of all their legal subjects at uni as painlessly as possible, this is a complete turnaround! But the consideration of a post-grad law degree is another story altogether.
I digress! Now I am currently reading another two books - "Swahili for the Broken-Hearted" by Peter Moore, and "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brian" by Oliver Sacks. The first is a humorous travel diary of sorts - the author starts in South Africa and ends in Cairo, and the narration has an Aussie taste to it (I enjoy the references to Darling Harbour et al, it makes me feel like I'm sharing an in-joke with the author where foreign readers might not). The latter is completely different, focusing on neuroscience and relating tales and cases of people with neurological conditions I've never heard of, with prescriptions of medications that only a Med student might know of. Some of it's over my head, but the stories themselves are quite fascinating and make you wonder at the kind of influence music has on the human brain and perceptions, etc. Once I've finished these two books (I hope to be done by the end of the month at the latest), I'll continue to go through the rest of the books on my shelf that I bought years ago and still haven't read.
Realising that I was reading more frequently has also made me notice just how much reading of other material I've been doing, notably through Google Reader. I've recently signed up to a bundle of psychology blogs, I follow a number of preferred music blogs, and I also read a few friends' blogs - this probably takes up a good chunk of my time during the week.
However I've also noted a distinct lack or decline in an area of my life that used to be all-consuming - musical performance. I no longer play the piano every couple of days - it might be once a week if I'm lucky - and I probably sing even less than that. I truly believe that the quality of my singing and my singing voice is probably now at maybe 40-50% of what it used to be in high school, and it's such a depressing thought that I don't think about it at all if I can help it. But I had this epiphany in the shower last night, and I am hoping to make amends. The irony of it all is that I have more instruments in my house than I've ever had, with Lex lending me his alto sax and his bass guitar!
So if I have a new year's resolution this year - and let's just make it one, because I'd forget any more - it will be to get back into playing music, not just listening to it. How do I propose to change this? Perhaps a bit less blog reading. Definitely devoting more time to myself, i.e. spending less time trying to call the boy when he's busy playing PS3/pool/poker because I'm just disturbing him anyway. Less FB-ing.
Writing all this has brought me to another realisation - I'm not sporty anymore - and most likely becoming quite unfit! I haven't gained any additional weight as a result, but I'm sure a lot of my muscle (not that I had much to begin with) has relaxed into fat. I have great plans in my head that this will all change once the uni semester begins again and I buy a gym membership at Unigym. But until then, I should at least be stretching in my room on a regular basis! I used to do it a lot but then something changed and the routine was lost. Funny how habits fade in and fade out like that.
So - in summary?
More reading. More music playing. More exercise!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Quote - from Africa
Umcolo uthokozisa abadadukileyo (Zulu)
Singing makes all the sad people happy because it is the voice of happiness.
Singing makes all the sad people happy because it is the voice of happiness.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Hobart: Day 3 - Evening
So much to write about, but want to keep it short because I'm watching the Gumboots DVD and really enjoying it, and I also want to get some more sleep tonight.
Breakfast at 6.30am as usual. Handed in my clothes and underwear for laundry/dry cleaning at reception.
Walking around the hotel room I notice a bit of pain in my left ankle, as though I've sprained it. The pain stays with me for the rest of the day and into the evening.. it comes and goes but seems to be particularly prominent when I'm barefoot in my hotel.
Lots of laughter with the client and the team throughout the day which is great. The weather is beautiful which helps keep my spirits lifted. Also started to finish off my work which was pleasing.
Knocked off work early to visit Mt. Wellington.. and the bitter coldness was worth the amazing view. Even the drive itself is a lot of fun. Photos turned out really well which is also pleasing. Definitely want to visit again on my holiday weekend here next week. Preferably with suitable footwear though - we drove up to the mountain straight from work, so I was pottering around in my heels and got stuck way too many times between the wooden planks that made up the walkways to each of the lookouts.
Noticed bodyguards hanging around whilst we were sightseeing. Turns out they were looking after an extended family of 9. We wondered who the family was but left it at that.
Dinner at the Drunken Admiral (made a booking during the day just to make sure). The pasta at the self-serve salad bar was the best! The oysters were the highlight. I was totally put off my main meal because I ate an anchovy without knowing what it was! It was all I could do to avoid spitting it out into a serviette.
Coincidentally, the family and bodyguards arrived at the restaurant shortly after us. Based on my observations of the bodyguards at their own dinner table, it appeared that they also remembered us from the mountaintop. Tried to forget about all the action movies I'd seen, and suppressed thoughts of being taken out by the bodyguards. This party's presence added an extra dimension of excitement to tonight's dinner.
Tried to go for dessert at Mures, but they were shut by the time we headed over, so we retired to our hotel apartments. My clothes returned all nice and clean.. but I think they've just ruined one of my bras, which is really annoying because I only just bought it last week (and it wasn't cheap either!).
My bags are mostly packed, just need to finish off after tomorrow morning. Read a passage from my Spanish learning book tonight, and I had a better flow with my reading which was a nice surprise. Looking forward to reading more this weekend.. hope to read with/teach Lan as well.
Haven't done any drawing yet but I'll get to it at some stage. Read my Time magazine at breakfast this morning, will repeat tomorrow morning. Haven't written in my handwritten journal yet. No TED.com videos yet, I think I need to install iTunes first because that's the only program that will read them from my knowledge.
Had a ridiculously awesome conversation with Largie towards the end of the mountain visit, during the drive back down the mountain, on the way to dinner, and throughout dinner. Politics, racism, world issues and the incredible difficulty of solving them, events in history, Australian political history, the history of humans, medicine and science.. lots of world history/politics. And a bit of Takeshi's Castle and British comedy. Really rewarding and intellectually stimulating conversation that filled me up better than the dinner tonight. Don't get me wrong, I was stuffed from dinner, but the conversation was so refreshing. It's good having such knowledgeable friends, I learn so much from them.
Got in touch with Fitzy today as I'm going to be flying to Melbourne tomorrow afternoon. Did a bit of research online and discovered that the St Kilda markets are on tomorrow night, and they're only on Thursdays. But I don't know what the distance is from the airport and/or his place, so I don't know if it's a viable option. In any case I'll be happy to see an old friend again, and I'll be that little bit closer to seeing my boyfriend again. Feels like it's been a long time since I saw him, even though it was only on Sunday. Really looking forward to this weekend, I hope everything goes well.
Breakfast at 6.30am as usual. Handed in my clothes and underwear for laundry/dry cleaning at reception.
Walking around the hotel room I notice a bit of pain in my left ankle, as though I've sprained it. The pain stays with me for the rest of the day and into the evening.. it comes and goes but seems to be particularly prominent when I'm barefoot in my hotel.
Lots of laughter with the client and the team throughout the day which is great. The weather is beautiful which helps keep my spirits lifted. Also started to finish off my work which was pleasing.
Knocked off work early to visit Mt. Wellington.. and the bitter coldness was worth the amazing view. Even the drive itself is a lot of fun. Photos turned out really well which is also pleasing. Definitely want to visit again on my holiday weekend here next week. Preferably with suitable footwear though - we drove up to the mountain straight from work, so I was pottering around in my heels and got stuck way too many times between the wooden planks that made up the walkways to each of the lookouts.
Noticed bodyguards hanging around whilst we were sightseeing. Turns out they were looking after an extended family of 9. We wondered who the family was but left it at that.
Dinner at the Drunken Admiral (made a booking during the day just to make sure). The pasta at the self-serve salad bar was the best! The oysters were the highlight. I was totally put off my main meal because I ate an anchovy without knowing what it was! It was all I could do to avoid spitting it out into a serviette.
Coincidentally, the family and bodyguards arrived at the restaurant shortly after us. Based on my observations of the bodyguards at their own dinner table, it appeared that they also remembered us from the mountaintop. Tried to forget about all the action movies I'd seen, and suppressed thoughts of being taken out by the bodyguards. This party's presence added an extra dimension of excitement to tonight's dinner.
Tried to go for dessert at Mures, but they were shut by the time we headed over, so we retired to our hotel apartments. My clothes returned all nice and clean.. but I think they've just ruined one of my bras, which is really annoying because I only just bought it last week (and it wasn't cheap either!).
My bags are mostly packed, just need to finish off after tomorrow morning. Read a passage from my Spanish learning book tonight, and I had a better flow with my reading which was a nice surprise. Looking forward to reading more this weekend.. hope to read with/teach Lan as well.
Haven't done any drawing yet but I'll get to it at some stage. Read my Time magazine at breakfast this morning, will repeat tomorrow morning. Haven't written in my handwritten journal yet. No TED.com videos yet, I think I need to install iTunes first because that's the only program that will read them from my knowledge.
Had a ridiculously awesome conversation with Largie towards the end of the mountain visit, during the drive back down the mountain, on the way to dinner, and throughout dinner. Politics, racism, world issues and the incredible difficulty of solving them, events in history, Australian political history, the history of humans, medicine and science.. lots of world history/politics. And a bit of Takeshi's Castle and British comedy. Really rewarding and intellectually stimulating conversation that filled me up better than the dinner tonight. Don't get me wrong, I was stuffed from dinner, but the conversation was so refreshing. It's good having such knowledgeable friends, I learn so much from them.
Got in touch with Fitzy today as I'm going to be flying to Melbourne tomorrow afternoon. Did a bit of research online and discovered that the St Kilda markets are on tomorrow night, and they're only on Thursdays. But I don't know what the distance is from the airport and/or his place, so I don't know if it's a viable option. In any case I'll be happy to see an old friend again, and I'll be that little bit closer to seeing my boyfriend again. Feels like it's been a long time since I saw him, even though it was only on Sunday. Really looking forward to this weekend, I hope everything goes well.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Hobart: Day 2 - Evening
Dinner was a struggle this evening for a number of reasons. After a LOT of indecision ("Seafood? Or something else?") we finally settled on the Drunken Admiral as tonight's culinary choice. It was only a short walk from the hotel, but the temperature was dropping and the wintry weather didn't make for a pleasant, relaxing walk. We wanted to get into a building, and a warm one at that!
We arrived at the Drunken Admiral, only to find that it was booked out for the evening.. so we walked to Mures, which was across the pier. Didn't really like what we saw, so we then decided to head over to Salamanca, which was about 10 mins walk away.
By this time the overcast skies had decided to mix a light drizzle into the already chilly atmosphere, and we slowly started to collect rain in our hair and clothes as we hurriedly walked towards the string of restaurants.
Salamanca is a bit like the Rocks in Sydney - similar stone buildings and an air of history about the place, but not as many nooks and crannies as the Rocks offers. I enjoyed the location, but every restaurant we walked into was packed out - the first place (which a Melbournian man recommended to us on his way out) had a waiting time of 45 minutes, so we said F-that and moved on. Having walked most of the street, we settled on a 25-minute wait at the Ball and Chain. We were just glad to be out of the rain.
Eventually we were seated upstairs, and although the place looks very nice, the mains took ages to arrive after the entrees (maybe it's because they only use charcoal to cook the steaks) and my pepper steak was VERY peppery! The first mouthful was enough to provide internal heating to my gob.. too much in fact. We agreed that the pepper coating on the steak was so overpowering that you couldn't taste the steak, but I finished it nonetheless because it was a good medium rare. We'd had a lot of sides and entrees so everybody was pretty stuffed by the end of our meal, especially considering that we were all content after completing our entrees.
The walk back to the hotel was FREEZING. I was so cold that my tongue wouldn't behave properly (no I wasn't drunk) and I couldn't speak properly. The unavoidable shivering wasn't helping either. Needless to say I cranked up the air con to 26 degrees Celsius when I got back to my room, and really enjoyed the hot shower.
Work was more productive than yesterday. My client contacts are really friendly and we can share a laugh together, which makes me happy and allows me to enjoy my work more.
Had breakfast at 6.30 again - I've discovered that apricot slices and dry corn flakes are a tasty combination, as the cornflakes soak up the syrup and also stick to the apricot slices themselves. Yum!
They also played some good music during breakfast - a female cover of The Beatles' "Imagine", and Ben Harper's "Diamonds on the Inside" followed by "Steal My Kisses". Doesn't get any better! In fact we've been hearing quite a lot of good music around, i.e. the radio station we listen to in the car and in the hotel restaurant section. It's been a good mix of 90s pop favourites and more recent stuff, songs that I recognise but don't know who they're sung by.
Listened to Beth Rowley's album "Little Dreamer" as I got ready for work this morning. Currently listening to Goldfrapp, and was listening to the Soweto Gospel Choir from my phone's Walkman whilst showering. It took me back to memories of the Soweto Gospel Choir concert I went to earlier this year**.. that was such a special night for me. It was like seeing my heroes on stage. I don't consider the Choir as one of my heroes - in fact I don't really have any heroes in particular (although I do like to say "Ben Harper is my homeboy") - but I really love their music and the energy they have.
(**I've just written an email to the contact I obtained whilst at the concert - that night I asked around to try and see if I could get a photo with the whole choir, and although I wasn't able to, I got in touch with their manager and was able to write them a group email instead.)
I was thinking about this the other night - I really love African "township"-style and gospel-style music, but I don't listen to it that often, and I think I've realised why. It's because with African music, so much is lost in an audio recording. If you watch a Soweto Gospel Choir concert, or the DVD "Gumboots", or Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert, you'll understand what I mean. I believe dance/physical movement in general is an essential part of African music, as well as the sense of community. For instance, watching Gumboots makes me so happy, I find it difficult to sit down and watch it. I have to get up and dance/shuffle along to the rhythms and sing along to the call-and-response melodies. African music is really beautiful and feels so essential to life in this regard, like breathing.
Haven't watched any movies yet. Watched the first ever episode of the Animals of Farthing Wood last night, and could barely stay awake through the 22-minute show. There's just not enough time at night to do anything else because dinner takes a long time, and then I'm too tired to stay up, and I end up staying up to blog because I'm so convinced that I need to blog at least once a day while on this trip.
Things I would like to do on this trip:
- Do some drawing (I brought a book and crayons)
- Make sure I keep a journal of Melbourne in my "Melbourne" book (same book as the one referred to above, and so-called because it was a gift from Melbourne)
- Write in my handwritten journal at some stage
- Keep reading Time magazine in the mornings at breakfast (I still haven't gotten to the article that I specifically bought this magazine for)
- Watch at least one TED.com video, if not more
- Read a few passages from my Spanish learning book - haven't touched it since getting here! :(
- Attempt to watch at least one DVD that I brought (tried watching a bit of DMB Live at Folsom Field yesterday morning but didn't last long)
I think that's about it. I am SO buggered. Time to hit the hay (or fall asleep to a DVD).. damn these blogs take up my time.
We arrived at the Drunken Admiral, only to find that it was booked out for the evening.. so we walked to Mures, which was across the pier. Didn't really like what we saw, so we then decided to head over to Salamanca, which was about 10 mins walk away.
By this time the overcast skies had decided to mix a light drizzle into the already chilly atmosphere, and we slowly started to collect rain in our hair and clothes as we hurriedly walked towards the string of restaurants.
Salamanca is a bit like the Rocks in Sydney - similar stone buildings and an air of history about the place, but not as many nooks and crannies as the Rocks offers. I enjoyed the location, but every restaurant we walked into was packed out - the first place (which a Melbournian man recommended to us on his way out) had a waiting time of 45 minutes, so we said F-that and moved on. Having walked most of the street, we settled on a 25-minute wait at the Ball and Chain. We were just glad to be out of the rain.
Eventually we were seated upstairs, and although the place looks very nice, the mains took ages to arrive after the entrees (maybe it's because they only use charcoal to cook the steaks) and my pepper steak was VERY peppery! The first mouthful was enough to provide internal heating to my gob.. too much in fact. We agreed that the pepper coating on the steak was so overpowering that you couldn't taste the steak, but I finished it nonetheless because it was a good medium rare. We'd had a lot of sides and entrees so everybody was pretty stuffed by the end of our meal, especially considering that we were all content after completing our entrees.
The walk back to the hotel was FREEZING. I was so cold that my tongue wouldn't behave properly (no I wasn't drunk) and I couldn't speak properly. The unavoidable shivering wasn't helping either. Needless to say I cranked up the air con to 26 degrees Celsius when I got back to my room, and really enjoyed the hot shower.
Work was more productive than yesterday. My client contacts are really friendly and we can share a laugh together, which makes me happy and allows me to enjoy my work more.
Had breakfast at 6.30 again - I've discovered that apricot slices and dry corn flakes are a tasty combination, as the cornflakes soak up the syrup and also stick to the apricot slices themselves. Yum!
They also played some good music during breakfast - a female cover of The Beatles' "Imagine", and Ben Harper's "Diamonds on the Inside" followed by "Steal My Kisses". Doesn't get any better! In fact we've been hearing quite a lot of good music around, i.e. the radio station we listen to in the car and in the hotel restaurant section. It's been a good mix of 90s pop favourites and more recent stuff, songs that I recognise but don't know who they're sung by.
Listened to Beth Rowley's album "Little Dreamer" as I got ready for work this morning. Currently listening to Goldfrapp, and was listening to the Soweto Gospel Choir from my phone's Walkman whilst showering. It took me back to memories of the Soweto Gospel Choir concert I went to earlier this year**.. that was such a special night for me. It was like seeing my heroes on stage. I don't consider the Choir as one of my heroes - in fact I don't really have any heroes in particular (although I do like to say "Ben Harper is my homeboy") - but I really love their music and the energy they have.
(**I've just written an email to the contact I obtained whilst at the concert - that night I asked around to try and see if I could get a photo with the whole choir, and although I wasn't able to, I got in touch with their manager and was able to write them a group email instead.)
I was thinking about this the other night - I really love African "township"-style and gospel-style music, but I don't listen to it that often, and I think I've realised why. It's because with African music, so much is lost in an audio recording. If you watch a Soweto Gospel Choir concert, or the DVD "Gumboots", or Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert, you'll understand what I mean. I believe dance/physical movement in general is an essential part of African music, as well as the sense of community. For instance, watching Gumboots makes me so happy, I find it difficult to sit down and watch it. I have to get up and dance/shuffle along to the rhythms and sing along to the call-and-response melodies. African music is really beautiful and feels so essential to life in this regard, like breathing.
Haven't watched any movies yet. Watched the first ever episode of the Animals of Farthing Wood last night, and could barely stay awake through the 22-minute show. There's just not enough time at night to do anything else because dinner takes a long time, and then I'm too tired to stay up, and I end up staying up to blog because I'm so convinced that I need to blog at least once a day while on this trip.
Things I would like to do on this trip:
- Do some drawing (I brought a book and crayons)
- Make sure I keep a journal of Melbourne in my "Melbourne" book (same book as the one referred to above, and so-called because it was a gift from Melbourne)
- Write in my handwritten journal at some stage
- Keep reading Time magazine in the mornings at breakfast (I still haven't gotten to the article that I specifically bought this magazine for)
- Watch at least one TED.com video, if not more
- Read a few passages from my Spanish learning book - haven't touched it since getting here! :(
- Attempt to watch at least one DVD that I brought (tried watching a bit of DMB Live at Folsom Field yesterday morning but didn't last long)
I think that's about it. I am SO buggered. Time to hit the hay (or fall asleep to a DVD).. damn these blogs take up my time.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Hobart: Day 1 - Evening
Tonight we ate at the New Sydney Hotel, which is a nice little pub in the city of Hobart. It's got an Irish theme to it, and there's a lot of history in the place, with loads of framed & signed pieces by celebrities (such as Jimoein) and car number plates from all over the world, as well as all sorts of logo'd caps hanging from the walls. Mealwise, I had a lamb shank in red wine and rosemary and there were lots of entrees to share. Pimms & lemonade to drink, my standard alcoholic beverage.
First day of work went slowly but that's normal somewhat. The drive to the client site was scenic - Tasmania's topography is quite beautiful in my opinion, as there are lots of hills and paddocks built on hills. We drove past a large body of water and there were hundreds of black swans scattered across the bay, it was a fascinating sight.
Pretty tired, but enjoying it. Had a huge conversation about games towards the end of dinner.. everything from Doom to Super Mario, Mortal Kombat and Wolfenstein 3D cheat codes.. the Gran Turismo and GTA series, and beyond. A good trip down memory lane.
The most bizarre thing that happened during dinner tonight - we were discussing 80s music (or rather, the boys were), and I was about to ask one of them whether they were into Jeff Buckley.. and as the thought was forming in my head and I was about to open my mouth, Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" started playing! Talk about a coinky dink! Psych-out..
First day of work went slowly but that's normal somewhat. The drive to the client site was scenic - Tasmania's topography is quite beautiful in my opinion, as there are lots of hills and paddocks built on hills. We drove past a large body of water and there were hundreds of black swans scattered across the bay, it was a fascinating sight.
Pretty tired, but enjoying it. Had a huge conversation about games towards the end of dinner.. everything from Doom to Super Mario, Mortal Kombat and Wolfenstein 3D cheat codes.. the Gran Turismo and GTA series, and beyond. A good trip down memory lane.
The most bizarre thing that happened during dinner tonight - we were discussing 80s music (or rather, the boys were), and I was about to ask one of them whether they were into Jeff Buckley.. and as the thought was forming in my head and I was about to open my mouth, Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" started playing! Talk about a coinky dink! Psych-out..
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