i know... i know... i've been promised many times before and i truly won't believe it til i see it, but... i walked into my usual starbucks yesterday, first time in a few weeks. i was greeted by name and then ceremoniously informed that there will be bagels in store from monday. yes. my wandering through the desert, bagel-less is almost over.
stay tuned until next weekend for my findings. did they bend the truth to keep me coming back? does starbucks deserve my continued patronage after months of sad substitution of a croissant? i'll let you know.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Friday, 29 May 2009
to the malthouse we did go
"god is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh" - voltaire (1694 - 1778)
thursday night at the theatre with alex, carol, chris and jamie. and what a wonderfully re-worked production of voltaire's candide. a road trip from utopia to plagued lands and back again, challenges of religion and sex and love. a great cast of frank woodley, barry otto, david woods and others, with live music interspersed throughout. the sets were tremendous. i do like the malthouse productions.
the show is moving onto the edinburgh international festival and the sydney festival. see it if you can. funny and thoughtful - all the good things.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Sunday, 24 May 2009
sydney and we, the writers
after being abandoned by julie and vince in adelaide, i caught a flight to sydney to catch up with jamie for the 2009 writer's festival. the first session to tick off was held at the mint. david hill's 1788 (which i now have in my possession) reconstructs the story of the first fleet using diaries and letters and other primary sources. hill quoted mark twain in saying, "Australian history is almost always picturesque. Australian history does not read like history it is full of surprises and adventure, incongruities and incredibility's but they are all true, they all happened". hill's presentation seemed to exemplify this so i'm excited to read his book.
then there was one on continental philosophy that almost put me to sleep. a difficult topic to discuss at the best of times and the presenter wasn't overly engaging. but still interesting, must have been at the time because right now i can't recall. could look up my notes. nuh...
then onto tom gleeson's playing poker with the SAS. funny and interesting, he's always a safe bet.
friday also had us at the screening of son of a lion and a q&a session with benjamin gilmour. dinner then onto number one for wine and readings. very beatnik. and fun.
the saturday part of the festival started off with the 10.30 session "will the real writer please stand up?" which included sarah blasko, miles merrill, emmanuel jal and chris bray. a great start to the day, singing and dancing and the spoken word. love it.
(that's me in the red skirt by the way, intently doing something). onto a conversation between stephen cummings and bernard zuel. i had read cumming's memoirs on the plane, he was part of the australian rock group the sports in the late 70s, early 80s. interesting read.
couldn't get into a session of marcus chown's where we could've asked him ANYTHING and had to settle for stories from the climate change front. which was kind of interesting as i came out with a few titles and blogs to read.
after that was first australians - the book but also a discussion on the sbs tv series that went to air last year. i've decided i'm getting it for my niece for her birthday (shhh... don't tell her). i've seen most of it, i think only the last couple of episodes to go.
free wine at at the launch of an ethereal book, the red highway by nicolas rothwell. then onto a korean bbq restaurant which was hilarious. not only did it seem as though it was the waitress's first night as she didn't explain anything to us about how to bbq our own food, nor did she seem to understand anything jamie said the first time he said it, we were also being called nicole kidman and bruce willis by our new-to-australia korean neighbour. oh and jamie didn't know how to peel a prawn. i've found a weak spot to exploit - yeah! back to number one quayside for drinks and readings... oh for something like "howl". :)
this was beautiful sunday. the weather cleared and the sun was out. i caught a session on literary mysteries, for free i might add as someone handed back in their ticket as i went up to buy one, synchronicity abounds.
into martin chown's black holes, wormholes and vomit balls in space. it was especially for children but i loved it. the kids were eager and intelligent and asked amazing questions. i'm buying the book when i find it. chown writes for adults for the most part, but has just written his first children's book.
after lunch we tried to squeeze into the session, the secrets of writing fantasy for young adults with garth nix and isobelle carmody, but it was full. for some sessions they broadcast it, so we got to sit on the wharf in the glorious day and listen to them like on an old radio serial. very cool. i'm excited because nix has handed over to his publishers the last book in the keys to the kingdom series. yah!
our last session was bloggers vs journalists at the museum of contemporary art. the speakers were erica bartle, tim blair, margo kingston and antony loewenstein. the last two were the writers of the book "not happy john" that came out a few years ago.
and then the holiday was over. train, plane, bus, taxi and home.
(many thanks to jamie and his phone camera)
then there was one on continental philosophy that almost put me to sleep. a difficult topic to discuss at the best of times and the presenter wasn't overly engaging. but still interesting, must have been at the time because right now i can't recall. could look up my notes. nuh...
then onto tom gleeson's playing poker with the SAS. funny and interesting, he's always a safe bet.
friday also had us at the screening of son of a lion and a q&a session with benjamin gilmour. dinner then onto number one for wine and readings. very beatnik. and fun.
the saturday part of the festival started off with the 10.30 session "will the real writer please stand up?" which included sarah blasko, miles merrill, emmanuel jal and chris bray. a great start to the day, singing and dancing and the spoken word. love it.
(that's me in the red skirt by the way, intently doing something). onto a conversation between stephen cummings and bernard zuel. i had read cumming's memoirs on the plane, he was part of the australian rock group the sports in the late 70s, early 80s. interesting read.
couldn't get into a session of marcus chown's where we could've asked him ANYTHING and had to settle for stories from the climate change front. which was kind of interesting as i came out with a few titles and blogs to read.
after that was first australians - the book but also a discussion on the sbs tv series that went to air last year. i've decided i'm getting it for my niece for her birthday (shhh... don't tell her). i've seen most of it, i think only the last couple of episodes to go.
free wine at at the launch of an ethereal book, the red highway by nicolas rothwell. then onto a korean bbq restaurant which was hilarious. not only did it seem as though it was the waitress's first night as she didn't explain anything to us about how to bbq our own food, nor did she seem to understand anything jamie said the first time he said it, we were also being called nicole kidman and bruce willis by our new-to-australia korean neighbour. oh and jamie didn't know how to peel a prawn. i've found a weak spot to exploit - yeah! back to number one quayside for drinks and readings... oh for something like "howl". :)
this was beautiful sunday. the weather cleared and the sun was out. i caught a session on literary mysteries, for free i might add as someone handed back in their ticket as i went up to buy one, synchronicity abounds.
into martin chown's black holes, wormholes and vomit balls in space. it was especially for children but i loved it. the kids were eager and intelligent and asked amazing questions. i'm buying the book when i find it. chown writes for adults for the most part, but has just written his first children's book.
after lunch we tried to squeeze into the session, the secrets of writing fantasy for young adults with garth nix and isobelle carmody, but it was full. for some sessions they broadcast it, so we got to sit on the wharf in the glorious day and listen to them like on an old radio serial. very cool. i'm excited because nix has handed over to his publishers the last book in the keys to the kingdom series. yah!
our last session was bloggers vs journalists at the museum of contemporary art. the speakers were erica bartle, tim blair, margo kingston and antony loewenstein. the last two were the writers of the book "not happy john" that came out a few years ago.
and then the holiday was over. train, plane, bus, taxi and home.
(many thanks to jamie and his phone camera)
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
flora, fauna and road kill
kangaroo island with julie and vince. i'll let the pictures tell the stories.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
by air, land and water
an ultra early morning to catch a plane to adelaide. then julie, vince and i wandered around rundle street mall, bought sweetness from haigh's and walked through central markets before driving south to catch the ferry to kangaroo island.
got in around 5 and by the time we were driven to the b&b there wasn't much light left - but it looks spectacular. a roaring fire and a glorious view of the coast. our host lisa provided champagne and dinner before we had a game of scrabble.
a busy day of touring the island tomorrow. many photos to be taken.
got in around 5 and by the time we were driven to the b&b there wasn't much light left - but it looks spectacular. a roaring fire and a glorious view of the coast. our host lisa provided champagne and dinner before we had a game of scrabble.
a busy day of touring the island tomorrow. many photos to be taken.
Sunday, 17 May 2009
a lazy fremantle kinda sunday
down to freo for breakfast on the strip with julie and vince, before reflexology. a banana and nutella crepe while wandering the markets. met up with the crew at little creatures for a long sunday session of beer and laughter. inga and tim are pregnant.
not the best photo but these are my best gals.
not the best photo but these are my best gals.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
food glorious food
everything revolves around your stomach when catching up with friends and family. when we finally moved in the morning it was off to yum cha in northbridge. not being big fans of the fare, julie and i sought out regular food.
met up with the others for a quick bloody mary at grapeskin before i headed off to vic park to meet the family for a belated mother's day lunch. lots of talking and laughter and photos.
just realised i'm in nearly every shot. ah well...
met up with the others for a quick bloody mary at grapeskin before i headed off to vic park to meet the family for a belated mother's day lunch. lots of talking and laughter and photos.
just realised i'm in nearly every shot. ah well...
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