Straya Day
Hope it was a bonza one.
Thu, 26 Jan 2006
Wed, 25 Jan 2006
Lightning In North Hobart
You don't get too many thunderstorms in Hobart, which makes this photo, which my dad sent me last week, all the rarer.
Not sure who took it, though.
Tue, 24 Jan 2006
Chinese New Year Dinner
I don't think Kathleen thought as she sent out the email that everyone would accept our offer of hosting Chinese New Year dinner! We're now up to 12 attendees!
Luckily everyone's bringing a dish each, would should make cooking easier, but I'm not looking forward to washing up if it's hot!
Sat, 21 Jan 2006
My Poor Tired Wife
Kathleen got back in at 7am this morning, after an overnight flight from Perth. An 11pm departure, 4 hour flying time and 3 hour time difference between Sydney and Perth means it's a really, really bad way to start the weekend!
From my point of view, it was just as bad, since she woke me up to make me drag her suitcase up the stairs. I don't think I even opened my eyes while helping her, either. Yes, I was tired.
So she's now in bed trying to catch up on some sleep - she's going to be a cranky little bugger later! - but she's picked the worst day to do it on.
First, there was the paper delivery guy who walks down our street at 9am on Saturday and Sunday, blowing his whistle to alert you to his presence.
Then there were the tenants downstairs who decided to get in a bit of leaf-blower action (why the hell can't people rake or sweep these days?! Lazy bastards!). Just cause their three young boys wake them up at 7am doesn't mean we need to be woken up as well!
Then there was the bloke who decided, while I watched from the balcony with the paper and a coffee, to drag his Coles shopping trolley down the rock stairs on the small path next door - bash! bash! bash! at every bloody step.
And finally the council sent a truck down the road to suck all the leaves out of the gutters. Not a quiet process.
Oh yes, she's going to be really cranky when she wakes up. Maybe I'll just let her stay in bed all day. Might be safer...
Thankfully the birds, which normally wake us up on the weekend in the tree right outside our bedroom window, have taken the hint and shut the flock up.
Good birds.
Thu, 19 Jan 2006
The Bachelor
My wife is addicted to trash TV. I spent last night worrying about forgetting to tape The Bachelor, or more accurately, worrying about what would happen if I forgot to tape it, since she wasn't around to watch it.
It's unbelievably crappy, manipulative and deceitful. Incredibly implausible.
There is no way that it can not be scripted.
I can imagine, for a second, that a bloke would would marry some chick he'd known for a couple of TV weeks.
And I can accept that women would happily look the other way and fight to outdo each other whilst a man they're trying to get married to kisses all these other women on TV (how do they look their friends and family in the eye afterwards?)
But I cannot - absolutely cannot - believe for one fraction of a second that there is a man on this planet willing to talk and talk and friggin' talk to 15 different women about their relationship all the day long.
The same conversations over and over and over again.
The same crap.
The same vacant yes-yes-ok-blah-blah-have-you-finished?-enough-talking-now-some-smooching vacuous head nodding.
"I feel like I'm getting to know you."
"I like where our relationship is right now."
"How do you see us together?"
Kill me now.
Acreage
So Kathleen's over in Perth this weekend for a conference for her work. Part of this involves setting up and hosting a presentation booth at an expo, so she can raise awareness for some of the internal projects she's got going on, and how it will help the financial planners her company supports.
There are apparently a few of these booths, too, and the competition to generate a bit of foot-traffic is a bit intense.
She rang me up around 5 today, all giddy and excited.
Turns out, one of the other booths arranged for a psychic to sit there and read people's fortunes.
And Kathleen was told, for the second time, by two different psychics, that she was going to live on 'acreage', out in the country somewhere, and that she'd be involved in something 'medical'.
Personally, I can't see it. Knowing Kathleen, there's no way she'd move out of the city. Heck, she won't even entertain the idea of returning to Hobart one day!
Plus, internet access is crap anywhere further than 10km out of the CBD.
Wed, 18 Jan 2006
Rain
Of course, this morning it started to rain not five minutes after I'd left the house, by which time it was too late to change my mind and catch the train, rather than walk in to work. Ah well, at least I'm getting some exercise!
The humidity over the last couple of days has been quite intense, as well. Just the thing I need to get ready for returning to Kuala Lumpur next week.
Mon, 16 Jan 2006
Clerks
If Clerks was one of the funniest and most profane movies I've ever seen, Mallrats was ok-ish, sorta, Chasing Amy was stupid, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was so crap I didn't even watch it, then this movie is going to suck, suck, suck.
Sun, 15 Jan 2006
Flake
In the wake of last week's shark attacks (remember: in Australia, you're more likely to die from a bee sting than a shark attack), there was a small article on SMH today about how Sydneysiders don't eat shark.
Maybe it is one predator's way of telling another "we won't eat you, so you don't eat us", but the fact remains that shark always fetches the lowest prices at the Sydney Fish Market.
Over the years the fishing industry has tried to rebrand shark. It was once commonly called dogfish, a name enough to put off most diners.
In the early part of last century shark was renamed monkfish to cash in on the "fish on Fridays" Roman Catholics trade, but evoking religion still failed to attract interest.
During the Depression shark became known as blue flake and then flake, which fooled Victorians but not people in NSW.
Back home, of course, flake is the only accompaniment to chips. And the lack of decent fish and chip shops is something that really hurts.
One Newcastle fisherman, who did not want to be named, said there seemed to be so many Victorians living in Sydney now that any fish and chip shop owner who renamed his business "Flake Are Us" would make a fortune each Friday from homesick southerners.
Why can't we get decent fish and chips, decent flake, up here? Nothing like $10 flake and chips, wrapped in heavy, greaseproof paper and lashed with salt, with a couple of potato cakes alongside. Hold the chiko rolls, though.
Dead Animal
There's a dead possum on the footpath outside the front door of our apartment block. By the look of it, I'd say it's been dead, oh, about a week or so. It's a very weathered animal.
The first we knew of it was a shriek last night as Winnie and Lu arrived for Jazz in the Domain, and happened to come across it.
We've since watched on and off throughout the day as people walking along see it, and either give a loud exclamation of disgust, or a wide berth! You can imagine the reaction of Kathleen, whose love of small, rat-like animals is well-known.
The owners of the downstairs apartment, whose street access gate opens directly on the unfortunate mammal, have twice thrown it into the gutter. Twice, the crows who live in the surrounding trees have swooped down, dragged it back onto the footpath and pecked at it for a bit, before flying off again. Even the neighbourhood cat has swung by for a bit of a sniff.
There's no way, of course, that I'm touching it. I'm sure it'll disappear eventually.
Jazz In The Domain
Last night, we went to the Sydney Festival's Jazz in the Domain, along with a group of friends and 100,000 other people!
Luckily the evening heat lasted just enough to keep us warm for the southerly change, and the rain that threatened all evening held off just long enough to enjoy 3 hours of jazz! Both the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Dirty Dozen Jazz Band put on a good show, which was both for the Sydney Festival and a fund-raiser for Hurricane Katrina:
Jaffe appealed to the audience for financial aid to help six of the seven members of the band rebuild their homes, which were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina last year.
But last night the mood was far from tragic as the players roused fans to spontaneous dancing despite security guards' efforts to keep them seated.
I love how security guards are the de-facto anti-fun police. I can just imagine them running around, frantically and impotently trying to get everyone to please Sit Down and Be Quiet and Clap Politely. Luckily, jazz is too contagious for that!
It was amazing - people jumping up all over the place, dancing wherever there was a free square foot of grass! Even if you were lazier, or just plain stuffed after eating a big picnic dinner, you could find the energy to tap your feet.
Sat, 14 Jan 2006
Australian Accent
Lu and Denzil finally arrived back in Australia this week, after two years of working and sight-seeing around London. Already, they're encountering the strangest aspect of returning to Australia: the Australian accent.
It's hard to understand why tourists think Australians have an accent - after all, that's the way we speak. If anything, it's other English-speaking countries that have accents. Americans have that weird twang, the Brits have that poncy, plummy accent, and South Africans just sound strange!
We found, after returning from a year in Japan, and spending one of our first evenings back watching TV, just how broad and ocker Australians can sound. Granted, ads on TV often accentuate the accent to mimic the 'average Australian', but re-immersing ourselves in the Aussie vernacular was quite worrying for the first few days. Did we really sound like that?!
Luckily the disconnect faded after a few days, and a week later, things sounded normal again. As it should be.
Chuck Norris
From Chuck Norris Facts:
- If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
- Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
- Chuck Norris is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.
- When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.
Chuck Norris probably doesn't frequent Cute Overload.com, however.
Fri, 06 Jan 2006
Kris Had Her Wisdom Teeth Taken Out
Well, two of them anyway. Both Kathleen and I had all four taken out, but had general anaesthetic to compensate.
I slept pretty well throughout the night and, aside from feeling a little groggy this morning, I feel great. Some of you guys really freaked me out with your tales of weeklong drug-induced stupors.
Mmmm... weeklong drug-induced stupors... grghhgahh...
Scam
I was up at the newsagent in Crows Nest earlier today. Couldn't help overhear a conversation between a middle-aged woman and the young shop assistant. Seems the woman wanted to transfer some money via Western Union, as per the instructions in an email she'd been sent. It sounded fishy.
Luckily for her, she'd run into a sales assistant who didn't want to see the customer fork out her hard-earned to a likely internet scam. She patiently explained what had likely happened, and that it might be a good idea for the customer to learn a bit more about whether she actually NEEDED to send the money. In hindsight, the customer agreed: yes, she would double-check.
Good on the young girl behind the counter for actually going the extra effort!
It is interesting, though, that people still consider emails to be somewhat 'official', and will follow the instructions if they look authentic enough, even if what they are asked to do is downright suspicious.
Interesting, but infuriating. As someone who earns a living working with computers, it's amazing that these scams are still proliferating. What with all the trojans, viruses, spam email doing the rounds these days, it's a scary time for someone with little computer experience to be online!
Thu, 05 Jan 2006
Alexandria's Very Own Champion Chefs
If ever you wanted to know why I think Stef and Eva are amazing in the kitchen, you need only read about what they have for tea:
- Ginseng chicken soup
- Sichaun eggplant
- Stir-fried gai lan
- Steamed snapper
Maybe that's another New Years Resolution - become a better cook!
Mon, 02 Jan 2006
New Year Resolutions
Since I have a habit of breaking or ignoring previous years' New Years Resolutions, I figure that by publicly stating them, the likelihood of breaking them is lessened. And so, here are my resolutions. Feel free to ask me how they're going later in the year.
- Break open those Cantonese textbooks again, and practice, practice, practice. It's embarrassing how little effort I've put into studying over the years!
- Ditto for my Japanese.
- (Finally!) Stop biting my fingernails. It's out of control and looks pretty bad, too.
- Stop procrastinating.
Since Christmas
We've been busy doing not very much over the last week - holidays seem to last longer if you don't do anything!
- Kathleen dragged me away from the television (i.e. the cricket and the sailing) on Boxing Day to go to the Kylie Minogue exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. I clung tightly to her arm, lest people think I went there by myself. She came back with the greatest hits DVD, too.
- We suffered through a couple of days of the Great Sydney Heatwave of '05, which culminated in 44C temperatures on New Years Day. Ouch.
- We headed to the cinema to escape the heat, sitting in blessedly dark, air-conditioned cinemas. Saw The Family Stone and Broken Flowers - the latter was frustratingly open-ended, and you can start to understand why Jim Jarmusch films seem to almost have a signature filmography:
- We missed out on the Falls Festival in Hobart, which sounded like the best one ever:
- Eva, Steph and Winnie came over on New Years Eve to help polish off the beer, wine and champagne we had in the fridge. We watched Shirley Road descend into anarchy with all the people looking for a free park (hint for next year: by 5pm, if you don't have a park here, you won't find one), and enjoyed the cool evening breeze on the balcony after the 35C weather earlier in the day. We all caught the train down to Milsons Point to watch the fireworks and the countdown to the New Year.
- Last night, we went to Jellyfish in Manly for dinner to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.
- And today, we went out to Chatswood for yum cha.
Somewhere in the back of everyone's mind is a Jim Jarmusch shooting script, perpetually on "play". You're on your way to work.
"Man stands at bus stop. Says nothing. Looks at pavement. Weird hair," says the script. You sit at your desk.
"Look inside coffee cup. Black ring."
Revellers enjoyed the music and comedy of Tassie's largest music event on two stages, with performances from local, interstate and international acts including crowd favourites Little Birdy, End of Fashion, The Cat Empire, and The Dandy Warhols.
Tomorrow, it's back to work.
