Well the weather is indeed warming up (although some days it still does NOT feel like it!). We even have real daffodils coming out of the ground.
My job is cool. I have been doing a lot of going out to "engagements" with my boss - where it is nice to see the interection between the stuff from the office and it's impact on various groups in the community. I have to work pretty long hours (though not as long as in the firm in JKT) but I don't mind.
The other exciting thing is that I get paid next week. Paid, real money! Weeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
This week I spent every night finishing my scholarship applications (and they have to be done today). But on Thursday night I got to go and see Gomez play at the Governor Hindmarsh.
I must admit that I had big expectations, having watched Gomez play about 5 years ago, and remembering the gig as my favourite of all-time. They didn't disappoint. Apparently they had spent a long time travelling to get here the day before they played in Adelaide, and one guy was sick, so they were a bit grumpy. But they pumped up a bit when they saw how keen the crowd was. :-) I did realise at the show though, that I have missed about two quite recent albums (as well as the one's I knew I didn't have) cos a load of the songs were unfamiliar. I went and bought 2 from the back catalogue the next day, but still have a couple to go...... Anyway, conclusion - they were amazing, and the Gov was even a pretty good venue.
Oh and the Vasko Era were the support, and I have never seen a band be so cruel to their instruments on stage ever. Ha! But they were pretty cool, if a somewhat odd choice for a Gomez support slot.
Hmmmm. Anyways, happy birthday to Lauren. I sent her an SMS calling her old, but the flaw in my logic is that I too will be 24 in about three weeks time, so of course she had the perfect comeback.
And as for my "reading my way through missed classics" - I have a Jane Austen book waiting to read, as well as two Thomas Hardy books that Dad pulled out of a box, from his old days at Manchester Uni. But I haven't had time to start them yet. Will do will do.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Scout's Music Revue
I start my job tomorrow, Ministerial Liaison for something-something, writing speeches something-something, blah-blah. Can't wait for some income dum-dum.
And continuing in my "reading books I shoulda read ages ago" phase - I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Perhaps this might explain why ah cayan't stop tawkin lahk ah gowt a suthun acceyant.
I want to talk about music for a minute. Up until several weeks ago, if people had asked what was my favourite album of the year, I would have answered Madonna-Confessions on a Dancefloor (which I think, ironically, was released last year). Nonetheless, in spite of your audible booing and hissing about that previous statement, I have stumbled upon some great muzaks the past few weeks.
For a start, in Bali I bought a pirate copy of Ben Harper-Both Sides of the Gun after hearing it played in Bintang in Yogya, and my-wordy, that is a toe-tapping revelation of a hoe-down soundtrack. What am I talking about? Hmmm, well anyway, its a good album. Much lighter than other offerings yet still mighty serious. Radicool.
Then the other day, in celebration of the end of my period of unemployment, I bought a couple of CD's, one being Thom Yorke's Eraser and the second being Goldfrapp-Supernature.
Well, on first listen, Eraser was a thoroughly unlistenable hotch-potch of blips and beeps, but having been a long-long-time fan of Radiohead I have listened again, and goddarnit, if there wasn't the odd melody in there that I didn't hear to begin with. Who wudda thunk it? It is growing on me, like some kind of blippy-bleepy disease. :-)
The Goldfrapp CD is also good. "Hell-80's" as kids on tha street mite say. But well worth 8.95 from the JB's bargain bin. Infact, possible even worth 28.95. Aduh.
I had also heard some stuff about the most recent Fiona Apple record, Extradordinary Machine, but they didn't have it in the shop, so I didn't get it. Then happened to mention this sequence of events to my brother when I got home, who said, "I bought that stupid CD months ago. I hate it. You can have it." To which I replied "Are you sure?", and he said something along the lines of "Well put it this way, I can keep it in my CD stand and never listen to it again, or you can have it in your CD stand and possibly turn it into something less than a waste of my money." And, it is pretty cool. Very eccentric, and dare I say, unlike past works, and I am still warming up to it, but after several listens yesterday, I can say, I. like. it.
Ok, prattle prattle. What have been your favourite albums this year?? And what are some other books I can add to my "Books I Shoulda Read Ages Ago" list? I already have Wuthering Heights (thanx to Sam).
And continuing in my "reading books I shoulda read ages ago" phase - I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Perhaps this might explain why ah cayan't stop tawkin lahk ah gowt a suthun acceyant.
I want to talk about music for a minute. Up until several weeks ago, if people had asked what was my favourite album of the year, I would have answered Madonna-Confessions on a Dancefloor (which I think, ironically, was released last year). Nonetheless, in spite of your audible booing and hissing about that previous statement, I have stumbled upon some great muzaks the past few weeks.
For a start, in Bali I bought a pirate copy of Ben Harper-Both Sides of the Gun after hearing it played in Bintang in Yogya, and my-wordy, that is a toe-tapping revelation of a hoe-down soundtrack. What am I talking about? Hmmm, well anyway, its a good album. Much lighter than other offerings yet still mighty serious. Radicool.
Then the other day, in celebration of the end of my period of unemployment, I bought a couple of CD's, one being Thom Yorke's Eraser and the second being Goldfrapp-Supernature.
Well, on first listen, Eraser was a thoroughly unlistenable hotch-potch of blips and beeps, but having been a long-long-time fan of Radiohead I have listened again, and goddarnit, if there wasn't the odd melody in there that I didn't hear to begin with. Who wudda thunk it? It is growing on me, like some kind of blippy-bleepy disease. :-)
The Goldfrapp CD is also good. "Hell-80's" as kids on tha street mite say. But well worth 8.95 from the JB's bargain bin. Infact, possible even worth 28.95. Aduh.
I had also heard some stuff about the most recent Fiona Apple record, Extradordinary Machine, but they didn't have it in the shop, so I didn't get it. Then happened to mention this sequence of events to my brother when I got home, who said, "I bought that stupid CD months ago. I hate it. You can have it." To which I replied "Are you sure?", and he said something along the lines of "Well put it this way, I can keep it in my CD stand and never listen to it again, or you can have it in your CD stand and possibly turn it into something less than a waste of my money." And, it is pretty cool. Very eccentric, and dare I say, unlike past works, and I am still warming up to it, but after several listens yesterday, I can say, I. like. it.
Ok, prattle prattle. What have been your favourite albums this year?? And what are some other books I can add to my "Books I Shoulda Read Ages Ago" list? I already have Wuthering Heights (thanx to Sam).
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Occurrences
Ok, this week I have
a) Finished Great Gatsby (and added it to my all-time favourite books list)
b) Finally watched Garden State (cool movie)
c) Got a job (more on that one later)
d) Conceded that my front tooth is turning a strange colour and that I need to get it fixed (if only I hadn't chipped in that handball game in Year 6....damned gutter)
e) Made an appointment to get my hair done
f) Unpacked another box of stuff
g) Bought new shoes and mascara and various skin products aimed at resolving my war on open pores
h) Went to the movies to watch Beyond The Sea with Kevin Spacey about the life of Bobby Darin (I hadn't heard of him either, it's ok!). Good film, but the little kid was annoying and irrelevant if you ask me.
i) Thought about the Middle East and how depressing that whole situation is (feeling increasingly angry at Israel's behaviour)
j) Watched Indonesian news and seen that there is some kind of natural disaster in Surabaya (what is lumpor panas?)
k) Found 30 CD's in my little sister's cupboard (realised I wasn't losing my mind, and that some of my best CD's were actually missing until I found them again)
l) Found a bunch of my clothes in my little sister's cupboard (see note above)
m) Acclimatised a little bit more.
So life is well and truly back to normal.
Oh and a question- if y'all were gonna learn a new language what would it be?? And why?
a) Finished Great Gatsby (and added it to my all-time favourite books list)
b) Finally watched Garden State (cool movie)
c) Got a job (more on that one later)
d) Conceded that my front tooth is turning a strange colour and that I need to get it fixed (if only I hadn't chipped in that handball game in Year 6....damned gutter)
e) Made an appointment to get my hair done
f) Unpacked another box of stuff
g) Bought new shoes and mascara and various skin products aimed at resolving my war on open pores
h) Went to the movies to watch Beyond The Sea with Kevin Spacey about the life of Bobby Darin (I hadn't heard of him either, it's ok!). Good film, but the little kid was annoying and irrelevant if you ask me.
i) Thought about the Middle East and how depressing that whole situation is (feeling increasingly angry at Israel's behaviour)
j) Watched Indonesian news and seen that there is some kind of natural disaster in Surabaya (what is lumpor panas?)
k) Found 30 CD's in my little sister's cupboard (realised I wasn't losing my mind, and that some of my best CD's were actually missing until I found them again)
l) Found a bunch of my clothes in my little sister's cupboard (see note above)
m) Acclimatised a little bit more.
So life is well and truly back to normal.
Oh and a question- if y'all were gonna learn a new language what would it be?? And why?
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Not quite a Gili Islands Picture
In response to complaints from some of my siblings that I never posted a pic of them on my blog (which was btw incorrect) and also because my blog looks boring without photo's and also because there is not much interesting stuff at this point in time for me to show you......here is a photo of me and my crazy younger sibbles. Jonathon, Gabrielle and D-andy, oops I mean, Sandy.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Reacclimatisationising
Adelaide is still cold- and no matter how much the people around me try to tell me that 20 degrees celcius is warm, i won't accept it. It is not warm when the mercury spends all day shivering it's way up the stem of the themometer only to reach 20 for a microsecond and turn around again. And all of you people currently living in cooler climes- shut your mouths - let me have my whinge just for a few more days...
No, no, no. My blood is tropicalised. And it ain't detropicalising without a fight.
So the past week I have been sitting at the computer, hittin the keys, typing up cover letters and CV's and sending them off. And now I wait.
And my scholarships are due soon enough, so i shall let u know, kasitahu, about that.
I have seen my adorable little new family members, Anderson and Madison. Both super-cute and cuddly. And though they are both my cousins, I hope they call me Aunty - cos the chances of one of my siblings spawning offspring anytime soon is slim methinks.
I watched one of my Indo VCD's tonight - to check whether i still understand the language after 10 days (I did)- I watched "Janji Joni"- and it is actually a cool little Indo indie flick. I really enjoyed it, and it is pretty funny. Unlike virtually every other Indonesian film I have seen. And, it wasn't sponsored by a tobacco company, so there were no pointed and random shots of someone lighting up a ciggy, totally unrelated to the plot. I also recognised a lot of the Jakarta city scenes they used - at one stage I am pretty sure he drives past Plaza Semanggi - where I would often go when I was pulang kantor - going home from the office!
I didn't quite get the same exhilarating feeling about seeing a mall I recognised, as when they are scaling the walls of the Vatican in MI:3 and I could lean to my neighbour and say "I've been there" but it was still cool to see it.
And before I go some additions to the Crappy/Good Things About Being Home list:
Happy
1) Seeing my friends - ( & calling them on the phone and not having to worry if my phone credit will run out.)
2) Red Wine
3) My champion Grandparents - who are still super-happy after circling the globe in their mini-world-tour.
4) My Tax Return!!!!! (Woohoo!)
5) Broadband internet
Crappy
1) After not using moisturiser for the entire time in Indo, applying 2-3 times a day to avoid having skin like paper.
2) Losing my hard-earned tan.
3) Not bein able to walk 10m down the road at lunchtime, pay 50c for my lunch, and walk home.
4) Missin my friends in Indo, and the relaxed vibe of Yogya, and of course, Bar Bintang.
5) I do not know how to make Telur Dadar like Ibu Kos, and as for adding jagung - ha- gak mungkin! (If anyone has that recipe - please tell me)
But all in all, being home is better than I expected. And I will be back in Indo many times in the future I suppose.
Oh and my family are the newest in a long line of sambal addicts - i made some on the weekend and my psycho brother is having it on toast. Aduh. Gila banget!
Rite, time to read more of "The Great Gatsby" - I am still trying to work out if I can include it in my favourite books list......
No, no, no. My blood is tropicalised. And it ain't detropicalising without a fight.
So the past week I have been sitting at the computer, hittin the keys, typing up cover letters and CV's and sending them off. And now I wait.
And my scholarships are due soon enough, so i shall let u know, kasitahu, about that.
I have seen my adorable little new family members, Anderson and Madison. Both super-cute and cuddly. And though they are both my cousins, I hope they call me Aunty - cos the chances of one of my siblings spawning offspring anytime soon is slim methinks.
I watched one of my Indo VCD's tonight - to check whether i still understand the language after 10 days (I did)- I watched "Janji Joni"- and it is actually a cool little Indo indie flick. I really enjoyed it, and it is pretty funny. Unlike virtually every other Indonesian film I have seen. And, it wasn't sponsored by a tobacco company, so there were no pointed and random shots of someone lighting up a ciggy, totally unrelated to the plot. I also recognised a lot of the Jakarta city scenes they used - at one stage I am pretty sure he drives past Plaza Semanggi - where I would often go when I was pulang kantor - going home from the office!
I didn't quite get the same exhilarating feeling about seeing a mall I recognised, as when they are scaling the walls of the Vatican in MI:3 and I could lean to my neighbour and say "I've been there" but it was still cool to see it.
And before I go some additions to the Crappy/Good Things About Being Home list:
Happy
1) Seeing my friends - ( & calling them on the phone and not having to worry if my phone credit will run out.)
2) Red Wine
3) My champion Grandparents - who are still super-happy after circling the globe in their mini-world-tour.
4) My Tax Return!!!!! (Woohoo!)
5) Broadband internet
Crappy
1) After not using moisturiser for the entire time in Indo, applying 2-3 times a day to avoid having skin like paper.
2) Losing my hard-earned tan.
3) Not bein able to walk 10m down the road at lunchtime, pay 50c for my lunch, and walk home.
4) Missin my friends in Indo, and the relaxed vibe of Yogya, and of course, Bar Bintang.
5) I do not know how to make Telur Dadar like Ibu Kos, and as for adding jagung - ha- gak mungkin! (If anyone has that recipe - please tell me)
But all in all, being home is better than I expected. And I will be back in Indo many times in the future I suppose.
Oh and my family are the newest in a long line of sambal addicts - i made some on the weekend and my psycho brother is having it on toast. Aduh. Gila banget!
Rite, time to read more of "The Great Gatsby" - I am still trying to work out if I can include it in my favourite books list......
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Novelties that Don't Wear Off (and those that do....)
Happy things about being home
1) Seeing my family & friends
2) Seeing my cousin's gorgeous new little baby, and my new cousin!
3) Being able to go the fridge and cut a piece of CHEESE as I wish, and eat it, with my left hand, as I wish!
4) Being able to drive my car
5) Being reunited with my CD's
Crappy things about being home
1) It is bloody freezing
2) Adelaide does not change, at all.
3) I have no money and no job
4) Did I mention it is bloody freezing?
5) Um, the last time I spoke Indonesian was when I stepped on the plane in Bali. Fab.
Anyway's luckily I have managed thus far to avoid the post-travel blues, as I have so many damned things to do, I ain't got no time to feel sorry for myself.
To all my regular commentors, thankyou.
To all my anonymous commentors- if you knew me, you would know how much i want to know who you are :-).
And to all my non-commenting readers, thanks for nuthin punks! Ha ha. Only kidding.
The guardian angel who sits on my shoulder has been telling me all who you are anyway. So don't think I don't know......
No seriously. I derive a lot of pleasure from writing this blog, and sharing all the crazy stuff I do with you, even if my grammar is bad, my expression colloquial, and my point often unclear.
Not sure how prolific I will be in the next few months - perhaps I need to take a show of hands from my O/S readers to see just how interested they are in my hum drum Adelaide life. Sampe nanti.
1) Seeing my family & friends
2) Seeing my cousin's gorgeous new little baby, and my new cousin!
3) Being able to go the fridge and cut a piece of CHEESE as I wish, and eat it, with my left hand, as I wish!
4) Being able to drive my car
5) Being reunited with my CD's
Crappy things about being home
1) It is bloody freezing
2) Adelaide does not change, at all.
3) I have no money and no job
4) Did I mention it is bloody freezing?
5) Um, the last time I spoke Indonesian was when I stepped on the plane in Bali. Fab.
Anyway's luckily I have managed thus far to avoid the post-travel blues, as I have so many damned things to do, I ain't got no time to feel sorry for myself.
To all my regular commentors, thankyou.
To all my anonymous commentors- if you knew me, you would know how much i want to know who you are :-).
And to all my non-commenting readers, thanks for nuthin punks! Ha ha. Only kidding.
The guardian angel who sits on my shoulder has been telling me all who you are anyway. So don't think I don't know......
No seriously. I derive a lot of pleasure from writing this blog, and sharing all the crazy stuff I do with you, even if my grammar is bad, my expression colloquial, and my point often unclear.
Not sure how prolific I will be in the next few months - perhaps I need to take a show of hands from my O/S readers to see just how interested they are in my hum drum Adelaide life. Sampe nanti.
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