Thursday, June 30

Things just get Sicker

SBS reported last night about this new video game - realistic shoot 'em up stuff - that's actually designed and marketed by the US Department of Defense. It's called 'America's Army' and it's ranking at number four in the US charts and it's becoming an army recruiter's new best friend.

Public support for the war in Iraq has plummeted and George Bush is begging the US people and the military to "stay the course" in Iraq and Afghanistan. But with the US receiving casualties daily, the task of persuading Americans to sign up is becoming increasingly difficult. For the fourth month in a row, the army has fallen well short of its recruitment targets. The result is that they're turning to some pretty unconventional methods to persuade young Americans to do it for Uncle Sam. I hope it doesn't work. That's all we need - more dead young people.

So why don't you listen up Mr. Bush? Even your own people don't want to fight your sick greedy money war!


And the Heavens Opened Up

This rain is great. It is bucketing down. It hasn't stopped all day. It's so loud - on my roof, the wind in the trees, the pouring down the gutter, the overflowing storm drains, car tyres on wet asphalt.

Did we need it!!!! But unfortunately alot of it is running straight down our drains and into & onto our harbour and beaches and ultimately straight out of our lives. It seems so ridiculous in this country we're not using modern practices and methods of water conservation. Europe has been doing it for over 20 years.

I had to go out earlier, the rain had eased up and was just sprinkling. 2 minutes in - a storm started increasing the rain 50 fold and the wind blew it horizontally. At that precise moment I looked down only to realise both pairs of shoelaces are undone and hanging in the puddles of water everywhere. I tried to do them up still holding the umbrella over my head - with the handles stuck between my legs as I squatted down. In the end I just folded the umbrella up. On arrival back home I inspected my clothes. The jeans were soaked from the knee down, and the jacket was entirely wet.

Kids & Music


Had the very great pleasure of looking after my niece yesterday for a couple of hours. It is amazing how much fun you can have with a 2 year old. I am so lucky to have this relationship with Jindi & Doll - they're basically like my own. Later in the day I then looked after my friends's 1 year old - there is such a huge difference between those two ages - but he was fun too.

Arriving at the Annandale last night made me feel extremely old. Dallas Crane had sold out which means the place was more than just crowded. I just wasn't in the mood for cramming in with all those people. After sussing the scene out I got JD and I a place right up close with no hassle going on at all in the crew only area. Don't know how it worked but it did. Dallas Crane were GREAT. I'm not a huge fan at all, but I can honestly say they really are a tight hot band live and the lead singer/guitarisr & drummer are awesome. Real talent.


Tuesday, June 28

Rain


raining
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
This is pretty much what's going on here. Even though we shouldn't be complaining about it - alot of people are.

Monday, June 27

Self Portrait Tuesday Closer Up

Very Germanesque shot - beer and graffiti.

Self Portrait Tuesday


jump for joy
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
Ok, so not entirely self shot but it is a photo of me being silly. I wish I could include the one I took of JD at the same time with him looking decidedly uncoordinated while I look rather balletic - but I wasn't able to manage timing the shot well enough. JD is the better photographer by far.

"Orange"

This was the 1st and only organic tomato that we were able to harvest. Go here for more Photo Friday images.

Sunday, June 26

We should ever never forget


World estimates of the HIV & AIDS epidemics at the end of 2004

Number of people living with HIV/AIDS in 2004
Estimate* Range*
Total 39.4 35.9-44.3
Adults 37.2 33.8-41.7
Women 17.6 16.3-19.5
Children 15 2.2 2.0-2.6
People newly infected with HIV in 2004
Estimate* Range*
Total 4.9 4.3-6.4
Adults 4.3 3.7-5.7
Children 15 0.64 0.57-0.75
AIDS deaths in 2004
Estimate* Range*
Total 3.1 2.8-3.5
Adults 2.6 2.3-2.9
Children 15 0.51 0.46-0.60

* millions

Total number of AIDS deaths between 1981 and the end of 2003: 20 million.

Number of children orphaned by AIDS living in Sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2003: 12 million.

By December 2004 women accounted for 47% of all people living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2003, young people (15-24 years old) accounted for half of all new HIV infections worldwide, more than 6,000 became infected with HIV every day.

An estimated five million people in low and middle income countries do not have the AIDS drugs which could save their lives.

The World is a Fcuked up Place


Last year's World Press Photo Exhibition seemed to be more uplifting. This year I found it incredibly difficult to look at alot of the photos. Anything to do with the war in Iraq, the tsunami catastrophe, and the Sudan Dafur nightmare was just horrific. There's some truly beautiful work as well - including some boys in Africa running through a swarm of locusts. If you're in Sydney get along to the State Library until July 17.

Saturday, June 25

Deutsch Blogging

Finally found a German based blog of note - Delicious Days - and via that some cool guides for München - Toytown probably more geared to the English speaking ex-pat but nevertheless good and minga.de in German - which is going to take more effort for me to read but for all you down there in Munich - hi and kisses to you Heines & Sonntags - it may offer up something new.

Songlines


Thank You Blogger. This new feature uploading photos and posting is just all too easy. I love it.
This photo was chosen at random from my/our files - it was taken flying over Australia - probably somewhere over the Northern Territory or Western Australia on the way to Germany in April 2002. It's one of my favourite parts of the journey - when there's little or no cloud cover, the views are amazing - the best you'll find on this planet. I can stare at this beautiful country for hours. I call it a songline because I've done this approximate route more than 20 times.




Beauty


It must be true. I read it in the paper. The SMH in fact. And this face very definitely proves it.

Eurasian features have been associated with beauty since Somerset Maugham extolled the exotic appearance of a woman of mixed race more than 80 years ago in his short story, The Pool. Now Australian psychologists have shown there is a scientific basis for this stereotype. In the first study of its kind, Caucasians and Asians rated average Eurasian faces as more attractive than average faces of either race. They also judged Eurasian faces to be healthier, giving credence to theory that beauty is not solely determined by culture and the media, but has biological origins.

Yes, I'm one quarter Chinese-three-quarters Anglo. But boringly incredibly Anglo looking.

Chiswell


This is our new sideboard. We've been looking for ages on and off again for a sideboard but they were all just so over the top expensive. I pass Ken's at Bondi all the time - it's near my sister's house - and today on the way home on a whim, went in and saw not only a very nice sideboard but also a very nice price too. So it's coming home next week. Yeaaaaahhhhh. Ken sent this photo to us from his phone.

Also picked up paintings I'd had stored at Mum's for about 10 years. Some of which I'd forgotten all about. So it's going to look like a new house soon.

Friday, June 24

Linkages

Finally here's a post all about what I'm enjoying reading, or what I've found via this amazing world of blogging recently.

Via the multi talented Queen of Linkages - redcurrent via naive knitting - the fascinating Chinese Millionaire Project.

Ana's site and style is so clean and gorgeous and she's also mega talented.

I've now forgotten how I came by Jenny's Queenthings but I'm glad I did.

Aussie blogs or bloggers - Kim lives in London so it's cool to know what's up over there. Via Momo, and one of the few men's blogs I read The Horse's Mouth. The intelligent and verbose Laura.

Thursday, June 23

I Miss You

10 years ago tonight my step-dad Brian passed on. It is the biggest loss I have ever felt. He was such a gorgeous man, he made my Mum, my sister and me very happy and we were a family. I miss him so much.

It's hard to believe he hasn't been here and a part of our lives for 10 years. We will be celebrating his life today in various ways as we always do.

There are so many stories I could tell about him, but which one. What I most want to share would be the joy, love and happiness he brought to my life. When my Mum and he got together I was about 4 years old. After the initial jealous feelings I had towards him it didn't take long for me to see him as my Dad. He made life fun. We would dance down the street rather than walk. His stories of growing up in northern England poverty weren't sad but somehow positive. He was always singing or whistling, even at 6am. He told really bad jokes but his delivery cracked you up. He was generous, giving, and unselfish. He was a true gentleman. Totally old school.

I really can't say much more right now, so all I can say is that I love him.

Tuesday, June 21

Pod Girl


Pod Girl
Originally uploaded by love life live love.


Mariko is one of the most original video and performance artists alive today. She has also studied fashion design, worked as a model and became a recording artist. It seems she can do anything. I think her work is amazing.

Self Portrait Tuesday


plaits
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
This was taken with a pencam or spycam - remember those? That's why it's so grainy and grungy.

Monday, June 20

Back Online

Social. Indulged. Laughed alot. Ate well. Generosity. In awe. Cultural. Physical. That was my weekend in brief.

Huge thanks to TK and CM for a funny night on Friday and the food was truly awesome.

Started a new sequence at yoga – and it feels hard. It takes so long in winter to fully warm up. As usual I was thinking of any reason not to go. I felt like an old woman when I woke up, but half way through the class I was already feeling better physically and mentally.

Saw The Downfall on Saturday night. The performance by Bruno Ganz is the best acting I’ve ever seen. And there are so many moments in the film where the dialog, the atmosphere, the poignancy of the moment is so perfect – it’s breathtaking. The first moment „Hitler“ appeared on screen I felt sick – and I thought I actually wasn’t going to be able to sit and watch the film. I had thought for months I wasn’t going to bother – I’d seen it all before, nothing new to tell, and really why would I want to know the psyche of Hitler better – but it’s so much more than that, and I hugely recommend everyone to see this film. I hope Bruno Ganz wins the Academy Award for best actor for this performance.

Knowing we would need some soft place to fall after the film, we had booked a table at The Balkan for dinner. Yummmm.

Forgot all about the march for refugees but ran into them on the way to the concert.

Example

We were treated to a brilliant performance by Gareth Koch on Sunday afternoon. He was playing at the Eugene Goossens Concert Hall at the ABC Centre. This is the first time I’ve ever been to a radio concert – and the biggest shock was that it was free. It was very cool and we even had front row seats. Before that we grabbed my favourite soul food soup – seafood bean curd – in chinatown – and on the way back home we got ourselves half a duck to have with steamed rice and greens.

Example

Example
Thank you for all this abundance in my life!

Also:

Get your hands on this magazine Selvedge if you want to know all the goss on textiles. It's such a nice production. And this month's cover has the very talented Frida Kahlo on it.

Even though I don't have an iPod - I think the designer Todd Sheldrick is well on to something.
I hope he makes these cool little covers for other things.


Example
Now,to my views on the Australian cricket team. I found it appalling that Andrew Symonds was outed by his team mates for drinking before the game or the night before or whatever and then fined and suspended. As though the other guys don't drink too, and as though that is the first time a player for any team has turned up hung over. Really pathetic guys. And as for Shane Warne - well there isn't anything positive to say so I won't say anything. Congratulations to Bangladesh for winning so outrightly and to the Poms for showing the Aussies they can be beaten more than once.

And lastly, thank you Telstra for getting our line back in order.

Friday, June 17

Friday Stuff

It hasn't been the most productive week I have to admit. I have been in
a bit of a funk - and I know the 2 things that would get me out of it
aren't happening like I want it to. The power of positive thinking is
all I can now put into action. And I haven't been doing enough of that.

Yesterday we were able to see Jupiter during the day. Thanks Dr. Karl -
I heard you mention it earlier. I had forgotten all about it until the
doorbell rang at 6pm - another nice salesman trying to get me to
convert my energy supplier - the good news about this was that I saw
the big bright half moon out of the corner of my eye and then wow,
Jupiter was so bright and bigger than I thought it would be. This is
such a bad wobbly shot but it's all I have.

Example

Mum has had the girls twice already this week, and again tonight
because we're all invited to C&T's for Indian and trivia. Doll has
the best collection of tights - why don't they make these for women?

Example

Example

And I've just been going through our archive of cd's of photos taken
over the past years. Firstly with the pencam/spycam, and then the Kodak
- and a few of them are now over at flickr. They range from the time we
lived in an apartment in Kippax St Surry Hills in Aug 2001 to when we
moved to our house in Redfern to the end of the year 2001. It made me
feel very nostalgic. Especially seeing my father-in-law in the earliest
stages of his illness. One of the most dramatic ones is this shot on
Christmas Day 2001 at Bondi Beach with the smoke and ash from bush
fires casting an
incredibly eerie glow over everything.

Example



Thursday, June 16

Excellent News

Example

Stand and Stuff

The name says it all really. So anyone who loves a taco is going to love this idea I suppose. You can make a whole row of tacos like a production line that you can then shove down your mouth that much quicker. No spillage or wasting time making only one at a time. That's how they came up with the "stuff" part of the title right? But this isn't going to solve the problem of the taco shell cracking in half or more pieces landing hot beans all over your hands. Despite these constant scaldings I love my refried bean tacos.

Wednesday, June 15

Tiger Girl


tiger girl
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
Poor little blossom had taken a really bad fall, about a metre off the ground a couple of hours earlier. I had gone to visit and see how she was doing as my sister thought she may be badly concussed when she had fallen asleep at a totally out of character time for her. She woke up as we put her in the car to go the hospital and slowly but surely sparked up. Here she is pushing around her pram, and the whole time she had had her tiger tail attached. How gorgeous.

Save the Whales!!!


No Whaling
Originally uploaded by Rosa Pomar.
The incredibly talented Rosa has informed me about this new way to demonstrate your feelings about whaling and to take part in this Virtual March.

Star Watching

Example

What a cool idea. This Friday and Saturday night, the city, with
major support from the
RTA and some of Sydney's major buildings
will be turning off their lights so that
Sydney can better view the
constellations at the
Observatory.

Tuesday, June 14

Self Portrait Tuesday

This was taken on Sunday sitting on the cliffs in the National Park watching whales. It had rained the night before and so there were lots of huge puddles around us. It's distorted quite a bit but you can still tell it's me. Go see more self portraits at Kath's blog.

How to.....

Full cred to the genius of Heather (Dooce) for this idea and blogging together.

How to charm me: Volunteer to go shopping for the food items we need for the evening meal idea that you also came up with. Unbelievable!

How to annoy me: When the damn supermarket has run out of Tamari and you decide to buy soya sauce instead - and then if that's not bad enough come home with Kecap Manis.

How to win me back: Cook the meal and actually love the sort of home cooking my soul desires as much as I do.

How to make me crumble: Look at me with those gorgeous big eyes and run at me knee high and hug me with all your might. I love you Doll.

Morning Sojourn


nielsen morning
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
I shared this space with only 3 others this morning. And it's only 3km from the CBD. It felt like a world away. This place is special to me. It's also where I married JD nearly 8 years ago.

Monday, June 13

Coastal Bush Flowers

The Aussie Bush might look pretty bland and dry to foreigners.
Especially if you just
sweep your eyes across the landscape -
it kind of looks like just dry scrub. But the
bush is deceiving
and at any time of the year it is flowering. I unfortunately
don't
know the names of these flowers or the plants they
grow on but they're so beautiful to
me I'd like to share them:


Example

Example

Example

Example

What day is it?

Long weekends are great. The Sunday night blues don't
appear and
there seems like so much time to do anything
and everything. I guess
a huge thank you to The Queen
for giving us this day off.


Finally our wait was over. Yesterday we saw 3 separate
pods of whales.
It was magical. I get so addicted to
each time they emerge, it's like
you just can't get enough
of them. Just gorgeous. This shot shows 3
whales, the
large one had just smashed it's huge tail against the surface

and the baby one in the middle was so cute.

Example

This spot in the Royal National Park, about 45 mins south
from our house
is the definitive whale watching spot. All
natural surrounds and we see
whales every time we go
there. We sat here for about 3 hours yesterday,

picnicked, meditated, talked, stretched, relaxed. It was
wonderful.


Example

We ended this day just as nicely as it began. The girls were
staying at Mum's,
so we went and had a play with them. The
two of them together running riot in that
house reminded me
so much of how it must have been with my sister and I as kids.

Saturday, June 11

What a Load of Tripe

There's a club for people of all persuasions these days, and I've just heard about another one of them.The Tripe Club. Founded in 1989, it has no premises and only one rule: you must enjoy eating tripe. They often meet in Gentlemen's Clubs, like the The Union Club, which was founded in 1857 as a gentlemen's club and a refuge from political divisions and is located in Sydney's financial district with a discreet entrance. The Tripe Club came into being to allow gentlemen who love tripe to eat it occasionally because, as one member put it, their wives refused to cook it. Times have changed - and now even wives can be members. Most members hear about the club's existence via word of mouth and the members like anonymity. Gee I want to join. Not.

Example
Photo by Craig Abraham

My experience with tripe goes way back. My heritage is 1/4 Chinese and as a child living very close to Chinatown, I would always accompany my Mum to the local Chinese butcher/grocer down in Campbell Street. We would buy loads of different meats - all usually still warm and just freshly cooked and delicious. I didn't start questioning what I was eating until I was about 10 - and when I questioned her further after she said something was "just pork", and then changed the answer to "pork stomach" and then to "I don't really know", I knew something was up. My Mum then told me it was like tripe - which I knew as the disgusting frilly fatty looking sheepskin stuff in western butcher shops - and I asked "like tripe?" and she then said "it's the inner lining of the intestines" or something like that. We called the stuff G2 - and after that day I never ate G2 again.


Smetta prego di sorridere come quello!!!!

Why do these guys annoy me so much?

Example

This photo is probably too small to tell, but really these smiles, these utterley charmingless men just do not do it for me. OK they can sing but who cares?

Rain Rain Come & Stay

It's been sprinkling now for about 2 hours, and the ground has just become officially wet. But when is it going to start raining please?

Eat Fest

Last nights' Japanese feast was over the top. Yes we ordered way too much food even though we only order 3 dinners for 4 of us. It was all fantastic: the sushi, the agedashi tofu the fish teriyaki, the misu and the green tea ice-cream. Thank you Sushi Suma (421 Cleveland St. Surry Hills).

Example

And then I also drank too much. For me these days any alcohol can be felt the next day - which is why I tend not to touch it at all. And having our good friends from Mudgee in town - with him being one of Australia's newest and already well respected wine makers and drinking one of his fine Pinot Grigio's, I couldn't really resist could I?.

So last night we made the decision to not set the alarm at 5.50am so we could do the early yoga class and opted for the later one instead. Right now I'm feeling quite exhausted physically. I can hardly sit up straight at this computer. An afternoon nap may be in order.

Safe travelling also to our good friend T., who's off to the US for the golf for a few weeks.

And yes it's a long weekend. More time to play with JD.

Holy Cow

It's probably the USA'S 2nd case of mad cow disease, as an older beef animal has tested positive for the deadly condition but will undergo further tests at a British lab to confirm the results.

The only US confirmed case of mad cow disease, or BSE, was found in December 2003 in a Washington state dairy cow. That discovery halted billions of dollars worth of American beef exports and raised eyebrows about the safety of the US food supply.

The Agricultural Secretary, Mike Johanns said the new suspected case involved an older beef animal which was chosen for testing because it was a "downer" animal that could not walk when it arrived at the slaughterhouse and the animal's carcass never entered the human food or livestock feed supply. "This animal was a downer animal and did not get into the food or feed chain. There just is no risk whatsoever."

Who are they kidding? Why would only 1 beef animal - I think he means "cow" - have the disease? Scary scary stuff and more reason to stop eating this beautiful animal.

Example

About 5 years ago I had the great pleasure of reading Ruth L. Ozeki's "My Year of Meats". It was the fantastic cover artwork that originally pulled me, and then the title, and then I really enjoyed the story. It's a cool blend of satirical fact and fiction. I had stopped eating cow several years beforehand, and I'm sure anyone still eating cow whilst reading this will never look at their steaks the same way again. I've just done some searching and this very talented woman has her own weblog.


Friday, June 10

A Non Story

With no disrespect to Ms. Corby and her plight, why do Australians and the government seem to be more upset about her treatment and incarceration than with someone like David Hicks?

Hicks has been held in Cuba for more than three years. He has been charged with terrorism-related offences but his trial has been delayed by legal argument over the validity of the US's system of military tribunals.

Since the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said he wants to see detainees tried and possibly jailed in their home countries and theBush administration has said that Guantanamo Bay detainees should be released to their country of origin, then why is he still being detained? The second Australian held at Guantanamo Bay, Mamdouh Habib, was released in February without charge.

The Federal Government is now being called upon by David Hick's father to clarify the statements by the US government."Our Government should be speaking to Rumsfeld to find out whether this is a fact or whether it's just talk," he said.

"If it is fact, then they should be doing something to get David back."

Mr Hicks says although David has already been charged in the US, he would have no charges to face in Australia.

"This would be an appropriate time now for the Australian to step in and see if they can get David back to Australia, regardless of whether he's got to face anything here or not - as long as he gets back home," he said.


Thursday, June 9

The World of Steve

Example

This story in my local paper today led me to remember that last week I lent one of my favourite books to a friend. It's by Steve Martin - it seems alot of people still don't know that he writes as well as acts/did stand up. Even though he wrote the screenplays for 3 of the films he starred in and has been writing for the New Yorker for over 10 years. He has written 3 books to date; Pure Drivel, Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company. I've only read his last one but can't wait to get my hands on the other 2. If you want to know more from the mouth of this genius read this interview by Meghan Daum, it gives great insight. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of his film roles. Some have been great but alot have been rather ordinary. Having said that, I think this man is a real talent.



The King of Carbonara

Example
OK I admit it - last night after S's birthday dinner was consumed with gusto, I had to catch a few segments of the Oprah-Tom Cruise interview. He's gorgeous ok, but what is he on right now? He seemed so super hyped and just couldn't concentrate on basic questions she was asking him - you know it wasn't rocket science Tom! And what was up with Kate Holmes when she walked out and needed to be propped up by both of them - why couldn't she stand up by herself and what was that coy shy look about? Nauseating.

Wednesday, June 8

Small Victories don't win the War

In April this year, parliament in traditionally Catholic Spain gave initial approval to a law legalising gay marriage. It is widely expected to be approved by the Senate and to become law.

Just last week, California's assembly killed off the bill that would have allowed gay marriage in that State.

And now, Pope Benedict, in his first speech on gay marriages since his election, condemned same-sex unions as fake and expressions of "anarchic freedom" that threatened the future of the family.

The Pope, who was elected in April, also condemned divorce, artificial birth control, trial marriages and free-style unions, saying all of these practices were dangerous for the family.

"Today's various forms of dissolution of marriage, free unions, trial marriages as well as the pseudo-matrimonies between people of the same sex are instead expressions of anarchic freedom which falsely tries to pass itself off as the true liberation of man," he said.

The Pope, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed the Vatican's doctrinal department for more than two decades, said "pseudo freedoms" such as gay marriages were based on what he called the "banalisation of the human body" and of man himself.

This is incredibly disheartening.


Lamb Roast Tonight

Happy Birthday greetings to my bro' in law S today. And to ET for yesterday.

A few days ago my sister found some photos of the day she and S met. I used to date one of his best friends and S was visiting us from Perth. We were taking him on a tour of Sydney, showing him all these amazing spots. We were driving a very cool Humber Vogue at that time - I loved that car - Anyway I thought my sister would like to meet S, and so when our Humber konked out at the bottom of the hill coming out of Watson's Bay and S came to the rescue when he asked "can we krank it?", and "do you have the crankshaft?" And we could actually answer "YES", even though I had no idea what it entailed - and then S actually found the crank hole, cranked the car - like in the old days - started the car, saved the day and so won the affections and admiration of my sister.


I can't believe I don't have a photo on hand to show you because it is seriously one of the coolest cars. But I just found this:

Example

Monday, June 6

Summer Wind

It was just a matter of time. The last couple of days have been teasing us, and today is glorious.

Example

After running into my sister and niece and some friends I had a nice walk on the beach, had my photo taken with a wealthy looking Chinese tourist, got hot and I was only in short sleeves and felt my energy level rise.
Example

An excellent start to the week.

Amber


amber
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
I became enarmoured with this precious stone about 20 years ago when I found out that amber is the fossilized resin of ancient trees which forms through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds and that most of the world's amber is in the range of 30-90 million years old. I thought this was fascinating. So over the years I bought a few pieces and have been given a few pieces. This piece is really interesting with it's antique silver and lapis lazuli. It's so heavy that I often am dying to wear it but end up having to take it off after a couple of hours. I love the way amber heats up from your body heat. I think it's one of earth's most amazing gifts.

Cliff Hangers


where are the whales
Originally uploaded by love life live love.
Our mission to see whales frolicking off the coast was again unsuccessful. But it was gorgeous and meditative sitting on the sandstone cliffs looking out to sea. This part of the coastline between Bondi and South Head is beautiful. When there has been some rain little waterfalls run off into the sea at different places. There is always something to watch: little yachts that look so tiny in that vast ocean, birds diving and crashing trying to catch fish, waves crashing into the rock platform spraying salt into the air, wave after undulating wave after wave, precious coastal flowers clinging to the rocks and opening their little faces to the sun. Another one of my favourite places in the world.

Sunday, June 5

Must Read

The very talented PK lent me this book way back in April, and only 2 days ago did I find the time to pick it up. My God, what an excellent read. I just love this story. I love the main character Ram and his spirit and I love reading about India. Please everyone do yourselves a favour and go buy this book. Well done Vikas Swarup. Thanks PK!

Example

Saturday, June 4

Another Call for Justice

Today is the 16th anniversary of Tiananmen Square. It is hard to believe the Chinese government will still not publicly admit what happened on June 4, 1989, and apologise and pay compensation to the families of victims. It's truly disgusting.

Example
This is Matt Pearce, a Hong Kong activist who climbed to the top of a giant TV screen in downtown Hong Kong and unfurled this huge banner.

Food

We tried a new restaurant this week and yesterday my sister and I revelled in a quick yum cha at our new Chinese day-feed standard. Here's the review:

Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe
29 Orwell Street, Potts Point, 93310022
Example
Photo: Fiona Morris
This is plain basic middle European food. 4 of us ended up having the chicken schnitzel (how boring I know) and it is definitely the best I've had in a long time. JD had a meat platter, assorted pork - quite German really and he said it was divine. The beer is excellent - quite a variety and cheap. I had a schnappsy type thing. Thankfully I chose the 40% not 50% and had only 1 of them. The atmosphere is cosy (apart from the table of drunk men who sang badly and loudly),and sitting outside would have worked even though it was freezing as they have lots of those outdoor heaters, it's a very casual cheap night out. It's at the cool end of the Cross with loads of nice shopping and other fine restaurants and galleries around.

Kam Fook Seafood Restaurant - Bondi Junction
Located on Level 6 - Phone 9386 9889

When you need a break from shopping (this is where I do my grocery shop) and you need to satisfy your Yum Cha fix , head here. The original one in Chinatown was considered one of the best eats in town - this is heading the same way. I think their dumplings are fresher, bigger and yummier than most places I frequent. The sui mai which aren't usually my favourite thing are so delicious here I always need to sneak a couple into my bowl. The squid is tender and the desserts are done well. Also pretty cheap - you'll be nicely stuffed at around $15 p.head

Tonight friends will be kindly cooking for us in Balmain. Aren't we the spoiled ones? I'm also really proud of JD for sticking to his giving up of bread & cheese - yes believe it or not it's true, for the first time in over 30 years. I think he's going to go the whole hog and do a fast next.Freaky.

Google Images Meme

Got this idea from Kimbofo, and so here it is, minus my name - sorry that stays private for now.

Where I grew up -
Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

Example

Where I live now -
Redfern, NSW, Australia
Example

Grandmother's name -
Ethel Edith
Example

Favourite food -
Rice, rice and more rice
Example

Favourite Song: My Island Home by Neil Murray (his version & Christine Anu's version)
I first became aware of how much the lyrics touched me whilst living in Germany far away from home.
Example

Favourite Smell -
Frangipani. Divinity.
Example