What is my body telling me?

Ok ... well last night was a rude awakening for me. I did Yoga for the first time EVAH!!!

 

But I only lasted 15 mins before I started getting the sweats and feeling dizzy. If I hadn't stopped, I would have either passed out ... or thrown up and then passed out.

I think I gave the teacher Jo a bit of a scare, but she was terrific about the whole thing. She let me hang out in the kitchen area as she knew I had to wait for D, she brought me reading material, apologised for the spartaness of it all, and came and had a quiet chat with me towards the end of the session.

D was excellent about it all too!!!

I never realised that Yoga could be that intense. An hour and a half session for $15 is a steal I reckon. Especially when you pay more for 45 mins of some cardio/aerobic jumpey somethingorother!! But don't let them tell you yoga is all about relaxation and breathing ... and incense and dolphin sounds ... you may not be jumpey-pumpey, but its a pretty solid work out, with lots of abdominal crunching and musculature work!! I didn't expect that to be honest, especially for a Beginners class. Some of the positions they were getting into looked nigh impossible for me.

I'm eager to get back there again next week, but with some trepidation. I think the whole problem with yesterday was that I ate less than I normally would on days where I'm not doing any physical activity. I will need to make sure I have an afternoon snack in future .. something high in carbs like an LCM.

Mind you I'm still feeling mildly queasy now even as I type this. I'm not sure what my body is trying to tell me?? Is it something else completely separate to Yoga? Is this an early onset of something more sinister healthwise that I should be concerned about?? It was touch and go when I drove home last night. I had a couple of bites of an LCM bar enroute ... but I was still feeling nauseas even after a hot shower ... only managed to eat something at about 9.30pm.

But anyways, I'd still recommend the place because inspite of my adverse reaction to it all, I got a really good vibe from the place and the people. So click on link below for more info. (I'm doing Iyengar based Introductory btw) One thing I know from all this is I'm never going to do Vikram yoga ... even if there's a room full of hot guys I still wouldn't do it!!! 

http://www.yogadanceoflife.com/yoga-schools-index.htm

For something a bit more cheery ... here is my new song - J*Davey with Mr Mister. These guys recently opened for Prince at one of his gigs ... have a listen .. you'll understand why:

(if this doesn't work, then go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=536v6jOZrmo. If it does then YAY ... I know how to embed a video now .. and I worked it out by looking at the source code of another blog page ... and fiddling with the script ... how proud am I?!!??) 

It was only a matter of time

OK ... FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!

I crashed my new pony (Little Pony Mark II) into the Garden Fence!!

Well it ain't a brand nu car .... but it was damage free ... UNTIL NOW!!! Jeez I'm hopeless behind the wheel. I really don't know how it happened .. well I do know ... but its embarassing ... it was like I was another person watching it happen ... an out of body experience just before the nose ploughed into our lovely sturdy fence ... and it made the loudest bang ... and then I was on the phone to M doing the chest heaving sobs ... and I had all these things planned for the arvo ... and all I did was lay on the couch and sob myself to sleep watching Dawn of the Dead ... like that really helped my mood ...

But I have to say that M was and is a GODSEND!!! He was ready to turn round and come home, and he also rang D and asked her to ring me to give me some TLC .... Oh BLESS!!!! There's a reason why we've been together for sooooo long ... where do you find lovin like that these days!!

Anyhoo ... enough self pity .... its off to the panel beaters to get her back looking like this again (hopefully better):

Now onto less distressing matters ...

2 of pop's more idosyncratic female singers are about to release new material.

I've already mentioned Tori Amos' American Doll Posse ... surf the web and you'll find shitloads of live promotional performances, interviews and advanced listens ... true to Tori form .... she's still trying to come across as the tortured eccentric and sometimes that stream of consciousness lyric form does seem tired and uninspiring .... and really who knows what she's talking about anyways ... but when she sits at those keys ... some kinda voodoo takes over ... and you just have to watch.



The pretension is there in Bjork ... but I think its the accent and the wierd clothes and the potential to erupt into thai-bashing violence that we forgive her soooo much ... and this time round there's a lot to forgive as evidenced here:

WHAT THE ... !!!! Anyways Love her to bits so everyone singalong with me:

"We are the earth intruders, we are the sharpshooters ... woowoowoo"



Sample tracks here: (gee Timbaland gets around!!!)

Oh Bjork ... if only there was a little bit of crazy left in all of us .... (judging by fabric of dress .. are we already dredging up the 90s??)

PS ... have a look at this video for Softlightes:



Don't you just love stop motion photography .. its so sesame-streetish .. which is prolly why it always reminds me of childhood ... and the coloured paper too ...

PPS ... CrCh reckons the Junior Boys sound like Dead or Alive ... FUCK OFF!!! Hahaha

Quick One - Virginia Tech Shootings

Ok .... this is a quick one .... I know this is going to sound insensitive ... and that I am oversimplifying things a bit .. BUT SERIOUSLY IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE FIREARMS SO READILY AVAILABLE ... YOU WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE KILLINGS ON THIS SCALE!!! COME ON!!!! PLEASE!!!!

You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Sugababes But ...

Ok ... So you can take the girl out of the Sugababes ... but sometimes, ever so often, you can actually take the sugababes out of the girl.

 

To be fair, the Sugababes were never really that big here. But somehow they managed to straddle that tight but deep crevice between pop sensibility and indie credibility. Considering the number of "righteous" dj's that they've managed to snag into providing remixes for their tracks ... and the compiles that they've appeared on that are linked with the effortlessly "now and with-it" magazine publications that have the wannabe indie nazi as their target readership.

I should preface this by reminding my faithful readers of my proclivation for the odd guilty pop pleasure of which this is most certainly one ... and I should also encourage you to ignore all citations of Kate Bush as a defining influence .. as between you and me, we are meandering dangerously into Sarah Brightman territory here ... HOWEVER AND BUT Siobhan Donaghy's latest single "Don't Give it Up" is the poverbial Bomb!!

 

NEXT: Lets talk about Sofia Coppola!!!

Well lets do because I have just watched Marie Antoinette (I know, I am a bit behind)!!. Frankly, I'm baffled by some of the strong reactions to this movie. Its a Sofia Coppola film, so you should really know what you're getting into from the start ... she well and truly has a signature style which harks back to the gritty realism of 70s Hollywood Americana where music of the times was as much a character in films as the actors themselves, filtered through a distinctly European lense with its measured pace, stunning cinematography and muffled conversations overlapping each other ala Fellini. Ok ok let me just reign it in a little ... coz I was going to say Fellini meets Easy Rider ... but No that seriously is not the case. Its a contemporary look at the world we live in ... I hazard to guess that people of my generation will get it ... others will struggle ...!!

With Marie Antoinette ... considering the detailed attention given to food and fashion (which I absolutely adore ... especially the sugary colours in the pastries) ... it was always going to be classified as a puff piece of some description ... self indulgent and wallowing, indeed celebrating in style over substance ... but really who wants another heavy-lidded historical tome where every piece of dialogue is a soliloquy in itself ... this is a more naturalistic approach ... and certainly a more sympathetic view ... indulgence as a way of rorting the system ... my kind of life. Versailles would have been an extremely claustrophobic place on all levels I expect ... a sort of luxury cruise ship thats permanently moored to the sand ... you have no way of escaping the rigmarole and affectations of a society that feeds on its own sense of importance ... your only choice is to PARTICIPATE!!

And all that riot of colour and embellishment exerts a suffocating influence on the main protagonists, which is why the sunrise with its oddly muted tones is such a poignant moment and provides a metaphorical sigh of relief, a chance for them and us to breathe.

LOST IN TRANSLATION - don't get me started on this one ... I love love love love love the restraint of this movie ... and I found it incredibly funny ... and incredibly sad and beautiful ... who would have thought that we could be so sympathetic towards Bill Murray?? And Scarlett Johannson ... if I was that way inclined .... well ....

 

VIRGIN SUICIDES - great period detail ... excellent soundtrack ... virginal white dresses and blond hair ... look Pauline Hanson would be in heaven ... apart from the fact that they all pretty much end up dead ... Pauline would still need a "Please explain" at the end of all that.

I'm halfway through Babel ... and The Hills have eyes remake ... hehe ... you gotta mix the highs with the lows peops!! May blog about these later or may not ... but I'm sure I could manage a few lines on the tomato sauce I intend to make soon.

P.S. M loves this movie too ... bless ... there's still a bit of queer left in the motherfucker!!!

My First Meme

Ok ... OMG its my first Meme. Try it and find out what poetry form you are - I'm an Ottava Rima ... which is a rhyming stanza of roman origin normally used for heroic verse ... for those more literally inclined ... it consists of eight 11-syllable lines, rhyming abababcc. Enjoy!!

Ottava rima? Me? That can't be right!    Too frivolous? But tut, there's no such thing! Let others ponder thoughts of wrong and right,    Or sit and think how much they love the spring; I'd rather spend my time in gleeful spite,    Or maybe laugh, or maybe sit and sing. Besides, it might be fun to be inspiring - But surely it would get so very tiring. What Poetry Form Are You?

Go here: http://quiz.ravenblack.net/poeticform.pl
(sorry not savvy enough to hyperlink or whatever the terminology is)

PS ... I think that should read 10 syllables? Or maybe up to 11 syllables? Jeez I'm rusty ....

Heathen!!!

Ok ... well the parental visit is almost over ... and I have to say that I am somewhat relieved. I know you all think that I'm being terribly stoney-hearted ... but seriously ... there's a reason why you eventually leave home and break the family ties!!!

"leave the breast, and then the nest, and then regret you ever left" (hhmm ... don't think so)

Just a couple of choice sayings from good ole daddy-o:

(i) there's no bible in this house

(ii) (said to me) ... it has been an enjoyable visit ... only problem ... (pause here for some dramatic sighing and slight shakings of the head) ... my son is a heathen.

HEATHEN???? Is that even a word now? Should it not have been excised from all existing dictionaries around the world ... along with my stylistic hyperbole (blame my indian roots for that)??? OMG ... 2007 peops!!! WTF?? I know my Dad is old ... but we're not talking Jurassic here!!

Oh and this is what he said about my brother ... he mentioned the fact that he reads Fantasy books as if that was an indication that he lived in a fantasy world and had no grip on reality!!! WHAT THE ... ???? He reads fantasy because he likes that genre of novel ... and its probably his only reliable outlet from all the rest of the issues he is dealing with right now ... (oh and as a comparison ... Dad mentioned some other novels of my brothers that he has enjoyed reading like James Mitchener??? Hhmmm ... bestselling author of the 70s ... enough said)

Now ... it wasn't all doom and gloom ... we spent 2 nights in Mining country using Castlemaine as our base. Firstly, can I say that Kyneton Rox!!!! It has all these really cool shops and galleries and a restaurant with a really interesting menu (sorry can't remember the name) which we fully intend to check out as soon as we get a chance.

Old Steam Mill in Kyneton - now a bakery and museum

We stayed in this lovely self contained unit called the Overlander Guest House ... when I say self contained, it was literally a doublefronted weatherboard house in a residential street, metres away from one of the main drags of Castlemaine. It had 3 large bedrooms, a spa bath, excellent and well stocked kitchen ... a great backyard with a bar area and bbq ... real party house actually.

 Backyard of The Overlander

Castlemaine was our base ... and before I round off this tedious expose on our weekend away ... I would like to say that I should write to the Tourism board and tell them to inform all visitors to Regional Victoria to only travel on the weekends, as every fucking bloody attraction is closed on weekdays!!!! The Butterfly sanctuary was closed, the Colliers chocolate factory was closed, Castlemaine Gaol was closed to the public ... it was annoying the shit out of me. Oh and also, if you have a travel book that is more than a year old ... Bin it Honey and save yourself the heartache. I was so excited to read about a Dingo sanctuary in Chewton, when we drove into town we had to ask the local milkbar owner and his mail-order wife where the darn place was as there was no signage ... when we eventually arrived at the gate after navigating through bush (and M pointing out yet another fucking water race) there was a big sign saying Private Property ... eventually this 4 wheel drive (which we passed along the way) pulled up and M spoke to the guy (scottish accent apparently) driving and he was quite brusque and didn't really offer much apart from the fact that he had taken over the joint about 3 years ago and that it was no longer a tourist attraction ... I was actually glad that we left soon after ... its was all starting to become a bit too Wolf Creek-ish for my liking. So word of advice ... when you hit Chewton on the Calder ... just keep on trucking!!

Now same goes for eateries ... yeah let them tell you that there are some cool places to eat in these towns ... but bear in mind that they don't tell you that these places are also closed on weekdays!! We were lucky that Saff's Cafe just doors away from the Overlander was open 7 days a week. So we ended up having all 3 meals there at some point - breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had a fantastic Prawn Risotto with Preserved lemon ... it was to die for!!! So if you're ever in Castlemaine go to Saff's Cafe on Mostyn Street ... definitely worth a visit, or at least a detour. And of course you can't go past the Malmsbury Bakery en route. (Everyone is AS there!!!)

Nearly there ... you have to check out the Castlemaine Art Gallery ... some amazing pieces in there ... including a room full of Watercolours ... which I'm not such a fan of ... but I appreciated!!! There's a Jeffrey Smart, Fred Williams, Margaret Preston, Boyd, Streeton, Dupain, Rees ... all the Aussie greats!

And also check out Buda House on Hunter Street (short for Budapest) which is a great rambling house with amazing artwork ... including some actual Preston prints which I was terribly excited about.

Ok chookers ... here's to Autumn and all the colours that she brings ...

PS - I learnt 2 new words ... mullockheap and poppethead!!! (check dictionary.com yourselves ... muthafuckers!!)

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Comments:

Temasek wrote:

 

Oh my one and only faithful reader (well actually one of two) ... Give me a reason to come to Sydney .. and he better be taller than me ... chiselled jawed and with a hairy chest ... haha ... kidding!!! MARRIED!! *flips the birdy* My only response is what I've picked up from chatrooms of ill-repute which is: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

19 Apr.

Danise wrote:   I just spat tea all over myself laughing at your blog!!! Give your daddy a huge hug from moi. Kytenton however you spell it is truly beautiful. JEalous now. sydney sux. Come and see me soon. luv ya my sinful friend. xxooxx 18 Apr

A Charmed Life

Ok ... lets get the shit stuff out of the way ... work SUX!!!!! Me and J have been having long and somewhat debilitating conversations regarding what we're doing here, what are we going to do, how do we change things around, what is it exactly that we want .... the usual philosophical intrigue that some people leave behind in university dorms along with bracers and bad fashion ... its our emotional baggage, this sense of uncertainty and unrest that we conveniently blame for not forging ahead and seizing the day ... but then again are we really our own worst enemy? Do we all have this inate/inert ability to truly be whoever we want to be ... I want to be a rockstar but I can't sing ...  should that stop me???? Hello self-help gurus charging hundreds of dollars per hour ... what do you have to say on that subject??? And what are we really talking about here ... is happiness tied up with material and financial success?? Is what I do for a living the only definition of self?? Is my lack of ambition a turn-off for you?? Hhmmm ... lets ruminate people! Answers on the back of a postcard please ....

 

Now for the fun stuff ...

 

Have a look at these sketch books:

 

I heart them so much!!!! I want to take a photo of my house and also my living room and make my own sketch book cover ... such a great gift idea too!!! More info here: http://www.fiveandahalf.net/ Loves it!!!!

 

And now 2 items that are music related:

ITEM 1: Podcasts

Look I won't bore you about my iPod and Playlists ... yah nothing more boring than listening to someone waffle on about their musical pecadilloes ... bit like listening to someone's dream hey kj???

But you really need to check out the Podcasts here: http://www.maudevintage.com/diginikki/

 

These are essentially dj mixes done by mainly Tokyo based artists like Cornelius .... they are simply wonderful ... and if you want to know what kinda music gets me off ... just have a listen .. you can email them for a playlist too!! Start with the latest one 017 ... It starts off with this amazing track called Pulsars by David Tudor which then segues into a Panda Bear track and takes in the likes of Bowie, Talking Heads, Timbaland, Low .... amazing stuff!!! One of the podcasts has Paul McCartney's "Temporary Secretary" which I think is his best song evah!!! I won't tell you which one ... you just have to go through them yourself ... thats the joy of discovery peops!!

 

ITEM 2: Guilty Pleasure Part 1

 

Now most of my friends think I'm a musical snob, and I wear this as a badge of honour .... however I do have a few guilty pleaures .... and this is one of them ... (remember cc laughing at one of my iPod Playlists ... he couldn't believe that I had ONJ alongside the likes of Arcade Fire, Xiu Xiu, The shins ... etc)

 

BEYONCE!!!!

Now I can't explain why I love this video so much .. its Kitty Kat (one of the least inspired Neptunes productions I've heard) ... I just love the Big Black Cat that she plays with at the start ... ignore the "addicted to love" pastiche and the tacky leopard print body suit with matching eye make-up ... but marvel at the ridiculously ugly shoes she prances around in ... I have to say though ... PRODUCT OVERLOAD!!! I mean how many bloody singles has there been so far ... there are not that many album tracks left ... And jeez I hate it when there are re-releases with extra tracks ... and in this case an extra disc!!!

 

PS ... why have I only just discovered Henry Cavill??? Where do these guys come from??? Can't wait for The Tudors to show here ... better be on the ABC ... coz I can't be arsed with friggin ad breaks!!

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Comments:

Temasek wrote:

 

I have a dream .... a song to sing ... to help me cope .... with anything ... if you see the wonder ... sing it with me Danise!!!

13 Apr

Danise wrote:

 

Well I had this dream and it was just like, well you know, kind of like, like him. And, um, well as you know, it's all kinda like this other dream I had... ahahahahahahah HOW NOT AS is this guy.. Where did you find him? See ya in my dreams.. xxx

6 Apr

Barfly-lite

Ok ... so me and M got fresh at the weekend!! But I don't think we were quite showing out!! And if you got the embedded references, then Respect!! *pounds right fist against left chest twice*

Friday night was CC's Lunar Birthday!! I was naughty and had me a cigger or two ... for which I am now suffering!! But I've been good readers ... so I deserve a little treat. You know everytime we get invited to CC & J's, we always have a great time, no matter what the reason is ... I guess its coz we've known J for so long ... and CC is more than certainly a welcome addition ... so Happy Birthday CC!!! The other plus of the party was that we got to catch up with DV and also W & K. DV, I'm glad you liked the CD I made for you ... I'm rooting for you!!! And as per ush ... I left the house with my calico bag bursting at the seams with DVDs ... now for some serious "backing up" ... CC you are too much ... and super generous!!

Saturday Night was spent doing ... to be honest ... and if you're reading this M take note ... what I truly love to do ... which is try a new restaurant and a new bar into the bargain ... (and only if P gets to read this) ... with the oh so sophisticated P in tow ... hehe

So we initially wanted to eat at the Panama dining room ... but couldn't get a booking ... same rotten luck at de las santos ... so we ended up in the re-furbished Builder's Arms:

 
As you can see, the refurbished Builders is oh so terribly retro it should scream tryhard ... but in my mind it works ... and deliciously so. If the colour scheme was a little more mono-chromatic (read: white), you might be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled into a Space 1999 set ... (speaking of which ... watch the 1st season of Space 1999 ... you'd be playing spot the designer piece of furniture in amongst the set fittings) ... I guess it actually looks like a Space 1999 set designed by George and Mildred ... anyways ... loves it ... the food and the service on the other hand ... whilst not exactly bad ... twas just a little lacklustre ....

For starters we had:

Fried Haloumi and a bowl of chips with aoli (well there was a bit of a kerfuffle with ordering entrees to begin with ... but I can't be bothered about details at this stage*). I'm always up for a bit of fried cheese ... so in some ways picking this as an entree was a no-brainer ... what lifted the dish was the oregano infused tomato slices ... they were scrumptious ... and I will be attempting to replicate them shortly ... the chips looked fantastic when they were brought out to a nearby table ... and they didn't disappoint ... the aoli was infused with anchovy which was subtle at first and then gradually deepened in flavour ... and I could have just kept on eating that ... a wonderful combination.

So after a shaky start ... things were beginning to look up until the mains arrived:

I ordered the Chicken Pie - well it was Chicken Unpronounceable - but essentially it was Chicken Pie - Morrocon Style. I've had something similar at Mecca Bar ... and it said that it had egg in it .. I was hoping for chunks .. but got scrambled instead ... the pie (disc shaped and dusted with sugar) sat on a bed of thinly sliced cabbage .. slightly pickled .. sort of acidic in flavour ... it didn't quite gel ... so it was a pretty uninspiring choice on my part.

P had turkish sausages and mash ... well bangers and mash really ... in a pretty heavy onion/balsamic jus .. cloying after awhile I'd imagine and exactly what P confirmed to be the case

M had lamb shanks which arrived slightly late in dramatic fashion with one bone sticking up at 90 deg .. pity the drama didn't extend to the flavour ... I like my shanks a little more intense ... this was just boiled.

Skipped dessert, had coffee, overspent on a tip ... and left suitably unimpressed.

Then we trundled down to Smith Street and headed to the Panama Dining Room:

I was hoping to score a better picture off the net ... as the one above doesn't capture the roominess of this place, the lovely big windows looking out on the plane trees ... the glimpse of the top of the city ... the strangely unassuming furniture and fixtures ... and I guess the ambience ... music that isn't too overpowering (despite what M thinks) ... room to move around ... get to the bar ... explore and generally people watch to your heart's content ... was very impressed ... and would like to go again. Would have loved to stay ... but M was tired and we had the parentals the next day ...

Mum and Dad arrived safely ... they breezed through customs coz Mum requested (or rather C did on their behalf) a wheelchair ... we're putting M in one next time we travel!!!!

ps: Why is ham and cheese such the perfect sandwhich combo??

* ok so we ordered the haloumi to share ... then the chick (our waitress - i call her fitzroy nazi) said that given the number of people that were eating that night, we should consider more for entree as it wouldn't be enough ... she suggested we go for the dips instead ... hello??? Dips??? This ain't no university digs house warming party!!! But we all sort of hmmed and ahhed ... and she was being Miss Pushy Bitch 2007, so in the end we said yeah (as in yeah, whateva ... just get out of my face already biatch!!) Then I saw the bowl of chips come out and I went, lets get a bowl of chips and haloumi ... so P went to the counter to see if he could get our order changed ... bless you P!!! Well, in the end they did, but then I thought .. hangabout ... we really only wanted the haloumi ... they're still scoring a bowl of chips (yummy as the aoli was) off of us!! Bastards!!