Thursday 17 September 2009

While I was away

ok ... while I was away, someone at work changed my password to:
 
iluvemo
 
Oh my sides ... !
 
 
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Comments:
 
Temasek wrote:
 
I am partial to a bit of a fringe and skinny jeans ... but I like my boys chunky!
4 Oct

dan cope wrote:
 
YOu do love emo my friend.. :)
2 Oct

East of Eden

Ok ... what a week indeed!!
 
For the last 6 days, the genteel suburb of East Melbourne has been my makeshift home, and the mixed roast platter from HK BBQ my solace before bed ...

 
I've seen some beautiful houses, with beautiful people and oh-so-endearing dogs; I've seen the footy crowds trudging off in fervent anticipation; wearing their team colours with pride and ecclesiasitical spirit; I walked the verdant paths of the Fitzroy gardens in both spring sun and rain, taking in the office and tourist crowds enjoying their well-earned lunch time constitutions, wondering and the sheer expanse of its environs; I've watched construction workers relishing the benefits of a unionized worksite, busily erecting apartments rumoured to start at an easy mill for a one bedroomer; I've watched in awe as nurses stride determinedly down antiseptic corridors, charts in hand, checking vital signs and doling out medication, some world weary and saturnine, some yong eager straight from the country, others seemingly urbane sounding like Prue and Trude (where on earth does that accent come from?) ... all of this, all of this through the fug of days and nights by my partner's bedside, numb from sheer panic and exhaustion, mundane bouts of routine peppered by stabs of pain and sometimes laughter ... my partner's hand oddly dry and pallid skin ... he has aged as many years as the days he has spent in this odd mad magazine of a hotel room, and perhaps I have as well, in fact I'm sure of it ... nothing really cheers me ... not even my partner's amazingly quick progress ... each day brings another little victory and a little less pain ... I want this over ... the days of caring have only just begun ...

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Tanty Week

Ok ... Serena is doing it ... kanye is doing it!! So lets make it tanty week ... say whatever is on your mind ... whenever!!

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Calm before the storm - with a few wriggly worms of panic thrown in

Ok ... tomorrow is THE day!!! Everything changes after that. So before the random sack in the corner of the room starts to move (see The Audition), lets put together some random thoughts to tie us over:
(i) Random # 1 - playing Wii in the office
 
(ii) The music between us
(iii) loving True Blood - and no I don't play for Team Edward!! I'm not a Twilofreak! But I do love me some hillbilly white trash ass!!
(iv) Dinner at Comme (the old Mietta's) for D's birthday - finally!! - mostly impressive except for the creme brulee - erm how the hell do you fuck this up? The candied crust was perfect but it was just like pouring cream underneath - WRONG!!
(v) Listens - DM Stith's Heavy Ghost, Maccabees, Imelda May, Blue Roses
"bottle top
glottal stop
Waiting for the penny drop"
(vi) Films - saw There will be Blood, good movie, great soundtrack ... but what is the point of this movie?
(vii) Welcome spring - handing out bits of rosemary in a little plakky bag at Melbourne Central - looking suspiciously like someone's stash (back in the day .. hey hey) ... waiting for the letters to the Age!!
(viii) Is Chicago really looking tired? Gina ... I was very dissappointed
(ix) Are we really this lazy?
 
(x) Damian and Patricia go bush!!
Mood = nervous

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Comments:

dan cope wrote:
 
IS this your idea of free range?
2 Sept
dan cope wrote:
 
hello. DId i mention i love my tiny tiny food. It makes me smile every day. I have finally posted a large parcel to you and M.
Sent today so should be there in time for parties. LOVE to you both xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2 Sept

Gee ... is that really how Bird's nest soup came about?

Ok ...its a sad indictment of the times that I am currently hooked on a mediacorp soap opera called The Little Nonya.

 
Can you remember the advent of the now humble (and  near obsolete) VCR? (What the hell! I remember getting our first colour television - exciting times!!) And after years of homeland bashing, I have finally succumbed to the erstwhile laughable ways of yore. I remember being in the morning session at school, coming home in the afternoon, walking down CP Road and being dazzled by the flickering cathodic rays of under the counter hong kong serials - under the counter not so much due to the antiquated prurient concerns of an ill-disguised police state, but moreso due to the fact that chinese dialects were considered half baked and culturally ill-mannered. Over the counter = dubbed into Mandarin. Under the counter = in the original language, with blood and gore and the occasional glimpse of occidental skin.




Anyhoo, in a long winded way, those were the days of the VCR - I remember seeing filial children with plastic bags crammed full of VCR's - separated into bundles according to series numbers - ready for some bored housewife's afternoon delight, in between the sweeping, washing and cooking. How we looked down our noses at such folly! And how we have now regressed as Father time turns the countdown dial with glee ...
The Little Nonya tracks the ups and downs of the Huang family and associated in-laws from pre-war days through to current times - oddly enough some characters age, others don't, but hey ho, we're never ones to let acting or make-up get in the way of a good bitch fight or laborious crying scene. Our central character is quite a progressive one in many ways, and ultimately its the notions of filial piety and familial ties that are upheld and eulogized as the binding forces effecting a satisfying and desirable outcome in the end. Oh and not only is our little nonya a bastion of women's rights in her own humble way, she is also I believe an early example of an SPG - can't say why as it is a bit of a spoiler.
Look, despite some rather spurious and frankly laughable attempts at alluding to the origin of certain delicacies (discovery of birds nest soup and chendol), and the exceedingly overwrought and melodramatic tone of proceedings in general, this was strangely rivetting and I barrelled through all 34 episodes in the space of about 3 nights. It helped that I have been touched by a mild case of stress related insomnia.




I hesitate to recommend this to people in general as I think to gain the most out of the experience (and it is a big ask - 34 hours or so of your life down the soap opera drain) there has to be a cultural connection of sorts - but all I can say now is hurry up M and recover as quickly as possible ... I'm dying to cook some nyonya food!

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