Breakfast at Tiffany's

On Thursday night last week I finally achieved a lifelong goal and saw...Breakfast at Tiffany's! I've seen all the promo shots for this film (i.e. see below) all my life, but have actually never seen the movie until last Thursday. I felt like one of those crazy people who have never seen The Sound of Music. Absolutely loved the movie, although it really wasn't what I was expecting at all. I saw it at the Open Air Cinema at Southbank, Brisbane. Basically you bring a picnic and a picnic blanket and what the movie on a big outdoor screen in the rainforest park outside under the stars. If you've never been to the Open Air Cinema you MUST go. The boyfriend and I bought with us 5 different varieties of cheese, a breadstick, some grapes and crackers and drank red wine under the stars while we watched the film - it was so nice. DO IT.

Speaking of breakfast, I have to show you my awesome breakfast this morning...I'm obsessed with porridge lately. My concoction this morning: Carman's Honey Roasted Nut oats with pepitas, cranberries and coconut on top...mmmm.

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike

I thought I'd better give an update on my bicycle refurb project. I have an obsession with bikes (among other things..!) - old, pretty vintage/Dutch style bikes specifically. As much as I love bikes, if I'm to be honest with myself, I love the IDEA of them rather than the RIDING of them, so to speak. I have a beautiful replica vintage bike, a purple lowrider, which is gathering dust as we speak for lack of use. That said, I do live in a city which really doesn't lend itself to bike riding - most of the year it is sweltering hot, the roads aren't set up for bikes, motorists seem to have made a mission of how many cyclists they can possibly kill, and the terrain is extremely hilly. So a trendy and relaxing ride to work on my purple low rider is actually more hot, sweaty, and exhausting than enjoyable, sadly. BUT - this bike I'm refurbishing is actually a genuine old bike, and much lighter than the imitation one I currently own. So, I'm hoping the refurb project will reignite my love of actually riding.

The bike in question is my mother's - so she'd kill me for calling it vintage, but it's a 1983 Speedwell Classique. This is where we're at with it so far (it needs new parts and a new paint job):

The boyfriend and I pulled it apart the other night, and he attempted to teach me how to use tools and about bike parts - such a bad idea. I intentionally went anti clockwise instead of clockwise and kept calling the parts by all the wrong technical terms just for amusement. By the end, I think his patience was wearing thin.

Next time you see this bike...I hope it's not in pieces in a plastic box!

Food for thought...

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing."

– Elbert Hubbard

Read more about "The benefits of pissing people off".

Much too soon

I was listening to this on the train this morning and just had to share it. "Much too Soon" was released last year on the first post-humous album of new Michael Jackson material, "Michael". This song was recorded by Michael way back in the 1982 Thriller sessions. There are mixed reports as to why this song was kept in the vault so long - it didn't make the final cut for Thriller because Michael chose "She's out of my life" instead. According to his official website, "Michael always liked the song and would pull it back out of the vaults for each subsequent album project but never found the right home for it. Here it finds its place as the bittersweet closing to the stellar collection."

This song really stands out to me, because it sounds nothing like any of Michael's other songs, with a beautiful folk feel to it. The melody for "Much too soon" is gorgeous, brought to life by an absoutely stunning vocal delivery and soaring strings. The song isn't over-produced, so the melody and sweetness of it shines. When I listened to it it gave me goosebumps and tears. Have a listen:

"I hope to make a change now for the better,

Never letting fate control my soul,

And I'm hoping that my prayers will see,

The day that you come back to me,

But I guess I learned my lesson much too soon"

© MJJ Productions, Sony Music Entertainment. This song is not mine and I claim no ownership of it. No copyright infringement is intended. "Much too Soon" music and lyrics written by Michael Jackson, performed by Michael Jackson, produced by Michael Jackson & John McClain.

Voulez-vous parler français avec moi?

When I did my trip around Europe last year I fell the most in love with France & Italy. In France, I only got to Paris (which was gorgeous); in Italy I got to explore a bit more, spending 9 days visiting Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, & Rome. I loved the languages of both Italy and France and swore I'd learn one when I got home. I thought I'd probably lose interest once I hit home shores but I've been learning French the last couple of weeks and I'm loving it! Mainly I've been using an audio book my Michel Thomas - he has a quirky teaching method which makes a lot of sense and makes it a lot easier. The premise is that you don't need to revise, memorise, or write things down (he in fact says its against the rules) - he takes you through the language in such a way that it almost comes naturally, because he starts by taking words in English that are derived from French (there are tonnes) and teaches those first. It's almost intuitive, then he works with you on building sentence structures by teaching a basic understanding of the structure of the language.

I'm quite impressed to find that mon vocabulaire français has improved quite significantly! AND I've found a use for my half hour commutes, morning & night. I wish I'd had this knowledge when I was in France, as I had a couple of run ins with rude Parisians who were obviously put out by my seeming disregard for their culture when I spoke to them in anglais. Now I could be polite and attempt a very basic conversation. I think I'll start proper classes soon.

Ridin'

Here is a a cute video on how to tune up your bike DIY style - handy! Courtesy of Recycle-A-Bicycle via The Etsy Blog.

And speaking of DIY bike projects, check out the original 1983 Speedwell Classique (my Mum's!) which is me and the boyfriend's new refurb project!! All we have done so far is remove the wheels...watch this space!

A weekend in the country

I just got back to the city after the most lovely weekend in the country at my Mum's gorgeous farm. It was so nice to be back in the country and to see my Mummy! We had a great mother-daughter day on Sunday, checking out the local markets (where I got bags of limes, lemons, potatoes, onions and a butternut pumpkin all for $6), having lunch in the park, buying material for Mum's latest sewing adventure, and even making plum jam! On Saturday, I took the boyfriend up to the Chocolate Cottage in Highfields. It was such a gorgeous day, a little bit chilly but nice and sunny, up on the hill looking out, surrounded by choccies! Plus I got to sit in Mum's beautiful claw-foot bath every night. I left with my own jar of plum jam (for scones later) AND my Mum's old, dusty "Speedwell Classique" - me & the boyfriend's latest refurb project (more on that to come).

The Chocolate Cottage

Mummy! In this one sitting we had wine, coffee, turkish bread & dips, AND cake.

The view from the kitchen window.

Our plum jam, before it was jam

After it became jam

Won't you save me, San Francisco?

I think it must be the sudden chill in the air as autumn sets in and winter starts creeping towards us, because I've found myself thinking more and more about my beloved San Francisco. I spent 8 months in the "City by the Bay" while I was studying at University, and it was probably the best 8 months of my life. I went to San Francisco State University, and lived on campus with some great American girls. I arrived in the city by myself, at 19, and navigated my way to my hotel by Ocean Beach where I spent a week alone exploring the city before University kicked off. It was so exhilarating, to be in a new place, completely alone and forced out of my comfort zone, and create a whole new life full of new culture, new friends, and new experiences. I'll always hold San Francisco close to my heart. Here are some of my favourite photos of The City.



Chinese New Year, out front of Macy's





Where else, but Haight Ashbury?



The famous Lombard St.





On Campus




The Ferry Building




Chinatown




Ocean Beach



My sister Paige

How gorgeous is this piccy of me and my sister Paige?

She is my best friend, still :)

L'Age de Raison

I saw this gorgeous film on the weekend at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival at New Farm's Palace Centro Cinema. It's a great film about getting lost in the "reality" of adulthood, and forgetting your childhood dreams along the way. The main character "Marguerite" is a high achiever in the corporate world, when she starts receiving letters from her 9 year old self, reminding her of her childhood dreams of becoming a princess, astronaut, etc and asking her why she has become an "other" in the corporate world instead.

Happy Monday

I know, usually it's "Happy Friday". What's so bloody happy about damn Monday?!

Well, I know most people think it's the worst day of the week, and usually I'd agree. But I've noticed that every Monday seems to have become a commiserating session about how awful it is that yet another freakin' Monday has come to bite us all on the collective ass. I'm sure anyone in a 5-day-a-week office environment can relate. It's usually composed of pouting, irritability, excessive coffee consumption and general misery as everyone counts down to the bell, so that they can escape home.

A couple of Monday's ago, this was really getting me down. What kind of attitude is this to have towards Mondays? Do we really need to spend Monday cursing at being back at work, each following weekday counting back down to evening TV time, and the weekend dreading the beginning of the week?! Shouldn't we come into Monday with renewed energy and excitement for the week ahead? Sounds like a better Monday to me...

So this weekend I planned for an awesome Monday today. Here's how I made my Monday awesome:

1. I did not, under any circumstances, engage in bemoaning the fact that it was Monday. I smiled like a buffoon instead and said "but isn't it a beautiful day?" (to the confusion and annoyance of others, I'm sure).
2. I drove to work, thus cutting out running for the train, waiting for it, being squished and standing throughout the journey, and then having to walk through the dirty Valley (screaming, bedraggled types of the Valley puffing ciggie smoke in your face and accosting you at 8am will almost guarantee you a miserable start to Monday).
3. I went the long way which meant I not only got to drive through pretty, leafy Hawthorne but also got to stop at my favourite local coffee place "Brother" for an absolutely amazing cappuccino for the trip.
4. I listened to one of my favourite feel-good albums "Off the Wall" all the way to work (you can't have a bad Monday if you start it with "Don't stop till you get enough").
5. In a meeting which provided many opportunities to become irritated, I simply went to a happy place instead.
6. Took a client out for lunch at the yummy Vapiano in the City.
7. Had a toasted hot cross bun for afternoon tea.
8. Listened to another great chill out album "Wonder" by Lisa Mitchell for the afternoon.

Cheers to Monday, I say!

Feeling groovy

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobblestones.
Lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy.

- Simon & Garfunkal

Putting these words into action for my Saturday. Take it easy.