wakey wakey blog..

well hello world.. I am awaking from my hibernation (at least in this blog).

Although Melbourne seems to have not gotten the memo that it is now actually spring and temperatures are supposed to be rising to sundresses and cardigans weather, I will take the lead and Spring back to life. The clocks have changed an hour early to accommodate more of the daylight so this blog should now skip to its task of recording the things that I have been getting up to and random thoughts and rambles.

Posts are soon to come mouthing on about:

• the Northcote High Vibes
• Jean’s visit to Melbourne
• Mitch and my holiday to Sydney & Canberra

slowly but surely, I promise I will go through them like someone actually cares.

For now I will leave you with this beautiful poem my dad posted on my sister’s facebook wall (she just turned 27, which explains why we braved the cold force field that is Canberra).

Dad writes: I will share the poem i gave to mama on her 27th birthday. I guess this was the clincher for her. Naaks.
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SOME THOUGHTS FOR BENSON GREEN ON HIS TWENTY-SEVENTH BIRTHDAY

Having just gone through the year myself
I know that twenty-seven can be hard.
But there are Sunday breakfasts

and April fields
and blue on blue
and green growing things
to change all that.

I know that spring is hard because you wait
for summer
and fall is hardest of them all-
because you must not be alone
when winter comes.

I know
that love is worth the time it takes to find.
Think of that

when all the world seems made of walk-up rooms
and hands in empty pockets.

I know your smile
and it is much too warm

to waste on people in the street

(though smiles are plentiful)
and I know
that if you keep the empty heart alive a little longer
love will come.

It always does,
maybe just at the last moment, but it will come

You must believe that
or there isn’t any reason to be twenty-seven.

- from “Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows.”
Written in 1961 & first published in 1966

And one that I scribbled on my notebook at the break of dawn while trying not to wake Mitch

When morning is about to wake

And  the night is yawning

The soul stirs

Rousing memories

Somewhere in the middle

Of asleep and awake

Are the things left unsaid

Feelings that are kept

Between the slits of the blinds

Lines of light make their way to where I lie

As my heart beats

As a tear slips

Sleep reclaims the right

To let past emotions lie

Where it is doused

By the morning light

When morning is about to wake

And  the night is yawning

The soul stirs

Rousing memories

Somewhere in the middle

Of asleep and awake

Are the things left unsaid

Feelings that are kept

Between the slits of the blinds

Slivers of light make their way to where I lie

As my heart beats

As a tear slips

Sleep reclaims the right

To let past emotions lie

Where it is doused

By the morning light

That is all.

For now.. keep calm, carry on.

X

the 3rd anniversary of my sister’s 25th

MUDDLE BAR ~ Shop 8, West Row, Canberra

The Hills are Alive…

On Father’s day (the Australian, not American one) Mitch took me to the Dandenongs also known in Melbourne as The Hills to meet his dad, half brother and half sister.

We set out early to pick up his brother Max and an hour later we found ourselves in the pretty surrounds of The Hills where the air is much fresher (and a lot nippier), the roads are zig zag and the forest is right outside your window. Spent the day with his adorable siblings Max and Mira and their hilarious dad. A great day of seeing what lies beyond inner city Melbourne.

melbourne from the top of the hills

into the woods

Puffing Billy

max, mira & mitch

eeire tree where we had coffee

isn't Max cute?

mitch & max

these boots are made for walking …

One night, while walking along Brunswick Street I showed Jack the boots that my heart is aching for through a shop window. I told him how they stopped me on my tracks and made me block the walkway for about  10 minutes while I stared longingly at them. How when I walked away from them with tears in my eyes, I heard them calling out to me. (yeah.. i get a tad melodramatic about footwear and other wardrobe staples)

So he asked (as a boy would) “why didn’t you just buy them”.. I gave him a withering look and commenced a long rehearsed speech that I repeated to myself the whole day to stop myself from running out the door of my flat to the 2 short blocks where the boots were waiting to be rescued with a quarter of my monthly budget in hand. So my whiny retort to his question consisted of these very mature reasons:

They’re expensive ! If I buy them I’m going to have to eat 2 minute noodles for a week!

Winter is almost over. I won’t have much use for them in about a month!

I really don’t need ANOTHER pair of boots (but one can never really have enough pairs of boots. really.)

I’m a big girl. I know now that not everything you want, you get.

He shrugs, continues on and that was the end of that.

Or so I thought…

he came over on his lunch break the next day and told me to open his bag and there my booty babies emerged.

I was so shocked (and secretly ecstatic)!! I couldn’t believe he bought them for me! But I couldn’t accept them 9r could I? I told him to return it, he said he is most definitely NOT going to do that. I said I can’t possibly accept them and won’t wear them, he said fine I’ll throw them in the bin then. I couldn’t let him do that….

THE MAN IS A FRIGGIN LEGEND!!!

They are beautiful… I couldn’t get enough of them! I wear them to Coles, to go to the post office and even to take the rubbish down.

One bright windy wet Friday I took it out for a spin in the city. Jack was paparazzi taking photos of my bootyfull boots. So here they are..

trodding that arcade between bourke & little collins

cocktails and the croft

We . . .

set a date to try out Pete’s reknowned cocktail while having beer at Bimbos. So the Fitzroy dwellers trouped to Kew to sample this controversial cocktail (with stories ranging back from parties in Port Vila).

which consisted of an expresso shot + vodka + whatever else was in Pete’s extensive liquor collection they fancied to drop in there. The concoction was potent! I think one sip got me dizzy.

After a few (labour intensive) trials, we decided against our better judgement to head to the city. It was determined that the girls have never been to the Melbourne laneway institution The Croft Institute and so the boys were quick to suggest the place.

After the most entertaining cab ride EVER (thanks to the best cabbie in Melbourne)  and some head scratching from the boys to try to remember just where the mysterious hidden Croft Institute is (Little Bourke & Swanston at the end of Croft Lane after a walk through a stinky laneway, overflowing rubbish bins, an abundance of milk crates  & quite possibly scurrying rats) we arrived at our destination where we proceeded to:

dance to awesome old school music (complete with crazy dance moves)

pose for a few decent photos

examine our footwear?

emerge victorious from the Institute with another night of fun under our belt

There’s an empty chair here. we guard it closely.

Hello from sunny Port Vila!I haven’t really been up to much. Still finding my feet in this sandy place.

However,  I did manage to

• help mum move from our lovely house with this view

view from Villa 5 of Sea Side Villas

to an apartment at The Melanesian Resort with this view

from Unit 28 of The Melanesian

• Be my obnoxious local self exploiting resort facilities without paying a single Vatu while bonding with my brother

Rex & Tusker @ Le Lagon

• Catch up with beloved old friends and hear the gossip about the colourful characters in this city

Will & Poli, Rusty for lunch at La Tentacion

• and even out my tan

Le Lagon

I hope i had more exciting news.. but alas.. the island makes me lazy.

But he’s coming on Wednesdays and adventures will be had then!!

I

WE CANNOT FRIGGIN WAIT!!!

Ale Tata! Lukim yu!

(that’s Ok bye! See you! in Bislama)

the family in melbourne

Parental units and my two Australia-based siblings (one from Canberra, the other from Adelaide) were  here for about a week to check up on me, experience the awesomeness that is Melbourne and to celebrate mum’s birthday and mum and dad’s 30th anniversary. It was a whirlwind week of activities, laughter, taking the piss, eating (heaps), shopping, a LOT of walking, tramming, seeing, playing Wii and enjoyment!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Unfortunately.. Anj, my eldest sister couldn’t make it so this is the only complete family photo we could take:

Oh well.. one day hopefully soon this wacky and wonderful family unit will be all together long enough to have a family photo taken. And not just on the Wii screen.

Why are pirates pirates?

Because we ARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Who says piracy is a crime?!! Criminally fun maybe!!! ARRRRRRRR!!!

Had a great Sunday arvo and early evening sailing on Harold’s Pirate Ship Casseopia (spelling courtesy of Will. So if it’s wrong blame him.) with a bunch of awesome people mostly volunteers. We had a boat full of fun mostly shit talking, lounging, acting like monkeys & lots & lots of Posing!!

the gang (minus some) with the pirate harry

i’d rather kill myself than talk to you Osama

marion with an olsen twin. ha.

on the gang plank with verity

the coy pirate. like my sailing outfit?

I hope it’s not the last time we sail like pirates.

Next time i’ll wear bathers and I’ll take a plunge. Promise.

View the complete album here.

Mum’s never ending birthday

It started on Saturday, the 24th. her actual birthday. We went to the The Sebel to try their breakfast buffet. It’s actually a very good deal for VT1500 pp. It was surprisingly awesome. Trick is to go there late (it goes til noon) so it’s considered brunch and heap it up!

I’m not trying for the celebrity hiding from the paparazzi look. The annoying truth is I’ve had this really fug eye sty throughout this weekend. I committed the mortal sin of wearing sunnies indoors. Outrage! I’ve always hated people who wore sunnies inside malls and shops. But I thought it’s better to commit the taboo rather than have people think I’m winking at them.

So after our posh brunch we walked to the market and I let mum run amok and buy to her heart’s content. I usually follow her around like a pesky mosquito reminding her not to buy too much as we can’t carry it, that we don’t need that, it’ll never be eaten and it will go to waste. But that day, I kept mum (pun intended) whilst my arms slowly got dislocated as she passed me bags of steak, star fruits, coconuts (4!!!!) and flowers. We then went to Au Bon Mache for a quick whirl for things we so desperately need.

Love Thursday #1

This is a meme I’m continuing on from my old blog. There is a better explanation on my first Love Thursday post there.

I think it is only apt that my first love Thursday post is dedicated to 3 out of the 5 people I love most – my family. My mum, my sister & my brother in South Australia from when mum went to Oz last week.

aren’t they gorgeous. I miss my sibs so much!!