24/11/11

Apologies to the 7 people that actually read this, I know it's been a long time. Honestly, I haven't found life all that remarkable in the past while. While it is possible to appreciate small things every day, like birds singing, good coffee, kids falling over etc...when life doesn't feel all that remarkable, it seems so easy to write these things off as the usual and to not appreciate them.

I went home to NZ for a couple of weeks recently, in realising that my head was a bit messed up and i needed some perspective and chill time with family and friends. Having some time off from life is a good thing, then you come back to reality (and in my case, Australia) and it all hits again.

Two days in, I felt like I was back to where I was when I left. Perspective is all well and good but unless you do something to change your situation, you'll stay where you are.

Having a remarkable life isn't just about appreciating the small things, though this does help. Ultimately, it's about the decisions you make. Firstly, whether you decide to live remarkably; will you care about people, recycle, be there for people, help the poor, smile at strangers, appreciate beauty, exercise and eat well, laugh, appreciate, be inspired, use your passions, use your talents, will you love and let others love you?

Secondly, i've realised it's continuing to do so despite the situation.  Moving to a new country was exciting and amazing, but I think I lost track of what's important, mostly, loving and serving God, then loving and serving others.  I think I did try to do this, to a point, however, in my attempts to think and be and accept and live, I lost track of all of this. Ultimately, a lot of crap things happened and I didn't have the foundations to back me up...the house on the sand went smash, really.

When you invest in your work, in your relationships, in your partner, in your health, in anything, you're at the risk of having it disappear, which, in my case, anyway, caused me to crash and burn.  Life is changing, love is risky, nothing is certain except for the love of a God who cares for us, intimately.

I know when things crash, it sometimes feels like God doesn't care, won't care, even that he may have caused some or all of what has happened...selfishly, i've felt that way.

But something I've come to realise lately is the concept of grace.   Even when my house is built on the sand and I run and hide from everything, God comes and seeks me.  It wasn't about knocking on doors and trying to find God, it was about being where I was and letting him come and find me, where I was, as I was, who I was. 

I know life can be pretty crap sometimes.  You lose people you love. You lose out on what you thought was certain. You lose possessions, good health, dignity, talents, inspirations. You lose sight of what really matters, you lose the ability to be happy, you lose the will to live.

However, something that is ultimately unfailing, despite my arguments, my anger, my sadness, my rejections, is the love of God and his affections. Amazing, amazing grace.  Never have I sang this song and truly understood as I do now.

It's grace that brought me safe thus far
and grace will lead me home.

16/10/2011

An unfinished post that is a little out of date.

I have walked to work a few times, wearing a disguise (and holding a stick the first time) and wasn't attacked. Rode there and back twice, safely.  He watched me, once. Look, i know it sounds crazy, but you can't understand. He has it out for me, I don't know if it's jealousy because I can ride faster then I can fly, or, more likely, that he's protecting his young...but there's something about me that makes him want to peck my eyes out.  A couple weeks ago a kid had his eye pecked out by a Magpie. Guess what Australia will do? Put up a sign.

Interestingly, in my First Aid course today, there wasn't a section on magpies. Snakes, yes., Spiders, yes. Blue-Ringed Octopus, yes. Magpies, no.  They've killed before, wikipedia told me.

First Aid is such a weird concept for me. Yes, you can train someone so they know what to do, but honestly, in emergencies, you don't know how you're going to act.  I was driving with my bestie Erin once and we saw a little girl get hit by a car. Just ran out in front of it.  I froze.  Erin, the superhero that she is, ran out gave directions to everyone and saved the day. It was amazing. Even the guy who hit her; Erin looked at him said 'pull over! It wasn't your fault, I saw the whole thing!"  It was amazing.  I called the ambulance, leaving my car in the middle of the road, before Erin also gave me directions.

Anyway, the point is, i'm 'equipped' now, a proper first aider. Which is a crapload of pressure and quite a big responsibility.  I can help with telling you that if you get stung by a box jellyfish, there's no point calling an ambulance, because you'll be dead before it gets here.  Guess who's not going swimming at Austalian beaches?

Life has been a rollercoaster, sometimes an unhappy one, however things are changing for the better. After being demoted at my job (ouch) i've decided to work and save for a while, then move on.  I'm thinking volunteering in India for a year, be it freeset, be it Mother Teresa's, wherever i'm needed.  I have set up a new life here, but it's coming time to move on.

19/09/2011

I am embarrassed to report that the magpies have won. Well, the one magpie. After my amazing display of headbutting skills last Saturday, a few customers, while obviously impressed by my ninja skills, shared some disturbing news;

Magpies remember.

3 months, apparently, not a goldfish memory where they forget, not an elephants memory where they never do, but 3 months.  For 3 months of my riding past his stupid little nest with his stupid little children, this magpie will remember my superior headbutting skills and work hard to make my ride to work even harder.  My helmet literally has stab marks all over it.

That, and the newspapers over here; 2 page spread of magpies swooping on children (so it's no racism, ha!) and people with blood down their faces.

Yes, Australia will report on it, sympathise with those attacked, yet refuse to kill a native bird that is trying to kill its own people and friendly, good-looking NZers over here for a working holiday.

So, on the bus I go.  I would walk, but MAGPIES HAVE MEMORIES.

In other news, had my first gig last week.  I was pretty nervous, to be honest, especially as the female singer is overseas for 2 months, so guess who got to sing in EVERY SINGLE SONG!? 

Go on, guess.

ME!

Did you get it?

I was ill with nerves much of the day, my voice quavered and it was the daggiest venue in Sydney.  Luckily, when everyone arrived, they'd turned off the lights and it looked a little better, plus I didn't wet my pants, so that's always a plus.

The weather's been amazing, yesterday was 31 degrees, it was amazing. I walked around Bondi, had a picnic in the park, chilled, it was awesome.  I had half of today off too, which was great, same nice weather, about 22 but a bit windy.

Things are good, been very busy at work with heaps of staff off/down/sick but managing.  Have a weekend in Melbourne soon which i'm REALLY looking forward to, plus mum sister will be there at that time so we can catch up. Also, my folks are visiting soon, so it's all on! I'm excited!

Oh, and at work the other day, I hit Gay Waterhouse with a door.  She's a giant horse breeding celebrity, or something. She has a book...eh, who cares? I laughed.

13/09/2011

Today I was hit on my 2 young men wearing filthy grey trackpants.  They like my 'hipster look' (?) and appreciate my body.  They're only human.  THIS. IS. SYDNEY.

On Saturday I was attacked by the same magpie, again.  Instead of taking his crap like I usually do, I headbutted the bastard twice. My helmet is pretty munted now.  I talked to Erin's dad (who used to work for the council) to see if he could help me get it murdered.  He laughed at me.  THIS. IS. SYDNEY.

Today I checked my Superannuation account to see what interest I had accrued from my 6 months of living here. I have made $1.54.  THIS. IS. SYDNEY.

On Wednesday I have my very first gig with my band. A friend who has never heard us play before used this to describe us; "LION LE LION - These guys are a brand new collaborative - this is their first gig as a band. With instruments featured as diverse as glockenspiel and accordion, as well as conventional sounds like guitars and voices, Lion Le Lion look to be a new musical revelation."  Thaaaat's me. AND THIS IS SYDNEY.

Today I'm working on my blog, feeling bad that I haven't updated it and have been out of contact with so many people.  Work has been busy with my boss on leave and staff being sick. Plus I'm just a wuss who gets tired from work and has early nights. Rock and roll.

On Sunday morning I went to the annual kite festival in Bondi.  There were heaps of kites, including giant ones of whales and of aliens riding in spaceships.  I'm not sure what the theme was, but if it was random crap, that kite would have won.

I went to roller derby a couple of weeks ago, which was AWESOME.  I figured it would be a room full of lesbians cheering on more lesbians who beat each other up while on roller skates...and i was mostly right.  Ha. It was so cool, there's actually full-on strategy and rules, they took it very seriously.  The team I chose (the Beauty School Knockouts) beat the other team (Team Unicorn) so I was happy. Team Unicorn deserved some credit though, their opening number had a man dressed in a full unicorn suit, prancing around the stadium.  I went with Lou and Mike and work people.  I can't wait to go again!

The weather's been pretty good lately, I have the day off today which has been good, sadly I needed to do inside stuff but I saw a bit of sun.  Can't wait to chill out tonight and do nothing!

I've probably done more but can't remember.  Plus I can't think of anymoreTHIS IS SYDNEY quips, so instead, enjoy this delightful photo of a whale kite.  Because you can.

03/09/2011

Apparently it's 'usual' for people to be attacked by Magpies here.  It's happened to me on 3 separate occasions. 

I'm Catherine Sell and this is my story.

My first time, I wasn't expecting it, obviously, I didn't know what was going on, it felt like someone had hit me across the side of the head. I thought it was someone playing tricks on me.  The sun was behind me, I looked forward and saw my shadow and a bird swooping ahead. Incredulous, I started laughing, when it happened again.  While it was funny, my favourite part was when an island guy drives beside me and says "hey! Watch out man, you're being attacked by magpies!"  Yeah, dude. Got that. Thanks.

Different people have offered different advice, other than 'watch out because they'll peck out your eyes' (which we'll talk about later), apparently the thing to do it to paint giant eyes on your helmet.

Which is either a really good practical joke that everyone's playing on me, so i'll look like an egg riding to work with a scary monster helmet, or, it'll actually scare away the freaking birds.  One guy told me that as kids walking home from school, they used to wear upside-down icecream containers on their heads with eyes painted on them.  L. O. L.

I suggested a handgun so I could kill the damn things, but word is, they're protected.  So, today, after being attacked for a third time...and realising that it's actually scaring me a little (i've started reacting to bird noises and seeing them swoop a little, even pigeons which aren't scary at all, (unless they have bird flu or are crowding you in Venice) I googled.

Excuse my language, but this really is necessary (Lou, don't read further).

FUCKING. HELL.

They DO attack your eyes.  Read this!!

Quote;

"...where a magpie will swoop in from behind or the side and audibly "snap" their beaks or even peck or bite at the face, neck, ears or eyes.  A magpie may rarely attack by landing on the ground in front of a person and lurching up and landing on the victim's chest and peck at the face and eyes.^[  Magpie attacks can cause injuries, typically wounds to the head and particularly the eyes, with potential detached retinas and bacterial infections..."

DOUBLE-YOU.  TEE.  EFF.

"Attacks begin as the eggs hatch, increase in frequency and severity as the chicks grow, and tail off as the chicks leave the nest."

...so it's going to get worse.

But then.... "Magpies are a protected native species in Australia, so it is illegal to kill or harm them".

So, hang on.  Let me get this straight.

Magpies can and probably will;

A) Swoop at me

B) Attack me

C) Try to peck out my eyes

D) Continue to do so more frequently for the next 2 months

E) Ruin my life

And I am expected to;

A) Deal with it

B) Not kill the f*ckers

C) look like a giant douchebag with big googly eyes on my head.

AUSTRALIA.  HOW IS THIS NORMAL?!?!?

All the reactions i've had are 'haha oh yes that happens all the time".  I'm sorry!?!?!?!

It happens all the time...and you're just laughing and walking around with icecream containers on your head.  Does no-one else find this ridiculous??!!   Survival of the fittest, guys! I know you fail at everything except stealing things that NZ invented, but really, surely you understand that you're bigger and don't have to take this crap! 

The sad thing is, I don't have a gun, I'd miss them if I tried to swing at them....or just fall off of my bike, and they are freaking me out a little bit.  (Little bit?).

So.  Guess i'll pimp out my helmet and be 'that girl who has big eyes on her helmet'.  Or, I suppose, i'll look like every Australian because all of you are a bunch of wusses who are getting bullied by a FREAKING BIRD.

THE END.
 

22/08/2011

It's been a while, life has been extremely remarkable but unbelievably crazy as well.

I actually have social things planned for the next 3 weekends, including roller derby, a totally kick-ass party at my house where we will have an espresso martini off, Kyla's bday drinks... i'm just so popular.

Sydney has been good to me.  After a week of straight rain, we had a week of straight sun.  This week included my 2 days off, where I sat in the sun, drinking coffees, enjoying Haloumi and Bubble &squeak filled breakfasts and far too many coffees in the Surry Hills area. You, friends (NZ friends anyway) enjoyed a week of extreme cold and snow.  Snow in Auckland is a pretty rare thing, and though i'm sure it was magical, truthfully, I hate the cold. I hate snow. I was much happier chilling and drinking my delicious piccolo lattes.

My coffee consumption has increased, something i'm not actually upset about.  Instead of the usual flat whites, my coffees have become less and less full, now with my drinking macchiatos or piccolos, like someone super cool who actually likes coffee and not milk.

I've been on the espresso machine loads, and while it's had it's ups (people actually enjoying my coffee) and downs (the machine overheating because I fail at life) it's going very well.  I LOVE the science of it all, it's so much fun. Can't wait to come home and play on the Silvia with you, mum!

My bffl Erin has been travelling around and it's been hard to get a hold of her, but last night we had a looong talk for ages and my heart feels good.  I've also chatted with Aimee and Sarah, had amazing meatballs with Lou and Mike, coffeed with Ellie, 10 pin bowled (as the name 'Crowded House are from Australia'...still beat all of you, ha!) with Em, had chats with my mum, saw Tara and Richard this weekend, plan to travel home to NZ in the next while, drive up to Newcastle on my day off...life is good, albeit busy.

I've been thinking much more seriously about starting up my cafe as well, which is exciting.  A lot to think about and organise but totally worth it. Investors, hands up, please.

Band practice is good, we have a new member who seems to be more musically talented than me (I actually found myself doing a Lauren Tate (sucking in her breath through her teeth) when she played the xylophone extremely well 'for the first time'....but am i bovered though? Face, bovered?  We have a possible gig lined up which is exciting. I'm also spending next Monday with a customer come friend and we're going to jam together which will be fun. I'm looking at buying a new guitar so hopefully he can help.

Been hanging with work people a lot more, having a great time.  We karaoked last week and it was incredible fun, our own room, food and drink delivered within seconds when you order it....

It was a proper Karaoke place on George St....as you walked down the hallway, you could see through narrow strip on glass what people were doing in their rooms....all of them, and i mean ALL of them were quiet. The men sat eating, playing cards, the girls sand slow, meaningful ballads, while we, crazy white people that we are, screamed out the Pussycat Dolls, had rap battles to Run DMC, took turns being a Barbie Girl, and cranked out the Love Shack. They weren't our biggest fans, I think (despite our overwhelming talents) and they ended up turning off Bohemian Rhapsody halfway through to try and get rid of us. Worth it!

Nights at the local lingerie waitress pub which i'm sure i've talked about, basically, think West Auckland  but with girls wearing little clothes and bending over too far on Thursdays and Fridays.  It is extremely uncomfortable knowing where to look and trying not to be rude.  The pub's a 1 min walk from work so it makes sense to frequent there, but somehow we always go on Thursdays...it is unplanned, believe me! Ha.

Life is good. I'm busy and having fun.  I do miss my friends and family at times but then remember I'm in the big smoke now and need to harden up.  Which leads me to my next remark;

I HAVE DEFINED MUSCLES.  Being a barista and tamping all day, as well as carrying around big buckets of beans means that I actually have defined muscles for the first time in my life. My "call a vet because these puppies are sick' comment now actually relates to something other than a pale hanging chicken wing.  Well, they're still there, a little, but I'm pretty much a superhero now. Not quite Popeye (though I think he has tumours, those arms are abnormally large) but I could take you in a knife fight, if pushed.

10/8/11

Today, I filled out the census.  It was weird filling it out, the bluntness of the questions and it really reflected my new life here. No, I am not currently doing any volunteer work. What religion am I? Well, I went to a Baptist Church, now I go to an Anglican one, i'm not sure I identify as either, but not putting something feels dishonest...  No, I've never been married. OKAY!?!? JUST SHUTTUP CENSUS< LEAVE ME ALONE*#

In other news, today I saw Policemen on bikes.  Proper Police bikes, little matching blue riding shorts, guns holstered.  It was quite funny.  Then I rode really hard to beat them. I did for a while, then they turned a corner and my feeling of success died a little.  But I totally won. Yusssss.

Work is going well, i've been working hard on shots and am getting gross, calloused barista hands.  I'm also not making the worst coffee in any cafe ever, which is a good thing.  I'm pretty stoked at how natural it's becoming, in problem-solving, changing the grind, tamping and everything.  I did fault testing last week where you can tell by the pour and taste what you've done wrong, whether it's grind, tamp, dose etc.  So awesome, i love the science and learning it all.  It feels like uni though, the whole day on the machine focusing and concentrating is like studying for a test.

My cough has mostly gone which meant that I rode Fugly Rose again today for the first time in about 2 weeks. 

I also have new jokes about my guns (instead of using the usual "call a vet 'cos these puppies are sick")...

"have you met the twins? Des and Troy?  DES-TROY".

Hmm. Funnier in real life.

03/08/2011

This year has gone crazy fast. I realised this evening that in under a week, i've been here 6 months.

Life has been crazy busy but good.  I've been on the espresso machine loads working on shots and have been making awesome progress, even got a compliment from someone who never gives them (the best i've had from him before this was "Shit...that's actually good").  By the end of the week I hope to be moving onto milk and shots...i just want to rock out the machine already!

After a couple of weekends of crap weather, the sun has been shining and it's been fantastic.  I had a great weekend in the sun, coffee-ing, spending time with friends, relaxing, it was so good, one of those weekends where you actually feel like you can face work again. Went to go and see a play 'The Importance of Being Ernest"...something i'm not familiar with and feel like I need to read it now as i'm not sure the direction the play was taking...they were sort of dominatrix/transvestities/sluts and talked in poncy accents...pretty strange, but good. Also went and hit up 5 different cafes which was so much fun.  I'll fb the pics soon, it was great. Also went and just relaxed in Centennial Park, dogs running around, coffee and sunshine...bliss.

Alas, i'm sick today. While I won't list the medication i'm on (much to your dismay), i've spent the day in bed, sleeping, reading, eating. I even ordered pizza and they gave me extra free stuff, it was amazing. Last time they gave me lollies, this time coke and garlic bread. No idea why. But i'm happy.

Work's going well, hanging loads with different colleagues and having fun.  We had kareoke planned but i'm losing my voice so it'll be postponed til next week.  We'll have our own private room and everything, i'm pretty excited.

This weekend i'm going to the roller derby- can't wait to see it in action as it so just sounds like an idea someone came up with one night when they were drunk in their basement. Apparently I shouldn't dress up like a pirate skank...i checked. But if I do...there will be photos. Don't worry.

25/07/2011

Today I was in a shop buying a bus card, the man behind the counter looks at me, eyes me up and says "You're from New Zealand?"  I laughed and asked if it was that obvious, surprised that my one sentence of asking for a bus-card showed my accent. He laughed and replied that he knew because all NZ girls are beautiful. I told him I liked him and that i'd come back to his shop again.

It reminded me of a similar time in India, when a man asked if I was from New Zealand.  Impressed by him being able to pick that up and not just presuming i'm from Australia, I said yes.  His response was "why do NZ girls eat so much? All the time I see them, they eat and eat...always eating so much food"...and so on. He then invited me to eat at his restaurant (probably hoping for a bargain as presumbly i'd buy and eat everything on the menu) which I politely declined.  Hilarious story. Let's ignore the fact that I was buying chocolate and crisps from his shop, shall we? Good times.

Today has been good. I just spent a couple hours on a clifftop in Coogee, in the sunshine, just hanging with God, reflecting and praying for people I love and stuff happening in the world. I chose not to think of me or anything happening with me, but instead to focus on God and on everything else.  It was so good for my soul. The sun was out, there were few people around and the view looked like this...

This was from last time I went up there a couple weeks ago...

I so just want to do something that helps. Giving isn't enough, my heart can't let that be enough. So instead, i'm dreaming and planning and conspiring. I have no idea where to start, or if i'm even close to being qualified, but know that I can't sit still and just watch.  What's remarkable is all of our individual abilities to make change, yet instead we hope someone else will do it or make token gestures through donations here and there.  My apathy has been dominating my life for too long and it's time for a change (insert fast-paced action music here).

Rant rant rant. Think about it. I'll probably be asking for your help, anyway.

20/07/2011

Miserable, wet weather. If I was French, i'd possibly call it Les Miserables. On the upside, good coffee tastes better when you're cold.  Went to a great place today called Mecca, think it won 2nd best coffee in Sydney, or something.  I like the basics of it and am always looking for ideas for my espresso bar, when/if I open one. I've been thinking about it loads lately...thinking about how lucky we are and how much we have compared to so many.  When I visited Freeset last year (http://www.freesetglobal.com/) I was so touched at what I saw...and so aware of how little I could do to help, in terms of actually being there and helping... they needed locals to be there and to have those jobs, it's people like me who can support by paying the wages of those workers, to help hire new hands and to expand their amazing business...setting more people free.

So, i'm thinking;  I open an espresso bar where it's about supporting something like freeset, or an orphanage...much of the profit goes to support the 'project' and to share knowledge and educate people of the huge needs out there. It's so easy to live here comfortably, doing whatever we want with our money, but there's such need out there...and more importantly, such injustice. We can really help. And I want to. The Flaming Badger may not be such an appropriate name here...but I can work on it.

I don't know, I guess I just want to make a difference, somehow, whatever it looks like, be it going there and helping (and probably getting in the way of people who can do the job better) or by telling people about it and supporting it financially.  I JUST WANT TO DO SOMETHING.

Who's with me?

18/07/2011

I JUST WATCHED HARRY POTTER AND IT WAS AMAZING.  I cried a little, laughed a lot, applauded, cheered, made appropriate jokes about the quote "Come on Tom, let's finish what we started" and LOVED it.

It's crazy that it's finished now. Unless J.K. loses all of her sense and writes more epilogue stuff about Severus James Lily Albus Dobby Griphook Potter and friends.  So, so funny.  I loved seeing it with people who cared, my dear friends Ellie and Aimee are big nerds so it was great to see it with them and make awesome references and talk about plot and pretend we're not really muggles...after all.

Yesterday, Aimee arrived and we hit up Surry Hills for breakfast and coffee, then walked around trying to find the markets, which were apparently 'every Sunday'.  Except, apparently, the one we chose. At first I thought it was because I was geographically retarded, but no. Alas, they were not to be found. The good news is that I had an amazing, amazing custard tart from Black Star Bakery (Shona, you've GOT to try them...i thought of you) and explored a little. I'm sort of getting how all the streets link up now. That's the good thing about wandering around looking for imaginary markets.

I now have TWO WHOLE DAYS OFF thanks to my awesome boss (who also said he'd bail me out of jail in the middle of the night, as long as it wasn't for assault...good guy....and good to know). We're going to eat awesome dumplings from my local fave secret location, go to the movie club with some work friends to see Sunshine and Oranges and have a good coffee in Newtown. The next day, we're art gallery-ing and ferrying and enjoying that we have 2 days off with only very loose plans.

In other news, apparently (i refuse to get my hopes up...yet) there's a very good chance that i'll get around back $4,000 in tax rebate.   Don't ask me how, but if it happens, i will probably wet my pants.
The end.

16/07/2011

Last week, I did something i've wanted to do for about seven years...cupping! This is what roasters do when they're selecting a new bean or testing their current ones.  You test all sorts of things; aroma, fragrance, body, acidity, flavours, aftertaste...is was so much fun.  I did it with the head roaster who taught me the desirables of coffee and let me test my palate.  I've honestly wanted to do this ever since I started in coffee, around 2004, and if i practice and get good at it maybe could mean more doors opened eventually.  I was pretty excited.

Aimee is coming to visit tomorrow!! We so excited!!

The band is going well, we're looking at doing some street gigs, not busking, just performances to gage the reactions of people and to practice in crowds. We were supposed to do it this weekend but the weather failed us.  I've also got a gig set up for the 17th August, possibly, if we get a set together. We've got almost 5 songs ready to go and some more coming that need work. Exciting stuff.  I've also got plans to jam with a couple of other musicians, one guy that comes into my work, Dave who is awesome and does some solo stuff. Another guy at work who jams and owns 2 of the guitars I want. Dickhead.  Aimee's bringing over my electric guitar when she visits so we plan to jam a little bit at work, i'll need to buy a new amp and think i'll get a new guitar. I really want to focus on my music a bit.  The guy at work, Tim, suggested that i find musicians that I like and see what guitars and amps they use, then I can get that sound.  Get a guitar that matches Brooke Fraser's? Don't mind if I do.

I love being here and focusing on my music and creative stuff. It's such a good space for it, I just wish I was closer to the beach and to church, then i'd be sorted.

That Cuban place was good.  I tried to dance and not feel like an egg, when I got into it and felt like I was losing my inihbitions, Ellie stood on my foot (in her high heel!!) and I fell over in front of everyone. Good times. Catherine for the win.

08/07/2011

Picture this;  African lady comes into work, cliched, corn rows etc. Asks for a peppermint tea. I respond; "Black?".  Silence.  "What do you mean?"  "Um, with a teabag...".  "Oh. Well yes, then. Please".
Wow. So much funnier on the day.

Tomorrow, I will have been in Sydney for 5 months, which is crazy.  It's been fast and slow and unsettling while being settling, hard to imagine life not being here, but also can't believe I live in Sydney.  Still a bit surreal, but I love it.

Tonight the girls and I are heading to a brand new Sydney bar- Cuban themed, live bands, specialty rum and mojitos, dancing.  I'm breaking out a dress and heels (or flats, let's be honest) and crumping the night away.

http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/bars/venues/4577/la-bodeguita

I have work tomorrow so I won't be rocking out too hard, but am actually looking forward to it.
Have a weird week with random days off, but looking forward to chilling out and coffeeing. The weather's been lovely (other than the cold).

Also, you may have heard that someone in Sydney died and wasn't found for 8 years. It wasn't me, in case you were worried.

04/07/2011

I have had the most amazing day. My friend Sophie Scrimgeour who I met in India (not related to Rufus, I checked) came down from Adelaide for a Dr's conference, or something, so we adventured.  We started with coffee, walked down to Coogee Beach where I found an AMAZING ottoman for my house on the side of the road in fancy-ville.  We walked along the cliff tops...saw WHALES in the ocean, sang, wandered, skipped, explored, danced, made Harry Potter references... myt fave was when I picked up a wand/piece of driftwood and pointed it at Ellie. Even before I could cast a spell, she yelled EXPELLIARMUS!!! and hit it out of my hand, where it span to the floor.  My life should be a sitcom. Really.  It was the most wonderful weather and really was just what I needed.  I had such an emo day yesterday, I slept much of the day, wrote poetry and was sad a little, so today sunshine walking adventured was perfect.  We were going to have more adventures but the weather turned a bit crappy so went to the movies and saw Bridesmaids, (where I laughed so hard someone yelled at me to shut the f*** up) got the ottoman from someone's garden where we hid it, then had dinner together and just hung out.

I'm a bit sad that Em's leaving. She's been such a great friend, her and Ellie have made my time here in the past 4 months so fantastic.  Living here would have been to much harder without them and i'm so grateful.
We're planning an epic New Years roadie to the Great Barrier Reef, which i've never seen and I can't wait. I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends and to experience such a beautiful country like Australia.  I can't believe i've lived here 4 months and only just discovered these views today! I can't wait to explore it further.  I've been looking at Erin's kickass pics of her trip in Europe, but i'm owning this Aussie trip.  I will see the outback and I will see a platypus.  You will if you ...believe.

30/06/2011

If I can be completely honest; which I will be, I just had a filmed skype interview with people from Long Bay Baptist (my old church) and I was a little tipsy.  Know that it wasn't deliberate, I'd eaten, then bought some crisps, then ate dinner and only had 2 beers, yet still. I have the tolerance of a 12 year old girl. Probably even less tolerance than a 12 year old girl, actually. Even children would beat me in a drinking contest (not that I condone children drinking) but I also know that this means that I'll never be that hot girl from Indiana Jones.
I'll cross off that one from my bucket list. Sigh.

Things have felt a little full on lately, had my annual review, where they were tough on me, general work stuff, being busy and just having no me time has meant that i've turned into a hermit.  The two beers after work today (two beers!) were the most social i've been since the start of the work week. I've been watching Glee episodes, eating shoestring fries and Mars Bars and having early nights.

How is it possible to rock this hard(??!!) I hear you ask... Well, firstly, I get giddy off two beers, which helps any rock and rollin', also i'm just that hardcore. When I'm not in my pajamas by 6pm, i'm thinking about it. Oh yeah.

Also, I had my flu shot today and the nurse told me I was very brave. No lollipop (despite me demanding them from the HR guy all day) but those words of affirmation helped me more than any sugar hit ever could.

BRAVE! STRONG! HARDCORE! WIN.

28/06/2011

Yesterday turned out to be an epic day. What was supposed to be Em and I turned into a group of 5 of us picnicing in La Perouse, the place Australia was first settled. Or something. It was very, very beautiful; they still have forts from the war and i'm pretty sure the tiny castle where you enter is where Julia Gillard lives.

After this we wandered to Maroubra for a coffee, then op shopped a bit, hung out a bit and ended the day at the local pub, where a drink man asked if we were a group of mormons.  Just your average day. The end.

27/06/2011

Yesterday, I used the term 'thongs'.  It felt dirty to be asking for a pair of jandals. This is not right. Australia, what is wrong with you!?

In other news; my lovely friend Em got accepted into uni in Canberra! City of parks and roundabouts! ...and will be going there in a few weeks. Luckily i've made many new friends so it won't hit me too hard. I'm not that heartless, luckily for her. I'm sad but it means I can go on a roadie or two to go and visit their Nation's capital.

It's still very cold here, I can't sleep because it's so cold. I just checked, it's 8 degrees! But feels like 5 according to the website, due to wind and something bulb something something temperature. Lou got me a hot water bottle and it has had its uses, other than acting out Johnson and Friends scenes. Despite not sleeping, I don't have work tomorrow so instead am blogging (like a cool indie kid) and listening to Iron and Wine (like a cool indie kid) and online shopping at urban outfitter (like a cool indie kid).

Tomorrow Em and I are going for a coastal walk, from Coogee to Bondi if we have the effort. Or we'll just sit on the beach and drink coffee; either i'm happy with. I've also found a friend at work to do cafe crawls with. Yesterday we went to Shenkin, my usual, but in a couple weekends we're going to hit up loads. Excited.

I've also found the most awesome prints for my house. 2 of them are below; I fell in love immediately and hope to get the set of 4, all with hidden rabbits.  http://www.outregallery.com/browse.aspx?Category=48 if you're interested. The website is good too.  The shop is based in Surry Hills.



Beautiful.

23/06/2011

Last night I watched "The Runaways", about Joan Jett and the Runaways. AN awesome movie, but weird because it had Kristin Stewart (who actually did an amazing job) and Dakota Fanning (who was also incredible, but It took me a while to get over the fact that she's like, 12.

Anyway, story goes, i'm going to quit my job and start an all girl rock band. Old school punk/glam rock...it would be awesome. All I need to do is get a girl mullet and i'm sorted.

Work is okay, finding it hard lately but realised today it's because I feel a bit trapped there...realised that as I like my job (usually) I want to stay at Allpress for a while, but with only 1 week's leave for every 3 months worked there...basically it means no awesome travelling for a while.  I've never really stayed with a job for a long time, I always left to travel.  Today, to be honest, I thought about leaving and just moving somewhere, I have enough savings...but then realised that I need to grow up and be an 'adult' eventually. Staying with a job for at least a year instead of leaving when I get a little bored.

Being an adult is lame sometimes.  Working all the time. Having early nights because I start early. Being tired from work on the weekends. Only having 4 weeks off a year...THAT'S NOTHING. Can't have more than 3 weeks off in a row...man, what kind of trip is that!?  Sigh.

In other news, I'm not sick and I'm not on any new medication. I also spent 5 hours on the machine and did okay, not making the worst coffee ever, in any cafe... so that's good.

We also have a possible band name; "lion le lion".

Yup.

Hanging out for the weekend, for sure. Catherine OUT.

19/06/2011

Oh shameful, shameful me.

The word 'darl' and 'matey' have both become a set part of my vocabulary.  I'm not sure how it came about, I think I was making fun of someone saying it as it's a very Australian. I think 'matey' could be acceptable as I can try to palm it off as a hip pirate term, but 'darl'. Nup. Can't do it. What's worse is that sportsbar Cath is usually around when this happens, so the 'darl' is coupled with a slap on the back, an "everything good today darl?" or, my favourite "cheers matey". I think it's the ultimate merger of sportsbar Cath and diner Cath. Does that make me like Sookie? I'm sure she says 'darlin'". Either way, it IS possible for me to become even cooler.

Last night I ended up in Marrickville, which apparently is "inner West" though I hold to the fact that we weren't even in Sydney at this point. Middle. Of. Nowhere. At least this time I meant to be there, not like the day before when Richard and I were on the train, suddenly realised that we were wearing matching outfits, made White Stripes references for ages before realising we'd missed our stop. By quite a few stops. Unfortunately we weren't really the White Stripes, otherwise we could have just made our way home by using the bass pedal of a drum to propel our way through the streets.

I was at a colleague's flatwarming party, it was a good night. Cook has this amazing place with so much to look at, which of course, is my favourite thing to do.  ....I just want to point out that I typed out this previous sentence, read it back, found it hilarious, so left it there.  Yes, that's right, looking at stuff is my favourite thing to do. OF COURSE. Anyway, really cool paintings and art and books...one of those houses where you can entertain yourself by just hanging out. She's lived in Berlin and worked for a band and has done such cool stuff, everything has a great story. You don't even need to go though the drawers, it's just out there. This story sucks, a little bit. Just a little. Anyway.... some other colleagues came out and we had a good time, drinking wine and laughing. I work with some great people. The two that came  along, (as well as Cook who is awesome and fun and a great laugh) are some of my favourites; Fiona; great music taste, incredibly dry sense of humour, blunt honesty and a heart of gold and Kristy, whose favourite movie is Napolean Dynamite and has the same of humour as I do. 'Nuff said.

Lou and Mike arrived last week and it's been so much fun hanging out. I can see that they're overwhelmed, which I totally get and I want to sort things out for them. Moving here was pretty scary for me. I hung out with them loads last week, walking around Surry Hills, hanging in the cool Indie bar where I got hit on by the waitress then got asked by Lou's NZ friends if it was a gay bar. Good times. It's so nice to have some kiwi friends here (Kyla you don't count, you're just a crazy mix of weird accents) and just be. Aussies and Kiwis are actually very different, much more different than I expected, so that 'she'll be right' attitude is nice to be around.

Richard Fairgray's staying with me this weekend, which has also been fun. He's over for a comic convention and tomorrow i'm going along to help him out. Actually, today. It's 4am and I can't sleep. I was doing okay until Richard talked in his sleep, saying 'don't worry, I won't tell anyone'.  I asked him what he meant, he woke up and sleepily told me that in his dream I lived under the rubbish dump in the area where the shoes were dumped, named 'shoe city'.  In this dream, the people of shoe city built a tower that fell and killed heaps of people, so I was responsible for this.  Want to know how he found out that I lived in shoe city?  I was spray-painting it on the wall.  Way to ruin my secret. At least I did it in a bad ass way. I'm just like Michael Jackson.

My coffee addiction has also reached a new height.  While lying awake (planning a new shoe city construction) thinking, I realised I was worrying abut my next coffee fix. Allpress has made me SUCH a snob because now my palate can taste the finer subtleties of a bad coffee. We're out at Olympic park tomorrow and I know the coffee will be bad. I saw a Gloria Jeans, that's it. Lay there trying to figure out another way to get a good coffee, what would be open, if I could bus somewhere first, early.  It really is an addiction.

My band is going really well.  We're still brainstorming names, I think Catherine and the band is officially out now, which hurts a little. I'm having a lot of fun and it's so great to be creative with like-minded people. Plus i'm singing a couple of the songs now as one of the singers left (as soon as I joined...suspicious?) which is awesome and very scary for me.  Michael and Marie are great, we hang out and laugh a lot.

I should try to sleep again. I'm just feeling so responsible for the deaths of all those innocent people in Shoe City. Better keep my tagging to a minimum.

12/06/2011

This week has been, to put it as my new friend Kellie did; "balls".  Work has been a bit rubbishy and stressful, however in saying that, it has been a very interesting week.

For example;

*I got offered free cocaine, answered quickly like a 12 year old ("noooooo because if you take drugs it messes you up" etc etc) and immediately became far more 'uncool' than I already am.

*I secretly cried a little walking around Circular Quay seeing the light festival because I was just so, so tired.

* I had my own personal Pianist who played whatever we wanted in a local bar, including songs he didn't really know, so we sang for him and did drum solos.

*I got hit on by a girl at an Indie bar when ordering a fancy cocktail.

* I now play the accordian. (?)

* I now drink neat Scotch and can tell the difference between nice and crap scotch.

* I got yelled at by a customer for laughing at what I thought was a joke. It wasn't. Whoops.

* I've written a few songs and poetry (not so emo this time).

* I've officially made more friends than I need. Time to start ditching some. NOT.

*I kissed an old lady 2 days in a row. The 3rd day, I avoided her. (It was her 80th and she kept coming in).

* I got invited to join another band.

* I found out that it snows in Australia, which makes so sense.  It's freezing!  Where is the sun? Where are the kangaroos? I need to tie them down, mate!

* I found out that David Bowie sings that "Young American" song.  "Aaaaaaaaaaaaallll right! She was a young American!"

* I enjoy using star points for facts in my blog.

08/06/2011

Found the best coffee in Sydney and i'm very happy about it (not counting my work, which is pretty amazing). It's right next door to my church as well! Heck yes!

Last night at band practice, Michael pulled out...an accordian.  He told me that i was going to play it.  I made a few Sheryl Crow references (which no-one understood) and asked everyone if they were strong enough to be my man (no repsonse there either).  So now, in one song, I start with the xylophone, move onto accordian at the intrsumental break, then end it by singing. Huh?  It sounds quite cool and definately helps that the song is called Marseilles, as cliche as that is.  I started the 'ugh huh huh" French noises and asking for croissants, again no repsonse. Funnily enough, someone has left the band now... just saying. Nothing to do with me, of course.

Anyway, i'm now that cool person at concerts who plays 11 different instruments, like the guy on the snare and tomtom in Brooke Fraser's band. So i'm pretty much bf with Brooke Fraser, which i'm pretty excited about. I also play guitar on another song, so Brooke and I also have loads in common.  Soon we'll be FFF's.

Good news, friend count is WELL up. Church friends (they confirmed) work friends (they refused to confirm) band friends and of course my lovely Eastern Suburbs girls.  Lou and Mike are coming here this weekend as well, I hope I have time to fit them in. Haha. Right?

Have a big week this week, going to see the Vivid light festival on Friday (i organised it and people agreed to come...just saying...I have friends), cottage church tonight, Lou this weekend...it's all on. Plus I just had a delicious soup for lunch. Life is good.

5/06/2011

Last night we had a surprise party for Em. It was such a fun night, I laughed so hard I got stomach cramps and had tears streaming down my face. What's sad is that I know I can't even explain away how funny it was and why it was funny, you really did have to be there and see it.  I'm very grateful for my friends here and in meeting new friends through them.  And... would you believe it.... I have a total of at least 8 friends.

My band invited me out for drinks after a practice so I'm totally in. It's going well, we're trying to find a name instead of "The Sad Actors".  I have suggested "Catherine and the band" a few times but I don't think they appreciate it like I do.  It's tricky finding something that's different, available and not super-lame.  Which is why I think the above works.  I seem to be playing the xylophone a lot which is fun, but I get a bit bored.  I'm on guitar a bit too, it's good fun.

This morning I went to the bike shop and he's giving me a new upgraded bike made of aluminium.  He doesn't seem to get the fact that bikes aren't ridden inside so of course it will rust when it gets wet... anyway. It's not as cool because it's a pinky/rosey colour but it will do.  Better than walking of bussing to work anyway.

This evening I'm going to Cottage Church for the first time in ages, and a kick-ass coffee shop called "Shenkin".  They use Proud Mary coffee, the one I had in Sydney at that awesome shop with the 2x 3group machines in one super case. I'm excited. Niki and I are going, she's a flatmate and friend of Em's who took me along to her church once.  She's just come back from a trip to NZ so we're going to catch up about how lovely it was.  I was just reading an article on how everyone from NZ moves overseas and the ways that Helen and John have tried to get people back such as, great place to raise a family etc. In response to this, the article read; "As you might expect, the push and pull of migration is more complex than 'our economy's fucked, but it's a great place to breed' ".  It summed it up well..."NZ's population holds travel and living overseas central to its identity".  Seems a bit sad, really, I mean, i'll probably end up there one day for sure, but there's just so much more everywhere else...even if it was awful to live here in Sydney, it's worth it for my pay.  I can work for a year, save $20,000 easy. You just couldn't do that at home.

I'm happy, the sun's out, i've had food, playing the new Fleet Foxes album and have a great afternoon and week ahead.   It's a good life.

02/06/2011

Tonight, as I sat here eating my Thai food, I realised that I was giving myself a pep talk. It went like this;
"Keep eating! You're not full, it's just your body telling you it is!"  I sat there, thought about it, laughed at my amazing greedy logic and kept eating. Win.

So now I have a new goal, to work with thin people in thin camps helpuing them gain weight.  I can justify anything with my new greedy logic.  For example; whole packet of Maltesers? Easy. Mostly air, they only count as a few pieces of chocolate. Whole packet of biscuits? No problem! Imagine if you layered them up to fit a slice of cake, that would mean that 6 biscuits would make a piece of cake. So a pack of tim tams looks like this;
1 packet =11 tim tams = 1.5 pieces of cake = no worries!

It just means ignoring your body and doing what you KNOW is right.

FYI....i just finished the whole container of Pad See Yew. In your face, body!

31/05/2011

Surprise, I've been in NZ. It has been FANTASTIC. Last time I was here it was so rushed that I didn't really get a chance to relax. While this was still very busy, It's been so good to just hang with friends and family. I've spent a lot of time with mum which has been great, she's so amazing and makes me laugh so much. The other day I showed her the "Being a Dickhead's Cool" video and she found ti so funny. This morning I came downstairs to find her listening to it, which was funny, then i realised the song was on repeat with her singing along.  Similarly, I walked into the kitchen another time to hear her rapping to a P!nk song, which includes; "dirty little freaks" "all my underdogs" and other catchy lyrics like "call me up if you a gangster".

Quality.

My mum is the most amazing mum in the world. I talked to my sister about living at home still and she said "You know i'm never moving out, right? Our parents are so funny". Which would probably suit my folks just fine. I'm really very lucky to have my family, we all get on very well and laugh so much when we're together.  It makes me miss them, not in a way that makes me homesick, but in a deep, lasting grateful way where i'm so proud to be a part of that family. Sell family what!

Now i've had a few comments from friends on this blog, mostly along the lines of; (and I quote) "where Catherine whines about being sick, lists whatever medication she is on and tells the world she is going to bed early."

Thanks very much Aimee. At least i don't have to spell my name out loud each time I speak.  I'm pleased to report that, while still being on medication, I have had a number of late nights while being home in NZ.  Granted, i've felt sick a number of times however have not yet felt the need to blog about this experience. I hope you're all happy. I understand that it's probably only Aimee who feels this way, so please let me know, i'm more than happy to explain the insand outs of having a cold in Sydney.

My brother's birthday was on Friday, this time we only had 2 giant cakes and loads of cupcakes to eat, bit slack really.  Mum made some incredible Thai curries which were delicious and inspired me to actually cook in my kitchen, instead of just opening the takeaway containers of Thai food to eat. Plus I got an awesome guitar shaped cheese grater and ninjabread men cutters from Lou and Aimee, so i'll be grating and cutting a lot. Well THAT sounded emo.

Saturday night was Lou's engagement party where I had a kick-ass outfit and had fun being made fun of by Lou's mum (best call ever was when i told her my flight was cancedlled, she replied "you know I didn't think they were taking me seriously when I called them, but I guess it worked"). It was lovely, there was a marquee and fairy lights and it was so so lovely to be there with Lou and Mike as they celebrated.  Plus there were only 2 kids and they left early, so I was happy. In fact, I even stayed up until 1am, so eat that Aimee Brookes! Who knows this because she gave me a ride home!

On Sunday mum and I went up North to see my dad at the new house. He's been working his ass off and it looks amazing, such a cool place and amazing views.  Mum and I did voluntary exercise TWICE, biking and walking on the beach.  We already have great memories up there and it isn't even finished yet.  My favourite was when we went up there with the whole family and Adria and played cricket in the field next door. Tammy kept grabbing the ball and the game stopped for 10 mins while we chased her around trying to get it back.

Spent much of the weekend catching up wtih various friends for a quick (too short) catch up over coffee and food. Makes me miss my friends and family back here. Helped on a soundtrack for Richard's new animated series which was fun, dyed my hair purple, had more singalongs with mum (she got the Glee Warblers soundtrack, it's pretty hilarious, she tries to be the background singers by going 'chigga chigga chigga chigga' to every song. It IS pretty funny).

I should be on a flight to Sydney right now, but my flight was cancelled. They gave me taxi vouchers to get home, it was $140 to get home from the airport. Sucks to be them at peak hour traffic time. My flight's tomorrow night which means I have some time to chill, which i'm really looking forward to. Never been cancelled before. This must be what it feels like to be a bad sitcom. Ouch.

24/05/2011

No updates today.  I realised yesterday that it probably isn't right to publish a 2.5 page long rant about how I feel about children in cafes.

So instead, a NZ joke;  (you need to say this one out loud).

What's a Hindu?
Lays eggs, bro.

21/05/2011

Today I've had so much Vitamin C that i'm just about ready to do a Violet Beauregarde. "Violet, you're turning violet, Violet!". Except fluorescent orange. So drugged up and dried up on Coldral that I have to drink water every 5 minutes. So sick from the Codiene in the Coldral i'm ready to throw up. Life is good.

What the heck is it with new countries? Sure, in India you expect Delhi Belly, but a whole new set of germs to pick up in Sydney isn't something you bank on. Yet, here I am, sick again.

Which also means I won't be going to see my Opera House amazing spectacular clarinet show tomorrow, instead, time in bed. Which i'm actually very much looking forward to.  I just wish I had the original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory on DVD...

"I never had a chance to shine
Never a happy song to sing
But suddenly half the world is mine
What an amazing thing..
'Cos I've got a day in bed tomorrow!
I've got a golden twinkle in my eye!"

End.

20/05/2011

Last night I met up with Naomi, Kyla and her partner, Lew. We went to 'The Nepalese Kitchen" which is worth the hyberbole i'm about to give it. Best. Food. Ever. We had a lot of laughs, so good to see them together, soon Lou will be over here too so all of us uni girls (the ones that started and finished together anyway) will have moved to Sydney. Wish I could say it was my trend-setting, but it wasn't.  Nice work, Kyla! Surry Hills will be my new hang out, I think.

I've been feeling a little off-colour for days, figured it was just being tired, then today...BAM. Sick. I was really gutted as I felt like i was making progress on the machine, plus I had work drinks tonight, then one of my band mates asked me out for a drink, so it could have put my Sydney friend count up again.  I'm prepared for it to drop as Em's thinking of moving to Canberra.  I asked Kyla's boyfriend Lew if he was my friend yet, he declined, so no luck there. So I came home, slept a few hours and am now spending the evening in my pajamas and generally time-wasting. My internet is stuffed so I can't even watch True Blood, so it's finishing a book and perhaps watching "the Runaways", movie about about Joan Jett.  Which is already hard to take seriously as it has the girl from Twilight in it, despite her looking remarkably like Joan Jett, all I see is "I know what you are...you're a vampire".

This weekend i'm seeing my first show at the Opera House, which, sadly, isn't Belle & Sebastian or The Cure (tickets sold out so fast, now they're being scalped at ridiculous prices...reserve $6,000? Really?) but instead something classical or something something. The rumours are that it's clarinet based... I don't really know, my friend couldn't go so I said i'd buy her ticket.  Either way, it'll be fun to actually go to a show inside it, even if it's lame and reminds me of when I played the clarinet when I was 11.

So I have the Coldral and the super sustained release Vitamin C...(not the singer, 'graduation' still makes me sad)...let's go Catherine, Let's go!

17/05/2011

Today, three things happened that were remarkable.

1) I ate a giant Caramel Koala.  It had SO MUCH SUGAR in it that it burned my throat, brought instant nausea and later, a headache. Will I learn my lesson? Probably not.

2) On the bus on the way home from Taylor Square, someone had their music up really loud. Usually it's the cool kids at the back listening to death metal or rap music.  Not today. Today it was Abba. Not kidding. I thought I heard it wrong..."The winner takes it all!!" Nope. I heard right.  I looked around to see if anyone else thought it was strange. Nope. Just me. By the time I got off, it was onto the second Abba song and no-one seemed to notice. Or care. Or both.

3) I went to band practice and it was AWESOME. But what was remarkable was that I didn't get lost once!

Catherine=life.

16/05/2011

Yesterday was so cold. So, so cold. It was so cold that I left the house briefly to go to the closest food place (fried chicken and chips) then didn't leave the house the rest of the day. Because of this, I used what was in my house; I drank coffee and ate toast for the rest of my meals, while not leaving my room, sitting by the heater and doing pretty much nothing.

Today, I was determined to see the sunshine, so Em and I visited Glebe, had coffee, went antiquing and op-shopping (still trying to decorate the house), then came back and are about to have a Sangria creative night- her with art, me with writing and music, eating Thai food and enjoying excellent music.  Sufjan, Passion Pit, Badly Drawn Boy, Beatles, Temper Trap, The Shins, Regina, REM, The National, Mumford & Sons, Jurassic-5, Hendrix,  Artisan Guns, Fleet Foxes,  Bon Iver... it just carries on. LOVE IT.   Music is incredible!! 

Back to work this week, after a plumbing problem and sewerage overlow on Saturday... Good times.

14/05/2011

Ah. A Saturday night, rocking out on my own, eating Thai food, watching True Blood and reading Tina Fey's new book.  You know it's a good book when the first chapter already makes you laugh out loud.  And while, granted, I laugh out loud at my own jokes a lot, when I watch or read something funny, it takes a lot to make me actually lol. Rofling is another story. FTFM.

This week has been really full-on. Learning is really exhausting, especially the full-on training i've had this week.  It's amazing what effort goes into each coffee, each dose, each tamp.  You have to think about EVERYTHING, your stance, posture, the way you hold it, the way you dose, the way you settle it, the way you tamp, the way you click, the way you twist it, the level, the pressure, the cleaning...and this is all before you've even put in in the machine! Not to even add in the setting the grind.  It's meant that i've had little energy this week, learning all of this, as well as setting up, cleaning down (they clean like nowhere else i've been...it's awesome, but feels like i'm in the Army or something) and doing usual cafe management stuff. Phewf! It's meant that I cancelled my plans...and I actually had plans this week.  Good ones at that!

So tomorrow, I plan to get my energy back and prepare for next week, where i'll be a bariSTAR.

I'm feeling good lately. Been writing a lot, poetry, music, songs, it's been good for me. Think I overdid things in NZ, always seeing people and keeping busy, it's so nice to not have so many obligations and to take it easy. I'm grateful for the opportunities I have.

11/05/2011

It's been a while, i've been busy with a number of things and just haven't had the time to write this properly. I've been busy with;

Work. Work is going well, i'm on coffees this week which is pretty full-on.  We do about 14 kgs each day, and i'm doing shots today so it's high pressure and loads of mulit-tasking. I'm not good at multi-tasking first thing in the morning. Come to think of it, i'm not good at much first thing in the morning. Can't wait to be an awesome fast barista, though.

We had a number of work functions last week, the unveiling on a new Machine...the Strada.  It's beautiful and I want one. We also had more work drinks (where work paid for everything again!!) at this amazing place in Newtown called Madame Fling-Flongs.  It's an old school type bar which mismatched old retro couches, lamps and amazing music.  in the first 10 mins we were there they had Sufjan Stevens, Zero 7 and Vampire Weekend on the playlist. Nice. They do movie nights where they put up a projector screen, play movies like "The Breakfast Club" and "Donnie Darko", for $20, where you get wine and tapas. Not bad.
Still enjoying work but it takes up a lot of my time and energy.

Brendan. Brendan came and visited this weekend,  which was awesome.  He's a guy I dated for 2-3 years, we had some time apart to move on and we're recently re-visitng our friendship.  He's a fantasic guy, which makes it hard for my family to move on, who ask about him at every Christmas and even invite him to come along. This facebook post explains it all. 

Josie Tuck who is this brendan fellow.. should I be worried?

Catherine Danger Sell Haha, actually he's the one our family asks about at every Christmas! Unfortunately for our whole family, we're just friends. I'm not sure if mum will ever give up hope that we'll get back together though.

Bernice Sell Yep, Brendan for son-in-law. Damn straight!

Laura Sell Preach it Mumma!

We had great fun being tourists, eating pancakes, seeing bats and dinosaur bones, drinking coffee, eating pizza and Sothern Comfort (which I had never tried before. It was like sugar liquer, I can't believe how sweet it is)!

Music.  I went along to meet some people who have a band i'm possibly joining.  I love the music, despite it being angry and miserable, it's beautiful.  Michael (who writes the songs) has a voice that I think crosses the lead singer of the Smiths with the Lead singer of the National.  I'm going to play the glockenspiel/banjo/percussion/bass/whatever. We're mucking around and it's great fun. We're meeting up again next week and will see how I go.  Either way, they're interesting people, he's an English teacher from the UK who spends his mornings writing scripts, screen plays and music, and teaches the rest of the time.  He has a bird with a fancy name (that i likened to Harry Potter, it's shortened to Ludo).  Not sure how it will go, either way, a great hobby and way to make friends.

Other than that, catching up on Survivor and getting more and more angry with Phillip. Anyone?

3/05/2011

At Cottage Church, we're having a community group night where everyone brings along their favourite song to share and listen to.  It's so, so difficult, I've been thinking about it for 2 weeks, but even so, am finding it hard to narrow it down.

Today I realised that the reason i'm finding it so hard is because each song brings a memory, most of which are associated with people and moments I love.  Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" will always be a song that reminds me of my mum. Anything by Johnny Cash or Brooke Fraser is my sister (except Albertine, which is Aimee, for irrational reasons i'm still a little embarrassed to admit). Jimi Hendrix's "Red House" is Erin, same with anything by Sarah Mclachlan or Joni Mitchell. The Shins "New Slang" is India on the train, staring out of the side door to the speeding world outside. The Smith's are Tara and Richard. Anything by The Beatles is shared by Lou and Mike, as well as Ellie and Em. Anything Disney is Sarah, Carole King and Fleetwood Mac remind me of my dad. Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" is my earlier years, when I wanted it at my funeral, despite the words not meaning anything to me except for the tiny dancer having a 'pirate smile'.

Each of these songs and their corresponding memories are way too hard to narrow down as it feels like i'm betraying the memories by picking a favourite memory. It really made me appreciate music and the way it connects people. By listening to a song I love, I honour that person and that memory. Here's to you.

So, out of a) not being able to choose a song and b) preferring to have far too many favourites, instead i'm choosing a random Brooke Fraser song, not a favourite, but a good one to share, to shamelessly promote NZ music and a songwrite I love and respect. I think it's a good compromise.

28/04/2011

Sydney weather is waaaaaaaaaay more confusing that it is in Auckland.  Today, I left my house, it was overcast and had been raining much of the night, but was fine at that moment. My work is 5 mins away so decided to bike in and not bring a change of clothes.

Three mins down the road it starts pouring.  I've never really appreciated the saying 'bucketing down' until now- it really was like buckets of water pouring over me. There was no point turning around, I rode hard, figuring I might be okay.  I arrived at work saturated, water everywhere, shoes, should literally wring out my jeans.  Apparently they had best on me to see if I would ride to work or not. I'm hardcore (or stupid).
I ended up borrowing the work car, driving home to get changed then coming back. When I arrived at my house to get changed, the sun was out.  WTF. Now THAT'S remarkable.

Lesson learned, Sydney, lesson learned.

27/04/2011

I had an absolutely fantastic time in NZ. While I didn't actually do much (other than eating 4 different kinds of cake, eating easter eggs and being drugged to make my urine bright green), seeing my family and friends was so, so good. It also reiterated that I want to be living in Sydney, being back in NZ felt like a holiday, which is a good place to be. Plus, Lou and Mike got engaged!!! It's so, so exciting, plus I get to be a bridesmaid. I've already spoken to Lou about the outfit, that it's all about making me look good. She said she'd make sure her dress complimented me, which is fair enough.

I arrived back last Monday night, shattered from being with people non-stop and the general wearniess that flying brings, went to sleep and spent the whole of Tuesday in my pajamas. It was BLISS. I ate more easter eggs, ordered Thai food, played games, had skype conversations, read a book, so, so nice. I'm reading 1984 which is doubleplusgood. Such an interesting book and so easy to read. I really like Orwell.

It's good to be back at work. It's tiring but i really love it there.

22/04/2011

I'm still sick, sigh. I dragged myself out of my cold, dark house, went and sat in the sun, had a coffee, got a massage, met with my lovely Em and watched a movie called "Rachel Getting Married" It was a weird, depressing doco-type film with Anne Hathaway being an emo ex-drug addict, weird role for her but she pulled it off. The wedding was awesome, but it put me off getting married. The politics, the stress, the fights. Though i'm sure it's worth it (like apparently having kids and being tired and sick all the time is worth it), i'm not convinced.  So, I remain, for the next while anyway, a childless spinster.

spin·ster/ˈspinstər/

Noun: An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.

 

Well, according to my friends, the time is now.  Spinsterhood, I welcome you with open arms. I'll spend my honeymoon money on a cemetery plot. I'll buy a cat, name her Emily Dickinson, wear a bum bag, hold my hair up with a giant hair clip, re-use jokes from a 30 Rock episode...life moves on. My career will be my husband.  My work my one love. My 3/4 full flat white...our love child. And....i'm weirding myself out.  (Going to work is going to be WEIRD now).

 

In other news; a colleague made me a kick-ass mix cd of Girrrrl music.  Some amazing new stuff i've never heard, love discovering new music! I've also applied to join a couple of Sydney indie/folk bands, not sure how it'll work but figure it could be a fun experiment, where the worst that could happen is that they turn out to be crazy and kill me. In which case, you guys just need to come to Sydney and meet EVERY indie/folk band and shove bamboo up their fingernails (I trick I learned from Lost, who said it was a bad show?) until they tell you who killed me. I figure it's join a indie/folk band, or join roller derby. I am SO edgy. BAM.

 

ps Happy Birthday Sare. I love you.

 

21/04/2011

50 Posts! To celebrate; a joke.
What is Mary short for?
She has no legs.

Bada boom.

Today at work, my boss went and got us all gourmet chocolate bunnies and hid them around the cafe. I love my work. We had a glass of wine after work, eating chocolate and just chilling, enjoying the fact that we're about to have FIVE DAYS OFF.  Very excited about this.

Can't wait to sleep and veg tomorrow.

20/04/2011

Today I reflected with my friend Aimee on Sydney. I really, really like it here, and despite not knowing many people or having much of a social life (yet), I love it.  I'm not planning on coming home anytime soon; this is so where i'm supposed to be and I can't wait to explore further. I finished Bill Bryson's 'Down Under' and travelling across Australia (for the most part, if you put aside his cynicism -realism- that everything will eventually kill you) sounds so good.  I'm looking at doing Kakadu in Septmeber possibly, as well as visiting Canberra and Tamworth, my lovely Em and Ellie's hometown's.  My Adelaide girls (girls I met in India) are planning to come and visit me in June, that or i'm going up there to check it out.

I have secret dreams of finding someone to visit the Gold Coast theme parks with me...in reality, i'm alone on that one.

My job is incredible, last night they shouted us all (very expensive) drinks and food at a Darlinghurst Bar, for doing such a good job at being awesome.  I had so much fun, the people I work with are amazing and so much fun, i laughed so hard. Plus I wore my pretty new red dress and looked awesome, so that was good.

Ellie and Em are incredible, I see them usually about once a week or so and we have such a good time, plus they've introduced me to their flatmates and friends so my social circle is widening.  They're such amazing people and really inspire me to be a better person, a person that loves and lives life. And that's good.

My flatmate David is a sweetheart and is great to live with, our schedules are very different so I don't see a lot of him but we work together well, he's lovely.

Cottage Church is amazing.  The people there are not only really friendly, funny and awesome, they're real.  They're a bunch of people who believe in God and want to follow him in a way that I so respect.  They think in community ways, always doing stuff to help out the community or thinking about how they can.  They're immediately welcoming and loving and I feel genuinely at home there.  The Anglican thing is fun, I went to worship in the most beautiful church, which was so awesome, singing songs I loved and knew and feeling so grateful for the surroundings.

Sydney as a whole is fun.  It's so freaking big and I have so much to explore, but i'm getting there. Having a car would be awesome as buses are VERY confusing, but my friends and colleagues are very helpful in helping me find where to go. I haven't explored as much as I want to, but in a couple of weeks Brendan is visiting and we'll go and explore and do the tourist thing, which will be good, it's never the same on your own.

This weekend i'm going home to visit friends and family. I am SO looking forward to it. Life is good.

17/04/2011

Today Ellie and a random Belgian girl (that's somehow linked to her grumpy downstairs neighbour that gave them chocolates filled with alcohol) went to the Rozelle Markets.  They were good, I got some awesome presents for my sister that I can't actually write about, despite being really excited about them.  Way to ruin my blog Laura.

Afterwards I went to Cottage Church, where we discussed a poem by Pte. Thomas Albert Crawford written in 1916.  It was about war and death and was really quite depressing. We paralleled it with the gospel of Luke, which worked, but it left the mood quite somber.

Afterwards, I felt like singing so went along to Church in the Graveyard (which isn't actually in a graveyard, as cottage church is no longer in a cottage...but anyway) which was good, they sang a song by Brooke Fraser so I was excited about that...plus I actually knew most of the songs.  I met someone who was pretty awesome called Hannah who was all 'hey come sit with me', actually talked to me and made comments like 'and THERE'S the segway' during the sermon, it was funny.  Then I ate some chicken, bought an icecream and taxied home the end.

16/04/2011

Today, it's pouring outside, which means the espresso bar is crazy busy, we get rushed breaks or scoff down food and picollos in the back then run off to take orders and clear tables. Saturdays are the day I manage the place and Ronan has the weekend off. Of course, we're short-staffed, only one down today which is a nice change from 2. Although I have to bike home in the rain, I have no plans other than to skype in my pajamas with a peanut vege noodle stir-fry and perhaps watch a movie. It's good to have things to look forward to.

15/04/2011

I've been hungover three times in my life.  The first was when I was 18, usual story.

The second was when I was 21, Erin and I were at the Hofbrauhaus* in Munich and kept being bought the local white beer (by the half litre!!) by some lovely old German couples who said (in their broken English) it was their duty to 'welcome us to Bavaria', despite our polite, then forceful "NO THANK YOU I DON'T EVEN LIKE BEER ALL THAT MUCH PLEASE STOP". I feel asleep on the toilet then threw up a lot of it (not all 2.5 litres though) while singing toilet songs in German.  *As a side-note, this was where Hitler formed the Nazi party.

The third was today. I feel AWFUL.  I'm not even really sure what happened, I had 4 drinks over 5 hours so figured i'd be fine, but i guess the mix of tired, beer/gin/wine was lethal.  Today has been so hard, I could barely talk this morning (I also had an ulcer on my tongue which made me slur a little...all class, this girl) and playing the helpful manager was far too much effort. This girl at work asked me to get her keys from upstairs, where she'd strategically placed a bottle of wine with HAPPY BIRTHDAY all over it....i didn't even notice it, bleary-eyed, I gave her the keys and was confused when she asked me if i understood. I thanked her later, after numerous coffees, berocca and toast.

Tired and yuck turned to headache and yuck which has now turned to nausea and yuck. I can't believe people do this all the time! Voluntarily!!  I apologised to my manager, who just laughed at me. Nice work.

What's remarkable about this? Well, I suppose, the lesson i've learned. Don't mix drinks, kids.

15/04/2011

Last night, Em, El, Mere and Niki came over bearing banoffe cake, antipasto, gifts, poo stories and the accompanying laughter.

My flatmate David had not only cleaned the flat, but purchased beer, gin, chips and a lovely bottle of Penfolds red for me! Not only that, we (finally!) had internet AND the 2 beers I had at the pub had gone straight to my head, so by the time my friends arrived, I was feeling rather cheery. Beer, you ask? Correct.  There is a lovely ale here produced by a brewery in Adelaide, called Cooper's. I've never really thought much of beer, or even about it's brewing, but it's all quite an art, for example; the pale ale I drank last night (and the rest of Cooper's beers) are characterised by their secondary fermentation technique, which means that the bottle always has some yeast sediment at the bottom.  Generally, people will either a) roll the bottle before drinking or b) pour it into a glass and leave the sediment at the bottom of the bottle.  So there you go. Write that down. Either way, Cooper's Green = nice beer.

The evening was a good one, I opened the sparkling Shiraz (Black Chook) that was recommended by my foodie boss and it really was fantastic.  I'm not the biggest fan of sparkling wine and wasn't sure about a sparkling red, but it was light and fruity and far too easy to drink. This was followed by a gin and tonic and a very early night as I very quickly remembered my low alcohol tolerance/was hit with drunken stupor.  Not my finest moment, but due to me being as hardcore as I am, the moment was short-lived as it was immediately followed by me having a shower and going to bed by 9pm.  Rock and roll.

A strange day, being away from the majority of my friends and family, but many texts, calls and fb messages reminded me that i'm not yet forgotten. x

14/04/2011

Last night I went to see "Hello Vera" at a pub in Surrey Hills. They're so good, I really enjoyed their gig.  I had a Pims & lemonade for the first time, which was delicious. Google them!

Today, I woke up earlier than I planned to, opened a couple of birthday packages (including some kick-ass Merino icebreakers for my further adventures!...and a tiki tea-towel because 'I'm anal about cleaning') rode to work without a helmet, (which I only realised when I got there!!!!! craaaap) enjoyed eggs and soldiers and a flat white before starting work.  Without demanding special treatment, i'll take it, had a special birthday salad made for me, plus some of the girls at work suggested birthday drinks...which means we're...dare I say it...friends? We're heading to the local pub, which is bogan central but has cheap drinks and is 1 minute from work.  I'm so lucky, today is Thursday (which comes before Friday, Saturday comes after that, Sunday is afterwards) which means lingerie waitress night!! It's uncomfortable and you don't know where to look and they bend over really far when they get your drinks. Awesome birthday treat. We we we so excited.

El, Em, Mere and Niki are coming over for birthday drinks and dinner later as well, I text them earlier in the week asking for them to come over because I didn't want to eat takeaways alone on my birthday. How funny would that be, though, crying alone, wine in one hand, Thai in the other.... They happily obliged.

Yay for Catherine day!

13/04/2011

Melbourne was pretty awesome.  As well as the awesome espresso bar I wanted to visit (better than I thought!), I had a great time with Erin, Thomas and Jon-E, just hanging out and enjoying the sights.

The first day we went up to the Dandelong Mountains, driving through cute little towns, seeing the sights and enjoying the locals. Thomas and Erin had seen a DVD about this guy who sculpted about Aborigines (or something...)...which was... well, read what Thomas wrote;

"Today was spent in the mountains; back in the nineties I saw a travel show where Billy Connolly went to this Forest Sancutary near Melbourne where a recluse named William Rickett had spent sixty years carving our the most incredible statues depicting the struggle of the Australian aborigines and wildlife and their stuggle against colonialism.

The guy was a nutter. He was a genius, but also a nutter.

At the park we watched a documentary filmed in the early nineties (he died in 1993) where he aggressively asserts that his totem was the Lyre-bird. He even did a little senile dance to demonstrate that his totem was the bird. If he couldn't carve such incredible works, it is likely that he would have been locked up.

At one point in his life, the guy took many of his carvings and travelled 250km to the nearest Aboriginal settlement to greet his aboriginal "brothers" but unsurprisingly, they had no idea who this white nutcase was that had turned up and was trying to hug everyone. They eventually took him in, but I suspect it was out of pity, more than anything else.
It makes me wonder if genius is closely related to madness. No sane person would have spent so much of their lives in the forest carving stone. I guess he found his niche.

The carvings however were magnificent - the guy may have been nuts, but his work was amazing. Some of the best art that I have ever seen."

Pretty much sums it up.  Interesting and i'm glad I went, he was very talented, but it was creepy.


The next day we travelled around, did some shopping visited cafes and tea shops before I headed back to Sydney. I cried a little leaving Erin.




Lucky to have such exciting adventures! So many more to come! I'm also totally on the verge of winning at making friends, so life is good.

9/04/2011

Tonight, straight after work, i'm flying to Melbourne to meet up with Erin, Thomas and Jon-E.  I am so, so, so excited. 2 days knowing I can't be called into work, where I have nothing planned but visits to tea houses and espresso bars. And the museum. Which equals life.

In other news, I made a friend at work, she leveled me up from colleague.  Then yesterday she put me back down, past colleague to aquaintance, for being a smart-ass.  At least i'm seeing some progress.

In other news, I'm excited, my friend Brendan who really really wants to get into acting, has spent much of his week doing so and is now the production assistant manager (or something) for 7 days and some other NZ tv show, AND GETTING PAID.  I love seeing people's dreams come true.

Sydney is sunny and life is good!

7/04/2011

Yesterday I did some coffee tasting, learnt about blends, roasting, origins and usual coffee stuff. I can now sort of tell the difference between a bitter taste (can be a good thing in coffee) and sour (bad). So much much, I can't wait to be able to say wanky things like 'oh, can you taste the full-bodied apricot flavours in this blend'.

Last night I went to Cottage Church's community group, where we discussed the notion of community. It was totally awesome, Em came with me. I really like these people.

Ruby-Belle is back, her mudguard fell off and I had to take her back again. I wonder if someone's trying to kill me, like in the movies where the brakes don't work, or bits fall off.  I don't think i've upset anyone enough, yet. A bit of a worry, though. FURTHER UPDATES AS EVENTS WARRANT.

5/04/2011

Yesterday I had my hair cut by Thai Ladies, had a Thai massage, then had Thai for dinner. That's remarkable, I think.

I have lots to look forward to. This weekend i'm flying to Melbourne to see Erin.
In two weeks i'm flying home to see friends and family.

Life is pretty good.

4/04/2011

The last few days have been remarkably AWESOME.

Saturday, after work, I headed into Newtown for Jazz in The Graveyard.  Pretty self-explanatory.  It was amazing, a live cover band (with a double-bass, might I add), singing Summertime, Have I told You Lately (I thought of you Laura), Route 66... It was epic.  I sat with my peeps from Cottage Church who had made a low-carbon picnic from their community garden (as part of a series they're doing on the environment), drinking wine, coffee, eating crepes and enjoying the ambiance.

At first I was weirded out that we were sitting in a graveyard, so I positioned myself between two grave stones to be respectful.  The others laughed at me and gave me some history.  Basically the graveyard is super old and no-one's been buried there for about 160 years.  The graveyard was initially bigger, so they grabbed all the headstones, put them inside the fence and used the outside space fro something else.  The graveyard was so crammed full that it didn't matter where you sat, you were sitting on a place where people had been buried.  The headstones were old, many had fallen over, but it was well looked after and a very cool experience, especially as the night went on and it got darker and darker.

Afterwards I had dinner with the other guys from the cafe.  Work shouted us all dinner and drinks as we've all been working 6 days, so we did Teppanyaki then drinks.  The Teppanyaki wasn't the best i've had, but it was hardcore, you had to catch raw eggs in bowls, rice thrown in the air in bowls, bowls full of rice, egg in your mouth...it was hardcore and I totally won at Teppanyaki. A little too proud that I was one of the few whose eggs didn't break. It was pretty funny.

Afterwards we went for drinks, where most people drank A LOT. I had a few drinks, after all, work was buying, but around 1am (midnight with daylight savings) I went home, while people double my age stayed on and partied. 1am is amazing for me, just to clarify.

The next day (Sunday), I met Em, Ellie, Meredith (Ellie's flatmate) and Amber (their friend) in Centennial park, where we all brought something to eat.  Ellie, Mere and I cycled in and it was so much much, such an incredible park.  We found a spot in the trees where no-one was around, the sun was out, a gentle breeze, we played frisbee, drank Shiraz, such a wonderful afternoon.

I was supposed to have today off work, but 2 people are sick-alas! :) I don't mind so much. It's a good day.