Published January 31, 2010 by

Useful

During this remarkably drawn out downtime between the end of university, a move and now a job (career) hunt. I have had a fair bit of time to contemplate ‘useful’ or rather ‘useless’ because things do start getting to you after a bit. A possibility of something waits for me a few hours and a phone call away and It’s got me seriously thinking about what I want because to be honest it’s not the to-the-t best fit (or necessarily the ultimate desired direction although it vaguely waves in the right zone). Do I just take something and deal with specifics later – it’s all experience? Or is that how you wind up with mediocrity? Perhaps it is worth giving things a chance?

I am valuing greatly the words of my fellow travelers (through this interesting life – however seperate, different and far they are from me) because they remind me of, Value vs. Usefulness and also the equating of Fear to Pain.

I do truly wonder what God is doing sometimes, because it’s sure messing with my head.

(and damn I wish they hadn’t call me back, because now I have to call them back – I wanted the decision made for me)

Life

Published January 29, 2010 by

Oliver Jeffers – Illustration Friday returns

For the terribly delayed return of Illustration Friday, I’d like to introduce you to Oliver Jeffers. I own a couple of his books, they are most excellent stories and have quite lovely pictures which use what looks like found paper/paraphernalia (or is at least inspired by it) and incorporates beautiful hand done typography.

I am a very, very big fan of ‘The Incredible Book Eating Boy” – which is about the benefits of reading and bought both it and “The Great Paper Chase” on spec at Borders for quite a dandy bargain. I think the kind Borders people have now realised these books worth and are selling them back at normal prices, but oh it’s totally worth it. Besides, it’s got this marvelous bite taken out of the edge and a sensible disclaimer about ‘not eating this at home’.

Books Design Illustration Friday

Published January 28, 2010 by

Big Day Out

So… I have now experienced the so called Music Festival. Call me backwards but I’m not a huge gigs person, don’t get me wrong – I enjoy music very much, I just prefer to be sitting. Last week I wandered off to Josh Pyke – which was super excellent except for 4hrs in a stinking hot room with nowhere to sit. (I am remarkably unfit it appears) what is more peculiar is that my lovely mother managed to someone score a ticket off someone who had broken their toe and she came home in raptures. I think it’s the beard. At least Dad has one. It was a truly excellent little set by Mr. Pyke at the classic Rubys in Belgrave – the home of affordable music goodness.

The Big Day Out is something else. I am lamenting a little now that we didn’t hold out and get Laneway tickets – as it’s much more my type of music (think Mumford and Sons – which, thank you very much came in at no.1!) but Geoff told me that I had to experience something of the likes of BDO and so he got us tickets. And I am glad of the experience (How very Gen Y of me). To put things in perspective, the BDO is about 10hrs worth of gigs. We intelligently caught the train and bought plenty of water and food. I got a rather interesting hat from Kmart so I wouldn’t fry – I say interesting because before I even got to use it it wound up drenched in hot-dog water and had to be washed didn’t come out quite as dandy as it started – but that is another story (and it wasn’t super dandy to start with). We scored remarkably good weather – warm but not stinking and fairly overcast/beautiful for the entireity.

We kicked off the event with a wander to the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and then caught up with Ana, Blair, Marita and co. Checked out some Blue Juice and lamentably didn’t stay as we though Lisa Mitchell would be more worth seeing (Just go buy the CD instead) I mean really, who would miss out on guys in yellow jumpsuits! Then off to Tame Impala – who suddenly got popular (oh yeh, that’s right – someone told me about this good obscure little band but that was 3 years ago) – try a 14 year old with a shirt off – no just put it back on, you’re all ribs and your long hair reminds me of Hanson – well, props to them because they put on a good show. Then for some reason we went to see Dizzie Rascal – here’s where my day hit its’ low. I would possibly be okay with the music if I didn’t have over excited drunk girls invading my personal space and jumping to making the ground shake (I’m picturing a few of you laughing at me right now: ‘oh that’s so Bec’) but he did go for an hour – the ground shaking bit was kinda cool but no thanks – I at least had Marita to share disparaging looks. We off and up decided to check out Passion Pit but the crowds were so insane that it was a sneaky backtrack to sitting and the shade for The Decemberists – glory on all parts! Then back to standing for Mars Volta who don’t know when to end songs or make the last one sound any different from the one before. However our fixed location made for excellent spots for the following: Lily Allen (Who wore an Australian flag and looked a bit like an old woman in her kitchen in a kaftan with a cigarette – I think that’s what she was going for) she was however most excellent, then Powderfinger which allowed for some marvelous old school singalongs (And I possibly enjoy this most of all – knowing the music fairly well does help) and then Muse.

Muse were excellent. Like truly excellent.

And then a prick of a guy pushed forward in between me and Ana and obscured my vision. Apparently Ana punched him and I strategically put my elbow where he would be jumping into it. We should’ve been meaner.

The benefit of this was that I was so angry at this guy that I forgot about how sore my feet were for a good 20 minutes. Getting out was slightly insane, Geoff sourced a magic shortcut and we bypassed several hundred people and were home before midnight (not a bad effort when you live out near the end of a train line).

Despite the apparent whingyness of this post, I did enjoy myself mostly. Would I go again? Perhaps if I loved the line up, otherwise no.

I slept til 12pm the next day.

Culture Life Music

Published January 25, 2010 by

French Onion Soup

  • 1 kg onions (chopped)
  • a teaspoon or so of butter
  • a slosh of olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons of brown sugar
  • Worchester sauce
  • 1/2-1 cup red wine
  • 1L beef stock
  • 2 cups water
  • A bit of cracked pepper

Chop your onions. Put the butter and oil in a pot and melt, add the onions, brown sugar and a few sloshes of worchester sauce. Caramelise/brown the onions. Add the stock, wine, water and a bit more worchester sauce and some cracked pepper. Cook away and let sit for a bit or eat up straight away with good bread and butter.

This recipe was adapted from several french onion soup recipes I looked at.

image source

*image uploader is working again! It appears I had a faulty plugin mucking things up.

Cooking

french onion soup soup recipes

Published January 22, 2010 by

Teach For Australia – an amusing night out

As a conclusion to Geoff’s time at Teach for Australia (Part 1 Intensive) there was a concluding function with the deputy Prime-minister. After the event a large crew (most of the associates) went out to a Chinese Restaurant. I had a great time…

  • Someone thought I was ‘from Canberra’ as a media person for Julia Gillard because of my camera (hehe)
  • Got a photo with Julia Gillard but worked out later that I didn’t even shake her hand (oops)
  • My $25 dress that I bought 3 years ago got passed off as CUE
  • They served calamari at the Chinese Restaurant (the rest of the food was fairly terrible)… but why calamari!?
  • The toilet at the restaurant: no lights, no toilet paper
  • Had a conversation with one of the associates about being ‘third culture kids’
  • Got told I was an AMAZING wife (because I came to heaps of random TFA things – like the cricket)… must note that the person who said this was fairly intoxicated.

Humor Life