tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35975115346003063282024-02-07T16:29:39.154-08:00While busy making other plansSparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-32206369380329935152012-06-15T23:04:00.001-07:002012-06-15T23:04:21.564-07:00This corner of the EarthToday while kicking it around Melbs I heard good ol' Jamiroquai busting out of the crackly shopping centre speakers singing "this corner of the earth". The lyrics made me think of MY little corner of the Earth here in Melbourne. Quite a fitting description as we are tucked quite far down in the southern hemisphere. For your viewing pleasure pictures of my home follow. Unlike the song I wouldn't say that this corner of the Earth is like me in many ways unless you consider me uncoordinated and peeling just like our many wallpapers!!!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSsefLnlmRhm_wXEvJtNXOvRpofvFqxHz321SS2dUeLFmznN_ddA5c1eq7eJRVcUeZSYrMYqs8dnAXtbOrlBRYQqAfeaNh1M2ITuK1AEwaLNUbupC-09vKvpypCfkzuTC_y8zuSmZB_65/s640/blogger-image-1773908275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSsefLnlmRhm_wXEvJtNXOvRpofvFqxHz321SS2dUeLFmznN_ddA5c1eq7eJRVcUeZSYrMYqs8dnAXtbOrlBRYQqAfeaNh1M2ITuK1AEwaLNUbupC-09vKvpypCfkzuTC_y8zuSmZB_65/s640/blogger-image-1773908275.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3UNXWEUMIjwbnxFHUM4vdZknedxIGDoTQ_jKUff2OlqvvOmRx120b6z18-vGdAkeeEgTpoHkesley4JZYT6iVxnjGxhaZclyGjibHD5WBnHvI93Ar3Qala57GMUHodlLPjbd8nkydZvF/s640/blogger-image--2144106170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3UNXWEUMIjwbnxFHUM4vdZknedxIGDoTQ_jKUff2OlqvvOmRx120b6z18-vGdAkeeEgTpoHkesley4JZYT6iVxnjGxhaZclyGjibHD5WBnHvI93Ar3Qala57GMUHodlLPjbd8nkydZvF/s640/blogger-image--2144106170.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaGQn4W93DNk53kGGxf82SXwLSBOjQ423qU9HzunW6ICG44crUo-iJBC7i_kkdKg8RJT8Pe8IlVhKDijDBWqNlvmhX0OtGmXjD5O34KoycKJ-wcCSXRwvNZhQ0f0c75WLL51PD4bO7kdq/s640/blogger-image--1341501837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaGQn4W93DNk53kGGxf82SXwLSBOjQ423qU9HzunW6ICG44crUo-iJBC7i_kkdKg8RJT8Pe8IlVhKDijDBWqNlvmhX0OtGmXjD5O34KoycKJ-wcCSXRwvNZhQ0f0c75WLL51PD4bO7kdq/s640/blogger-image--1341501837.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtmDUnTT5K3QXmXJHhjD7oDcgy1j7ZilriZu5zvIEer_Mqc-Ir2UQff_iLHjHA2zuxCUKV_0F1Sono9HuPAF3QHBn1yGvrvA0mw92WdYcP7iGVKm4bby2KzXLMYuX3u2HYDdTXklwD76a/s640/blogger-image--1104419101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtmDUnTT5K3QXmXJHhjD7oDcgy1j7ZilriZu5zvIEer_Mqc-Ir2UQff_iLHjHA2zuxCUKV_0F1Sono9HuPAF3QHBn1yGvrvA0mw92WdYcP7iGVKm4bby2KzXLMYuX3u2HYDdTXklwD76a/s640/blogger-image--1104419101.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE1jRzfk57hyphenhyphen-WmY7Xd6XGKVLuF9weyv9eGCynBkXnzr7VoWnED_Ajl7TjBpniw9wZKqBHHO0FRHWhWJI87Zye_TDSsu95Vt7-ve19NDh61X3I8IA7AcDiQXLeHuVroQbwS5996avpoMx/s640/blogger-image-1134771683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE1jRzfk57hyphenhyphen-WmY7Xd6XGKVLuF9weyv9eGCynBkXnzr7VoWnED_Ajl7TjBpniw9wZKqBHHO0FRHWhWJI87Zye_TDSsu95Vt7-ve19NDh61X3I8IA7AcDiQXLeHuVroQbwS5996avpoMx/s640/blogger-image-1134771683.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01y1P-Hj57ia4_GCywn-KjrWcIRf-10ipDGSpaLRsuJ-3VJSbx_5WTs5pGw6Rwx34zXyCMT8PToNeNiMMsaTNufrV7in3v4iXvIFn8cmKT4ba97jnRp_Q7VGL6qpA0v06yfJhQHqtcamd/s640/blogger-image-1141617960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01y1P-Hj57ia4_GCywn-KjrWcIRf-10ipDGSpaLRsuJ-3VJSbx_5WTs5pGw6Rwx34zXyCMT8PToNeNiMMsaTNufrV7in3v4iXvIFn8cmKT4ba97jnRp_Q7VGL6qpA0v06yfJhQHqtcamd/s640/blogger-image-1141617960.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV0bO6Sih78o9Kr9xOXnney_RlTYlW05YembfUDXPcyx2x6zVR2dLUelGr9pRDox8KuXETx55yk3jsVsN4CfdlKU-Y7rzAODlPrqhHcc3Y3ceAolWc3k44YZbyLQ9YoKmr1mhsx4Zk2pk/s640/blogger-image-121898865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV0bO6Sih78o9Kr9xOXnney_RlTYlW05YembfUDXPcyx2x6zVR2dLUelGr9pRDox8KuXETx55yk3jsVsN4CfdlKU-Y7rzAODlPrqhHcc3Y3ceAolWc3k44YZbyLQ9YoKmr1mhsx4Zk2pk/s640/blogger-image-121898865.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3YmIkilqTMS_gMbAf6DERLp9XYQ5_n09raIpfYnBW1x6elhoLNCUN6S3A6WVzrXSUpElySP66WS9AHsMhXLjdoKRPIE4MGUm9I8VP6EFpdxCKrIhPJ9VJ2Vn-dULJJqZL5RMUS-mafoZ/s640/blogger-image-1711348085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3YmIkilqTMS_gMbAf6DERLp9XYQ5_n09raIpfYnBW1x6elhoLNCUN6S3A6WVzrXSUpElySP66WS9AHsMhXLjdoKRPIE4MGUm9I8VP6EFpdxCKrIhPJ9VJ2Vn-dULJJqZL5RMUS-mafoZ/s640/blogger-image-1711348085.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEJWnbqggdIA7ve3ZXyFuS9j7FAH9Z3faj4LSut0w1kU1B6N-H1TiTtSdW5Dc7E4TBz-5_szZkWmSrhu3YMaSuPLZEdQJDNRRCS1VCo2lIlbs8NkM4H4Ot7xkB0i399xdbDUz_gS6EftN/s640/blogger-image-1628321628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEJWnbqggdIA7ve3ZXyFuS9j7FAH9Z3faj4LSut0w1kU1B6N-H1TiTtSdW5Dc7E4TBz-5_szZkWmSrhu3YMaSuPLZEdQJDNRRCS1VCo2lIlbs8NkM4H4Ot7xkB0i399xdbDUz_gS6EftN/s640/blogger-image-1628321628.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIF5WdiYc_ywtp1q819HpRSFxd3b0XnDTYiL-_OcrZ-N7YEKhdr3zezbKTWJNmAtvbWwaKH4P8en7WJv0lKWSvEQuX5MNsNpiUwz7y-wTTQAkbYGk1ZS4V3PX5K30pqy60yL_Cw9R-W_i/s640/blogger-image--861926490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIF5WdiYc_ywtp1q819HpRSFxd3b0XnDTYiL-_OcrZ-N7YEKhdr3zezbKTWJNmAtvbWwaKH4P8en7WJv0lKWSvEQuX5MNsNpiUwz7y-wTTQAkbYGk1ZS4V3PX5K30pqy60yL_Cw9R-W_i/s640/blogger-image--861926490.jpg" /></a></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-10230588417660190902012-05-22T05:28:00.001-07:002012-05-22T05:28:40.878-07:00Finger lickin muffin makin good, real goodOver here at the Motel Mont Albert or Mont Albert Mansion (that description might be a stretch for my 2 bedroom unit) I have been anxiously preparing for the arrival of 3 of my besties from Perth!!! In anticipation and excitement for this weekend's guests I have been a baking... yum yum! Yes, me and the hummingbird bakery cook book have been reunited and are at it again. <br />
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Already on the menu - spinach & cheese muffins & for the sweet tooth banana & cinnamon muffins. Now while the savoury muffins sort of look like some sort of mud pie I made as a child I guarantee that they taste gooooood AND if you're not convinced maybe you should come here and try it for yourself ;-)<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WYP8ZAyNhCaURjumfo8nUqSHhgTO4-nRo1QlkOTA-Jbzqj8Lhh8voGCyEA7KzYG3r8mUU3zrimV1qAJBYsXHU75aAMuYUwl_9c1XTaPiyd94dsFT0lfSRnxHgjsvg8LUVMCjxC0QcCK0/s640/blogger-image-807509279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WYP8ZAyNhCaURjumfo8nUqSHhgTO4-nRo1QlkOTA-Jbzqj8Lhh8voGCyEA7KzYG3r8mUU3zrimV1qAJBYsXHU75aAMuYUwl_9c1XTaPiyd94dsFT0lfSRnxHgjsvg8LUVMCjxC0QcCK0/s640/blogger-image-807509279.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEa6zSKABw6dQ8bRl67Pq6WbSLbMaD1p8qoLB39o3SnaIyOmSt4RdDHpLSlm7Z_CMcAKJYAYMmW9rsKbklbMrESNYAVlg8N_jrT5C094lqeDHlR7NFRSFhWagWvfe4MYqLFmPpPUXRadEZ/s640/blogger-image-1818328317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEa6zSKABw6dQ8bRl67Pq6WbSLbMaD1p8qoLB39o3SnaIyOmSt4RdDHpLSlm7Z_CMcAKJYAYMmW9rsKbklbMrESNYAVlg8N_jrT5C094lqeDHlR7NFRSFhWagWvfe4MYqLFmPpPUXRadEZ/s640/blogger-image-1818328317.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMS-1UiAjcWtF9JkE-fRl1dNkWOfZt9CrbYAafu7Vq01-fdwNzKwsIp3ztQSlaexMC7dUTofaWWSxwil5b6yC7WiiJ3PZqr48bLUaK3F4WpqAoL4xiigR6p-EuUkvmaXFmavslxLq_V25/s640/blogger-image--2103399784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMS-1UiAjcWtF9JkE-fRl1dNkWOfZt9CrbYAafu7Vq01-fdwNzKwsIp3ztQSlaexMC7dUTofaWWSxwil5b6yC7WiiJ3PZqr48bLUaK3F4WpqAoL4xiigR6p-EuUkvmaXFmavslxLq_V25/s640/blogger-image--2103399784.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79uSzINSKfvkc7JketUmjoONYOdtdWgk5kE2cHaaF_8y4OnfB53rHhT3vDTncpAADB52k5pFY2xhUuBWUohIlYCkWZRjGYcLUXUleOunEtnYIhhqcQMW8GsRfG_cpHkdhW_Pp_i4pN6Vu/s640/blogger-image--267954387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79uSzINSKfvkc7JketUmjoONYOdtdWgk5kE2cHaaF_8y4OnfB53rHhT3vDTncpAADB52k5pFY2xhUuBWUohIlYCkWZRjGYcLUXUleOunEtnYIhhqcQMW8GsRfG_cpHkdhW_Pp_i4pN6Vu/s640/blogger-image--267954387.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvSyHmQTdeovLjYlHA-OpUKMqAjHWNpLE_BIQiJbM_hcLFwMjPpSgCecG_Gfs3lp_w0ZdQnHMsQ_fJBTCtLBPxujR5efZi2QnIb0OHo-nWI2QWyW96koQD-nOdyJGSDf2qf_sFn_8x6aQ/s640/blogger-image--579433130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvSyHmQTdeovLjYlHA-OpUKMqAjHWNpLE_BIQiJbM_hcLFwMjPpSgCecG_Gfs3lp_w0ZdQnHMsQ_fJBTCtLBPxujR5efZi2QnIb0OHo-nWI2QWyW96koQD-nOdyJGSDf2qf_sFn_8x6aQ/s640/blogger-image--579433130.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhTvnYcnbb_QZREUpuM494E3QxQGArYlLk8eIlRAYuBCKQZTa_6vNTRov2c0ROK-udojZxgpLPIggCMR3ZHiClOeNuMiaBI_6BbdkIrxb4p9Hp02ElmidXu5Nm7wXzwmYa6gLMsKQ61w8/s640/blogger-image-1396513132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhTvnYcnbb_QZREUpuM494E3QxQGArYlLk8eIlRAYuBCKQZTa_6vNTRov2c0ROK-udojZxgpLPIggCMR3ZHiClOeNuMiaBI_6BbdkIrxb4p9Hp02ElmidXu5Nm7wXzwmYa6gLMsKQ61w8/s640/blogger-image-1396513132.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSCE2D7a0fJ2ZW128qlF7b9r_d8_fcKlvJ7Ktd6CEq5sN3C6m6GwBVAG8O_S0X5r_jbHEghOOYYHX1oSWyEQDcc2md5oiovNCqEQQJ0UgjIALp-l5JXFO_oL39qZU4LejCO5Z5Z_g60Rw/s640/blogger-image-1472290037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSCE2D7a0fJ2ZW128qlF7b9r_d8_fcKlvJ7Ktd6CEq5sN3C6m6GwBVAG8O_S0X5r_jbHEghOOYYHX1oSWyEQDcc2md5oiovNCqEQQJ0UgjIALp-l5JXFO_oL39qZU4LejCO5Z5Z_g60Rw/s640/blogger-image-1472290037.jpg" /></a></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-1337416349561258912012-05-07T05:28:00.001-07:002012-05-07T05:32:16.636-07:00Balls!!!I often said to people that I had to sell my vital organs affording to live in London for 5 years. For those of you who may not be aware I therefore moved back to the land downunder and here I am. <br />
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My first stop was my hometown Perth - drenched in sunshine, beaches, mining companies, isolation and fortunately, in February - art! <br />
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Determined to live a cultured life despite the ease of arty London being so far away the Perth International Arts Festival, The Perth Fringe Festival AND the International Film Festival along with the sunshine nurtured & settled my wanderlust. Among many shows including Poland's "The Table" & France's beautiful dancing acrobat "Raoul" every day somewhere around Perth you could stumble upon Kurt Perschke's "RedBall Project". <br />
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"What?" you might say. <br />
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Yes, every day there was a giant inflated red ball that could be found wedged in alley-ways, stuck in door ways or, in my case, shoved under the bus shelter or floating in a fountain. I found it hilarious where this random ball would not so subtly appear. It was at times inappropriate and invasive like a loud dinner guest chewing with their mouth open. At the same time it was just quiet and innocent going about its own day to day business. <br />
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So enamored & charmed was I by the giant red ball that on the last day I hunted it down and actually touched it!!!<br />
<br />
Photographic evidence follows...<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ruwMQh6qYgKXsBSSl0q35iyLYuMN7X8EejnH4QNiACBnZpu4BQot0hzlG8Zm3X4kVq-LMLLCW-517-qYHv_KmP42sN1V2HOVLH7yLV70gWsVeG6FgcQRcpMryKkIHo_VfZejkV3-oLuH/s640/blogger-image--1949861530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ruwMQh6qYgKXsBSSl0q35iyLYuMN7X8EejnH4QNiACBnZpu4BQot0hzlG8Zm3X4kVq-LMLLCW-517-qYHv_KmP42sN1V2HOVLH7yLV70gWsVeG6FgcQRcpMryKkIHo_VfZejkV3-oLuH/s640/blogger-image--1949861530.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbyySUcRdlufH-xCr72Embpcn3h0ndTMszyURVfUQXYFZTGlTR0lprcausWhzCqUIrop3tyj2wS_QnBkcae35XQOxUXnVZFNbgcSOvFtMkGmU7E1BxLyaQA7BeZ2qMcmV7SryMhyQy1HK/s640/blogger-image-776677546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbyySUcRdlufH-xCr72Embpcn3h0ndTMszyURVfUQXYFZTGlTR0lprcausWhzCqUIrop3tyj2wS_QnBkcae35XQOxUXnVZFNbgcSOvFtMkGmU7E1BxLyaQA7BeZ2qMcmV7SryMhyQy1HK/s640/blogger-image-776677546.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4ceezW-hWNkrsumOAHs_2nqRS_2TKq1NQJGfD410RQHL4gWc_9HDuhfcO2TVnu52K5ZlW25ggMx5wOAuUZ_bc85hV-t4JHnJO96TgPwxjBF5IIw5CMcesDEV_0NtrFzT9qC-eGdVbqBm/s640/blogger-image-1696565884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4ceezW-hWNkrsumOAHs_2nqRS_2TKq1NQJGfD410RQHL4gWc_9HDuhfcO2TVnu52K5ZlW25ggMx5wOAuUZ_bc85hV-t4JHnJO96TgPwxjBF5IIw5CMcesDEV_0NtrFzT9qC-eGdVbqBm/s640/blogger-image-1696565884.jpg" /></a></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-9649616223542423402011-05-10T03:53:00.001-07:002011-05-10T04:11:19.245-07:00FLIPPIN MINT MATE<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Anyone who knows me knows that I frequently burst out with the old phrase </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >"MINT"</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span"> every now and then when something is <span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>GOOD</b></span> </span>and by every now and then I kinda mean every hour - haha!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsUwlWIH6PkYOUKnQBrGZL1yTI30dkyuIRP9ZkFMBV2ajyWd5GwMu4AoNZp_3DbRLOyNZrexarZFIQrkND8T7AHVc5uYGRWGpVz-IhHvYHVb8thm2XUjNclQIBTAK96xVbOQTHaKlq1cr/s400/mint-tastic-m-and-m-s.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 354px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605042285399095650" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So here I was reading a blog called <b>"MINT"</b> and the following quote by <span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Ira Glass</b></span> had been posted...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through".</span></b></em></p><p style="margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><b>— Ira Glass</b></p></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>S</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >OOOOOO TRUE!!! As a creative soul and appreciator of all things creative those words ring so true!!! Being one's own worse critic can really make you your own worst enemy. So my resolution is to just keep on working through it!</span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >I felt Ira's quote was MINT... Flippin MINT in fact therefore the choice to post it in mint... innit!</span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-92158704046251025712011-03-23T12:14:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:34:33.115-07:00You've failed me miserably<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiwFpEv5UUwHBRLhyphenhyphen3cGK6d_sWgSF5vMqX6tTyttLmeHKuK-skpwKnzpZ8f18-HIopjWl2Z87Y6LhI3fWuGGwK0XByXQVCzyMs5JnKb6HyfVDB4thzEsBG2VdHORfcyTJ218vbdRAqd-2/s1600/tumblr_lhovk4r2yM1qc3gxfo1_500.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 345px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiwFpEv5UUwHBRLhyphenhyphen3cGK6d_sWgSF5vMqX6tTyttLmeHKuK-skpwKnzpZ8f18-HIopjWl2Z87Y6LhI3fWuGGwK0XByXQVCzyMs5JnKb6HyfVDB4thzEsBG2VdHORfcyTJ218vbdRAqd-2/s400/tumblr_lhovk4r2yM1qc3gxfo1_500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587356193046304882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I was blog surfing as per usual and found this image entitled </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">"We have failed eachother miserably</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="font-size:130%;">"</span> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">by</span> Christine Young. Haha. <span style="font-size:85%;">When it comes to</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">me</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;">and</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">umbrellas</span>, <span style="font-size:85%;">although</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">I live in London</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">and it </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">frequently<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">rains</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">I don't bother with them for the very reason as depicted in the above picture - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">they fail me!</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-size:100%;" >If they manage not to break then I'm stuck with this wet thing - like a dirty tissue - why do I want to carry that around?</span><br /><br />I think a more appropriate title would be <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">"You've failed me miserably" </span></span>and by <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">'you'</span> I mean the <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">umbrella!!!</span></span> </span></span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-80436671851928362342010-09-06T15:12:00.000-07:002010-09-08T15:48:42.333-07:00Kelli Murray<span style="font-family:arial;">So basically... earlier in the year while I was an <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">enthusiastic bridesmaid</span> for the lovely <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">Misty Moo</span> I was busy scouring bridal and wedding blogs etc in search of <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;">inspiration</span> etc... So on Green Wedding Shoes I saw this <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >super cool</span>, <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" >funky</span> wedding and was <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">enamoured</span> by the craft and detail in this wedding...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__dJgprBzgKDMA6fVEbTXfAGLU-GTYnRTxYfM73mKUIjzq_BQuUyB0ntxWSHkb2fozkRGJMPZIGYkSumPVDYy3XhdIiZQMl1tVDJWtbx2iLAYCtdg9z2rOCcUdHo9Kdfz30fFeMuWEfzo/s1600/illustrator_wedding_05.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__dJgprBzgKDMA6fVEbTXfAGLU-GTYnRTxYfM73mKUIjzq_BQuUyB0ntxWSHkb2fozkRGJMPZIGYkSumPVDYy3XhdIiZQMl1tVDJWtbx2iLAYCtdg9z2rOCcUdHo9Kdfz30fFeMuWEfzo/s400/illustrator_wedding_05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514672580706120370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It looked <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">super cool</span></span> and I admit that I am partial to <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >blunt fringes</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >head bands</span> so this wedding was off to a good start!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then I saw the following <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;">accessories</span> that each of the bridesmaids wore and were made by the Bride's cousin I think...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwoBmW_P9rpwrSsPpiAAa7cqE0wWPROfVen_ujn_wVQk5tNAp1Y2c94ef_Teqt2r2lch_b_M3_DN7bLADgA21FXzvuWiMaSEoldHbT4JenO-Nk409uK5_LaUXpqIgoAxMm_pUcam6p8o4/s1600/illustrator_wedding_15.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 371px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwoBmW_P9rpwrSsPpiAAa7cqE0wWPROfVen_ujn_wVQk5tNAp1Y2c94ef_Teqt2r2lch_b_M3_DN7bLADgA21FXzvuWiMaSEoldHbT4JenO-Nk409uK5_LaUXpqIgoAxMm_pUcam6p8o4/s400/illustrator_wedding_15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514672588890006274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >love</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">neutral</span>/ <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">warm colours</span> so I was sold on these accessories - <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">sign me up now</span> - I want them <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-style: italic;">all!!!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But it was the following picture of<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"> "the bride"</span></span> which got me hook, line and sinker...</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRNJaZkgTRrtOKPDnZUftLPV3LU4_ollm2QnmVXZnN8gCZBTxqOe6htd7cceQ0nujnhJnQdaWpngCLXpkWFKdFX1fFZ02jyEL0JEtUeNSzeDGe8GYRQzl6lG4yVhuHuViNrWyZoH6da-6/s1600/il_430xN.120581850.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRNJaZkgTRrtOKPDnZUftLPV3LU4_ollm2QnmVXZnN8gCZBTxqOe6htd7cceQ0nujnhJnQdaWpngCLXpkWFKdFX1fFZ02jyEL0JEtUeNSzeDGe8GYRQzl6lG4yVhuHuViNrWyZoH6da-6/s400/il_430xN.120581850.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514672598449884098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Turns out the wedding I was stalking and admiring was that of illustrator / designer / artist - <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-weight: bold;">Kelli Murray</span></span> and now <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" >she's my favourite</span>!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Obvo I had to check out more and I was happy with the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">artistic inspiration</span> I found - Get in!!! I've been following her work for about 8 months now and I've seen lots of Kelli's work that I <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">love</span> not to mention the <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">super cool events</span> she gets involved in through her work. I shall post more of her work in future posts for you to also <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">admire</span> but in the mean while... <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >bon appetit!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYF7Tr-beAZnaP8Gquh7PXo6ANRcN0SPdtxdt0Rc4vhGjYGt7TU1LwZhs79c-hxblYJdj6mtZMX8V0BA8an8_L4GhUQ82FWAC3LrudMtdZ1zCujXF5jlyBixruYZdHxwxk2k4Cw4oIWE-/s1600/il_430xN.167196321.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYF7Tr-beAZnaP8Gquh7PXo6ANRcN0SPdtxdt0Rc4vhGjYGt7TU1LwZhs79c-hxblYJdj6mtZMX8V0BA8an8_L4GhUQ82FWAC3LrudMtdZ1zCujXF5jlyBixruYZdHxwxk2k4Cw4oIWE-/s400/il_430xN.167196321.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514672605656620258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlt3oZ6jBBXg1kvsgMW6WTQ7f37KFoNkrG5L6eyAo3KM3F__z46bfkTLeLwEfFz69YO1QX5sS0MbiCFJJ-4IZkyzqaBEgTNYob6KT3poJdGw_I-gCAab1AFRmYCTdmaCFpszEN0ElBSRDE/s1600/il_430xN.84453839.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlt3oZ6jBBXg1kvsgMW6WTQ7f37KFoNkrG5L6eyAo3KM3F__z46bfkTLeLwEfFz69YO1QX5sS0MbiCFJJ-4IZkyzqaBEgTNYob6KT3poJdGw_I-gCAab1AFRmYCTdmaCFpszEN0ElBSRDE/s400/il_430xN.84453839.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514672568773419890" border="0" /></a>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-44325609459277124652010-09-05T14:14:00.000-07:002010-09-05T15:02:58.527-07:00Le Concert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGW7dGtkJnWSX6gKhfiQxzNpEbwJWizHtnKijqxBj6HnqXAFhkCOmDp42kke3oSrx8R_yKvWRPWRa4h4Nmyn_WrIkfiv1Xu3efdCA3CtJkdBxtJOk_tuHJPZ4W0xt34FpvwzCEN4_Vym6/s1600/Le_concert_300.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGW7dGtkJnWSX6gKhfiQxzNpEbwJWizHtnKijqxBj6HnqXAFhkCOmDp42kke3oSrx8R_yKvWRPWRa4h4Nmyn_WrIkfiv1Xu3efdCA3CtJkdBxtJOk_tuHJPZ4W0xt34FpvwzCEN4_Vym6/s400/Le_concert_300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513552323552723138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yesterday, armed with new found <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">freedom</span></span> and a 40% off movie voucher I decided to go to the <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">movies</span></span>. I didn't really have anything I particularly wanted to see but was <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">tempted</span> by a movie that was made by the same people who produced <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Juno</span> and <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">Little Miss Sunshine</span> but <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">watched the trailer and soon moved on from that!</span> I then took the chance on watching the trailer for<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;"> Le Concert. </span>I thought it was going to be a bit serious and heavy <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">but</span></span> then I watched the trailer and realised it was driven by <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">strong characters </span>and was quite <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">light hearted</span> with that nice artistic twist. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rOubwMHdhkGRNkEHzzb86Apg-Bqxz7ab7prl8LTuU1ZEIeJhgoCfeX2QXHuElcE7IZGUzeBd1ea9q9kd9WozCkoXv1cNRFk2IxezCa-JQG01Cs8vbS9Re_QC2byCVRD8H2FXyxcUjcNE/s1600/Le+concert.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rOubwMHdhkGRNkEHzzb86Apg-Bqxz7ab7prl8LTuU1ZEIeJhgoCfeX2QXHuElcE7IZGUzeBd1ea9q9kd9WozCkoXv1cNRFk2IxezCa-JQG01Cs8vbS9Re_QC2byCVRD8H2FXyxcUjcNE/s400/Le+concert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513553100751332914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So off I went to the afternoon showing. I wandered into the cinema to find a whole bunch of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">senior citizens</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span> in the cinema. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Believe it or not I was considering on telling them to sssshhhhh!!! Seniors these days!!!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you're patient enough for <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">subtitles</span> or happen to know <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Russian</span> and <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">French</span> I highly recommend the tale of a russian orchestra that comes together after 30 years to perform in Paris - go for it!!!!!<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >If nothing else you will be left with a new found appreciation for Tchaikovsky. I don't have any Tchaikovsy here so I've settled for Chopin.</span><a href="http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_info/s132/Swiss_Cottage/m12762/The_Concert/"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Click here to watch the trailer</span></a>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-44324953391212981122010-09-04T06:14:00.001-07:002010-09-05T02:49:21.205-07:00"Edfringetures"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYcERjihUcEla-a0CcxCtMQrBvrtL2EgdolFOFGua1XgFn28f3ZgDMXkASs6C2zFaaSwE8JJazq7762LZ8k-EviOPsEfcYIxPZZFxWbMxoStVK8mMERwMQbuUbbXuOYQVLkWHkFvnFR9W/s1600/SDC13651.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYcERjihUcEla-a0CcxCtMQrBvrtL2EgdolFOFGua1XgFn28f3ZgDMXkASs6C2zFaaSwE8JJazq7762LZ8k-EviOPsEfcYIxPZZFxWbMxoStVK8mMERwMQbuUbbXuOYQVLkWHkFvnFR9W/s400/SDC13651.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513354720840227218" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">About a year ago I wrote an entry called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>"Mouthwatering"</b></span></span> about the play <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><b>KinkyFish</b></span> would potentially perform, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"A Dream Play"</span></b>. After our London run of the <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">surreal</span></i> show in December we fish were pondering what direction we wanted to move in and the answer we came up with was the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b>Edinburgh Fringe Festival</b></span></span> aka the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><i>biggest arts festival in the world</i></span> that runs for three weeks, hosting <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);"><b>40,000 </b></span>shows and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);"><b>4,000</b></span> performers. This year it also hosted for the first time 10 KinkyFish and even more friends of the Fish.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIZSiulmy2dJPLxp-CFmNP95nTTBzjHlnYSEsvCv5pR-tW8XUTX6vpF-uV25JQp6uTZPSCyGQ365P6DrmD_wm7ez59ZipYWWAexpac8gWMc9DoqaFvAD-S2ddmewOd7pQvhGF3z-YJHHO/s1600/SDC13684.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIZSiulmy2dJPLxp-CFmNP95nTTBzjHlnYSEsvCv5pR-tW8XUTX6vpF-uV25JQp6uTZPSCyGQ365P6DrmD_wm7ez59ZipYWWAexpac8gWMc9DoqaFvAD-S2ddmewOd7pQvhGF3z-YJHHO/s400/SDC13684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513359471651411698" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />On average we <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><b>KinkyFish</b></span> have met up twice a week for the last 8 months to plan, play and rehearse the adapted version of Strindberg's A Dream Play and it has been <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);"><b>wonderful</b></span> in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);"><b>sooooo many ways</b></span>, not without hard work and sometimes some drama off the stage as well as on.<br /></span><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinU6k5j7NtjY23MU2xIVlfyzZVdbNmFKu8ZAjN0QoyulcjsxwlFfXj_aJSv1cNvFOjeLtrbEk7VD0pxL0wvr742trxRkOJ3rfEA3rxT4fOdTbWxIjBAsdj1Zch_vRgXqptZGxHRKf5VFtS/s1600/SDC13857.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinU6k5j7NtjY23MU2xIVlfyzZVdbNmFKu8ZAjN0QoyulcjsxwlFfXj_aJSv1cNvFOjeLtrbEk7VD0pxL0wvr742trxRkOJ3rfEA3rxT4fOdTbWxIjBAsdj1Zch_vRgXqptZGxHRKf5VFtS/s400/SDC13857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513363581174887778" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I became very mindful when I was about 16 that things I looked forward to never seemed to live up to the imaginations I had... the problem with being very creative ;-) I really learnt that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><b>happiness is a journey and not a destination</b></span> and life has been <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">more joyfu</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">l </span></b></span>because of it. So bearing this in mind, as we prepared for the Fringe I emphasised <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 255);"><b>enjoying the moments</b></span> and the rehearsals, preparing myself for the inevitable let down the Festival would be.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpiAsmKtw20qID1ztXA2XKwkhgqL9ZA9vh45KzZbJAwNx0VNtXEaoyAX3rQ5d_TsklGj1MJVyfucIvrHfjaTUtl4-J2zBm8PZndDFX2iWjPk4RZZgo_iqWIeJTD1WTfjiE0x5o3ZijwHg/s1600/SDC13696.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpiAsmKtw20qID1ztXA2XKwkhgqL9ZA9vh45KzZbJAwNx0VNtXEaoyAX3rQ5d_TsklGj1MJVyfucIvrHfjaTUtl4-J2zBm8PZndDFX2iWjPk4RZZgo_iqWIeJTD1WTfjiE0x5o3ZijwHg/s400/SDC13696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513357261029462194" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>NO SUCH LUCK </b></span>- The Fringe was <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><b>AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</b></span> Honestly, sincerely, no exaggeration of the truth it was one of the BEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pretty big call I know but true!!!!! Needless to say - I'm feeling <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><b>totally rubbish and depressed</b></span> now that it's over.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><b><i>Living and performing in the festival was an absolute perfect state of zen.</i> </b></span>What added to this was that I was sharing the experience with 9 others who <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"><b>owned</b></span> it and<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><b> valued</b></span> it as much as I. It was about having friends in the car of experience.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxk_828t2FpQgglbEbg_9FEBjioRkBN_rld7TCLbSX40M_urZYbBYXGW52jyQOGC_70CeaiJEPHtLssLYvJ1FWlF9nH_Hz0s-2bnxRR9I95tE9TkFfdoyixr2CUe9eh9NbhYqTO5QuRw5/s1600/SDC13708.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxk_828t2FpQgglbEbg_9FEBjioRkBN_rld7TCLbSX40M_urZYbBYXGW52jyQOGC_70CeaiJEPHtLssLYvJ1FWlF9nH_Hz0s-2bnxRR9I95tE9TkFfdoyixr2CUe9eh9NbhYqTO5QuRw5/s400/SDC13708.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513359415132411474" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Each day we would start out by having breakfast and getting ready at <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><b>KinkyFish Headquarters</b></span> and then off to the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><b>Royal Mile</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);"><b>Box office cue</b></span> or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>half price hut </b></span>we'd go and we'd talk and hand out flyers and basically flog our show for all it was worth. This would go on for a few hours and then later that afternoon we'd witness the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>spoils</b></span> of our work when we'd walk on stage and see the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);"><b>crowd </b></span>that had come for us. Seeing the crowd made it all worth it even if we'd been flyering in the rain or it had taken a million hours to hand out 10 flyers - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><b><i>to see the results of your work inspired you to do more.<br /></i></b></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaTArqCaSyegnU3JJmgLFDk7UGdPr8X5nLKLQGZ734NZNVb1R-VnED5ho1-aC8dpUaFO9QRfqRriMi7VX3NZSEta9VLFxuCuGjBucGRig_5IHbKRxgopdtKNPsNSg8-bMtuyVCryzsbWz/s1600/SDC13836.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaTArqCaSyegnU3JJmgLFDk7UGdPr8X5nLKLQGZ734NZNVb1R-VnED5ho1-aC8dpUaFO9QRfqRriMi7VX3NZSEta9VLFxuCuGjBucGRig_5IHbKRxgopdtKNPsNSg8-bMtuyVCryzsbWz/s400/SDC13836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513363563711004482" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kGEIkHiHVKCg3fe6oYrIKIXHQFaPp3E6QORg8nNwuc8UhLec5EHJQjGRvr3Z09598VNZgTeRt-VWqaxGH6M9KyiflgTi3aSuaCbMzFG15gJshUxuRa0CpSoR4kid9BWyAgVBDEy0j9Ui/s1600/SDC13777.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kGEIkHiHVKCg3fe6oYrIKIXHQFaPp3E6QORg8nNwuc8UhLec5EHJQjGRvr3Z09598VNZgTeRt-VWqaxGH6M9KyiflgTi3aSuaCbMzFG15gJshUxuRa0CpSoR4kid9BWyAgVBDEy0j9Ui/s400/SDC13777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513349043400229282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCdjxy2tMCcd3bv3FEPC8vaIdDi2hcFYjNWu6d8qREZQQ5hyjgdsfvAPJf0VKq8SPL3zVfALaFSSBlSQaz13tR_pvn-XFNo1zB2gBukn5TL5ch1eQ8GAJs-VyoMzf6dS-cjPabtmtmclX/s1600/SDC13782.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCdjxy2tMCcd3bv3FEPC8vaIdDi2hcFYjNWu6d8qREZQQ5hyjgdsfvAPJf0VKq8SPL3zVfALaFSSBlSQaz13tR_pvn-XFNo1zB2gBukn5TL5ch1eQ8GAJs-VyoMzf6dS-cjPabtmtmclX/s400/SDC13782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513359422529589250" border="0" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After the debrief that followed our show and we'd head off to different <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><b>shows</b></span>, meet different <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><b>performers</b></span> and compare <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>stories</b></span>, then we'd catch up with other fish and then head onto a different show and then we'd meet up with someone else at a different venue for drinks etc... As the days went on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);"><b><i>the shared experience expanded</i></b></span> beyond just the fish but fellow performers that we had met throughout the week, they'd see our show, we'd see theirs, we'd help each other flyer. Basically it was <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>AMAZING!!!!!!!!<br /><br /></b></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQNPE6D-ydgmNbl2uKRvW7InkWY3v5ZQAdAhrY7_Uy6_lz8nxfIhALpVgsnlHwCsYH6-BVglbGb-pzLKVWYHY0ZbTNkA5ndIvm0kwT05K9Zgg4eoEvAmPQF1LniQpydDexgc_89PL95bk/s1600/SDC13686.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQNPE6D-ydgmNbl2uKRvW7InkWY3v5ZQAdAhrY7_Uy6_lz8nxfIhALpVgsnlHwCsYH6-BVglbGb-pzLKVWYHY0ZbTNkA5ndIvm0kwT05K9Zgg4eoEvAmPQF1LniQpydDexgc_89PL95bk/s400/SDC13686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513359478720574162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pz1iJ5DsHbw9G2-ejqmtUawMe664okEp0j0dkDyH3oIla4J2nU1ku8Ic_4G4JiRdGB77mmG327J9bnahxYkyKHZJ1j9CzDFLb2g5ZMtrp77ZlNDX3-UH5sRjvfogE_zLPrfb1ZSfWGWg/s1600/SDC13794.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pz1iJ5DsHbw9G2-ejqmtUawMe664okEp0j0dkDyH3oIla4J2nU1ku8Ic_4G4JiRdGB77mmG327J9bnahxYkyKHZJ1j9CzDFLb2g5ZMtrp77ZlNDX3-UH5sRjvfogE_zLPrfb1ZSfWGWg/s400/SDC13794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513363556506274978" border="0" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><i><b>With that being said I now think I want to perform at the Fringe every year for the rest of my life!!!!!!! </b></i></span></span></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-15532261618614306322010-05-07T02:19:00.000-07:002010-05-07T03:36:32.729-07:00I'm gonna laugh while I'm alive and sleep when I'm dead!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl00qznFT6Qzww0uWW9upboFn-PlB2t636FJrWyuVjlhn2DcINlQPQdF1sMJzduLXfRAI6WYsMthsts88e631CkNOthYUS860gSB-PpU8iuXnf7N0tBGYk3j-3JUneq6sh1Dqt_Fqrm2WD/s1600/laughter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468473841284231090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl00qznFT6Qzww0uWW9upboFn-PlB2t636FJrWyuVjlhn2DcINlQPQdF1sMJzduLXfRAI6WYsMthsts88e631CkNOthYUS860gSB-PpU8iuXnf7N0tBGYk3j-3JUneq6sh1Dqt_Fqrm2WD/s400/laughter.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I think it's <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">human nature</span></strong> to complain about work and to believe that you'd rather be out <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff9900;"><strong>playing</strong></span> than sitting at work! Fortunately, I work with a <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">pretty good bunch</span></strong> at present so office <strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">banter and chatter</span></strong> is flowing at a pretty good rate :-) </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff9900;">Friday </span></strong>morning found my colleague sharing with us some facts about <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ffff00;">laughter</span></strong> courtesy of the Stress Management Society.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#00cccc;"><strong>Your body cannot distinguish between a real laugh or a fake one... the positive effects on your body come either way.</strong></span></em> </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">Obviously</span></strong> this comment triggered a series of <span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>spontaneous fake laughs</strong></span> in the office to test the theory... I had <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">no need</span></strong> to fake laugh once this started... I felt like I was stuck in a factory of <strong><span style="color:#ff9900;">laughing robots</span></strong>... which, upon reflection is quite a scarey image opposed to humorous.<br /><br />Another fact which makes a mockery of gyms (look at me casting stones in glass castles seeing as I do have a gym membership) ... </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;color:#00cccc;">just 20 seconds of laughter is as good for the lungs as three minutes on a rowing machine!!!</span></em> </strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I know which I'd prefer!!!<br /><br />Now the <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">final fact</span></strong> that really got me going was...<br /><br /><span style="color:#00cccc;"><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The average adult laughs about 15 times a day. Whereas the average child laughs about 400 times!</span><br /></strong></em></span><br />This didn't sit right with me - I didn't want to be cast as a serious adult with no laughter in my life!!! </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">So</span></strong>... in all my <strong><span style="color:#ff9900;">wisdom</span></strong> to undermine "The Stress Management Society" I decided to create a <span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>tally</strong></span> of <span style="color:#6633ff;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">how many times I laughed</span></strong> </span>beginning at <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">9.41am</span></strong> today. You'll be happy to know that <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">37 minutes</span></strong> later I had already laughed <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>15 times</strong></span>. My colleagues congratulated me that I was now an Adult - this then prompted me to laugh. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">I did a little bit of basic maths and worked out that if I'm laughing at a rate of 15 times every 37 minutes that in a day I would laugh 584 times!!!</span></strong> </span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">GET IN!!! Forget sleep. In the fine words of Bon Jovi-ish...<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">I'm gonna laugh while I'm alive and sleep when I'm dead!</span></strong></em></span> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468474090801610882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 364px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 358px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB95SMPNqtxmUjsKTMxi6NZSsGOG4UzsSpNSYlS__WVYda_UAHnbWtG_ORzY52I72FlDCw3yFDp90jSd4Dp71wDPFT56Yqys-MarSia0wU8xJvhXvtB2I4ukiC_i7fmz6BfVBex-MAamH/s400/Ed.gif" border="0" /></span></div><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#ff9900;"><strong><em>Ed from the Lion King - a famous laugher</em></strong></span> </p>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-53119492600314534072010-04-06T05:22:00.000-07:002010-04-06T05:33:03.120-07:00Parsnips!<span style="font-family:arial;">I'm here at lunch discussing the merits with my colleagues of saving money and bringing in lunch... which I firmly believe in... but alas what I really want to say is...<span style="color:#ff9900;"> <strong>"I love parsnips!!!"</strong></span> I just finished my meal of roasted vegetables and I finished on a good one... a nice and gooey, slightly caramelised roasted parsnip!!! Deliciousness in my mouth and my tummy - joyfulness in my soul!!! I'm not quite brave enough to declare my love of parsnips to my colleagues at the moment - I'm just giving them a dose of craziness one week at a time!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457001248395471314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiREWtsjQNnUVUD8FScMD-gZqjahkRIm40LL3EnsSwrdcHGWymlCdbUPddRt7eL-bwYaCmRBi8qzjjFZnuX5nizZOm_zUVHv9UXcu8P6S9aIm6UlDI0hCAQD9z6NdYE6jHbRwiBOQAIQVB/s400/roasted-parsnips.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffff66;"><strong><em>Goodly Goodly Parsnip goodness!!!</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-6607814202133387362010-02-22T06:30:00.000-08:002010-02-22T06:56:46.305-08:00<p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><img src="webkit-fake-url://F6B94982-20C5-40D1-8B65-3744FC9445C2/Men-working-overhead-sign.gif" alt="Men-working-overhead-sign.gif" /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Around the streets where I work, amidst the pitiful excuses for high rise buildings I've noticed quite a few of the above signs... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Danger: Men working overhead"</span></span></span></span> </p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">One day, creatively unstimulated walking between buildings I looked at one of these signs as I never had before... what makes it dangerous, the fact that it's men working overhead? If it were women working overhead would it read "Danger" still... based on some of the signs I've seen in the city for, ironically, "gentleman's clubs"? (nothing gentlemanly about it)... it would probably say look up! </p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Strong opinions about dodgy men working in the city <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">aside</span></span></span> I had a giggle thinking that men working overhead warranted a warning. I like to think if you want a job done right give it to a woman... you can also save money that you'd normally spend on danger signs! </p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-55008412495238077352010-02-20T09:10:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:52:18.847-08:00Sense-sational Saturday Cycling<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well, on the back of not working for a month I officially ran out of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">money</span></span></span>... (this may also have had something to do with me going out to play with all of my visiting <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">friends</span></span></span> and feeding myself!!!) </span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://B7A39CC5-A0FC-4433-8341-EBA25D4EB6AD/Bike.png" alt="Bike.png" /></p></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Well you know all good things come to an end, my money ran out and my friends left... there I was on January 25th ready to start my new job, broke and broken hearted after my roomie hayley left for Cairo... with only her bike left behind as a reminder.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As much as I miss Hayley - I honestly couldn't have survived without her legacy - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">"Bikie"</span></span></span> to keep me company and get me to and from work. So with empty pockets I embarked on braving the London streets and riding bikie to and from work, well basically, as Forrest Gump might say, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">"if I was going anywhere I was riding"</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://6F2AC4BD-D3F1-4151-947D-ECF2A29BC553/cycling-3.jpg" alt="cycling-3.jpg" /></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The world of biking is quite<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> intense</span></span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">hysterical</span></span>... well the world of cycling is intense and the fact <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">I'm part of it</span></span> is hysterical.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Now it's a fact that I take more from the blogging world than i contribute...</span></span> seeing as blogs are the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">only</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> remote social networking I can log onto at work. With that being said I have discovered a number of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">cute</span></span> styles whereunto people describe their life and weeks so I am going to adopt some for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">you!!!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">This is cycling based on the technique of "Five Senses Friday" I'm going to call it.... </span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">"Sense-sational Saturday Cycling" </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Seeing: </span></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The roads of London and realising there aren't that many roads that you probably haven't walked or seen before... </span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It has also consolidated that I want to work in shoreditch or farringdon... the heart of all things boutique, media, pr and coolness</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Pedestrians looking vacantly in the opposite direction as they cross the road in front of me while talking on their phones or listening to their ipods - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">grrrr pedestrians!!!</span></span></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://C4659A39-A47E-4AD6-8381-6D852DD7C973/nm_teen_cell_phone_crosswalk_090305_main.jpg" alt="nm_teen_cell_phone_crosswalk_090305_main.jpg" /></p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Hearing: </span></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Men, women and children yelling at me for any number of reasons but generally if I ride on the footpath or cut in front of them - my theory - a cyclist will never be as dangerous to a pedestrian as all of the trucks, buses, cars, taxis, fellow cyclists are to me on the road but you don't see me chucking a tanty</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">People... generally just obnoxious taxi drivers beeping their horns at me, when i go around a parked bus or the like - seriously, just go around me, I impose no threat compared to the threat you pose to me and you don't see me beeping my horn or even ringing my bell!!!</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Feeling:</span></span> <br /></div></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Every form of precipitation on my body - yes I have cycled in rain, hail, snow and shine - typically, seeing as I live in London I have yet to cycle in the heat and lets face it I may never do so. I have however felt a burning in my legs whilst peddling uphill. </span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">FYI when cycling through snow it feels like you're being whipped in the face or maybe even that your eye will be taken out - seriously! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204); font-family: arial; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">Smelling:</span></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the sweet smell of a shisha from an arab restaurant on my way home - not that i endorse smoking at all but when I'm a bit lost on the dark back streets I know I'm not too far from Edgware Road, my beacon of direction!</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://A63AD7AD-2822-433F-9A35-249354E24048/shisha5.jpg" alt="shisha5.jpg" /></p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-family: arial; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tasting: </span></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A lot of food. I generally eat like I have a hollow leg at the best of times but with all the cycling and the energy that you need/ burn I'm ravenous and justify eating any/ everything</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Another technique for describing one's week is through numbers - if I were going to use such a technique it would go a little something like this...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">4 - the number of times I feel like I've given birth to a bike when I've ridden over a pothole</span></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://7B6321B1-24A2-4AB3-A7D2-956F4354341F/pothole.jpg" alt="pothole.jpg" /></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Just pause and think about it - Sense-sational isn't it!!!???</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-69315181323850002542009-12-15T01:35:00.000-08:002009-12-15T11:46:20.452-08:00Happy Birthday<div><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBzm26UoP-qyDujP-dSCOaEsqG5Pb0YgZbQKQNGp_DARAOzmTG7vnpWNf35VZVI5F2g-M2L_gmHf4eaqJi7ikZkPsnAAbfqr1rpgCirjTX65VBsbhfSCOQ1NA3f2WmlEBcZQtQRN_qZFL/s1600-h/Paragon+2009+Christmas+Party+061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 510px; display: block; height: 535px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415396789867056946" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBzm26UoP-qyDujP-dSCOaEsqG5Pb0YgZbQKQNGp_DARAOzmTG7vnpWNf35VZVI5F2g-M2L_gmHf4eaqJi7ikZkPsnAAbfqr1rpgCirjTX65VBsbhfSCOQ1NA3f2WmlEBcZQtQRN_qZFL/s400/Paragon+2009+Christmas+Party+061.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51); text-align: center;">This is my boss Sash (photographed here with the lovely Bindya from India looking fabulous in red)</div><br /><div style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday it was Sash's birthday so a couple of girls in the office arranged to get him a cake with a picture and a personalised message delivered to the office for him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">And this is what arrived...<br /><br /></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 529px; display: block; height: 456px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415427509055481954" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kQ6f2AU1ed_D0E241VaqlTONc6jqL2Cro0VqMTA-aAvPCbSJbgQBubz3CpIdKDkgXWhQKkZEOCGm2EGn7sxUZVHz2mO42Gavdr642iP7-k-LJ6ar01OL94zAWT9KoK0x2r696TUPtlVH/s400/P1000031.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold; text-align: center; font-family: arial;">Happy Birthday... SARAH? Tash I would've understood but Sarah?</div><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB9fka9SDpO-y73O8hPWHdgwhSXclBNnenJqkDIWKqwd1FkVZSV_ITbaTk197sW-DCysvK6c7T-vNPiWU1LyBRP6pweO24GAExK4L-R3Fb6bRJ3702b8sB-eC2JyxZ6PlOunGGvir3tQS/s1600-h/Paragon+2009+Christmas+Party+175.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 428px; display: block; height: 570px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415512734338130114" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB9fka9SDpO-y73O8hPWHdgwhSXclBNnenJqkDIWKqwd1FkVZSV_ITbaTk197sW-DCysvK6c7T-vNPiWU1LyBRP6pweO24GAExK4L-R3Fb6bRJ3702b8sB-eC2JyxZ6PlOunGGvir3tQS/s400/Paragon+2009+Christmas+Party+175.jpg" border="0" /></a><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 204, 51); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got a replacement cake but Sash still didn't look too happy about it all.. maybe it's cause the picture was a monkey... imagine if we told him it was a monkey named Sarah!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">P.S. Get this - "Happy Birthday Sarah" is sitting in the server room awaiting to be picked up... as if... what are the company going to do with it?!</div></div></div></div></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-55155359017111564572009-12-08T15:00:00.000-08:002009-12-08T15:59:44.633-08:00Christmas Cracker!<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I've had the blessing of working as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Office Manager</span> for a consulting firm (who even knows what that means!)... that's not exactly the blessing... but the<span style="font-style: italic;"> open plan office</span> certainly is... I feel like I'm living out the dream that is an episode of "The Office" <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">(I never thought I'd say this but the American version is far superior... don't tell the Brits ;-)</span></span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><img alt="http://monkeysmashesheaven.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/the-office-nbc.jpg" src="http://monkeysmashesheaven.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/the-office-nbc.jpg" /><br /></div><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Each day is full of characters going about their daily life and humouring me... whether they know/like it or not!</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As it's December and the <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">silly season</span></span> that is Christmas is setting in I, being the <span style="font-weight: bold;">office manager</span> have introduced a few things to humour the 20 or so staff we have in the office... it started with Secret Santa and continued today with a <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas Tree</span></span> being set up in our office. Because my job means I basically spend other people's money to do what I want <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">(Insert wicked cackle here)</span> I organised for our plant company to bring in a tree and set it up... decorations and all!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I've had this day highlighted in my diary for weeks - "December 8th" and everytime the doorbell rang or a stranger walked in I thought my wildest dreams were being realised - <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51); font-weight: bold;">I even asked a courier who brought in a vacuum cleaner if he was here to set up the Christmas Tree</span> - and by 3pm I was actually a bit concerned borderline mental episode that the tree may not arrive!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On the edge of my seat, about ready to pick up the phone and give the plant company an earful for delaying the delivery of Christmas a friendly bohemian strolled in asking... where to set up the Christmas Tree - <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Get in!!!<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.design55online.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/3/0/306990-410-l_renamed_10256.jpg" src="http://www.design55online.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/3/0/306990-410-l_renamed_10256.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">This is exactly the kind of photo stand that used to occupy the space of our Christmas Tree</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">... </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-size:85%;" >go on... say it... I know what you're thinking... kitsch!</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I quickly moved the photo stand and made room for the blessed tree!!! I don't really know what I was expecting - I was already taken back by the friendliness of the young, Christmas bearing <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;">green thumb</span> and then - he had two assistants bring in all the goodies - there was a pack of people bearing Christmas.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I was happy, things were under way. I found myself very <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">distracted</span> and kept on <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">gazing</span> over at the tree as it was unwrapped and decorated... I admit... I could be found half smiling with glazed eyes looking at that tree...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">After a while I noticed that one of Santa's Little Helpers was quite cute... bonus...<span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51); font-weight: bold;"> so now I had two reasons to stop working and gaze over to my left.</span> While gazing I was caught by surprise... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Overwhelmed by my surprise I quickly opened up a group chat on my skype account with a few of my colleagues... this surprise was too good...<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/292240345_f82b583018.jpg" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/292240345_f82b583018.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">"Howdy, I doubt any of you have taken the opportunity to gaze at the Christmas Tree as I have. I hope for your sake you have not repeatedly caught the eyeful I have every time I've looked at the young whipper snapper decorating the tree. It seems we have a new contender for plumber's crack... Christmas Cracker" </span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in;" alt="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/225454451_2120fc2715_o.jpg" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/225454451_2120fc2715_o.jpg" width="447" height="596" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Yep that dark haired cutie was flashing his smile at both ends!</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">All it takes is for one person to laugh and I'm gone... thanks to my friend Bindya <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">(from India!) </span>my giggles were off and racing. The jokes flew around the communal online chat <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">(Covent Garden Pants, Putting the pants in plants, Making you smile this Christmas...)<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://bindyaaa.com/bindya018.JPG" src="http://bindyaaa.com/bindya018.JPG" /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Bindya from India</span><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally the tree was decorated and the original bohemian returned after <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51); font-weight: bold;">"parking the van"</span> (for 40 minutes mind you) and asked the office if we could check that the tree had been set up appropriately... everyone said <span style="font-weight: bold;">"The office manager, Larissa"</span>... oh dear... I knew I couldn't go near that tree or that <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-weight: bold;">bum bearing decorator </span>without laughing so palmed off the responsibility to our marketing manager claiming that she needed to make sure the tree was to our firm's standard!<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in;" alt="http://www.santasbestchristmasdesigns.com/p7lsm_img_1/fullsize/Velvet_Noel_fs.jpg" src="http://www.santasbestchristmasdesigns.com/p7lsm_img_1/fullsize/Velvet_Noel_fs.jpg" width="446" height="596" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">The Final Product</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The team trekked out and then my Director and such asked why I was red and why I wouldn't go and look at the tree... after all... <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51); font-weight: bold;">I had been waiting all day for this!!!</span> So we all began to explain what had happened... that the decorator had been flashing more than lights... then all of the sudden my collegue starts giving us the eye and trying to subtly hush us ... <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">turns out our boy was on his hands and knees cleaning up pine needles from the ground</span> - we all threw our heads on our desks in shame... as red as Rudolph's nose... then he left!!!</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://wythegrayson.lib.va.us/images/j0133275.gif" src="http://wythegrayson.lib.va.us/images/j0133275.gif" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /></span> </div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-38878191888489419892009-10-27T14:20:00.001-07:002009-10-27T14:58:38.305-07:00Is anyone else seeing this???<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-size:180%;" >So</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"> while lounging in the lounge this evening I spied the following poking out from under the "hot chocolate table"...</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzTv1Xyr8GNouYUeRd7329_HbdR62p3HgIDIgNQcgzoz3ZoIS_XasxKYfvYNJ3xXzqv99out3vqn5iYY0r1cy4ZWKg4q69A5ntWHPAwVaMKmKfFLyAQ_hm2yAayogGa8bD_phnoxLTCY5/s1600-h/larissa+338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzTv1Xyr8GNouYUeRd7329_HbdR62p3HgIDIgNQcgzoz3ZoIS_XasxKYfvYNJ3xXzqv99out3vqn5iYY0r1cy4ZWKg4q69A5ntWHPAwVaMKmKfFLyAQ_hm2yAayogGa8bD_phnoxLTCY5/s400/larissa+338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397400701085604898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">For those of you who may be unaware of the relevance of this stapled batch of papers please see below its ranking...</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSRJGkEpRhTnKUnktjv60pK08c0RJ1e-63DxfMMmmExtNKS7rvpkGpiJOBrZ5Vtag8nYSVaPyS_UahkQxq4Q4LQ32r5tCe-rDTXGiVPzBAY_zJvuPC49J-Zapxp9B6W-nN42f7nBdkhtq/s1600-h/larissa+336.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSRJGkEpRhTnKUnktjv60pK08c0RJ1e-63DxfMMmmExtNKS7rvpkGpiJOBrZ5Vtag8nYSVaPyS_UahkQxq4Q4LQ32r5tCe-rDTXGiVPzBAY_zJvuPC49J-Zapxp9B6W-nN42f7nBdkhtq/s400/larissa+336.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397395829552315474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">My feelings towards it...</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R8CRnXr460dKnTv8ELfQti9ebO8xYaSCFYhEffIRqtGjemzalcpsYiWvK_7nVBSiX_vad22a_wxu1qtIvWu2XJJxAID1REgGHVKnmxQGS3TMDwywExPl4_fGGCFxTCd8SDpDdfk_jJTF/s1600-h/larissa+337.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R8CRnXr460dKnTv8ELfQti9ebO8xYaSCFYhEffIRqtGjemzalcpsYiWvK_7nVBSiX_vad22a_wxu1qtIvWu2XJJxAID1REgGHVKnmxQGS3TMDwywExPl4_fGGCFxTCd8SDpDdfk_jJTF/s400/larissa+337.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397395834363477042" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">In case you're wondering... yes, this is the kitchen bin! </span><br /></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-81929829917799124112009-10-23T10:12:00.000-07:002009-10-23T11:12:40.298-07:00Volleyball<span style="font-family: arial;">So for anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting London and my friends over the last few years you may be well aware that we like to play <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 153);">volleyball</span></span>... well <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">I</span> personally <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">like</span> to play volleyball... others... <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">love</span> to play it and then there are some... specifically a certain bracket of boys who <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">lose control of their bodily functions for the cause</span>... specifically... rational thought... hence irrational words and phrases. There may be certain people who on occasion find that their obsession for the game means it is no longer anything to do with volleyball... just competition and obnoxiousness. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://images.ibox.bg/2007/12/02/kaz/519x636.jpg" src="http://images.ibox.bg/2007/12/02/kaz/519x636.jpg" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Remember if you will that I broke my foot playing volleyball and hobbled around London on crutches only to return to the game when I had recovered... and I only "like" playing the game, I'm one of the least!</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of the day <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">no one</span> is a professional... we are a bunch of amateurs playing for our own amusement... I mean really... we often start games and realise a few points into the game that no one has been keeping score so we decide to go with <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">1 all.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I may or may not live with one of the people a few ranks up the volleyball chain, in the realm of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">"obnoxious volleyballer"</span>, the queen bee (QB) of volleyball if you will... who can often be found giving himself and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">everyone else</span> within a mile of the court an <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">aneurysm</span></span> on <span style="font-weight: bold;">any</span> given Thursday... </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.insidesocal.com/tv/788584anger-management-posters.jpg" src="http://www.insidesocal.com/tv/788584anger-management-posters.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I suggested to him once that if he thought he was so good and was on the border of bursting an artery for the cause of improving everyone else's game that he should enter a team into a local competition... you know a social volleyball league... a reason to justify the otherwise unnecessary obnoxiousness and competition. Apparently, according to the queen bee <span style="font-weight: bold;">"no one is good enough"</span> and anyone who is good enough <span style="font-weight: bold;">"has a bad back"</span> or is <span style="font-weight: bold;">"inconsistent"</span>. So obviously if you're not going to enter a local competition lets ruin a joyful get together by pretending that we're <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Olympic rejects who are now in an anger management program on a supervised excursion to play volleyball!!! </span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Play or even spectate... if you dare!!!</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Queen bee can now no longer burst enough capillaries on a Thursday so has now introduced volleyball on a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span>... for the elite... only. Being of the humble "likes playing volleyball" rank I have not been invited to join <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"elite"</span> Tuesday games... i'm not joking... it is referred to as<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"> "elite" </span>by the queen bee. After he hit more balls out than me last night I'm actually questioning if he saves his elite game for Tuesdays... only!!! Upon second thought maybe <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"elite"</span> has nothing to do with the game maybe it's just the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">tantrums</span></span> that are thrown.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">The tantrums though are in vain... because... lets face it... who really is threatened by a guy whose choice of penile extender is only a 15 inch volleyball... I mean really... if you're going to invest in a phallic symbol... buy a car already!!!</span></span><br /><br /><img alt="http://lh6.ggpht.com/fisherwy/RulOe0m1ioI/AAAAAAAAIag/-i3AbXKCCV0/Lamborghini+Murcielago+Reventon,+The+Most+Expensive+Car+On+the+Earth%5B6%5D.jpg" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/fisherwy/RulOe0m1ioI/AAAAAAAAIag/-i3AbXKCCV0/Lamborghini+Murcielago+Reventon,+The+Most+Expensive+Car+On+the+Earth%5B6%5D.jpg" /><br /></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-67991670816039218352009-09-11T05:49:00.001-07:002009-09-11T06:31:07.986-07:00Judgey Judge<span style="font-family:arial;">So I work in a little area called the "Square Mile" in London - renowned for the hundreds of banks that play with our money and law firms that bust them for doing so. This area is built on money... or the illusion/ mirage of money. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Anyone who knows me knows that my greatest attributes are lost working in the square mile at a stuffy law firm... but it pays the bills... so I <strong>hate</strong> that I <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>love</strong></span> the square mile and I <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">love</span></strong> to <strong>hate</strong> it!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This place is full of mostly suited men that on any random lunch time you can see becoming more <span style="color:#ff0000;">red </span>in the face and <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">pOtted</span></strong> in the belly as they loiter laughing and shouting outside any one of the abundant bars/pubs in the area. I refer to them as "fat cats" and I pretty much think most of them are... hmmm... let me think... how would you say... oh i know... <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>PATHETIC!</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">"Warning - sweeping comment follows"</span></strong> </span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I'm sure there are some good people working here but then there are so many bad ones driven by <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>greed.</strong> </span><span style="color:#000000;">Their greed crossed with society's acceptance and humouring of it contributed to the wonderful <strong>"Credit Crunch"</strong> of 2008 and then in close succession the <strong>"Recession"</strong> of 2009. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I resent not only the greedy sods whose love of money has lead to our economic downturn but also working in such close proximity to them. As I go to work every day on the tube the carriage begins to fill with more and more suits and I mentally... and sometimes physically... <em><strong>scowl</strong> </em>at them as they steal seats on benches that are clearly designed for 3 people to sit on... which they seem to think only cater for two fat cats at best... while us lovely ladies stand and fend off the pages of the broadsheet Financial Times that threaten to papercut us! <span style="color:#ff0000;">"Insert huff and puff of frustration here"</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">So yesterday I managed to get a seat and from my high horse I <strong><em>scowled </em></strong>as a fat cat stumbled onto the train nearly elbowing people in the head as he opened his Financial Times - I judged him. I moved my gaze along the carriage ready to take down my next victim with my piercing glare and there he was another suit, reading, except it wasn't the peachy pages of the Financial Times in his grasp... no no no... it was... brace yourself... <strong>Twilight!!!</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I came off my high horse with that one</span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-22245947487042332802009-08-24T14:35:00.000-07:002009-08-24T15:02:06.729-07:00Mouth-watering<span style="font-family: arial;">There are a few things in this world that make my mouth water... ice cream, my crush (swoon) and the following play synopsis...</span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: arial;"></strong><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">"Written in 1901, a mysterious amalgam of Freud, Alice in Wonderland and Strindberg's own private symbolism, A Dream Play follows the logic of a dream: A young woman comes from another world to see if life is really as difficult as people make it out to be. Characters merge into each other, locations change in an instant and a locked door becomes an obsessive recurrent image. As Strindberg wrote in his preface, he wanted 'to imitate the disjointed yet seemingly logical shape of a dream. Everything can happen, everything is possible and probable. Time and place do not exist.'"</span><br /><br /><strong><center><img src="http://www.doollee.com/Images-plays/9781854598516.gif" alt="Dream Play, A" width="97" height="150" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;">Kinkyfish are currently looking for a new play and this is one of the contenders. The thing I love about all things artsy is the ability to be able to escape reality in a healthy constructive way... it's not like you make room for it... things artistic and creative can expand your mind... they make room for somewhere else for your thoughts to run... such a thought is so delightful unto me... in fact mouth-watering! </span><br /></div></center></strong>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-64162163161018365602009-08-19T13:36:00.000-07:002009-08-19T13:50:13.595-07:00StressfulThe art of blogging is an art indeed... actually it's not an art... it's a mathematical equation... a scientific problem... striking the balance between what to write about, when to write, how much to write - AAAAAHHHHHH!!! I've had to give myself an intervention. I am working towards my blog being synonymous with the wit, humour and intelligence of my thoughts and this is stressful. To truly be synonymous with my thoughts I am going to insert a story about my current crush... I may think about my crush every other minute... I'll let my blog determine if this is true.<div><br /></div><div>In a recent conversation with my fabulous flat mate and friend I paused and broke the silence with the following comment "I need to work out ways to touch him more" Her response "Well don't you wanna talk to him?" my response "...oh yeah" <div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-82850870337546810252009-08-02T15:26:00.000-07:002009-08-02T15:45:19.191-07:00YO!!!<div><br /></div><div>So I've been rebuked by a number of people for not writing on my blog for months now... my apologies. I believe this came about when I no longer sat on my tooshy looking for a job but instead began actually working a job. I know there was a brief moment there... a joyful moment for us all where i got to write and post blog entries at my one month temp job but then I got a real job at a crazy law firm... it's not the lawyers that are crazy so much I find... it's the people who work for them... the ones who feed this whole... I'm a lawyer and i'm so important hoopla... and these people unfortunately are my bosses but I'm not bitter and twisted... no no no... I am grateful of course!!! </div><div><br /></div><div>I have set a goal to write another post in the next 14 days... stay tuned... fo real!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Juv L</div>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-14590372513432803562009-03-25T02:49:00.000-07:002009-03-25T05:27:26.333-07:00A glitch in the system... a loophole dare I say<span style="color:#cccccc;">As I mentioned yesterday my computer at work has an aversion to anything personal that requires a login except between 12:30 and 2... anything except my bank and it's pathetic balance... talk about salt in the wound... 24/7... like a dodgy kebab shop that's open to block your arteries and break your heart at any hour of the day so too is my bank... no not the bank and its services... just the vision of my balance!!!<br /><br />I don't even have the comfort of socialising via my good friend "Facebook"... I've had to quit that cold turkey... it doesn't have the privilege of being accessed during those sacred lunchtime hours even... elitists. I keep trying though... to access facebook... on the off chance the computer has changed its mind... it seems to change its mind about enough things often enough... like whether it wants to turn on or off when I want it to. I regularly give it the chance to make up for its fickleness by seeing if it'll log in to FB... but it always says<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#cccccc;"></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff6666;">"ACCESS DENIED" </span></div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff6666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cccccc;">Being denied access is never a polite subtle thing, it's always loud and bright... I once tried to access FB at another office and my entire screen turned lime green... vision a fire warden jacket... with some long shpeel in bright red... envision a fire truck... about how I'd try to access an <em>illegal, inappropriate website</em> - obviously... Oh well<br /><br />So imagine my pure pleasure when the internet socialising addict that I am googled my own blog for a minute... couldn't access it via my FB page now could I... to see if someone had read... maybe commented on my blog. Expecting the lovely "Access Denied" image</span> <span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"><strong>my blog appeared!!!</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cccccc;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">(I wrote that in yellow... like the midday sun... to depict my joyfulness when it appeared!!!) </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#cccccc;">SO there I was scrolling through and I even had a comment... worth the 60 seconds of googling my own blog... (who does that, really, who googles their own blog?) Meanwhile...</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>I HAD A COMMENT FROM HAYLEY</strong></span> </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffff33;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color:#cccccc;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">(I wrote that in yellow, bold and capitals to depict my UBER joyfulness that I not only had a comment but that it was from Hayley) GET IN!!!</span></span><br /><br />Like finding my balance on a snowboard I basically endeavoured to do the equivalent of turning on my board when I hit the button "Log in"... and did I lose my balance, did I fall from grace once more, did my head ricochet off the ground in a painful realisation that I had lost my balance...? a resounding NO! I logged in and here I am writing a post... I've been writing it intermittently for the last two hours -<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Wahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!!!</span></strong> <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Why don't you stick that in your pipe and smoke it Access Granters!?!?!?! Beepity Boop you!!! </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>(Insert gang signs)</strong></span></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><span style="color:#cccccc;">An outburst you say... no ... I'm always eloquent and demure<br /><br />Larissa's online identity and self expression reigns again... we've just got to find an audience to watch my show... Hi Hayley!<br /><br />Cloaked in defiance Larissa posted her blog entry... logged in at 12:13!!!</span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-70601334309998230182009-03-24T06:06:00.000-07:002009-03-24T06:59:21.485-07:00You asked for it!!!In case you're wondering where I went... I got a job!!! YAY!!!<br /><br />So I'm now working in the colourful area of Clapham ;-)<br /><br />In their wisdom my work place only allows personal email/internet access between 12:30 and 2 every day and then after 6pm - I must admit it's in their wisdom.<br /><br />Anyways my internet rations will soon run out. As far as the guitar playing goes... I liken it to when I was learning how to drive. I learnt how to drive a manual... what some people like to say a "stick shift". After a flippin mint flying start to my lessons I went through this phase where I forgot to put in the clutch when I was changing gears... also known as a fundamental part of driving... or not stalling for that matter. I seem to be experiencing the same occurence with the guitar... not that the guitar has a clutch.<br /><br />During this time of driving dilemma I found comfort hanging out at the checkout where my best friend was working at Action... like Sainsbury's... While she would scan hundreds of dollars worth of groceries to a whole variety of characters I'd stand there sucking my tube of condensed milk... getting that sugary sweetness straight into the system like a drip... babbling on about how I stalled the car on a 3 lane motorway... as people blasphemed and gave me the finger...<br /><br />Well I don't get the finger these days while I seem to be forgetting to hold down the strings on my guitar but it is still nonetheless stressful to fall from guitar playing grace...<br /><br />I'm getting there slowly but surely and just last night I realised - forget the callouses and toughening up the fingertips... forget them... pretend you're playing with the bone of your finger. This mantra has improved my playing already... we're back on the motorway... and we're not stalling!!!Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-15362318468657583592009-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:002009-02-26T05:53:22.355-08:00Yeeha Geetar!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxo6zjHebFZnyDTnhuMF3S5TMZBvwZV7qDy6lmjreZxufqBDYHwwBBMC7iB8YUAzeA6u0y_K7Z6p3PUjsqbhIBx0BTuo4_VIiRWxewABMqTWG4CfF5Ztq_FSh4vqnVKCfGwUR-cmDjpVq/s1600-h/guitar+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxo6zjHebFZnyDTnhuMF3S5TMZBvwZV7qDy6lmjreZxufqBDYHwwBBMC7iB8YUAzeA6u0y_K7Z6p3PUjsqbhIBx0BTuo4_VIiRWxewABMqTWG4CfF5Ztq_FSh4vqnVKCfGwUR-cmDjpVq/s400/guitar+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307098271641485218" border="0" /></a><br />Being an only child I have had a lot of practice amusing myself... seeing as there have been very few others. Mainly, I like to name and decorate things, basically I like to create an experience opposed to just running the motions.<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-8.jpg" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaKbjFO2p0Cr-8KSOGLaxdOtQ1Fzih1JNWTq6XuiPiHh6DERs23TYXFX2Wjw-jbyRwdXid26xonMQrVsVw3gqVCJT5bznNC8ccY36nQ-rzdknlfo9wMS_0PUjQvIfs9afM8U5NAwfeg-x/s1600-h/slash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 510px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaKbjFO2p0Cr-8KSOGLaxdOtQ1Fzih1JNWTq6XuiPiHh6DERs23TYXFX2Wjw-jbyRwdXid26xonMQrVsVw3gqVCJT5bznNC8ccY36nQ-rzdknlfo9wMS_0PUjQvIfs9afM8U5NAwfeg-x/s320/slash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306894500373669474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Recently, with the inspiration of Guns 'n' Roses' Slash (Yes, I'm reading yet another autobiography about drugs and rock n roll) and his emphatic description of playing the guitar... an enthusiasm that could not be denied rose and decided to reside with me. I tried to ignore it but it insisted and so I bravely asked my friend "not to laugh" and whether he would help me to "learn how to play the guitar"... 6 days and 4 numb finger tips later I am considerably worse at touch typing but better at guitar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_FEl_0YAOda_ainyjVuuzppbRJ_wUpd7JKGWUCh0SV_KmBBESaCN5jwCpgGfKKDeE8ivVIWHDxDoU_XNcYCn7FBl-RPjqw0PnLuhJOmkBK8elgVQx3jalSRJyYX91w6OFanbXPacIYiW/s1600-h/mad+props.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_FEl_0YAOda_ainyjVuuzppbRJ_wUpd7JKGWUCh0SV_KmBBESaCN5jwCpgGfKKDeE8ivVIWHDxDoU_XNcYCn7FBl-RPjqw0PnLuhJOmkBK8elgVQx3jalSRJyYX91w6OFanbXPacIYiW/s320/mad+props.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306896883132878674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here I would like to serve "mad props" as Randy Jackson would say to Emma Baker for lending me her guitar... Benjamin... I have since learnt that's his name.<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-9.jpg" alt="" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgLfBKviTZwxrx35JohWKomkfIr9RZlv4-0X34eG_p-4o_W73Ixnq4ihU9fD_Arn3v-JFv_EGUXVm51OgPFrMMVR7yVbP-IgcpnPoishIw-5uZNfNmM2UJ_Ps8p8FwBa7rxxc1cFildQZ/s1600-h/x-men.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgLfBKviTZwxrx35JohWKomkfIr9RZlv4-0X34eG_p-4o_W73Ixnq4ihU9fD_Arn3v-JFv_EGUXVm51OgPFrMMVR7yVbP-IgcpnPoishIw-5uZNfNmM2UJ_Ps8p8FwBa7rxxc1cFildQZ/s320/x-men.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306895435235206354" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As when I was 10 and inspired by the X-men cartoon series to create my own family of mutants I left my guitar progress report laying around and someone else discovered it. I would just like to take this moment and verify when I say I was creating my own family of mutants I wasn't creating real mutants... I was just drawing some pictures detailing and left them laying around.<br /><br />To keep myself amused and my acquisition of a new skill on track I began keeping a guitar progress report. For your viewing pleasure please see below... please note I refer to the guitar as Brett, the pick as Jermaine and when you start applying your body weight's worth of pressure to the steel guitar strings it feels like razor blades are stuck in your finger tips. Apparently the pain will go but the callouses will come later...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7bRifIsm7QrV01pLC_lvaMSl2wl07FCaaHE5Hz-XYlktD4ohJaFMxh4mJRKfsthUsEHYYEdWi15R1L-sC64JEdwVFltw0LXudEgLQqPJxpuHTrXPaB08jK7vi6g9ags7tK7Z29ZnGEVR/s1600-h/guitar+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7bRifIsm7QrV01pLC_lvaMSl2wl07FCaaHE5Hz-XYlktD4ohJaFMxh4mJRKfsthUsEHYYEdWi15R1L-sC64JEdwVFltw0LXudEgLQqPJxpuHTrXPaB08jK7vi6g9ags7tK7Z29ZnGEVR/s320/guitar+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307097630561462210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">My long nails that I had to sacrifice for the sake of my art<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB-XY6RpibsXY1ACT8RyVjsqqvNA_V6oBTSCQRekmqU5XP6nmdz-6iiNuO7vUCPEe3HfkSmB0cYQxcveInJSsyrQmLXw2ZoQr9mkSWfJiO5EgSLRpgxPOS2efLQB46EhgveskIB7luCtA/s1600-h/guitar+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNB-XY6RpibsXY1ACT8RyVjsqqvNA_V6oBTSCQRekmqU5XP6nmdz-6iiNuO7vUCPEe3HfkSmB0cYQxcveInJSsyrQmLXw2ZoQr9mkSWfJiO5EgSLRpgxPOS2efLQB46EhgveskIB7luCtA/s400/guitar+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307098076089637282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">String marks on my finger tips... this is not normal!!!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lajZwjsmMujQ8EPqWxopc6o6-9YQUDUj7gXadVBa6_WPOS67ArVGYcO5ev9o_sZ1K1MnjnZs2sWOqBlOlBfkIZu0rovo9l3PmGbpQ5n43jiWNCnnbKE0-qJXwZHyVlx-1iR6qILXeTze/s1600-h/guitar+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lajZwjsmMujQ8EPqWxopc6o6-9YQUDUj7gXadVBa6_WPOS67ArVGYcO5ev9o_sZ1K1MnjnZs2sWOqBlOlBfkIZu0rovo9l3PmGbpQ5n43jiWNCnnbKE0-qJXwZHyVlx-1iR6qILXeTze/s400/guitar+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307097860737883106" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My swollen fingertips after my first sesh of sticking blades in my finger tips<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTdWit07hDNf80TOAec_r68bI5l5aMgXBt_ARTdW4u8_QPKEvkcHt3kYfSuwVwmzNTLDdLuclQ1v1dd7fM290OAL87xZP8b5O518Jw2yty_iF7fOF4OAy1-NFhnaEr-wMs1m1VIiFj0QU/s1600-h/guitar+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTdWit07hDNf80TOAec_r68bI5l5aMgXBt_ARTdW4u8_QPKEvkcHt3kYfSuwVwmzNTLDdLuclQ1v1dd7fM290OAL87xZP8b5O518Jw2yty_iF7fOF4OAy1-NFhnaEr-wMs1m1VIiFj0QU/s400/guitar+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307100989123114626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">The view when I lay down at night... my hand drawn chord patterns</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Apparently my guitar progress report is amusing to more than one person so I have decided to publish it here for your viewing pleasure even if it's just for one other person...<br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Larissa's Progress</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Feb 23rd --> </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Brett, Jermaine, Larissa = Present</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">C Major = Average, 3rd finger is giving attitude, muting thumb = roobesh</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">D Major = Mint, 2nd finger slid onto fret</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">E Minor = Absolutely flippin mint</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">G Major = Good</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Fingers building resistance :-)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:arial;" >Feb 24th --> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Benjamin aka Brett, Jermaine, Larissa = Present</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">C Major = Much better but pretty much still roobesh, 3rd finger needs strength, muting thumb = roobesh</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">D Major = bit of cheek</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">E Minor = Still flippin mint, old faithful</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">G Major = OK</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Need to stretch fingers and get used to spacing them out</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Fingers feel discomfort rather than pain so much</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Numbness increasing</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Finished practice as fingers seemed to not be able to hold down any note in the end</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Very twangy and muted</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">:-(</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Feb 25th --> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Benjamin aka Brett, Jermaine, Larissa = Present</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">C Major = Memorised chord and yeah boy, nailed the chord</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">D Major = YAY! good, snagging a little, 2nd finger has attitude</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">E Minor = Nailed, YAY!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">G Major = YAY!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"I knew Brett would come to his senses"</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- 3rd finger still a bit weak</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Finger resistance even better</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Holding notes</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Getting somewhere!!!</span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-2164821345639700752009-02-22T15:35:00.000-08:002009-02-22T16:20:25.018-08:00Why didn't anyone tell me London was a hole???<span style="font-family: arial;">Howdy!!!<br /><br />The above thought has come into my mind time and time again since I moved to London 2.5 years ago.<br /><br />1. When I moved into an area where I would see someone get mugged on the tube in front of a full carriage.<br />2. Living next to Arsenal stadium<br />3. Moving into an area where a drunken man in a wheelchair felt up a dancing Elizabeth Taylor look alike at the bus stop... This all occured to the sweet sounds and fat bass being played by the guys running the phone unlocking booth... a tent with a giant marijuana leaf on the back of it... I think they sold more than unlocking phones<br />4. Moving into that area<br />5. Then moving right next door to maximum security prison Wormwood Scrubs<br />6. When one of the prisoners faked a seizure and his friends hijacked the ambulance that was going to the hospital next door<br />7. Our landlord evicted us for letting rats in through the window<br />8. Walking in a neighborhood where you feel comforted knowing that you'll be at the mental institute soon.<br /></span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597511534600306328.post-8258481414302348742009-02-07T13:37:00.000-08:002009-02-07T16:28:58.228-08:00All that glitters is not gold<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Hello again!<br /><br />Since I've been involved in performing one way or another since I was 7 I've always been mindful of the concept of fame and celebrity... I don't want this to be perceived as I have sought fame or idolised the idea of being a celebrity I've simply been fascinated by the mechanics of it... namely the smoke and mirrors.<br /><br />So I've been reading "Scar Tissue"... the autobiography by Anthony Keidis, lead singer of the Chilli Peppers. Mucho grazi to my Misty Moo who left this read behind for me... Thus far it has been an autobiography about a drug addict... the singer in a world famous band is just the backdrop to the story. He frequently refers to going to Hollywood and downtown LA to score drugs... and it's not like he shies away from describing the characters and dare I say urchins and unfortunate souls that roam these streets... "Rewind" you might say... "urchins and unfortunate souls roam the streets of a place known for its sunshine, dream factories, fame and fortune?" A resounding YES!!!<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0751535664.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0751535664.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />To some of you this may be well known and perfectly obvious but I was speaking about my recent visit to Hollywood and it's walk of fame to my friend just yesterday and she was astounded to know that Hollywood as well as some of its sorrounding areas... Beverley Hills even is the dodgiest place... No word of a lie.<br /><br />First of all the Walk of Fame is a road with hundreds of stars in the pavement honouring actors, musicians and personalities. Celebrating these celebrities is such an irony and in stark contrast to the people who actually walk these streets... take away the tourists and you're left with a variety of homeless, mentally ill, abused, drug driven, affected people... it's astonishing and once you're over the shock it's sad... sad that this is what some people call life and then that we finance and support an industry that covers up this reality with stars<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2375251&id=584750201" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v645/123/83/584750201/n584750201_2375108_7262.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The shock dwells for a while because you are sorrounded by polar opposites... symbols of affluence and actualities of despair. The two seem to co-exist... except one party is fast losing its existence. Aside from the fancy Chinese and Kodak theatres with their state of the art neighbours such as the two story H&M the remainder of this walk... when you look up from the sidewalk... comprises of tattoo parlours, sex shops, dodgy restaurants and trashy tourist shops with as many bongs on display as souveniers. I wonder what the celebrities think when they make their way to their stars... even if the locals are shipped away on the days when the stars are certified they can't hide them forever. <br /><br />Once we had braved the dodgy characters... some of who take advantage of the hollywood draw card by dressing up as celebrities for photos... we jumped in our car only to pass one of the locals twitching out, yelling at one of the other personalities not on the street but warring in his mind... embodied in one person was the battle between the double standards that exist not only in that neighbourhood but our world.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2375114&id=584750201" id="myphotolink"><img src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v645/123/83/584750201/n584750201_2375113_8934.jpg" id="myphoto" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />And it's not only Hollywood where this exists... you can not just blame the dream machine that is Hollywood... or even America...<br /><br />I was working in the homeless shelter this week and was setting up the beds on the stage for the homeless to sleep... and once again I was struck by the co existence of double standards as I cleared the space of ITV scripts and dragged props around the stage including a couch and food and even an electric scooter. There's a real irony about having to move the objects which were a replica of life to make room for real life... even more ironic that to one group food was just a prop whereas to another group in the same space food was something that they needed to beg for...<br /><br />After all my observations... what's my point? I think this entry is long enough so I'll spare the further details but to improve a situation you must first recognise it... much like this entry is the start of my blog... it's a start... one which somehow we should act on.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04343470245599458291noreply@blogger.com2