spring.

Last Saturday I was enjoying the sunshine and musing about how warm it was – finally. I looked at my phone to check the temperature. It was 12 degrees.

After only 12 months in the UK I find 12 degrees warm. Heh. It’s nice of spring to show up, I’ve been in hibernation the past few months. I have found myself contemplating the need for a spring jacket. My winter coat is too heavy but summer jacket is too thin. I never realised there was a subtle art to appropriate jacket warmth. In Sydney, it’s either jacket weather or it’s not.

On the first warm day I ventured to Portobello beach and enjoyed listening to Bon Iver and the waves while people sunbathed in coats. I think I have found a new favourite haunt; it’s odd to live closer to the beach in Scotland than I did in Australia.

Life is odd, no?Image

52 Book Challenge: Books 10 and 11

Things have been pretty hectic the past few weeks. Lots going on, including falling off my bed clutching a canvas portrait of Audrey Hepburn. Note to self: When overbalancing while hanging a picture, don’t just grasp the picture tighter. It doesn’t help. I also had a moment of multitasking fail when I was getting set to listen to my iPod while eating almonds, confused the two actions and stuck a headphone in my mouth. I figured it could have been worse, I could have inserted an almond into my ear. Oh and I have discovered that while I can grill a salmon fillet perfectly every time, quinoa defeats me.

instructions for a heatwaveBook 10: Instructions for a Heatwave - Maggie O’Farrell
Set during the infamous England heatwave of 76, this book focuses on the lives of three adult siblings as they discover their father has suddenly disappeared. They each have their own secrets and relationship problems and have reached a tipping point in their lives – for better or worse. I devoured this book just like I did her others. This has only just been released and I managed to get a ticket to a reading she was doing in Edinburgh as part of her publicity tour. It was fantastic listening to her read and answer questions, and I got my copy signed. Yay! That said, it didn’t quite move me like her others have. I loved it but it didn’t fill me with the same delicious ache I’ve come to associate with her writing. 3.5/5

220px-BridgetJonesDiaryBook 11: Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
If you need a plot summary for this you have been living under a rock for the past seventeen years. I first read this book about ten or eleven years ago and I had forgotten how much is different from the movie. I love the movie, but I also love the book Bridget. The movie tends to focus on the ridiculous and her social awkwardness and while the book had me laughing out loud at almost every page I definitely felt the social commentary a lot more strongly than I did with the movie. Yes, it is funny, but it is also a great insight into the ridiculous crap women put themselves through every day. Everybody must read this. 4/5

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Friday night I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show production and it was absolutely brilliant. I can’t recommend it enough, you will have so much fun. The cast were fantastic and the audience got really involved, which just added to the atmosphere. We all stood up and did the Time Warp together (I think that was the biggest group thrusting session I have ever been involved in). And if you know me you know just how much I love to Time Warp. I would love to see the reaction of someone who doesn’t know the Rocky Horror story watching the production for the first time, I suspect they would be very confused by the constant heckling by the audience because this is no ordinary musical, you are meant to yell at the cast and sing along. It is a completely unique experience.

rocky horror 1

Photo by Manuel Harlan

It was great seeing such a range of people dressed up from 18 to 65 year-olds in corsets, fishnets, maid outfits, hot pants, glitter. I was entirely envious of the actor playing Dr Frank n Furter because he could do things in heels I could only dream of. And he was so flexible!!! And why do men’s legs look so ridiculously good in heels and tights? It’s not fair!

rocky horror

Photo by Manuel Harlan

In other news I got my hair done yesterday. It had been about six months since I last had it coloured and I was looking distinctly shaggy. I had asked for chocolate and it looks great, though when under direct light it goes so bright red that I am concerned I will be mistaken for a red squirrel.

Photo by Jon Hawkins

Photo by Jon Hawkins

Except sans those fabulously rock n’ roll ears.

52 Book Challenge: Books 7, 8 and 9

starter for tenBook 7: Starter For TenDavid Nicholls
Considering my utter love for One Day (read it when it first came out in 09, weeks before heading to Edinburgh for the first time. Safe to say that book shaped my life) I am surprised it has taken me so long to read this book. It could be seen as a precursor almost for One Day. Whereas One Day starts at graduation for Em and Dex, Starter For Ten starts at the beginning of university for Brian. 

I absolutely loved this book. I loved Brian because he is so painfully awkward it is really refreshing to read about male characters doing stupid stuff in front of the girl they like. There were moments when I could barely keep my eyes open to read the words, the scenes are that painful. Think Bridget Jones microphone scene but tripled in awkwardness. In a nutshell, Brian has these grandiose dreams about university and soon realises things are not quite what he expected, while he also falls in love with The Perfect Woman. A fantastic read, though I was a little disappointed with the very final chapter. 4/5

kafka on the shoreBook 8: Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami
This is the most abstract book I’ve read for a while. I did enjoy it; Murakami has an amazing knack with beautiful words and I liked the themes he forced me to ponder. This is a hard one to describe, but essentially it follows 15 year old runaway Kafka Tamura as he struggles with a curse his father placed on him as a child, as well as a kooky old man Mr Nakata who can talk to cats. The lines of reality, metaphor, dreamscape and magic realism are all blurred in this beautiful story. I struggled at times to remain engaged because it was so intangible, like the ultimate outcome of the story didn’t quite matter because LOOK! METAPHOR! but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3.5/5

forbiddenqueenBook 9: The Forbidden Queen – Anne O’Brien
Katherine de Valois is young and naive when she is married to Henry V to join the French and English crowns. But when Henry dies and leaves Katherine a widow only a few years later, she faces a desperately lonely existence as The Queen Dowager. Until she falls for the Welsh servant Owen Tudor, and unknowingly plays a significant role in the beginning of the Tudor line. Damn, being Queen really wasn’t all that awesome back in the day. I can’t actually give a review for this one because I read it for a feature story I’m writing and I don’t want to be biased. Suffice to say I enjoyed it and Anne seems a lovely author from chatting with her. I’ll let you know when my feature is published.

Milo! Spring Ninja!

You know you’re in trouble when you wake up to discover an email from your mother saying only “No new blog updates?!” Sor-reeeee. 

I know I have been slack. Flay me now.

Lets see. What is news… Well one of my favourite passtimes when I’m feeling a little down is to go to Harvey Nichols and laugh at how insanely expensive yet hideous the clothes are. £570 for a pair of shoes that look like they’ve had applique applied by a six year old? Sure! Harvey Nichols is proof that money does not equal style. That said, the Forth Floor food section is a little brilliant. It’s got this fantastic mix of utterly cool yet completely useless stuff – the sort of items you’d buy for someone who has everything. Like designer bento lunchboxes. And fancy jam. But a couple of weeks ago I was in there and discovered to my utmost delight (terrifying the manager with my gasp of shock) that they stock MILO!!! Yes! Harvey Nichols: Stockists of Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen, Burberry and MILO. Ha. I hope you find this as funny as I do.

Milo

Milo! In the wild!

Also, spring is definitely around the corner. I wake up in the mornings to sunshine (wooh! light!) and I find myself getting the same tingles of a beautiful spring day that I would get back home. The difference being it still doesn’t get above 5 degrees most days here compared to the balmy spring days of 25 back home. I’ve actually survived the cold with a lot less drama than I was expecting. You will find me wearing the same outfits at -2 on a night out that I would wear at 14 in Sydney. Go figure. Although I would really like the opportunity to let my legs see daylight once more and I doubt that’s going to happen in Scotland. Maybe if I go to London for the weekend in summer.

Water of Leith

Water of Leith

And I have discovered the drop dead awesomeness that is a retro club. Clubbing is not my thing. I find the guys sleazy, the music rapidly gives me a headache and the decor is too fake. I’ve never enjoyed it and much prefer live music and old man pubs. Until my friends took me to a retro club last week and mes amies I danced up a goddamn storm. This was the first time I actually knew all of the songs that were playing!!! Granted a lot were from before I was born but screw Rhianna I say! Give me Bowie any day!!! The fact that almost every song on my Dances In Underwear playlist was played pretty much sums it up. The next day I was aching from dancing and I have a distinct memory of my friends laughing at my evocative rendition to Like A Prayer but it was so much fun. I’ve also had Laid by James stuck in my head for almost an entire week and it really is not an appropriate song to start singing aloud.

What would Audrey do?

What would Audrey do?

Anyhoo, a neighbour two floors below me is painting their flat and the fumes are wafting into my room and making me decidedly delirious. Onwards!

Twitter Round Up January 2013

Yes, I know it’s past the middle of February already but I’ve been busy. Anyway, here’s a selection of my defining moments from January. As usual, there was a lot of refined sugar involved. Being the month of Australia Day there’s also a few Australian-isms and of course my general lack of coordination/social grace.

So when I try to hand wash clothes my weak wrists cannot twist-dry them enough. They are now soggily dripping onto a towel in my bedroom. This must be how T-Rex felt when he did laundry.

Weeping in bed watching Sherlock. Also totally normal.

Today I managed to be ejected sprawling into the street by my front door. I’d flung it open and as I bent down to collect my shopping it bounced back and whacked me in the ass.

Melted chocolate is really hard to get out of a white duvet cover.

All I really want to listen to right now is Benedict Cumberbatch reading aloud. So soothing.

I’ve decided to be reverse Mormon and have multiple husbands all for their accents. I’ll have a posh British one because it’s soothing, a Scottish one because it makes me smile, an Irish one because it’s very attractive and Ryan Gosling because hello this is my fantasy.

Brushing up on my slang for Straya Day. Aw mate that’s out the back of Bourke and not within cooee. Mate it’s as dry as a dead dingo’s donger. He’s got kangaroos loose in the top paddock.

Today I was involved in an incident with an almond croissant. The croissant won.

Reality dreams are a waste of good imagination. Like dreaming about going to Tesco. Even in dream I thought “I was just here yesterday”.

Evening plans have been rainchecked. Me: “Oh, but I shaved my legs.” *shrugs, gets back into pyjamas*

My bin’s contents consist of the wrappers of 1 Giant Toblerone, 2 packets Tim Tams, 1 Cadbury block, 1 Sainsbury’s Chocolate Block. Says it all, really.

I have been there and I am still amused at the name Cheddar Gorge. I think this comes from the Bega cheese ads. “Punchbowl isn’t famous for punchbowls”.

Accidentally spilled my chocolate balls and now keep finding them in my bed.

Basically I just should stop eating chocolate in bed

There is someone asleep in my living room/kitchen. I guess I’m having breakfast out this morning!

Dear guys, never start a conversation with “I’m not staring at your tits but…”

I just got an email from USyd congratulating me on my recent graduation. Erm. Did I miss something?

That embarrassing moment when you think someone is talking to you and they aren’t.

I burned my cheese and tomato toastie. Sad.

Me, shouting: “Where are all my bras?!!” Pauses, looks at floor. “Ah.”

Using a sock to blow my nose cos I’ve run out of tissues.

I just read “start talking” as “keep stalking”. There is clearly something wrong with me o.O

Actual thought I just had “what is Meg Ryan’s character’s name in When Harry Met Sally” *headdesk*

My hair is currently aspiring to match Doc’s in Back To The Future. I think a haircut is necessary.

Got home at reasonable hour only to be kept up by neighbours singing Meatloaf until past 3.30am

I’ve eaten almost a whole packet of marshmallows. My computer looks like it’s been dusted for prints

Current items on my bedside table: notebook, candle, cup of tea, bottle of wine, coffee beans, Harry Potter, a cat brooch and foundation. I think this sums me up pretty well.

My hair looks either really awesome or really weird.

52 Book Challenge: Books 5 & 6

Why is it so hard to find a brilliant book that isn’t utterly tragic as well? Why is pain so alluring? <Insert tortured artist quote here.>

EverythingIsIlluminatedBook 5: Everything Is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
This is one of those books that is impossible to describe coherently and accurately and to still do justice to the wealth of emotion within its pages. Put vaguely, it is a story of the persecution of Jews in the Ukraine by the Nazis during WWII, and how these actions are still felt so acutely today. It is also a story about an awkward American writer, searching for Augustine, a girl who saved his grandfather during WWII, with the help of a young Ukrainian translator, his senile grandfather and their crazy dog. It’s history and tragedy and humour all mixed together in this perfectly unique way. The juxtaposition of Alex’s hilariously terrible English with the true horror of the underlying story is magnificent. To someone who prefers a lighter, more structured read, it may seem difficult but trust me it is absolutely worth it. 4/5

The_Fault_in_Our_StarsBook 6: The Fault In Our Stars - John Green
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while and I am a massive fan of John and Hank Green. The Fault In Our Stars is Young Adult Fiction, in the sense that the characters are teenagers, but the depth of the ideas and philosophies this book discusses transcend age. The book is narrated by Hazel who has terminal cancer but recent treatment has left her prognosis hanging. She’s still dying, but she isn’t getting worse. She meets the charismatic Augustus Waters at a support group and they connect instantly. While a love story and naturally a tragic one at that (as soon as you say cancer you know it’s going to be sad), The Fault In Our Stars is so much more and I wasn’t left with the usual feeling of desolation or mourning that books with sad endings give me. Just. Read it. The exploration of mortality and life is truly brilliant. 4/5