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Saturday, August 10
[1969 in the sunshine]posted by pete at 7:29 PM .......OK, so I'm listening to Boards of Canada and couldn't think of a decent title for this entry – the purpose of which is simply to remark on the gorgeousness of today's weather and the splendours of spending a pleasantly sunny afternoon outdoors at a local cafe (in the shade of course). Tonight I'm heading down to Pt Elliot, which no doubt shall prove a welcome respite from the looming shadow of study which approaches at tremendous velocity.
By the looks of things, it's "same old, same old" as far as study is concerned this semester. Clearly I have absolutely no motivation, even though my course material is genuinely interesting. I just can't bring myself to actually do any assessable work. I'd hoped to break out of the vicious 'eve of deadline' cycle that I'd so comfortably sunk into.
Instead I'm going away for the weekend.
Going away after having spent all morning in front of my computer with the intention of doing work, but looking at the Lonely Planet website instead. I'm trying to decide whether my next trip will be to Thailand (where I've been invited), Japan/Korea, Europe or the USA. Maybe I can combine them all. But all the spectacular travel musings in the world won't complete my courses and earn me my two degrees...
[Forces of grammar]posted by pete at 7:18 PM .......There's something magical about opening a dictionary to the exact page containing the word you are seeking. It's as if your choice of word has been sanctioned in some way.
[Cab etiquette]posted by pete at 7:16 PM .......Does anyone know anything about taxi etiquette? Whenever I'm catching a cab alone, I'm never sure whether I should get into the front seat or the back seat. Being in the front seat seems friendlier and more logical in terms of directing and paying the driver, however being in the back gives a nice feeling of being chauffered and perhaps a better sense of security. What with all the stories of being groped by salacious drivers and all. It's probably of little consequence, but I wonder what is most appropriate?
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[Of buses and signs]posted by pete at 4:07 PM .......Having been a frequent user of Adelaide's bus network during the past five years, I've had my fair share of frustrations and annoyances due to late buses and generally poor service (despite frequent fare increases). However, only yesterday was I moved to compose an official complaint, but in the end I changed my mind because I felt sorry for the driver.
I think it must have been her first day on the job, because not only was she 30 mins late, but when she did arrive, the bus crashed into a sign at my bus stop. Thus, the next 5 mins were spent trying to realign the bent rear-vision mirror. Next, a corner was misjudged at a busy city intersection, which resulted in the bus becoming lodged on the median strip. The fact that the corner was resplendent with road works and orange tape made the task of reversing out into the oncoming traffic that much more difficult. Finally, our poor, stressed driver had to muster the courage to inform the irate/amused passengers that the bus would be going no further and that we'd all have to board another vehicle.
At that point most people decided to walk.
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[Home]posted by pete at 1:37 PM .......Some sad news this week – it looks as though I'll have to move out at the end of October, or find someone to move in. Lovely Deb has to leave, and I'll really miss living with her because she's been so fun. If a bit feral. Only kidding! :)
Maybe I'll try to move into the city. I've wanted to live there for the last few years, so maybe this is my opportunity before I head off to Melbourne. Or Tokyo. Or Berlin.
[Ooh, it gets dark!]posted by pete at 1:24 PM .......Despite my love for theatre, I only occasionally get organised enough to attend. One such occasion was last night, when Gossy, Dad and I went to see Wuthering Heights at the Odeon in Norwood. Our first surprise was that it was virtually sold out – we had to put our names on an odd little list and were then lucky enough to get tickets about 3 minutes before the play commenced. And we got to sit in the stalls, which made us feel terribly important in response to the mildly jealous looks we received from the plebs below.
The play was terrific! Really well staged and quite well acted. It captured the feel of the book rather successfully, and dealt with a somewhat challenging narrative structure in an effective and satisfying way. What a depressing story... hatred, vengeance and hauntings!
I'm currently halfway through the novel, so it was interesting to be only half-familiar with the story, and learn of the outcome via a different medium to that which I began with. But I still need to read the novel – it's written in such a beautiful and engaging manner, and it's such a classic, so it would be ludicrous for me to neglect it.
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[Evil drifts by]posted by pete at 6:08 PM .......It never ceases to amaze me how often I attract bizarre people and occurrences. This morning I was crossing the intersection of King William St and North Terrace in the city, and a guy who was crossing in the other direction made the sign of the cross at me, as if to ward off evil. He held out his crossed fingers and circled me at some distance, smiling all the while. Do I give off some sort of aura of evil? Do I look creepy? I wouldn't have thought so. Admittedly I did have my hair spiked in unusual formations which may have resembled horns, but it was strange nonetheless. Ironically, I was on my way to church at the time. :)
Is this the face of evil?Last night was a lot of fun. I met Selena and her friend Darren at Caos, then we went to Worldsend, where my neighbour Ben happened to be, and finally to Rock City at Swingcat, where we were joined by Jordie. It was a rather bittersweet evening, as whilst the company was terrific and the cocktails were delicious, it marked the farewell of my lovely friend Pippa who is tritting off to Spain, Eastern Europe and regular old Europe for the next seven months. I envy her entirely, but no doubt shall miss her. And damn did she spin some terrific tunes last night!
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