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Tuesday, December 31
[Yum... yum]posted by peter at 09:37 .......I seem to have restored my room to a relatively dust-free sanctuary, although the carpet could do with a vacuum. 70's shag pile, help yourself, but apparently it's lurking on the outskirts of popularity again, or was that sometime last year? I never know.
That doesn't stop people quizzing me on the latest trends, as if I'm the arbiter of all fashion or something. Sunday saw my brains picked about modern foods... I should have kept my mouth shut when I said that bok choi was a bit of a throwback to the fusion food craze of the mid 90's – delicious though it is (in small quantities) – because then the gaze was really turned upon me. So I offered up preserved lemons as the next big thing, sparking all manner of interest and assessment. I probably should have made mention of Haloumi cheese... it's been around for a while but I think it's really coming into its own thanks to the Lifestyle Channel.
I feel that we are in the last throes of antipasto, it's demise as certain as the ugly friezes in family oriented cafes. This city is so heavily influenced by Italian cuisine that I have even found sundried tomatoes in sushi rolls. How creepy, never ever go to Tokyo Joe's – don't buy sushi from anywhere that isn't staffed by people who clearly have North-East-Asian ancestry. Look for Pucca, Blue Bear or Hello Kitty accessories, they're usually a good clue. Not that I don't love the odd risotto, as long as it's a tomato base and not cream or oil. Hindley Street seems to be throwing up more and more cafe options, all variations on one another, but it's good to have the choice I suppose. But ultimately I just can't go past the Vegetarian Tea Garden (Thea), which is located in a beautiful, historic city arcade. The food is so fresh, simple and tasty. Perfect for Summer; pity I haven't been since Spring.
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[Catch the sun]posted by peter at 18:39 .......This evening I saw a late-blossoming tree in the South parklands. It was still adorned with many pink flowers, and there was a carpet of scattered petals beneath the relatively juvenile branches. The whole plant was ensconced within unattractive native species, and I wondered why anyone ever bothered to plant it there.
[I'm leaving on a jet plane]posted by peter at 18:31 .......Perusing the many shelves of the Borders bookstore today may not have been such a good idea, as doing so seems to have only enhanced my restlessness. The various books and magazines opened creepy little windows into life elsewhere, far from here.
Specifically, I'm thinking of New York City.
Books about this destination occupy several shelves in the aforementioned store, and I nearly went insane looking at the pictures and reading the information and feeling utterly compelled to board an aeroplane, simply because it's so unrealistic at this point in time. There are so many reasons why now would be the ultimate time to completely uproot my life and head on over – things like unattachment and other freedoms – but it's not as simple as buying a ticket and asking for a job. Work visas are notoriously difficult, and I doubt that my level of experience would encourage a company to, in effect, sponsor my move. So, it's a choice between being stuck here slowly gathering experience in dull jobs that will sap my energy, or going over and trying to get some sort of vile job, most probably with Woolworths overtones that I'd obviously hate.
Similar things can be said about Hong Kong.
Tokyo, on the other hand, represents the most realistic option. I could probably head over there sometime in 2003, if I made the decision and got my act together. I just have to work out whether that's what I actually want to do – which is just another permutation of the question that's been plaguing me (and many, many other people who I know) for the last couple of months.
[Grow me a Scotch Fillet]posted by peter at 18:04 .......Good old Kyle for finding this article. The ultimate flesh substitute? Perhaps, but I'd still be reluctant to consume it. I'd prefer cannibalism.
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[Who?]posted by peter at 21:09 .......Of late there has been much banter and discussion with regard to whatever is supposed to apparently be occurring on New Year's Eve.
To be honest, I just don't have the energy (nor the finances) to participate in any activity that involves multiple locations and postmodern consumer culture. Yet, peer pressure will no doubt prevail, and I'm sure something fun will result.
Hehe, just watched the film To Die For, which evoked numerous smirks and the odd giggle. Good old Nicole Kidman, I believe that she and I would be friends. Annoyingly, I am experiencing some lingering dissatisfaction with the ending of the said movie. Can't win 'em all I suppose.
[A short season]posted by peter at 11:55 .......One of the best things I've seen in recent memory would have to be four very attractive German/Scandinavian backpackers sitting on benches in Rundle Mall, each clutching a dripping mango and lushing into it. Throwing all caution to the wind and diving into their tropical treat with defiant abandon, these girls weren't going to let anything get in the way of their holiday experience; neither the abundant juice that streamed down their arms nor the $5 per fruit price tag which stood at the time. (Admittedly this would have been almost nothing to them given the exchange rates.) Good for them, I say. If only more people could be so laissez faire, and I don't mean with regard to economics.
I watched Spirited Away AGAIN last night, and there is a distinct possibility that I'm becoming obsessed with it. Which doesn't really bother me to any great extent – we all need our interests. I didn't really get into the west end clubbing thing last night, mainly because I was tired and because I had to lug my new phone around. I need to devise a new system for carrying that thing – a gentleman's handbag perhaps? Maybe not. Caught a cab home at around 2am and slept well despite near-blistering heat.
In an impressive display of practicality I've purchased several cheap Bonds t-shirts just for day-to-day wearing. Hopefully this will alleviate the annoyance generated by a hopeless search through my clothes box when everything else is in the wash. Not that it takes long for anything to dry these days. Stay tuned for further insights and observations of life's more mundane features.
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[I'll take three]posted by peter at 08:28 .......There's something excellent about the days after Christmas. People aren't sure whether to take down the decorations or throw away the shredded wrapping paper, and still the coloured lights come on, blinking the disappointment of the broken toy, forgotten battery or ill-selected present. Echoes in the evening streets reveal their deserted state, and people stay at home picking at leftovers or drinking flat soft drink, stressing about post-Christmas sales. Come the morning and the streets fill; the multitudes fight for that $50 microwave or half-price Burberry. Money flies from pockets or debits into credits, and the consumer celebration all but eclipses that of the festive season.
I bought a pair of dark brown corduroy velcro shoes, a mobile phone (Nokia 3315, nice and sturdy), a new white phone cover and a few late Christmas gifts. I also saw The Two Towers which was every bit the entertaining spectacle I'd hoped for. Having eyed off a number of other items of clothing, I realised that I'd best draw the line somewhere, because I'm not getting paid for a while.
Miriam and family breezed into the dank arrivals hall at the Adelaide airport. How wonderful to see her again, and to meet the kids! Apart from the car battery going flat, which resulted in us sitting around like vagrants in the airport carpark waiting for the RAA, and then a brief spectacle when dad set off the alarm in Sonia's house despite detailed instructions, everything went smoothly. In some ways it's difficult to know what to say to someone you haven't seen for 5 years, as it's kind of like meeting them for the first time and getting to know them all over again. Mildly stressful even? Possibly.
In any case, Sonia, Deb and I went for a drink at the Belgian Beer Cafe followed by a late-night takeaway hot chocolate.
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[Literary excellence]posted by peter at 17:15 ......."I didn't say anything right away, but then, when I finally turned to speak to her, I saw that she had her eyes closed. She appeared to be listening to the winds of another world. What world would that be? I wondered sadly."
-Banana Yoshimoto, N.P.
[The city calls me home]posted by peter at 17:11 .......I'm back now. My time in Kangaroo Island was restorative and thoroughly enjoyable, and as a travel destination, KI served its purpose admirably. It was interesting, beautiful and fun. A full report can be found in my travel section.
And so after 6 (or 7?) years in Fiji, my sister Miriam will finally return home tomorrow, her family in tow. They are moving up to a place called Bee Creek, near Darwin, and Miriam will resume her work as a primary teacher.
This really is rather exciting, as I have not seen her since the end of 1997, nor her husband since early 1996. I've only met one of her three kids, who is now school-aged, and as far as they're concerned I've only ever been an abstract concept known as 'uncle Peter'. Weird.
Obviously I've changed heaps since 1997 (well I'd want to have) so it will be strange for her too. They arrive at about 4:30pm tomorrow, I believe.
In the meantime, I plan to catch a screening of The Two Towers, buy a phone and maybe a pair of brown corduroy shoes. The life of a consumer – it's so tiring.
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[Produce]posted by peter at 13:48 .......This morning was spent at the central market with Trish, buying all sorts of moderately uncommon ingredients such as demerara sugar, orange blossom water and rosewater, not to mention a plethora of fresh fruits. The place was, like Deb, abundant with the fruits of Summer. Less fortunately for me, it was Trish who was doing the buying and ultimately who will be doing the bulk of the consumption. But she paid for it so fair enough I say.
Best of all, I finally got to try Callebaut Chocolate. This sumptuous Belgian creation is the chocolate that is used by all the cookbook authors and great dessert chefs. I have wanted to try it for years and years, and finally stumbled across it in the markets. I absolutely understand the hype – it is utterly delicious and it was all I could do to restrain myself from impulsively buying several blocks. At $15 each. In a rare demonstration of self control I actually left the shop without making a purchase... but I'll be back.
We caught up with Deb for a leisurely coffee at Red Star, which was lovely despite a lack of air conditioning. The city was quite frantic, but we found time for a free Bailey's sample at Woolies and also for a fair bit of directionless browsing in shops. I've possible found some non-leather trainers – they're made of corduroy in fact.
Finally, I'm about to enter the mobile phone world at long last, so I'll have to find space in my budget for a monthly SIM card or whatever. More expenses to limit my lifestyle.
Tonight I'm going out to dinner at Bacall's (at long last), so that's something to happily anticipate. I'm off to Kangaroo Island tomorrow, so this might be my last post for a while... Happy Christmas.
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[Disappointment]posted by peter at 20:42 .......One of my bonsai trees has really bad leaf burn. The Ficus. It will live, but it will be permanently disfigured, at least while those leaves remain on the tree. If it weren't so evil, I would curse this hot weather. Seriously, I detest it. Because I didn't go home last night, I didn't get a chance to water any of my plants. With today's vile weather they didn't stand a chance. Fire and brimstone may as well have rained from the sky for all the difference it would have made. How disappointing, and worst of all it was the tree that the delightful Melita gave me.
As for being away from home, I've lost count of the number of times I've eaten at cafes or restaurants in preference to cooking in recent months. About the most adventurous thing I've done in my own kitchen is added a few capers to pasta sauce from a jar. I've made delicious things elsewhere, but usually when I get home the last thing I'm interested in doing is cooking. Especially when I can walk for a couple of minutes and choose between various world cuisines. Particularly when it's hot too... as if we need another heat source in this house.
My home has really heated up actually. Nearly every surface radiates discomfort. Half of my house is a void that spans two stories, and as I walk up the stairs in that section I can feel a progressive change in temperature – it's like a continuum or something. I don't think there's much in the way of insulation in this place. The good thing about this (I won't focus on the negatives; energy inefficiency springs to mind) is that when the cool changes come, the house cools down quickly.
[Spirited Away]posted by peter at 11:21 .......There is no denying the fact that I've seen a lot of really great films in recent weeks. Spirited Away, which I saw last night, is among the best of the lot. It contained everything I love about Japanese animation and more (I'm no Anime geek btw), and was in many ways Fantasia on acid or something. The creativity that went into the design, artwork and production was astonishing, as was the sheer beauty of many of the sequences. The train scenes rivalled some of the best images from Ghost in the shell, and the film was eerie, creepy, funny and thoroughly engrossing. It was a joy to watch, with its peculiar mood, constant surprises and truly delighful (not to mention some hideous) characters.
I don't want to descend into the mire of superlatives, so I'll wind this up now. But, please see it if you can.
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[AGL suck]posted by peter at 11:15 .......I don't know why I bothered ringing AGL about my electricity account; I knew beforehand that it would do no good. It was a big case of them having no record of the phone conversation which started the whole saga, and me not having any evidence either. The word of an individual vs the weight of a corporation? Let's face it, we know how those little battles turn out.
The phone conversation which ensued became very narky from both sides. I'm actually not that good at articulating myself under such circumstances, and I didn't argue as effectively as I could have under less heated conditions. This is why I always prefer an email over a phone call. Ultimately I hung up on the operator mid-sentence, because the whole exchange was spiralling on in a cycle of farcical stupidity.
So now I have to cough up an extra $125 (+ $11 admin fee) to pay a bill which has already been paid. They have my money sitting in their bank, it's just that they're too thick to be able to transfer it to my current account. Fortunately the national electricity market (whilst I shudder at its Liberal basis) will provide me with the opportunity to give AGL the flick. They have demonstrated a complete incapacity to deal with simple tasks in an efficient and satisfactory manner.
[More utilities]posted by peter at 00:13 .......Now we've been hit with an impending disconnection notice from the kind folks at AGL. All because they couldn't competently organise the cancellation of one account, the creation of another and the transfer of credit between the two. So now they're threatening me with big red notices, tacking on $11 administration fees and generally being annoying. Deb's on the case apparently, so hopefully it will all be sorted out tomorrow.
Also, BankSA have done something with my Internet banking account, and I can't access that either. What next I wonder?
Damn it, I need some stability in my life. I don't want it, but I think I need it because I'm becoming run down and I am generally out of my mind. All this talk of moving to the Hutt Street precinct in town, friends potentially going interstate, weird concepts like 'full time work', wild speculations surrounding postgraduate study, up-in-the-air web contracts and a desperate need for a holiday, all combined with this infernal heat, is generally attacking my mental health in ways which do not produce desirable outcomes.
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[Utilities]posted by peter at 21:26 .......It's so ridiculous: our toilet cistern is broken at the moment. It fails to turn off and the water continually runs at an alarming rate. Given the current state of the Murray River (I believe the mouth has only just been reopened, don't get me started on this, please buy non-Australian rice), I tend to feel that it's best not to let water just flow on down the drain.
However, due to the existence of a faulty tap, it is impossible to simply turn off the water supply to the toilet, and instead we have to deprive the entire house of the vital liquid. Therefore, whenever I want to use the sink, or water my plants, or brush my teeth, I have to reach in behind the toilet and turn on a tap. And then afterwards I have to reach behind it again to turn it off, which is all a bit unappealing.
In an unrelated vein, my goodness it is hot. This repugnant weather has not been made any easier to bear by reports of snowfall and subzero temperatures from my Ukrainian friends. When will they get teleportation up and running? What's more, this borderline-nosebleed existence is trying at best... see below for the full report.
[Gosh it is hot]posted by peter at 14:56 .......This was written last night but because I have (should I say, HAD) the worst ISP in the world, I was unable to post it. So here it is, unchanged:
I have just experienced what must have been the second worst nosebleed of my life. The worst involved blood streaming from both nostrils in horrifying quantities, whereas today’s was confined to one nostril, thank goodness. However blood still managed to literally gush out in huge red splashes, the intensity of which reassured me of adequate haemoglobin levels.
How unpleasant. The worst thing was the sheer time needed for the bloodletting to stop. It really was a walk through the world of congealed blood. The majestic clot that issued forth resembled the filling of a cream biscuit, or maybe the outer appearance of a sheep’s kidney. It was hard to imagine that such an abomination could once have resided within my nasal cavity. Anyhow, it’s all good now, and the nosebleed was no doubt a product of this intensely hot weather and my genetic lineage.
For some reason I was reminded of my favourite line from Bridget Jones’s Diary: “Only women bleed”.
As for the last few days, well I think I’ll just stick to the main points.
- my work Christmas party was a fab occasion: nothing like lunch and plenty of red wine in place of an afternoon of work
- Lisa’s Christmas party was it’s usual rip-roaring success
- Selena’s 21st at Swingcat and subsequent dancing at Skylab… as much fun as I’ve had in recent memory
- Lunch at the very delicious Evida in Henley Square (very bad coffee though), then later Deb and I took Trish on a journey through the various genres of electronic musicThere’s other stuff, but I’m not interested right now.
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[Hello]posted by peter at 16:06 .......I love where I live. I love the fact that the window of my upstairs bedroom overlooks two backyards and a great big carpark. I love the fact that halogen lights send ebullient photons through my window in the evening, penetrating even the thick weavings of my decidedly seventies curtains. I love the ever-present threat of neighbourhood disputes, and I love the bizarre old lady who lives behind me (even when she sings out to her cat at 5 in the morning). I love the fact that I'm a stonesthrow from Unley Rd, a street with a seemingly endless array of homewares stores, antique emporiums and fashion boutiques. Let's not forget the cafes... today I visited one with a gorgeous courtyard that was as much warmed by the carefully grouped geraniums as it was by the strangely cool December sun. Then of course there's King William Rd, which represents still more options for the young, interesting and hungry. It's a street that's so sure of itself they even paved the road with bricks instead of bitumen. I love the proximity to the CBD, the nearness of a bonafide chocolate factory and the abundance of ugly concrete structures. I love the fact that I know people like Jess, who can give up an entire day to stroll from one interesting shop to the next. I love the fact that I'm never more than two minutes away from a source of semidried tomatoes and other antipasto ingredients.
It's just such a shame that I'm on the brink of a crisis.
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[A deadly mist]posted by peter at 19:08 .......The most vile thing happened to me today, but I must begin by framing the situation.
I loathe synthetic air fresheners; their sickly sweet perfume functions more as a sinus irritant and respiratory toxin than it does as an air ‘cleanser’. Usually they don’t even mask smells; instead they sit atop the existing stench as another layer of unpleasant nasal stimulants, creating an airborne soup that just lingers on and on.
Anyway, today as I walked past an automatic air freshener dispenser, it misfired and instead of ejecting a burst of vapour, it half-heartedly spat out a few drops of noxious concentrate. Due to my proximity, some of these droplets splashed on my face and hair.
It’s difficult for me to articulate just how repulsive and offensive I found this situation. Not only had a genuinely poisonous liquid landed on me (seriously, studies have placed air fresheners firmly among the most toxic substances in the average home), but I was subsequently subjected to an all-out olfactory assault.
Whether or not my newfound scent was perceived by those around me is irrelevant: I was more than aware of it, and let me tell you it did little to brighten my workday. My workmates found the situation (and more so my reaction to it) most amusing, and offered bits of advice amongst unstifled giggles. Yes, I admit that I’m prone to paranoia and overreaction, but surely my outburst was warranted on this occasion?
Yuck.
[...]posted by peter at 13:04 .......If I had a hammer, I would hammer in the morning. Who wouldn't?
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[Slack]posted by peter at 21:00 .......I kid you not, I am on the verge of a tantrum-like state in which I might uncontrollably remove every last trace of Enetation from my site.
Also, I realised that I've been slack with regard to maintaining my miscellaneous page, so tonight I finally got around to updating those mundane details.
[Mammals vs Reptiles]posted by peter at 20:55 .......Please read Otis' excellent description of duck's web. I'm sure that it's delicious.
I'm wondering if I'm damaging my ears with loud music at the moment... I've been listening to Manitoba and Tricky... it's a mood-based thing, and I hope my ears forgive me.
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[Annexe the Barossa]posted by peter at 22:34 .......I found this really funny: It's time South Australia was fenced off from the rest of us (NB: this link will probably expire soon.)
What is even funnier is the outrage it generated in the heart of one of our lamest newspaper columnists, who entirely missed the point and failed to recognise its satirical content. Lighten up folks!
[Showing in Greater Union Hindley St]posted by peter at 21:42 .......Donnie Darko: how extremely brilliant. I have not seen a film quite as wondrously bizarre for some time. Perplexing, edgy, creepy, funny and ultimately just cool. As Deb said, when you see a film like that you tend to feel excited about things in general.
Check out the Movie Show review here!
[Two more things:]posted by peter at 11:37 .......Firstly, for some reason the date on my commenting system is entirely wrong and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Is anyone familiar with Enetation and its bugs?
Secondly, I just realised that I never once mentioned that mum has been down in Adelaide and I caught up with her a few times during the weekend. She and Sonia baked many delicious things, and one outcome of this was Sonia's rise to domestic goddess status through her demonstrated ability to produce amazing biscuits and breathtaking scones.
[Choir]posted by peter at 11:29 .......Last night I finally attended the choral Evensong service at St Peter's Cathedral, after weeks of intending to do so. Old Anglican hymns accompanied by a full choir really do sound marvellous, and let's face it, I never pass by an opportunity to have a good singalong. I think I was about the only person amongst the worshippers (not counting the choir) who was aged below 40, but I didn't expect much else, as such is the decay of the city of churches. I really enjoyed the service; particularly the musical content. However, the somewhat academic sermon seemed more interested in biblical anthropology than encouragement of the faith. As for all the Union Jack flags and references to the queen, well I ain't no monarchist and I don't need those reminders of our good colonial empire.
The building itself is spectacular, in the manner of many of those grand old churches. It's no Westminster Abbey, but the massive stone chunks, intricate stained glass windows and complex timber carvings are all rather impressive. I did question the inclusion of a modern sculpture that was suspended above the pulpit/choir area, but each to their own I suppose.
I'll probably go again sometime.
More public transport issues: this morning I think I broke the ticket machine on the bus. After boarding, I inserted my ticket as usual, and the machine validated it and began to spit it out. Unfortunately my finger was in the way, and the ticket lodged half way in the machine. Lacking patience at that hour of the morning, I immediately wrenched the ticket out of its mechanical prison. Subsequently, nobody could validate their ticket. About 20 passengers boarded the bus after me, and not one of their tickets was accepted by the machine. As you can imagine, this stirred up quite a fluster and elicited many confused reactions.
I just sat there quietly.
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[Any given Saturday]posted by peter at 16:04 .......Great, another lame external blog feature which seems to be temperamental at best. Yes, it seems that good old Enetation commenting system only works when it feels like it. Glad I didn't jump into the 'donation' thing that buys extra features... think I might spend a bit more time in evaluation mode.
I must say that last night was out of the ordinary. Seriously, how often do you get to eat sushi, drink free alcohol and sing karaoke in a leading Adelaide bookstore, in amongst setting off the fire alarm (umm, the smoke machine... and we were attended by two firetrucks and 8 firemen) and spilling drinks?
Not very often.
But, such was the Borders staff Christmas party that I was invited to by the ethereal Deb. What a grand occasion. :)
Then we headed to the 'revitalised' West End of town, which was rather quiet due to the fact that 10,000 city dwellers were out in the country at a rave known as Enchanted Forest. But, lighting up the night were the radiant Sallys, Jess, Mike and Marlene, who proved great company until it became clearly necessary to grab a vegetarian gourmet extreme pizza and get in a taxi.
The latest issue of Adbusters has some thought-provoking insights on high-fat food. It was a tasty pizza, although a few pieces mysteriously vanished... hmm, those hungry ravers!
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[Cities]posted by peter at 11:59 .......The Sallys are coming back from Melbourne tomorrow, just for a visit. I'm meeting them in Rundle Mall by the silver balls at 10:30am. So, come spy on us.
It will be ace to see the girls again, as the last time we caught up was in July when I stayed overnight with them. Ever the enigmatic couple, Sally and Sally are among the most wonderful people I know. I've developed a system of identification that I employ when dealing with them: 'my Sally' refers to my childhood friend Sal, whereas 'other Sally' refers to, well, the other Sally.
Now, Sydney is cool, but Melbourne is cooler. There are so many factors enticing me to move there: letters from Kate, job searches by Jessica, the omnipresent Sallys, the illustrious Brooke. There is just so much to love about Melbourne. Apart from the flies in Summer.
I think now is an appropriate time to mention all the different cities that I feel will exert significant influence upon my future. I really want to live in New York; I fancy a spell in Tokyo; Hong Kong is excellent and represents a massive drawcard; Berlin will be a grand location for my edgy years; I have to say London because anything else would be unAustralian; San Francisco for the bohemian IT phase; Melbourne, which could be as soon as next year; and let's not forget good old Adelaide, which I love.
It's inevitable that I become all forward-looking and whatever now that I'm supposedly on the threshold of some sort of entity we label a 'career'. If the truth be known, I just want to travel.
Let's hope I'm not merely waxing pipe dream.
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[Nice days in the desert]posted by peter at 20:55 .......In the hospital today I noticed a striking display of drawings and artwork by the children impounded in the Woomera Detention Centre. They depicted various aspects of regimented life, and many of the images would have functioned as clever black comedy if the stark reality of the situation was removed.
My favourite drawing was one of people lining up for medical treatment while complaining of various ailments. Yet the medical staff (ie. probably private security guards) kept prescribing glasses of water. "Just drink more water. You'll feel wonderful."
Much of the artwork was highly depressing, and contained lots of fences, lines of people, security guards and signs of alienation and unhappiness.
I did wonder whether perhaps there was some external involvement in the composition of some of the pieces, as thematically they seemed a bit too complex for young children. But I'm no paediatrician or child analyst, and such artwork would probably be a natural response to confinement in the desert. Just another protest placard I guess.
I've been to Woomera. Interesting, but it's not somewhere to stay for more than a few hours.
[I don't wanna wait...]posted by peter at 20:44 .......Perhaps I should be a little more cautious in admitting this, but I’ve just watched two series one episodes of Dawson’s Creek on special release video. Don’t ask.
What I found rather funny was that whoever they chose to be the singing voice for Katie Holmes in her 'ravishing' performance of a tune from Les Misérables in a Capeside beauty contest sounded like an overdub of the Mothra singers. Hehe, I'd love to see Japanese b-grade versions of all of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'masterpieces' – imagine the watery scenes of The Phantom of the Opera replete with unsightly Mothra larvae thrashing around in the background.
[Available weapon system]posted by peter at 09:52 .......Pippa: I must confess that I used your PHP book to crush a spider on my bedroom floor last night. Thought I should let you know.
Really, I don't know why I bothered; it was just a small money spider that was quite clearly terrified of me. I actually had to chase it for some time.
But it was all part of that genetically preprogrammed reaction of see spider, kill immediately.
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[Posthuman]posted by peter at 22:38 .......Why does everything seem to have 'post' as a prefix these days? Postmodern, poststructuralist, postpatriarchal – the list goes on.
Then of course there's 'postdefinition', which pretty well sums up any approximation of a relationship that I may or may not have experienced over the last five years. Am I predestined to a life of postdefinition relationships in which a hell of a lot of time is spent in the company of another person, but ultimately it remains a 'thing' which essentially amounts to nothing? Possibly, but I can live with that.
This introspection was spawned by a borderline-depressing conversation I had with Deb over a delicious Indian dinner last night (I had a chaana masala – always a hit), in which we reflected on the likelihood, or unlikelihood, of various aspects of the future, especially with regard to things that are commonly thought to be desirable.
OK, so at this point I don't want kids, I don't want a car, I'll probably rent forever and I can't imagine myself being overtly patriotic with regard to citizenship in any particular nation-state. As for relationships, as Deb so poignantly put it, how am I going to find someone who wants to come home and listen to Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell before upping the tempo and chucking on some Squarepusher? Is that eclecticism overkill?
Hmm, this is potentially one of the more personal blog-posts I've written, and it's starting to sound a bit self-obsessive and lame. Don't be surprised if you find that I've deleted it in a day or two...
[Comments]posted by peter at 21:52 .......I've succumbed and added a commenting system to this blog.
I'm convinced that this Enetation-powered facility will make my site a truly engaging and interactive experience. Either that, or it will attract a heck of a lot of abuse and unpleasant language.
Oh well, I can always remove it! :)
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[Time for a trim]posted by peter at 14:58 .......Just played a bizarre online game in which I was shown a series of pictures and for each one had to decide whether it was minge or mustache.
It was all very amusing, and I did frighteningly well. I only got the last two wrong because I thought they were trick questions. But instinctively I was spot-on.
[]posted by peter at 08:50 .......I just want to make it very clear that I did not vote for the party that produced our current Prime Minister. Is that enough clarification?
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[Colors and the kids]posted by peter at 10:16 .......It must be the colors
And the kids
That keep me alive
'Cause the music is boring me to death
It must just be the colors
And the kids that keep me alive
'Cause I'd wanna go right away
To a January night
I built a shack with an old friend
He was someone I could learn from
Someone I could become
Will you meet me down
On a sandy beach
We can roll up our jeans
So the tide won't get us below the knees
Yellow hair
You are a funny bear
Yellow hair
You are such a funny bear
Slender fingers
Would hold me slender limbs would hold me
And you could say my name
Like you knew my name
I could stay here
Become someone different
I could stay here
Become someone better
It's so hard to go in the city
'Cause you wanna say hello to everybody
It's so hard to go into the city
'Cause you wanna say hey I love you to everybody
When we were teenagers we wanted to be the sky
Now all we wanna do is go to red places
And try to stay outta hell
It must be the colors
And the kids
That keep me alive
'Cause the music is boring me to death
it must just be the colors
And it must just be the kids
That keep me alive on this January night.
Yellow hair
You are a funny bear
Yellow hair
You are such a funny bear– Chan Marshall
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[Substance abuse]posted by peter at 17:05 .......Thankfully my conjunctivitis is no longer detectable, and luckily it never manifested itself in any way more vile than a mildly swollen left eye. I commenced my course of eye drops in the most maladroit fashion, frequently missing my eye to have the drop roll down my cheek, or even missing my whole body to have the drop splash to the floor. But, persistence has paid off, and I am gradually perfecting my technique of administering the nasty potion. The sensation that accompanies the amalgamation of the eye drops and the eye itself is not altogether pleasant, particularly as the medicine is quite cold (it is meant to be stored in the fridge after all). Worse still is the taste that is experienced when the liquid drains from my eye to the back of my throat. I don't think I realised everything was so interconnected. If only I were an apothecary.
There is more from the chemical file though, as this morning I discovered that the 'all-natural' hair product that I've been using since time immemorial – which, incidentally, I thought was some sort of beeswax derivative – is in fact a 100% synthetic substance that is based on glycerine and other unsettling ingredients. My only hope is that this is plant glycerine and not some sort of extract of animal fat origin.
Oh, and I've spent every last cent of what I was paid last Thursday. That was two weeks' worth. Not an ideal situation, if you know what I mean.
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