| heel side |
[Jul. 8th, 2009|09:42 pm] |
This is my snowboard.
This is Mt Buller. On a good day. And let's face it, it's been ages since it's seen a good day.
This is what my right knee looked like after two consecutive weekends of throwing myself down the side of Mt Buller learning how to snowboard. The good news is I'm getting better!
A snow bunny I never thought I would be. Alas, in a matter of weeks I bought my own board and snow gear, and threw some caution to the wind. I went with people who have a) been snowboarding for eons longer than I have and b) seen much better conditions, so understandably it wasn't the best environment to cut my teeth in, but it was a start nonetheless. Finding my snow legs on a board has been bizarre but exhilarating. I volunteered to be taken out of my comfort zone, but gradually became accustomed to all the weirdness I was putting my body through. Falling a lot didn't bother me too much (at least, not until the soreness came later and even that didn't last long). They say that if you're not falling you're not trying hard enough. I didn't realize what a comprehensive work out it is too, and it only heightened what I was already sort of in denial about...I am out of shape. So I broke down and joined a fucking gym. I go to Fernwood two to three times a week to improve muscle tone and core strength.
And now I'm really super amped to go to New Zealand next month and frolic in some proper powder for ten days. I plan to take my board back to California and try the terrain there as well one day. I'd eventually like to make my way up to Canada too.
Between that and photography I'm thinking I should hold off on picking up anymore expensive hobbies. At least this one's only seasonal. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|05:15 pm] |
I'm sooooooooo tired.
Had a slightly bigger weekend than expected, but still managed to get my ass up outta bed early this morning for an interview on Lygon Street. I've got a meeting tomorrow morning at 11 (yay for sleep) at Nova. I just submitted my Winter Sound System photos. All in all, pretty happy with the results. I only stayed for a couple of hours, but shot pretty much the whole time. I managed to get some priceless shots of the munted among the masses, mostly for Nova but also for my own amusement. I'm never inclined to post those on my Flickr account, though. I like to keep it somewhat tasteful.
WSS turned out to be the meat in my party sandwich Sunday night. Before and after the gig I was in Northcote celebrating the engagement of two good friends. As expected the food was awesome, the beer plentiful, the company lovely, and Tim and I were the last people to leave. I spent most of Monday in bed working off a mild hangover and the rest of Monday on the couch working off a mild hangover.
And now I'm gonna go be tired some more. |
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| it's the tragedy of dreamers like me and you |
[Jun. 2nd, 2009|12:52 pm] |
After nearly five years of residence on this lovely chunk of dirt, I finally (FINALLY) put my Victorian driver license to use this weekend. We agreed to split driver duty, so Tim drove to Angelsea on Sunday morning and I drove back last night. It was nice to get out of the city for a little while, get some sea air in my lungs and just have some quiet down time. I was nervous before the drive, but did well to forget about it once I got behind the wheel. It felt weird and a little disorienting at first - especially given that it was dark, raining, the roads were not lit for the first quarter of the drive, and I was on the other side of the road AND car. Still, I made it to the city in one piece, dropped Tim off at tennis and got back to Richmond with not a scratch on the car.
Great success! </borat>
So, P!nk...turns out photographers were only allowed a photo pass for the first two songs and then outski. No tickets. I'm not a fan of her music, so that didn't bother me, but had the opportunity arisen I would've stayed just to witness the spectacle. I have to hand it to her, she's quite the entertainer, and pulled out all the stops as far as stage design and antics went. That just made my job easier and kinda fun, so kudos to her.
In other news, Brendan Nelson totally looks like Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks! Am I right or am I right?
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| (no subject) |
[May. 28th, 2009|11:09 pm] |
I was in Coburg the other day having lunch with Tim when the conversation pointlessly turned to the ring I was wearing. We laughed about it because it's a mood ring. I said I don't usually wear mood rings, it's just something I came across a few weeks ago when I was going through some old things and decided it would be fun to wear it from time to time. It does actually produce some interesting colors. (We agreed it should be more accurately called a heat ring since the color changes according to body temperature.) I said I probably subconsciously wear it because I miss wearing the rings I bought last year. I left them at a friend's place in New York. I noticed Tim's concentration lapse momentarily and he quickly apologized, then asked me to repeat the last thing I said. So I said, "I left my rings at a friend's place in New York." He said, "Okay. That's weird. I think I just had déja vu. Not too long ago I had a dream where we were sitting in this exact place with that wall behind you and you talked about leaving something in New York." Well, there you go. He's a nerd AND a precognitive dreamer.
I got the call to shoot Pink at Rod Laver this coming Saturday. Should be interesting, but I can't imagine wanting to stay for the whole show unless I get a plus one and can share the experience of fulfilling my morbid curiosity with someone. Who am I kidding...I don't have any other plans that night, I may as well stay. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 22nd, 2009|11:03 am] |
Not much to report other than I went to my first proper concert shoot for Nova last night. The Presets were great. But seriously? Festival Hall is a joke. If you're not in GA, it seems kinda pointless. I do not get the things that resemble electric fencing along the seated areas at all. Yeah, I know, I can't complain over free tickets, but it's put me off ever buying tickets to a show there. The sound seemed weirdly dispersed too. I get that it's got historical significance and The Beatles played there or whatever. I wonder whether that provoked the "I'll never wash this hand again" response from the owners because they haven't bothered to renovate the venue or its acoustics since it opened.
My photo pass was a big pink nipple, which was terribly amusing. Trashbags were a dime a dozen, also good for a laugh. Tim and I concluded that trashbags end up at gigs like The Presets because they're too scared to handle proper raves.
Next thing on my calendar appears to be Winter Sound System. Don't ask me, I just work there. |
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| *cough* |
[May. 14th, 2009|11:06 am] |
I went to a farewell party about six weeks ago here in Richmond. Four of my good friends were leaving town for some time. At this party I mingled with the usuals and ended up having a nice chat with a guy and his girlfriend, neither of whom I'd really spoken to before, and both of whom work somewhere in advertising. I don't remember who she works for, but he works for dmg radio. They house Nova, Vega and some other station I don't listen to. We got to talking about job hunting, which I was knee-deep in at the time. The nice chat became an in-depth discussion about what my strengths and objectives are professionally. I handed him one of my cards and he contacted me a few days later saying he liked my photos and asked if I wanted to come in to dmg's offices for a chat. I accepted the offer, but it was postponed because the digital director he wanted me to meet was out of town. He came back and a meeting was scheduled for yesterday. It was me, the guy from the party, the digital director and the guy in charge of online content. It lasted maybe all of ten minutes and just like that...I became a photographer for Nova and Vega. It was almost as easy as me walking into this house almost a year and Kate handing me the keys.
When they asked me what my objective was I told them I basically wanted to end up in a position where I can play to my strengths and combine the written with the visual. They saw on my resume that although I'd established myself back home, I haven't had that same opportunity here and they pretty much offered it to me on a platter.
It seems the climate right now is such that if you're offered ANY job you should take it, especially if it's from someone you know. And after months of fruitless searching and frustration someone offers me a job I actually want with what feels like barely any effort on my part. I have to give myself some credit, though. If I hadn't gone to all those gigs with my camera, out of my own pocket, I wouldn't have been able to show them what I'm capable of. And if I hadn't opened my mouth at that party six weeks ago this guy wouldn't have known much more about me beyond the fact that we share mutual friends.
They're basically sending me to any gigs they're promoting for the time being, with a view to maybe taking me on for a combined copywriting/photog position in a few months' time. I swear to god, I'm holding onto this opportunity for dear life. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 27th, 2009|03:53 pm] |
Saturday night I saw School of Seven Bells (or SVIIB) at The Corner. Goddamn, they were so infectious and pretty. They actually made me want to get my ass in gear and start a band. And to be honest, the desire to start one or join one has been forever dormant. It's something I've hummed and hawed about for probably too long. It almost seems silly, having come from a musical family, to not start something. The problem is I haven't played anything or read any music in so long that I wouldn't know where to start. I'd feel more confident having someone around to bounce ideas off of who wants to make the same sort of stuff I do. But I wouldn't know where to find that person either. Well, if it's meant to happen, something will come up.
Went to Cinema Nova last night and watched Mary and Max. Seriously? Watch it. It's based on a true story of Mary from Mount Waverley and Max from New York. They become pen pals and...just watch it. It's funny, poignant and tugs the heartstrings. If you liked Harvey Krumpet you'll definitely dig this too. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 21st, 2009|01:41 pm] |
The other day I did two things I didn't think I'd do again for a long time. Rode a bike to a tennis court and played tennis. Okay, I didn't really play a proper game, but I was given a basic lesson and I didn't suck as much as I thought I would. I was told I have potential and I think I agree. My backhand is weak, though. The bike wasn't actually mine, I was returning it to a friend's place in Northcote. But it made me want one. The weather's great for riding at the moment. Pity I have to spend my K.Rudd bonus (wherever it is) on silly things like rent and electricity.
I know I'm horrendously late to the party, but I finally started watching Battlestar Galactica. Just about to start season 2, and if anyone spoils anything for me I'll have your hide.
I recently visited the DIMIA site out of curiosity to find out when I'd be eligible to apply for dual citizenship. Computer says: May 11, 2009. Shit, that was quick. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 17th, 2009|04:37 pm] |
The In An Absolut World advertising campaign invites consumers to visualize a world that appeals to them — one they feel may be more idealized or one that may be a bit “fantastic.” As such, the campaign will elicit varying opinions and points of view. We have a variety of executions running in countries worldwide, and each is germane to that country and that population.
This particular ad, which ran in Mexico, was based upon historical perspectives and was created with a Mexican sensibility. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal.
As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market. Obviously, this ad was run in Mexico, and not the US — that ad might have been very different.
By Paula Eriksson, VP Corporate Communications, V&S Absolut Spirits
Hm. The ad ran only in Mexico and was aimed at Mexicans. Uppity, paranoid conservatives north of the border who got whiff of the ad started campaigning to ban Absolut and start drinking Stoli and Grey Goose. Personally, I think it's a pretty ballsy ad, given the constant tensions between the two countries. I like it. |
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| what will make you believe me? |
[Apr. 17th, 2009|01:07 am] |
I was just having one those stream-of-consciousness moments after watching Neko Case on Letterman perform "This Tornado Loves You". The inspiration for the song, she stated in a recent interview, came from a dream she had of a tornado that appeared before her and asked her to read to it. It didn't have any way to hold the book and needed her help.
It reminded me of when I used to have recurring dreams about tornadoes. They were always quite massive, violent tornadoes and I would always either be outside watching one approach with no conceivable plan of escape, or watching it from a window of a shoddily constructed wooden house in the middle of nowhere. Always in daylight.
Lately my dreams end up at any given stage in the house I lived in for ten years before I moved here. And when it gets to that point I'm either looking for my parents or I just stumble upon one or both of them. It happened again last night. One moment I was sitting in the lounge room here with Kate, which was particularly dark and just confusing, and the next I walked over to what became my parents' kitchen. My brother walked in, followed by my mom and dad. I hugged my brother and mom hello. Then I hugged my dad, and held onto him for a really long time. I squeezed him and said, "It's okay. Okay? It's okay." Then let go. And that's all I remember. I woke up feeling vulnerable and started trying to dissect what that could've meant. I suppose it may have something to do with the fact that I've found myself thinking of home in the last week, which seems a bit uncharacteristic of me after having just been there. Normally I go, I have my fill, I come back and move on with my life here. I don't know. Maybe there's something in the works that's slowly starting to take shape and I'm not supposed to know what it is yet. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 9th, 2009|12:23 pm] |
I just deleted my Tumblr blog and my Twitter account. I realized that having a Twitter account seemed a bit redundant when I'm already on here and on Facebook. My virtual social life feels slightly less cluttered now.
So, talk at me, people! I'm taking a break from talking about myself on here for once. Any plans for the long weekend? Any random amusing things you'd like to leave in my comments? How are you anyway? |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 26th, 2009|01:43 pm] |
WICKED. My knees look like a Jackson Pollock painting through the eyes of someone with an acute case of the 'itis. Drank a few too many on Sunday night and thought it would be clever to ride my friend's souped-up mountain bike from St Iggy's to my place. Lesson learnt!
I went to NGV yesterday when it was nice and quiet and got some art up me. On my way out I discovered the holiest of holies...a Bill Viola installation. HERE. And it's a newy! I've been loving his work for nigh on 12 years. This was one of his ultra slow motion pieces on three HDTVs screening various people walking through a wall of water. The picture is really grainy and in black and white until the subject crosses the water wall, then he or she becomes crystal clear and in bright color. Turns out each person represents the dead who cross over. They only ever stay for a minute or two and then go back. It's consistent with the themes he's played with in previous work; life and death, light and dark, stressed and calm, loud and quiet, and the minutiae in the transitions between the dualities. It sort makes sense that he's motivated by in Zen Buddhism, Islamic and Christian mysticisms. I think the part of Islamic mysticism he draws from is purification of the ego and the heart in order to seek God's love. I kept seeing the wall of water being crossed as a sort of baptism, cleansing or rebirth. His work isn't overtly religious, but there are definitely spiritual and meditative elements at play. Love him.
I've been sort of following the ongoing ugliness in Mexico, what with me having family there and all. I never thought I'd say this, but Secretary of State Mom Jeans actually got it right. The drug war is a two-way street. Mexico has super stringent gun laws. They get their high-powered automatic weapons smuggled in from their next door neighbor with gun laws looser than a Tijuana hooker. Drugs get smuggled back into the U.S. to meet the overwhelming demand. Drug cartels have more military power than the Mexican Federal police. EL FAIL. I'm glad my parents got out of there when they did. Who knows when or if they'll go back.
And in horribly exciting news, one (maybe two) of my cousins is planning a visit to Melbourne in August. She's emailed me with prospective dates, which is oh so freaking awesome. And if she does bring her sister...TRIPLE THE FELIX. CAN YOU HANDLE IT? OH, I THINK NOT. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 19th, 2009|12:32 am] |
Perks of having a housemate in fashion:
Occasionally she'll have a last minute free VIP ticket to a big time fashion show. And so we went to Docklands and sat in the second row. Some of it was bizarre, some of it was boring. And none of it would I be caught dead in, but it was certainly better than staying home and channel surfing. Three 'celebrity' sightings in chronological order:
  
After the show Kate and I were hoping to get a photo with Miss J, but he was quickly surrounded by people with the same idea. He took a few photos and then hopped onto the stage and ran away melodramatically, grey Louis Vuitton bag in hand.
We then headed over to The Emerald Peacock, a new bar opening soon on Swanston Street just across from QV. Kate's boss is one of the owners and tonight was the bar's media launch. The cocktails aren't bad and the zucchini fritters are really good. The decor is pretty cute. They used a lot of vintage wallpaper on the ground floor and really worked the mood lighting in the lounge area. There's a fully stocked bar on the ground floor and another on the second level, which is outside and directly faces Harvey Norman. I was talking to Kate's boss and commenting on the space when she revealed that it used to be a Buddhist training center. Best of luck to her. I didn't think Melbourne really needed any more bars, but hey, it just might work out in her favor.
One of my cousins has been seriously talking about coming to visit me some time in August or September. Qantas is currently offering $600 roundtrip flights until Friday (I don't know whether that includes tax and other fees or not). I hope she does come out, I'd have a blast showing her around.
And FUCKIN' EARTHQUAKES. IN MELBOURNE. TWO IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. I guess I have one less reason to feel homesick. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 17th, 2009|12:07 am] |
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It is always good to have an open mind. But it isn't always easy. By nature we are creatures of habit. We are proud of our preferences, arrogant about our opinions, evangelical about our prejudices. We define our own personalities, to some extent at least, by our beliefs and non-beliefs. We pick friends whose views support our own. We are suspicious (at best) of those who subscribe to other ideas. It takes courage to say those three magic words, 'I don't know'. But the reward for uttering them can be enormous. |
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| like a curious flower |
[Mar. 12th, 2009|07:06 am] |
I don't know if I can say last Friday night was a total waste of ten bucks.
Got to the venue a bit after ten, thinking Jonathan would be there since that's the time he gave me. Instead we caught the tail end of a local crappy band. Then another came on and we decided to step out for a bit. Came back in time for what I thought would be the headliner, The Scare. Somewhere in the middle of the set he walked in. I decided to go up, say hi and ask him when he'd be on. I tapped him on the arm, fully expecting to apologise for bothering him and then introduce myself. I tapped him on the arm, he turned and said, "Hi Michelle!" and gave me a hug. I was a little taken aback and as a weird nervous reaction I ran to my handbag to grab the CD I burnt for him as a thank you. It was just a drum 'n bass mix, but a good one from a guy called ASC. We chatted a bit, but it was hard to maintain fluid conversation over annoyingly bad, loud music. A couple of guys came up and asked him to sign things and take photos, which he was happy to oblige to. When The Scare finished I expected Jonathan to run off and start setting up, but he just kinda stood there for a little bit watching the stage for signs of a tear down. He eventually excused himself to find out what was going on. I went to sit down and he came back to find me a few minutes later. Apparently there was going to be yet another band on and the DJ set wouldn't start until after that. He also said he wouldn't be taking part in the set if it was going to start that late since there was a Sydney-bound flight to catch in the morning. He left the DJing duties to Grasshopper (lead guitarist) and Jeff (keyboardist). I didn't feel much like sticking around and I only really went to say hi and thank Jonathan in person, so I left shortly thereafter. And so did he. We parted ways on Little Bourke Street a few moments later and that was that.
One of the things I commented on during the chat was the adverse reaction of many Mercury Rev fans to their Coldplay support slot. A lot of them had said it should be the other way around. He said, "That's what's Coldplay said to us on the first day of the tour. They're huge fans of ours and they were listening to Deserter's Songs when they started out. Chris's dad is a huge fan of ours too!" When I asked him what the reception had been like from Coldplay fans he said, "It's been pretty good, but I think a lot of them are mystified. They have no idea who we are or what we're doing." And I had to ask if they were planning any sort of headlining tour in the near future. He said maybe in the next six months or so. I suppose it's better than no answer!
Kate and I watched He's Just Not That Into You last night. Not bad as far as chick flicks go and I usually try to avoid chick flicks because they're so freaking predictable. And it's even more annoying when you can tell that a chick flick is trying really hard to not be predictable. This didn't really feel that way until about the last twenty minutes. Four situations, three of them had happy endings. Cute, digestable, not that exciting. I do sort of applaud Greg Behrendt for having sold the rights for his book to a film with a decent cast (see: Ginnifer Goodwin). He's an Angeleno and I support my locals. |
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| vroom |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|12:44 pm] |
So, free tickets are awesome. I'd never actually seen a show at Rod Laver before, so that was interesting. I can't remember the last time I went to an arena show, for that matter. Probably never. Anyway, for free tickets the seats weren't too bad. Lower Gold, Row K. It seems arena show organisers must be sticklers for punctuality. Doors opened at 7:10, as was printed on the tickets. We walked in at 7:30 and caught the last ten minutes of Decoder Ring's set. Really, who starts that early? About fifteen minutes elapsed between Decoder Ring breaking down their set and Mercury Rev starting theirs. They played for exactly 40 minutes. Too short for a band with such an epic live show, but I was happy with what I heard. The new songs sound especially huge in a place like that. I gotta admit I was impressed with the mix and clarity of the sound.
Coldplay came on right at 9 and played for just under two hours. What I liked: the lighting/laser/projection craziness, the balloons with confetti in them, the big fuck-off confetti drop, the state-of-the-art camera work projected onto big screens throughout the show, the extra little stage set up near the nosebleed seats from which they performed a few acoustic numbers, and about two or three songs.
I sent Jonathon a message thanking him for the tickets. He wrote back saying he was glad I got in. And for anyone who might be remotely interested, they're playing a "secret" DJ set tomorrow night at Roxanne Parlour off Little Bourke. Tickets are $10 on moshtix.com.au and the one-hour set starts at 10 p.m. |
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| Because I was tagged and two LJ friends who don't know each other did this |
[Mar. 4th, 2009|04:25 pm] |
1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up.
-laptop
-wine rack
-door
-window
-purse
2. What is the last movie you watched?
I think it was The Reader. Not that it was forgettable, I just remember watching a lot of films that weekend.
3. What are you wearing now?
Jeans, vintage blouse, socks and brown shoes.
4. What's your occupation?
Freelance scallywag.
5. The best thing to happen to you as of late?
Getting free tickets to see Mercury Rev from Mercury Rev is pretty fucking special.
6. Do you consider yourself a good friend?
Sometimes I am.
7. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?
Sass.
8. What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
It's a toss up between Neko Case and deciding what other lenses I want for my camera.
9. What was the last thing you ate today?
A bowl of Mini Wheats with honey and milk.
10. What would your perfect day consist of doing?
Getting up relatively early and making food for a picnic, going for a long walk with my camera, finding a good picnic spot and eating there. Catch up with friends. Later I'd walk home, watch a movie and read a book before bed.
11. What does an angora rabbit look like?
12. What was the last thing you bought?
A long sleeved shirt.
13. What are you listening to right now?
Middle Cyclone by Neko Case
14. What do you think about before you go to bed at night?
Depends on what I'd been doing that day.
15. Could someone give me a nice sketchbook cos I can't afford one?
That would be awesome.
16. What is your favourite weather, and why?
Just enough sun so it's not oppressive and a nice cool breeze. Why? I dunno, personal preference.
17. What is the last book you read?
Don't remember, but I'm currently alternating between Felix Calvino's Hatful of Cherries and Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything
18. What is the one single wish for life?
To do what makes me happy and make a living from it.
19. What is your biggest regret in life?
I'm gonna be totally clichéd and say I don't have one.
20. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
Miss you.
21. What's one of your favourite movies?
Dr Strangelove
I'm not tagging anyone. Copy at your leisure. |
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