The café I work almost every day it's located in a crossroads of different kind of hospitals, schools and high schools, the King Cross suburb -also known as the Sydney's red district- and the city itself, as people call here the down town area. Therefore, costumers have quite amazing stories. Or maybe they just seem amazing to me that see them passing through, picking their coffee and going ahead with their lives meanwhile I'm stopped watching them as they go.
Most of them, the regulars, consider Le Petit as an extension of their own kitchens, if it is that they have one at home, come every single day and without saying anything they have their favorite croissant, brioche or baguette ready along with their coffee of their preference. "Honey Bunnie" is my code name, given to me by one of my most beloved ones, the documentaries director. I didn't know what she did for the living when I suggested her watching Underground, by Emir Kusturica, one of the best films I have ever seen and that hardly recommend to everyone from here too, after she asked me what the capital of Croatia was as she needed to resolved a words game. She knew I must know it. We see each other everyday, we smile to each other day after day. We knit our relationship, hour after hour, smile after smile, one before the other and after again ours "see ya - have a great day - you too". They
Musicians, Jewish, Prostitutes, Film Directors, Porn Producers, People fighting cancers. All of them, come daily to Le Petit and for a couple of dollars we tried our best smile to improve each other lives and build relations. It's not business. I can't care less about my tips. It a primary necessity, to build bonds. And I love to build bonds with this people.
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Friday 20 May 2011
Time flies
Mates! Here I am! Still alive although whit some scars that hopefully will make me stronger.
These last two months have been quite busy, as you can imagine, since I finally got two jobs as a waitress ("so what do you do? oh yeah, I wait tables too..."), working on the master and having to travel abroad amongst other more revolutionary matters. Please, calm down: I was not the one pulling the trigger on Bin Laden. There have been so many things going on that I can hardly recall them in my memory.
With the job, apart from a lot of free good food such as eggs Benedicts (aka little chickens) and homemade pizzas, came the money and with the money new plans. Travels, lessons, moving places... and also a thought that it's likely to help me during my most emotional moments when I cannot do anything to sort things out: money makes the world go around. If it works and I stop being a "cry-my-eyes-out-for-all-the-unfair-reasons" I'll let you know.
Waiting tables: my job as a waitress started being quite interesting. My "petit creme" c'est chic and has a faithful group of regular costumers: Kevin - Earl grey tea, José - latte, Nick - short black and ashtray, Scott - long black and ashtray, Susan - half baguette with Vegemite and latte, Mr. Take Away lately introduced as Rel, Juanita - short black and croissant or chicken baguette take away, Jim - flat white and croissant with jam and butter, Mr. Dad - short black with three sugars and ashtray, the Perfect Gay Couple - bol of mocha + ashtray and regular mocha...
They never change their orders at least is a special day so I have an opportunity to develop my histories about people from what they drink or eat... At the end, I love them all because they are what I have created in my mind: I miss them when they don't come and received them with a big smile, really happy to see them coming back. These imaginaries characters are like a family to me, every single day saying "one usual for me, please" and wink their eyes. I cheer them to finish their OJs "because it's full of vitamins!" and they comment my hairdo or polish nail as in family.
Goals-Achieved-In-Oz Section: When I tried to go for a drums lesson, the teacher wasn't where he was supposed to be, that is taking care of the cars in the parking he is responsible of. I left him a note. I'll be back on my next day off. Wrong! I went surfing. Now, it's funny how a situation can change: one day something seems impossible, next morning, your head is so overwhelmed because of some more serious concerns that the first issue looks like the perfect way out.
Surf means escape and sea means freedom, remembers of my childhood, games and nakedness. You cannot pretend be another person when you are in the sea.
Trying to find the balance on the board it's a kind of learning how to walk again. Trying to stand on the board meanwhile you fall is so funny that you forget about "the danger in the waves" and become more conscious of your own power and self control. Everyone can do it! Trying to ride it although your are almost reaching the shore it's a bit more stressful but after all I'm just starting. One hour later I was exhausted and ready to eat a kangaroo hamburger. I don't usually eat meat but this is a must try.
Travel Abroad for Visa Requirements: my time in Auckland (49 hours) made me think of the short history of the cities around. They all look the same, built around the same years and developed during the decades by the same companies in one and other country. The duty free area is more than worthy, specially when traveling back to Australia where the "basics" are so expensive.
I'll try to keep this gap for writing in the blog that you are following allegedly but you must help me with funny comments and making me feel that you care about what I write... deal? :)
"Obama... I wanna go surfing...!"
These last two months have been quite busy, as you can imagine, since I finally got two jobs as a waitress ("so what do you do? oh yeah, I wait tables too..."), working on the master and having to travel abroad amongst other more revolutionary matters. Please, calm down: I was not the one pulling the trigger on Bin Laden. There have been so many things going on that I can hardly recall them in my memory.
With the job, apart from a lot of free good food such as eggs Benedicts (aka little chickens) and homemade pizzas, came the money and with the money new plans. Travels, lessons, moving places... and also a thought that it's likely to help me during my most emotional moments when I cannot do anything to sort things out: money makes the world go around. If it works and I stop being a "cry-my-eyes-out-for-all-the-unfair-reasons" I'll let you know.
Waiting tables: my job as a waitress started being quite interesting. My "petit creme" c'est chic and has a faithful group of regular costumers: Kevin - Earl grey tea, José - latte, Nick - short black and ashtray, Scott - long black and ashtray, Susan - half baguette with Vegemite and latte, Mr. Take Away lately introduced as Rel, Juanita - short black and croissant or chicken baguette take away, Jim - flat white and croissant with jam and butter, Mr. Dad - short black with three sugars and ashtray, the Perfect Gay Couple - bol of mocha + ashtray and regular mocha...
They never change their orders at least is a special day so I have an opportunity to develop my histories about people from what they drink or eat... At the end, I love them all because they are what I have created in my mind: I miss them when they don't come and received them with a big smile, really happy to see them coming back. These imaginaries characters are like a family to me, every single day saying "one usual for me, please" and wink their eyes. I cheer them to finish their OJs "because it's full of vitamins!" and they comment my hairdo or polish nail as in family.
Goals-Achieved-In-Oz Section: When I tried to go for a drums lesson, the teacher wasn't where he was supposed to be, that is taking care of the cars in the parking he is responsible of. I left him a note. I'll be back on my next day off. Wrong! I went surfing. Now, it's funny how a situation can change: one day something seems impossible, next morning, your head is so overwhelmed because of some more serious concerns that the first issue looks like the perfect way out.
Surf means escape and sea means freedom, remembers of my childhood, games and nakedness. You cannot pretend be another person when you are in the sea.
Trying to find the balance on the board it's a kind of learning how to walk again. Trying to stand on the board meanwhile you fall is so funny that you forget about "the danger in the waves" and become more conscious of your own power and self control. Everyone can do it! Trying to ride it although your are almost reaching the shore it's a bit more stressful but after all I'm just starting. One hour later I was exhausted and ready to eat a kangaroo hamburger. I don't usually eat meat but this is a must try.
Travel Abroad for Visa Requirements: my time in Auckland (49 hours) made me think of the short history of the cities around. They all look the same, built around the same years and developed during the decades by the same companies in one and other country. The duty free area is more than worthy, specially when traveling back to Australia where the "basics" are so expensive.
I'll try to keep this gap for writing in the blog that you are following allegedly but you must help me with funny comments and making me feel that you care about what I write... deal? :)
"Obama... I wanna go surfing...!"
Wednesday 23 March 2011
And the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, the drums.
In this "listening-to-myself" period of life that I'm having I think I have recognized an inner, secret and hidden desire to play drums.
I really don't know when it all started but it wasn't that I woke up one day deciding I wanted to play drums. Or maybe yes. It was when I began to play the air drums in the street while listening the music in my iPod, something that we all have done some time so maybe not. Perhaps because every time that I'm in a life concert I try to search for the best point of view to the drummer and keep looking his or her arms and legs. No, I really don't know what is making me to want play drums. It could be because of the It might get loud documentary that I watched one more time recently where the almighty (just kidding) Jack White* describes how he pulled out the furniture in his room when he was a teenager in order to fill it with drums so he had to sleep on the floor.
Whatever the reasons, yesterday I went into a drums store and didn't try to make as If was looking for something, loosing time or playing here and there as I have been doing the last weeks so now everyone there know my face. I went into the store and simply said to the seller: "I want to play drums". He only smiled at me, understanding and as he was saying "finally, girl!", and took me to a garage where there are some soundproof rooms full of drums and introduced me to Milan, the garage guard and drum teacher at the same place and time. "Maybe I'm the worse student ever", I said. "Or maybe you become the best drummer of history", he replied.
Well the fact is that, it made me feel comfortable the he was even more enthusiastic than me because I was afraid they could think I was a weirdo (actually I would love that, who am I trying to lie here)
Anyway, although this story might sound promising and who knows where it will end, it won't be able to start until I find a job. Something that I'm still sorting out but I can feel it coming to an end soon (yes, I have to keep that attitude).
I'll let you know how it goes! ;)
*You all know that I deeply admire Jack White and most of the things that he does (I want to be cautious). I know he is normal and just a mortal but I find everything related to him really inspiring to me.
I really don't know when it all started but it wasn't that I woke up one day deciding I wanted to play drums. Or maybe yes. It was when I began to play the air drums in the street while listening the music in my iPod, something that we all have done some time so maybe not. Perhaps because every time that I'm in a life concert I try to search for the best point of view to the drummer and keep looking his or her arms and legs. No, I really don't know what is making me to want play drums. It could be because of the It might get loud documentary that I watched one more time recently where the almighty (just kidding) Jack White* describes how he pulled out the furniture in his room when he was a teenager in order to fill it with drums so he had to sleep on the floor.
Whatever the reasons, yesterday I went into a drums store and didn't try to make as If was looking for something, loosing time or playing here and there as I have been doing the last weeks so now everyone there know my face. I went into the store and simply said to the seller: "I want to play drums". He only smiled at me, understanding and as he was saying "finally, girl!", and took me to a garage where there are some soundproof rooms full of drums and introduced me to Milan, the garage guard and drum teacher at the same place and time. "Maybe I'm the worse student ever", I said. "Or maybe you become the best drummer of history", he replied.
Well the fact is that, it made me feel comfortable the he was even more enthusiastic than me because I was afraid they could think I was a weirdo (actually I would love that, who am I trying to lie here)
Anyway, although this story might sound promising and who knows where it will end, it won't be able to start until I find a job. Something that I'm still sorting out but I can feel it coming to an end soon (yes, I have to keep that attitude).
I'll let you know how it goes! ;)
*You all know that I deeply admire Jack White and most of the things that he does (I want to be cautious). I know he is normal and just a mortal but I find everything related to him really inspiring to me.
Thursday 17 March 2011
Golden Plains #5 - update!
My Golden Plains experience has been amazing.
And not only because of the supernatural atmosphere in Meredith and their compost loos, the Hare Krishna feast plate for 10 dollars only or the veggie burgers in the left side of the stage... but specially because of the wonderful people I shared the Festival with, friends from the diving cruise in the Great Barrier Reef and their friends that ended up being my friends too! As a big family with babies included, a couple brought their 6 months old baby Louis, a prospective musician and heart-breaker (drummer?, bass player?), we set our tents and got ready to enjoy a weekend of music all together, taking off our shoes with every band we really liked and waving them in the air. Yes, this is the way the audience shows their like and it seems that it's a kind of communication that only works in the Golden Plains Festival, not in any other even the Meredith Music Festival that has been running for 20 years now and that takes place in the same venue around Christmas time every year.
It always have moved me to see how people from different backgrounds, countries (with their own accents), works, etc. can agree in music, the international and the emotional language beyond all border...
That's why I want to thank everybody for a unique musical experience and specially to Pete Keogh and Dan Fuller, who came to rescue me from my Nash experience sleeping surrounded by flying bugs of all kinds and that help me to recover from the drama of the hypothetical and eventual loss of my passport. Special thanks too to my favorite chica from the Festival, Julie (Super) Spice, who let me use her spare tent, chair, sleeping bag, beer holder, her cooler and her car as wardrobe... what a real lady! thank you so much!
Bands
- Os Mutantes: not for me, although I enjoyed for a few minutes.
- The Hold Steady: this band from Minesota, where part of my friends are (again Dan and Ben, son of the right hand), didn't get me into the move but also it was fun at the beginning until I started found them a bit "lyrics-full". Some of you already know what I think about this kind of "music": if you have that much to speak, then write a book... :) - no hurt feelings please!
- Joanna Newsom: I missed her!
- Belle & Sebastian: front row, girls from college all around me, screaming, crying, pushing... and me in the middle, still and cold. Mmmm no, they didn't get me either.
- Best Coast: fun, fun, fun, fun!! New dance moves inventions with Kristy and Phil.
- Architecture In Helsinki: who knew they were from Melbourne? I didn't! They played late at night and I was feeling quite exhausted but every time I tried to go back to my tent, they kept pushing me back to the crowd and making me dance with any of their big songs or just with a cover going back to the 80ies of I've been thinking about you by Londonbeat.
- Wavves: missed them
- Hawkwind: missed them
- Jamie Lidell: OMG, he rocked! he was my big band handsome man, yeah.
- The Clean: missed them
- The Middle East: great band! hope to catch them again soon since they are a big and good Aussi product... not as Vegemite, I'm afraid! "We’re from Townsville, Australia and we play music" I'm Ilu from Spain. Nice to love the music you play and it would be a pleasure to see you grow and grow!
- Boy & Bear: nice too
- Mount Kimbie: missed them
- Airbourne: oooooh ho ho ho, McKeefe forgot for a couple of seconds to use his voice of hell and it made me feel that he was a human being but apart from that... excellent!
- Robert Forster: missed him
- Pulled Apart By Horses: between the veggie burger I was eating and the band, I prefer the burguer... not my kind!
- The Besnard Lakes: rocked me!
- Cosmic Psychos: I think they were fine...
- Justin Townes Earle: missed them
- Wildbirds & Peacedrums: OMG, reminded me somehow to Florence + the Machine, but with no machine at all, just drums and other percussion instruments such as xylophones!! very good one. Shoes off!
- Imelda May (again and always!): excuse me. Imelda you were the Queen of Hearts in the Festival. All shoes off for her and her band!
- Bamboo Musik DJs: missed them
- Graveyard Train: really good, we all are gonna die. Let's live the moment. Shoes off!
- Brain Children: no idea... missed them
- World's End Press: oh, no! it looks I missed a lot of bands :(!!
- J-Wow feat. MC Kalaf (Buraka Som Sistema DJ/MC set): bit tiring, kuduru was all that I could hear from my tent in a very "cold cold night".
- Magic Kids: missed
- Sonny & The Sunsets: missed
Thursday 10 March 2011
Golden Plains #5
Thanks to my wonderful wonderful friends back home -Carmetta, Alby and Marta- I'm now packing my things for a weekend of music and booze in Melbourne... well, around.
I have the ticket and the "surprise factor", I have a sleeping
It would be from Saturday 12th to Monday 14th and the bands playing are:
Os Mutantes (!!!) The Hold Steady Joanna Newsom Belle & Sebastian (!!!) Best Coast (!!!) Architecture In Helsinki (!!!) Wavves Hawkwind Jamie Lidell (!!!) The Clean The Middle East Boy & Bear Mount Kimbie Airbourne (again!) Robert Forster Pulled Apart By Horses (!!!) The Besnard Lakes Cosmic Psychos Justin Townes Earle Wildbirds & Peacedrums Imelda May (again!) Bamboo Musik DJs Graveyard Train Brain Children World's End Press J-Wow feat. MC Kalaf (Buraka Som Sistema DJ/MC set) Magic Kids Sonny & The Sunsets
More about the Festival when I'm back.
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Things to do and see in Sydney for free
Here it goes a list of the things that are free in Sydney for tourist and locals. I have done already some of them and will be writing about them shortly. Others should wait a bit more:
1.- NSW Art Gallery
2.- Museum of Contemporary Arts
3.- Royal Botanical Gardens
4.- Bus 555, circular service from Central Station to Circular Quay
5.- Rocks Discovery Museum
6.- Museum of Australian Currency Notes
7.- Custom House
8.- Fish Market
9.- Paddy's Market
10.- White Rabbit Gallery
11.- Australia National Maritime Museum
12.- The Mint
13.- Government House
14.- Parliament House
15.- Sydney Observatory
16.- State Library
17.- Manly Art Gallery
18.- Manly Scenic Walkway
19.- Coastal walk from Bondi to Cogee
1.- NSW Art Gallery
2.- Museum of Contemporary Arts
3.- Royal Botanical Gardens
4.- Bus 555, circular service from Central Station to Circular Quay
5.- Rocks Discovery Museum
6.- Museum of Australian Currency Notes
7.- Custom House
8.- Fish Market
9.- Paddy's Market
10.- White Rabbit Gallery
11.- Australia National Maritime Museum
12.- The Mint
13.- Government House
14.- Parliament House
15.- Sydney Observatory
16.- State Library
17.- Manly Art Gallery
18.- Manly Scenic Walkway
19.- Coastal walk from Bondi to Cogee
Monday 7 March 2011
Say Something!
And most of the sydneysiders did. That was the slogan for Mardi Gras 2011 in Sydney and they got a real response not only in the social media but in real life as I could see in the parade held on Saturday, 5th March. Children, seniors, fire fighters, police, ambulance and bus drivers, tradies, skaters, people from sport, life guards, politicians, surfers and any other sector of the Australian life you can imagine were there showing their support to gay and lesbian community, being proud of taking part of it or coming out for the first time.
Although the route of the parade was not as long as I expected to be, it was concentrated in a way I couldn't guess. Energy, happiness, pride, glitter and feathers, made Oxford St. shiver from Hyde Park to Taylors Square even though the rain joined the ride sometimes.
As counter part, the crowd gathered along Oxford St. made difficult to see and enjoy the parade to those who were a bit late. Besides many people bought steps to see the parade from above and place them in the front row, making it impossible to see to the people placed behind. On the other hand, the rubbish in the street took a huge effort from the cleaning services of the city and the taxi drivers had to deal with customers more impulsive than usual.
But these all seemed small concessions that everyone could manage with after experiencing a real explosion of joy and passion, with all those shouts echoing in the air ("I can't even think straight", "I love cocks, deal with it", "at the end is all about love", "don't be sad, be gay"), that ended up with a macro party in the streets of Sydney until the sun arose.
Friday 4 March 2011
Sydney, the city to be... for now!
Time flies: it has been already a week since I first landed in Sydney and I haven't found the time to write about the city. Here it goes!
I had planned to go to Melbourne from Cairns, where I went diving for a couple of days and experienced their backpackers ambient. My planned includedtry trying to find a place in Melbourne and, occasionally, something to study and a job. Yes, I know: I live in Wonderland. With the exception that I like to call it Lolly Pop Land. In that diving trip, I had the chance of meeting people that either had been in both cities or where from one of them. All their comments made me feel somehow that I'm more a Melbourne person and that if I was going to end up there anyway, why not visiting Sydney first? And that's how I finally bought my ticket to Sydney!
Since the first contact with this city, that I can tell it was in the airplane from Cairns with all the Sydnesiders on board, I started to understand that maybe Sydney deserved a chance... and as soon as I went out from the airport and got lost almost intentionally in the bus coming to my hostel, I knew it.
The couple from Nice who welcomed me in my room just reassure my thoughts. "We love it!", they said at once. "That's why we are looking for a flat now".
I left my things in the room and went for a walk. The air I could felt in my face once I had get rid of my heavy backpack and could focus and other thing that finding my hostel, reminded me of Madrid "but with beaches" and I thought "from Sydney to the heaven, for sure!" (my World is so small... sorry for all my judgments, preconceptions and set phrases!)
Paddington Area and it's Saturday markets with live music, Surry Hills and its bars, Chinatown and its cheap menus full of noodles and vegan dishes, The Rocks, Tamarama Beach, the ferries, the free Museums (Contemporary and Art Gallery NSW at least), the wines that you can take with you to a cinema showroom, the good mood of the people, the second hand bookstores in every corner, some of them cafés, the sport people jogging and exercising in every park, the libraries and very nice buses drivers... maybe Melbourne has it all and more, but I'm not in a rush and I want to discover this country little by little.
Second hand bookstore + café in Oxford Street.
Taylors Square, where Oxford St link Darlinghurt, Surry Hills and Paddington Neighborhoods. This is the center of the gay area, look at the signs!
From now, I want to stay here and when my second visa allows it.. who knows! A farm near Melbourne followed by a bit of excitement in the city looks inspiring to me.
And it was!
Photos from the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walkway (10km) and the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (2.5km). I did both in the same day. Now I have a fever.
I had planned to go to Melbourne from Cairns, where I went diving for a couple of days and experienced their backpackers ambient. My planned included
Since the first contact with this city, that I can tell it was in the airplane from Cairns with all the Sydnesiders on board, I started to understand that maybe Sydney deserved a chance... and as soon as I went out from the airport and got lost almost intentionally in the bus coming to my hostel, I knew it.
The couple from Nice who welcomed me in my room just reassure my thoughts. "We love it!", they said at once. "That's why we are looking for a flat now".
I left my things in the room and went for a walk. The air I could felt in my face once I had get rid of my heavy backpack and could focus and other thing that finding my hostel, reminded me of Madrid "but with beaches" and I thought "from Sydney to the heaven, for sure!" (my World is so small... sorry for all my judgments, preconceptions and set phrases!)
Paddington Area and it's Saturday markets with live music, Surry Hills and its bars, Chinatown and its cheap menus full of noodles and vegan dishes, The Rocks, Tamarama Beach, the ferries, the free Museums (Contemporary and Art Gallery NSW at least), the wines that you can take with you to a cinema showroom, the good mood of the people, the second hand bookstores in every corner, some of them cafés, the sport people jogging and exercising in every park, the libraries and very nice buses drivers... maybe Melbourne has it all and more, but I'm not in a rush and I want to discover this country little by little.
Second hand bookstore + café in Oxford Street.
Taylors Square, where Oxford St link Darlinghurt, Surry Hills and Paddington Neighborhoods. This is the center of the gay area, look at the signs!
From now, I want to stay here and when my second visa allows it.. who knows! A farm near Melbourne followed by a bit of excitement in the city looks inspiring to me.
And it was!
Photos from the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walkway (10km) and the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (2.5km). I did both in the same day. Now I have a fever.
Thursday 3 March 2011
Westpac Bank
- "Is this a Chinese bank?
- No, but as this branch is in the middle of the China Town, we wanted to make things easier for the people living around.
- I was wondering because of all the signs and brochures.
- Oh well! you should have seen this when we celebrated the Chinese New Years!"
The reason behind I choose this bank to open my account is:
- their good relation with the potential customer.
- their sincerity when explaining a product: they don't doubt when explaining the conditions and fees of an account, they speak your language even you don't speak quite well theirs.
- the empathy with the consultants, they work in other jobs in order to save enough to travel so they don't feel the company they are working in as if they owe their lives to a bloody bank that is above every mortal.
- they don't charge for any fee during the first 6 months and after that, you can avoid paying the fee by transferring some money and you can take it back to where it was at the beginning... tricky!!
- No fees on credit cards (MasterCard, I've never had one) or banking online.
And basically this is all! I have my account what means cash for daily life. First little step accomplished.
- No, but as this branch is in the middle of the China Town, we wanted to make things easier for the people living around.
- I was wondering because of all the signs and brochures.
- Oh well! you should have seen this when we celebrated the Chinese New Years!"
The reason behind I choose this bank to open my account is:
- their good relation with the potential customer.
- their sincerity when explaining a product: they don't doubt when explaining the conditions and fees of an account, they speak your language even you don't speak quite well theirs.
- the empathy with the consultants, they work in other jobs in order to save enough to travel so they don't feel the company they are working in as if they owe their lives to a bloody bank that is above every mortal.
- they don't charge for any fee during the first 6 months and after that, you can avoid paying the fee by transferring some money and you can take it back to where it was at the beginning... tricky!!
- No fees on credit cards (MasterCard, I've never had one) or banking online.
And basically this is all! I have my account what means cash for daily life. First little step accomplished.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
"Si l'amour porte des ailes, N'est-ce pas pour voltiger?"
God Will Provide. That's the expression that most fits my mood these days. "God" can be substituted for any other word you like the most "destiny", "fate", "will", "I","Jack White", "Baloo from the Jungle Book", etc.
With no job and no flat yet, there's a lot to do but loosing the temper and on the other hand what's the But things move to their own rate and tomorrow I will be looking a couple of flats at least. Also, I'm experiencing the rare sensation of having nothing to do but think, which it's supposed to be good. Yes, it is. Thinking about my destiny, about where I'm going and what kind of way of life I wan to join. And for every of them I need a bank account so let's start for the beginning and resolve thing one by one!
Three days ago I wanted to go to the movies in Chauvel Cinema so I bought my ticket in advance for Certified Copy, with Juliette Binoche on it and everything. With the shadow of a comment from my Canadian diving buddy, Claudia, who told me she find that French people speak too much to say too little, I was luckily enough to get a glass of white wine with me to the showroom. This made me spent the last minutes before the show discussing with the girl on the bar if it was a good match with the pop corns so I had to rush to the door before they turned off the lights (there's nothing I hate most that going into a showroom with the lights off and my hands full!). The result: I didn't go into the showroom I was supposed to go and instead I watched "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir (1939). And the white wine made the rest. The film, or the wine, made me feel that everything happens for a reason. And this is just one of the rules of the game.
(Min. 4.26, s'il vous plaît)
I came to see an old French film and now I feel that Paris, all the French stuff and I made peace finally (old memories from a broke up).
After all, instead of as a problem, I'm starting to look at my no job situation as a big opportunity. At least for now.
I want also to say hi and thank you to all my followers for your patience! I hope that the better my English gets, the less dull this blog will be. I'm working on it. Janine, Isa "Plas", Gema, Isahac, Centeno but specially to my dearest French girls here: Nolu and Julie: that comment about French people... je suis desolée and I trust it cannot be true. Perhaps is that in Canada, people don't appreciate the beauty of the real French language ;) Well, I do and I can stand hours listening to it! and much better if we all share some good white wine!
With no job and no flat yet, there's a lot to do but loosing the temper and on the other hand what's the But things move to their own rate and tomorrow I will be looking a couple of flats at least. Also, I'm experiencing the rare sensation of having nothing to do but think, which it's supposed to be good. Yes, it is. Thinking about my destiny, about where I'm going and what kind of way of life I wan to join. And for every of them I need a bank account so let's start for the beginning and resolve thing one by one!
Three days ago I wanted to go to the movies in Chauvel Cinema so I bought my ticket in advance for Certified Copy, with Juliette Binoche on it and everything. With the shadow of a comment from my Canadian diving buddy, Claudia, who told me she find that French people speak too much to say too little, I was luckily enough to get a glass of white wine with me to the showroom. This made me spent the last minutes before the show discussing with the girl on the bar if it was a good match with the pop corns so I had to rush to the door before they turned off the lights (there's nothing I hate most that going into a showroom with the lights off and my hands full!). The result: I didn't go into the showroom I was supposed to go and instead I watched "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir (1939). And the white wine made the rest. The film, or the wine, made me feel that everything happens for a reason. And this is just one of the rules of the game.
(Min. 4.26, s'il vous plaît)
I came to see an old French film and now I feel that Paris, all the French stuff and I made peace finally (old memories from a broke up).
After all, instead of as a problem, I'm starting to look at my no job situation as a big opportunity. At least for now.
I want also to say hi and thank you to all my followers for your patience! I hope that the better my English gets, the less dull this blog will be. I'm working on it. Janine, Isa "Plas", Gema, Isahac, Centeno but specially to my dearest French girls here: Nolu and Julie: that comment about French people... je suis desolée and I trust it cannot be true. Perhaps is that in Canada, people don't appreciate the beauty of the real French language ;) Well, I do and I can stand hours listening to it! and much better if we all share some good white wine!
Sunday 27 February 2011
Dig on vegan food (no, I haven't heard your band cause your guys are pretty new)
This post goes specially dedicated to my beloved mum who thought I had became “normal” and felt happy about it. Mum, I'm still vegan! But being vegan is not special in Australia (sic). Dam it!
Lately, two ideas / Chinese proverbshas have been very live in my head and they are: “knowing is the basis of appreciation” and “hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once”. The second maybe doesn't make any sense here but it has it in the post about the Great Barrier Reef and in other orders of life such us love.
I want to focus in the first one: Australian people seem to be very linked to their environment and live it in a very deep way maybe because they love doing sports in the nature (surf, kayak, trekking...). Anyway, their respect towards the animals -although they still keep them in zoos, they are a kind of “zoos in he wild”-, seems to transcend to other orders of live such as food and if there is a huge variety of meat to eat, from kangaroo to emu, there is also an important awareness of what this meat comes from and how the animals are treated in order to get it.
Being in an small airport with the exact time for a juice and something to eat or on board of a boat in the middle of the sea and nothing to do but eat, it is not a problem even when it looks like there will be few options to choose. Many fast food restaurants (www.healthyhabits.com.au) and coffees chains has an offer of vegan food enough to choose. My choice today: vegan baguette made of lettuce, pumpkin, pesto, red pepper, toffu, eggplant and a juice called the red baron made of tomato (a must for me when traveling), carrot, celery and beetroot... delicious!
Also, my first day in Cairns was a market day and I could enjoy the lively of Rusty's market, in the back door of Gilligans (a horrible backpackers hotel full of party for young drunks) where many Asian people has their own stall, children play ukulele (Carmeeeen!), organic cosmetic (Martaaaa!) is sold and rice with strange mixtures is cooked to sell. I had there a rice with something I couldn't identify but it looked as a cashew, and coco, a sambusak of vegetables and a refreshing cane juice on the rocks with lemon.
And I could write a post with my daily meal but don't want to bother you and myself with that (no worries!!)
Maybe because of the variety of fresh vegetables, maybe because they really love doing sport in the nature (surf, kayak, trekking...) what make them respect the animals, maybe because of the influence of Asian cultures where the meat is not at hand for everybody, I feel that the vegetables and fruits are much more appreciate here than in Europe. I don't really know. But people is more conscious about the existence of food with names as pumpkin, beetroot, lettuce, quinoa, etc.
An now, for a bunch of reasons: because it makes me laugh so much, because it's about a sad thing but from a witty perspective, ironic, because for me this is one of the best songs from the last decades along with its video and never get tired of it... oh yes, and because it says something about vegan food at one point and simply because this is my blog and I want to hear it and share it, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Dandy Warhols!
Are you looking so bohemiam like me? Cause I'm getting wise...
Lately, two ideas / Chinese proverbs
I want to focus in the first one: Australian people seem to be very linked to their environment and live it in a very deep way maybe because they love doing sports in the nature (surf, kayak, trekking...). Anyway, their respect towards the animals -although they still keep them in zoos, they are a kind of “zoos in he wild”-, seems to transcend to other orders of live such as food and if there is a huge variety of meat to eat, from kangaroo to emu, there is also an important awareness of what this meat comes from and how the animals are treated in order to get it.
Being in an small airport with the exact time for a juice and something to eat or on board of a boat in the middle of the sea and nothing to do but eat, it is not a problem even when it looks like there will be few options to choose. Many fast food restaurants (www.healthyhabits.com.au) and coffees chains has an offer of vegan food enough to choose. My choice today: vegan baguette made of lettuce, pumpkin, pesto, red pepper, toffu, eggplant and a juice called the red baron made of tomato (a must for me when traveling), carrot, celery and beetroot... delicious!
Also, my first day in Cairns was a market day and I could enjoy the lively of Rusty's market, in the back door of Gilligans (a horrible backpackers hotel full of party for young drunks) where many Asian people has their own stall, children play ukulele (Carmeeeen!), organic cosmetic (Martaaaa!) is sold and rice with strange mixtures is cooked to sell. I had there a rice with something I couldn't identify but it looked as a cashew, and coco, a sambusak of vegetables and a refreshing cane juice on the rocks with lemon.
And I could write a post with my daily meal but don't want to bother you and myself with that (no worries!!)
Maybe because of the variety of fresh vegetables, maybe because they really love doing sport in the nature (surf, kayak, trekking...) what make them respect the animals, maybe because of the influence of Asian cultures where the meat is not at hand for everybody, I feel that the vegetables and fruits are much more appreciate here than in Europe. I don't really know. But people is more conscious about the existence of food with names as pumpkin, beetroot, lettuce, quinoa, etc.
An now, for a bunch of reasons: because it makes me laugh so much, because it's about a sad thing but from a witty perspective, ironic, because for me this is one of the best songs from the last decades along with its video and never get tired of it... oh yes, and because it says something about vegan food at one point and simply because this is my blog and I want to hear it and share it, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Dandy Warhols!
Are you looking so bohemiam like me? Cause I'm getting wise...
Thursday 24 February 2011
Cuddling a koala
The koalas sleep 22 hours a days. "It's not because they are lazy, it's because eating eucalyptus doesn't give them to much energy". In the Australian Zoo, the keepers awake them to hug the tourists -Queensland is the only state in Australia that allows this- and so they take advantage to poo when they are awake.
"Koalas of the Australian Zoo. Shitting the tourists since 1970"
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Diving in the Great Barrier Reef
I can't believe it has passed almost a week since my last post in Brisbane!
Things that I've been doing since then: going to Cairns, discovering this great although touristic corner of the country, shopping in its fruit and veg market, free vegan eating, sending postcards, going diving for three days in a boat to the Great Barrier Reef, kayaking, attending random parties where adolescent people get quickly wasted... and that sort of things.
Although I don't feel specially proud of how easily my life runs here, having in mind what's going on in Libya and in the Middle East and how disconnected I am from everything, that's what this experience is about, about feeling in a remote part of the world where nothing affects me really and where I'm going to make the most of it until I go back to reality.
Diving during three days in the GBR has been great although the water was not as clean I supposed to be because of the cyclone and we could see some damage in the Reef. We took a boat and did nothing but diving, eating, sleeping and talking so it's normal that after 11 dives in 3 days I feel much comfortable and free inside the water than before: I deal much better with the "buoyancy" and not as before, when going back to the surface for no reason was something normal in my underwater life. Now I do it just well, keeping from half a meter to a meter over the ground and diving with my arms crossed, so no air is over spent, balancing and finding gravity playing only with my tank!
We got to make two night dives, one of them jumping over a family of sharks and coming back with my buddy half an hour
later than the rest of the people... simply magical!
I saw rays, parrot fishes, sharks, trigger fishes, lion fish, turtles, sea horses, clown fishes and many others but the big surprise was to discover the most funny fish I have ever seen: the "funky" clown trigger fish. Really, it looks just like a fat black soul singer doing his show between the seaweeds.
And since this post is about diving and I feel like becoming an instructor someday too, I want to ask you please support my friend Waleed, who wants to become one and he's running in a competition to get a free course in Bali. All you have to do is leaving a comment to his video in youtube and hopefully I will be able to get some free classes from him one day!!!
Things that I've been doing since then: going to Cairns, discovering this great although touristic corner of the country, shopping in its fruit and veg market, free vegan eating, sending postcards, going diving for three days in a boat to the Great Barrier Reef, kayaking, attending random parties where adolescent people get quickly wasted... and that sort of things.
Although I don't feel specially proud of how easily my life runs here, having in mind what's going on in Libya and in the Middle East and how disconnected I am from everything, that's what this experience is about, about feeling in a remote part of the world where nothing affects me really and where I'm going to make the most of it until I go back to reality.
Diving during three days in the GBR has been great although the water was not as clean I supposed to be because of the cyclone and we could see some damage in the Reef. We took a boat and did nothing but diving, eating, sleeping and talking so it's normal that after 11 dives in 3 days I feel much comfortable and free inside the water than before: I deal much better with the "buoyancy" and not as before, when going back to the surface for no reason was something normal in my underwater life. Now I do it just well, keeping from half a meter to a meter over the ground and diving with my arms crossed, so no air is over spent, balancing and finding gravity playing only with my tank!
We got to make two night dives, one of them jumping over a family of sharks and coming back with my buddy half an hour
later than the rest of the people... simply magical!I saw rays, parrot fishes, sharks, trigger fishes, lion fish, turtles, sea horses, clown fishes and many others but the big surprise was to discover the most funny fish I have ever seen: the "funky" clown trigger fish. Really, it looks just like a fat black soul singer doing his show between the seaweeds.
And since this post is about diving and I feel like becoming an instructor someday too, I want to ask you please support my friend Waleed, who wants to become one and he's running in a competition to get a free course in Bali. All you have to do is leaving a comment to his video in youtube and hopefully I will be able to get some free classes from him one day!!!
Friday 18 February 2011
I'm a little Retarded
I feel stupid. Or as my non friend Mr Bigott would say:
I'm a little retarded:
(1) Today I got lost at the train station and took a train in the wrong direction. I had to go on my track to be on the right path and then, 2 hours later, reach my destination: Australian Zoo.
Never more. But at least the countryside made me think about the beauty of Australia and the quality of the people living here meanwhile in the radio of the bus sounded this song:
Anyway, I will try to explain this in other post because tonight I'm tired and feel a little Bigotta.
(2) Also, I'm conscious about how I look speaking in a language that is not my mother tongue and that I assuming lately how bad I'm at it.
It is not as if I were specially wise in Spanish either, but I feel I can communicate my feelings and thoughts -as superficial and trivial they can be- in a more deeply way, make them look much more important of what they really are even, make me understand better without feeling me so impotent, desperate and silly!
I don't know why I bother something with this because I am not really clever in any language... I only know I know nothing.
PS. Please correct my bad English in the comments: it would be much appreciated and I'm here and doing this to learn!
I'm a little retarded:
(1) Today I got lost at the train station and took a train in the wrong direction. I had to go on my track to be on the right path and then, 2 hours later, reach my destination: Australian Zoo.
Never more. But at least the countryside made me think about the beauty of Australia and the quality of the people living here meanwhile in the radio of the bus sounded this song:
Anyway, I will try to explain this in other post because tonight I'm tired and feel a little Bigotta.
(2) Also, I'm conscious about how I look speaking in a language that is not my mother tongue and that I assuming lately how bad I'm at it.
It is not as if I were specially wise in Spanish either, but I feel I can communicate my feelings and thoughts -as superficial and trivial they can be- in a more deeply way, make them look much more important of what they really are even, make me understand better without feeling me so impotent, desperate and silly!
I don't know why I bother something with this because I am not really clever in any language... I only know I know nothing.
PS. Please correct my bad English in the comments: it would be much appreciated and I'm here and doing this to learn!
Walkabout in Down Under
Every male Aboriginal reaches a point in their lives, generally during the adolescence, when they feel the need to go away for a couple of months, generally six or so, to think about the meaning of live and to learn the songs from their ancestors with the teachings of their culture. Also, Walkabout are a chain of Australian pubs in the UK where people usually lose the cameras, wallets, bags, t-shirts and dignity.
My walkabout, since I think I will never stop being an male Aboriginal adolescent, it's about thinking over casual things in daily live with the perspective of someone who is traveling.
Down Under is simply a colloquial way to call Australia and New Zeland as these countries are always presented from an European perspective as if they were really upside down.
My walkabout, since I think I will never stop being an male Aboriginal adolescent, it's about thinking over casual things in daily live with the perspective of someone who is traveling.
Down Under is simply a colloquial way to call Australia and New Zeland as these countries are always presented from an European perspective as if they were really upside down.
A Day in the Zoo
I've gone to the zoo today. I hate it and I hate myself for going there. Mi karma is below 0 right now after seeing so many brothers and sisters living in captivity although they haven't done anything wrong... (and we allow that although they could be our mother's reincarnation).
I knew that it would be like that but I had to see it with my own eyes. I have to say that most of the animals are fine and they are takenin care by professionals but the point is why do we think we are, the human beings, to determinate where an animal should live? to select two specimen of some breed -crocodiles, gooses, ponies, Tasmanian devils deeply on danger, Bengal tigers- and putting there to show them to an audience that just want to take photos and cuddle koalas.
What we think we are to choose if they should live in captivity or in the wild? It is unfair to say that this way we are protecting them and saving them from their extinction when we know exactly what are the habits we must stop to really protect them and allow them to live freely.
But we, that wear the adjective "human" as "sensible and sensitive" creature of the nature, forget this compassion towards what we still are, only living beings, and only think in our own benefit and to a short term.
I cuddled a koala, I must admit but in the hope that I would be able to set it free during the photo moment.
And Steve Irwing was not a warrior or the Wildlife Warrior, whatsoever. Crocodrile Hunter, he has worked hard to make those convicts animals generate important profits even after his death.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-zoos.html
I knew that it would be like that but I had to see it with my own eyes. I have to say that most of the animals are fine and they are taken
What we think we are to choose if they should live in captivity or in the wild? It is unfair to say that this way we are protecting them and saving them from their extinction when we know exactly what are the habits we must stop to really protect them and allow them to live freely.
But we, that wear the adjective "human" as "sensible and sensitive" creature of the nature, forget this compassion towards what we still are, only living beings, and only think in our own benefit and to a short term.
I cuddled a koala, I must admit but in the hope that I would be able to set it free during the photo moment.
And Steve Irwing was not a warrior or the Wildlife Warrior, whatsoever. Crocodrile Hunter, he has worked hard to make those convicts animals generate important profits even after his death.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-zoos.html
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Brisbane, 2 points
Is this the lowest punctuation in Eurovision?
Then, I have been too hard: just because of it's people Brisbane deserves 15 points! But the city is just not for me, at least at first glance! What I don't feel very comfortable with are the spaces and the buildings, there are only malls, fast food corners where the 9 to 5 employees run for their lunch, at 6 every shop is closed and you can't find flip flop to relieve your feet in pain after having walking the whole day... oohhh that's why I don't like the city, because of my shoes! but not, seriously, I will give it three more days but I'm starting to look at the next cities. This first day, I couldn't find this city has a strong personality: the farmer markets on the street were OK but there was just one today and packed and they are thought just to feed the workers in the business companies around. From my personal perspective, it's like it suffers from lack of cohesion. There are a bunch of cultural venues but they look cold to me, as if they were sports centers.
This morning, the young lady that shared the train trip with me told me: "I have to say that Brisbane doesn't look very pretty today. Specially the South Bank -the suburb that was more injured by the last floods-, I'm looking at my city as if it was the first time I see it and everything just seemed old and scary". Her genuineness obligated me to give it a second chance. When we arrived to the river, I tried to make her feel better explaining that it's brown colour could be because of the clouds but she pointed "no, I'm sorry to say this but unfortunately it's like this all the year round!". Poor girl, I made her realize that she lives in a sad city.
Of course, we talked about our travels and as an Australian, that considers going to New Zeland "a travel", she wide opened her eyes when she heard my list, although compared to other people in Europe they are few countries to be honest, and asked me what was my favorite destination. It took me a second to say the city I want to get lost (and that I won't tell here otherwise I wouldn't be able to get lost) and two to say the country I want to live in. but now, relaxed and tired after a whole day walking and being so far from both homes, I have to admit that my favorite destination is the one I have never been to yet.
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Planes, jetlag and other drugs
Here I am finally! Walkabouting Down Under after a long trip of almost 20 hours.
My first impression once I put my feet on the ground of Brisbane shall be the same as the one we all had when we were born: wet and warm. And to be true, it is veeeery nice!
But let's go back to the plane. As there wasn't to much to do nor places to go, I decided to give myself to the vast film offer of Singapore Airlines watching four Egyptian films to match my mood these days (what I'm doing going there when I should be going there):
- Farah (****)
- Ehky ya Scheherazade (***)
- Risala al Bakhr (**)
- The Butcher (*)
The three first of them got me thinking about how the cinema in Egypt has been taking part in this revolution for years now carrying the message of upset and nostalgia although directors usually had to link those sad feelings suffered by the main characters to a bad behavior as drinking, taking drugs, being gay or being liberal sexually to legitimated. Of course, it couldn't be fault of the Government!
Also, got me thinking about the need of a full database in the internet for Arabic films. Excuse me if there is already a complete one in Arabic... shwoya, showya!
The second flight from Singapore to Brisbane lasted 7 hours and, although I would have loved to have more memories about my journey sited next to an Iranian top model, I'm sorry but I only could sleep!
Second impression after landing: these people are extremely nice... it's very important to them to say hi or smile to everyone they have eye contact with no matter if boy or girl. Also, they will walk along with you to the train station and talk with you during the whole trip. For example, I bought today an Australian SIM card and frankly made me laugh how the man on the phone that was about to activate my SIM card asked me my name: "could I have the honor to know the name of the lovely person I'm talking with?". This would sound weird in Spain, right?
To support my this thesis, and as my friend Nolu researched for me, Australian people were the first who started the free hugs movement! Normal!
And I disconnected myself from my impressions until the next day.
My first impression once I put my feet on the ground of Brisbane shall be the same as the one we all had when we were born: wet and warm. And to be true, it is veeeery nice!
But let's go back to the plane. As there wasn't to much to do nor places to go, I decided to give myself to the vast film offer of Singapore Airlines watching four Egyptian films to match my mood these days (what I'm doing going there when I should be going there):
- Farah (****)
- Ehky ya Scheherazade (***)
- Risala al Bakhr (**)
- The Butcher (*)
The three first of them got me thinking about how the cinema in Egypt has been taking part in this revolution for years now carrying the message of upset and nostalgia although directors usually had to link those sad feelings suffered by the main characters to a bad behavior as drinking, taking drugs, being gay or being liberal sexually to legitimated. Of course, it couldn't be fault of the Government!
Also, got me thinking about the need of a full database in the internet for Arabic films. Excuse me if there is already a complete one in Arabic... shwoya, showya!
The second flight from Singapore to Brisbane lasted 7 hours and, although I would have loved to have more memories about my journey sited next to an Iranian top model, I'm sorry but I only could sleep!
Second impression after landing: these people are extremely nice... it's very important to them to say hi or smile to everyone they have eye contact with no matter if boy or girl. Also, they will walk along with you to the train station and talk with you during the whole trip. For example, I bought today an Australian SIM card and frankly made me laugh how the man on the phone that was about to activate my SIM card asked me my name: "could I have the honor to know the name of the lovely person I'm talking with?". This would sound weird in Spain, right?
To support my this thesis, and as my friend Nolu researched for me, Australian people were the first who started the free hugs movement! Normal!
And I disconnected myself from my impressions until the next day.
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