Some walk by night, some fly by day

Originally uploaded by Olma.

Originally uploaded by Olma.

This show,'Heliosphere' by The Dream Engine, happened at various times during the Womadelaide weekend. We would be watching one of the shows and over our heads would appear this balloon with an acrobat suspended from it. The two people anchoring it to the ground moved slowly through the crowd so that the balloon moved right over our heads. If you like these pictures, there are several more in the series on my Flickr page.




Below, a couple of shots of one of several groups of flags installed around the park, by Angus Watt. He did some last year as well, and for WOMAD festivals in other countries also.

pink flags
Originally uploaded by Olma.


pink flags_2
Originally uploaded by Olma.

The gorgeous fabric lanterns in the trees were also similar to last year's, though during daylight I could see they were a bit different. I think last year's were the same basic shape but more abstract; these had cute themes like one with soccer ball fabric and little soccer balls hanging from it, another with toy gardening tools. I guess it was an attempt to mix things up, a bit odd, but just as pretty at night.

lanterns, originally uploaded by Olma.

lanterns_2, originally uploaded by Olma.

Backwards and forwards with my heart hanging out

The Amazing Human Body exhibition was like nothing I ever thought I would see. Definitely educational, and a new perspective on the body, its fragility, and its weirdness. I now have a better idea of what I look like on the inside (Actually almost all the specimens were men but that is another story for when it's not so late at night already). So we spent a few hours there and learned some stuff. Later, we discovered some further scientific information at the pub. (We all thought it was very brave of K to actually take a photo in the men's loos.)

We stayed with friends who have just moved to an awesome apartment in Surrey Hills. They are on the 10th floor (pretty good views) but these photos were taken from the roof.



This funky little block of apartments sits on top of a neighbouring building. Total fishbowl, but no one is up there looking.

For the record, I did not go to either of the Elizabeth's bookstores in the city. I did, purely by chance, walk past one in the wee hours of Sunday morning. In Perth they seemed to be open late, but I guess not that late. We also drove past both IKEA stores (another Perth shopping experience) but did not have anywhere near the energy you need for the place like that. Next time.

I love you cause I have to

When we planned an afternoon in Fremantle I was keen to go back to Elizabeth's bookshop. It was in one of the two Elizabeth's in Fremantle during my first visit to Perth where I happened to pick up one of Phil Rickman's books and since then I've been reading the whole series. I had been looking for a second hand or cheap replacement for the book that was missing pages and I found it in the first Elizabeth's I walked into. Not that that stopped me visitng the other Fremantle one too. Then a few days later, I had a morning of wandering the Subiaco shopping strip and happened upon one there too. Later that afternoon, in the city, I swear I didn't seek them out but my path took me past (and of course, into) the two city stores as well.


I'm going to Sydney this weekend (to see The Amazing Human Body). If I was to happen to seek out the two Sydney stores, and managed to find them before, say, 3pm, I would be able to say I had visited all of the seven Elizabeth's stores within one week. I'm not actually going to do it, but the idea pleases me. I think I just like to collect things, even fairly meaningless things like visits to bookshops.

Well, they are very nice 2nd hand bookshops.

Rock on one time, George, for Ringo

I obviously don't send postcards often enough. I guess that's why I can never seem to remember the simple rule: the stamp goes on BEFORE the message is written. Stamp before you write. Quite straightforward.

Clearly the way NOT to do it is to write up to the edges of that tiny rectangle marked 'affix stamp here', start to get a funny feeling as I am finishing up my message and signing off, realise before I even get a stamp out that it's not going to fit, and then have to decide whether it can go on with a little bit of overhang or whether some words have to be rewritten in the margins. Neither is a great option: the former because, well, you never know when the post office pixies might take offence and redirect it to the Dead Letter Office; the latter because it is always noticable that the stamp has covered some words, and even if you rewrite them elsewhere, the recipient doesn't know that and might still think they have missed out on something.

Sigh.

Ima Narnty!

I'm having a great time being an aunty. A 'Real Aunty' not a fake aunty, or 'Faurnty', as his parents explain to him. He has a lot of fake aunties and has only just met a real one. Real aunties are ok, interesting even, and maybe a bit puzzling, cause their voices might sound very similar to Mum's.

I can hear the sound of violins, long before it begins

Womadelaide was, once again, a fantastic weekend. Things I learned: Joe Camilleri has a bright! pink! saxophone!




Also, life's not fair. Some people get all the fashion karma: imagine being able to combine wearing a beret - a seemingly simple act that is actually beyond most people anyway - with a fancy hairstyle/hairclip as well?

It's (not really at all) like ra-a-ain, on your wedding day

Pretty much ever since I had the most awesome weekend at Womadelaide last year, I was planning to do it again this year. Then my sister and brother-in-law in Perth let us know they were having a baby. I noticed how Adelaide is kinda sorta on the way to Perth. So late last year, planning much further ahead than usual, I booked the necessary flights for a Very Exciting Trip involving very dear friends, cool new music, Belgian fries with mayonnaise, loved family members, and getting to know my NEW NEPHEW!

I think on average I'm probably invited to one wedding per year. I am only going to be away for just two weeks. In that time I am going to miss attending two weddings, and one baby shower. Some people might call this ironic but they would be wrong. It's not not ironic in any way, just bad timing. For the situation to be ironic I would have to, say, be going away for a wedding, which would then be called off at the last minute leaving me there for no reason and away from home not attending other weddings. Right?

Sadly, I will also miss out on a really cool event at my favourite comic shop. Boo, I say. Several Australian women comic book creators all converging on Impact comics next Saturday. I'm kind of bummed to miss out on this.