Two Travelers Go To: Sydney

In the shortest trip to Sydney ever (made by us), we had a jam packed day!

Step 1. Get up at 3:30am (or, if you're me, wake up at 12:30am feeling anxious, and then be scared out of your wits by Marsh sleep-screaming bloody murder at 3am), get your bags and head to the bus station, where you get the 4am bus to Avalon airport.

Step 2. Grab a coffee and hop on your 6am flight to Sydney, where you arrive at 7:30am. Store your bags in the airport ($12 for 24 hours) and get the train into the city.

Step 3. Be on time for Marsh's 9:30am appointment at the travel doctor to get a Hep B booster.

Step 4. Go to a web cafe and print out all the supporting document you think you'll need when you arrive at US customs (you won't need them, it's aloha time in Hawaii).

Step 5. Walk and walk, head for the Rocks where you sit in a cafe to meet your buddy, Sam, and her house-guest/Lindy Hop guru Lennart, for coffee and a trip to the old observatory.

Step 6. Talk jazz! science! weather!

Step 7. Hightail it to Darling Harbour to meet Anna, then hightail it to Google HQ to meet her boyf Abdullah, who works there and is kindly hosting you for free Google lunch and, what, a tour?! (Thanks, Abby, you shouldn't have!)

Step 8. Take all the free stuff from Google and gleefully get a picture taken.

Step 9. Rush back to the train station, jump on the train to the airport, and check in for your 6pm flight to Honolulu.

Phew! Thanks Sydney, we like you and we will be back for longer next time!

Two Travelers Go To: Melbourne

Almost two weeks ago, we left home for the longest trip away we have ever done. We are hoping it will be about eight months before we have to come home, but we will see how far we get. First stop, Melbourne! 

Melbourne is like a second home city to us now. We have visited enough times to have seen the sights, have a basic understanding of the layout of the city so we can walk without a map, and have friends and family (my sister lives there now) enough there now that we spent a good few days catching up with people. Alternatively, we sat in a cafe with free WiFi and started making plans for the next week or so of our trip.

By Perth standards, the weather in Melbourne was icy. The first day was pleasant enough – sunny and 22 degrees – but the following two really delivered in terms of Melbourne-typical weather. Showers, hail, wind, a high of 15 degrees; we were longing for the beach.

Leaving Perth in the whirlwind in the way we did - with weeks of hard work, moving, sorting out problems – made Melbourne the perfect first destination. Finally, we had the chance to relax and leave our work behind. My sister and her boyfriend recently moved into a new house, with new housemates, and we spent two really fun nights with the whole house-full, eating homemade pizza and playing beer pong, then cooking Indian food for the whole crew and polishing off a bottle of red wine. They are good people, and I am happy to see my sister happy.

Here’s where we ate:

Quince Cafe – amazing Italian hot chocolate

Gami – specialising in Korean fried chicken and beer, the spicy chicken had us all gulping down water

Purple Peanuts – Japanese lunch for cheap, vegetarian rice ball ftw

Ponyfish Island – if you like to sit in a bar in the middle of the river and let the trans-arctic winds ice you up, here you go (also, we saw a goose!)

Horn, Please – hipster Indian with a mysterious name

The Hardware Societe – ubiquitous French-style cutesy cafe, Perth prices

food party: rollins mosh pot (spanish style)

another favourite and easy recipe of mine, adapted from somewhere i don't remember! it's a good one to get rid of left overs, you can even try it with leftover roast chicken, which we did the other day (just cut down the cooking time).

ingredients:

•  chicken pieces, whatever you like (about 300-500g is about right)
•  chorizo or some kind of sausage (2 chorizos worth)
• oranges (2)
• onion (1, red or brown, it's up to you)
• misc vegetables (i've tried tomatoes, beans, spinach, asparagus... you could try cauliflower, capsicum, whatever)
• olive oil

how to:
1) chop up all ingredients into bite-size chunks, except the chicken, you can  leave those bits whole. quickly peel the orange (i chop the peel off ala juicing days) and cut into segments
2) all goes in a baking dish
3) drizzle generously with olive oil (3-4tbsp)
4) whack it in a 180 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

served suggestion:
either serve as is or with a couple of poached eggs on top.

food party: whole 30 friendly baked meatballs

yo! here is how i do the kitchen: quick, easy, in bulk, not too many recipes. last week i made the yummiest meatballs in the food processor. i'm not kidding. let's rumball.

whole 30 friendly baked meatballs
step 1. preheat oven to 180 °C
step 2. get your food processor and hook up your grating attachment
step 3. prep and stick in 2 carrots, half an eggplant, 1 onion
step 4. no more grating, swap to your mixing/slicing tool
step 5. pop all your veggies back in, add 500g of mince, 1 egg and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste
step 6. whiz it around until combined
step 7. shape about 2 tablespoons worth of mixture into balls and pop into a baking dish
step 8. bake for 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned on the outside

sunday evening in the maylands

the sun is setting.
the apartment has been tidied, sheets washed, beds made, carpets vacuumed (dishes not done).
a paleo strawberry coconut pie has been made, a chicken been roasted.
scented candles have been lit and it feels just like sunday night.
winding up the week, preparing for the next.
i'm trying to let all worries go and just wait for my man to come home.
enjoying this lovely view, dusk, and quiet,

blueberry picking!

The weekend before last was a long weekend so a bunch of us managed to get out of town for a quick break down in Dunsborough. We cooked, ate, swam and snorkeled on the reef, all got sunburnt, hung out, and then we went blueberry picking. Our friends, Cam and Nadia, who live down in that part of the world, told us about a secret blueberry farm where you can pick your own berries for cheap. Uh, sold!

We also visited Gabriel Chocolate (where Nadia works) and Arimia Estate (where Cam used to work) in Yallingup. Go there. You won't regret it. And here we all are. Delight!

our bodies and our struggles

Relevant because we're eating donuts. Okay.

 

Something happened on the weekend that's been on my mind a little and I've decided to share it, because I think it's relevant to a very human struggle that many of us share.

On Sunday night, I was at a work dinner in Canberra. It was convivial, with wine and laughter. I ordered dessert, because 1) work was paying and 2) HELLO! Chocolate cake! Um, yes.
When my dessert arrived at the table, I tucked in, then,
"How dare you be able to eat that and stay so thin," a lady at my table said, "How unfair!"
I was a little taken aback and jokingly tried to deflect,
"Actually, I'm quite active," I said. She hmm'ed and nodded, my explanation seemed to justify a little, but not enough to stop her making the same comment again.

On one hand, let's just admit this, I was pleased with myself - and not just because I was eating a delicious chocolate cake - but because joy of joys! someone thought I was thin! What a reaction, huh? I surprised myself a little in thinking that. Most days I think I'm just a normal lass or I'm not 100% happy with my weight (see below), but events like this remind me that body satisfaction is all about perception. In her eyes, I am normal sized, therefore thin. Yes, and by all measures I am a very healthy weight.

On the other hand, something about her saying this didn't sit well with me.
"She was a little out of line to say that," I blurted out to a colleague later. "How could she think that I can eat anything and stay in shape? I can't! I mean, I am 26 and my metabolism is still in my favour, but I have to exercise and watch what I eat, and I certainly can't eat anything I want and stay the same weight..." And so on.

Can I side bar for a second to just put this out there, world, right now? I'm no stranger to struggling with my weight (/health). As a teenager, I was 20kgs heavier than I am now and, oh, how this impacted on my self esteem. I lost this weight through strict eating and exercise and a generally healthier lifestyle. I do watch what I eat, I try to build healthy habits in my life, and when I eat crap, I gain weight like a normal human. Some days I look at my butt and just go, "Damn, where did you come from?" I eat and I enjoy food, but I try to balance it. Sometimes it's difficult. So there's that.

Back to the story and after mulling over that little incident for a few days, this is essence of my thoughts: How dare she presume to know my struggle.

And this has given me much pause. What a horrible thought this is because, oh dear, I am guilty of presumption myself, of judging based on outside appearance. Also because, what must she be feeling to say something like that (which I totally am not angry at her about, I feel I must add). Where must her thoughts be, as she denied herself dessert and watched me devour a hunk of cake? Hmm, that's a thinker.

I don't think many women go through life not worried about their bodies. What an insular struggle this one is, a solitary worry, and a secret one often. I think there's shame encouraged in feeling this way, in caring about how you look, particularly when you are at a healthy weight. I think we are prone to believe that we have it hardest, don't we? I think this because of the shock I encountered when I told some colleagues I was wearing Spanx (i.e. "suck in pants") under a dress, no one could believe that I worried about my appearance, which is not an unusual thing. And I'm back to this perception thing, do we always imagine ourselves fatter and more imperfect than we are?

As I get older, worry about my body has lessened, or rather, I am more accepting of realistic bodies, in all shapes and sizes. I'm not scared of flesh and the form it takes, I know it better. I show mine (we're talking about my thighs here, my worst enemies) and don't mind so much what people think. It's my body, I'm happy with it.
On the other hand, I check my size every morning in the mirror. I analyse, I look, I weigh and sometimes I wish I was smaller. I compare. It's quite the contradiction, yes?

Here's the lessons I am taking from this: firstly, we simply cannot presume to know the struggles of others' lives. Secondly, let's just support and love people for who they are - let them eat cake, if you will - because I am sure many of them chastise themselves enough for their so called failings. Let's enjoy our life and health. This brings to my mind Meg's thoughts on "fat talk", which I think are particularly valid here.

I'd love to know your thoughts and feelings on this, please. Have you had a similar experience? Do you feel isolated by your experiences?

on top of a piiiizza!

Here's an oldie but a goodie from the drafts of September 2012...

On Saturday night, we went to a farewell pizza party for our friend Katelyn who is off to see the world for the next six months or so. Jen kindly hosted the shin dig at her house, which has a gorgeous backyard and wood-fired pizza oven (!).

Jen and Katelyn made a huge stash of pizza dough for bases and everyone brought a topping or two - we had an assortment of meats, vegetables, pesto, cheese, and a few jars of olives that I don't think actually made it onto any pizza. Later on, there was a quick run to the shops for nutella, marshmallows, berries, and chocolate for dessert pizzas. That Cherry Ripe pizza was divine!

  

I took an epic break from the whole30 and dove right in! EPIC. Seriously, you guys, don't look at me as a good example of how to do this thing right (although on the first round I was stringent, I'm thinking of round two as a way to start testing how I'm going to live and eat from now on). There is no way to eat whole30 friendly at a pizza party (unless you don't eat, or only eat a pile of toppings with tomato paste as a dressing), so I just embraced it. And my stomach let me know what I'd done on Sunday morning, let me tell you.

It was just a good time spent with good friends, sharing food (which we love to do) and enjoying each others company. Farewell, Katelyn, we know you're gonna have a blast!

 

twenty six.

Last Friday, I turned twenty six. I took a day off work and gave myself some treats. I woke up to presents in bed with Marsh, he gave me a lovely dress I'd been wanting, a book about the meanings of flowers and a really fun pen(cil). Then I got my hair and eyebrows done (and met Annaliese in the process) and did some shopping. Oh, the relaxation! It's been a long while since my hair got attended to.
We went for lunch with my parents and sister to The Merrywell, which is delicious! I visited Rachel, got my nails done, and then went back to my parents' for cake and to play with Wolfie. I just luxuriated, it was wonderful. Later, some friends joined us for drinks at Bar Lafayette. Delicious cocktails, amazing duck shanks, giggles and good times.

In the morning, I jokingly told Marsh that now I was 26, I felt I should put on my suit, buy a house, have a baby, and get some grown up braces (Invisalign, hello!) Ummm, not quite. I do own a suit, so I guess there's that. Otherwise, I'd say I'm fairly on track, yes? It feels like a good age and a very exciting time of my life.

Dress: ASOS, Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens, Necklace: A Merry Mishap

the happiest 5k on the planet.

This morning, Jarrad and I crossed off the first of my New Year's resolutions and completed my first 5K run, The Color Run, "the happiest 5K on the planet". At the end of each kilometre you run through a little tunnel of people who through coloured corn flour at you. Blue, then pink, then orange, then yellow. At the end of the race, they give everyone a little packet of colour and you can go nuts. It was such a fun way to spend a Sunday morning! Best of all, I ran the whole way, which is something I never really dreamed I could do, as an adamant non-runner.

Afterwards, we met up with the Lush ladies and their boyfs for chips and cider. Color Run, I love you.

the positive.

hello. how are you today? i'm feeling a bit fragile, dealing with work stress and trying to psych myself up to get stuck into new challenges. i had a big cry about it last night. jarrad is always supportive and encouraging, i am thankful for him.

here are 3 things that are making me feel ok today:

1. tomorrow never dies nail polish by opi and my stegosaurus ring

2. delicious healthy wrap for lunch

3. bobbi is coming over to watch pitch perfect tonight, i am excited to see it (i think i'm gonna love it)

summer time and the new year.

we have had a hot couple of weeks. the past two days have been about 38 degrees. oh yeah.

jarrad and i really enjoyed the last portion of my holidays relaxing hard.

on thursday, we had a few farewell beers with my sister at little creatures and made watermelon-mint icy poles.

on friday, we spent time at home working on some projects (we didn't quite finish up but hopefully soon). then we explored the twilight hawkers market in perth and got some gumbo, spud on a stick, satay, mexican paletas, and macarons. 

on sunday, we took a visit to the fremantle markets and ate the best curry pies ever (i am still thinking about my butter chicken pie) and then caught up with friends to discuss the year ahead.

now i'm back at work and feeling restless. ugh. i even went running today and sweated my socks off. summer, i love you, and i'm trying to appreciate the hot stuff while it's here.

2012 in review

 2012 will go down in history as a year in which I took on a bit too much. When I look back at the past year, even the past six months, I just go, "How did this all happen?"

I travelled a lot, mostly for work, which gave me the opportunity to visit friends and family in other parts of the country, which I am very thankful for. We also took some fun trips, Jarrad and I, and headed to Vietnam last month, which was a fantastic way to end the year together.

I was blessed with wonderful friendships and a lot of my friends were very blessed this year in getting engaged (we're talking 5 couples here). They also experienced difficult times or took on new challenges, which was some hard to watch, but I am proud of them for their tenacity. We also lost our friend, Paulie, which really began 2012 as a year of change through fire. We struggled but we made it. We miss you, Paulie.

At work, I faced a lot of professional/personal challenges and stuggled to develop my serious career self authentically. The stresses of an unpredictable (and, at times, downright unpleasant) work environment were taxing, but I am proud of myself for how I grew through it. The changes I see when I look back are noticable, so well done, self.

A huge project for last year was developing Mickey Lamar's Video Stars, an interactive musical comedy show which Laura, Josh and I co-produced, wrote and choreographed for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. That was not as easy a task as it sounded but, although it was difficult, it also had it's extremely fun moments and allowed us to spend a week in Melbourne (doing late night karaoke and locking out our jaws from singing too hard... huh? only I did that? oh well.) We are bringing it back for Perth's Fringeworld Festival. I am really proud of us that we achieved our goal.

While I worked and travelled and rehearsed, I finished the last half of my Graduate Diploma of Communications (part-time). This certainly contributed to some late nights and tears but in the end, I just wanted it done and over with. It is now complete and I passed! This was a good lesson in finishing what you started ;)

Towards the end of the year, with other projects wrapping up, I was able to take on some new fun things and start dancing semi-regularly to some local bands. This involves sequins, shakin' it, and spending time with friends, old and new.

In 2012, I made some resolutions and was pleased to see that I achieved several! Here's the wrap up:
1. learn to fishtail braid
2. practice yoga or pilates
3. learn to tap dance
4. make a multilayer cake with that pretty swirly icing
5. cycle
6. listen to my heart (for happiness) - who knows!
7. travel (make plans to live elsewhere)
8. put away my 2/3 house deposit
9. go camping
10. take a trip with friends (or family, that would do fine!)
11. be braver
12. cultivate a conscious wardrobe
13. grow a herb garden - we talked about this but our home is too shaded/windy
14. give regularly and intentionally
15. exercise regularly for mind and body (at least 4 times a week) (sometimes...)
16. host six dinner parties
17. spend more time outside (away from screens)
18. produce some creative work (write, draw, paint, sing, dance)

In 2013, I would be happy to keep going as I have. Here's some resolutions:
1. blog
2. get better at photo shop
3. learn or develop a new/old skill (French, singing, etc)
4. run a 5k
5. don't over commit too much
6. get out and try new things for fun

Keeping things simple, yes?
I am really blessed in this life to have a lot of great opportunities, a supportive and fun partner, a family that I am a real part of, and friends that are just straight up awesome people. I know 2013 will be challenging but I learned in 2012 that I can handle it, hopefully with a bit of grace.


I hope you all had a happy and safe New Years Eve, I spent the hot hot night dancing in the city centre in some glitter and sequins, so it doesn't get much better for me. Here's to 2013.

2012, instagram review (part II)

The second half of 2012 was even more intense than the first half (which shouldn't have surprised me, but it did). More photos!

JULY
I took a 10 day work trip to Melbourne and Sydney,

got really sick and sweated out my fever in a hotel room (unpleasant), took advantage of my sister's free tickets to see a Bob Dylan Tribute show at The Palais,

saw doctors on the road, and caught up with my beloved Sydney crew.

When I got home, we kept up rehearsals for our Fringe show, Mum and I went to the Good Food & Wine Show,

Six Appeal took a little trip on the train up north to perform in sequins,

Ben imported a new girlfriend from Ireland (yay for Anita!) and Robbie ate all the things.

AUGUST

We played with puppies and visited new bars in our neighbourhood,

discovered Superstar Waffles and Tutti Frutti (the whole30 was well and truly over by this point, I guess),

we had breakfast with friends and Megan turned into a chocolate vampire.

 SEPTEMBER

We celebrated Fathers' Day at the Fish Pub!, yesssss,

I took another work trip with Michelle and Emily to Sydney for Lush Christmas Training!

Then I ate a tiny icecream toadstool...

Brad, Anna and I had a gelato party,

I went back to Canberra for another work conference, saw Hanson in concert and fell in love again,

Katelyn hosted a pizza party before she jet setted off overseas, and Cheryl turned 40 with a bang (i.e. a rock'n'roll party).

OCTOBER

We took a little overnight trip down south with some friends, came home and started packing for Melbourne,

where we performed, drank vodka, hung out with friends, and discovered Phat Brats,

we celebrated Dia de los Muertos in style, and ate a lot of pumpkin choc chip cookies.

We also enjoyed time spent with Elly and our friends from Sydney, celebrated Kathryn's 23rd birthday, I danced in sequins with some friends, and then I ate all the Vege Chips (in. the. world.)

NOVEMBER

One night, I went from zombie to gogo glitterati in less than 45 minutes (n.b. fake skin is hard to get off in a rush),

we started preparing for our trip overseas, hens day celebrations we had for Annaliese,

I got really close to running my 5k goal, and we ended the month in Melbourne (again).

In November, I also finished all my assignments and exams for my Grad Dip. #winning

DECEMBER

On the 1st of December, some of our bestest friends Trevor and Annaliese got married.

And everything was wonderful and nothing hurt. (And Elly caught the bouquet.)

We spent a week in Vietnam,

Jarrad was sad to go home but then it was Christmas,

and the annual Christmas Cook-off defeated us all.

2012, instagram review (part I)

Goodbye to 2012! Thankfully we have Instagram to help us reflect, so let's go!

 

  JANUARY

We rang in the new year dressed as zombies and zombie killers (although I spent most of the night sitting drunk under a tree),

we picnicked on New Year's Day to farewell Brad & Tahlia as they moved to Sydney,

I donned full makeup in 40 degree weather to help out a friend, and the green team rocked the Summer Swing Smackdown.

In January, we also said a very sad farewell to our dear friend, Paulie, who passed away unexpectedly later in the month. We still miss him terribly and this was a difficult time for our community, of which he was a much loved and appreciated part.

FEBRUARY

We celebrated Laura's (not 21st) birthday, started hitting the local farmers' market,

I turned 25 (and got new glasses and leopard print shoes),

we performed & hung out at Perth's Fringe World festival, and I saw Death Cab for Cutie at the Perth Festival.

(We also celebrated Valentine's Day, missed our friends who had moved east, and I performed as a Ninja in my friend's burlesque show.)

MARCH

I hit the books back at uni, we tried cheeseburger sushi for the first time,

we enjoyed pizza & pint at the Scotto, saw Bon Iver in the hills,

had a bit of a wild party, and farewelled Anna, who moved to Sydney.

(I also saw Ryan Adams at the Perth Concert Hall... ooh, I love him.)

APRIL 

We had a quiet Easter with our families, hit up the Angove Street Festival (we got rained out),

Kathryn and Clint moved to Melbourne (boohoo), I went to Canberra for the first time on a work trip,

then I caught up with my sister in her new home city.

MAY

In May, there were hotdogs, we moustached up for our friends' Mexican fiesta,

Josh, Laura and I had a little photoshoot for our upcoming Fringe show,

Jarrad and I enjoyed the Perth Hills Rose Festival, and Trevor, Ben and a random guy shared fashion tips.

 JUNE

Jarrad and I took a relaxing trip to Broome where I read the whole Hunger Games Trilogy,

we started rehearsing our Fringe show,

Kathryn came for a visit, and my parents got a new puppy, Wolfie!