New York

 We were stuck at Central for an hour (55 mins) waiting for a train in the chaos on Sunday (stay off the tracks, d!ckheads, it really messed things up).

The irony was as we left the theatre, a taxi offered us a lift, right at the door. 

Next time, we will take it!

This is what happens when I'm bored. 

Linking with #WeekendinBlackandWhite

Spectre of good times long gone

I could almost hear the laughter and the clinking of glasses as I walked past the closed cocktail bar reflecting the closed pub in the city on a Sunday night.

Interestingly, no matter how many times I tried to straighten the photo, it wouldn't save corrected. So maybe real ghosts were at play in the machine?

Linking with #WeekendReflection

 

More September Reading

This is the first book of this year's Miles Franklin award winner. I loved it! It's funny and entertaining, but also insightful on the racism that Asian actors and moviemakers faced. If you listen to it, it's performed with a full cast, like Daisy Jones and the Six but with substance in the historic undercurrent. I borrowed it from the library on Indyreads. I'm in the queue for the prize winning Ghost Cities, so really looking forward to getting my hands on that!

This book is hard. He is a brilliant writer but the subject matter is awful and I found it a long time to be in that uncomfortable and sad story. So I don't know if I recommend it. He has some really beautiful lines in it. While it is long, I got though it very quickly so I guess that's a sign that I liked it even if I didn't "like' it. I guess I enjoyed the writing and his skill, and was engaged in the story even if I found it sad and hard to shake off the bad emotions. This was chosen for bookclub so I can't wait for the chat on that. There's a lot of meat on the bones to digest....

Last night I went to see the magnificent storyteller talk - they performed 5 or 6 stories from a show they put together that will be turned into a book. It was wonderful. They looked at the stories that certain songs were enmeshed into their memories. It was really funny, sad, heartwarming and you couldn't help think about your own playlist of memories. So when it publishes, look for Ivan Coyote: Playlist (unless the title changes)

Short and sweet this time. I have to reread The Great Gatsby for the podcast book club and I've a short Ken Follett to read (Paper Money) lined up next...

Little Loves - September

READ Longtime bloggers in the Australian bloggosphere will remember her, and her #SunsetsforKate, but Kate Morrell wrote this beautiful Insta post that I want to share with you. I think she raises a lot of important things to think about but I also just loved the line "Who is this girl? What a joy to feel so free". I too have been remembering some early 20's solo trips and I can't believe the stuff I did. The faith I had in humanity (and probably very lucky on personal safety). I just radiated happiness and delight in the European beauty that complete strangers would talk to me and show me hidden treasure as I walked the streets, they'd give me addresses of Mask makers in Venice who would welcome me into their homes and workshops to see their art (even I had pause when I found myself in the lounge room of an old artisan, struggling with Italian and explaining that some shop owner had sent me...but it was all fine and he was flattered by his reputation as the best mask maker in the city). Experience and age wears us down. We become more cautious (or less stupid). There is something strange about the naive youth we once were.

Not a great photo but love the ghost bird

WATCHED  I went to Garry Starr:Classic Penguins at Grand Electric. It is EXCELLENT! I laughed so hard and it is so clever and entertaining as he works through 100 Penguin classics (the Communist Manifesto was my favourite). I am also in awe of the person who joined in for the Jungle book. I am envious of such confidence and self assurance. Anyway, without giving anything away, you must get to Grand Electric by October 12 if you can. It's so good. I went with 10 people and we all loved it. Tickets are here. People in London, he'll be hitting the West End in Nov/Dec so keep an eye out!  

At the cinema, I watched Inter Alia. While I don't normally watch filmed theatre productions, this is well worth it. Meaty play, incredibly difficult and clever, and stunning performance by Rosamund Pike. She's extraordinary. It's the new Suzy Miller play (of Prima Facie fame). Again I can't really talk about it without spoiling so just check it out if you can.

Two Seagulls in light

Delectable crab tart at Midden

HEARD I stumbled across this song by accident but I just love it! It's about finding hope and joy and it really lifts my spirits.

  

WORE My new clogs turned up. I've been wearing them around the house with socks to wear them in, as the leather is a little scratchy until it's been worn a bit. These match my gold ones I got a few years ago. These are my new heels now that it appears I can't wear heels anymore for any length of time.

AND LASTLY The first two weeks of the month were hindered by medical issues and recovery but then I've hit the ground running. The highlights? Definitely the Underground film festival, with a smellorama film and Movie Bingo - both films, UHF and Living in Oblivion are still very funny and worth watching. 

Who knew watching movies could be so fun!?!

 Pigeon Fool was an extraordinary highlight but deserves a separate post when I get a chance. 

I've mentioned some of the plays and gigs I've been to, so I'll go with Genesis Owusu at the Opera House, just so I can share the pictures, and state yet again I have no idea how this song didn't make the Hottest Australian 100. Off to Cyril tonight and a talk by Ivan Coyote, a brilliant author and performer and a beach weekend away so my Insta will be flooded shortly. Also got more fringe comedy (already saw Brodi Snook) on the weekend...so all in all, a great month! 

Linking with #LittleLoves #Stylewithasmile

Share Four Somethings - September

 

It feels a little early for this, but never the less, here we are.

Something I loved Given I spent two weeks not allowed to eat anything normal or nice, and being very sedate, I've hit the ground running with dinners, dancing and much merriment. Griffyn was so fun, both the dinner before at Queen Chow and the laughs that came with it.

Something I learned Magnolias were around since the dinosaur days, before bees. Which is why they are pollinated by beetles.

That was the softener for the bad news I learnt. In Australia, Bowel Cancer is the deadliest cancer for people aged between 25-44. The gender divide for people diagnosed with bowel cancer is 54% male and 46% female, so do those tests, go to the GP with any symptoms. Don't mess about! And know your family history because 30% of cases has a family history or hereditary contribution. (Note I was at doctor for stomach not bowel but that was the reading material on hand....It's not personal, it's just unfun facts.) 

Something that went well The daughter of my husband's colleague was in a play and my husband thought I might be interested. It was only $25 so I put it to my theatre crew and was surprised when three of them said they would come. I was a little stressed it might be terrible, as I knew nothing about it...but it was EXCELLENT. Part of Belvoir's 25A project (def keep your eyes on those), it was funny and thought provoking. Very enjoyable to me as I'd read and seen a lot of Pirandello and there were similarities in theme but it was also quite interesting to look at us now, with the fake news and false reporting of events framing individual realities. A reworking of a play that was written in 1636, you can see that the world has little changed since then....I thought Ariyan Sharma was fantastic and I thought Ariadne Sgouris was hilarious in the party scene - she really stole attention with every line. Wonderful stuff! 

Something I let go of  I'm not sure I can answer this again this month. Need to get focused and organised. Just reacting and running in the hamster wheel...

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings #FineWhatever

Sydney Contemporary

As well as Father's Day, Spring, footy finals and Singapore F1 that I discussed here, another annual September event is Sydney Contemporary. It's the annual art show, and even if you don't have pockets that can afford to buy a piece, it's worth the price of admission to see all the great works on offer from smaller galleries.

My favourites were by Hwang Seontae (Pontone Gallery) - they are back lit and they glow and you feel (emotionally) the warmth of the light and shadow. They were beautiful and moving.

Justin Miller Art (didn't note the artist, sorry) had this stunning work, which I found movingly beautiful.

This Hockney-esque work is by Sydney Nolan, which took me by surprise.

I adore Teamlabs so it never fails to make me smile.

Because I love Singapore, this one by Park Jieun (Pontone Gallery) caught my eye.

If you can believe it, Claire Healy & Sean Condeiro created this from lego! (N.Smith Gallery).

If you haven't been before, there's plenty of bubbles and gin on offer to enjoy (but I'm so clumsy I just can't go there! I couldn't even go into one of the booths filled with stunning glass - my husband laughed when he came out and asked why I didn't go in...I could just see us footing the bill for 6 figures for some smashed item I'd knocked off the pedestal). As much as I would have loved a glass of Pommery, I declined and enjoyed the art without lubrication....

It is an annual outing for my husband and I, a date with a difference & one we both look forward to!

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