Droog

Light fixtures at Classified Mozzarella bar. I think I'd rather have this than a crystal chandelier at my home.

Skinny Love

I'm sure I need not re-iterate the greatness of Bon Iver's album For Emma, Forever Ago as the band has received much media (indie?) attention last year and the album has been on many lists of 'best albums of 2008'. What I particularly love about Bon Iver is the great sense of loneliness and remoteness that the music exudes. I remember there was a time when I became quite emotional while listening to Skinny Love.

Today I learned to play the song and tried to sing along. The singing is pretty terrible but because of the unique guitar tuning, the guitar part sounds beautiful. Try it and tune to CGEGCC.

Nighthawks

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks is one of my favourite paintings. Certainly it has influenced my photography. It has all my favourite photographic ingredients: cinematic mood and viewpoint, construction of shapes and diagonals, lonesome figures, light/dark contrast... Apparently the restaurant depicted was inspired by one in Greenwich Village - one of my favourite part of town in NYC.

Looking at this painting now reminds me of a beautiful French film I saw recently: 35 Shots of Rum. It's a film about a functional family, instead of a dysfunctional one. The film doesn't have much of a storyline and has very little dialogue. It has however, an excellent cast, a beautiful score and cinematography. The film captures the love between a father and daughter in some very ordinary but beautiful moments, such as riding together on a motorbike, having dinner together, the daughter smiling on hearing her father entering the apartment... The film is tender, warm, and as a reviewer noted, 'smooth like rum'. The film contains several shots of the Paris train tracks, from the viewpoint of the father, a train driver. There is also a scene of the family at a small Parisian bar/restaurant on a rainy night. These lonesome moments (of unknown/complex emotions) echo the mood created in Hooper's painting.

From somewhere hot, humid, strange and yet familiar. Another Beginning.

It's been long overdue. I'm back, again. This time writing from a different continent. And this time, I hope to return to post everyday (at least a few times a week!) Writing will do me good, and perhaps, provide someone out there with some random information about something interesting. I don't know what to focus on writing yet, but I'll figure it out once I writing a couple of posts.

This past Sunday we went to the Peak as it is customary for us to go there every Sunday morning. This time though, it was pouring on the way up the mountain and visibility was about 0.5. Luckily it stopped raining when we got there. It was still extremely misty and wet; but it created a beautiful atmosphere. Plus there was hardly anyone around! Here are two photos that show that magnificent mood. I wish I carried a proper camera - I would have spent hours photographing that morning.

hello world, take 2

I'm back online, yet again. Reading my old posts was fun (is ANYone else reading? no), I should perhaps continue writing here, especially now that technically, I have all the free time in the world.

Now may I present a set of dramatic eyelashes.



Viktor & Rolf + Shu Uemura's falsies are a beauty. I just need someone to invite me to an amazing party so I can rock these.

hello world

I am back online!

Enjoying Nouvelle Vague's cover tunes. Highly recommended.

si si si...

I have a love/hate relationship with Spain. So many things here amaze and inspire me; yet I find things that are disagreeable.

Its history and architecture is so vibrant and rich. The photo above is an example of this, taken from the mezquita in Cordoba. (more writing and photos to come...)

!!!

How I love this band...

kaiser chiefs

Not exactly my cup of tea but I got to photograph these guys at the Prince.

art is weird

Fashion exhibit at Bus Gallery.

ding dong

Ratatat was fabulous last night. I wasn't expecting too much - how much can two guitar dudes do on stage? Apparently they usually tour with keys but couldn't afford to bring him over. But the video projections, flashing lights and the stage presence of the guitar player really made the show. He played like he was a heavy metal rock god, with some serious head banging. He used the stage lights to project his stance on top of the arty videos behind them and it looked really good.

!!!

OMG!!! Are !!! coming to Australia in March?!?!?! According to the Golden Plains website, they're on the lineup for the festival (Meredith reincarnation). I'm in no mood for another camp out rock fest but they muusussttt do a sideshow, too. OH! The excitement.

bob

I am rocking her haircut - a completely new style for me, thanks to Daniel from Worksense!

cape!

I'm so in love with this boy - his face, his style.....

photo from the Sartorialist , my new favourite blog. Amazing photographer with a great eye for fashion.

young machetes

The new Blood Brothers album is fantastic. After months of music drought (no new music making me feel exciting and nothing particularly interesting coming to our shore) I've found something worth paying $$ for the cd. ahem.

I hope they come back to play in Aus soon!! Lucky americans get to see them AND the trail of dead.

booooo

Happy Halloween!


Ghost is sad for Australia does not celebrate halloween.

Artwork by Marcel Dzama who created the supercute Saddest Ghost lamp.

or else...

Give me back my ipod you bastard!!!!!!!
:(

less than human

Juan Maclean and Tim Sweeny from DFA will be in town!!! 27 Oct at Brown Alley!

mala

I went to Mala Brajkovic and jeweller Elke Kramer's residency opening at Alice Euphemia tonight. Mala makes some really beautiful dresses. This summer collection contains some less dressy pieces, including high waisted skirts, casual lose fitted cotton dresses with wider bottoms, and dresses that tie around the neck in bright colours- green, lavender, orange and also black. I really like those high-waisted skirts, but might have to wait for them to go on sale!

The crowd at the opening was interesting. The ladies at Alice are always lovely, and I saw Alphaville's sales assistant and a gay boy from myspace (!) The male 'fasionistas' were quite fashion forward indeed. I spotted one skinny boy wearing high-waisted skinny jeans. I'm thinking they're Cheap Monday's Eiffel Tower - WAY high waist. They look a bit odd on him and I originally thought he was a girl. I was wearing my CM and I think we were checking each other's jeans out. Apparently two ladies there were talking about my jeans - pointing at them in fact, according to my friend. I really love mine, and they better have said some nice things about them!

put your dancing shoes on

Some fabulous bands coming to our shore:

Avenue D - eletroclash duo from NYC. Will be at 'Fuck Art Lets Danse' at Greyhound Hotel in St. Kilda on 6 Nov.

Ratatat (yea!!!!!) - at Ding Dong on 17 Nov.

CSS - at Revolver on 5 Jan 07.

Also, Chick on Speed and Kid Koala+Amon Tobin will be at the Prince. I really liked Kid Koala and Amon Tobin... I also worked for their manager (who is super lovely) in Montreal for one day (only one!). But I'm not sure what they'd be like live... always a bit wary of DJ gigs...a geeky dude spinning LPs on a deck isn't all that interesting to watch (RE: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - painfully boring...)