30.Oct.2009 My #1 travel tip
I’m a pretty light sleeper. Normally, this isn’t so much of a problem. But when I’m staying in a hostel next to a construction site, or travelling on a 30-hour intercontinental bus, it can be horrible. Not to mention the fact that if I get less than eight hours, I look like a herion addict [...]
28.Oct.2009 Witerary Wednesdays: The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a long-form legend that tells of the journey of a shepherd boy who leaves behind his country in search of treasure and the secrets of the universe. Part hero’s journey, part self-help book, the sparse language of the novel evokes images of fire-side storytelling of fables passed down through the [...]
27.Oct.2009 Recently in Real Life: Paris
So many photos to share, this will be the first of several Paris posts I believe!
Dusk at the Louvre.
And twilight around the île de la Cité
Florists at night in Saint Germain.
Autumn colours at Pont Neuf.
I found this defaced poster in the Metro fascinating!
Mouths agape at the Eiffel Tower!
Paris is for lovers!
Today my parents and I [...]
26.Oct.2009 Role Model of the Week: Drew Barrymore
When we were younger there were our older sisters, Disney stars and fairytale princesses. But who do we look up to now that we’ve grown up? Eschewing the drugged-out celebrities and philandering politicians, each week we seek someone who inspires. The talented, the hard-working and the unconventional are put on display here, giving us all something to strive [...]
25.Oct.2009 Links à la Mode
Thrifty Chic
Edited by Retro Chick
There’s a thrifty feel abound in this weeks Links á la Mode. Maybe we’re all saving money for Christmas, or perhaps we’re all those recessionistas I hear so much about. Oranges and Apples spends a week living out of a capsule wardrobe to prove it can be done, Further Ado tells [...]
Sunday Segues
My friend Nick is one of the best writers I know, and he recently started a blog on vegan recipe-free eating. The way he writes about how food comes together sans-instructions is masterful. Similarly, one of the best writers I don’t know, Jonathan Safran Foer, writes an essay against meat in the New York Times, discussing [...]
24.Oct.2009 In defence of fashion writing
Good fashion writers defy the disposable nature of the industry. Theirs is a compassionate understanding of the way clothing influences our lives – both in the disproportionate joy derived from a frivolous purchase, and the significance of a wedding dress or a well-fitting pair of jeans.
Not every fashion lover is keen on runway photos. For [...]
23.Oct.2009 My travelling companions
For those of you who are as voyeuristic as I am, here is the stuff that I brought in my handbag on the TGV from Lyon to Paris.
Wallet, phone, Moleskine, passport holder, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, diary, iPod, a couple of pens, an orange, Burt’s Bees, Tic Tacs and a pocket knife (for orange peeling [...]
22.Oct.2009 Recently, in real life
My friend Gabrielle was in town. We hung out; hijinks ensued.
I don’t know either.
Nope, no idea…
We CAN act normal, though.
See? Innocent as.
My lovely friend Sevana sent me a care package.
It was full of Aussie goodies, and some CDs!
Trust me when I say Vegemite on toast with cheese melted on top is the BEST hangover cure. [...]
21.Oct.2009 Witerary Wednesdays: Slaughterhouse Five
To review a classic can be presumptuous at best; blasphemous at worst. But I’m not one given to hero-worship; I think it’s necessary to reassess our icons from time to time, to see if the time has come to tear them down. I almost feel as though I should apologise for reviewing this landmark of [...]
