Street art...

Remember last year some time, I took pictures of the alleyway across the road and there were all these babushka dolls?

Look what's there now--

It's a technicoloured zoo!!

Summer is a-coming in, loudly sing cuckoo!

After a week of torrential rain, wind and squinting through sheets of wet, the sun triumphed on Sunday and pulled out a real stunner. This unbelievable weather, combined with the street buskers, stalls and the smell of Christmas, meant that my sister and I were destined for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day.

We started off at Circular Quay, browsing the Rocks Markets critically and pooh-poohing vintage jewellery with:

"Nah man, we could so get that from Lovisa for 20 bucks!"

We feasted on corn on the cob, tucked into pizza, thumbed through books in that bookstore with the beady curtained entrance, felt the unwelcome call of cramping bowels that inevitably follows from having had too much food and standing too still in a bookstore, rushed to my sister's work to seek solace in their beautiful porcelain thrones, traipsed back up George Street in search of the elusive Grecian goddess costume that my sister needed to buy for her work's Christmas party on Friday, found the elusive dress (60% off or something ridiculously grand like that) struggled back to Wynyard station, posed for pictures in the street (once in front of the giant Christmas tree and others just being plain silly), bid each other farewell with an exaggerated continental kiss (like we always do, so posh; so sophisticated- three kisses, not four) and finally-- finally-- got home.

A happy, simple day.

[Look how big the cruise ship is compared to the ferry and the Bridge!:]

[Jumbly jellyfish:]

[At the Rocks Markets- the guy who took the photo thought we were tourists-- until we spoke in our super Aussie accents and splendid strines:]

[Sketchers and their muses:]

[Christmas is a-coming!:]

[My sister- the Asian version of Kate Middleton-- and before you bleat: "She doesn't look like Kate Middleton!", I don't mean she looks identical to Kate Middleton, I mean she resembles her. Use your imagination for Chrissake. The wrap dress and the hair are undeniably very Kate Middleton:]

[Me being silly in the street:]

Sailboats by Brooke Fraser- favourite song of the week

Miss Louise...

Today, Miss Louise and I met up for a coffee and a yarn.

It's been 2 years since I saw her last (December 2009)- and as always, the pleasure was all mine.

We've been friends since we were fourteen, and in between her living in France for a couple of years, Switzerland for another couple of years, and now Canberra for the last three months, our catch-ups have been few and far between.

Be that as it may, every time we see each other, it's almost like we're fourteen again. Our conversation starts on a mature note: we touch on work, relationships, the banality of Canberra and other adult topics. But as the day progresses, we regress.

"I like driving over the Bridge, it makes me feel tactical!" she provides, as we search for parking at Chatswood Chase.

"Does it?" I'm incredulous. I can think of nothing worse than the stress of speed and weird merging lanes

"Yeah!"- she parks, expertly

"Omg I'm so hungry"- I decide

"Yeah, omg I want a satay stick for lunch" she announces

"You can't just have one satay stick for lunch, that's not enoughhh!" I say

"But it's yummy! I don't wanna have a proper lunch, I wanna have a satay stick!" she states

and that settles it.

Later, when we're bumbling onto the lift to ride down from the Level 3 car park to the shops, we're still a bit out of sorts:

"We have to go down one", Miss Louise instructs. She pushes the button for Level 2.

"Do we?" I ask not really concentrating- shops like Chatswood Chase confuse the hiney out of me and I'm glad Miss Louise knows where we're going.

(we ride down one floor, but you can hardly feel it because it's just one storey)

"We have to get off now" she prods me.

"Do we??" I ask again- staring back at her blankly

"Yeah, this is level 2!" -- we hurry to get off and bump into each other and the wall.

A lady who's been watching our uncoordinated efforts chuckles drily and deadpans:

"You girls have got it all together"

We shop, discover that we have completely opposite taste in fashion and homewares (she's perplexed by every single item I pick up to show her with my tick of approval: "isn't this sooo cool?" wrinkling her nose in confusion at all of them), and we have a lovely day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR TOMORROW, MISS LOUISE! XXXX

Happy birthday dad!

My dad's birthday is on the 24th of NOVEMBER!

I have to write out the date in full because he keeps changing his mind about when his birthday should be.

It used to be in April. Then in December. Then apparently, his big sister said it's actually the 24th of November.

The confusion arises because he was born in the midst of the Korean War and record keeping wasn't exactly a priority. We got muddled up this year and gave him his gifts and gluten free cake on the 25th of November:

"It was yesterday!" he corrected us, before tucking into his cake.

It all just gave way...

It's mid morning at work- it's cold out- it's quiet in. Nothing special, very status quo. The ushe (that's short for Usual).

Then the ceiling caves in.

The heavy air conditioning tubing and its steel box crashes through landing precisely where Ms Cosmetic Pro would've been sitting if she hadn't vacated her spot in a fit of "these workmen are driving me crazy, I'm going to go for a stretch."

A large piece of roofing slides from the roof and misses Miss Tiny's head and back by inches, as, in a moment of unbelievable timing, she happens to be leaning into her computer at the time.

A steel rod gashes Miss Master Manager on the arm and her skin screams red and angry.

Everyone is stunned but laughs hysterically because it's scary to contemplate what could have been.

There were definitely angels watching over our office today.

Sculptured to sea salt and showers...

On Sunday, my sister and I scooted bum and bus to Bondi for the final day of Sculptures by the Sea.

I say "bum and bus" because we were literally moving our bums, on some kind of bus, all day long.

I caught the bus from home to the city (trains were snoozing), and then together with my sister from the city to the beach-- and I gotta say, buses rate ten out of ten for entertainment value.

Some highlights:

The Spunky Lady

The spunky lady sitting next to me on the way to the city (who couldn't have been older than fifty), was decked out in a light denim jacket, silvery, spiky cropped pixie hair cut and super pink nails. She had her Ipod Nano plugged into her ears and she drummed her fingers on the seat back in front of her "bahm bahm bahm!- ing and belting out at the top of her lungs: "Come on baby light my firrrrrre!" in all her tone deaf glory.

The packed bus, which was dreary and silent save for a screaming baby, all looked at her, and then looked away: Crazy old lady with the crazy colourful get up, they muttered internally.

But I thought she was fabulous.

Later, she shouted at me over the din of her earphones: "My daughter got this for me from Singapore! It's an Ipod Nano, and I put all my songs on it! I'm goin-ta Sculptures by the Sea! It's the last day, but I forgot my camera, you see!"

(I've put all her speech in running sentences because, even though I was saying "Oh really! That's so great! What songs do you like! I'm going to Sculptures by the Sea too- Princess Mary was there this morning!" she didn't hear any of it because of the ruckus in her earphones-- so all her sentences really all came out as one long bumbling statement of fact.)

When we eventually got off at Wynyard, she bid me a good trip before sticking one of her earphones into my ear: "See how good the sound is!" before stalking off the bus- her skinny tanned legs tucked in her tiny shorts, and rainbow bikini peeking out from her white tank- she waved to me before she jumped off: Bye love! I reckon I have good taste in music for an 80 year old!!

Eighty years old?? I would never have guessed it-she was probably one of the most exuberant and joyful people I've ever met.

The guy with the ring in his nostrils

On the second leg of our bus trips, we jumped on a different bus from Town Hall to Bondi Beach. We stood next to a guy with dark brown curly hair, sultry lips, and a ring that had been slotted into the skin that separates each of your nostrils-- like those rings that bulls and cows have.

Every time we looked at him, we wanted to Moooooooo! because he even had those big, rolling brown eyes that cows have.

The brother and sister

On my final leg home, I sat in front of two little Indian kids. The big sister was about 8 years old. Her little brother, about 5 years old. The big sister was authoritative and teacherish. The little brother was squirming, giggly and attentive. Their conversation went something like this:

Big sister: What colours make purple?

Little brother: Red and blue!

Big sister: What colour makes red and blue?

Little brother: Purple!

Big sister: (trying to trick her brother): What colours maaaaaake purple?

Little brother: (pauses, trying to figure out the trick): Ummmmm. Red and blue!

Big sister: Good.

Big sister: What's the opposite of up?

Little brother: (silent)

Big sister: What's the opposite of up?

Little brother: What does that mean?

Big sister: (softly) Say down

Little brother: Down!

Big sister: Good!

Big sister: What's your uncle's name?

Little brother: Uncle Singh

Big sister: Good!

Big sister: What does "blow up mean?"

Little brother: I don't know

Big sister: It means get fat!

Little brother: (giggles hysterically)

Big sister: What's the opposite of no friends?

Little brother: Yes friends!

Big sister (emphatically): Good!

And so they continued- her approving his sometimes wrong answers because neither was none the wiser.

Some pictures:

[My sister with her sunhat:]

[Zebras:]

[Pensive sea-gazing:]

[Splintering the cliffs of Bondi:]

[Beauty and the Geek: Bendeguz!]

[One of my faves:]

[Magic mirrors:]

[Karate!:]

[One for the fambly album:]

[Swirls:]

[I loved this one too!]

[The red men and my sister have a staring contest:]

[Elegant:]

Coveted things...

How hard does my new white Swatch watch scream:

It's summer, y'all so let's get into some bikinis and drink some Bacardis, y'all!

My sister got it for me and it's radical. It has a super long strap so that you can wind it around twice, cross it over, and voila, trendy. I love it.

Meanwhile, the Pony Express and I had dumplings for dinner tonight. We had a great old yarn about life, boys, career and that "cute job" we're going to have when we're in our late 40's and a solid career trajectory hopefully won't matter too much anymore. Her dream is to be a history teacher in some rural town. Mine is to just take pictures and write some and read some and enjoy the simple things in life. She got me this awesome Lindt teddy and just looking at it puts a smile on my face. Kinda looks like he's saying:

Don't worry, be happy.

Inspired...

Things that have inspired me over the last couple of weeks:

[Mr Jujitsu's Melbourne Cup "costume". Constructed on work premises with only cardboard, texta and tape. Ingeniously equine! :]

[Demure Miss CarrieBradshaw- Outfit of the day:]

[King Hussy with Miss CarrieBradshaw's fur stole and his handmade "fascinator" which doubled as a crown-- may his reign be a long one:]

[Colourful racewear:]

[Miss Tiny and that skirt:]

[The Farah and Miss IrishEyepatch tizzy with betting fever:]

[Mr Funky Glasses and Miss DB keeping things classy:]

[Miss IrishEyepatch- winner of Best Shoes (Alannah Hill):]

[Miss LondonLook and Miss CarrieBradshaw in all their sartorial sass:]

[Winning by a nosehair:]

[Friday nights out on the town:]

[Purple Trees- Hi Ms CalmFarm!]

[Magenta flowers swaying and gossiping:]

[Perfect light:]

[Baby huskies- brothers:]

[Mr Hussy's perfectly smooth philly on Vita Weat: you couldn't render a wall better than this:]

[Pop! Yellow! :]

[The ingenious way my dad restored a fuzzy snowy screen to a perfectly clear one. All he had to do was figure out the best angle for the antenna:]

[Gorgeous purple flowers from Ms CalmFarm- so stunning and sweet:]