Midsumma

Somewhere, not to far away, an alarm is insistently blaring. A cool, crisp breeze is blowing, a relief from the humidity. The sun has pulled a sleepy blind on this side of the world, wearily pulling another endless shift, gently nudging reluctant eyelids in New York right about now. The lights are winking merrily, and even the cars seem slower tonight - they, too, revere the Sunday Law of Leisure. The alarm goes on, in a loop of various evacuation tunes. The sliding glass door is open, all the better to hear, see, smell and feel the evening air.

It's a beautiful Sunday night here in Melbourne.

A brief update on life, which fits somewhere in between the time I find when I'm not at Oaktree or work (a rare luxury like now).

Oaktree: I have been promoted from my previous position - very exciting! I now do a lot more week, and am very much involved in organising the Live Below the Line campaign, so keep a look out peeps! I pretty much spend all my time there when I'm not at...

Borders: I have also been sort of promoted at work which is very exciting - I now handle the money! Or some of it. Some of the time. They trust me! And I love it. :)

So life is sweeeeeeeeet since I've been back. I've been catching up with friends, which has been wonderful - last week I went for dinner on Lygon with a friend. We spend over two hours just talking - about the possibilities of our futures, gossiping about the people we know, travel adventures and so on - then delighted in gelato on the way home. The way a summer night should be spent. On Thursday a few of us got together for dinner at some college friends' new house, drinking champagne, laughing like old times - the whole hosting dinners at our houses feels very grown up of us!

What I'm watching:

• Gilmore Girls: oh god I love these girls! How did I not discover this show sooner? It has (albeit a young and creepy looking) Jared Padalecki AND Milo Ventimiglia!! So cute. So funny.
• Mad Men: only THE BEST SHOW on television. No spoilers please, I've only just finished season 1(!!!!!!!). It's clever and sexy and set in the 60s - talk about fabulous! Obviously completely frustrating from a feminist point of view, but an accurate (if hard to swallow) representation of the life and times of advertising executives on Madison Avenue.
• White Collar: yes, I'm really only watching this because of Matt Bomer. Le sigh. That is all.

What I'm reading:

• My Place, Sally Morgan - a deeply poignant and touching autobiography of Sally's life growing up Aboriginal in Perth.
• Deerhunting with Jesus, Joe Bageant - a fascinating look at Bageant's roots in Winchester, Virginia, at his redneck, gun-toting, God-fearing, pro-life, pro-war, patriotic peers. He looks at the reasons why the Republican South, the heartland, continues to vote against its own interests, for a party that supports big business at the expense of the underpaid, overworked little man - ie, them.
  

What I've seen:

• 
  
• Tangled - lovely animation, and Zachary Levi's voice. Swoon.
• Love and Other Drugs - JAKE GYLLENHAAL. The man is a god.

Films I recommend:

• Blue Valentine - depressing, but brilliant performances from Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. Almost makes you never want to fully commit to any relationship.
• The King's Speech - a fabulous, heart-warming, inspiring, funny, moving retelling of King George VI's struggle with a speech impediment and his consultation with an Australian speech therapist's unorthodox methods. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush at their finest.
  
• Black Swan - OH WOW talk about a emotionall intense movie! A psychological thriller exploring one ballerina's destructive quest for perfection. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are perfectly cast in their respective White Swan/Black Swan roles.
  

I want to see:

• True Grit
• The Fighter

BEST BLOG EVER RECOMMENDATION:

http://hotguysreadingbooks.tumblr.com/

READ IT. And drool.

Good niiiiiiiiiiiight!

x

JAG

I love this city

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?
































































Cnr Collins and Swanston St


















DeGraves St

















The old W class trams they're taking out of service

















Looking up the Yarra



































































One of Melbourne's many cosy little havens


















The trendy - as opposed to classy - end of the notoriously high end Chapel St















































Arts Centre




















Flinders St Station

























Luna Park










































The shot tower in Melbourne Central

And just for fun:



x
JAG

Age of Innocence

The best thing about living in an apartment by oneself?

Being able to blast Katy Perry. Or Taylor Swift. Or Lady GaGa. Or GLEEEEEEEEEEEE - or anyone the hell I want, that's the point - no one to tell me no, turn it down, turn it off, I will not listen to that man masquerade as a woman!

I'm currently (and will be for the next six or so months) living in my parents' apartment, which is RIGHT in the CBD. It's sweeeeeeeeeeet.






















God, do I love living by myself. Sure, it was lonely right after I moved out of college - it was to be expected, that after living with other people on an everyday basis for seven years. But I was ready to move out of college - three years was enough. Perfect, really. I love my friends, but I also love my space, and privacy can NOT be over rated. It's such a LIBERTY, such freedom - but let's not clue my parents into that, they'll want to rein it in right away.

















Tonight I had a couple of dear friends over for dinner (I have discovered that although my cooking range is limited - my specialty is chicken (I can cook about five kinds) and pizza, but I can also do a decent steak if pushed, and an alright pasta - I love to entertain and cook for other people. I also do not cook well in a team - I am a lone chef), which was so much fun. After dinner (pizza!) we ended up swimming in our clothes in the gym on the top floor - I took them up to show them the view (it's spectacular) and we were lured by the warm water (despite the cool day). We didn't let our lack of what some would call appropriate attire get in our way - we simply got towels and shorts and got wet!



















It's SUMMERRRRR, don't you know? The season of spontaneous swimming, of sunshine and singing and sweating and shopping and short dresses and style. And the city is my PLAYGROUND. I'm so excited about spending this summer in the city. I've never been in Melbourne for long around this time of year, apart from a couple of days around the Aussie Open. This city comes to life in the summer - it unfurls in the unfiltered sunshine - there's always something to see or do or hear or eat or try - have gelato on Lygon St, go to the Moonlight Cinema, watch Shakespeare Under the Stars, wander along the Yarra, linger over a breakfast of crepes on Hardware Lane, brunch on DeGraves St, catch a spot of tennis, be delighted by free MSO performances in the park, people watch from the lawn of the State Library, and FINALLY be able to enjoy a drink (or three) on the rooftop of Madame Brussels or the Carlton without wearing several coats.

There's romance and possibility around every corner of this glorious, gorgeous city.




It's going to a bloody awesome summer!

x
JAG