save santa

Gratuitous winter kitsch

There's really nothing that makes me feel like an excited little kid, quite like snow falling. And an outdoor ice-rink.

Light of my life

I took this on Thurdsay night at the Max Euweplein, behind Wagamamma's. It's a pretty ugly semi-circular space between buildings but it has a highly convenient bike patth right through the middle. Along with the casino, Hard Rock cafe and Irish bar that I think attract approximately no locals, there is also one of those over-sized out-door chess sets that is in constant use.

The lighting display here is giant pawns! Over the entrances they've hung kings and queens. And this photo just captures a little section of the curtain of lights hung over the top. It makes the space really pretty and sparkly.

I've probably mentioned before, but I forgot from last year how the city seems to make themed light displays on different streets, and they are all different. Mostly repeating shapes hung up on the lamp posts. But some similar horizontal blankets of fairy lights like this. Its nice, like a compensation for the darkness gathering at 4.3o pm. The whole Christmas lights thing makes a lot more sense over in this season. I think the Indian festival of Diwali just passed, also a festival of light at a time when the days get much shorter.

What's in bsharp's bag?

Following on from the meme started by Betty Sue and Miss J...

- 2 x free postcards for "negen straatjes" (the nine little streets) area - picked up at the amazing brazilian sandwich shop near work. With sincere intentions to write and send to aus.
- saved label with address of funky mexican hand-made shop (in the 9 straatjes)
- wallet from Bondi Market - never really happy with the double fastening mechanism
- only decent lippy I own (from Body Shop in an airport I think) inside carry case with mirror - a gift from little sister who does try to keep me nice
- memory stick (totally full)
- keys on chunky seahorse keyring from Miss J, plus Albert Hein bonuskart, which I get swiped at the supermarket sometimes, but I'm not too sure what that gets me as a "bonus".
- Ikea pencil (the horror)
- Mobile phone
- single bandaid
- 2 types of travel sickness pills (Stugeron and dramamine) one with no packet
- 1 x neurofen left in the bubble pack (apparently I am addicted to off-the shelf medicines, who knew?)
- pen
- Camera case (normally containing the camera used for this photo..)
- 2 x Albert Hein receipts, 1 shoe shop receipt and 1 receipt from todae in glebe (also for shoes)
- 1 x flier for a swing night in Haarlem train station
- 1 x custom moleskine Amsterdam SIY guidebook, a pressie from the glebe vegan household.
- 17 eurocents in loose change

And frankie says relax

Supre, a Sydney Westfields, July 4 2007.

Climate Criminal

Me n Mr Biz saw this while driving on the Newcastle Freeway. Its an imported HUMV or Hummer.



Sadly, taking a photo up that close probably made the dude think we were fans. I suppose we were freeway users at the time too, albeit in a borrowed Ford laser.

Here's mud in yer eye

Last post was my 300th, since I started blogging in 2003. And to mark the occasion the New Zealand Photos are up on Flickr. (Click the photo)



Oh yeah, and in a couple of hours I'll be 31.

Video Gems

Ah., you tube...

Sex Dwarf live by Marc Almond/Soft Cell. Apparently you have to join up or sign in to see the original clip, because its over 18! But this one is worth it for the intro and "They all love your miniature ways" What the fuck?

Interlude by Morrisey and Siouxsie. Dull video, lovely song that's a bit hard to get.

I know what boys like by The Waitresses. Great song. Terrible outfits. "I got my cat moves" Oh deary me.

This post needs speakers really.

So, Fireworks

They cost a lot of money, they make your heart beat a little faster, and they can inspire around 1 million people to take to the streets to carouse in a wealthy place like Sydney. In case you missed it, this year was the "diamond" anniversary of the bridge (75 years) and the theme of the night played on the Emerald City theme from the Wizard of Oz. Oz, emeralds, geddit?

Thanks to Mr B's high standing in the international aid community we got tickets to the "VIP viewing area". This actually meant a kind of mini music festival set up at one of the points on the inner harbour, with a band, dj, 2Dayfm broadcasts, and where you could have the pleasure of buying a hamburger for $10, wine in a plastic glass for $7 and a bottle of champagne for $35. The upside was ample space and chairs for firework viewing. They come with a soundtrack, I discovered. No idea if this was simulcast or just blasted out on speakers for us Important People. Here's a sample.



Being with a posse of doctors who have served in actual combat zones, they had a slightly different emotional response to the spectacle. And believe me, watching huge brightly coloured bombs in the sky is an emotional experience, not denying that. I personally swung from generic party vibe during "Can you feel it" by the Jackson 5 to sadness and despair during the distinctly military climax, and the whoops of my millions of comrades massed on the shore. Maybe its good to get that excitement of big bangs out once a year, in a ritualistic fashion. If only we didn't have men and women serving overseas creating far more deadly versions.

I sea the C

And some Sculptures by the sea. There's a bunch on my flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/bee_sharp/ I'm too lazy to work out how to send them from flickr to blogger, but here's one:

tis the season to be jolly

Or, alternatively, creeped out. In Australia , we start Christmas on November 1. And the city's official overseer of decorations makes sure that all the kiddies get nice, wholesome entertainment in the shop windows.

Night time

I think my neighbourhood can look a bit like a Turner painting at times. Sunsets can be melancholy things but this one was just showy and flash - its knows its postcode.

Let that be a lesson to you

Reasons why you shouldn't check your stat counter and try to make breakfast at the same time.

DeWitt., Dewho?

I am halfawy through reading The Last Samauri by Helen DeWitt. I chose this one grazing in the bookshop Gertrude and Alice, looking at actual paper pages, rather than its mention in some Hirbernian corner of the Internet. DeWitt may possibly be completely bananas. I like her immensely. Has anyone else read this satisfyingly chunky book? It appears to be her only one published, and the reading world nearly lost her there, but there's a tantalising piece on the website about another one coming.

Walks around town

Described two years ago in this post, part of the city's infrastructure exposed and vulnerable.

And other scenes from the big city.

experimentation

Remember when you went to eat chinese food as a little kid? Always ordered the crispy noodles with everything? Well I did. On the weekend I discovered how to make them, by accident. Was a bit hungry for a proper meal before going off to a real party, with dress ups and everything. So here's the selection of veggies from the bottom of the fridge.

Imagine a regular pot of water boiling water for the rice noodles, and a frypan with oil heating next to it. When dropping the noodles into the boiling water a broken bit flies of and lands in the oil. I turn my back, to get the veggies, and lo! its puffed up and turned into a crispy noodle. So I tried some more.




The trick seems to be to get the oil so hot its smoking, and nearly burning the pan. The the noodles need to touch the hot oil, and they magically puff up. Its like popcorn! But they don't fly out. I would normally try this is a wok, but I am currently wokless due to housesitting constraints.

Anyway, here's the end results. Mmmm...