Simple truths from a creative liar.

Everyone has a story

2011-11-11T21:11:00.001+08:00

This probably isn't the best time to be writing a new blog. I have two full days of study before my first exam on Criminal Underworlds and work all day tomorrow but I wanted to come on here and talk about the changes that I have made over the past year and how the right attitude can change your life.

I used to blog, once upon a time, about making changes in my life. I was disillusioned, stuck in a rut with little inclination or idea on how to pull myself out of it. I had vague ideas of study, travel, losing weight, changing my lifestyle but no matter how many times I would decide to make a change. Nothing stuck.

It started with failing my tertiary entrance examinations to get into university. I bombed out in my final exams and it was like the world had ended. Everyone was moving on with their lives and I just felt so lost. After drifting for six months, I got a job at a supermarket and then a bookstore. I studied a certificate III and IV in Community Services with the intention of getting into university that way and studying psychology or social work. That is, until I realised it was the furthest thing from what I wanted. After that, I worked with the aim of travel. I planned to make Europe my stomping ground and to see and do everything I could. Planning the trip and saving for it was my raison d'être and it filled the hours outside of work... well, that, and a lot of youtube.

So I achieved my goal and I travelled but the trip didn't turn out like I had imagined. I didn't make Europe my stomping ground but I did get something better. I connected with the country I was born in. I connected with my extended family; a concept that, before the trip had been limited to one set of grandparents and an uncle and aunt and their two kids. People that had before just been names on Christmas cards became real and important and dynamic and I ended up finding enough room in my heart for all of them to fit. I still did a lot of travelling around when I was there but the focus of my trip had changed. It wasn't about cramming in everything. It sounds cliche but it was about the quality of the experience rather than quantity. The world is such a big place and I think until you've flown one of those long haul flights, it is a hard concept to fathom. My trip showed me new experiences, new possibilities and taught me so much about myself, people and the world.

The story doesn't end there though. While I was there, fate took a hand and showed me the path I was meant to follow. An old box or two full of memories and the time to sort through them gave me such pleasure and purpose that I knew that this was what I had been put on this planet to do. So I returned home with a goal, I sat a test, I got into university.

At the beginning of this year I started university and made a lifestyle change. I was tired of the sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle I had developed over the years since I had finished school. I wanted a complete overhaul and luckily, my Mum was in the same frame of mind so we became each other's partners in crime and support system. We walked for hours each week, we cut out the crap from our diets and held each other accountable. I was thriving at uni, studying History and Museum studies and I wanted to talk about it all the time. (still do!) Everything started falling into place. I lost weight. To date I've lost 20kg and where before we would walk, now we jog - something unthinkable last summer.

The reason I'm telling you all of this is not to make myself look good or anything of the sort. I wanted to let you know that even if you feel lost, unsure, directionless or like a waste of space like I did. There is hope. Things have a way of working out, sometimes in the most unlikely of ways.

I think back to those exams now, the exams that caused me so much grief and pain, and I am grateful that things worked out how they did. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life at seventeen and failing those exams gave me a chance to figure it out. Being able to accept that fact has been such a great part of this whole process. So I failed. I failed big and it was messy and not part of the plan and it sucked... but I am still here... and I am stronger, wiser and more determined to succeed and achieve my goals. It's like that old saying 'It's the comeback from failure that counts.' I strongly believe that and I will never forget it.

Find your passion...

2011-10-14T22:35:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been feeling like I really need to write. It's like I go a certain amount of time without writing anything except uni stuff and it's fine but then it all catches up with me and I end up spilling it all out like this, except this blog is not just a random 'HEY, IT'S BEEN SO LONG' post. This blog has a point! And that point is to tell you that last weekend I had a museum studies workshop on the conservation of books which proved to be extremely interesting and very cool. The workshops work by getting in guest speakers who are experts in different conservation subjects. So far I've done photographs, paper and now books and though photographs and paper were super cool and relevant to what I want to do 'when I grow up.' Last weekend was cool on a whole different level. Doug, the guest speaker, was like the Hogwarts professor of bookbinding who spoke consistently in motoring and car metaphors.

In between teaching us, he also filled us in with stories about his life and times. He told us about how he quit his job to fly to America and did a three week workshop in the middle of the wilderness on how to make a medieval book using only medieval methods. His dedication and passion for his craft inspired me. Here are some photos I took from the weekend.

There is something so infectious about people with a passion for what they do. They are the kind of people that make you realise how important it is to follow your heart, even if it's not immediately successful or you don't make any money or you lose all of the people you thought were important. I hope that one day I will have such a love of whatever I'm doing that it will help someone figure this out like I did while watching and listening to Doug.

Philosophically yours,

Alana

Tuesday Tale

2011-08-23T17:08:00.000+08:00

Waiting in my Uni library for my World History tute to start, I started thinking about how long it has been since I've sat down and wrote a legitimate blog. So as a way of ~~procrastinating~~ keeping you informed. Here I am!

Where do I start? University is amazing. Has it been that long? I don't know. I feel empowered and alive and totally out of the rut that I was in. I love coming into Uni every day and just been blown away by how informed and passionate people are about our world. It's inspiring. I love listening or engaging in intellectual discussions with people who actually care, have an opinion and are willing to hear other people's point of view. It's truly fantastic, though not everyone is as great as all that!

Over the course of last semester, I was kind of finding my feet and got really absorbed and caught up in my History subjects which were all kind of absorbing (History of Genocide, War & Peace in the 20th Century and Ancient Greece & Rome). So I severely neglected all fiction books due to the inability to apply anything but the salve of mind numbing Friends/Sex and the City episodes to my burnt out brain. After a refreshing and overly long 7 week break. I am at the beginning of my second semester and determined this won't be the case again.

So! Recent reads have been: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. I have adored this series from the moment I first laid eyes on the gorgeous first book, Shiver. Maggie has a wonderful gift for writing that really stands out amongst the crowd of paranormal fiction adorning the shelves of the YA section in libraries and bookstores today. While some of the books coming out in this genre seem to be getting progressively worse as publishing houses frantically scramble to publish the next 'Twilight.' Maggie sails in, many classes above the rest. Her characters are multidimensional with vivid personalities and back stories and her prose is lovely. She has a new book coming out soon-ish 'The Scorpio Races' which on hearsay is supposed to be her best work yet. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I also bought City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare as I'm a big fan of her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. I haven't yet managed to pick it up even though I've had it since the release date. I'm not the biggest fan of add-on books when the last series ended so wonderfully. I'm sure I'll get to it before the next I.D book comes out but until then it will rest nestled at the bottom of my currently reading pile until it is worthy of that position.

Otherwise, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead comes out today, so I am desperate for a copy of that. I'll probably pick one up tomorrow and that will go straight to the top of the priority pile above the assignments, study and all those other unimportant things. I'm also really looking forward to Goliath by Scott Westerfeld but that's not out until October/November.

Well, that has taken me through the better part of an hour. Hopefully now that I've posted, it will help me get the monkey off my back and I can get properly back into this. I used to really enjoy writing on here. Maybe once a week?

We'll see. xx

For Diana

2011-03-28T23:36:00.000+08:00

There are some fiction authors whose books change who you are and how you think about the world. The books might come along obscurely without any fuss or indication of the impact they're going to have on you. A battered copy plucked from the shelves of a library or picked up in a clearance bin of a second hand bookstore, recommended by a bookseller or lent by a friend.

Diana Wynne Jones came into my life when I was about 14. I picked up 'Charmed Life' from a big department store while on school holidays; desperately trying to find a book to engross me and cure my boredom. 'Charmed Life' did more than engross me. I lived that story. It became equal to Harry Potter in my estimations and I was determined to find more. For Christmas that year I got three new Diana Wynne Jones books. "Fire and Hemlock." "A Tale of Time City" and the wonderful "Howl's Moving Castle."

These days I have a shelf dedicated to her books and each time a new one is released I eagerly snatch it up and read it in one go. Since I was 14, her books have been read, reread, shared, read aloud, treasured, quoted, loved and lived. I have fallen asleep in to one or another at 3 am too engrossed in the story to put it down.

Diana Wynne Jones died of lung cancer on the 26 March 2011. I had known she was sick for a while and had been eagerly collecting her books knowing that many were going out of print. I wrote her a letter at the prompts of her agent letting people know that Diana didn't have much time. I told her the impact she'd had on my life and the love I would always have for her books.

The world has lost an utterly brilliant writer. A writer whose plots twisted so fantastically it would make you dizzy and she still managed to wrap up even the most bizarre of story lines neatly and wonderfully at the end. I have yet to read anyone her equal in doing this.

Rest in Peace, Diana Wynne Jones. You will be very sorely missed.

Summer shopping list

2011-01-31T19:02:00.000+08:00

In my house and life, since November, there has been

One Christmas,
One New Years
One Australia Day
Two milestone birthdays and three parties.

There has been two new additions to the house in the form of two lovebirds - Lilo and Lola. They're adorable. I've never had birds before and it's definitely been interesting this past week with them here.

One broken camera

There's been two weeks of housesitting, two work playlists,
a trip to the WA Museum and the Maritime museum in Fremantle,
There's been one karate chop to the shoulder, one bruised elbow and one quickly spreading cold.

One trip to the cinema to see 'The Kings Speech' (Fabulous)
Three DVD's bought: Easy A, Leap Year, Vampire Diaries season one

I've read a heap of books over the summer.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Before I fall by Lauren Oliver
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

I've got a few more to read:
Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Search for WondLa by Tony Diterlizzi
The Sky is everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Extremely loud and incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer
(If you've read any of these, let me know what you thought!)

and that's quite enough of that nonsense x

Golden

2010-11-27T10:32:00.000+08:00

This past week has been a marathon of new music, books, movies and included re-watching Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth edition), my sisters birthday, busy work and christmas shopping. One of those weeks where just everything happened. I did hear/find/read/see some wonderful things though and here are some of them.

Music

Holy bejesus but Sting's daughter's record is good. I Blame Coco is her moniker and the album is 'The Constant.' Her music makes me super happy. It's kind of euphoric wonderfulness. In Spirit Golden is my favourite if I had to choose. Also, her style is amazing.

Gorillaz new song with the windswept-and-interesting walking hairstyle that is Daley, is actually very good. Doncamatic is it's name and on first listen Daley kind of sounds like a husky girl... in a good way? Regardless, I love it.

Other songs that have been brightening my world are:
The Script - Nothing (Heartache and truth, I cannot stop playing this)
Ellie Goulding - Your Song (guilty pleasure. may have something to do with my love for Moulin Rouge. The video is amazing too)

Movies

I've been to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1 twice now. I went to the 12.01am screening wearing my Gryffindor scarf. I turned up and a girl in the line dressed in Ravenclaw colours was like "Thank god I'm not the only one dressed up." I couldn't help agreeing with the sentiment. So anyway, I loved it. I loved the dance scene between Harry and Hermione and how true they stayed to the book. I loved the 'Tale of the three brothers' - I thought that was done so well. I loved that despite the darkness there were still so many laugh out loud moments. I can't wait for the next one. As I posted on twitter, Part 2 will seem like the end of the world, but I wish it was tomorrow.

I've also re-watched Amelie (<3) and watched the new Karate Kid for the first time (not bad)

Books
Lately I've read Wavelength by AJ Betts which was pretty good. It was set in Perth where I live and Busselton where I've often visited so I knew all the places really well. It was an odd experience not having to imagine the places I'm reading about and just knowing them all so well. The story is about Oliver, a 17 year old guy leading up to his final exams before University. He's got this big plan of studying geology because he wants to work on the mines and make lots of money. He takes a study break just before his exams and goes to stay with his Dad in Busselton for peace and quiet away from his chaotic household. While he's there though he starts to question all his plans for his future and it's like each person he meets has something new to teach him. I'm a sucker for personal growth type stories so I got stuck in to this with pleasure. It didn't live up to all my expectations but it was a good, quick read all the same.

The book I've just read is Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This book is receiving a lot of hype and got a few awards. It's about an English girl who is drugged and kidnapped from Bangkok airport from under the nose of her parents. The guy who kidnaps her is not your usual suspect. He's young, good looking and charming and takes her back to Australia where he has literally built a house for them to live for the rest of their lives. It's a real mind mess-up type book and you're torn between hating this guy, feeling sorry for him and maybe even liking him a little bit. It was complicated. It's pretty much an examination of Stockholm Syndrome from inside this twisted relationship and even though the ending wasn't the most popular one for those used to 'Twilight' endings. It was definitely the right ending. If you get the chance, pick this one up. You won't regret it.

Next up is The Maze Runner by James Dashner. So I'll let you know how that goes.

That's about enough of that caper for one day anyway.

Enjoy your weekend!

Christmas Girl

2010-11-09T19:56:00.000+08:00

The collecting of music for the 2010/2011 Christmas and New Years Playlist has commenced because let's face it, if I don't do it, my sisters will and if they're left to their own devices it will be a Christmas combination of Eminem, inaccessible grating indie dance pop and a whole lot of dubstep. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with these (apart from Eminem obviously) but to avoid traumatising my Grandparents and corrupting my young cousins it would probably be best to leave it out. At least, that's my excuse to play all my own music! *evil laugh*

I am such a Christmas person. I don't know when this happened because my parents aren't really fussed. My mum always made it special when we were kids but lately I've been the one to be really motivated to get the decorations out on Dec 1st and buy craft materials for my cousins to make sparkly Christmas stars and Christmas posters. I make a big deal of the right music for the day. I always want it to be special and fun for everyone. At some point in the past few years, it's become really important to me.

Some of my favourite Christmas albums are

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas
Josh Groban - Noel
The Best Christmas Album in the world ever

Anyway, enough Christmas talk for now. It's only November 9th for goodness sake!

All my good intentions with Nanowrimo have gone flying out the window I'm afraid. I'm 10 000 words in and I've hit a wall. My macbook is well and truly dead so I'm back on the family computer and I'll have just begun to immerse myself in my writing when one of them will want to go on to do homework or check their facebook or whatever. Also the computer is located in the family room facing the dining room table where people tend to congregate and ten metres away from where people are watching TV. A night of me trying to write normally goes like this:

Me: *clicking of keys*
Family Member 1 (FM1): Hey Alana, what are writing?
FM2: Are you writing a story?
FM3: Can you stop typing on the keyboard? I'm trying to watch TV
Me: *clicks keys more gently*
FM1: What's the story about?
FM2: Who writes stories anymore? What are you, 12?
Me: You're distracting me.
FM1: What's it about though?
FM2: She doesn't want to tell you, she's a serious author now. Look at her face.
Me: Please shut up. *goes back to typing*
FM3: Can't you stop typing! When is your computer getting fixed?!!
FM1: Alana, Alana, Alana!!! What's it about?
FM2: She won't tell you, she thinks you'll steal her crappy idea.
Me: I GIVE UP! *saves work, logs off, storms to room, slams door*

There you go readers, a glimpse in to my creative environment. You know it.

I'm in a list making mood tonight

Current Listen/s:
The Jezabels - Dark Storm EP
Gossling - Until Then EP
Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Tinchy Stryder feat. Taio Cruz - Second Chance (This is so insanely catchy!)
Bruno Mars - Grenade

I'm off for now, but let me know you're favourite Christmas songs or if you're like me and get really into Christmas!

Next blog won't be so disjointed, promise! x

Just read: The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff
Current Read: I Shall Wear Midnight - Terry Pratchett
Next up: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick or Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Happy endings are important!

2010-10-18T23:52:00.000+08:00

Hands up who's doing Nanowrimo this year? I sure am. Due to my pre-university status at present, I've decided to get a certain amount of things done before I start Uni and my life and world are consumed by assignments and study. One of these things is to write a novel. Whether it's any good or not is secondary. I just want to have typed 50 000 into something resembling a story by the time I start Uni. Nanowrimo or National Novel Writing Month for those not in the know takes place in November. The gist is that aspiring and actual novelists attempt to write an entire novel of 50 000 words or more by the end of the month. It's worldwide and as you progress with your novel you can update your word count on their website and there's a lovely little progress bar which tells you how close you are to reaching your goal. You can also check out how your friends or famous authors are going and either feel superior to their measly word count or like throwing yourself off a cliff at your measly word count. Either one.

If this sounds interesting to you. You can sign up here

These past few days have been quiet. I finished Monster Blood Tattoo 3: Factotum by DM Cornish. It was quietly brilliant and rich in detail but a little slow in parts. I am sad the series has finished though and a bit disappointed in how it ended. I watched a couple of movies, namely: Letters to Juliet which I watched with my Mum. I had seen it before and enjoyed it for a light romance. It is a little cringeworthy towards the end but it's just a no-brainer you can switch off to. I also watched the first part of Becoming Jane up until the part when Jane and Tom run away together and then of course I switched off, pretending that was the end of the film. I've seen it before and know how it ends and I don't need that kind of despair in my life! The fact that Jane Austen and Tom LeFroy don't end up together is a crime! I don't care that it's based on a true story. Tweak the facts Julian Jarrold!

I'm so unreasonable when it comes to romance films. A happy ending or none at all thank you! Needless to say I'm not the easiest person to watch 'Romeo and Juliet' with. It's an awful trait but I can't help it!

My next read is 'The Replacement' by Brenna Yovanoff. It's supposed to be an excellent Halloween story and in the spirit of things (Spirit, Get it? Brilliant. You get what you pay for on this blog, that's for sure!) I put it off until now. Truly though, I am looking forward to reading about Mackie Doyle whose very name pleases me. It's got a fair few good reviews and is recommended by the wonderful Maggie Stiefvater; "I loved this eerie and beautiful story of ugly things." which speaks quite highly of it as I think Maggie is the bees knees.

Just as long as she gives Sam and Grace a happy ending in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series or there will definitely be trouble!

Anyway my dears. The end of another blog. I've been so good lately. I amaze myself!

Enjoy your week!

Just read: Monster Blood Tattoo 3: Factotum by DM Cornish
Currently Reading: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Next up: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

Multiple Trains of Thought

2010-10-13T23:43:00.000+08:00

Today was this...

Reading about the Mitford Sisters and their fascinating lives and wishing that I had known about them when I visited Chatsworth last year. I remember seeing all the different books for sale in their gift shop and thinking they look interesting. It took me until now to actually learn who they were. Am now promptly hunting down a copy of 'The Mitfords' Edited by Charlotte Mosey which is a collection of their letters to each other. Old letters featuring interesting historical times gone sounds like my kind of thing for sure!

Watching the Chilean Miners being rescued. I've seen each rescue so far and they are lifting up the twelfth one as I type this. I have laughed and cried each time a miner is lifted to the surface. I can't understand a word of what they are saying and I wish I did, but I guess some things don't need words. The elation, exuberance (from some), relief and exhaustion in their faces and body language speaks for itself. I find myself choking up each time. The little boy sobbing in the first rescue, the miner who fell to his knees and prayed after being reunited with his family, the euphoric chants and the emotion on the family members faces... It's so intense but such an incredible thing to watch. I keep flicking back to the live stream not wanting to miss anything.

I was singing and dancing in my room to music while putting clothes away in my drawers (as you do) and my sister Aleisha came home from school and stood in our doorway with sheer panic in her eyes and a fixed smile. "Hi Alana... Billy's here!" She says through gritted teeth. I look past her and there's a guy she's brought home for the first time looking more awkward and embarrassed than I felt. There's no coming back from a moment like that and no way to regain credibility. So I simply shrugged it off and said hi. Cool as you please. Of course I was fooling no one and Aleisha quicksmarted him out of our room and the house. Wise move I think. I am unfit for adolescent human contact.

I'm reading Factotum by DM Cornish at the moment. It's the third book in the Monster Blood Tattoo series. It's brilliant but he gets bogged down in details a lot. Instead of moving the story along, he dwells on the colour and detail of a minor characters coat and boots. I loved the first two books and as I said, it is brilliant so far. I just wish he would get to the point a bit quicker!

I'm just jumping from topic to topic here. I can't concentrate on any one thing today.

Miner #16 coming up now as I finish. Woooo!
This distracted blog sure took a while to write!

Two book related questions.
1. What are you reading right now?
2. Is it any good?

Till next time x

(Which might not be long, I've been inspired lately!)

A Typical Saturday

2010-10-09T19:16:00.000+08:00

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I'm vegging out at home while my sister Aleisha has two of her best friends over. They've taken over the bathroom and my bedroom so I'm giving them some space. The last thing they need is some nerdy post-adolescent playing her (borderline country) folk songs while they primp and preen for their Saturday night. One of them has just sprayed some perfume that smells distinctly of my boss and the back room at work. I feel like she's going to jump out from behind a pillar at any moment, god forbid!

Things have been pretty good I'm happy to say. I got a chance to catch up with one of my friends who was down from where he works in Halls Creek and I introduced him to delicious San Churros. For the amount of times I mention or recommend that delicious place of worship I should be sponsored, I swear! Not that it needs it, it's always packed whenever I go. *

Have you been watching the commonwealth games? I sure have. Australia's kicking ass. Although I've been repeatedly chastised by my family for egging on the underdog. I apparently have no sense of loyalty to my country but you can't help but cheer on the one coming last. They had a survey on this Aussie TV website recently about the games and it basically said "have you been watching the commonwealth games? a) no. b) yes - i love sport. or c) yes - to perve on the athletes.

I couldn't believe it when I saw the survey, not to mention the results. We have all these gold medals and 76% of the people who took the survey couldn't even be bothered to watch. We're so laidback (cough... apathetic... cough) in Australia we don't even bother to watch our athletes! Can you imagine being an athlete and seeing that? Someone could have at least picked 'great perve.' Just so they would feel like they have some reason to be representing their country. Dear me.

Hold up, I just saw you can watch whole episodes of Doctor Who season 1&2, the Inbetweeners season 1 and 2 and Black Books 1,2 and 3 all for free on this website. Well that's my week sorted! My life is awesome.

The last book I read was Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman. It was a YA read which is the usual for the moment. I was reading more grown up books when I was 17! This was really good though with a bit of a Jane Austen theme. I am a huge Jane Austen fangirl so that recommended this book to me in the first place. I read it and have now passed it on to my sisters for their enjoyment. It's just a really light, fun read. Loved it.

That's it from me for now folks. There are things to be done. Of course.

Just read: Enthusiasm - Polly Shulman
Currently reading: Monster Blood Tattoo III: Factotum by DM Cornish
Next up: The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff

*Forces self to stop talking about San Churros now.

Adventures in exercise

2010-09-28T21:06:00.000+08:00

Long weekends are brilliant. Sunny long weekends are even better. The only downside of this past long weekend is that instead of solitary relaxation time, lazing in the sun, I got roped into helping out my Mum at a fundraising sausage sizzle while my sisters Ashleigh and Aimee took over our house for a Pre-Parklife Festival booze up. That's fine by me but by the time 'Queens Birthday' Monday came around I'd had more than my fill of scenester teenagers. So I decided to take a walk to stretch my legs, clear my head, kick start my spring health routine in preparation for Summer (aka an attack of the winter guilts).

Short back-story. My brother David is a super awesome runner that runs in a running group where most of them win medals all the time. One of the girls in this group is close to my age and she used to be really unfit but decided to Change-Her-Life in capital letters and she totally did. She lost ten kilos, gained an incredible amount of confidence and recently went to Nationals with her running. Now I decided to change-my-life around the same time. I did a huge amount of walking but it kind of petered out on the arrival of Autumn and any weight I lost I put back on. Clearly I can only view this girl as my arch-nemesis as she was so successful when I was a bit blah.

So I set out on my walk feeling pretty average because I couldn't get any pace, I felt sluggish and uncoordinated but I persevered, busting out inspirational tunes on my iPod as you do, setting myself goals "next the lamp post, now the pretty house with the cheerful blue van, woo! now that big gorgeous gum tree." I had on my new sneakers which I admit probably wasn't the best way to wear them in as they were a little uncomfortable and I also didn't bother changing my socks from my 'around the house' socks with a seam up the back into my sports socks. Cue major blisters. Awesome.

So feeling less than inspired, cursing my shoes, socks, the road, the big lame gum tree, the plain house with the crappy blue van and the ugly lamp post and with my 'inspirational' playlist making me sink further into a funk. I limped towards home. The end was in sight when I heard the pounding of footsteps hitting the pavement. I saw a girl up ahead coming towards me at a rapid pace. The picture of perfect health, barely panting as she put one foot in front of the other propelling her on, the only sign of strain a flush of colour across her perfectly defined cheekbones. My arch nemesis ran towards me and there was me carrying my winter weight. The stink of failure following me down the road as I limped along at a snails pace. I tried a smile as she passed me. It felt more like a grimace. She didn't even look at me. Just went on her way. 'in the zone' I think they call it.

I trudged home, hot and flustered, spitting venom and came in through the back door. I kicked off my wretched shoes and socks and went straight to the bathroom, filled the bath with lukewarm water and soaked my aching feet. When I came out I was still red in the face but a little less flustered. I bumped in to my Mum. "What's the matter with you?" she asked me. I spat out the story and she laughed and laughed. It made me see the funny side of it, of all the people I could have passed in such a state. It had to be my arch-nemesis. Such is life.

****

Just read: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White ***
Current read: Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman (I like my trashy fiction with a Jane Austen theme)
Next up: Monster Blood Tattoo 3: Factotum by D.M Cornish. (so much cooler than it sounds)

2010-09-18T17:55:00.000+08:00

So the results are in for my university entrance test and I scored really well in everything! This means that I am going to Uni! Yay!
For the longest time, I have been down and out feeling like I missed my chance, felt stuck deep in a rut and just like I wasn't progressing at all. I feel like getting these results has kickstarted me back to life. I'm shaking off my winter coat, coming out of hibernation and doing crazy things like planning ahead and even crazier... actually doing things I set out to. I've been so frightened that I really was an idiot. That I'm not as smart as my friends. That I'm just a big loser, basically, but today I feel capable and happy and so positive about the future. I feel like the door that slammed shut in my face five years ago has just been flung open again after all this time. Life is full of possibility again.

And if I think of any more cheesy clichés I will add them on to that last paragraph!

So things have been good.

My hours are up at work.

I have a totally awesome DVD to watch tonight that I haven't seen yet. 'Mamma Mia' for those interested. I have an unhealthy addiction to musicals I'm afraid. I blame my mother. She indoctrinated me with Oklahoma, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Grease, Carousel and South Pacific to name but a few, all throughout my childhood, yet she insists she can't stand showtunes. Go figure.

segues are awesome

I was in Kmart today looking at books. I know that's like betraying my work and everything but it's hard to look at books at work without people coming up to you and wanting to know things. I can't really be like. "Can't you see I'm reading?!" as tempting as it is sometimes. Anyway, I digress. I was in Kmart and this woman who normally comes in to the shop where I work comes up to me and goes. "Have you seen Twilight?" to which I replied. "Yes." She obviously took this for encouragement and decided to have a ten minutes conversation at me about Robert Pattinson's amazing acting skills. While resisting the urge to laugh and trying not to be freaked out by this woman's proximity to me. (She obviously didn't have a clue about personal space), I realised that Twilight has truly impacted on my life in a completely negative way.

1. It kicked Harry Potter off the A&R's Top 100 and Kids Top 50. Shocking!
2. People like this woman now approach me outside of work in plain clothes to talk about how Twilight is changing the world and Robert Pattinson is god. All this by a woman who has the thickest moustache I have seen on a female person and a really unhealthy obsession with Michael Jackson.
3. Bad Twilight rip offs have now crowded out 90% of Young Adult Lit and half of sci fi/fantasy. If you find something there that isn't vampires, angels, fairies or werewolves. It's probably either the 4 ingredients cookbook put back in the wrong section or it's been sat on the shelf since before the Twilight craze, back in those carefree days.

There's many more reasons but I'm so over it I don't even want to talk about it anymore, which is part of the reason I had so little patience with the moustached robert pattinson lover.
In conclusion!

Things I am

Reading: I am number four - Pittacus Lore, Maggie Stiefvater's blog.
Watching: Mamma Mia
Listening to: Kings of Leon 'Radioactive', Alison Krauss 'Down to the river to pray'
Listening to right this second: My mum yelling at the footy. (St Kilda vs Bulldogs. Prelim final)

Right. A few more family history related emails and then I've off for a night in front of the telly.

My Life Is Awesome.

Oh Hello!

2010-09-16T23:17:00.000+08:00

Tonight feels like a blogging kind of night. I've just come back from dropping off my cousin at the airport. She goes back to Liverpool today and it's been a whirlwind three weeks she was here. I'm going to miss her. Tomorrow my brother and sister have a sports carnival so I'm headed to that to be a super supportive sister. Fun times!

Lately, I've been road tripping in the south of Western Australia, dining out in Leederville, drinking the-best-hot-chocolate-in-the-world, working in the bookstore, having a horrible winter flu, working on my family tree, reading lots, window shopping, downloading amazing music, going to the cinema to see Tomorrow when the war began, going to football games and transcribing archives for the Ancestry World Archives Project. It doesn't feel like I've been busy but I haven't had much free time to just sit and have a natter to you on here.

There's been some wonderful new releases recently. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and A Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I was a little bit disappointed in the former but A Clockwork Angel more than made up for it. I love Clare's writing style. It's quirky, fast paced and genuinely funny. She's got these amazing one liners that are so rare in typical paranormal romance books. They can be so melodramatic and Clare's books are the complete opposite of that. I can't say enough about it. Loved it. Mockingjay on the other hand, the big finish to the Hunger Games trilogy, just didn't hit the mark for me. I wanted to love it. I was prepared for the warm and happy afterglow of a story well finished and wrapped up in the best possible way but instead I just felt desolate. There was so much death and destruction, and for all Katniss's sacrifices nothing good came out of it at all. It just felt so rushed especially at the end. I understand the message she was trying to put across but I think she could have done it differently. I won't say anymore because this will get spoiler-y but it's such a shame.

Tomorrow when the war began was a pretty good film. It's an Aussie film based on the first book in a series of seven, about a bunch of teenagers who go camping in the bush for a weekend who come back to find the country has been invaded by an unknown army and all their families and friends have been rounded up and put in a kind of concentration camp at the town showground. The teenagers have to choose between hiding it out or fighting back guerilla style. The books are amazing. Gripping and totally original. The movie was a lot better than I expected. There is this kind of stigma around Australian films, generally, they are not very good. The dialogue is cheesy, the effects subpar, it's just an all round awkward experience. However, in Tomorrow I was surprised with how un-awkward it was. The acting was good (for the most part), the special effects were really good and it remained true to the book so all in all pretty good!

Wow, this blog is majorly pop culture oriented!

I should also mention that I have now done my University entrance test to get in to Uni next year. I won't get the results for a couple of weeks, but I'm really hoping I did okay. I'm trying not to focus on it at the moment because there is no use planning until I know my result for sure. Wish me luck!

Music of the moment for those interested

1. Just the way you are - Bruno Mars
2. Let the sun shine - Labrinth
3. Everything you wanted - Kele
4. Firework - Katy Perry
5. Fader - The Temper Trap
6. Hips Don't Lie (BBC Live lounge Cover) - The Fray. (You have to hear this, it's so funny and actually kind of good)
7. Hurts - Wonderful Life

That's all for now folks.

x

When she was 22...

2010-08-19T13:28:00.000+08:00

It's been an interesting month. One of my best friends from primary school got married, we moved house and area, I had my 22nd Birthday, another best friend went all the way to Tennessee for three weeks, my brother dumped his lovely girlfriend, my sister got a boyfriend that looks like a Ken doll but is really nice, I started writing again, I finally know for sure which Uni I'm going to next year and the exact course assuming I get in of course.

Natalie's wedding was untraditional but really lovely. There was only family at the ceremony and then family and close friends at the reception which was held at The Royal on the waterfront in East Perth. We had been to that exact spot a few years before for a school excursion, who would of thought back then that one of us would have their wedding reception there however many years later.

It sparked all sorts of feelings of growing up and the group of friends that went a long had long discussions on school days and fun times. It's scary how fast time goes and how much changes in a short space of time.

Moving was an eventful experience, with all my siblings it is always an ordeal. It doesn't matter how many times we do it. I love the new house though. It's got all these big windows at the back looking on to the back garden and a large patio for entertaining. It's smaller than our old house but more homely and we are all a lot happier here. Our old house was the scene of many a bad memory and experience and to move out of that house and that area feels like closure. I love our new suburb, new local shops, new beach, new parks, new walks, new bus routes. Everything. I'm happy here.

My 22nd Birthday was good. I had to work it which was a bit crap but I had all the rellies come over afterwards and we had a good laugh. I got a bunch of DVD's (Bones season 4, Planet Earth, Ocean Waves and Triple J Hottest 100 of all time), a book - Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde and a whole bunch of other stuff. It was a good birthday. Kind of hilarious as my sister Ashleigh's new boyfriend Keith was there for the cake and slightly stilted and awkward edition of 'Happy Birthday' in which five teenagers felt rather foolish singing. Watching them trying to maintain their cool in front of a relative stranger while singing Happy birthday was worth it. Let's face it, no one can look cool singing Happy Birthday.

I finished 'Linger' by Maggie Stiefvater which is the sequel to 'Shiver.' It was very good. It makes me kind of desperate for 'Forever' though. Not as desperate as I am for 'Mockingjay' by Suzanne Collins and 'A Clockwork Angel' by Cassandra Clare. When did all these young adult series get their claws in to me? I'm obsessed!

I'm still enamoured with the idea of going back to England for another holiday. I loved it so much last time despite the chronic missing of family. My cousin is coming from Liverpool for a three week holiday next week, which should be fun. We're going down to Busselton for a weekend with Rach which I am so looking forward to. It's going to be hard saying goodbye to her again when what I really want to be saying is 'Take me with you!' The grass is always greener I suppose.

Songs of the Moment just FYI are:

1. Not like the movies - Katy Perry
2. The Writer - Ellie Goulding
3. Ride - The Cary Brothers
4. Young Blood - The Naked and Famous
5. Beside you - Mariana's trench
6. Careful - Paramore
7. Secrets - onerepublic

Well, this has been a very new-sy post but I had a lot to update you on.

Hope you are all well

Your affectionate friend

Alana

Moving on

2010-07-08T20:30:00.000+08:00

For five long years my family and I have lived in this house and now we are to leave. It doesn't come as a surprise exactly. We built this house but my parents got in to some financial strife and we had to sell it. It was sold to some investors and we've rented it back since. A couple of weeks ago they decided to sell, so it's on to greener pastures for us. It will be weird as five years is the longest time we have spent in any house. We've always tended to move on after a couple of years so moving feels right. The house we're in right now has a lot of baggage attached to it that has been accumulated over the past five years, so it will feel good to lighten the load and leave some of it behind. I like change, probably because I don't do enough of it.

So it will be new local shops and train stations, new walks, parks and beaches, new neighbours and all that. I'm looking forward to it. I'm torn between sentimentality and relief and excitement on leaving, but at the moment relief & excitement are definitely winning.

Now this blog wouldn't be mine without some good solid book related talk. I'm reading John Flanagan's 'Rangers Apprentice' series at the moment which I'm pretty sure is meant for 12 year old boys. It's pretty good, fast-paced and is something different from the YA paranormal romance genre that I'm sick to the back teeth of reading. I also finally bought a lovely hardback edition of 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman, a story that I just love, and Diana Wynne Jone's 'Dark lord of Derkholm' and 'Year of the Griffin.' All of her older books are rapidly going out of print so I'm on a frantic quest to buy them all before they are no longer available. I have 22 of her books so far and am still collecting.

In other news, I went and saw Eclipse on Tuesday with my friend Rachel who has just left for a trip to America for three weeks, lucky thing! Eclipse was very watchable but still a little cringe-inducing. It didn't really build up the suspense to Breaking Dawn apart from the wedding I suppose. My three sisters haven't read the books so they have no idea what is in store for them for the last installment. I can't wait to see their faces!

I went to my first pop culture convention recently, Supanova at the Claremont Showgrounds. I took my 12 year old brother David along so he could nerd out at all the Dragon Ball Z stuff. He was very spoilt. There was some great costumes and some cool authors but it was Perth after all. I'm looking forward to one day going to one of the massive ones in America or even over east in Sydney or Melbourne. That would be amazing. David had no such reservations and pretty much dragged me from one end to the other all day. It was actually fun. For a treat afterwards we went and got mouth watering hot chocolate and churros with caramel and chocolate dip from San Churro's in Leederville which sweetened the whole day.

The last cool thing that I did recently was go to the Army Museum of WA in Fremantle yesterday. I'd never even heard of it until recently but it is a really cool place run by these really lovely old guys. They were trying really hard to raise funds for the place with sausage sizzles and the like and very really enthusiastic, so if you're in Freo, give them a visit....

Oh god, this has gone very WA tourist board so I may finish it here.

I have one question before I go, I'm currently in the market for a new favourite song and am desperate for some new music. What song are you obsessed with right now that I should check out!?

All the best

Your affectionate friend

Alana

One Saturday in June

2010-06-05T15:58:00.001+08:00

It's a sleepy, Saturday afternoon. My Dad is in the other room watching the football. I'm sat at the computer with my cat asleep on my knee, and the dogs asleep at my feet. I'm listening to Noah and the Whales 'My door is always open.' and browsing Tumblr and reading Diana Wynne Jone's autobiography. She is by far one of my favourite authors. Her books are eccentric and quirky young adult and children's fantasy but they don't patronize their intended readership. They are intelligent and witty with memorable characters, wonderful dialogue and colourful settings. Truly on a par with authors like Roald Dahl and JK Rowling. I found out today this she is discontinuing chemotherapy for lung cancer. Sad times.

I have my STAT test coming up for university entrance next semester. I'm a little concerned seeing as the last university entrance exam I did I freaked out and failed and I struggled to recover from that failure somewhat. I honestly don't think this one will be anything like that. If I do happen to fail, I'd like to think I am a lot more mature and stronger than what I was then and that I would be able to handle it. I should probably stop psyching myself out with talk of failure. That would be a good start I'd imagine.

Sometimes I think it would be great to have one of those wise, older mentor figures you see so often in fiction. The kind of mentor who clarifies all your mixed up feelings in one concise-but-devastatingly-brilliant sentence. Like Dumbledore or Gandalf or George Emerson's father at the end of the 1985 film adaptation of Room with a View. Everyone should have one.

It's Winter here now. Officially. The sky is full of grey clouds and the house is dark. The heater's sent the pedestal fans on a sorry procession back into a dusty corner of the garage. I've got a few things planned though. I'm planning on going to see the Patricia Piccinini exhibition at the WA Art Gallery and the Pompeii one at the WA Museum. Supanova is coming up which is pretty much Perth's only big nerd convention. I'm taking my twelve year old brother and my camera to that. Two of my best friends have birthdays coming up. It's all happening in June apparently.

I'm going to try posting more on here. It's good for me and I like having things to look back on.

Hope you're well and happy wherever you are in the world.
Best wishes x

Music Nostalgia

2010-05-31T21:40:00.000+08:00

I love how songs can remind you of times or places. You can close your eyes and it can transport you to where you were when you heard it. My mum has heaps of stories based around different songs. I've heard all of them a million times but I still like to hear them. I've heard them so often it's almost like they are my memories too. They vary from her reaction when she first heard the devastatingly sad What the World Needs Now mixed by Tom Clay to The Gap Band's 'Oops Upside your Head, one of the songs they danced to at her wedding. (I've seen photos once. I hope never again.)

I recently told her I hated the cheesiness of the song 'I will always love you' by Whitney Houston. No link needed for that one. She told me that I shouldn't hate it, because (apparently) as a child, I used to sing it all the time at the top of my lungs. So much so, that when we left for Australia seventeen years ago, My mum's brothers couldn't listen to the song without getting upset. Now I can't feel the same disdain for it anymore! I swear my Mum does this on purpose so she can get away with playing more of her music full blast around the house!

She used to have this mixtape, like an actual tape, that she would play in our big eight seater van all the time. She had recorded a chart show off the radio when we lived in the UK. Any of the songs on that tape takes me back to school holidays bouncing around in that van on the way to the beach, pools, parks or shopping centres. Each of my five siblings and I could probably name every song on that mixtape and know all the words. It featured 'classics' such as Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven is a place on Earth' and 'Circle in the Sand', Billy Idol's 'Hot in the City', the 'Stutter Rap' by Morris Minor and the Majors and 'Doctorin the Tardis' by the Timelords. It was pretty amazing.

I think part of growing up is the moment you realise that songs do take you back to a time and a place... I suppose, the moment you become nostalgic. When you're kids you don't even care about that kind of thing. You're so busy being a kid, and too busy living to remember to 'live in the moment.' By the time you realise that you should be, it's already too late and you can never get back to the time before nostalgia.

So now that I am arguably a grown up. (The fact that I still use 'Grown up' over 'adult' probably isn't a good sign for me) I'll have my own songs that will stick with me. Bands like Arctic Monkeys which defined my final year at High School, Songs like 'Sally Cinnamon' by the Stone Roses which is pretty much the anthem of my trip last year I heard it that often. Some of the songs, I might not even know now what they are, but there will be a moment when I hear one in the future and I'll smile to myself and say. "Hey Daughter/Son, This song always reminds me of the time when..."

Today isn't such a bad day

2010-04-17T17:07:00.000+08:00

It's been a quiet day. This morning, my mum, brother and I went to our local, undercover markets to this trading card store so David could pick up/trade some AFL 2010 trading cards. While he was bartering with the guy behind the counter over a Paul Haselby magic wild card, I took the chance to have a mosey around one of the weekend hangouts of my childhood.

One of the first things I noticed was that nothing much had changed. This was unusual for a 'growth' city like Perth that is constantly upgrading their buildings, suburbs and well... pretty much anything. I thought at the very least the shops would have been gutted and replaced by more upmarket stores. I guess that's the same with all markets though. They tend to stay the same throughout the ages. I was pretty pleased to find my old favourite sweet shop selling a variety of UK and American treats, was still in business with the same decor as it had ten years ago. Galaxy bars! Wispa bars! It was horrifically overpriced chocolate heaven!

This afternoon has been spent watching 'Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the sea" with aforementioned brother and listening to this playlist on repeat.

1. Boy Lilikoi - Jonsi

2. Love Lost - The Temper Trap

3. You and Your Heart - Jack Johnson

4. Can't Believe A Single World - VHS or Beta

5. Walking the dog - Fun.

6. Ever So shy - General Fiasco

All noteworthy songs. Check them out if you wish!

In other news, I think I have mentioned before that I'm just getting in to Terry Pratchett in a big way. I'm currently reading 'Mort' which is hilarious and brilliant. Ironically, he was recently diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer's which is really sad as he is such a great writer with razor-sharp wit. The other book I've just bought and am planning on reading next is 'The Enchanted Glass' by Diana Wynne Jones who has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Take from that what you will...

Following up from my last post, I've made a few small steps in the right direction but will keep you updated. I'm optimistic!

Also, I would love to know more about whoever is reading this so if you can spare five minutes to talk about your favourite things, please fill this out, I plan on printing whatever responses I get and putting them in a scrapbook along with pictures of Zooey Deschanel labelled "ENVY" and Jonathan Groff labelled "WHY ARE YOU GAY, YOU GORGEOUS MAN?!" in thick black texta.

I am awesome.

Favourite:

Song:

Colour:

Place:

Film:

Author:

Book:

Series:

Month:

Chocolate:

Person:

Road: (you don't have to name it, just describe)

House: (doesn't have to be one you've lived in)

Weather:

Season:

City:

TV Show:

Album:

Cartoon Character:

Non-Fiction book:

Animal:

Thanks guys!

Sorting my life out

2010-04-07T20:36:00.000+08:00

It's been seven months since I got back from my trip now and I think I've had more than enough moping time. It's time for a fresh start. It's time to make the best of what I have here. I'm sick of myself and my excuses. I'm 21 and I'm still living at home, I don't have my drivers license and I'm working at a bookstore job that I used to love (but now makes me want to hit things) for the bare minimum of hours. It's pitiful and I'm not happy and that's that.

It's been a slow process but I'm realising something I think cannot be taught and that is that this is my life. This, what I'm living now. There are no second chances or practice runs. I've been told this for years and it never meant anything to me but recently, (I can't pinpoint the exact moment, but it may have been coming in to my bedroom to find my sister loading all my belongings on to my bed in a fit of adolescent rage because she couldn't find her phone) I have just been wondering why I'm wasting my time being unhappy and not helping myself. Why am I still living at home when I don't get along with my father? Why in the seven months since I've been back have I still not made any attempt to get my drivers license? And finally, why am I wasting my time at a part time retail job that I've lost my passion for that pays me peanuts anyway?

I've stepped out of the flow of time again, it goes past but I am conscious only of existing, not living.

I want to get my act together. I want to be someone that my stupid, immature siblings can look up to. I want my independence and my own flat with my own pictures and crockery and appliances, my own bills and bookshelves and my own double bed. I want my license and a small economical car that I can drive wherever, whenever, giving me the freedom of the city and state. I want a job I'm passionate about with good, intelligent people I can have a laugh with at the same time. I don't mind working hard if it's with good people.

This isn't a lot. People do this and have all this every day without a thought.

I think it's time. Time for change. Time to sort myself out.

Enough's enough.

I'll let you know how I go!

Alice

2010-03-11T22:33:00.000+08:00

Oh yes, It's another blog about the wonder that is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. It was the first movie I've seen in 3D which was very cool, the only thing I found slightly nausea inducing was the few action scenes. Honestly though, this was one of the first films that I have been to with these huge expectations of how fantastic it was going to be and the film has lived up to them. I loved it! The characters had all these new dimensions to them, and I loved that Tim Burton didn't try to recreate Alice in Wonderland but instead made it thirteen years later, so really you have nothing to compare it to. Ok, I'm going to ease up on the gushing now. I'll say one thing though.

Johnny Depp.

How can a man with that much make up, with hugely out of proportion emerald green eyes and a crazy tangle of red hair, be that alluring?! Especially when he switched in to his Scottish accent. I actually kind of wanted a happily ever after for Alice and the Mad Hatter even though if anyone had said that to me before the movie, I would have been seriously weirded out.

Ok, ok. I'm really going to stop now.

deep breath....

Ok, it's out of my system.

I have a couple of book related things to talk about too, I'm afraid.

Firstly, I just bought (finally) a copy of Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith and I am already in love with the concept and indeed with it, particularly the idea of tying a length of string to the journal, and taking it for a walk, dragging it along behind me. Yes, I think me and this journal are going to get along just fine!

Secondly, I can't remember if I mentioned this before now, but I'm reading the Pellinor series at the moment by Alison Croggon and I've just finished Book 3: The Crow. This series is so, so good. It's one of those series that when I'm not reading it, I'm thinking about it. This is the first week in ages as well, that I've had close to full time hours at work, and this series is seriously has me hooked so bad I feel it's pulling me away.
It's about this girl Maerad and her brother Hem, who are kind of the 'chosen ones' who have to restore this thing called the Treesong and subsequently save the world. It's a gazillion times more complicated than that, but it's so good. It's just full of these rich, complex characters and their extraordinarily detailed world and customs and lives. You get the idea. It's good. If you like fantasy. Read it. I'm going to hunt down the last book tomorrow, probably in my lunch break seeing as I'm being a slave to the corporation again tomorrow. Oh joy.

What else, what else?

Oh yes, Dailybooth, I do love the concept of that site and I still check it, but the novelty is definitely starting to wear off. Recently, I've had a stream of hater comments (most of which I have deleted/blocked) on various photos I've put up, and it's made me lose interest a fair bit. Who needs it? I have enough negativity in my life without random angry strangers adding to it. So there you go. I probably will go on to check out everybody else's photos and comment etc, but I won't be adding many photos anymore.

insert amazing segue of your choosing

Musically, I am so excited for She & Him's volume two! I love love loved volume one and know all the songs off by heart. Their new song 'In the Sun' makes me very hopeful that this one will be even better. Yay!

I got the best postcard in the mail today, all the way from a tiny town in Northern Western Australia where a dear friend of mine is living this year. It was pretty much the coolest postcard I have got ever. It was crocodile shaped, made out of green spongey/polystyrene-ish material with a small square bit of card on the back and front. I had not the pleasure of fetching it from the mailbox myself, but my mother enjoyed retrieving it nonetheless. I think it will have to go on my wall, my wall is due a makeover.

Oh god, I'm talking about my bedroom wall. Congratulations if you've made it this far reader and thank you. You always make my day brighter with your comments and blogs.

Until next time,

DOWN with the BLOODY RED QUEEN!

:-)

Short and to the Point

2010-02-05T12:38:00.001+08:00

One thing I have never been able to get about this whole Twilight/Vampire phenomenon is what it is about Vampires that has everyone in such a frenzy? Vampires/Vampyres/Vampyrs/whatever alternate spelling the author is using to make their idea seem original, they drink blood. I'm pretty sure this is a strong reason not to be attracted to vampires, all danger and forbidden love aside. Undead creatures that drink blood are not sexy, they are gross. "Oh honey, you have something in your fangs. I think it's part of someones vein, or maybe it's a piece of punctured neck." Yeah, I can see why people would want to kiss that.

Twilight rose to fame on the strength of the forbidden love story between Edward Cullen(Vampire/Vampyr etc) and Bella Swan. (Human/damsel in distress/dinner) but what I can't understand is how people can suddenly be really into Vampire stories in general because 'Twilight got them into it.' I think my question is that if Twilight rose to prominence on the strength of the love story at its core, why do people come in to the book shop where I work and ask for vampire books like Twilight? And why do people list their interests at Vampire fiction? It makes me wonder if people like Twilight for the love story or for the Vampires.

/end rant

I think maybe I think a bit too much about this kind of thing.

Today I've been mega researching the Archiving course I want to do at University next semester. Looks like I have to do a Bachelor of Arts for three years and then I have to do another year of the actual archiving type stuff, but that's cool. Also, there is no Universities near where I live that are running the course. This is also fine by me. Can you not tell how much I want to do this?

I feel invigorated.

The upstairs room.

2010-02-03T19:19:00.000+08:00

I confess, I am simply in love with the Avett brothers in all their bearded glory. My favourite songs by them are murder in the city, the ballad of love and hate, , i and love and you and Bella donna. They sing these beautiful crafted, emotional songs, a little bit like Mumford and sons I suppose but if you check out any new band today, make sure it's them!

Also, if there is any tumblr loving people reading this, check out Megan McIsaac She's an amazing photographer and she also puts together free mixtapes with different themes, but the music on them is so fantastic. She's just released a new one called I will do which is for all the procrastinators out there. Procrastination for me is probably my biggest flaw. (that I know of!) so I appreciate this mix a lot!

In my tiny little world, I finally got some hours at work, so I can pay off some stuff. I was down to the smallest amount of money I've had since I've first started working, so I'm completely relieved. I hate anything to do with finance or having to do anything to do with finance. I always want it to be this background thing of no consequence and I hate when it comes to the forefront, jumping up and down in distress. I just want it to sort itself out! I know, I know, you don't need to tell me I'm a logical thinker.

All my plentiful siblings have gone back to school now, so it's quieter during the day. I love being the only one home. It's peaceful, and it's a nice little prequel to having my own place I suppose. I'd really love my own place. When I was little we always used to be building new houses and we moved pretty much every year to a new house so as a child I saw a lot of building plans. So it was always a good game for us to sit around the dining room table in front of an A4 piece of paper and draw plans of our ideal houses. My brother Daniel used to get creative and include rollercoasters, battle/war rooms, teleportation machines and a whole room of full of video games with a television screen the size of a cinema screen. My sisters Ashleigh and Aimee used to draw enormous bedrooms taking up most of the page with tiny little kitchens and bathrooms in the space left over. My ideal house was different.

I had very specific ideas about what I wanted. Two stories with really high ceilings in the kitchen and lounge with a balcony overlooking the bottom floor from the top floor, kind of like a loft, but what I always had was a secret room leading from my bedroom. The door was hidden in the wardrobe and was locked with an old fashioned key. You opened it and in front of you was a spiral staircase made of wood and leading up to a room where all the walls are filled with bookshelves. There's one tall window to your left as you walk in and the floor is wooden and bare apart from a plush rug in the centre of the room. On this rug sits the hugest, comfiest armchair you can imagine, and under the window, looking out, a huge desk with a computer, a drawer full of pens and pencils, a stack of journals to one side. Lined up on the window sill are treasures I've collected on all my journeys around the world. (In these fantasies, I was a terrific flyer. In reality, not so good.)

It's funny because over the years, this fantasy is the one constant, the little upstairs room in my wardrobe. The downstairs would definitely change, when I was thirteen I wanted a constant party, when I was fifteen, I wanted rooms for all my friends and so on. Maybe it's a reaction to having a big family. I've never really had any privacy so the slightest bit of privacy is a luxury, my very own private room seems like a fantasy. I'm not complaining though! Far from it, there is a lot of good things about living in a big family too.

Why is it whenever I write blogs, I always end up somewhere I never expected? Maybe I need to plan it out more?..

Hope you're all well anyway.
Best love.

The Rambler

2010-01-23T20:43:00.001+08:00

My sisters are having a 'gathering' tonight. This is apparently a party with less people. Aimee's invited twenty guys and girls of varying degrees of narcissism. I'm planning on loading my room up with cushions and bean bags and having a movie watching session with my twelve year old brother, two dogs, cat and probably my Mum. Strangely enough, I don't have any desire to watch underage drinkers getting so drunk they throw up down themselves and think it's funny, so a bedroom hideout it is.

It's my Mum's birthday today and I'm so poor I had to make her a card. I haven't done that since I was ten. so that's definitely some major steps back. This is the fourth week I haven't had a shift at work and I was supposed to have one next Tuesday which just so happens to be Australia Day and a public holiday. So that's awesome. heh. Speaking of Australia Day, the merchandise for the big event has gone kind of overboard this year. I've never seen the Australian flag made into so many different things - t-shirts, bikinis, board-shorts, speedos, thongs (flip flops for the weirdos), singlets, towels, undies, socks, hats, sunglasses and tons more. I'm all for being patriotic, but this is just Target trying to cash in and it leaves an an awful taste.

I always forget how much I love Band of Horses, they make beautiful music that I just love but I constantly forget how awesome they are. It's always a nice surprise when they come on my itunes and I can go "Oooh, I love these guys." Yeah, that totally just happened. Someone else you should check out is Marina and the Diamonds I love her tunes!

I saw Sherlock Holmes, for those that are interested, it was really good! Robert Downey Jr did a fantastic job of Holmes. I loved seeing how he worked everything out and all the little cogs working in his mind. Jude Law was great as Watson as well. It's definitely worth seeing if you haven't already. I still haven't seen Avatar because I'm consistently seven months behind on trends. It's inevitable.

Book wise, I've been re-reading the Wee Free Men series by Terry Pratchett because they are absolutely hilarious and I need a good laugh.

'Miss Tick sniffed. "You could say this advice is priceless," she said. "Are you listening?"
"Yes," said Tiffany.
"Good. Now...if you trust in yourself..."
"Yes?"
"...and believe in your dreams..."
"Yes?"
"...and follow your star..." Miss Tick went on.
"Yes?"
"...you'll still get beaten by people who spent their their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy."

To end on a rather shallow note, if I had a lot of money and had to spend some on something shallow and indulgent. It would be on these.

They would just fit so well with every single outfit I have and I just want them.

Things have been pretty rough lately but I know I'll get through it. I'm trying to stay positive and keep my head together, just keep busy and fill my hours with whatever I can. I have a lot more these days than I did when I'd just left school. I know what I want to do. I've been travelling, I've shown I can work hard and work well. I don't have any enemies. (well, maybe one. ;-) ) and I've got people around me who love and support me. I've just got to pull myself up by the bootstraps and I'll be fine.

Anyway you lot,

I best go and pick some movies for tonight.

Hope you're well

xxx

Undead

2010-01-10T22:12:00.000+08:00

The funny thing about exercise is once you start it, and I mean really start it, you can't stop. I'm quickly learning this bizarre fact of life and many more as my once a day walk in the morning turns into two, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and those walks turn longer and longer. I never really thought of myself as much of a exercise fiend before now. Funny what time and little bit of motivation makes of us.

Today was a good day. I needed a good day. Yesterday it was like one thing after another. It started out with me getting major cramps in my legs so not being able to do a full walk, then I came home and my sister who was still in bed had knocked her huge teddy bear off from where she was asleep on the top bunk, on to a glass of water on my beside table, and the water on to my sleeping macbook by the side of my bed. I screamed a little bit and my soul pretty much split in two, especially when i discovered after drying it down, that it wouldn't turn on. After that came a variety of swear words, a swift google on my parents ancient windows computer, which gave a variety of solutions. I went with the most plausible option which was to take the battery out, and leave it in the sun to dry for a day or so.

I was torturing myself with all things I would lose if my dear computer was unable to be revived. Life as I knew it would have been transformed! Luckily, today after an extensive sun bathing period, my mac is now back in action, memory still intact. A little bit like wall-e after he tries to save the plant and gets squashed by that plant holding machine thing. You know the bit.

So after that drama, and leaving my computer in the sun, I came back in to my room a little bit dead inside. I decided to plan my week as I had nothing better to do, so I called work to take down my hours and got one of the new kids that have been hired over christmas on the phone. I asked for my hours and was informed that I wasn't having any hours for two weeks because the shop didn't make budget over christmas. Awesome.

So as you can see, it wasn't the best of mornings. My afternoon was better. I hung out with my friend Tom who is leaving in about a week to take up a teaching position in the country. We went down to Hillary's Boat Harbour where we had ice cream and watched dolphins chase fish in the water. We walked up to the white lighthouse on the end of the groyne and climbed it up to the lookout level which looked out to open sea. I'd never been up there before after years of going to Hillary's so it was a new experience for me and very cool. We saw a mother and baby dolphin swimming in the sea, which was lovely until Tom pointed out that it could be a cougar dolphin with her younger lover, to which the dolphins promptly disappeared.

Today Rach, owner of this blog and I went to Mindarie Marina and had milkshakes. It was a lot of fun. We've just started a book club of the two of us and we're reading Dracula. Both of us are only a chapter in, but it's surprisingly good so far and easy to read. Creepy too.

On the ghost front, nothing much has happened recently. I'm redoubled my efforts when it comes to doing all my research so I can get the creepy suitcase out of the house asap. It's going really well.

Listening to: Athletes new album Black Swan - It's incredibly good.
Reading: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Til next time folks. x

HP Rant/New Music Love!

2010-01-07T19:50:00.000+08:00

If you follow me on anything else on this here internet, you'll probably already know that I got an amazing necklace today that I bought off Etsy a little while ago. It's a Harry Potter one I'm afraid and I just love it. It's actually an old fashioned pocket watch with a train on the front that looks just like the Hogwarts Express. I don't think this will actually ever leave my neck from now on.

I can't even quite explain the whole thing with Harry Potter for me and I'm pretty sure I've already tried to on here at some point. It was just such a huge part of my childhood and adolescence and it's such a brilliant story. The thing with Harry Potter is not just the magic and the wizarding world... that's secondary but only to the people and relationships throughout the series. Such memorable characters and complex backstories and relationships with each other. It's just so fantastic, which is why it breaks my heart when people come in to the bookstore where I work and say things like

"I'm looking for a book for an eleven year old boy but we're religious, so nothing like Harry Potter or anything like that."

"I have to buy a present for a ten year old but her mother won't let them read any fantasy, witchy stories like Harry Potter because she thinks they're evil."

People have actually said these things to me and it makes me want to throttle them, either that or give them a big lecture on the nature of evil, sit them down and make them read the whole series start to finish. I mean seriously? Some of the greatest writers of children's literature ever are based in fantasy, like Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, JM Barrie and even Dr Suess to name but a few. These books and authors aren't evil! These books teach kids the meaning of right and wrong, instil morals and values, teach them the meaning of friendship and love, but most of all they teach children to enjoy reading and what's so bad about that? The fact that there are kids missing out on these books because of some stupid ignorant parent without a shred of imagination really pisses me off. /rant

Well now that's off my chest, on to lighter topics!

I've had a re-vamp of my itunes in the past week or two because everything was getting very old hat. So some of the newbies I've been listening to include:

Slow Club - cutesy indie pop *must listen: Me and You

The Courteeners - Similar to Wombats/Arctic Monkeys. From Manchester and absolutely fab *must listen: Not nineteen forever

Athlete I already liked these guys but their new album is just fantastic *must listen The Unknown

Cloud Control - Gold Canary Great indie pop with an African sound in a similar style of Vampire Weekend. One of my favourite new songs!

My walking is still going really well. I'm walking twice a day, eating more healthier and I've lost some weight and am feeling more motivated. It's been hard but a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I'm off for another one right now.

See you soon xx

Ghosts...

2010-01-03T16:12:00.000+08:00

I'm the biggest sceptic when it comes to ghosts, hauntings and the paranormal. I stopped believing in all that stuff when I started high school. There's been a couple of creepy things happen to me in the past week or so, that have me seriously freaked.

It all started with me researching my Nanna's (Mum's mum) family tree. It's going to be my gift to her for her 70th birthday in February of this year. I had been doing really well with and managed to trace back to the 1700's on both sides but a lot of my research was based around census documents and other internet based sources and I was hitting a bunch of dead ends. I needed more clues.

So I called my Grandad. I knew my Nanna had a box of old photographs and letters that would really make my job easier if I could get a hold of them. So I got my Grandad in on the secret and he managed to smuggle the box out of her wardrobe and over to my house, which is where the weird stuff started.

What I thought was a box, turned out to be a little brown suitcase. I went through it with my mum when it first arrived and was delighted with the amount of interesting letters and photographs it held, as well as a couple of birth certificates etc. Then I went through it alone the next day, carefully taking out everything and photographing it and placing it neatly back in order.

That night when I went to sleep, I tossed and turned for a while until I dozed off. My sister Aleisha was fast asleep in the bunk above me. Suddenly there was this yell right next to my ear, I jerked awake thinking it was Aleisha and said to her "Aleisha... Aleisha?" trying to see what she wanted. I couldn't see a thing, the whole room was pitch black. There was no reply from Aleisha. I gingerly reached out a hand to where I thought the noise had come from and my hand hit empty air. I freaked out a little but thought I must have been dreaming so I rolled over towards the wall and tucked my covers up around my head, and eventually drifted back off to sleep. I asked her about it the next day and she had no idea what I was talking about.

This has happened probably about five times now. The last time was last night when my sister wasn't even in the room, she was sleeping at a friends house. I don't know what it is that is making the noise but that was enough to scare me.

This morning, my Dad and siblings all went to the beach, leaving me and mum alone in the house, which was fine. I enjoy the peace and quiet. I sat on the couch with my computer on my lap, the cricket was on the telly on mute which was fine. Mum was going back and forth doing housework. Suddenly there was this bang from the back of the house where the bedrooms are. I called out to Mum but she was in the front room tidying her bathroom. I stayed where I was, listening hard. Mum came in to the family room where I was sat and asked if I had called her name. I told her about the noise and we were both stood there as we heard the laundry sliding door bang shut. We both walked in there quickly glancing around. There was no one inside or out who could have made the noise. Not even the dogs or cats.

I went in to my room and with a shock saw that some of my books that were on the very top shelf of my bookshelf were now on the carpeted floor in front of the bookshelf as if they had been thrown. I freaked out and left the room and haven't been in there since. It's been about four hours and I'm supposed to be going out tonight so I've got to go in there eventually. Still, I'm freaked.

I'll let you know if anything else happens.

Happy New Year by the way. Hope you're all well and happy.

Christmas Love

2009-12-23T18:32:00.000+08:00

The Crabstickz Advent Calendar videos are some of the funniest videos I have watched on youtube for ages. This guy Chris has invented all these hilarious characters, retold the christmas story using a crabstick for Mary, making her do a sexy dance for the innkeeper (a toy figure of Aragorn from LOTR) to get a room at the inn, he was pulled through his christmas tree into an alternate universe and has dressed up as a woman, a vicar, a crazed alternate universe occupant wearing only christmas wrapping paper and tinsel and all sorts of other weird and wonderful people. In other words, watch him here now. It will make your christmas a better one. My personal fave is door four.

So lately I've had pretty much one shift a week at work which has left me lots of time for creative pursuits. (hence why I've been watching so much youtube) I have been mildly creative. I was pretty much in charge of Christmas this year so I decorated the tree, put up the tinsel and lights and other beaded arrangements. Set up the nativity scene, painted some silver stars and stuck them around the house, and have downloaded a few christmas albums. So all in all, I'm like the number one advocate for Christmas cheer. I'm such a generous spirit I even let my brother put the star on top of the tree. I know, I'm amazing, right?

I do love Christmas. Mum's in the kitchen right now making mince pies. I don't like to brag but my mum makes amazing mince pies from scratch. I love the unscheduled rendezvous of all my siblings in my room at 5am on christmas morning that occurs every year some how, talking in low excited voices about what they think they'll get. Maybe it's because I'm not working this Christmas that I'm appreciating it a bit more. It is very, very hard to appreciate Christmas while working in retail over the christmas period. People are at their best and worst this time of year.

So recent developments in my world are that I've started walking with my Mum in the early mornings. We've been going to the local national park and traipsing through snake and fly infested bush braving all manor of beasts and heat. It's been hard. The trail is long and physically demanding but it's rewarding. It's only been a week but I've been going to bed earlier, so I've been less of a bitchy zombie during the day and my thoughts have been clearer. I feel good and things are going ok. Work could be better but there's always something.

So in conclusion to this essentially pointless scrawl,

Hope you have a very merry christmas and a great new years.

All the best

Alana x

Song of the moment: Oh! Hark! - Lisa Mitchell

Reading: Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (second time)

Can't wait for: Glee to be released on DVD Dec 29th.

Sister

2009-12-05T00:30:00.000+08:00

Today I had one of my rare full day shifts since I've been back in Australia. It started with an early morning sales pep talk from my manager, and finished with water cascading down the back of the store room shelves from the ceiling soaking stacks of books. Not to mention it was 40 degrees outside and close to Christmas and people were plain bitchy. So all in all, a fun filled day.

My fourteen year old sister who is pretty much a juvenile delinquent has been kept off school for the last two weeks because of trouble at school. She's also grounded so she's driving us all crazy. For a little over a week now I've been reading to her "The Last Song' by Nicolas Sparks. Which is this coming of age type novel where this girl, Ronnie, who is a bratty teenager who hasn't spoken to her Dad in three years, since he left her, her mum and her kid brother. Ronnie has to go and stay with him in this sleepy beachside town where he lives and while she's there she slowly undergoes this transformation as she goes through a lot of crap.* So obviously, you can see why I chose this certain book to read aloud to my sister. Bratty adolescent becomes actual human being stories are right up her alley at the moment. On the upside, she loves it and can't wait for me to read another chapter, and another and so on. On the downside, she's got very dependent on my reading/talking her to sleep which was the reason behind last nights episode.

Lei sleeps in the bunk above me in our cramped room and things can get pretty heated when we spend too much time together. Lei's got this fourteen year old attitude thing happening. The world revolves around her, her social circle, her needs and wants and I know I'm nowhere near perfect so there are clashes from time to time. Mum always describes mine and Aleisha's relationship as being like in Lilo and Stitch, with Lilo and her older sister. Screaming in to pillows and all. :-)

Anyway, we went to bed at a similar time last night. The light was off and Lei fidgeted around in the bed above me while I tried to get some sleep because I had work the next day. After huffing, puffing, turning over and back again, she finally said. "Tell me a story."
Then it was my turn to huff and puff until she got around me and I told her 5 stories. One about a giant octopus, one about a toy with a soul and a couple of classics - the Boy who cried wolf, hare and the tortoise, Little Red Riding Hood. etc. I even had to sing to her! She lapped the whole thing up eagerly, begging me to continue as I got more and more sleepy and frustrated.

It's amazing to me sometimes, that she has this extremely tough front in the light of day, one who talks back to her teachers, doesn't take shit from her friends, someone who cannot take authority at all, and then as soon as those lights go off, or she gets in to bed, all of that attitude is somehow cast aside, and she is a little girl again with all these vulnerabilities and when she's like that I can't refuse her anything, so I'll tell her stories until the early hours of the morning, or read to her until my voice goes hoarse because at the very core when you look past all the shit that goes on and the shitty stuff that she does, she's my kid sister and she still needs me, if it's only for those brief moments before she goes to sleep.

Until of course, she wakes up the next day, tells me to close the f*cking blinds. haha

I went and saw Where the Wild Things Are last night with my friend Tom, and it was actually amazing. It only came out yesterday here, so it was completely exciting to be some of the first to see it in Aus (legally that is!). I had a really good time. I loved the film, I thought the kid who played Max was brilliant and did it really well. I'll probably go see it agin.

I think that's about all that's gone on recently anyway,
Until next time
Merry Christmas! (oh yes I did)

*This has got to be the least eloquent book review I've ever written and for that I apologize.

Ambition

2009-12-01T20:34:00.003+08:00

There's a lot of crap going on at the moment in my camp that's contributing towards a generally shitty outlook, but instead of using this blog to bitch and moan about it, I want to look at the good things.

So probably my most pressing problem is my lack of hours at the bookstore where I work. Since coming back from the UK on September 13th, I've had at best, two three hour shifts a week, which is barely enough to scrape by, luckily I live at home so a lot of my expenses are shared with seven other people. However, the hours that I have had have been less than pleasant experiences. Before I left, I had a lot of shifts, and my product knowledge was good, my manager and I were friends, she asked my opinion on things even though I was technically just a casual staff member. By the time I got back, she had left, a long with a couple of other members of staff, a new manager was in place and a lot had changed. I expected change, you can't go away for four months and expect to have everything the same when you come back, but I was unprepared the degree of change, and the impact that all those differences, large and small, would have.

The positive out of that situation was that I have discovered that retail is not for me. As much as I love books, I don't have the kind of drive that pushes me to want to make a profit for a faceless retail group. It got me thinking that I want to be able to do behind the scenes work. I really enjoyed the research I did on my family history when I was in the UK, when my Grandma dumped five boxes on to the bed in the extension room, and basically said "Go for your life."

I came across pamphlets from war time Britain, crumbling love letters, a lock of hair, stories of ancestors, newspaper articles, carte de visite photographs, school reports, birth, death and marriage certificates, funeral notices and more. I loved being able to immerse myself in their world, learning about them and the time they lived in. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt competent and passionate about something.

In truth, since I've got back, it's been on my mind a lot. Being able to make a career out of that kind of thing would be amazing. I was thinking about maybe going to Uni and studying to be an Archivist or a Record manager, so I can decipher old letters, date old photographs, and discover peoples stories. To me, this sounds endlessly fascinating. To others, maybe not so much. All I know is that I'm completely unhappy in my current situation, and this might just be a way for me to fulfill whatever potential I have.

Top 5 songs of the moment.
1. Roll away your stone - Mumford and sons
2. All I want - Sarah Blasko
3. Coin Laundry - Lisa Mitchell
4. Fireflies - Owl City
5. Head, First, Down - Whitley

Recent fantastic reads
1. The Last Song - Nicolas Sparks
2. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
3. Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
4. Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings - Megan McCafferty

Recent Obsessions
1. Glee
2. Bones season 5
3. Where the Wild things Are - movie comes out on Thursday!!
4. CHRISTMAS
5. Failing Nanowrimo, but still continuing to write!

The Labyrinth

2009-11-14T23:31:00.002+08:00

I am writing this in the dark, and it's slow going let me tell you. I'm typing the keys from memory and apparently it's easier to write in light because I have to keep backspacing every two seconds and I thought I was a good typer!

My sister is in the bunk above me, snoozing and no doubt getting steadily more pissed off which the clatter of keys. There was this funny moment tonight when Mum and I went to pick her up from work at like 9:30 at night. When we left, there was a group of teenage boys stood out the front, drinking and having a laugh, and when we came back with Lei in the car, there was only one, the guy she's been crushing on.

Do you ever experience a moment in life, that you can see as part of a novel or story? This was definitely teen-lit territory. He sat with his back against this tall limestone wall facing the road, elbows on knees, looking incredibly nervous. Lei was practically giddy when she saw him, and went quickly into an "Ohmygod, ohmygod." teenage moment, the pitch of her voice getting intolerably high. We pulled up and Lei got out the car and walk-skipped over to him. They stood at quite a distance from each other glancing back towards me and Mum getting out the car trying to casually suss them out. As you do.

Mum was first to regain her good sense and started to walk towards the house, I lingered a little behind her, just to see what they did because a) I'm nosy. b) embarrassing/awkward moments are always good to keep stock of when it comes to sisters and c) I felt a little nostalgic for my own teen-awkward moments, but of course, it was mostly nosiness.

I did witness a hug, I will say, before I was slapped on the arm by my mother and dragged inside to give them some privacy. Lei danced in a few minutes later, beaming, cheeks flushed and footsteps light.

Gosh, do you remember how that used to feel? That utter elation? She's seven years younger than me, only 14, but I felt like the ultimate old timer seeing her like that. I haven't liked anybody in that silly, giddy way in a long time, and it made me kind of want to. Obviously, I'm brushing off how totally agonizing it is, and all the complications that come with liking somebody even in the tiniest way, but seeing her all buzzy tonight. She looked so alive.

Somedays, if you'll excuse the LOTR reference, I feel like one of the old Ents, all set in my ways and grumbly, liked if I moved too quickly my branches would simply snap and fall off, and I'd end up just a discontented old tree, practically a stump, with no branches to speak of. Doing my travel bit, definitely helped shake my roots a little bit, but I'm not sure in what way yet. I'm still working it through in my mind, all restless and antsy.

I've just finished re-reading 'Looking for Alaska' by the incredible Mr John Green and a couple of the quotes I (shock-horror) underlined were:

"You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.” - Alaska Young

True enough. Good advice for anybody about the importance of living for the moment.

"I thought for a long time that the way out of the labyrinth was to pretend that it did not exist, to build a small, self-sufficient world in a back corner of the endless maze and to pretend I was not lost, but home." - Miles 'Pudge' Halter p260

When I was reading this line, it really resonated with me. I did one of those little gasps, you know, like when you're looking for a book in a bookstore, one you desperately want and suddenly there it is, right in front of you, nestled in between a copy of Lockie Leonard and the Uglies trilogy, and you gasp because for a second, you've succeeded in your quest to find that one thing. One of those gasps. I instantly underlined it three times over, and read it back to myself with pleasure, my mind awash with layers of meaning.

I won't go on a self-indulgent rant about how it relates to me or anything, I'll just say that sure, it resonated and I thought it was a great piece of writing, a paragraph that restores your faith in the YA genre, when vampire saturation levels are at an all time high, and that it's made me reassess a few things in my own life and my own little back corner.

Sorry for the novel length of this post guys, but as you know

"It takes a long time to say anything in Ooold Entish."

NaNoWriMo

2009-10-17T00:07:00.003+08:00

I'm thinking of doing Nanowrimo this November. If you're not familiar with it, basically November is National Novel Writing Month, and the aim is to write an entire 50, 000 word novel in thirty days. You update the website with your progress, (just a word count) and the aim is to get it finished within the 30 days. If you do, You win! You don't actually win anything, except giving yourself a pat on the back, and the draft of a novel taking up room on your computer, but I'd like to give it a go. See if I can push myself.

It's hard to get motivated to be creative when you have a lot of hours to fill. I tend to work better on a deadline. When I've got free hours, I read or watch a movie, or spend time on the net. I'm a born time waster. When I was a kid I used to write stories all the time, (really bad ones) and read them to my five younger siblings as I progressed with each story. Just the other day, my sister who's now 17, asked me if she could read a copy of a story I wrote when I was around 12 or 13. I considered it, tracked down the story, glanced it over and thought. No. No one deserves to be subjected to that mix of poorly written pre-teen melodrama and 2001 slang. So it's back in it's hiding place where it can stay for all eternity.

I just want to give story writing another go. To test myself, my resolve, and to try to remind myself what I loved so much about creating fictional universes when I was a kid. I know it's not going to be easy. I think it's going to be horrific, but I'm going to try, because I owe my child-self that. I won't be posting it online or anything, so don't worry! It will be a private experiment, I suppose you could call it. I'll probably update this, tearing my hair out from time to time. So you've got that to look forward to!

Also, a few of things:
a) LOVING 500 days of summer more and more each day with every quote, photo or clip that appears in my feed on tumblr.
b) It's nearly Summer in Australia. Time for a new health kick, and some sun smart tanning
c) ZOE GETS HOME REALLY REALLY SOON! and I'm so so excited to see her.

That will do, sleep time now. Well, after I finish reading the new Nylon magazine I got today...

Trapezoid

2009-10-11T23:12:00.003+08:00

You know what I miss about being away from home?

When I was in the UK, staying with my grandparents. I had a purpose. I was Research Girl. Not a very cool superhero nickname, but don't under estimate the powers of research. I used my powers to create a family tree spanning back to the 1700's, read through hundreds of old papers, scoured the internet for information, tracked down graves, and old addresses, learned my ancestors stories and gave them new life and personality in a colourful presentation to family members. I may have had a trusty sidekick in ancestry.co.uk but seriously, what kind of sidekick is someone you have to pay to help you out?

Other than Research Girl, I was World Traveller Girl otherwise known as Weird Accent Girl, as much as I hate myself for it, it was kind of nice going in to places and as soon as you open your mouth, people take notice, make a joke, or are just plain interested. Sure, it got tiring at the same time, but it was also kind of a buzz going in to the local bakery or whatever and people being like "ooohh... we don't get many of you Aussies round here." Suddenly, instead of people being bored and uninterested. I was interesting! Boring old me!

and every week I was travelling to new places, or really, new old places. Old places I had never been, there was so much excitement and wonder. I'm totally glossing over the bad parts, like the homesickness, and feeling jaded, and personality clashes, all the sucky things that go hand in hand with travelling.

It's definitely given me itchy feet though. I just wish everything was closer. Scotland just a 3 hr train journey, Europe just an hour flight. The thing with Perth, where I live, is that once your in Perth it's really expensive to leave.

I guess I'm just missing the girl I felt I was when I was away, that savvy creature. Now that I'm home, the old square is sat there waiting for me to slot back in to it, I'm just discovering rather quickly, that it just doesn't fit anymore, and I'm more of a trapezoid now.

So what I'm trying to work out, is how Research Girl, World Traveller Girl and Trapezoid Girl are meant to fit back into Boring Girls mold, or if they can even exist here.

I'm not making any sense.

Totally buggin'

2009-09-23T23:40:00.003+08:00

Today was my first day back at work. It was a half day really, and even a half day was atrocious, I got off my shift like five hours ago, and my feet are sore, and I'm tired and grumpy. Before my trip I did like four or five full days in a row. I have aged a year since I went away though. I'm 21 now, it takes longer for me to recuperate now that I'm an old decrepit woman.

I have a new manager who's cool. She's really motivated and has a really clear vision of where she wants the store to go, with goals and ideas etc. We had our first staff meeting ever tonight, where she talked to us about making a difference in a small way for each customer who comes through the doors. I felt kind of bad that she was making this rousing speech and we were all kind of like stunned mullets, traipsing after her as she led us about the store talking animatedly. So that equals cool.

I have two Frankie magazines, three Nylon magazines and one issue of Yen to catch up on, and it's almost too much fantastic. It's a little bit daunting. Which do I start with, do I read them chronologically and maybe miss out on an event, or from most recent to least recent risking spoilers about the contents in the earlier magazines. What a crisis.

Since I've got back I've been on a movie binge - Cheaper by the Dozen, Clueless, Hannah Montana the movie, 500 days of Summer, Homeward Bound, - next up is Little Rascals and maybe the Goonies.

How gorgeous is Paul Rudd in Clueless?
One of my favourite all time movies!!

It be time for bed methinks. I have a big day tomorrow! Finally get to catch up with Rach! girl time!

Over and out. :-)

Back in Aus

2009-09-22T16:40:00.004+08:00

Today is an orange food day apparently.

I just snacked on a handful of orange m&m's and then cause I was still hungry, had a handful of doritos with pumpkin dip and orange juice. I did all this without even realising, and I've just noticed the dip, juice and doritos lined up in front of me. Very strange.

I just finished 'Catching Fire' the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and oh my gosh it was fantastic... It took me a day and a half to finish, and now I desperately want book 3 which doesn't even have a title yet. If you haven't read the Hunger Games, you should. I won't give you a description because you could easily google it, but if you want something fast and edge of your seat with good characterisation and a well structured plot, read this book. Although maybe read it after the third book has come out because the ending of Catching Fire is killer.

Anyway, I'm back from my travels. Slowly settling back in to a routine. It's been pretty difficult I have to admit. I've been googling 'reverse culture shock' and all kinds of things because getting back to normality isn't quite what I expected after waiting so long to be home and reunited with my family, and to be able to sleep in my own bed. It's not that I don't like being home. I do. It's just I feel a little bit caught between two worlds at the moment. I suppose I'll settle down when I get back in to work. I'm looking forward to Zoe coming home from America because she'll probably feel the same and we can lament the end of our travels and exchange stories, and hang out!!

One thing I really miss, that I didn't really expect to miss is the city of Liverpool. It's a pretty great, thriving city, with great shops and a lot of stuff happening culturally. Perth, my hometown, is ok but it's kind of made up of high end boutique stores, tacky-budget stores, souvenir stores and slightly bigger versions of stores you'd find in any shopping mall. Liverpool and Manchester for that matter (I looooved Manchester) were so much more thriving and had so much more to offer.

It's not that I don't love Perth, well... It's more Western Australia that I love. Especially the South west and our coastline. It's a beautiful place to live with it's pearly white sand, and clear, blue sea. Rocky peaks, wildflowers and bush a hundred shades of green. I like the laid back lifestyle and the vastness of this state. I both resent and am secretly proud of the fact I live in the most isolated city in the world.

What I don't like is:
Suburbia and everything that comes with it.I know I'm an ungrateful waste of space when there are people out there that don't even have a roof over their heads and bombs going off in the streets near their houses, but allow me this one whinge about how crap living in the suburbs is. Seriously.

I think I just feel out of sorts and weirded out by everything. I just don't feel like I'm contributing very much and I wish I could escape whenever I wanted to with my family and friends in my backpack and that plane rides to the other side of the world didn't take two days and a week to recover.

I guess I just want this.

I'm really sorry about that link. ^

I started this blog so upbeat and now it's gone kind of blah.
I think I'm going to go watch a region 4 DVD movie and eat chocolate that isn't galaxy and mope about how I can't get paperchase stationary here.

woe is me.

LDN

2009-09-10T15:54:00.004+08:00

I'm back from London and am now well in to my last week in England.

London was just a treasure chest of new experiences, and rushing, and a million heartbeats a minute. I saw all the tourist type sights, as many as I could cram in anyway... the tower of London, Westminster Abbey, British Museum, The Imperial war Museum, trafalgar square, the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace, a theatre production of Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych theatre, a bus tour, a cruise along the thames, and more! All crammed into a weekend, I was absolutely exhausted when I got back.

I went with my Auntie Karen, my Dad's sister, who lives in Cheshire.

We were on our way back to our hotel from Russell square tube station, when this happened...

There's a homeless man sat outside the station along a fence, he has a blanket over his knees, a cup in his lap for change, he's missing an eye, and looks like he's had a really hard life. We walk past and he goes
"Smile loves, It's not that bad is it?" with a cockney accent.
I smile vaguely in his direction and keep walking, when I realise I'm alone. I turn around and Karen is fumbling in her pockets.
"I'm just trying to find some change." she tells me.
I wait for her, and the guy turns to me. "So, are you on holiday?"
I smile at him and say, "Yeah, I'm from Australia."
"Australia ey... Well tell skippy I've got a bone to pick with him." he jokes.
We laughed, he grinned, Karen couldn't find any change, so I gave him £1.
and we continued on back to the hotel.

But that's not where the story ends!

The next day, we were walking up the same street and up ahead, a clearly different homeless man was sat against the fence (this one had an eye)
and to my horror, Karen calls out to him
"We told skippy! We called him last night. He sends his best!"
this homeless guy was like "wh...what?" half shocked to be spoken to, and half shocked that this mad woman with a strong northern accent was yelling things about Skippy the kangaroo to him.
Right outside a busy tube station.
I linked her arm and tried to walk quickly on with her saying loudly. "Oh, hang on, it's the wrong one. That's not our mate from last night!"

So between that and her falling asleep during a service at Westminster Abbey and dropping all her papers with a clatter, I'm sure we made quite the impact on London town.

The countdown has started

2009-09-03T05:33:00.002+08:00

Oh my gosh... 11 days till I leave.. how did this happen? It's like one second I had two months to go and everything was cruisy, plenty of time to do everything and now it's like frantic... oh my god I should have done this or gone there. Madness.

So with it being only that short time till I go home, I was kind of winding down getting my head in gear for that killer flight and thinking of the stuff I need to get before I leave, then yesterday I get a call from my auntie, who's like "So I've booked two tickets to London for you and me for this weekend, staying in a four star hotel, wanna come?"
To which I made all kinds of incoherent sounds.

So I'm going to London on a three day whirlwind tour. So exciting!!!

With it being only a short time till I go home, I've been looking to packing and all that horrible stuff and I honestly can't believe the sheer amount of stuff I've accumulated since I've got here!!

Like - the entire back catalogue of Sophie Kinsella, two books by Celia Rees, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, The lonely planet guide to Britain, Horrible histories - Bloody Scotland (don't laugh, i was stuck for time and wanted a condensed, easy to read version of Scottish history) A book I can't remember the name of by Philip Pullman, Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones (love her!!), The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks, The Book of Lost things by John Connolly, March by Geraldine Brooks, and the two books I brought over with me - The Book thief by Markus Zusak and Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

Book's are just so so ridiculously cheap over here. Half of those I picked up for under £2. and don't get me started on dvds. If there wasn't the whole thing with regions on dvds. I would have spent up big. Over here you can get the entire first (new) season of Doctor Who for £15 which is like $30 australian. In Australia the price would be closer to $100.

Not fair!

But that's enough rantage about price differences, on to more pleasant topics...

I don't know if you guys are aware of the UK brand Belle & Boo but ohmigosh... I majorly fangirl them. They do these really sweet art prints that they have put on a range of postcards and birthday cards. I think I've bought one of every kind I've seen. Love them!

I should also let you know I'm going through some kind of early-life crisis here, I've been listening to Miley Cyrus's new ep and a couple of the songs are actually quite good. I know, I know, I'm losing my mind. I have had a guilty liking of her ever since I saw Hannah Montana the movie with my 9 year old cousin. Don't worry, I'm going in to therapy as soon as I hit Perth soil.

Can I also just say one last thing. The Southbound line up looks amazing for next year, and if Editors are playing it's got my name written all over it.

Enough for now, It's nearly midnight.

Speak to you soon

x

2009-08-28T23:17:00.002+08:00

I really like

Ray LaMontagne
My Harold's Planet bookmarks
Owls in any colour, shape or form
The cosmetic company 'Lush'
The outfit I saw on this 11 yr old yesterday. Green floral dress, brown spotty tights, teal shoes, red hair and thick rimmed glasses
The motion of three-wheeled scooters
Castles
Jewellery people make for you
Hand written letters
Double Switch - the made for tv movie from 1987
Dailybooth 2.0

That's just today anyway.

I feel so blah today. The weathers crap outside and I've run out of books to read because my bookshelf is approximately 14611km away from me. I think. I had an argument with my sister about myspace of all things, and everything is just a bit lame.

Let's think of good things

1. It's 16 days till I go home and see my family
2. I'm staying with my Uncle and his family this weekend and we're gonna do lots of fun stuff
3. I've got a big stack of Frankies, Yen and Nylon magazines to get into when I get back accompanied by a mocha chill and some chocolate hopefully
4. I heard from Zoe today on facebook. That's definitely worth some happy points
5. There's lots of (hopefully) good movies coming out soon - Ponyo, Where the wild things are, 500 days of summer...
6. It's going to be Spring in Australia when I get back and hopefully a bit warmer than here
7. I have some lovely new coloured pencils and a blank sketch pad to be going on with.
8. There is a bottle of Baileys in the fridge with a bit left in
9. I am wearing an amazing pair of handknitted purple and green socks I bought at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, that don't match what I'm wearing at all.
10. My grandma just bought me in a hot cup of tea and a biscuit. spoilt!

Anyway, my uncles here now.

I'll write again soon in a better mood!

believe me :-)

< eloquent

2009-08-25T04:25:00.002+08:00

It's been a while since I've done a "stuff that is great" blog. So here's some stuff that has been keeping me occupied these past few months on the other side of the world.

1. Sophie Kinsella books! Apart from the confessions of a shopaholic series, which I haven't read. All her books seem to have similar protagonists and light, funny, romantic story lines, perfect holiday reading.

2. Birthdays! I've just turned 21 and had my party the other day with a whole bunch of family. I got a lovely scarf, a topshop voucher, some lovely lush cosmetics, an amazing handbag, money, a necklace and bracelet set, a suitcase and other assorted things. I was very spoilt.

3. websites like: tumblr. Some of my faves are:

Knickersoaker (definitely one for the girls. a fave not just because of the very hot men that grace their pages, but also the very funny commentary)
WTFModels hilarious photos and commentary of bizarre photo shoots that we see in magazines and don't blink an eye at usually...
Lookbookdotnu - like flipping through a fashion magazine of regular people, with great clothes.

As for other websites Lastfm has been taking up some time, I'm getting back into the swing of dailybooth especially with dailybooth 2.0 (wonderful!)

4. Going to amazing places like IRELAND and going to Blarney castle and kissing the Blarney stone and going to the Cliffs of Moher, staying in Cork and having the best fish and chips ever in Kinsale (Dino's for those that are interested) and coming back to England and going to Chatsworth house, and a thousand other places. (Photos of all that to come soon)

It's barely registered that I only have approx 3 weeks left here before I go back to Australia.

Thanks for your comments about Dolly, I'm glad you guys were as interested as me. I am still trying very hard to find any information on her. It's frustrating watching shows like 'who do you think you are' where these celebrities waltz into places and get their information in like two seconds on a silver platter whereas normal people get emails like this back.

As your enquiry would be very time consuming we would ask you to make use of our research service which can be found on our website at www.liverpool.gov.uk/archives

This also has our leaflet collection which you might find useful.

Not nice.

Oh well, I will perservere. One thing that is really cool though is the fact that in early September there is this historical romance novel coming out about William Terriss and Jessie Millward and their love affair, written by Ruth Silvestre. Jessie Millward knew my Great Great Great Grandmother and my Great Great Grandfather very well. We have a stack of letters from her. So I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into that when it comes out. I've read her memoirs which are available online which I would love to get a hard copy of, I've been perusing every old bookstore I come across for it. It's called "Myself and Others"

Anyway, It's getting late and I'm bone weary. I've been shopping in Liverpool all day. My stupid macbook charger died well and truly last night so I had to buy a replacement, but of course it has an english plug on it so I'll have to buy an adapter when I get back. grumble grumble.

I'll write again soon

Believe me x

People should hoard more

2009-08-11T06:19:00.004+08:00

For the past few weeks I've been slightly deranged and completely involved in sorting through masses of letters, photos, birth/death/marriage certificates and everything in between. My Great Uncle Harold was a hoarder. (A bit like me) He kept everything. Towards the end of his life, he got dementia and had to move in with my Grandmother, so they had to sort through everything he owned. He owned a grand piano, with books and papers tottering on top of it, so high they nearly touched the ceiling. He was a meticulous man though and many of his papers were dated and clearly labelled. It was just the sheer number of them that made it so unmanageable.

A portion of them is what I have been going through recently. Harold's father was a man named Arthur. He had a brother and three sisters, and being the 1800's before the interwebs and telephones they used to write to each other all the time, sometimes multiple times a day.

One of the sisters was called Dolly and she was so awesome. Before she turned 18 she had studied art and music and worked in Lancaster and London for various photography studios, and then a few months after she turned 19 she decided she was going to move to America. So she sent her mother a letter saying basically. "This will surprise you, but I'm going to New York, by myself"

and so she did, hopped on a ship all the way to the big apple and started a new life for herself. She married this really good looking guy called Edward within a year and they rented a studio on Broadway. Unfortunately he ended up getting really sick so she was pretty much supporting the both of them with her photography and paintings. In the 1800's! She was just incredibly ahead of her times.

She had one child, but the child only lived for a month, and soon after that her husband died too, leaving her all alone. Her family barely wrote to her because to them, Dolly may as well have moved to Mars.

Dolly continued to send letters home though saying what she was up to and how she felt about it all. She actually sent a letter to her Uncle, telling him her whole story and after being so proud for so long and not accepting any charity from anybody, she finally gave in and asked him for a small amount of money to send her to Art school to finally make a name for herself. Her Uncle was a heartless bastard though and forwarded the letter to her parents with the scrawled note "I have not answered this letter, nor do I intend to"

There is a couple of letters after that, that say things like
"Some day I hope God will give me a chance of proving to the world that I can paint 'Every dog has his day' Well I would not mind waiting and working for years if I could only feel that the day will come. Oh how I love this “Art” that has been so crushed in me for the want of opportunity. How many there are in this world who never wish for anything better than to be able to devote themselves to it (Art) and yet how few there are who can.

but sadly the letters stop and so does most information. I know she was alive in 1900 but that's where it ends. I don't even know when or where she died, if she got married again... After reading and learning so much about her, I feel so invested in her fate. It's like a novel missing the last 5 chapters.

Now the reason I told you all this is because when Harold (the hoarder) moved to my Grandparents, all the family had to sort his house out and decide what to throw out and what to keep. I was only a tiny child at the time so I couldn't do anything about it, but frustratingly, I think maybe they were too ruthless with what they chucked out. There could be so much more to the story and now we might never know.

It frustrates me so much to think of all the answers being lost, just like that. I never chuck anything away! Least of all letters... I'm so angry that I'll never get the chance to change it. I have pieces of the puzzle but I'll never have the full picture. They couldn't have known what they were doing at the time, and I'm not truly angry at them, I'm just annoyed, and disappointed.

I mean, my Great Grandfather, Harold the hoarders Dad, was very good friends with Jessie Millward, the famous theatre actress, who was the mistress of William Terris, worked under Sir Henry Irving, knew Bram Stoker and met Tennyson for lunch. I have about 15 - 20 letters from her but imagine the possibilities! Stories maybe no one knew or had heard...

It's agonizing!

but enough now...
to leave off today, I'll finish in the way Dolly always did

Believe me, your affectionate friend
Alana

Night owl

2009-07-28T07:08:00.002+08:00

I'll admit, I have been a little unfaithful of late. I'm definitely one for new web crazes and tumblr is my new obsession. I signed up a while ago and posted a little but I think the major benefit of it is that everything I do on the interwebz ends up there. It all gets fed in, which is kind of convenient. Now I'm not a total convert. I think their actual written blogging section leaves a lot to be desired, so this will still be the main place you can read my blogs. Just letting you know, if it gets a little quiet around here, you can probably find me here

While I've been over here I've got in to the bad habit of being a bit of a night owl. I can't remember a time when I went to bed before 12. Not because I'm going out and getting off my face but because I get caught up in nerdiness or reading or watching movies or tv shows.

I kind of have a plan for when I get back. On the very tip top of my list is to get my Drivers license. I totally need this. I put off getting it cause it would have been such a drain on my travel fund, but I completely want to drive places. There was this video on vimeo, where this guy went down south to Margaret River by himself for a reclusive writing trip, he pretty much just took off in his car I suppose. I would love to do something like that. A trip that is dictated by how much fuel you put in your tank and where you take yourself, rather than sticking to the schedule and region of buses and trains.Being able to get myself to work and to social events from where I live out in the 'burbs. To not have to worry about the freaks that reside on the northern train and bus lines of Perth's public transport. Anyway you look at it, it's a good thing.

I've been doing some cool stuff lately. I've been to Spain, and I've been up to the Lake district. I'm going down to London soon, and I've got an Ireland trip coming up as well.

This trip has been good for me I think. I may not have got to all the countries and places I wanted to, but actually getting to know my extended family, my cousins and aunties and uncles etc, has been fantastic. Seeing the place where I was born, where my parents grew up. It has helped me with my identity, seeing where I came from, and learning the value of home. (as in Perth) not to say I haven't seen some amazing things so far. Scotland has to have been my favourite especially the Scottish Highlands. I've never been anywhere or seen anything so beautiful. It was an inspiration.

Anyway, it's getting on for 1am so I suppose I better sleep.

Hope you're all fine. I still read your blogs even if I'm a bit slack on commenting!

More soon

x

Harry Potter HBP thoughts

2009-07-16T05:12:00.005+08:00

**Spoiler Alert**

I'm such a fangirl, and I'm sorry but I just got back to my Grandma's from seeing Half Blood Prince and I need to talk about to someone! I've said a few words to my bewildered Grandma who has never seen the films or read the books so it kind of went like:

Me: "and at the end, they cut out this whole battle scene! It was such an anticlimax!"
Grandma: "oh, what movie did you see again?" barely concealed yawn

So you'll understand why this is necessary. You might need to see the movie to understand this list but 0k, here goes... in list form..

Things I liked
- The phoenix bit at the end with Fawkes flying off and the trio stood there looking out
- Slughorns party was quite funny
- Ron under the influence of the love potion
- Lavender Brown - very funny
- How they kept some of the normal Hogwarts things in like a quidditch match and potions class, and McGonagall telling off Harry and Ron for having too much fun in the corridor.
- The scene with Katie Bell and the necklace. - The way she rose up in the air with her mouth wide open like that was just creepy! It gave me flash backs to the Ring or the Grudge at little bit.

Things I didn't like
- The complete absence of Bill, Charlie and Percy
- Bonnie whatserface - the actress who plays Ginny. Why, why, why couldn't they have chosen someone with more personality?
- The fact that the battle scene at the end of HBP was not included
- During Dumbledore's death scene - Harry wasn't frozen by Dumbledore under the invisability cloak, he was hidden like a little scaredy cat under the stairs. Harry would never have done that.
- The Harry/Ginny kiss scene. Awful!
- The fact that Dumbledores funeral wasn't included. It's such an amazing scene in the book, it's a shame to miss it out

I really thought they were going to rectify a few things in this movie, such as the existence of Percy, Bill and Charlie. edit* I just checked the cast list of Deathly Hallows and Bill is definitely on it, played by Domhnall Gleeson. So that's something...

The Percy scene around the time of the Battle of Hogwarts chapter in Deathly Hallows was one of the best moments in the whole series for me. When he admits he's been an idiot, and then when he loses his brother. To not include that whole sequence would be a tragedy. The only thing is, I think it wouldn't have the same sort of meaning because we wouldn't really see the growth from him being a snob, and ignoring his family and all that, to letting go of his pride and apologising.

Oh god, I could go on for hours. There's a few thoughts any way. If you've seen the movie I would love to know your thoughts below!

I did like the movie by the way. It sounds as if I didn't but I did enjoy it. It was well done, and a lot of the characters were spot on. If I hadn't read the books I probably wouldn't be able to fault it, but I have, and that's that.

Rant over.

:-)

Interesting

2009-06-19T22:43:00.002+08:00

My first solo venture has begun. I have crossed borders. I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland right now, and it's such a beautiful city. I've seen but a quarter inch and I'm already in love with it. I can't wait to do some exploring. The train journey up here was wonderful. I'm more of a train-er than a plane-er I have to say, the train took me through the Lake District which looks absolutely beautiful. I really want to go there when I get the chance.

It feels good to be doing something by myself. I'm not sure how I feel about hostel accommodation yet, but we'll soon see. I arrived into a 4-bed room with two guys that I haven't met yet. I hope they're normal. I really should have invested in a private room in a B&B. haha. I'll cope.

There was this really funny moment on the train when this guys phone went off and the ring tone went Hate is a strong word, but I really really really don't like you... and the guy answered with "Hi Mum."

I really wish I had someone to share this with. I hung out in Liverpool with my friend Rach from back home and it was such a breath of fresh air. We had a really good laugh and shared the whole experience and it was fantastic, but here and for most of the rest of my journey I can only stand in front of something and admire it silently to myself. I'm lost without someone to argue with!

There is the weirdest show on TV right now. They have really strange names and costumes. It's meant to be some kind of kids adventure game show.... ok I know what it is now. Raven: The Dragon's Eye Seriously weird.

I think I'm probably going to spend as little time in the hostel as possible, at least in the room anyway. There's so much to see!

Hope you guys are well.

x

Having fun

2009-06-12T04:36:00.002+08:00

Enough now!
This period of bloglessness will end!

I will sit here at my macbook and my fingers will start to move and I will be able to blurt out some of the first three weeks of my big adventure. Here goes...

The flight was awful. I think because I had all these pre-conceived notions of

"oh I'll be up in the clouds and looking out the window and watching movies, and I'll be flying! oh how wonderful!"

and in reality it was a lot more like

"oh look clouds, and a big ass engine that keeps making noise and I'm only a few hours in to a 13 hr flight and it's 2am in Australia and my head is pounding and oh look, cool new movies, except I can't watch because the colours and turbulence and general motion are making my stomach... where's the sick bag?"

So that was fun for a first flying experience.

Since I got here I've been catching up with family, shopping in the marvellous Liverpool one, visiting cathedrals, libraries, some museums and stately homes. It's been a full on three weeks. I got sick too. I've had the flu quite bad which really enhanced the homesickness. If there is anything worse than being sick, it's being sick away from home. I am homesick which is only natural. I have a really big family and we all live in each others pockets and are in each others business, and it's the longest I have been away from them. I can't think that I won't see them until September. It's painful to think about.

I still have a lot to organise and sort out. The time frame is stressing me out a little, I'm being pulled in a lot of different directions and I have to know what I'm going to be doing months in advance so I can book transport and accommodation for cheap. I was ranting to my Grandad in Australia about it all, getting myself in a knot and he said to me "ALANA. Stop. YOU don't work around other people. It's your holiday. It's your trip. THEY work around YOU."

and I was like... "oh yeah. I forgot."

He's right though. I need to get my butt into gear and start organising myself. This is what I've been saving for, and it's supposed to be FUN. (sorry about all the capitals) Stressing and getting myself in a state isn't helping anyone.

I'm also worried about the Grandad I'm staying with at the moment , here in Liverpool. He's just had a major heart operation and in the first week was really good, but the stress of what he's been through has really started to take it's toll and now he has a chest infection. We're all really worried about him. It's awful.

hmm..

The books I've bought so far while I've been here are

1. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
2. Lyttelton's Britain by Iain Pattinson (no relation to Rob, calm down twilight fans)
3. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and other stories by Tim Burton (£3)
4. Where the Wild things are by Maurice Sendak (£4)

Books are so cheap here! I can tell I'm going to be loaded up before I go home.

The thing I'm really struggling with over here is the lack of quality magazines to read. At home I follow Frankie, Yen and Nylon and now again buy Lulu, Oyster, Cream, Triple J, and a few others. All the news agencies I've been in so far have only stocked crappy celeb rags, cosmo, marie claire, adult mags, a few music ones, Good housekeeping, and a few sports ones.

If anyone reading knows of good art and culture magazines available in the UK please leave me a comment and let me know. I'm pretty desperate, as lame as that sounds.

What has been quite weird being over here aside from the obvious differences - currency, fauna, flora, weather, landscape, is the reaction my accent gets from people. My grandparents live in a pretty small suburb-type-place and going to ask for anything at the shops there I automatically get stares, and like twenty questions. It's like they've never met an Australian person before, it's quite strange. I feel quite exotic which is clearly wrong because there is nothing exotic about being Australian. It's strange for me, cause I'm pretty quiet usually, I don't attract attention, I don't like to, and now there is a lot of attention coming my way when I open my mouth. In order to get out of somewhere quickly, I'm learning the strategy of saying barely anything and then running! It's nice in a way, but overwhelming, it doesn't happen everywhere or all the time. Just now and again.

A band I'm really enjoying listening to is The Script. They're very good. I also went and saw Hannah Montana the movie with my cousin Lucia the other day, which was a lot of fun. Quite cringeworthy but ok.

My knitting is coming along well! Sorry, I'm just typing stuff as it comes into my head. I'm currently knitting a Gryffindor scarf (don't laugh) to wear when the new Harry Potter film comes out. I am so excited. 15th July is not far away now!

oh my gosh, this blog is so long. I'll stop here.

Hope you guys are good

xxx

Jittery

2009-05-14T12:48:00.002+08:00

There's been a lot of controversy over the google maps street view function, but I for one love it! I am a huge fan. I pick a city (usually in Europe) and pick a random street and just wander amiably along the streets for a little while, making note of the ones that look interesting or picturesque. It freaks me out a little that in 5 DAYS I'll be within this continent, with all these amazing far away-almost dreamlike- places right on my doorstep. I'm going from the most isolated city in the world to one of the most densely populated.

As you will probably know from my constant gushing, I'm totally in love with the movie Amelie, and ever since I first saw it, I've always pondered what my "likes" would be. You know how at the beginning it introduces each of the characters with their likes and dislikes. "Philoméne likes the sound of the cat's bowl on the tiles. The cat likes overhearing children's stories." Well one of the things I like is finding faces that haven't been blurred out on google maps street view, (they most often forget to scrub out reflections in shop windows or cars!) I hope that doesn't sound too creepy. hmm... maybe it does.

This feels strange to be doing since I've just had summer here in the southern hemisphere, but here is my northern hemisphere summer list for 2009, I stole this from Tinne.

1. Be courageous and push boundaries. Do things that are outside of my comfort zone.
2. Take better care of my body, and try to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
3. Spend many days getting lost in museums in foreign countries
4. Meet some internet friends
5. Go hiking in Scotland or somewhere
6. Update this blog more often
7. Learn how to Knit (my Grandma is going to help with this!)
8. Learn how to cook some unsual foreign dishes
9. and for that matter Learn how to cook regular every day food
10. Do something nice for someone else every day
11. Do something nice for myself every day!
12. Keep in touch with old friends and new friends
13. Make lots of new friends!

That's pretty much all I can think of right now, but I'll be updating it all the time. It will be interesting to see how much people have accomplished of what they set out to.

Lately I've been doing the whole goodbye thing. I went out to dinner with my family on Tuesday, and I'm going to a park with all my extended family for a bbq this weekend, I'll be going to watch my last footy game tomorrow night and then I'll be madly packing and organising until Tuesday.

I'm so excited and so nervous, I'm like zooming about the place and all my conversations with people are going in cycles, I keep repeating myself, and it's taking on a dreamlike quality. It's weird.

Speaking of weird, just watched the Bones season 4 finale and all I can say is... WTF. I don't want to spoil anything, but that was pretty much the biggest let down ever after the huge build up to it. I can't even get up the enthusiasm to look forward to Season 5.

Hope everyone is good, I'll post again soon

xxx

PS: I can't get the songs from Dr Horrible's Sing along Blog out of my head! Is anyone else a fan?

The Waiting Game

2009-04-30T21:05:00.003+08:00

Seriously, is it just me or are Zombies the new Vampire? Sure I'm going to take a wild guess and say that there is probably no romance novels coming out any time soon where the main love interest is a Zombie. They've rehashed some old romances though.
This is actually a legitimate title we got in to work the other day, and it's amazing! I read the first few pages and it's so funny how they've worked Zombies into the storyline. The beautiful man specimen that is Mr Darcy having killed the most Zombies out of everyone, and the affable Bingley having killed the least. I seriously want this book. Though I don't know if I'm going to be able to read Pride and Prejudice quite the same way after reading the Zombie version.

Well now I've got that off my chest. Time for the next thing to fan girl about.

Marie Antoinette has some of the most beautifully sad piano music on it's soundtrack. Mostly composed by Dustin O'Halloran. He's amazing. I would love to see him live. He's doing a show in Berlin in early June which I can't get to, so I can only hope that he may decide to do some shows closer to me or alternatively some time during July when I'll actually be in Europe as opposed to the UK.

I leave in 19 days! Someone said to me the other night 'So three weeks till you go.." and I freaked out a little bit. I've been having this crazy dreams like I have the wrong plane tickets so I have to travel in the cargo hold with the luggage, and I get there and open my bags and there's nothing inside cause I forgot to pack... So that's fun. That seems to be the focus of all these pre-trip jitters anyway; ridiculous dreams.

I'm finding myself really inspired though. I seem to be channelling a lot of that nervous energy into creative pursuits, more writing than anything. It feels good.

I have a cold at the moment, one of the perks of being in a big family is that because there is so many more of you, there are more chances of someone becoming sick, and because we all live in each others pockets, as soon as one goes down, so do the rest of us. I held out for the longest, so everyone else in my family is fine now, and I'm the only one with a cold. There was this really funny moment the other night when we were all sat watching TV, and there was this big update on the news about Swine Flu, and at the end of the news story, every head turned towards me in unison, and my brother who was next to me, got up and moved. They think they're so funny... that's because they don't read my blog and are therefore ignorant about the kind of revenge I can inflict on unsuspecting family members. :-)

anyway, here ends an extremely lame 'update' post. It was written in dribs and drabs so hopefully it still flows sort-of alright.

and now, back to "The Girlo Travel Survival Kit" by Anthea Paul. Sigh... If I read another travel related book even sixty years from now it will be too soon. There's only so many times you can read "keep your money all over your person, watch out for scammers and pickpockets, keep your passport on you at all times" without throwing the book against the wall. This waiting game sucks eggs.

<3

Explorer

2009-04-15T20:48:00.005+08:00

So I was in Fremantle today. Fremantle in three words: hippy, derelict, amazing. I tried to do a sentence describing Freo (as it is affectionately called by WA locals) but failed totally. I've never had to describe Freo to anyone before, everyone knows Freo and now you (kind of) know too. Anyway, while perusing the shops specifically my favourite bookshop in the whole of WA, New Edition. I found this gem of a book called HOW TO BE AN EXPLORER OF THE WORLD ; PORTABLE LIFE MUSEUM by Keri Smith.
Well, considering that I happen to be doing some exploring in the near future, I was automatically attracted to it. Flicking through it was better than I could have possibly imagined. Now I know I'm getting a little bit book nerd on you now but bear with me... The book is organised into numbered explorations, which are kind of activities I suppose. These include:

#23 Uncover a Mystery.
#4. Collect at least 30 objects on your way to work.
#35. Create a portrait of your city or town in which everything that you encounter is magical, exaggerated or slightly altered from reality.

I seriously love this book! It's all about looking at the world differently, and seeing past the surface of things. Looking at the world differently is pretty much my goal. Going to Europe, stepping out of my comfort zone, doing it by myself and all that. I want to expand my horizons and learn as much as I can about everything. I have this real thirst for knowledge, really bad. I'm never as happy as when I'm learning something new. That thrill of understanding, of really getting something. It's such a buzz. I love it. There's a quote "The best discoveries are made outside your comfort zone." I can't remember where I read it, but I really liked it. So there.

In other news, I finished reading City of Glass, the final book in the Mortal Instruments series, the whole series was so intense and fantastic and really absorbing. It was good, much better than the Twilight series by a million, but I have an irrational dislike of the Twilight series anyway. I feel like I've gorged myself on the Mortal Instruments series though. I got through them so fast! I should of paced myself more so I had something to read for a while, instead of staying up to the wee hours of this morning feverishly reading. I don't know...

About my last post, which you may notice, after a bit of deliberation, has been deleted... I don't even know. I feel a lot better now. I think even 20 year olds are prone to random bouts of teenage angst like aftershocks after the natural disaster of adolescence. I promise I'll try to keep it confined to the journal next time.

In conclusion, a quote from HOW TO BE AN EXPLORER.... (which is fast becoming my go-to guide)

Sorry for the blur. :-)

Don't you hate it....

2009-04-09T17:39:00.002+08:00

There was this really awkward moment with a customer today, but it's happened to me a gazillion times before and probably you too. It happens when someone makes a mistake, spelling or whatever and you politely correct them because you know you're right, and then they disagree with you.

Example!

Man: I'm looking for this book *shows paper with something scrawled on it* It's called In Ecstafy.
Me: Oh, In Ecstasy?
Man: No. No, see she read out the title for me. It's In Ecstafy.
Me: Uhh... ok... I'll type it in. *types it in, comes up with No products found* Uh.. nothings coming up. Are you sure it's not In Ecstasy by Kate McCaffrey?
Man: Nah, definitely not. She gave me the title, my daughter needs it for school.
Me: Oh.... uhhh... well In Ecstasy is on the school curriculum for a lot of schools in the area.
Man: *sounding doubtful* oh.. well it might be that one.

Grr!! Ecstafy is not even a word!!!

It's like in Anchorman, when Ron Burgundy is trying to tell Veronica that San Diego means a whales vagina, and she has to correct him but he's like "agree to disagree" (hilarious)

It's so frustrating though.... gahh!!

April, what?

2009-04-06T23:59:00.009+08:00

If I have a problem, I'll google it. I google the key words of my problem, no matter what it is, before using my brain. It's a bit of a worry. This is in any circumstance! I figure someone must have gone through the same personal problem at some stage, and if they don't have advice, someone somewhere will have written a good (or really shit) poem about it!

Here I am again, it's just gone April 7th and I'm typing in to the morning. I feel like Jo from Little Women except she wears a night cap and writes with a quill as far as I can remember. It's funny even though in the book Meg is the oldest sister of four, like myself, I've never been much of a Meg. If I had to pick, Aimee my 16 y.o sister would be Meg, Aleisha (13) would be Amy for sure and Ashleigh (17) would probably be Beth... minus the dying part. Ash isn't really like Beth at all apart from the 'trying to please everyone' thing. Wow.... tangent!! I need focus.

I recently realised, as in today, that I'm sometimes guilty of remembering people by their handbags rather than their faces. I realised this, when a lady came in today to enquire about her order for a book and was all familiar with me and I could not place her for the life of me! Then she pops her handbag on the counter and everything falls into place. It's bright red, gold and orange in alternating squares of patent leather. It's very distracting. As soon as I saw her bag, I remembered the book she ordered and everything, it was weird. Basically, I'm a shallow, superficial waste of space! Cool!

Also, I went to V Festival Perth. It was pretty awesome. I was pretty close to all the bands I went to see even if I did get a bit squashed during the Killers. Stand outs were Duffy, Snow Patrol and the Kills. I loved the Kills. Everyone was watching Madness at the time, so their show was really small, but intense. Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart are just electric to watch. They were so grungy and dark looking though, I felt way too squeaky clean to be listening to and singing along to their music.
The Killers were also really good. They had sparks shooting down the back of the stage! It was very cool.

Wow... I'm finishing this at 9:29 am. That makes it sound like I stayed up all night. It's not true. I fell asleep. Thank god for autosave... (that last sentence made me give up the hope forever that I'll ever be one of the cool kids)

Easter is this weekend! Zoe's bday on Monday! Everythings coming up so fast, I'll be on a plane before we know it!

Before I go, I don't know if anyone who reads this watches the Whatthebuckshow, Michael Buckley from youtube. He's hilarious, but after I watch his videos I get the urge to say "Sha.." after everything I say, like he does.

... Sha...

Sweet Revenge

2009-03-20T11:24:00.003+09:00

Now hypothetically, there is this girl who is not normally a malicious type of person, at all... ever.... but hypothetically if a wrong had been done to her, and she had a hypothetical eighteen year old brother who was beginning to getting a bit too big for his hypothetical boots, she wouldn't be opposed to giving him a little reminder of who wears the real hypothetical pants in this hypothetical family.

Who's his big sister? She is, of course!

So when this girl has just stumbled from her bedroom in the morning on to the couch, clutching her macbook for a little bit of music playing and a bit of interwebz time, and a hypothetical cat jumps on to her knee, and curls up there purring, and then a hypothetical brother goes into the front room and puts on an EXTREMELY LOUD movie which then drowns out her very relaxing morning tunes and doesn't close the door between the home theatre and the room where she is sat slowly waking up. Then he IGNORES her pleading, heartfelt cries of "Close the door, Stop being an asshole!" and refuses outright to close the door, or turn it down and then continues ignoring. You see this poor, innocent girl can't close the door because she has a very sleepy, sweet looking cat on her knee, and if she moves, the cat will turn into a bitch cat and want to go outside all day.

SO. Eventually, after considering all possible options
a) turning on louder sound system in this room and turning it up so it drowns out his movie
b) yelling loudly and repeatedly until he is so annoyed he closes the door himself
c) getting up and SLAMMING the door, and inflicting revenge.

I chose c)
I mean she chose c).

but what kind of revenge.

These were considered:
- salt on toothbrush Fail. Don't know which toothbrush is his.
- shampoo under pillow Fail. Mum would have to wash the sheets. Revenge on her too.
- toothpaste on the handles of his chest of drawers and doorknobs Fail. Not harsh enough. Plus, too obvious. May make him inflict harsher revenge on me.
- Pepper on his pillow. Win! Subtle, yet itchy and annoying. Will make him sneeze.

Please note, that no one is at their most rational first thing in the morning.

So his pillow has a subtle sprinkling of pepper.

BUT THE STORY DOESN'T END THERE!!

Twenty minutes ago, Brother enters room where sister sits typing furiously.
"Hey, are you hungry?" he asks.
"No. I'm mad." she snaps.
"I'm going to the chippy. Want anything."
"No!"
"chips? a chicken burger?"
Pause.... "a chicken burger, please."
"Ok, my shout cause you bought me those movies the other day."
"ok."

So now I, I mean she, feels really bad.
My question for you, dear reader, is do i subtley steal and wash his pillowcase or do I leave it?

I'll leave it to you to decide for me...

Where have you been?!

2009-03-13T23:07:00.002+09:00

It's been a little while, but fear not, I have not forgotten you. I've just been distracted by pretty new websites elsewhere, real life, and lots of books borrowed from the library.

I have set up a different kind of blog on tumblr here

It's different from this one in that it's updated on a more regular basis but just with little tidbits, and it has a few of the different things I'm doing being fed into there; dailybooth etc. so I can't guarantee you'll find it very interesting but you can follow that if you'd like!

This is kind of an underwhelming post after Coldplay but whatevs!

I was remembering rather fondly yesterday all the years my Grandparents on my mum's side would come over from England to stay with us for about three months of every year. They'd bring these videos with them, taped off the television, of Laurel and Hardy and Fawlty towers and all these British comedy shows, and we'd sit down and watch them and laugh. Most of it went over our heads because we were all pretty young but as I got to about ten or eleven, one of the parts I liked the most was when they had forgot to press the stop button and recording the adverts as well as the show in a couple of parts. I was fascinated by these! I don't know why, but I think it was that it kind of made England real to me, as an actual place with people who watched tv and probably hated the ads as much as we did ours.

I think as well cause the ads were all completely different to the ones we were used to, they all had cool accents and they talked about stuff in pounds and pence instead of dollars and cents. Radical!

hmm... sheltered child!

Well, I've got a lame flu thing, which doesn't have any symptoms yet apart from me having a fever and being really, really tired and lethargic, so I'm going to go to sleep now and cross my fingers when I wake up it will have all passed!

Yawn...

Goodnight!

COLDPLAY

2009-03-01T12:54:00.011+09:00

I'm kind of averaging a one post per week trend at best at the moment, but this is a special circumstance and I do want to start posting more often. Coldplay last night. oh. my. god. Honestly, truly the best concert I've ever been to. I'm still buzzing from it. It was absolutely magical from start to finish. During 'Yellow' they had these gigantic yellow balloons filled with yellow confetti, that shot into the crowd and everyone was leaping up to hit them, I kept trying when one came near, and then finally I hit one, and it flew into the air. After a couple of minutes they started to burst sending confetti raining down on everyone

During 'Lovers in Japan' they had confetti butterflies streaming from the roof, thousands and thousands of them, so of course I grabbed as many as I could. Picture below shows some of them, but I've got a few more stuck on my wall!

Below is a video I took of when they performed 'In my Place.' The sound is pretty terrible, but it shows how close we were! Chris Martin is such an amazing frontman. He's so charismatic and you just can't take your eyes off him, and he really leaps around the place, skipping and spinning and at one point doing a backward roll. He was incredible.

I didn't take too many photos or videos really, cause I was too busy living it to be honest, sometimes you spend so much time looking through a camera trying to capture the moment, than actually living the moment. So I restrained myself and had a better time for it!

There was also one of those amazing moments, that make the hair stand on end, where Coldplay took a bow and left the stage and instead of just shouting etc for an encore, people started singing part the oh,oh,oh, ooohhh part of Viva La Vida. It's hard to explain unless you know the song, and then they came back out and performed the Scientist and one other song that I can't remember!

Ok, Ok, I'll stop. I still haven't come down from the show I think. This picture kind of sums up how I felt about the whole thing anyway.

Best. concert. everrrrrr! Honest to blog. :-)

Tomorrow!

2009-02-27T23:09:00.006+09:00

Tomorrow, I'm going to Coldplay!! I'm so ridiculously excited. I can't stop grinning and bragging about it to anyone and everyone.

Supermarket till operator: Hi, how are you today?
Me: Great, I'm going to coldplay!

And my passport came through as well. Which is fantastic, so now I can leave the country and come back whenever I please. Which is quite handy for my Europe trip in May because I might have a little trouble getting on a plane without a passport. So flight/small tour/accommodation booking here I come. Ooh... and if my Grandma plays her cards right I may even be getting my flights for a massively reduced price or completely free! Yay!

Dailybooth ftw!

I just finished the Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman, my third Gaiman novel. The other two being Stardust and Neverwhere, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Graveyard book was this quirky story about a boy called Bod (short for Nobody Owens) whose family are murdered and who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Very funny ghosts to be quite honest. It reminded me a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books, an author I absolutely love, so this all in all, a good quick read.

I'm currently reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Luxe by Anna Godberson, because all the cool kids are reading two books at once? hmmm....

Recently I watched a speech (on youtube) made by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestseller loved by Oprah; Eat, Pray, Love. I've heard mixed reviews on the book but the speech I found really fascinating. Maybe it's because I haven't sat through a lecture, or learnt anything new in a while, but it was like a breath of fresh air through the stale, cobweb ridden space that is my brain. My brain kind of leapt on to these new, fresh ideas, half starved and devour!... but anyway moving on!..

The speech was on creativity and having a genius as opposed to being a genius. She spoke about history and how the pressure of having to produce work that is amazing, and the fear of failure has been killing off our artists for the past couple of hundred years. That part was all fascinating, but the part I really liked was when she went more in depth about creativity and mentioned something that the American poet Ruth Stone had told her.

She talked about when Ruth would we working in the fields she would "feel and hear a poem coming at her over the landscape." and she said it was like a "thunderous train of air" that she felt coming towards her, shaking the earth under her feet, and she said that she knew she only had one thing to do when she started to feel like that and that was to "run like hell." to get back to the house to get a piece of paper and a pen and scribble this thing down, and sometimes she wouldn't be fast enough so she'd miss it, and other times she'd just get the tail end of it. I loved this example, because I think everybody who's ever felt inclined to create in any shape or form would have felt this at some point. That compulsion and the sheer panic that you're going to lose this fantastic thing that has just come at you out of nowhere.

So that was one of my favourite parts, but there was a message in this twenty minute speech( the speech you can find here) this message might have been different from person to person, but what I got out of it was that sometimes you get these strokes of 'genius' that will occur from time to time, and that's fantastic, but sometimes you just won't and you can hope that something good will come about by chance but if you don't show up for your side of the job, how can inspiration and these strokes of genius? She spoke about 'your genius', like it was a seperate entity and if your genius showed up to the job, but you didn't. You were the one missing out.

It just made me think I haven't really attempted anything really creative in quite a long time, procrastination mostly, so many distractions on the interwebz etc, but if I don't attempt, I can't succeed, and if I don't give myself the opportunity to be inspired, how can I possibly create anything at all? I used to write, and draw (not overly well, I'll admit) but the important thing was I was doing it. I gave myself the opportunity and I enjoyed it. I showed up for my part of the job. Half the stuff I do on the net or in day to day life is not stuff that makes me happy, it's just blank, nothing, blah..., but being creative motivates me to be inspired and being inspired motivates me. I just need to take the time and need to make the effort. There's been not much passion in a lot of the things I do, including blogging for one, because I wasn't willing to make the time to make it good!

I want to create! Creating brings its own form of inspiration and it's time to start showing up!

Exciting times

2009-02-20T20:48:00.006+09:00

Where to begin?

Uh... I have a new obsession. It's a website called dailybooth, which is this site where you post a photo every day of the year, generally of yourself, but I suppose it doesn't have to be and you're supposed to be able to look back on it and go "I remember that day!" and so on. I've signed up and only taken one photo so far because I only discovered this gem of a website this very day.

You can find me here. Let me know if you have your own dailybooth too so I can follow you to my hearts content. It's a bit like twitter but cooler, but one of it's best features is being able to respond to people's photos with your own photo. It's hard to explain why this is so amazing but take my word for it!

I had a bit of lazy girls day with my sisters today which was nice. We watched The Secret Garden which brought back memories from back in the day. The Secret Garden was the movie that me and my Mum watched the first night I was allowed to stay up past my and my younger siblings bedtime. We had a special tea and Mum and I watched it together, which was a total novelty in those days with five siblings younger than me. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep half way through the film but the thought of it always makes me smile.

Aimee, my 16 year old sister was invited to a school ball tonight and she wore the dress I wore in 2003 to my Year 10 dinner dance. She looked gorgeous. Here's a pic. Isn't she pretty!?

What else has been happening? I got tickets for two of the things I really really wanted to go to. One of those was V festival, (see pic for line up)and another was Coldplay! The V festival tickets I got as a gift from my parentals for my 21st which is in August. I'll be far away on my actual 21st so Mum got it for me now. Excitement!

Also, my passport is completely on it's way. It's hopefully going to get here any day now. As soon as it arrives my bank account will be getting a hefty chunk of funds taken out of it to pay for flights, tours and travel insurance! Scary but exciting! I'll just need to work a whole heap between now and May to make sure I've got enough dollars to live on, or pounds/euros to be more accurate.

Ok, no more pictures!

Bookwise, I recently finished The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel, which I hated. At the moment I'm reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks which is amazing, and also the Luxe by Anna Godberson which isn't so amazingly written, but is kind of a teenage fiction indulgence. I've become a bit of a library girl in these days of tightening the ole financial belt. Which is a little embarrassing when I'm wearing my bookstore uniform to the Library on my lunchbreak. I look a bit sad to say the least. I also got out the Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman which I'm planning on reading next. So that should keep me busy, plus the new Frankie magazine has just come out which is begging to be read asap preferably while lying in bed with a cool glass of delicious nesquik.

sigh... so many wonderful things and so little time!

I start my new exercise regime tomorrow too. What fun... not!

I'm not used to having things going on, it's kind of a novelty! The past couple of years I've been kind of like a small critter hoarding and saving things (in my case, money, social life etc) for the winter. It's nice to do some living once in a while. :-)

Hope everyone is simply swell. xxx

The New Bestseller!

2009-02-09T19:21:00.003+09:00

About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, The Unique Lucky Printed Leggings was a thousand miles away.

Second, there was a part of me - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for The Unique Lucky Printed Leggings

and Third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with The Unique Lucky Printed Leggings

When Alana moves to the gloomy town of Perth and meets the mysterious, alluring Unique Lucky Printed Leggings, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With their pastel colours, crazy pattern and supernatural gifts, Unique Lucky Printed Leggings are both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, Unique Lucky Printed Leggings have managed to keep their true identity hidden, but Alana is determined to uncover their dark secret.

What Alana doesn't realise is that the closer she gets to them, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back...

Deeply seductive and irresistibly compelling. Unique Lucky Printed Leggings is an extraordinary love story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

Bones, Brashares and BS

2009-02-04T19:47:00.005+09:00

This is going to be a totally superficial post on lots of material things that I love, so if that doesn't interest you. Go here

Ok, so I bought Season 2 of Bones and watched the whole season in like two days. I loved it! My favourite episode was 'Alien's in a spaceship' where Brennan and Hodgins are buried alive by a serial killer called the Grave Digger. It's the best episode of Bones I've seen so far. I haven't seen any of season three yet. It comes out early March on DVD and I'm so excited! So no spoilers you lot! Hopefully JB hifi will have it on special when it first comes out! fingers crossed!

Also, I'm kind of a sucker for books in the teen genre, though I'm kind of outgrowing them. You'd wanna hope so at the age of 20 I suppose, but all through my teen years I always loved The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares (is this a nerdy confession post or what?!) I have all four read-multiple-times-and-they-look-it on my shelf and now the same author has brought out a new book from within the same 'universe' called 3 willows. So of course, I had to check it out. So I bought it, but haven't started reading it yet. It was only like $9 with my discount so pretty cheap. which is good for my budget right now.

So I've finished house sitting now... I can't remember if I mentioned that in my last blog. I'm home, in my own bed, with my own wardrobe and drawers and mess. It's great! Housesitting I learned how completely un-domestic I am after wrestling with their ancient ironing board to try and get it to fold up. Impossible! I pulled anything and everything that looked like a lever and twisted things and pushed it etc but that ironing board would not budge! and I couldn't call the people I was house sitting for about without looking completely imcompetent! I can just imagine that conversation. "Alana... you can't dismantle an ironing board?... hmm...Why did we choose you to house sit again? Oh that's right... cause we couldn't find anyone else!"

I should inform you that it's a good thing this is in written form because reading five chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone out loud to my youngest brother and sister has made me lose my voice big time. Maybe because I'm not your average every day read-out-loud-er. I get into it! (what did I tell you? Nerdy confessions galore!) I breathe life in to those words. (the talents of Ms Rowling have nothing to do with it, of course) Thing is, it's one thing to get in to the various parts and make the story lively and interesting, it's quite another to be still their five chapters and 70 pages in and starting to not be able to get my tongue around the words and getting little squeaks in my voice whenever anyone says anything. God help us if anything is written in capitals. By this point, trying to get up to CAPITAL LETTERS volume makes me sound like a cross between a pre-pubescent school boy, voice trembling and shaking all over the place and some husky sounding scarlet woman.

Where am I going with this? I don't know. It's late.

I'll finish off with a convo I had with my mum the other day about a certain AFL player that plays for the Freo Dockers.

Me: I just hate his voice! He sounds like Professor Snape from Harry Potter.
Mum: No he doesn't! He doesn't sound anything like that.
Me: Yeah he does... like *professor snape voice.* Going somewhere Potter?
Mum: What, like : *professor snape voice* Going somewhere Pavlich? #

Which was the point at which we lost it in the middle of the supermarket, and had to leave each other alone for an extended period before we regained our composure from laughing so much. By the time we finished giggling, my stomach felt like it had been rolled up and squeezed like a wet dish cloth and my cheeks hurt from smiling.

It was a good day!

Here's my favourite picture of my Mum from when she was young.
I look nothing like her.

The end.

PS: Has anyone read My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult? I just read it and really liked it and full on cried my eyes out. haha. Does anyone have any thoughts? Did you like it/not like it? kthxbye

#Pavlich for those not in the know, is the Captain of the Fremantle Dockers footy team.

Rabelais

2009-01-30T20:23:00.004+09:00

I'm home, I'm home, I'm home! Temporarily. I have two more nights housesitting then I'm home, in my own bed, with no dogs to look after and limited cooking for myself. Putting it like that makes it sound awful like I'm a spoiled brat. I'm not. I'm just used to living quite comfortably in my parents house. There's nothing wrong with that...

What's been happening, you ask? Well... A lady offered me a job at a book exchange in addition to the one I already have, I was keen, I called her, and left my details and she seemed pleased but had a few other people to interview. No word as yet and it's been two days since she said she was making the decision but I'm not too fussed if I don't get it. It was kind of out of the blue that she offered and I feel kind of bad with all this rising unemployment if I get two jobs when some people don't even have one. Which is a silly thing to feel, even I can admit that. I'm doing this new thing though where if opportunities like this one come up, I'll totally go for it.

I'm really trying! A lot of the time I get offered something and I'm already saying no before I've had time to think. So I'm trying to be more impulsive, and trying to live a fuller life. So much of my life over the past two years has been internet related, (which I might add, probably won't change) but I've decided to really try and participate in life more.

I'm 20 now. I turn 21 in August and I really want these years to be something really amazing, something I can look back on. I've been living in limbo for so long and I just want to take the time... well... that's it really. Time.

Part of that, of course is my Europe trip. My adventure where I go to seek a Great Perhaps and find my way out of the labyrinth, not completely because I don't think we ever are, until we die, and maybe not even after that, but maybe I can move on to a new section of the labyrinth and stop going round in circles.

There's been a few things going on with family that puts a lot of things in perspective. Maybe because I've been alone so much recently, I've had some time for some deep thinking and reflection. I just don't want to sleep my way through life anymore.

hmm...

Completely off topic but on Monday (Australia Day for the Non-Aussies) I became an Australian citizen. Finally! After nearly sixteen years living here, I suppose it's about time. It was ok, nothing too exciting, but I did get my certificate that states I'm now a true blue, fair dinkum Aussie chick.

It's ironic that one of the main reasons I got my citizenship is so I can leave the country. Next stop: Passport... Europe, here I come. ;-)

House sitting

2009-01-18T16:31:00.004+09:00

I'm house sitting at present and looking after two fluffy white quite-sweet-really dogs. I was a little bit nervous with the dogs to start with, not knowing what to expect but they have been no hassle at all! Even if I still have trouble telling them apart!

It's been strange being by myself for the last couple of days. I've been so used to Ashleigh and Aimee chatter and Aleisha snores. David's star wars sound effects in one room (made by his mouth while playing with his lego) , when I go to bed, the warmth of my cat on the pillow next to my head. The blaring tv playing one of the thousand action movies we own in the room next to mine, blaring out so loud I can hear the subtitles. All these things are comfortable and familiar and home.

It's been so strange being in a big empty house by myself. I don't mind it too much. I'm getting a lot done because I barely have internet which has been really strange, cause I'm kind of an internet oriented kinda girl.

I've been watching movies galore and tv I wouldn't usually watch. I just watched Clueless today. Classic! and I've been doing heaps of journal writing and creative-y type stuff. It's been fun.

So, if I haven't got back to comments or whatever, that's the reason!

And now, having spent two hours at home, It's time to go back!

leave me some love cause I'm lonely!!! :-)

Late Night Rantage

2009-01-11T00:34:00.004+09:00

It's 12:34 am on now Sunday morning and I've finally finished a layout on here I'm happy with, took me long enough! So I'm making no more changes! I'm resolute. It was getting pretty ridiculous.

My kid brother David is snoring in the bunk bed above me in a way that's peaceful and also really annoying. The sister who usually sleeps there is off having a social life as per usual. My mum had all these plans for these Summer holidays - "This summer, Aleisha is gonna have some time off from her friends so we can get her back to normal." hmm... That didn't really work out.

My oldest younger sister, who's 17 acquired a fake id yesterday from a girl who has nothing in common with her except being blonde. She decided to test it out tonight, going straight in to the clubbing district in Perth. We haven't had any phone calls yet to pick her up from the train station or police station for that matter so I'm afraid that the id-checking system at Perth's nightclubs isn't as diligent as I'd hoped. Frankly I was hoping she'd go, get caught out and get a fine to deter her. If she doesn't, she'll get overconfident and want to start going all the time.

For some reason, I appear to have got all the sensible genes in our family. Sometimes I feel like Mary Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. I've even got the obsession with literature. I don't want to be the sensible one, but it just comes out without me even thinking about it. Maybe it comes from being the oldest of six, being second-in-command to my Mum... Whatever it is, I've always been the "concientious" student in my school reports. "reliable" "responsible" "mature" and of course. "sensible."

I never set out to be like that, I've just never really been taken by the form of rebellion that kid's here see as rebellion. Smoking and drinking and stealing and sleeping with guys at 13. Drugs and sneaking in to clubs and getting trashed every weekend throughout high school. It sounds snobby I suppose but I always felt really distanced from all that... like I was above it all. (apart from maybe a brief period in 2001) I'm not saying I didn't drink before I was 18 or make any mistakes... the last thing I want to come across as is holier than thou.

Maybe I've got all fine ideas as to what teenage rebellion should be. Like sticking it to the man, and being original and intelligent and smarter than your parents. Fighting for things... causes... anything! Having strong opinions and really believing in something. Something you would protest for and fight for.

In general terms, It feels like there is no teenage rebellion anymore. There's only apathy. Far reaching apathy that doesn't change when we reach adulthood. Nobody wants to or has to fight for things, they're just handed to us on a silver platter. We're spoon fed bullshit reality tv and good will news. We're obsessed with ourselves and our lives and making our lives really really great. Documenting party after party, weekend after weekend - on everyones myspace - same party with different people happening all over the country with the same music, and costume ideas and oh-so-now hairstyles and fashions. Narcissism.... sigh ok. I'm ranting. enough. I could go on forever.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm sick of these watered down versions of so-called teenagers. It feels like being a teenager used to mean something. There used to be kind of a danger and edginess to it. Passion you know...? Now the only people the majority of these teenagers are dangerous to, is themselves.

I wish people would start caring again.

.

Officially a Backpacker.

2009-01-06T16:41:00.003+09:00

So Christmas has been and gone and I can't pretend I'm sorry to see it go for another year... and New Years has gone too. We're now in Oh Nine. This is humungously exciting because dear friends, Oh Nine happens to be the year I get on a plane and travel a thousand gazillion miles to go to the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and many other places filled with wonder and excitement. (for me!) I really want to go to Sweden, Norway and Finland as well but I've heard they're uber-expensive. I suppose we'll see how it goes! I'll most probably be doing some casual work while I'm over there, so that should help.

Blah blah blah, Sorry! I know this is totally boring to anyone else but I'm just so excited it's all I can talk about. Especially with my citizenship ceremony being so soon which will put a huge amount of things in motion, but ok, ok, enoughs enough. Time for a change of subject...

My Christmas was ok, I got a few things I'd been needing and a lot of things I'd been wanting. Namely an 500gb external hard drive for all my crap that's clogging up my macbook and then just the usual generic christmas gifts - clothes, jewellery, money, vouchers etc.

Ooh... I know this is travel related but it's still awesome because I bought my backpack for my trip! yeeeahhh...! It's a Gulliver 65 from Mountain designs and it's blue. See ----> for picture of stunning back pack. Zoe helped me pick it out, cause she's fantastic. I've been parading around "getting used" to it in front of my family, to their great chagrin.

Speaking of segues

I went to the doctor today, she gave me some vaccinations and a referral to see a dermatologist because of a problemo with my hands, and she wants me to take some more blood tests which I have to fast for twelve hours before. I hate blood tests, they make me feel woozy and last time I nearly passed out. I'm a big wuss when it comes to stuff like that. It all seems like so much hassle at the moment, especially because it might mean another day off work, which I really don't need at the moment.

I've been writing this blog in dribs and drabs over the past hour so sorry if it's a bit all over the place. I just wanted to update with something since I'm been so slack recently.

You know what I'm most looking forward to when I go? The first chance I get to be alone, I think I'll probably explode with the awesome I feel at that moment. It may be enough to propel me out of this rut I've gotten stuck in, and make me want to live a fuller life again.

For now, however, I'm off for another Bones marathon <3 and an early night. Worklame tomorrow.

BYE!

* This is such an amateur blog post. I'm probably going to produce a few more until I get back into the swing of blogging. Until then, I apologise!

Grinchy

2008-12-19T22:53:00.003+09:00

Uggghhh... Epic fail at new blog design. I got it looking half-decent before by chance checking Zoe's blog and realising that they were the same template and quite similar. After a few swear words, I deleted what I'd already done, chose one of the main templates and went with it. So over it! I'm still not happy with it and I'll probably change it again super soon.

So my friends, it's that time of year again. The festive season. (in case you were wondering) I used to love Christmas but I'm afraid working in retail has turned me into a Scrooge. By all means if people throw a merry christmas in my direction, I'm more than happy to reciprocate. (while muttering curses under my breath) and if you're looking for a book for your loved one this Chrissy, I'm your go-to girl, I can even sing the praises of Twilight as one visitor to my shop who just so happens to read my blog heard first hand today. (Hi Tom) and that's not an easy thing to do!

Speaking of Twilight, I haven't seen the movie yet. I'm planning on doing so at some point out of curiousity as much as anything, who knows... I might enjoy it without the corniness of Meyer's writing. Though to her credit, the series does improve as it goes on. Sorry Twilight fans who may stumble across this. :-)

I'm doing my Christmas shopping over the weekend which should be interesting. I've done over half the people on my list, am sending out my addressed and stamped Christmas cards tomorrow... (quite late!) and buying for a thirteen year old sister who hates my guts and the guts of most people and who is not very easily pleased, and a few other people equally impossible to buy for... and I don't want to just buy gift cards! They're no fun.

Anyway, here's a video that makes my heart grin and my toes tap, not that it needs any more publicity.

Sorry this blog is so lame! work is sapping my energy levels at present and my ability to write coherantly.

Three things before I depart.

1. I've developed an unhealthy addiction to the tv show Bones. It's the only crime show I'll actually watch because it's made of pure awesome.
2. Sufjan Steven's christmas cd. <3 blows my mind! listen, listen, listen!
3. I'm reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman at the moment, my second Gaiman book, the first being stardust. I'm loving it so far. It's amazing. Though unfortunately, I'm keeping my page with a receipt because my beloved Hermione Granger bookmark was torn in two by aforementioned raging 13 y.o bitchsister to spite me. It's still next to my bed in two pieces and my heart does a sad little cry whenever I look it.

............

Moving on, I, Alana Scrooge would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. *shudders* That's the best you're gonna get!

Best wishes!!

Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...
But the Grinch,Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!

Talking to myself

2008-12-11T23:05:00.002+09:00

Alana 1: C'mon Alana, why haven't you done a blog in ages?

Alana 2: I don't know, works been hectic with christmas and all..

A1: Don't give me that! You've had plenty of time outside of work... Have you been procrastinating again?

A2: No!!!

A1: Well, what did you do today then? You and I both know, you have a day off on Thursdays...

A2: I was busy, of course. I had plans all day... I was going to finish off and post my christmas cards, do some travel research, redecorate my room, book a doctors appointment, catch up on my youtube subscriptions and reply to all my emails and comments... and maybe after all that, write a new blog

A1: Oh yeah... and out of all that, what did you actually accomplish?

A2: uhh... well... I did stick a couple of posters up.

A1: Oh did you indeed?

A2: *looks sheepish*

A1: So what did you do all day?

A2: Finished reading my book... mucked around on the internet... listened to Lily Allen's new song a thousand times

A1: Her new song is pretty good...

A2: I love it!

A1: ... but that doesn't excuse procrastination and lazyness. What will all your readers think?

A2: A1's right. I'm very sorry to the two of you.

A1: Do you promise to be less slack and more motivated henceforth?

A2: I guess so...

A1: I guess so?

A2: I mean DEFINITELY. motivation! yeah!

A1: That's better. *eye roll*

Austraayl-ya

2008-12-02T22:48:00.002+09:00

I realise that lately I've been talking about a lot of different material things. CD's and Books etc but tonight I saw this brilliant film and I wanted to share.

It's called AUSTRALIA in capital letters and the over-hype would probably have been enough to put me off if the film wasn't amazing. I love Baz Luhrman's films anyway, except maybe Strictly Ballroom... anyway, This film really puts you through the full range of emotions, it has Baz Luhrmans trademark style of filming with those jolty-all-over-place shots and plenty of symbolism.

The film's three hours long but it didn't feel like it. It's funny, in the trailer it focuses so much on Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman but I really felt that little Brandon Walters who plays Nullah was the star, he was so captivating on screen and he's a brilliant little actor. He has the most lovely eyes.

It was also quite funny in parts for example when *spoiler* Nullah's mother dies and Nullah is crying in a corner and Nicole Kidman's character comes and bends down over him and says "I'd like to offer my condolences." to this poor kid... or when they shot the kangaroo and Nicole Kidman's character freaked out. but truly it was a great film and you should all go out and see it cause it's hugely entertaining, romantic and is a real throwback to those old fashioned epic films like Gone with the Wind (which, for the record, I hated but nevertheless) and that kind of thing.

So there.

Watch it.

OR ELSE.

or if you have seen it, tell me what you thought!

Novel

2008-11-22T21:47:00.002+09:00

I'm listening to the Killer's new album Day and Age and words can't express how much I love this album.

I have well over a 100 cds but out of all those I could only say a few had effected me profoundly. The kind of album that makes you stop and look up from whatever you're doing at the time and look over at your cd player/computer in wonderment. An album where you can just sit still on a couch or bed for the entire duration and not get bored with it.

The Killer's new album is one of those. I have their other two and I love them too but not like this one. Oh no. I can tell this one is going to be on high rotation for a while. (I want to MARRY Brandon Flowers)

Other albums that have this effect on me are:

Editors - An End has a Start
I love this album. Every time I listen to it, it gives me this sense of awe. It's epic and Tom Smith's voice gives me shivers. I think if I ever saw them live, I'd explode. noteable songs: Push your head towards the Air, Bones, Escape the Nest - but truly, this album is faultless.

Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
I bought this album after seeing 'The Prayer' on channel V on foxtel. As soon as I heard it, I knew it was going to be one of my favourites. So many hardcore Bloc Party fans insist that Silent Alarm was Bloc Party's best but I can't agree. Throughout the album there are these strong messages, discontented with the world around them and so spot on with so many things. Particularly on "Uniform" and "Where is home." <3

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
This is for less profound reasons than the previous two obviously, but this album makes me seriously happy. It makes me grin like an idiot, and dance like one too if I'm in a very silly mood. My friend Natalie showed me this one on the way back from shopping one day and I went straight out and bought it and it's been a much loved part of my collection since.

There's a few more but those three are my favourites. Honourable mentions go to Damien Rice's 'O' and The Kook's 'Inside in, inside out', Goldfrapp's 'Seventh tree' and last but not least Gotye's 'Like Drawing Blood'

I feel like I should have some content to this that informs you of my current state of being.

I'M WELL!

My local council got in touch and I become an Aussie Citizen on Australia Day along with a gazillion other people. I have a date for it now, (such a relief)

Works been ok, not too hectic considering the time of year. We've had Santa traipsing past with his bell eleveral times a day. ding a ling, ho ho ho etc. It's been trialling, but generally ok.

I went for a solo trip into the city to go to the 'Discover Europe' expo and that was cool, picked up a whole lot of paper I haven't gone through yet, but will get to.

I read and finished 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath, which I loved. It was kind of heartbreaking, but really good, and it's one of the only books where I've felt compelled to mark the pages with my favourite quotes on. Here's one:

I found myself sitting in the crotch of this fig-tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.
Page 73. I think it's a brilliant metaphor.

It's raining outside, and I'm about to put my pj's on and get an early one, I've had so many really late nights I'm starting to zone out during my waking hours. Not good.

Sorry about the length of this one, I guess I had a bit to talk about!

Best wishes!

PS: I'm learning to knit. :-)

Life Lessons (I'll someday learn)

2008-11-15T23:49:00.003+09:00

Goodbyes never get any easier. After being a permanent resident of this country for 15, nearly 16 years of my life, you'd think I'd know that by now. Every year I've been here I've had family visit, you just start to get to know them and love them for who they are instead of because they're blood related to you, and they're off again, onwards or back home.

Us kids must not have made it easy for the leaving party over the years. A gaggle of children bawling their eyes out and pleading with them not to go, and questioning why they're leaving. Goodbye presents of a broken toy car or three green marbles wrapped in scribbled on, scrunched up paper. And a handmade card, a piece of A4 paper folded in half, some form of creature or other scribbled in biro on the cover with the words "Goodbye. I love you" scrawled across the top, usually missing three vowels. Yes. Those were the days.

Nothings changed much.

It's funny, there are lessons so engrained in society that people forget to learn them anymore. Like "Life's too short." People love that one, but who really lives their life like that? Not many. The "Life's too short" Lesson is one that needs to be learnt yourself and when it's finally discovered it's like... "Fuck... Life really is too short. I only have one go at this. What if I don't get everything I want done?" like it's an entirely new concept, which it is... for that person. Learning that the most important thing is to be happy, because what is the point in being miserable or being in a situation that makes you unhappy when you've only got this limited time? It's so final. There are no second chances. You screw up you're life then that's it. There's no restarting the game after game over.

So. Even though it sounds completely cliche. Even though it's something you need to figure out for yourself....

Seize the day. Clutch it in your hands. Think of it as dough and mould what you want out of it. You are the decision maker in your life, and no one can do that for you. You have one shot. one life. That's it.

So live happy.

------

FIVE MONTHS!!???

2008-11-12T15:06:00.003+09:00

You've gotta be kidding me council folk.

It takes 5 to 6 months for me to get a citizenship ceremony?! Which would mean for me, January or February since I got my approval letter in September.

the Fascists!!!

I've a good mind to egg their houses.
I know where the mayor lives.

*grumble grumble*

The Blog

2008-11-09T22:45:00.003+09:00

I really enjoy blogging. Oh god. Any blog that starts with that sentence can't bode well for the rest of the blogs content but I assure you, this will only last a moment. I like blogging for three reasons.

ONE: It reminds me of 2005 when msn spaces were all the rage and blogging about various outings on weekends, whining about school or just general angsty-ness was the done thing. So much of what went in to those brave first steps into mainstream blogging, in the naive and pure days before myspace went hardcore in 06, is mightily embarrassing now and so misconstrued then (only realised in hindsight of course) I feel, I suppose, a little bit of a pioneer on the mainstream blogging front even though doubtless there were hundreds of thousands who had been doing it for years before the myspace generation caught on. I feel a little bit special to remember internet before myspace. A little bit older, a little bit wiser than the current myspace crowd. The riff raff!

TWO: Preservation of a little patch of web space. A little bit of a not so secret garden to grow my thoughts, imaginings and aspirations, using the pesticides of a decent sleep and being fussy about what I publish on here to keep the rambling weeds away.

THREE:
I'm completely and utterly nosy, and am fascinated by what goes on in people's every day lives, and people's take on things. I think that's part of the fascination I have with youtube. I'm a nosy bitch and am just purely interested in it all.

So there you have it.

and here is a list:

I really want to read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Might library it.
Snow Patrol's new album is fantastic. Don't be put off by the one lame song they've released.
I really want to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, might read the book first, I'm not sure. Any thoughts?
Also I'm pretty sure I'm going to see the twilight movie with my seventeen (meaning three) sisters when it comes out. All in the name of research and good product knowledge of course.

Ok. Today's blog is officially over.
That didn't hurt any more than going to the dentist did it?
hmmm.... don't worry the swelling will go down in a few hours.

Change

2008-11-06T11:30:00.000+09:00

I've tried to write this a million times but nothing could sum the way I feel about the recent US presidential election better than this.

by youtuber italktosnakes

I couldn't stop grinning throughout the whole thing.

Gobama!

2008-11-04T23:38:00.000+09:00

You know it.

:-)

I'm going to sleep now, but hopefully when I wake up, The people of the United States will have voted overnight to make Barack Obama the next President, subsequently making this planet a better place.

Fingers crossed.

Night!

My favourite poem

2008-11-01T11:03:00.000+09:00

by E.E Cummings

if in beginning twilight of winter will stand

(over a snowstopped silent world) one
spirit serenely truly himself;and

alone only as greatness is alone-

one (above nevermoving all nowhere)
goldenly whole, prodigiously alive
most mercifully glorying keen star

whom she-and-he-like ifs of am perceive

(but believe scarcely may) certainly while
mute each inch of their murdered planet grows
more and enormously more less:until
her-and-his nonexistance vanishes

with also earth's
-- "dying" the ghost of you
whispers "is very pleasant" my ghost to

from the book 73 poems by ee cummings, pg 50

It reminds me of Chris McCandless and Margo Roth Spiegelman characters.

<3

Cheater

2008-10-30T23:36:00.000+09:00

So here I am again. Late on a Thursday night writing out notes for my sister’s in class essay tomorrow while she reads lazily in the bunk above me. Something I wouldn’t be doing were she not completely incompetent. It’s this horrible awkward situation cause I really want her to try hard and succeed and to give her the best possible chance of doing so in her essay tomorrow but on the other hand it’s really annoying that I end up doing this because she’s too lazy and doesn’t listen in class, and she’s always on myspace and msn after school.

Us 2005 kids were lucky, we were right at the start just before the myspace ship took off and we were all 17 anyway so up till then we’d had 12 years of schooling without the distraction of social networking sites. For my sister, these things have been around since she was 10 years old and she’s had a myspace she was 12. What real chance have kids got these days when throughout their entire high school career they have these kinds of distractions?

*Two hours go by***

I have work tomorrow and I'm exhausted.
Looks like it's gonna be a short senseless update today.

I'm going to write something fantastic soon.
Just you wait!
uhh... maybe.

:-)

Good things come in threes

2008-10-22T21:22:00.000+08:00

Today had the potential to be super lame as it started super lamely. I woke up late, no time for a shower, fought loudly with my thirteen year old monste.. I mean sister roommate. I lost my new mascara and can't afford a new one. It was all death and destruction I swear. Plus my internet has been sucky recently. It connects for two minutes and disconnects for ten, in an ongoing cycle.

So I got to work in a huff, bleary eyed and scowlful. Which I know isn't a word but should be. I got to my first job of the day, a box full of customer orders to be stickered and put aside and lo and behold.

The book I'd been waiting for had arrived in store. I got Happy Margo by the way, for those who know what I'm talking about. I started reading it on my lunch break and it is amazing so far. I'm planning on reading it when I finish this blog.

So also on my lunch break I went to go check if any magazines I subscribe to had come in at my local newsagent and in fact:

Frankie, a magazine after my own heart had arrived with free gift wrap, that I'll probably use to cover books instead of giving away cause I'm selfish.

So things perked up a bit, I had a pretty full on day of changing stuff over and blah-blah-work-not-interesting. So I was pretty relieved when the day was over.

I waited outside work for half an hour for my mother, she arrived, eventually.

and told me their was a package waiting at home for me.
"A package?" says I.
"A package." says she.
"What shape?" says I.
"Sort of square shaped." says she.
I rushed to my room to the indeed, square shaped, package on my bed and it was Julia Nune's new cd 'I wrote these' and not only that it was signed! I haven't listened to it properly yet, but am planning on doing so while reading paper towns.

SO much awesome in one day.

So now I'm quite content.
Though I do miss my dear friend Zoe quite a bit. Quality time soon Zo, methinks.

DFTBA.

Alana x

Blog Tag Awesome.

2008-10-15T21:31:00.000+08:00

I've been blog tagged by my dear friend Zoe . Yaaayyy!

THE RULES
~ Link to the blogger who tagged you.
~ In your blog, post The Rules and...
~ ...Six quirky yet unspectacular factoids about yourself.
~ Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
~ Go to each person's blog, and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

SIX FACTS
1. I buy a ridiculous amount of magazines that I have to have every issue to. These include Frankie, Yen, jmag, and Nylon Magazine that I get specially imported from the US of A to my local friendly newsagent. I'll also randomly buy Oyster, Dazed and Confused, Russh, and Empire magazine if it's got good pictures. The most expensive magazine I've bought was $16. My favourite will always be Frankie.

2. I am deathly afraid of crickets. Words cannot express the revulsion I feel for those tiny hopping creatures with their pale yellow bodies and long antennae and their odious songs. One of the reasons I'm not the summer seasons number one fan. They get in to my house and hoppity hop on my floor and one time I sprayed a fly and a cricket jumped out from behind a blind to defend it, like the insects were launching a full scale attack and they had to send in the tough guys. It worked for about five seconds while I was screaming and running, then I had the disgusting thing murdered by my brother.

3.When I was a kid my grandparents used to visit from England every year and bring with them a stack of Famous Five paperback novels. These were treasured possessions because like most families who had 6 children under 9, we weren't very rich so books that weren't library books were scarce on the ground. I still own some of those books to this day and I don't think I could ever part with them. I tell myself that the fact I had a very small amount of books then for my compulsive spending habits when it comes to books now. *note to self : must show some restraint*

4. I am utterly obsessed with mail, specifically postcards. I own every post secret book (see above statement about spending habits) I am a registered member of the online postcard swapping site "Postcrossing" which is a website after my own heart and I recently received my first postcard from an internet friend through another book related website. Oh yes. I'm that nerdy.

5. I am really passionate about youtube and how it puts a human face on places that are so often dehumanised. I love the fact that you are watching someones first hand account of how things are in their country. A window into their lives if you like. It's completely revolutionary because it's completely done by the individuals, just completely normal everyday people instead of celebrities or politicians representing their country, there is a chance to see what the people of a particular country are really like, what they care about and what they think about things, and how they see the world. I could go on for days but I won't. So yeah.

6. I read trashy cheap American college horror novels ie: the Nightmare Hall series. I pick them up from garage sales and second hand bookstores. I'm addicted. It's a curse. I have 16 of them so far.

MY TURN

I tag:

Rach
Mhazz
Ginger Chris
Thatenglishgirl111
Liam
Kayley

I know, I know. They're mostly youtubers. I can't help it if they're the only blogs I read mostly.

PS: Beirut or Bon Iver can have my babies any day of the week. <3

What?

2008-10-08T17:19:00.000+08:00

Why is it that American politics are so much more interesting than the Johhny and Kevsev face off of 07? I've seen part of the presidential debate which was both really interesting and quite hilarious watching two guys trying to be bitchy to each other. They just can't do it like girls can. I've also being paying attention to the "hockey mom" that everyone loves to hate Sarah Palin, and all of the delightful parodies on youtube.

Lisanova does a really good one here

But what... you think this blog is going to be all about politics. Oh no.
It also includes things like

I now own all four Postsecret books... Go me!
I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the second time... and cried just as hard.
I've almost finished my first proper itinerary for my trip next year, I just need to make a few adjustments. It's getting closer!
I'm wearing my old Scouts shirt as I write this. I'm not kidding.

and it still totally fits?

Making Scouts cool again?

Probably not.

The Royalist of Shows

2008-10-03T23:17:00.000+08:00

I can't remember the last time I got to sleep before midnight. Maybe that's contributing to my irritability and the ginormous bags that have decided to take up residence (quite without permission) underneath each of my eyes. Them being unable to understand human speech (and believe me, I've sworn at them in several languages), the only way I can show my distaste for them is to glare quite angrily at them. My chin pulled back and eyes straining to show those purply blotches of colour who's boss. That sure gets me some funny looks, especially when I'm at the front counter at work and a customer approaches. Explaining doesn't seem to help either... wonder why?

I went to the Annual IGA Perth Royal Agricultural Show yesterday, whose name, might I add, seems to get longer every year. In an act of restraint and strong willpower I managed to resist the lure of the Showbag. For some reason a twenty dollar bag of shit candy and a novelty puppet just isn't my cup of tea anymore. SO Annual IGA Perth Royal Agricultural Show Showbag Society (AIGAPRASS) take back your coca-cola beach towels and warm bottles of sprite, be rid of your wigs in varying shades of purple, cast down your three magazine titles from earlier this year, out of date lip gloss in a colour fit for no one's pout, and come on... who uses those ridiculous video ezy and $10 e-vouchers anyway?

Not only did I reject those luridly coloured, drastically overpriced, wicked showbags of sin, I also only went on one ride, and that was only because my sister dragged me on. If you know me, You'll know I've never been a 'rides' kind of girl. So I didn't resist too hard when she dragged me on to a ghost train behind two excitable eleven year olds. I figured... come on Alana, You're twenty now. It's about time you experienced a little bit of fear and excitement, a bit of adrenaline, the last time being when I was 12, on camp with my scout troop, and some kids scout hat flew in the water. DISASTER. Lucky my best friend at the time was a hero, jumped in and paddled down river to fish it out. Geez... those were the days because, you know, Scouts need their hats like... fish need water, or cats need rugs to destroy or even as galaxy hitchhikers need towels... but where was I?

Adrenaline... oh yes. The metal cart I was in gave a shudder and moved forward, clanging in to the door in front of us, pushing it open and giving another bang as it closed behind us. We were in. We continued to move as a skeleton suddenly lit up to the side of us, with flashing green lights enough to give a sloth a seizure. We clanged and banged our way through another set of doors - this time some sort of grotesque monster with the same flashing lights, now red, and another set of doors, we groaned up higher passing through door after door each with some bizarre but really lame creature in between.
"This isn't even scary." say the girls in front.
For the rest of the painful two minute journey, the four of us stay silent. The kind of silence where you are forced to witness something both inexcusably lame and somehow really awkward also. I think the cherry on top was when we came face to face with a large mechanical gorillas head with red glowing eyes opening and shutting it's mouth in an uncomfortable looking way when the owners hired help, or simpleton younger brother (I can't decide which) gave a half hearted "Raaarr..." from behind us with the air of someone saying "Raaarr..." for the sixtieth time that day. At which, myself and the other passengers in our nuts and bolts mobile turned with raised eyebrows and stared with more confusion than fear. Leaving him to awkwardly push us back into daylight.

Other highlights included watching a sheepdog unsuccessfully lead three sheep over a bridge and into a pen, lunch in the form of a tiny but expensive box of soggy rectangular potato mush, named 'chips'. going into one of those petting farm type things and seeing a piglet kneel on it's front legs and suddenly slump forward asleep, nose in the dirt, his bum still in the air, walking past market stalls and being harrassed by people wanting to give massages/nail treatments/specials/stuffed toys/cleaning cloths "All for spechal pryesse of 40 dollaaar" and watching people be a hundred percent original by buying a twenty dollar gold on black or white printed jacket and fake 'bling' that everybody under the age of 15 now seems to own.

but without all of these delightful quirks like ...

rides for$10 each for three seconds of 'fun', showbags with lollies that glue your teeth together and the odd member in every family who buys the 'Gag' bag and proceeds to use the cheaply made novelty whoopy cushion at every opportunity for the next week until someone sits on it one to many times and the thing bursts...

...It wouldn't be the AIGAPRAS we know and love, expensive, embarrassingly tacky and a Perth institution like Aqua, Adventure World, and Supre.

SSSWSP

2008-09-28T13:31:00.000+08:00

This here blog will be my last ever mention of SSSWSP because I'm aware it is slightly uninteresting for those who don't know my family.

All I will say is that it was a really great night. We have so much left over alcohol/food to get through eventually.

Daniel, my 18 year old brother managed to hook up with the only unrelated female in his age group at the party. Very typical.

I also have a buttload of old records to sort out again. I got out all my parents old records and put those on all night instead of using CD's and it was awesome! I only learnt how to use the odd contraption that is a record player about a week ago and there was a few hiccups but overall it went down awesomely! Very authentic I think, but god they required maintenance. turn it over now, change the record now, change the speed, place the needle in the right spot exactly. It's a bit different from pressing the play button on an ipod/cd player.

About 50 people came anyway, so it was a good turn out and there was plenty of sentimental moments. The actual SURPRISE!!!! was priceless. They had no idea at all!

The whole party was made of win. :-D

Enough now, I'll talk about something different next blog.

Promise!

Tonight

2008-09-28T01:02:00.000+08:00

SSSWSP successful and complete.

More tomorrow when I'm less drunk.

For those not in the know, see earlier blogs.

niiiight!

the twenty-fourth

2008-09-24T22:18:00.000+08:00

A couple of really cool things happened to me today at work.

1st.

I totally served a famous author. Well sort of famous. Her name is Alwyn Evans and she writes an amazing book that I happen to have read called 'Walk in my shoes'. It's about a family who come to Australia illegally and spend time in the detention centres, then after a couple of years have to assimilate into Australian society. It's quite traumatic really and your heart really goes out to them. One of the best things about the book, is that it is such a worthwhile story to tell. Of course, I didn't know it was her at the time, only after I saw her credit receipt and recognised the name, typed it into our search engine and had an OMG moment did I realise, and by then she was gone, whisked away on the breeze of hot, stuffy air saturated with dust that eminates from our store on a permanent basis... and all of her books that we have in store were out the back! The shame of it all.

2nd.

Well, I served this lady yesterday and was talking to her for a good while, helping out with her finding books etc, she introduced herself to me at the end (Kate, for those playing at home) and thanked me for all my help. So that was cool. Whatevs.
So I get this phone call today from the same woman, asking for me, and asking if I remember her. I did. Then she asked if I would be interested in doing some work for her because I "have a lovely manner with people"
and while this was a very flattering offer. I could only decline. I'm working ten thousand days a week as it is.
So she was cool with that anyway.
but yeah.. beeezarre!

I'm wrecked and am going to sleep now.

Just thought I'd share.

x

Hatty is a sl*t

2008-09-22T21:27:00.000+08:00

My hair smells delicious right now. You can imagine yourself smelling it if you want, but just because I've given you permission doesn't mean it's not weird.

Real life is daaarn hectic at the moment. Meaning I'm not updating as much as I usually do. Not only has work been INSANE. Well... as insane as it gets at a bookstore what with the Brisingr release and all. I've also been planning the Super Secret Silver Wedding Surprise Party (henceforth known as SSSWSP) of my parents for their 25th Anniversary down to the last chocolate sprinkled cupcake. It's been and still is a mission... but we're getting there! No ones slipped up yet but I've been listening to my Mum saying all week
"We really should do something for it. It's not something that comes around everyday... oh well, never mind."

This usually results to me biting my tongue to stop myself from saying... "Well, actually, now you mention it...." and spilling the beans.

I still haven't seen Wall-E, but I am soooon when I have some free time.

I finished Abundance of Katherines by John Green and loved it... marginally better than Looking for Alaska too so there.

and at the moment I'm about to re-read Deathly Hallows because it was so traumatic the first time around I couldn't take much of it in.

I do have a confession to make.

When I was like.. 11 or 12 and they were hiring for the first Harry Potter movie, they put out this huge casting call for people to try out. Now I had my heart set on Hermione. As far as my eleven year old self was concerned. I was Hermione - body, heart and soul.

Not having possession of a video camera at this stage of my life, I wrote them a letter instead which was actually sent and everything. (sad I know) and then suddenly this child actress Hatty Jones who played Madeline was the favourite for the role. (She didn't end up getting it... obviously) God I hated her. I vowed never to watch Madeline again and to this day never have. I scribbled on pictures of her, wished avada kedavra on her red-headed ass. This chick was personally responsible for destroying my dreams and aspirations!... and then of course, she didn't get it and Emma Watson got it, and I actually liked good old Em... but as for Hatty. I always harboured that feeling of deep resentment. Even though years passed and she faded away. She was my Arch-Nemesis I think.

Today, however... I'm letting it go.

Fly away anger.
Fly away hurt.
Fly away hate mail
Telling her she's dirt
Fly away insults
Fly away pain
As long as I never have to see
Her speckled mug again.

siigh. I feel much better. :-P

****EDIT*****

(Next morning) I think I may have been delirious with tiredness when I wrote this?

We like our books, we love our mums!

2008-09-17T19:08:00.000+08:00

How soul-obliterating is "Find my family"? I don't watch much TV but I had a bit of a channel 7 binge last night.

Home and Away, Find my Family, Packed the the Rafters and All Saints.
I felt so dirty afterwards. That's like 2 and a half hours.
Why is that interesting?

"Nerds in love" by Fergus Brown is hilarious and awesome.
"You can keep your hipster flings, blowing rounds like battleships, give me Albert E and Zacky Newton... over alcohol and weed."

It's gold I swear, You can download/listen here

Work at the moment is mad hectic, but we've made our sales target three days in a row which is unheard of basically for my store, so go us! Though I don't see how I can congratulate myself on people wanting to spend their hard earned dollars on books.
"I'd like to purchase these several books"
*puts sale through and hands back receipt. watches customer retreating back*
*pumps fist* "Yessssss...."

Sleep deprivation kids. Don't do it.

I gave the option to all the people I'm inviting to my parents surprise silver wedding party to text me their RSVP. This was a very bad idea. I am now getting this garbled messages from over 40's trying to be hip, all in capital letters.

"THANKS WELL BE THERE LOVE 2 COME WHAT DO GET 4 25"

It's excruciating, but I'm pleased people are actually coming.

Enough for now.

Alana x

Library Girl

2008-09-11T09:04:00.000+08:00

9:16 am

My hair is a birds nest. I look quintessentially cat lady right now. I'm wearing a big fluffy pink dressing ground that nearly reaches my toes. Large dark grey socks with my flannelette pjs tucked in to them. I even have my cat on my knee. Definitely channeling cat lady. No books in close proximity though.

11:02am
Work has been mad hectic recently which has made me a little irritable if I'm being truthful. Everyones sick and there has been so much to do, and lots of annoying customers. It's made for a very un-fun week so far.

In other news, I really want to see Wall-E. It doesn't come out till October (I think) but I've heard a lot of good things about it ... mainly from youtubers I must admit... but I'm really keen to see something light and feel good and nonsensical.

I've got a couple of things coming up soon so I'll probably talk about them at a later date ie: after they've happened.

I've been madly trying to get ready for my parents surprise silver wedding anniversary party in a couple of weeks time. What started off as a sibling collaboration has now come down to me alone. So we'll see how it goes. Invites go out today!

but yeeeahhh... a poorly written and sketchy update as to my whereabouts and whatabouts.

Till next time,

Stay classy

Reasons I am happy right now:

2008-09-06T17:11:00.000+08:00

Spending time with the family and John Green is a Saturday well spent by my account.

The Wednesday Special Bus

2008-09-05T20:30:00.000+08:00

This starting from scratch is doing my head in! It's brilliant and frustrating and so so time consuming. I've been investigating imovie, garage band and photobooth and something called my dashboard that contains a plethora of useful gadgets. It's so much to take it but I'll get the hang of it. The one thing with me having my own computer is that suddenly all restrictions are off. I can go on for as long as I want and not have to bargain for precious minutes. I've been on a greedy internet/youtube binge and now I feel a little hungover.

Maybe I shouldn't be admitting to that. I'm sure people already think I'm strange but enough I say!

On Wednesday, we had like an amazing amount of crazies come in to the bookstore I work at. For serious!

Crazy #1 is a creepy crazy who's like middle eastern with one normal eye and one eye that permanently looks at the roof. He always wears the same denim jeans and denim jacket and has a shoulder bag with him. He seems to like routine because about four times now he's come in and asked me in broken english where he can find "the sexy books"
Four times I've had to show him now! He's seriously mental, I swear. He creeps me out.

Crazy#2 was a guy who was a little less sinister. He was a one off who came up to the counter to speak to me.
C2: Hello!
Me: Oh Hi, how are you?
C2: (laughs nervously) I'm using my brain!!
Me: Oh yeah...
C2: I wanna get something for my Dad. He likes sci fi, sci fi, sci fi
Me: Well uhh... let me show you our sci fi section?
C2: Yeah!!!

and then he left.

and last but not least Crazy #3 is an old guy who always looks frazzled. He's tall and skinny with messy dark hair, he always wears flannelette shirts tucked into his cream coloured trousers he wears really high with serious ankle showing. He comes in and paces and runs his hands through his hair in an agitated way. He never spoke to us until Wednesday when a section of books nearly fell off a shelf. He comes running up to the counter shouting
"Help! Your books are gonna fall down!" clearly freaking out. I follow him back to where he says they're falling and a couple are indeed in a precarious position, a little bit suicidal.
I thank him and go to coach them back to safety when he pulls them all out and puts them in a pile and wants to know how to put them back, all the while moving agitatedly on the spot and scratching his head and freaking out a bit. So I thank him, and tell him I'll sort it out, which makes him better I think, so he leaves.

Ah crazies. Where would I be without you to break up my day?

Made of Awesome

2008-09-04T16:10:00.000+08:00

It's clear to me now

Macbooks are made of pure awesomeness. Will I ever use anything other than this magical machine again?

At the moment I don't think so.

Now... to find the "ON" button.

hmm.....

Late night... sort of

2008-09-01T21:50:00.000+08:00

9:51 pm isn't technically late, but keep in mind it's a work night and I'm one granny of a girl.

I just wanted to update and say I'm ok.

I'm trying to move on from the "father obliterates soul of defenceless computer" drama and move on to "daughter of computer-soul obliterating father finds solace in a new beginning"

I've been through a few rough patches in the past two years, pretty much since school finished and maybe... just maybe there was a lot of stuff clogged up on there that was dragging me back to those not so great patches.
I'm all for change, so I think a new start is in order.

So there.

I'm getting my very own macbook this weekend. yay! (must ensure what happened never happens again, this feels right.)

In the words of the vlogbrothers,
DFTBA
xxx

PS: dare you to find someone nerdier than me...

Gone

2008-08-27T12:29:00.000+08:00

All my files, photos, videos, my entire hard drive has been wiped by an incompetent arsehole who doesn't think before he does things. A guy came to look at our computer this morning and confirmed it.

My school photos - ball photos, river cruise photos, graduation, parties
Family photos, holiday photos, christmas's.
Friend photos - ZAARPD 1&2, birthdays, yallingup, fairbridge

all the videos.

I can't tell you how sick and empty I feel right now. :-(
I don't think I've even begun to comprehend the loss of it yet.
How can it be there one day and then five years of memories be gone in an instant?

I'm pretty devastated to say the least.

Ebay

2008-08-23T19:27:00.000+08:00

I've recently experienced the bitter disappointment of a loss on ebay. This is my letter to that faceless arsehole who stepped in the last 4 hours, which happened to be from 10 pm onwards when I was defenceless in my bed.

Dear Faceless arsehole,

You stole my book. I bid on it first and outbid you twice. You left it alone after the second time and it was supposed to be mine. It was a copy of Once upon a time published in the 1950's by James Nisbet and my Mum learnt to read with that book! It was supposed to be a nostalgic gift for her but no! You came along within the last few hours and stole it away when I was safe, sleeping in my bed. It was theivery and I hope you are heartily ashamed! I know it was you. You sitting there with the greasy hair. I know your type. I hope it never reaches you and that you fall off a cliff by the sea after being in a car accident because of a heart attack and you die cold and alone at the bottom of the cliff being eaten by crabs. You deserve it punk!
That book was meant for me.
Rot in hell.

Alana.

Birthdays are wizard.

2008-08-10T21:07:00.000+08:00

This time last year I imagined my 20th Birthday would be in Mykonos on a contiki tour of Europe.

I like to think I've matured since then.

My 20th Birthday of course, which occurs this Tuesday 12th August will be at home. In Perth. Which is totally boss.

can you tell I just watched Juno?

My next birthday won't be in Mykonos for the record, nor will it be on a contiki tour as far as I can tell. I (and anyone that knows me) are guessing that a contiki whirlwind party tour probably wouldn't be my style.

Instead, I'm doing an extensive tour of the UK and Ireland, and going to a select few European countries that I'm yet to decide on. Staples for sure are France and Germany. I don't really want to go to Spain so that ones out... so that's all to be decided.

I go through phases of being really motivated and enthusiastic about it, and then being totally apathetic cause it seems like a thousand years away. Two defining factors helping my current enthusiasm are my lonely planet guides, and Rach's pictures from her trip. So jealous!!

Haircuts and other factors are doing wonders for my confidence at present.

Overall, I'm one very happy girl right now. So shut your freakin gob okay?

Failure Cake

2008-08-08T14:16:00.000+08:00

Zoe hell loves me. Wanna know why?

I baked. Oh yes I did. Don't be worried. No ones eaten it yet.
Including me. It's a cake, and I failed at it quite badly. It's the first time I ever followed a recipe. The first time I made anything from scratch! Here's some photos of the momentous occasion.

Isn't it lovely?

It also serves to show off my new aforementioned haircut.

Now, who wants a piece?

(I wouldn't if you value your health)

Sckizzors.

2008-08-07T12:40:00.000+08:00

Haircuts are exciting.

I'm probably going to post some pose-y photos on here when I get home. Just to show off.

I haven't had a haircut in like half a year.

Haircuts are exciting. Yes indeed.

PS: Nothing.

Rant-i-ness.

2008-08-02T19:24:00.000+08:00

I've been practicing writing with my left hand. In my delightful creative writing book 'Juicy Writing' by Brigid Lowry it says that doing this every now and again can help unlock thoughts and little gems from locked parts of your brain and give you a new way of thinking and writing, even as far as offering a new perspective on things. Well, nothing dramatic has happened so far. It's more like

I can't even write like this. This looks like a five year olds journal . this is shit... i'm switching

followed by like a page of me writing my name left handed over and over.

So my favourite web-series just finished forever and ever... it was so delightfully amateur and riddled with plot holes and some bad acting, but it had moments of gold and lasted three seasons in two years, but all good things must come to end unfortunately and eventually it was going to get old and people were gonna stop watching so... yeah. and no I won't tell you what it is! You'll laugh at me!

God... It's 8:30 on a Saturday night and I'm BLOGGING. What is wrong with me?

Monday is going to be very interesting. Monday August 4th 2008 is the date 'Breaking Dawn' the fourth and final instalment in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer comes out. Now I happen to strongly dislike this series. I've read the first book and well... hate is a strong word but I really didn't like it. It's a Vampire love story where a vampire high school student called Edward Cullen falls in love with a human girl, Bella, who is in his class. The first book is all about Edward trying not to eat Bella because he's a good vampire who only eats animals. I mean, I can understand what people like about it but the thing is... and this won't make a bit of sense... it's got too much to like... it's geared for teenage girls with raging hormones and it sells really well to that market. It's a good book in the way the Inheritance series are good... the inheritance series are like a greatest hits of all the best fantasy novels thrown into one and it sells.

Maybe I'm being too cynical but it's so overhyped and it's really the 'cool' thing to read here and also to a greater extent, the US. There's a movie being made and it's even being compared to Harry Potter and all these other great works of literature.
Sorry twilight fans but it's not that great!

phew! I really needed to get that off my chest. The past couple of weeks have been a bit mental, I've been hearing nothing but twilight nonsense. I think I will go see the movie when it comes out though. Out of curiousity more than anything. Maybe the movie can give me what I felt the book was lacking. I have started reading New Moon - the second book in the series so it's not like I'm not trying to like it. I am! I want to understand what has all these girls in a frenzy and falling over each other to pre-order the book, coming in in groups of five to pre-order.
So! If anyone can tell me what it is about this series that is so amazing that Edward should be compared to Mr Darcy, please tell me... I'd really like to know.

Ok. Rant over.

I might go play mariokart... cause I'm that hardcore.?

Leo

2008-07-21T19:31:00.000+08:00

How freezing is it?! To take you're mind of the cold... I have a story to tell you.

One day a girl was working in a shop... let's call it a bookstore... when an old balding man with crinkled eyes, crooked back and furrowed brow came in and walked purposefully up to the counter. Let's call him Leo. They exchanged pleasantries and the girl thought he seemed an agreeable old man, if a little deaf. He asked about a book he was interested in. "Weight Loss for the mind" by Stuart Wilde. He already had one copy but needed another. So the girl unthinkingly picked up the copy he had placed on the counter and scanned the barcode. It came up on her computer screen but sadly appeared to be out of print, she explained about an organisation who trace out of print books, thoughtfully pointing out their phone number instead of their website, making the assumption due to his age that he probably wasn't the internet type and she explained that the book was out of print to Leo.

Leo was silent for a about thirty seconds. He looked down at the book on the counter, sighed deeply and made no move to leave. He cleared his throat.

"You know... That book has some brilliant advice in it. Advice that many people could use nowadays."

The girl states that it's a shame and that many quality books go out of print for no apparent reason.

He nods bitterly and flicks through his well thumbed copy. The girl notices it has post it notes on many of the pages covered in various thoughts and points he found of interest.

"I wanted to buy it for a gift you see... It's about perceptions and letting go of everything because none of it matters... nothing matters. It's about letting go of all the negative emotion that surrounds all of our decisions and our lives and living your life free from all that... total freedom you know?"

She nods.

He continued, getting more enthusiastic about his topic. "I don't know about people today. I mean, did you read about that controversy with the artist who photographed the little girl and was made to take it down at that gallery?"

She affirmed that she had heard of this.

"and about how an art magazine in protest of this published a picture similar on the cover of their magazine?"

She nodded, a touch of concern about where this was going.

"Well I've been a sculptor my entire life, and from an artists perspective I think they were right to do it. I've got a lot of opinions about it that my family and friends don't agree with and we can argue about it at the dinner table till we're blue in the face but I've got to be one of the only people in Mindarie who subscribes to that magazine or who has even seen it, and yet everyone gets so angry, so passionate about it, something most of them haven't even seen! It makes me sick! I mean, there are so many more problems out there, poverty! war! and all kinds of things and these people are getting so angry about a picture in a artists magazine that eighty percent of people won't see!"

She agrees quietly.

"People need to think about things more instead of letting computers think for them. I email my grandchildren a thought for the day every couple of days because I want them to think about things..." He went on to tell her some of the thoughts he had sent them by email and she felt ashamed that she had assumed he was so inept with computers.

He paused for a second, thinking hard. "You know, it used to be there was only two things certain in life; death... and taxes. Now there are three. Death, taxes and change and if you can't cope with change in todays world then you're stuffed."

The girl thought this was quite profound and was impressed.

"You know, I go into hospital for a week next week and I was trying to teach my wife how to use the computer just to check our email... and she wouldn't! She refused to even learn and I said 'We need to check the email somehow' and she says 'well it's only a week'... why would you refuse to learn something?" he asked her, shaking his head.

The girl could agree properly with him on this. "My mum's the same." she told him. "I try to teach her but she doesn't want to learn." she smiles at him willing him to go on because frankly, listening to him is a lot more interesting than the pile of books she has to sticker.

"Change..." he mutters to himself. Leo looks up at her then, as if he is seeing her for the first time, as if he's just realised who he is ranting so passionately to.

"Well... thanks anyway." he smiles and strolls out, still shaking his head without a backward glance, taking his book with him.

So the girl got back to work, thinking about all that was said. She wanted to know more about the book he was so keen on. "Weight loss for the mind" she typed into the search field. Five results come up. One, she recognises as being out of print but the title at the top, is in stock at the supplier and therefore clearly not out of print.

It's too late to run after him, she's in the shop by herself for the moment. She wants to kick herself for not typing in the title to start with instead of just scanning the barcode. She feels guilty.

Maybe it was fate? maybe if she had said the book was available, he wouldn't have spoken to her at such length.... maybe Leo had something to teach her? maybe he had something to teach the world, maybe she should write down all that she can remember of what was said and publish it on her blog... maybe he would read it?

He was a pretty inspirational kind of guy she thought and she wished she'd had more to contribute to the conversation, but he didn't seem to need it, the minute she had said something longer than a "yeah..." "I agree" or "I know" He had seemed to come out of a trance and had left promptly thereafter.

So the girl wrote it all down in her journal and one day, approximately twelve days after he had bestowed upon her a taster of the wisdom he had acquired in his long life, the girl typed it out and put it on her blog, she thought about exaggerating and romanticising... saying he was dying and that he wanted a copy to give as a final gift to someone important to him or that he had left the book behind and she now had it in her possession but it wouldn't be true.

So, she told the story like it was, a story about a man still raging about the way of the world, who spoke to a largely insignificant girl in a bookstore about art and people and change and truth.

She ordered the book and she's going to write notes in the margins.

Donations accepted.

2008-07-12T19:11:00.000+08:00

I bought some new clothes today so I'm feeling pretty good. Nothing fancy but Mum was all like "Oh Alana, It makes such a difference to see you in something that isn't grey or black."

"uh.... thanks Mum."

but she does make a point. Grey and black do feature heavily in my wardrobe so... henceforth, I am going to dress a little more flamboyantly. I think navy blue makes a good start don't you?:-)

So yes. I'm well. Nothing much been happening. Work has been pretty good, but pretty slow. People just don't want books when there is food to put on the table and bills to pay and who am I to tell them otherwise?

"Seriously... Your kids hate vegetables anyway, come on... buy the new Gordon Ramsay. hardback. Came out a couple of weeks ago. At $50 it's a steal. You know you want to. It has heaps of recipes you can whip up after the kids come home from school and you from work, and you can create a food masterpiece before you go to your second job to pay the kids school fees and child care... So... should I take this up to the counter for you?"

It's just not ethical.

My saving is coming along nicely. I've been cutting down majorly on everything but mostly on CDs. I was buying like two or three every time I set foot in jb's. I've been in there a few times now and bought nothing which may or may not be because there is nothing I really want right now, rather than any act of strong willpower. Though Youth Groups new album would be nice and I quite want Princess one point five's album (I think that's what they are called) but No spending being my current mantra, I will not splash out on them. In regards to the above mentioned "new clothes" They were on special and I really needed something new to wear.

Words can't express how much I want a macbook though. I'm so over the communal family computer thing. I'm ready for the joy that is my own computer. I am. It's the one item on my unwritten birthday list (I turn 20 next month!) but so unaffordable.

As for my birthday... 20 is a pretty yucky age. I'm not quite ready to be 20. It sounds too grown up. twenty-have-your-life-sorted-by-now. twenty-time-to-start-thinking-about-the-future, twenty-pay-your-bills-on-a-tuesday-and-do-your-big-shop-on-a-thursday. twenty-care-about-interest-rates.

Very disturbing.

I am so disinterested with the Dockers now. I'm over it big time. Still got a few home games left. Probably will still go. Though the shouts from the fans seem hesitant and stunted and nobodies really got any heart or passion left to cheer with. It falls a bit flat. I don't think that will really pick up again till next season. Time heals most wounds.

Anyway! Enough for now.

I'm in the middle of reading the Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and it's spooky! So I'm off to go freak myself out a little more.

Until next time.

Glastonbury

2008-06-30T09:14:00.000+08:00

On the theme of gumboots. The Glastonbury festival happened to be this past weekend. A festival most people will have heard of regardless of where you come from in the western world. Well after hearing quite a bit about it from a cousin whose been before and checking out the line up and a few videos and updates from the weekend. I have made an oath to myself to go to next years Glastonbury for sure. 26th - 28th June next year, that's where I'll be.

Hopefully if I've worked it right, when you click on the picture to the right, it will show a big pic of the detailed line up. In case it doesn't. Here's an idea of some of the ones I'm crying I missed.

Editors Kate Nash Goldfrapp We are Scientists

Ben Folds Vampire Weekend Duffy The Wombats Jack Penate Newton Faulkner Roisin Murphy Midnight Juggernauts CSS MGMT The Kills Emmy the Great

In fact, that line up of bands I've just listed would be perfect for Southbound next year. Take note, sunset events.

so jealous of anyone that went.

I'm sick at the moment, like everybody.

I haven't been writing too much recently because I think I've come up against a block. I'm too conscious of what I'm writing because I'm thinking about whose reading all the time. It's something I am going to get past because if I don't, this is going to be quite boring, and kind of pointless. So that's why the last few blogs have been kind of below par.

So there.

Next blog will be better. :-)

bye!

The Wellington vs Gumboot debate

2008-06-22T14:34:00.000+08:00

This blog doesn't hold anything resembling a debate between whether you call waterproof boots gumboots or wellingtons. I thought it would be a good title for my hit rate. I am going to discuss Gumboots briefly, because I think they are great in a way the ugg boot could never be and ugly in a way that makes them cooler than dress suede or leather boots and that's all I have to say on the matter.

No it's not.

One more thing.

Where on earth can you buy gumboots in Perth? It's the middle of winter and they're scarce on the ground. I'm not talking about practical gumboots of course.

I'm talking about ones with big colourful festive stripes and multi coloured polka dots. Ones with rainbows and butterflies and skulls and lightning. Ones with tiny whales, blue whales that I found on ebay but had like a thousand negative reports about them.

It's just so hard being a girl. :-D

I found this really cool band recently called Fleet Foxes. They're pretty awesome. They make me smile.

I've decided to give Stephanie Meyer another chance. I'm so not a fan of the twilight series but Host is really cool, I'm about one eighth of the way through and it's pretty great so far, really fast paced and different. More grown up than the twilight series as well and less overly sentimental and swoon-y. It's good.

Stocktake tomorrow. lame.

I wish I was going to Europe this year instead of next year.

This ends now!

PS: They are so gumboots.

Perth Time Freeze

2008-05-31T20:28:00.000+08:00

Hey!

What a day... Today a whole bunch of unacquainted people froze on cue in this torrential downpour as part of a Perth Flash mob. I was one of them! I got there pretty early, planning on meeting Zoe (Hi Zoe!) in front of the Art gallery at 11. So early it was still deserted apart from a homeless man going through all the bins. A little bit worrying, so I moved over to the Library where it was looking a bit more lively. Gradually people started to come. There was some major delays with the trains because of the ridiculous weather but there wasn't a bad turnout considering. Everyone was sheltering from the rain in the sheltered section in front of the library and I happened to score a lucky spot by the main organisers of the event. They held a hushed conversation, seemed quite giddy actually before separating. One turned to me and said in a quiet voice. "You here for the time freeze?" "Yeah!" I beamed. and he passed me a little slip of paper with the details on before moving on to the next person. It was all very exciting.

Zoe still hadn't turned up after getting on the wrong bus and ending up at the WACA so I stood awkwardly on the outside of the excited crowd of people. On a very dodgy estimate I'd say about 300 people roughly. Long, the guy who was organising it called the group to attention at about 11:30 on a megaphone, he gave us our instructions and we moved off. I waited a bit longer while the crowd dispersed and Zoe emerged a little bit wet, a little bit traumatised from her public transport adventure into the wilderness of east perth. Realising, we still had half an hour to go and in the middle of a crazy, windy, rainstorm, we went for hot chocolate at the art gallery cafe, before braving the outside world.

We got there about 10 minutes before we were due to freeze. There were heaps of people standing around with umbrellas. Met up with my sisters who were there too. Gradually, people started to creep out from under the sweet shelter and into the downpour where we were meant to freeze, umbrellas at the ready. Me and Zoe under hers. We made a last minute decision on what our pose was gonna be. Zoe had the bright idea of me pretending to look at a bus timetable. So I pretended and then the air horn went off while my eyes were inconveniently downcast, looking at the timetable. Me and Zoe are pretty expert freezers. If I do say so myself.

So for five minutes with the rain trickling down our backs and wetting our coats and jeans, time stood still. It was really weird cause as soon as we froze someone started screaming. Over and over. It was eery with the thunder rumbling around us, lightning flashes and rain cascading down, everyone stood frozen and then this child screaming. It was a bit surreal, in a good way. While we were frozen there were people moving in and about the crowd taking photos and filming. The air horn sounded again after 5 minutes roughly and there was a big cheer, before everyone moved on.

Me and Zoe hung out for a bit longer and Zoe bought like 17 pairs of shoes! We braved our old hangout at the double story HJ's where there was a whole bunch of old deros street drinking and smoking weed. Perth just isn't the same place as it used to be!

I also bought the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy omnibus which I've been wanting to get for ages. So that will be my next big read.

All in all, a fun day.

Can't wait till the next Perth flash mob. Count me in!

The Best Thing

2008-05-30T19:56:00.000+08:00

This is the best thing I've heard about in ages.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/30/2260586.htm

Nerdling talk

2008-05-25T17:49:00.000+08:00

My last blog was admittedly a bit crap so here's another to sate your appetite.

A few days ago we had a new addition to the family. It's name is Wii, now Wii which came with the added bonus of Wii sports was pretty great we all thought. A lot smaller than imagined and so compact and sweet standing there next to the tv. (cough... down with consumerism!) but yesterday, another little bundle of joy came into my life and that's Wii Fit. It's so awesome! You get to choose between four types of games/exercises. Yoga, Muscle, Aerobic and Balance. I'm completely shit at balance and pretty bad at muscle, but my yoga's pretty great and my step skills in the aerobic section! Seriously... so cool, and I don't even have to leave the house which is an added bonus for hermits like myself. In fact, that would be a pretty good slogan.

"Wii Fit; Helping hermits get fit since 2008"

I take it back.

The best thing about it I suppose besides the addictive games (the greatest one is the ski jump one but I haven't really got any bonus games yet so this is a bit sketchy) is the fact that it's so much cheaper than a gym membership, and cheaper even still for me cause my parents bought it. So I get free enjoyment and fitness until I leave home. woo!

Ok, so this is turning into a Wii Fit promotional blog which wasn't my intention. moving on.

I'm really excited about the Time Freeze but it's gonna be absolutely insane! So many people are planning on going. Like 8000 are members of the group on facebook.

I've been listening to: The "Once" soundtrack. "Say it to me now" gives me goosebumps. He sings with so much passion and the way his voice cracks. I can listen to it over and over.

I've been reading: Foundling by D.M Cornish. I'm not very far into it but it's pretty good.

I haven't really been keeping up with youtube recently. I'm hoping to get back into it soon. I missed a fair few videos cause of holidays and just spending less time being a nerd so I'm pretty behind.

Well, this has gone far enough.

signing off,

Banana-Lou

Go Team LP!

2008-05-21T10:11:00.000+08:00

I haven't felt so inspired in a long time. I was kind of fed up because I'd had to put off my travels for another year. No money and all that, but I recently bought the LP.. sorry... Lonely Planet Europe guide "Europe on a shoestring" and it's awesome. I've been reading through marking off placing I want to go and writing them down in a notebook. It's good because it tells you what's crap and not worth visiting too.

I've only looked into Great Britain cause thats certain cause of family and that, but there is honestly so much to see and I can't wait to go. I'm still having a little bit of trouble deciding whether to go on a tour or by myself. I think I might incorporate both. I'll definitely do Britain by myself because thats easy.

What I'm trying to do at the moment is figure out where exactly I want to go so I can plan and check out my options. It's a lot harder than I first thought to decide out of all these places. The thing that gets me is I don't know anything about the places so how can I say I want or don't want to go there when I don't even know what's there or what I could be missing out on? I guess that's what the europe guide is for.

So yeah, travel guides are good inspiration!

In other news, I saw 'Once' which is a really great movie. I loved it. It's a musical film but not a musical. The music is beautiful and the story is gorgeous too. I really liked the opening scene before the titles. It really made me laugh. You'll just have to see it to see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, there's an update for you. A little bit out of the blue but whatevs!

love x

Bookstore Quirks

2008-05-19T08:42:00.000+08:00

Think working in a bookstore would be your ideal job? Yeah, it is pretty awesome... but here's some Quirks of working in one from someone who has first hand experience.

1. Those people who walk into bookstores and say. "I'm looking for a book." and then pause... really do exist. It's usually followed up by: "I'm not sure who writes it or what its called but... it had a picture of a boy on it." long pause me: uh. was it fiction or non-fiction?

2. Oprah is the book Goddess. Any book on her show people will come in and buy without even looking inside it. I swear it's like this cult of homemakers who worship Oprah. "well, oprah said it was good. I'll buy it." see: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

3. No matter how good your signage is for that 3 for 2 promo. There will always be five people who think it's 3 books for $2. Even if they are expensive cookbooks. Why?!! It clearly states 3 for 2 on the massive sign that's above that table. Why would you even think that?!

4. People expect you to have every book ever printed, and when you don't have the book they were looking for it's a REALLY BIG deal. Even if it was published in the 1800's, in spain and there's only 20 copies still in existence. They can't seem to comprehend that we would not have this brilliant book in stock, and it's really a mark of how unbelievably SHIT my store is. clearly.

5. We're never ever going to be able to compete price-wise with Kmart, Big Dub or Target. So please stop telling us. We don't control the prices. Our head office does. Take the issue up with them. I don't care if Kmart has it for $26. I can't do anything to change that. Just buy it there. I don't care.

6. Everyone who works in a shop will know this. People will never.. EVER put things back where they came from. They'll most likely leave them in positions where other people will fall over them and hurt and/or kill themselves. It's like they think it's their god given right to just put it back wherever they want, because of course... "It will give the staff something to do." or "That's their job. not mine" Usually said with a half-smothered laugh or just pure bloody disdain.

Well there's six of them anyway. There's more. Which I may post later.

Love and rantiness.

Alana x

A message from a recently absent owner

2008-05-14T17:38:00.000+08:00

There is a really cool event coming up in Perth very soon, and if you’re from Perth you should definitely be a part of it. It’s the Perth Time Freeze 2008, there is a group on Facebook about it that you should definitely check out. It’s not exactly an original idea but why change a good thing? I love flashmobs. There is an organisation on youtube that organises some of them called improveverywhere. Just search them up and you’ll find their channel. They’re the ones responsible for the Grand Central Station freeze and heaps of other awesome events all over the world, they film them and upload them on youtube. There I go again with my nerdspeak. *cringe*

A lot has been happening recently which is why I haven’t really been on here much.

I’ve had my delightful cousin Steph over from England. She came about two weeks ago and left yesterday. We went to Busselton for the weekend while her mate’s boyfriend and his friends participated in the Busselton Half Iron Man. Which was kind of cool, but the people in it were clearly insane. Running/Swimming/Cycling all that way?!!! Strange.
I went and sat my citizenship test, which was really easy and some of the questions a little ridiculous. Especially the ones regarding sport. It's hard to believe that someone not knowing what sport the Ashes involve might fail the test to becoming a citizen of this country.
I went to a lonely planet 'How to make a lonely planet guide' or something with my friend Rach from work. who happens to read this blog. Hi Rach! It was ok, they didn't go into it too much and they seemed to really like this little wind up monkey that was present throughout the whole presentation. The presentation was very dumbed down in that way. "So Monkey went all around the world.." and then they had these images of the Monkey doing the King Kong thing on the Empire state building and climbing the eiffel tower. It was a bit weird actually.

Ok, less about what's been happening and more about nonsense which is what this blog mainly centres around really.

I just finished Craig Thompsons 'Blankets' which is this incredibly awesome, really long graphic novel which is just wonderful. You probably won't be able to find it anywhere, but I really recommend tracking it down and having a read. It's great. (I'm running out of describing words that mean really really good!)

I saw PS I love you which is a gorgeous, touching, really sad film, which I liked more than I thought I would, mainly cause everyone had been telling me how good it was, and I like to be contrary.

I've been watching Australia's Next Top Model of course, cause Caris is in it and she's done so well. I've never watched it before this but it's actually pretty addictive. Girls are such bitches! I still can't really work it all out though.. Like how they do the eliminations, because they celebrated this chick called Leidon's bday and apparently her bday is in February but that episode was shown in April, and they had an elimination talking about the past week, but then, doesn't the elimination work from the viewers votes? It has to be rigged, it just doesn't make any sense. See! I'm totally hooked!

I'm in desperate need of some new tunes. I've been taking notes everytime I hear of somebody in magazines, tv or through other people and the glorious things that are others peoples ipods. So if you have any recommendations, comment this blog!

Ok, time to finish up, I'll write something deeper soon. This was just a simple update which turned out quite long.

Alana x

PS: Zoe now has a blog too! I'm not the only one! Ask her for the link and she may give it to you. maybe.