cyberspace junkyard

Anyone got some Whiskas?

A friend posts quiz results up on her blog every now and then. I thought this one was really cute! And unfortunately strangely accurate!



Take the Purrsonality Quiz!

Room for Improvement

A new layout for my blog. It's just a standard template with a tiny bit of customisation for now. I'm sure I'll be fiddling with it for days to come.

I like the rounded corners. I like the thin borders. I'm undecided about the pale blue background though.
and I thought that I might overhaul the whole thing and do it in shades of burgundy / maroon / plum as I'm transitioning between favourite colours.

I'll let this one settle in first, though, I think!

Top Five Books I love to read over and over and over again!

1. Ballerina by Edward Stewart
2. Phantom by Susan Kay
3. Enchanter's End Game by David Eddings
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding

Good morning

Not much to say - just popping in to say good morning!

So... good morning!

Pet names

Do you think it's strange that I name my musical instruments? Hmm...

Well, my little family hasn't grown for a while, but they are still as loved as ever. Here's a little family history, if you're interested.

Barny (short for Barnabas)
He was my first ever piano. A tiny little upright, that my cousin recommended to my mum when I was three. I started playing at four, and while I eventually moved on, it still gets played by my brother a couple of times a week. The poor thing has been bashed many times over the years - all that Rachmaninoff, Liszt and that darn Chopin Polonaise that I played for HOURS to prepare for an eisteddfod once. Still, Barny is faithful and hasn't broken a string on me yet!

Sebby (short for Sebastian)
My darling plastic treble recorder. I played him from about Year 7 all the way through to Year 12. (I was in the Recorder Group at school - believe it or not, we were a very credible Renaissance ensemble!) While I had the opportunity to play much more expensive and exclusive wooden recorders in my time, Sebby always had the most mellow sound and I can honestly say was the best recorder I ever played!

Cleo (short for Cleopatra) R.I.P.
Alas, Cleo (my first clarinet, a wooden Yamaha) was stolen / lost / kidnapped during a music tour of Brisbane in 1992). I'd only had her since 1988, and since most of that time was still in primary school, I don't think I appreciated her as much as she deserved. What do they say about not knowing what you've got til you've lost it? hee hee
In any case, Cleo was replaced by two other clarinets, one of which I donated back to my school, and the other of which resides in a friend's house, til I get up the nerve to ask for it back. In reality though, Cleo was irreplaceable, and I never named my other two clarinets. She was my only "female" instrument. The others definitely felt masculine - it has to do with the tone, timbre and temperament!

Bart (short for Bartholomew)
Bart is my current piano. He is a cream coloured baby grand and he's still earning his stripes! I got him about 4 years ago, and most of the time he gets played in accompaniment to someone singing, now. Still, every now and then I ship out an old piece and give him a good workout. He is definitely the baby of the family (no pun intended!) and is due for a tune-up soon, which should see him really develop over the next few years! He has a very bright sound (I used to think he was a bit *too* chirpy all the time) but now I just think of him as exuberant. He is definitely a big contrast to the piano I had before him... (see below)

As yet un-named
The word is out. I am on the search for my favourite instrument - the gorgeous 7 foot grand piano I had during my senior high school and early uni days. These were the times I played the most seriously - I had just finished my LMus and was preparing for my HSC. Mum found for me a old Kawai, which she got for a very good price. It was slightly smaller than a concert grand, but I don't think she realised what a treasure she uncovered! The piano had a smooth matt black finish - none of that glossy black we see so often nowadays. The sound it produced was also incredible. Smooth as honey, rich as dark chocolate, yet it could be light and crystal clear with just the right touch. Heavenly! Some might say that it had a bit of a stiff action, but I think it just allowed you to have a more consistent touch on the keys. I have never seen or played another instrument like it since. Not even the Sydney Opera House concert grand can stack up, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, when I gave up piano professionally in early uni, I sold the grand and invested in a keyboard. At the time, it seemed wise (we were also moving house). After a while though, I just missed the piano so much that I bought Bart, and the rest is history. Every now and then, I stop at a piano sale or a 2nd hand warehouse in the hope of finding my matt black treasure or something that at least reminds me of it. One day, my piano will come! =)

Phobias

I've discovered that I have a crippling fear of electric shocks. You know, that tiny little pin prick feeling when you have too much static electricity built up and you touch something metal. Metal conducts electricity etc etc etc - ouch!

Anyway, the door handle to my office is metal. The new boots with a rubber sole I bought a mere 3 months ago seem to collect much more static electricity than could ever be thought possible. Put the two together, and you have more pain than V can bear.

I'm so scared of getting an electric shock when I open that door, that I have to steel myself to walk up to it and have 2 or 3 false attempts to reach out and grab the door handle. I tell myself that it's only a little bit of pain - hardly noticeable! It takes me 5 minutes to actually open it and walk through each time!

Well, my solution has been to wear different shoes, but if I went to a psychiatrist, I'm sure they'd tell me that I was just avoiding the issue and that I need to confront it head on to finally be rid of my phobia.

I'll let you know what happens after I see my therapist! =P

What to wear, what to wear.... ?

I'm singing at the wedding of some church friends on Saturday. Being winter, the dilemma is always, of course, the decision about what to wear? I'd like to wear my Indian silk moss green shift - but the only problem is it's sleeveless with a rather thin organza wrap. Hmm... can I get away with it if I have a cardigan or jacket to wear outside? Decisions, decisions... it's so hard being a girl!

The Flu

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways...

Here I was, a mere week ago, saying that I hadn't gotten sick yet this winter? Some evil flu bugs somewhere must have heard me and thought to themselves - "we cannot let her get away with this! we must avenge ourselves! Long live the flu!".

yes, well... anyway...

I woke up on Saturday with a scratchy throat and a deep, husky, some might say sexy voice. Okay - maybe not the last part! =)
On Sunday, I was also granted a blocked nose, which gradually decided to turn runny on Monday. Lovely picture, ain't it? Two boxes of tissues and several Cold and Flu tablets later, I am sitting at work feeling miserable and just wanting to go home to my nice warm bed. Alas.

A girl like me just can't resist a Borders sale!

Ah yes - money is really being squeezed out of my budget this month!
At the Borders 20% off everything for uni students on Wednesday, I picked up the Never Been Kissed DVD, the "Mists of Avalon" DVD (been hankering for this for a while!) and "A Walk to Remember" (the novel) by Nicholas Sparks. The total? $64 - not bad for 2 DVDs and a book, huh?

You see, not only did I get my 20% off, but Mists of Avalon was only $29.90! I could not believe it! Everywhere I've seen (including importing from overseas) came to about $45. After I finished salivating and spending, oh, about 2 secs deciding to buy it, I am now the proud owner of yet more visual and aural stimulation. Of course, it doesn't hurt watching it on a 134cm home theatre screen, either... !!

E-Com

I went to my first Ecom meeting at lunch today. It's a Christian organisation aimed at supporting the work of the gospel in the city. Awesome stuff! And I'm brimming over with possibilities for my upcoming CD! But I have to go so more on this tomorrow...

Karaoke

Wow. Give a guy a microphone and a private, contained space with only friends present and they have the ability to morph into bizarre all singing, all grooving karaoke machines!

I had the *ahem* immense pleasure of being with a few male friends from church last night as they crooned to Harry Connick Jnr's "It had to be you", belted out Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and laughed themselves silly over "The Cake Cutting Song" during a band rehearsal for some other friends' upcoming wedding.

It goes a little something like this... (to the tune of Farmer in the Dell)

The bride cuts the cake
The bride cuts the cake
Hey Ho the Deri-O
The bride cuts the cake

I kid you not. I suppose I could say that I have found my ideal bridal waltz for when I get married some day but I won't. Cos it just wouldn't be true!

Friday Five #2

Well, my second Friday Five is here! yippee.

Have a fantabulous weekend to everyone out there!

1. Where were you born? Sydney, Australia

2. If you still live there, where would you rather move to? If you don't live there, do you want to move back? Why or why not? Sydney is and I think always will be my favourite city in the world. There's no place like home (especially when you learn to appreciate it even more catching a rivercat ferry to work every day!). If I were to live overseas for a few years though, I'd consider moving to Salzburg (love it - my fave overseas city), Vancouver (love cold weather and love order) or Bandung (in Indonesia - to do missionary work)

3. Where in the world do you feel the safest? When I'm at home with my family

4. Do you feel you are well-traveled? There's always so many more places to visit, but I think I'm pretty lucky having spent time in Europe, Asia, America and interstate in Victoria and Queensland. Places I would love to add to my travel resume though are the Australian Northern Territory and Italy.

5. Where is the most interesting place you've been? It would have to be a village I boarded in near Salzburg. Perfectly preserved cobblestone streets, beautiful cathedrals, long and winding roads leading to impressive castles... it was quaint, breathtaking and groaning with culture and history all at the same time. I could have spent weeks there without getting bored.

60 minutes'

Oh dear.
It seems the rumours about me being anal-retentive are actually true.

My lunchtime started off normally enough. I had plans to go to supermarket and get something healthy. Perhaps some soup.
I also wanted to visit HMV and browse through their items on sale and make use of a 10% discount card I've got. All sounds pretty average so far, right?

Well, that's where normality and I part ways. The 2 CDs/DVDs for $40 got a quick once over but I picked up Robbie Williams' "Sing when you're winning" (RRP$29.95) and "Josie and the Pussycats" on DVD (RRP$37.95) for a combined price of $40. Off to a good start.

I next cautiously approached the huge bargain table. A mess of CDs and DVDs were just strewn all over it. You've seen them before. 20 people crowded around a table picking and dropping items randomly back on the pile in the middle until all semblance of order and neat little rows is destroyed and a mini-mountain is formed. I shuddered in horror but bravely approached. I started in one corner of the DVD section and subconsciously began arranging DVDs I'd looked at into neat piles. As I gradually worked my way to the centre of the table, other neat little piles began to mysteriously form until I gave up all pretense of actually looking at the DVDs and just started arranging everything into piles.

1 hour later, the table looked as if the store had just opened in the morning, and fellow customers were either giving me strange looks, asking me questions cos they thought I worked there or guiltily helping me. I felt like one of those crazed cariacatures of makeover artists they have in movies where they frantically work their magic and viola - everything's all beautiful. Am I obsessive or what??

In any case, I spent $78 and ended up with...

1. Britney Spears - Live in Las Vegas (DVD)
2. Josie and the Pussycats (DVD)
3. Salsa Inferno - Intermediate Instructional DVD
4. Sing when you're winning - Robbie Williams
5. Der Musikalische Gartner (a classical CD - $2!)

Top Five TV shows I obsess about but don't watch

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. The Bold and the Beautiful
3. Alias
4. Felicity
5. The Amazing Race

BTW, here is the link to my missing July posts...

Top Five Fantasy Authors

1. Raymond E Fiest / Janny Wurts (The Empire series)
2. David Eddings
3. Melanie Rawn
4. Julian May
5. Robert Jordan

Top Five Movies with a fantasy / sci-fi element

1. Lord of the Rings: Fellowhip of the Ring
2. The Princess Bride
3. The Return of the Jedi (I know, I'm practically the only one I know who likes this episode best)
4. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
5. Willow

Top Five Movies that make me laugh and sigh at the same time

1. Bridget Jones' Diary
2. Clueless
3. Never Been Kissed
4. The Princess Bride
5. When Harry Met Sally

Top Five Foods I don't eat

1. Ginger
2. Celery
3. Shallots
4. Bitter Melon
5. Pork

Top Five Beverages

1. Water (if bottled, preferably Mount Franklin or other with a clear but bland taste. Not keen on Evian.)
2. Peach Iced Tea from Sidnee's Cafe in Burwood
3. Hot Chocolate from Ilie in the MLC Centre, CBD
4. Orange and Mango Juice (35% juice)
5. Weak Latte with skim milk

Top Five Movies that are guaranteed to make me cry

1. The Joy Luck Club
2. Mr Holland's Opus
3. Beaches
4. Dead Poet's Society
5. Life is Beautiful

Top Five Movies that make me swoon

1. Ever After
2. Notting Hill
3. A Walk to Remember
4. Never Been Kissed
5. Bridget Jones' Diary

Top Five Musicals

1. Les Miserables
2. Into the Woods
3. Jekyll and Hyde
4. Chess
5. Miss Saigon

Top Five...
I'm in a list making mood, I think. Coming up are a range of inane, insane and insightful lists of "top fives". I think I enjoy making them much more than anyone will enjoy reading them, but what's more important anyway? =)

Top Five Celebrity Crushes
Some of these are highly embarrassing. Oh dear.

In chronological order...
1. Paul Mercurio (I had a scrapbook. *shudder*)
2. Colin Firth
3. Steven Curtis Chapman
4. Michael Vartan
5. Ethan Stiefel

Belated blogging
Well, many consecutive days of leave have taken their toll and my poor blog has been left unattended for close to 3 weeks!

Anyway, I'm back on the blog.

One of my fellow blogging buddies has just introduced me to the Firday Five so here's my first one. Though it's Tuesday. The Tuesday Five doesn't quite have the same ring to it...

1. Where are you right now? At work, just finished from a meeting and about to grab some hot chocolate!

2. What have you lost recently? All the information on my HP Jornada when it crashed. Not happy.

3. What was the first CD you ever purchased? Hmmm... I think it was the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Nobody puts baby in the corner.

4. What is your favorite kind of writing pen? I'm fussy with pens. I love a good ball point - smooth action and non blotty ink flow. Funnily enough, out of the cheapies, the Kilometric is my favourite.

5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Duh. Anyone who knows me knows it's chocolate! but in particular, Cape Byron Chocolate Mudcake, or Haagen Daas (how do you spell that?) Belgian Chocolate.

Kewl... more blogging to come!