I wasn't sure if I should have panicked

Choosing a play to see at the Fringe when you have a mind boggling choice of about 300 comedy acts to see, rather makes for some difficult decision making.  I almost feel as though I should do only comedy, but isn't the Fringe exactly that, shows that are edgy and on the fringe of society; arts for all, theatre, art, comedy, mime, burlesque, circus, music, but all just a bit quirky?! Would I be turning Adelaide's, no actually (fact)  Australia's largest "arts" festival into that of simply a comedy festival if I didn't attempt to attend shows that were in fact "arts"?! Well in my view yes.

On procuring my copy of the Fringe guide, which could easily be mistaken for a small countries phone book, I propped myself up on the couch, fresh pad of paper and pen handy to peruse the guide from cover to cover.  Several hours later, several pages of much hastily scribbled notes around times and dates, which also involved working out when I could fit in toilet and food breaks, oh and some sleep - possibly - between shows; I realised the list had to be whittled, from tree trunk to matchstick. Humm, dilemmas.

Comedy did feature heavily, both local and international, new and old. I love a good side tweaking giggle fest, and I don't mind to admit it, but I knew culture would have to be added.  A burlesque show - its tasteful, yes really - then some circus - Cantina, some music - Take me back to Paris (somebody please..... no really, its been too long) and of course some theatre. 

Theatre, now that was a hard choice.  I chose a play called Low Level Panic, the introductory lines were as follows;

"“Maybe if I was wearing trousers it wouldn’t have happened.” Mary, Jo and Celia are three women. Their gender defines them. In fact, it consumes them. Join them in their bathroom and try and find the answer to the question: "What does it really mean to be beautiful?""

Sounded interesting, am always fascinated, what does it mean to be beautiful? Seems not many people care, as me & my lovely friend Sap discovered, we were to be given a private tour in this theatrical journey. 
 
A story of two women, with a third annoying flat mate (or rather one who just wants to take a bath!), who you could say is a middle ground. She seems happy, gets a bloke and her issues, if she has any, are made redundant by those of Jo and Mary with their opposed ended views & issues.
 
Mary is at odds with being a woman, after we are taken back in her memory for a recounting of what could have only been a rape, she blames herself for wearing a skirt. She's also feeling like she is trying to look beyond the face to find out the true feelings & emotions of a woman - one on a billboard - to see if there should be some emotional response in being treated like an object. She is hollow inside, an empty shell, removed from herself. She loathes & struggles to simply wear a sexy revealing dress because of what it might mean to others and her quest to find comfort in being herself.
 
Whilst Jo is busy daydreaming and fantasising about the perfect man, car & body, envisioning what her life should look like, while gloomily staring at her scales declaring war on her "fat" body (something she berates further after an evening out, not eating and failing to lose an ounce).  Her issues are with what she is expected to want, without considering getting or giving love, as her fantasies go no where, and she feels she is going no-where too, and not for trying to be something for someone.
 
It wasn't an amazing play, but it wasn't boring or tiring, or badly done.  The acting was superb and it certainly was thought provoking, it made me realise that we've become a world of instant gratification, thus the over kill on comedy (we want it funny and we want it now - fast food).  Theatre is to be seen, mulled over, discussed in depth, and if there is a moral - which there usually is - it will be something you will be thinking of hours and weeks later. I think I might have to sort out my Festival of Arts tickets, more theatre, here I come.... its slow food for the mind.

Its like meeting the Queen... sort of

Well I was having a happy night, he Kevin Rudd (our Australia Former PM) could have been too, he looked a bit dazed and confused. But its was the Fringe opening night, its all a bit random.

See below for a few more from the night...

The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Emcee for the Strong Man Midgt & me...

Becs & I, happy after a bit of Bird in Hand sparkling bubbles

Quote Me...

"True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be..." Anonymous

Er to do about nothing!

And er nothing it would be is what I have to do around on here.  Alas I would love to blog more, but what about?

I no longer while away my hours in pubs drinking cider, in London theatre venues and out at restaurants or hoofing it around to exotic locations on the Continent. Humph. Then I might have more to write about, though lordy knows how I actually had the time to write!!

Though for the bigger trips they missed out on blogs as there just was no time to remember and relay the exiting times that were had.  I even think I only got about half our our Egypt trip on here, and that was about 11 months ago now. My time flies.

No you'd think here I'd have more time, which I do, but what to write about, am caught up in the world of work, family visitation and the mundane dullness of things like food shopping and housework.  Though its not Adelaide that's dull its me, my dull activities have nummed my brain into being dull even when I am not or shouldn't be. 

I joyously await the weekends for all the things that I am going to get done, all the events that are on, then for some reason I find myself 5 loads of washing down and cheering that I will get to watch 4 episodes of season 3 of Houswifes of NY - WTF!!!!!. Sleep? Getting plenty. Feeling rested? Ur nope not me. 

However, I have planned much to do about something for the Adelaide Fringe festival and have booked myself out solid for the 2 weeks it is on (that and WomAdelaide & the Adelaide Film Festival). 

So within the next couple of weeks, I may not have slept, the washing will not have been done and I will have most of season 4 of Housewives of NY to watch, BUT I will have been out there having a fantastic time, feel totally refreshed, AND that my friends is how it goes ... piles of unwashed washing is a sign of the living!!

Quote Me...

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere"

Thanking Michael Luyten for that one, though not sure where he got it from, but kudos to the person who said it because I rather like it 

This is how we do it! NY's Australian Style

NY's spent 24 hours freezing in Times Square? NO, are you kidding. NY's at a posh London hotel? Nope, been there done that. NY's on a boat in Sydney's harbour watching the bridge burst into a light spectacular? Nope, but maybe that's next year. 

This year was done in true laid back Australian style, chilled out camping down on South Australia's fine coastal shores in the gorgeous town of Robe, complete with posh shopping, gormand restaurants, ancient pub "The Cally" (1800's, which is OLD for Australia), home made icecream, craggy coastline, succulent crayfish, Coonawarra wines alongside the immaculate sands and splashy waves of Long Beach.

Awesome. You bet your booty it was.

Lone Seagull on Long Beach

Mark batting for Australia... and probably ugh... winning

DiGiorgio Wines near Penola in the Coonawarra Region

The Obelisk off the rocky shores of Robe

 

The Pink Salt lakes near Meningie on the Coorong

 

Cute as a button cottage in Robe



Robe seafront



The Caledonian Pub "The Cally" where we ate & partied pre 2011

Long Beach... beach bums & goonies

Icecreams in Robe

What is left of my Mussels from dinner at the Cally

Goonie scene re-creation note the painting above (at the Cally)

The BIG Lobster at Kingston, near Robe

"The Remains of the Crayfish" a tasty dish served up by the fishermen of the SA coast

Mark awaiting our coffee from The Providore cafe - delicious

Christmas Jolly

The Luyten/Foster Family

Champagne Christmas Breakfast

Bella bubby guarding the Xmas pressies & looking spiffy too

My nephew Oliver

My other Nephew Eli

My Nana & Aunt Anne

Hubby with Oliver

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Mark, Bella and I would like to wish you all and your families a happy and safe festive season, where ever you are on this beautiful planet

Much love and hugs xx

The Post Office - SUCKS!

Big time. Urgh.  I do the right thing and make beautiful Christmas card greetings, admittedly out of paper and not out out cardboard. So much better for the environment, but alas not for the pocket. 

Lady at the PO (Yes I am going to diss the Messenger...she wasn't a very nice messenger) - "Its not a card, its a letter", while flopping card envelope around and looking up at it under the light.

Me - "Well actually it is, its home made, from paper"

Lady at PO - "Nope its paper, it will be classed as a letter and that is $2.20 each, you cannot use the card only rate of $1.30"

Me - "Urgh I have 45 to send, seriously its a card, its just home made from paper - not card, surely it will cost less to send, save Australia Post money, it weighs less too, environmentally friendly and all that"

Lady at PO - "You can try send them as a card - but they might bill you later for the difference if they think its not a card"

Me - "Ok I will then"... and I did!

Surely, it will cost them more to bill me for each letter - should they pick them out of the billion that are going through at this time of year - then send me the bills seperately for the difference in postage.  Me thinks they are going to not notice, and nor should they who ruled a card MUST be made of a card. Pft.

Headspace or headcase?

Probably both to be fair.  I appear to be only able to concentrate properly on one major hobby or interest at a time, and oddly I am at my most relaxed and at peace when doing this despite the frustrations that rear up suddenly every now and again with me thinking that I actually have twenty odd things that I should be doing.  Then I just go "phah!" - and continue to plod on doing singular item of interest and be blessedly happy and relaxed.

So at the moment, I am not doing terribly much photography wise - though I purchased a shiny glossy photography mag over the weekend for which I have had no time to yet devour - nor am I doing house stuff, or much reading, or much keeping in touch with people.  I am however doing rather well at work and am slowly but surely removing stodgy, stubborn layers of lardons off my body with my excessive walking and exercise routine.  If you haven't guessed it my current, hmmm, lets just call it obsession rather than interest, is that of exercising.

I am reading a book, nothing unusual there, except that since arriving back in Australia I have read a total of 5 books - which is rather rubbish given I used to read one a week, which makes me about 40 books down of my usual tally. Oh and I read 3 of said books in one week on the houseboat!  Though am not reading War and Peace, or anything remotely taxing, but something called Last Night at Chateau Marmont by the chicky who did Devil Wears Prada.

I feel that I am making some progress on doing more than one thing at a time as I have begun arranging Christmas cards, the Christmas tree is up and several presents have been purchased. Humm appears my taking some time out to tend to this rather under nourished blog has made me see that all is not as bad as I first thought and I am getting stuff done. Wow - go me. Phah.

Oh I have just remembered that I finally got around to visiting a long lost friend on the weekend (its only been um 2 years - love you Mel) and I cooked on the weekend too.  I make a very delicious, and very requested, chocolate Tiramisu.  Oh dear, its seems I am now a headcase because I thought I had no headspace... off to write some lists........