AUGUST ROUND UP

Well August was pretty darn wonderful, so busy I had no time to think of anything but what's happening next! As Warren Zevon said "I'll sleep when I'm dead"! (September has been much the same hence my tardy delivery of this blog!)

So a quick look at the 42 things (to do while I am 42):

 

3. Have one night a week where I turn off all electronics and read

Still not weekly, but taking moments of complete silence to read, be it at home or somewhere out and about. It's my form of meditation.

 

4. Walk more and explore my own surroundings...there is so much I haven't seen in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and other areas nearby

I have been on a few walks in Newcastle and around Belmont and Warners Bay, not necessarily new places but I always find something new to look at. 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Read more of my own books. I tend to purchase these, but they get pushed aside for books I bring home from work

Some of the books read this month were my own. But being so busy, reading is very difficult to fit in.

6. More live music - the very poor list above is very abnormal for me. I'm open to pretty much anything, though snooty about venues!

I went to the album launch for Oliver Mann whilst in Melbourne, a friend of my new friend M, this was a fabulous afternoon of true indie music. I love finding new artists, especially one as talented as Oliver. His voice was remarkable doing folk/guitar type tunes but with an operatic feel.

 

I also won Mum and Dad tickets to see Ross Wilson at Lizottes. I have seen Ross a few times and thought they might enjoy it and they did. I even managed to tweet Ross and let them know my parents would be there and he gave them a shout out, which was so incredibly kind and very cool. Mum and Dad, but especially Mum, were rather excited by that. 

17. Mini breaks to my favourite places - Melbourne (not been since 2011!!), The Blue Mountains, Mid North Coast, and try new ones

After 2.5 years I made it back to my beloved Melbourne. You can read about it here:
 http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/melbourne.html

 

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/melbourne-favourite-haunts-and-laneways.html

 

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/melbourne-eating-and-shopping.html

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/melbourne-exhibitions-and-shows.html 

And I will be back in Jan with C for the Doctor Who Symphony! And heading to the Gold Coast next month!

19. Eat and drink out more/20. Get through my list of local restaurants and cafes

How I have maintained my weight this month (and I have!) I really have no idea. Must have been all that walking in Melbourne. I have eaten out A LOT!!!

See Melbourne post, PLUS a few visits to Le Passe Temps, lunches at Honeysuckle, Crepes at Coco Mondo, Hamburgers at Brown Dog (nice meal, but small, overpriced and very ordinary service, not planning on going back and it seems everyone I talk to agrees...shame!) and Thai with C.

 

 

 

22. Wash my car more often

Not really doing the best of job with that, however, whilst I was away my car was left with my parents (so they could do my airport drop off/pick up) and Dad spent seemingly days washing, polishing, cleaning it inside and out. Bless you Dad!!!
 

26. Go to the farmers markets regularly

Yep, have discovered the Dumpling man now...oh my!!

 

 

27. Really listen to music...eg in the dark with a glass of something something...no distractions

Yes, I had a Midnight Oil blast earlier in the month, you can read about it here:

http://reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/midnight-oil-teenage-memories-and.html

 

31. Have fun and laugh more at work

Great month at work, I had the pleasure of popping out to give a talk to the local Book Club. There were a small group of elderly ladies, who were really interested in the digital collection, ipads and the 3D printer. This warmed my heart to see cutting edge technology embraced with such tenacity. They gave me a lovely arrangement of camellias.

 

 

We also had Children's Book Week, where the local retirement village put on a play of Dot and the Kangaroo for the kids and it was marvellous. The kids loved it, the seniors had a blast and the community were thrilled. The following week we had Craig Smith from NZ, doing his Wonky Donkey show. If you don't know Wonky Donkey, you must seek him out. A fabulous and uber-popular kids book set to music.

 

 

33. Go to lots of fun social events 

But of course. A couple of movie nights, and some theatre. King Kong (see Melbourne review), Ruben Guthrie (a Newcastle production of Brendan Cowell's confronting play about alcoholism) and Frankenstein.

 

http://reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/frankenstein-play.html

 

Drinks and eats as above. I visited the Wildlife Exhibition at the Lovett Gallery, re-read Zeitoun for my Book Club and went to a Travel Writing Workshop. I had my monthly lunch with my gorgeous sisters, plus celebrated the birthday of my sister, A and good friend L. Good times!

 

 

36. Take time to do nothing and daydream more often

I did a lot of that in Melbourne, but have been doing it in bits and pieces back home too. Usually finding a spot to plonk myself down and people watch whilst out and about on my walks.

 

 

DVDs Watched:

I enjoyed the following: The Sessions, The Letter, Marilyn and Me, Ides of March, Celeste and Jesse, Two days in Paris, Blue Valentine and Barney's version. Bully - a documentary about kids being bullied in Middle America - was well shot but made me cranky and sad. And This is 40 was very ordinary, would not recommend.

The highlight of the month for me was Searching for Sugar Man: If you haven't seen this musical documentary, you simply must! It is about Rodriguez, a South American musician living in the US, he made two albums, toured a little and then disappeared, the story being he committed suicide on on stage. Over the years he got a cult following and in South Africa where he was bigger than Elvis, became a hero to many. The two amazing albums, are now considered classics, his style a slightly more upbeat Bob Dylan. I won't say anymore, though I imagine most now know how the story goes, suffice to say, it is incredibly compelling and touching. If you love great human stories and music, this is the film for you.

 

And Rockshow: I do not think I can love Paul McCartney any more than I do. I adore The Beatles and he is my favourite. Of course I also love Wings, they are the soundtrack to my childhood. Other kids got to listen to nursery rhymes and the like, me I got Wings and all the other cool 70s music. Rockshow is the re-release of Wings Over America, a triple album of live music recorded over a few shows in 1976. At the time, it was released as a film. I definitely knew the music, but had never seen the full footage. Oh! My! It is remarkable, remember McCartney is only 5 or so years away from The Beatles and really still a kid himself. His voice has never sounded better, he is loving touring with a band of excellent musicians and it is hit after hit after hit, most of which I have not heard in a long, long time. It gets off to a rocking start with the punch of Venus and Mars, Rock Show, Jet and Let Me Roll It! A little further in he does Lady Madonna and The Long and Winding Road and the crowd goes wild. What I love are the faces of the audiences, they are in heaven, it's fabulous! Live and let Die kills, then a little further there's a lovely section of Paul (without the band) singing Bluebird, I've Just Seen a Face, Blackbird and Yesterday. It made the hair stand on the back of my neck and brought tears to my eyes, the audience looked much the same. It moves through oodles more including  My Love, Listen to what the Man Said and Silly Love Songs, before blowing the place up with Band on the Run. It's as perfect a performance as you could ever imagine. I've lent it to my Dad to watch, cause without him I wouldn't love this stuff anyway!

I also watched the following Television:

Breaking Bad S5 - Walt has sunk down the rabbit hole and there is no return for him I suspect and I loved every freaking single minute of it! YEAH BITCH!
 

Smash S2 - still have a few episodes left. The first season was great, but not popular so they decided to change almost everything about it...it didn't really work. However with a cast of Jack Davenport, Angelica Huston and Debra Messing and fab guest Broadway stars and great music I still watched.

 

Mr and Mrs Murder - only caught bits on tele, simple husband and wife amateur detectives but it's the pairing of Kat Stewart and Shaun Micalef that make it

 

Lilyhammer - This is ok, Steve Van Zandt (Sopranos and E Street Band) is a Mafioso sent to Lilihammer on witness protection after dobbing in another. He choose Lillehammer as he thought it looked nice when The Olympics were there. As someone on witness protection he is meant to behave and blend in, two things that are impossible for him. It is a mix of light humour and light drama and the backdrop is magnificent.

 

Offpsring - This was the season of the looming death, who would it be? I guessed early on it would be Patrick, how could it not be? I think Channel 10 really fucked up in the way they advertised this. It was easily the best season yet of the crazy Houseman family, Kat Stewart's storyline being the most catching. She just kills me, her acting, especially her facial expressions, are second to none. To me, without her, there is no show. I still think killing off anyone was an unnecessary stunt, but am sure single parent Nina will allow for some fabulous screwball comedy. But yes, manipulative as it was, I still cried buckets! Beautifully done.

Broadchurch - this was outstanding television from the Brits. Stunning set and cast with twist and turns and a shocking ending. This could have been a usual predictable UK murder show (yawn) but it was anything but that, each week I held my breath, trying to work out what on earth had happened. Olivia Coleman was brilliant and real, but David Tennant gives good melancholy and his character was a heartbreaking revelation, bravo!

 

Rockwiz - this is still my favourite show on tv. I think I have missed maybe 2-3 episodes over it's entire run. It's a no brainer, music quiz set in a classic pub with a great band, brilliant guest musical stars, the wonderful Brian Nankervis and the perfect host, Julia Zemiro. Even the audience participation (normally a cringe worthy ingredient to such shows) works perfectly. What a season, culminating in the most perfect finale with Tex Perkins, Don Walker, Charlie Owens and Mia Dyson. Laughs, music, duets and chills.

Books

The Short History of Everything by Bill Bryson - I listened to Bill read his fascinating book on a talking book in the care, well worth a listen!  

After by Morris Gleitzman - this is the 4th installment in this series about a young boy against the backdrop of the holocaust. Gleitzman writes for children beautifully, I have been a fan of his books for many years, he incorporates humour and intelligence with such ease and cleverness, thought this series is low on humour (obviously) it is still a wonderful read. I also had the pleasure of meeting him last year and was pleased to find him as agreeable as his books. He is also married to Mary-Anne Fahey (a children's author herself now) who you might remember as Kylie Mole from the Comedy Company!

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers - this was a re-read for my book club. It's Non Fiction set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina and about one man who makes a difference during the storm, but it all goes pear shaped. Quite a riveting read on the human nature, politics, the US and Katrina.

Mom and me and Mom by Maya Angelou - I have no words to explain how much I adore Maya Angelou. Just read her books and you will understand my love for this amazing woman. This little gem is about her relationship with her mother, and her mother with her. It's a fascinating read, and beautifully constructed. I wish she would release more regularly.

Amber Amulet by Craig Silvey - this is another's children's book, but has a great noir feel and I think a book that appeals to both kids and adults. It's about a young and very sensitive boy, who patrols his street at dusk as a super hero. He just wants to make sure everyone is ok, but when he comes across someone who is not, what will he do? Highly recommend.

Music

Depeche mode - new album, really good

Midnight Oil - as mentioned above

Went a bit old school listening to the newish Led Zep compilation, turned to 11 of course!

Fleetwood Mac had a re-release of Rumours, with various versions of the songs on it, was excellent

And at work I have been listening to a lovely French compilation.

Movies

Behind the Candelabra - I had been hanging out for this movie for some years. When I first heard it was cast with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon I was intrigued, I could see it and I was impressed they accepted the challenge. The movie was a load of fun, with some great cameos by Rob Lowe, Dan Ackroyd and Debbie Reynolds. But Douglas and Damon were unashamedly dazzling. Not only in acting but in their costumes. The costumes, and indeed the set, were outstanding, more rhinestones and gold than one could ever imagine. They were brave to take on the roles and should be proud. This is a must see!

Red Obsession - this is a documentary about the high end wine business in the South of France and the obsession of it by those in the East. Narrated by Russell Crowe, this is an eye opener. Beautifully filmed, especially of the properties and vineyards in France, it opens right up how business is done and it's not pretty. If the wine industry interests you or you are a Francophile you will love this, but I think the greed and the business part would be interesting to most people too. Quite shocking to see how a very small percentage live.

And finally, the new Doctor for Doctor Who was announced and I was thrilled.

You can read about it here in an article I wrote for Social/Life Magazine:

 

http://www.sociallifemagazine.com.au/#!the-new-dr-who---cathy-shay/cxy0

 

BOOK REVIEW: THE SECRET MUSEUM

I rarely do full book reviews here...which is odd, given the amount I read and the fact I am a Librarian.

But I read the most remarkable book yesterday that I have to share.

It is called The Secret Museum and is by Molly Oldfield.

Molly is a researcher for QI, amongst other things. The book is a lovely small sized coffee table book about hidden treasures in museums of the world.

Many museums, galleries and libraries do not have all of their collection on show, in fact usually it is a very small percentage that one can see. The items are moved around to make the most of the collection, but most have some items that they NEVER show. This is usually because they are too large to place on display, or too small to showcase properly, they are rare, light may effect their wellbeing or other odd reasons.

Molly goes to many museums and gets to see some of these amazing items. The book was full of fascinating information of these items, and the history behind them. I was transfixed.

So here are a few that tickled my fancy, but are only a small amount of those mentioned.

The Gutenberg Bible - Morgan Library, New York
Below the amazing Morgan Library are three floors of vaulted materials, all underground. I think I was amazed by that more than what might be in these vaults. Amongst the treasures is one of the first Gutenberg Bibles...which is the first known book.

Spacesuits - Smithsonian Storage Facility, Maryland
First off, I had no idea this facility even existed, Maryland is outside of Washington where the main Smithsonian Museums are. The facility has a range of spacesuits, all worn by various people who have made that trip up into space. They are housed specially as some of them have moon dust on them...moon dust!!!! They are working on the most special one of all, have been for some time, trying to restore it, but being careful with the moon dust...that suit belongs to Neil Armstrong of course!

3 pieces of Mars - Vatican Observatory
Just outside of Rome is the Vatican Observatory and YES they have three pieces of Mars. The book details how they came to be distinguished as pieces of Mars. And then when the Mars Rover went up they could validate their theory. Amazing stuff. Apparently other scientific and space labs have pieces too. They fall to Earth quite regularly!

Vladimir Nabokov's Butterfly Genitalia Cabinet - Museum of Contemporary Zoology, Harvard University
Yes, it takes a while to get your head around this one. When Nabokov was not writing books, he was a foremost Butterfly expert and worked out of Harvard, being appointed curator in 1942!! He collected and identified many new species of Butterflies, 20 of which are named in his honour. His room is much as it was, just someone new in his spot, and some computers now. But this curiosity is not as racy as it may seem, though it is Nabokov we are talking about. The genitalia (YES, Butterfly penises to be exact!!!) are how one can distinguish between some species. They are collected and stored in a small cabinet and kept under wraps as they are incredibly fragile.

Dickens's Letter opener - New York Public Library
This will fascinate some, but why so special...it has the paw of his cat, Bob, on the end of it!! Bob the cat, loved to go through Dickens's mail and help him, so when the cat passed on, he had the paw fixed to a letter opener. Also with the collection are his collection of prompts. This fascinated me, as I had never heard of them. Dickens loved to perform his own material, so he took the best or favourite scenes from his novels and placed them in a separate book of 'prompts' for him to read from whilst performing. These are one off books and housed at the New York Public Library too, how wonderful!

Archives - Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire, England
Now, I did not know such a museum existed, got to stick that on my travel list. Amongst other things, the museum houses his archives, which is fairly standard except for one piece. This piece is remarkable, it is the first thing Dahl kept or archived. It is a letter from C.S. Forester's agent stating quite simply that Dahl should be a writer. Basically it is the piece of correspondence that changed his life and without it, we may have never been entertained by his stunning array of work!! Forester had interviewed Dahl for war stories, he had heard about Dahl's experiences during the war and felt he could get some great stories for his own books. They met and chatted and Forester was so transfixed he took no notes. He asked Dahl to write them down for him, but was so overcome with how well they were written, he sent them to his agent, who in turn wrote this letter. What a turn of events!!

Animals - Museum National d'Historie Naturelle, Paris
Underneath this natural history museum there are 3 floors of animals, stuffed, taxidermied or in jars. The thought of a complete zoo or Ark underground in Paris is rather fascinating.

Livingstone and Stanley's hats - Royal Geographic Society, London
Keep under wraps behind the scene, but side by side.

The hidden Miro mural - Guggenheim, New York
This is quite the story. Inside the entrance to the Guggenheim is a large white wall, this is a false wall hiding a Miro Mural! The mural was commissioned as a memorial for Harry F Guggenheim's wife, Alicia. It was displayed for some time, but it was felt the piece overwhelmed everything else on display and the false wall was built to hide it. Occasionally it is knocked down to reveal the hidden mural, but mostly it stays unnoticed.

An unopened book - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
I know this museum well, and would love to visit it one day. I read a fabulous book about a large heist that was pulled there back in 1990, the items still lost. Isabella began collecting in the late 1800s after her son died at age 2, and with an inheritance from her father. Distraught from her sons death, she took to travel. She loved art and especially Venice. After her husband died in 1898, she began to build a museum/house in a Venetian style (in Boston)to house her works. It remains today, her collection is the largest private collection in the world amassed by one person, and a woman too! There are many books within the collection, but one that is rarely seen by others, so much so, only a handful of people know what is in it. The author was lucky to arrange a visit on one of the special invitation only evenings where a few pages of the book were to be shown. It was quite the experience and the book is one of 11 volumes from Naples (the rest remain in Italy) and is an illuminated manuscript of Gregorian chants. The book includes the actual music, with notations very different to what we know today.

Friendship book - Anne Frank's House, Amsterdam
I left this very special piece until last and will admit it had me in tears. The friendship book belonged to Juultje, a school friend of Anne Frank. It is kept locked up due to it's fragility. Like Anne, Juultje didn't make it out of the concentration camp. Friendship books were little books where friends wrote words of encouragement to the owner of the book. It was given to Juultje on her 11th birthday and Anne was 10 when she wrote this beautiful poem:

Dear Juultje,
What shall I write here?
Wait, Dear Juul, I have an idea;
Good health and all the best!
Be good and full of zest,
and whatever fate may be divining.
Remember, every cloud has a silver lining.
In memory of your friend,
Anne Frank.

Ten. Years. Old. 

Wise beyond her years, intelligent, a way with words, so chilling and sad.

There is many more items within this amazing book, lots of drawings and such, but the disappointing thing, no pictures of these items. I guess they are hidden for a reason, but knowing they exist made me smile.

April Round Up

Instead of making New Years resolutions I would undoubtedly break, I made a list of 42 things to do while I am 42.

You can read about it here:

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/happy-new-year.html

At the end of each month I have been blogging about how I am going with the 42 Things and adding any other fun things I've been doing.

A diary for me, and maybe of interest to you.

So, what 42 Things did I manage in April?

3. Have one night a week where I turn off all electronics and read

Finally got to this one, mostly out of necessity as I was reading Anna Karenina for Book Club (more on that next month). I do want to set the same night each week aside for this, but have been too busy thus far. However, it is relaxing to have complete silence with no other distractions, just me and a book and more often than not a glass of something something!

4. Walk more and explore my own surroundings

Continuing to do this and making the most of the still warm early evenings. Mostly at Warners Bay, Belmont and Swansea, but as you can see there is much to see. It also got cool enough to reinstate lunch time walks to the lake at Swansea.

5. Read more of my own books

I've only really been reading Anna Karenina this month and it is my own, albeit a second hand copy. Very much enjoying it, but it's long (800 pages) and very detailed. But oh so beautifully written. I have bought a LOT of books this month, went a little crazy in fact! So will need to work on this thing in months to come

20. Get through my list of local restaurants and cafes

I finally had lunch at La Petit Deux and it was magnificent. My friend L and I had Le Plat du Jour, which was steak frites and a glass of wine. Then we had to have dessert, I had Creme Brulee, L had a French style Eton Mess. All of it was wonderful and along with the wonderful cafe setting, transported us both back to Paris.

I've also been to two of my faves during the month, Caves Beach Hotel for lunch and The Royal Inn at Waratah. Not sure if I've mentioned The Royal Inn before, growing up in Waratah, it was not a place to go, pretty feral to be honest. I still remember how mortified I was that my school reunion was held there. And the pub pretty much is as it was, but you don't need to go into it, just bypass and go out the back to the bistro and it has an impressive menu including the best Pork Belly I've ever had. They serve it with scallops in honey and a rocket and parmesan salad. Bliss!

26. Go to the Farmers Markets more regularly

Yes, went to both at Speers Point this month. Scored all sorts of amazing food and wares. Highly recommend going and I always love my Gozleme for breakfast!

 

31. Have fun and laugh more at work

Well we've been having a lot of fun at work as we have a 3D printer. Bought for the entire Library system and will be shared around all the branches. Swansea got it first and we have been making lots of cool things to add to a Star Wars display.

32. Live up to my Librarian of Leisure handle

I was lucky to have a few extra days off over the Anzac Day long weekend, and really got back into being a Librarian of Leisure. Lots of long walks, sitting around watching the world go by, reading, daydreaming, eating out, going to the movies and a family dinner. Good for the soul people!

33. Go to lots of fun, social events

Pretty packed month with The Writers Festival weekend, the first of my Film Society's French Fridays (complete with a French market) and the Silent Film Festival. Plus lunches and dinners out with fabulous family and friends.

 

You can read about the Writers Festival here:

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Newcastle%20Writers%20Festival

34. Make sure those that mean the most to me know they do

April wasn't all joy and excitement unfortunately. We mourned the unexpected loss of the father of my close friend J. Such things are always sad and gives you pause to reflect on life and those around you. My friend is doing ok, all things considered, but I cannot even imagine her grief. My bil had the first round of serious operations to prepare him for a new, improved prosthetic leg. He is doing marvelously, but it's a long, tiring road. My sister's magnificence in supporting him and her family is shining through, and we of course are supporting them all. A few other friends are having 'moments' in their lives...we all do, don't we? So, all we can do - those of us lucky enough to be traveling trouble free at the moment - is to support them, love them, lend a shoulder, and let them know we are here and how much they mean to us.

36. Take time to do nothing and daydream more often

I have been walking to lovely destinations, finding a nice sunny spot, and plonking myself down to watch the passing parade! Love doing that, do not do it often enough, even if it is only 10-15mins I find it is the perfect recharge. I spent a few hours on the Sunday afternoon of the Anzac Day weekend at King Edward Park. I used to do this all the time when I lived on The Hill in Newcastle. I didn't realise how much I missed it and will endeavour to get back again more regularly. I had my blanket, some supplies and Anna Karenina, but there was so much going on around me, I only read about 10 pages. Weddings, interesting cars, birds, music, it was fabulous. My grandparents always took us there as kids, the place is one of my touchstones, I highly recommend a leisurely outing there, it is the perfect spot to daydream.

 

So what else have I crammed into April?

Books

I was reading Anna Karenina for my Book Club and am about halfway through. Thoroughly enjoying the writing, it is beautiful prose and slow paced like most Russian writing from that era. But in this fast paced world, it is difficult to read, you do need to have a few hours at a time to set aside to thoroughly synch with the pace. And at 800 pages with teeny, tiny writing, and a bazillion long yet very similar Russian named characters concentration is key. When I only had a few moments and was busy I struggled, but when I put aside longer periods of time (very difficult to do!) and was more relaxed I found it meditative and moving.

One a completely other angle, I have read Andrew McCarthy's first book. Yes, Andrew McCarthy, Pretty in Pink, Weekend at Bernie's and all those 80s classics. So in love with him back then...sigh. So, whilst he still acts occasionally (and directs too, he directed a lot of Gossip Girl...how appropriate!) he is now a travel writer, mostly for National Geographic! How surprising, and you know what, he is really very good. The book, The Longest Way Home, is mostly travel writing with a bit of memoir within. It is a great insight into his complex character, never comfortable with acting (which I believe comes across a little in his chosen roles), and mostly a loner who prefers his own company, he has always traveled and started writing articles a while back, he has won awards for his travel writing and is quite revered in the industry!

His style is laid back, detached and peaceful. He is very observant of character and details, and paints a picture of places and people so much so you feel you are right there with him. In the book, he is engaged but a bit afraid of commitment, so while his poor fiancé is trying to organise a wedding, he keeps taking assignments to crazy places like The Amazon, Patagonia and so forth. He details his inner thoughts and does a lot of soul searching on these trips. The travel detail is stunning, these fast paced places are full of adventure and wildness, yet he describes them in this calming, peaceful way that hypnotises the reader. He really is excellent, I highly recommend the book, and yes, I still have a huge crush on him!

I have also been listening to David Sedaris reading his own books in the car. He is one of my very favourite writers, having first discovered him on Letterman years ago, he is so funny and yet also so moving at the same time. His observation and wit is second to none, if you haven't read him, you must! He writes short essays/memoirs, that are about his life, family and other observations, though wildly exaggerated. He is a sort of hybrid Fiction/Non Fiction writer. Reading the books is one thing, listening to him read his books is another thing all together, lovely to revisit these favourites as read by the master himself. Start with the Santaland Diaries, his hilarious depiction of being an elf at Macys when he was younger. It's funniest thing I have ever read! His new book has just been released, and is the next Book Club title, more on it next month!

DVDs

Finally watched the latest Curb Your Enthusiasm series. Fans of Seinfeld know Larry David is superb, and this long running series is testament to that. Always highly inappropriate, and often unPC, yet you can't help but love the bastardised version he plays of himself. Newly divorced, Larry is dating again in this series...oh my! And from a long, crazy mix of Larryisms, he finds himself moving from LA to New York and living in the same apartment complex as Michael J. Fox. Hilarious!

Parks and Recreations, Series 3 and 4. What can I say? This is my favourite new comedy. Series 1 was ok, but it found it's step towards the end of series 2. Amy Poehler is superb; funny and sweet at the same time. The supporting cast is perfection with stand outs being Rob Lowe's (beautifully stupid) Chris Treager and my personal favourite Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson. I love the cast interaction, the silliness, and the often spot-on take of local government.

I had missed most of the last season of Doctor Who due to being O/S, so caught up on it before the latest season aired, wow, stunning and perfect, but so incredibly sad. So now The Doctor is back with a new companion, I am liking this series, but really missing Amy, Rory and River Song. Unsure where the story is going, something is not quite right...I guess in typical Doctor Who style we will find out soon enough.

I also watched an amazing doco on Anton Corbijn. Such a talent, including interviews with Musicians and actors who have starred in his music videos and Films.

Saw The Dark Knight Rises, which was excellent, should have seen it on the big screen though.

Movies

As part of my Film Society subscription this year, the Society has partnered with Alliance Française de Newcastle to provide additional films scattered throughout the year known as French Fridays.

I took along D and met L with her parents for the first one. There was a French 'market' set up in the foyer of The Towers, with food, wine and wares. The film itself, Tout ce qui brille (All that glitters) was about two young girls living in the gritty parts of outer Paris. Besties, they want to move closer into town, but find that doing so does not bring them closer together. A modern film, shot in Paris, I found it frustrating and annoying at times. The girls were not pleasant and did some silly things to supposedly get a better 'break' in life. The music was English rather than French, distracting and disjointed. I didn't dislike it, just didn't love it. But the evening was a lovely experience, so I look forward to the next one.

S & I went along to the Silent Film Festival held at The Towers. How fabulous are The Towers to be playing all these varied and wonderful films? I love silent films and have come to know Ronnie and Sharon who organise and promote the traveling festival which hits town 2-3 times a year. This time it was The Battle of the Somme and The Circus.

 

The Battle of the Somme is a silent documentary from 1916 and extremely powerful. It was very popular, selling over 20 million tickets in it's day. It was beautifully cleaned and given live accompaniment by the impeccable Greg Smith. The footage in it was remarkable and surreal. At first, so used to seeing fictional accounts of war on the big screen, you just take it in, but then it hits home that it is real, awful, and simply sad. These poor young men giving their lives willingly and the horror they... had to endure...it's heartbreaking.

 

The Circus is one of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp films and from 1928. He had begun to compose for his films and the score for this is stunning, including him singing a song at the very beginning...what a treat! The Circus is the usual tramp meets girl, but girl in love with someone else story. A circus is the perfect backdrop for the romance, adding hilarity and incredible stunts. I loved the high-wire sequences complete with monkeys, and a fabulous scene with a lion...all without too many special effects! What a privilege to see these wonderful old films, in my element I tell you!!

Finally, I saw a lovely doco on Manet during the Anzac day long weekend. A series of Art docos for the big screen, Manet was the first. A behind the scenes look at an exhibition of his portraits being put together for a London showing. Fascinating stories, history and stunning art. The next one will be Munch, can't wait.

Music

Been listening to the new David Bowie...finally. I really love it, I feel he sounds really good, though not as good as I have heard him. I love the selection of songs, the show his range and sensibilities. I often think when older artists release albums these days they fit into the middle of the road style of songs. But this is not the case here, Bowie shows a modern range that holds up against the music of now, possibly even shows them up!

So, that's it from April. A third of the year gone, I had hoped this year would be loads of fun and so far, so good!!

Annie Leibovitz

I had the great pleasure of viewing Annie Leibovitz: a photographer's life 1990-2005 at the MCA in Sydney on Thursday 17 February.

I have previously seen an exhibit of her earlier, Rolling Stone, work at Newcastle Gallery many years ago and being a long time Vanity Fair reader, was very familiar with her Hollywood photos. There is something very immediate, yet long lasting about photography and her eye draws you in. She experiments with quirky and unusual - Whoopi in a milk bath, Demi pregnant, Lemmon and Curtis in drag.

A lot of the Vanity Fair shots were exhibited, side by side with her other work. These were more personal, mostly black and white shots. They were infinitely more interesting also. They were smaller sized than the larger than life Hollywood shots, it drew you in closer to these intimate images. The following is a joyous shot of her parents.

There were also very confronting subject matter - Sarajevo and the death of Susan Sontag, her partner. These were quite beautiful, haunting and very sad. There were some images I just could not bear to look at for too long, they made me very teary, in particular the photograph of Sontag in her coffin...it was too much. Accompanying this was some words from Leibovitz, which added to the impact. I much preferred the stunning shot of Sontag at Petra - now that is an eye for detail.

I also was surprised to see a huge section of very large (wall sized) landscapes of areas in America, like the Grand Canyon, and Venice - these were minimalist and at times so grainy, you had to step right back to adjust to what you were seeing. These were a surprise, as I had no knowledge of this part of her work - it was nice to see something new.

Finally, here are some other images I loved - the contrast of what she can do, the glaring black, white and red of The White Stripes to the country black and white of the Cash family. There is no doubt Leibovitz is a star. I think the exhibit has been extended until April - so if you get a chance so and see. It is a huge exhibit with many, many shots, I highly recommend.

2010: THE YEAR THAT WAS

2010 brought the usual array of music, theatre, film and dance. I have been rather slack in updating the blog of my attendance. Here is a quick look at the year that was.

The Man in Black : The Tex Perkins/Johnny Cash Show
This was an amazing start to the entertainment year (early in Feb at the Civic). Perkins embodied Cash as only he can. He really was born to play The Man in Black. He owned the stage and had the audience in the palm of his hand. The "Tennessee Four", his backing band and Rachel Tidd as June Carter-Cash were fabulous and a great support, but really the night belonged to Sexy Tex, raw, honest and authentic - just like the real deal!

The show incorporated a story with dialogue, that was sometimes a little clunky, however it really added to the atmosphere and the history of the evening. But, really it was about the songs. They played everything ranging from Big River, Get Rhythm, Five feet high and rising, Jackson (a personal favourite), Boy named Sue, Ring of Fire and a fabulous rendition of the Nine Inch Nail's cover, Hurt (Cash's last big 'hit'). The show ended with a rousing encore, a medley of the best songs they had played. No one wanted it to end - if it is still touring and you get a chance, 'do yourself a favour' - and check it out!

Hoodoo Gurus - West Leagues Club (May 14)
I love the Gurus, seen them probably more times than any other band, but not for a long time.
However, this was not the best of venues - not really set up correctly for a decent band to play and full of awful people - who either went to the club all the time so were like there or like the Footy anthem version of the Gurus! Yikes, made for an interesting night.

They were very good, but not great - we'll blame the venue I think!!! They played just about everything you would want them to - many tracks from Stoneage Romeos, which pleased me greatly. Was a great trip down memory lane.

Christa and Dick Hughes - Lizotte's (July 16)
This was an amazing gig - smokey, bluesy, jazzy. Dick Hughes is a reknown jazz pianist and in his 80s, his daughter Christa grew up singing with her Dad, but moved to Rock and sung with Machine Gun Fellatio and also MC'd Circus Oz for many years. This was a far more restrained (sort of) performance than these past acts. She has a sassy Bessie Smith sort of voice, which suited the jazz and blues played by her dad. They made a funny and endearing combo, his amazing playing, her wit and bravado.

Always a great night at Lizotte's, the food and company were fabulous. I was sitting back enjoying the show, sampling my yummy dessert of ice cream and sipping my wine, thinking well, life just don't get much better than this!

Inspirations 2010
Inspirations did not have the greatest of choice this year. However what we did see was of a high quality. The year began with Witches of Eastwick. This local musical was quite well presented. The actor who played the Jack Nicholson character was charismatic as you would expect. The songs and dancing were upbeat and catchy. Some of the supporting players were fabulous, but some were not, overall, it was a good, fun night.

The Age I'm in (early April) was an interesting dance/dramedy piece. A group of actors/dancers spoke about age. There was also film content shown on portable screens by the actors and they also mimed (sometimes with great humour) comments by regular people of all ages who had been interviewed on age and aging. This was amazing, different and well worth seeing.

May was Michael Gow's Toy Symphony. A play about a writer overcoming his demons, by going back through his life as a point of discovery. The main character is suffering writer's block, but much more than that as we begin to look back at his life beginning at school, where he acted out fantasies in his head to get by - these are played out beautifully, shockingly and suprisingly on the stage- adding to the pathos and overall humour. A very small cast played the myriad of characters in this play, popping up out of trap doors and unexpected places, adding to the misplacement of the main character and indeed the audience. It was quick moving, and entertaining, but could go as quickly from hilarity and slapstick to maudlin and rawness. I thoroughly enjoyed Toy Symphony.

July brought We Unfold from the Sydney Dance Company. This was a minimalistic modern dance, beautifully staged and choreographed it did feel a little bit too repetitive towards the end. The stunning music accompanying it was well worth the admission and enhanced what would have been a let down I think. It was a symphony, Oceans, by Italian composer, Ezio Bosso. The music was composed to describe the emotions and fluidity of the water and the dance choreographed to represent that. Definitely not the best I have seen from SDC, however a pleasant evening.

Metropolitan Players presented The Boy from Oz in August and whilst an amateur presentation I felt it was very good. The actor playing Peter Allen was brilliant and engaging. As was the young actor playing young Peter Allen. As always, the supporting case was so so, some great, some not so. The actress playing Peter Allen's mother a stand out. The singing and dancing were very good, but I wondered how good the professional production would have been. Highlights were Don't cry out loud, Rio, and I Still Call Australia Home - complete with a children's choir singing backing vocals - not a dry eye in the house!

A day in the life of Joe Egg (August) was an amazing play about a couple struggling to save their marriage, whilst bringing up a daughter with cerebral palsy. Funny, sad and very dramatic, this was excellent. The acting, especially that of the main male actor was superb. Certainly very intense at times, and a little drawn out in the second half, but was quite amazing.

Carl Caulfield's Shakespeare's Fools (Playhouse, September) is probably my favourite of the year. A great introduction to Shakespeare for the uninitiated and a lot of fun for the 'fans'! This was the 'story' of the comedic muses Shakespeare drew from in his comedies. Shakespeare himself, played wonderfully by Caulfield, was a character but took a backseat to his fantastic fools! There were jokes, music, and jigs - the jigs were particularly amusing and fun. Lots of toilet humour - well toilet humour from that period in time! All the acting was great and everyone had a grand time.

I thought The Wharf Review was disappointing this year, much shorter and a little short on the all rounded jokes. I thought given the year in Australian politics the team would have had a field day, but not so. However, "Julia Gillard" as Little Red Riding Hood was hilarious and it was still a great evening, just did not live up to expectations.

The final Inspiration for the year was the play 2039, another Carl Caulfield. Set in a dystopian future with levels topped by celebrity it made you think just how the next 30 years or so could pan out. It was not pretty! Told with humour and passion and with a young, talented cast, 2039 was enjoyable. The second half dragged a little, but it gave us all a lot to think about!

Melbourne 2010
I had two trips to Melbourne this year.
The first was to watch my Brother-in-law race his boat in Frankston and then my sister and I drove to St Kilda for an extended stay. During this time we attended a great F1 - even saw Simple Minds play (in the rain!). They were great as were our gorgeous boys in the fast cars! We pretty much ate our way down Fitzroy Street, Acland and the beach front. And shopped out Chapel Street. I also checked out the amazing Ron Mueck exhibit at the NGV. It was a fun, relaxing trip!

The other was in September, shorter but busier. I spent a short week looking at the city's architecture and gardens, taking lots of great photos. I also visited the ACMI for the Tim Burton exhibit, which showed memorabilia and film and drawings from his long and crazy career. Entering to the Edward Scissorhands costume and a large topiary was quite magical and I was impressed to see so much of his work on display. I really did not want to leave the exhibition, it was interactive and had lots to look at. I also visited the NGV to look at a selection of European masters that were touring, amazing but too many people shlepping through made it a bit of an icky experience. However, always great to see amazing paintings in the flesh!

I also saw the Titanic exhibition while I was there, not a huge Titanic fan, I was impressed with what they had and how it was set out, a lot to look at (mind you a lot of twised steel and broken glass and cutlery) and very interesting items. The experience was made all the more real by being given a boarding pass as you entered with the name of someone who had been on the ship - you could see what they would have experienced. I was a young lady travelling with her father on a jewellery buying expedition, first class of course. At the end of the exhibit, you could find out whether you had survived, quite a haunting thought - I did, but 'my father' did not...sad!