A Summer tradition

After racing home from work this afternoon, I quickly loaded the car and marked off the checklist.. "an assortment of cossies (tick), summer dresses (tick), the Italian racer (tick), provincial quilt (tick), new novels (tick), Christmas left overs (tick) and champers (tick, tick)"...

Everything was in order.

Then after grabbing a take away latte from the Elwood Bakery, I perched the sunnies upon the bridge of my nose and accelarated out of Melbourne.

As sea views came closer into view, new stamina surged and I felt ready to spend a glorious week away with the "Girls" at a Villa by the coast in Rosebud.

I'm heading South to escape.
See you in 2012.

It's going to be an amazing year...

Christmas day bliss

 

Christmas Blessing

Wishing us all love, peace & trust in our dreams.

Trust

If you take responsibility

for yourself,

you will develop a hunger

to accomplish your dreams.

Les Brown

Happiness

Happiness cannot be

traveled to, owned, earned,

worn or consumed.

Happiness is the spiritual experience

of living every minute

with love, grace and gratitude.

- Denis Waitley

Riding like the wind

What JOY!

Christmas cards

Sending Season's Greetings and love your way soon.

RACV

Isn't it suppose to be the joyful and festive season?

Between Mum and I, we have had 'four call outs' for RACV Roadside Assistance in 48 hours.... If the Universe is trying to send me/us a message, please note: "We can't comprehend what it is!"

Can someone PLEASE explain, what is going on...?

Sculpting our vision

Apparently to cultivate our dreams, we are encouraged to "change how we see our world, for it will change what we see".

Collaboratively we worked together to create our vision.

Sculpting weekend in Gwen's Studio. 

Stage 1. 

Beautiful Passing

After sipping on cocktails and oysters in Melbourne's Art niche, tonight Mum and I went to the Melbourne Recital Centre to hear the Australian National Academy of Music performance of Steven Mackey's "Beautiful Passing" (2008).

The performance was strategically presented after Beethoven’s first symphony and one of Strauss’ mesmerising works, 'Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kmnKvXUvvE

A wonderful evening.

Beautiful Passing, was performed in two halves and separated by a violin cadenza. It was described as..an interaction between the sharply contrasting materials of the violin and the orchestra. The orchestra develops something of a group mentality, a mass hysteria that is both scary and funny. It isn’t so much malevolent as it is mechanical and oblivious to the nuance of the violin. That insensitivity is threatening but like a bull in a china shop, also somewhat funny to observe with enough distance. Gradually, a few members of the orchestra hear the voice of reason and become supportive of the violin. After a cadenza that impresses the orchestra with fluttering delicacy the violin introduces its own version of brutality – crushing triple stops – which command, for the first time a consensus between the orchestra and soloist. In this second part they retain the individuality but conspire toward common goals, unlike the first part.

The governing metaphor of the work has to do with the violin gaining control of its own destiny, competing with, commanding and ultimately letting go of the orchestra. This metaphor arises from my experience, during the composition of the piece, watching my mother gain control of her destiny to the point of predicting the day she would let go, predicting the day of her death. Her last words to me were “Please tell everyone I had a beautiful passing."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2vmz6H5eNU&feature=player_detailpage



Happy Birthday Lee

I loved our Friday night celebration at Movida in Melbourne.

We are truly blessed to have one another in our lives.

Our promising future

A photo of my StV's and ACU nursing students - Such a cohesive group. 

They were delightful, showed immense maturity and initiative and made every attempt to absorb the opportunities that were presented to them during their clinical placement.

I wish them all the best with their nursing careers and look forward to furture teaching opportunities within the Nursing Education Unit.

 

Joanne, Hei Wie, Eillen, Tanya, Barbara, Yu Li, Grace and Disha

Beautiful in pink

Isidora Lamme

Christmas preparations begin...

Festa di fine anno 2011

Tonight the Italian Institute of Culture, Melbourne, invited its members and collaborators to a special end of year function in South Yarra.
The highlight of the evening was Annamaria Colasanto (who won an oscar for her music in "La vita è bella" starring Roberto Benigni) and her operatic performances including some moving Napolitan love songs.

I also enjoyed the black and white photographic exhibition by Giuseppe Leone. The 40 images in "The Image and the Memory" represent Sicily today and yesterday through special moments and places including children playing and adults gathering to talk and be in the middle of beautiful cobble stoned piazzas.

Melbourne by Night

True Love Travels on a Gravel Road

I attended the play reading of 'True Love Travels on a Gravel Road' by Jane Miller at fortyfivedownstairs tonight.

When I attend events at this theatre, it reminds me of evenings spent at Mietta's in the mid 1990's. That egocentric feeling that we were discovering Melbournes' artist edge.

The mere thought of that now, brings a generous smile to my face.

A lofty apartment in NYC

Whilst having lunch with a new acquaintance the other day, they shared a very personal account of their attachment to America and their dream to be a writer who lives in a lofty apartment in NYC.

Her connection with NYC (which she thinks of each day) began when she lived there for three months in 2008. With a faraway expression she stated that the experience changed her world.

Yet like myself, she is still here.

She is generous, intelligent, compassionate and engaging. She is single, lives alone, loves her family and friends. She is proud of her career and achievements. In summary a blessed life - just not the life of her dreams.

Today as I stood in her office doorway observing her uncluttered and white washed room, I quickly noticed that there was only one hint of passion or glimpse of that NYC writer ... a small 10cm x10cm mouse pad beside her computer with a laminated image of the NYC subway.

Later I thought about how strange it is that she has a passion, a road map and a destination, but yet something is missing. Perhaps like many of us, she still hasn't realised that she can make her dreams happen and that the pursuit of these dreams are as worthy as any other life adventures and blessings.

Parliament House

Losing myself in memories

Whilst uploading images from Canberra tonight, I found myself sorting through photographs from Italy 2007-2008. Through these wonderful images, I relived the sentimental moments I had shared with friends overseas and the many places I had visited over these years.

Moreover, what struck me was the free flowing golden curls, the crystal blue eyes and the genuine smile of the girl who featured in many of these photographs. From afar she looks like she is living the dream.

As 'that girl' however, I know all too well, how I was truely feeling at that time and how much I yearned to share those moments with just one person.

... time for new love. An enduring love.

Short and Sweet Dance

Black, white, green, with cake? The kettles boiling how do you take yours?

"Cuppa" choreographered and performered by Perth contemeporary dance company 'Unkempt' was the piece that captured my attention. An innovative concept which was exquistely executed by dancers Jessica Lewis, Amy Wiseman and Carly Armstrong.

Music: 'Drift' Michael Loewenstern; 'Moon Rise' and 'Window Like' by Anthony Raijekov

Swimming at Manuka

Contemporary Art, Canberra

Sarcoma

Bronze Sculpture

New friendships

We look incredibly tired by the end of the Arts and Health Conference.

Monique, Art Curator St Vincent's Health (left), Kate Independent Art Consultant (right) and talked and laughed endlessly over dinner at the Kennedy Room in Kingston, last night.

Jules & Leonie (Port Macquaire Base, NSW)

National Gallery of Australia

National Gallery of Australia

Bronze Pears

Sculpture Garden

Rodin, Burgess of Calais

Conference highlights

Exploring Canberra

Reconcillation Place, Canberra

Libran forecast

Relations

Theatreworks described it as "the world we read about, but often never see, unless of course you are living it."

The inspiration behind Paul Malek's dance "Relations" is that Our own life journey can be cataclysmic at best, so why should relationships be any different?


"Relations" was a realistic and almost brutal look at how relationships survive the temptations and personal demons that take place in life. The work was beautiful yet confronting with a strong taste of reality.

A Room of One's Own

In a Room of One's Own Woof asserts that in the future women will devise their own kind of sentence, their own form, write about their own reality and like "lightening a torch in that vast chamber where nobody has yet been. It is all half lights and profound shadows like those serpentine caves where one goes with a candle peering up and down, not knowing where one is stepping".

Marcel Proust

"Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees."

Quartetthaus.

I have just managed to squeeze in two last events before the Melbourne Arts Festival concluded.

Provocateur: The Rebellious Text. The final in a series of rehearsed readings of radical and politically inspired modern playwrights. The '7 Stages of Grieving' featuring Wesley Enngoch, presented an Indigenous woman's experience of grief, lose and "that feeling of... of nothing... just nothing".

Then Quartetthaus.

For the benign passer by, the Quartetthaus venue situated outside the Malthouse, Chunky Moves and ACCA courtyard in Southbank looked like a contemporary art installation. Or simply a featureless wooden crate. Inside, however the atmosphere was instantly captivating, intriguing and suspenseful. As black theatrical curtains slowly shifted, the audience eagerly entered the arena and sat in an intimate circle around a slowly moving central stage, inches away from the string quartet.The whole experience created an engaging rapport with the three memorable ensembles and the students from the Australian National Academy of Music. The most heart stirring piece for me was Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957): String Quartet in D minor, op. 56 "Voces intimae".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA5dl88BM30

Interviews with the musicians from Quartetthaus.
http://vimeo.com/29761921
http://vimeo.com/29994035

Forecast of 30 degrees

It's mid October and already the temperature is scheduled to soar to 30 degrees. I can't believe it! I'm so excited and so ready for summer' sun kissed bliss and alfresco play-time....

New beginnings

... through the lens of the Intensive Care Unit.

Site Unseen

Tonight I participated in the Melbourne Arts Festival "Site Unseen" project.

As the glorious sun set over the beach of St Kilda and people gathered to bathe in the sunshine and evening delight, I joined a group of thespians and humanitarians on a journey into the lives of homeless people. A moving and thought provoking experience.
Site Unseen

http://www.siteunseen.com.au/ 

Journeys of love and more love

Created by motiroti

Writer, director, videographer & performer Ali Zaidi

For the Melbourne Arts Festival "Journeys of love and more love", we entered the Art House in North Melbourne and took our seats at an elegant dinner table adajecent to a large video screen illustrating kaleidoscopic frangipani. The ambience created made participants feel as though they were a guest at a close friends wedding.

Then Journeys of Love's creator Ali Zaidi (''Indian by birth, Pakistani by migration and British by chance'') welcomes us and begins to walk about the room telling us his story. His journey from Bombay to Lahore to London is interlaced with vivid and emotional evocations of people and accompanyed by documentary footage, family photos and interviews with international histroians, philopshers who discuss their views on food, love, migration and cultural identity.

The evening was presented in three parts; growing up as the middle child in India, acting in his director-father's movies in Pakistan, and his ''coming out'' after moving to London.

During the interludes Zaidi invites us to sample some of cu.sines from his history and experiences. Delicious selections of oriental food, exquisitely prepared, aromatically nuanced and beautifully shaped. Most signifantly, the sharing of food weaved a special magic and by the end of the evening, we started conversing with fellow companions at our table about our experiences and personal journeys.

Clarity unfolds

Sometimes, we need to be careful what we wish for.

Vipassana Meditation

A chance to examine, purify and realign body, mind and soul.
http://www.aloka.dhamma.org/

Art Spring Clean

I attended an innovative premier event at Forty Five Downstairs tonight. Art Spring Clean is a Masters student project, involving twelve Melbourne based artists and a selected number of community members (including myself). Within the gallery pace each participant approached an artist and engaged in a collaborative exchange of ideas and to muse about creative pursuits.

An inspiring, wonderful and enjoyable experience.

Happy Birthday Aspect Jones

Courage and flow. Follow your heart and believe.

Love you.

Cup of love and joy

Taken at my Birthday lunch at Taxi, Melbourne with Suz and Lee.

Happy Birthday Jules

May the horizon open wide and all my heart's desires come true.

Manuale D'Amore 3

In Manuale D'Amore 3, Director Giovanni Veronesi has created three stories to illustrate three phases of love in life - youth, maturity and beyond...

In a tender scene, the stunningly sophisticated and sensual Viola (Monica Bellucci) asks Adrian (Robert De Niro)...

"What a makes a woman of my age happy?"
"A job that she loves? I hate my job. A child? I do not have children. A man who loves her?..."
With exasperation she throws her arms into the air and sighs.
"..Ahhh".

Lavanzza Italian Film Festival

Seven Italian films in eight days.. a feast for the heart and soul.