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J O U R N A L
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Saturday, November 30
[Probably fair enough]posted by peter at 12:29 .......I had intended to write something poignant and insightful now, but there are people downstairs literally yelling at me to get away from my computer and stop being antisocial.
I suppose it's unreasonable to think I can juggle entertaining with an Internet addiction. So I guess I'd best log off.
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[...]posted by peter at 11:44 .......Somewhere on my shopping list: Three Colours: Blue, White & Red DVD box set. Does it even exist? I don't know. I wish Krzysztof Kieslowski was still alive.
Can this blog possibly be interesting to anyone? Sometimes I wonder.
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[The theatre, darling]posted by peter at 22:55 .......Tonight Jess and I saw the play Salt in the Space Theatre, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Being strikingly similar to Like Water for Chocolate (conceptually at least), the actors actually prepared a number of different dishes on stage, with the food and its preparation forming an intrinsic part of the narrative.
The recipe for stuffed aubergine was particularly appealing.
The set was wonderful, and consisted of a kitchen bench and table that conjured up visions of a homemaker's utopia, and the stage was flanked by real lemon trees laden with fruit. A solitary cellist sat on a swing, and her plaintive notes added ambience and mood to the production. Actually, I'm more than willing to rave on and on about the play but perhaps I should just recommend that you see it before the season ends.
We then did a bit of a crawl through the 5-star hotel establishments on North Terrace, until we finally found one (the Radisson, incidentally) where we could enjoy a squaa coffee without the stench of cigars hanging in the air. It was only possible there because we could sit right next to a large, open window.
I caught the last bus home, me and the late-night transit freaks. Stepping out into the deserted night, I wandered past the bookstore that seems to attract a folk crowd who sit around with instruments and beer into the small hours. Mental note: should go along sometime, it is only around the corner after all. Turning into my street, I saw that the eternal security light is still blinking from the roof of a bluestone business premises, illuminating the surroundings with an otherworldly blue that lingers beyond each pulse, seared into my conjunctivitis.
I'm taking a course of eye drops to clear up this horrid condition. I was alerted to its presence when I awoke with an aching, puffy eye this morning. At least I caught it early... I've never had it before.
We are going to Kangaroo Island for Christmas, but I will talk more about this another time.
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[Where it's at]posted by peter at 08:17 .......One of life's great pleasures is European chocolate, and Sonia and I devoured a large box of the Lindt variety last night. Seriously, everything in that box was delicious.
This morning I caught the O'Bahn from Klemzig to Paradise; the latter location being a suburb, as opposed to some kind of afterlife. For those who don't know about it, the O'Bahn is essentially a concrete track system that buses can run along in a self-guided fashion, rather like a standard train on tracks. The travelling speed is in the vicinity of 100km/h, and Adelaide is said to have the longest busway in the world, or something.
But I am not talking about this for the benefit of the transport buffs. No, instead my complaint would be that at least 7 buses labelled SORRY, NOT IN SERVICE passed me by before a real, bonafide 543 came along.
Surely on such a track system, where so few stops are required, this is the pinnacle of inefficiency? These buses were going where I needed to go. If they all stopped to pick up passengers, I shouldn't imagine that the delay would be all that significant.
Perhaps I'm just being obtuse and naive, after all, I have no qualification in the planning of public transport services. However, as a general observation, Adelaide's metropolitan public transport network must be among the worst in the 'developed world' (I use that term reluctantly). I think I would know. :)
That aside, I spent an enjoyable evening with Sonia last night. We walked extensively, and our route took us through all the old haunts. It was particularly strange to see how my old house has changed, or should I say, how much it hasn't. I don't miss that area at all – it's too far from where the action is in my opinion.
We also talked travel plans, which still linger beneath a shroud of uncertainty. Perhaps I'll visit the travel agent today. There is something looming though, as it seems that I'll be spending Christmas on Kangaroo Island. I've never been there before, unless you include a trip I made there while still in amniotic fluid. So no doubt it will be interesting.
Interesting, and potentially hot. Very, very hot. :(
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[Bubble tea]posted by peter at 16:14 .......The marvellous Cousin Lisa and I whiled away the day by jumping in the car and heading out to the suburbs! First stop, Pt Adelaide, for a rain-drenched look at what's there, but it was just so wet that we stepped back in the car and drove to Semaphore.
Lunch occurred at the delightful Froot cafe, and as it was still raining, we drove directly to Marion shopping centre, where it was lovely and dry and commercial.
Coffee and chocolate muf (seriously, that's what they wrote on the receipt) at the David Jones cafe, and then I tried Bubble Tea.
And it's not for me!
I didn't mind the tapioca balls that accumulated at the bottom and slid squishily up the extra-wide straw – what I didn't like was the sickly sweet, artificial xenoestrogen lychee flavouring that 'enhanced' the beverage.
I persisted, but ultimately deposited the half-full container on an unused food court surface and sneaked away.
PS. Oh for the money to purchase a Villeroy & Boch dinner set I saw today!
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[A weekend's festivities]posted by peter at 16:57 .......My efforts at packing were particularly poor this weekend, and I realised upon arrival at our destination that I had forgotten two fundamentals: a towel and pyjamas.
Now, some might say that PJs are always optional, however when sharing a cabin with a bunch of friends I feel that there can be no option about it.
I had travelled to Policeman's Point with Jess, Mike, Lisa B and Jacqui, and we finally got away after a tad bit of confusion and delay. The journey was fun, apart from the mandatory cricket on the radio, and we sped through a host of desolate river towns before arriving at an even more isolated (yet very beautiful) section of the Coorong.
We launched heartily into a cheese and wine evening, retiring at a late hour. Saturday was incredibly hot, so it was a natural choice to attempt a walk in the national park to find some sort of crater/clearing landmark. Our dehydrated group eventually stumbled upon our target, but not without scratches, grass-seeds and encounters with literally hundreds of tiny spiders.
Which brings me to the observation that the area was entirely crawling with creatures, both of winged and creepy-crawlie varieties.
Last night was the focal point of the weekend, and was appropriately raucous. Lots of extra people showed up, and much celebration and craziness ensued. I had perhaps one too many glasses of red wine and am now dealing with the aftermath.
I took a number of photos which I intend to post on this site as soon as I can get hold of them.
[Planning for a weekend]posted by peter at 16:45 .......Shopping list for Coorong trip:
Gramps Cabernet Merlot $15.75
Jatz (cracked pepper) $1.97
So Good (soy drink) $1.98
Pretzels $2.37
Jindi Brie (non-animal rennet) $11.99
Cashews $3.20
Pistachios $2.94Interestingly, from this list it was only the wine and the soy drink that didn't get entirely consumed.
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[Policeman's Point]posted by peter at 11:24 .......I'm off to the Coorong for the weekend to celebrate Shane's birthday, among other milestones. Should be pleasant times ahead.
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[Something slipped my mind]posted by peter at 23:33 .......I just watched Velvet Goldmine and found it to be a little over-indulgent and ultimately quite hollow, which was a shame because it started off quite well. Some films can be disappointing in that regard.
Lisa B had a couple of friends around earlier this evening, and we made the most delicious pizzas. Donning the 'groovy chef' moniker and acting all young and interesting, we topped our creations with kalamata olives, artichokes, pumpkin, semi-dried tomatoes, fresh oregano – the usual stuff of the wannabe gourmet set. But there's no denying how tasty they were, and I ate until I felt nauseous.
But the best news of all is that Josh and I have completed our assignment (check it out here if you've got bandwidth, let me know if you spot anything unusual), and hence I have finished university forever!!! No complaints about that. No doubt I'll write more on this topic when I enter into a more introspective mood.
But at this point I need to retire to bed, as I've already dashed all hopes of achieving my optimal seven hours of sleep.
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[A Bathing Ape (again)]posted by peter at 21:10 .......Deb has a genuine tshirt by A Bathing Ape. It is so terrific, and obviously I am 100% jealous. Her friend brought it back direct from the London store, and it was a steal at only £60... ($180)
Well, maybe not a steal, but worth every cent nonetheless.
And the quality is superb; beautiful design, great print, double layering, the works.
It certainly puts rest to any notion that the lame Streetcore rip-offs might be real. A Bathing Ape, welcome to Adelaide!!! :)
[Books, food and assessment]posted by peter at 21:02 .......Today I finally finished reading The Age of Innocence, an appallingly long time after I began it. The blame for the delay rests squarely on my uni work and my lack of inclination towards reading after spending hours using computers. Having finished this wonderful, wonderful novel, I immediately began The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg, and it has started out in fine fashion. I suspect that I will enjoy it.
Well it was a treat to have two meals with Sonia today! We met for lunch at Scuzzi's in North Adelaide, and shared tasty bruscetta and foccacia. Mmm, gotta love those roast vegetables. Then tonight, she, dad and I dined at Mama Carmella on the Parade. I frequent the Unley branch, and it was good to finally try out the Norwood equivalent. I had an incredibly generous serve of risotto – it had a tomato base and lots of tasty vegetables. Seeing dad is an uncommon pleasure as well.
Then I came back here to finalise some marking, which when combined with the state of my eyesight provided a reasonably dull ending to a pleasant enough day.
[Blur]posted by peter at 09:47 .......Something bad is happening to my eyes.
:(
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[Full marks for initiative]posted by peter at 14:52 .......Ever since moving to Unley, I've watched with interest while the neighbour over our back fence has gradually erected an utter monstrosity of a pergola in his backyard. This is the neighbour who came over very late one night, announced his presence by scrabbling at the back gate with his hands (which was terrifying at the time), and proceeded to tell us that he'd known lots of different people who had lived in our place over the years.
However, his way of articulating this left a lot to be desired, as his choice of words was "you wouldn't believe how many times I've pissed in your toilet!"
YUCK!
We encouraged his prompt departure after that. What a vile, animalistic thing to say.
Anyway, now it seems that he is building some sort of structure with eaves to sit on top of the pergola. It is incredibly high, and overshadows his house. I very much doubt that he has council approval, as it's ugliness is immense and his building technique looks 100% amateur. (Not that I'm an inspector or anything.)
I should possibly be concerned – a dodgy home job like that is just as likely to blow apart in the wind and come crashing down through my bedroom window. Now, wouldn't that be grand? :)
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[Eye strain]posted by peter at 10:09 .......I am suffering from eye strain. It is terrible. Yesterday I had to leave uni much earlier than I intended, because I couldn't see properly. Reading from the screen was impossible, and looking at printed text was no better. Even now as I type my eyes are weeping somewhat, and there is a distinct hallucination of motion on the screen. I have attempted to sleep, rest and focus on distant objects, but I'm not healed yet. Apparently eye strain is caused by a buildup of lactic acid in the muscles that control lens movement. Well, that's what you get for sitting in front of a computer for about 3 weeks straight.
This morning I watched Sonia abseil down the side of the Hilton Hotel in Victoria Square. Seriously, how terrifying. I could barely tolerate descending from the top of a rock-climbing wall, let alone the 75 or so metres that Sonia negotiated today. Anyway, it was all in aid of charity, and being a bit of a Channel 9 girl, she often gets roped into things like this. Ooh, an unintentional pun! So, in addition to my eye strain, I now have a rickety neck from having to gaze skyward for an extended period of time.
What was I saying about comfort food? *reaches for another Haigh's scorched almond* Also, I'm beginning to enjoy Thai food more and more, even though I'm always suspicious of it's probable shrimp paste, oyster sauce or fish sauce content, which is hardly in keeping with my vegetarian philosophy. I'm fairly careful when ordering, but sometimes it's unavoidable.
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[Too tired for this]posted by peter at 10:01 .......Yesirree, I'm marking again. During tasks that fit into this category of 'boringness', one often turns to comfort foods, and I decided to purchase a choc-chip muffin from the bar at uni. Unfortunately the one that I was supplied with had quite clearly been left out in the aether for the whole weekend, and had thus solidifed into a sizeable chunk of inedible rock-like substance. So, I took it back, and reclaimed my $1.90.
The outcome of the exercise? The conversion of a nice, compact $10 note into a whole pile of space consuming shrapnel which barely fits in the coin pocket of my wallet.
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[Busy times]posted by peter at 21:15 .......How lame, washing my clothes at this time of night. But, when I spend my days and evenings glued to a terminal I have to grab whatever opportunity I can to maintain a basic sense of cleanliness and hygiene in my life. The floor of my room is simply disgraceful at the moment; not so much filthy as simply covered with loose bits of paper, photocopied journal articles, books and readings. It puts me on edge. I can't wait to clean it all up and place it out of sight. Where is Martha Stewart and the Storage 101 SWAT team when you need them?
I think I've finished my essay now. All that needs doing is the formatting of the reference list and then one or two more proof-reads. Then I'll submit it and be happy with whatever mark I get.
Finally, my ISP went into receivership and has been taken over by another company. The service has been entirely substandard ever since, and after many agonising connection difficulties something snapped and I sent off a bitchy email this evening. I've also started searching for a new ISP.
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[Wherefore art thou kitty?]posted by peter at 18:14 .......As hard as this is to believe, it seems that one of the two missing cats has somehow found her way home. Which is really exciting news.
But where is the other one?
Today was so irritating; one of those days in which reality seemed to unfold in such a way as to prevent anything from being accomplished. And then I found out that DJ Shadow has cancelled his Adelaide show. Typical. I'm so disappointed.
[Sunrise]posted by peter at 09:53 .......This morning I joined the business set in traipsing through the early-morning city towards a prearranged coffee session with Deb. Just put me in a Roger David special and I would have merged seamlessly with the throngs.
A vision of what is to come? I hope not.
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[Another lunchtime post]posted by peter at 12:50 .......What causes excruciating pain in one's leg? Why is there a dull ache, interspersed with stabs of pain, persisting in my leg? I seriously have no idea what caused it, and while hardly debilitating, it is proving rather uncomfortable.
Last night Deb and I watched a red spider spin its web. Observing the process with a mixture of fascination and abject horror, we both decided that (A) it's a shame that spiders are so vile and that we are genetically pre-programmed to want to squash them, and (B) that webs can be beautiful when abstracted from the menace of a potentially poisonous spider. What I found remarkable was the way the ugly creature skittered along the threads in an abseiller-like fashion. I was reminded of a postcard I've seen showing the influence of various drugs on a spider's capacity for web construction. Interestingly, caffeine led to the most haphazard structure.
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[Fat man in suit]posted by peter at 20:59 .......Hehe, apparently Sandra witnessed Father Christmas collapse from heat stroke at the Christmas Pageant.
See kiddies, the big man ain't entirely insusceptible. Brace yourselves for some late presents this year.
[Goodbye Kitty]posted by peter at 20:53 .......This piece of news plunged me into a traumatic depression: apparently mum's two beautiful black cats escaped from the Jamestown vet and are still missing somewhere in the town. Now, I've heard stories about miraculous returns by pets to their owners, and as a child I recall my beloved pets disappearing for weeks at a time before unexpectedly returning one day in time for breakfast.
But realistically, these cats don't know how to get back from the vet. They were transported there in a cage, in a car. How can they possibly find their way home (over 10km away) to the farm? I've instructed mum to post 'missing' notices on every stobie pole in the township. I doubt she will. I am so concerned for their wellbeing. With the current weather it's a bit of a snake festival, and who knows how two sweet cats might be treated by some deranged Jamestown resident?
Apparently the vet had the insensitivity to suggest that it must have been mum's fault that the kitties escaped. As if she'd left the cage unsecured somehow. What this suggestion fails to recognise is that these two sleek felines would have burst out of the cage much sooner if they'd had the chance – they're not fond of car trips and would have dashed off if the opportunity had availed.
I really hope they turn up.
[A country house]posted by peter at 20:41 .......And so Cousin Lisa, Janine, Goss and I piled into a car and traversed the wheatfield desert, arriving at the lovely North Bundaleer mansion just as the clock ticked over to display exactly my estimated time. A picnic with Sonia, mum, dad, Clarice and Ray in the shade of old pines preceded the tour of the house, and I must be honest and say that I loved it even more on my second viewing. It has been renovated with taste and flair, using original windows and fixtures where possible, and in keeping with the original colour schemes. Each room has a wonderful theme, and they range in opulence from spectacularly decadent to really quite plush. And they have one of the best kitchens I've ever seen in my life.
I will obviously need to stay there sometime, perhaps when the B&B bug bites. Which may only be when I'm in my fourties.
Sadly, even the splendid rose garden and deferential palms (yes I ripped that off from Fitzgerald) couldn't distract us from the filthy heat, and standing in line waiting to enter the residence was almost as much as any of us could bear.
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[Stigma is a contested term]posted by peter at 18:20 .......I am so thoroughly sick of thinking about exclusionary practices surrounding the Australian welfare state. Thankfully I'm not all that far off finishing this vile essay.
Tomorrow I'm heading up out of the city to my old home near Jamestown. The way I've written that makes the place sound deserted or something, but my parents still inhabit it, and it is them who I am visiting.
There's actually a whole bunch of us making the journey, because we are going to tour through the North Bundaleer homestead, which is a stunning historic mansion not far from my parents' farm. I've been through it before, and it has been beautifully and faithfully restored, retaining original touches and introducing new concepts, all in keeping with the trends that defined its era. It will be interesting to note any changes that may have occurred since I last visited.
There are some half-baked plans for a picnic in the grounds of the mansion, but I think the concept of sitting out in the burning sun and bathing in the inevitable dust will soon turn everyone's mind to the cool and welcoming space enclosed by mum and dad's house.
[Searing]posted by peter at 09:15 .......So begins another day of boring uni work... I'll be sitting here perched in front of my computer trying to forget the fact that the day swelters outside my window, let alone the furnace-like conditions within these walls.
Well, I need to rave about the Tokyo String Quartet performance last night, as it was just glorious. They played works by Schubert, Debussy and Dvorak, with the highlight being Schubert's Death and the Maiden, which was incredibly engaging and beautifully played. Perhaps most amazing of all was that they performed these works on a complete quartet of Stradivarius instruments, dating from between 1630 and sometime in the 1700s! They were stunning instruments, and needless to say their value would lie somewhere in the many millions of dollars range.
There's such a sense of occasion at such performances; it seems that everyone awakes, dons their evening wear and crawls out of the Kensington Gardens dress circle and into the glitter and sin of the city. A lot of people stared at my Sieg Zeon Mobile Suit tshirt – I think they were a bit taken aback that anyone who appreciates chamber music would wear anything less than a dinner suit.
I piked out on my friends at minke though... was exceedingly tired and not feeling up to it, so instead Dad and I watched the terrific old film Charade.
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[Grrrls]posted by peter at 10:01 .......I've been afraid of the shawled widow of Rundle Mall ever since she appeared to me in a dream. But it seems my fears were unfounded, as I've since seen her waving cheerfully to fellow marchers in the anti-war protest and saying pleasant albeit bizarre things to other passengers on the bus. Now I think she's wonderful. What will my next dream reveal?
Another person on my list of excellence is Sonia; I visited her briefly in her office this morning while I awaited a meeting about a potential web contract. There she is, in all her professional splendour, and what does she do but step up, climb into her office through the window and then jump down to resume her seat. All this in a suit and high heels.
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[Out of my mind]posted by peter at 21:53 .......I am incredibly tired at the moment. 9am - 5pm at work, then tutored at uni from 6pm - 8pm, which dragged on to 8:30 due to some over-enthusiastic students who just wouldn't let up. Had dinner with my friend Eileen, then home to more uni work on my trusty computer.
Still, I'd contemplated staying up and watching a DVD, despite the fact that I have an earlier-than-usual rise tomorrow morning. However I've now decided not to.
I'm very excited about seeing the Tokyo String Quartet play in the Adelaide Town Hall tomorrow night. Most likely I'll verge on sleep by the end of the show, and I'll fight to keep my eyes open and my head upright. This will definitely not occur out of boredom – there's just something about live orchestral music that tends to lull me to slumber. It happened during both the Ysaye Quartet and Jacques Loussier, among others (including something wonderful that I saw in Melbourne but fail to recall), and by no means were these dull shows.
And then, extra-late, I'll head on out to minke for a drum'n'bass extravaganza. That's the plan anyway. As always, it's subject to change.
[A+]posted by peter at 12:01 .......I awoke to a nosebleed this morning. What a way to greet the day. Excuse me while I bleed all over you.
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[$1.50]posted by peter at 09:26 .......I'd now like to assign blame for my recent spending spree.
Chris: for motivating me to purchase obscene quantities of Joni Mitchell CDs
Deb: for forcing me to purchase extraneous (but exceedingly cool) clothing
Jessica: for being party to the above
Lisa B: for encouraging me to puchase a ticket to the DJ Shadow concert
Sonia: for all her references to extravagant travel options (although I haven't parted with any cash for this yet, but it's the prime factor behind my need to save)But the ultimate blame falls upon: me. For generally lacking the self control to moderate my spending. But why should I when it's so therapeutic?
[Scholastic]posted by peter at 09:20 .......Unprecedented levels of devotion to the academic cause (at least by this year's standards) have seen me keeping odd hours at uni. Staying until 7:45pm when I don't have to? Unheard of. Arriving before 10:30am when no class beckons? An unseen wonder.
In reality, it's not a patch on the time I used to put in. Now that I don't care so much about my grades, I take it all fairly easy, even during the most stressful times. In previous years it was not uncommon for me to remain at Magill until 3:00am, and then return again the next morning. I owned a car in those days.
Other students do it even worse, choosing not to sleep for appalling lengths of time, maintaining a tenuous hold on either adrenaline-assisted, caffeine-assisted or meth-assisted sentience. I've always felt that life was too short for that.
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[I'll take a time zone thanks]posted by peter at 16:18 .......Since Blogger absolutely refuses to recognise Australian Central Standard Time, the times displayed on my posts have never really been valid, as they have always been about half an hour out. Now that daylight saving has occurred, they are even more incorrect, so I've decided to change my settings to Eastern Standard Time, rather than Japanese/Korean time. So there will still be a half-hour offset.
Perhaps I should just remove the time altogether.
[Melbourne Cup help yourself]posted by peter at 16:08 .......For all the hype and chatter surrounding this 'nation-stopping' race, I really could not possibly care less about it. I simply don't find it exciting. This is despite the fact that I was semi-press-ganged into entering the sweepstakes (if that is the correct gambling term for it; I wouldn't have any idea) and therefore it was in my interest for a particular horse to win.
But that particular horse did not win. It led the pack into the final stretch, but then ran out of steam and drifted back to what I believe was last position... not a bad metaphor for gambling when you think about it – everything looks wonderful and exciting to begin with, but come crunch time and you end up with nothing.
Another thing that I find so offputting about the Melbourne Cup is the gatherings of people that occur. We accumulated in a crusty old North Adelaide pub, and by 'crusty' I don't mean shabby-chic: I mean vile. Smoke lingered in the air, hovering ominously over tables of middle aged men who bawled and drank in their conformist business attire. Further reminder of why I'm not overly keen on the corporate lifestyle. Lame comments abounded as people jostled at the bar for a better view of the television, gestures were made and enthusiastic shouting occurred. I was glad to step out into the sunshine and head back to work.
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[Student life]posted by peter at 09:36 .......It was only upon my arrival at uni this morning that I realised that this is, in fact, the final day of my student 'career'. Don't get me wrong, I still have a plethora of assignments to complete, but in terms of actual contact hours and class attendance, today is my last day.
Where was the American college experience? I don't believe that I even came close to this fabled existence that is portrayed by so many films and TV series. Instead of an age-old campus standing proudly beneath the dust of centuries and a thick ivy shroud, I attended a uni that is resplendent with 70s architecture, notable only through its ugly concrete rendering, unusual brick angles and mind-altering carpets. Admittedly, much of this has been replaced/re-rendered/updated, but we know where its soul lies.
And what of society membership, extra-curricular activities and the volleyball team? The closest I got was a half hearted membership of a computer society from which – and this is partly my fault – I derived next to no benefit. Sure, I spent my fair share of time sitting around in the bar drinking coffee, but aside from the obvious encroachment of filthy assignments, uni has never really enmeshed with my life in general; it was always a very separate entity.
Probably this is all a good thing. When I really think about it, all this talk of sophomores, cheer squads, frat parties and political societies doesn't really engage my enthusiasm. Maybe it's time for us to begin exporting the Australian university experience to the world... then everyone will know what life is really all about.
Perhaps I should do some work now.
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[As I nod off]posted by peter at 21:19 .......It's a funny world, that one between wakefulness and sleep; the things that run through my mind can be simply bizarre. Usually I listen to music while I fall asleep, and I always know that I'm on the verge of slumber when the music begins to merge with my reality. This is all beginning to sound very existential, but seriously, the other night I found myself wondering why the lyrics hadn't changed since the last time I listened to that particular song. Quite an interesting concept, dynamic lyrics and all. I've obviously been spending far too much time working with databases. Either that, or Burt Bacharach is a bit too psychedelic for late-night listening.
Our recent thunderstorms have also provided a suitable soundtrack for the subconscious. I've found it rather relaxing to listen to the thunder rolling in over the city while flashes of lightning illuminate a sporadic world. It certainly makes the humid early hours a darn sight more tolerable, and such conditions are far better than the nights which are to come with the season... nights in which Adelaide will bake under skies that glitter as much as the stray streetlight will allow. Oh dear, I can feel myself spiralling into a pre-Summer depression.
Oh, for a Winter in New York!!
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[A bathing ape]posted by peter at 08:51 .......Well, the viewing of the suspect garments generated much discussion, and ultimately we decided that they were Hong Kong street rip-offs. The following clues led to our decision:
1. There was a spelling mistake on the garment label – a sure sign of dodgy replication.
2. The weight and quality of the fabric left a lot to be desired.
3. The sizings didn't seem to suggest authenticity, as the 'small' size was enormous.
4. At only $39.95 I find it hard to believe that these are shirts coming straight from one of the trendiest areas in Tokyo.
5. A Bathing Ape apparently produce only a very small number of each garment. Somehow I doubt that there would be any allocation for this part of the world.The whole situation literally reeks of rip-off. Of course, we could be completely wrong, and therefore missing out on things that we've wanted for ages. But I doubt it.
I can't believe I'm turning into a label snob.
In other related news, yesterday was wondrous. Happy world vegan day for yesterday, we celebrated in fine style but then I accidentally had milk in my coffee, whoops, lucky I'm not actually vegan. My clothes shopping was a wonderful success, and I came away with a new pair of jeans, a terrific Zoo York t-shirt and a totally splendid silver-grey Carhartt jacket that is made of (supposedly) ultra-durable Cordura. I also came away with a massive credit card debt, but I could not possibly care less. I'm happy to pay a bit of interest for the privelege of borrowing someone else's money.
Concluding my day was cousin Lisa's super Hallowe'en party, which was always going to be fun and failed to disappoint.
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[From hell]posted by peter at 10:10 .......I've noted the negative nature of my most recent posts. Will take on board. Today promises to be glorious, so I'll surely have something fresh and optimistic to describe soon.
Until then...
[Tokyo must be cool]posted by peter at 09:31 .......Could Deb really have found A Bathing Ape in Adelaide? I doubt it.
This leads on nicely to what I'm going to write about today. A few minutes ago I visited a 'modern menswear store' that is located just off Rundle Mall. Frankly, in this city you always seem to encounter one of two extremes in such stores; either you are swarmed upon by blueprint-dressed youths wanting to know what you are up to this morning (oh, and do you want to try on those jeans as well?), or else you are completely ignored by 'assistants' who seem more interested in carting merchandise around and chatting with their workmates than actually selling anything.
I'm quite sick of the wanky attitude in many of these shops. I'm sorry, I must have forgotten that Adelaide is the fashion capital of the world. Really, such pretense is unacceptable anywhere, least of all in Adelaide which sadly seems to receive all the crappy stylistic variations of the latest Milan fashions, but my goodness you can't find A Bathing Ape anywhere. Hello, a couple of $100 t-shirts based on op-shop crap that everyone else has been wearing for the last 5 years and a pair of pre-shredded jeans does not a stylist make.
Anyway, I don't want to sound obsessed.
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