What's your Top Five?

Experimenta Playground
I snuck off from work on a sunny sunny afternoon last week and joined Beck for a beer (or two, or three) by the river. And then we went to Experimenta Playground. I personally believe being mildly tipsy enhanced, rather than impaired, our experience. Its an interactive art exhibition at the Arts Centre till 23 September, and everyone, EVERYONE should go. Its totally awesome! I haven't had so much fun in ages!!
My favourite exhibit was Philip Worthington's Shadow Monsters. I swear, you won't be able to tear yourself away from this one. I think Beck and I may have gotten overexcited, coz the programme finally hung, and we had to leave :( I quite liked 'What's Yours Is Mine' as well, its this holographic bear going 'Nononononono!'. You have to be there to get it. I kept wanting to go 'NONONONO!' for hours after.
The giant clone babies in the teacups sitting outside, near the Southgate entrance, are what draw people to the exhibition though. BabyLove. We didn't go on the teacups this time, some of them appeared to be malfunctioning. In fact, in quite an obscene introduction to the exhibition, some maintenance guy walked up to a baby and literally removed its upper torso and head to reveal all these wires and bits and pieces inside. This other girl waved around duct tape. I dunno. For a minute I thought it was all part of the exhibition and didn't say anything in case I showed how un-avant-garde I was. But then I realised it was just broken. I'm definitely going back to check out BabyLove though. You can upload your own music to it... I'm not doing it any justice here, so check out the website.

Music
Went to The Shout Out Louds last week... while their album isn't 'new music' per se (the second album, Our Ill Wills, has been out since July), I still have to talk about them... because they were SOSOSOSO awesome. I know I sound like a sixteen year old American. But I love them so :S They had a brilliant set. And it was made even more brilliant by the fact that they were supported by Little Red. I heart Little Red to bits, especially their insanely joyous headbopping drummer Taka. No pics this time, I didn't have the foresight to charge my camera, alas. Meanwhile. Top Five Bands. I talked to Beck about this last week and now I cannot stop thinking about it. What are my Top Five? Of All Time. Christ. It's a life defining thing, isn't it? I can't do it, really. But maybe I can come up with ten, and get some aid whittling it down. While I'm at it, I've come up with suggestions for my friends too! :P At least, the two or three friends I have that read this thing.... *Note: I am not including old-time-awesome bands, of course. Like The Kinks. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't like The Kinks!!

Me:
1. The Shins 2. Travis 3. The Arcade Fire 4. The Black Keys 5. Air 6. Radiohead 7. The Shout Out Louds (had to think long and hard about this one, but I can't kick them off) 8. Postal Service 9. Blur 10. Phoenix

Beck: 1. The Shins 2. Spoon 3. Augie March 4. The Dandy Warhols 5. The Mystery Jets

Suds: 1. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists 2. Bloc Party 3. Foo Fighters 4. Oasis 5. Coldplay

Lolo: 1. Oasis 2. Radiohead 3. Rage Against The Machine (do you still like them? :S) 4. The Strokes 5. The Hives

Now, that has greatly taxed my brain. I'm not even gonna get started on Top Five Books, Top Five Movies, Top Five... *sigh*

And finally.....



Happy happy birthday Sbecky!!! :)

Current Mood: Guilty. Because work is so so slack. Because I get paid to eat free tim tams and watch daytime TV and *sigh* sleep. Because I don't go to the gym. Because the combination of tim tams, no work and no gym will turn me into one of my own patients. Because!!!
Currently Reading: Youth JM Coetzee (haven't been reading in a while, but now I've restarted, I'm intent on finishing this tonight)
Currently Listening: The Stage Names Okkervil River

OMG. Beard Papa!!!

Eeeeeee.
There's a Beard Papa's in Melbourne, and its 5 minutes from my house!!!
Watch me as I turn into a giant real live cream puff.
Beard Papa's is this superawesome Japanese cream puff/ profiterole franchise, they recently opened in Mid Valley in KL and I overdose on it everytime I go home. They're sooooo sooooo good.
Now I have to pass Bread Top (Box Hill), Puffy (Box Hill Centro) AND Beard Papa's (Flinders/ Elizabeth) on the way home.
Life is just unfair.
tummy rumbles: Beard Papa hits Melbourne


Meanwhile. I'm loving my new surgical unit so far. Anyone who knows me knows how my character is diametrically opposed to that of a perfect surgeon. And I'm really REALLY bad with my hands. Day One of theatre: scrubbed, op almost over, attempt to remove retractey clawy things to try and be helpful. Shiny metal nut slides off long rod thing and bounces on the floor with a loud clang (what. it WAS a shiny metal nut, sliding off a long rod). Consultant surgeon dude smirks over at me- 'So. Generally we try not to drop things on the floor *grin*'. Yeah. I'm not so crash hot with the surgery thing.
So its just as well we've had an average of 2-3 patients all week. In fact today, we started with.. ONE. It is just bizarre. I am actually dying for work, I go around to all the other interns and beg. Please? Can I stick sticky labels on your path slips for you? Get you coffee? Play with me, please.
I assume it'll pick up this week somewhat, we're actually doing some surgery. Woo.

Other exciting things this week...
The Shout Out Louds!!! At the Corner this Friday. So superexcited!!! :P

And I'm working this Sunday. I'm terrified :( Everyone's been scaring me with their ward stories. I mean, its a Sunday. The F1 will be on telly, if nothing else. Right?
Right.
Meep.

The one where I go back to work and cheer myself up with a mix

Annual leave is almost over. Nooooooooooooooooo! I really really really don't wanna :(

I've had a blissful 3 weeks off.
Bangkok was my absolute ideal of a holiday- shop shop shop EAT shop shop shop! This is the first time I've been on holiday in Asia while earning in AUD. I likey. Even KL seems like fun now :)
The highlights of Bangkok would have to be...
- the best shark's fin soup ever, streetside at night in Chinatown
- mango sticky rice... everywhere everywhere everywhere, but especially at afternoon tea at the Erawan Tea Room
- discovering Marni, Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga and 3.1 Philip Lim; and then feeling sick to my stomach out of wardrobe-lust
- Suan Lum Night Market. supercool tshirts and superyummy food
- massages and facials and luxury hotels. God, I am never backpacking again.

So now I'm back home. And attempting to clean up my life...
Starting with my wardrobe.
And my room
And my bathroom- I'm trying to turn it into a replica of the Bangkok Mariott's Mandara Spa :) Photos will be posted if I'm at all sucessful
And I'm on a diet/gym craze (let's see how long that lasts)

So with all this good living, coupled with my imminent return to Work, I think I need a mix to cheer myself up with.
Anyone want a copy?

A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene Okkervil River
Oh Yeah The Cliks
Direct Hit Art Brut
Umbrellahead Mystery Jets
Girls and Boys in Love The Rumble Strips
Plastic Stereo Total
Grip Like A Vice The Go! Team
Homecoming The Teenagers
Australia (Remix) The Shins
Walcott Vampire Weekend
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb Spoon
You Don't Know What Love Is The White Stripes
Your English Is Good Tokyo Police Club
Impossible Shout Out Louds
The Party Punch Oh No! Oh My!
Isis Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fireworks Animal Collective


Oh. And pics from Wednesday's Shins gig are up on my flickr.


Currently listening: Sky Blue Sky Wilco
Currently reading: The Unconsoled Kazuo Ishiguro
Current mood: I don't wanna!

someone stop me...

...before I become broke, unemployed, homeless, and the best dressed Big Issue salesperson on the streets.
I can't stop shopping.
Something is broken in my head (and also in my wallet).
I blame the vendor, not the consumer.
First Miss Louise. Then the P+J/KM sale.
Honestly, what's a girl to do? In my case- stay at home, handcuffed to her bed, with her computer off so she can't 'browse' ebay.

The latest thing I've purchased... coloured contacts! I know, I know, Lolo. You think I'm some sort of hip-hop listening curry stereotype. Maybe i am, eh? secretly? Good god. But they're pretttty! And they're gray! (so now they match my entire wardrobe). It was bloody difficult to put in though, does anyone who wears contacts regularly have any tips? I think I'm going to have to steal me some amethocaine from Da Hopsital. Technically, I DO have a FB in my eye, right? Yeah. Hopefully, the upcoming weeks will yield some sort of substitute entertainment.

like...

DANCE DANCE!

Go! Team's new track, Grip Like A Vice, is on their myspace. And as usual, it has me headbopping and toetapping and full full full of joy.

Am loving Bonde Do Role at the moment. I have no clue what they're saying, but that just makes it much more fun! :P They've saved me from overplaying CSS, in any case. If any of you guys are lucky enough to be in Europe when they're doing the summer festival circuit, please go. I live vicariously through you :(

EDIT: The current inthemix has an interview with Bonde Do Role.. and also an amusing explanation as to why noone understands what they're saying.


Jooooosteeeeece's new album hits the stands next week.
I can't get enough of D.A.N.C.E! I still think there's a vague rip-off of a riff from Daft Punk's Aerodynamic in there somewhere. Since they're on the same record label, maybe its not a rip-off at all, and maybe they all sat down and had a nice cup of tea and went 'Would you like to borrow a bit of Aerodynamic for your new track?' 'Why yes, how lovely of you to offer, that would be peachy'. But yknow, they'd say it in French. And it would sound much cooler.


ART!

Pixar is coming to Melbourne!!! Woo! Straight from MoMA, it opens on 28th June at ACMI





The most exciting thing to happen all winter, the Guggenheim exhibition at NGV! The sole reason I renewed my membership this year, really. That, and the great coffee and Anzac biccies (AND! Wallpaper magazine) at the Ian Potter member's lounge. Anyway. Rothko! Pollock! de Kooning!!!
And I'm super excited about the Dan Flavin light art pieces... Hope there'll be lots. There were a few at Palais Tokyo and Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris. They're pretty. You almost want some new rave music playing in the background, Softlightes or something similar.


Current Mood: Warm and fuzzy. Just had a cup of chai, wrapped up in beeg huge hoodie.
Currently Listening: Feist
Currently Reading: Joanne Harris' The Lollipop Shoes! Finally, the sequel to Chocolat. Now I'm just waiting for Roux to make an appearance :)

Goodness. Has it really been more than a month since my last post?? I'm surprised if anyone is even bothering to check this anymore.

Apologies. Stupid work intervened- or rather, my hatred of stupid work intervened.

Now I'm AT stupid-work, at 4.20 in the morning, with no patients to see and nothing to do. Parkinson is on TV in 10mins, the repeats at 4.30am have been the highlights of my night shifts. I curse patients who have the gall to arrive between 4.00 and 5.00am. No analgesia for you!!!

So. What have I been up to? Rather than bore everyone to tears, maybe I'll just put up a whole lot of photos.

Maia Hirasawa

Like Regina Spektor, but more fun.

Lovelovelove her. Please listen!

Lucky Soul

I traipsed through a bazillion record stores before I found out Lucky Soul aren't releasing their new album in Australia. The dude at Polyester Records was all like.. "You're the second person to come in here asking me for that album! What do they sound like?" Me... "Um. Like The Grates? But... More Motowney?"
This is why I don't work in a record store. Or write a music column. But really. They're AWESOME. Happy ending- I bought their album off iTunes.

Bangarra: True Stories

Ailin and I went to see Bangarra perform (again :P). Was amazing, as usual. Patrick Thaiday is incredible, I don't know how that man is human... he always get solo performances in their shows, and he's the only dancer there that gets applause everytime he appears on stage.

There was this contest survey thingy we filled out after the show, and it was asking how many Bangarra performances we'd been to- Ailin and I figure we should win, not having missed one in the last four years :)

Well, there you go. Parky is on, and guess what, there's a new patient. Woooohoo for me.

Auf wiedersehn.

Have you seen Daniel Kitson's underpants?

I have.


Kitson Daniel Kitson is positively extraordinary. We went to 'The Honourable Men of Art' at the Trades Hall last night...my head is still spinning. The man has something to answer for. My life will never be the same now I've discovered online Boggle. I want to go see every Kitson show I can now. And hey, if you see him on the street, why not go up and say hello. Tell him how much you appreciate his work, liken him to a German Romantic landscape painter, even.

SeanHughes I'm not going to waste more than two lines on this man and his show. Go if you want more politically incorrect jokes than you shake a blind man's stick at. Horrible horrible stuff.

Man Booker International Prize 2007 A biennial prize awarded to an author of any nationality, provided that his/her work is available in the English language. The first Booker International was won by Ismail Kadare in 2005. This year's shortlist has been announced. The level of sheer expertise is ridiculous, it reads like a literary celebrity deathmatch lineup. I love nomination season- it usually means I disover incredible authors I've never heard of, like Harry Mulisch and um... hang on. Aww man. I know everyone else already. Damn you.
These are the authors. Guess who I'm supporting.

The 15 authors on the list are:

Chinua Achebe Margaret Atwood John Banville Peter Carey Don DeLillo
Carlos Fuentes Doris Lessing Ian McEwan Harry Mulisch Alice Munro
Michael Ondaatje Amos Oz Philip Roth Salman Rushdie Michel Tournier

E = Love

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I wrote this super long mega post, and then my firefox randomly shut down and now its goneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I hate you! I shake my fist at you!!!

*sigh*

You now have to read my witty anecdotes in point form. Alas.

• Panic! - Beck and I went. Twas fun, really fun. Must do it more often. We got into Inpress! They have a crap photographer, my head is one giant ball of light.

• Best Of V: The Rapture/ Gnarls Barkley/ Groove Armada/ Pet Shop Boys - Gnarls and Groove rocked. I loved the violinists in the Gnarls Entourage- The G Strings, teehee. The Pet Shop Boys were godawful nasal-voiced crapola, but heaps of oldies seemed to be enjoying them..yknow, they were like dancing and shit. I really hope our offspring don't think of The Strokes/ Bloc Party/ Razorlight/ Radiohead as crapola. Twould be a tragedy.

• Comedy Festival- Saw Mark Watson: fantastic, really cute and deranged and self-deprecating. Wish he was unattached so could dream about getting with him (as I do with all available boy-celebrities. Have convinced myself that the only reason I'm not with Pele/ Thomas Mars/ Jude Law is that they aren't single. That must be it). Mark was v. v. funny, you should go see. Also saw Josh Earl at the Trades Hall, Tassie guy who works as a librarian and hence decided to base his entire show on the Dewey Decimal System. Thoroughly entertaining (really). He was a bit shy and took a while to warm up, but I was on his side from the start, coz he was wearing a Go! Team Tshirt (albeit with black skinny jeans...nooooooooooo!). I think his comedy-idol is Demetri Martin, his style is more or less a blatant rip-off of Demetri's, but that can only be a good thing.

• In The News.... E = Love! -The New Scientist has published the results of a study that all self-respecting ravers already know.... check it. Also, who knew Kele Okereke loved E? I wonder. Is he single?

Alritey. Apologies for the bullet points. Blame my browser. Meanwhile, work continues, life continues, both generally suck but am still doing vaguely exciting things, yes?
Current Mood: I heart my days off. Wheeeee
Currently Reading: Margaret Atwood Alias Grace
Currently Listening: Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank