Tuesday 13 December 2011

Rapscallionism in Rutherglen

I don't know whether what happened in Rutherglen was actually rapscallionism, but I do like the sound of that the alliteration makes, and that's all that really counts right?
About a week ago M, my dad and I took a trip to Rutherglen.  It’s about a 4 hour drive from Canberra, through Holbrook, passed Albury / Wodonga in north-eastern Victoria.    

The area is probably most famous as a wine region.  However, with stretches of dry paddocks, windmills and the odd dilapidated corrugated iron shed, Rutherglen is also quintessential regional Australia.  It is at once quaint, small and feels somewhat remote and isolated, while at the same time it is cultured offering beautiful wines, fine dining and amazing produce.

A Rutherglen paddock in the morning ©dhdesign

Saturday 10 December 2011

Sensational sampler of Spicks and Specks

Tomorrow night M and I are off to the Spicks and Specks Spectacular when they visit Canberra.

The idea that Spicks and Specks won't be returning to our screens in 2012 is devastating, like losing a close family member.  I'm going to especially miss the drunk-aunt-at-the-family-dinner Denise Scott, and hearing Adam Hills saying "Thanks for watching Spicks and Specks, my name's Adam Hills, good night Australia".

There have been some amazing moments over the years, and I'm feeling particularly sentimental, so I thought I might share a sample of some of my favourite moments over the years.

Since I started by mentioning Denise Scott, here's a clip of her in an episode with Jordie Lane (who is also her son).


One of my favourite games on the show has always been 'substitute'.  It requires a member of the team singing a song using the words from a book or text, and their team needs to identify the song that they're trying to sing.  The first time I saw Megan Washington do this on the show I got all spine tingly.  Watch this and you'll see why.


Thursday 8 December 2011

Thai Tham Boon - December 2011

Back in November I told you all that the reason for our impending holiday is to visit my Mum’s village for a tham boon.  You were all probably wondering what a tham boon is, right?  Well, even if you weren't you are going to find out now.

Tham boon means to ‘make merit’.  Making merit is an intrinsic part of Thai culture and Thai Buddhism.  The act of making merit can take many forms – giving alms to monks, taking offerings to the temple to marking milestones in a person’s life.

The tham boon that my family is hosting in Thailand relates to the blessing of a cho fah which has recently been built.  The cho fah will house a bronze statue of a monk who was very close to my mum when she was a young girl. 

The cho fah be dedicated to my grandparents on both sides of the family, and other relatives who are no longer with us.  My brother and sister-in-law will also have their marriage blessed.

The exterior of the cho fah
The interior the cho fah.




















Sunday 4 December 2011

An obvious outsider

This post comes to you thanks to a recent work trip, a hotel bar, a beer and a desire to appear absorbed in something both important and interesting.

While sitting by myself in a hotel bar in Adelaide recently I noticed that I had updated my Facebook status at least five times with inane, mundane and generally pointless crap (I hear you, what else is Facebook for?).  I had also managed to enter into a playful stoush on white chocolate, and read the material for my meeting cover to cover at least three times.

Oh, what to do?  I shall not flea to my hotel room at 6:00pm, and I have to eat.  But how to do this on your own without feeling and appearing like a loser.  Or how to avoid appearing like a serial killer as you listen intently to the conversations that are happening nearby because if you didn’t you would end up speaking to yourself....


I’m wondering, who out there is fearless enough to dine in strange cities independently?  And, if you do, please share the secret to how you do it?

Friday 2 December 2011

Gig review: Gurrumul


Another week, another concert it would seem...  I am at the National Theatre in Canberra again, but this time there’s a slight change of pace.  The person I’m here to see is Gurrumul.


Sunday 27 November 2011

Movies Reviewed: The Ides of March


The Ides of March is George Clooney's fourth film as director, having already offered up: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night and Good Luck and Leatherheads.



At the centre of the plot is the determined and focused young political campaign staffer Stephen Myers, played by Ryan Gossling.  He’s working for Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) who is trying to get the nod to be the Democratic presidential candidate.

Friday 25 November 2011

Straight to you: A tribute to Nick Cave

The musical tribute used to be farcical – think ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again.  But over the last couple of years musical tributes have experienced a renaissance, or, if you like, have been born again (geddit?!  Gee, I’m clever).

The reborn tribute takes its lead from the well loved Hollywood-how-to-make-a-blockbuster play book.   Take a talented musician who has had an illustrious career (they can be dead or alive) as your subject, litter your production with their most famous songs and then form an ensemble cast comprised of popular performers.

This formula is sure to deliver either an Oscar worthy biopic or, in this instance, a successful live tribute concert.  Just depends on how long you cook it for.  The live tribute concert has become a feature on the concert circuit in the past few years: there have been tribute concerts to the Beatles (for the White Album anniversary) and to the Finn Brothers of Crowded House fame with Triple J having also delivered tributes to the Go Betweens, AC/DC and Paul Kelly.

Triple J’s latest offering for their annual AusMusic Month is the Straight to You: A Tribute to Nick Cave concert.  It’s the first Triple J tribute concert to tour the country, visiting Geelong, Ballarat, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane as well as Canberra.  It arrived in Canberra on Wednesday, 16 November, and was held at the National Theatre.

Monday 14 November 2011

An itinerant traveller part 2: Indonesia

Just a week ago I filled you all in about the Thailand leg of our trip.  Well, here is part two, where I’m going to show you what we’re doing when we head to the world’s fourth most populace country: Indonesia.


We’ve never been there before, and through all of our research it has become apparent that Indonesia is filled with diversity, offering something for everyone: breathtaking volcanic landscapes, extraordinary flora and fauna, pollution choked metropolises, peaceful countryside, stretches of long sandy beaches and swathes of jade ocean... and that’s only the natural wonders!

Comprised of thousands of islands (around 18 000, but less when the tide is high), Indonesia’s landscape is almost diverse as its people.  A melting pot of languages, religions, and cultures.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Recipe roadtests: Simply the Best

I absolutely love cooking.  I’m by no means a great cook – I’m never going to be a Michelin starred chef or be a contestant on MasterChef.  One of my great failures is lacking the requisite creativity and confidence.  Success in the kitchen for me is a result of two things, the recipe I’m using and sheer luck...

It is for this reason that I have developed a love, or what some would call an obsession, for cookbooks.  Over time I have accumulated an enviable collection of food porn.    My addiction has gotten to the point where it is now affecting other people. 

I am now forced to vet all potential cookbook purchases through M, who puts them through the stringent “M Test.”  The test involves selecting recipes at random, and M making a determination of would he make it, or wouldn’t he make it.  It’s all highly technical.  To pass the test the cookbook must have 3 recipes he’d make within a reasonable number random page selection attempts.

It typically plays out something like this: we’re in a book store, and I have lingered in the cooking section for some time and located a treasure that I must purchase.  Meekly, I wander over to M, handing him the cook book, looking at him expectantly, willing him to just say that I can buy it.

Recipe 1 gets a tepid response.
Recipe 2 receives a look of disgust – it’s probably vegetarian.
Recipe 3 ... it’s a winner...

And so the game goes on.  There are times when I’m sure that I look completely despondent, as though I might curl up and cry, as the recipes flick passed his eyes receiving less than positive responses.  I think he sees me out of the corner of his eyes, and not wanting to be responsible for causing such a look, he flicks through more recipes than necessary.  It becomes a battle of wills.  Will I back down, will he exhaust the book or will M crumble and just succumb?   

How I love this type of to-ing and fro-ing!  By the end of I feel as though I have truly earned the cookbook's purchase.

Starting up this blog presents a tactical opportunity for me.  I could do posts on recipe ‘tests’ and bribe M along the way with the delicious and decadent results.  Winners all round I’d say!   

First cook book off the ranks is the latest offering from Valli Little and the ABC delicious. team: Simply the Best.  







It is the latest cook book purchase of mine.  For the inaugural test I’ll be whipping M up a three course delight.  I’ll present a picture from the cook book and a picture of my success or failure!








Sunday 6 November 2011

Movies reviewed: Norwegian Wood


Norwegian Wood is set in 1960’s Japan.  Like elsewhere in the world it’s a time of upheaval.  Watanabe (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) is studying in Tokyo, having left his home in Kobe.  Just before finishing high school his best friend, Kizuki (Kengo KĂ´ra), commits suicide, an event that leaves an indelible mark on both Watanabe and Kizuki’s girlfriend, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi).

While taking a break from his university studies in Tokyo, Watanabe runs into Naoko.  So begins a complicated relationship which oscillates between friendship, romance, dependence and obligation.  The relationship between Naoko and Watanabe is one part of the central love triangle in Norwegian Wood.  The other key relationship is that between Watanabe and the less complicated Midori (Kiko Mizuhara).

Tuesday 1 November 2011

An itinerant traveller - part 1

M and I are planning our next overseas sojourn - first stop Thailand, followed by a few weeks in Indonesia.

I do enjoy planning, and we're slowly getting there.  I thought I'd share itinerary stage 1 with you:

26 Dec 2011


Bangkok

We’ll be arriving late… but hopefully there’ll be some time to get some Tom Yum from my favourite vendor.  When we were last in Bangkok I think I ate there at least one every day!

27  – 31 Dec


Khorat

The whole reason for the trip – a tham boon to celebrate and bless the cha wat recently built at the temple in my mother’s village (more on this later, it deserves a blog post of its own.)

31 Dec 11 – 4 Jan 12

Back to Bangkok

We will be ringing in the new year in the city of angels (no, not LA - Bangkok's full name Krung Thep Maha Nakhon means 'city of angels'….) 

Hopefully, a spot of watting, plenty of shopping and enjoying what Thailand’s biggest metropolis has to offer. 

4 – 8 Jan


Krabi

Thailand is famed for its beaches, and I’m told that some of the most beautiful are located near the Andaman Sea.  Long days island hopping and sipping cocktails is definitely in order!

This is a map that plots our itinerary that I put together using ScribbleMaps.  What a clever little tool!


Saturday 29 October 2011

That's a wrap

Has anyone ever seen that episode of Will and Grace where Grace moves out and Will turns her room into a gift wrapping room?   

Actually, let’s back up... does anyone remember Will and Grace?  If you don’t, let me refresh your memory:




In my mind, good gift wrapping is an art.  Good gift wrapping goes beyond paper and ribbon selection.  It actually gives you are chance to be really creative, if you want to take up the opportunity.  The most important step to mastering the art of gift wrapping is first accepting the fact that the you’ll create a piece of art, only for it to be torn to shreds, within seconds, in front of your eyes. 

Here is an example of a wedding present I wrapped recently.  A standard box shaped item, wrapped in brown paper ($2 from the dollar shop) and adorned with pretty origami hearts.  




















I do wonder if there will ever be a time when perfect gift wrapping will replace the perfect gift?

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Judging the book by its cover

While perusing the shelves of the local news agency I was taken by this Tatler cover. Initially, I had to do a double take to work out who the cover girl was.    

It is Emily Mortimer who is beautiful, and quirky, and interesting...  I loved her in season one of 30 Rock where she plays Jack Donaghy’s fiancĂ©e, Phoebe who could not be touched because she suffered from ‘avian bone syndrome’.

Anyway, what struck me about this cover was:

a) Tatler's need to exclaim that she is in a dress

b) that it is a ‘nice’ dress, but

c) could you really call it a 'nice dress'?
 

Firstly, it would appear to be more of a top and skirt.  But secondly, and crucially, to me it looks more like she hasn't realised that her skirt is see through and we can see her underwear...


I am quite sure that this makes me prude. 

For your viewing pleasure, here is the offending cover.

Sunday 23 October 2011

Fake Spring

Spring is always a funny time in Canberra... You think it has arrived and then... bam!... spring is gone and it’s cold again.  It’s often referred to as ‘fake spring’, well that's what I call it.  Essentially, it’s just spring being a tease.

I love spring, as soon as it starts to warm up I get excited, and start thinking about all the glorious things that I’ll be doing once the weather warms up.  That’s why I hate fake spring.  You are jumping out of your skin, celebrating the fact that you made it through another bitter, Canberra winter and the rug gets pulled out from underneath you.

My point is... I think fake spring has been and gone and real spring is here to stay.  That’s reason enough to celebrate.  This drink is my ode to spring, my way of saying good-bye to winter and reminding me of all the zesty, fresh, sparkly times that I know are just around the corner...





Wednesday 19 October 2011

Looking for the renewable.

Since the garage sale last weekend, I’ve been thinking about how easily we dispose of things – one moment we love something, the next we want to upgrade, change, follow the crowd. 

I’m beginning to understand why  so many people are choosing to jump on the up-cycled, second-hand, hand-me-down, band wagon – it’s not only good for the environment, if you’re lucky you might even pick up a bargain.

There’s so much on offer for bargain hunters these days, going beyond traditional garage sales.  If you look long and hard enough, you’ll uncover some treasures.

In Canberra, there’s the Jamison Centre Trash and Treasure marketsThey have been held every Sunday, week in-week out, for as long as I can remember. 

Ahh... the number of bargains I’ve found there over the years... there was that red skirt made out of an old rain coat that was ever so grunge and oozed utter cool, half the kids books and games my dad bought me as a child, or there’s the beautiful cameo brooch (below) that M bought me only a few weeks ago.

And I don’t know anyone that would be able to say no to satisfying their gnawing hunger with a to-die-for donut, bought and sold out of a dubious looking truck that lingers outside the gates most weekends.


Sunday 16 October 2011

Clearing out the cupboards



My parents have recently returned from overseas, with a new desire to lead an uncluttered and simple life.  If you know my parents, this is a big deal.  Prior to moving to remote south pacific countries, their home was filled with well loved, in some circumstances, well used, junk.

Upon their return, and seeing the mountainous piles of useless material that returned from storage, they decided to cull.  In some ways I think it was a therapeutic experience for them – letting go of things that you no longer need, but have some strange emotional bond to, can be cathartic.

The next issue, however, was what to do with all the things they had broken their emotional ties with.  In the end they decided on having a garage sale.  It makes some sense, after you have spent your hard earned money on these things, it is nice to get something back.

We hoped that some lucky shopper would come across our garage sale, and would see – amongst our discarded goods – something that they needed, wanted, had to have, and could possibly love.