When the Cheshire emerges...

I finally saw the film Snowtown this week.

And OMG, creepy coincidence with writing this today...

It pains me to write about it a year off the mark, after missing the world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival last February (see here for the other reason, which has annoyingly reminded me I missed out on something else big not yet rectified).

In short: it has to stand as the most psychologically confronting film ever produced in my fair country, if not in cinema history.

The only time I had available to watch the film was 10pm on Sunday night, and I knew critics had walked out of screenings in Australia, when I missed the general release for being overseas, as well as those at the Cannes Film Festival.

I felt violated within the first 10 minutes and it didn't leave me.

Justin Kurzel's retelling of greater Adelaide's darkest days in history is literally gut-wrenching but sickeningly intriguing at the same time.

While you expect there to be something sordid going on, it's thrust right in your face. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I went to sleep and it still stuck around until mid-Monday.

I don't think there's ever been a film that's left such a profound effect on me like that before.

What's worse is being able to relate to the location - the northern edges of my beautiful city are REALLY LIKE THAT which is incredibly sad, and when one of the victims talks about Glen Osmond Road and Windy Point I know what he's talking about. That part of town's my (original) greater hood, yo.



We all get a kick when we can pick those sort of things out in a film, but in this instance it was NOT fun. While I was relatively young when the Bodies in the Barrels case was exposed, I have images of the actual footage still in my head and the knowledge of how big the case was. For goodness sake, we had the stigma of 'City of Crime' hanging over our heads for such a long time. And Snowtown's outside the city borders!

With the film creeping at such a slow pace the dread continued for almost too long. HOWEVER, as the reviews said ahead of the Adelaide premiere, it's a film you can't recommend but should still be seen. Daniel Henshall and Louise Harris clearly deserved their AACTA awards, and the film is one of the best examples of not needing a 'name actor' ever put to film.

On a final note, the fact the building still stands and is lived in (for them to have filmed in) is a bit scary. Sick and twisted brilliance the film was, although way too close to home.

*As published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 18/2/2012

Someone out there somewhere once associated a killer pair of heels with love... not the love of a shoe from its owner, but love relating to the attraction of a female.

In the week containing Valentine's Day my calendar seems to have pulled out all stops, making my job for shoe of the week very difficult. Just not the way I expected.

I shouldn't be surprised though. I was so horrified by the four of these I couldn't decide which one was worse. If anyone wants to assist comments are more than welcome.

Actual use of the 'word' fahgeddaboutit?! TWO leopard print varieties? Too much, too muuuuuch!!!

Although not all was lost.

The quote for the weekend was interesting from Gwen Stefani (who totally kicks arse):

"Sometimes you have to sacrifice your performance for high heels."

My first thought was - respect!- but then realised I'd probably rather see her tearing up the stage going nuts everywhere. It's an interesting thought from her nonetheless.

Then the Valentine's Day shoe. Of course it was red, and a high stiletto. But I think this is my shoe of the week. I actually don't mind the look of it, but the gold sole is distracting me from envisaging if I could pull them off.


Question time: Do heels increase the attraction on a lady, or are a lot of women crazy to be so mad over them?

The Dubbo Showground markets were recently moved to a riverside oval to become the new (and seemingly improved) Riverside Markets. While I never went pre-move, my eventual discovery of what these markets are was a long time coming. Like a lot of other things in life.

Came away with more than expected. And this was after having to walk a good 500 metres extra or so to get into the Centro, then to the ATM to get money, and then walking all the way back hoping the stuff would still be there. Thankfully, this isn't Sydney so I was fine.

I'm clearly still daydreaming about European adventures. I first stumbled across a first edition of an Australian book called Roaming Round Europe by Frank Clune, the telling of his adventures around Western Europe in 1952. Spent what was my last $10.

On returning from the ATM I found a French grammar book, which appears to be the most confusing thing I've ever read. But thinking of my imminent French lesson I thought it would be handy. $1. PS: said lesson never eventuated... le sigh.

Then a book stand had Azur Like It by Wendy Holden, about a journalist who gets sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival. That's so me! But then she discovers a dark side. Not so me. I was intrigued. $3.

Teeny silver thing on the French grammar book is a Pandora-style charm of a paw for my travel charm bracelet, signifying Australia through Dubbo/the central west... via Taronga Western Plains Zoo. $1.

And then there were the shoes. Found at the most amazing little vintage stall that made me want to do a Barcelona and pinch it all.


The shoes were sitting on the left of those pink shoes on the ground before I grabbed them with the intention of scrubbing them into a fantastic work-purpose pair for my wardrobe. $10.

I took the photo with Annie's details clearly in sight because she's great and deserves business. My new shoes were previously her own and she has a great selection of accessories, shoes and even clothes. The first I've seen of affordable great vintage in Dubbo. Tre bien.

Living in the country is hard. Not in the sense of being somewhere different, more in noticing change to the little things that city people take for granted.

To put it in perspective, I think Australia has this very distinctive city/country mentality to it. To those living in a capital city, anywhere outside is essentially 'the country', while those living regional realise that the 'real' country is the actual Outback. Desert. I've been one to learn of this distinction very quickly.

With the (pure) coincidence of today being the launch of Australia's National Year of Reading, I'm thinking about a whole different kind of love on Valentine's Day today... in Adelaide I was a frequent user of the public library system. Living a seven minute walk from my local branch, it offered just as much as a Video Ezy, more than an Internet cafe and then of course there was the catalogue.

It was the first place I saw 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die... I borrowed that book for something ridiculous like six months straight. My personal copy is now my Bible.

Libraries have always been an integral part of my being, having been an avid reader as a child and still very appreciative of the written today. Obviously. So as I've begun using what's offered at Macquarie Regional Library's Dubbo branch a few things have taken me by surprise.

1. You can't just log onto a computer to use the Internet if a monitor's free. You still have to go to the counter, wait, they take your name and how long you'll be, and then personally escort you to log you in. Weird.

You have to pay for stuff like photocopying, which is normal. However:

2. For email, and MICROSOFT WORD as well?! I don't understand. That just baffles me.

3. Whenever you pick up a hold it's $1.10. For putting something on hold. Sure, this library is one of six or seven connected branches that are as far as two hours away from each other so petrol could come into it. But libraries are a public service aren't they? I'm sure they're already gathering enough money from #2 as it is.

I used the free city system so much, and well. This should be put on the government, they should be giving more money into public services like libraries so the residents shouldn't have to pay for these simple facilities. We already have to pay more for other, bigger, things as well (I won't even get into flights), so why something like this?

Just one of many questions I have as a new regional resident I guess...

I was looking through the latest Rivers catalogue (as I do since moving, having discovered their hidden trove of great cheap shoes), and this 'tripych' immediately caught my eye.

Same model, different shirts. Right?

But look at the middle photo.

The others show that blue is much more this guy's colour... but looking straight ahead does not suit him at all.

Tilting to his (own) left is clearly his better side. He looks really good and it shows off his great smile. But then the middle shot makes him look different entirely. His head's held slightly higher and even the overall pose isn't as flattering.

Just a look at how angles can make a huge difference...

Does anyone agree? Or am I just being nitpicky?

I hate to use a phrase coined by a man with intense drug and alcohol issues whose enormous ego and fame got the better of him. But Charlie Sheen had a point when he was focused on winning.

However, unlike his objective to be better than anyone else, the little personal wins in life are just as important. I'm sharing a few of those with you now...

***
I went with my mum last month to Harry Potter: the Exhibition, which is still in Sydney. She bought me one of the chocolate frogs as a souvenir (they were freakin' $5 - I've never seen them in Australia before so they must be US imports or something). Didn't eat said frog until two weeks ago (was absolutely divine for mass-produced chocolate) - and look at my luck!

You'd want to get the mother of all cards and I so did. Winning.

***

Speaking of cards, I scored a free gift card valid for food, electronics, varietystuffs (I'm making that a word if not already invented) and booze last week...



All because I knew who Catherine Martin's husband was before 499 other people in a texting quiz during Optus Flix in the Stix. The answer: Baz Lurhmann. Knew my high school drama studies would come in handy at some point. Winning.

***

For me, this is the big one. Backtracking to May 2011, I suffered a fair bit of shock when I discovered I had all my media kits and info from my time at Festival de Cannes stolen on leaving France (re: entering Spain). One of the most valuable things was the official program, which I only recently wrote to the media office there to attempt to get another copy. They openly obliged.


I was reduced to tears when I saw this sitting at my door. Couldn't get a replacement press pass, but flicking through this gave me a sense of achievement, a way of sticking it to those soulless people who steal to get through life. NO, I did NOT have a laptop in that bag! Suckers. Winning.

What makes you feel like you're winning in life? Or what's something you're working towards winning at?

Any Questions for Ben? (M)

*As published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 11/2/2012

Shoe of the Week was a hard one because the shoes were all a bit tacky, but none really stood out... so I thought we'd turn Japanese.

Going to the gym has predominantly been about keeping fit for me; I really only ever considered it in the soccer off-season of 2009-10 for the first time.

Finding Curves ended up being more than just going to a gym - for one thing it's not about treadmills or weights. The circuit ended up being a routine but remained a challenge, and an eventual job out of it didn't hurt either.

Holidays overseas shifted my focus slightly to regaining my former numbers. In 2010 I didn't gain much at all so it wasn't an issue. But in 2011 I found it a bit harder. Like, gaining a whole size harder.

With my move looming and no real employment I returned to Curves and did my best to shed the holiday kilos in what I call my 'unknown' month. Luckily for me I seem to do that okay. And a month or so after joining the Curves here in Dubbo I'd actually gone back to just under my pre-holiday weight.

And then I saw this.

I've never had anything like this before. I'd lost 20 centimetres on the road to recovery! I couldn't believe I actually had something significant up there, it was really encouraging. And it's still up with all of the others.

***

Before I went to Newcastle in early January the last time I wore my bikini I was a size bigger. It was in Athens, my last day before flying out of Europe where a really sleazy middle-aged Greek man tried to make me run away with him after coming up to me in the water. So I was experiencing a whole mix of emotions there.

I noticed when I had it on most recently (laying in the amazing Newcastle sand) that it was a little bit loose, top and bottom. Felt a bit smug there. But annoyed I'd stretched it out at the same time. And realised I felt no different to what I usually do.

Moral of this story: you work toward what you feel is right for you.

I could have stayed at that size. I had a lot of people telling me I looked healthier as that little bit bigger. But not fitting into my clothes did NOT want to make me be home. I couldn't even pick out three-quarters of my outfits as daily choices, which was for a short time a terrible loss. Curves has brainwashed me into thinking healthier thoughts about exercise and looking after myself - so don't touch me, I'm a star okay?

There's always an actor from time to time that seems to come out of nowhere and be poised as the next man for greatness. This year it looks to be Tom Hardy.

WHERE did this guy come from? Seriously, I was watching the latest adaptation of Wuthering Heights on the ABC before Christmas and thought he was an oddly gorgeous Heathcliff. He was really intriguing, especially because I'd never seen him before...

Then I find out he's the freakin' new Batman villain and in This Means War (that one via the poster up at my local cinema). How did THAT happen? BBC mini-series straight to Hollywood? And BLOCKBUSTER Hollywood at that. Excitement!

He'll go great guns, and that means lots of women will fall head over heels... le sigh.

**Disclaimer: while writing this I was reminded he was in Inception. You'll have to forgive me, I forgot. Can't explain that one away. And no, he didn't make a straight jump, he worked his way there via Guy Ritchie. Good path. Ma bad.

Super excited having just read an interview on Bane though. OMG, new Batman!...

Rating: 4.5/5

*As published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 4/2/2012

Blaming photo upload issues for this one being late...

My shoe of the week as brought to you by my fridge calendar: indomitable.

This week brought better results than last, I couldn't bring myself to destroy any of them this time. I actually really like the colour on this one. Plus it doesn't look enormously high and it's a standout shoe that I would probably pick up to try on.

***


So in my entry last Friday I totally missed the following shoe because I'd forgotten to rip off the day before. I've decided to bestow a Shoe of the Month award to this piece of work: devilish.



Giggle giggle. How original that name... but the shoe is ACTUALLY a fair interesting design. The more daring part of me (or tasteless, I can't decide) likes this shoe a fair bit. It would pack a fair punch, but you'd have to keep the rest of the outfit extremely simple.

Bottom line though: I could never get away with a pair like that where I now find myself. Fail.

***

If you're read this thinking 'what the hell is this and why am I seeing Satan's shoes?', it all started here.

Time for a Europop lesson.

Some non-Europeans might remember Greek singer Sakis Rouvas as the dude who swung into the Athens 2004 Olympics Closing Ceremony (literally) before falling mid-routine. Others remember him more fondly as performing one of Eurovision's best songs in recent years with 2004's Shake It (quite frankly, as the favourite that came third he was robbed). He of course also represented Greece again in 2009.

He is also quite possibly one of the world's most prettiest men. #justsayin'

I bought his latest album six months ago when I was in Athens as a tool to help me improve my Greek should I start taking proper lessons. While that's currently a work in progress, I finally listened to the album all in one hit last week.

If anyone survives the Greek economical crisis it will probably be him. Damn, his songs are catchy.

Sakis Rouvas performing Shake It for Greece at Eurovision 2004

I haven't been this excited to listen to a full album repeatedly in some time. He doesn't sing any English tracks on Parafora (Madly), but on hearing more than his Eurovision fare I totally see why this guy is Greece's king of pop. It's damn good stuff.

Even if I don't understand a whole lot of it.

It makes me wish I could understand more, which is the point. That's good. Yet the words swirl around my head for much of the day as I'm trying to work, eat and watch TV. I've taken it further to listen through all the other Greek songs on my iTunes as I cook each night, and vow to understand it all fluently one day. Especially for the sake of Mr Rouvas and what he is trying to sing to me.

What a mouthful. It reflects that I've had a bunch of things running through my head this past week - not that I don't normally, but these things have just been pretty prominent.

I think my perceptions on people and the world have changed dramatically over the last two years since finishing university. A lot of the time it's not obvious, and more often than not I notice it in seemingly insignificant things. This change of taste realisation mainly came about during the Australian Open last week, as I've already detailed in my lowdown. But on a totally different note, I've also realised this week I care a lot more for seafood than I ever have before. A few years ago I couldn't stand the thought of my aunty and cousin absolutely devouring prawns, and now I find myself drawn to seafood pastas. Heck, I'm cooking myself a creamy scallop variety later this week - and I can't wait!

It's interesting how breaking barriers and trying different foods, perhaps years after a first experience, can open your eyes and tastebuds enormously. Travel helps with that, and I think it's helped moving out of home and having to feed myself...

Which brings me to my next point. Moving long distance has gone better than I anticipated in that I don't really get homesick and said cooking has turned into an adventure, but there are days when it gets hard.

Yesterday was one of them. A photo sent to my phone from two of my school friends saying they missed me made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. And then I found out they and one more had applied and been accepted into university.

Whaaaat?

I'm SO proud and happy for them. But it made me realise there's a damn lot I'm missing out on at home, and no-one's telling me about it. And that can be depressing sometimes.

Thankfully I'm not at the stage where I could get to this point. But I worry that someday I could be. I was on the BBC site to read about the Eurozone crisis and then I get a link to this about expats finding readjustment at home hard. How ironic.

I'm not even going to go into where I feel replaced. It's not worth it because dwelling on these things for too long is never healthy and they're insignificant when you look at the big picture. I should continue to remind myself that my time away from everyone is an adventure, where I'm expanding my worldly horizons. And I hope that everyone in life has a similar attitude, even those back home.