45.3 Degrees celsius

Como puede ser tanto calor? Hoy fue un dia terrible. Sumado a los otros dias de mas de 40 grados esta semana, hoy fue el colmo y juro que en un momento senti que me descomponia. Mi casa es un horno y todo esta caliente, me hace acordar a Buenos Aires. Menos mal que no hay humedad porque sino si que estaria llorando.
Mis pobres gatos estaban tambien de ultima asique cuando llego Ricky de laburar lleno la banadera y los sumergio a pesar de la pelea que pusieron. En esta foto Felipe esta super ofendido porque el piensa que asi luce ridiculo, pero por lo menos esta fresquito.
Manana nos vamos a Lorne yeah! No veo la hora, toda la semana atravese los dias con la esperanza de meterme en el mar manana asique hoy dormire mejor.

I really proved to myself today that I am not a summer creature and that I detest hot days in the city. Today was beyond hot...it was disgusting. I took a cold shower to avoid fainting and when I came out I was already sweating again. There is very little relief and this house is way too hot. My cats were really struggling so they were given a bath of cold water and they did not like it as Felipe expresses it here, but at least their core temperature dropped a bit and they were more active for a few minutes. I keep looking at weather forecasts wishing that there will be a change but there isn't one in sight.
For the last couple of days I have been watching the movie "Che, part I". I think that the movie is really bad. It takes about 30 minutes to start following what the hell is going on and another 30 to understand that while they are walking through the jungles they are gathering new farmers to join their forces. The editing is totally crap and disconnected and there are scenes that make no sense at all and add nothing to the story. Benicio del Toro looks a lot like Che, but did not really make an effort to sound argentinian and his acting is mediocre. If you have not previous knowledge of Che's story this movie is not for you, because it doesn't tell the story of the man and the why of his choice to fight in Cuba. It really makes no sense. If you are interested in Che's beginings, a much better story is "Motorcycle Diaries".

Segundo Dia

Ok our second day at work was a disaster. What a complete waste of time. The whole staff had to endure a professional development session on relaxation and meditation techniques. Don't get me wrong it's not that I completely deny the power of the mind and the effects of meditation, it's just that my cynicism is fed by people who has no depth and no knowledge but because they like the smell of candles and the easy apparent way out of modern hippysm they think that teaching meditation revolves around being tactile and taking deep breaths. C'mon get real, just because you put a Tibetean cd and walk around very slowly doesn't mean that when stressful times hit your life you will be able to cope better. That is what we were taught today, when you are stressed, identify what you are feeling and squeeze an object...Oh and don't forget to laugh really hard and stupidly because you may win a cd! Like I did. After that stupid P.D. session Linda and I did some real work in our room like holding the number chart for the photo. That was all we had time for. Hope tomorrow gets better.

Que dia al pedo por dios! Todo el staff tuvo que bancarse una sesion de mediacion y relajacion. La verdad no es que yo completamente descrea el poder de la mente y los efectos de la meditacion. Lo que pasa es que uno se pone un poco cinico cuando los que presentan el tema no saben nada y no tienen ninguna profundidad, pero ponen un cd de musica tibeteana y prenden una vela y se piensan que con esa simpleza se arregla todo. Eso es lo que apredi hoy, cuando estas estresado identifica que es lo quee estas sintiendo, respira hondo y apreta un objeto...ah y no te olvides de reirte fuerte y estupidamente porque eso te puede hacer ganar un premio. Como gane hoy yo! Despues de esa sesion Linda y yo nos fuimos al aula a trabajar en serio como esta foto lo demuestra (solo nos quedo tiempo para posar para la foto. Espero que manana sea mejor. Hoy 43 grados, manana 43 grados....esto es un fuego!

Back at work

Well as you can see Wendy and I are already busy planning for the year ahead (B.S).
There was a hint of depression as I turned the corner at Cavendish Drive and went up
the driveway into school.
It was sad to wave the holidays goodbye and I could almost smell the salty water crushing over me as my "Summer" is over.
Work wasn't too bad today, I must admit. Just extremelly hot as the air conditioning was turned off for half the day. The heat is really bad, really really bad and it's only going to get worst the next couple of days. Well nearly time to go home now, I really miss it, my home, my family, my cats, my dvds and my couch.

De Compras

Que hice en mi ultimo dia de vacaciones? Sali a recorrer negocios de bb para comparle un regalito a mi sobrinita la loquisima Simona. Despues de buscar y buscar y mirar y mirar compre esto: Zapatitos, pollerita negra, pantalon fuccia y remera con inscripcion metalizada. En estos dias, posiblemente el sabado te lo mande por correo. Cruzo los dedos de que te llegue Shimmy. Desgraciadamente no te pude conseguir al Cookie Monster, pero seguro que lo van a traer de vuelta y cuando asi sea te lo mando ok?
I love you.

DEXTER

Dexter is one of my favourite TV series at the moment. Is about a Miami Police Department blood spatter analyst who has a dark secret: he kills people. He only kills those who deserve to die, those who fall through the gaps of the justice system. He has a very serious and strict code by which he measures who can be killed and who can't. Dexter is not a normal human being. He can't feel anything. Everything he does to fit in is just practised imitation of human behaviour. Inside he is just different, he just loves killing living things and his code helps him stay free.
It was hard at first to like Dexter, I mean "who can like a cold blooded killer?" and if you don't like the main character how can you keep watching, but after a few episodes you start getting to know him and can't help but want Dexter to get his next ugly victim and get away with it.
It is really funny to hear (as the episodes are narrated by Dexter) what goes on inside his head and how he is a maser at imitating human responses. I think that is the best of it.
I am reading the book as well, inspired by the series Ric bought me the book and I have been reading all summer. The books are diffeent to the tv series and hence I enjoyed them more because the plots were new. However I think that the characters and the plots are better developed in the series which is very unusual since it is generally the other way around. Whoever is writing the series is doing an excellent job.

En el muelle de Port Melbourne

Que linda que estuvo la tarde hoy. Ideal para el tradicional bicicleteo a Port Melbourne. Aunque volvamos a ir los fines de semana, ya no sera durante las vacaciones y probablemente no podra ser tan tarde como lo hacemos ahora. Aunque es de dia todavia y estaba atardeciendo precisamente cuando llegamos al muelle, eran las 8.30 pm, lo cual hace que estemos de vuelta en casa a eso de las 10 de la noche (por eso el chaleco ridiculo). En el muelle estaba un poquito fresco y el mar estaba picado, algunas olitas rompian debajo nuestro y el agua explotaba entre los tablones. Cuando el sol se puso por completo pegamos la vuelta. Happy Sunday. I love the city of Melbourne.

Jazzing it up

As we wondered around Eltham Jazz Heritage Festival we did a bit of analysing the public. It is a nice social experiment to go out to different suburbs, different festivals, different restaurants and look around at what people say, how they dress, what they do and try to form a picture of their socio cultural group. Today at the festival there was a mixture of hippies (but not really, perhaps more of a hippy look but with money), older women who had a glass of chardonay and hit the dance floor even though there wasn't really a dance floor and I'm sure the rock and roll band that was playing didn't have in mind such a desperate housewife audience and to complete it a group of totally weird people who have a strange wardrobe. Anyway not very interesting music wise.

We'll always have Lorne...

I will be thinking of this place, this bench, that view next week when the hottest week of the summer so far comes to Melbourne and catches me at work. I will be thinking we'll always have Lorne.

Hoy fue el ultimo viajecito a Lorne antes de empezar el trabajo. El miercoles que viene que es mi primer dia de laburo va a hacer 39 grados, que bueno no? Y yo en vez de estar aca sentada en ese banco mirando el mar estare en el laburo y recordare que lindo que fue estar ahi hoy. Bueno me voy a dormir. Manana me espera un dia de compras.

The Office

Today I visited Wendy. We planned to have an Office Marathon and watch as many episodes as we could before we start work next week. We started at about 4.30 and finished at 10 pm. We went through 2 pizzas (almost) and fruit and icecream. We watched the first two discs of Season 2 and boy did we laugh! Dwight gets better and better with every episode. His character is so well written, we love him, he makes us wish we could find someone like him at work that we could prank. Give us time, we will find him or her. Michael is another fine character and he has that duality about him, you know, sometimes you hate him, others you can't stop laughing at him, others you feel sorry for him, he is so needy and yet he can drive you so mad! We think there is one person at work who comes close to Michael, especially when he tries to be funny or performs some kind of dance. We also love Jim and Pam, it's great how their characters grow during the seasons and their relationship is so nice. Anyway if you work in an office or similar evironment, you should watch The Office, it is so much like real life, only that it makes you laugh instead of cry like your real job....

Australia

Despues de un rato empezaron a moverse sin importarles nuestra presencia. Todavia no me atrevi a probar carne de canguro.

My neighbours

Hello all! Los planes cambiaron para hoy porque se nos hizo un poco tarde para ir tan lejos en bici asique fuimos a caminar por el Westerfolds Park, en frente de casa. Caminamos hasta donde el camino se bifurca aproximadamente unos 1000m y vimos a nuestros vecinos los canguritos que siempre estan ahi pastando cuando sale el sol y cuando se pone. Esta vez nos acercamos bastante, sin molestar y con precaucion. Ricky se acercaba mas para ver si se asustaban y salian corriendo porque yo queria sacar una foto en moviemiento, pero me dio un poco de miedo de pensar 'que si en vez de escaparse corren para nuestro lado...' pero los canguritos son tranquilos y deben estar acostumbrados a ver gente en el parque asi todo bien.

I took these photos at Westerfolds Park today at sunset. The kangaroo family was relaxing in the field while eating some grass. We came as close as we dared to see if I could capture one on the go. Here is the result.

Car washing at midnight

After coming back from the beach, the car has so much grit and sand everywhere that it screams for a wash, so we listened and took it for a midnight bath.
Despues de la playa el auto pide a gritos que le saquemos la mugre y la arena pegoteada, asique lo escuchamos y lo llevamos por un bano de medianoche.
Hoy no paso demasiado, hizo calor y nosotros descansamos del dia de ayer. Anton se fue a explorar caminos en bicicleta con Ryan y nosotros fuimos al mercado a comprar un par de boludeces. Manana el plan es andar en bici, tal vez en vez de Port Melbourne vayamos a The Docklands que todavia no conocemos o St. Kilda. El plan es ir con tiempo de parar y tomar un cafecito rico en algun lado. Esperemos que no este agobiante de calor. Se estan terminando las vacaciones y a pesar de que me gusta el la buro que hago no puedo dejar de sentir angustia y lamentar muchas cosas que no hice durante las vacaciones. Por que sera que la libertad cuesta tan cara.

I can't stop feeling depressed about the holidays coming to an end. Why is it that even though I like my job and I enjoy working with the people I work with (well some of them anyway) I still feel like this, like something is being ripped away from me slowly and painfully. It must be the lack of control and the fact that our instinct is to run free, to explore and to do what we feel like at every moment. Structure is something that restricts these feelings and puts an end to free time and one must starts "managing time" and compartmentalising and compromising and choosing. I don't like it! I am also a bit worried about the pressure I am putting on myself this semester at uni. I have decided to do 3 units instead of 2 and that will mean a lot more work, a lot more reading, a lot more writing, a lot more time of the computer...I don't know...I don't know...we will see. I thought I was going to rest a lot on the holidays and be ready for the challenge but I don't feel I rested enough. I need my sleep.

SURF CITY

En Torquay decidimos cambiar de driver porque Ricky estaba cansado y paramos en SURF CITY a mirar esos negocios mostrosos, enormes y re lindos. Por supuesto estaba todo cerrado ya que eran las 9 de la noche, es raro eso que a pesar de ser vacaciones lugares asi cierren temprano. Por un lado es una cagada porque si queres ir a comprar cosas tenes que ir durante la hora de playa, pero por otro hace que se mantenga un orden y una onda bastante particular muy torquayiana.

Lorne Otra vez

Aca estoy parada en la playa otra vez bien temprano a la manana (8.00). El dia estuvo perfecto, no viento, el agua hermosa y las olas grandes, limpias y espaciadas. Lei mucho, nade, saque fotos y despues llego mi cunada con los chicos. Fue un dia variado y caluroso y a pesar de haberme cuidado del sol, mi cara arde hoy.
Vale te acordas de esta remera. Es mi preferida.

Surfing the early waves

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! I imagine that it was so because we didn't endure the heat of town. Today I am sitting here with the fan in my face and I can only hope that it's not this hot next week when I have to start work.
Well Lorne was perfect yesterday. The sun was nice and soft in the morning when we arrived and Anton and Ric were surfing these waves. They were pretty big and quite strong. It's funny cause when you are looking from the beach they look ok, not too big, but when you are in the water and your head is at sea level those waves are HUGE.
I lay in the sand and read my book (DEXTER). I am in the second novel, and it is great 'cause it's not exactly like season 2 of the tv series so I don't know what is going to happen. Dexter is just as funny in the book, if you can all him that, trying to imitate human emotions and behaviours.

Blogging

Here I am blogging while cooking pasta and left over chicken.
That is my tiny eeepc. I visited my friend Linda today and forgot to take my camera to photograph her new car...there will be other times. Now I'm cooking and getting ready for Lorne cause tomorrow we'll be there again...I can't wait!

Aca estoy blogging con mi neva eeepc, mientras se hierven los fideos y se calienta el pollo que sobro de anoche. Hoy fui a visitar a Linda y me olvide de llevar mi camara para sacarle una foto con su auto nuevo. No importa ya habra otra oportunidad. Manana nos vamos a Lorne de vuelta yeahhhhhhhhhhh!!! No veo la hora de estar ahi, ojala que haya olas y que haga mucho calor. Anton y Ricky fueron a andar en bici hoy y ahora estan poniendo las tablas en el auto. A mi me dolia la cabeza por eso tuve una salida tranqui. Tome cafe en pocillo como los de alla (porque ella es italiana).

The Decemberists

Ya se que ya hable de esta banda antes, pero hoy escuche un programa de radio y escuche que en Marzo sale un nuevo cd que se va a llamar "The Hazards of Love". Se acuerdan un par de blogs atras les dije que escucharan el tema "Summersong"...ok ya se que no lo escucharon todavia, por eso les digo donde lo pueden escuchar mientras leen la letra que esta aca en mi blog. Si miran a la derecha hay una lista de links, entre ellas una que se llama The Decemberists, bueno si hacen un click ahi van a la pagina de la banda y si hacen un click donde dice "click here to listen" justo esta esta cancion tan apropiada para esta epoca del ano. Espero que les guste tanto como a mi.

If you haven't listen to this band yet I urge you to follow the link on the right side of this page 'the decemberists' and once there, click where it says: 'click here to listen' and that song that I love so much 'summersong' will start playing. You can follow the lyrics here from my page (a few blogs ago). In March there will be a new cd coming out and I am looking forward to hearing it. Since you are in their page check out the artwork it's pretty cool.

Expedition

OK today Oliverio and Felipe went out for a big expedition: to visit the place where they were born. The trip went without much fuss expect for the constant miowing and Felipe's opera singing. When we arrive to their mother's house they came out of the cage and they saw 'the others' (mum, older sister and a complete stranger) and the hissing started. Felipe went so mad that didn't even recognise his own brother Oli. Oli was terrified and completely taken aback by his brother hateful language and so he retreated to the cage and stayed there for a while until Felipe got his act together and stopped the growling. Untie Andrea quickly hid 'the others' but Felipe's wires got so crossed that did not come down from his madness. Oli was patient and waited until the air was clear to come out of the cage. When he did, he investigated the whole room and even chew on some left over cookie. He even got to look at 'the others' from much closer than Felipe for a minute or two.
So Horacio's mith that they would remember their mother, turned out to be busted. Both of them got their vaccine anyway and now Oli is sleeping like a baby. Felipe is a totally antisocial cat. He has a lot of explaining to do to Oli.

Happy Birthday Oliverio

Today was Oli's B'day. His exteded family came to visit him and his favourite toy came out of the draw to have a long well deserved play. At night he had a deliciuous Fancy Feast Royale which he devoured and mum played with him for a whole hour, moving the little rat toy everywhere until Oli was tired. He also received a text message from his twin brother Milo who was celebrating his b'day too, but Oli was too busy to reply.
Oli you are such a loved little spoilt cat and you are soooooo cute and soft. Happy 1st Birthday!

Second Installment

As promised here it is the second installment on the Aireys Inlet Series. Something to think about...a different perspective on the same object can make an image more interesting. I like this shot, the light is really warm and soft and the angle makes the lighthouse very prominent. In this shot I used the "rule of thirds", made famous by the Grade 6 students exhibition last year, to create a more dynamic image.

En espanol: esta es la segunda foto de la serie "Aireys Inlet" tomadas ayer en el camino de vuelta de Lorne. Cuando saquen fotos traten de usar una perspectiva diferente para crear una imagen mas intereseante. Me gusta esta foto porque la iluminacion era suave y calida y el angulo en la que esta tomada hace que el faro sea prominente. En esta imagen utilice la famosa regla de tres para crear una imagen mas dinamica.

Aireys Inlet

Hoy Lorne volvio a la normalidad. No hubo 20.000 personas, ni trafico, ni nada feo. El dia estuvo calurosisimo y el sol demasiado fuerte. Lo unico malo es que el mar estaba totalmente flat, no olas. Asique los muchachos se quedaron sin surfear. Igual pasamos un dia de playa alucinante y en el camino de vuelta paramos en Aireys Inlet y fuimos hasta el faro. Estaba atardeciendo y desde arriba habia una vista alucinante. Ya ire poniendo fotos de a poco. Por hoy esta.

Well another day at beach for us today. Lorne was back to normal. No special fk event, so the day went really well, except that there was no swell and the boys couldn't surf. We went for a long walk all the way to the pier, today was actually the first time this summer that the sand was so hot that you couldn't step on it bare feet. If you read my description of the trip to Lorne, you would know why we decided to stop at Aireys Inlet and take a few shots of the beautiful lighthouse. The time was perfect, the sun was setting and the view from up there is breath taking. I took lots of photos, for now just enjoy this installment.

Port Melbourne

This is a photograph of Port Melbourne Pier on one of those many afternoons that we get there by sunset at the end of our bike ride (well actually is just half way). I love this image, it makes me think of sea breezes. It is a good spot to sit and ponder on the accoplishment of getting there by push bike. Photographically speaking is a well composed image. It works because care has been taken to position the pier in exactly the middle of the image hence creating balance. The eye follows the pier into the distance and then out to the sides. Unfortunatelly, the light is too strong on the right and it burnt the sky leaving no detail. The contrast is good, the shadows are not too strong. The clouds in the background make an interesting addition and add detail to the image.
Today I got up with two things in mind that I wanted to do just to feel that I did something in the house during this holidays and I have accoplished what I set out to do, that is why this image is appropriate for today. I cleaned my fireplace and cleaned my spices shelf! I threw out so much rubbish! Tomorrow is Lorne again, they say the thermometer is going to hit 37!

Hoy hace 19 anos que pise por primera vez suelo australiano a los 20 anos.  El ano que viene se cumpliran 20 anos, la mitad de mi vida vivida en Argentina y la otra mitad aca, en Australia. What an anniversary!

Movies

Today was a stay home day for me. The boys went on a bike ride on the Yarra Trail. I had a headache so I stayed and decided to clean my medicine cabinet and vanity unit. I found things that expired in 05! Anyway I am very proud of it.
Changing topic I want to talk about the list of movies and shows on the right of this blog. If you never saw Amelie I recommend it very highly. It is a French movie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. The story, without spoiling it, is about a very shy girl who struggles with her own isolation and decides to help change the lives of those around her. In the process she falls in love.
It is set in Paris and I love the photography, specially the saturated colours of the movie. The music is really characteristic of France and the story is just beautifully told. Audrey Tautou is fantastic in this role, her eyes are very expresive. Watch it and leave a comment!

En espanol: Queria hablar un poco sobre la lista de peliculas y shows que hice en mi blog y esta es la primera de la lista: Amelie. Un film frances dirigido por Jean-Pierre Jeunet y protagonizado por Audrey Tautou. La historia trata de una chica muy timida que vivio toda su vida un poco aislada y decide cambiar y ayudar a aquellos que la rodean, en el proceso ella se enamora. La pelicula me encanta porque es una historia muy dulce y tiene una fotografia exelente. Los colores esta tratados con mucho cuidado y saturados de una forma alucinante que le re pega a la historia. Es muy parisiena y la musica acompana a la historia super bien, especialmente los acordeones. Si un dia no saben que alquilar o que "bajar" mirenla y despues me dejan comentarios.

No lo mejor de Lorne

Recien llegados de otro dia en Lorne. Que bajon por desinformados caimos en el dia de la competencia mas grande del pequeno pueblo costal, botes por todos lados, gente a montones y para colmo me encontre con dos companeras del trabajo que mucho no me banco! Para colmo se nublo, hizo frio y no habia nada nada nada de olas.
El martes vamos de nuevo, va a ser 37 grados.

Well my friends...today was not the best of Lorne. Just because we live in our own little bubble we didn't realise that today was the major event in Summer at Lorne: the pier to pub swim plus a million boats and a billion people, amongst them Mother Teresa and La Piccola! Oh God! On top of that no sun and no waves...NOT THE BEST OF LORNE!

Fotografia

Hoy fue un dia tranqui, al menos para mi, asique decidi escribir un poco sobre fotografia. Aquellos que me conocen bien, saben como me apasiona el tema y los que no quiza tengan un indicio al mirar este blog. Esta foto fue tomada en la city de Melbourne, cuando cruzabamos el Yarra River con nuestras bicicletas. Una de las cosas mas importantes en fotografia es la composicion de la imagen. Es muy importante controlar los elementos que aparecen en la foto asi como tambien es muy importante decidir que dejar afuera del cuadro. Para que una imagen sea efectiva, el sujeto debe estar enfatizado. En este caso no hay distracciones en la imagen ya que el fondo es uniforme y el sujeto es claro: la canoa. Lo mas importante en fotografia es la ilumincion. Esta imagen carece de buena iluminacion porque el momento del dia en la cual fue tomada no era nada especial. Un par de horas mas tarde hubiera sido mucho mas impactante. Solucion: Photoshop.