Sneezing is not a good look!

Here we are again. It's been a week since my last post. I have been so busy! I started uni last Monday and as a result started with the stress and impossibly miniscule amounts of free time. That is ok. One day it will be over and I will be proud of my achievement. In the meantime I sit tight, try my best and enjoy the weekends (especially those not too close to assignments due dates) because I can take a few hours off my busy schedule to enjoy the weekly ride to Port Melbourne. Today we stopped at Southbank and ate some chips. Big mistake. I rode back with the feeling that I was going to throw up at any moment, especially when going uphill. My energy levels are way to low for such a long ride....tomorrow I will sleep in and then study!

Photography Book

For Valentine's Day I got a beautiful bunch of Oriental Lillies and this book. Written and photoraphed by Brett Hilder this book is about a journey through the lands of Spanish culture in the Mediterranean and South America. The book is full of notes made by the photographer in his search to photograph a memory. I love how the handwritten words make a background for the images and how each line adds meaning to the image recorded in the camera and attempts to recreate the memories of the journey. The book presents itself as a collage of words and stickytaped photographs. It is leather bound and I love how it feels in my hands and how evocative is of the lands of my heritage. Brett Hilder is an Australian writer and photographer and his website is a nice one to look at. Check it out is in my list (on the right hand side).

Premature Autumn

What an awesome afternoon for a bike ride. Nice weather, sunny. A little on the windy side. My muscles ache now even my arms, it was kind of hard pushing against the wind, especially near the beach. But it is a nice kind of a ache, the one that tells you did something good for your body. Today I parked 1 km closer to home, which meant more riding, but the street was gorgeous. It was carpeted in autumn leaves and covered in an archway of trees. It is a little premature for Autumn, but I enjoyed it nontheless. Better now than never.

Hoy anduve unos km mas en bici que lo normal. Tratando de extender un poco la aventura. Estacione a 1 km de donde estaciono siempre, no mucho mas, pero suficiente, especialmente con lo ventoso que estaba. Ahora me duelen todos los musculos hasta los brazos por algun motivo raro. Costaba mucho empujar en contra del viento especialmente cerca de la playa. La calle donde estacione, estaba cubierta de hojas otonales en el piso y por arriba los arboles se arqueaban cubriendo el cielo. Muy linda. Cuando volvimos disfrutamos unas ricas pizzas hechas en casa (amasadas antes de salir) y miramos dos peliculas muy buenas, una se llama Eddington and Einstein y la otra Gran Torino. Las dos me gustaron mucho, Clint Eastwood dirige y actua en Gran Torino. Trata la historia de un red neck American ex soldado super racista que odia a los asiaticos porque el peleo contra los koreanos. Su esposa muere y los vecinos que vienen a vivir al lado son viednamitas. Al principio los odia, pero de a poco los empieza a conocer y desarrolla una relacion con ellos que no puede ni tener con sus propios hijos o nietos. Bien hecha, bien actuada. Clint esta viejo. Vale la pena verla.

We watched two movies: Gran Torino and Eddington and Einstein. Both movies worth seeing. Eddington and Einstein is about the time when Einstein is working in Germany trying to disprove Newton's Gravity Laws. Eddington on the English side trying to prove Einstein wrong, but neither of them want to get involved in the politics of the time and in secret write to each other and colaborate to achieve a scientific discovery.
Gran Torino is a Clint Eastwood film, about a red neck american war veteran, racist and disgusted with the way society behaves, especially his family. His wife dies and he is left alone to share his days with asian neighbours whom he hates. In a gang initiation ritual his young vietnamese neighbour tries to steal his Gran Torino and gets caught. He becomes enraged with the whole family, but soon realises that they are not what he thinks they are and they devolop a loving relationship. Good movies. Great Saturday.

Happy Birthday Simi

Ayer en el dia de San Valentin cumplio un anito mi sobrinita la loquita Simona y desde aca Dry Melbourne, queremos desearte un Supa Dupa Happy Birthday y queremos decirte que te queremos mucho mucho mucho y estamos muy orgullosos de vos y de tu fuerza y coraje y dulzura y locura y hermosura. Love you Shimmy! Esta torta simboliza amor amor y amor!

Gondola in Melbourne

Gondola riding should not be restricted to Europe and this photo is just a fine example of how a gondola, a lovely city, a clean river and a beautiful sunset is all you need to top up a beautiful ride to the city.

Capuccino and French Baguette on Valentine's Day

On Saturday the 14th we went for a beautiful bike ride to Port Melbourne to see the ocean and prepare for the night time Saturday feast. To celebrate Valentine's Day we stopped at a French Bakery and Cafe to have a Capuccino and sweet baguette. It was yummy!

En el dia de San Valentin fuimos en bici hasta Port Melbourne para ver el mar y tomar un poco de aire (aunque el aire estaba un poco ahumado) y paramos a tomar un capuccino y a comer una deliciosa baguette francesa. Muy rico!

How many trees will survive?

This image of my front lawn is just a little momentum of this relentless summer. Hope some of those trees survive it.

Apocalyptic Sun

On Friday the 13th we had a very weird sunset in Melbourne. Due to the smoke haze the sun could be seen with the naked eye and it looked apocalyptic red. It was quite a sight against the pre-season nakedness of the thirsty branches. I spend many minutes adjusting my camera trying to capture this amazing outwordly sight.

Ultimamente debido a la cortina de humo que se interpone entre el cielo azul y la ciudad de Melbourne, estamos teniendo atardeceres de otro planeta. El Viernes pasado el sol tenia un tinte rojo apocaliptico y podia ser mirado a simple vista (sin anteojos). Era una imagen impresionante detras de las ramas sedientas y despojadas de hojas prematuramente. Estuve unos cuantos minutos ajustando mi camara y probando diferentes aperturas tratando de capturar esta imagen extraterrestre.

Fuego

Como veran en esta foto, tomada por mi durante el mes de Enero en el parque de enfrente de casa, da un poco de miedo pensar que una chispa caiga sobre este pasto porque se encenderia sin lugar a dudas y ahi si tendriamos que correr para donde sea en la direccion opuesta al viento. Ha sido una semana de mucho estress para Vicoria y para mucha gente que vive en las cercanias de los incendios.
Hoy se prendio uno muy cerca de aca pero el noticiero dijo que esta contenido. Toda la tarde senti helicopteros ir y venir y ahora se siente olor a humo. Nosotros estamos bien y con suerte lo seguiremos estando, pero queremos desesperadamente que llueva un poco para que se humedezca un poco todo. En mi casa ya se secaron 2 arboles inmensos y hay un arbusto que esta luciendo bastante delapidado, para colmo no se puede regar porque hay restricciones de uso del agua. Yo voy a regar igual!

My Son the Action Figure

Anton has been working hard because his dream is to create a Superhero and have his own Action Figure. So he has already designed the prototype. With spoon in hand this new superhero will help all those poor defenseless citizens who need a hand when eating giant cornflakes and in this noble way combat starvation. But his archenemy has stolen the giant milk bottle...and that is how the pilot will begin...just stirring!
Como ya saben, Anton ha estado dibujando digitalmente desde que recibio su tableta para su cumpleanos. Ahora le sumo aprender a usar Photoshop asique en este grafico, utilizo una foto de el y una foto de un muneco de esos que usaba cuando era chiquito y se pasaba el dia haciendo pelear a los munecos con sonidos explosivos. De este muneco solo sobrevivio el cuerpo. NOT BAD AT ALL.

No it's not Autumn yet

Although it may look like a pic in Autumn, when the leaves turn red and brown and fall off the trees. It is not. This is now. There are no leaves left in any of those trees and it makes me so sad.

My front lawn was green once

This is a view of my front lawn, which was once green. This photo was taken yesterday on the hottest day in Melbourne ever at 4pm.

46 Grados!

En el dia mas caluroso de Australia el termometro marco 46 grados. Esta foto fue tomada a las 4 de la tarde en la puerta de mi casa. Aquello que en el cielo parece una nube marron, es humo de los incendios forestales que hoy quemaron sin parar. Que sensacion rara es salir a la calle y sentir el viento soplando calor, como un secador de pelo en el punto mas caliente. No hacia falta estar en el sol para sentir el fuego de la agravante temperatura. El viento literalmente quemaba! El calor seco es raro y asusta. Habiamos planeado ir a Lorne este fin de semana ya que se preveia una temperatura de 44, pero despues de leer el diario (Thanks Patrick) decidimos seguir los consejos del governador y quedarnos en casa, ya que si se prendian los bosques de la Surf Highway no ibamos a poder volver. Ademas nos dio miedo irnos y dejar a los gatitos aca solos con este calor. Asique pasamos el dia banandonos con agua fria y sentados frente al aire acondicionado choto evaporativo que tenemos y mirando peliculas. Comimos helado de Cookies and Cream hasta que el viento cambio y la temperatura bajo a 28. La casa todavia esta caliente pero por lo menos paro ese viento terrorifico. Da tanta tristeza ver los pastos amarillos y los arboles perdiendo las hojas. Preveo un otono triste sin color.

Fin de Semana

As the weekend rolls in I sit here (at work) and wonder why is it that no matter what you do for a living you always wait anxiously for the weekend.
I must admit I don not mind my job. In fact I get a lot of satisfaction from it, but the week can't end fast enough. I wonder are there ANY jobs at all when that doesn't happen? When your job is so exciting and entertaining that you don't need a break from it because it becomes your life? Does the dream job exist? I doubt it, but isn't it sad to live our lives waiting for something else to come along. We spend so many hours of our lives at work that it would make sense that we enjoyed it without reservation, that we will do it even if we didn't have to. There are so many factors though that influence how one feels at work and sometimes it has nothing to do with the work itself. You can love what you do, but you can hate your office or your coworkers, or your boss and then that thing you initially loved, gets corrupted and becomes tedious and even hateful. What to do? Try to enjoy the time spent at work more? How? Us, humans, as social beings suck. We don't help each other, we stand in each other's way.

Lo que el viento se llevo

Con la conclusion de estas vacaciones muchas cosas que he abandonado hace un tiempo atras vuelven a asomarse detras del parapeto ( me gusta como suena esa palabra especialmente al repetirla varias veces, me acuerdo que con mi amiga Bouzas soliamos decir esa palabra al azar y reiamos mucho). Que cosas son ellas: comer saludablemente, organizarme, hacer ejercicio, irme a dormir temprano (cosa que ya falle ayer por el tenis hoy por emails). Que dificil se hace empezar todo junto. Hoy fue mi primer dia entero de laburo, y estoy cansada y con dolor de cabeza. Siento como el viento holidense se llevo los vestigios de Procastinating Ale ( to procastinate: dejar para manana lo que puedes hacer hoy). So I will stop here and wish myself a good night sleep and sweet dreams. C ya!

Great Ocean Feeling

How good I felt at this moment yesterday! After spending the day travelling along the Great Ocean Road and stopping at Lorne for a swim I took a shower and felt like all the misery and pain of going back to work and enduring the heat wave in Melbourne were washed away from me. I touched my skin and it was fresh. I looked around and there was beauty. I looked inside myself and there was joy. 
Como disfrute el agua ayer. El mar estaba hermoso, el agua fresca y el sol no muy fuerte. En el agua pataleaba y disfrutaba tanto la frescura. Miraba alrededor a esas lomas que caen en el oceano y era como estar viviendo el sueno que durante toda la  semana me ayudo a pasar dia a dia. Fue la verdad alucinante y relajante y es lo que me va a ayudar esta semana a seguir adelante. El recuerdo de ese momento cuando llendo hacia Lorne vi el color turquesa del oceano estirandose a lo lejos por millas y millas y el sonido unico de The Shins agregaba el toque final a ese momento de placer.