It's a long walk to the top....

What a day, we are so tired. Today after finding a place to crash and walking around town we decided to walk to Griffiths Island to the historic lighthouse. It was a long walk to get there through rough bushland, beach areas and pathways, but we finally made it!!! The way back was a lot easier because there was an alternative path. If only we knew... Nice, but smallER than Aireys Inlet. After that we went to have a coffee with cake and now back here taking a shower. Pizza for dinner.

Me duele todo! Que caminata para llegar al Faro, en el camino vimos canguros y atravesamos tramos de playa y geografia rara. Port Fairy es lindo pero no tanto como nos imaginabamos y no hay mucho para hacer, como siempre nosotros hacemos turismo express y en un dia visitamos todas los lugares turisticos. Cuando fuimos a Sydney recorrimos la city, Bondi Beach, anduvimos en Ferry y Opera House todo en el mismo dia! Asi son los Zalewskis: One Day Express Tourism! Manana creo que nos vamos para otro lado. El camino aca fue rapidisimo por adentro (o sea no por la costa) y pensamos volver por la costa asique tal vez paremos en algun otro pueblito manana a la noche.

Here we are

Yeah there is wireless internet where we are staying so you'll be kept in touch. Aca es donde estamos parando en el piso de arriba. Ahora nos vamos a caminar..see you soon.

Feliz Cumple

Mis 40 fueron un cumple feliz, me llenaron de flores y otros regalos muy lindos. Amigos vinieron a casa a tomar una merienda y los chicos del grado me hicieron una pila de tarjetas. Hoy estamos en Port Fairy como continuacion de las celebraciones. So far mucho no nos gusta...

My last day as a young person

Here I am enjoying my last day as a 3o something. A new decade rolls out in front of me full of new adventures and unexpected experiences. I feel weird. For the first time in my life I am not too excited about having a birthday. Lately I felt like the 40s were creeping up on me and they were making me feel them. Haven't been taking much care of myself and as a result I feel old. Not that I think that 40 is old, but it is older than 39 and it is a scary number. Too much stress this year, uni has been good but hard, didn't give time to do much else and despite liking it, it is quite a heavy burden to carry at this age. That is the other thing I have been thinking about as a prelude of my birthday...what have I accomplished? Is it enough for all the years I lived?

Mi ultimo dia de 39 anos. Una nueva decada se desenvuelve delante mio llena de aventuras y experiencias nuevas e inesperadas. Me siento un poco rara, porque por primera vez no estoy muy contenta de cumplir anos...ultimamente siento que los 40 se acercan y se estan haciendo sentir, que un dolor aqui, que otro alla. Ya se que no estuve cuidandome mucho ultimamente, con tanto trabajo y el estress de la facultad, no he tenido mucho tiempo para preocuparme de mi estado fisico (una excusa ya se) y eso me hace sentir vieja. No que piense que 40 es vieja pero es mas vieja que 39 y asusta un poco el numero. Me acuerdo cuando mi papa la cargaba a mi mama cuando iba a cumplir 40 y le decia "Mary, vas a cumplir coooooaaaaarenta", no parece que fue hace tanto! Pienso....cuales son mis logros? Son suficientes por todos los dias que vivi?

Trash and Treasure

Well, mostly trash.

It is a nice feeling when one has emptied the house of trash. I have pondered about this many times. Why do I find it so difficult to get rid off things that has no use, no monetary value and no purpose? I like the feeling of a clean slate, but I live on the other side of it most of my days, cluttering every single space in the cupboards, drawers, shelves and boxes. I don't know what I have in them anymore, since most of the stuff hasn't been used or needed in a long time, but knowing that it is there must fill some emptiness in me. Occasionally when I intend to clean a cupboard I start mercilessly throwing things out, but when I start seeing very old items that had at one time or another been placed there for a reason, I become forgiving again and I tucked those things back inside. This fruitless attempt at cleaning is seldom successful, or minimally accomplished.

Today, I cut the lawn while the boys cleaned the shed and took all of what is in that photo out to the nature strip. I still have to go through the stuff inside....a much more difficult task.

Dia muy ocupado, sacamos basura grande afuera y cortamos el pasto. Me pregunto porque juntamos tantas porquerias. Cual es el proposito, el merito o la necesidad de acumular cosas que solo ocupan lugar y acumulan mugre? Me encanta como me siento cuando hago limpieza profunda y vacio espacio fisico en la casa, sin embargo vivo generalmente del otro lado, acumulando cosas en los cajones que ya ni se que tienen y cuando trato de hacer limpieza profunda me cuesta mucho deshacerme de dichas pavadas que han sido guardadas hace tiempo atras con algun motivo ya perdido...

Cold & desolated

Today Port Melbourne looked desolated, perhaps due to the cold and gray conditions of the day. I enjoyed the ride despite my headache. Not feeling very awake now, tired and headachy. Also full. I cooked home made pizza and ate too many slices, it was very nice. Now we'll probably sit and watch some movie. Tomorrow will be busy.

School Concert

Recien volvimos del concierto de mitad de ano del colegio de Anton. Le pedi al que vendia las entradas que me diera un buen asiento para sacar fotos y me dio el peor, de espalda y atras del chinito...estuvo bueno el concierto porque vimos al viejo amigo de Anton, Jason que fue a ver al hermano de el tocar la trompeta.

Anton played well, but it was only orchestral, so no solos.

Mi bici

My bike is about to be 1 year old, but if feels like it's been with me for much longer. I remember the transition from my old purple bike to this one. I thought nothing will replace my old bike, she was with me for 13 years, had even travelled the world, visiting Argentina in 1999 and coming back to Australia. That old bike has lived a long life and it was begging for some time off when this brand new one came about. I love my new bike, much improved gear system and thinner wheels, she is doing the k's as well back and forth to Port Melbourne. If you have not ridden a bike for sometime now you should. It is a totally new experience, great roads, fantastic mp3 quality music and if you live in Melbourne, fresh air and great views.

Mi bici cumple 1 anito pronto. Me encanta mi bici nueva aunque al principio me resistia a la idea de que algo nuevo reemplace mi vieja bici purpura, que vivio conmigo por 13 anos y le dio duro. Incluso viajo por el mundo y visito Argentina en 1999! Mi pobre bici purpura pedia a gritos un descanso y asi es como para mi cumple pasado me regalaron esta negra, con mejor sistema de cambios y ruedas mas finas. Me encanta y tambien esta trabajando duro, recorriendo sus buenos kilometros ida y vuelta a Port Melbourne. Si hace mucho que no andan en bici, deberian. Es una experiencia nueva, buenas rutas, sonido mp3 en los auriculares y si viven en Melbourne aire puro y vistas fantasticas! Y mi bocina es genial...es una burbuja de plastico que hace ruido a payaso...cuando la hago sonar por las sendas en el parque para que la gente se corra a un costado, la gente me mira y debe pensar que mina ridicula con esa bocina infantil...y yo rio.

Grapevine Fires

Para hacerlo mas facil aca va el video y la letra. Traduccion solo a pedido.

When the wind picked up
the fire spread
and the grapevine scene left for dead.
And the northern sky looked like the end of days,
the end of days.

A wake up call to a rented room
Sounded like an alarm of impending doom.
To warn us it's only a matter of time.
Before we all burn
before we all burn
before we all burn
before we all burn.

We bought some wine and some paper cups
near your daughter's school when we picked her up
and drove to a cemetery on a hill,
on a hill.

And we watched the plumes paint the sky gray
as she laughed and danced through the field of grapes
there i knew it would be alright
that everything would be alright,
would be alright
would be alright
would be alright.

And the news reports on the radio
said it was getting worse
as the ocean air fanned the flames.
But i couldn't think of anywhere i would have rather been
to watch it all burn away,
to burn away.

The firemen worked in double shifts,
with prayers for rain on their lips,
and they knew it was only a matter of time.

Correct lyrics / view previous versions

Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires

To kill the Sunday blues

Weird day this Sunday. Weird weekend altogether. Nothing that a bike ride to the bay can't cure, especially when the view is like this, calm and moody. Yesterday night after dinner we decided to go see Terminator Salvation. So we did the dishes, tidy ourselves up and jumped in the car. It is a 5 minute drive to the cinemas at the new and improved?? Doncaster Shoppingtown. Well, I know Shoppingtown is new but as to improved I have my DOUBTS! It was a nightmare to find parking and so we should have known that the nightmare didn't end there, it was much worst inside. A queue of a million people was lined up to buy tickets and another million was roaming around there rubbing everybody's arms and backs. We walked out and drove home totally frustrated. So I guess Terminator will have to wait for us for one more week.

Ayer tuvimos la intencion de ver Terminator Salvation pero cuando llegamos al cine era un kilombo de gente tan grande que nos dio asco, asique nos volvimos a casa y miramos viejos episodios de Star Trek on tv y una pelicula malisima, creo que Portuguesa pero hablada en inlges, un desastre total. Hoy nos fuimos a la bahia en bici, el dia estuvo bastante pasable, no mucho frio, y algo de sol que asomaba aqui y alla. Tomamos un cafe en la city, al lado del Yarra, miramos la market un poquito y volvimos. Fue raro volver y que sea Domingo, normalmente es sabado cuando volvemos y todavia queda gran parte del finde para disfrutar. No importa en dos semanas mas empiezan las vacaciones de invierno.

Death cab for cutie

Hace 6 meses escribi sobre esta banda. Ricky me la habia  recomendado y despues de escucharla unas cuantas veces habia algo que no me gustaba, un par de temas me hacian acordar a Pet Shop Boys (I hate them) y una cancion que aparecia en unos cuantos shows en tv, me parecia super infantil.

Asi paso el tiempo y yo segui escuchandola, en mi mp3 player y en el auto. No se porque pero de golpe algo hizo click y ahora me encanta. Es una de esas bandas que 'grow on you' (que agarran gusto con el tiempo). Me re gustan las melodias y las letras estan muy buenas. El disco "Narrow Stairs" es hermoso y tiene un par de canciones que no puedo parar de escuchar:"Grapevine Fires" y "Talking Bird", re lindas. "Grapevine Fires" es re triste y me hacer acordar al verano pasado que sufrimos tantos incendios y muertes tan cerca. Hay un video que es una animacion y que vale la pena mirarlo mientras se escucha la cancion. Si siguen este link pueden leer la letra y ver el video.

Espero comentarios: 

http://www.lyricszoo.com/death-cab-for-cutie/grapevine-fires/

Follow the link above to see one of the best songs I've heard this year. Beautiful music and heartfelt lyrics, very Victorian (although the song is not about Victoria, it could very much be). 

Death cab for cutie is a nice band worth listening to. Watch the video as well, it made me cry.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Image obtained from: buffy-the-vampire-slayer.otavo.tv/wp-content/...

This must be the 7th time I watch the whole series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and although the show has started to show the passage of time, especially in regards to special effects, it is still one of the  best shows I have ever seen. Of course we owe it all to Joss Whedon creator of the series, who has always proven to be one of the smartest people in television and cinema. Joss is actually working on a series called Dollhouse, which I have been watching attentivelly trying to pre-empt how it is going to develop, but Dollhouse is subject for another entry. Today I just wanted to talk about Buffy. If you haven't seen it the premise is this: in every generation there is a slayer, she alone can stand against evil and the forces of darkness. One girl is born with the power to fight evil (especially vampires) and she does it until she dies. When she dies another slayer is 'born'. Of course she doesn't know she is the slayer until she comes to be in effect and here is where the story of Buffy begins. She moves to Sunnydale to a new school because where she was before (L.A) she was kicked out of school. No one can know about Buffy's deeds, because being the slayer is a secret duty. At her new school she meets her watcher, Giles, who helps her and trains her. She also meets friends Xander and Willow, who in turn learn of Buffy's abilities and help her in her fight against evil.

What is great about Buffy is Joss Whedon's witty and well developed stories and characters. They grow with the show to become really complex and very unique. The evil vampires and nemesis also grow and become intricate characters who make the series the special series that they are. They are full of pop culture references and humour. Buffy is great in so many levels and there are episodes that stand out because of their unexpected reality.

Anyway I just finished watching the series again, one episode a day sort of thing with Anton while we had afternoon tea after school and I enjoyed every minute of it. Recommend you watch it. It is one of those things you can't leave this earth without.

Evolution

Yesterday as we were coming home from M & H's house (thank you for a delicious dinner) we drove in front of the institute where I did my first photography course here in Australia. I haven't been in that place in years and as we passed by some memories just kicked in. I remembered my first camera a Minolta SLR completely manual bought with the savings of many months. It is still sitting in one of my drawers at home and it is still in mint condition and usable. I remembered one particular night when I had to go into the city earlier to finish shooting a roll of film (remember film?) before class and I dropped my camera denting the metal where it said Minolta. I was so devastated! I was crying and I needed to talk to someone so I found a public telephone (remember public telephones?) and I rang Ricardo. The repair cost $100!! Since then I can believe how much photorgraphy has developed. I look at that camera in this self-portrait and although it is not a supa-dupa one is just amazing and it takes quality photographs. I look back at how many years I have been involved in Photography and how much it has changed. This makes me think of when I saw the movie Blade Runner and Mr Decker put a photo in a machine and he would talk to the machine and make it change the angle or zoom into the picture to see things that didn't seem visible witn the naked eye. I have always been fascinated with that machine and with a technology that would allow me to do something like that. Like always fiction falls short to reality and today evolution has made possible things that I only dreamt of. Photography today has the same basic function that had many years ago: to communicate, but with today's technology how much more can be said.

Winter

Que frio! El invierno llego a la ciudad de Melbourne. Los paisajes grises son casi cotidianos. Me encanta la niebla matutina, me hace pensar en epocas pasadas, en tierras de castillos y reyes y olores a pasto fresco y pan caliente.
Hoy fui en bici hasta Port Melbourne despues de hace casi un mes. Tres capas de ropa y guantes frenaron un poco el aire congelado en las bajadas. Por otro lado en las subidas sentia la temperatura corporal subir y subir. Disfrute mucho la ida, la vuelta costo un poco.

I love Winter in the city, the trees surrounding the Yarra are dark with shades of gray and competely naked. The temperature was low and my lungs filled with cold air, a bit of sunshine would have been nice but the sun refused to push through the clouds. I took a couple of photos in the city and when we got to the bay the batteries were dead. It was a shame, because the colours of the sky at the bay were quite the picture: magenta and cold blue, the water was flat and seagulls were fluttering about near the pier.