Chick-lit surprise

I was recently in Melbourne and had the chance on Saturday to pop into Borders for a quick look/see. I was after any novels by Caprice Crane, but they don’t seem to stock them. I did discover however that low and behold, the daughter of my favourite crime writer, Kathy Reichs, is writing chick lit. How exciting! I snapped up Kerry Reichs’ first novel, The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life, and preceded to devour it on the plane flight home. The book is about a girl, Vi, in her late 20s who finds herself attending 11 weddings (and being in 3) in a year. From what I have read thus far, Vi is also coming to terms with the changing nature of her childhood friendships, finding that she doesn’t quite fit in back home and coming to the realisation that her life is somewhere else.

Just before I finished my honours year I accepted a job as an Anthropologist in Alice Springs and moved there from Adelaide a month after handing in my thesis. Aside from facebook, there are only a few friends from my childhood that I catch up with face to face. Those that I do catch up with lead completely different lives to me, having married earlier and started families. I’d like to think that we’d still be really close had I not moved away, but I never would have been able to stay in Adelaide. By the end of uni I was craving a change and Alice Springs was certainly it. I’ve been lucky to meet many wonderful new friends in Alice Springs and Melbourne who have, over the years, become old friends. My life is definitely somewhere other than Adelaide now. Vi's journey reminds me of my own - very lucky that I have both childhood friends and new friends to help me through this wonderful life.

Guilty pleasures

I have a guilty secret, well not so guilty. My two favourite genres of books are crime fiction and chick lit. Give me a Maggie Alderson or a Kathy Reichs over ‘literature’ any day. At the end of the last financial year I bought a stack of work related books on my ‘to read’ pile and I am yet to finish one. Yet my Kathy Reichs and my chick lit book (Rich Girl, Poor Girl by Lesley Loko) purchased at the same time were finished months ago. I want to read more literature, I really do, but at the end of a study day or work day, I just want to switch off with something I can get through easily. In the past week I’ve finished Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein and How to break your own heart by Maggie Alderson. If only I could become so engrossed in my work related ‘to read’ pile.

Centerlink make 'home' visits

Last Friday’s Advocate reported that Centerlink (Australia’s Social Security) are now making ‘home visits’ so to speak. In a pilot program Centerlink staff have been visiting people who stay or live in the river to assess their needs and ensure that they have access to the benefits that they are entitled to. What a wonderful idea. Many of these people speak English as a second language and cannot read or write. Having Centerlink approach them as an advocate is fantastic. Anyone whose dealt with Centerlink knows how hard it is to get the right information from Centerlink staff. Imagine that they come to you already armed with the information you need. Ready to help you not only with benefits, but housing and medical help too. What a world.

28-10-09 Update - This program has been made permanent due to it's great success!

"THE ENEMY IS NOT THE BAD PAGE. IT IS THE EMPTY PAGE." - TIMOTHY HALLINAN

via acatofimpossiblecolour.blogspot.com

Ever wondered where you can buy a white power T-shirt?

Turns out they are available for a small fee outside the Alice Springs Town Council!

According to those who Crikey interviewed, our police and our town council feel that this isn't against the law. Nor do they think they should fine the fellow for parking in a motorcycle zone.

See Crikey for further details

For more information on the incident leading to this outburst of white power see my article here

Update: The Centralian Advocate ran this story today (front page, Alice Springs local paper). They have comments from the police who are investigating. From the investigation they will decide what action to take.

The Advocate has also received legal advice that due to the suspending of the Racial Discrimination Act and the weak nature of the NT Anti-Discrimination Act provisions the police probably won’t be able to prosecute.

Veggie tales

We live in a massive 1 bedroom studio down the bottom of the backyard at Nick’s mum’s house. This was supposed to be a one year only, save money thing, so that we could go overseas next year. With the wedding it has blown out to an 18 month stay. It really isn’t that bad, as the studio is, as I mentioned, massive and is a fair way from the house. The best thing about it, however is the citrus trees (lemon, orange and pink grapefruit) and the fabulous vegetable garden Nick’s mum has grown. Even better is, now that it is harvest time, Nick’s mum is overseas for a month and we get to reap the benefits! Cauliflower, beetroot, spring onion, oregano, tomatoes, parsley and three kinds of lettuce, YUM!! However, we are feeling a little overwhelmed with the responsibility of looking after the garden. If you’ve ever been to our house in Melbourne you would have noticed those poor plants, living out their final days in our ‘hospice’. They thought they’d be going to a fabulous garden and ended up in tiny pots begging for their life. Anyway, we’re determined to do better with the vegetable garden. So far so good.

Spring Flowers

More spring flowers from our garden. Did you know that citrus trees flower? I didn't! The last two photos were from the citrus trees. We juiced the last of the pink grapefruits this afternoon, making 5 Litres of juice! Half will go in the freezer for summer drinks - refreshing!

Wearable Arts 2009

Image: Alice Springs News

Wearable Arts 2009 was outstanding. Winners included creations such as 'Moustafa' by Erin Mearns-Tonkins, a dress made from camel bones (winner of the Fantasia Award), 'Tyred of Punctuality' by Kali Eclipse made from recycled bicycle parts (Winner of the People's Choice Award), 'Oil Drum Man' by Matt Mulga, made from recycled oil drums (winner of New World Sustainability).

The choreography added to each entry, through body movement and sound the pieces came alive. Centre in the above image is Matty. He accompanied the model for the CASA piece 'Shine' (see model directly behind him) and pretty much stole the evening with his stage presence and air guitar. A great night was had by all.

Anthropology of Sleep

I haven’t had much time for reading lately, but the other day I was able to indulge for an hour and dive back into Yuendumu Everyday. The chapter I began was about sleep and the rituals that surround sleep. Musharbash (2008, p.95) records that at Yuendumu ‘sleep is socio-culturally organised in terms of space, gender, protection, ritualisation and forth’. The ‘acts of preparing for sleep and re-entering waking life are ritualised’ (Musharbash, 2008, p. 95). Sleep and the rituals surrounding sleep at Yuendumu lead to a much more intimate knowledge of each other than we have of our families and close friends. The sleeping arrangements communicate aspects of self and ways of being.

There are many rituals surrounding sleep. I always have to have a glass of milk before bed (except when I’m too drunk) and without fail (drunk or not) I will always take off my make-up and brush my teeth. Though we did try to fight against it, we have our own ‘sides of the bed’. I most certainly need my space when sleeping, you won’t find me wanting to ‘spoon’ very often. On waking up it has now (I‘m ashamed to admit) become ritual to check my email, facebook and twitter on my iPhone before getting out of bed – my way of re-entering waking life. What are your sleep rituals?

Musharbash, Y. 2008 Yuendumu Everyday: Contemporary life in remote Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.

Sleep Model: Sir Elton