Big Weekend

This weekend Alice Springs played host to the Triple J One Night Stand. The weekend kicked off straight after work Friday night with beers at the T & C, followed by an exhibition opening at Peta Appleyard Gallery, then bands at Annie's Place.

Come Saturday morning cider was no longer my friend and a breakfast at Olive Pink was in order. The afternoon was spend at Alice Springs Resort floating around the pool, drinking a gin and tonic or two. The ladies and lads from the Shitbox Rally happened to be there too, adding to the merriment and all of a sudden it was time to head to the One Night Stand.

BlueJuice was a highlight followed closely by Washington. Jimmy made the best camel burgers you'll taste all night.

Over the weekend I may or may not have:

• told the lead singer of BlueJuice that he could sit with my friends to eat his dinner, only to have them tell him there was no room at their table
• been mistaken for a VIP, then stalked radio celebrities
• tap danced for Nicky Bomba
• met Kenny
• watched Mad Max with no sound and laughed at a fellow who thought it was playing in German
• laughed at the drummer from Gyroscope, then agreed with him that base players are the cause of all the worlds problems
• given Alex Dyson a lecture about Sacred Sites
• participated in a mass dance off
• had my first snake bite

How was your weekend?

Rose

This house is just down the road from where we were staying in Apollo Bay for our 'honeymoon'. I love this 50s? architecture. The big round balcony that looks out to the Bay, the fact that the house has a name, Rose, the landscaping, complete with box hedge. I wonder who used to live here or holiday here?

Image: Cannon Digital IXUS60, edited in CameraBag

Vodka Jetsons Style

I love this ad, reminds me of the Jetsons. Hard to believe the model is Zooey Deschanel.

Post-Modernism

My Anthropology Honours year syllabus was centered around Post-Modernism. At the pub one day towards the end of the year one of my fellow ‘anthroposse’ (a name we came up with for ourselves at a previous pub session – we met weekly on a Friday at midday, not for lunch, only for drinking) asked ‘Does anyone know what post-modernism means?’ We all shook our heads and offered various guesses, but didn’t really come up with a definition.

During research last year for my Grad Dip in Urban and Regional Town Planning, I came across this definition of post-modernism:

‘Post-modernism is against universal truths.’

‘The central tenant is that there can be no overarching theory of how society works because society differs from place to place’.

‘‘reality’ is very much a social construction, reflecting the characteristics of the individual making the constructions’.

‘events must be explained by the context in which they occur, rather than by reference to universal laws or principles’ (Walmsely, 2000:14)

Turns out that post-modernism had been the central tenant of our undergrad anthro studies all along. Post-Modernism is how we were taught to see the world as Anthropology. It become part of ourhabitus. We just didn’t know that we were post-modernists.

Reference: Walmsely, D 2000 ‘Community, Place & Cyberspace’ Australia Geographer vol 31, No 1 pp5-19

Image: Taken on my Mini Diana

New Job

I've started my new job, currently working as a Planning Officer with the Department of Lands and Planning in Alice Springs. Finishing up at my previous job was really stressful, particularly since I was finishing and then leaving for the wedding the next day. But coming back to a new job has been great. I didn't return to the piles of emails and loads of work that normally await a return from holidays, I have simply been able to ease into a new job. There's been a great deal to learn and the people I'm working with have been wonderful, teaching me all I need to know and being patient (or laughing out loud) when I get it wrong.

My other new job, Heritage Officer for the NT Heritage Department, starts in two weeks - I can't wait.

One small observation thus far:

Planners do not seem to use notebooks. Anthropology is all about the field notebook. Everything is documented. Planners have applications, plans, the Act, the Planning Scheme. They take notes on copies of applications or plans but they don't have notebooks. By mid morning day one I'd asked for a notebook. An anthropologist can't live without one.

PS. If you like a good sticky beak, a job as a town planner is for you.

My husband & I

Fancy clothes, heartfelt words, great party, good food, crazy dancing and now we're husband and wife. You can read more about the wonderful, crazy day here.

Image: Us at the Great Ocean Hotel Apollo Bay

Things post wedding have been busy with cleaning up, family and friends, but we were able to get two days to ourselves. Part of which I used to finish Nick Hornby's new novel Juliet Naked. A great story about the not so insular world of a musician, his fans and the impacts on the people that surround them. Now we're back to reality, Alice Springs, and all the wonders it holds.

PS. The two photos show the juxtaposition of the Apollo Bay weather. Taken on consecutive days, one like the middle of winter, the other gorgeous sunlight, hot enough to swim.

Happy

I'm getting married on Saturday and yesterday my caterer gave me a serving for not sounding happy enough.

We decided to have the wedding at Nick's family's beach house which has proved a lot harder than it originally sounded. There has been numerous decisions and plenty of jobs to do (plus late nights out in Melbourne) and by Monday I was exhausted. So when the caterer (who has been amazing) called reminding me to do one last thing, I guess I didn't sound as cherpy as I should have.

My aunt has been with the same guy for more than thirty years, they've never married and half of the time they haven't lived together. I've always thought that this was a fabulous arrangement. How did I stray so far?