Florence and the Machine

I am totally digging this song:



That is all :)

Summer Reads

Peek-a-boo.

What I am/have been reading this summer:

1. Marley and Me by John Grogan. Side note: I started reading this before I went to Japan after recommendation from my Dad. Unbeknownst to me it had been made into a film starring Jennifer Anniston and Owen Wilson and is currently screening. Marley is a playful mischevious labrador. Ironically, while in Japan staying with my host family, I left the book in my room on a day spent out and about in Tokyo. Upon return, I found a nasty surprise in my room, as the family's three dogs (including two Huskys and one Golden Retriver) had made their way into my room and kindly piddled on the floor as well as a few of my things including the book - Marley and Me. How very ironic that these dogs had been so michevious and damaged a book about a mischevious dog. I am yet to bring myself to keep reading it however .. um.. dry it may be.

2. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Side note: After the incident with the dog pee, my host family were naturally mortified and wanted to replace the book. Although we couldn't find Marley and Me in the Japanese book stores, they insisted I find something else to my liking. I chose Into the Wild after being so impressed by the movie. I am yet to finish this as well.

3. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. Side note: absolutely wonderful and intriguing as all of her work is!

4. Riding the Bus with my Sister by Rachel Simon. Side note: This book undertook quite an adventure to find it's way into my hands. My Mum read it first and loved it so much that she wanted to buy me a copy for Christmas. She couldn't get her hands on it in Australia for one reason or another but found that it could be purchased in America. She convinced a cousin of hers residing in Chicago to buy three copies, as she loved it so much, and have them sent to Australia. I really really enjoyed this book. It follows Beth and her sister Rachel, both grown adults. Beth is mentally disabled and has found a liking for riding the city buses every day. One year, Rachel decides to join her sister and ride the buses with her. There are so many warm anecdotes and stories within this novel, especially as each bus driver and character is introduced.

5. Diary of an Ordinary Woman by Margaret Forster. Side note: I put this on my birthday wish-list after recommendation from my friend Mindy. My lovely boyfriend snapped it up for me :) .I loved it just as much as she and it got me thinking about how such supposed ordinary lives really can become quite extraordinary and how our 'mundane tasks' can seem totally different in the eyes of a spectator.

6. Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. Side note: Yes, I have jumped on the Twilight bandwagon after seeing the movie a couple of days ago. I know most Twilight fans would shreik at the thought me reading the books after seeing the movie first, but what the heck. I fell in love with Edward just like everyone else and had some birthday vouchers to spend so thought, why not?

7. The Pact and Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Side note: I spent more of my birthday vouchers on these two. I am excited to read them as I love all of Miss Picoult's work that I have read so far and these two have been reccommended to me a number of times.

How good is it to have nothing to do but read? Bliss :)

I like it when

.It starts raining as soon as I hop into bed, such as now.
.My boyfriend sings.
.I blow in my dog's face and he hides behind his paws.
.My Dad makes me breakfast.
.I meet someone for the first time and they instantly call me by a nickname that I like.
.I get pampered by other people.. such as my sister doing my hair or my boyfriend painting my nails (yes, he does this).
.My Mum sends me home with an eski full of frozen vegetarian goodies.
.A book can make you laugh out loud.
.I hear my Dad laughing out loud at the book he is reading, and he then shares the funny parts with me.
.I hear from my brother, who is currently in the U S of A.

Photo: my lovely sister Soph and our dog Oliver. He such a handsome young man.

tea party!

hello folks,
Well yesterday evening i celebrated my 21st birthday with a tea party with all my rellos and closest pals.
It was a truly lovely evening with plenty of cake, tea and bite sized goodies. My Mum dear worked very hard and showed off her culinary skills as per usual. I am so very lucky!
Not only did I have the company of some amazing people, but I was absolutely showered with amazing gifts. It really is quite overwhelming. I am so excited by all the stuff I got! They know all know me so well!
We ended the night in true style with champagne and Sing Star in my lounge room. Which I would have to say was a much better option than going out to the greasy pubs of Tamworth.
As most would have it, a 21st seems to scream - 'get drunk and rowdy'.. but I didn't want it that way. Sure, we had a few quite ones, but I was so happy that the people I was with were the type that didn't need the alcohol to have a good time. And as a bonus, no headache this morning!

Now, kind sirs, feast yourself upon some pictorial goodness.

today i

blew out 21 candles, well technically only 8 but you know.. ha

what a lovely day! spoilt rotten
more to come.. my tea party is this saturday! wahoo

how was your january 6?

So this is the new year

and i don't feel any different
the clanking of crystal
explosions off in the distance

so this is the new year
and I have no resolutions
for self assigned penance
for problems with easy solutions

so everybody put your best suit or dress on
let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
as thirty dialogues bleed into one

i wish the world was flat like the old days
then i could travel just by folding a map
no more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
there'd be no distance that can hold us back.

there'd be no distance that could hold us back

--

Happy New Year folks :)
May 2009 be more than you could ever ask for!

so this is the new year

Atsugi Times

1. This is the cafeteria at Shohoku College. We ate lunch here most days. It's pretty much my dream kitchen!

2. This is my first Cafeteria meal. Admittedly they didn't have the best vegetarian options. The round thing was a sweet cheesey puff ball thingo and the other a sweet danish. Salad was always the best option...apart from the time there was wormy squid things in the coleslaw.

3. This is a shot of Atsugi city by night. It was always bustling and alive at night time with lots of lights and noises and smells.

4. Haruka and myself! Haruka was a college student who we became really great friends with. Her and her friend Risa took such great care of us and showed us lots of places in Atsugi. This night they took us to Kareoke! It was about the second night there so we were all still a bit shy but I was so impressed that everyone got up and had ago! No alcohol needed!