No harm, he’s armed, Setting off all your alarms

Today was the first day of my 2nd year at university. When I woke up naturally at 7.46am, my first thought was, oh no, how long have I overslept for?! But luckily for once that was not the case. I still can’t believe I woke up a quarter of an hour before my alarm! And I can’t believe how fast the past four months of summer holidays has just slipped away. It seems barely last week when I was jumping on the $999/return deal to fly to LA, and it feels barely yesterday that I was power-walking through San Francisco and riding on cable cars. Yet, at the same time it feels like an entire lifetime away. I think I’ve had four main distinctive phases this summer:

1/ November: California lovin’
2/ December: late nights, dashes in and out of everywhere
3/ January: wishy washy old self, dreaming of all the possibilities and living my life through daydreams and the internet
4/ February: actual lovin’, every day blurs into the next in the HOT HOT HEAT of summer, wishing I could rewind or fast forward time

I guess time truly flies when you’re having fun, huh.

Here are some (sorry, but shitty… it wasn’t my camera and it took a long time to work out how to 1/ get it out of black and white mode; 2/ get out of manual point-and-shoot mode; 3/ take an okay picture) pictures from Friday night, pizzas made from scratch, grâce à l’ami petit:

Rum & Pepsi, my phone getting charged, CC & dry

 

 

 

Tomatoes courtesy of his backyard.

 

Pre-Basil.

Note to anyone else who also likes sniffing boys books: acquaint yourself with a boy who has a vast book collection.

I spent an hour in a queue at university in order to obtain a Maxx sticker, which is what entitles me and my student ID to a discount when buying ferry tickets. For half an hour of this, my parking was expired and I was panicking over whether or not I was going to get a parking ticket. Luckily not, but you’d think that the major university in the biggest city of this country would have more than two people on computers sussing out timetables and enrollment qualification business!

In addition to this, currently on my timetable for the year, I have jazz combo on Wednesday night… at 8-10pm. Now… whilst that time is completely acceptable for when we have recital assessments, but on a weekly basis?! Gaaah! Especially when I had been hoping to play hockey this season, I really don’t know how everything is going to work. I’m not a happy chappy about my combo, but I meet them tomorrow, so we’ll see what happens, I guess.

Completely irrelevantly, I’ve had a draft post sitting in WordPress for the past week or so, but I just never got around to writing it properly. Too much food consumption. Chocolate. More Chocolate. Yes, it deserves capitalisation, that’s how much I love Chocolate. Going to sleep with Blonde Redhead, a Radiohead play list or The Raveonettes on repeat all night. Waking up reluctantly to wine and dine and do it all over again.

I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to use the local dialect for petit ami. That is, without feeling like I’m saying “cunt” in my mother’s presence or something to that effect. I’m a person of extremes, I know. I also know that I’m going to get a blister or two this week (already developing), and that I will start posting sporadic, spontaneous shit on here. Weekly wish list? Oh, yes please.

I try not to hurt anybody I like, But I don’t have the drugs to sort it out

With less than two weeks to go until my second year of university commences, I’ve been trying to make the most of my remaining summer holidays. Even though this largely entails daydreams, poetry/prose/song writing, music playing, internet philandering and movie watching, rather than actual outdoor activities that involve basking in the sun. That said, I’ll be doing my fair share of exercise in two games of hockey tonight, and as for getting enough sun… well I’ve retained my tan lines from last week, and ferrying to and from uni will be plenty of fresh air for me, once that starts.

In my sleeplessness last night I did something that a lot of people must think I do often, but in actual fact is a rare occurrence – I sat down with an acoustic guitar and wrote a song from start to finish. By rare I mean that, of all the instruments I can play, I actually hate playing guitar (typical bass player syndrome?); and also the fact that I finished the song, with accompanying music and all – which usually takes much longer than just a couple of hours of sleepless strumming around to achieve. Mind you, by “finish”, I just mean that the song is in existence now, except realistically, for me to ever let anyone hear it, I would really need to jam out all the other instrumental parts, and possibly even score add extra instrumentation… perhaps I’ve been listening to too much Sufjan Stevens, and I’m getting too imaginative and musically ambitious in my head in terms of harmonic and percussive layers.

So, since I can’t and won’t show you my song, here’s a playlist instead. I think I’m going to dub it the end-of-summer playlist – a variety of new and old loves, largely chilled out stuff and also, in hindsight, largely bass-driven – although I promise this was completely subconscious and not on purpose! (Guess I’m majoring in the right thing then?):

1. Odessa – Caribou
I just like the bass line and the percussive feel throughout.

2. New Theory – Washed Out
Just. So. Chill.

3. 23 – Blonde Redhead
Absolutely adore this song, and they played it amazingly at Laneway.

4. Afraid of Everyone – The National
From whence the title of this post was snagged.

5. I Know You Know – Esperanza Spalding
Yeah yeah, I know she just won a Grammy and made most people go “who the hell is that?!”, but us jazz students have had our ears on her for ages. Especially those of us of the female, bass-playing variety. The link is to a live version, cos I think it’s awesomer than just the album recording. I don’t know how she plays bass like that whilst singing…

6. Dissolved Girl – Massive Attack
Another bass driven song.

7. From the Ritz to the Rubble – Arctic Monkeys
Bass mania. And love to the partying ways.

8. Used To Be – Beach House
There’s a reason everyone seems to love this band.

9. Blush – The Raveonettes
I absolutely LOVE this song. The lyrics are so sweet, so sad, and so beautifully, brutally truthful and relevant.

10. Miami – Foals
One of my favourite Foals songs – and yes, it was amazing live. Love the bass line, once again.

11. Strobe – Friendly Fires
A chilled out feel, nice beat but just sad enough to keep it interesting.

12. Evil – Interpol
I’ve loved this song for years, and I guess it’s one of their most recognisable songs. I hadn’t listened to it for ages until our road trip last week, and then at a 21st birthday party and post-party the weekend immediately after. And I can’t help but need to mention that this is possibly one of the most recognisable bass lines ever. Also, I wrote a, uhh, thing on this song last year. Maybe I’ll post it at some point, if I grow some balls.

13. Last Day of Magic
It’s been almost two years since I saw these guys live; they’ve got a new album out in two months, so I’m curious to see what it sounds like, asides from the single they just dropped. I can never quite get over how underratedly sad this song actually is.

Is anyone else excited to see what the Radiohead album coming out this weekend will bring?

Now i’ve got you in the undertow, nobody ever has to find out what’s in my mind tonight

The last time I had my hands on a waterproof camera was on a school snorkeling trip about 7 years ago, so needless to say, when I discovered that my friend Jason’s digital camera was waterproof, I was beyond ecstatic. Today we had our hockey team swim/barbecue night at Jase and Sam’s house, but most people had work during the day and didn’t make it until dinner time. The weather’s been overcast and raining for most of the week now, but just as it didn’t deter us from playing hockey (and winning the huge meat pack that we ate tonight!), it didn’t deter us from leaping into their pool. I discovered today that I look really retarded underwater, and as usual, I’m the one with the red nails pulling faces, haha:

It was a shame that a few people on our team couldn’t make it, because we ended up having difficulty finishing the food. The end of the recession must have dawned upon us – or at least the hockey department of things – because our meat pack prize was at least twice as big as last year’s!

Salad we whipped up. You can’t see from this angle, but it was a bloody huge salad.

The winners’ meal. Grins. A lot of them.

We ended up playing an intense of Monopoly after dinner – the first time I’ve touched it in years! – which resulted in a lot of haggling and yelling and just utter chaos, really. Good fun.

Strawberries mum bought from the strawberry farm out in Clevedon – best in town. Seriously.

There’s a lot of stuff on my mind right now but I’m simply too tired to formulate them into words right now. Also, I “finished” my painting from the other day. And by that I mean I’ve run out of ideas of what else to add on top of it – photos soon. Another thing that’s possibly coming soon is a “jewelry I wear” post, because someone requested it on formspring. I don’t know if/when I’ll get around to this though, because it kind of seems a little narcissistic and showy?

You’ve been nighttiming baby, you’ve got your pleasures all around you

If anyone ever had a doubt in their mind that I was absolutely and utterly crazy, this post would erase all remaining doubt completely. A few nights ago I disappeared from all traces of technological civilisation when a friend and I decided to embark on a night-time swim. My conditions of agreement was that he’d have to acquire a waterproof disposable camera with a flash on it – the flash and disposable parts were managed, but waterproof doesn’t seem to get stocked anywhere these days at all. But no matter, since we didn’t end up swimming, despite the trouble I went to whilst trying to wrangle my bikini onto my body without undressing. Who on earth still does that? The act rather reminded me of primary and intermediate school changing rooms for swimming or P.E. class, where all the girls were too scared of baring even their midriffs to one another. I don’t know, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Between the hours of midnight and dawn, we managed to visit a golf course, beach and a hedgehog. I’m the sort of person who has balls of steel until my vivid and over-active imagination kicks in with regards to unknown things in the dark. My nose watered from hayfever, and my eyes watered from my paranoid, triple-coating of mozzie repellent: I’m surprised anyone would risk being caught trespassing with me, appearing and smelling the way I did. Although, having said that, I’m not too sure if we actually trespassed anywhere at all. Is it trespassing if you visit a golf course after hours, with no intention of going near a golf ball? The entire day had been so hot and humid, and it stretched far into the night after sundown. Air so warm that even car-induced wind is not a welcome breeze, and even so much as thinking about moving made my shirt stick to my back.

To whatever glorious person it was that asked me on formspring to post more of my outfits: here you go. Although I doubt I would ever do “outfit posts” (if I did, I would probably feel like even more of a narcissistic jerk that what I already do), maybe you’ll start seeing more of me in photos… maybe.

Thank you, 800 fujifilm in a plastic case buddied with blinding flash:

Bed dive, of course!

Apparently my attire of choice for such a night time excursion isn’t really any different to what I usually wear anyway. Loose black crop top, denim shorts (that I DIY’d out of mens’ $12 jeans from Kmart), and my trusty Dr. Martens.

The hedgehog we photographed from behind because we didn’t want to freak it out with the flash. I think it flipped out anyway.

Rolling down a hiiiilll.

Except for one time in calf-deep water earlier this year, I haven’t attempted a cartwheel in at least 6 years! So that’s why I suck at it now.

Apparently I’m not the only one.

You can’t reaaally see it here, but the thing I am doing a bridge-hold on is a pipe which is mostly submerged in seawater. My back, hands and hair got really wet and sandy from doing this.

The edge of the cliff, into darkness.

Being silly.

Free gift that came with the disposable camera. Like a fold-up frisbee thing.

Hot, sexy, dirty, sweaty dancing tonight. These photos are from a couple of hours ago – Lottie had work and I had two hockey games, both ending at 10pm, but we decided to brave the exhaustion and head out to town anyway. I’m unhappy to say that I didn’t get any goals today (but I tried!), but we ended up winning both games – so effectively I am in the #1 and #3 team in our summer grade, haha. Yay for winning a huge meat pack that we are going to BBQ on Sunday. I’ve got another final to play tomorrow, and that particular team wants to opt for the bar tab, so hopefully I will get the best of both worlds this week.

The new McD’s “extra large” fries – I had underestimated its size and well overestimated my appetite.

I got told off and had to delete this picture, umm. Left: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate sundae. The faux leather pants Lottie is wearing are mine. I do believe she looks better in them than I, thus why I haven’t really worn them much.
Right: Once again, to the glorious person who wanted to see how I dress – well this wasn’t particularly interesting (apart from the view from the front that men rather enjoyed, I do believe), but I was just wearing a black romper that I bought in LA.

Good god, aren’t I such a healthily well-rounded person! Spot the 3x basses, 1x guitar and hockey bag in the background! Also spot the sarcasm! But in all seriousness, I will give a special shout out to anyone who can actually correctly point out where 3 basses are hidden in this picture.

say it anyway, I would say, wait for me

It feels like the dates of December have blurred into some form of collective humidity. November in California seems like light years ago. I’ve been too distracted in this gallivant lifestyle lately that I can’t seem to do more than three productive things in one day. But today I read somewhere whilst Christmas shopping that, “life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself” – an anonymous quote that just rang so loud in my head I couldn’t shake it off. So I’m glad that in about 15 hours’ time I will be having a jam with a man and his guitar, to hopefully put some music to lyrics I wrote some days ago:

If walking away was so easy,
Then why can’t we all?
What is this magnetism,
What is this draw?

Just because it’s there
Doesn’t mean you should
Just because I let you,
Didn’t mean you would.

Wandering through, your unknown house,
Learning your room, like I’m learning you.

If time was so infallible,
Then why can’t we count?
The moments are inconstant
And the moon isn’t round.

Just because you see it,
Doesn’t mean it’s there.
Just because I feel it,
Doesn’t mean you care.

Feeling up your walls, looking for the light switch,
Looking for my mind, afraid that I’m your kitsch.

When we walk so close together,
Something’s gotta give.
When you can’t move any closer,
Into me you start to drift.

It’s not about any one thing or person in particular, but rather like a snowball of how I feel, how people I know feel, and how it all somehow got magically regurgitated through this mind of mine. That sentence itself was like a snowball!

I’m going through one of those periods again where I feel like I am being too much of a Jane of all trades… If we set aside my old part-time cafe job, for the first time ever, I’ve made more money through my photographic work than playing music gigs. That said, the first year of jazz school and all the undesirables I went through this year has really shaken me from the core out. I’ve spent a lot of time on the road, on the plane, in the depths of the night with black ink trawling out from my fingertips, forming words and prose that didn’t exist on any conscious level until the moment they converged with paper. It’s hard to keep up all three outlets for me, balancing time, let alone all the mental factors – bass: practising jazz, refining my technique and writing music that spawns from some mysterious corner of my mind; photography: I’ve just not found the time to set up any of the photo shoots that I’ve plotted in my head, and have mostly just done spontaneous momentous work, which I must admit is my favourite; and writing… I’ve started up a couple of large-scale writing projects which are both hovering in my mind, with only a few pages of actual physical existence. This needs to change.

These photos are from the Viper Room where The Binges and Delilah played. Oh, Jamie Burke, what can I say? His London accent was like velvet to my ears during our far-too-short exchange. More will be uploaded soon, and I’ll be working on finishing my Californian journal.

Before I forget to mention it, one of my summer hockey teams (I play in four teams over two nights) is undefeated and we are playing in the finals on Wednesday night. Yay for a free meat pack to be devoured at a barbecue on Sunday! Yes, I’m already assuming we will hands down win. Hopefully I’ll get some satisfactory goals like I did last week.

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