have been obsessing about lighting with the big move, these caught my eye. eat your heart out ikea.
stored sunbeams in a jar (my fav) - it absorbs sunshine in the day and the photo electric LED emits light when it is dark. If that link doesn't work I got it at fabulist.
fancy lacy lamps, milk bottle chandeliers - very now.
wallpaper or tiles that glow when it gets dark, change with noise levels or movement - the blue is a bit freaky but great idea.
Also on design, this is a very pretty stool/table/thingie called the zaishu. the concept is pretty much taking something that is ancient, cheap and common and making it into a super high end (us$270 for a stool) desirable commodity. I love marketing.
why wy?
Monday, July 17, 2006 at 4:32 PM
Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 9:32 PM
My name is Omar, he said, you know, like Omar Shariff?
We are both Egyptian. I know him too... nah just kidding.
I had a four hour shift in the basement carpark today, and at least Omar, who was the rostered security person there, made it interesting. He was impressed by my knowledge of egyptian/arabic things, like sham el sheik, sheesha, haj, which I guess is more than the average australian. I didn't tell him that was the limit of my knowledge though.
Here to study tourism, he works as a security guard at the footy and also at the fish market (crazy 1.30 am to 7am shifts). He is also just married (still saving for the traditional ceremony), and has short clips of his wife on his phone. It's a pretty cool story, he was feeling lonely here, and his friend arranged for him to meet his future wife... at the airport. His friend was going to pick up someone, and she was also going to be there, and her family.
"we didn't talk at all, just said hello. Then her mother said well, do you like this guy, and she said okay, so I went over to her house for a BBQ. But we were never alone, we would be in one room and her family will be in next room.''
""Then her family, they say, we like you but we don't know your family. So we went over to Eygpt for a month, and they met my family, and we got married at the mosque.''
As you can tell, he is rather traditional, he doesn't believe that women should go out dancing by themselves, or receive kisses from other men, even friendly pecks. He tried to get me off pork, saying I should pour coke over a piece of raw meat, and the worms will come out.
"If you see that, I'm sure you won't eat pork.''
Me, thinking of siew yoke (crispy pork), shook my head.
"What? Even if you see worms?''
I guess if you can eat roadside food in south East Asia, then you are not the sort to worry too much about hygiene.
I think he gave up on me as a lost cause then (he was also telling me about religion, and if I had ever thought about who created the world and people - I kinda said it never really bothered me), anyway my shift was almost up.
salam aleikum omar.
We are both Egyptian. I know him too... nah just kidding.
I had a four hour shift in the basement carpark today, and at least Omar, who was the rostered security person there, made it interesting. He was impressed by my knowledge of egyptian/arabic things, like sham el sheik, sheesha, haj, which I guess is more than the average australian. I didn't tell him that was the limit of my knowledge though.
Here to study tourism, he works as a security guard at the footy and also at the fish market (crazy 1.30 am to 7am shifts). He is also just married (still saving for the traditional ceremony), and has short clips of his wife on his phone. It's a pretty cool story, he was feeling lonely here, and his friend arranged for him to meet his future wife... at the airport. His friend was going to pick up someone, and she was also going to be there, and her family.
"we didn't talk at all, just said hello. Then her mother said well, do you like this guy, and she said okay, so I went over to her house for a BBQ. But we were never alone, we would be in one room and her family will be in next room.''
""Then her family, they say, we like you but we don't know your family. So we went over to Eygpt for a month, and they met my family, and we got married at the mosque.''
As you can tell, he is rather traditional, he doesn't believe that women should go out dancing by themselves, or receive kisses from other men, even friendly pecks. He tried to get me off pork, saying I should pour coke over a piece of raw meat, and the worms will come out.
"If you see that, I'm sure you won't eat pork.''
Me, thinking of siew yoke (crispy pork), shook my head.
"What? Even if you see worms?''
I guess if you can eat roadside food in south East Asia, then you are not the sort to worry too much about hygiene.
I think he gave up on me as a lost cause then (he was also telling me about religion, and if I had ever thought about who created the world and people - I kinda said it never really bothered me), anyway my shift was almost up.
salam aleikum omar.
Friday, July 14, 2006 at 7:04 PM
There will be some blog silence during the big move, will try and get pictures and vids of new place up once the interWeb connection is up and running.
In the meantime, got this off boingboing, some really beautiful pictures of super deep undersea creatures. The one above looks like a fancy designer lamp. And check out the vids as well, there's a really cute shrimp.
Sunday, July 09, 2006 at 3:50 PM
life in a northern town (again)
If anyone is interested to see what my soon-to-be-old place looks like, the ad is here. Check out the blurb, this line had me scratching my head Parquetry floors are quiet a feature of the open plan living/dining area it doesn't make sense quiet or quite... i guess old work habits die hard.
The good news is I've been accepted for a new place, a one hall one bedroom and a cute balcony, and will be moving in a fortnight. Had a quick look at it over the weekend, a bit threadbare but has potential. I wish I had 5 gay guys and an ikea voucher.
It will be another mind shift moving, initially I found it hard to get used to Sydney road (where I am now) but now I will definitely miss the thrift shops and funky coffee places. These places are just so cool... you go in and feel cool by association. Of course it helps to wear mismatched woollens or some statement-making T.
The place I am moving to is nearer my very first house but the street culture is very different. Northcote, the first place, has suddenly changed into a hip place to hang out, so there are bars, restaurants a dozen. The next suburb, Thornbury (where I will be), is further up the road and the urbanisation hasn't taken hold as much. There is just one bar on the corner (essential, I checked beforehand), 2 cake shops and my favourite organic grocer. I'm sure given time, the hipness will travel north and yes I will be waiting. And I can say I was ahead of the curve :p
Saw the most fab invitation cards today at a design exhibition, made by poppies for grace . Trust me on this one, the website doesn't do the cards justice. Sorta layered, watercolours, textures, old typewriter fonts, the sort of thing dave mckean would do if he was a girl. If only I was getting married next week... all the best to adrian and tracy, who are. Love ya both. :)
The good news is I've been accepted for a new place, a one hall one bedroom and a cute balcony, and will be moving in a fortnight. Had a quick look at it over the weekend, a bit threadbare but has potential. I wish I had 5 gay guys and an ikea voucher.
It will be another mind shift moving, initially I found it hard to get used to Sydney road (where I am now) but now I will definitely miss the thrift shops and funky coffee places. These places are just so cool... you go in and feel cool by association. Of course it helps to wear mismatched woollens or some statement-making T.
The place I am moving to is nearer my very first house but the street culture is very different. Northcote, the first place, has suddenly changed into a hip place to hang out, so there are bars, restaurants a dozen. The next suburb, Thornbury (where I will be), is further up the road and the urbanisation hasn't taken hold as much. There is just one bar on the corner (essential, I checked beforehand), 2 cake shops and my favourite organic grocer. I'm sure given time, the hipness will travel north and yes I will be waiting. And I can say I was ahead of the curve :p
Saw the most fab invitation cards today at a design exhibition, made by poppies for grace . Trust me on this one, the website doesn't do the cards justice. Sorta layered, watercolours, textures, old typewriter fonts, the sort of thing dave mckean would do if he was a girl. If only I was getting married next week... all the best to adrian and tracy, who are. Love ya both. :)
Tuesday, July 04, 2006 at 9:04 PM
aussie slang 101: turkey slap
Like slapping someone on the cheek, but not using your hand. Yes, something that looks like that ugly grey bird.
This word is in the news this week because two guys got kicked out of the Big Brother house for doing it to a girl. I'm not sure why, since the producers actually encourage contestants to have sex on air. If anything good does come out of it, I hope they can Big Brother entirely so that the quality of TV goes up by 0.02%. The conversations on BB are so banal that Jessica Simpson would be the equivalent of Mensa.
Another qualification: I am not sure if turkey slap is truely aussie or I am just ignorant.
Like slapping someone on the cheek, but not using your hand. Yes, something that looks like that ugly grey bird.
This word is in the news this week because two guys got kicked out of the Big Brother house for doing it to a girl. I'm not sure why, since the producers actually encourage contestants to have sex on air. If anything good does come out of it, I hope they can Big Brother entirely so that the quality of TV goes up by 0.02%. The conversations on BB are so banal that Jessica Simpson would be the equivalent of Mensa.
Another qualification: I am not sure if turkey slap is truely aussie or I am just ignorant.
Sunday, July 02, 2006 at 6:27 PM
I'm supporting portugal for the rest of the world cup, because cristiano ronaldo (on the left of course) is da bomb. Not too young (only 21), killer grin, fit, fast... sigh. Judging by the number of fan sites, I'm not the first to fall for his charms and definitely not the last. I will lust for him until he marries some super-thin has been model/actress/singer ala beckham. Or until I discover he's gay.
Saturday, July 01, 2006 at 3:55 PM
Did I mention how much I hate moving? Arrgh the frustation.
I haven't even started on the packing yet, still trying to secure a place with the clock ticking down to Jul 15 - when I am meant to get out of my cosy hole. I hate the uncertainty, the fact that I will have to give up the dishwasher (which I hardly use, but I guess that's not the point), my 2 min walk to the supermarket, library and swimming pool, my too-cold-to-lounge-in yard... argh
must.. be positive... think of new beginning...
come on people, send some positive energy and house-finding witchcraft here...
in other news,
I saw an old fashioned horse carriage go past in the city, but the driver was listening to her ipod. Too weird.
I haven't even started on the packing yet, still trying to secure a place with the clock ticking down to Jul 15 - when I am meant to get out of my cosy hole. I hate the uncertainty, the fact that I will have to give up the dishwasher (which I hardly use, but I guess that's not the point), my 2 min walk to the supermarket, library and swimming pool, my too-cold-to-lounge-in yard... argh
must.. be positive... think of new beginning...
come on people, send some positive energy and house-finding witchcraft here...
in other news,
I saw an old fashioned horse carriage go past in the city, but the driver was listening to her ipod. Too weird.
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