The Twelfth Night

I am not the most culturally adept of all people in that I don't often find myself engaged in literary squabbles or debates on the renaissance, I am certainly not well read enough for that. Though I can bore many with lengthy discussions about camera lenses and nurture tedium with my insights into karma, I can say that I know very little about Shakespeare. Well beyond a vague memory of something being taught to me in high school. What that something was, is not clear to me but I can safely say that I at least know who Shakespeare is. Vaguely. So when the opportunity arose to see a local production of the Shakespearian comedy, The Twelfth Night, I entered with fresh eyes and an unfettered mind.

I could not make comparisons, though I am sure the original didn't have an iPhone or boom box in it, and I laughed hard at jokes that were new to my ears. I couldn't tell if they butchered a classic, hell I don't even know if it even was a classic to begin with but what I could do was enjoy the stellar performances and dizzying cadences that, after an initial settling in period, I fell in love with. For those unfamiliar with Shakespearian language, though it may seem a little alien to begin with, it quickly engages you with it's poetry, something I am sure my English teacher spent many years trying to convince me of. And it's humour is timeless, causing me on several occasions, to cover my mouth in an attempt to contain my snorts.

For those of you who have seen it, I am sure you am familiar with it's frolicking plot line and for those of you, who like me haven't, it's a love story of sorts, peppered with a case of mistaken identity, evil plots and a man in a rubbish bin. And in the words of the man himself - "I would I had bestowed that time in the tongues that I have in fencing, dancing and bear-baiting. O! had I but followed the arts!" so maybe I shall and add Shakespearian quoting to my list of cultural pursuits.

In Perth? Want to see it? DO IT! Before the 8th August comes and you lose your opportunity to see the man in the bin!

365postcards

I am starting a new project called 365postcards. It basically involves me sending a postcard each and every day for 365 days. If you want to get involved and receive your very own postcard, check out the details here

The Leaning Tower of Gingin

Some days when you head is smashed full of the worries and busyness of city life, the only cure is a solo drive, with road tunes blaring through the speakers. I had no idea where I was headed as my car ate up the kilometres of bitumen, but the open spaces chilled me out and the tunes made me smile.

An hour into my drive to nowhere I came across a most peculiar and unexpected sign. Did that sign say Einstein? Did I just see the word Gravity? I was confused as the only other signs I had encountered were either noting the distances to various destinations or advertising the local tucker at the petrol stations.

As I continued to ponder, several kilometres down the road I passed the same sign and I now knew my destination. The gravity Centre and the Leaning Tower of Gingin.

Out in the middle of nowhere yet only about an hours drive north of Perth was a science centre set up to delight those visiting with many different scientific theories. Now since I am not much of a science buff, I will not bore you with the details of each of the displays but instead will just say it was great fun and you should check out their website.

Do it. It involves throwing water balloons off giant towers.

www.gravitycentre.com.au
Check the rest of the photos out HERE

Dizzy Lamb Park

Like me, many kids who grew up in Perth would find in the darkest recesses of the closets, along with boxes of mismatched lego and Care Bears, a small plush lamb with crazy looking eyes. For the girls, a red ribbon would be perched between it's lamb ears and the boys would have a more manly version sans ribbon. Mine was uninventively called Lamby and contained, within it's furry body, fond memories of a theme park called Dizzy Lamb Park. Legend tells us that the original owners father couldn't pronounce Disneyland correctly, instead saying Dizzy Lamb. So when the time came for the family to open their own mini Australian version of Disneyland, on a sprawling property in the upper stretches of Waneroo Road, the first name that popped into their heads was, of course, Dizzy Lamb Park.

I was very young, say 4 or 5 when I last visited the park, so the extent of my memories of the place is quite limited. So I was surprised when, 21 years later, driving around the perimeter of the now run down park, I found myself recognising things and getting childishly excited. The Statue of Liberty still rose out of the murky looking lake, teeming with giant fish. The old stone benches still sat, now surrounded by bush and the castle turrets peeked over the tops of the trees. A ghostly go-kart track girt by old Streets Cornetto advertising signs graced a large corner of the park and creepy looking play equipment creaked rustily in the wind.

Although it hasn't been running as a theme park for many years now, it has now been taken over by paintballing and laser skirmish company who use the left over castle and theme park infrastructure as a unique paintballing arena. They were kind enough to let us walk around and take some shots of what was left over from the memories stored within my stuffed plush lamb.

Remember this place and want to check it out? Why not go paintballing! Check out their website here. www.castleinvasion.com.au

The Mysterious Mansion

Turn off the highway , avoid the potholes as the road gets narrower and the trees more sparse and just before you hit the dirt corridor that abruptly ends the road you will find The Mysterious Mansion. A house so out of place in it's setting and unknown to even those long time local residents. A sprawling mansion, sans light fixtures and window frames, stands solidly, it's bright coloured walls clashing with the dry grass. Abandoned. Burnt. Each room revealing more, yet adding to the intrigue.

Why did the people living here have to leave?

How long ago was it?

And more importantly, how on earth did those who roamed it's empty bowels with spray cans in their hands ever manage to get the hot water system off the roof?? :)

Even though I am yet to solve the puzzle, I am happy to roam and discover some of the amazing graffiti art that graces it's walls.

Check out the rest of the series HERE

Abandoned Ascot.

I remember when I was a child the coming of Summer meant one thing. Water playgrounds. Slides combined with water. What more could a child want? Oh yeah, icecreams. They had those too. And mini golf.

Alas, when the water gets taken out of a water playground it doesn't just become a playground, it becomes a creepy overgrown patch strewn with old plastic floaties and beer bottles. Not good for the kiddies, but great for those exploring with cameras.

Passion - Assignment 4

Today I took a major step towards my passion. The last few days have been a manic see-saw ride, the logical and responsible side of me hollering things like "financial security" and "stick to what you know", the other side of me, desperate to work towards a future that i don't abhor, whispering comforting notions like that a life lived through my passions would leave me far more fulfilled than one lived purely for financial gain.

So today I quit my job that I hate and am hoping to move into a job that is more closely related to the things I love most. Writing and photography. Working full time in a job that doesn't delight or challenge you is a tiring experience. Every day I spent there, I wrote less and took less photos. I was tired. I was grumpy. And I was surrounded by other tired, grumpy people. I feel my time at uni has enabled me to explore further the things I love and given me the courage to follow my dreams.

So today was my follow your passion day. I read, alot. I wrote. I went through a bundle of photos I had taken over the weekend and edited them. I felt inspired. This is how I want to spend my days......






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