5 things about Italy you won't read in a book

Listening to: Policy of Truth (Art of Mix) by Depeche Mode

1
More Italians are riding motorcycles than scooters now. 10 years ago the mosquito whine was an intergral part of the Roman soundscape. There are still lots just not as many...
[purrs] Ciaaaaao [makes scooter revving motion with hands] ala Eddie Izzard in Dressed to Thrill...

2
It's funny watching the street vendors of fake designer hand bags/sunglasses all running along in a group, each with a bundled up sheet of bags or board of sunglasses bouncing about. You know the police must be in the area. It's funny because they are persistant/annoying when you normally go past them.

3
As ubiquitous as the fake designer ware vendors, are the vendors selling rattle snake eggs (magnetic 'eggs' that make a racket when you throw them together) at every major Roman tourist attaction. They are like magic you know, and made in Italy of course that's why they sell them, and you can't buy them anywhere else in the world...

4
Laser pointer vendors point their wares at your feet while crossing San Marco's Square at night making you think you're about to get burnt by stray cigarette ash... Presumably laser pointers are really easy to buy in Venice. 'Cause you need them there to point at the water. Otherwise you might miss it. I should be directing all of my customers there. "You can try Officeworks, a pen shop or St Mark's Square in Venice."

5
Judging by the billboards Italians dig fake breasts and tans in a big way :P Two campaigns in particular were prominent. One was for a luggage company the name of which eludes us. Clearly not an effective campaign. The two women featured were barely buttoned into their shirts, coyly handling the, ah, merchandise. I found it amusing to say 'Tits! :)' to M - he sometimes spotted them before me and said it - every time we went past them at Rome's Termini station as well as quite a few other places.

A more effective campaign in terms of remembering the brand and conveying a message is this one which I managed to track down online:



Seen at train stations in Rome, Milan and Naples. We saw this one on average every two minutes on our lengthy bus ride to the airport in Milan. Imagine the Hollywood Tape needed for this shoot!

Cocktail Recipes: Ski Lift and Tropical Hobbit

Warm drink, known as a Ski Lift in the cocktail book* I have.
Make a yourself a hot chocolate as you normally would. Add to your cup:
1/2 measure of Malibu
1 measure of peach schnapps
Stir
Gives you a nice warm glow :)

Cold drink - my own concoction. Do you think we could get the name kiwi fruit changed to hobbit fruit? :P
Tropical Hobbit
1 mango chopped
2 kiwifruit peeled and chopped
1 cup or so of orange juice
Blend ingredients together. Drink up!


* Walton S, Olivier S, Farrow J, 'The Bartender's Companion to 750 Cocktails', Hermes House (Anness Publishing), London, 2005
This book is excellent value, with a wide range of cocktails, juices, smoothies and an index by cocktail name and ingredient. It also gives you information on liquors you might not know a lot (or anything) about.

Tokyo - Shopping and Gothic Subculture

Listening to: It's like that by Run DMC
We're back from our trip!
Our stop over in Tokyo was eye popping!

The shopping there is amazing. My favourite shop was Tokyu Hands, Shibuya. It's a department store that sells EVERYTHING you could need to make things/DIY/arty crafty from hardware, lengths of all sorts of materials to jewellery making and scientific glassware! I would have bought a lot more than a plastic pipette and some sculpting balloons if I didn't have to worry about lugging it around the world with me. Mobile phone danglies galore. Even scored a freebie one of a squirrel wearing headphones. Visited a shinto shrine which was nice for a change of pace. They are big on ladies' knee/thigh high socks. You see women in customer service wearing them and as street wear with heels and boots. I got some in stripey and lace tops.

Harajuko for Goths
Was strange seeing the tourists wandering around taking photos of goths. Yes there were 'wow!' outfits though most were wearing a Japanese flavoured outfit of what I'm already familiar with. The idea that members of my subculture are a tourist attraction makes me feel weird. Why isn't it happening at Flinders Street Station? Okay don't answer that! Maybe we better dressed goths need to go there and congregate every 4th Sunday dressed to the 9s ... or not because it could be boring :P It's interesting that goths are part of the streetscape everywhere else but here there is such a fascination with them. A few of the Harijuko goths had little wheely suitcases with them. I suspect they contained a change of clothes and make up remover so they could go home like nothing had happened afterwards.

It was sooo hard to choose something to buy there what with stylish things, very reasonable prices, and the current Australian dollar to Yen exchange rate. Got a cute, black tutu skirt from Bodyline (they don't have change rooms but a skirt with an elastic waist wasn't a big gamble fit wise) and a wrist cuff combining metallic, red PVC, black lace and silvery chain from Putumayo (best range of jewellery/accessories). Alice in Wonderland is a major influence. Lolita style is HUGE with one boutique dedicated to it (very cute Strawberry Shortcake-like things). Lots of oversized bows, frills and lace. There is a heavy metal influence as well. Printed Engrish text as a pattern on black gaberdine/cotton drill fabric is the bread and butter of more than one shop. Quite a few men had what I described as the Jareth or Bowie hair cut ala Goblin King. Kabuki and traditional influences could also be found in the individual outifits but not so much the boutiques. A local goth checked out M's pinstripe sneakers :)


Street performer/busker, Harajuko.
He was nuts!

*As a woman - there's still not a lot for men :(

Pan's Labyrinth - Review

Listening to: Long, Long Time Ago from Pan's Labyrinth soundtrack

Wow. It was so wonderful, I was blown away. Everything good you have read about it is true. After one viewing it's on my list of favourite movies.

In short, it's a fairytale for adults. The dark, gothic sensibility ranges from earthiness to brutality, visceral to brooding, making the scenes of sweetness, beauty and light even more brilliant and delightful. Visually rich, attentive to detail, scary, gruesome, emotive. You feel such empathy for Ofelia, the film's little girl heroine.

The fairytale magical realm, Ofelia's world, and the rest of the world are intertwined. You can't be sure which one is real or intruding on the other. Is all of this magic really happening or is it just in her head? Right up until the end you can't be 100% sure. After a while you figure, "that couldn't have happened otherwise so it must be real".

Definitely not to be confused with Jim Henson's film Labyrinth. It's absolutely nothing like it. The story is set during the civil war, 1944 in Fascist Spain. The MA rating is well justified, this is NOT a family film. There are several particularly gruesome scenes. Two of these made me wince and screw up my face though I kept on watching because I didn't want to miss anything. I won't say which ones but those who have seen it will probably guess. I could hear others in the audience making stifled sounds of alarm at the time.



The Pale Man was terrifying - I felt scared for Ofelia. It wasn't just the creepy eyes in his hands, it was the pictures on the wall letting you know what he could/would do, the way he staggered about and ripped into ... things.



Pan himself was a bit creepy. You couldn't be completely sure if he was noble in his intentions. Traditionally fauns are ambiguous creatures. That certainly made him more interesting as a character. He made rattle noises like the alien from Predator and had a temper, yet his blue eyes were seemed to have such a kindness about them. How did they made him walk? Was he was a man in a costume with some animatronics or CGI? After revisiting the website it looks as if they have added extra features, and I have my answer.

Another creature of note is the giant toad. It was kind of cute in a way that only toads can be. The scene with it and Ofelia reminded me a bit of a scene from the NeverEnding Story. Atreyu the warrior child is in the Swamp of Sadness covered in mud and encounters the giant tortoise, Morla. I guess it was the mud soaked, brown haired, wide eyed child and cold blooded, moist critter splattering the kid in mucous-mud-goop that did it :P Don't take mention of this to mean I think it's derivative because it isn't. This film is nothing like anything else I have seen and I'm a connoisseur of fantasy and magic :)

I can't recommend it highly enough. Loved it.

Website of the Day
Pan's Labyrinth Official Website
Features multimedia and excerpts from Del Toro's sketchbook, character design sketches and behind the scenes make-up photos. You can also listen to the entire movie soundtrack as available on CD.

Bad luck

Listening to: Love Action by The Human League

Does bad luck come in threes?
Any tips for stopping it from happening?
Do you believe in karma?
What did I do wrong?

Yesterday I bought a teapot to match my tea cups at 20% off at House in Melbourne Central and broke it in less than a minute of leaving the shop.

It was wrapped in one sheet of paper which under normal circumstances would probably be adequate. The shoes I was wearing wearing have from time to time clipped the ground when I've been walking along but they're not clown shoes and I haven't exactly stumbled in them :P Anyhoo. I walked out of the shop and went to take the first step on the stairs just outside but stumbled - perhaps on the bumps put there to aid the vision impaired, perhaps on my clown shoes. Naturally I put my hands in front of me to stop my fall . I was okay but the teapot hit the stone steps with a heart sinking tinkle. Back into the store I went, told them what happened. We unwrapped it to find the handle was beyond repair. I asked what they could do for me. I wasn't expecting a refund or even a replacement for free. That would be unreasonable. They took 30% off a replacement teapot and used some bubble wrap. [sigh]

Tonight M did the green thing and cycled down the shops to buy stuff for dinner. He used his new cable combination lock which he had just figured out. I suggested using my U-lock until he had it licked but he was insistent. 45 minutes later I get a call saying he can't the lock open! Safeway doesn't sell any kind of saw in its 'hardware' section. Fortunately I had packed a small kitchen saw when I moved over here. We were able to saw through in less than 15 minutes with no questions asked by passers by.

So let our bad luck be a lesson you dear reader:
Insist on well wrapped crockery.
Cable locks are pointless unless you're leaving your bike for a VERY short period. I recommend a U-lock. It's heavier but it does the job well.
$15, combination, cable locks from Big W are unreliable.
Keep a hack saw with a metal-cutting blade in the house.

I'm thinking of getting a fire blanket :(

Cocktail Recipe: The Meerkat

Listening to: Flute Concerto in D, Op. 27; I - Allegro moderato by Luigi Boccherini

I have developed a cocktail. Nothing fancy - it's a sexed up and sophisticated version of a vodka tonic. Tonic water has such a distinctive, strong flavour so it isn't used in many cocktails. You have the G&T and the V&T. This is my ode to tonic water which I think is delicious and worthy of being in more than a simple 2 part cocktail. I've added my own flourishes to make it special. It's so very refreshing on a hot day and because it's built rather than shaken, no fuss at all to make. Like all good inventions it was created out of necessity. We didn't have any lemonade!

Here's how to make The Meerkat.

The Meerkat
Build over ice in a tall glass:
1 measure* vodka;
half a measure of old fashioned lime cordial;
half a measure of lime juice.
Fill with tonic water.

Garnishes to try:
A slice or curl of lime.
A slice or curl of lemon.
An intact or lightly crushed (between your fingers not muddled), fresh mint leaf. Delicious!



*measure = 30ml

Website of the Day
I saw the figures at my local toy shop this morning.
Mega Bloks (ala Lego clone) does Pirates of the Carribean
OMG there's an animation of it on the website! [lol 'til my eyes water]

Nuke an instant artefact

Listening to : All is Full of Love by Bjork

Got dud CD burns or other CD/DVD material you don't want? Perhaps you want to jazz up your existing CD coasters. Or maybe you just want to do something slightly dangerous with an element of science/experimentation ala Myth Busters.

Nuke an instant artefact!

You will need a:
CD
microwave oven
paper towel or a piece of paper

Put the paper/paper towel on the microwave oven carousel, and place CD on top on it, label down.
For 1500W ovens: nuke for 2 seconds
For 800W ovens: nuke for 5 seconds
Don't press your nose to the glass but watch as you nuke it for the exciting blue sparking and a small cracking noise as the tracks go pop!
Take care when removing the disk from the microwave as there will be a small amount of fumes. Give it a little rinse with cool water to remove loose label fragments.
Take a look at it. It should have gone from something new and shiny to something that looks instantly aged with interesting track patterns. Nifty or what? If you use a piece of glossy paper like I did, you will see the track patterns on it.

Thanks to Pandita for this one :) The lady is a fount of interesting things. She showed this trick to me with a demo Olivia Newton John Christmas CD at work. Mwahahaha!




Disclaimer: Lady Meerkat accepts no responsibility for damage to equipment or persons who try this experiment for themselves.

Irony @ Safeway

Listening to: Living in America by James Brown

My local Safeway* doesn't sell brake light bulbs.


*Interational readers: it's a supermarket.

A Japanese Slipper makes it Hunky Dory.

Listening to: Oh! You pretty things by David Bowie

Digging:
0 David Bowie's Hunky Dory, esp. current track which I haven't heard before owning this album. Life on Mars has always been a favourite for the dramatic, sweeping strings and vocals in the chorus.
0 Homemade, Japanese Slippers (about 30ml each of Cointreau, Midori, lemon or lime juice shaken with ice).

Work was nuts this afternoon. SOOOO BUSY! Understaffed by one person. We coped but had to take a deep breath now and then. Went on autopilot at about 10am and stayed on that for most of the day.

Inadvertant anarchist :P

Listening to: Break it Down Again by Tears for Fears

Took my three bobby pins and hair band out and put them on the bathroom sink vanity. After my shower I noticed they were arranged something like this;


(re-enactment on my scanner)
I am so deh hardcorez :P

Here's an unfortunate page divide in The Daily Mail (UK), from our trip earlier this year which amused me so I saved it for posting here;


page 23

The first half of the headline on the other page.



If you had folded the paper in half to make it easier to read (like on the plane) you would have noticed the bad choice of divide.

Goths in Spain

Listening to Fame by David Bowie

Over six months later and I deliver as promised! Click here to read scene relevant material from when we first got home. Be aware that this is written from the perspective of Australian Goth who had previously not been clubbing overseas at all. What I have to say may be standard for other parts of Europe.

It’s expensive! We have it good here let me tell you, cost wise. Your entry usually includes a free drink. You mix your own mixers. They give you the glass with spirit, ice and a bottle of whatever you wanted mixed in. You pour that part yourself.

It appears that the Goth scene is bigger in Madrid than in Barcelona. There are more clubs and clothing stores. According to a fellow clubber at Club 666, several new clubs and stores opened in February.

Club 666 website – we enjoyed it but get there at 10 because it closes at 1am! There’s a hotel next door to it. Ah the universal language of music. The goths were friendly :) An English speaker was helping out a German couple after the club had finished and we were outside so we got some info off him as well. Flyers were being given out at the end of the night for other clubs, one of which we walked and went to.

New Order Club website - as fun as it sounds, lots of synthy stuff. The venue is shared with another club. Small dance floor with video screen.

There was a goth clothing shop we discovered in our explorations off Calle Fuencarral, next to a fetishware shop. Unfortunately it had weird opening hours that they didn’t keep to. In the 3 times we were in the area it was closed.

Touch Me clothing website – 5 Calle Colon had friendly staff and some nice stock. They were just opening a new store around the corner (27 Calle Fuencarral)that month with more men’s clothing. Style wise there isn’t a huge difference in what is available in Spain compared to Melbourne. You may find less to no Victorian influence including corsetry, and a few more black items with little buckles and strappy bits.

Black lace fans are not a part of Spanish Goth club accessories. I guess it’s a cultural thing. You won’t see much of a Victorian influence in the fashions. If you want a fan there are more to choose from in Madrid than Barcelona. I got both of mine from souvenir stores for less than E8. Have a look around and see what is available before actually buying one. My burgundy, layered with black lace fan was from a souvenir store opposite the Prado museums and the GPO.

We went to one club in Barcelona and didn’t spend much time there. Sanctuary Club website – heavier music, annoying strobe light going all the time, weird floor layout. The venue is made up of several levels of floor but overall is actually only two levels with steps and sunken floors. This breaking up of the floor results in several impractical, small spaces.

There are a few stores in the side streets off La Rambla selling jewellery, accessories and clothing that would appeal to Goths.

Hope that helps :)

Keane - Under the Iron Sea: Reviewed

Veteran readers of the previous incarnation of this blog will know that I enjoyed Keane’s debut album, Hopes and Fears. Fortunately it did well enough for them to have a second album, Under the Iron Sea.

The cover art - by Finnish artist Sanna Annukka - is cute and funky. You will have to buy the CD to fully appreciate it since it folds out to 6 panels in total. Starting at the surface of the iron sea is a mixture of good and bad equine waves. Underneath is a fairytale seascape featuring among other creatures a giant octopus, a whale, and a squirrel! Visit their website or Annukka's to get a taste of it.

Atlantic sets the tone, evoking the wash and rhythm of the sea with soaring, sweeping vocals and piano. Beautiful, it’s my favourite track.
Is it any wonder? opens with a heavy, U2esque bass before mellowing into piano. This album overall has a greater emphasis on the bass. Compared with their self-titled debut album, which was built around the piano/synth, this has a more of a rock feel to it.
Nothing in my way, is a piano based ballad. Lead vocalist Tom Chaplin has either improved his breathing technique or his gasps for air at the end of each line have been produced out – or a combination of both. His breathing was clearly audible on the softer or more passionately sung tracks from the previous album.
Leaving so soon? and A bad dream both feature longer notes yet they contrast nicely with each other. The first is a strong song of defiance and independence while the latter is a ballad about exactly the opposite sentiment. A bad dream has particularly lovely soaring and layering.
Hamburg song has an organ rather than a piano sound and feels more like a hymm. It isn’t clear why it has this title. Soulful, but depressing if you’re already sad, it’s feelings laid bare.
Track 7, Put it behind you ends at about 3:30, as a song but appears to have a secret piece within it. An atmospheric bass, synth and strings instrumental sweeps in then fades out 3 minutes later - another favourite for me.
Crystal Ball is an upbeat track though lyrically or musically not one of their strongest. The album title is derived from a line in this song.

There are other tracks. The first album was less than 50 minutes and this is another shorty at just over 50 minutes. Quality not quantity. I have not felt the compulsion to skip any tracks except Hamburg song and only when I was feeling blue.

Overall there’s a nice balance of light and shade, ballads and upbeat tracks. The heavier use of bass, more complex vocals, and stronger, tighter production works well. It took a few listens but it has grown on me. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed their first album.




Websites of the Day
Keane's Official Website
Sanna Annukka's portfolio, which includes beautiful art for all the the singles from Under the Iron Sea

Meerkat goodness

Listening to: Crystal Ball by Keane

Quite a few hits to this website are meerkat related, probably due to my user name and blog title since there is very little here about meerkats. I feel obliged to provide a little meerkat info if only to make that hit worthwhile and talk about one of my favourite animals :)

1. Google this:
'emo meerkat'
I don't know why anyone would but someone did, and look what happens! Weird :P

2. It is my understanding that there is now a full meerkat group at the Melbourne Zoo. Last time I went a few years ago there wasn't. The matriach had died. This caused so much in fighting that the remaining group was relocated to join an existing group at Werribee Zoo. At the time when I visited there was a solitary meerkat on display. Not a natural situation since they need to have someone on sentry at all times. I watched this little fellow eventually nod off, asleep on a log. Cute, funny and a bit sad too. Aww.

3. Meerkats are not totally immune to the poisons of their prey. With scorpions they will nip off the stinger. With snakes it may look like they've taken a hit but in fact they've dodged it. As those of you who have been watching Meerkat Manor know, a meerkat can survive a bite but not without some suffering in the meantime. I suspect the ingestion of enough poisonous prey may provide some immunity. As long as there are no internal lacerations for the poison to enter the bloodstream it is safe for a meerkat to ingest it.

4. Meerkat Manor quotes the Cambridge University study as being 10 years long. It's actually older, starting in 1993. There was an article in National Geographic, September 2002 about the study in which the University of Pretoria is also involved. Why study them? To provide insight into the evolution of mammalian cooperation. Meerkats are the very model of this.

5. You can buy one as a pet in Madrid for E1000. I very much doubt you could own one in Australia. Apparently you have can't have a pet hedgehog here either. [pout] I wouldn't mind a hedgehog :)


Website of the Day

National Geographic, Meerkats Stand Tall

Bauhaus concert, Barcelona, February 2006

I've been meaning to post this since coming back.

Bauhaus in Barcelona
Peter might be old and losing his hair but he rocked as did the rest of the band. Daniel plays a mean axe. Fine showmanship and camaraderie between Peter and Daniel. Highlights were when Peter paced around Daniel throwing rose petals at him, She's in Parties, and their encore performance of Ziggy Stardust. They are not a band I am particularly familiar with but it was well worth our while.


Concert Etiquette

Though I doubt the people who need to read this sort of thing would here 't is anyway. I wrote this back in early March while my annoyance was still somewhat fresh though not palpable ;)

O No big hair. Save the mohawk and any other kind do that increases your perceived height for elsewhere.
O If you have long hair, tie it back so people don’t have to look through/past your hair. Tie it back low so that it doesn’t go in the face of the person behind you.*
O Take photos if it's permitted but show some restraint and have some consideration for those behind you. I don’t want to watch some of the best parts of the concert through your f@#$ing mobile phone/digital camera because it’s blocking my view**
O If you’re 6ft tall don’t stand in the middle near the front. It’s f@#$ing selfish - particularly if you’re built like a bouncer.***
O Do NOT show your appreciation by sticking your fingers in your mouth and whistling loudly at the end of EVERY song.****
O Dance by all means but respect others’ right to see the concert without having your head come in and out of their view. ***** Don’t sway your head/body while moving from foot to foot. You take up twice the visual space. Bounce in your place, tap your foot, nod your head, jiggle, whatever.


Bauhaus concert in Barcelona, February 2006
ink on paper
*Chick just in front of me, kept leaning back which put her high ponytail in contact with my face several times
**Same chick
***His saving grace is that he was bald, so no big hair. I have a vivid recollection of the shape of his head
**** My ears hurt! The music was loud enough without this git doing that.
*****Several people. WTF?

Caroline the Ladybug's Shrine

I made it over time at work, from bits of packaging and written off products. It's held together with sticky tape and PVA glue - a rough assembly made for fun, to kill spare time and bring a bit of silliness to the workplace. It inspired me to make at home, a shrine-like sculpture .


Caroline the Ladybug's Shrine
card, paper, plastic, wire, cotton thread, mirrored glass, holographic film

It started off with the ladybug then grew outwards and upwards. Note the Albert Einstein, Mata Hari and a corgi combo at the top!

Beret not parade!

Listening to 'Maniac' by Michael Sembello

My next op shop pursuit will be to find a beret the colour of raspberries.

Just to see if it's possible.

Goths are not emos.

Listening to 'The Walk' by The Cure

Goths are not emos.

The mainstream media would have you believe otherwise but believe me, we are NOT the same. To the very casual observer there are similarities. Emo is commonly believed a spin off from goth. Not quite true.
Rather than wax lyrical on what goth is - we like to navel gaze - here's a couple of links for those who would like/care to know the difference. The goth definition is comprehensive, by no means definitive, and reasonable in its breadth. The Emo one isn't quite so long but it will give you a basis for comparison so you can see we are different.
Wikipedia on Goth
Wikipedia on Emo
I haven't included a picture of a goth because there is a huge variety of styles. Personally, I lean towards Victorian goth favouring lace, ribbon, frills, long swirly skirts, and a corset.

Round like a roundabout

Listening to 'I love it' by Sneaky Sound System

Ever been waiting to go into, then driving, in a roundabout while 'Spin me 'round (like a record)' by Dead or Alive was on the radio? I did, today! It was fun :)

For punctuation sticklers...

...after reading another LJ user's interests I noticed they were into
80's music.
I am also into that but I had used
80s music.
Apparently the the correct way to write this is
80's music
as this is a case of something being possessive. Whereas
This music is from the 80s
does not describe possession but a period in time.
You don't put an apostrophe for the unseen 19.
Source for this information here.

These aren't mine but to illustrate our apostrophe class:


Wrong but could also be a good album :)


Right but judging by the listed tracks, possibly a bad album (too much mush!) ;)

I bothered researching this because when I looked at my dozen or so 80's compilation CDs I found three different ways of writing it which wasn't very helpful. I bothered writing it up because I like sharing knowledge. It will help me remember it better as well! So there you go for those who didn't know.
You learn something new every day :)

The Art of Alex Gross

Came across The Art of Alex Gross via atomicthreat.com

My favourite painting so far is this one.


Siren

She has a serene yet cold beauty about her. I like how he's used the body of a male peacock to create a female siren. The blues and greens in this work are lovely. There's a certain naivety in the representation, yet there is also great technical artistry. Like a well illustrated children's book.

Go and check out his site!