So if I wear Versace sunglasses with my Givenchy hoodie is that being a brand whore? On a totally different subject...Do you remember when something was explained to you and all of a sudden ”the penny dropped” it was as though a window had opened up in your mind and you could, if only for a brief moment in time, see clearly. You were able to comprehend something new, wonderful, and exciting. I remember that moment clearly and often wonder if I had the right opportunity at the time, also the means at my disposal, I would have made something out of it. It was at one of the music classes in school, aged around ten or eleven, that I actually understood the meaning of notes and their value. It was almost like falling through the floor and in some kind of “Alice in Wonderland” moment, I’m not even sure if that’s the correct description but I was able to know what each note meant and it’s significance...it’s value and how to actually write music. Of course I forget it a
Posts
Algebra! I used to dread algebra at school...really dread. Maths in general to be honest but it was algebra in particular. I could never make any sense what use it would be in future life. Really what use is it? I’ve never used it many, many years later...AT ALL! See I was right! I think it was the teacher more than anything. It was at an all boys school “as rough as guts” as they say. It was so bad, I tell you no joke, that it had Dartmoor in large black letters painted on the red tiled roof. Dartmoor was an infamous prison back in the UK where I was originally from. It was an end of school prank some years before by some high school leavers. An attempt had been made to remove the said letters but that made it worse and the black paint spread making it even more easy to see. Anyway back to algebra. While there were some amazing teachers I remember one Mr Bowles his name was an English teacher; my favourite subject. He was a student teacher I remember and he gave m
What's your earliest memory? I can remember so much, back so far, in such minute detail it’s frightening sometimes. It even frightens me! My earliest memory...or I should say one of the many...standing naked in the kitchen sink while on holiday at my aunties place at the seaside with my Mother washing me...and that was just last year......(I even make myself laugh at times 😀😀 I know it’s sad isn’t it!) Anyway back to the story... Cousins standing around looking and people coming and going...how embarrassing!! I guess I must have ben around 5/6..I know but it’s still embarrassing! The kitchen sink mind...how unhygienic..but back then (in the olden days!) I guess things were different. It must have affected me as its indelibly stamped on my memory.. I can still picture the room now..and all the people looking at me 😕...aaaAAHH I can go back even earlier than that....it’s strange I know but I can remember laying in my cot..believe it or not and it’s the trut
21st century security blanket... Remember the days.. possibly not you...but I do...when a computer had to be in a temperature controlled, dust free room and specialised people were the only ones allowed to operate the glass fronted whirling taped machines? Now we all have one in our pockets..purses and don’t think twice about it being dust free...maybe not water proof though as many have found out as it accidently drops into the toilet bowl!! Moral of the story don’t check the phone when toileting! What would we do without our phones, our pocket computers, I have no idea. I really couldn’t leave home without mine. Just the other day I went for a walk and as I felt in my pocket the phone wasn’t there...panic... I just had to go back. Not worried about shorts, shirt, socks and even shoes but the phone is one necessity to never to leave home without. What if something were to happen? I may need the phone in an emergency or someone needs to contact me in an emergency. Oh and th
Within the period of your lifetime...what would you like to see happen? A big question...a very big question when you think about it. Of course we would most likely say world peace....but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one knowing how everyone always seems to be at each others throats most of the time. We can only hope! A cure for cancer..yes we would all like to see that. Everyone either has been touched by the dreaded disease, knows someone that has had it, lost someone because of it; or indeed has it. To end poverty? Knowing that the richest 85 people in the world have as much wealth as the 3.5 Billion poorest! Does that make any sense to anyone? I really can’t see that changing anytime soon. Pollution is an on going threat as plastics and rubbish continue to pollute our oceans and really top of the list, something that will eventually affect us all, climate change. The number one threat to our very existence on this planet. There are so many thing
Any dream interpreters out there???? I had a doozy ( as they say) last night or early morning as it is now 4 AM as I write this! I had to get up and make a warm drink to calm myself down. I was driving, it was night time and very dark, with my Father in the car beside me. He passed away twenty years ago now! As we were travelling along the road gradually became whiter...more icy...nothing to worry about it was just very slight ice shining from the reflection of the headlights. Then gradually it became thicker and whiter. The car behind, I could see in the rear view mirror was swerving trying to gain some control, suddenly it spun off somewhere to the left. I started to panic I was physically shaking I could feel it. I could feel the fear..it was very, very, real! I continued driving but could go on no longer and gradually slowed down and slowed some more noticing there was a bay ahead where I could pull over. I just had to pull over I was in a cold sweat my
Today is the anniversary of the death of George Floyd and America is still grappling with police reform and ongoing violence. If it wasn’t for that ten minute cell phone video taken by high school student Darnella Frazier the world would be none the wiser of what happened. How policeman Derek Chauvin held him down and took his life as he begged to be able to breathe. He deserved better! Millions of people were outraged and it didn’t take long, once that video was published on social media, for many hundreds of people from Minneapolis around America and around the world to see how Black Americans can, and often are, treated. It galvanised people to demonstrate in the streets and also prompted a crisis for law enforcement and also deepened divisions in an already racially divided country. The Black Lives Matter movement was born. It was the straw that broke the camels back. People could now see...in the words of that old and meaningful Marvin Gaye song...”What's g
On the street where I live... Local characters make the place interesting don’t you think. Where I live there are many and varied... just like anywhere I guess. There's the lady with a standard white poodle I’ve seen dyed pink...yes pink I assure you. At Easter another “fur baby” as they are known here, there are many fur babies mostly small ones, was pushed around in a stroller with rabbit ears and wearing a a dress. Maybe a bit over the top but it caused a smile. Not sure how the dog felt about it though! There is this one lady with, I think, an eastern European accent.. over two metres tall..we call her the Amazon lady! In her early thirties I guess. ”Oh look there’s the Amazon lady!” we point as we drive along when seeing her out running amongst the tourists. Guess she just looks like how some Amazonian warrior would look. Very muscular and sun tanned. I chatted to her in the local newsagents recently. She did a muscle building pose and told me how many kilos of fish sh
You may be a fan of Donald Trump; I certainly am not. I don’t miss the daily news briefings and the constant, of what seemed like, endless televised daily signings of executive orders. So different now with President Biden he just gets on with the job. No fanfare. Just does the job at hand. Every day we had something on Twitter multiple times during the day and night. Twitter ended up banning him, as did Facebook. He lost the election and STILL says it was a fake result and that he actually won. Many of his supporters also still say he won and also many continue to deny anything bad happened on January 6 in Washington. Even some Republican members of congress, just this week, said the riots were nothing more than a tour group entering the building. What! The “call to arms” rally on January 6, as stated by The Washington Post, where things said like “never give up” and “never concede”..will go down in history as a very dark time. Many armed with an assortmen
I get so annoyed at these anti vaccination people...or “anti-vaxers” as they are known. Really don’t they know what’s happening overseas? Don’t they watch the news or are they just buried in their Netfix of Facebook or something. I have no idea!! I have had one shot of the AstraZeneca Jab and pleased to do so. Next one in around six weeks time. If not for me it helps others so this dreaded plague that is amongst us does not mutate and become even worse than it already is. People just make stupid comments and I get annoyed. I know I shouldn’t but find it really hard not to. Scientists have worked hard to help us and unlike the last time there was a virus like this, the Spanish Flu, where in 1918 an estimated 20 to 50 million people died A Doctor, an Indian Doctor, now living and working here in Australia said she is heartbroken, exhausted and discouraged pleading with people to “take the jab”. “I’ve lost several close family members to COVID-19 in India” she con
The Gold Coast, Queensland, is certainly an interesting place to live. It’s the sixth largest and said to be the fastest growing city in Australia. It has the top three fastest growing suburbs in the country as well as record prices being smashed in ten Gold Coast suburbs in 2021. At this stage the demand shows no signs of slowing. There is so much happening. Many cranes which equate to new buildings on the horizon and new dreams becoming fulfilled. It seems more people want to come and live here than ever before. People from the cooler southern states of our country, many already have holiday apartments here, are now wishing to live here permanently in Queensland. Who can blame them; certainly not me. We are known as the Sunshine State with around 300 days of sunshine per year. I would much rather be warm than cold that’s for sure! Where I live at Main Beach there are, at the moment as figures change rapidly, seven new buildings that are either being marketed, mostly high rise
I have this fascination when there’s a full moon, especially on a warm summers evening, to just stand and gaze in awe at its clear glowing brilliance and wonder how many others throughout the millennia have done the very same thing. When by the ocean to see it rise majestically, silently, from the horizon is magic to me pure magic. To just sit on the beach and watch the show begin...and it’s free! Anyone can do it...but do many of us actually experience that? I doubt it. We are all too often caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of life and what’s on TV. The moon so big, bright and mysterious has shone down to light the generations before us, that have done the same as I, and just stared almost hypnotised by its beauty. From the times of ancient Egypt it shone down as they toiled building the pyramids however many thousands of years ago that was. Even experts cannot agree on a time frame for that. It shone down on dinosaurs eons of years before that. Biblical times when Jesu
Instagram’s always interesting and as I say to businesses that aren’t on it...WHY NOT! Before Instagram....and any form of social media for that matter...before the internet (whoops..age!) I had shops and would have loved to have something like this to advertise on...AND IT’S FREE! I remember the rep from the local newspaper would come around with some special page they were doing to get some advertising revenue in and a small block would be anything from $50/$100. That’s a very small block that someone just turns the page and doesn’t even notice. In a small business just starting out that’s a huge amount of money. Now with Instagram and other social media sites you can do it all yourself. Take a picture of anything in the shop and post it immediately and it’s gone not only locally but world wide. You don’t even need a shop these days. Many operate a small business from home! I think its amazing and can’t understand why more businesses don’t do it. Gone are the da
Following on "A story in four parts".. ( now part 5 😕) If you can handle it please read those first four blogs below otherwise it may be confusing..as am I..very often😉! ) 5 The saga continues... It beats with two hearts...That’s what Dad said after returning to New Zealand from a holiday on Queensland’s Gold Coast. I had my successful shop in New Brighton, also the one in central Christchurch, which we were now all a part of..my Mother...Father and myself. It had been around six years since I first started my business and after several trips to Fiji and Australia I was becoming restless. Needed a new challenge. My Parents had been to Queensland Australia a couple of times; as had I. I knew they loved it in Queensland and the weather suited. I really don’t handle the cold well...even though I'm from the UK..I know...I know. Just getting soft I guess. Anyway it was while my Parents were on holiday in the UK visiting relatives, and I was sitting almost on top of t
Home Of The Arts Just back from our new Arts Centre on the Gold Coast. Very impressive indeed. It reminded me somewhat of the Tardis from Doctor Who. If anyone has seen that long running science fiction TV series you would know what I mean. From a distance it looks small but once inside it magically opens up to five floors of eye opening and sometimes, maybe to some, questionable art. But then all art is subjective isn’t it and what appeals to one may not appeal to another. But we enjoyed it. First not knowing what to do or how to find our way around we had a coffee in the existing coffee shop next to the old(er) arts complex..cinema, theatre etc., to get our bearings. Then charged up with our caffeine fix made our way to the new HOTA...Home Of The Arts building. It is multi coloured on the outside and box like but, as I said previously, it magically opens up once inside. Through the revolving doors...built I understand to help ease the humidity, into the air cond
A story in four parts 1... Do you have a moment in time, a significant song, that when you hear it you instantly know where you were and what you were doing. What was the song? I mentioned it in an earlier blog about certain songs and memories but not my full story.(..or my abbreviated story!) My moment in time was, is, and always will be Paul McCartney singing The Long and Winding Road....I’ll explain the significance. We, my Parents and myself, were about to go on an adventure; an adventure of a lifetime. Leaving the shores of a country we had grown up in and moving to the other side of the world from the UK to New Zealand. A difficult decision and one we were so unsure of it came down to writing YES and NO on two pieces of paper. Maybe not the best way of making a decision but it literally came down to that! I forget who picked what piece of paper it may have been me I’m not sure...anyway the choice was YES so a decision had been made good or bad; there was
A story in four parts 2... On boarding our ship at Southampton Docks The Ellinis a Greek shipping line Chandris..we were shown to our cabins and the journey had begun. It was all an adventure like nothing we had experienced in our lives before. A beautiful ship with great food and soon we made friends with many others seeking a new life and new opportunities. We were not on any scheme, as we had saved hard, many were going to Australia just a few on to New Zealand. I remember sort of feeling something special as we were going that “extra mile” for our adventure. After just over four weeks of mostly relaxed living, some huge seas and seeing the novelty of flying fish, and the changing of the seasons and calling in to Cape Town South Africa and then on to Freemantle Australia. I remember Freemantle looked so quiet back then in 1970. That was before the Americas Cup and so many other things that were to put Freemantle on the map. It was just a bright sunny place
A story in four parts 3.. Our journey was fraught with struggles as any new migrant will attest. New ways..new country but we slowly began to acclimatise...to adjust. My Mother cried for days...weeks..as we tried to fit in. Missing family and friends it was a struggle. Dad worked back on the tools as a carpenter builder. I later had a succession of boring office jobs and Mum ran the home and then helped me in a business venture discussed in the next blog. With the money we had left, which wasn't much, and with a large mortgage my Parents bought a run down little beach shack and turned it into a home. I was pleased to, at last, live on the ground floor where I could look out of my bedroom window at the garden instead of being three floors up as I was so used to. It was almost falling down and there were many things wrong with it..many things indeed but it was all we could afford. At last I had a garden...at long last my long held dream. Also I had a dog!
A story in four parts 4.. (Part 5 now on posted here May20) To know you’re on the right pathway....when things just fall into place... An early business venture... I had this boring office job, so many boring office jobs. Just nothing...no fulfilment. Then one day, like a light bulb moment, I sat at lunch times just going through the phone book. As others were out lunching, shopping, I would go through the phone book...the yellow pages business section. I knew..something told me all the answers were there I just had to keep looking. I had no idea what I was looking for I just keep looking..day after day after day all during lunchtimes. Wholesalers...suppliers..I knew the answers were there in font of me I just didn’t know what I was looking for. The plan must have already been in my head without me realising it. Then one day completely out of the blue while out walking came across an empty shop in an arcade in this beachside suburb near
How many pets of different descriptions have you had over a lifetime? Me...I've had too numerous to mention really...but I will...a few! I grew up in London...well on the outskirts of London at a place called Chingford in greater London close to the borders of Essex. As I grew up in a council flat (or as known here state housing) as I have mentioned on here before in an earlier blog titled - Houses we grew up in 1st blog here- pets were “supposed” to be limited. As a child, like many I guess, I always wanted a dog. No dogs were allowed it stated on the back of the green rent book I remember so well. I read it and re read it but no it didn’t change; dogs were definitely not allowed! I remember a cat first of all I named her Rita...after a girl at school. I must have been around 8 at the time. It wasn’t really a friendly or a cuddly kind of cat I remember she would scratch frequently. One day when I came home my Mother said Rita..the cat not the girl from school...
Do you think sometimes in these days of instant news from around the world that we have too much...news that is! As sad as it is to hear of a bus crash in Russia or a bridge collapse in Africa do we really need to know everything that happens in the world. Every little detail? I couldn’t sleep the other night, what’s new, so switched on my radio and hit after hit after hit disasters. One after the other after the other and ending on, as they so often do especially on the TV news...some cute animal story! Just laying there trying to take it all in is difficult enough let lone separating the many disasters as they pile into your mind one after the other. We listen, take it in and then let it go. We can’t do anything..change anything in another country far far away no matter how sad and distressing it is. Often leaving me wondering did we really need to even know that? The internet keeps us so informed of every little detail in the world that happens and who
When we return to normality again after the plague that is amongst us...what will it be like? Do you think we will travel like we used to or will we be more circumspect ..more suspicious of crowds and those not wearing masks. It will take a very long time to get over this. The world has changed because of it and I wonder if it will ever be the same again. Surely a vaccination passport will be compulsory! It’s been a strange old time indeed for many and luckily here in Australia due to border shutdowns we have avoided the huge toll this has taken on so very many thousands, millions of people around the world. Vaccinations seem to be the only answer to stop this mutating into an even stronger virus. Maybe if that happens we may never be able to stop the spread. It is difficult enough now with all the “anti vaxers” as they are called saying so much rubbish on social media frightening everyone. I have had my first jab and my second one is due July 22. We all have t
“Your tax file number has been suspended and there is a warrant out for your arrest!” A cold metallic voice on the other end of the phone stated... Have you received a phone call similar to that? The number was quickly blocked I add. It was just made to my partners phone. He has received a few of “those type” calls. Fortunately enough I haven’t! How can people do this. I know the phone numbers are automatically generated and if the fraudsters just “reel in” one or two out of several thousand calls they have done well for the day. Anyone living on their own would be traumatised by a call like that and some would go on and press a certain number for more information...then they’re hooked..well and truly. We know it’s a fraud a fake call but there are many that don’t; believe it or not! It’s been on TV enough about these crooks but still they catch people out. The mind boggles really it does. Just the other day I heard a story...this man’s father in his 80’s r
Seems to be the latest thing...or maybe I’m just a late starter! I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be taking hemp seed oil but it seems to be the latest panacea for what ails you! So thought I would give it a try... It’s legally purchased, in shops and even on Amazon and the “strong”, the THC of the cannabis plant, has been removed so we wont get high. Cannabis is made from the flower. Hemp seed oil it seems is made from the stalk, leaves and seeds. Don’t want to get pulled over when driving that’s the very last thing I want. I’ve checked on the internet and the low doses without THC are permissible. So two drops under the tongue daily and we shall see! Just hearing so many stories about it my partner and I were curious. His Mother takes it for easing pain and it works...seems to be better than the medication she is on and the test was running out of the drops, and waiting for more, the pain returned. She calls it her "giggle Juice!" Now many o
Food for thought... Watched an interesting TV documentary recently on Netflix called Cowspiracy. They have good documentaries on there they really do. Recommended... Really it was something I already knew but it was good to have a refresher to make me certain I’m on the right path. Now I know meat eaters won’t like this and we all have choices so, I say nothing, just state the facts as laid out in Cowspiracy. So much land is cleared, a frightening amount of land is cleared just to grow feed for cattle. The worlds hunger could be solved if it weren’t for cattle if we lived a more plant based life. So much grain and water is consumed by cattle anyone with an ounce of brain can see this is not sustainable in the long term. Also a new UN report states the quickest way to slow global warming is to cut methane emissions; which of course farm animals produce! Land is being cleared at an incredible rate for cattle to graze or to grow grain to feed to the cattle. So mu
Wouldn’t it be nice! Do you have the same problem as I do in the morning as I stretch out on my 1000 thread Egyptian cotton sheets with 22 carat gold woven directly into the fabric and my initials embroidered on every one..in gold of course.. beneath a beautiful black and gold Versace bedspread! Searching through the wardrobe...Versace...Dolce & Gabbana Gucci etc., etc., etc., It’s a worry, mind boggling, the stress of it all... and that's even before I leave the bedroom! Then there’s the complete range of Christian Louboutin shoes to select from just to complete the look... my favourite brand..some too spikey...some not spikey enough ( if you know men's Christian Louboutin shoes you will know what I mean). Mind boggling isn't it! Dressy or casual Mmmm Maybe casual today! Then there’s what car to drive today from the selection of keys on the rack. I usually just close my eyes and surprise myself! One rack for convertibles of course...it’s
It would be too cruel to say we could be named after a well known “Towering” TV series from a few years back now, which is often repeated but always funny, and never dates......I’m no Basil...but I don’t know..could be! Today we had fire drill in the apartment building! Not many seemed to know it was a fire drill that is. I just thought it was another frequent test of the alarms as we couldn’t understand the mumbled metallic voice that came across the intercom beforehand. After a few minutes with the alarm then changing tone to a long slow beep..beep...and no sign of stopping I peaked out the front door and noticed the main glass door was wedged open. Strange ! Then noticed the lifts weren’t working and a few people gathering outside. Mmmm I thought maybe this isn’t a drill after all. It takes a while for ”the penny to drop”! So a quick change...can’t look too untidy...and made my way outside as a lady carrying her dog agreed that she too couldn’t hear what
What would you do if you won the Lottery? I’m sure you have thought about it if you’re honest... I knew someone who had a win a few years ago now and it caused great excitement...great excitement indeed! I was there when the lady from the lottery office rang at 8am on the dot the following morning, after the six numbers were crossed off the evening before, to check the winning ticket number. No sleep the night before of course...and yes she confirmed it was a winning ticket! Amazing...life changing. He went from being a cleaner with his own very small business to have a billboard the size of a house on the main highway saying ‘ Local Cleaner mops up and wins Lotto!’ The funny, or not so funny, part on the local TV news the announcer stated the following evening "A local toilet cleaner has won the lotto"...a toilet cleaner!! The winner didn’t care...what’s that saying call me anything but not late for dinner! Anyway after the initial two week wa
I was at a new fish shop, that’s fish and chips not decorative fish for an aquarium, the other day and I said to my partner Rob...”What if we ever run out of fish?” It got me thinking for years the oceans have just been a dumping ground. It’s not just the tons and tons of plastic that’s floating around in the vast oceans of the world, that continues to be dumped, but all the living creatures that eat the plastic thinking it’s food. Fish feed on the micro plastic pieces as it breaks down into smaller pieces then we eat the fish! Turtles and whales eat plastic bags because they look like squid or jellyfish. Then there’s the over fishing! There was a programme on TV last night on Netflix called SEASPIRACY I advise anyone with a ounce of interest, or a thought for the future for their children or grand children, to watch it. One fact emerged that hit me was in the north sea where they fish for halibut...a popular fish to eat in northern climes. In the 1800’s a ty