A Writer's Life

One of my favourite parts of Sydney is the Powerhouse Museum. Sydney has many interesting museums and galleries but there’s just something special about the Powerhouse. It’s existed in several forms for over 130 years (once even sharing a room with a hospital morgue) and it’s full of history. I could lose myself for hours just wandering around if I had enough time.

Recently there have been a couple of new exhibitions at the Powerhouse I’ve wanted to see, including one from the Star Wars films. With my health I hadn’t felt up to going earlier but I finally managed to go a few weeks ago with MQ, just before the Star Wars exhibit closed. It was interesting seeing the costumes; they’re actually very detailed, much more than you can see on-screen. And seeing Darth Vader was fun.

The other exhibit was the Inspired! Design Across Time exhibit, which was excellent and free. It looks at the history of art and design through different eras and has some wonderful displays. I enjoy studying design; some people may remember I designed my library units, so I found it fascinating.

I took some photos of both exhibits to share. Some came out better than others; I’m still learning how to use my camera and the damn flash keeps getting in the way. But they’re not too bad overall. Hope you enjoy them.

These are all from the Inspired! Design Across Time exhibit. The photo of the bench is my favourite; it’s from the crafts revival and there’s just something very rustic and Australian about the display, blending with the background.

I also like the mosaic. It was made by Pierre Cavalan from recycled materials and each panel is embossed with a stylised face in a different expression. It’s very beautiful and must have been painstaking to create.

What was particularly interesting about the exhibit was following the evolution in design, particularly the rapid advances toward contemporary art. Art and design have changed so much over the years but what was obvious was how the same influences keep reappearing, just in different forms.

These are from the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit. It had a mix of costumes and props from the Star Wars films, as well as displays of real world technology similar to the science from the films.

Seeing the costumes and props was interesting; you get an appreciation for the detail that goes into creating them that you can’t really see on-screen. But it was a little disappointing overall. The exhibit was quite poorly lit (which also made the photos darker) and the idea didn’t feel that plausible. Star Wars isn’t really about science.

Probably my favourite costumes were of Princess Leia and the droids, which were still in good condition. And Vader’s but that seemed to have aged more.

And what’s a day out without a nice meal to go with it? These photos were actually from a few weeks earlier as I didn’t get to photograph it in time but it was the same meal, except with more veggies on the pizza – I’d run out here.

And yes, I made it myself. I can cook quite well, believe it or not. The meringue was lovely too.

I like memes. I know some people don’t but I think a good meme can say a lot about a person without revealing too much. So thanks to Sulz and Ella for tagging me for this one. Looks like fun.

5 things found in your bag (I’ll use my messenger bag)

• Sunglasses
• iPod and headphones
• Notepad and pen
• Latest book I’m reading (The Road by Cormac McCarthy)
• Chewing gum (or mints)

5 favourite things in your room

• Bookcases & books
  I had these custom made a few years ago; the carpenters loved them so much they’re using the design. Should I get a commission?

• LCD TV
  I bought this when my insomnia started so I could watch DVDs. I love it; it’s a Panasonic 26″ and it’s like having my own home cinema.

• Writing desk
  I found this secondhand and grabbed it; it’s a rolltop desk, something I’ve always wanted. It’s where I do all my writing; poetry, letters, blog posts… isn’t it a beautiful colour?

• Statues & figures
  I love old myths and I’ve been collecting these statues for a few years. These Egyptian ones are made from cold cast resin; the detail is stunning. I also have a collection of pewter statues.

• King Arthur Tapestry
  This is my favourite piece. It’s based on a William Morris tapestry; the knights have left their shields in the woods, searching for the unicorn.

5 things you have always wanted to do

• Open a bookshop
  This is something I’d love to do, open a secondhand bookshop with a cafe and author readings… books are what I know best, so I couldn’t think of a better way to make a living. CJ’s Classics sounds good, eh?

• Have a novel published
  This is an obvious one. I haven’t written anything that I’d send away yet, but maybe it’ll happen. I’m very happy with Sleepless and The Galleon; they’re very different to anything I’ve written before.

• Finish Atlas Shrugged
  I tried reading Rand’s novel in school but couldn’t finish it. It’s something I really should read, so I’ll have to have another go.

• See more of the world
  I haven’t travelled much beyond Europe. I’d love to see the US and Egypt, especially the Pyramids… I’d love to see Wimbledon live as well.

• Think of the perfect comeback
  You know when someone insults you and you wish you had the perfect retort? I always think of it later; just once I’d love to say it right back.

5 things you are currently into

• Cut Copy
  Cut Copy are like a cross between INXS, The Bee Gees and Daft Punk. It sounds odd but they’re actually very good. Their new album is excellent.

• Indiana Jones
  I’ve been trying to avoid spoilers for Indy 4 for months and I loved the trailer. Don’t know if it’ll be like the others but it looks like fun!

• Tetris
  I loved Tetris when I was younger and I’ve been playing it again for the last few weeks. Now I’m addicted. It’s so simple but a lot of fun.

• Audiobooks
  I’ve liked audiobooks for years but I’ve really got into them recently. I just bought Steve Martin’s The Pleasure of My Company and it’s narrated by Martin as well, which is an added bonus.

• Natalie Portman
  Because she’s Natalie Portman. Do I need another reason?

5 people you want to tag
And if you don’t feel like taking part, that’s fine. No pressure.

• Bharat
• Sanjida
• Maribeth
• Dya
• Lynn

If there’s one thing I’ll never get used to it’s the weather. Sometimes it has a mind of its own. The last few weeks have seen some bizarre weather conditions across Australia; it was pleasant in Sydney over Christmas, but the other cities sweltered in 45°C heat and for the last week or so we’ve had wild storms sweep across the eastern coast.

The rain’s been intermittent but annoying; it’ll stop quickly, but you’ll get soaked if you’re caught in it. What’s been amazing, though, is watching the gigantic waves crashing against the beaches. I’m not sure how well the picture shows it; some of the waves are up to four metres high. Most of the beaches have been closed for the last week, but they’re still attracting people to watch.

Even stranger has been this sea foam that’s washed up on a couple of the beaches. I’ve seen it once before and apparently it’s a lather of crushed up plankton and seaweed; it almost looks like yeast. A few people tried swimming in it; not sure I’d want to, but it’s amazing to look at. This guy looks like he’s had the bath from hell.

The weather’s caused a lot of damage but it’s still strangely beautiful. Just reminds me that with everything we can create, there’s nothing more beautiful than nature’s fury.

I came across this photo on Stock.Xchang earlier and fell in love with it. I love how the tree spreads to fill the image and is framed against the ocean’s glare, how the ocean blends into the sky. The empty bench seems almost sad as well, like there’s no one there to appreciate the beauty… I’m a bit of an amateur photographer and it makes me feel jealous!

What it reminds me of more than anything is summer. It just feels bright and summery. I like the summer months. Well, I don’t enjoy the heat; sometimes it tops 40° C in Sydney and not many people enjoy that. But I like the feeling that comes with summer, the extra light and warmth wiping away the last cobwebs of winter. I love the fresh smell in the air; the lazy days running into one another; sitting under a tree, watching the people go by.

Whenever I think of summer it brings back my adolescence. Some of my fondest memories come from the summer months, on days just like the one in the photo. Playing cricket with my father in the school nets; watching the tennis on TV and playing on the weekends under the hot sun. Listening to Rob Thomas’s and Santana’s Smooth. Drinking a half-melted Calippo, biting into a juicy peach… walks along the beach, the sun gleaming off the ocean.

I cherish those memories but thinking about them also makes me feel sad in a way. I’m at the age where I’m accepting more responsibility and control in my life, but the trade-off is that those days are behind me. I’m happy with who I am but sometimes I miss that feeling. Not wanting to see the world through younger eyes, but to be more carefree and not let things get to me so much. In some ways I wish I could stay forever young.

I love Alphaville’s Forever Young. It was released the year I was born and it’s such a haunting song. There are a couple of lines I’ve always related to.

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don’t they stay young?

I’ve always thought the lyrics aren’t just about staying young and growing older but also about beauty…. I’ve noticed recently that I don’t look at the world in the same way as I did before. That’s not necessarily bad, but what I used to stop and notice around me now I don’t notice as often. My life has more priorities; I have less time to sit and watch the world go by. I find that sad… if I can’t find time to appreciate beauty, what’s the point of all the rest?

People say that you’re only as old as you feel inside and I know what they mean… I think for as long as I live my heart will remember how I felt during those golden summers and I’ll never lose it. But there is a danger in that as well. It’s simple to value the past so much that we become lost in it; that we’d want to spend more time with our memories and watching old TV series than experiencing the present. That’s something I never want to do; I value life and my journey too much for that. What I think staying forever young really means is holding onto the joys of our life as we move forward; if we can do that, then we are never old. And if our memory lives on, we never die.

The photo reminded me of that, the empty bench looking out at the ocean… and it reminded me again that I need to take more time to look at the world around me, its beauty. As a writer I’ve been looking at the world in terms of people, but that’s only a small part of life.

Strange how something as simple as a photo could touch me so much. But then beauty comes in all forms; it’s our job to recognise it. And I was lucky enough to this time.