mmm whatcha say?

Sydney is not my "lucky" city. I'm just going to put that out there. Not sure why it has to be in the public domain, but sometimes these things have to be aired. I'm almost 100% sure this is not my fault. My experiences so far of Australian men, and men of other nationalities that reside in this country, is overwhelmingly negative. For the most part they are egotistical, arrogant, sexist, racist, self obsessed pigs. I could go on. A friend of mine who has lived here for 2 years warned me that this would be the case, I wish I had just believed her and sworn myself off men, it would have saved a lot of embarrassment. Not just for me, but for the whole of the Australian male race. You know what? That's fine. Asia can be pretty full on in terms of backpacker fun, and quite frankly I was done anyway. But why do the guys have to be so mean? It has at times made me feel pretty crap. But I'm so over that now. Ladies in Australia, if you ever feel marginalised or not good enough because of the lack of braincells in the wanker banker surfer dudes, remember, for one it really isn't you, it's them.

P.S I realise this is a slight contradiction to my last post where I 100% approved Sydney. This is of course because men are not important enough to be considered in the overall view of the city life, and they should not damage a city's reputation. I therefore left them out of the equation, and gave them their own little post.

I have been listening to this song a lot recently, and funnily enough, the lyrics tie into the feeling of loneliness it is important to break free from. Imogen Heap has a beatiful voice that she loves to experiment and play around with, using various forms of technology and looping systems to do so. This song from her 2005 album "Speak for Yourself" performed live is a testament to her abilities. Maybe I should start experimenting?

Livin' for the City

Moving to a new city isn't something I have done before. Not really. Even when I went to university, it was close to home so I went back as and when I needed my washing done. And when I moved to Brixton with my boyfriend, that was close enough to beg for a lift home on a cold night (i'm very indepedant if you hadn't noticed already). But getting a flat and a job in Sydney? Well now that's pretty far. And having finally fled the nest properly, I think Sydney was a damn good choice for spreading my wings. There's great beaches (when it's not pissing down with rain), great food, yummy surfers, shopping until your heart's content, work that pays better than London, and i've got a lovely little en suite room in a house with Harri, and great friends living 2 doors down!!

As much as I love the idea of traveling by myself, to "find myself", I like having the safety net of friends around me. You know, to freak out with when I cockraoch crawls into my toiletries bag (actually happened) or my bag gets stolen (actually happened) or I see a hot guy (has happened ALOT). Friends old or new, as long as they're there and I can call them up and say "Hey, what ya up to? Lets do something fun". I don't think I was made to travel on my own, but I'm also fearful i'm telling myself that because its easier than lifting myself out of the comfort zone i'm nestled so nicely into. Either way there's no denying it, there's a lot of fun to be had in a city like Sydney with your mates. You want an example? Sure.

Plump DJ's @ Chinese Laundry. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted. 8 people + 2 boxes goon (Australian version of Lambrini, UGH) = drunken mess before we even get there. And when Plump DJ's come on, I danced and I sweated myself into a melted version of my former made up self. I'm giving the eyes to everyone but no ones taking them. I don't blame them, I look back at the pictures of the night and I get a fright. An actual fright. 

So there you have it. Sydney has been 100% approved by moi. For fun, food and friends. But not family. Because they're not here :( Which is why I will be going home in 6 months time to enjoy their company and a summer of festivals. Bring it on!

P.S. It's Friday night, but I am severely in need of a detox....with chocolate. But here's something to give YOU that Friday feeling, one all mighty dnb mix by Fiend. I can't get enough of it at the moment.

A Different World by Fiendproductions on Mixcloud

In a really good mood, for no reason at all?

There is a distinct lack of  music that sums up this feeling. I have music that makes me feel happy because it means something to me, and the occasional greats that make everyone happy like Stevie Wonder, but genuinely happy sounding music? Not as much. And then, walking around pretty much every store in Sydney, I kept hearing a familiar voice. And of course, with this particular artist being from Australia, her crazy quirky billboards were popping up everywhere. So I went and bought the album, and it has brought happy clappy music into my life once again.

The whole album, from start to finish, fills me with smiles. From her time with London based electronica collective Zero 7, I have always been a fan of Sia's beautiful and powerful voice. However her second solo album "Colour the Small One", the first I discovered, didn't really do it for me. Apart from the song Breathe, which is a very emotional ballad to say the least, there was no oomph. Admittedly I haven't had the pleasure of listening to her third release, "Some People Have Real Problems", but her latest album "We Are Born" has really done it for me. It shows off her voice at its most powerful in songs like "Be Good To Me", and also has such a massive playful element in it with others, "Clap Your Hands" and the above "Stop Trying" to name a couple of my favourites. This album is one to listen to from start to finish, walking through a park, getting ready to go out (for the girls of course) or whenever you're in a really good mood for no reason. That's what this album is summed up as for me, In a really good mood, for no reason at all. Frankly it's the best reason to be in a good mood, don't you think?