NaBloPoMo: Wear My Wardrobe Challenge

Tomorrow begins National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) where you post at least once a day for the 30 days of November.  This will be my third time participating, but I've decided to do something a bit different this year.  Inspired by my friend Inala's Frocktober effort of wearing a different dress everyday, I have decided to challenge myself to "Wear My Wardrobe" and not repeat an item of clothing during the month of November.  Most people only wear about 20% of their wardrobe.  I have two closets and a dresser full of clothes, so finding something different to wear each day should not be an issue.  I will document my efforts here with a daily photo of my outfit and try to put all those years of watching America's Next Top Model to good use.  Here's hoping Melbourne continues its predictably unpredictable weather throughout the month.

Napoleon

I just made a Napoleon dessert for the first time and yes, it tastes awesome. This is also why I will be hitting the gym on Sunday.

The Good China at Cherry Bar

It has been almost a year since The Good China last played a show, so when Tash and I learned they would be returning to the live stage we had to be there.  I headed out into the rain last night and got to Cherry Bar towards the end of The Harlots energetic set, with Tash arriving shortly after (driving down from Ballarat, such is her dedication). 

The Good China still have eight members, but a new bass player.  They started their set with a new song and then launched into "All Nothing," complete with hand clapping from various parts of the crowd.  The set list was a mix of some pretty good sounding new numbers and old favorites like "If Pain Persists" and "We Found 3 Whistles."  We also got to hear their new single "No More Maps, No More Roads," which was another favorite from previous gigs.  It's so nice to have The Good China back on the Melbourne live scene and I look forward to catching them again soon.

The Queen in Melbourne

The Queen and Prince Phillip were in Melbourne today for a very quick visit lasting about 4 hours.  They opened the new Royal Children's Hospital, then traveled to Federation Square to see an Indigenous art exhibit at the Ian Potter Gallery.  After walking through Fed Square and greeting the massive crowd (measured as "five times bigger than for Oprah") they boarded the "Royal Tram" and took a ride down St Kilda Road to Government House for a reception in their honor.  Soon afterward they were back on a plane to fly to Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the main purpose for The Queen's trip to Australia.

Melbourne Festival

Over the past few weeks the Melbourne Festival has been going on around town, featuring dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events by Australian and international artists.  Today at lunch I finally managed to get out of the office to see the Angels-Demons. Parade statues by Russian art collective AES+F that are dotted around Swanston Street and St Kilda Road.  I saw four of the seven giant statues at Town Hall, City Square, St Paul's Cathedral and Federation Square.  Each one is a different shape and size, and are quite amazing to come across in the middle of an urban landscape.

After having drinks and dinner with Chantal and Amrita at a bar along the Yarra River in South Wharf, I walked to the Arts Centre to see the remaining three Angels-Demons. Parade statues and catch the light show Cacophony: The Art of Conflict by Australian projection artists The Electric Canvas.  The walls of Hamer Hall and the State Theatre were used for a series of different projection vignettes- some going on simultaneously and others alternating.  I watched for about 15 minutes and one of my favorite projections was a paint ball war where guns and cannons appeared and then paint splotches hit the opposing buildings.  This is the last week of the Melbourne Festival so be quick if you watch to catch any of the events or shows.

Yet Another Music Video Graced By My Presence

I have recently discovered that I am in yet another music video!  This time it is Little Red's "Get A Life" which uses footage that was shot during their show at The Palace earlier this year.  You can see me around the 0:29 and 4:18 marks in the crowd to the right of the soundboard.  Look for Mary who has her camera up blocking her face and I'm next to her on the left.  For those of you in the US, Little Red are coming to the States and playing some shows in October/November, so go check them out!