Flickr mosaic fun

1. the secret garden, 2. Heirloom Tomatoes, 3. Canberra Balloon Fiesta / Canberra Festival Balloon Spectacular, 4. Blue Duck Eggs, 5. Nobody Home, 6. siphon coffee, Kaldi, Hongdae, Seoul, 7. Cape Tribulation Series (Australia) - From Headland Looking at Myall Beach, 8. Put Chocolate Pudding on the Top Shelf !!, 9. Mother and daughter, 10. Water Lily in Bold..., 11. Little Red Shoes, 12. 51/365: the glass palace, 13. Luang Prabang - Laos, 14. A Laos Kip for your thoughts?, 15. The second you sleep..., 16. sewing space

I thought that I would play Jumbleberry Jam's Flickr mosaic game. Here are the rules in case you want to join in:

Flickr mosaic game

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into a mosaic maker.

1. Your blog name?
2. What is your favourite food?
3. Where were you born?
4. What is your favourite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Favourite novel?

I wanted my mosaic to be square and so I added four more questions:

13. Favourite city?
14. Favourite country?
15. Favourite activity?
16. Means of escape?

Feel free to make up your own.

Have a lovely weekend!

99 things meme

I saw this on Blue Milk the other day; Pea Soup yesterday; and then today on Still Life with Cat and decided that I had to join in the fun...

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog. (Several)

2. Slept under the stars. (Many times)

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited Hawaii. (The camping and hiking is supposed to be gorgeous.)

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world. (Disneyworld, 1995?)

8. Climbed a mountain. (Gokyo Ri - got to see Everest, amongst other impressive peaks.)

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo. (As a child)

11. Bungee jumped. (There is just no way. I have been hang gliding though, which I thought was far more civilized.)

12. Visited Paris. (January 1997?)

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (I think so. I have a memory of this, but cannot place it. Perhaps I made it up?)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. (Sewing? Although I did have some help.)

15. Adopted a child. (Although I have contemplated it.)

16. Had food poisoning. (Oh yes.)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (No, I stood at the bottom waiting for my Dad and brother, in the freezing cold snow, because I had a torn hamstring.)

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. (I looked at the line for the Louvre and decided against it. I figured that I would be back to Paris...)

20. Slept on an overnight train. (Several: Bangkok to Nong Khai and back several times; Hanoi to Huie; Beijing toPingyao; Pingyoa to Xian; Xian to Shoalin; Shanghai to Beijing... I think that is all. I love trains.)

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked. (Just between Fernie and the ski slopes and Roslyn and Red Mountain.)

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not (physically) ill.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping. (Each time it was dark out. I can't imagine doing it during the day.)

27. Run a marathon. (I contemplated it, briefly, while running - and loving - the City2Surf, but have not run a single step since...)

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. (Similarly to Suse: I rode the water taxis in Venice and looked at the gondolas - not longingly though. It was utterly freezing and I really didn't want to be outside anymore.)

29. Seen a total eclipse. (I always seem to miss them.)

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. (Come on! Even Lily has done this.)

31. Hit a home run. (I am not sporty.)

32. Been on a cruise. (In Halong Bay.)

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (Not something that I can really recommend. The falls are spectacular, but the town is not.)

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (Which one? I have been the England, Ireland, the USA and Australia, but not Scotland or Wales. Does that count?)

35. Seen an Amish community. (Several)

36. Taught yourself a new language. (Lao. Although I did have some help and only learned a little. I have also been taught French, German and Japanese, but can only speak French.)

37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (Satisfied with what? I have always had enough money.)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing. (Many times. However, I recently acknowledged that I really don't enjoy it.)

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person. (It is incredible. I was blown away.)

41. Sung Karaoke. (And loved it! I even sung Ice Ice Baby. Ha!)

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. (In Mexico City. He had been mugged - or claimed to have been. My brother and I bought him dinner and gave him enough money to get a bus home to Chiapas. I'll never know if he was telling us the truth, and don't really care.)

44. Visited Africa. (South Africa and Lesotho. I want to go to Tanzania though...)

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. (Why would I want to do this?)

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person. (Stunning.)

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling. (Tahiti, Vanuatu, NSW Coast, Lord Howe Island...)

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.

55. Been in a movie. (P. has - a Bollywood movie, no less!)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business. (Sometimes I want to, but the idea also completely terrifies me.)

58. Taken a martial arts class. (Jujitsu; Kung Fu; Kick Boxing & Aikido - I have a short attention span...)

59. Visited Russia. (I really really want to do this.)

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. (Biscuits at least.)

62. Gone whale watching. (Been dolphin watching though...)

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood. (Have never been heavy enough, except while pregnant and then you can't anyway... Not that this stresses me out.)

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a cheque. (Well, I had to pay a dishonor fee.)

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. (Mostly books)

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt. (I am sooo intimidated by quilting.)

73. Stood in Times Square. (Many times)

74. Toured the Everglades. (We went to Florida to do this, but then the Parks staff went on strike for the duration of our stay...)

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. (Thailand, Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia...)

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book. (Do they mean: written a book that someone else publishes? That I would like to do. Although I don't actually expect that I will.)

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem. (Although not right now, thanks.)

84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (This is easy to do in Canberra! and Tahiti...)

85. Read the entire Bible. (Does the children's bible count?)

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury. (I don't think that I can. Lawyers are not allowed to in Australia.)

91. Met someone famous. (Gael García Bernal. I even got my photo taken with him, like a real dork - during an anti-WTO protest in Hong Kong.)

92. Joined a book club. (I started one and it died a rapid and sad death...)

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit. (I was the solicitor though, not the litigant.)

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

7 things - a trip down my memory lane

Al from This Little Piggy Had Tofu (don't you just love that name?) has tagged me in a meme and, since I have been feeling like a slack blogger, I thought that I would jump to it and immediately play. I started with a little childhood memory and suddenly that became the theme. I'm afraid that I also found myself being very wordy. I hope you don't mind taking a little trip down my memory lane...



Rules: Link the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I have kept a journal, in various forms, since I was around 7 years old. My early entries are hilarious - they generally consist of a detailed list of what I ate that day and a short description of my various activities. Generally I wrote the most over the summer and so they would read like this:

"Woke up at 6am. Watched cartoons - Jem, He-man, Smurfs, Baby muppits (etc). Had breakfast of corn flakes. Went to pool. Went to beach. Had lunch - sandwiches. Went to beach again. Went to Grundies and had an ice cream."

(We spent our summers with Grandparents on the Gold Coast).

Every now and then I would make a dramatic confession like the fact that Jem was my favourite cartoon. Occasionally I would also vow to never again speak to my father, brother, mother, or best-friend if I had just had an argument with them. This would quickly be amended to reflect the fact that we had made up minutes later.

2. When I was a child I had quite a few pets. I had a collie dog called Ralphie, two guinea pigs (Ernie and Bert), four dwarf bunnies; a (slightly evil) black cat called Beelzebub (Beezie for short); several goldfish and tropical fish; and a bordie-collie/kelpie-cross named Chockie. Chockie was the best, cutest, smartest dog that ever existed (in my humble opinion).

3. My parents separated when I was 5 years old. I remember the night that they told me quite vividly. My brother was crying and when I asked why my Mum said "We're having pizza for dinner." I was still on a high about this fact when she actually broke the news...
I remember that my Dad took the following day off work because he was so sad, but that I had to go to school. I wasn't sad (I didn't really get it), but I was annoyed that I had to go to school. My parents shared custody (as it was called back then) and my brother and I spent a week at each parent's house - moving every Sunday. I remember believing that this arrangement came about because neither of them could bear to be away from me for too long.



4. I had a small red duffle bag that I used to move between my parent's houses. I would pack it on Sunday mornings, before Sunday school and church, with my basic essentials for the week - school uniform, shoes, homework & treasured items. I must have had two of everything else, but I can't remember. Every week, almost without fail, I would forget something that I had intended to bring with me. I was constantly being told that I needed to be more organised, but now I wonder whether any 5 year-old would have been particularly organised under such an arrangement?

5. When I was about 7 or 8 years old I couldn't make up my mind in the shoe shop when we were buying my school shoes and so my Dad bought me a pair of desert boots. I hated them. One day I had left my only other winter shoes (sneakers) at my Mum's house and so on the Monday I had to wear the desert boots to school. I still remember sitting in the playground with my feet inside my school bag, crying.

6. My dad's house was a passive solar house in Narrabundah that my parents had helped design before the divorce. We lived in it with various other people that my father knew from our church and community, and later with my father's partner and her three children. It had an attic that was a playroom for my brother and I while we were still sharing a room (until it became my brother's bedroom and, later still, my step-brother's bedroom). My room was the only south-west facing room. It was quite large with built-in cupboards. Above the cupboards my father had built a loft that held a single mattress (my bed) and a small bookcase. On the bookcase I stored my treasures (including the costume jewellery that I inherited from my great-grandmother). It was about 3 or 4 metres off the ground and could be accessed only my a small wooden bridge that was too small to comfortably fit an adult. It was my special place and I loved it.

7. My mum's house was in O'Connor. We lived in it with various other people from the peace movement (and some others who had responded to a 'for-rent' ad in the paper). It had a granny flat on the back that Mum used as her room (until my brother was 16 and it became his little zone). We used to redecorate this house all the time. Mum would let us chose paints in any colour we liked and we would paint all the rooms ourselves. My brother selected an amazing combination of turquoise green walls with rose skirting boards. You could see it glowing from the other end of the house. My room was on the north-east corner of the house and it was bright and airy. I painted it sky blue - walls and ceiling - and put glow-in-the-dark stars all over the ceiling. I also had a white dresser and a white hat stand for my clothes. I loved this room too.

OK. Seven people huh? Alright, well here I go (but no pressure, of course. Only play if you feel like it and haven't already):

1. Laura
2. Adelaide Writer
3. Pavlov's Cat
   
4. Karen
5. Chelle
6. &Duck
7. Cat
   

Unfinished books meme

I have borrowed this meme from &duck and Pavlov's Cat before her because I was interested to see how I went. "Apparently these are the 106 books most often listed as 'unfinished' on LibraryThing. The rules are that you bold the ones you've read all the way to the end, underline the ones you read for "school" (I have just put it in brackets, because I couldn't figure out how to underline them), and asterisk the ones you started but didn't finish.

This list really seem to be spot on for me. It seems to be a list of all of those books that I have started and didn't finish OR those books that have been haunting me for years (because I keep promising myself that I will read them). Because of that I decided to also put a dash in front of those books that I have been meaning to read for ages...

[P. should definitely do this meme and then the world will see how much better he is at finishing books than I am. That boy has commitment. Although I don't think that he has finished War and Peace yet. Thank goodness.]


-Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
*Anna Karenina
-Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
*One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
*The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
-Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
-Jane Eyre
The [A] Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
*Guns, Germs, and Steel
-War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
-Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
*A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
-Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
*Middlesex
Quicksilver
-Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales (school)
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
-Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
*A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
*The Poisonwood Bible
1984
Angels & Demons
Inferno
The Satanic Verses
-Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
*To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
*Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
*The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five (school)
The Scarlet Letter
*Eats, Shoots & Leaves
*The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake
-Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita (school)
-Persuasion
-Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
*On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
*White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield

The Meme

OK, so I am finally getting around to doing Isil's meme.

First, here are 'The Rules':

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share 6 non-important things/quirks about your kid
4. Tag at least three people at the end of your post and link to their blogs
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
6. Let the fun begin!

1. Lily seems to love any food if it is green - beans, kiwi fruit, broccoli, avocado (oh, especially avocado!) etc... It amazes me (and makes me happy) because I was SUCH a fussy eater as a child.

2. Lily has been learning quite a few words and concepts in the past couple of weeks. One of my favourites is "Moo" (which she pronounces "Mmmm"). She says this whenever she sees a cow (either in her books, on her animal flashcards, or one of her wooden cows). It is SO cute.

3. Lily has always loved the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Now whenever we say "star" or whenever she sees one, she will do the actions (hold up her little hands and open and shut them). However, we have a book in which a doll (Tilly Tinkler) can make a little puddle and when we read the words "Tinkle Tinkle", Lily will also do her star action.

4. Lily sleeps in a hammock during the day (and with us at night). She is getting a little big for it, but I am dreading trying to transfer her into anywhere else for her naps because she settles so easily in her hammock - she can even bounce herself back to sleep.

5. When it has been wet (or it is a humid day) Lily's hair gets really curly and she gets a little curl right in the middle of her forehead (just like in the old rhyme).

6. She loves the music that plays in the commercials for "So you think you can dance". She stops dead in her tracks, turns towards the television and dances. I love toddler dancing!

OK, so now I must tag three people: ummm... Blue Milk, Autumn and Ariel.

The Interview

A slightly different kind of meme is traveling around the blogosphere - instead of answering a series of general questions, you get interviewed by someone whose blog you read. So, here are my five questions from Half Pint Pixie:

1) You seem to be very well traveled (I especially love the Chinese signpost photos). Of all the places you've been to, where would you most like to live?

When I travel around Australia I often think that I would like to relocate to live in places that I visit - like Far North Queensland, or the South Coast or Tasmania - but sometimes when I visit fascinating places overseas I am actually struck by the fact that it would be really challenging to live there. Nepal, China, Manila and Johannesburg were all a bit like for me.


Some of the places that I would most like to live are probably the ones that I have been lucky enough to live in already - Laos (Vientiane), The US (Washington DC), and Canada (Vancouver & Fernie). However, I would also love to live in Paris or Tuscany (or Umbria), and I think that it would be great fun to live in Bangkok. It is such a vibrant city and I love Thai people. Phnom Penh would be fun too - although I certainly didn't think so the first time that I visited.

2) Like us, you are raising your daughter vegan. Have you encountered any opposition to this from doctors or family members?

Fortunately for us we haven't. Yet.

I am sure that as Lily grows up we will encounter opposition or issues, but so far we have been extremely lucky in the support that we have received.

3) Do you have a plan for NaBloPoMo or are you just going to wing it day by day?

I was planning to have a plan (if that makes any sense), but I think that I am just going to wing it. It is a bit like having a routine for Lily. I always intend to, but at the end of the day it just doesn't seem to work. Things just happen.

4) What has been the greatest change in your life since Lily's arrival?

Mmm that is a hard one. Everything in many ways, but less than it might have been. We weren't really going out in the evenings all that much before her arrival so not going out now isn't such a big deal. Also I was never much of a drinker of alcohol or anything so changing my diet for breastfeeding hasn't been very dramatic (although giving up onions, chili and garlic for the time being is a little challenging).

I guess there have really been three huge changes. First, having such a fascinating and delightful little person in our lives has been an absolute blessing (if I can say that without being overly cliched). Second, it has started to change my own identity in that I now think of myself as a mother and that has huge implications for the way that I view myself and the world around me. Finally, I really don't get any time to myself at the moment and haven't since she was born. Since we have adopted an attachment parenting style of raising Lily I am basically with her 24 hours a day and that has been a huge adjustment.

5) If you were sent into outer space with your family for one year what three foods would you bring (assume that they would stay fresh!)?

Only three! Bother.

I guess I would bring soy beans (and hopefully I could bring a soy milk maker and make tofu as well), tomatoes and buk choy. I would also add brown rice and mushrooms if I could sneak them in and then I think that I could survive OK.

Maybe while I was sneaking I might slip in some dark chocolate too, but that really wouldn't be necessary...
------------

Now it's your turn. If you want to be interviewed, leave me a comment including the words "Interview me." I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. If you don't have a valid email address on your blog, please provide one. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

8 random facts about me

Isil from Veggie Way tagged me to do this meme and so here are 8 random facts about me:

1. I wanted to be an actor right up until I finished school. For some reason I woke up on the morning of my first audition to get into Theatre Arts at University and changed my mind. As a result I got into my back-up choice: law. I have never regretted this decision.

2. I worked as a corporate solicitor (lawyer) for exactly one year. It did not suit me.

3. I became a vegetarian when I was 5 years old. I made the sudden connection between the chicken in my bowl and those that lived on the same farm as my aunty's horse. I marched into the kitchen and declared that I would no longer eat meat. Fortunately I had very tolerant and well-informed parents who knew how to cook vegetarian food for me.

4. I am deeply untalented at drawing and painting. I wish that this was not the case and envy people who can draw well.

5. I studied the violin for 4.5 years. By the end of that time I still sounded like a screeching cat. This was due to a combination of a severe lack of talent and a complete failure to practice.

6. I also used to figure skate, but never particularly well.

7. I lived (with my family) in a religious community in Melbourne when I was a small child. It was called 'The House of the Gentle Bunyip'.

8. P. and I met in High School. In fact, we even dated for a time in high school. However, you could not really describe us as 'high school sweethearts'.

I'm tagging anyone who feels like doing this meme...

A Christmas Meme

I'm back! Yay.

And so I present you with a Christmas meme from Pavlov's Cat.

1) Do you have a tree, and if so what is hanging on it?

No, we just a have a pot plant which has a couple of candy canes at its base and a small piece of gold tinsel tied to it.

2) What's the most successful bit of Christmas cooking you've done so far?

I made a mushroom-nut tart that was quite yummy, but I think that the gingerbread was the most successful (post with recipe coming now that I can finally switch over to the new blogger).

3) And the least successful?

I didn't do enough cooking for anything to be a real failure this year.

4) Which bit of your Christmas shopping are you happiest with?

I bought my Mum and her partner a toilet from Oxfam Unwrapped. I think that this was my favourite present to give away.


5) Have you opened any of your presents yet? What was it / were they?

Yes. I received some beautiful jewellery from P., which he bought for me in Laos. It is a matching necklace and earrings made from silver and bamboo. I also received school supplies for children in Thailand, Carmen Lawrence's book on Fear and Politics, a parenting book, a thermos, Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, some moisturiser from Lush, a make your own cookbook and some vegan chocolate, a Christmas ornament, and a magazine subscription. I am also going to get a sewing machine from my parents, but I have to go and find the one that I want first.

Yes, I did very well.

I must say that our little one may have done even better - s/he received tons of books, clothes, nappy liners, Bunnykins crockery (the crockery was from me).

6) Do you have any bad Christmas associations that will have to be tackled?

Not really, although P. and I have managed to get quite bad food poisoning in two of the last three Christmases (once in China and once in Cambodia).

7) What's your favourite carol? Why?

Away in a Manger - because my brother and I sang it at a church Christmas concert while sitting on my grandfather's lap when I was very little.

8) Which part of your Christmas plans is most likely to go awry?

The part where I try to keep some of the day for myself, just to relax.

9) What's your most favourite thing about Christmas?

Giving gifts to people and catching up with family.

10) What's your least favourite thing about it?

The excess consumption and going to too many family events in one day (yes, this does seem a little inconsistence with my favourite parts, doesn't it?).

11) What Christmassy thing have you seen or heard in the street or on the teeve or in the blogosphere that has
(a) touched your heart

PC's encounter with the 'Merry Christmas to a Wonderful Mother' cards.

(b) hit a nerve

The sermon in church was about advent being a lot like pregnancy.

or (c) made you want to barf?

The lead stories in the news were cricket and sailing - and this was well before we even got to 'sport'. I quite like cricket, but there are simply more important things going on in the world.

12) Who do you wish you had contacted to say Happy Christmas but haven't so far?

Sally, Tiff, Mum's family who were in Sydney, those of Dad's family who were in Grafton,The Hivemind, Kristy, Armaniac, Aletia and probably a whole bunch of other people...

My turn on the book meme

1. One book you have read more than once

I've read Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children more times than I care to count. I love the way Rushdie plays with language, sending you through twists and turns before spitting you back out pretty much where you started – so much for the progression of character... Same goes for Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude, for pretty much the same reasons (but you do end up coming out somewhere different, which is nice).

2. One book you would want on a desert island

I'd have to say Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, I've read it a couple of times and figure I could spend the rest of my life re-reading it over and over without getting close to understanding all of it. I'd also want to take Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia for pretty much the same reasons (also apparently you are supposed to read it while listening to very loud music, so I figure it might be able to take the place of music eventually...)

3. One book that made you laugh

I remember when I was a teenager discovering the Red Dwarf Omnibus by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. It made me laugh so much I'd cry. There was a period of a few months when I'd finish reading it, put it down, get something to eat and start reading it again – and find it just as funny!

4. One book that made you cry

I'm not much of a book crier, I must admit. The Da Vinci Code brought me close to tears, but not for the right reasons (and we'll get to it in a minute). I was deeply troubled by Jose Saramago's Blindness, and, if I'd been a crier I'd have cried a lot.

5. One book you wish you had written

Umm, anything good on the effects of globalisation and the problems of development. Maybe, Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom or Thomas Pogge's World Poverty and Human Rights. On the fiction front, I'd be pretty happy to have my name on the cover of Amitav Ghosh's The Glass Palace.

6. One book you wish had never been written

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is a clear winner in this category. If the choice was between having people never read a book or reading that one, I'd be hard pressed not to suggest the illiteracy path. That book made me want to poke my eyes out just so I wouldn't have to finish it. I'd also hasten to say the Christian bible (few other books have caused so much angst and violence in their various interpretations) but by that token I'd have to add the Qur'an and Mein Kampf, just to name a couple, so let's stick with Dan Brown for now.

7. One book you are currently reading

I'm slowly making my way through a friend's copy of William Easterly's White Man's Burden and am flicking through Francis Wheen's How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World: A Short History of Modern Delusions, which is particularly entertaining.

8. One book you have been meaning to read

There's a growing pile next to my side of the bed, which includes (and this is by no means an exhaustive list)

Hardt and Negri's Multitude;
Robert Fisk's The Great War for Civilization;
Clive Hamilton's Growth Fetish;
John Banville's The Sea;
Jared Diamond's Collapse (sorry Chris, I'll return it soon, I promise...); and
Public Citizen's Whose Trade Organization;

I'm sure that's not all of them, but it'll do for now.

9. One book that changed your life

That's a tough one. I'd have to say that, intellectually, at least, the two books that I stumbled across at pivotal moments were Fredric Jameson's Postmodernism or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism and Chomsky and Herman's Manufacturing Consent.

The book that really got me reading as a young teen was Raymond Feist's Magician, I think I had an unhealthy obsession with that book (and the dozens that came after it) for a few years.

Who to tag? Aww, I hate this bit, it shows how much I've been neglecting reading other blogs of late... Let's just pretend that there wasn't a 10, okay.

Book Meme

Kate has tagged me for the book meme that has been doing the rounds and since I love a good meme, I couldn’t resist.

1. One book you have read more than once

I went through a phase of re-reading books a lot when I had chronic fatigue, but they were mostly sci-fi/fantasy books and I have lost interest in them now. I also loved re-reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr and Letters from the Inside by John Marsden when I was younger.

These days, I will have to go with the predictable Pride and Prejudice. It just makes me feel so warm inside and has so many layers of interest to keep me entertained.

2. One book you would want on a desert island

Survival manual is getting a little predictable, but for good reason. Something thick and worthwhile would also be good: maybe Robert Fisk’s Great War for Civilization, or Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.

3. One book that made you laugh

Bill Bryson never fails to make me laugh. I am a particular fan of Notes from a Big Country, because I could relate to his experience of moving (back) to the US and be utterly bemused by so much of what is considered normal over there.

4. One book that made you cry

I cry quite easily when I am reading books, but no book has ever made me cry quite as much as The Gadfly by Ethel Lilian Voynich. I think that I cried from about two-thirds of the way in all the way until the end – great heaving sobs.

5. One book you wish you had written

Pride and Prejudice.

6. One book you wish had never been written

In Defense of Globalization by Jagdish N. Bhagwati. It made me so angry and reinforces so many ideas that I believe to be detrimental to the lives of people across the Global South.

In high school I would have said Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I love books, but I hated every second that I spent reading that one. (I quite like his other books though).

7. One book you are currently reading

I have a pile up next to my bed at the moment – it is a disgrace. It includes Paper by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, The Carpet Wars by Christopher Kremmer (which I got half way through in February and inexplicably stopped reading), Failed States by Noam Chomsky, Negotiating with the Dead by Margaret Atwood, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.

8. One book you have been meaning to read

All of the books next to my bed (although I have read part of most of them) and Robert Fisk’s Great War for Civilization (which is occupying part of the pile next to P.’s side).

9. One book that changed your life

I’m going to be greedy and name three:
(1) The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper (my mother’s partner read them to me when I was 6 or 7 and got me utterly hooked on reading);
(2) Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (got me thinking about nuclear war and peace at a young age and gave meaning to all the peace marches and anti-nuclear protests that I participated in);
(3) Food for Life by Neal Barnard M.D. (helped me to convince my Dad to let me go vegan when I was 15).

10. Now tag five people:
1. Kristy
2. Paul
3. Armaniac
4. Damian
5. Laura

Early morning meme

I woke up with a start at 6am today. I had been dreaming that my apartment was being blown to pieces by an Israeli missile and I couldn't find Paul in the rubble. The images were so clear that I could not go back to sleep. So, instead, I am going to do a meme to settle my mind.

This one comes from Ampersand Duck via Pavlov's Cat.

Five things

In my handbag

• Ridiculously large wallet full of every receipt that I have ever been given (until P. does his ritual cleansing and the process starts over again)
• Gloves, beanie and scarf (it is cold outside)
• Lip gloss
• Pen and highlighter (for reading articles when waiting in places)
  
• Ipod nano full of Radio National podcasts (left over from a bus trip to Sydney)

In my fridge

• Soy products galore: tofu, tempeh, soymilk, soy yoghurt and soy cheese (right now I have it all)
• Vegies – especially green ones
• Tahini (always running low, because we eat far too much of it)
• Cloudy apple juice
• Frozen raspberries and strawberries (for morning smoothies)

In my closet

• Far too many polar fleeces, from when I believed that they were the answer to all of my fashion needs
• A collection of Lao textiles
• A growing collection of knits
• Three jackets
• Lots of plain t-shirts (mostly Bonds)

In my car

• I don’t own a car – I have a very nice bicycle though

In my bathroom cabinet

• A recently acquired hairdryer (I now feel like an adult).
• Moisturiser from Lush (several packs, for fear of running out)
• A comb that I rarely use (yes, I am very lazy)
• Herbal toothpaste (baking soda flavoured)
• Tea tree oil – for so many purposes

Four things

I received this meme by email, but thought that it would more fun to respond here - so that I could tag some bloggy people at the end.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Tutor at ANU - I have discovered that I really enjoy teaching and am now rethinking some of my career objectives.
2. Social researcher for NSW government - I discovered that working for a committee can be quite frustrating, particularly when they all try to edit your work at the same time and do not agree with each other. Working within community centres and communities groups, and mixing with people that I don't normally encounter was, however, a great experience.
3. Solicitor in a corporate law firm - I worked in the Environment and Planning section and did a fair bit of litigation and advice work. The team that I worked with were really lovely, but corporate law and I were fundamentally incompatible.
4. Child care worker - I worked in after school hours care and holiday programs. I loved working with kids, even if it is utterly exhausting and not particularly well paid. It was a great balance to studying while I did my undergraduate degrees.

Four movies I would watch over and over:
(I have to say that these a somewhat different from my 'favourites')
1. The Princess Bride - I dearly wanted to be Buttercup when I was young.
2. Pride and Prejudice - the BBC version. I realise that this is highly unoriginal.
3. Manon Des Sources - I always cry at the end.
4. In the Mood for Love - beautiful cinematography, beautiful music, excellent acting, heartbreaking...

Four places you have lived:
1. Ban Hongke, Vientiane, Laos
2. Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia
3. UBC, Vancouver, Canada
4. Maclean Gardens, Washington DC, USA

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. West Wing - we recently acquired the DVDs and have developed a sad addiction.
2. Sex and the City - I have great memories of watching them regularly with 'the girls'
3. Dateline
4. 7:30 Report - OK, I just ran out of ideas.

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Tahiti – My grandparents took me to Tahiti when I was 9 or 10 because they are angels. Randomly I ended up going back there a year later on a three-week school excursion. We were billeted out to families and the most significant thing about mine was their cupboard full of chocolate biscuits. I felt that I was in heaven.
2. Italy – I went there with my Dad after finishing high school and it was fantastic. I loved soaking up the history, drinking the coffee, and seeing the incredible pleasure that Italians take in everyday activities.
3. Nepal – I went trekking in the Khombu region for 20 days by myself (although I did have a guide). It was incredibly challenging, but the scenery and the Sherpa made every step worth it.
4. China – P and I went here for our first trip together. The history, the food and the culture were amazing, but it was also hard work and often quite freezing (we were in the North in January).

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Guardian Unlimited
2. Bloglines
3. Larvatus Prodeo
4. Gmail

Four of my favourite foods:
1. Tomatoes - I am not sure that I could live without these.
2. Chocolate - dark, organic, and fair-trade if possible.
3. Soy products - tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, soy yoghurt... mmm
4. Good bread - I love a good sour dough, like the ones at Bourke Street Bakery or Silo
[Oh, and coffee, of course - espresso with warm frothy soy milk]

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Swimming at the beach (preferably in summer)
2. Hiking in the mountains (with comfortable shoes and warm clothing)
3. Browsing in a good bookshop (with lots of money and new bookshelves at home)
4. Having brunch at Tilleys, Bodhi or Cafe Mint with friends

Four Friends that have been tagged that I think (might) will respond:
1. Kate
2. Sal
3. Brooke
4. Kristy

ABC Meme

Accent: Very mixed, due to attending a French/English school as a child, attending part of high school in the States and part of Uni in Canada. I am often asked where I come from when in Australia. People seem satisfied with ‘Canberra’ though...
Booze: I am not very into it. I’ll drink sparkling wine or a fruity cocktail on occasion.
Chore I hate: Taking out the rubbish.
Dog or cat: I like both, but would prefer a dog.
Essential electronics: Computer & espresso machine.
Favourite cologne(s): None; I am too lazy.
Gold or silver: Silver.
Hometown: Canberra.
Insomnia: Only when I am jet-lagged.
Job title: PhD Student.
Kids: None.
Living arrangements: Live with husband, P.
Most admirable trait: Adaptability, maybe.
Number of sexual partners: I never kiss and tell.
Overnight hospital stays: Only when I was born.
Phobias: Very small spaces.
Quote: "Never forget that a small group of people can change the world. It's the only thing that ever does." (Margaret Mead)
Religion: Christian (but would disagree with many about what that means).
Siblings: One brother.
Time I wake up: Around 7:30am on a normal day.
Unusual talent or skill: Not sure any of them are particularly unusual.
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Several, I’m afraid. Beetroot is my least favourite.
Worst habit: Procrastination (this meme is case in point).
X-rays: Chest.
Yummy foods I make: Many, all vegan – curries, stir fries, scrambled tofu, soups, beans and rice, chocolate cake, risotto, eggplant & spinach lasagna, ratatouille, mmm food...
Zodiac sign: Scorpio.

Stolen from susoz at personal political.

7 Things

Meme via Moment to Moment. After this I am going to work SO hard.

7 things I want to do before I die:

1. Travel in Patagonia
2. Visit the Mountain Gorillas
3. Have a book (of mine) published, and read
4. Learn to swing dance (well)
5. Have a child (or children) and adopt a dog
6. Swim with dolphins
7. Work in human rights policy for the UN, HRW, or Oxfam

7 things I cannot do:

1. Remember names
2. Program a VCR or computer
3. Watch Dubya or Howard speak without getting mad
4. See small children without gushing
5. Fly unassisted (most unfortunately)
6. Walk unassisted in high heels
7. Give myself a fancy hair-do.

7 things that attract me to a member of the opposite sex:

1. Passion & Compassion
2. Curiosity
3. Ethical world-view
4. Beautiful eyes
5. Gentle hands
6. Nice butt
7. Intelligence

7 things that I say most often:

1. Sabaidee (hello)
2. Kotoh khoy bor kao chai (Sorry, I don’t understand)
3. That’s crazy talk!
4. I’m hungry
5. I’m sleepy
6. Bugger
7. It’s hot

7 celebrity crushes:
I’m really bad at this, because I cannot remember anyone’s name or who they are, and so I don’t remember enough about them to develop a crush. I did have a massive crush on River Phoenix in year 7 though. Jude Law, Scarlette Johanssen and Orlando Bloom are also very attractive beings.

7 people I want to do this:

1. Paul
2. Jono
3. Nat
4. Brooke
5. Mr Z.
6. Priya (although your blog seems to have disapeared)
   
7. Chris (ditto)