This Disposable Lifestyle

I've noticed lately that things aren't lasting as long as they used to. Is it me or is it that we're now living in a throw-away society? A few months back, Mum and Dad helped me purchase a new bookcase (well, they were transport, I had the money to buy it; getting it home was another thing!). Well, I got it home and Dad helped me put it together. However, when I began putting my books into its shelves, I found that I had to moved some of the heavier books from it to another bookcase that could handle the weight.
This new bookcase couldn't handle the books I wanted to put into it; and it made me angry that I had to stuff around with my collection to make sure this bookcase didn't fall down... and yet it was only a few months old. However, my older bookcases (one of them is over 10 years old) have been going strong and are holding books without bowing at all.

Are our lives becoming so disposable? There's disposable nappies, phones and contact lenses, plates and other items that are piling up in landfill all around the globe. And it's not only on land where things are filling up. Between North America and China, there's been a floating dump which stays on the tide lines in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It's massive and disgusting; and it's getting bigger. And who is its main contributor? Us... humans. We are making this world our own disgusting, horrible little garbage dump when we should be looking at what our ancestors did and built. We should be asking how they made things that lasted for so long. Instead of making things that fall apart easier and need replacing sooner, we should be looking at products that don't break at a moment's notice and will last because that's what they used to do in the old days.

There's another reason why I'm questioning the quality of things in our world; and it's the future generations. What are they being taught now that will affect them when they are older? The fact that when something doesn't work the first time, well, that's it, chuck it out and buy another? No... I don't think that's the lesson we should be teaching our kids of tomorrow. The children who are going through primary school now should be taught that things can be fixed with a little know-how and guidance from a grandparent or somebody who knows how to fix things; no matter how small.

This world has turned into such a disposable world, our lifestyle has come to reflect it as well. We throw out so many tonnes of waste that we don't even think of cutting back on it all. All it takes it leaving the food wrapped in packages and grabbing some fresh produce and putting it a paper bag. Take those 'Green Bags' to the shops and back off using the plastic bags; which are made from crude oil and take around 20 years to break down. and even then, the gas they give off is harmful to the environment.
Instead of pointing fingers at the politicians and blaming them for our problems (and I'm not saying they're not part of the problem), we should begin looking at our own bad habits first and change them for the better. Why buy brand new clothes when you can get them at a Vinnies or Salvation Army store at a quarter of the price? It's recycling and feeding the poor at the same time.

Help stop this disposable lifestyle from taking over. It's bad for us, our planet and the future generations of our home.

They Died Too Young

Yesterday, I was completely shocked by the sudden passing of one of my favourite writer/directors, John Hughes. He wasn't yet 60 and he suffered a massive heart attack in Manhatten while taking an early morning walk. The problem with this is that there's so many others out there that have passed away who were far too young; and they didn't need to be famous either, just close friends and family.

In my life, I lost quite a few people I thought were too young to die; who still had a lot to live for. I felt as though their lives had been wasted in some way because they were so young; and yet I had known them at school, through work or just as somebody I had volunteered with somewhere.
And it's not just me who feels this way, I know this. In the world of music, acting and the arts, so many of the bright young stars who die before they reach thirty leave this world before they really shine; and it's such a shame. So many movie stars have died in the past at very young ages. There was James Dean, Natalie Woods, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Heath Ledger and many other stars have died before they had a chance to reach their absolute potential; and it's such a pity about it all. I hate to see them go as well.

I'm not saying that John Hughes was young - after all he had written and directed many films throughout the 80's and 90's and had become a household name - but he had become one of the people who could understand not only the X-Generation but also the Y-Generation as well, and that's something not a lot of writers can get their heads around successfully and with the tact he did.

So, I'm taking this moment to pay my respects to this great man, and to anyone else who has passed on before their time; because I'd like to know what the world would have been like if they had stuck around. What kinds of movies and television shows would have graced our screens - silver and small - to entertain us all? Would 'The Doors' still be playing great music or just producing and encouraging new stuff? Would Jimi Hendrix be giving out massive grants to promising guitarists world wide?

Take the time to sit back and think about how the world would be if these people had survived and lived to see the world instead of leaving us without them in it.

Warm Days of Spring

I love to see the seasons change over; however, I detest what it does to my sinus'. I sneeze and feel as though I'm coming down with a flu when I'm not. Spring has always - and will always - do this do me whenever the seasons change. However, it's when the flowers bloom I cop it the worst; as does every asthmatic I know. It just doesn't seem fair, does it? And it's also the time when I want to get out into the garden again, when it's cool enough still, and everything's still dormant enough to be moved around and re-potted. It's not just the hay fever that bothers me, the days get longer too. I wake up to the alarm and the sun's already peaking over the horizon and lighting up the sky. Fog sometimes hangs in the air as a sign that it's going to warm to be a hot day after a cold morning; and it's those mornings that I wish for a longer Australian Winter instead of what we have. Even though I was born here in Australia, I find that I really don't like the heat of our Summer. It dries me out and dehydrates me to no end. Being fair-skinned, I feel as though I was destined to live in another country yet, I'm living in this one anyway. So, I wallow in the coolness of the brief Winter this Summer Land has to offer and hope it lasts just that little bit longer each year (and I know it won't; it's just wishful thinking). Brisbane in Winter may sound like a silly dream, but we do get a few lower temperatures from time to time; and I love them. It's when Summer comes along that I tend to hide from the sun and try to read more in the shade and in the breezeways of my garage. Summer does have its attractions. Here in Summer, we have our Christmas. On the way to it, there's Halloween (for all you pagans out there) and I also celebrate my birthday - along with a lot of my family's birthdays and anniversaries. So, it's pretty cool. I do enjoy the days getting warmer little by little. It's just Summer I'm not really looking forward to when it gets too hot. However, I do get a lot of reading done when the heat stops me from doing anything else. Just me, a good book, a bottle of chilled water out in the shade where a breeze passes through with my cordless phone next to me. That's the life... it's the best way to keep cool on a hot day.

The Ekka

I remember when I was young, my parents would take me to the Royal Annual National Show... or the RNA. Us kids called it 'The Ekka'; a place of wild rides and a huge pavilion that sold sample bags - the most expensive being around $10 or so.

We loved it! And I was always getting lost because I was the shortest person in the family. So, when my back was turned, my folks and older brother would decide something and think I was listening and they'd walk off... of course being little and young, my mind was on other things (exactly what? I couldn't tell you right now, but at the time they were important). I'd turn around and - *poof* - they'd be gone. Now, you'd think that I'd would've panicked and run screaming around the place like most litttlies do today; right? Wrong. My parents had back-up plan in case this happened ( and this was for most places we went). I was to walk straight to the police station and sit outside it and wait for them. The police station at the Exhibition was right next to the Sample Bag Pavilion - you couldn't miss it! It was huge! On the years I did get separated from my parents, it was like a homing signal... I'd turn around and walked straight there, sit on the seat outside and wait. About ten minutes would pass, and the next thing I'd see them walking up to me saying: 'Well, there she is! Can't say she doesn't follow directions!'

But I did love the exhibition. It's big. It's noisy and there's so many rides! And the food there...well, it's not always the healthiest, but then, when you're out at a huge amusement park, you can't have everything!
My favourite thing about the Ekka is the rides. There's so many of them and there isn't a single one that nobody will hate. I used to love the Pirate Ship, Dodgem Cars and The Swings (the one that spins around and then rises up, lights up and almost feels like it's going to take off! It's up near the Royal Brisbane Hospital). However, I wasn't one to go upside down... it just made me feel like I was going to puke. So, I picked out rides that made feel like I was going to fly, but my stomach wasn't.

I remember one time, I went there with a group of friends. We were old high school friends and two of us were in wheelchairs. One wanted to go on all the rides and I organised with the engineers to get her out of her chair in to the ride when our turn came up. She had such a great time that when we got her home, she went to bed really early after a light dinner. I'm sure she still remembers that time fondly; I'm not sure as we don't keep in contact any more. Even though we don't, that day still brings a smile to my face; that I brought joy to her day at the Ekka when she had never been on the rides before.

However, the Exhibition has been around for so long, I don't think Brisbane has seen a year where it didn't exist. Even in the hardest of times, the show still went on and people still attended. And I remember when World Expo '88 was in town, it was still as popular as ever; and the Brisbane City Council thought it would be empty.

Life without the Exhibition would be pretty dull around Brisbane. It's an event we all look forward to every year no matter what age we are; whether we're going or not. And it's a matter of whether we've been there in our youth that shows how well we remember it. It's the joy and happiness of the fun and excitement of each year that the Exhibition brings to Brisbane each year - where the Country and City meet - and let's hope it keeps going for generations to come.

Lost Investments

We have to clean out the storage facility down the road from us. It's been with us for around eight years and now, it's time we emptied it out and used it for something else; before getting rid of it completely. It's just cost Mum and Dad too much money.
So, today, Mum and I went there this morning and pulled out a whole lot of stuff from it and found two boxes of magazines and books about the British Royal family had been devoured by what looked like termites. However, after we dragged the boxes out, we found they were seething and it was a nest of larvae moths have a great meal. We had to throw out the whole lot of magazines and books - all except three! - as none of it was salvageable. I'm not into the Royal Family personally, but it broke my heart when I found some things were from 1954 onwards, and other books were on the Queen Mother. It was dreadful. I tossed the whole lot into a large plastic bag while Mum told the manager of the facility and he came and helped us clean up and he offered to set off an ant/cockroach bomb in the place once we were finished. And he even called the pest control people. They were going to come out and have a look at the place. I said that it was most probably set off from the wet weather and the manager said that was exactly what the pest control people said; as well as the paper being really old.

But really, it's horrible when you go and collect something over a series of years only to lose it to little grubs or cockroaches while your back is turned. Being a book collector, I have a silent fear that my books are going to be attacked by silverfish or cockroaches at some point in their lives. However, I take such good care of them that it never happens. I move them around and keep the sun off their spines. They are well-cared-for books that I'm certain that they will be the type of collection my niece would love to read one day... they are a type of investment I'm sure will pay off at some point. And when it does, I'll be so pleased!

With technology moving so fast, I'm sure there will always be a place for books and old-style music. All we have to do is keep those things alive long enough for each generation to appreciate it; seeing their attention span is getting smaller by the day.

Also in the facility is my piano that I inherited from my late-Grandmother. This is something I loved to try to play when I was young during school holidays while Grandpa was constantly shouting from downstairs at their house for me to 'stop thumping the piano!' and bumping the floor with a pool cue. Now, it'll be my turn to try and learn to play through getting lessons from a local place. I'll have the piano to practice on and all of Grandma's music; not to mention, the time.

Learning to play an instrument, speak another language or even cook something new from a recipe book is an investment. To not do this at some point in your life is to lose something about yourself; to not want to understand or know more about yourself.
Life is about wanting to learn and finding out if you can do something - even if some people laugh at you at first. When you learn to do something for yourself, you advance your mind, your social circle and you increase your intellect a little more.

Old Buildings: Victims of Progress

In today's paper, I found an article on page 56. It talked about the absolutely gorgeous Regent's Theatre on the Queen Street Mall being torn down in the name of progress. How disgusting! How demoralising! How many beautiful buildings are going to disappear before we completely wipe out Brisbane's - and Queensland's - true history?

First it was 'The Shingle Inn' where generations of people used to buy cakes and have high tea in the old-fashioned booths. The walls were covered in early-last Century style wall coverings and the place had a massively high ceiling. Now, it's all in storage and the Brisbane City Council 'promises' to put it all back up when the time's right. They promised it would be done this year in May - or was it last year?

What bollox! What bull! What crap!





All the great theatres are gone - all except the Regent Theatre. And this 'great city' has done all this in the name of growth and progress. You know, if this was the UK... none of those theatres would be gone. None of them. They'd be preserved. Over in the UK and Europe, they preserve their past and let it get better with age as people walk around it awed at its beauty over time; at how the York Minster didn't have a roof for 250 years and that cathedral is 500 years old! And it's still there! A good part of London has seen many-a disaster from plague to flood and fires; but many of the buildings are over two hundred years old. They still have street signs on the buildings themselves; and not on the street corners. Yes, the Brits have the right idea about preserving old and aging buildings. Maybe - just maybe - we should be taking a page or two out of their book and started looking after our old buildings; not only Old Parliment House and the Windmill on Wickham Terrace. There are grander places than that; more beautiful places that we are missing; or are too blind to see.

But it's all politics isn't it. And it's all money... and greed.

Don't tell me it isn't because I know it's a lie. We all do. So. Are we all just going to let another landmark disappear into the winds of the ages all because the politicians say it's time for it to go? Or are we going to stand up and say: "NO!"
I'm sick to death of seeing my Grandmother's and Grandfather's places vanish on me. And another question is posed to me now. Where is BIFF* being held next year now that grand old theatre is going to be pulled down in the way of some shiny new 40-storey office blocks? Aren't there enough of them around already?! Pick another site! Because this theatre has a lot of life still left in her. She's old and grand; but she's still a popular place for a movie. She still pulls people in and gets the young kids looking in awe at the architecture that is no longer around.
And in case you're wondering what the building the Brisbane City Council wants to build there looks like; here's the picture they're hoping it'll cast for us Brisbanites. Not very attractive or grand - well, it's crap compared to the Regent Theatre if you ask me.

*Brisbane International Film Festival

Homemade vs Sara Lee

This weekend just gone, I went to a family reunion and it was lovely. It was held at my cousin's house; which is huge! The food was gorgeous, everyone was laughing, the house was set on a large block of land out at Pullenvale; very picturesque. We all had a wonderful time catching up; as it had been around a decade since the last time we had been in the same place at the same time. We were a less a few people, but we also had a few young kids to make up the numbers.
Lunch was fantastic. It was just like Christmas where there's too much food and we couldn't taste test it all; but we wanted to. I made a Turkish Carrot dip that could be used as an appetiser and also a condiment (how ingenious!) and I wasn't the only vegetarian there; so there was enough food for all types of appetites. We had coffee, tea and soft drinks and then dessert came out. And this is where I found the food part kind of fell down a little. My Mum made an Impossible Pie and there were a few other home made delights. So, I grabbed some of the pie and home made goodies and sat down at the table; whereas most of the rest of them stood up and ate. Then, out came the Sara Lee frozen pies. They had been defrosted and were looking a little like plastic goo... and they tasted like plastic as well! I remember when these pies would taste as good as they looked on the box. If it said 'chocolate torte' it tasted rich and creamy... not like plastic. And this thing tasted like plastic in comparison to the Impossible Pie I had just eaten.

When the subject was brought up on the way home, Dad said that the Sara Lee stuff tasted like plastic because I was used to home made food and I never ate out. I guess it pays to learn to cook good food and eat it; knowing what herbs go well in the food you're cooking counts as well. However, if you're used to eating out at the Hungry Jacks and McDonalds, you will most probably not taste a difference. But I do seeing I can't afford to eat out too often. Fast food is destroying our tastebuds and it's not good for us in the first place; so why eat it in the first place? Because it's convenient. Because it's easy. Because it's no-fuss, no-muss. Yeah? Well, it wasn't that long ago that we didn't have any overweight people in society.
When you saw sporting events and the camera panned over the spectators, the majority of them didn't have the weight problems that are around now. What I'm saying is to have a good look at what you're eating. Is what you've put onto your plate for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or even a snack), a homemade meal or something you just tossed into the microwave because you can't be bothered getting out the pots and pans?
Now, I'm no saint when it comes to food; I'll eat some bad food. My vise is vegetarian nachoes; and they're very delicious and bad for me. However, I don't have them all the time. They are my once-in-a-while food; my comfort food. Food is supposed to nourish us and feed our bodies, not be the cancer that destroys us and shortens our lives. So, think the next time you're out.

When you're in the city next, will you opt for Hungry Jacks or Sushi? My personal choice is Sushi.

The Grass Is Always Greener?

Years ago, I traveled; and I loved it. However, when I look around my house, I feel like it was somebody else who went and did those trips overseas. I have photo albums full of pictures, journals full of places I went in my handwriting and souvenirs from all over... however I feel as though all this travelling was done by somebody else in another life - in another parallel universe. It wasn't me. Sure, I'm in those photos and I wrote those postcards to everyone and gave those gifts... however, it's been so long and those memories like faded, yellowing photographs in my mind.

I long to get into the world and travel across the miles and into another country, another culture and enjoy them all again. It's something I've missed over the years and I wish I could just jump on a plane with my passport stamped, boarding pass in hand and take off anywhere I liked just because I felt like a break. Being low on cash is a problem. So, I travel in different ways - through watching films and reading books - to try and fix that travel itch. I even wrote a poem about having the itchy feet problem called 'The Itch' and it was a great success in my writers' guild (however, I'll put it in to another post soon).

Every time I see somebody off at the airport, I feel a stab of envy that they are about to enjoy a fabulous trip to another country that I may never see. Then there's the people who I don't know who are going overseas too... their friends are happy - yet sad - to see them off too.
I remember a few years back, a group of Y-Generations were seeing off a friend of theirs to America. He was going to live there because that's where his new job was. One girl next to me burst into tears saying she'd never see him again. I said that she's lucky it's not twenty years earlier. On asking why, I said that the postage systems are better, there's the internet, e-mail, texting and Skype. She considered what I said and smiled saying that before she knows it, he'd be back for a visit and it'll be like he never left.

When I visited the UK, it was 1997. I found the place amazing and beautiful. My visit was seven weeks long and I made the most of every moment there; photographing everything I saw and buying souvenirs and books I thought I'd never find here (and sure enough there were a few I couldn't find anywhere!). However, while I was there, Lady Diana and Dodi passed away and I witnessed a country in mourning. I watched as the lines grew long to write in the gorgeous leatherbound books that were delivered to each city around England by the Royal Family so the people could give their own person condolences. I traveled to Cambridge to write mine and waited for about an hour in line. I placed a Sunflower at a pretty church in St. Neots where I was staying and said a prayer. But I was in Chester for the funeral; where you could walk down the street and it was completely empty. However, you couldn't get into London because it was full to capacity. After the funeral, the family I was staying with - the Berry's - and I went into the city of Chester and walked around to see what everyone else was doing. Main attractions with Diana's name on them were closed, one man who did chalk drawings at The Cross had people lining up to give him money for his breath-taking drawings of Diana in her Princess days. He had massive coffee tins filling with money as he worked. I even got a few photos of flowers that had been placed here and there before going to Chester; however the people didn't appreciate it, calling me a paparatzi (all because I had a Pentax Z10 at the time; a rather chunky kind of film camera). I still got the shots and I'm glad I did - as it's history that I'll most probably never witness again.

When I arrived home, I told my family that this holiday was most probably going to be in my memory for a very long time due to who died while I was there. It's hard for me to talk about Diana; even now. She was an important person in the world as she touched everyone in some way.

Strangely enough, I find whenever anyone travels, something very important will occur. The last time my folks flew overseas, Peter Brock died. They hadn't been told on the plane and I had to tell them when they next phoned from Canada. It was big news here and I had kept all the newspapers for my parents so they could read them when they got home.

I would love to travel again... be it near or far; it's the thrill of taking off and landing in another country. I love visiting places that aren't home, eating the food and living the culture for that little while.

Bargain Buys

I love shopping at charity shops. Really. I buy most of my clothes, books and items from these places; I also purchase my coin purse from charity shops too. It makes me wonder what makes people throw out so much good stuff when it's still useful... well, besides decluttering their homes and rooms. Hey, I give generously to charities on a regular basis because the some of the stuff in my house has gone beyond its used-by date.

Yesterday, I was at a Life Line Store not far from my house and I found a few small things that would make my life a lot easier. One of them was a set of circular needles - longer ones than what I had - because to purchase them new was to fork out more than what I was prepared to pay.
I also found a brilliant book! It was a Michael Whelan book 'Works of Wonder' it was fantastic and so cheap. But when I arrived at my folks' house today,I looked it up on www.bookfound.com and found it was worth a lot more than what I purchased it for... what an amazing find! I really didn't expect this kind of thing.

It's not often I find a great thing like. However, it's always wonderful to score a find such as this. And they are all out there in our charity stores and in the markets on weekends; but you have to be on the lookout for them. It's not as though these things will jump out at you. The Michael Whelan book didn't. It was up on a top shelf in the book section of the Life Line store and if I hadn't looked up at the top shelf (which I usually do in case there's any books which are hiding on me up there), I would never have found it.

But books aren't the only things that I have found at charity shops which have been bargain buys. I often find really nice clothes which are practically brand new for a quarter of the price. Or I'll occasionally find a vinyl or two that aren't scratched by some heartless soul who thinks other people don't wish to listen to them. I also love to use old handbags that are from the 1970's too; so long they look retro and not up-to-date, I'll use them. However, it's not always the the 1970's look I end up with funnily enough; yesterday, I picked up a nice streamline-look-alike backpack for around $5.00. Now, that was a great bargain!

So, do tell. Where have you picked up a great bargain? And where's your favourite place to go to relax and buy exactly what you need at the price you like?

Collections and Collectors

Each time I watch one of my favourite shows - 'Collectors' - on the ABC here in Australia, I always learn something new about a certain thing; be it about tractors, engines, Australian history or how things were done. Usually, it's through their Mystery Object where I learn the most interesting things; sometimes I get the name of the object, other times I make a wild guess and am surprised that I get it... or not!
Otherwise the show is about accentric people who collect a mirade of things. The most interest people who are on the show are usually the ones sitting on the couch as they are collectors of the most unusual things; as well as having a living also. It's their guests who I find brilliant too, and how they have found certain objects to collect for the most unusual reasons... or they've just found their obsession something they can't stop themselves from collecting.

As you know, I collect coin purses and vinyls; however there's books, bookmarks, dvds and J.R.R Tolkien books and goblets I have too. However, I don't just collect anything with Tolkien's name on it, a lot of the time, it's usually something that I know is out of print, is a collector's item from one of the movies or I've accidentally stumbled upon in my travels and didn't know it was rare until somebody told me (which happens more than you know!).
However, I come from a long line of collectors. We collect all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. My late-Grandfather collected pens: all kinds of pens; and he was also a big reader (I think that's where my love of books and knowledge comes from). Then, as I grew older, I found my parents collected sets of glasses, vinyls (lots of those) and other things too; which I've inherited. The one thing I've found with collectors is that they have a very detailed knowledge about their collection. Usually they have books or have joined clubs on what they collect and have sought out like-minded people. And it's often something most of us would throw away during a garage sale and not think twice about somebody buying the whole lot of the items set out to be sold for next to nothing. This is because collectors see something in those bits of nothing you've put onto that table. They know your trash is their treasure and all they need to do is clean it up, fix it and put it back together and it'll work. However, if it's already working, a good clean is what it needs and it's ready for the collection; and they can cross off another one off their growing list of collections.

Collecting something is fun - be it ear-rings, books, keychains, spoons or clocks - it's something to keep us forever out there looking for something better for the collection. It doesn't have to be more expensive, just something different. So, tell me, what do you collect; and if there's a reason, why?