Holidays

No! Today is not St Patrick's Day and I am not even interested in St Patrick's celebration anyway but this cross will just mark my lack of inspiration and motivation to post anything in this blog lately. It has been quite a discipline over the past two years and I knew that I would eventually give up the task one day. I am not saying I will not post anything ever. I may keep this blog alive for a while posting from time to time but in the meantime I will take a break away from the cyberspace. Hurray!

Rest

Mum, this is one of the chairs you might be enjoying while you're here. I have personally never used them since I could not really find the time but I am sure it is quite nice especially at sunset to just sit there with a glass and relax!

Exercise

I have never been big on exercise since I have never really found any sport I was finding pleasure practicing. That said since I arrived in Darwin I have taken up on swimming big time. I isually go to the pool at least 5 times a week swimming anything between 1 and 1.5 km. I additionally have this machine on which I occasionally step on in front of the TV. But this is much less fun! This morning I woke up a bit earlier to try and burn off the extra calories from yesterday's dinner.

Album of the Week: Meanderthals 'Desire Lines'

A couple of years ago we had Studio. We then had A Mountain Of One. And now we have Meanderthals. They all have in common the fact that they produce a very particular sound that is difficult to label. I believe it won't take long before somebody comes up with a brilliant idea to tag this mix of Progressive, 70s West-Coast, Dub, Kraurock, Electronica, Balearic and Psychedelia kind of music. Never mind the label, the soothing effect it creates when you listen to it is just amazing. I am not talking about Cafe Whatever or Buddha Lift music. What London's Idjut Boys and Oslo's Rune Lindbaek came up with is the ideal dreamscape. Record of the week, of the month of the year of course! Unfortunately there is only one track to listen to on MySpace so you will have to google elsewhere if you want a preview. But it is pretty safe to just head to Piccadilly Records and purchase their album on CD or on Vinyl.

Not Rubens

Samson and Delilah is a Northern Territory movie that has made it to this year's 'Un Certain Regard' selection at Cannes. I am just coming out from a screening session and it left me with a strange feeling. It justly depicts the sad reality of the parrallel life many aboriginals unfortunately live in this country. There is no denying that despite the National Pardon the scars remain deep in this part of the world. If your view of Australia is one of kangaroos, koalas and exotism, do not forget that there is also another side that is not that visible to the average tourist but that is a reality you cannot escape from. The way this movie is filmed is simply exceptional and filled with sensitivity and realism. I can't promise you two hours of fun but you will certainly come out of this screening with a better understanding of the Aboriginal suffering. The actors are extraordinary and the music is unforgettable. I sincerely hope it can win a prize at Cannes in order to bring it to a wider audience. An absolute must see!

Here we go again!

No crocodile story but an emu story for a change. Where else in the world do you have a newspaper relating such stories? 'Woman fends off horny emu', what a title really!? When you read the article it does not have much substance it leaves you with a feeling of being a non-story in fact. But the point is that the title seems to attract readers since this rag continues to increase its publication when the rest of the world newspapers are struggling.

Autumn Fruits

Nothing is as good as Spring and Summer fruits. When Autumn comes we still have the joy of grapes and pears start to appear. The only problem is that I always find it very difficult to choose my pears. They are either too hard, too mushy or tasteless. But when you pick a good one they can be so yummy!

Ryū Murakami

I love Japanese literature. I love many Japanese things actually. But their writers are so special. Banana Yoshimoto is on top of my list as well as Ryu Murakami. I am surprised Audition has only been issued at the beginning of the year since it has already been made into a cult movie in 1999. I suppose you can call it a psycho thriller. I just finished it today and I am still disturbed by its story. It is very in the line of his previous masterpieces, Coin Locker Babies, Piercing, In The Miso Soup, Raffles Hotel and Almost Transparent Blue. I read them and loved them all.

She's back!

A few weeks ago I was telling you about the Stella Deneb that is the biggest Cattle Vessel in the world. Amazingly, she was back at Darwin Port today to load another huge load of cows. I was surprised to note that she had changed name since her last trip though! She is now called the Ocean Shearer. Not so appropriate for cows but I am sure the kiwis will appreciate when she goes there for a big sheep load the next time.

Gourmet Traveller

My favourite food magazine has to be the ever excellent Australian Gourmet Traveller. I have picked up so many recipes from this monthly publication. If you live out of Australia you usually can find it through any good English magazine provider. It reflects the amazing diversity of Australia cuisine that borrows from the best from any other country in the world really.

Record of the Week: Little Birdy 'Confetti'

There are so many good records to chose from every week that it is difficult to pick a highlight. But every once in a while comes something pretty much different that grabs your ears and that you know is very special. Actually, this weekend I saw this compilation in a record store called: '(There must be) Something in the Water'. It is the Swan river we are talking about since Perth has been pretty much on the music map lately. All this to introduce Little Birdy's thrid and new album. Kathy Steele's voice is very unique. It probably is a love or hate thing. In my case, obviously, I fell in love with her voice on the strength of the single track 'Brother'. Watch the video here and buy the album through the usual suspects. More info and previews on MySpace.

Circular Quay

After a morning lazying around we decided to head to Circular Quay for a late breakfast. Above is the view from the breakfast table. But a small digital camera definitely does not allow for a 360 degrees view. So you will have to use your imagination if you want to see the ever breathtaking Sydney Harbour Bridge or the iconic Sydney Opera House!

Sydney Skyline

I moved back from Papua to Sydney. The view over Sydney's skyline from my room is quite a contrast compared to the virgin Highland forests of PNG. That said, due to the fact I am pretty much a 21st century urban westerner I somehow realise I feel more confortable in that environment.

Beaver Falls

Oh what a day! I have been flying nearly all day up and down the country. The highlight of the trip definitely has been circling around the Beaver Falls which are kind of a Papuan version of the Niagara Falls except that they are only visible by air. They are not usually part of any touristical itinerary for this very reason. The views over the huge Lake Kitubu were also quite rewarding.

Air Niugini

Today I am off to Papua New Guinea again for a few days. As long as they are short trips (shorter than a week) I do not mind really. But I cannot say that I was thrilled by the idea of flying with Air Niugini. But in the end it was an uneventfull and even an interesting flight.

Brissie

After the wallaby spotted in the wild last week-end here comes his urban brother spotted on the streets of Brisbane this morning. I did not really have time for sightseeing but the nice temperature of around 20 degrees that provides a chilly change compared to the temperatures I am experiencing in Darwin allowed for a nice walk from the hotel to the meeting room.

Mermaid Beach

How does it sound to you? The name is pretty exotic, isn't it? And if I tell you it is located at Surfers Paradise, it is even better! I landed at Brisbane this afternoon and headed straight south driving for around an hour before reaching the place where some friends are currently staying. I wish I could have more time to explore the area and to relax on the beach. Unfortunately, tomorrow will be a long day spent attending a business workshop.

Record of the Week: Mendes & Alçada 'Coaster'

That is nice and slow… Portugal is on the map again with this lovely piece of vinyl out on the flawless Claremont 56. I absolutely love whatever comes out on this label. And when it is on a Smith & Mudd, Balearic spirit and from Portugal it just can’t disappoint. Please pay attention and do not miss this beauty from Mendes & Alçada as you may regret it! On the 12” front, also worth a mention are the Burial and Four Tet essential collaboration on a very limited black label pressing and Featurecast take on Aretha Franklin’s One Step classic could also have easily been my record of the week.

In the park

The sight of a wallaby in the wild is something that always amazes me. Actually, the sight of any animal in the wild brings its own share of pleasure. But on top of the list come the wallabies, as well as the wombats and the koalas (only seen once in the wild). In this part of Australia I strangely do not get to see many of the three above mentioned creatures. But I had my good share of frogs, spiders, crocodiles, spiders and on a kinder note, birds....

Biographies

Since I discovered the fantastic Genet biography as written by Edmund White in 1993, I have developed an interest for biographies in general. I find it the best way to learn a piece of history at the same time as you are discovering interesting facts from fascinating people. I just finished two of those lately. On one side a book actually relating the handful of facts we know about Shakespeare and elaborating about all what we do not know as cleverly researched by the ever captivating Bill Bryson. On the other side I came to learn a great deal about Charles Darwin from the inside since this book actually is an autobiography.

First of May

The first of May is not a Public Holiday here but next Monday is. Nothing special to report since it has been a normal working day. I have a colleague / friend staying at home for a few days. She wanted to go to Kakadu over the weekend but we had to scrap those plans as some vessels will keep me busy all weekend long. Instead we settled for this amazing ABC documentary about The Wet which I would highly recommend to anyone.

Food of the Day - Part Two

And now for something completely different: Jelly. I absolutely love Jelly! It is so easy to prepare, so easy to eat, so tasty and yet probably so bad for health. But as any of my favourite foods, as long as you do not eat it excessively (as I did tonight) you should be fine. Since I am in Australia I was made to purchase the Aeroplane brand. Orange is my favourite. Yummy! The time when TV ads were lasting for two minutes is well over but you should have a look at this TV classic!

Food of the Day

The food of day is: Oyster. I never used to like them. Or I used to only like them fried or cooked. But wether it is in America or here in Australia I usually enjoy oysters as they are much tastier and fleshy. Thay have actually grown so much on me that if they are on the menu I am now most likely to order them as my first choice. That's insane how tastes can radically change over the years.

The Dry

OK. My plants may have been dry for a while now but they are quite representative of what is happening in the Top End at the moment. It is incredible how fast the humidity has fallen down in the past days and how quickly all the green is turning into brown. And I am not talking about all the fires currently taking place that traditionally clear the scrubs in order to avoid bigger fires when everything is dead dry! 

Record of the Week: Seth Sentry 'The Waiter Minute EP'

Seth Sentry seems like a friendly fella! He is from Melbourne and I discovered him through Triple J unearthed. His self produced EP ‘The Waiter Minute EP’ is perfect Aussie MC Songwriter Hip Hop Pop! Yes! Somewhere in between Mike Skinner’s The Streets and what Everlast should have been if he had not turned has-been! Slices of life that are very easy to imagine . The first pressing has now sold out but Seth promises a second batch to be ready by the end of May so you can already place your orders through his MySpace page. Other contenders for the record of the week come with the amazing BBC rendition of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ by Bat For Lashes, Smith & Mudd ‘Le Suivant’ new album and the latest Speck Mountain ‘Some Sweet Relief’

Mary and Max

I suppose you all have seen Wallace and Gromit. Let's cut a long story short... even if Mary and Max is an animation movie with characters made out of clay, it has nothing to do with Wallace and Gromit. This production is purely Australian, out of Melbourne, and is as dark as the film poster or the preview suggest. Very bleak indeed. I cannot say that there is much to laugh about. After viewing this movie, that I was expecting to be quite funny, I came out with a strange impression. I am still not sure if I liked it or not though.

ANZAC

Today is a National Public Holiday in Australia and in New Zealand. And it is also a Saturday so it does not make a big difference for lots of people. But Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The main and notable event for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was the famous fight at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I and this day is also a commemoration for the soldiers who fought in France and Belgium.

More more more

One million heads were planned so it is obvious that the cattle season is not over. Imagine the quantity of cows being sent to the Middle East! One million heads! So when I went to the Port today I overtook dozens of cattle road trains. On this picture you can see a few specimen with their load waiting to be delivered. Poor cows. It is actually a sad image to see them stuck there inside those trucks, standing and looking at the sea.

Vas-y Jean-Claude!

That is a real Darwin institution and the sign that the dry season is now officially here to stay. We were pleased to enjoy the seasonal reopening of this great outdoor event called the 'Deckchair Cinema' and the movie played was a real surprise. JCVD. Who would have thought I would one day see a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie! But it was an hilarious and sometimes touching experience. Wether you are a fan of the actor or not I could only recommend this incredible piece of cinema. It has to be seen to be believed. The muscles from Brussels. Aware!

Good Frog

If I have an ugly beast at my front door I have a lovely one in my backyard. You may remember the colourful green frog I posted some time back. Lately, the nature has been quite present (it actually always is in this part of the world) since I had to evacuate my office a couple of weeks ago because of a bat, I recently had to deal with a Carpet Python (which appears to be a friendly snake) and I had the surprise to witness this lovely guest in the office toilets. Not the best place for her.

Bad Toad

One of Australia's biggest ecological catastrophy was the introduction of the cane toad as a measure to try and combat the cane beetles. As this animal was introduced from South America, it went on to spread (and continues to do so) and is a real pest in itself since it has poison glands and its tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. It kills fish, lizards and any kind of wildlife really because of its poison and is spreading at an alarming rate. On the road to Katherine I always try to kill my good share while driving on these ugly pests. Unfortunately, I occasionally have one on my front entrance and I would be glad if the neighbour's cat could help me to get rid of it since he seems highly interested!

Record of the Week: Old Jerusalem 'Two Birds Blessing'

I still remember the first time I heard Iron & Wine. It gave me such a peaceful and happy feeling. The music was delicate and lovingly crafted. Sam Beam’s singing was so charming and sweet without being twee… All this to say that I had a similar feeling when I heard for the first time the previous Old Jerusalem album while I was in Portugal a couple of years ago. Therefore, I was very curious when I saw there was a new release this year. And it did not disappoint. It even greatly surpasses this Portuguese folk songwriter’s previous effort to become one of my favourite albums of the year so far. Go and visit its MySpace to hear some tracks as usual.

While I am talking about Iron & Wine, it is worth mentioning that Sub Pop issued a lovely live CD in the States last Saturday 'Norfolk 06-20-05' for the Record Store Day (hence only officially available in stores, in the US, on that day but surely available through eBay at silly prices) and a new double album will be out on the 19th of May (‘Around the Well’).

Fisho

What do people do on Sunday? They fish? What do people do in the morning? They fish? What do people do in the evening? They fish? What do people do whenever they have 5 minutes? They fish? Well, that is true for the Northern Territory. Everywhere you see a paddle of water you can see fishermen (called 'fisho' in here). It is the number one passtime for guys, girls and kids alike.

Yeehaaa!

Today is the International Record Store Day but well... there are not many in the area. Instead I went for a very Australian experience tonight. The rodeo. The event that took place at the Litchfield Pub, an hour drive away from Darwin, is the first meet in an eight-round competition which will continue throughout the year. It was an interesting experience as seen from a tourist point of view but it was a bit like being in a parrallel world for me. All those cowboys and cowgirls, hat and beer culture are a thing that do not have so much connection with my interests but once more it made for an entertaining evening. I particularly enjoyed the bareback and bronco showdowns. And in case you wonder, the action was way too fast for my little camera so I propose a crowd photo instead.

Mindil

Tonight we parked the park at the museum and went for a nice walk from the museum grounds, over George Brown's garden and down to Mindil Beach. It was actually the nearest I found myself to the casino. The above picture was actually taken last week but it is a photo of the casino which has always looked like an ugly blockhaus from distance. I was actually surprised to see that it could probably be a pleasant place. I will definitely have to give some of its restaurants a try.

Burnett House

Here is the external view of the Burnett House I was mentioning yesterday. Beni Burnett was quite an interesting character. He actually grew up in Asia; his parents were Scottish missionaries and he spent time in Mongolia and Malaysia. You actually do see the influence of his early years in his architecture. He subsequently became the Australian Government's Principal architect in the Northern Territory, and was commissioned to design quite a few houses in Darwin for senior public servants. Only a couple survive on the left and right of this building.

Tea Time

Every Sunday from 3.30pm to 6pm the National Trust hosts a High Tea in the verdant tropical gardens of Burnett House. Burnett House is a rare example of Darwin’s early tropical architecture, having survived both the Japanese bombings in 1942 and Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Today is not Sunday unfortunately but I promised myself I woul go there for that occasion one day. In the meantime I visited the place under a nice tropical day and could easily imagine the life in the area a century ago...

Build Down

Probably one of the last evening clouds of the season. Now that we are reaching the end of that cross season locally called the 'build down' (as opposed to the build up) the clouds are going to be a rare sight. We are in for a long 'dry'. The green of the nature will turn a bit yellow, the smoke will start to be a common sight in the evening sky and some of the birds will migrate to wetter pastures. In the meantime I continue to enjoy the view from my balcony...

Record of the Week: Cymbals Eat Guitars ‘Why There Are Mountains’

It is all in the title. Cymbals Eat Guitars certainly are the reason why there are mountains. It all makes sense now! A melodic chaos of sound. They are the band everyone is talking about. And you can’t read a blog review not comparing them to Pavement. Come on. Leave Pavement out of this. Cymbals Eat Guitars have their own particular sound but one thing is for sure is that they had to come from New York. Only New York bands know how to deliver melodies so easily but with an impression of slackness, wackness and nonchalance! If you can’t find their album anywhere on the internet – and even if you can – I still recommend you purchase it through Piccadilly Records or any other good music specialist who know their music.
Other contenders for the record of week title were the new The Juan McLean album ('The Future Will Come') on DFA and last week’s issue of the BBC concert of Elbow’s album ('Seldom Seen Kid Live At Abbey Road') that I only could listen to yesterday for the first time.

Yurmikmik

It was a long drive for a short walk but totally worth it. Today we decided to explore another part of Kakadu and ended up in the Southern Part known as the Mary River area. We decided to go for a 4-hour trek from Yurmikmik. We were rewarded by a beautiful and peaceful fall and natural pool at the end of the track. It is funny though that you cannot help thinking about the crocs that might lure from below the water while you are swimming (even though it considered to be a safe place to swim). We also noticed how dry the nature starts to look like. It will definitely be a dry, long and harsh season for some of the wildlife in this park.

Box Jellyfish Safety

There are so many nice places to go walking to in Darwin. And we keep on discovering more and more of these pleasant spots. Tonight we went to the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It features 13 km of sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and casuarina trees. Unfortunately, as any beaches in the area, you can only walk or rest on them. But always remain alert in case of crocodiles. In the water the biggest danger comes from the deadly box jellyfish that can be present all year long really... so no swimming! That's frustrating.

Good Friday

We were a bit lazy today and we are not very Christian but as we always enjoy seasonal food goodies we purchased some Hot Cross Buns which are very popular all around the world in AngloSaxon countries. I had my first ones 25 years ago in England. Calling our family we discovered they all made their own for Easter, some the traditional way with raisins, others a bit more fancy with cranberries. I like the way they taste and it always is a pleasure, while eating them, to think that it will be a full year before I have another taste...

M/V Stella Deneb

215 meters long, 38000 Square meters. Those are the dimensions of the biggest Cattle Vessel in the world. It was here at the Port today to load another shipment of cows from the Northern Territory. Destination? The Middle East. When I was working in Dubai I used to see them coming full of sheep from New Zealand just before the Ramadan and cows from Australia all year long. Now I see them at the point of origin. I am just a bit more compassionate for the poor beasts and also wondering what the methane carbon footprint surrounding this vessel is.

Hoons on Utes

Two very Australian words in one title. The hoons are mostly white, suburban, teenagers. Not much of a brain. They are those kids whose main activities include speeding, street racing, burnouts or screeching tyres in their utes. So what's a ute I hear you ask? Just see the picture above. A ute is short for 'utility vehicle'. They have been very much in fashion for some years now but lately they have been mainly coming in funny colours and it is not uncommon to see gangs of them aligned at some reststop parkings. Each country has its own plague really.

Flix in the Wet – The Final

Yesterday evening was the last screening of the indoor Flix in the Wet festival. Now that we are entering the ‘Dry’, the festival will be back to its original location, outdoors, screening movies for mobs of aficionados from the comfort of their deckchair under the Down Under starry sky. This last movie had to be one of the best I have seen coming out of Italy in years. Having shared an office with an Italian guy for over a year I was very familiar with the main actor, Antonio Albanese, but I was surprised to see this comedian (‘Chiu pilu per tutti’) playing a rather ‘dramatic’ role. Meanwhile, the main actress, Margherita Buy, was seen before in another excellent italian movie called ‘Le Fate Ignoranti’ (His Secret Life) and she turned out to be fantastically charming once more in this one.

Record of the Week: Bob Evans 'Goodnight, Bull Creek!’

It might have been recorded in Nashville with producer Brad Jones but Bob Evans latest album is pure Australiana. A kind of Australian poppier version of Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) if you ask me. The first single to be lifted out of his new and third album is ‘Someone So Much’ and features such a ridiculously catchy chorus that once you have heard it one time, it just sticks in your head for hours and days and weeks. The same is also true for some other album tracks like ‘Pasha Bulker’. Highly recommended Asutralian singer songwriter pop material.

Listen to some tracks on MySpace as usual, visit his website and if you cannot get your hands on his CD in your country, download it through iTunes or order it through JB Hi-Fi.

Yellow River

After a wonderful sunset yesterday, we started the day with an even more wonderful sunrise cruising through the Yellow River. We did not regret waking up at 5 and enjoyed the very active fauna living along this floodplain. This had to be the highlight of our trip to Kakadu. Seeing all these birds in their natural habitat and most impressively a good number of crocodiles. We then headed for a walk to another amazing Aboriginal Rock Art Site at Nourlangie also providing commanding views of Kakadu's escarpment. Finally, we ended the visit via a 1 hour flight all the way down to the famous Jim Jim and Twin Falls which are still unaccessible by car at this time of the year. It gave us a very different perspective. A wonderful week-end exploring Kakadu overland, over water and from the air.

Ubirr

Today we decided to take a private guide to try and learn more about the Art, culture and geology of the Bininj. And we indeed learnt a lot. Our guide was so entertaining, friendly and knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about the Mimi spirits visiting the mysterious Art Sites on the way to the top of a rocky lookout offering amazing views over the Nadab floodplains at sunset. A powerful experience.

Before Kakadu

Ouch! If Kakdu was planned for the week-end, the fact I would go under general anaesthesia to get two wisdom teeth removed today was not really part of the program. Not that they were paining but the monthly visit of an oral specialist from New South Wales up in Darwin motivated me to go for this operation and it was decided in a blink. At 1415 I still had my wisdom teeth and at 1630 I was out from the clinic without them and after a short but deep sleep. I do not see any reason why it would prevent me from enjoying my week-end!