Instant lift

I've written about this before, and even did it in Bali, but when having a chaotic day that was bringing me down, I remembered to stop and pick a frangipani from the ground while walking the dog. It was the first time this season and it instantly calmed me a little and gave me a sense of wellbeing, I think in part because I narrowed my focus to finding the pristine flower so all the other thoughts were momentarily shut out.

It was so pretty I photographed it when I got home, and then noticing the reflection decided to try for something a little arty. All this distraction drew me into the moment (and all the befores and afters in my head ceased, if just for a minute).

This, even this tiny thing, can be an instant mood lifter, so I guess the thing is to find and remember to do lots of little things that lift your mood so you can always 'reset' when you need to. I had been walking past the flowers scattered on the ground for a couple of weeks, not bothering with them when clearly I should have. It was a good reminder to make these small efforts in self care.

Do you have things you do to stop your thoughts and mood spiralling?

Linking with #WeekendReflection #WWWhimsy #ThruMyLens  #FloralFridayFoto #TalkaboutitTuesday #MySundaySnapShot

Lunar New Year

 

The year of the Snake is upon us. The snake is not so great for me, but let's face it, 2025 is apparently not going to be great for most people so I'll not complain.

I put my decorations up last night, and have been enjoying the shopping centres get on board a little early...but Australians are pretty mad for any celebration so why not?

I also noted the lychees from the supermarket seem to be packaged for the LNY. Is that new? Is that because we don't eat pomelo?(Pomelos are given for good luck, as they  translate as 'to have' and that signifies abundance) Google says the Chinese offer them as a gift for LNY because they are good for romance - so good thing I'm sharing them with my husband!

We are eating dumplings galore and long noodles (for a long life) and I've bao for lunch as I'll not have time for dinner tonight before heading to Titanique after getting one of the kids home from a medical appointment. 

Note I take on traditions of the Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese celebrations. There's so much joy to be had in a 2 week festival (4 weeks if you ask the shopping centres).

The Snake is often seen as transformation, so I wish you a year full of hope, health and joy. Or as Ronny Cheing says "I hope you get rich'. 

Linking with #AwwMondays because the top pic is so cute! Happy New Year!

My five favourite monthly moments - January

 I work until New Year's Day but then I'm completely off. Barely check emails. We travelled to Japan, and then return to summer and the Festival of Sydney. So it's lazy days and theatre and art.

Plus good food and friends.

I will be writing more on some of these so I'll try to keep it brief.

1. Squid Games - I had so much fun. It felt so good, the invigorating affect of play. Bonding with friends, nervously laughing, visual and emotional stimulation. I loved it all. I'm dragging the kids to do it with me for my birthday. Just need to find a time that works for everyone.

2. Hiroshima. I've not stopped thinking about two things. Firstly, that we learn history as static events, that the bomb dropped and the war ended. But it didn't end. The deaths dragged out for decades with terrible illnesses as a result. The mental disorders and way of thinking changed for many if not all the survivors. While I understand what lead to the events, and I'm not saying the Japanese were innocent victims but I do question how you come back from that event? How do they not hate Americans? I am in awe that they turned the ill feeling into a positive fight for peace?  (Note I'm not saying they should hate Americans but it would be understandable if they did. If a nation killed all your family and friends, would you forgive them?)

#AwwMondays

As a place to visit, it's a very sobering city, but Miyajima is pretty and charming and absolutely one of the highlights of Japan. 

3. The theme parks with the kids. I drew the short straw (but also the long straw to get special time with my youngest so Schrodinger's straw, I guess) and we hit two theme parks and the Nintendo Museum in Japan. It meant we played together, laughed excitedly together and bonded in ways that get harder to make happen, as they grow up with their own lives. We gave our youngest another 'family' holiday - time with her older sibling. It's harder to make that happen but gives me great joy when it does. See point 1.

4. Hakone Open Air Museum - I've wanted to visit it for so long, since seeing a friend's travel photo on facebook maybe a decade ago. It did not disappoint. The art is beautiful but the location and setting is also part of it. We had a think snowflakes falling but they didn't stick to us. So the beauty and excitement of snow without getting wet. Even the kids enjoyed it so again, another lovely day shared.

5. Seoul. We only had time to sleep and a few hours to explore but it is so rare to go somewhere new these day. A completely different culture and language you can't read, our roaming didn't work so we were back to maps and finding coffee shops with wifi to call ubers. We didn't really know the food so it was random picking (and all fabulous). Some of it was brilliant, some of it a disaster but that's also a good reminder of real travel (like the old days - and the disasters were our fault or traffic related).

So a strange mix this month but good lessons and reminders, lots to think about but also a very rewarding month emotionally.

How was yours?

My Insta has been in overdrive but it should settle down a bit now as I get back to work and routine. 

Linking with #WriteoftheMiddle #TravelTuesday #TalkaboutitTuesday #WeekendCoffeeShare #AnythingGoes

The drama of dusk

As we walked home into stormy skies, the rain and sunset enhanced reflections every where. The arches were captured in an office window as we  walked up the hill to the station, fluorescent lights seemingly dotting the sky.

Below, the bridge and lamp post were captured in the sheen of water on the boardwalk from the rain storm that had just ended. The pink of sunset was fighting against the grey clouds.

“Don’t forget: Beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies.” – Paulo Coelho

 

Linking with #Skywatch #GaleriaHimmelsblick #ThruMyLens #SundayBest #WeekendReflection #MCoW, because sunset makes me happy, even cloudy ones!

Little Loves

Read This poem again. I went to A Complete Unknown and spent the first half of the movie trying to remember the words to a poem I loved. It had a profound impact on me at about 18. It really sums up the existential experience in a less terrifying way than Sartre's Le Mur or La Nausee. I was genuinely surprised it was written by Dylan - I had no idea though it made a lot of sense when you see the movie. Interestingly I thought it ended with sunrise not sundown. I feel sunrise is more optimistic though sundown is more Dylanesque. Last Thoughts on Woody Gutherie.

Heard I think we'll be hearing a lot more songs of resistance. "You stand up for me, I stand for you". or the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Join forces and your numbers swell. The causes are different but the goal is the same. 

Watched Nia Archives really belt out a storm. Just fabulous. Her set was and hour 15 and I jumped (quite literally) for 7kms. It was manic. She was great. The crowd was great. Just loved it.

On TV we're watching The Agency. We didn't watch the Bureau so it's all new to us. Worth a watch.

Made plans. Diary is getting crazy already. And already double booked myself. Got to get it under control.

Wore The Squid Game earrings, perfect for red light/green light.

And Lastly  We have a completely blank long weekend. Hoping to not waste it all.

Linking with #LittleLoves #WWWhimsy #MondayMuiscMovesMe #WaterThursday #Galleriahimelsblick

 #Skywatch

 

Share Four Somethings

 

Not sure if this counts for #MuralMonday

Things I've Loved/Disliked Been to a few plays and gigs since we got back and have to say it's hard to narrow down to my favourite. I had such a great time at the Squid Games Experience with friends that I want to go back and do it with the kids for my birthday. A Model Murder was excellent and I've just discovered it was written by the actress who did Prima Facie when we saw it, Melanie Tait.. She was brilliant and I had no idea she was the understudy. I also saw Hamlet Camp, and Ewen Leslie performed an excellent poem on living above and working in a bookshop in Newtown. Having worked in a bookshop and loving literature, it hit all the marks and was so funny and clever. Wonderful stuff!
 I guess what I'm saying is I'm loving January in Sydney with the festival and the holiday feeling, even if the summer weather hasn't been quite so summery.

Linking with #WeekendReflection 

Sharing this Lawrence song which describes pretty much describes the female experience...and should change! I saw them on Thursday night at the suggestion of a friend (who I've never actually met!) and decided to go. Another friend saw the chat on SM and got herself a ticket too...we both loved them.

Things I need to Improve I really need to organise my time better. I've been a bit MIA at work of late so am now, already, behind. Not ideal for the first month of the year.

Things I've Accomplished Been managing an abundance of doctors appointments for one of the kids before school goes back. Her retainer broke so we had to throw in an emergency visit to the orthodontist (who is 40 mins form us - don't ask, and we only just saw the week before). We've managed to get the return visit on the last day of the holidays so I'm hoping that's all fine and sorted and school has minimal interruption.

Things I've Noticed Twitter is pretty much impossible to use. Without the hashtags you can't search anything, and when I used to go to the trending, I'd get 8 or 10 topics relevant to me, and now I get 4 and they all seem to be on US politics, which frankly, the rest of the world is pretty disinterested in these days. I will wait until the F1 season starts and if it doesn't improve, I may as well ditch. Facebook is little better, I assumed everyone was just off it but I've discovered that I just don't see what my friends post. No idea why, It's there, it just doesn't come into my feed when I scroll...so again, if it's useless I may as well stop wasting time on this too...basically what I've noticed is Social Media is becoming pretty unsocial. 

The photos were from around Luna Park going to and from the Squid Games. Note also the bridge reflection in this shot left.

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings #TalkaboutitTuesday  #SeniorSalonPitstop

#SundayBest off topic today for #MondayMusicMovesMe

Squid Games at Luna Park

Friends gave us tickets for Christmas so we all headed to Luna Park this week for the Squid Game Experience.

I had pretty low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. It's amazing how much effort went into it and it looks great. The first room you go into really sets the scene. I spent a lot of that game nervously looking around, while joyfully marvelling at what they'd recreated.

You play 5 games and I found myself nervously giggling throughout the evening. It taps into the energy of anticipation and I guess that bonhomie of wanting your friends to do well too. I say too but sadly player 136 did not survive ANY of the challenges.

However I was having too good a time to feel any shame or disgrace (you will understand what I am referring to if you've played it).

The guards were really intimidating, and it was funny how nervous & jumpy you'd get if they came up behind you.

While we were waiting to go in, the guards marched past and I took a photo. One then stopped and looked at us. We all started to recoil nervously. It's was a brilliant start the night to set the mood.

We left exuberant, commenting how reinvigorating it is to play, and it's a shame adults don't do it more.

If you've watched the show, I thoroughly recommend this. It's so fun. Tickets can be bought here. I think they've just extended dates.

(This is not an ad, I just loved it.) I was given the Stop/Go earrings from a friend back when season 1 came out. Was delighted to have a reason to wear them again!

And that's what's been on my calendar.

Note these photos are all in the foyer. I didn't take pictures once the games began. So these are not an indication of the standard of the environment once you go inside. 

Throwback links to when the Squid Game Doll came to Sydney and the Halloween when it was all things Squid Game!

Posts on the importance of play for Adults:

Rediscovering how to play could be the key to creating deep adult friendships. Rhaina Cohen

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Linking with #WBOYC #TravelTuesday #MCoW #WednesdayAroundtheWorld