Got the cards, got the poster, even got it on a cushion on my lounge at home. Love your work, Holstee. Words to live by…
Author: Cate
Finding those everyday sparks - the ones that make life funnier, scarier, happier, nicer, weirder...
Kids these days…
Some highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be) of a recent survey of Australian school children were published in the Sydney Morning Herald this week. And I still think it’s funny that more than 1/4 of the kids that they surveyed in year 6 (so, around 11 or 12 years of age) thought that yoghurt grows on trees. I blame that Willy Wonka and the edible world inside his factory. He has confused our kids into thinking that you can create trees that grow all sorts of delicious sweet things, so why wouldn’t it make sense for a tree provide us with yoghurt? (Mr Wonka has also misled kids to believe that you can import orange-skinned little people from a foreign land, dress them in overalls and have them run your factory, forcing them to sing and dance on command. And work for chocolate. If only, kids!)
Anyways, I have to go now and check on my backyard crops. I’m growing meat pies, chicken flavoured chips and cherry ice cream. And any kid knows that those ice cream plants start to melt on a sunny day like today.
Totally Foksy
Wherever you stand on the whole animal fur debate, this Silver Wolf Foks (yes, that’s how they spell it, they’re from Poland) is a-ok. Whether you’re inspired by the recent Liam Neeson scary movie or you’re just an animal loving fashionista, this is surely a must-have addition to your wardrobe/menagerie. Part pet, part scarf and all felt, with a special clip so that you can curl ol’ Foksy around your neck or leave him hanging free. From the new Felt Fokses range by wacky Polish designers Celapiu, you can pick one up via their fabulous etsy store for around $150. The designers claim that the Long Foks version is “long enough to wrap himself around you in hundreds of different ways”, which sounds at once creepy and impossible. Whatever, I am very tempted to carry one of these around Sydney this winter. And I will sidle up close to people on public transport and in bars and tap them gently with one of Foksy’s paws. And wait for the screams.
If you must have a Foks, check out Celapiu’s etsy store.
Free fingers
This image caught my eye(s) on Fab.com – it’s kinda creepy that the gloved hands are just hovering there in mid-air. And typing an email shouting about FREEHANDS GLOVES. (Who is the email for? And why the shouting? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?) And maybe I watch too much tv, but those particular gloves look just like the ones that psychotic murders wear (no offence intended, Hand Model Guy). Apparently Josh Rubin and his “glove-maker-father” developed these so that you could protect your hands from the freezing US winters while still texting and emailing your peeps. And playing Words With Friends. They’re sort of like little hoodies for your thumbs and pointer fingers (sorry, I don’t think that second one is the correct anatomical term). Think about the marketing possibilities…these little beauties are not just a must-have item for geeks-on-the-go, but for nose pickers, outdoor-winter-fingerpainters, freezer-loving-cross-stitchers and those people who insist on frequently applying lip gloss out of teeny tiny pots. Which probably covers 97% of the population. Genius idea!
The ukuleles are in town
So, last night I went to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Opera House. Oh yes I did. My friend Jane bought tickets and invited me to go along and it sounded just weird enough to be my cup of tea, so away we went. Before the show, we were at Opera Bar and noticed lots of people (ok, by ‘lots’, I clearly don’t mean thousands, let’s say at least 37) carrying little ukelele-shaped cases. At first, I was surprised that the orchestra members would be out drinking so close to showtime, then realised that these must actually just be random people carrying ukuleles. The ukulele carriers covered some pretty broad demographics – men and women, young and old, two eyes and four eyes. I know it sounds dumb, but I had never really thought of ukuleles as instruments before last night. More of a cute-looking joke present to give a niece or a friend who secretly wanted to be Slash, but lacked any musical ability.
Anyways, we got to the concert hall and it appeared that the gig was sold out, or pretty close to it. On our right was a fancy looking pair of seniors, who told us that they had brought their daughter and their grandson (with his ukulele). And their Indian parish priest from Maroubra (with his ukulele), who seemingly loves music and turns every church service into a singalong. On several occasions of audience participation, said priest thrust his ukulele high in the air, like some sort of salute to the gods. Rock on, Father. On our left was another fancy looking pair of not-quite-as-seniors from the north shore. Jan was learning the ukulele after completing some classes for beginners at an evening college and had recently enjoyed a ukulele jam session with a group in Sydney’s inner west. Even my friend Jane advised that she had taken ukulele lessons. I like to think I’m pretty down with current trends and I definitely love music, so I feel like I have missed something here. WHEN DID THE UKULELE GET SO POPULAR? AND WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?
Whatever, the concert was fun, with everything from Beethoven to Lady Gaga to a Playschool-esque singalong version of the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK. The highlights for me were the emotional rendition of Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag and the upbeat, jazzy take on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. As we left, I was happy, but still not sure what to make of this new (to me, at least) ukulele world. However, I am nothing if not easily inspired, so thought I’d get home and google ukulele instructors in my neighbourhood and start taking classes. Then I ran into a group of youngish ukulele carriers near the taxis and my immediate reaction was: WEIRDOS. And that was the end of that.
PS, if you want to visit ukulele world without paying for a ticket, you can check out the Orchestra on You Tube.
everydaysparks 