Artists Blog

Taiko Drums. If you’ve ever experienced them “live”, you’ll know how infectious they are. You simply cannot get enough.

This troupe hail from Japan, and have been performing in Australia the last couple of months.

The concert was simply astonishing. They are amazing performers, sending the audience into riotous applause after each piece. That booming sound penetrates right through you, vibrating round your ribs and mind.

They are FIT. (14 hours of rigourous training every day will have that effect!)

What a wonderful occupation, travelling the world playing Taiko.

**Sigh**, next lifetime.

A visit to my Specialist (Dr B) is unlike any other Dr’s/Specialist’s visit. He could be a Stand Up Comic if he so chose. Dry, dry dry.

He is retiring (sort of), so I will not see him again, unless the old RA really goes wild. Today we talked about why he is retiring - so he can go fishing. And pursue his addiction to fly tying.

He thought he should look serious in this shot, which really freaked me out - not him at all. The walls of his practice are covered in trophies of his fishing exploits. His flies are rather wonderful. Wen I asked him if I could take photos of his flies, he giggled and said I was being naughty. “Oh, those flies!” he said.

Some of these are constructed from a single spine from a pheasant’s tail feather. Wool and other feathers are also dyed and used.

These flies are miniscule. (That’s Dr B’s finger). They are so life like, and sit on top of the water surface for unsuspecting trout.

The one he is pointing to is called a “Tup’s Indispensable”. I had to ask why. In England, a ram is also called a Tup (Dr B is English). The wool that is used for the fishing fly is from a Tup’s testicles. Tricky job shearing that wool.

Dr B with his collection of assorted bones. 

He even showed me his Catfish battle scar today. I’ll miss him.

From the land of Buddha, my best friend in the whole world is flying home to me tonight. Thousands of miles to be crossed, but he was never really far away.

I asked for him to bring me back a reclining Buddha, it’s one that I don’t have in my collection. I light candles near my Buddhas, casting a serene glow over all.

Today was day of firsts.

First time I’ve used a Mac (Very impressive new Mac lab it was too).

First time I’ve used the Adobe CS3 suite.

First time I spoke frankly and openly with my senior lecturer - where do I really want to go? I’ve only just discovered my full marks and ranking from first semester’s subjects.

First time I bought a passionfruit cheesecake slice and enjoyed it’s creamy deliciousness without a shred of guilt.

I think I like Firsts. I should try more of them.

Dash to the clothesline at twilight this evening and almost put my hand on this nasty fellow - The Robberfly. He was busily draining the life from a hapless native Aussie bee (stingless).

Robberflies inject mega powerful saliva into their victims that liquifies their insides. Robberfly then sucks it up through its straw-like proboscis (ala Jeff Goldblum in The Fly). They have a nasty bite to boot if disturbed.

Later went and blew the empty bee husk off the clothesline.

Lots of other suckers round here. I was able to watch this spider dance a duet with a cicada from my kitchen window earlier this year.

It is a St Andrews Cross Spider, so called because of the intricate cross woven into the centre of the web.

From Life Sucking to Life Injecting, The Man and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with the girls from NYC, catching Sex and The City at the movies today. It brought back so many wondrous memories and images from the time we spent there. Such a fabulous city, I’d be back there in a flash if the chance came again.

Anything that doesn’t inject a sense of feeling wonderful is a Life Sucker soooo, now I am going through my wardrobe with a critical eye (mindful of Carrie’s Toss or Take philosophy), and being ruthless with outfits that don’t make me feel fabulous. The Toss Pile is growing by the minute……