Wednesday, December 19, 2007

New New New New Zealand

Going to New Zealand tomorrow! I thought I would leave with something I just found in my inbox - my friend Craig's brother & friend are making a cartoon and it's pretty funny:



Happy xmas/hanuka/new years, see you in 08!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Rollin on the river

I decided facebook is better than blogging pretty much.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Movember

It happens once a year... you tend to recognize it gradually... they're obtrustive, they're nasty, they're crude... they're mustaches.

The 11th month of the year in Sydney is Movember. Everywhere you look, men from 18 -40 grow thick, filthy moustaches "to raise awareness of prostate cancer." Men in expensive business suits; men in polos; men with attractive girlfriends - they all do it.

I messed up royally this month by failing to photograph the random "mos". This celebration of mos is city-wide. But thankfully, as of 1 December, it's all over.

Hilarious side note: Last November, when Josh and I visited Sydney (land of hipsters, I should add), Josh swore to me that this moustache trend was going to blow up in the States.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Turkey for you, turkey for me

I just had a Thanksgiving lunch at work, and have 3 thanksgiving dinners in the next 4 days - but nothing beats Thanksgiving at home. Miss you family, friends, WP!

Also two things:

Daft Punk - Alive 2007 Bonus CD


Thursday, November 15, 2007

Taser me my friend



Click on Chuck to download his new mix. I listened to it on my way home, and have been sick with a fever ever since. That's how nasty it is. It's like tasering yourself in the ears repeatedly.

Speaking of repeated tasering, check out this awesome tasering story at a girl talk show at my alma mater. I couldn't be more proud.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

we-bee-bloggen (with 2 dots above the e)

Busy doing what we do best. We are going to New Zealand for 2 weeks over X-mas break. I may be going to Tokyo next week. Our flat is so awesome. We have a bright red wine rack.


We bought a car. Her name is "Starlet," as in her model name. She's a Toyota "Starlet Life," but don't be scared- she's actually quite friendly. Think of her as Scarlet Johanson in automotive form: sexy, elegant, powerful to the point of being somewhat intimidating, yet feminine. And white. And cheap.


Among Miss Starlet's features: 105,000km, 5 speed manual, manual steering, manual locks, manual windows - did I mention she is manual? Parallel parking is a WORKOUT.

FYI - Rupal does not know how to drive stick shift (yet)

This is the beach we went to on Sunday. Kai and I went swimming in our shorts, and got beat up by waves the size of houses.


There was an art exhibit at the beach called "Sculptures by the sea" and this was one of my favorite ones.


This is the poshest club I've ever seen. You can't really see from my camera but there is a glass dj booth hanging from the ceiling. You also can't see the mouthbreathing tossers who hang out here.


Melbourne Cup is an unofficial national holiday which promotes drinking and gambling. Notice the funny hat in the tv below - many people wear funny hats. I won $40.



So I had a very strange cultural experience last week. The fed-ex lady (who is Asian) came in to our office with a package, and she asked me about my watch: it's a red faced wind up watch with Mao on the front, waving. I think it's cute, and Mao is a pretty harmless figure - or so I thought.

"Oh that's so funny, I can see the same thing with Hitler on it," she said. I was so shocked I nearly dropped the package. Totally knocked the wind out of my lungs. I said nothing, and she smiled and walked out.

Was she just making small talk, or is wearing a Mao watch offensive? I haven't worn the watch since, and I'm a bit worried to. Please leave feedback if you can figure out how to add comments on our blogalishious.

-Cheers, Josh

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Oi, Oi, Oi... vey

Rups and I just walked in from a weekend of extreme athletic nature excursions - somehow combined with an overdose of quality food and chocolate - with our friends Ben & Laura, to whom I'll be sending a medical bill shortly.



I feel well fed, and abused. We didn't take any pictures the first day, but see the photo below which captures "abseiling."



Abseiling is basically walking vertically down the face of a cliff. Don't worry, there was a rope involved. The above photo is one I found from the tours website: http://www.high-n-wild.com.au. We did abseil down this particular cliff, which was 30 meters or so high.

After lunch we suited up and started "canyoning" which involves sliding down rocks into rockpools in a wetsuit. It was mental. Our entire group was laughing uncontrollably the entire time, the water was freezing, and it was my favorite part. Imagine treading through rockpools with 30 foot high cliffs on either side of you and a temperate rainforest canopy overhead.

The canyoning ended at a huge rainfall, which we abseiled down. Once you are 5-10 feet from the pool below you jump backwards into the pool. I landed on my head, and I will probably relive this weekend in PT for years to come. The below picture is someone who definitely has more skills than I do.



I'm not sure why they call this abseiling, but my abs do hurt.

Here are some photos from the next day, when we went for a bushwalk and ate "heaps."




This is the reason why my head hurt last Monday:


And this is a photo of Roy's Radiators. Miss you Roy boy.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

"In Rainbows" inspired Sydney Photo Journal Entry 1

I think it's funny how everyone thinks Radiohead's new album is somehow going to change the way the world works, so I decided to name this Photo Journal Entry as being "In Rainbows" inspired. Photos will never be the same, man.

As usual if you click on the photos below a larger version will magically appear on your screen - like a rainbow. The connections are literally staring you in the face! Radiohead is speaking to you! You should probably go postal.





Today we are bbqing and going to see some jazz at the bar downstairs (see third photo above).

Here are some pictures of my yesterday


A cool photo from Wiseman's Ferry


And the gratuitous "Rupal with Goat" photo


Hasta Manana

PS- I thought this "Pitchfork's guide to Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' " was so ridiculous you might want to take a look at it. Also, please visit Radiohead's website to buy their album (you can name your own price, it's going to totally change music forever, dude! From now on bands will release albums without record labels and the people will decide what the product is worth and music will be free for everyone forever, yay!)

Friday, October 12, 2007

Arcade Fire's abstract interactive music video

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Blog blog blog all day long blog blog blog while I sing that song

Here are some pictures of our Bush walk last weekend in the wilderness. Basically we walked around chanting how much we disapprove of gays, stem cell research, and irony.


Do the D.A.N.C.E.


Contemplative Rupal


Does this look like a tree root to you? To me it looks like carnage - notice that this root has a fleshwound. I know, trees don't bleed. But some do.


This is a lizard generally served on Turkish bread with rocket and balsamic reduction


Oh, the hawkesbury. Ain't she just wonderful.


She's my Coney island baby, my Coney island girl


As usual, living the dream. On our way to brunch yesterday a neighbor was having a tag sale, and we bought an entire garden for our patio - I'm bringing the jungle room back (yea). We've got several fairly large trees, a huge rosemary bush, lavender, and a really zen 2 foot tall tree which I've planted on our kitchen table, which I like to look at while doing dishes.

Looks like later this month we are going canyoning... not sure exactly what that is, but it sounds pretty fun:

The beautiful 30 minute rainforest walk leads you to Twister Canyon. After wetsuits are fitted the fun begins. There are 8 jumps and slides before you reach Rocky Creek. From here the canyon is magnificent and deep. It includes much swimming and a great water-slide into a deep pool.In some parts the canyon is very narrow with high rock walls towering above. At the end of the canyon is a trip back up through the magnificent gorge of Rocky Creek.


Coming soon - a photo journal of our neighborhood courtesy my little camera phone. I've got some pretty slick shots of the art galleries and the cafes - I'm still trying to get some of the crackheads, but it's tough to capture that kind of desperation without putting yourself in danger.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Cockawhat?


These are the types of birds you see on a walk here.

Weekend de Divertido




Josh and I had a totally boring weekend AGAIN.

Adventure I: We decided to buy a tent second hand, rent a car, and go camping for Friday and Saturday night.

And on the second day, Josh commanded "Let there Be River"

But then wished it was heated.


Adventure II: Sunday morning, we woke up early, had brunch at a quaint local brunch joint (that was 'out of pancakes'!?!) and headed back to the city on a 83 degree day. We showered, took a nap, got our drink on, and headed to Park Life, a dance music fest full to the brim with naked 17 year old girls and super-confident drugged up boys to match.

Kelly calls them fluoro kids:


And my best friend, hero, and dance partner MIA:



Adventure III: Drove down to Maroubra Beach (The Boys of Bra is a movie about surfing that beach) and got our asses kicked by some ridic waves. Josh has pics from there, I believe.

Another amazing weekend.

Table with a View

This was my view on a 'business' lunch recently. By 'business', I mean talking about boyfriends.