A visit to the Land of Winter Sunshine

Tags

blue skies and sunshine, manifest, Melbourne, Miss Kitty, South Pole, Supernatural, Sydney, Winter, X-Men: First Class

A little while ago – which might actually have been a couple of months back now, who can say – I had a very distinct thought. Or a feeling. In any case, it went a little something like this:

Wow, I’m really missing Sydney these days. I have this craving to see it again. Confession: I prefer Sydney to Melbourne in many ways.

So then the week before the one just gone, I find myself being assigned to two new projects at work (in my contracty role). These projects ensured that my contract was extended for another three months, and what do you know… most of the people working on these projects are Sydney-based.

And in one very quick teleconference, the decision was made that it’d be better if I was there in person for the kick-off meetings.

My offices are just to the top right, where the diamond shaped windows are

Licketty-split, approval was given and flights booked on my behalf (ooooh, fancy!) and before I could take my next deep breath, a two day business trip was planned to the land not of my birth, but certainly of my heart.

And oh, I could’ve elected to stay the weekend too, couch surfing with my friends but then I’d have had to re-organise things which would impact other things and so on. So, Thursday and Friday it was, then. And it was enough to sate my hunger for my second home.

(By the way, PLEASE don’t leave comments about how I “manifested” this trip. I honestly don’t buy into that game. The universe creates but for the most part, I think we don’t “manifest” stuff. But that’s another story.)

Anyway, so apart from having to get up at 4am on Thursday morning and leave my Miss Cleo the cat in the care of my neighbour (and worry about her having to stay in the house by herself overnight), it was all good. Very good.

You see, Sydney’s winters are just not as cold as Melbourne’s, not ever. Sure, Sydney-folk might complain about cold weather but they don’t have blasts of Freezing coming directly at them from the South Pole, do they? No, they don’t! So the weather is always milder than Melbourne’s and hip-hip-hooray, because for the two days I was there it didn’t rain. Instead, we were treated to brilliant blue skies and enough warmth that walking around during the day without a coat on, was possible.

Given that Melbourne has had an early Winter (Autmun 2011 = the beginning of Winter 2011), with much greyness and rains that haven’t really stopped since January, I was elated.

Also – I was back in my “other” home. Sydney has always been so good to me, from the moment I set foot in that place as a very green twenty-one year old. And it has that harbour and that bridge. Plus way more natural beauty than the town of my birth.

Honestly, even though I was there for work and only managed to catch up with two of my old friends, my spirits were soaring. I grinned at the airport, the familiar traffic jams and even the most ordinary of buildings, let alone the prettier ones.

More of Sydney's sandstone gorgeousness

The offices of the company I work for are very near Circular Quay and if you peek around certain corners, you can also see the world-famous Bridge. Work was okay, if busy-busy-busy. And I was honestly so grateful for the opportunity to be flown into Sydney that I didn’t mind one bit.

I got to meet a couple of old friends for drinks in Customs House – a wonderful old sandstone building at the Quay – which was participating in Sydney’s annual light and sound show (it gets better every year).

Customs House - which is usually plain sandstone coloured

Can’t say that I slept much on the Thursday night as I was too excited, but the hotel was ultra comfy and far too fancy for an old hippie chick like me. 😉

The next day was more work, but this time I wandered around at lunch time, reveling in the winter sun and that uniquely Sydney vibe, which generally includes lots of art, but this wasn’t part of the show…

Shiny!

What you’re seeing above – and what transfixed me – was the sight of one building perfectly reflected in the mirror surface of another. Looks amazing, right?

But this cool looking bear was definitely part of the street art on display – check out his metal ribs!

Actually, it was a bit warm out for this bear....

Literally, the city seemed to be buzzing and I enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, that meant that when I got on the plane to head back to Melbourne I was exhausted. Which means in my current state of health/dis-ease I was SUPER-EXHAUSTED.

So once I got home around 8pm, I promptly declared the rest of the evening “do everything in bed” night (and you can keep your f-i-l-t-h-y quips to yourself there!). Which included eating dinner, watching Supernatural on my laptop, drinking tea and being smothered by one Miss Kitty who clearly, really missed me (purr-purr-purr-purr).

The grateful purrs didn't stop all night & she couldn't get close enough to me!

My wee business trip made things very clear to me: my time in Melbourne is for all intents, done. As soon as I can get out of town, it’s time to go. Despite my nieces being here (whom I love to pieces), Melbourne is not my home. It’s just a place I’ve been hanging out in for too long.

But hey, seems I brought the weather back with me for the weekend – blue skies and sunshine on Saturday (a day of recovery, alpaca scarves, kindly people, good food and X-Men: First Class)…

Some lovely parkland near Clifton Hill station

And Sunday (walking and talking with one of my bestest friends in the chilly sunshine), followed by brunch.

Alexandra Gardens, just next to the "Tan Track"

Hope y’all had/are having a great weekend, too!

~Svasti

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Back in the land of sun

Tags

Birthday Spectacular, Catatonic Kid, champagne, childhood delights, clammy skin, clumsiness, delirium, fever, IMAX, magic, New Years Eve, newly embodied friendships, Nurofen, poached eggs, ringtail possums, Seafood, Shiv, sunsets, swearing in Italian, Sydney, under the sea, wishy washy

So, I totally lied in my last post. And I’m confessing this while under the influence of a low-grade fever and several Nurofen tablets.

…How nice it’ll be to have a little holiday (just a week) in the gorgeously warm Sydney (as opposed to unpredictable Melbourne)…

At least, the weather made a complete mockery of the above. Bah!!

Sydney, it seems, is no longer reliable mid-Summer for perfect and continuous sunny weather. The day I left Melbourne was a perfect summery day and yet I arrived in Sydney to find rainrainrainrain! It’d been raining for days before I arrived, so no one can blame the weather on the Melbournite, okay?

In fact, Sydney probably had only two days (maximum) where the weather could’ve been described as Sydney-like (based on previous experience). Melbourne on the other hand, had decidedly nicer weather all week (*shakes head sadly*). Also, Melbourne had lightning to go with their (decidedly less special) fireworks.

Never mind! Sydney was fabulous for other reasons. Like… all the friends I got to see!

Stop one of four

Stayed with a fellow yogini (and very good friend) in Bondi. Yeah, she lives a short walk from that very famous beach. Not that I got to see it in all it’s glory this time. But we hung out, worked out, made food (she’s an awesome cook), did some yoga, puja and generally had some girl time. I seriously miss that girl now we live in different parts of the country!

Two of four

Hopped over to the other side of town to visit one of my favourite married couples, CB & B, just in time for CB’s birthday. Amongst other things, CB is a volunteer Wildlife Rescue Officer, currently caring for four adolescent ringtail possums. They’re the cutest critters! Also, there are two fully grown ringtails living in her front yard – CB hand-reared them herself and they’re so tame, I was able to help feed them (chopped up carrots and vegies) and pet them just behind their little furry ears, allowing them to wrap their deceptively strong tails around my pinky finger. Adorable!

And yes, that’s them below…

Three of four

Blog buddy adventures for New Year’s Eve! Yep, it was time to meet up with Catatonic Kid and Shiv. Just before my arrival and while the cab driver bumbled around and refused to look in the street directory (even though I asked him to do just that), I had a flash of panic. Turning up to the house of a complete stranger (in the flesh anyway) and staying two nights there? Ummmm…. *smallish freakout*!!

But of course, it was more than fine. It was fabulous! With some initial mutual nervousness out of the way, we swapped presents (thanks guys!!) and chatted while preparing for our evening picnic – watching the world-famous Sydney fireworks display (see photo at the top of the post). Although the weather looked dodgy, we had no other plans and lucky us – the rain miraculously held off.

A fun night was had by all, despite my nearly taking out an entire hillside of people via clumsily stepping on some plastic sheeting while trying to navigate the breadth of said hillside (it was kinda steep). A dude swore at me in Italian but Shiv vigorously defended my clumsiness (thanks again, hehe!). And despite Sydney police almost begging for the opportunity to arrest us while we were trying to leave peaceably somewhere around 1am – seriously! There were about five of them all lined up, making smartass comments at us. Perhaps to see if we’d fire up? Musta been a slow night! Anyway, all three of us managed to leave without the need for bail, and not suffering too badly from being in the midst of 20,000 people.

Next day was Shiv’s birthday… but really, I should let him talk about that one. Perhaps he’ll grace us with a post on the topic (*here’s the post!!*)? Suffice to say, CK and I pulled off a total Birthday Spectacular. We pretty much rocked the entire day! But let me use the following descriptive keywords: poached eggs, magic, 3D, childhood delights, under the sea, sunsets, seafood and champagne. I will mention one of the surprises – it was seeing Avatar at IMAX, which completely entranced all three of us. So incredibly magical!

It was brilliant to spend some time in the flesh with two online friends. We even spoke to a third on the phone for New Year’s (a rather late night for her!). All up, it was piles of fun meeting the people behind the blogs and it’s only the beginning for our newly embodied (as opposed to virtual) friendships…

Cheers you two, and thanks heaps for the excellent adventures. 😉

Four of four

Finally, back over the bridge to the north-side (no, due to people’s birthdays I was not able to coordinate my movements as well as I’d have liked…) to see another friend (JM), her hubby and her 13 month old baby boy. Have to say; by this point in my travels, I was pretty exhausted. So JM and I indulged in some girly chats lying on her bed, played with their very cute red haired/blue eyed bubba and just did some chillin’. Which worked for her, on account of the cold she and the little guy were getting over.

Unfortunately I managed to collect said cold… let’s call it a Sydney souvenir. Hence the fever I’m waiting out rather impatiently (*wipes sweat beads from upper lip*).

Regardless, I had a blast seeing everybody. Oh and while I was away, I managed to scribble down a bunch of plans for this year! I don’t call them resolutions, coz I reckon plans are things you can make happen. Whereas resolutions always seem kinda wishy washy to me.

Stay tuned, I’ve much more to share this week. And while I try to ignore my delirium and clammy skin, I think I can manage to get a few runs on the board. Or at least, draft posts in half-decent shape.

I hope y’all had an enjoyable Christmas/New Year, and that you’re settling into 2010 just fine.

~Svasti xo

A yogic Christmas

Tags

Catatonic Kid, Christmas, Paramahansa Satyananda, press release, satsang, Shiv, Sydney, Yoga

…I wish you a promising Christmas at any time in your life. You may not expect to hear Merry Christmas and so forth from me, but I am trying to bring home to you who the Christ is, who Mother Mary is and who that immaculate son is…
~Swami Satyananda

A week ago I read this transcription of a satsang with Paramahansa Satyananda, from Christmas Day in 1983.

Swamiji has a fascinating take on what Christmas means and what it can mean for us all, and for more than just one day a year.

Please do read it – you’ll be blown away by what he says.

And – please consider donating to Linda-Sama’s fundraiser, if you haven’t already (follow the link to find out how).

Today (Christmas Day) I’ll be at my sister and brother-in-law’s place now that they’re living in a house big enough to host everyone. Which works for me! Christmas at my parents’ place is just a little too… tense and sterile for my liking.

There are nieces waiting for me, and they make everything 500% better. Even Christmas.

Boxing Day evening I’ll be on a plane bound for Sydney! Just a short break for eight days, I’ll get to stay with some of my closest buddies, and catch up with a host of old friends.

How nice it’ll be to have a little holiday in the gorgeously warm Sydney (as opposed to unpredictable Melbourne), see all my friends and chill out a bit after what’s been a very difficult and challenging year (2009 was a bit of a bastard for many people!).

Also, here’s an unofficial press release for y’all:

*********************

BLOGGY NEWS BULLETIN

On New Year’s Eve I’ll be meeting up with some very fabulous bloggy friends. Two people who’ve been incredibly supportive and wonderful to me – Catatonic Kid and Shiv.

They were among the very first people I made contact with when I started my blog, and thanks to Twitter, IM, Facebook and y’know, everything else… we’ve become good friends. I totally love them both, and apparently they don’t mind me either!

Shiv is here to visit his beloved CK, and I kinda invited myself to stay for a night or two. Hehe! We have many plans, especially for Shiv’s birthday on 1^st January (secret plans, mwahahaha!!).

*********************

It’s all very exciting!!

Not sure if I’ll be blogging while I’m in Sydney, but I’ll certainly be writing. And taking plenty of photos.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas or whatever you do or don’t celebrate, however you’re spending it.

~Svasti

Dust storm makes us famous!

Tags

ABC news, Aliens, dust storm, famous, Mars, Sydney, Twitter

Me and Catatonic Kid were, just for the fun (of course), busily trading witty repartee about Sydney’s alien invasion from Mars this week, and one of our exchanges made the news (5 lines from the bottom):  Dust whips up storm on Twitter

We gotz famous!!

Course, if the journo had been paying attention, they woulda included more of our cleverness – coz we are soooo clever! For your amusement, here are a few more examples…

@YogaChicky So Sydney’s gone to hell before Melbourne. Not surprising, really 😉 #duststorm

@catatonickid @YogaChicky what do you reckon, alien death ray?? #duststorm

@YogaChicky @catatonickid Wouldn’t that be coooool!? #duststorm

@YogaChicky Red Dust Fail Whale Over Sydney http://shortn.me/e6j (via @yiyinglu) #duststorm

@YogaChicky Awesome! Martians and zombies too! RT @petejcooper: first zombie sighted in the sydney apocalypse http://twitpic.com/iqoet #duststorm

@catatonickid “The dust simulates smoke so the fire alarm goes off.” ~ least that explains all the sirens. world not on fire. good to know. #duststorm

@YogaChicky @catatonickid Oh noes! #duststorm causes flashbacks 😦 http://bit.ly/p9i4z

Oh, and if you’ve been living in a bomb shelter, and you’re not sure what the heck we’re on about, check out Big Picture’s take on the dust storm.

~Svasti

History of a spiritual quest – part ii

Tags

acting, Bellydancer, Halloween, high school dropout, leaving home, magic, Melbourne, Newtown, NIDA, Pagan, paganism, Pagans in the Pub, performing, Stripper, Sydney, topless waitress, VCA, Wandering gypsy, witchcraft, Yellow Pages, Yoga

[Read part i first]

I left home permanently at age nineteen, though I’d lived away from home a couple of times before that.

Summary of a teenager

Some of the experiences of my teen years have been documented on this blog already, with more to come (see Timeline for a list of related posts).

If ya don’t have the time/inclination to read them, suffice to say I was a pretty unhappy, wounded and messed up kid. And read the summary below…

Before I turned twenty-one I’d already clocked up two different addresses. And then came my move to Sydney. Why was that again? Oh yeah…

Moving out of the family home wasn’t far enough away from my emotionally and physically abusive older brother. He could still turn me to ashes with one of his laser-like hate and anger filled glances, directed solely at me. Even though he couldn’t hit me any more, his hatred still cut deeply.

Then, I hadn’t finished high school properly and I dropped out of repeating my final year. Shortly thereafter I wound up working as a topless waitress and a stripper.

I also performed in all kinds of theatre productions (I’d been acting since my early teen years) and working as a waitress earning just enough money to make rent with a little to spare.

Somewhere in there I’d gotten into the party drug scene rather significantly, and at the time of my move still had a few years to go before I gave it up.

Wandering gypsy

I also couldn’t feel or see a future for myself in Melbourne. What I really wanted to do was go overseas, but I didn’t have enough money for that, and living away from home, I was having trouble saving anything.

Unsettled and flighty, I had no idea what to do with my life (I still struggle with that!).

However, I was auditioning for two famous drama schools (VCA in Melbourne & NIDA in Sydney). I already realised that if I got into NIDA, I’d be moving interstate. My next thought was: What if I don’t get in? What will I do then?

Speedily, I decided if that happened, I’d go to Sydney anyway. That decision brought sunshine and possessing possibilities to my world…

What happened next was, I auditioned and almost got in to NIDA, but didn’t make the final cut (and bombed the VCA audition). Disappointing as it was, I was excited about moving to Sydney!

I decided I’d try to get into NIDA again the following year, and in the meanwhile I’d study at the prestigious Actor’s Center in Sydney. That was the plan.

So I packed my meagre belongings, bought a plane ticket and landed in a brand new town – one that felt like home from the moment I arrived.

Pagan leanings

It’s fair to say I was fascinated by magic and witchcraft etc before I ever knew what they were. Like there was some kind of electric pulse that bleeped whenever I thought about such things.

And so, around six months after moving to Sydney and through a series of very strange events (a tale for another time perhaps… in which I ended up having a fling – twice – with a supposedly gay man), I was living at my third Sydney address in lovely inner city Newtown.

Back then, Newtown was still very gritty, artsy. Yuppies hadn’t discovered it yet and the vibe was all hippy/uni student-ish which suited me perfectly.

I spent half of my Sydney life there and I’ll always love that place passionately.

It was the launching pad for my career as a bellydancer, where I took my first ever yoga class, met my ex-fiancé, and began my spiritual quest in earnest – and much more.

So yes, I’d once again begun thinking about my interest in paganish things.

Only problem was I had no idea where to start. So… what does a girl do in the very early 90’s before the internet was widespread?

Picked up the Yellow Pages (print book) of course! I laugh about that now, but it seemed so logical at the time. Hey, perhaps I can find witches in the Yellow Pages!!

And it was Halloween.

I don’t remember what I looked up exactly. But I think I called the Sydney Psychic’s Hotline. Some kinda hotline anyway.

Spoke to this lovely man, who kind of freaked out when I told him what I wanted (I was still unsure of the labels).

Oh, you want to know about witchcraft? Paganism? Just so we’re clear, we don’t do any of that stuff HERE. But I can put you in touch with someone who does.

That was my introduction to T – a darkly witchy type, all dressed in black with his redwood bookshelves, better stocked than many a new age store. We met at his place (a short walk from mine), and discussed all things magical over a pot of tea. It was a tantalising sampler.

He also told me about a weekly event called “Pagans in the Pub”.

Yessiree… you read it correctly. Coz it was a group of Pagans getting together in a Pub. Get it?? Yukyukyuk!! And, tantalisingly, only two short blocks from where I lived at the time…

Even better, the next event was coming up that week. I was going and I’d meet up with T there. I couldn’t believe my luck!!

[Read part iii]

~ Svasti

Freshwater

Tags

Anxiety, Broken heart, Fear, Freshwater beach, Harbord beach, Healing, Heart, Love, Love story, Manly beach, mermaids, Northern beaches, Recovery, sandstone, Sydney, Truth

I am awash. Deeply, soulfully and to the bone. I’m surrounded, but not attacked. I am sinking, yet rising too. Opening painfully, my heart speaks a thousand stories at once, most importantly it tells me – Thanks.

Not that I really did anything. Although, I didn’t realise just what sort of load the ol’ ticker had been carrying. As usual.

Yet somehow, the pressure’s been undone.

What remains surrounds me like a warm bath, with ever-so-gentle caresses, asking no questions, and breathing so much easier.

Kinda like this one endless summer day, when, living on the northern beaches of Sydney (paradise, and hardly anyone heads further north than Manly, the least stunning of the beaches on that peninsula)… I strolled the fifteen minute walk to my local – technically, Harbord beach, but colloquially known as Freshwater.

Not very large, as beaches go. A smallish but perfect cove dwarfed by rugged sandstone cliffs, tucked around the corner from north Manly’s shores. Crescent shaped, regardless of high or low tides. And, for a stretch of sand and water not far from the big ol’ city, incredibly beautiful and clear.

That day was one of many lazy Sundays I joyfully wasted inhaling the glory of the world.

It was soooo warm, but not too hot or humid. Just incredibly pleasantly warm. And Freshwater on that day (but also many others), lived up to its name: fresh and clear. Not too salty. And perfectly bath-water warm.

Even better though, since this bathwater never gets cold, doesn’t leave you shivering with a sudden need to get out. And the sun is pleasantly shining. There’s no wind. A perfect beach day burned into my hard drive, filed under “utter perfection”.

Ahhhhh…

I tarried, swimming lazy laps the length of the beach, floating and doing back flips. Strolling the edges, spying on fish schools and lying across the smaller cliff flats, soaking up the radiating warmth, easing tension from my shoulders.

Stone, sky and water and I was blissfully happy, wanting nothing else. Perfectly content just to be.

And while it’s not quite like that now, there’s an evocation of that particular day going on. Not that I’m trying to get back there, just, remembering the comfort it gave my heart, broken as it was at the time.

Actually, I’m convinced my heart’s been broken for years and years on end now, never really healing as I plunged headlong from one inappropriate romance to another… and reaching the end of that line with a violent punch in the face.

My heart, while it’s still managed to break since then (but not over romance), hasn’t been available for the past few years either – and to this day it wears its ‘Closed for Business’ sign, truth be told.

But finally, its telling me stories, many stories, and I’ve pulled up a comfy chair, cat on my lap, having grabbed the largest pot of tea I can muster, to sit there and listen…

~Svasti

Five sleeps…

Tags

Ceremony, Homa, Meditation, Namaste, Puja, Pujari, Ritual, Sanskrit, Sydney, Vedic chanting, Worship, Yoga, Yogini

As rough as things have been lately, up and down and round the freakin’ bend… I am, I’ll admit, feeling a little excited.

In just five more sleeps (including tonight’s – and yeah, I really shoulda been in bed a couple of hours ago), I’ll be back in my beloved Sydney.

As I might’ve mentioned in another post, in my experience, it’s not so much places as people that feel like home. Yet… some places seem more like home than others… and Sydney was like that for me when I moved there at the tender age of twenty-one. It’s also where the majority of my closest friends live.

I’m heading north on Saturday to complete some pujari training. And what’s that, I hear some of you asking?

Well, puja is a Sanskrit word referring to the act of worship. Ceremony. Ritual. And Hindu rituals are both intricate and beautiful. Truly. And full of gorgeous meaning and intent.

A pujari then, is someone who can complete puja. This level of training is for personal puja only. Later training might include being able to perform puja for other people, too.

By the way, in this context worship, although it appears to external… is really a way of projecting our own divinity outwards, where we can see it. We make offerings, worship and show love and devotion to our divine Self. Then, at the end of a puja, we draw that essence back into our heart.

Beautiful, don’t ya think?

We’ll be staying at the home of our favourite Brahmin priest – a good friend of my Guru’s in fact – who’ll try and knock some form into our puja. He’ll also be teaching us a little more Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, puja theory, homa practice (fire ceremony) and more.

Of course, there’ll be plenty of yoga and meditation going on too!

And if there’s any down time, guess we’ll be jumping in the backyard pool.

Nice, eh?

It will be very rejuvenating, spending time amongst my fellow Aussie yogis and yoginis. Most of them I haven’t seen since August last year. But a couple of others I haven’t seen for a year or two.

All very wonderful for a yogini who, for the most part, practices alone. And, I’ve always had an affinity with ritual – so its all good for me.

So anyways, posts could be a little light on this week and I won’t be back home til 1^st Feb. There’s plenty of half-finished posts, so if I get the chance I’ll sneak one out before I leave.

A big Namaste to you all…

P.S. Don’t worry about Miss Cleo the cat – a good friend will be house-sitting and making sure she’s fed and given plenty of attention.

~Svasti

Fake tan & coffee anxiety

Tags

Adrenaline, Anxiety, Caffeine, Chinese Horoscope, Coffee, Commuting, Fake tan, Health, Morning coffee, Self-pampering, Sensualist, Stilettos, Sydney

I’m not an overly girly girl. I mean, I can be, if I feel like it! Look, I really enjoy getting all dressed up on occasion but you’ll never catch me at the races in a “fascinator” and stilettos just aren’t for me. I’m too tall for one thing – I detest towering over men – my poor old bone grafted toe isn’t quite up to bearing my body weight for hours on end. Also, I like to be able to walk and not hobble. Run if needs be.

And I’d rather not be completely crippled with a shocking back and knees by the time I’m ninety. There’s plenty of stuff I’d still like to be able to do at that age.

I’ve been feeling a tad strung out of late. Partly it’s the commute from deepest darkest Suburbia-Urbia to work (gotta find a new pad soon!), which requires me to be in the shower at 6am in order to take a bus and two trains to get to work at 9am. Yeah.

And then there’s the coffee. I gave up my one cup a day habit (okay, perhaps it sneaked up to two more often than I’d care to admit) around six years ago. It’s the fault of this gag-worthy doco that pointed out in graphic detail just what coffee does to the body. In short – it leaches calcium from the bones to deal with the onset of adrenaline caffeine creates upon ingestion. Kinda gross.

Not exactly conducive to a long life either.

With the extended commute each side of my day right now, I confess I’ve stooped to drinking coffee again. Every weekday morning. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and let’s face it – Australian coffee does have an utterly glorious aroma. Not like the shite they pass off as coffee over the pond in the US! 😉

As a Metal Boar (Chinese Horoscope) I definitely and utterly fall into the category of the die-hard sensualist. And I’m liking that morning coffee far too much. More than that, I’m suffering the climb-the-wall anxiety that apparently goes hand in hand with imbibing an adrenaline pumping drug for the first time in ages.

The caffeine hit lasts all day long – I get that tense feeling pretty much all over and my scalp itches.

Anyway, this afternoon I found myself sitting in a pink decóred “Hair & Nails” salon directly underneath my offices: Hannah’s. It’s convenient and cheap, with Asian love songs blaring and a lucky golden waving cat at the front door. The girl/women workers barely speak English – not that it matters – and laugh at almost anything I say.

Usually my attempts at self-pampering include a pedicure, or a massage. At a stretch, I might indulge in a facial once in a blue moon. But not today. I’m there, almost inconceivably, to subject myself to a fake spray tan.

Never had one before. Not sure I’ll be doing it again in a hurry. I mean the result was good, but it just seems rather vain to me. Not to mention spraying chemical crap all over my body. And usually, I just don’t care so much how I look.

Geez, if I was still living in Sydney I wouldn’t even need to fake it. Up north I could effortlessly maintain a natural looking perma-tan from just wandering around. But in the deep south we just don’t get enough sun for that. Coming out of my first Winter here I was horrified to realise my skin was several shades of blindingly pasty white.

Right now I’m a pleasant faux light tan colour. That’s after twenty minutes standing in a room the size of a wardrobe stark naked ‘cept for the paper knickers they supply, begging the tiny Asian lady to not turn me orange and hoping she understood something of what I was saying.

The aroma of my skin isn’t anywhere near as nice as coffee though… but apparently it evaporates pretty quickly.

And I guess there’s a laté in my near future, just over seven hours away…

~ Svasti