it was a john lennon, kind of night..

My thursday night started at the gun shop cafe, in west end. Twas my first ever staff christmas party. http://thegunshopcafe.com/ The whole night had a john lennon feel to it. We talked politics and feminism, peace and love.

THE SCENE: Imagine a deceiving little cafe shop front. With a hidden away outside area out the back. We were seated on an elevated long table and it had a homey atmosphere. The table was thick wood, dishes were all served on mismatching coloured plates.

THE FOOD: Oysters, bread soaked in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Scallops and creamy, sticky risotto with gingerbread ice cream to finish it off.

I had smart women, quick wits and delicious food all around me...

I had a quiet moment of reflection after a bumble bee haphazardly landed on an abandoned and forgotten entree plate.. The bumble bee lazily wandered around and I adored him. Once noticed by everyone else. The topic of conversation went to bees and interesting facts, about bees were swapped..

"When a queen bee has lived her odd 6 years of life little larvae are given extra nutrition and care producing 10 or so contenders for the revered position.. The strongest "princess" bee instinctually murders her competition to arise the victor and future sovereign.."

Many apple ciders in jam jars later. Weary cheeks from smiling and laughing.. We travelled home.. The taxi home had us singing the chorus to war is over "AAAANNND  soOOOO this is Xmas.... What have YOUUUUU done...? " 

We flew amongst the many lights reflected up at us as we drove alongside the Brisbane river through kangaroo point and then magically across the Story Bridge.. Life is grand, dear readers.

Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon

And so this is christmas.. What have you done?
Another year over 

And a new one just begun 

And so this is Christmas 

I hope you have fun 

The near and the dear one 

The old and the young 

A very merry Christmas 

And a happy New Year 

Let's hope it's a good one 

Without any fear 

And so this is Christmas 

For weak and for strong 

For rich and the poor ones 

The road is so long. 

And so happy Christmas 

For black and for white 

For yellow and red ones 

Let's stop all the fight 

A very merry Christmas 

And a happy New Year 

Let's hope it's a good one 

Without any fear 

And so this is Christmas 

And what have we done 

Another year over 

And a new one just begun 

And so this is Christmas 

I hope you have fun 

The near and the dear one 

The old and the young 

A very merry Christmas 

And a happy New Year 

Let's hope it's a good one 

Without any fear 

War is over over 

If you want it 

War is over 

Now... 

Kisses for now, dear readers xxx

Thursday's child has far to go..

A post about travelling. 

Be inspired dear reader, its time for a weekly inspirational dose of random pictures. This week I picked travel and included a memoir about my train ride from the Gold Coast to Brisbane...

Kayangan Lake, Philippines. 

I am writing to you on the train 730am Wednesday morning, from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a wi-fi enabled carriage. I need to explain my chipper mood, I have my dream job, which makes my long years of imprisonment service at the institution called Griffith University seem worth it. I now see my sentence graduation date as a real thing. 

Fiji Islands.

I am a quitter. This is not a secret dear readers. The only thing that I quit that was a good thing, was pack a day smoking. But my other premature project abandonments, are embarrassing. For example...My study looks like I am really crafty! TRUTH IS IT IS A graveyard of unfinished business ideas... Ugh! going in there is beginning to really stress me out. Thus, my little seat and area on the train has become my blog office for the next 45 mins. 

Biking in Amsterdam.

I am such a people watcher, readers. And lamely enough, a shoe watcher. Shoes are the real workers of the human world. BAM! Pixar movie called "shoes"! Think about it, old leather shoes that have seen years of service, white socks in mary janes, that are prissy and girly, thongs the traditional Australian choice, with thick Aussie accents, Ballet shoes as control freaks. The villain could be some company (Crocs) that wants to make shoes obsolete, that promises humans comfort and only other shoes realise that they are hideous and evil.

I also love glancing at the different people on the train on their different journeys. People off to Brisbane to explore, to work. There is a man sleeping on his shoulder with his coffee canister being held lovingly on his lap with both hands intertwined. A beautiful girl reading one of Lauren Conrad's memoirs (she's engaged now isn't she the beetch). The bags are impressive also. Oroton, Collette Hayman, my Burberry, canvas bags of various proficiency.

Eiffel Tower, Paris.

Alright, enough about this train ride. People are beginning to wonder about my incredible interest in them. I hate that awkward moment when people look at you, when your looking at them. Looking up is the worst option! I tend to blink and move my head this is to confuse them into thinking that I was just blinking in their direction, not looking at them! Gosh! Yes readers this is a common situation for me.. Judge me! I asked for it by divulging this.. haha

Some of my favourite moments on the train has been listening or chiming into conversations people are engaged in. I heard one man say "the only course he likes is a racecourse". I have also seen a man wearing ladies diamond rings on all his fingers, laughing. Not even real laughing, just laughing dramatically for at least 30 mins. This concludes this post. Move on with your life.

Kisses for now, dear readers. 

jelly fish lake in Palau. Travel that is lovely and wild.

Jellyfish Lake (Palauan: Ongeim'l Tketau, "Fifth Lake") is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island in Palau (a set of islands east of the Philippines in the Philippines sea). 



What happens when you combine, isolation and jelly fish... no natural predators = no need for stinging. 

These Golden Jellyfish can grow up to 16 cms. 

Why do boring travel, explore and do the daring and unusual.

This entire lake has an ecosystem that maintains and nourishes itself. The Golden Jellyfish have algae that live in their tissues that provide nourishment. The algae needs sunlight to live, so the Jellyfish on their daily routine follow the sun across the water. The Jellyfish moving across the lake, pulsating and fanning the water and lake floor, churn up nutrients and organisms for other species to eat on the food chain. 

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/invertebrates/golden-jellyfish/

The lake consists of saltwater and the predator that the Jellyfish do need to be wary of that lies in wait, in the shaded areas of the Lake are Anemones. 

Kisses for now, dear readers.. Thank you for reading.. 

♥ Hot Air Ballooning, above the Gold Coast ♥

As we rose in our basket at 530am, a group of 19 people held their breath and floated up, up and away.

The highest speed reached was 12 knots, which the priver (pilot/driver) explained was about a speed of 20 km p/h.

We floated all the way up into the clouds where at one stage we had one side of our view completely obstructed by white cloud.

The cars on their roads looking like toys and houses lined up in rows reminded me of the opening song to Weeds - Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds. What can be deduced from it I don't know, but it has been stuck in my head for hours now.. haha 

Little Boxes on the hillside,

little boxes made of ticky tacky,

Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes all the same.

There's a green one and a pink one

And a blue one and a yellow one,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

As we passed over houses, making poor doggies alarmed, people came out and waved at us. 

And the people in the houses

All went to the university,

Where they were put in boxes

And they came out all the same,

And there's doctors and lawyers,

And business executives,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same. 

It was one the best experiences of my life. I thought it was going to be really windy, but your moving at the same speed as the wind so it was relatively calm, quiet and peaceful.

We saw the beautiful mountains in the Gold Coast Hinterland nestled together dark green and bushy. 

After this adventure dear readers, I believe I will, finally after years of procrastinating/clothes sales, invest in something I love to do... I will buy a DSLR... 

11 stories of fire resistant cotton/propane and Chris kept us from the ground.

The Gold Coast is one of those places where you see high rises, beaches, islands and development; then further inland there are mountains and forests. An incredibly diverse, visually place.

I hope I captured our hot air balloon ride from balloons aloft, with the sense of adventure and floating bliss that we experienced.

It cost us dear readers about $300 p/p which included a lovely buffet breakfast.

Liam and I were treated by his lovely mother Pauline. I can now cross off my list, this thrilling bucket list adventure.

http://www.balloonaloft.net/ 

Kisses for now, dear readers ♥♥♥ Until our next great adventure ♥♥♥