Defaults

I have always thought that to ask someone their favourite song, movie, band et al was rather ignorant. Considering we explore creativity through a myriad of emotions, elements and desires, the answer to the aformentioned question would change depending on any number of characterisitics.

Having said that, there always seems to be defaults that we fall back on, not necessarily classing them as our favourites, though we're happy to oblige them over and over again in our short lives.

I couldn't tell you what my favourite film was, though I can divulge that I have seen Sound of Music more times than I have counted. I first saw it when I was a little girl; we had taped it from the TV on our 1980s VCR- I was 4 years old. I went to Salzburg, just to see some of the film set. Sound of Music delivers everything I covet- song, romance, secrets, history, freedom.

I also seem to have a couple of default songs, that I listen to over and over again. One is for nostalgic reasons and the other, well perhaps it's the meloncholic melody uprising that I love to bear.

My mum used to sing 'Little Ray of Sunshine' to me, well for as long as I can remember really. It's from Axiom, an Australian band and was released in 1970. Even now, it features heavily on my playlists. It's a beautiful song, take a listen.



The second song is by Regina Spektor, called 'Samson'. I've blogged the lyrics before, though I thought I'd give you the clip. It's stunningly beautiful, passionate though whimsical. I had the good fortune is see Regina play this live, then fuck up the lyrics, then stop suddenly to say 'fuck', then start all over again. So I have heard the beauty 1.5 times. I could play this song on the hour, every hour and not tire of it.



Care to share your defaults?

Remember when...

...you used to tape your favourite movies on your VCR, wearing the tapes thin after endlessly watching them, quoting the lines with the characters?

Here are some of my favourites movies doing the circuit in the 80s.

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985)

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Goonies (1985)

The Parent Trap (1961)

Twenty-Ten

It seems almost irrelevant, though hoping all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. I'm not huge on this time of year, my family is small and divorced and I tend to see it as lovely, though very minimal. I go to midnight mass, I thank the Big-G for my blessings and I wake up to a lovely meal.

Again with New Year's, it's never been on my radar. I suppose the aforementioned makes me somewhat different, in which I am, though I've never minded, I've never felt like I'm missing out on anything.

I spent Christmas in the North of England; it was exceedingly cold, though exceedingly beautiful. Alas, it was one of our parties first Christmases, so I suppose it was what Christmas should feel like: magical and childlike. I was thoroughly spoilt this year, and I certainly was not expecting to be. DVD boxsets, money, cookbooks and facials at dayspa's, what else could I need?

I've posted a picture of ice in the garden, just before we left on the 22nd. That evening it started to snow quite heavily; it was such a beautiful train ride with what felt like the whole of England coated in snow.

New Year brings about silly and what is most likely, half-hearted endeavours to do/be/act/love something new. For this reason, I don't do resolutions. Instead I choose to see everyday as a new opportunity and change something then and there if need be. Of course, thinking is easier than doing.

The latter half of 2010 will see me leave England and unpack my suitcase in the city I called home until I was 23. February sees me head to New York City. Other plans include Iceland and Morocco. I'm learning to pace myself though, Europe will always be here, I can come back.

The sea, the sea

As a Piscean, I've always been attracted to the sea.

That's possibly an ambiguous statement, as when I was a little girl I was more fascinated, then attracted.

I remember large waves, going over my heart and splashing into my eyes. I couldn't hold onto my dad's neck tight enough. Then one Summer I learnt to swim. I remember my nana standing at the other side of the pool, as I free styled (a 5 year olds version that more resembled dog-paddle) across. I was so proud, as was she.

Because of this pull, it's fortunate that I grew up in Australia. The pool in the small country town where I lived from aged 5-11, was my hub. I spent weekends there, met friends there after school and celebrated Christmas parties there. In Winter when it closed, it looked like a sad clown, covered and stripped of its sunshine. The Summer was a season where it reapplied it's makeup and made the children laugh.

Having the beach accessible is a blessing to someone like me. Feeling the body of water flow over your skin, the salty sea waves crashing on your belly, feeling the bubbles that were created burst at your feet, are all feelings I now crave.

Living in London, I have not seen the sea in months. I have not been in the sea since last Christmas. I miss it and the peace of which it creates; it is medicinal, the Victorians (not the state, but the period) agree with me.

With Winter approaching I seem fixated on the idea of sinking my toes into the wet sand and slowly letting my body be enveloped in the flowing waters. The sad thing is, I have no idea when I will see the ocean again, or feel it's touch.

90s revival

I'm feeling nostalgic today. Home is on my mind.
I don't know if it's symptom of getting older, or of an old soul or just missing my family, though I've been drifting towards my childhood, who I was then and what I am now.
I grew up in the 90s, the backwash of the 80s and the underwear of the noughties. I loved it, though I can say that in hindsight.
Using the google machine as a lovely distraction to the fact that I am poor until payday, I came across this clip that made me jump and giggle.
Vidiot was a show i'd race down my very long country driveway to watch, something that I was lucky enough to tell the Executive Producer of the show when I was working for her. She said that made her feel old- what does that make me?
Enjoy, with the added bonus of 90s hotman Dieter Brummer, aka Shane from Home & Away.

While I'm going down the path, here's another gem. Spice Girls, oz style :)