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Sunday, January 15, 2006  Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day.Firstly, let me please ask you to scroll several posts down to see the NYE images I have now added to the blog entitled "Happy New Year 20-06!... Thank you. As mentioned earlier, I had been wanting to put up a picture of Jaffa and Gus on this blog for some time. Gus is the white dog and Jaffa has his arm lovingly over Gus, protecting him. They're both sleepy. Is it not the cutest photo you've ever seen? I should also mention (because I wanna...) that Sim and I had a spontaneous and beautiful Chinese banquet last weekend, at a local and (now) very much recommended Chinese restaurant. It was Cantonese food and I particularly enjoyed the bird's nest made of potato strips which one of the main meals was served in. The waitress elegantly broke up the tasty morsels and deposited them into our respective bowls, with one hand mind you. Very talented, indeed!! The heading for this blog is a quote from a very funny movie that I went to see at Moonlight Cinemas with Erica, Rob, Eug, Dayna, and Imogen On Friday night. I considered the quote "Do the chickens have large talons?", or even "floating, weightless in an ocean filled with tiny, little seahorses", but stuck with the one above, primarily due to the fact that it was extremely funny when it was said in the movie, and also because Erica told me her sisters quote it to her all the time, which I find perhaps even funnier, if not more bizarre. The name of the movie is Napoleon Dynamite and while waiting for the gang to arrive - to meet them for dinner and the movie - I was standing at the water wall of the National Gallery of Victoria. It was a very good place to go people-watching, you see, and also a prime position to meet friends. I happened upon a French couple with a penchant for photographie... The man jumped from one rectangular platform at the entrance to the NGV to the other, while the lady photographed him. I imagined that they were French art/photography students, on exchange and in love, using black and white film 'cos it's more French, tres chic. I know that they were definitely French - I could hear them talking. After the platform experience and a brief debrief, the man then took his turn to photograph the lady. She elegantly removed her spectacles, stood with one shoulder almost touching the wall of water, turned her other shoulder so that she was looking half behind her and posed - 3-2-1... It was quite lovely. I also saw someone else I know sneak a romantic moment and a brief embrace at the entrance to the NGV... Then it was on to meeting up with the gang (after a frustratingly looooooooong change of lights at that pesky Southbank Blvd.), before we briefly ducked into the Arts Centre where we looked at the Archibald Prize finalists. They were very, very good. Only got a partial way through the portraits before bumping into my ex-primary school Principal and his wife, who happen to be parents of former work colleagues... (say THAT 10 times fast...) It was great to catch up, among the massive, beautifully rendered faces. At the Arts Centre, I saw Deni Hines, who was perhaps there for preparations for the evening show of Dusty: The Musical. On to dinner at Blue Train Cafe and a sun-dried tomato ravioli meal later, we headed over to the Royal Botanic Gardens for the movie. Thanks to pre-booking (and planning/preparation, people!) we were able to skip the enormous queue and pick up tickets and enter the gardens. What a divine setting for a movie! I commented that I forgot why we were actually at the Botanic Gardens, as we all chatted and dived into yummy treats - fruit, minties, jam and coconut drops... Speaking of Minties, Dee commented about the hilarious jokes that appear on Mintie* wrappers... While the cartoons were very funny, unfortunately they must've changed the design as the only text on the Minty wrapper now read "Soy lecithin is used to assist in processing". Laura, one of Imogen's friends who accompanied us to see the movie found this misunderstanding particularly funny and exclaimed that it was not a joke, but a warning. Laughter is contagious and soon, too, I was laughing uncontrollably with a Minty stuck in my teeth... The cartoons really are good, aren't they? As the sun set and the movie credits rolled, the Botanic's bats flew overhead. It really was special. The movie was very funny and bizarre and I enjoyed it. We got to see Erica's bright 'n' shiny new car as we pulled into her court. It was lovely. R.I.P. Shaagen Waagen. I have fond memories of being driven in you, with Erica playing Bic Runga or The Corrs or Natalie Imbruglia on your CD player. I remember Erica driving me in you for the first time from Zagame's in Boronia to my home. Several swerves and near hits to the curve later, we arrived safely. I remember seeing you parked at various of my friend's houses, knowing Erica was inside and that we were set for a good time... Saturday night was a very special dinner party with Sim, Emma and Chris. It was nouveau cuisine at its finest. Let me attempt to do justice, in words, to what my palate experienced: - entree of golden, puffed pustry laden with field mushrooms, slivers of parmesan and a generous portion of rocket and balsamic vinegar; - main of oven-baked baby flake, served with a crisp, roast pumpkin and pinenut, rocket and baby spinach salad and accompanied with a parcel of beans and asparagus, delicately wrapped in a ribbon of prusciutto; - dessert: chocolate espresso cake, elegantly presented with bacio ice cream. It was amazing. As I said, nouveau cuisine at its finest. Thank you, Emma and Chris. It was so beautiful and Sim and I had a great night with you. Thanks for showing your fantastic honeymoon photos. Scandanavia is so breathtaking. Your commentary of the photos was much appreciated. It gave life to what were already dynamic images. Just remember the tiny, little seahorses... Sim and I went for a drive to the country this afternoon. Can you call it the country? I think so. We headed out to Leongatha, Mirboo North and Moe, which Erica jokingly said stood for Mocassions for Everyone.... It was beautiful. Nice and random and very much appreciated. :) :) :) Well I think that's it for me, for now. See you all soon! *Is the singular of Minties Minty? Speaking of which, how do you pronounce Mentos (men-toes, or men-toss?)and what is the plural form? Mentosses? Mentoes? (!!)posted by AJ | 7:03 PM | | ||
