Bali - Barter yer heart out

Dudes, Bali shouldn't be expensive - food is cheap, transport is cheap, and clothes are cheeeeeeeeeap. The issue is not knowing how much stuff is worth & getting ripped off. I was lucky to have a friend who had been to Bali before. So, perhaps I could be that friend to you...

Here's a rough coupla tips:

TRANSPORT: Most of my taxi fares were around the $2 mark. You need to either get in a Blue Bird taxi (light blue ones - be careful, the others will try to trick you by looking the same), or you need to negotiate your fare/demand that your driver put their meter on. My friends (a few of them big burly boys) got locked in their cab by a driver wanting 50,000 IDR for the ride. Scary stuff. They're fine, but it's something to gulp about, eh.

If you're game to try a 'scootscoot', 20,000 was the average rate for a 5 minute scoot. (Note - I did scoot a  few times. Thrilling. Terrifying. Noone tell Mum).

SHOPPING: Bartering is an art-form here.

Don't look too interested in what you want to buy.

Ask off-handedly how much they want for it. When they give you the price, shake your head, and laugh.

Because their quote will be outrageous.

If you have no idea what the item should be worth, I say that your counter offer should be a little more than half of their offer. This rule doesn't always work though. I got a few people asking for 150,000 Rupiah for a pair of sunglasses. That's about $15 Australian. That's bull. And if you buy sunnies in Bali for any more than 20,000, laughter will be had. At your expense. Literally.

Here's a rough guide:

Sunglasses - 20,000

Singlets - 25,000 (Bintangs) to 35,000 (nicer)

Thongs - 50,000

Dresses - 40,000 to 60,000

Shoes (sneakers) - 80,000 to 100,000

Watches - 45,000

Peace out buuuuuudddies.

Shit.

I totally forgot. The whole reason for the Tomorrow When The War Began post was to jot down that it inspired me to write.

Instead, I bludgeoned you with a book recommendation, swore, and ranted like a 13 year old (version of myself) about wanting to be in a movie. Bahahah.

I watched the special features after the movie (pa-thetic. I'm obsessed again. Watch this space. I'll be reading them again in a matter of days), and John was talking about writing, likening it to a swimmer training for the Olympics.

I'm all 'I'd love to be a writer' but, I don't make the time to write. In fact, the IKEA desk I bought earlier this year? I sat at it to write for the first time yesterday. Yes. My desk has moonlighting as a makeshift WARDROBE (IKEA - so verstaile).
The shame. Wish I took a picture.
 
So, I'm watching John Marsden talk about writers needing to write every day, or we'll become shitty and flabby (not unlike an out of training Olympian). I march into my room, pull everything off my desk, violently deposit it on the floor and commandeer my sister's laptop (mine is so severely old, I need a new one badly if anyone's feeling generous).
 
And I wrote.
 
It's not the best thing I've written, and it's quite TWTWB inspired (haha), but I'm really happy with myself.
Normally I just write when an idea pops into my head; if I can be bothered turning on the light and reaching for my pen and paper (bastard nocturnal imagination).
 
But I sat down, and I just wrote.
 
I'm going to train more often. In different styles, different genres.
 
One day my story will find me.
   
 

I'll always have a bit of clutter, so I leave with this excuse (thanks Einstein).

I love Ellie Linton

Let me begin, by saying Stuart Beattie did a marvellous job with the Tomorrow When The War Began film adaptation.

Let me add to that, that thanks to John Marsden I spent a lot of sleepless nights clutching a paper back in my bed, wanting to yell - at some unGodly hour - at the top of my lungs 'F*CKING HELL ELLIE, BE CAREFUL'.

So I guess it's a little obvious that I recently watched the movie again.

Which means Scarlett O'Hara could be on shaky ground right now, as one of my favourite female heroines battles it out for my (at the moment, shamefully limited) literary interest.

I love the books so much, and the movie totally captured the book's spirit. John wrote the book because he wanted to bring back the adventure story, because he wanted to show that teenagers aren't completely lazy wankers. You can just tell everyone working on the film loves it, and just gets it.

Which is why when I watch the movie I suffer pangs of envy as sharp as Lee's description of a bullet wound. I'm terribly jealous that I'm not a part of it.

But that's ok.

That's ok.

If you've never read the books, I urge you, I implore you. Get aquainted with the gorgeous, gutsy, and totally nuts Miss Ellie Linton ASAP.

You won't regret it.

(And if you do, you suck and we're not friends).

(But you can still read my blog).

P.S Check out John Marsden's website. It's a book. It's insanely cool.

Holy Manolo.

This is the zaniest shoe I’ve ever laid eyes on. Glitter? Check. Perspex heel? Check. T-bars? Check.

Glitter Bug Heel

Way way too far out of my pauperly price range for a novelty purchase. I would totally work these bad boys all over the place if I were a celebrity who gets tons of shit given to them even though they earn more than enough to buy their own things.

... Wankers.

Crazy Workload Vs Procrastination

Dudes.

I'mma be either a shitty blogger, or a fabulous one for the next two weeks.

So I apologise. In case of either my absence... or presence.

But :)

I did write myself a huge to-do list of things to blog about. It includes 'Movie Endings I Have Mentally Rewritten'.

Bahaha, oh boy. You are totally in for a treat man. That one alone will just be a bag o fun*.

So, I'll leave you with a snapshot of me at the moment:
- I'm still reading Gone With The Wind. It's taking me a while, but totally worth it. I will no longer have to run screaming from the TV/friends/internet yelling SHUT UP SHUT UP I HAVEN'T READ IT YOU TWAT.

- Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine has been implanted in my brainsicles. My God. Florence. You beautiful beautiful thing. I cannot wait to see you live someday. (Mention Splendour 2010 to me and meet a most gruesome death).

- Have been thinking for a while about changing my blog name to match my twitter name - Miss Joy Monger. It sounds better. But. I have some lovely strong sentimental ties to Opinionated Ophelia. Input?

- Am also debating if I want to stay in Communication/Media or start studying to be a teacher. Kind of want to do both. Like media. Most times. But the longer I leave the studying thing, the harder it'll get? (Financially?). But I also need to work like an ass to save for Europe/crazy living in NY dreams. CONUNDRUM.

- ... HOW DO YOU EVEN SPELL CONUNDRUM? WHAT DO THEY TEACH IN THOSE SCHOOLS? I MUST GET INTO TEACHING RIGHT AWAY AND CONUNDRUMISE ALL THE CHILDREN.

- OPH OUT.

*Read - yelling.

Our Wolfpack

Today is a great day for Opinionated Ophelia.

Friends (or, should I say, friend?). Today. I got my first follower.

Several years of being online. 51 stellar posts. 1 follower.

Pretty sure Facebook started out just like that.

So, howdy Mr Keith. Here's to cyberDOMINATION.

or... just some peeps checkin out mah posts.

Bahaha.


Oph-out!

"I'm not being brave. I'm being a decent human being"

Anne Hathaway accepted a Human Rights Award in 2008. Yes - I make a shitty journalist :) but this is a message that is eternal. Treat people right. Treat everyone equally. That kind of behaviour should not be the exception.

So today I was lucky enough to be shown her acceptance speech on the loveliness that is Tumblr, and it so brilliantly expressed some things that I haven't articulated, that I feel compelled to shout it from the rooftops... or, Twitter and the blogosphere.

“There are people who have said that I’m being brave for being openly supportive of gay marriage, gay adoption, basically of gay rights but with all due respect I humbly dissent, I’m not being brave, I’m being a decent human being. And I don’t think I should receive an award for that or for merely stating what I believe to be true, that love is a human experience - not a political statement. However, I acknowledge that sadly we live in a world where not everybody feels the same. My family and I will help the good fight continue until that long awaited moment arrives, when our rights are equal and when the political limits on love have been smashed.”

- Anne Hathaway, 2008

Bless ya Anne.

Oph xox

A man whose guilt was in serious doubt has been murdered.

Troy Davis was found guilty of murdering a police officer 19 years ago, based upon the testimony of nine witnesses.

Today, seven of the nine have recanted their testimony entirely. There are also a multitude of problems with the testimony of the remaining two witness accounts.

There is no other evidence. No murder weapon. No DNA.

Today, Troy was killed by lethal injection.

I'm not standing here saying that I know this man was innocent. I haven't read enough about it, and I haven't heard his testimony. What I do know is that his sister, that Change.org, and that millions of people worldwide believed that a man with his guilt in doubt should not be executed.

The State of Georgia did not agree.

What I feel in my heart, is that Troy's letter, 'To All'  sounds like the words of an innocent man. I pray for his soul, and for the unwarranted waste of life.

This is indeed a dark day for humanity. I pray that we need never repeat this again. I ask that we all take to whichever platforms we can to make our voices heard, to make Troy's unneccessary death count.

I pray that he did not die in vain.

If you're interested in becoming more involved in advocacy around the death penalty, visit Amnesty International, The Innocence Project, or the NAACP. You can also start your own campaign on this issue on Change.org.

Sources:
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/to-all-a-message-from-troy-anthony-davis/
http://www.change.org/

I Think I Want A Tattoo

As I type, a little blue ballpoint owl is winking at me from my middle finger. He is poorly done. He is a little smudged from my recent bathroom break. And he is. the. cutest.

I've always wanted one, but I've never moved away from a small loopy word or flower on my ankle. I also may be deluded - I am under the impression that I can hide Mr OwlFinger under a large ring in professional settings. So dumb - huh.

This one is enormous (little Mr OwlFinger would fit comfortably behind a 5 cent piece), but it's such a cutie. Look at that spunk. (Also, I'm yet to find a tiny itty bitty simple owl tattoo that I like online. What a shame. More procrastination for meeeee!)

From: Owl Tattoos

So what I'd like to know is, is there anyone out there that hides a little tattoo on their finger under a ring?

Um. I almost wept.

Bec from 'Winners and Losers'

I'm an ol' fashioned gal and when I saw Bec traipse down the aisle in this I yelped (into my bag of chips. man I was having a daggy night). Whoever made that veil (J'Aton), whoever chose it - man, you deserve to be celebrated. I loved it. Best dressed TV wedding ever.

That is all.

The Long and Short of It: Scar Tissue

Honest as GUTS.

Sex? Yep. Drugs? Wohohohohoh, yep. Rock'n'roll? Yessum.

It is a testament to Kiedis' charm that after revealing his deepest darkest secrets - the using, the infidelities, the lying - I find him so goddamn attractive.

Huuuge girl crush over here ladies n gents. Ignoring that; I recommend this. Highly.

Like the man himself, it's quite a spiritual chronicling of his past. I didn't think much of it at the time, but Kiedis narrates his (lengthy and often, as most are, complicated) romantic past with nothing but love and (I assume) truth. I liked that.

In fact, it's a very cool kinda juxtaposition - a calm and loving narration of a ridiculously hectic adventure.

Ophi's highlights: I loved hearing about the multitude of band members (something I never knew about) and the way they make their music. The name-dropping is pretty rad too. But the standout? The chapter about the song 'Under the Bridge'. But you gotta read it :)

The Short of It? Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I'm sad

Ariel the lion passed away.

I'm really sad :( Poor thing. But he's probably much happier now.

Right? SOMEONE HOLD ME AND TELL ME THAT EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT.

You're a beauty

Melanie Griffith

You don' need no work done. Jus' felt like sayin'.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Midnight.

The only way for me to see Harry off.

Surrounded by people I don't know, but who are definitely not strangers. We were a community, decked in gold and red, in green and silver, in billowing black capes and owlish specs. The crowd cheered and laughed. We watched both Part 1 and 2. In Part 1 when Hermione yells, 'Take it off!' to Harry (about the horcrux), laughter. Rude, dirty laughter! When Harry stripped off to jump in the water; wolf whistles. And when people died :( the entire crowd whimpered.

There wasn't much missing, a few things were altered. There were a few minor minor parts that I would have changed. There were a few things I would have clutched hysterically on the cutting room floor (like a small child in the throes of a tantrum), like a glimpse of Teddy Lupin, or a small final scene with Harry's wand. But it was done beautifully. Dan, Rupert, Emma. You were so wonderful. Your hearts were truly in your performance. Noone could have done it better. I don't think anyone ever will.

It was just beautiful. What else could it be? I'm filled with equal parts happiness and sorrow.

Exactly how growing up feels.

Read em and weep.

I thought I was so original :) But I bet there's a million identical letters living in tearsoaked journals all over the world.

This is perfect. This is exactly what we're all feeling... wish I'd written it. haha.

Screen Junkies Goodbye Letter To Harry Potter

Wotcher Harry.
xox

Though It All Ends, It's Not Really Goodbye.

11 years ago my ten year old self stumbled across this book in my school library :)

I had no idea that it was the third in a series. I had even less idea of how big a part of my childhood it would become.

Tonight's the last time I'll see a Harry Potter movie for the first time ♥

Positive me is BACK BABY.

I pep-talked myself the other day and said 'You know, I think it's easy to mope. I need to be brave'. While certainly not pleasant, wallowing is quick and simple. Something bad happens? BAM. It's easier to let yourself fall into the dark than it is to battle your way into the light, no?

Just read some sweetass advice. 'The Best Relationship Advice EVER'. Yep. I needed that kick up the bum. Let's get on with this. Let's be brave! Let's work hard, let's live life, let's plan my next adventure.

I'm seriously seriously (!!!) considering living/working/studying overseas in the near future. If anyone has any advice or tips you know where to leave 'em! Job offers won't go astray either :)

I'd love to study abroad too (if I can afford to do so). If I had to, I'd happily work in hospitality again (I will so regret those words).

I'll close with what my auntie told me on my 21st birthday:

Enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly; we need it all.

Adventure on kidlings!

Love Miss Joy

Phwoar!

Em-ma!

Emma Watson sporting some glorious eye makeup at the NY premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

... IT'S TONIGHT!!!!!!!!! 10 HOURS TO GO!

Today. Slightly traumatic. Ruttage.

I'm struggling a bit today. I really don't want to be negative, but ugh man, I need an outlet. Bear with me.

I think my boyfriend will be leaving for the mines.

I feel a whole bunch of things. Guilt: last week I had almost hoped he'd go. (I was mad, ok). Sorrow: for what I had hoped my life, our lives would look like next year. More guilt: because there are times when I doubt that future. Anger. Isn't this my life too? And then sometimes, a sense of calm. Everything happens for a reason. We just don't always know why.

Ah, youth.

Guh.

Secondly, I'll be seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at midnight tonight. I'm sad and excited and happy and emotional.

So. very. emotional.

Also. I'm at work. And I'm behind on my articles. If I like writing so much then WHY do I procrastinate... SO MUCH? What's wrong with me?!!!!!!!!

It's crazy how our decisions change our lives, throwing our life trajectory in a completely new direction, catapulting us to places we never expected. Yet we have to make these decisions with no idea if it's the 'right' one.

Maybe there is no 'right choice'. There are only different outcomes, and each is different, each is both right and wrong.

The infuriating beauty of life?

Out of Joy.

Life - why do we need to be reminded to enjoy it?

I just read a blog I follow. They posted about a friend with some pretty heavy health problems. I feel really strongly about sending prayers and positive thoughts to people that need it so, if anyone is reading this, send a little good thought out there.

It's times like these that I remember to pay it forward, to make a difference.

Life can be short, and that we all owe it to ourselves to make it a good one.

Coming Soon: The Hobbit!

C'mon Petey J. Make it a good one :)

Diamond Days.

'A dream come true': Kindly Kate moved to tears after hug with child cancer sufferer

A beautiful moment. Bless you Diamond. I hope you're better really soon :)

Dude.

It's premiere day.

It's all over the news.

Heart-wrenching. Thrilling.

The end.

F*#k, huh.

My boyfriend got offered that mine job.

huh.



... fate?

LAWD

IT'S REALLY HAPPENING

Dan Rad. HP. Ol buddy ol pal.

He likes to stay home and read.

Suck it non-nerds!

The headline of my source article makes him sound all 'child-star-gone-off-the-rails' but really, sensationalism aside, it's just him admitting that alcohol is not the be all and end all. Amen brother. Yes drinking can be fun, but it's not healthy. And. Drunk or not, it should never be socially acceptable to be a jerk.

Read the article here.

And Dan? You go Glen Coco.

Yo! You Should Read This Shit!

 

The Hunger Games

Yeah yeah, I'm late to the party.

But if you've been under a rock with me, and you're not lucky like I am to have a librarian friend who shoves the best books down your throat, I will happily be that friend. Not that I'm a librarian.

Anyway, my friend gives me the creme de la creme. And this shit is some cool creme. I'm sitting at my desk itching to go to lunch to read more! So for now, no more on THG. Oh, just that I can only now appreciate fully that they're making it into a MOVIE!!!

Woody Harelson as Haymitch. YES. CANNOT WAIT. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. YEAH.

But Liam Hemsworth as Gale? ... naw, mannn.

I just don't dig.

But! I will hope to be pleasantly surprised. I did feel the same about Chris Hemworth (I think I saw an ugly pap photo of the brothers in a club brawl), and he blew me away in Thor. Sweet movie by the way, Thor. Check it!

NEW CRUSH

Bloggers, meet Charlie Hunnam. I discovered him when my parents spent their entire Sunday (literally; 12 hours) watching Sons of Anarchy. Sweet show by the way. I'd watched an episode a while ago and thought it focussed on the violence'n'gore to the detriment of the story. Not at all actually. Storyline is fantastic, well written. Seems (and I say seems as I have no experience with bikies) true to life.

Also. I enjoy Hunnam and his "Brad Pitt - but less gay - thing". I enjoy it with my eyes. This aloof long blonde hair thing reminds me of the sweet little crushes of my youth.

That is all.

Life Choices. Me. Not Good At.

My boyfriend had an interview for a job in a mine. It is in a rural isolated town about 5 hours drive away. He asked me how I'd feel about that.

I don't know. I really don't know. I don't think I'd like to move. I mean, I like sushi. A LOT.

The funny thing is though, I'm not really sad or scared.

Where does that leave me?

I like the idea of living in a little country town. I like to think I could work in the local newspaper :)
But. Hmm.

I'm not going to think anymore about it unless/until it happens.

Right?

Don't-get-too-excited-don't-get-too-excited

*droooooooooooooooooool*

I am expecting these for my birthday.

It will be marvelous.

If I don't get them, I will be crushed.

Nostalgia?

Sometimes, I see something in the news and I really struggle to put it down. Because it's hit me in the heartguts & I don't want to let go of the way it made me feel.

This is one of them.

Betty
little dude, I'll be your buddy

Culture-shot o' the day

Kandinsky.

 Sweet huh?

I'd say this is what my brain's wallpapered with.

Gush o' the Day - Anthony Kiedis

Currently reading Scar Tissue.

Um, giant crush on Anthony Kiedis.

Um, totally inappropriate stalking of him and his kid. I apologise, I'm all for protecting kids from the media but c'mon Ant - let's get real here. I mean. Noone reads this. haha.

And dude. I'm so unbelievably happy he's a dad. Stereotypical female moment here, please ignore while I swoon and sigh all over the joint.

Back to my giant crush. I'm a bit surprised (as, lets face it, I am by a lot of my behaviour). I've always admired him (with my eyes), but having him tell me that he cheated on his girlfriends, and went drugnuts shouldn't really be the fantasy courtship it's becoming...

Um, shutup conscience. I friggin like Anthony Kiedis ... COS LOOK AT HIM WITH DAVE GROHL - gah. Just, LOOK. 

The Transition From Absolute Uni Bum To Working Gal

Ok.

So, I may have failed a lil. I may or may not have posted every day. Hahahahaha.

I totally sold out, taking the first job I was offered out of uni. I regret nothing! I no longer sweep popcorn off the floor (I'll hazard a guess that a lot of things are more fun than that). The only problem is that I have less time. The plus side is that I now spend all day, every day frying my retinas on the ol' PCmajiggy. 

Optometrists, you cads. Must be rakin' it in.

Anywho, I'm wondering if everyone else is as terrified at the prospect of graduation and life after graduation as I was.

I wasn't always really terrified though; I was just worried. Worried that noone would hire me, worried that I couldn't do the job if I finally got one.

I plan to elaborate on this more in the future, but for now I'd like to say it's ok :) if you do your best, make some smart decisions and put yourself out there, things somehow always fall into place!

Good luck to anyone out there reading this in need of an opportunity - a door will open.

Sometimes you just have to give it a run-up.

My Lunch Future

Walking in the blustery cold today, (on my way to buy way more sushi than I can fit inside my stomach - comfortably at least... needless to say the thrill of consuming lunch that moves gets me everytime), I sheltered my face from the cold. And in the pub around the corner from my work I saw a Lord of The Rings pinball machine.

A most wonderful image of me spending all of my lunch hours playing this marvellous game, jug of beer sloshing in my nerdy hand, yelling 'DO SOMETHING Frodo, you useless son of a bitch!' flashed before my eyes.

And I don't even like beer.



... DEAR GOD - IT'S GEEK PRIDE DAY!!!

Dayamn I'm good at accidental celebration.

The Long & Short of It - Black Swan

The Short of It - I work at a cinema and walk in and out of sessions during my shifts. I walked out of Black Swan with goosebumps everytime. Portman is IN-CREDIBLE. The must-see of 2011.

Arthur Golden - I'm Still Angry

I'm browsing goodreads.com (and adding thousands of books to my to-read list - yay for relative unemployment!), and I'd like to know - is anyone else out there upset with Arthur Golden? I certainly am!
Haha oh boy, I must have read this at least 4 years ago. But friends, a literary grudge can be held like no other!

If you haven't read it, definitely do. It's really a wonderful book. Hence my hurt...

Stone Cold Failure & Shopping Addiction

Alright kids - a-post-a-day failed.
Failed miserably!
I had good intentions, but I let a few things get in my way: i.e. attempting to access the internet after school hours is marginally easier than getting water from a stone; I had recently discovered Asos.com and spent any time online with a window on Asos browsing through coats and some ugly overpriced bags; I was totally uni-student-on-holidays LAZY!

It is the second reason that really catches my attention though - the shopping thing. I read an article a few Sundays ago in my local paper (The Sunday Mail - getting a bad rep from every corner these days) about people that had changed their lives by doing something for a year. An example was Julie Powell of Julie & Julia fame, there was one lady/girl/lady-girl who wore the same dress for an entire year(theuniformproject.com - and may I say, woah. Have a look & get yoself some inspiration!) and in doing so raised enough money for 200 underpriviledged children to go to school. The article focussed on one woman in particular, who admitted to having a shopping addiction and had given up ALL shopping for 365 days.

I realised - I don't need these ridiculous things in my Asos shopping bag (I'm sorry Asos, you're wonderful, but I need to see other hobbies). I don't need a new dress for the party this weekend (I had actually been considering spending $70 AUD on getting a $40 dress to me for said party). I do not need to be shopping for a new dress for the next party I go to either!

... I will admit that I bought a fabulous skirt the other day. But! But! It was fifty per cent off! (Who pays $74 for a skirt anyway??)

So, here I am. I admit, I am not completely cured of all shopping. I feel like the next step toward that would be volunteering overseas and having the absolute shock of my life.

I'm definitely again on that inspired path again. I just need a little nudge every few days or so to remember to stay on it and not get so distracted by the lupins on the side of the road. (Lupins are these MAGNIFICIENT flowers in New Zealand that grow by the thousands on the side of the road).

So! I'm setting some new goals. I apologise, I'm probably going to keep doing this. I figure it's ok if I alter some of them if they really don't work, so long as I'm not just procrastinating in changing them.

Goals for 2011:
- Read 100 books by 2012 (holy crap)
- Do an international internship (I'm a dazzling PR graduate if anyone's interested :)
- Figure out something meaningful for this blog!
- Write an article for publication in print/online media... and get it published!

The book thing stems from my friend telling me how many books she read last year. If not for the extremely large fascinator adorned on my head, my eyes would have popped out of it. If I am to be serious about writing then I need to spend less time Asos-ing (sorry dude, you've been totally bagged in this post) and more time strainin' the ol' eyeballs!

Books read so far in 2011:
- It Had To Be You, Susan Elisabeth Phillips (awesome)
- Heaven, Texas, Susan Elisabeth Phillips
- Bet Me, Jenny Crusie
- Rose Madder, Stephen King (woah NELLY)


P.s. check out goodreads.com. Addictive!

Also... I WANT THESE

Don't tell Buddha

Asos - Blink Fur Lined Distressed Boot

GAH!

So dreamy, it's the new aviator jacket I've been mooning over ... but in FOOTWEAR FORM

 

The Long and Short of It: Value Yo Momma

Afternoon blogerinos!
Well here I am, day one of my self-imposed challenge and after a spot of procrastinating I stumbled upon a nugget of an idea.

It all started when I was feeling bad for being a bitch to my mum. I know, I know, horrible. There she is, giving me life and dinner and ironing & I'm being mad at her for something ridiculous. It got me thinking of the Amy Tan novel The Joy Luck Club. Aside from my mum having introduced me to the movie, and later the book (which I stole moments after her purchasing and read voraciously - again, Bitch Daughter haha), I always come out of it feeling like I should really value my mum better.

It got me thinking about the books I read and re-read. I re-read a lot, and there's a reason to it. So today marks my first The Long and Short of It. The Long will be an in-depth review (I suspect some of these will be in progress, like todays as I'm seriously in need of checking my eyesight), The Short will be short :)

The Joy Luck Club

Amy Tan

The short of it: Read when you've had a fight with your mother, or if you miss them. Read for hope, for laughter and for joy.

Epiphany? Sorta. Lil gold man got in my mind-grapes

Did I spell that right? Epiphany. Ever look at something so long you freak yourself out?
Anyways;

Do you think society is a dream killer?

I watched the Oscars today (side note, I cried. A lot. Natalie Portman wins! Cry. Natalie Portman's little pregnant belly! Cry. Clip of Toy Story 3, weep uncontrollably whilst yelling NOT THE FIRE!). It occured to me that society may pretend to encourage public dream followin', but underneath that thin little silver layer is a blueprint of the pyramid of dream fulfillment. Not everyone can win the lottery (don't believe it? Bruce Almighty baby). Not everyone can be an actress, a singer, a rock star. God forbid. Who would clean the hotels and serve a deliciously greasy yiros at 4am?

So a few people get to be deliriously happy and a lot of people don't?

Eh?! That sounds pretty shit. But here's the kicker of all the crap - the people that have achieved their hearts deepest desires did something about them. People with unfulfilled dreams sit at home shelling peanuts, waiting for someone to knock on the door offering them the dream opportunity.

When I started truly thinking about it, I realised it's laziness or fear of failure. If you need a haircut you don't sit yourself on the porch hoping a kind scissored stranger will soon arrive. You get out there! Or, if you're the quirky type, buy some scissors of your own! I'll get off the scissor metaphor before it gets out of hand, but the point of this story is that though I've never been the kind to think that a career is the be all and end all, I am having this awful niggling feeling that if I don't get up off my butt and do something that works towards doing something that I love, I'm going to be in big trouble.

Operation dream salvagery.

Dreams? A little voluminous but mostly stemming from writing and publishing: to myself be, well, not written but published! Ice-cream taste tester also up there.

Action? I'll start out small - I'mma spruce up my blog. Finish the unfinished posts, mend the holes, patch up that crack! I'm getting a little Sound of Music but hell, I'm building up to my new goal - a post a day. I'll trial this for a week since I have a feeling that shared internet access with a 16 year old monster'll be tricky.
Let's do this O-girl!

Please note: I have a pretty bad memory so I'm going to need a little help reminding myself of this, hence this public pep-talk post.

If anyone is reading this, firstly, sweet Bluebeard's leg are you ok? Google a hobby ... or a good blog hahaha but seriously, don't do that. Secondly, what's your dream? Join the dream bandwagon, help a sister out in the inspiration stakes!

In closing, I leave you with a quote I was spoon-fed in my senior year of highschool but is only today truly getting me right in the guts:

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."

- Goethe

                       
I coulda sworn this was followed by:
'Begin it! Begin it now!!'

(Mebbe it's just me :)

Today's message: Grab the sun? It's only our life source - have a play.

Inspired Ophelia out dudes!