The autumn leaves

I love Melbourne in autumn.

The colours in the gardens and parks look glorious against the back drop of the grey skies.

The streets and paths are piled high with drifts of fallen leaves. It seems impossible that anymore could fall, but there are still more to come.

Drift leaves
© 2015 divacultura

The old Greek men in the neighbourhood spend their Saturday mornings with their plastic rakes and garden bins gathering the leaves together.

"Doing the council's work," one of them says to me as I pass.

On a windy day, the task is sisyphean.

The punt on whether the sheets will dry on the clothesline, often pays off, despite a sky that suggests otherwise.

I find a big pile of leaves irresistible when I'm out walking.

I hope the wind has blown them into a pile as I swish and swoosh through them.

Autumn colour
© 2015 divacultura

Green, yellow and brown
© 2015 divacultura

Brisbane perspectives.

I'm sitting beside the Brisbane River enjoying the sunny view and a cafe latte. (Brisbane finally knows how to make them.) I'd forgotten how much brighter than Melbourne the mornings are. Sleeping past 7:30am without comprehensive blackout curtains, even in May, is an impossibility. So even though my breakfast date is  not until 11am, I'm up, checked out and sitting by the river.

A favourite thing of mine is to visit markets and the Brisbane Riverside Markets were a huge sprawling cornucopia of handmade artisan wares. I expected to easily fill an hour and half but have been disappointed. Perhaps twenty stalls exist, some of them lovely, but most selling junk. Perhaps the online shopping revolution has hit here too.

The Story Bridge looks more serious by day. Its structure black and grim, contrasting with the clear blue sky and sparkling water. The river beneath is busy with traffic - ferris zigzagging from one side to another while cars cross the river above.

Just before 10am my phone tells me it's currently 22 degrees Celsius, yet a man sits at a nearby table wearing the strange combination of skimpy shorts, thongs and a polar fleece jacket. I'd forgotten the craving for seasons that one gets living somewhere like this. During the week, I saw women on their way to work defiantly wearing knee-high boots, scarves and coats. I watched them, dressed in a summer dress.

As I walked in this morning, the river was on my left and the skyscrapers loomed on the right, their footprints substantial, standing solidly, in contrast to the mercurial water opposite. They look so clean and impossible. It must be the space around them that makes them seem bigger than anything in Melbourne.

Three metres from where I sit, a white-haired woman has paid a woman with a matching hair-do to tell her fortune. Her husband has opened his wallet, handed over the cash  - and his wife - and made himself scarce. The two women look like old friends meeting for coffee.

My weekend has been filled with friends and food. I love living in Melbourne but I do feel a tug whenever I come back to Brisbane!

Refractions
© 2014 divacultura 

Refractions II
© 2014 divacultura

How was your weekend?

Where I have been OR What d'you mean it's Thursday?

Contemplation is not always conducive to production.  This is what I have learned in the week since my last post.  I knew that I had been absent, but received a jolt today when a regular reader and friend complained of suffering from withdrawal - "it's been a week since you blogged!" he wrote.  , perh
I'm no less inspired, no less driven to write and still a keen observer of the world.  I am also working most days in a week and they are long and interesting days.  I've joined a new vocal group. I'm taking a jazz vocal class.  I've been going out more in the evenings. I'm in the Global Corporate Challenge.  I've discovered the joy of NOT turning on my computer when I arrive home in the evening, even if it's before 7pm.  My days are starting very early and this necessarily means I can't indulge my natural inclination to be a night owl.

When I started blogging almost two years ago, one of the motivators was the fact that my business was new and I could go for days at a time without working.  While I was short of money, I realised that time was a gift that I hadn't had for a long while.  I decided to use it in a meaningful and constructive way, rather than frittering it away.  It was also part of my personal mental health strategy to stay engaged and purposeful in the world.  My commitment to daily blogging was born.

It didn't take long for my daily writing commitment to turn into a habit, perhaps even a compulsion, and for me to feel my writing fitness improve as I flexed my writing muscles each day.  It's been relatively easy to sustain.  Until recently.  The increase in my (paid) workload has really had an impact.  The balance has changed.  I still love to write and I want to keep divacultura going.  I love hearing from readers and sharing perspectives either here or on facebook.  Over the last week I reached a conclusion, rather than committing to write daily and not fulfilling the promise, I am renewing my vows.

My new commitment is to post (at least) five times a week.

As with all plans I'll be monitoring and am keen to receive feedback. Giving myself a break in this way may even increase my capacity again.  Funny how that can work.

On the subject of the Global Corporate Challenge, I can tell you that after 14 days my daily step average is sitting at 10,100 steps per day and has slipped just below the team average for the first time today.  Reaching my daily 10,000 step target on days when I'm at the desk can be challenging.  To meet this, I'm now walking between Flinders Street and the office instead of taking a tram for six stops.

As I walked to the station this afternoon, here are some of the things I noticed.  I might have missed them if I caught the tram.

Afternoon sunlight on the city.
© divacultura 2013

This amazing sculpture was on the SES/fire building.
I can't believe I haven't seen it before!
It looks like fire.
©divacultura 2013

Walking up Southbank Boulevard was more like wading as I tackled this pile of fallen leaves.
© divacultura 2013

What do you need to review? What did you notice today?

Let's talk about the weather

It's 10:44am.  There has been a mild change overnight, but it has been short lived.  It is currently 27 degrees and we're heading for 36 degrees.  I'm looking forward to taking a long flight this afternoon and spending a couple of nights in an air conditioned hotel room.  It will be a relief.

This run of hot weather has broken records apparently.  We keep hearing about the record number of days in a row where the temperature has been 30 degrees or above.  If it's still this hot on Wednesday, it will have been 10 days in a row, breaking a 1961 record.  

The temperature of my destination is currently low 20's and it's looking like a welcome break from 30 degrees plus.

While this hot weather has been on, I'm still amazed to hear people arguing about the difference between weather and climate change.  This is not normal Melbourne weather.  Yes, we get some very hot temperatures during summer, but generally it's dry and there is a cool change every 2 - 3 days.  This hasn't happened.  There hasn't been rain but the air is humid and the changes haven't happened.

Stories about drownings on unpatrolled beaches and public swimming pools closing because of cryptosporidium parasites enjoying a day out and causing a gastro outbreak in Melbourne.  Apparently when it's hot, Melbourne goes swimming and it's not a very safe thing to do.  In some of the stories there are veiled references to these issues being heightened because of climate change.

So far, I've been worshipping at the airflow of my bladeless Dyson fan.  It's been surprisingly effective in bed at night.  Wearing a damp sarong to bed after a cold shower is also my other tip for staying cool in bed - or should that be "on" bed?

Yesterday afternoon, the sky clouded over and a soft breeze started to blow.  I'm sure the temperature only dropped a degree or two, but it was bliss.  It made me feel hopeful of a more comfortable night's sleep.  My hope was well placed!

What's the weather like at your place?  How do you keep cool?  Or warm?

Sunday slideshow

 Another week of interesting photos.  With the shift to autumn we've been having some spectacular weather accompanied by big, clear, blue skies.  Queensland skies.  I've noticed the light is particularly great for bringing out contrast in black and white shots.

Firstly is a shot of one of my favourite street corners in Melbourne - the corner of Elizabeth Street and Little Collins Street, looking towards Swanston Street.  The black and white really shows off the ornate old building and then behind it is the modern skyscraper, almost luminous.

Old and the new
© divacultura 2013

Way up the other end of town, on the corner of Collins Street and Spring Street I looked up.  I'm very happy with the composition of this shot.

© divacultura 2013

 On the same corner looking left.  I always find the palm trees to be out of place, but they add to all the vertical lines in this shot.

© divacultura 2013

While waiting for a train at Flinders Street station during the week, I noticed the shadows on the platform and took this shot.  Zombie apocalypse?

© divacultura 2013

I spent some time in Yarraville's pop up park this afternoon, hanging out with a friend.  It's such a lovely hub for the community in this beautiful weather.  My friend and I were playing Scrabble.  While I waited for her to lay her tiles, I took the opportunity to take some photos.

This is the other part of the Sun cinema's signage.  It could almost be a newspaper masthead.

© divacultura 2013

 And here's the usual sign, taken from the platform at the Yarraville train station.

Here's the view from my deckchair.

© divacultura 2013

Here's the Scrabble board from my perspective.  I went on to win the game!

© divacultura 2013

Another perspective on the park from behind the Scrabble board.

© divacultura 2013

The happy stripes of the deck chairs in the pop up park.

© divacultura 2013

Lastly, a self-portrait.  It's been a while since I've done one.  I quite like the mood of this one and the black and white filter makes it look like a news clipping.

© divacultura 2013

There's my week in photos. Which one/s do you like?

Weekend recovery from "Flight"

I had forgotten the blissful promise of an unstructured weekend ahead.  Not because my weekends are usually structured, but because my working weeks are unconventional and unpredictable.  Lately, business is booming and I'm actually working five days a week.  I have no complaints about this, but when I went to bed last night exhausted and woke up this morning, two hours later than on any of the previous five days and without an alarm to prompt me, I was looking forward to the weekend.  Until a couple of weeks ago, I would have had choir rehearsal to attend, but I recently left the group I was with and so there wasn't even the call of my beloved music.

Reading in bed is one of my pleasures.  I do it every night before sleep, but rarely have the opportunity to do it in the morning.  This morning I did.  I could have stayed there all day, but the lure of blue skies and temperate weather (Melbourne in autumn!) was too strong to resist.

Not a bad spot to wait for a train.  Yarraville.
©divacultura 2013

I walked to the village.  Wandered around.  Cashed a money order I had received. Sat waiting for the train, not really caring if it never came.  Visited my favourite dress shop and found something to spend a loyalty voucher on.  Then I decided to go to lock myself away and go to the movies.

"Flight", the film that saw Denzel Washington receive an Oscar nomination for best actor, was on and so I went.




It's quite extraordinary.  The beginning of the film paints a picture of Captain Whip Whittaker on an ordinary working day.  We see him prepare for the flight and imagine what it must be like to sit next to a co-pilot that we're meeting for the first time.  There's rough weather.  Things start to go wrong.  The rest of the flight is one of the most evocative pieces of cinema that I've sat through.  I felt like I was on the plane and felt the fear and stress of knowing that the plane was going to crash.  Tears started to run down my cheeks.  I couldn't breathe.

What's interesting is that the plane crash isn't really the point of the film.  It's the story of a man's path to face what he is denying: that he is an alcoholic.  The courage it takes to shepherd a diving plane to the ground with minimal loss of life is nothing compared to the courage required to recognise your own self destruction and betrayal of all the people who love you.

It was worth sacrificing some sunshine for this amazing experience.  I highly recommend the film, but I hope they don't show it when I catch a flight in a couple of weeks.

As for the second day of this two day expanse, I have nothing to look forward to except the prospect of nothing in particular and anything I want.

What are you doing this weekend?

Countdown to winter.

There is half an hour left of autumn for the year.  In thirty minutes it will be winter.  Officially.  Mother nature blessed us with a final, stunning day, representative of the best of autumn - clear, blue sky, 18 degrees Celsius, still.  I knew it was going to be like this, so I had the washing machine going early to maximise drying time out in the air.

My kitchen faces north and at this time of year, on a day like today, if I position a chair just so, it is like a sun room.  So I do.  I pull up a chair and I roll up my sleeves and I take some sun.  As I write this, I'm mentally making a note to ask my doctor whether I can absorb vitamin D through glass.

The phone was working overtime today.  This morning it was so constant that I didn't have my shower and get out of my pyjamas until about noon.  It wasn't because I was lazing about either.  I was working.  Being able to do it in your pyjamas is one of the joys of working from home.  I don't work in my pyjamas on a week day very often.  Even though I have lovely pyjamas, I get dressed for work as part of gearing up mentally.

Anyway, I was drying off after my shower when I heard Skype calling on the computer.  My brother and I work together via Skype and usually we've made a specific time to meet.  I went out to answer the call - it was my brother - and almost accidentally pressed the "answer with video" option.  Thankfully, for everyone, I didn't.  Dashing naked from the shower to the desk at home is one thing, broadcasting via Skype is a whole other ball game.  Everyone is okay.

I had some errands to run and took advantage of the day by walking the long way round.  Crackling and swooshing through the papery autumn leaves is another one of my favourite things to do.  It took ages for the leaves to change and fall this year and now suddenly, on the last day of autumn, there are plenty taking up the footpaths.

Heading to St Kilda this evening was gorgeous at about 5pm.  The blue in the sky was darkening, tipped with blush pink and highlighted with golden streaks.  Being in slow moving traffic over the Westgate Bridge did not bother me one bit when there was a sky like that as backdrop.

After dinner with a friend and opening night of a play, I was looking forward to a quick trip back home.  My hopes were dashed when I turned on the car radio and heard that there had been an accident and the Westgate was closed in both directions.  I sighed.  I would have to drive the long way around.  Instead of 20 minutes, it took 40.  Five minutes from home I was pulled over for random breath testing. I'd had no alcohol to drink yet I still feel hot and guilty whenever I'm pulled over.  They're streamlining too: no questions about what I'd had to drink tonight.  Straight in with the request to "blow until I say stop".  I always run out of breath and then fear inadequacy.  I'm an actor and a singer for goodness sake.  I have more breath than THAT!

With twelve minutes to go before winter's arrival, I'm happy to be in my electric-blanketed bed with its white sheets and big, square pillows.  I imagine how much more I will appreciate it in winter.

Weekend snaps

It was a stunning day in Melbourne yesterday.  I went to the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens to visit the Finders Keepers Markets.  They were fun, but the gardens and fountains were begging to be photographed.

Cherubs and gods
(c) divacultura 2012

Mythic fountain
(c) divacultura 2012

The Carlton Gardens
(c) divacultura 2012

Royal Exhibition Building -interior
(c) divacultura 2012

Window details
(c) divacultura 2012

On the way there, I travelled on the escalator in Parliament Station.  I was in a visual kind of mood and noticed the surfaces and details.

Escalation
(c) divacultura 2012

Parliament Station - don't wave your myki

One foot up
(c) divacultura 2012

And today we've just had an amazing storm.  The rain arrived horizontally carrying small hailstones.  The thunder cracked and afterwards this is what happened.

First one then...
(c) divacultura 2012

...a double!
(c) divacultura 2012

I've had a great weekend.  How about you?

My favourite time of year

Autumn is the very best time of year in Melbourne.  The sun shines and there's a refreshing crispness to the air. It's possible to go outside without living in a hay fever haze. Layers and layers and layers of clothes are not required and we don't have the notorious four seasons in one day which afflicts Melbourne in spring.  The nights are lovely and cool and clear.

If it was possible to have autumn all year round, I would be happy!

I haven't seen the colour of autumn yet, which is amazing because we're half way through.  I did notice that the bright green leaves I featured in this post in November last year have faded a little.

Summer juiciness (c) divacultura 2012

Faded glory. (c) divacultura 2012

But it's the same stunning blue sky. And we're heading for 25 degrees Celsius today.  Perfect.