Playing

I have a hobby that most people either don't know much about, or don't even know about. I make miniature things. 1:12 scale. I make all sorts of things. I belong to two groups where we get together and make little things. At the last Sunday group, we made a trunk.

I've made a thingee to photograph my miniatures and have a ruler to show the sizes. Often people use coins. Which is great!! American coins?? How big are they? I know cause I was born in North America. English and Australians generally have no idea. So I won't use Australian coins as they won't give people from other countries the idea of size.

This is the finished article. Whoops, shows the paint where I missed. Never mind. Won't show when it's all finished.

You can sort of see the size by the ruler next to it. It's less than 8 cm from front to back. I must remember to keep the ruler in mind when I am taking photos.

For next Sunday, we have to create a scene, and present it. The best will win a $10 voucher to our local miniature shop.

Once the trunk was finished, I had to decide what the scene would be. I decided that the trunk was being sold at a garage sale.

So I made a sign.

Then I found some items to sell. I found a long fluffy scarf that I had been given by one of my mates. It's going for $1.

I found some hangars I made ages ago. I will probably give them away

I think I will just give them away. Like most wire hangars, they are all bent out of shape. You can also see a pearl necklace in this photo. In amongst the pile is bookends, some glassware, and some tools.

A box of books. A must for every garage sale.

I found some toys and decided that there was a little girl who was leaning into the trunk and digging out some toys. She has a stick horse in her hand and is busily looking into the trunk to see what else she can find.

So there's my little story for today. As you can see, I've bee n busy making little things and making stories to go with them.

A bit like the night of Sylvanian families I had in Norwich with Colin and Co!!

Madeleine

Sunday, 22 March 2009

Puppy too pooped to piddle

I decided last night that I wanted to keep up my walking fitness. While I was in the UK I was walking all over the place and could walk for ages. So last night I decided to walk the Ally Dawg down to the Kiara Food Hall which is about 2 km away from my house (I just realised that makes 4 km return trip – that’s almost 3 miles – not bad).

It was hotish yesterday, but not terribly hot, and certainly not as hot as it has been the last week. Different preparations for a walk here. Water bottle, rather than scarf. Still need a hat, but a different sort. Not a keep my head warm hat, but a keep the sun off my head hat. I also take a bum bag with my little poo bags, my phone (when it works) and my wallet. So that went with me as well. Find the dog lead and off we went.

Well, for starters it was considerably further than I had realised. Funny how things seem so much closer when you drive than when you walk. There was a nice breeze blowing which helped. And Ally stopping at every tree and post to check her peemail helped as well.

I didn’t take my camera this trip. I wasn’t sure if I could manage the dog on the lead, plus my bag of takeaway dinner and a camera.

The galahs were chattering away in the trees. This is their time of night. Cooler than during the day. Checking each other out and eating what seeds the trees have to offer. They are very vocal and incredibly beautiful with their pink chests. I would have tried for some photos had I had my camera with me.

Some of the lawns are parched as they should be at this time of the year. The green ones belong to people who waste water, a precious commodity here in Perth. I often wonder about people who water grass. They water to make the grass grow; throw on a bit of fertiliser to poison the groundwater; cut the grass as it’s too long and then start the whole process again. I just don’t understand their thinking.

It was interesting walking here in Perth again after such a long time away and the totally different walking in Oxford. Straight, for starters. Here the roads are planned, as opposed to roads that just happen. There are slight hills as well; Oxford doesn’t have many hills. They are not big hills, Perth is relatively flat in comparison. But not as flat as Oxford.

Individual houses, rather than terrace houses. Most people in Australia live in a single house, on a block of land. We have space around us. We have space inside our houses. Many of the houses I saw in the UK were on minute blocks of land, and attached to another house. Most of the houses here are single storey as well.

Green. This is an interesting colour. The ground here is mainly browns, reddy browns, except where people water their gardens. Dusty. Dry. But look up, and there is lots of green. The trees don’t lose their leaves the same way. The sky is incredibly blue. Clouds are fluffy and white. Very bright.

In Oxford, at this time of the year, the sky is often gray. The trees are leafless and stark. The whole world looks dark. Even on sunny days, there isn’t the brightness of the Perth summer. Our days are long. Sunrise is about 6 a.m. Sunset about 8:30 p.m. In Oxford, sunrise is about 7:30 a.m. and sunset is about 5 p.m. A big difference. I know the English summer days are much longer, but at this time of the year.....

However, when I was walking I was also aware of the world being too open. Too big.

When I was first studying to be a counsellor, I did an exercise.

Imagine you are in a box. The world is outside and you are closed in this box. The idea is that most people want to break free from the box, to come out of the enclosed space they live in. My response was totally different. I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Suddenly in my imagination, I had a pillow and a book and a little peep hole to look out at the world.

That’s the way I feel sometimes here in Perth. It is too open, too big. I think maybe that’s why I like the UK so much. You walk along little paths, with big trees covering. You drive down roads with hedgerows all along, so you don’t see the vastness of the world. It feels contained. But that’s just me.

Oh, yes, the title of this article. By the time we got home, Ally was too pooped to piddle on any more trees. She did a great job of trying to pee on every tree, and every bush, but finally ran out of pee and steam !!

Anyway, time to close for now. I’m back at work and tired this week and I know that will ease off as I get back into the routine again.

Cheers all

Madeleine

Thursday, 5 February 2009

6 a.m.

Well it is 6 o’clock in the morning. I have almost finished my first cup of coffee and am half watching the morning tv shows and half reading my book. Anyone who knows me, knows that 6 a.m. just doesn’t exist for me. My body time clock is so out of whack, I woke up about a quarter past 5 and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I’m thinking about the house and what needs doing during the rest of the week until I go back to work on Monday.

I’m also waking up hungry. Which for people who know me, is also unheard of. My body clock says it is 9 p.m. and I haven’t given my stomach any dinner yet.

Kazza picked me up from the airport and, great person that she is, supplied dinner, a chocolate bar and a bottle of coke. I like the way she thinks. All the important things one might need when returning home after 4 months. Also, the house sitters have left me a meal. So having only eaten half of what Kazza left, I now have meal for at least the next three nights.

On the way home, we stopped at the local petrol station and got some bread, chips, butter and plastic cheese. You can’t buy plastic cheese in the UK. So basically with the coffee that has been in the freezer for the last 4 months, and the sugar that has been in the cupboard, I am set for the next couple of days.

I’m really not quite sure what to do with myself. The house looks familiar and yet totally unfamiliar at the same time. At one level, I know where everything is, I put things where they are; at another level, I have to stop and think where is my coffee cup? It’s a really interesting feeling.

The fur kids: Ally was the first to see me. She looked totally stunned and still does. She didn’t run around like a wild animal, she was incredibly subdued and quiet in her reaction. Her tail is down and her ears are down. Not a happy puppy. I wonder if she misses Jacqui and Alex who have been looking after her for the last four months. I just went outside and there she was, tail up, ears up, playing with Harry. Hopefully, she gets that I’m here to stay now, even though the suitcases are still on the table waiting to be emptied.

Harry: He came to visit while Kazza was here. Only briefly. Didn’t come for a pat, but then Harry never does. But he is hanging around and came for a pat this morning.

Sunny: I went into the cupboard after I got home and there was my cupboard cat. She’s not been in the cupboard since. She follows me around. Too hot for lap sitting, but she stays very near where I am.

Jacqui and Alex’s comments about Sunny (they’ve been thinking she is a he all this time):

“Sunny: what can I say about Sunny, only that he won our hearts. He is such a lovely cat. Likes to be cuddles lots and to be with you all the time. We gave him one of our pillows for his Christmas presents as he is not a big eater (a bit fussy only likes his tin food).”

All the fur kids got Christmas presents and they left me a photo of Ally amongst the presents. I must admit, she does not look happy.

A mossie is trying to eat me. I’ve not had a mossie bite in over four months.

Overall, I’m happy with the way they looked after the place. But it is going to take a while to get back into the swing of things. I’m going to go and try and start the car and take it in for a service. That’s task number 1.

Catcha soon, hopefully with some photos.

Madeleine

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

Leaving Singapore

Well this is the last day of my big adventure. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I get out of bed, packed and to the airport to head back to Perth. Today I saw in the Chinese New Year, with a Dragon Dance which was really great.  Then this afternoon, I took a tour of the zoo. Both of which I will write about when I get home. I got some great photos of the Dragon and I think some great zoo photos. Other than having a nana nap between the Dragon and the Zoo, not much happened today. I've talked to some great people from all different places in the world.

So if anyone wants to come and visit me, I will be at home from Wednesday and ready for visitors I suspect. Just give me a ring to make sure I'm not having a nana nap.

So my next post will be from hot Perth.

Madeleine

Monday, 26 January 2009

Singapore

Arrived safely in Singapore. Internet access is available, but costs $5 per half hour session and must be used all in one session, so I’m writing this and will check my emails and then log onto the net and post my writings at the same time.

The trip here was deliciously uneventful and so far Singapore has been fine. It doesn’t even feel as hot as it did when I was here 4 months ago. Could it be that I was a bit feverish??

Finally managed to get most of my stuff in my suitcases and am totally wondering if I can actually lift them. M&K helped me get them to the airport and booked into Singapore and when I arrived in Singapore I grabbed a trolley and took my cases outside. Singapore customs is hilarious. I went through Immigration, got my passport stamped and all and then there were two doors – things to declare and nothing to declare. Having nothing to declare, I simply walked out of the airport.

When I arrived outside customs, I wandered around for a few minutes getting my bearings and made eye contact with a man who asked me if I wanted a taxi. I said yes, he said %35. I said that when I had been here last it had only cost $20. He said something about airport taxes and I figured it was worth the money. So he parked me and my bags outside the terminal while he went and got the taxi (a bus really, like a tourist bus). He put my luggage in the bus, drove me to my hotel, took the cases out of the bus, gave them to the hotel man, who subsequently brought them up to my room for me. Now how easy was that !!

You all would have had a lovely giggle at me tonight. I got into my room with one of these card things. Now remember, it’s been a while since I’ve actually stayed in a hotel. I came into the room and no lights. I flipped switches all over the place, tried the lamps etc. Nothing. It’s dark at this stage of course, so I had the door propped open with my back pack and the phone rang. I answered and it was the luggage man saying that he was bringing up my luggage. I figured I could tell him that the lights weren’t working and he could help me. As I was standing by the door waiting, I saw a white thing on the wall with a little red light and a sign that said “Please insert key card” which I did. And guess what – all the lights came on. Talk about a DUH! Moment. I guess I can get away with it as being very tired.

I slept on the plane. I had booked my seat online the night before and got a middle seat. I hate anything but an aisle seat, so when I got to check in at the airport, I asked if there were any aisle seats available. There was, so I got one!! So much better.

Lovely young couple from Melbourne sitting next to me. We chatted a bit, but not too much and I slept most of the way.

So right now I’m in my hotel room, there is a wedding downstairs, and a lovely view from my window. I can see the Singapore Eye, which is the same as the London Eye, a big ferris wheel type thing that looks over the city. Room is lovely, large, comfortable, but cold. The air conditioning is just a bit cold for my liking. I’ve taken possession of one of the lovely white dressing gowns that was in the wardrobe.

So other than taking a quick walk around the block, nothing much has happened. I am close to the Raffles Hospital where I spent most of my last visit to Singapore, and this room is far more comfortable than the hostel I stayed in last time. Worth the money.

Also, I have arrived just in time for the Chinese New Year so there should be lots of photos happening over the next few days.

Catcha all later.

Madeleine

Saturday, 24 January 2009

Endings

I have had great difficulty writing this post. I keep thinking about what to say. This is my last day here in Oxford. I’m getting organised to finish my big adventure. Looking at the stuff I bought and wondering how it will all fit in my suitcases. I’m saying goodbye to the places I’ve known for the last 4 months and knowing that even if I do return it will all be the same, but different. I’m saying goodbye to M&K for the next little while. They are planning a trip to Australia in October so I will see them then, but I’m feeling sad. I hate flying so that doesn’t help as well.

Nothing much to say. I’ve had a great trip. Probably one of the adventures of my life – and there have been a few of those during the last 62 years and there will be more.

In the mean time, this one is coming to an end and I’m feeling sad about it. It has been a great adventure and M&K and I were talking about how much I have seen over the last 4 months.

Time to start planning my next adventure.

I will be back in Perth on the 27^th January, but till then, I may or may not be online. So my Perth friends, I will be available from the 28^th if you want to drop by and say Gdday. For the rest of my friends, particularly my new ones in the UK, I will see you again one day, and do remember, there is a bed for you in Australia if you ever decide to come and visit me.

Madeleine

Friday, 23 January 2009

Norwich Cathedral

We were lucky in our guide for the cathedral. Colin (Heritage Interpretation) knows more history about Norwich than most people will ever. He had some of the most interesting stories to tell about the Cathedral, most of them involving misdemeanours of the common person of the times. Interesting as most of the history we hear about and read about is about the Kings, Queens, Bishops and the “important” people of history. We all tend to forget about the “little” people of history, and let's face it, everyone reading this blog is a “little” person in the historical sense.

This is Norwich Cathedral from Pull's Ferry.

A rather majestic structure !

This next photo is looking into the cloisters.

The Skeleton – he was apparently buried standing up so he could be one of the first into heaven. People will do crazy things for religious beliefs.

Here's the sign, translated from old English.

It's a wee bit fuzzy.

Here's a close up of the top.

One of the columns in the cathedral.

And this is the sign telling about the column.

I took some really great photos of the bosses on the ceilings. The descriptions are from Colin, and I quote him verbatim (except for tidying up typos!). Here they are:

“One of several 'Green Men' amongst the cathedral bosses. This pre-Christian figure represents the changing of the seasons and was tolerated in this space because, being outside of the sacred space of the cathedral proper, it was accomodatable.” (Colin Howey)

"A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit. Commonly used as a decorative architectural ornament, Green Men are frequently found on carvings in churches and other buildings (both secular and ecclesiastical). "The Green Man" is also a popular name for English public houses and various interpretations of the name appear on inn signs, which sometimes show a full figure rather than just the head.

The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or "renaissance," representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man

“Typical of disorderly figures represented on the margins of Norwich Cathedral cloister, musicians had, and have, a tendency to riotous and disorderly behaviour. “ (Colin Howey)

"One of my personal favourites: here we see a washer woman giving a thief a thick ear. I wouldn't want to cross her. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the mason may have depicted one of his work colleagues, putting his face onto that of the thief - or the woman." (Colin Howey)

"A bare-arsed figure in the cathedral cloisters. Dating from the early Fourteenth century he is one of several characters representing disorder beyond the Christian order." (Colin Howey)

“This is a Fifteenth century depiction of the Pharaoh and his soldiers being drowned in the (literally) Red Sea. Notice that the 'chariot' is a Fifteenth century Norfolk hay cart. “ (Colin Howey)

Oh, yes, and last but not least, this really tickled my fancy.

This is the font in the Norwich Cathedral.

Not a great photo, but here's the sign that tells about the font.

This, to me, is the ultimate in recycling.

That's all for today folks.

Madeleine

Monday, 19 January 2009