Sun
Australia is a continent that experiences elevated UV radiation levels, no thanks to its geographical spot under a major hole in the ozone. I remember hearing about the Slip-Slop-Slap campaign Australia started in the 80′s to encourage their citizens to protect themselves against excessive sun exposure which could lead to skin cancer, a cancer class that has the highest incidents in the world occurring down under.
I have to say that I was very complacent about sun protection in my early 20′s (the Slip-Slap-Slop jingle obviously fell on deaf sideshowjo ears) often laying prostrate on Bondi beach, emulating salted fish slivers baking in the heat during early summer or spending breaks out on the lawn in front of the Biochemistry building at Sydney University whenever the sun was out. Who knows what detrimental effects (if any) those few years might have had on my epithelial cells, we will just have to wait and see. Things have changed since then as I am now very paranoid about sun protection and have become one of those umbrella toting women I used to scorn, as they say, women really do become aunties (shock! horror!).
In preparation for 40 degree days over January and February, I have been researching and testing sun screens and sunglasses. Ideally, I would really love to snap up the entire shelf of UV RESISTANT clothes Mustafa has to offer, but I can’t possibly walk the streets of Brisbane looking like a terrorist, so will just have to stick to sunscreen, sunglasses, hat and succumb to the asian stereotype in Australia and carry a UV reducing umbrella like I have been in Singapore.
I have however finally found a pair of sunglasses that fit just right, a variant of my all time favourite Ray-Ban Wayfarers, the foldable wayfarer made with a lighter plastic! Wawaweewa! I have a pair of classic Wayfarers but did not wear them all too often because they were heavy, too much weight for my virtually non-existent oriental nose bridge to take.
I love wayfarers
Light and foldable? Even better!
The Slip-Slap-Slop campaign eventually became Slip-Slap-Slop-Wrap. Wrap on some sunnies. I like the updated version. Got my attention didn’t it? 
The dream
A whole barrage of emotions wash over me as I hug you goodbye.
Hugs, far and few between.
Words fail me, as they often do.
A friendly pat, ‘All the best’, guarded Jo at her very best.
I turn and walk, eyes welling up, not quite understanding why.
Face flushed, lost, head buzzing, I breath deeply, evening air.
I envision the movies where you come running after.
You run and tell me what I want to hear.
But there is no such thing.
Reality bites.
For that moment I exist on an alternate plane
I wake up.
I know.
This journey I walk.
I have to walk alone.
I hate goodbyes.
Let them eat cake
Marie Antoinette had the most gorgeous art direction, sets, costumes, a super indie music soundtrack and some pretty good actors/actresses. It had all that and not much else, the story telling itself was poor and I felt that the movie lacked depth and character development, to the point of almost being shallow and superficial.
I was expecting alot from the woman responsible for my long standing love affair with Japan, Charlotte, Bob snd the concept of melancholy portrayed in Lost in Translation.
Oh well, at least the cakes and macaroons were out of this world
Old lady
A few years ago we watched an old lady cross the road.
Hunched over, face weather beaten wearing a simple samfu in muted tones.
She went into an involuntary spasm and almost collapsed so we instinctively ran out of the car, walked her somewhere safe and squatted with her for half an hour as she regaled stories from yore.
Yellow photographs kept neat in her purse.
A sad longing as she fingered the rough edges.
We were later to learn that she was a ballroom dancing champion back in the 60′s and 70′s.
“My son, he doesn’t come to see me anymore”
“I’m just so lonely”
Is striving to leave a legacy behind all that matters?
And at what price?
A game
They played this game.
It was an odd you first, no, you first, kind of game.
Sometimes there were two players, most times, just one.
The games people play.
