Crushes

Crushes. I enjoy having crushes on people. They're fun, and usually innocent. And happen to me all the time. They're probably best to have on people who are unavailable, just to spice things up.
In the past it seems that people always find out when I'm crushing on them, probably because I'm far more obvious, and less subtle, than I'd like to imagine. Therefore, to clear it up, I've made a handy guide. Do I have a crush on you? Follow the chart to find out!

Things I Love Friday - Cabinet magazine

So, of the few TILFs I've actually done, two have been about magazines, which would make it seem like I have a short attention span. BUT - Cabinet is amazing, and it's been absolutely consuming my life in the best way for the last few weeks.
It's a quarterly from Brooklyn, and is so engrossing to read. Their stories cover a huge range, and it's the kind of magazine you'd read cover-to-cover, simply because everything is fascinating; even if you didn't think it would be. In the last couple of days, I've read stories about amatuer spectroscopy, a history of fire-escapes, plaice, Pampas architecture, strange attractors (!), and an account of how Soviet nuclear tests were detected by a cautious US. Seriously.
The writing is so engaging. Also, each edition comes with a postcard and a bookmark. Check out your local library.

Goodbye Tumblr

I use Google Reader. It's a pretty handy way to navigate the internet (though does white-wash all the websites you read), and it's nice to keep a track of Tumblrs. However, I've recently removed a whole bunch, as they offer me nothing. Perhaps even less than nothing.
Tumblr touts itself as 'the easiest way to blog', which it indeed is. The ease of this, as deemed by most users, seems to be appropriating images and quotes from other Tumblrs. Who get them from elsewhere. It leads to a whole culture that is very disingenuous, especially when the source isn't even stated.
Of course, there are Tumblrs that I enjoy, the authors of which provide a lot of original, worthwhile content. See at: Timmy, and Lucy.
Are there any Tumblrs that you would recommend reading?

Titles

When I was cycling to uni this morning, there was a man walking his two sons to school. He was walking with a bike, and was wearing a high-visibility jacket. On the back, it said 'driver' 'cyclist' 'person!' As I passed him, I said, 'I like your jacket', and he smiled and thanked me. It got me thinking about social roles, how we change, but also how easy it is to label people, based on a glimpse of their actions.
As a 'cyclist', I've felt the anger of motorists; conversely I've been angry at how stupid 'motorists' can be. Of course, we're all just people, but things seem to change once someone's in a car, or on a bike. It feels harder to reach out and make a connection to the other person you're interacting with.
As I cycled home, I crossed a bridge over the Avon in Hagley Park. There was a family of four playing 'poohsticks', and it made me immensely happy.

Feedback Sought

The mini-craze of blog questionnaire posts seems to have died down. So now it's my turn. I'd like to find out a bit more about you, and garner your thoughts about this blog.

-The basics - age/sex/location?

-How did you come across this blog?

-Do you think you've ever been in love?

-What makes you happy?

-What is beauty?

-Would you like to see more photos/stories/advice/days in review/poems/different things on this blog?

-Is there anything else you'd like to share with me?

Comments appreciated below...

Look

From the streets of Christchurch...





















This was in the Central Library - 'an exercise in sharing with strangers'














An addition

Edges

It's been quite overcast in Christchurch lately, so I wanted to share these pictures with you. One of my favourite things ever is seeing the outline of a building against the backdrop of a really blue sky. It's such a crisp contrast, and I like the difference between the man-made, and the eternity of the sky.






























































These were all taken on the same day. I love the depth of colour in the last one.

Embarrassment

It's Saturday evening. I'm drinking a cup of tea, and just had vege hotdogs for dinner. I'm listening to The Microphones.
It feels like I have so much to share with you, but when I go to write, I'm left drawing a blank. For what I want to convey. Instead of anything recent or sweet, I'll share with you the most embarrassing thing that has probably ever happened to me.
I played field hockey in intermediate and high school. One fateful game, around the tender age of twelve, I lead the team in the customary 'three cheers' for the other team. In New Zealand, this is sometimes done in Maori ('hip-hooray' becomes something along the lines of 'kamane ana-he!'). As you may know, a twelve year old boy experiences many changes to their body. Most relevant to this story is the breaking of the voice. At the end of the game as the lead caller, I put on my deepest, manliest voice, and yelled 'kamane ana!' The rest of the team replied with 'he!', which I also yelled. My voice though broke out, louder and shriller than any could've imagined: 'heeeeeeeeee!' The spectacularly high-pitch made both teams break in to laughter, and as a result, the opposing team only got one cheer. It took quite a while to live that one down.
What's something embarrassing that's happened to you?

Breathing

Do you ever think about those things you do that are entirely automatic? The 'keep alive' functions, like breathing. It's something your body has done, every moment you've been alive. And if it hadn't, you wouldn't. It's this incredible, ceaseless activity, which goes by unnoticed. Until you hold your breath underwater. Or in a 'who can hold their breath the longest competition'. Or to try and stop hiccups.
There's a small piece of graffiti in the uni biology department that says, 'you are now manually breathing'.

Growing up

I find that as I get older and learn more things, I look back on my past self with some odd feelings. The main one would be that I see my past self as being far less clever, outgoing, or creative as my present self. Obviously I'm always learning new things, and getting better at 'being me', but it seems like it creates a paradox: no matter how highly I think of myself now, in a few months, I'll look back to now, and conclude that I was nothing when compared to the present day(vid).

The tiniest little flower in the whole wide world

A few months ago, I found this small flower on the couch in my room. I've no idea where it came from, but I put it on my bookshelf, and let it dry out. It seems so delicate and tiny; a gift from out of nowhere.

For T'nealle

T'nealle is playing shows around Europe at the moment, so this post hopes to capture some of
the things she sees around Christchurch.




































I think the top of this building looks like the Snake game on old cellphones































































Yes! Let's do this!

This is not a review

Yesterday, I wrote a letter to my aunt Helen. She has breast cancer, and is undergoing chemotherapy. I understand that it's working as well as can be expected, and I hope she is okay. I crocheted her a small pink ribbon badge, like those worn to show support for those with breast cancer. Like almost everything I make, I forgot to take a photo of it before I sent it. I'll say it was intentional, and that it was to be seen by her only...
I posted that, and walked to town. The sky was amazingly clear and blue, and the sun was warm on my face. It really felt like the first day of spring, though that's still a way off. I had sushi for lunch, and went to the art gallery.
Wow. I was amazed by both the exhibitions on the ground floor - Andrew Drummond's Observation/Action/Reflection, and Taryn Simon's An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar. Drummond's work on movement and chaos felt mind expanding, and Simon's photographs brought to light a whole section of culture that exists unseen to most. Both are on 'til September 5th, and are highly recommended. The day after they close, I will turn 26.
I was feeling electric after the art. Anything felt possible, and I was covered in shivers.
'congratulations!', 'be polite', 'openyoureyes', 'look around you', and 'there's magic in the air' are some of the latest stickers I've put around town. I'd advise you to pay heed.