Adventure, baby!

Sydney

From Baghdad With Love

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I just finished reading this book, about a US marine who befriends a stray puppy while on deployment in Baghdad, and his fight to save the puppy’s life.

While set against a background of war, the core story is about the friendship between the puppy and the marine, and how saving the puppy becomes a symbol of saving the humanity of the marine and his numerous friends who also risk their lives to save this one puppy.

The book gives some really interesting history on how the army trains its soldiers to be able to kill other humans and the rules they live by that are supposed to help them be able to perform their jobs. One of the major rules is no pets while on deployment. So for these marines, some of whom, like the author, see them selves solely as marines, to break these rules is a major deal.

The puppy and the compassion they show for him show that at core, you can never fully train the humanity out of a person. And that can only be a good thing.

Shrek 3

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Alec and I saw Shrek 3 today at Liverpool, where they have recently started to have allocated seats. Usually I would ignore the allocation and sit wherever I pleased, but the cinema was looking like it was going to fill, so I obliged. I need to say right now that I am not a fan of allocated movie seats.

Anyway, on to the movie. I love the Shrek films, and number three didn’t disappoint me. It had the same fun characters from the previous films, with some added bonuses – all of the famous princesses were in attendance as seen in the pic. Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and Beauty.

I love the mashing together of multiple fairytales and legends, such as the new characters from the King Arther legend, as well as the way they turned typical fairytales upside down. For example, the princesses save themselves instead of waiting to be saved. Girl power, fairytale-style.

Cutest new characters: The baby dragon x donkeys (disturbing but so cute I want one).
Funniest moment: The three little pigs doing sausage rolls.

Yo ho, a Pirate’s Life for Me

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Alec and I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End last night at Chatswood. I read some terrible reviews of this movie before we went in, so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. The enjoyment of a person who is expecting the worst. Interesting.

The movie picked up where the terrible filler-middle film left off. I’d forgotten what had happened so was a bit lost for a while. Whose heart is that? Why is in a box? You get the drift.

I would have liked to have seen more of Johnny Depp’s character, but I was happy to see the return of Geoffrey Rush. Less Keira Knight would have made me a very happy girl indeed. Her journey from prim lady to pirate king was quite an adventure.

Orlando Bloom spent a great deal of the film as Keira’s arm candy or as a possible traitor. Not sure how I felt about this – but considering he isn’t up to scratch as a leading man, I guess the director wasn’t sure what to do with him.

Still, the monkey was awfully cute.

Best things:
There was no giant hamster wheel.
Keira Knight didn’t spend an overly-long scene pretending to faint.

Worst:
There wasn’t a happy Disney wedding.
The pirates’ teeth. Why does piracy equal gum disease and slimy enamel?

World Press Photography

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I actually went to the exhibition twice this week – once with Shelley, Shaden and Daniel, and then again today with Alec. Yes, it was worth the two trips.

The exhibition was divided into sections like news stories, wildlife and arts/entertainment. Such amazing photos. They inspired me to take more, and better quality, images, as well as making me see how insignificant a lot of things I panic and stress about really are in the bigger scheme of things.







Dinner & Dance

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I had a great time last night with Alec. We went to dinner at Baia (Cockle Bay), a great Italian place with delicious food. Best boscaiola pasta ever.

We then headed to the Opera House to see the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan perform Wild Cursive. It was Alec’s introduction to dance – I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did. We had great seats, a few rows from the front.

The piece Wild Cursive was inspired by calligraphy. The moves were amazing – fluid at times, sharp and forceful at others, with strong roots in martial arts and contemporary dance. I loved how it was a true ensemble piece. No one dancer was the star, they were all amazingly talented.

Unlike a lot of the ballets that I see, Wild Cursive was fresh, innovative, dramatic, exciting and energetic. They had limited props and very plain black costumes, which meant that the focus was purely on their amazing moves and technique. Modern contemporary dance the way it should be.

Thanks Alec for a really great night out. I love you!

RSPCA Million Paws Walk

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Alec, Ness, Kate and I represented team Google with partners, friends and puppies at the Sydney Olympic Park. There is no such thing as too many puppies.


Pug bums.

Lil’ Buff

Obligatory self portrait

Too much puppy love



Dear lord


This pooch joined our party



Flying Yorkie!



Going Hard Core

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I went back to climbing last night. First climb in three months with Kate. I had jelly arms after the third climb. I followed it up with my first personal training class today with Lisa. I am officially going to die I am in so much pain. I hope that after a few more sessions I will be almost as fit as the Shellbinator.
Inspirational climbing shot.

Belle Fleur at Rozelle

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Alec, Daniel and I drove to Rozelle markets to check out some bargains.

Vintage cameras. Film! ooohh!

Daniel and Alec discuss the finer points of … something or another.

Gratuitous Weimaraner dog shot.

This is the point where Daniel and Alec were considering leaving me behind so they could fit the wine rack Daniel is checking out into the car.


WTF is with the tongue?

Bargains! Ohhhh!

At Belle Fleur, Daniel ogles the Belgium town hall made entirely of chocolate. 50 hours of love went into this creation.

Telescope made out of chocolate.

Yuuuuummmmmm!

Turtle Power

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Alec made me a deal – he’d download me Finding Jane, the new Jane Austin movie, if I saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with him. I help up my end of the bargain and saw TNMT with Alec and Daniel this week. What a blast from the past. The graphics were pretty cool, but it wasn’t as funny as I was hoping for.

I highly appreciated the turtle-on-turtle action, with Raphael and Leonardo facing off in battle (Raph won), but I wanted more of Michaelangelo, my fave turtle when I was a kid. The movie reminded me a lot of Ghostbusters. Demons attacking the city, gargoyles on tops of buildings coming to life, a green vortex spinning into the sky… Splinter also reminded me of a combination of Mr Miagui from Karate Kid and Yoda. Not the most original of movies – high on nostalga value though.