Sometimes the world send a little reminder that life isn't fair, like a slap to the face it lets you know that our time here is short, and how long we have isn't guaranteed for anyone. Often those who are full of life and love go first, before their time. It seems that in a way they know that their time on this earth is shorter than most and so make the most of what time they have.
Today, many of us mourned the loss of a great friend, and a great man, and despite the many hundreds of people the attended his funeral, I know there were many more across the country and the world who were wishing they could be with us but were there in spirit. All to pay homage to Mr Amazing Paulie-pants.
I'll never forget the first time I met Paulie- which is saying a lot. It's not often that I remember such details, not being a detail person, or in the possession of a great memory storage. But there I was, attending my first Stomp (for those of you who don't know, that is the name of a swing dance social here in Perth) nervous as hell, with my new skills barely honed after my 6 week beginners course just completed, I spent much more time sitting on the sides enjoying watching all the amazing dancing that was happening around me and just breathing in all things swing. My good friend Kimmy was looking after me, already what I considered a pro dancer, they all looked impossibly good and I knew there was know way I could keep up with my limited repertoire so I was simply having the time of my life looking on and barely being able to contain my excitement for when I could be up there dancing with all those amazing people without feeling guilty for not knowing anything. Having an in with Kimmy was fantastic as she had been telling me all about the awesome people and introducing me to many poor people who graciously put up with my bad dancing and so friendships were started that have become very important to me over the years.
One of these people she introduced to me was Paulie, who she had laughingly called Mr Bean. Upon meeting him I could definitely see the resemblance! Kimmy having been asked for a dance mentioned off-hand that Paulie was their resident magic man. Those few words were all it took. Out whipped the cards and he proceeded through magic card tricks that I will never be able to tell you what they were, as unfortunately for a slightly annoyed Paulie, I couldn't take my eyes off the dancers long enough to pay his tricks due attention. But he graciously sat there with me so I wouldn't be alone, showing off all of his latest tricks to a rather unappreciative audience. But I was grateful for his company, and over the years I have been blessed with a number of dances with the Great Paulie. And they always stand out in my memory.
Mr Amazing Paulie Pants the magic man, will be greatly missed by many. But we are so lucky to have known him even for a minute.
So I take this time, if you have gotten this far through my horrible writing, to tell you as a friend that I love you all dearly. It is something we don't say enough. Or sometimes say too much, blandly throwing the words around without them having meaning. But my friends, those near and far away, as I am blessed to have many friends throughout the world, I want you to know that you are all so special for me.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Happy Feet
We often see new and inventive ways that people take photos of their worldly travels, one that was rather funny and inventive was the stealing of a garden gnome and sending photos of it around the world back to the residents of the household that it was 'borrowed' from. The down side to this sneaky and amusing activity was having to first find a gnome to steal and second having the space and weight allowance to drag it everywhere with you.
Last night I was introduced to a new and cheaper way of taking inventive photo's of your travels, one friend suggesting a great idea of putting them all together at the end in a canvas photo to hang up on your wall- I think it would look particularly fantastic!
Check out the Perthnow link below
Happy feet
Globe-trotting couple Tom and Verity Robinson document their travels a little differently to the rest of us. They take plenty of stunning photographs, but you won't catch their faces in any of these shots. It's all about their feet, and some of the amazing and exotic lands they've stepped on.
So check out some of the best snaps from the couple's trips, from the Blue Mountains to Machu Picchu, Peru.
So if from my next trips you see more photo's of my feet than my smiling face, you now know why ;)
Happy travels everyone!
Last night I was introduced to a new and cheaper way of taking inventive photo's of your travels, one friend suggesting a great idea of putting them all together at the end in a canvas photo to hang up on your wall- I think it would look particularly fantastic!
Check out the Perthnow link below
Happy feet
Globe-trotting couple Tom and Verity Robinson document their travels a little differently to the rest of us. They take plenty of stunning photographs, but you won't catch their faces in any of these shots. It's all about their feet, and some of the amazing and exotic lands they've stepped on.
So check out some of the best snaps from the couple's trips, from the Blue Mountains to Machu Picchu, Peru.
So if from my next trips you see more photo's of my feet than my smiling face, you now know why ;)
Happy travels everyone!
New Years Resolutions
I know that most people do this right before or after New Years, rather than a few weeks later like I am, but I wanted to really think about it and decide what it is that I thought my New Years Resolutions should be. Typical me fashion they all have to do with 'doing' something, but that suits me just fine. :)
1) Travel
ok so some of you may be saying what I have heard others say to me before 'thats not a resolution, thats a reality for you' and while that may be true, they say that if you right down clear, concise goals for yourself there is a far greater chance of them coming true (somewhere in the 90% range I believe) so here I am writing down my clear and hopefully concise goals. So. The places I want to travel to this year, in no particular order, are:
Nepal- to visit the new Mr Josh and Mrs Tammy Moses
Brissy/Surfer Paradise- to visit Bek, Damo, Caitlin, and Mr Josh and Mrs *Bug (Kirsten) Barton
Sydney and the Bong- to visit Grace, Taki, Nuggie, Krissie, Jade and many others
Melbourne- to visit Kimmy, Crystal and Shaun and bub, and others
South America- to visit Calvin
and of course- back to the US of A- to visit all my BLYC lovelies, my America family- the Torkelsen's, Bry of course, Ash Lyon, and hopefully some of my old Georgian friends! (at this stage I am considering Chrissy and NYs as a time to come, as I have been ordered that I need to see proper snow... :D and my little brother Brian and I have a deal to go snowboarding and horseriding in the snow ;)
2) Get a job that pays lots of money so that I can save for above travel, and also below expenses and gives me the time off to do everything! (working on that one- fingers crossed!)
3) New camera of the Canon Mark 7D or 5D variety and also new lens for various purposes, a tripod and flashes :D
4) Start to learn a language or two - thanks to Miss G for my first German lesson! maybe soon I'll be able to talk to my dear sis Anna Banana in her native language! :D other languages that I would like to learn are French, Spanish, Italian, Gaelic, Arabic, Greek... (I thought I'd better stop there and actually start learning some before I added more to the list!)
5) Begin learning a Martial Arts- Karate or Kung Fu of some kind, mostly for self defence purposes, especially as a young female who likes to travel and often ends up doing it alone, but also for fun and fitness properties
6) Do more dancing, particularly lessons again in Lindyhop as it has been too long, eventually learning some aerial's perhaps?
7) Write more letters and send more snail mail type loving. I am happy to say that this resolution is very much underway, having already shared a few 'for shits and giggles' postcards between me and my beautiful bestie Grace, and first few letters writing heading their way to destinations around the world :)
8) Do some more photography courses, develop and broaden skills further
9) Save money to either A) Go live in Europe, B) study videography in Prague, or C) travel the world and my leisure and start knocking off my bucketlist!
10) Learn Parkour/Free running- something that has been on my bucketlist for the last few years, but after my first 'lesson' in Parkour and getting to watch someone/people who are really very talented at said activity, my resolve to master this has deepened. So who wants to join me? :D
And that Ladies and Gentlemen, sums up what I hope my 2012 looks like! :D I hope that you have all set, and written down (reasonable and attainable) goals for yourself and if you have- go for them! :D
Lets do this 2012, just in case it IS the last year of the world! haha ;)
1) Travel
ok so some of you may be saying what I have heard others say to me before 'thats not a resolution, thats a reality for you' and while that may be true, they say that if you right down clear, concise goals for yourself there is a far greater chance of them coming true (somewhere in the 90% range I believe) so here I am writing down my clear and hopefully concise goals. So. The places I want to travel to this year, in no particular order, are:
Nepal- to visit the new Mr Josh and Mrs Tammy Moses
Brissy/Surfer Paradise- to visit Bek, Damo, Caitlin, and Mr Josh and Mrs *Bug (Kirsten) Barton
Sydney and the Bong- to visit Grace, Taki, Nuggie, Krissie, Jade and many others
Melbourne- to visit Kimmy, Crystal and Shaun and bub, and others
South America- to visit Calvin
and of course- back to the US of A- to visit all my BLYC lovelies, my America family- the Torkelsen's, Bry of course, Ash Lyon, and hopefully some of my old Georgian friends! (at this stage I am considering Chrissy and NYs as a time to come, as I have been ordered that I need to see proper snow... :D and my little brother Brian and I have a deal to go snowboarding and horseriding in the snow ;)
2) Get a job that pays lots of money so that I can save for above travel, and also below expenses and gives me the time off to do everything! (working on that one- fingers crossed!)
3) New camera of the Canon Mark 7D or 5D variety and also new lens for various purposes, a tripod and flashes :D
4) Start to learn a language or two - thanks to Miss G for my first German lesson! maybe soon I'll be able to talk to my dear sis Anna Banana in her native language! :D other languages that I would like to learn are French, Spanish, Italian, Gaelic, Arabic, Greek... (I thought I'd better stop there and actually start learning some before I added more to the list!)
5) Begin learning a Martial Arts- Karate or Kung Fu of some kind, mostly for self defence purposes, especially as a young female who likes to travel and often ends up doing it alone, but also for fun and fitness properties
6) Do more dancing, particularly lessons again in Lindyhop as it has been too long, eventually learning some aerial's perhaps?
7) Write more letters and send more snail mail type loving. I am happy to say that this resolution is very much underway, having already shared a few 'for shits and giggles' postcards between me and my beautiful bestie Grace, and first few letters writing heading their way to destinations around the world :)
8) Do some more photography courses, develop and broaden skills further
9) Save money to either A) Go live in Europe, B) study videography in Prague, or C) travel the world and my leisure and start knocking off my bucketlist!
10) Learn Parkour/Free running- something that has been on my bucketlist for the last few years, but after my first 'lesson' in Parkour and getting to watch someone/people who are really very talented at said activity, my resolve to master this has deepened. So who wants to join me? :D
And that Ladies and Gentlemen, sums up what I hope my 2012 looks like! :D I hope that you have all set, and written down (reasonable and attainable) goals for yourself and if you have- go for them! :D
Lets do this 2012, just in case it IS the last year of the world! haha ;)
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