You have to watch

ORPHAN BLACK

Lately we've tried a few other shows.

The Following with Kevin Bacon as ex-FBI drunkard on the trail of charismatic serial killer cult leader. It's worth a look if only for the weirdness of the cult man. The episodes can be very jam-packed with unrealistic events and the pacing is too much.

We had a look at Banshee and after a few episodes I pulled the pin. It's really not very good. While the premise was kind of interesting - criminal gets released from gaol, wanders into situation where he ends up killing and then taking the identity of the new sheriff in town, only to be embroiled in, well, everything.

And then now we are in the midst of Orphan Black. All I can say is watch it, it is so fucking good. I reckon it's up there with Walking Dead, Game of, True Blood (before it went not very good)... In a word, it's clones. That's not a spoiler cause you kind of find it out very quickly. But the actor playing the clones is so good, you really forget she is the same person. It's so clever. The acting is excellent across all the characters, and it's compelling viewing, well-paced, developing well (we are 3 eps from end of second season). And it's possibly the first show I've seen where not just one female leads, but all of the main characters are females. It includes this particular character, Helena, who grew up in a Ukraine nunnery. She is amazing and we love her:

She is disturbed and violent and unpredictable. She is smart and snaky but also sentimental and calls her twin sestra, which I'm guessing is Ukrainian for 'sister.' This tv has amazing acting and amazing scripts. It's dark and dramatic, at turns funny and moving. It's been a wonderful surprise though it did come highly recommended by 'people who know about this stuff.'

The other thing is that sexuality is kind of a theme. Sarah is the central clone character and her foster brother is Felix, a gay guy. Then one of her clone 'sisters' is a lesbian (or at least is in a relationship with a woman) and then, just in the episode we watched last night, a trans element was introduced. Did not see it coming, but it's great. I'm wondering whether they are going to make a comment about genetics and sexuality in any way.

I cannot recommend highly enough.

*

Nothing else much to report. Am teaching, am writing. Melbourne Writers Festival is coming up, I'm going to a few events.

And I'm going overseas again next year, for about 4 weeks in northern winter. That'll be fun. More about that later.

Hope you are all well.

Cold and quiet

Hello. It's cold and it makes me quiet. I just want to curl up and read in bed with my hotwater bottle. I know this is feeble but I'm still trying to shake off my 'whatever illness thingy' it is that is hanging around. I've had tests, all negative so far. Need to do poo tests for parasites, the doctors are 'seeing so many parasites at the moment.'

Great.

Quiet weekend ahead. The week has been fine if a little busy. Taught Tuesday afternoon/evening, a parent-child session at a school nearby. It went really well so that was good. A huge group in the first session, about 40 people, which is big for these types of things.

Then taught Years 9s at a secondary college out east yesterday and Wednesday, covered six sessions over the two days, so I'm pretty tired. Then went out to dinner last night with my Dad and that was nice. It was the restaurant we used to go to as a family in the late '70s and through the '80s, and the same people are running it, a bunch of Lebanese brothers (it's an Italian restaurant, you know it, it's quite well known, there was a big food poisoning case a few years ago, big fines etc but so well patronised because the portions are so huge, I'm supposing, and the food is not bad.) Anyway, the guys all remember my dad and they just love him. He's like the big man walking into the place, feted by everyone and we hadn't been there for probably 15 or 20 years before we went once last year and then again last night. They kept coming over, telling him how good it was to see him. Brought us port (blech; they are still living in the '70s man) and it was a fun night especially as my daughter spotted a man at a table who looked like Hitler would have, if he'd lived to mid-sixties. he had the moustache, he had the facial features, so then of course we were saying that Hitler had a son, to a French nurse when he was a soldier in WWI. That kind of thing. And here was the secret son. And then we were saying imagine growing up with people telling you that you looked like Hitler; imagine growing up with you not knowing who your father was and then you work it out somehow.

That's a story. Dinner with Hitler. Maybe it's already been done. So. He was there, he ate fried calamari and took a doggie bag with him when he left. They didn't stay that long, maybe they heard us talking about Hitler.

In other news, there isn't any. Not really. So. Am writing (revisions) and rewatching GIRLS (again. I just love it.) We finished watching Puberty Blues, it wasn't terrific. I am not investing in Master Chef, those days are over. Am loving Game of Thrones but only one a week: deprivation. Have started the second book but am having a break and reading other stuff, including at the moment I just started We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler which I'm really enjoying so far. Yesterday I finished The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker: very badly written but I could not stop reading it. It was compelling, annoyingly so. So, what is the mark of a successful book? It has to be that people read it and finish it. That has to be the first mark of whether it works or not. So I suppose in this case, it is true. There is so much buzz about this book, I get it but I don't get it.

Hope everyone is okay, and keeping warm if you're down south.

All is well

Hello. I thought while we waited for more news I would talk about television.

We started watching MasterChef Professionals and really, after the first episode I only watched for Clokes. He likes to have something to watch with me and because we are up to date with Game of Thrones, and our other shows aren't back on yet (Australian Idol, the real Masterchef, Big Brother, I know, I know, how DÉCLASSÉ), I sat through another couple of episodes.

But enough. No more MChef Prof and probably no more Masterchef period. I think I'll give Idol a miss too as it waned for me last time (no Nut Man made it an empty viewing experience) but I will defo watch BB again. I seriously missed it when it stopped, I missed the people, especially this fucking hunk of fucking spunk (sorry):

It had been a while since I had such a crush. It wasn't romantic, not really. It was more I coveted his hair, I loved his [carefully crafted?] unselfconscious demeanour, his humour. I loved the way he said he'd always had trouble getting girls, never getting the girl he liked, how he struggled socially, yet there he was, with millions of us loving him/wanting to get into his pants/be his friend, as well as everyone on the show loving him/wanting to get into his pants/be his friend. He would parade his chubby white body around the place, wearing funny jogging shorts, no top (like evah), thick, white tennis headbands. It was a form of extremely endearing peacocking (see The Game: Neil Strauss) and there is something about a non-conventional person peacocking and either truly not giving a fuck or being very good at the appearance of not giving a fuck.

There will never be another Michael.

Princess and I have started new season of True Blood but we are both disappointed. It's been quite crushing really, so much so that we haven't really talked about it. We got about three episodes in, and I said 'I don't think I'll watch any more but you go ahead' and I think she was so disappointed that I'd bailed, but also feeling it too (or not feeling it.) So it's like something that's between us that's unspoken - eventually I guess we'll get it out, dust it off and talk about it. We finished new season of Dexter and again, while we finished it, every episode she was saying 'It's not the same, he's not the same Dexter. He's not doing his rituals, he's not following his code. He's not doing the kill room and the photos and THEY'RE NOT NAKED ANY MORE! And he's getting involved with her. It's not right, mum!' and I'd say 'Well, it's season (7, 8 can't remember, whatever the most recent is) and they're going to finish it, I can feel it. he's the main protagonist, he has to transform and develop as a character, he HAS to. Even if he is a serial killer,' and she'd go 'I know, but I miss the old Dexter, remember the inner-voice narration he'd do? And the humour?? THERE'S NO HUMOUR ANY MORE' and I'd say 'calm down, darling. I know you're disappointed but it's just what they have to do,' and she'd say 'Well I don't like it. I'm going to watch Season 2 again. It's my favourite season' and I'd say 'okay darling, I'm going to do some work.'

Princess and I are watching GIRLS. We watched the first season over a couple of days. They're only half hour eps and you just blink and they're finished. LOVED IT. Now we get each episode per week and it's almost not worth it because you just haven't got that momentum. We love momentum, the kind that you get after three hours on our red velvet couch. It's a special type. But yeah. GIRLS is good.

So, guess what we are doing, during our GIRLS-free time, our MChef Professionals-free time.

We are watching Seinfeld. Again. From the beginning. And you know, there's nothing like it. I laugh out loud every episode, more than once. It's fucking brilliant tv and just like there'll never be another BB Michael, there'll never be another Seinfeld either, and that's fine because we've still got it and can watch whenever we like. I'll be 80 and watching Seinfeld again. From the beginning.

PS I probably should tell you, all signed up with the agent, all full steam ahead. Will bring news when I can.

housekeeping

a couple of days ago i said i'd bring you some more undies, and the thing that i liked best from the golden age of couture exhibition in bendigo.

shall we do a list? i always like a good list.

1. as i mentioned, i really liked the photography, even more than the clothes if that's possible. on balance, the above was my favourite picture. it's of a model in helena rubenstein's new york apartment.

do you see what i love so much about this?

it's the sink, or the basin or the vanity unit whatever you want to call it. it's marble, it's so wide it can accommodate huge bottles of expensive scent, and it's got a steel interior.

i want that sink more than i want the dress.

the other thing that was a stand-out for me at the exhibition was a dress by a designer i'd never heard of, digby morton. unfortunately i haven't got a picture of it. the exhibition catalogue has a section of the dress (top half) but the book was sold out so i haven't got one yet, and can't even scan that much in. so my description will have to suffice. it was in the evening dress group. it was long, black, made in circa 1954. silk jersey with silk taffeta flounce and underskirt of crepe de chine. it had the most amazing draping, where a section of the dress down the side was draped and gathered across the hip so that the lines ran almost horizontally in parts, fanning out across the curve. the neck was square, with a wide strip of fabric across the bust that presented almost as a pinafore sort of style. little cap sleeves that fell so liquidly. the mannequin was wearing black gloves and it was so stunning i lost interest in the rest of the frocks, and wanted to just stand there looking at this one piece.

long-time readers of this blog will know that i'm not one of those clothes freaks, always going on about shopping, i bought this, i wear that.

this dress was the most beautiful thing i have seen possibly ever.

2. the strumpet and pink lingerie. oh my god. i checked online and the prices are a couple of hundred pounds sterling per piece. so, it's like what, 400 - 600 dollars depending on the item? who can buy this for themselves (apart from high-class hookers) or for someone else (rich, rich men with mistresses, aka high-class hookers). i don't know, but i want them, as well as the sink. here are a couple more...

hunting through the ruffles.

garden of delights

maiden's belt

lingerie with charming names. wonderful.

3. tomorrow ali arrives. life always gets a little complicated when princess' dad arrives from overseas. as the years have passed, things have gotten easier, but there is always still the potential for a rollercoaster ride. i've got my tickets and i'm waiting in the queue. i will only get on if i'm forced to.

4. yesterday i almost died. i mean literally. i was crossing back to our place, we live on a busy road. i was distracted, and was trying to get into town for this vcat thing (next discussion point on the list.) princess had texted me saying she'd forgotten her school shoes (she'd gone in sports uniform) but needed to then change into her school uniform later, including black school shoes. i half thought to let her get in trouble, that way she would learn. but she has been unwell, is already struggling with carrying all the shit she needs to take to school, and with ali looming on the horizon, i guess i wanted to help her out. i'd called her on her phone to ask what she wanted me to do (we only live 5 mins from the school). i was talking on the phone, and stepped onto our street not looking. instinctively i looked, stepped back, and suddenly there was a 4WD going past fast where i had been stepping out to. if i'd taken another step you would never have heard from me again.

it's moments like this that make me reflect. it can be a lost wallet, or a broken glass. all these things tell me to slow down. be careful. take it easy. often we can have so much on our minds, and be rushing around looking after everyone else's needs. we need a reminder to look after ourselves. i couldn't believe how close it had been; i was scared and felt very grateful to still be here.

5. the last 2 days have been in a vcat tribunal. i'm objecting to a proposed development in my street. i am really tired from playing lawyer. i got told off by the madame chair today for asking the same question four different ways, hoping for a better answer. i went red.

6. guitar hero. i got clokes guitar hero world tour for his birthday last week. it would be fair to say that i went from being disparaging and superior - what a lot of rubbish, oh well, if that's what you really want, i'll get it for you, to make you happy - to completely obsessed - oh my god, this is interesting, how good is that, how good am i, look star power, hands of FIYER, I AM A NATURAL, I'M BETTER THAN YOU, LOOK HOW I ROCK in the space of about 10 minutes.

i am a better guitarist than i am a drummer. it makes me really tired, the way the notes spin at you. is there anyone else who's played this terrific game? and perseus and inc and any other real musicians, no scoffing please. to me, this is the chance to be in a band. the only chance that most of us get. so what if it's fake, not real, plastic, fantasy. we are enjoying it.

7. another thing we are enjoying is aussie ladette to lady. i cringe at the opening credits though. those girls are so bad. SO BAD. so much so that each opening at the beginning of the show they show different and new badnesses. there's obviously such a wealth of material for them to choose from. the extent of the drinking, the bad behaviour, wild dry humping scenes in the kitchen, the dummy spits, the running away, the swearing, the parading of australian flag at the end of the hunt. final episode is next week. will it be the stripper? the out of control blonde party girl #1? the out of control formally-blonde-now-brunette party girl #2?

the mind boggles as much as mrs schrager's and mrs harwood's eyes when the girls go mad. actually mrs schrager's teeth come to the fore when she is disgusted, and mrs schrager's voice starts shrieking and HER eyes boggle. love it.

happy thursday everyone. don't get hit by a car and live each moment.

diarama coming next post. will jay ring the young melba? will she lose her virginity soon? who to? how many movies can she watch over and over on vhs on the one borrowing? what happens to sid the cat? does melba go back to study or get a proper job instead of typing an invoice now and then and doing data entry at bizarre times of the day and night? which bands will she see live? what drugs will she graduate to? what happens to her father? does he get hauled in for questioning over a murder? does she set up a darkroom? does she find love? does she move out?