the (old) scruffy truffles

Truffles' terrible trim

Nathan took Truffles for a hair cut on Friday. The dog groomers did a terrible job. Truffles ended up looking like she had been attacked by a whipper snipper. The hair cut was so terrible that when I got home, we had to use my hair clippers to give her another cut. She now looks naked. I want my scruffy little bitch back.

long time between posts

Wow...I was surprised to see how long ago I had last posted something on my blog. I guess I've been busy with life and neglecting to write about it. Let's see...where to begin? Maybe the negatives first. The dog ate a hole in wall. Yep. It happened two mondays ago. I was working from home and I heard 'cruch crunch' noises from the wall behind the stairs. And sure enough, Truffles has gouged a hole in the wall and actually ate the plaster (she won't eat the dog biscuits but evidently she likes plaster). Aside from the hole in the wall, the only other negative in the past few weeks has been the weather. My aircon at work is broken so it feels like a sauna in my office (minus the naked bodies). Ok...that's it for the negatives.

Now, the positives. My folks have been in town, which means a lot of excessive (food) consumption. Over the past weekend I have been wallowing in excessive feast, gorging on roast duck, mud crab with ginger and shallot, and yummy steamed fish (among other things). I am also looking forward to the opening of the new hang of indigenous art at the National Gallery of Victoria. The last exhibition had been on for almost two years so it will be nice to see some new stuff (I have been attempting sneak previews by going up to the first floor and looking down over the balconies onto the indigenous galleries but there is only so much I can see).

flowers (still) in the loft

These pineapple lillies sure have staying power. They are the same bunch I blogged about several weeks ago and they are still looking fresh (albeit a bit greener in colour than when I first bought them). Great value for money.

New acquisition

Nathan and I bought this little side table yesterday. Still haven't decided what to put on top of it yet so Wal and Norm (my bird sculptures from Central Australia) are having a go at perching on it.

Dinner tonight is...

...Thai green curry crab.

I was at the Queen Vic Markets and couldn't resist getting some blue swimmer crabs for tonight.  Can't wait to tuck into them. Yum, yum.

art well hung

The Leopold museum in Vienna recently held an after hours showing of their exhibition 'Nude men from 1800 to Today', where visitors were allowed to tour the exhibition naked. I wonder if similar showings would do well at the NGV? Perhaps at the nest 'winter masterpiece'?

The joys of pet ownership

Nathan had been away in Perth. And I had been left in charge of the dog for the week. Total disaster. The dog had an upset tummy and left a mess on the balcony. She also had dingleberries. Yesterday I decided to clean up the balcony...which involved a pair of latex gloves, reams of paper towel, two garbage bags and several kinds of cleaning products. It was not a pleasant experience. I had intended to leave the dingleberries for Nathan to take care of but they were starting to gross me out so I decided to give the dog a bath.  I donned the latex gloves and carted the dog off to the laundry sink. She was not very cooperative. I ended up washing her under the shower instead.  I ended up wetter than the pooch. Oh well, at least she smells nice again and the balcony looks presentable.

Happy year of the snake

Nathan and I are back in Canberra celebrating chinese new year. As is typical of any trip back to Canberra, the menu for the entire duration of our stay has been meticulously planned out by my parents. And because this is chinese new year, the meals have to be even more spectacular and elaborate than usual. So far, we have been treated to a gluttonous feast of (among other things) braised whole duck stuffed with eight treasures (I could only count 5 but have been assured there are, indeed, 8); lobster with ginger and shallot; a raw salmon salad which we have to toss around with our chopsticks for luck (don't ask me why); another salad that would sit comfortably in any episode of fear factor (picture a plate of jellyfish, chicken feet, century egg); and dumplings (some of which have had coins or dried dates hidden within to symbolize wealth or luck for anyone fortunate enough to get them, which inevitably means over-eating in a quest to nab a wealthy/lucky dumpling).

Phew...

Been watching the havoc being caused by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald as it moves south. In hindsight, I think I was lucky to have been in Townsville and to have flown out when I did. Although the rain was quite intense and there was some minor flooding, the weather system seemed to have caused far less damage in Townsville than in other areas.

flowers in the loft

Went and bought these today. They are called pineapple lilies (I guess because of the leaves that sit on top of the flowers). The plants are native to Africa and look rather exotic don't you think?

Back from Townsville

Wow, we sure picked a good week to head to north Queensland. Trying to collect aquatic animals in streams during a torrential downpour was an experience I won't be forgetting too soon. The "highlight" was having dozens of cockroaches and spiders crawling up our legs and perching on top of our heads to escape the rising waters.

savage garden

Check out my new pet. It's a Nepenthes (also known as a tropical pitcher plant or monkey cup). I have to give it water and the occasional housefly but I won't have to worry about it pissing on the carpet.  

heading north...again

I've been back in the office only three days and I'm once again heading off...this time to Townsville. I'll be going up with a couple of my grad students for fieldwork. I haven't been up there since my own PhD days and I must say I'm kinda looking forward to it – even though Townsville isn't quite as lush or glamorous as Cairns. I'll still have to keep a look out for crocodiles though...but fortunately the areas where we will be going are only meant to be inhabited by freshwater crocs which, unlike the salties, are not known to consume humans. I am more worried about bumping into red necks (in the course of my research, I've been subject to more xenophobic comments in North Queensland than anywhere else in the world). On the plus side, I'm looking forward to spending some free time gorging on ice cream at Frosty Mango.

sexy stag...

I bought this from a vintage shop last week. I think it's made of brass and only has one antler. I'm trying to figure out what it might have originally been attached to as there is a chain near the back leg. The shop owner thinks it might have sat on top of an old clock. Any ideas/guesses?

Sydney

There was the obligatory trip to the Fish Market for lunch and a visit to the Art Gallery of NSW to see the Francis Bacon exhibition. The highlight, however, was a giant 'rubber ducky' moored at Darling Harbour.

On the whole, it was a flying visit...we decided to go back to Canberra super early on the Tuesday due to the catastrophic fire warnings. Am now back in Melbourne enjoying some cooler weather. Truffles seems to have turned into a giant in the week I was away.

the holidays

My folks have been in town for Christmas and New Year. There has been a lot of wallowing in excessive feast, from turkey and ham on Christmas Day to pho in Springvale a couple of days ago. So it was nice to finally spend some quiet time at home last night. Nathan and Truffles went to a friend's place at Point Cook for New Years Eve, while I spent the last 24 hours or so home alone, eating pasta and cleaning up the apartment. I'm heading back to Canberra tomorrow with the family and will be making a flying visit to Sydney while I'm up 'north'. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see the Francis Bacon exhibition at the AGNSW. It's going to be a busy 2013 but I'm going to ease into it slowly (I'm on leave until mid January...hoorah...no bloody research grants to write or worry about this year).

rewind

Am back from my tropical island escapade teaching course. But here are some pictures (just received from my friend via email) from my trip a few weeks ago to Norway.

We went to a fancy restaurant in Oslo for a lavish Christmas lunch. Here I am in the snow.

Here is the lunch.

Here is the poor musk ox hanging over the fireplace.

And here is the monkfish I saw at a fishmongers back in the city.

the birds

The island is full of bird life – and they are not shy of humans.

The white capped noddies are currently nesting all over the island. Despite their fishy-smelling droppings, I think the are a very beautiful bird.

My favourite, however, are the rails. They are very mischievous and try to get into the research station kitchen (one did manage to get in the other night and it took quite some effort to get it out again).

Speaking of the night time antics of birds...the mutton birds make the weirdest noises at night...a bit like wailing children.

pictures from paradise

Been here on the Great Barrier Reef since Tuesday for an undergraduate field course (did I mention I love my job?). Here are some (bad) photos taken using Photo booth from my laptop.

Me by the beach. Only a couple of nights earlier, a loggerhead turtle had come up to lay her eggs only meters from where I am standing.

A beautiful giant clam at the research station aquarium.

A view onto the reef.

I'm off again

Barely recovered from the jet lag, I'm already preparing for the next trip. Fortunately this one is just interstate...a week and a half on a tropical island for work. Before my trip to Norway, I had arranged to get prescription sunglasses made so I could take them with me. I went to collect them yesterday but when I put them on, everything looked blurry. At first, I thought I just needed time for my eyes to adjust but it soon became apparent that they had made a mistake with one of the lenses. The store manager said she'd try to get them corrected for me before I go. Otherwise, she offered to courier them to me. Not sure what kind of courier service they use but I doubt they'd be able to easily get it to me.

I'm back...

The flight was uneventful (which is a good thing I guess). There were grumpy toddlers sitting behind me and a baby screaming in our section of the plane but, alas, I couldn't hear a thing thanks to my Bose noise cancelling headphones (the best Christmas presents ever). Currently at home with Truffles trying to relax (and catch up on sleep) before work tomorrow.

the grand buffet

Well, having just returned from my breakfast, I can certainly see why it is the best in Norway. In fact, it is the best breakfast buffet I have ever had (and the best thing is that I'll get to have it again tomorrow morning, and the morning after that too). It was bloody amazing. They had separate 'stations' dedicated to cereals and breads, waffles and pastries, eggs (e.g. fried, scrambled, poached, custom-made omelette), fresh fruit, freshly squeezed fruit juices, chacuterie, fromagerie, poissonerie (and pretty much every other kind of '-erier' you can think of). Apart from one poached egg, I pretty much spent the last 40 minutes gorging on the wide selection of Norwegian smoked and cured fish.

large tasty mammals...Norwegian style

I am finding it exceedingly difficulty to settle into the time zone on this visit. Anyhow, what better way to whittle away the wee hours of the morning than to update one's blog. I left Oslo yesterday for the beautiful city of Trondheim. So far, even though I am here in Norway for work, I must say that the visit has been a real culinary treat. The seafood here is magnificent...they even have whale on the menu. Apparently, whale is very tasty but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to eating it (even though its meant to be a tightly regulated and sustainable fishery in Norway). Anyhoo... speaking of large tasty mammals, I had moose for dinner last night. I was told by my hosts that it was a roast leg of moose. Actually, it was a portion of the leg of a moose (I'd imagine an actual leg of moose would have had difficulty fitting into their oven). Talk about yum. I had no idea the meat would be so tender. It was flavourful, melt-in-your-mouth and juicy...everything you could possibly want out of a piece of meat (the secret, apparently, is to cook it on very low heat). Anyhow, I have been assured that the culinary ventures will continue this morning...evidently the hotel I am staying at does the best breakfast in Norway but alas, I still have two hours to kill before the restaurant is open.

darkness in Norway

The days are short at this time of the year. Mid afternoon feels like early evening and early evening feels like the middle of the night…probably not helped by a long, sleep-deprived flight. After gorging on Norwegian fish cakes for dinner (purchased from the local markets), I was sound asleep by 7pm.

Oslo and Munch

It was pretty warm on Saturday afternoon when I left Melbourne. About a day later, I found myself arriving in Oslo at the other temperature extreme (- 1 degree to be exact). I am staying with my friend, Marianne. After dropping off the bags at Marianne’s apartment and a quick shower, we decided to head out to the Munst museum. As the name suggests, the museum is dedicated to the works of Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch. The artist’s most iconic painting is The Scream.

There are several versions in existence, one of which was on display. The security at the museum is one of the most extreme I have ever seen for art gallery. Visitors firstly have to go through an airport-like security system (x-ray machine for bags, walk through metal detectors), and several glass gates/barriers before entering the security camera-laden gallery spaces to see the paintings. Leaving the exhibition requires visitors to pass through two addition security gates. The reason for the heightened security? A few years ago, the museum fell victim to a brazen theft of several Munch paintings. Still, the system in place seems a bit of an over kill to me.

orchids at Changi

I enjoy going for a bit of a wander around Changi airport. Apart from the benefits of walking after a long flight, there are lots of pretty garden beds scattered throughout the airport. Here is one planted with nice orchids.

scandinavian bound...again

I'm off to Norway today. I've never been before so I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be a very quick visit though (back in Oz already by the following Monday). I'll spend the first few days in Oslo visiting my friend, Marianne, before heading north for work. Marianne has already warned me that it will be cold but I had a look at the weather forecast and it looks like Canberra winter temperatures to me so I think I'll be alright. The University that invited me will be paying for the trip and my hosts have promised to take me to a nice sushi restaurant when I am there. Should be fun.

Marimekko

I fell in love with the Finnish textile and design store Marimekko when I was living in Helsinki. Every time I go back to Finland, I would invariably drop into a Marimekko shop (or three) to check out their home wares, fabrics and bags. Well...as of last week, I no longer have to haul my purchases half way across the globe: Marimekko has launched its first stores here in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne). Nathan and I popped into the Melbourne shop today and went on a buying frenzy. Here I am checking out the cushions:

A lovely purple, red and orange cushion for the festive season:

Me modelling the tea towels and oven glove that I'm not sure if I will use:

:

sketch

My Swedish friend sent me this link a few days ago. I believe it has gone viral. In any case, I think it's a very clever (and funny) way of communicating the issue of marriage equality.

visit to the vet

We took Truffles to the vet today. Nathan and I were hoping to go to the clinic of our favourite vet blogger, Dr Nic, but unfortunately the lack of a car meant that we had to search for a clinic closer to home. The good news is that we managed to find a vet within walking distance. And he seems very passionate about animals. In fact, he spent the first minute with his face buried in Truffle's face, while Truffles vigorously licked the vet's nose and lips (As much as Nathan and I love Truffles, even we don't let Truffles lick us on the lips). We probably would have said something though if the vet proceeded to sniff Truffles' butt but fortunately he didn't. The vet was very good with the Truffles so we've decided to bring her back there for desexing in a few week's time.

she can be cute when she behaves

crime scene

The victim (a bromeliad):

The suspect:

Caught in the act:

Truffles

Meet the new addition to the family. Truffles is a Scottish west highland white terrier cross.

orchids

I saw these sexy spider orchids yesterday at a florist in Fitzroy and decided I had to get them. Fortunately, they survived the very windy walk back home from the tram stop.

pork and scones

Today was the perfect Sunday. I woke up at a reasonable hour for a change (as opposed to getting up at dawn's crack) and lazed about in bed savouring the thought of a nice, relaxing day ahead. Lunch was a roast loin of pork I started preparing the night before to ensure that the skin would crackle to perfection. And it did (for a change)...Crispy, crunchy, yummy crackling. Later in the afternoon, Nathan and I decided to go for a walk along the Yarra. We made our way to the NGV for scones before making our way home back along the Yarra, soaking up the sun and the wonderful atmosphere.

dress ups

Two weeks and two dress up parties. Last week was a halloween-themed party. The folks that hosted decked out their house with lots of cobwebs, fake blood and artificial body parts. Nathan wore a wig and a cape. I wore a henchman's outfit accompanied by a plastic axe. Last night's party had a 90s theme. I've decided that the 90s was a very nondescript decade. Most people dressed up as movie characters from the decade. Nathan went as Jim Carrey's character from The Mask. It was embarassing catching the taxi with him (bright yellow suit, painted green face). I went as a scientist from Jurassic Park (with a canister containing a dinosaur 'embryo'). There was 90s music playing all night, with the video clips projected onto a big screen. There's something rather formulaic about a 90s video clip...half naked back up dancers, skimpy outfits, random words flashing, block colours, and an obligatory rapper. Cheesy but fun.

visit to fed square

A few weekends ago, Nathan I went to the NGV for a wander...

A cute sculpture.

Nathan looking futuristic.

Me looking annoyed being photographed in the street.

mumbling to self

I spent the day working at the Prahran library yesterday. Sometimes it's good to get out of the office...too many distractions. There is a quiet area at the back of the library with desks for people to work so I found myself a nice little spot and settled into the thesis I was suppose to be marking. About an hour in, a guy settles into a desk opposite me and starts to use the internet. At first, he was mumbling very softly to himself (evidently there were some issues with his keyboard or internet connection). But then he got increasingly more aggressive and started swearing at the computer, talking to himself, and banging wildly at the computer. This goes on for at least half an hour. Seriously, are those antics really necessary?

training back and forth

we

Nathan and I rushed to catch the train this morning with the intention of going out to Armadale for brunch. We realised (a bit too late) that we were on an express train that didn't stop at Armadale. We got off at the next stop (Caulfield), walked over to a platform for city bound trains, and hopped onto another train. We then realised we had boarded yet another express train back to the city. Once again, we bypassed Armadale. We both felt pretty stupid.

stereotyped

A stranger on the tram this afternoon started chatting with me and asked what course I was doing in Australia. He had assumed I was an international student. Seriously? In today's multicultural society, is it still right to assume that someone who is not white is either (1) new to the country or (2) a foreign student? I politely told him I am Australian and grew up in Canberra.

best of intentions

Nathan and I had heard that the Napoleon exhibition at the NGV was opening 24 hours over this, its final, weekend. We were both very enthusiastic about going and had been talking about it all week. And then, last night, neither of us had the will power to carry it out.

totally wimpy

I stayed up specifically to watch the Japanese version of the horror flick The Ring last night. Twenty minutes before it was due to finish, I switched off the TV. I was too scared to watch the end.

Copenhagen rethink

Hmmm...I might have to reassess my negative views about Copenhagen. My friend, the one who had his wallet 'stolen', had it sent back to him in Finland. Either the thief was nice or some good samaritan found it and took it to the police station. Perhaps it was never stolen in the first place (my friend is pretty clumsy...he might have simply dropped it).

waste of money

This map shows the three stops that a trial ferry will be making as it moves around the Docklands.

What an absolute waste of money. Those stops are already easily accessible by catching the 48, 70 or city circle trams. In fact, the two furthest stops are just a short 15-20 minute walk apart. My dad will love it though because it is free.

gum nuts in the loft

I love the silvery foliage of these Eucalypt stems. They are sitting in an Aalto vase I brought back from Finland in 2006.

brekky today...

...arepa with beans and feta.

the izakaya with no sake

According to Wikipedia, "An izakaya (居酒屋) is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks". Well, imagine our surprise when we went to a newly opened izakaya at Hawthorn last night and were told that they weren't able to serve alcohol b/c their liquor license hasn't been approved yet. It didn't bother me so much (I don't drink). My friend's husband, on the otherhand, wasn't too pleased.

the cholesterol challenge

Oats. Krill oil tablets. Macadamia nuts. Salmon. Even chia seeds. You'd think the steps I've taken to reduce my cholesterol would pay off. But no...it actually went up. Sigh. Hmmm...I wonder if eating those ox tail stews and cholesterol-rich squid might have been counter-productive.

Meat

I went to Queen Vic markets yesterday just before closing time. If I had bothered to check the time, I may well have skipped it altogether. The vendors in the meat section were desperate to get rid of all their produce. I attempted to buy 2 kg of ox tail from one of the butcher stalls. The woman behind the counter asked if I wanted the rest of the tray. I asked her if it was 2kg worth. She told me it was about 2.5 so I gave her the thumbs up (it's so noisy that hand gestures work well). She bagged the meat and placed in on the scale and then told me it was 3.5kg and asked if that was ok. You can probably guess what my answer was.

Squid

Ok...so three food-related posts in a row must make me look like I've done precious little this weekend other than eat. And you know what, it's true. But heck, if it's blowing a gail outside, I'd much rather be in front of the kitchen conjuring up a culinary feast. So...back to the topic of this post: squid. After we left Silo, Nathan and I headed up to the Queen Vic markets. I ended up buying a couple of squid (with heads still attached), with the idea of making salt and pepper squid for lunch (the problem with eco-friendly breakfasts is that you get hungry very quickly). We brought our molluscs home and I got started on the prep work. Now, I have to admit at this point that I've only ever prepared squid once before (and I must have blocked the trauma of the experience out of my mind) but let me just say it right now...preparing squid is a friggin' bitch. I reckon this guy knows what I'm talking about:

The kitchen was plastered with ink, guts, and beaks. But it was their eyes that really got the best of me. Those advanced cephalopod eyes. I don't know how I did it, but I did manage to get some edible parts from the dismembered body sitting in the sink. These (i.e. the edible bits) were dusted in flour, paprika, salt and pepper, and lovingly fried in oil (for only a few seconds...you don't want to over-cook them). Accompanied with some mayonnaise and wedges of lemon, the squid turned into a most delectable experience after all.

A zero waste breakfast

In return for the sumptuous dinner the night before, Nathan suggested going out for brekky yesterday so we headed off to Silo. It took us a while to find the place but the cafe was located in Hardware Street in the CBD right opposite the Hardware Societe cafe (which, by the way, seemed a lot more popular with a long line of people waiting outside). Our venue was far less crowded and I must admit that when the menu was delivered to us, I very nearly joined the back of Societe's queue. It's not that I don't have faith in Nathan's choice of restaurant venues (his cooking is another matter) but when the menu has dishes titled 'leek, egg, seeds', it does make me a little nervous ('where's the sausage?'). The waiter did explain, however, that this was an eco-friendly cafe (whatever the heck that means) so I guess I was in for an ecologically guilt-free breakfast experience (And why not? I am an ecologist after all). I was more nervous for Nathan (he complains when I sprinkle chia seeds on his porridge or serve him quinoa with the sunday roast). But as it turns out, my concerns were unfounded. We were both extremely satisfied with our 'coddled hen egg with mushrooms'. The bread they served it on is made in-house (and when I say 'made' I mean they even mill their own flour!), as was the soy milk I had with my earl grey. Sure, I'd probably like to try Hardware Societe one day (there must be a reason why folks were patiently waiting in line in the wind yesterday to secure a table), but I had to hand it to Nathan for picking Silo. And the smug bastard knew it too. As we walked out of the restaurant, he asked "Were you surprise I picked such a great place?". "Not as surprised as you", I replied.

Shoya

It was friday. I was feeling in need of a treat so I arranged with Nathan to meet up after work for a fancy dinner. When I think fancy, I think of japanese. I'm not talking about teppanyaki here (is it even authentic?). No, we went for japanese degustation at Shoya. It's been a while but it was still amazing. We went for the 'festive course'. And festive it certainly was (in fact, each morsel they brought out felt like a full on carnival in my mouth). My favourite was the beef cheek wrapped in spinach. A lot of food though. Nathan and I had to go friday night shopping afterwards to help us digest.

Weekend

What a glorious weekend. The weather was fantastic. Nathan and I went to Northcote for lunch with his cousin on Saturday. Today, we headed off to the Camberwell markets in the morning before making our way to Victoria street for sugar cane prawns and vietnamese noodle soup for lunch. We spent the afternoon perusing bric-a-brac and then headed to the Queen Vic markets, where we bought some produce for tonight's dinner (ox tail for soup...I love doing a soup or a slow braise on the weekends). I'm feeling totally rejuvenated for the week ahead (including the start of 8am lectures). Bring it on.

Grandma's 90th

We celebrated my maternal grandma's 90th last weekend. So, basically the day after returning from Europe, I was at the airport again (this time with Nathan) on our way to Canberra. All the extended family were descending into town. My uncle and aunt were already there and made paella for us on the Friday night when we arrived. The paella was a personal request (my uncle and his wife lived in Brazil for many years and are exceptional cooks). My cousins arrived on the Saturday from Brisbane, as did my sister and brother-in-law from Melbourne. I hadn't seen my two cousins for years. They are all married now, with kids. Very cute (the kids, that is). Saturday night was the actual birthday party. We went to the Hyatt for...of course, a buffet (What is it with chinese families and buffets?) All of my dad's side of the family were invited too. All in all, I think grandma had a nice birthday party. 90 years is a hell of a long time when you think about it. She has seen the world change very rapidly in her life time and has experienced so much (including a world war).

jesus christ!

This news story made me laugh so much.

No.....

"Unfortunately the in-flight entertainment system is not available in economy class on your flight AY081 Helsinki - Singapore Changi 21.08.2012 due to technical reasons. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this may cause you. Kind regards, Finnair Customer Service"

Two green bananas

The consumption of green bananas (a tip I read about in the Lonely Planet Guides) appears to have done the trick. My stomach has settled.

A most forgettable day

I have a bout of the squirts so have been confined to bed all day. I'm staying hydrated with plenty of energy drinks and trying my best not to shit myself. Other than that, I just have to let it run its course. I suspect it was the salmon salad I had in Lund before I left. Food poisoning is a real pain in the butt (literally...it is seriously hurting down there from the coarse toilet paper). I think I'll be ok though (so don't worry mum). It seems that it wasn't only me that had a shit day. My travelling buddy went out in the afternoon and was pick-pocketted.

Scandinavian delight

I LOVE these shrimp sandwiches...

Back in Copenhagen

The conference ended today so my Finnish friend and I caught the train to Copenhagen. The trains connecting Sweden and Denmark are very confusing...there are special carriages for people who don't want to talk, people who have prams, people on bikes, those with luggages, and those who are disabled. Do the wrong thing in the wrong carriage attracts wrath from the otherwise peaceful Scandinavian commuters (i made that mistake on my first train rip when I was chatting to an American in the no speaking carriage). We are staying in a hotel close to Chinatown that has no front desk. The way it works is that you get a text on the day you are due to arrive and are provided with a code that opens the front and room door. It's very impersonal but efficient. Not surprisingly, I was told it is a Finnish hotel chain (Finns seem to go out of their way to interact with people). Still no sign of Princess Mary but I did see some Arne Jacobsen swan chairs. Swoon. Oh, and apparently it is Copenhagen pride this week. What a coincidence.

Copenhagen

Had a half day off yesterday so I took the train with some friends/colleagues across to Copenhagen for the afternoon. One of the friends suggested we avoid the touristy part of town and to go, instead, to the 'meat village.' It turned out to be a mistake. The meat village was not as hip as it sounded. Within 5 minutes of walking through a courtyard, we witnessed a woman having a heroin overdose so we promptly left and went to a nearby cafe for ice cream instead. Other than the cafe where we were having our ice cream, this district of Copenhagen seemed a bit seedy. Every second shop was a tattoo parlour with people who look like skinheads standing outside. We decided to go to the touristy end of town after that.

dinner by a brook

I caught up for dinner with my former boss from the US and a few other American's last night at the home of a dutch girl who now works in Lund. We had a Swedish-Italian-American feast. Starters were very Swedish – lots of fish (smoked, pickled, more of that pink stuff in a tube) – along with some ham and salami that my boss had brought over from Italy. His wife cooked a beautiful risotto with chanterelle mushrooms for mains which was a perfect accompaniment for grilled ribs and pork chops. Both my former boss and wife are jewish but obviously they don't keep kosher. We ate dinner at the back of the dutch girl's house, which overlooks a brook (teeming with iridescent blue damselflies) and a paddock with two horses running around....beautiful (it felt a bit like a photo shoot for some epicure/travel magazine). I met their two young daughters for the first time. They speak perfect English, Italian, French and Spanish but the oldest is only 5! When it got dark, shooting stars were streaming across the sky. What a wonderful evening.

the pink stuff in the tube

I headed down for brekky this morning at the hotel cafe. It was deserted. It seems everyone else must be sleeping in so I help myself to the food. They had reconstituted scrambled 'egg' on the menu. I didn't know it was reconstituted. It tasted like egg but had a nasty texture (don't think I'll be going for that again). There was also pickled herring at the buffet. I developed a liking for it on my last visit to Sweden but it is definitely an acquired taste and it took me several attempts before I finally decided I can stomach it. In addition to the pickled fish, I also tried some of the pink fish egg that comes in a toothpaste-like tube. Salty.

Lund

Flew from Helsinki to Copenhagen this morning and caught the train to Lund in Sweden where I will be based for the next few days. Lund is a beautiful city – probably the most beautiful city I have seen so far in Sweden. My colleague and I bought some nice bread, salad and smoked salmon and had a nice picnic lunch in the botanic gardens. We are now sitting in a nice cafe somewhere enjoying the sunshine and practising our conference presentations. I'm really looking forward to exploring the city over the next few days (in between breaks at the conference of course).

Finland - day 2

The second day of my trip in Finland was a mix of work and play. I caught up with one of my colleagues for lunch and then spent a couple of hours working on a scientific manuscript in a cafe. As a reward, we went shopping afterwards. There was the obligatory stop over at Marimekko as well as a visit to H&M (Nathan had a wish list of clothes he wanted me to get for him). In the evening, I caught up with some other friends at a restaurant that was simply called "China". Evidently it was the "first chinese restaurant in Helsinki since 1973". Not sure exactly what that means but it was packed with chinese people. In fact, I haven't seen so many Asians in the once place since leaving the airport. The food was passable. Then it was off to a bar for post dinner drinks. We each ordered a 'mocktail.' I know it sounds lame but one of us was pregnant (not me) and one of us doesn't drink. Plus, we had to get up early the next day for our flight to Copenhagen.

Helsinki calling

I am in Finland (again). This time, I'm in transit (sort of). I head off to Copenhagen tomorrow and then catching the train to Sweden for a conference. I'll be returning to Copenhagen for a couple of days after that. I'm looking forward to it, having never been to Denmark before. I wonder if I'll see Princess Mary? Anyhoo...back to Finland. I got in bright and early yesterday morning (i.e. 6.30am but the sun was already high in the sky). I've brought a cold with me. Managed not to get sick the entire winter until just a few days ago after catching up with a friend in the city ("I'm not contagious," she said. Yeah right). One of the first things I do in Helsinki is go to the supermarket and purchase a bottle of unsweetened lingonberry juice (well, I accidentally bought unsweetened cranberry juice but that's what happens when you can't read Finnish and have to rely on the picture on the label). I guzzled half of it in one go. It was mouth-numbingly sour but I'm thinking (in hope) that the hit of vitamin c and powerful anti-oxidants will do me some good. I then spent the afternoon fishing in Helsinki harbour on a tinny. It was my friend's idea. He said I needed to stay awake, get some sun and try to overcome the jet lag. We caught 16 pike perch, took three home (on the bus), and ate them for dinner. I was asleep by 10pm. Perfect.

sink fixed...I hope

The builder and plumber came in and fixed the sink on Friday. Yay! Apparently the original plumbing work was mega dodgy...there was a bloody hole in the pipe. No wonder water was gushing out and rotting the skirting boards. The plumber had to cut out the old pipe and install a new one. The smell that came out of the plumbing system was pretty nasty. The plumber reckons it's the worst he has ever smelt. Both he and the builder were speculating as to what the smell could be. "At least you know that shit smells like shit", the builder said.

surprises under the kitchen sink

I've had dramas with my apartment ever since I bought the place back in 2005. In fact, it wasn't long after moving in that I first noticed a damp smell coming from the kitchen area. Because it was a new apartment complex, I got the builders to come in to check it out. At the time, they insisted it was just the pipes and that things would settle. It didn't. The skirting board started to expand indicating that there was a moisture problem under the kitchen bench. Because I was still covered by the builder's warranty, I got someone from the building company back to check it out earlier this year. He removed the worst of the skirting boards to reveal a microcosm of fungal diversity flourishing under my kitchen. He told me to let it dry out and that he would return in a couple of weeks to have another look. He came back six months later. This time, he removed a much larger piece of skirting board that had become rotten so that he could inspect the plumbing. The amount of construction debris/rubbish that was still sitting in the cavity was absolutely astounding. The guy ended up pulling out 2 bags of decaying pieces of wood, nails, tape and even an old cigarette box...all of this rubbish had been left in situ when the builders installed the kitchen. Is it standard practise for builders to entomb rubbish in wall cavities and under kitchen cabinets? It makes me wonder what other treasures lie hidden away in my apartment.

surely not...

According to the Angus and Robertson webpage, people who bought my book are also fans of Fifty Shades of Grey. Really?

catching up with the boys

I caught up with two of my closest friends last night for dinner at an inner city Vietnamese restaurant. One of the friends just got back from overseas. I have known him since grade 4. He and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy. The other I met while at uni and is currently working on the manuscript for his second novel, which will be centered on a gay character. He has been quite heavily (and obsessively) researching the piece and I recently wrote about his visit to a sex-on-premises venue (quite brave given that he is both straight and has a girlfriend). Maybe it's the stage we are at in our lives but it does seem that we are now having very grown up conversations. We talk about my friend's baby. What will they call their son? (not sure yet, but it'll have to match the Spanish surname of his dad). Will the baby be circumcised (Don't know. Don't care. Got to ask the wife. Her background is Jewish). We turn to my other friend. Has he and his girlfriend started talking about babies yet (Yes....the plan is to have a baby within the next year and a half...women and their biological clocks...tick, tick, tick ). My turn. Will Nathan and I ever get married? Have kids? It's so far from my reality, I tell them, I haven't allow myself to think about marriage or kids. "Nathan and I are thinking about getting a dog though", I say.

provincial

I got to the National Gallery and bump into my friend's mum, his cousin, the cousin's wife and newborn baby. I go to the national museum and bump into my friend's husband and their two kids in the gift shop. I go to a cafe for afternoon tea and bump into my uncle, aunt, and three of my cousins. Everywhere I go in Canberra, I see familiar people. It's hard to sneak into town.

out in chinatown

I'm in Canberra for the week (too much annual leave). I arrived on Saturday and, after the obligatory visit to Costco (it is next to the airport and my folks are a fan), went for a family lunch in Dickson (Canberra's china town). The owner of the restaurant used to work for my parents. She is loud, nosy and inquisitive. And, like many chinese people, feel that it is perfectly acceptable to ask about your personal life. Sure enough, the moment I walked into the restaurant, she ambushes me (in cantonese) "When are we going to see you with a girl next to you?". I roll my eyes. She persists and speaks at a volume that is typical of cantonese-speakers (i.e. loud so that the entire restaurant can hear) "Do you have a girlfriend yet?" "No," I reply. "Why not?", she asks. I am silent and present her with a steely smile [how does one say 'homosexual' in cantonese?]. Sensing that she wasn't getting anywhere with me, she moves onto my married sister and brother-in-law. "When are you two going to have a child? Your parents want grandchildren" [ok, she is not only nosy, but psychic too]. Then she turns to my youngest sister. "Do you have a boyfriend yet? Aunty knows lots of people. Let me be your matchmaker." [nosy, psychic and relationships expert]. When she has finally had enough, she walks away. I whisper to the family "Let's not come here again."

reconciling receipts

I spent the day trying to reconcile my work credit card statement with the huge pile of invoices and receipts I have accumulated in the last few months. Our uni just switched to an online system. Previously, we had to staple all our tax invoices onto a sheet. Now, we just have to scan everything in. Thanks to the photo booth function on my mac...I have been taking photos of my receipts instead...

digit ratio

In light of the comments to my last post from Andrew and Victor, I decided to do some further research and it seems that the evidence for 2D:4D ratio differences between straight and gay men is not as clear cut as what I had originally thought. While some studies have reported statistically significant differences, others have not. So Andrew and Victor can breath easy. Intriguingly, according to a study published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour in 2003, digit ratio does appear to relate to erotic role preferences in gay men.