Glebe Fair 2012

Do you ever have a longing to explore or roam by yourself? To discover things you never knew about the very city you live in?

Glebe Fair

I am always astounded when I talk to friends who mention places or events they've visited and that i've never heard of. It's so easy to become arrogant and to assume you know your surrounds - in my case, Sydney,- when in fact, there's always more to discover.

Perusing Sydney's events sites this morning when deciding how to spend a yet-unplanned day, I stumbled upon Glebe Fair. Glebe has always been a rather mysterious place for me; one I've only rarely visited. Though each time I've been, i've enjoyed the alternative, student-y feel and the great antiques and vintage shops. 'THIS will be worth a visit!' I thought, and fortunately I was right.

The Glebe Fair has been running in its current form since 1984 (a whopping 28 years for those who are mathematically challenged) and the turnout for this year's event was expected to reach 100,000. The fair features a diverse range of stalls from commercial business stalls to food stalls with an impressive selection of international cuisines including paella, gozleme, kransky sausage, potato chip skewers, handmade fruit paddlepops, freshly made lemonade and much more. Unfortunately i'd had breakfast at home, so I stuck to a delicious soy latte, but would definitely recommend tasting these wonders next time!

In addition to the food and commercial stalls, there were charitable stalls, clothing and jewelry stalls and some extraordinary craft stalls with stunning paintings and photos, a beautiful Australian timber stall with incredible tables and bread boards, a magic show, and an 'electric cigarette stall', but to be honest although I was curious, everyone seemed to bypass this stall and for fear of association, I didn't satiate my curiosity. So if anyone knows that electric cigarettes do, please don't hesitate to fill me in.

One stall that did grab my attention was an alternative stall with tarot readings and lots ands lots of tie-dye. I ended up having a quick reading done and chose the 'Page of Air'. Apparently I have many choices ahead of me in my immediate future, but now is not the right time to make any big decisions. I need to list all my options on a page, and choose whichever option makes me feel most happy. I also have lots of anxiety in my stomach at the moment apparently; definitely some interesting insights there.

My 'Page of Air' card

Along my meanderings I was intrigued by a man from a group called 'Sprinkles Secret Walls', who was graffiti-ing onto a large board. I watched him for some time and he was very thoughtful in the way he worked. While I watched on he created the head of what I interpreted to be either a wolf or a dog. Such a privilege to watch someone developing their art. I also enjoyed a particular stall where the stall holder created jewelry out of old postage stamps from across the globe. Some of her stamps dated back to the 60s and 70s, and had been transformed into charm bracelets, pendants and cufflinks. A beautiful idea that was well executed. I have never before seen anything like this.

Mr Graffiti Guy

There were also some political activist groups with stalls, one group had created an installation of chairs in a circle, with the words 'common ground' etched onto the road. Unfortunately I'm not too sure what they were campaigning for, but I did enjoy the installation nonetheless.

The unusual art installation

I then stumbled upon a great little antiques shop which also held a clothing boutique and a florist within it. It had a great feel to it; as though you had been sucked back in time to the 60s or 70s, with suitcase tables and old-fashioned leather lounges a-plenty, and that dank smell that somehow is more alluring than repugnant.

To have the luxury of time and freedom to be able to wander and muse, to soak in the sun and to have nowhere important to be was exquisite. Do tell me, do you like spending time on your own, or would you rather explore with friends? And do you ever feel like you're only just discovering your city for the first time?

A place to call my own

In January I moved out of my childhood home and into a nice little two-bedroom apartment close to work with my good friend.

Having spent so long away from home, traveling and being totally independent, there was little chance I would be living at home for too long. Despite having a great relationship with my family, I had to lay my own foundations in my own place. And I wanted to be closer to work.

Our living room

Five months (almost) on, living out of home is still great. It's novel having to pay rent each month and having to remember to pick up groceries as they don't just appear (as great as that would be). Being a bit of a neat freak, keeping the house clean and tidy isn't too bad either. The difficult part is the slow gathering of furniture. We still have no TV stand and are in desperate need of some art to brighten up the bare white walls. A rug might be a good idea, oh and a heater, because it's getting pretty cold as Winter nears.

The kitchen

Despite all of that, there's something so rewarding about arriving home to a clean, airy apartment that we've built up with our own taste of furnishings, that we're paying for with our own salaries. Best of all, those jobs have been landed having slogged it out through 13 years of school and three years of uni.

But what's next? Unexpectedly, it's all about what happens now that I've got this place. For the first time there isn't a logical next step. It was; finish school, schoolies, go to uni, finish uni, go traveling, get a job, move out. And those goals have now all been achieved. So working out where to from here is a challenge.

My bedroom

For the next 40 years, work is on the agenda, and luckily I love my field of work. But I need some splashes of colour that intertwine with being a responsible adult. Travel, definitely. And maybe some volunteering, some hobbies to learn (I'm thinking ceroc dancing, some cooking classes, maybe some art?). Exercise is a given and, having signed up to do Tough Mudder later in the year, training is an important part of life. But I want to know, how do you keep your life interesting outside of work?

Happy New Year 2012

If you haven't seen this video yet, I strongly recommend you check it out. It's a summary of the biggest events of 2011, compiled by Google Zeitgeist. Enjoy the video, I hope that 2012 is even better for you than 2011 was!

At the beginning of last year I had a million travel plans and 10 months to fit them into. I also had a goal to complete a ski season and return to Australia and find a job using my Communications degree by the end of the year. Funnily enough, I achieved all that I set out to in 2011... and I was exhausted (but satisfied) at the end of it. So  when asked myself what my resolutions for 2012 might be, I realised that although I could up the ante on my goals for 2012, I'm not sure that's the best way to make me happy.

I'm learning that it's important I don't wish my life away by constantly setting and reassessing goals and, in so doing, failing to enjoy living in the 'now'. So this year I am setting just one singular goal, which is to move out of home. Achievable (I think!). I will make 2012 a year of being content and making the 'now' the best it can be. I might decide to dabble in some french classes at the Alliance Francaise, or maybe do a community college cooking course. No matter the activity, I'm conscious that I don't just live to work, and that I enjoy my free time! I guess that's my resolution for 2012. Happy New Year.