The Hills

Only recently, with exams and assessments for the most part out of the picture, I have developed a dangerous addiction to the Hills. It's not quality television, that's for certain, but it is entertaining and highly glamorous.

The Hills provides an insight into the lives of four girls; Heidi Montag, Lauren Conrad, Audrina Patridge and Whitney Port (she's my favourite). The four girls live in Los Angeles, California and work in events, fashion and music PR. They drive Mercedes and BMWs and have their own personal trainers, get their hair done and go shopping as they please. Their lives are interesting, but also very superficial.

I suppose it's fascinating seeing what the lives of the rich and famous are like. Sure, the girls work hard. Lauren and Whitney are interns at Teen Vogue, Audrina works 9-6pm and Heidi works ridiculous hours at night clubs running events. It seems to me like they've been given their amazing jobs either because their parents are 'somebodies', or because of the coverage their companies will receive from being on MTV's reality TV show.

The girls aren't incredibly bright (bar Whitney) and don't have the best work ethic, so you wonder how they are excused when, for example, they allow their friends to crash important nightclub events or they just don't bother showing up when they're supposed to be working.

They have obnoxious boyfriends and their apartments are furnished extravagantly, but you can't help but wonder whether they are completely oblivious to the real world and what it's like to pay bills and to have real problems and responsibilities. For the most part, it's all about feuds between friends and "loyalty" between guys.

But maybe that's the reason it's such compulsive viewing; you can escape your daily life for that of the rich and famous and, after twenty minutes of the Hollywood lifestyle, you can return to your bedroom refreshed and with your dignity in-tact.

I've just finished Season Three and I can assure you, I'll be finished the next season in no time at all.

Photo courtesy of: http://imagineannie.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/the-hills-400a-0822071.jpeg

How I love Snoop Dogg.

I just wanted to express my amusement at Snoop Dogg. I know he's supposed to be very cool, but to me, he's just funny. He composes his own porn music - how talented - but he hasn't got that gangsta feel to him like Usher or Jay Z. Regardless, I love this song, and really enjoyed watching the performance of California Girls at the MTV Awards 2010.

Hunter Escape

Today I was talking with a friend and she proposed that, together with two guy friends, we go away for a weekend to the Hunter Valley. I couldn't say YES fast enough. I love weekends away, particularly in a place as beautiful as the Hunter Valley.

Where else would you want to be in the middle of winter but tasting wine in picturesque vineyards daily, then returning to a crackling log fire and amazing food in the evening? Not to mention the possibility of time to unwind and to get away from the rush of daily life. To relax in your PJs with good company and good vino. It sounds like the perfect way to spend a weekend!

I am also lucky enough to be going away on a ski trip with Year Nine and Year Ten from the school where I live/ work. We will be doing activities including skiing, cross-country skiing, abseiling, BMX riding, orienteering as well as camping IN THE SNOW. But, fortunately, that is only for one night. I went last year and literally froze. I couldn't sleep the entire night we camped out, but hopefully I'll be better prepared this time around.

At the moment I live for travel. I am so excited about the French ski season I'll be doing at the end of this year, and love love love planning the destinations I'll visit after I finish the season: Italy, France, Spain, Greece, England, Holland... the list continues. I have a feeling that perhaps after thirteen years of schooling and then an extra three years of university, I am well and truly over working and need a break before work begins, bills are to be paid and houses are to be saved-up for.

Photo courtesy of: http://lodging.uptake.com/blog/files/2009/01/wine-glasses-fireplace-inn-above-tide.jpg

Some music to listen to.

I've recently acquired Angus & Julia Stone's latest album, Down The Way and it is incredible. Some of the tracks are perfect for chilled, relaxing listening when you're not wanting anything too heavy. Other tracks are catchy, melodic and easy to sing-along to, such as Big Jet Plane.

Another album I am in love with is Florence + The Machine's Lungs. There is not one song I don't like, but my favourites would be You've Got the Love, My Boy Builds Coffins, Dog Days Are Over and I'm Not Calling You a Liar. Quirky though they might be, the vocal talent is undeniable and the lyrics are certainly not what you might be expecting from a band Dizzee Rascall supported at the 2009 Brit Awards.

I'm also loving Band of Horses' most recent album, called Infinite Arms. It's not the familiar Band of Horses style of Cease to Begin, their previous album, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'd say it's slightly more mellow than their previous works, and Compliments is my favourite song on the new album.

What music are you loving at the moment?

Image courtesy of: http://djbonline.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/florence.jpg

To iPhone or to iObject?

I recently discovered a chinese contractor, Foxconn, which is responsible for assembling the iPhone has had eight of its staff make attempts (many of which have been successful) to end their lives over the past year.

According to Fairfax Ltd, "[t]he most notable Foxconn suicide came last July when 25-year-old Sun Danyong jumped from his high-rise apartment after being interrogated over a missing iPhone prototype."

IDG News service reports that Foxconn has asked "Chinese police to investigate a case in which an employee reportedly committed suicide after being pressured over the loss of an iPhone prototype."

The report suggests the Chinese former employee was "roughed up" by a Foxconn security official, and that the incident reveals "management shortcomings" at the company.

Additionally, Apple has admitted to using child labour, with Fairfax reporting "at least eleven 15 year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories that supply Apple."

Where I feel torn is that I own a Macbook Pro, an iPod and an iPhone, so am I supporting this practice and thus endorsing unsafe working conditions?

Am I morally or ethically obligated to take a stand and refuse to continue supporting Apple until they demand improved working conditions from their contractors? And would my stand even make a difference to Apple? Unfortunately, I think not.

I'll continue typing on my Apple laptop and calling on my Apple iPhone, but at least I'll be aware of the ethical problems associated with the company and perhaps, by blogging, so might others.

Photo courtesy of: http://dotnetslackers.com/Community/blogs/kaushalparik/apple%20iphone.jpg

Dating and relationships in 2010.

I'll admit I've been watching my fair share of every girl's bible: Sex and the City, recently but I'm still more than confused on dating and relationships.

In this day and age, how do men (or boys, for those guys that haven't really 'grown up' yet) want us to behave? Are girls still expected to take on the traditional roles in a relationship; do the washing, shopping, cooking etc while the guy pays the bill?

I'd like to think we've moved on from this, but what about on a date. Does he pay? Is he still obligated to make sure his date gets home okay? Or is that pandering to an old ideal of how men should behave, which is now completely outdated and irrelevant?

I know that I consider respect from a guy to include looking after me - being courteous, considerate, and hopefully a little bit generous- but that's not to say financially I expect him to foot the bill for our relationship... I think we've moved on from way-back-when.

What I'm grappling with most of all is whether men want us to be 'forward' and tell them we like them, 'make the first move,' if you like, or to hold back and give the guy the chance to be proactive? And what if he doesn't make that move? Then what?

My good friend Alex Ristway, who is a self-proclaimed dating expert, believes it's a matter of assessing each individual situation.

"If you are more uncertain than sure, it's probably best to hang back until you know where you stand," she says.

I tend to over-analyse everything. From the composition of each and every text-message I send, to my shampoo choice in the supermarket. In taking on advice such as that of Alex, I might never make a move, because I might never be sure of where I stand - and what if a friendship is ruined by the mis-reading of the situation?

Perhaps I ought to continue watching Sex and the City until I'm sure where I stand ... or I could take a chance and see where it takes me... or maybe I could just wait 'til the guy makes the first move.

Beautiful Bali

I recently spent ten days travelling around Bali with my beautiful family. It was an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoyed being exposed to the glorious culture that is Bali. The people I encountered were genuinely pleasant, sweet-natured, good-humoured and although it might be a generalisation, they all seemed very content.

I aspire to reach that inner peace and tranquility - I find that burning incense always helps, oh and the massages (which are the equivalent of AUD $6) certainly don't hurt.

I adored creating wood paintings, visiting a traditional Balinese village up in the hills of Ubud, and visiting gorgeous spice farms near Kintomani Volcano. I was enthralled by the Balinese dancing and enchanted by the xylophone style music played for us each morning by a lovely local blind man in our resort.

An additional bonus of the trip was the incredible shopping opportunities. I bought the most ridiculous amount of "stuff" (read 11kgs of extra weight in my suitcase upon return to Australia): custom-made leather boots, six sun dresses, two pairs of leather thongs, three pairs of sunglasses, a fedora hat, 13 DVDs, batik sarongs, facials, six Bintang singlets for friends, mani and pedicures, as well as silver jewellery. I literally took only $300 and struggled to spend it all. I was doing my duty by supporting the local Balinese retail industry after all.

My favourite beaches, if you get the chance to travel to Bali, are Geger Beach and Pedang Pedang - think turquoise water, white white sand, sun beds, beach umbrellas and you're about halfway to imagining the beauty of these places.

Here is the link to the YouTube video I created from our holiday:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkr6RcoFyc

I'd thoroughly recommend a holiday to Bali - I know there are reasonably priced airfares to the beautiful Indonesian island at the moment... why not make the most of them?!

Image courtesy of: http://www.fortunatur.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Beach-Club-at-Geger-Beach.jpg

Style.

Style is innate and, in my opinion, you either have it or you don't. It is not only about the ability to put an outfit together, it also includes the way you carry yourself and your public conduct. I strive to be stylish, but I don't believe that I am. I don't think I was born with that rare ability to put lots of textures and colours and various styles together all in the one outfit, creating the most sleek and sophisticated ensemble.

There is an incredible blog that I enjoy perusing regularly, which is called The Sartorialist. Essentially, fashion photographer Scott Schuman takes photos of stylishly and uniquely dressed regular individuals and models alike as they go about their daily lives. I look at the individuals in the photos with wistful longing. Of course it doesn't help that the photos all include designer labels that would take a small car to be able to afford.

Here are some of my favourite photos from The Sartorialist:






In my mind, the most stylish people in our lives in 2010 include Cate Blanchett, Anna Wintour, Michelle and Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy. Do you agree, or have I missed a quintessentially stylish individual that MUST be mentioned?

A more than welcome uh-huh moment!

Yesterday I experienced one of those uh-huh moments where it was affirmed that the career I thought I wanted is definitely the right one for me. I've recently been unsure of whether I do want to do journalism as a profession. "Wouldn't you know that by your third year?" I hear you ask. And possibly I should have known whether my university course was right for me, considering it is my final year. However, it's very hard to work that out when you aren't actually in the field using the skills you've learned in class.

That's why yesterday was such a breakthrough for me. As a JRN321 Broadcast assignment, we have to select a story relating to the local area and cover it as a TV news story. I am currently covering the closure of St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Bathurst, which was only announced on Wednesday; a shock to its staff as well as politicians, government agencies and the local community.

I arranged and conducted interviews yesterday with the State Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin as well as a nurse who will lose her job as a consequence of the closure. I have also organised to talk to the representative for the Senior Citizens of Bathurst, who will comment on the conversion of the hospital into an aged care facility, and what this will mean for Bathurst. Though there are now whispers that the futures of other aged care facilities in the Bathurst area may be at risk- it will be interesting to see her reaction to this news. I got the most incredible buzz out of investigating this news as it was happening and I experienced this feeling also while on work experience with National Nine News.

More than anything, I have enjoyed finding out news before it has broken, interviewing important figures in the community and having the ability to ask the questions we need answered.

I have had my career aspirations confirmed. I definitely don't want anything more than to become a television reporter and, in my final year of my journalism degree, I couldn't have hoped for a better affirmation!

March sans alcohol.

I'm attempting something that I haven't done since last year, but that I think is much needed after the last few months of partying. I missed the 'Feb Fast' train and didn't go alcohol free last month, but I am going to skip drinking for this month. As i'll be going away on a 10 day holiday to Bali in April, I certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to sip pina coladas on the beach then, so March it is.

Given my posts in the recent past have alluded to my rapidly approaching grandma-hood - in that I have more than predictable Sundays, I feel way too old to go to unibar, and I don't even like Valentine's Day - this next statement is likely to reinforce that I am getting old before my time, but I'll say it anyway.

I cannot handle alcohol like I used to, and i'm only 20.

If I drink (and, granted, I'll have at least four drinks over a night out), I feel sick the whole next day. Doing exercise seems impossible and with all the calories that have been consumed with all those drinks, it adds up fast. So I figure skipping alcohol in March won't just be good for my liver, but it can only be friendly to my body to give it a rest and an acohol detox for one month of the year, particularly given I am going to be in a bikini for 10 days and I want to be able to exercise as much as possible before I board that plane for Denpasar.



Wish me luck... no sav blanc this month!