+ Getty Center in the winter

We spent the good part of the last day of 2009 at the Getty Center, high up in the hills of Los Angeles, and probably only saw a fraction of the collections stored there. It was a battle just deciding whether to see stuff or just enjoy the lovely gardens and the spectacular views of the city. Even in winter, the sky was blue, the rays of sunshine warm and the green lawns super inviting.


As a thousand flickr photos could testify, the Getty Center is an immensely photogenic set of buildings. All those sexy lady humps and whatnot.


Benj took a good deal more photos than me, and much better looking ones for that matter. He did well to capture the many textures in the gardens.






Soundtrack: Tristeza "Castellon"

+ Malibu

According to the roadsign, on the PCH somewhere near the northern end of Santa Monica, Malibu is only a 6 mile drive away.



It felt a little further than that (though what I would know? I have no point of reference for a drive by any kind of miles) but it was still a whole lot closer than the hour long drives it takes to get from my mum and dad's to Gordon's Bay. It's close enough, is all I'm saying.



Which is a good thing, because I want to try and eat at as many different 'bu establishments along Highway 1 as I can. Places like the iconic Geoffrey's, the Malibu Beach Inn (first spied in the final episode of Entourage season 6!) and Moonshadows Blue Lounge, which first came to my attention by way of Benj.



On this day though we chose the pier as our setting.


It was quite perfect really, a super starving belly met with an almost empty restaurant (though the service was still pretty terribad) and a slowly fading sun closing in on the horizon-ocean backdrop.


Our meal was supplemented by a glamour photo shoot on the beach right below us. It took a while to discern that the possible husband-and-wife couple featured a heavily pregnant lady, dressed in various suggestive outfits, who may or may not have been in the performing arts, being directed by the photographer lady into all manner of seductive poses. It was very LA.


A solid meal later, we drove home with a spectacular orange sky following us all the way down.


Soundtrack: Real Estate "Atlantic City" (wrong coast, I know!)

+ not long to go now

In 5 weeks, my relocation to Santa Monica will actually happen. In the meantime, Benj and I have had a couple of trips together, including a christmas/birthday/new year's treat for me which ended up as a sort of pre-move scouting expedition.

Many experiences were had, food eaten, shows attended, museums visited, family members reunited - most of which was well so documented, I don't really know where to begin for this blog. Until then, enjoy a pretty scene of the neighbourhood which I'll soon be in!! It was taken at Christmas after a walk on the beach.

Also, a new addition: an accompanying song! Which you can stream whilst reading! Today's soundtrack is Early Day Miners "So Slowly".

+ 99 Reasons

I love the name of these shoes, even though I don't think I could come up with more than 5 reasons to love them. These Jeffrey Campbell hidden platform wedge booties (also known as the "99 Zip Wedge") are inspired by the Acne Atacoma wedge ankle boot, but the zip and the loveliness of the toe is enough to make it droolworthy on its own.

I ran out in my boxers in the midday 40 degree heat just to prance around in the grass.

+ Wellington - part 2

It is rare for me to see sunrise over water so I jumped out of bed to take a photo. Then I jumped back in and slept for another 2 hours. The best kind of snoozing.


Producer conferences aren't normally noteworthy, and especially not photogenic but one of the guests this year was Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men who opened and closed the conference with 2 excellent sessions (though I can't say the same for the chair of either session... many dumb questions were asked, and too much butting-in) and by the time I finally got to say hi to him as we were boarding the flight back to Sydney, I was pretty much the dude's biggest fan. He is very much a top bloke, super nice and perfectly amiable.


That night, we attended the Big Dinner where awards for producers of the year and self-congratulatory pats on backs are given. It was held this time in the Beehive, one of the buildings on parliamentary grounds. I took this from a moving bus, which ferried delegates over. It's probably better looking than the photo would suggest.


Inside though, the hall where we had pre-dinner drinks was quite stately. My colleague Kate and I were positioned well for first serves of the finger food.


The night was okay, perhaps not nearly as memorable as previous SPADA dinners but still pleasantly enjoyable.

+ Wellington - part 1

I was in New Zealand for the annual SPADA Conference last week and enjoyed my brief return to the windy city (Chicago's claim has got nothin' on Wgtn so 3 days is more than enough time to remember fondly/not-so-fondly the hair-whipping town)

It's supposed to be summer, but at 15°C (and feeling like 10), it looked like this a lot of the time.


Even with the greyness up top though, the harbour did take take on a lovely green hue at times (ok, I did exaggerate it a wee bit with the colourcross).


Crossing the road to the foreshore.


All along its hills, the city is dotted with wooden terraces, not unlike San Francisco, except maybe with a more quaint, seashack town vibe. This is looking up Dixon St.


On the other side of the Dixon St, heading into the Cuba quarter.

+ Malaya restaurant

Shortly after leaving the Newtown Festival, I spent some quality retail-therapy time on King St and at Munky Bizness picked myself up a bargain eggplant-coloured chiffon babydoll dress for an awards dinner in Wellington I was going to later in the week, and a cute vintage dress from Cream on King.

And went on to meet Ems and Chris for cocktails at Cargo Bar (oh that place has seen some better days. And its clientele is not all that different from the Newtown fest crowd), and a terrific meal of Malaysian-Chinese at Malaya, both establishments on King St Wharf, which faces Darling Harbour.


Looking out to the bay, shame the weather was a bit grey.


Turns out we ate quite a bit. Roti Canai and Curry Chicken Sauce, Otak Otak (white fish fillet minced with chilli and spices, wrapped in banana leaf and barbequed), Sayor Otak (silken tofu topped with a blend of eggplant, mushroom, tomato, lemongrass and chilli paste, wrapped in a banana leaf - especially tasty), Chilli Beansprouts and snowpeas, and one of their signature dishes, Szechuan Eggplant. Well worth a visit.

+ Newtown Festival

I always have high hopes for the Newtown Festival year, call it selective memory perhaps, but once I arrive, I'm instantly reminded of many things I hate, all at the one time. Obnoxious hipsters, hippies, bogans, mogans and what have you, all crammed into a forced enclosure, listening to terribad funk-ska-metal-grooves and the stench of human bodies, some not yet familiar with Rexona, Lynx and other fine products.

You can always count on an inner city hippy to dance barefoot on wet grass in the rain, out of time, to above-mentioned terribad music.


Still, I showed my face as I usually do in support of 2SER and the stall we have every year. And I admit, I do enjoy certain festival foods like the gummy lollies, the infamous Turkish gozleme (why are they never sold outside of a festival?) and my choice this year, seafood paella.


It was pretty tasty, the saltiness lending itself as a perfect excuse to have some home made lemonade. I was fascinated by the paella stall with its 4 large pans on the go, all at varying cooking stages. Can't deny how it made me smack my lips in anticipation.

+ corsetry

I bought these corset wedges online and initially thought I had bought half a size too big, but after wearing them for most of the 4 days in Wellington which included a walking tour of the harbour's cobblestone walkway, the comfort level was rather satisfactory.

+ Santa Monica

Ever since he got his fancy camera, I've been on Benj's back to take a sunset photo for me so I can relive it in all its amber glory. Finally... the first of many (I hope). This was taken near the Pier.


The sunsets in Santa Monica are kinda spectacular. Especially when you're at a meeting in a hotel suite during AFM and all you can think of is the incredible orange sky in front of you. Distracting!


This is me last year "working" on the pool deck of Loews Hotel right after the last AFM meeting of the day. Why can't all my work be like this?