We seem to be skirting the Big Issue...

As you're reading this I want you to take a look around you. Take a good long look at your possessions, at all your worldly goods. Now imagine life without them, take it all away, your clothes your shoes, your books, all those material goods you hold dear, even the computer you're on right now... this is real life.

The 2001 census in Australia found that there were 99,900 homeless people in Australia alone. Of this 36% were between the age of 12-24, 42% were female, 23% were families, and 10% were children under the age of 12 (that's NINE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY CHILDREN LIVING ON THE STREETS)

I don't know about you guys but I think it's maybe time to do something about it. Actually scratch that, it's way past time. But hey, if you haven't started there's no time like the present and all that jazz. One of the ways that I like to help out is by buying The Big Issue magazine.

For those of you that don't already know the Big Issue is a street magazine written by professional journalists and sold by homeless people in 8 countries, including Australia, UK, Japan, Suth Africa and other places. While some people think that the Big Issue has become commercial etc, I don't really agree, I think that if a magazine is going to sell it does need to be commercial, there's that fine line between being commercial trash and indie (and lets face it, hipsters don't have the deepest pockets, but that's irrelevant)

The articles in the Big Issue are often interesting with unique, captivating, humorous stories, reviews etc. But like all magazines there will always be some articles that don't appeal to you personally like others. Sometimes I just like to talk to vendors, and if you have time, I say do the same thing. The vendors have many stories and are often quite interesting people. And heck, it's kind of humbling to hear about there lives, definitely a dose of reality, puts everything in perspective etc. For more information visit www.thebigissue.org.au (if you're in Australia) ... I'm gonna say google the website if you're not in Australia. So if you have $5 handy and are walking around and happen upon a Big Issue vendor, buy it, have a look, maybe feel better about yourself (I don't know, I'm not a Doctor)

Muchos Love,
Lily-Pie P.S.

As a side note in the UK series of SKINS, Tony sometimes talks to a Big Issue Vendor, asking him for advice and stuff.

Slip Into Uncertainty

Lately I have been experimenting with Photoshop and the many different effects I can achieve on my photographs. Once again I am amazed by the things we are able to achieve with technology. I will always love film more than digital, but is the future.

It made me think about the effects of technology on the world, especially on art. If I had wanted to become an animator 50 years ago I would have had to draw every scene or use cels to produce an animation I could now make with just a computer and graphics tablet. At Uni yesterday we had a discussion about traditional painting vs. digital painting. It was generally agreed that digital painting was the way to go, being less expensive, easier to manage (with layers) mistakes are easier to erase, using Ctrl + Z instead of having to paint over a spot. You can also leave a digital painting for a long time then go back and change something you have done without worrying because the paint has dried, not only that but you can technically get a greater range of colours with digital painting.

While I agree that digital painting does have many merits and if done well is quite beautiful, I still think traditional painting is better. To me a painting has a life of it's own, it has been born and lives in the physical world beside us, the artist has breathed a different kind of life into it. I love the idea that you could just reach out and touch something so magical. It's why I prefer to visit art galleries than browse websites.

That being said, I still appreciate technology and the things it allows me to do. But I will always prefer to scribble away in my artbooks than on a computer.

But onwards then to see what I have seen through the lens...

How did we get here?

Vintage Deer

I can see you clearly

L.O.V.E.

"Alas dear Yorric I knew him well"

Still, we really are a lucky group of people to see the things we get to see. Our ancestors could never have imagined the things we take as everyday, machines that seem to make food instantly, the whole world in our pockets, knowledge at our beck and call. It is truly a world full of marvels.

Love and Peace.

Pinky ate my brain...

This is Miwako from Paradise Kiss, one of my all time favourite manga's ever (Manga = Japanese comics) I think I love Parakiss so much simply because the art is gorgeous, the story is captivating and it's about fashion, what more could you need?

Miwako is possibly the cutest character ever! I pretty much love her, and she wears the most amazing loli outfits. And has pink hair.

So this year for my favourite local Pop Culture Convention I chose to cosplay (Cosplay = dressing up as your favourite character for anything, books, movies, games, comics etc, it literally means costume play) as Miwako.

So, what do you think?

This is obviously a wig. But I like the colour so much I think I might just dye my hair pink next. The lollipop I was given for free but it went perfectly with my character and outfit. Unfortunately I don't actually have any photo's of my outfit on this day that I know of and/or have been tagged of me on Facebook. But I do know a few people who took photo's.

In other news almost all my photo's are taken on this angle. Perhaps it's my best side? I don't really know why...

Has anyone else cosplayed as anyone ever? It really is fun. Try it some time.

Miwako picture from Google. Like really.

Paradise Kiss is by Ai Yazawa. Check it out. There's also an anime that you could watch.

Love and Peace all.

We weep tears of vibrant colours...

Alexander McQueen is dead.

Long live the McQueen.

The Moon has landed...

So I arrived safely at my Aunts house and will be living here for the forseeable future.

The best thing is my Aunt will act as guide and mentor for the first small while of my city life. It's very strange here, I can hear the trains every half hour and cars drive past and the yard isn't huge and there aren't any goanna's eating your corn (true story)

Unpacking was alright though, especially because I now have a built in wardrobe which acutally fits all my dresses and stuff in it, so I can actually get to everything easily and without prejudice (in my old cupboard the clothes were hung front to back, not side to side so I could only get at one thing at a time.) And all my shoes are lined up and ready to go and explore the city tomorrow.

Although it's hot, and I think I got a bit sunburnt in the car today I'm more than excited to just roam around and see what's what here. My cousins have just moved into their own house maybe today or at least this weekend, so once they're settled I'll have to hang out with them. And my foster cousin (who sadly is a twihard and loves Edward Cullen) has kindly leant me her latptop for now.


In other exciting news I just can't wait for Supanova 2010! Not only will I be a local and therefore able to just go out afterwards and not worry. But it will also be on MY BIRTHDAY!!

Ahahahahahahahaha I am really looking forward to it.

The super best thing about Supanova is that my friends come too and we get to be nerds. For the past two years it's been me, Kess, Elly, and sometimes Alannah, (and then our volunteer buddy Mark and his friend Chendo.) But this year our circle is expanding even more than last, my cousin Caitlyn came last year as Hermione and had great fun and this year her sister Jessica is coming too (as Wonder Woman woo!) and Annie is going to cosplay as Annie Potter (we're doing a group Harry Potter cosplay) and I do believe Elly is bringing her boyfriend along.

So we will have a super marvelous weekend, and hilariously Elly's boyfriend has the same birthday as me so we can be all like WOO! LOL.

I think I shall retire for the evening now. It's been a long day and also, I want to be up early tomorrow, I may go to my Aunts church and I'm also going to the art gallery to have a look at the latest expedition.

Love and Peace.

P.S. I won't have a camera for at least a fortnight (I've saved $50 this fortnight and will have the next half next fortnight to buy the cheapest camera I can find) so will be a very text-ful blog till then.

Some Good News...

To my absolute jubilation I received an offer to study animation at a University in Brisbane this year (QANTM College). It's only a two year course and I get a bachelors degree. Also the University is nice and small and has branches in other countries, which could mean studying abroad for three months!!


Wish me luck!!

"I myself am Macedonian"

In my short and mildly exciting lifetime I have been hit on a few times, just a few mind, I'm not the head swivelling, all eyes on me, centrepiece of a party type. But apparantly I have merits worhty enough for some shocking come ons.

Possibly the most notorious amongst my friends and I was the very embarrassing moment when I was hit on at a pub by a guy who had been hanging around our table all night and who seemed to be keen to talk to one of us lovely young ladies. Unfortunately this happened to take place at my friend Alannah's gig, which was also a Christmas Event of some kind in the community, the bar, as most Australian bars on the coast tend to be was right next to the beach, and after a morning of sun, wind and waves, and a rather unfortunate choice in "Santa Candy" I was faced with a young man looking a little pink, windswept, tired, and to top it all off, my teeth, gums, tongue and lips, were blue. NOT HOT.

He came over to me almost immediately after Kesselle went to the bathroom, leaving me standing by myself, and said "Excuse me, are you of European descent?"
I am not. Other than the usual Australian pedigree of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and a bit of French for extra measure, nothing remotely exotic or stand-outish like Spanish, or Czech or something. So I of course replied "No, I'm pretty much plain Australian"
And he leant in to me and said "I myself am Macedonian, can I get you a drink?"

Shocking.

On New Years I was at a local Bowls Club, situated on the beach also (ahh Australia, how I do love you) and I was asked by a slightly rounded bloke where the ATM was, after pointing it out to him he thanked me, told me I was beautiful and was on his way. Not too many daquiri's later he came over to our table where I was standing watching Alannah sing with one of my old high school teachers/volleyball coach (cue weirdness and the inevitable "Argh! Teacher!!" "Argh!! Student!!" scenario) and he tries to strike up conversation with me, I am of course totally engrossed in the music (not really but you know) and so he writes me a note on the Keno paper saying "I'm Scared" and walks off. After a group discussion we decided he was intimidated by the all round attractiveness of the female members of our table, which of course was validated by a later marriage proposal.

Most recently was such a cliched experience that it fit perfectly with the general events of the evening. My school friends and I have decided to embark on "The Summer to end all Summers..." also known as, THE SUMMER OF WIN. Which is basically an attempt to have the most cliched summer holiday of our lives, especially because we'll all be going to University soon and that means moving off to different places and stuff.
So my friends Elly, Georgia, Emmellynn and I went out last Thursday, did some shopping, and went to dinner at Emmellynn's work (since she actually had to work that night)

We got winks from three guys as we were entering because the man at the door had said table of six, and we were clearly a table of three, he thought the guys were with us, and so we just laughed, went inside anyway and sat down. The greatest thing about Emmellynn's work is that she happens to work with a group of ridiculously luscious Brazillian men (seriously dreamy stuff)

A large group of guys came in not long after us, and about halfway through dinner Emmellynn came over with a napkin that Rodriguo (one of her spunky Brazillan co-workers who Georgia thought looked like that werewolf guy from Twilight, whats-his-name someone) the guys at the next table over had written us a note, which read: THURSDAY NIGHT, ANY PLANS? since we already had plans I very graciously wrote a reply to the likes of Sorry, but we are going home with this hot blonde waitress and made Em deliver it. (AHAHAHAHA) although it made us laugh for a long time.

However one good deed to come out of all these pick up lines is that I know how to use them myself, and this resulted in me flirting with one of the Brazillians who worked in the kitchens that night, his name Phillipe, and yes, omg yes, he was a heartthrob, a boulders throw (which is a relatively short distance) from a god. Absolutely gorgeous, and the most beautiful smile ever. We kept grinning at each other like loons all night and I was more than happy to have tottered over on my new wedge platforms and made an idiot out of myself by using the line "So who cooked the snapper?" ahahahahahaha, although the other two chefs who were older men were encouraging us so much it was impossible not to laugh.

Of course there's also the downside of going out and being hit on, which involves very drunk guys grinding themselves against you and asking you where your boyfriend is. Also the not so innocent "accidental" brushes of hands on boobs, bums and backs and the out right groping on the dancefloor. This nightlife has some seedy customers. And most of them are too intoxicated to even manage a "Do you have a map? Because I'm lost in your eyes."


EDIT: about less than three minutes after submitting this post I was reminded of another story. I met Troy at the Australian Idol auditions last year (09, yes, it's 2010!!) where he was working as a security guard, he like the vast majority of people who ever hear her sing was enchanted by the supremely amazing talent of Alannah who was auditioning (although she didn't get in) and so we hung out a lot when he wasn't busy with other things, I ended up getting his number just for laughs and then texted him the next day to let him know Lani (Alannah) hadn't made it through which is how he got my number, which has allowed him to text me a few too many times during the year without reply. The latest text was the usual "Hey"

Romantic is it not?

Also, if you do a Youtube Search for Alannah Fox then you will get to hear my amazing friend sing. So do it.