This time next week I’ll be in Paris. Eep. Clearly the best way to prepare is to learn choice French phrases from our two New Zealand friends in New York City.
Do you like Flight Of The Conchords? I was a bit dismissive at first but eventually on a flight to Europe, funnily enough, I watched every episode. Now I just wish there was more. MORE. Jacques Cousteau!
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The other night we enjoyed another edition of the Wine Cellar’s dinner club. It’s where all the people who work there and the groupies like myself come together and cook to a theme. (Duh, it’s called a pot luck, Amber.)
Anyway, Bastille Day was a huge hit, so this time we all went out for another country – Mexico! While the others offered amazing salsa, chili and quesadillas, I rustled up a desert of sorts: fried cinnamon tortillas. They are so easy to make, and delicious like Little Orbit donuts – you must try them for yourself.
Cooking oil
Cinnamon
Sugar
Tortillas (pre-made is easiest)
Cut up tortillas into small strips, or if you are feeling fancy, get out the cookie cutter. Fry the tortilla strips in oil till golden, then set aside on a paper towel to cool. Mix 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar in a brown paper bag (or a container, but a bag means no mess). Put the now cooled strips into the paper bag and shake-shake-shake until everything is coated evenly. Serve with chocolate sauce, a fruit salsa, or just alone.
Oh and while you’re cooking, put on some tunes. May I recommend Down in Mexico by The Coasters? Made famous by that honky-tonk bar scene in Death Proof, and sure to get you dancing.
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The new stencil mural on Cross Street, by Auckland artist Flox:
It’s nice to see a little colour around here.
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Milk bottles and faded flowers at Little B cafe. I want to call them jonquils… but I’m not 100% sure. I always admire people who can name flowers and plants without pause. My mother is one of them. Perhaps you can tell me?
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Saturday afternoon lunch with my family at the Jade Dragon. The food was good, the people better. My family is hilarious, especially my little sister Courtney. However, it was a little emotional (cue me weeping over Thom’s shumai) because it was the last chance I had to see my grandmother before the big move. I’m going to send her lots of postcards though, so she better watch out.
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A little virtual tour of the world, courtesy of Google maps. While some of the mystery is gone from travel, the wonder is still there. Downtown, Omaha, Canal Saint-Martin, Buckinghamshire, Southbank. Look at the shadow of the London Eye – amazing!
(Hmm, I am starting to reconsider the 500px width of this blog…)
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Celebrating the art of small press, every year the Auckland Zinefest gets bigger and better (Auckland Zinefests of yore: 2010 and 2009). The festival was scheduled to coincide with international zine month, July, and incorporated a month-long calendar of DIY and self publishing activities. Tessa puts her heart and soul into running the event, and it was wonderful to take part in it.
On July 16, St. Kevins Arcade hosted a day of markets, workshops and talks for both old hands with the long-arm stapler, and those new to the cut & paste scene. It was cool to see people come from all over the country for the event, and the joy on the faces of those who just wandered in off the street. Here are some photos from the main Zinefest event:
(Even the pup was having a great time)
The after party was held later that night at the Wine Cellar – friends, karaoke, cupcakes, pinball and hi-jinks Noting my prowess for hocking goods, I was asked to design a sign for the special Zinefest exclusive red wine punch. Fruity, friendly and utterly delicious. Do you think maybe there’s a career for me in this?
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When you sit down to write, is that what you do? Just say, “Okay, I’m starting a book” and then sit down and keep writing until it’s done? Do you take breaks? Do you ever get writer’s block?
No. No writer’s block. Never had it. Don’t believe in it. Doesn’t exist. I don’t buy that one.
Ernest Hemingway said it… If you’ve got writer’s block, write one sentence. And if you can write one, you can write two. If you can write two, you can write three. If you’ve written three, you have a paragraph. There’s just no such thing as writer’s block.
I work all the time. I write all the time. No days off, not for any reason. I get up in the morning and I start at it, get into the afternoon, I work out. I work at it at night. I work on it until I go to bed at eleven. I keep a notebook by my table and I write in the middle of the night sometimes. Sometimes I’ll write from maybe 4AM to 6AM and go back to bed, but I write all the time. And I always have. That’s the way I’ve always done it.
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From George Orwell’s (1948) book Nineteen Eighty-Four - I hope nothing else becomes the norm.
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With departure imminent, I am trying to tick all the Auckland boxes I have just never got round to…. One of these to-do’s was a visit to Martha’s Backyard, the local USA food and clothing emporium. I have no pictures of the shop, but a few photos of the bounty and some sub-par junk food reviews!
There was also some Big Red soda which tasted just like cinnamon bubble gum. Next time? More soda, perhaps some Lucky Charms and wheatie, sugary Life cereal, some of those “smore” flavoured pop tarts (they have a big range), and yes, an essential tub of marshmallow whip…
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