Sydney Fringe: HIGHLY recommended!!!

Hey, I just wanted to do a bit of a plug in the lead up to the Fringe...just cos I was so, so impressed (and HEY I am a very VERY hard person to impress!)

I was in Adelaide at "The Garden of Unearthly Delights" during the Fringe Fest earlier this year (by accident) and I splurged on heaps of tickets for the short time I was there cramming so much in that I was totally laid up after, sick from all the cigarette smoke in air, lack of sleep and late nights!

ANYWAY while there I saw one of the best live performances EVER...maybe I'm biased cos I'm a huge fan of Frida Kahlo and I guess you appreciate it more when you've spent a fair few hours studying FK but Las Dos Fridas by Meiwah Williams is AWESOME...if you are having trouble choosing what to see, I HIGHLY recommend that you check this out...I doubt you'll be disappointed...it is rare to see a one person show with SO. MUCH. DAMN. TALENT!!! lol I have to admit when I saw this performance I was like geez...why can't IIII be super good at SOMETHING when some people are super good at soooo many things! LOL p.s the musical score deserves a big thumbs up too!

Anyway it was really that good & from a local as well! And I think I've been to quite a few of these kinds of things in my time...not to mention have good taste ;) So yeah...Go see it!!!

a.k.a "Life Saver"

This post could also affectionately be known as "this stuff is DA BOMB!" (LOL)

So anyway not a paid PLUG by any means...I'm just saying if it weren't for this stuff...the last few months would have been incredibly difficult without!!!

In the olden days -like my folks time- when there was any kind of "ouch"- out would come this incredibly aromatic and sting-if-you-get near-your-eyes "white oil"...it is INCREDIBLY POTENT and amazing stuff. Put it anywhere you got an ouch(not open tissue) of course and it can go incredibly internal...for instance, yesterday I was feeling quite a bit of pain...to which I thought warranted taking two common western pain reliever pills....ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT (not naming names). After 2 hours and still no relief and not from other means e.g hot pack etc...I got out the white oil...except was in too much pain to actuallly bother lathering it on- all in all I probably used about 5 drops...wowee....this stuff is DA BOMB!

When it calls itself an "Analgesic Balm" it is by NO MEANS calling bluff! Next time I don't even bother reaching for the pills...go straight for the oil like I usually do!!! And the best part is you can get a small tiny bottle that fits conveniently in your purse too...not only amazing pick up for migraines or general sleep deprivation in your working day but also a great air freshener when the environment around you stinks and smells like puke(not that this happens to me often, but it did once).

Okay that's enough free advertising, LOL. Have a good day :)

p.s HO since you decided to fall off the blogging planet you can be sure I will be LATHERING up on this amazing oil for PAIN RELIEF!!! :-p O.K, I was just kidding, but do keep in touch like you usually do ;) The more miniature donkey photos, the happier you will keep me, haha.

Some Favourite Products

No, noone is paying me to endorse these products...it's cos I REALLY like them! And I just wanted to share some gems that bring me joy in daily life :)

This first one took me by surprise...I was just looking for a shampoo that was free of the nasties but didn't cost the world. Yes, it exists...

Nature's Organics BERRY BLISS 3-IN-1 ORGANIC SHAMPOO....it's free of known nasties, dirt cheap and surprisingly very good & gentle stuff at $2 a pop on sale or RRP $3.50-$3.99...shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Smells like a berry lolly - very girly, great for kids! And which girl wouldn't want their shampoo bottle to be pink with a fairy on it? LOL

The other two are ones to delight the belly, pretty much these two represent 95% of my entire processed food diet right now.

BULLA Fruit N' Yoghurt Minis (they come in 14 or 16 pack and in a great range of varieties and are supremely healthy compared to most frozen confectioneries which are too big, too sugary and have too much very rich stuff like chocolate or caramel- I tend to like any that have fruit yoghurt and vanilla/fruit ice splits like...

.GOOD STUFF!

NESTLE CLUB Mixed Berry Chocolate- I am not usually one for dark chocolate but with these incredibly delicious fruity berry bits, I can just eat LOADS of this stuff. And it's REALLY GOOD for me...if you're too skinny like me, this is my pick to get to some decent fat levels with...

VERY YUMMY!

What Planet did you hail from?!!

So...it's been a seriously busy and stressful week but also one full of fascinating insights and revelations. This is going to be long- where should I start? :)

Yoghurt Cafe Insights

Huge sigh of relief with the end of another huge exam - ended up spending the last couple hours with a friend gasbagging in a new "healthy" yoghurt cafe she expected I would like but didn't cos it was TOO healthy(people soooo stereotype me)...the thing is the cafe had these tricky little lights which make it feel like day the whole time, so we had no idea how late it was!

Anyway so one of the things we got talking about was Why we seem to like/click with certain people and not others? I was offering some thoughts and then she butts in with "That's why I like you- you're REAL!"

LOL think she hit the nail on the head on that one...too bad "REAL" people seem like such a rarity these days!

I was telling her about some of the interesting people I've met recently and then she butts in with another amusing insight: "Your Passion is People!" (wow, when you put it that way I really feel like I should start my own employment agency or something!LOL)

From the desk of an "interesting" person...

Anyway, another interesting moment was on the weekend when I had a chance to meet my first non random real live new person in a while - a friend of a friend. It was pretty funny...he was asking my mate "how do you know her?" but more in an incredulous look kind of way that I interpreted as "What Planet did you Hail from?"!! *LOL

Anyway it was pretty funny, cos typical for Geminis, he was absolutely totally fascinated by all the crap that was coming out of my mouth especially re: my astrological theories which I've gathered from my whole life of serious people studying (which is admittedly one of my favourite pasttimes)...so interested in fact that he skipped his made plans to come to dinner with us instead haha ;)

Anyway my mate and this guy started telling me that I bring up the most out of the norm things into conversations (especially for meeting someone on the first time) and that's what puts me in the ranks of "seriously interesting" ;)

Except for in school when I noticed I think really differently from other people, this had never consciously dawned on me much...

It's not a conscious or premeditated thing at all though. I guess perhaps if everyone is blessed with something, my blessing would be being perceived as "interesting" by other people. It's kinda cool that people just want to get to know you for nothing else than they're curious and they find you "intriguing"! :)

In any case I've been asked several times by people saying they "don't know how" to be interesting conversationalists and I find it amusing that there are whole books on the topic of "how to be interesting". I don't claim to be an expert but since I've been asked and since I don't believe people should be paying for such information- here is my 5c worth on the matter:

How to Be "Interesting"

1) Be genuinely interested in and curious about other people - ask questions*! ...More often than not, people love talking about themselves!

*disclaimer: I do tend to ask whatever I feel like but apparently somehow I can do it without coming across as inappropriate, rude or nosy...so to play it safe, leave your most burning and invasive questions for a second or third meeting, not the first...I obviously haven't analysed myself so don't know how I do it!

2) Dare to be yourself- an individual, and always be honest and sincere - sooner or later people will see through any false pretences so just be yourself!

3) Have a broad range of interests and if you don't, read widely or keep a diverse range of friends and acquaintances.

Anyway that's about it! TOO EASY!!!


It just blew my mind!

a self confessed "queer girl" wrote the other day...anyway she said something that completely blew my mind....I was asking her to "clarify" what exactly she meant by "Queer"...and basically she said it like this..."when I look at a person I don't see a guy or a girl, all I see is whether the person has any substance!" WOW, I was so impressed: What a unique and refreshing thought!

TCKs (Third Culture Kids)

This is a fascinating concept my Yoghurt Cafe friend told me about....she thinks I'm one too - a global nomad- global cultured with little tolerance for monoculture...most of my friends are at least dual cultured. It makes a lot of sense. Anyway apparently if you suffer cultural identity confusion there is a book on ATCKs you HAVE to read-apparently it's very liberating!

What I'm excited about
Another lost Blast from the Past just popped back into my environs- so I'm going to get up ridiculously early and pay a surprise visit- should be fun- loads of stories to share!
Fingers crossed, I will also spend the afternoon meeting my new nephew as planned....sheesh, it's about time!!! :P

there was actually one more pretty interesting revelation from this week, but that's quite enough ramble crammed into one post, so till next time- Happy Blogging! :)


Zhen, powered by






the "drug" of choice especially on EXAM days! *lol

While I'm a Knowledge Gathering Whore...

I gotta admit...especially for those born high strung like me: Ignorance is Bliss!

a couple weeks back we had some health scares in the family which was a Major trigger for me...

the worst part is, when other people have problems I start worrying like nothing else and the worst part is I don't just leave it at the door...I internalise it-my stomach literally goes into knots: then I get sick. Having all this medical knowledge as well actually just makes the worry a whole lot WORSE- I totally get why lots of people just refuse to go to the doctor: Knowledge can be a Burden with a capital 'B' (as much as it is empowering and liberating too! :)

I also wish I cared less and felt less responsible for the welfare of others- but then again, I AM a Water sign! And maybe that's why I may one day make a kick ass Chinese doc yet!

So anyway recognising this has got to stop I got myself a Chinese patent the other day- what I know as Jia Wei Xiao Yao San but the good folks at BTRT know it by this euphemism which I thought was so to the point it was amusing...


p.s GROUNDING is a really simple and effective tool to combat stress as well...if you can't get to the beach, park, yoga, just connecting with the earth by sitting or lying on the floor can be really helpful. Right now I only sit on a chair when absolutely necessary- instead I have my yoga mat set up 24-7 where I do stretches, have meals on etc....it's surprisngly calming! If you find it hard to sit on the floor for extended periods, I highly recommend getting yourself a Nada chair.