Oh that's right... we have a blog!

So we at SIDAR kind of forgot about this little blog. Oops. Sorry. But I promise we shall rectify this negligence, omission and general poor form in the coming weeks.

Taken by my lovely travel buddy J- Moraine Lake in Canada. Hard to believe this is real

IOU some stories about Canada, America and Mexico. They shall not be stories of retardation, as the group I travelled with were just fabulous, however I will endeavour to share some observations on the mating and dating cultures of the NAFTA signatories as well as general tales.

In the meantime, here is a little something something to get the ball rolling again.

1. Along with the amazing LG, I attended the launch of the Virgin Mobile Metro Theatre last night. Aside from another exercise in pointless corporate rebranding, the night had quite the odd feel to it. Just 24 hours prior to our attendance, the venerable old gal (and personal favourite) the Hopetoun Hotel had shut its doors, shrouded in a veil of mystery.

Disregarding concern for corporate mismanagement and the allocation of blame, it is a great shame to lose (even temporarily) such a giant player in the local music scene. Some of my favourite nights were spent mixing it up with the eclectic bunch that frequent the Hoey.


So, in some ways I am putting aside my natural mistrust of the commercial world becoming involved in independent music venues, and I hope that the Branson alliance will provide a much needed injection of liquidity and guarantee, thereby allowing the Metro greater sway in the music scene, and thereby avoid a similar fate to the Hoey.

2. Playing at the launch were none other than the delightful lads from Dappled Cities. Whilst I have previously alluded to LG's long time love of Dave Rennick, I was positively won over by Tim Derricourt and his endearing fusion of guitar skills and a personalised hot shoe shuffle.

These boys truly are the real deal. They mix lush and unique sounds, consummate skill and a total lack of arrogance or assumption which makes it absolutely impossible not to love them all. To see a band actually smile and enjoy themselves on stage was a refreshing experience. Dappled, Bluejuice and Yves Klein Blue all achieve this, and it is a delight to see.


3. I am obsessed with this track. Check out the whole clip, and focus on the keyboardists expression following the final build into the refrain. Oh it is special. I love Mumford and Sons.

***I promise we shall resume the regular updates sooooooon. I'll post some pretty pictures of mountains, lakes and oceans. Oh, and some tequila tasting too***

Banff...

Hello lovely blog lovers....

I promise a preper update of my little travelogue soon, however right now I must admit I am having far too much fun to bother updating.

In the meantime.... noteworthy information:
1. spreading swine flu throughout Calgary in the best way possible... oh yes.
2. driving through Banff and various quite incredible lakes... I will try and post photos to indicate sheer brilliance. Sadly anyone who knows me is aware of my complete lack of photo ability.... hence I will poach them from others.
3.Extraordinarily overexcited to catch up with friend in Vancouver very soon (Hi O!)...


Peace, Fucking and all that to everyone... I promise proper posts in the not too distant future
xxx

Cowboys... Calgary Style

At around 1am today, I suddenly decided it would in fact be a really great idea to accompany a bunch of Australian and Kiwi boys to a bar called Cowboys in Calgary.

I really should have thought this through. Check this to see what I mean.

Ya huh. It's just like that. Girls in lingerie serve beers from buckets around the club. Cheerleaders perform dance routines for no apparent reason. Barmaids grab guys heads, and motorboat them.

Please urban dictionary this if you are unsure. I'm not clarifying.

Yeah, it was pretty much the most frightening thing I have ever seen.

I would put pictures to accompany this, but I don't really want to defile this blog with naked women...

Greetings from Canadialand

Helloooooo from Calgary!

So I kind of forgot to tell you, little cyberworld, but I shall be spending the next three weeks or so jaunting across Canada, America and Mexico, in search of new bands, men and awkward stories to bring to you.

No, in truth I'm just having a mission toward obesity. Truly. I'm going to be freaking enormous. It will be great.

So I figured I'd jot down some stories of my first 24 hours in Canadia and amusing travel anecdotes that no one actually gives a shit about. So feel free to skip this if it bores you. I won't mind.

"Awesome" stories: (you decide)

1. Was nearly swallowed whole by an American family on the flight to LA. Pretty much. They spent the whole flight complaining about how there wasn't enough food on the plane... and after a while they started looking at me oddly. Was I their very own Breakfast Bob? I think I'd make good bacon...

(In absence of a successful google image search for 'Breakfast Bob', I give you a Noel Fielding doodle instead. Same effect)

What made it even scarier was that all five members of this family were dressed in head to toe Ed Hardy. This offended by 'Stuff White People Like' sensibilities. That, and I didn't want to be eaten by douchebags.

2. Upon arrival at LA, I was attempting to find the check-in for Air Canada. Upon approaching a rather large, responsible looking gentleman to get directions, I was oh-so politely informed that no, he had no idea as he was a bodyguard working on the NCIS shoot which was happening on location, and yes in fact I had just walked through a scene as they were filming, but that's ok.

So I turn and see Mark Harmon (total dish!) and feel very Hollywood...

3.Canada has squirrels! I had a massive tourist moment when I first saw one running across the road. I stopped, stared, pointed and guffawed. Locals rolled their eyes at me. I don't care. It was awesomes />Ok, so that's about all the news I have. I have spent the first 24 hours eating and drinking with crazy French, Dutch, Swiss and Finnish folk. Off to a football game to have a proper Canadian experience. However, I have a question: what football shall I be watching?

I thought perhaps gridiron? Better known as American Football? But we are not in America? Hence what is Canadian Football? I suppose I shall find out tomorrow.

Monday is off to Datarock by myself (I'm cool like that), at a venue called Broken City, described as the 'favourite hipster hangout'. Considering this city is full of people in cowboy hats, trust me with by absolute hatred of hipsters to sniff out their little hangout... ugh.

I leave you with..... some truly rocking Datarock tracksuits. I may buy one on Monday and make it my uniform for the rest of the trip. Would go down a treat in Mexico I think...

few of my favourite things...

No, not raindrops on roses. Not even doorbells and sleigh bells. We at SIDAR are material girls, so here's a list of material things I would like to spend my hard-earned (non-existent) money on when I win the lottery and split my time between by Darlinghurst terrace and Northern Beaches bungalow...

1. Beautiful Waste- Poetry of David McComb

Like Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison, lead singer of Australian band The Triffids David McComb also wrote poetry. Now deceased, this book acts as a tome of beautiful words detailing everyday life, addiction, fame and other topics.

Introduction by John Kinsella... score! This is definitely one for taking down to Paradise Beach, forming a little nest amongst the tinnies and reading for a few hours in the sun. Positively delightful.

2. Declaration of Dependence-

The new Kings of Convenience album is due for release on October 2nd... this is a full month and a bit too long for me to wait.
Oh Erland Oye, why must you be such a charming wordsmith? You have already charmed the pants of me with your Whitest Boy Alive track Gravity. The line "she's the gravity my life circles around..." is fantastic. Absolutely brilliant.

And now you have to come up with track Boat Behind as a little teaser. Oh featuring a delightful cello melody I have already had a play with on my viola, this track is an exercise in simplicity and pure joy. It is a testament to the fact that folk pop does not have to be mediocre, but unabashedly beautiful.

www.myspace.com/kingsofconvenience if you want a little look. And to partake in the agonising wait for the release of this LP.

3. Dylan GPS-
Despite the fact that I contribute to this blog, I am vehemently anti-technology, and following a few glasses of Merlot will quite readily share with you my views on iphones.
Summarised, it's a little something like this: If you put too much technology in one device, one day it will become so intelligent it will seek to escape the slavery you subject it to, creep up on you in the middle of the night, and rape your face.

No one wants sexual assault via iphone.
However, this deep-seated aversion may be challenged following the announcement that Bob Dylan is set to return to the studio. Oh to have that drawl navigating my sojourns across the far corners of the earth....
Imagine blending philosophy with navigation.... "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man? Well for a start, hang a left in two sets of traffic lights...."

4. Uni Open Days-As the final chapters of my five years of an Arts/Law degree draw to a close, I am faced with the horrible realisation that at the conclusion of ones' university experience, one is expected to go out into the real world and get a job.

Oh the horror. Truly.

No longer can I spend my days lying on the Campus green in the sun, pretending to complete my law readings. I cannot sit in Surry Hills cafes and dingy Darlinghurst hole in the wall pubs discussing political theories with like minded folk. I am expected to bid farewell to the beautiful land of abstract, theoretical ivory towers and become a productive member of society, contributing, rather than detracting from our GDP.

Oh bugger this I say. I'm going to do a Masters degree. So it was with this mindset my friend and I popped on down to the UTS open day, so she could fulfill her dreams of being Legally Blonde (well, brunette in her case) and I could become a posey journalism student.

Upon arrival, not only were we greeted with an abundance of shiny young high school students not yet disillusioned with the reality of university-induced poverty, but free things! UTS tried to bribe our lovely HECS/HELP money from us with free fairy floss, pencils, lollipops, coffee, vitamin water and veggie burgers!

I had forgotten this annual joy, and wondered why I had not pretended to be a student every year in order to satsify my yearly stationary needs.

What simple joys...

And as M and I sat in the sun, enjoying our free food, we wondered if it was entirely inappropriate to find the 17 year old school leaving boys attractive? Probably. Oh well