Friday Fancies

I adore current affairs. This love has more than likely stemmed from my mandatory news quizzes at uni, where I would study tirelessly each week to add a measly 2% to my semester mark. I can confirm these quizzes were, and probably still are, the bane of any journo student's existence.

On the train and in lull moments of my day, I love nothing more than to scour the web for interesting, funny, thought provoking and sometimes peculiar articles, blog posts, videos and the like. They might not be the most intellectual or newsworthy and my old tutor might disapprove, but here's a few links from the past week that have tickled my toes and piqued my interest.

Firstly, I need to work my way through this list of books that will apparently change your life...God knows I don't have enough books in my to-read list already!

Fringe World Festival is upon us here in Perth. There are way too many amazing events and performances, from comedy to art exhibits, cabaret to theatre but I have managed to compile a personalised wishlist on the festival's website. My top picks are All the Single Lad(ie)s, comedian Khaled Khalafalla, This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things musical comedy, The Drunk Show and 5-Step Guide to Being German 2.0. Let me know if there are any other spectacular shows that aren't on my list, I'm definitely open to suggestions.

Special mention to my housemate, Lauren, who will be belting her lungs out as a soprano in The Menagerie indie choir's performance, This Song is Mine. Unfortunately it's already sold out but I ordered my tickets early and cannot wait!

Moving on from Fringe, The Guy's Guide to Seeing Women, Not Objects is an interesting read and something that I think both genders need to take on board, not just men.

Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert were joined on stage by Madonna to perform Same Love at The 56th Grammy Awards. Throw Queen Latifah into the mix as a celebrant and three dozen newlyweds to create a real wow moment. It is such a moving performance. Of course, the backlash soon followed, as expected. 


Also at the Grammys: Imagine Dragons teamed up with Kendrick Lamar with a freaking hectic remix of Radioactive.

Last but definitely not least, how amazing do these whiskey sours sound from the sisters at a Beautiful Mess? Cocktails needed, pronto! Yum.

Well there you go, I hope you've found some inspiration for your weekend!

xx Luce

2014

2013 was a great year for me. There were many amazing, big moments: I did my first triathlon and welcomed a new niece and nephew into the world, as well as some pretty cute babies close friends popped out. My parents relocated to the country, I moved out and graduated from uni. I went to my first ever interview for a job in my field and attended some beautiful weddings.

        

This year I was not keen on making a new years resolution because I believe that every day is a new day  and you can enrich your life any time that you decide. Naturally though, because it is me after all, I changed my mind about the 'no resolutions' resolution.

So my new years resolution isn't the usual lose weight, get fit type, although that's also needed! Instead, I am going to have a Year of Firsts (à la The Londoner). To try something new as often as possible and to not let fear or complacency back me into my comfort zone that I seem to love so much. These firsts can be as small as trying a new food or as huge as going skydiving. I just have to do it!

First firsts on my list? Abseiling, donating blood and laughter yoga. Anyone want to join?
I'll let you know how I go!

xx Luce

I'm a twentysomething and I'll keep being me

My friend posted this link on her Facebook page the other day. For those too lazy to actually go check out the article, it's The 20 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make In Your 20s and it is pretty self explanatory. Obviously I was drawn to it because:

1. I adore lists; and

2. I am currently in my early 20s - WHAT!

Whilst I agree with many of the points the author makes (Hello 'Blaming anyone else but yourself for anything in life' and 'Forgetting about the piggy bank and spending every dollar you have' - I still have eight years to figure that one out, right?), I had a weird feeling after reading it.

It took me a while to pinpoint what it was, but then I realised. I was angry! I was actually fuming that this author decided he was the one and only twenty something who had ever lived and he alone dictated the way it should be, no babies, relationships or mistakes allowed.

So of course, me being me, I analysed the shiz out of my feelings - was I just feeling inadequate, did I just tick too many of the boxes for my own liking? The answer is no. Yes, I do tick some of the boxes ('Getting comfortable like you actually deserve down time' and 'Thinking that this is the right time to fall in love' - I'm in a relationship BUT I did make that decision in my teenage years so technically...). Yes, there are times where I compare myself with others through the joys of 'social media stalking' and seem to fall really short, but the dislike I had for this overall article was something different.

The author hadn't taken into account the myriad of different twenty somethings out there. The twenty somethings who are happy being young mummies or the ones who don't figure out what they want to do until they're in their 30s. I'm not saying it's for everyone but by publishing these kind of articles that cast judgement upon people who live their lives, it's actually being a bit hypocritical. It's saying "look to challenge yourself and build your own dream"...as long as that dream aligns with MY idea of a worthwhile dream.

There are times when I've been guilty of just that. Anyone who knows me knows I can think of nothing worse than having a baby right now but two of my close friends have had babies in the last year AND THEY'RE BOTH UNDER 25! Shock horror. I remember when I found out, I was slightly thrown and had to pull myself up and realise that dreams, wishes, wants and needs come in all shapes and sizes.

This is something we all have to understand and be a lot more open minded about. As long as you're living as true to yourself as possible, why should you be concerned what someone else is doing. I mean, if they're wrong, according to the handbook of life, isn't your twenties the time to make mistakes anyway?

xx Luce

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field

Book club time!

Yes, book club. Please don't hate, we're the coolest book worms you ever could know. We're also  an unorganised and unmotivated bunch which is why I've decided this post is in order and in fact, quite overdue. So girls, get your analytical caps on, we're having book club via blog. 

We read And The Mountains Echoed  by Khaled Hosseini, who is an amazing author who wrote such other masterpieces such as The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

And The Mountains Echoed is a sensational novel about family and the way you are linked with each other, even when you may never have met. It is about betrayal, forgiveness and the moral ambiguity that lies between. Most of all, it's about love and all the different shades of love that exist. 

This book was beautifully written with the quintessential Hosseini voice shining through. Beginning in Afghanistan, the writer takes us through time and space to include France, Greece and the USA in the ever growing story of strong family ties, harsh realities and sometimes the downright ugly side of human nature.  

While I adored this novel, at times it was hard to grab a handle of. Hosseini himself wrote that “a story is like a moving train: no matter where you hop onboard, you are bound to reach your destination sooner or later.” Whilst the destination was reached in the end, sometimes I forgot where I was heading to in the first place. It was slightly disjointed in places where I'm used to a solid continuous story line.

To be honest, the moral ambiguity in the book was the hardest for me to grasp. I like to think that I am completely open minded and understanding of certain circumstances, but I think this book pushed the boundaries of what is right and wrong in my own mind. Hosseini opened the book with a Rumi poem: "out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." This thought-provoking poem set the tone for the rest of the novel with many different scenarios that made you question just how close the line is between good and evil. Is it really wrong to give away your child if you feel they'll be in better hands elsewhere? Just because your someone's mother, does that give you the right to run their lives?

Although I found it difficult to follow at times (probably just me!), And The Mountains Echoed was a moving book. Just like in all his other novel, Hosseini has a way of drawing you in to relate to characters that seem nothing like you from the outset. I definitely recommend this book, and if you can't keep up, just treat it like a book of short stories, it's still beautifully written with interesting and heartbreakingly real characters. 

xx Luce

Discuss this: And the Mountains Echoed begins in Afghanistan, moves to Europe and Greece, and ends in California, gradually widening its perspective. What do you think the author was trying to accomplish by including so many different settings and nationalities? What elements of the characters' different experiences would you say are universal? Do you think the characters themselves would see it that way?

The book raises many questions about the wavering line between right and wrong, and whether it is possible to be purely "good"—or purely "bad." What do you think after reading the novel: Are good intentions enough to create good deeds? Can positive actions come from selfish motivations? Can bad come from positive intent? How do you think this novel would define a good person? How would you define one?

Reboot

The last couple of months have been odd for me – I finished uni and began the dreaded search for employment. I managed to land back into the world of law, returning to my legal secretary position to tie me over until I found a career-starting job. Although it’s been great being with all my old colleagues and I've enjoyed having time away from study, I think I have become comfortable just getting by, that I lost momentum and motivation.

Two weekends ago, I went to Melbourne for a hen’s weekend away for a lovely friend of mine. it was a long weekend of food, cocktails, massages and shopping and it was amazing. Spending time with friends and changing my scenery really revitalised me (or was that the freeeeeezing Melbourne air?!) and made me realise the goals that I had allowed to fall by the wayside.

I am now ready to get back on track because I know when I am working towards something, whether that be a fitness goal or long term career shiz, I am at my happiest.

So, here’s to getting out of my comfort zone: I’m going to run my ass off (literally!), revamp my CV and start scheduling those blog posts like people will die without my writing. I mean, you never know! 

xx Luce