Autumn Break

Last week felt like a week from some science fiction novel about life in a modern, urban-saturated world.  From horrifying world events being posted minute by minute on the web, to having my debit card sucked into the machine and confiscated because I suddenly couldn't remember my pin number (I still can't remember it.  It is like it was erased from my brain), to David's skin infection coming back, the world seemed like Koioniskatski? - life out of balance.

For my part, I blame hormones and hours spent alone hunched over a drawing pad or searching internet images for everything from traditional Japanese Mol designs, to color pallets, to 1960s models striking absurd poses.  Switching from that brain mode to practical, pragmatic details can be wrenching.  Also, I wasn't interacting with people, either on Skype or in real-life, so I went a little spacey.

I have been on break from school which gives me  time to slow down a little bit. The weather has finally turned cold and the rain was so fierce this morning that the streets were flooding and the sky was black most of the day.  David and I were going to go away for the week-end but we couldn't make up our minds where we wanted to go, then we couldn't get tickets, so we are not going anywhere.   It's  just as well.  It gives me more time to catch up on all my school assignments and to procrastinate drinking tea and reading Facebook.  At some point, we will go to Hobart or Adelaide, but not this time.

Anyway, I have gotten a lot of drawing and painting done, and I have organized two of my portfolios. I did a painting for a fabric design that I was really pleased with.  The basic look of it and the colors were just what I had envisioned so it felt good to know that I could actually manifest an idea.

some sketches

the colors don't look that good in the photo 

I also went out for a glass of wine with one of my class mates last wednesday.  She is a French woman who has worked in the fashion industry in France but relocated to Australia and is working on getting re-established here.  We had a really nice time sipping wine at The White Horse, and chatting about school, Sydney, and life.  (Coincidentally,  a guy was playing the stand up base and singing french jazz classics like La Vie en Rose, while we there).

Another thing that got me out of my pajamas was our date with Nicole and her gang to meet her younger sister who is visiting from NYC.  The gathering was at a basement bar in the city called Uncle Ming's.  It was described as reminiscent of a 1920's Chinese opium bar.  The atmosphere was actually quite cozy and fun.  There was no smoking (of any kind) going on, but the drinks were yummy and the decor was clever and artfully done.  As the evening went on, it got louder and the music was turned up, so we had to shout, but I still managed to have several good conversations.  I even managed to talk to Nicole and her sister just before we left.

Uncle Ming's

We took a cab home through damp streets and I watched the blur of street signs and traffic lights.  I didn't feel happy or sad, just distracted and ever-so-slightly like Mary Tyler Moore at the beginning of her show thinking I might just make it after all.