btw

Hey homies.
I did take a lot of prep shots of the barbeque, but that was a hundred years ago, and we’ve been very very busy since. I went to bed at 4am Friday morning, then got up at 2.30 Friday afternoon, then to bed at 7.30am Saturday morning, then up at 2.30 Saturday afternoon, then to bed at 7.30am Sunday, then up at 3.30, then… ok, so I got up at 4.30 this afternoon.
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The MLX was fucking awesomely successful. We had hundreds and hundreds of dancers and DJs and everything. I will post full details in due course. Once I’ve slept more. Or perhaps in a couple of hours when the insomnia kicks in.
But to tide you over, I’ve added this photo of me DJing at the Spiegeltent (c/o Thai – thanks dood). This was taken early on in the night before the jugggling show (!) and before they took down the mini-stage. Later the floor was full of idiot lindy hoppers and drunken fools til 3am. The venue management gushed and gushed – the manager was dancing like a fool, and one of the staff came to all the MLX events over the weekend (I don’t doubt the presence of all the hawt Perth girls helped).
It was a fabulous venue and I’m there again this Saturday if you’re around town and want to catch up.
BTW the BBQ food was awesome.

this weekend’s program

Ok, so here’s the program for this MLX6 weekend:
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Thursday 8.30-midnight: Apollo Jump and Gangbusters, 3 dJs, 2 floors, CBD nightclub. Free.
Thursday 11.30-3am: Jumpin’ at the Spiegeltent. 2 DJs, the Amazing Spiegeltent. $5.
Friday 6.30-8.30. Welcome Drinks, Holliava Bar, Richmond.
Friday 8:30-midnight: King Porter Stomp with George Washingmachine (Sydney), Julie O’Hara and her quintet, Forever Dance, Richmond. $24.
Friday midnight-6am: Jumpin at the Woodside and BSides, aprox 6 DJs, 2 rooms (hard core lindy/BSides ‘unswing’), Forever Dance. $10.
Saturday 2.00-4.00pm. Marquis of Lorne Hotel, Fitzroy. Lunch.
Saturday 4:00-7:00pm. Beer-and-Band. Virus at the Laundry in Fitzroy. Free.
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Saturday 3-5pm. Afternoon tea dance. DJ. Spiegeltent. $10.
Saturday 8.30-midnight. Strutters’ Ball. JW Swing Orchestra, Coppin Hall Prahran.$28.
Saturday midnight – 6am. Jumpin at the Woodside and The Sugar Bowl (lindy/blues). 6+ DJs, 2 rooms. Forever Dance. $10.
Sunday 2:00-5:30pm. MLX6 picnic. Fitzroy Gardens.
Sunday 1:00-3:00. B# Big Band at Copacobana, Collingwood. $10.
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Sunday 7:00-10:00pm. Flying Home Dance with Mike McQuaid’s Red Hot Rhythmakers. Forever Dance. $20.
Sunday 10:00-late. Jumpin’ at the Woodside. Hundreds of DJs. 2 rooms, Forever Dance. $10.
If you’ve bought a pass, it’ll all cost you only $60.
Now, my program for the weekend is as above, just add in:
Friday 2:00-7:00pm. Set up at Forever Dance.
Thursday 7.30pm. Volunteer meeting.
And then add in the fact that I’m DJing at the Spiegeltent that first Thursday, and I’m running the late nights (with wonderful Keith). I’m also expecting to be there to help Wendy on Thursday night, and at every event over the weekend I’ll be hanging around for the other organisers when they need me (we’ve divided up all the events between us).
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We have about 100-odd people flying in from interstate and overseas, and millions of local coming.
I am coordinating our 10 wonderful DJs and 25 fabulous volunteers.
I will have 3 houseguests (Perth, San Diego and Tasmania, Representing) and 1 Squeeze to play with. It will be a massive weekend (it always is), but now that I’ve finished my marking (as of yesterday!), my extreme anxiety has disappeared, and I feel like it’s Christmas eve.
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The temperature has dropped to the very pleasant mid-20s and my guests are flying in tonight. I’m really looking forward to the weekend!

[NB all these photos are from The Squeeze‘s collection. They used to be there at his flickr account, but I suspect he’s lost his uber priveleges, hence their unsee-able-ness. Btw, I reccommend those Pnlrland pics – they are work safe. Wearing bright orange vests and all.]

quick fewd update

The quails were $10 for 4, so I ditched them (after scaring myself at the green grocer with the bill there – but really, veggies are the important thing). Buying a dozen awesome rolls for $3 made up for it.
Otherwise I picked up some cute mini sausages, chicken wings and chicken thigh.
I’m off to the supermarket now (only the safeway, not the mediterranean supermarket as I really can’t be arsed) as I forgot my list before.
Then I’ll put meat in to marinate, cook some rice for the salad, and then sit about on my arse for a while.
If we plan to eat at about 8-8.30pm (provided all the planes arrive on time (around 7.30) I will do the potatoes for the salad about 6pm, and get into the fish salad about 7.30.
Who knows, re the meat cooking times. I need Crinks to think of that.
But I have added corn to the bbq list, and bought some medium-sized mushrooms as well.
…I am half tempted to do a delicious brown rice salad. Quick post your favourite brown rice salad ideas!

gastropod wednesday

We are organising a barbeque for our houseguests and selves (and a few others) tomorrow night.
Here’s the menu:

  • Fish and Herb Salad
  • Orange and Spinach Salad
  • Kumara Salad
  • ‘Mexican’ Potato Salad

and assorted meats, including these possibles:

  • chicken-on-sticks (thigh meat marinated in coriander, garlic, lemon, etc)
  • chicken wings (in soy, ginger, etc)
  • quail (possibly a la Maggie)
  • Nino and Joe’s sausages
  • possibly ribs

As you can see from my lack of decisiveness on the meat front, the salads are the main focus.
Here are the recipes I’ll use:

Fish and Herb Salad
300g smoked cod
3 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup cooked and cooled jasmin rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh Vietnamese mint
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
8 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

Dressing:
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander root
2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped lemon grass (white part only)
3 tbsp chopped fresh Thai basil
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut oil

1. place the cod in a large frying pan and cover with water. Add the lime juice and simmer for 15minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool slightly before breaking into bite-sized pieces.
2. Brown the coconut. The recipe reccommends doing this in the oven, but I dry-fry it. Discard if it burns.
3. Place the fish, coconut, rice, Vietnamese mint, mint, coriander and kaffir lime leaves in a large bowl and mix to combine.
4. To make dressing: place the coriander root, ginger, chilli, lemon grass and basil in a food processor and process until combined. Add the avocado, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and peanut oil and process until creamy. I find that just smooshing it in a bowl is enough. Or you could use a barmix.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

This salad is AMAZING. But it doesn’t keep, so eat it all on the day – it’s very ordinary cold.
(this recipe is from this useful book).

Kumara Salad
1kg cubed orange sweet potato (kumara)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp
1/2 tsp yellow asafetida poweder
3/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp seeded, finely chopped green chilli
2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely shredded coconut
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, powdered
1 tbsp sesame seeds, preferably unhulled, dry-roasted and powdered
2 tbsp fresh coriander leavs for garnish.

1. Boil sweet potato until tender but not overcooked. Remove, drain and keep warm.
2. Pour 2 tsp olive oil in a wok or large pan over moderate heat. When hot, add the yellow asafetida powder, stir briefly, then remove the pan from teh heat. Allow the oil to cool a little, then add the garam masala, cayenne and chilli. Mix well, then add the lime juice, salt and the rest of the olive oil. Fold in the potato and stir gently to coat with the spices. Add the coconut, peanut powder and toasted sesame seed powder and stir gently to combine.
3. Allow the sald to cool and the flavours to mingle, then serve with a garnish of fresh coriander leaves.
I don’t bother powdering the peanuts and seeds, I just smash them a lot with the mortar and pestle.
This is a tasty salad that I make when we do Indian feast. It’s especially nice as a sweeter accompaniment (ditching the chili) with hot curries.

(This recipe came from this great veggie cookbook which you can pick up all over the place – I got mine in Community Aid Abroad. I don’t think they sell it at the ABC/SBS shop any more).

Mexican Orange Salad
6 oranges peeled and all white pith removed, sliced crosswise
2 red onions, sliced
90g/3oz toasted almonds, chopped
2 medium fresh chillis, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh coriander
4tbsp fresh mint leaves
1/4 bunch/125g/4oz English spinach, leaves shredded

Place oranges, onions, almonds, chillies, coriander leaves and mint in a bowl, toss to combine and stand for 30 minutes. Line a serving platter with spinach then pile salad on top.
This salad is really nice and fresh. I find it’s a good idea to keep the juice which spills when you slice the oranges. I can’t remember if I add a basic vinegrette (sp?), but I doubt it. I usually ditch the chilli if I’m doing the following potato salad as well.

(This recipe is from this book which I picked up somewhere cheaply. It has some really neat recipes in it, including some fairly detailed descriptions of bean dish preparation. It doesn’t, though, have a recipe for tortillas and other breads from scratch :( We are fond of Mexican type foods in our house)

Potatoes in Chilli Vinegar
2 kg baby new potatoes, halved
Dressing:
2 red onions, sliced
3 jalapeno chillis, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp capers, drained
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
4 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

1. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and put in a serving bowl.
2. To make dressing, place onions, jalapeno and red chillis, garlic, sugar, capers, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, vinegar and water in a bowl and mix to combine. Pour dressing over warm potatoes, toss to combine and stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
This potato salad rocks. We are a bit over creamy spud salads (though I do make a good one with kalamata olives and ham and a mayo/yoghurt dressing), and this one is really nice – really fresh and sassy. I have found, though, that timid guests who don’t eat chilli very often find it a bit scary – it’s pretty bitey for noobs. It’s important to let the warm potatoes sit in the dressing for a while at room temperature – they suck up the flavours.

(same souce as above).

I’ll see if we can get some preparation photos as we go along, but it’ll depend on whether or not The Squeeze is around and interested. You can see some of the dishes we cooked last year for the Bandidos party here.

gig mass index

I have as much free space on my* ipod as I do on my laptop.
I have about 30 gig of music on my laptop, but I haven’t been able to put all my CDs on there as it, well it just won’t fit.
You can fit 18gig on my ipod, I think.
I wish I had a bigger laptop. Or perhaps an external hard drive solution.
But I’m really bad at estimating/figuring out volume (?) so I could be wrong in all these calculations.
DJing at the Spiegeltent on Saturday my laptop got so hot I had to sit with it in my hands at the pub for half an hour afterwards so I could put it back in its little pouch without worrying that it would cook itself.
It reminded me of how difficult it is to do lots of exercise when you’re carrying too much weight.
*’my’ meaning The Squeeze’s.

why not. i’ve got things to do

Now I’m going to do the other questions, because I’m watching rage (Goddess bless ABC2) and should be doing stupid mlx volunteer door sheets.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
‘woah – you look tired, girl’
It’s allergy season. I always look tired in allergy season.
4. Favorite planet?
Neptune. No reason.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
I don’t know. I didn’t know I had a missed call list. I wouldn’t know how to find it.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
There’s more than one?
I HATE it when people call me when I’m riding my bike.
8. Do you “label” yourself?
I’m not sure what that means. But I don’t think I do.
12. What does your watch look like?
It’s a nice ‘ladies” (ie, it’s smaller) diving watch. Black face with slivery bits. It went through the wash the other day so I took it in to get it fixed up. The strap had broken in two places and was being held together with a blue rubber band. I have had it for many years and love it very much. A watch is more convenient than a mobile phone for telling the time when you’re riding a bike.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Lying in bed just about to fall deeply asleep.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
I’m not exactly sure, but it was the girl I was meeting yesterday telling me she was walking to the cafe and could I please order her a peppermint tea. I did.
16. What’s a word that you say a lot?
Cockwit. It’s something I say when I ride my bike and get scared by scary drivers.
18. Last furry thing you touched?
My pink, fluffy slippers – they’re kind of like eskimo boots but pink. They stink.
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
I am loving my 30s, so 30, 31 and (as of last week), 32.
22. Your worst enemy?
The Man.
23. What is your current desktop picture?
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That’s me – DJ Snoopdoggydogpossum.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
“Goodnight – I love you” to The Squeeze before I went to sleep. He’s still in bed now.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
I think the money. Mostly because I think that if I could fly, I’d become a crap walker/dancer/bike rider. Though it depends on how I could fly. If it’s a magic thing, then I don’t want it (for those reasons). If it’s a flying-like-a-bird thing, I don’t think I want that either as I’d have to get really light bones and get more aerodynamic.
26. Do you like someone?
Sure. I like lots of people. But I like The Squeeze in a kissing way.
27. The last song you listened to?
Bones by… I think it was the Killers. Or another one of those retro-chic boybands. It was quite dull. I’m not impressed by any of the boybands I’ve seen today – Wolf Mother, Eskimo Joe, etc etc. They all look about 16, wear too much black and are far too mopey. That shit lit my fire when I was 16. But now I am a Woman and I have other priorities.
…. they’re actually showing that Blur concert (or parts thereof) again right now, so I’m busy preferring that Britpop action – lively blokes who’re actually old enough to grow facial hair.
28. What time of day were you born?
Midnight. After a very long labour. I have trouble changing my sleep pattern, but can be a late nighter or an early bird. I do my best thinking and writing in the morning when I’m in early bird mode.
29. What’s your favorite number?
11. Because I was born on the 11/11/74. I know that’s a dumb reason.
30. Where did you live in 1987?
Gladstone Street, Brighton, Brisbane. A rough-as-guts area on the seafront. With my parents and brother.
31. Are you jealous of anyone?
All the people whose blogs I read and make me think ‘gee, I wish I could get it together and write interesting posts’. Also, people who are fitter than I am. Also, people who can go travelling. I’d like to go somewhere interesting – thesis is done, time to move.
32. Is anyone jealous of you?
Who knows.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
Dunno. I didn’t realise it had happened for a couple of days because I didn’t ever watch telly then.
The first time I saw the footage was on one of those massive screens in a lecture theatre. It brought tears to my eyes – I couldn’t believe someone would really choose to kill themselves and a plane load of passengers to smash into a building and kill lots of other people.
It was a bit embarassing as I was a tutor in that lecture’s subject.
35. Do you consider yourself kind?
Yeah, I can be kind. But I can also be scary. I am a bit stressy and premenstrual at the moment, so I am being horrible to The Squeeze (he has started rebelling, as of yesterday). But I was raised by hippies with really strict Rules about how we were to treat other people. So I feel incredible guilt when I say insulting things about people’s weight or how they look, so I don’t do it.
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Tattoos suck. I’m still waiting for my perfect skin. So why would I fuck it up with some ink. If I had to get a tattoo I wouldn’t be in a position to choose.
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Italian, a Chinese language or French.
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
Yeah, sure. I like moving.
40. Whats your life motto?
Don’t lick knives.
It’s just a Rule.
42. Whats your favorite town/city?
I’m pretty easy going on towns – I like big cities. But I also like pretty cities. So I’m very fond of Hobart. …Actually, I thought Amsterdam was really lovely. Tiny, but interesting. I’m also very fond of Cardiff.
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
Job application a few weeks ago.
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
Nope, but I can put air in my bike tires.
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
Can’t remember who my first love was.
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
Grandparent’s parents. They’re all English, Irish or Welsh. Not much to tell, really.
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
Wore ‘vintage’ yesterday for Spiegeltent gig (I have to). This week it was 3/4 black trousers (my new ones, side button fly, in a FABULOUS stretch cotton, ), black boots, white collared shirt, black waistcoat, maroon tie, tied in a double windsor and very short, a la 1930s. Oh, and the paper boy’s hat I made the other week. Kieran called me Oliver a few times. Young swingers today know nothing about history. I was going to wear my pin striped suit, but my bosom was too enormous to fit in the jacket without stretching the buttons scarily. I was a bit shitty as I really wanted to wear the spats as well.
I got hit on by a dyke chick from the Mornington Peninsula. I reckon she’s going to come to MLX so I guess I’ve sold myself for swing dance. Again. But I was looking pretty hawt. In a sweaty, tired, way. But there was that enormous bosom thing.
50. Have you been burned by love?
I’m not sure. I’ve been treated like shit by a couple of arsehole (cockwit fucker) blokes. But I’ve also been treated damn well by love.

everyone else is doing it so why shouldn’t I?

Everyone else is doing the last 15 questions of the procrastination meme, so I’m going to start with those and see if I can be bothered doing the first questions some other time.
1. What shirt are you wearing?
I am not wearing a shirt. I am wearing only a really threadbare, holey bit of vaguely hawaiin print fabric which my mother gave me. Because we lived in Fiji, my family (ie my bro, me ma and me pa) wear sulus. These are like sarongs, yet Fijian.
So now I am sitting here under a blanket wearing only a sulu. Because I came home from a very hot ride back from DJing at the goldfishbowl… uh, Spiegeltent, had a wash and a lie down.
2. What brand of shoes are you currently wearing?
No brand – I am wearing shoes of human skin. Which I made myself.
3. Bright or Dark Room?
Pretty dark because the sun is going down, but just turned on reading-in-bed light.
4. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
They all rock. Like John Bon Jovi.
5. Where is your nearest 7-11?
The nearest 7-11 is… um… oh, I know. It’s on Melville Road, about … look, I don’t know how far away it is as I’ve only been there once, at about midnight to buy crisps. I was with my two (much younger and hawter) female friends. A cab driver tried to pick them up. Not literally.
6. Who told you he/she loved you last?
The Squeeze. When asked to quantify said Love, he guesstimated ‘twelveteen’.
7. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
I took a couple of panadeines a little while ago because I had a nasty DJing-in-a-hot-room/riding-the-crimson-wave/hellooo-stress-and-tension headache. Now I feel much better.
I also had my first coffee in about sixty millions years at Don whatsits on Brunswick Street earlier on because they’re supposed to do good coffee there and I was waiting to meet the chick who’ll be coordinating the door sales at all our MLX events. It made me shakey and a bit anxious. I will go back to tea. I would have had a tea, but they only had crap T2 which I’m off as they use too many artificial flavours.
8. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
What?
0I have a photographer-partner who does all that camera business. I do the dancing and play the music. He records it all for posterity. So he may have some film lying about (in fact, I know he does).
9. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
I don’t use them. But I wasted a $2 coin on a bung ticket machine on the tram the other day and was upset. I thought about trying to get it out with a bobby pin but was too shy because it was a crowded tram.
10. Are you touchy feely?
Depends. Dancers kiss a lot, so I kiss them. We are very touchy feely because you can’t partner dance without touching or feeling someone. At MLX there will be so much touching and feeling and kissing my skin will vibrate for weeks afterward and I will not be able to understand how people are letting other people know how they feel at the CSAA conference the week after.
I have recently decided I like the lip-kiss. That means kissing hello on the lips. I have a couple of friends who do it and I like the looks on people’s faces when they do it. I also like it when I have visiting friends from Europe who do 1, 2, 3 or 4 cheek kisses.
Sometimes I meet people who I do not want to touch at all. I think we should all pay very close attention to those feelings.
11. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Underarm hair. Sweat. Big eyebrows.
12. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Big bottle of water at a little newsagent in a foyeur (sp?) on Swanston Street. I knew I’d need a big bottle for dancing and couldn’t be bothered carrying my usual bottle in with me from home. The closest toilets to the Speegs are in the Arts Center and they have bullshit arty sinks where you can’t fill your bottle.
13. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
My headache has mostly gone, but i have a sore knee from riding my bike with poor core strength.
14. How much cash do you have on you?
$0. See question 1.
15. What’s a word that rhymes with “DOOR?”
Poor.

fewd for the mind and body

I’d really like to go to this but it’s in London and I’m poor.
It’s on the 19th-22nd July 2007. I could do some Herrang, go to the conference, go back and do some more Herrang. Or, rather (as I’d much prefer, having had about enough of Herrang after a week), I could do the conf, then go to Herrang. And in the weeks before the conf I could visit friends and family.
I wish I had an income. :(