As part of the Sydney Writers' Festival, I went to see a panel discussion about whether marriage equality is a distraction from deeper, more complex issues that gay people face and whether it's absolutely necessary to legalise same sex marriage in Australia. Moderated by Annette Shun Wah, the speakers were: Dennis Altman, writer of political discourse and sexual liberation; Jeanette Winterson, acclaimed British author of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit; Benjamin Law, journalist and one of the great, articulate voices of my generation (and no, that is not an oxymoron); and Masha Gessen, Russian-American journalist and author. The panel was called "Why Be Married When You Could Be Happy?", a reference to Jeanette Winterson's latest memoir "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?" which in turn was a line that her Pentecostal mother said to her when Jeanette came out as a lesbian at age 16.

As all of the panellists are prominent queer writers, it was a no-brainer that they all agreed that same sex marriage should be legalised as it symbolises equal rights and acceptance. Most of them stated that while marriage isn't personally for them (Benjamin: I would rather get hit by a bus set on fire than get married) they do think LGBT people should have the right to. After briefly outlining that historically, marriage was an economic arrangement to settle property, there was discussion on whether marriage should be something to aspire to as it implies traditional conventions on lifelong monogamy and Masha Gessen argued that institutionalised marriage should not exist in the form as we know it (she has a fascinating model of a family unit which is so confusing I won't even attempt to explain it). Dennis Altman went a step further in his condemnation of marriage, and thinks it marginalises people who don't wish to engage in long term relationships. I looked up one of his articles and his views are summarised as thus:

Is there a danger that homosexuals are parodying an outmoded institution by seeking inclusion in the romantic myth of marriage?... Feminists have long criticised marriage as the institutional basis for male supremacy and restrictive notions of monogamy, and sexual radicals have long denounced marriage as a declining and oppressive institution. The notion of marriage implies a long term commitment to both sexual and emotional commitment. Yet the two are not necessarily synonymous, and most gay men, at least, accept a whole range of sexual adventuring as co-existing with long term partnerships. There seems something hypocritical in the rush to embrace marriage vows, which were designed to restrain any idea that commitment was to be measured entirely by sexual fidelity.

One audience member pointed out that this was a stereotype of gay men but it did lead on to the more controversial topics of polygamy and polyamory. It's interesting because the argument that many religious groups use is that by allowing same-sex marriage, it would open the floodgates to other immoral practices like paedophilia and polygamy. Benjamin quipped "God forbid, I should want the right to marry my fridge!"

Masha Gessen explained a little known fact that same-sex divorce in America is actually a lot more complicated than getting the rights to marry. She separated from her first partner 6 years ago after they married in Massachusetts but since she lives most of the year in Russia, she is legally unable to divorce, even though she has a new family with her current partner. Here's an explanation on the issue, which I think is utterly preposterous.

For you infographic-lovers, here's a wonderful one by the Guardian that someone on the panel mentioned outlining the different same-sex rights allowed in the US. It's a rainbow!! :D

I like Benjamin Law's optimistic view:
In Australia, same sex marriage is inevitable. 80 percent of young Australians between 18 and 24 want to see it happen. (Old people eventually die.)

LJ, how tired and outdated you look these days compared to all the other shiny blog platforms out there. Can't believe I've been on this for over 10 years, but I can't even entertain the thought of leaving.

Anyway, I found this recipe on Pinterest and the concept blew my mind. AVOCADO FRIES, OMG. Why haven't I heard of it earlier??

I haven't been keeping up with the music scene, but I know that there's a huge buzz building up around the band Alabama Shakes, who I first heard about last year. They recently performed on Later with Jools Holland and I was reminded how much I love them. These guys are the epitome of awesome.


Norah Jones was on the same show performing new material and I'm really digging her collab with Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells fame).

I just watched HBO's film biopic of Temple Grandin and it was totally inspiring. She's a sought after speaker and her work is highly cited in both humane animal slaughter and autism fields (she revolutionised understanding of both), and the film covers her life in the 60's and 70's where she struggled to get by everyday life in her teens because of her autism. It's a compelling story about parenting, being an outsider, overcoming sexual discrimination and dogged determination. Claire Danes is freakishly good in transforming her voice and physicality to portray Temple and won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance. It's a shame that there's so much meaningless rom-com crap out there earning millions of dollars when stories of real life heroes should really get more attention!



Temple also spoke about the world needing all kinds of minds at TED last year.

My Chinese was much better as an 8 year old. My handwriting looks about the same today (ie atrocious), but I can't remember how to read or write half these words. Lately, mum has been patiently sitting down with me going through my old primary school level Chinese workbooks. Languages are freaking hard to learn!



Rough English translation (in a less poetic tone):
I know when spring has arrived
Flowers blossom and little birds sing

I know when summer has arrived
Everyone wears less clothes

I know when autumn has arrived
Everyone sweeps the fallen leaves

I know when winter has arrived
Northern winds blow and snowflakes float

So, so many great moments in this gem of a film! 9/10


At this point, they're starting to get a little nutty from repeating the same answers at interviews and press junkets. ARGH, SO ADORABLE.

Photo by Manuel Harlan

My mummy says I'm a jumped up little germ
That kids like me should be against the law.
My daddy says I should learn to shut my pie hole
No one likes a smart-mouthed girl like me.

Matilda walks onstage with frazzled hair, forlornly singing these lines just after a gaggle of brats have boasted about their own parents' affections for them.... and thus steals our hearts in the opening scene of the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic, which opened just last week at the Cambridge Theatre. Eleanor Worthington Cox is one of the 4 girls cast to play the little leading lady and is one of the finest performers I have ever seen - and she's freaking 10 years old. It's mindboggling that anyone that age can carry solo numbers, memorise complex dialogue, dance several romping routines, and - in one particularly hilarious scene - speak in Russian. Her pint-sized fellow performers are equally matched in talent and when I wasn't busy going "DAAAAW", I was laughing my ass off. Although a lot of the plot details have been altered, Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly have kept true to the spirit of Dahl's dark humour and childlike imagination in their writing of the songs and script, adding their own flavour of anarchy. Bertie Carvel is delightfully terrifying as a cross dressing Miss Trunchbull, and as for Matilda's odious father, the Guardian describes Paul Kaye as "a Quentin Blake illustration made flesh." The set design was brilliant - when you walk in, you're hit by a visual barrage of oversized wooden scrabble tiles with beautiful hand drawn letters arranged across the theatre. Every scene incorporates the motif of squares and blocks, creating a compartmentalised chaos (see amazing library photo).

10/10 - New favourite!

Here's a video of the song Revolting Children - one part Spring Awakening, one part Oliver! and two parts Dahl:

Matilda a Musical: Revolting Children from Dusthouse on Vimeo.

(1) Pencil vs Camera: integrating sketches with reality
(2) Dear Photograph: a similar concept, but with old photos.
(3) Splitscreen, A Love Story: beautifully filmed on a humble mobile phone.
(4) Posters explaining philosophies through minimalist shapes
(5) Back To The Future by Irina Werning, an ambitious feat of revisiting the past, often with hilarious results. Be sure to check out part 2 as well!
(6) The World Is Where We Live: man vs wild.
(7) Move: 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles.
(8) National Geographic Photo Contest 2011
(9) Food magnified under an electron microscope.
(10) Criminal Penguins from the mindblowing BBC Frozen Planet series
(11) New York gets invaded by 8-bit monsters
(12) Rubbish made into art by Chris Jordan.
(13) Everything Is A Remix: four part series exploring reappropriation within music, films and inventions.
(14) Old typewriters made into sculptures.

And last but not least, a cartoon that perfectly summarises this post.

This post is going to be a backlog of musical theatre reviews over the past few months. I love London!

Phantom of the Opera 9/10
I first saw this as a wee kid and grew up listening to the soundtrack so it was amazing to be able to see this performed on the West End with my seat in the 3rd row, and it was every bit as dramatic as I had anticipated. The lead was played by John Owen Jones who's played the Phantom over 1400 times... insane! And what stage presence he commands! The character is obsessive and a tortured soul but I shed a little tear for him at the agonising climax. Christine Daaé was played to perfection by Portuguese Sofia Escobar and the air reverberated with the purity of her voice - except I'm disappointed to find out from Wikipedia that in all Phantom productions, the high E that Christine hits at the end of the main theme is usually prerecorded, as are the Phantom's offstage voiceovers and various instruments! I suppose it would be vocally damaging to sing that high for 8 shows a week but I can't help but feel a little cheated if it were true. Aside from that fact, she was bloody brilliant in the high notes for Think Of Me so there's no denying her talent. I was blown away by the set design (replicating the the Opera Garnier in Paris) and the costumes (especially in Masquerade) and the theatrical tricks incorporated the show are always fun.

At the 25th Anniversary celebration at the Royal Albert Hall this year, five previous Phantoms (including Anthony Warlow and John Owen Jones, both on the left) shared the stage with Sarah Brightman to sing the theme. This will probably go down as one of the greatest moments in musical theatre history:



Love Never Dies 9/10
I saw this back in May but since it's coming out in Sydney in the new year, I thought it would be worth mentioning here in a non-spoilerish way. As the sequel to Phantom of the Opera, it takes place 10 years later following most of the principal characters and is set in Coney Island, showcasing the eerie and freakish themes that are intrinsic to the Phantom. I was riveted from beginning to end, and loved all the performances by Ramin Karimloo who previously performed as the Phantom from the original - he's the only one in the mask in the aforementioned video. According to Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Australian production is better than the UK's, so don't miss it if you have the opportunity!

Chicago 6.5/10
It's amazing how seductive a simple shoulder roll or a whispered word can be. The incredibly athletic dance ensemble sighed and thrusted their loins about the stage like a single orgasm- I mean, er, organism. America Ferrera, the star of Ugly Betty, was probably a risky casting choice for Roxie Hart seeing as she has no previous dancing or singing background but her acting commitment to the character is pretty commendable, especially as a pseudo marionette puppet in They Both Reached For The Gun. However, I really, really love Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones in the Rob Marshall's slick film version and found the West End show a bit underwhelming in comparison.

The Lion King 9/10
I had tears in my eyes within the two minutes, ahaha. That's how much I love animals. Or maybe it was really the joyous tribal chorus that made my heart soar - there's something so magical about traditional African song and dance. I think I connected to those moments more than the original Elton John numbers from the Disney film. The shadow, rod, hand puppets were beautiful to watch and the complexity of the stage mechanics is impressive. The only problem I had with the production is that the acting was a little clunky and the comic delivery could've been sharper, but it's definitely a lot of fun. Here's a great behind the scenes look at the West End production.

Crazy For You 9/10
Incorporating jazz songs written by Ira and George Gershwin, Crazy For You received more 5 star reviews on the West End than any other show this year. It's everything you love about MGM musical classics - tapdancing, Ziegfeld Follies, glamorous costumes, funny wisecracks, high energy ensemble dances - combined with classic tunes like I Got Rhythm and Embraceable You.

In case you're wondering what I've rated 10/10 in the past.... that would be Les Mis...

Speaking of rollerskating, Beginners is now one of my favourite movies. I fell in love with the trailer when I first saw it a few months back (it's now out on DVD) and the feature did not disappoint. Mike Mills (who is also a graphic artist) based the film's premise on the true story of his own father coming out at age 75. French actress Mélanie Laurent describes the script as a mix of Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry and I have to agree. It's whimsical, poignant, and the ragtime jazz soundtrack is lovely. Plus the dog is an absolute scene-stealer! (Trivia fun fact: Cosmo the dog was trained by the same woman who also trained other famous Jack Russell actors eg from Frasier and My Dog Skip.)

When my laptop died the other week, I spent my time reading all three books of Philip Pulman's fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. While it dragged on heaps, I got pretty engrossed in it. A lot of his concepts are quite interesting - like how he has a retelling of biblical history as we know it, and how there are millions of parallel worlds filled with different creatures. I do recognise though that he's totally vilified all Christians in the books (I don't think there's a single good deed performed by someone from the church throughout the trilogy, to put it nicely) and he's scoffed at CS Lewis in the past, criticising the Chronicles of Narnia as thinly veiled "Christian propaganda" but Pulman's own atheist agenda is even more blatant in his own work, summed up in the line from The Amber Spyglass: "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake." Also, the main goal of the good guys in the trilogy is to build a republic of heaven without bishops, priests, or churches as people in power are intent on suppressing and controlling the rest of the world in the name of God. Had I picked this up a few years ago when I was still a Christian, I would've found this a little confronting but my agnosticism has now made me impartial to his utopian vision. For every religious parable out there being taught to a person of faith, there should be a humanist/scientific counterbalance... basically, I strongly believe that all Christians should read essays and books written by atheists and agnostics. It's ridiculous that there are religious organisations out there attempting to ban Pulman's books from schools/libraries, and they apparently also tried to boycott the film adaptation The Golden Compass - it's just proving Pulman's point about churches, really.

There's a character called Mary Malone who left the church to become a scientist, and a lot of her views kind of parallel what I'm going through at the moment. Here's a non-spoilerish excerpt that resounded with me when she speaks to the two child protagonists, Will and Lyra:

"When I first saw you, in your Oxford," Lyra said, "you said one of the reasons you became a scientist was that you wouldn't have to think about good and evil. Did you think about them when you were a nun?"

"Hmm. No. But I knew what I should think: it was whatever the Church taught me to think. And when I did science, I had to think about other things altogether. So I never had to think about them for myself at all," said Mary.

"But do you now?" said Will.

"I think I have to," Mary said, trying to be accurate.

"When you stopped believing in God," he went on, "did you stop believing in good and evil?"

"No. But I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good deed, because it helps someone, or that's an evil one, because it hurts them. People are too complicated to have simple labels."

"Yes," said Lyra firmly.

"Did you miss God?" asked Will.

"Yes," Mary said, "terribly. And I still do. And what I miss most is the sense of being connected to the whole of the universe. I used to feel I was connected to God like that, and because he was there, I was connected to the whole of his creation. But if he's not there, then..."

It's pretty much impossible to read a CD or gig review of Feist without seeing a mention of the iPod nano commercial featuring her song 1234 (co-written by Aussie Sally Seltmann aka New Buffalo) which propelled her into global mainstream consciousness in 2007 and subsequently led her to a guest appearance on Sesame Street, counting along with Elmo and his friends. But you can tell from her exasperation in interviews that it also brought a kind of unsolicited commercial pressure. So she hid away for 2 years doing pretty much nothing musically for herself and emerged with a new album called Metals, taking a very different direction from the exuberance of her previous work in The Reminder and Let It Die. The songs in Metals are mysterious and subtly dramatic, with constant references to the wilderness. Feist collaborated with Mountain Man for the record, a trio of female hipsters who sound like a cross between Fleet Foxes and Laura Marling, and at the Palladium theatre earlier this week, they provided complex harmonies that were fierce, breathy and commanding, demonstrated with full force for the thrilling "A Commotion". Even the twee "Mushaboom" got a melancholy makeover with the verses in minor key and the infectious chorus transformed into a tribal warcry. Moments of sublime tenderness were shed on "The Circle Married The Line" (my favourite on the new album) and later the mood uplifted with the joyous handclaps of "I Feel It All". For the closing song of the encore, Feist invited couples from the audience to slowdance on stage while she crooned the ballad "Let It Die" and it was a highlight to watch two gentlemen gallantly waltzing together on the same platform that is home to the West End production of The Wizard Of Oz every other night of the week...

Here she is performing on Jools Holland:

I experienced my first tasting menu last Sunday at the Michelin-starred Viajante, situated in East London. My brother was supposed to go but pulled out due to other plans and generously paid for me be his stand-in. Before I went I looked up the website and read some reviews and honestly thought that I wouldn't enjoy Nuno Mendes' food (he interned at El Bulli). Some describe his style as innovative, creative and modern but I associate fine dining with wanky, expensive dishes in tiny, tiny portions. I always say I'd rather use that money to fund a home-cooked meal for loads of people. But similarly to my experience of Dinner by Heston, I LOVED EVERY DISH. I hope it's not an indication of my palate becoming pretentious!

We opted for the 6-course option and weren't given a menu because surprise is meant to be a key element in the experience, but we were given a brief verbal description of each dish by the waiters. Half the time I didn't understand what they were saying because I was unfamiliar with some of the vocab but all I know is that it was all very delicious. I had to do a bit of research on the web afterwards to compile the info for these captions, otherwise all I'd be saying is YUMMM and NYGGHH.


Amuse bouches: Crab croquette and Thai explosion II
You could put anything in a croquette and I will love it - such is my affection for anything deep fried with a crumb coating. The inside of this wasn't filled with pieces of crab like I was expecting but an oozy centre of crab-flavoured goop. The Thai Explosion was like a mini sandwich of toasted bread with chicken skin, filled with shredded confit chicken, coconut milk, chillies and coriander.

( YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM )

A couple of weeks ago, the Barbican was showing an exhibition called Watch Me Move: The Animation Show that featured the history of animation since the dawn of moving pictures. It was wonderful - I got to watch cartoons all day! I was reminded of the awesomeness of such features like Creature Comforts, Toy Story, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (incredibly there's a sequel in the works) and the golden age of Hanna-Barbera cartoons... but I most enjoyed watching the really old animations from the silent film era. They were hilarious, charming, surreal and surprising!

The early version of Felix The Cat:


The Fleischer Brothers (famous for Betty Boop and Popeye) seemed to like having a playful interaction between the drawing and the artist, cleverly compositing the animation with live-action: