Friday 20 November 2015

Listening to Chet Faker at the Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge in the background, post drinking a bottle of Rose' at Opera Bar was an insanely iconic, memorable and surreal moment. It's always the unplanned plans.... Before going, we ate copious amount of Thai food before getting dressed within 15 minutes, realising it was raining and being handed in a motherly fashion, unknowingly, an under sized leopard print raincoat in preparation for the predicted, torrential down-poor and then heading off on the train to Circular Quay. With arriving at 7.30pm for Chet's set starting at 9.30pm, our only option was to head to Opera Bar to buy an exceedingly expensive bottle of wine, knowing that our university student budgets and bank account would suffer, drinking or sculling or sipping it, throwing our heads back and looking towards the sky... 30 minutes later, the sunset was more beautiful than ever, we delved into deep conversation and strutted/slow danced/swayed our way into the forecourt. We lined up for the porta loos, twice... obviously and sat down in the mosh pit.









Chet Faker is a capturing guy, his voice and presence is warming and introspective and impersonally personal. I danced alot, reciting every lyric of No Diggity and Gold and 1989 and Talk is Cheap and let's be completely real just the whole Built of Glass and and Thinking in Textures, did my weird, iconically strange hand movements and moved my hips, regardless of the guy beside me complaining about the back up singer/dancers, Chet's lack of beard (justified complaint), stage effects and sound quality. But nonetheless, the night was made when Marcus Marr joined the stage for 'The Trouble With Us', confidently strutting their insane versatility for the packed out Opera House Forecourt. McDonalds, is regretfully a necessity after half a bottle of wine is consumed and this was no different to any other drunken adventure....






Elena, xx





Saturday 24 October 2015

October Playlist

My October playlist is extremely strange and vibrant and a little bit all over the place. It reflects my crazy and awesome month. I have explored so many new things, I've had time to reflect and change and grow as a human, in conjunction with others, individually and personally.

1. King Kunta- Kendrick Lamar

This song is weird and wacky and just SO out of the ordinary for me. But my lovely @poopgie has made me fall in love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRK7PVJFbS8



2. Sober- Childish Gambino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx96Twg-Aew


3. Hoops- The Rubens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFBe_wP2_gw

4. Hands to Love- Nathan Hawes

Yesterday I was told this guy featured on the voice. Before now, I had never heard of him but his gorgeously sweet and flawless voice appeals to me more than anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cen0cGQujOk

5. Sad Machine- Porter Robinson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek



6. Wash it Away- Nahko and Medicine for the People

He's a source of musical healing. An absolutely amazing energy and sound and expression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IBFMkt9KGQ

7. It's Nice to be Alive- Ball Park Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSgz7Ept79o

8. If You Wanna- The Vaccines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQKjI6395iU

9. Apollo- Last Dinosaurs

The Last Dinosaurs are forever amazing... I cheese every time this song or any of their songs come on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M01rsp80LCk



10. Treehouse- Gold Fields

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwD0hAxBpjU


Also, shout out to Sticky Fingers and their insane vibes at their gig at the Enmore. Crazy, cray, crazy. The most amazing atmosphere and music and just generally, they are pretty awesome humans. The highlight of the night was definitely burritos at GYG, the 17 year off his head asking us to answer maths equations and getting a surprise, much needed lift to maccas at 2am.



Spotify Playlist: WEIRD FEELINGS OCTOBER


Elena, xx






Saturday 15 August 2015

A trip to the beach is refreshing, it's cleansing, the most natural form of therapy in the world. It cleans wounds- spiritually, emotionally and mentally. It's dense with energy, a natural energy that is omnipotent, omnipresent.

When life gets ridiculously crazy and I get completely overwhelmed I always turn to a 6am beach trip. It's usually 'organised' spontaneously. I text Steph it goes along the lines of 'I need to go to the beach'. It's a way of saying 'my life is a mess, I'm currently a messy brain, a messy head and my bedroom is just as bad... help.' The forty minute drive is nearly as good as jumping in the water. It consists of a variety of music. You can take a pick from my 42 mix tapes that are permanently located in my glove box. There's one called 'probably don't listen to it' (this is usually one direction and taylor swift) or another called 'Elena's go to hippy, gypsy, happy disc' or 'ghetto times' which features beyonce and kanye and an assortment of R&B and rap. My favourite part is when we go through Oxford Falls, it's any person's dream home destination, located with a farmland like feeling but only a 10 minute drive to the beach and not to mention the view which looks out onto the ocean.

Jumping into salt water is pure bliss. I've always felt this way. The ocean is a place where I can reconcile. A place where my thoughts can be forgotten and I can connect with something that is the closest thing I can find to magic. It makes me smile and beam with happiness.

In the sun, the water can sparkle and glisten. And the sunrise and the sunset... it's absolute magic.







Tata for now, Elena x



Thursday 6 August 2015

What more could you wish for?

 I sang my lungs out to Beyonce along the pacific highway and smiled bright eyed despite a 5am start and a burnt McCafe coffee. The sky was lit with iridescent colours as the earth invited us on an adventure towards Byron Bay.... 8 hours and 50 minutes to go. Nature at that moment, supported pure feelings of euphoria. The feelings were nothing short of satisfied and content. I was fulfilling, along with my best friend a dream we'd had since we were 16 years old. This trip was a monumental moment, a symbol of a new found freedom and love and a new age of adventure and music and friendships. It was a reward to myself, I was taking on a promise I'd made as 16 year old Elena (and Steph). I had a pact with my worries to let go and run wild and flow with all present feelings... to embrace autonomy. I think that under my terms, I most definitely did so.




10am woodstocks, Kings Cup, paranoia, Joseph's breakfast Mie Goreng, The Wombats and Florence and Meg Mac epitomised Splendour....The Wombats featured not only the flawless Mathew Murphy and his infamous words 'lets all scream like we're giving birth', a sore voice and a satisfied crowd but a sense of community and a shared love. Everytime I turned towards a friend, it was hard not to smile and squint while piping the lyrics to 'Your Body is a Weapon'. A mans eyes had rolled as his curly mop of a head bopped back and forth (untimely) to whatever slow motion bass was playing for his personal enjoyment... he was having the time of his life. Florence, on the other hand is a gleaming angel who has such an energetic and positive stage presence. She fulfils the role of a perfect artist and performer. She performs and she delivers and it was more than absolutely brilliant...  Meg Mac.... She is my only love (not really, I'm open to others). She has no album, just an EP but she kills the songs that she does have as well as her rendition of the Broods', 'Bridges'. I saw her at Groovin' and would absolutely see her again. Xavier Rudd.... what an insanely incredibly beautiful man. I had the urge to dance and sing and his passion radiated within the GW McLennan tent. His music has meaning and it is spiritually and emotionally aware and awakening. His sympathy and connectedness to Australia and its vast landscape and culture is so prevalent.

I can't forget all the other wonderful people I saw:
- Mark Ronson
- Of Monsters and Men
- Porter Robinson
- San Cisco
- Japanese Wallpaper
- Mansion Air
- Harts
- The Rubens
- Pond
- Dune Rats
- Tame Impala (insane)
- Alison Wonderland
- Last Dinos
- The Vaccines
- Alpine
- Royal Blood
- OH Mercy
and more.....






I'll tell you one mud story. My friend Steph and I ventured out to grab a few drinks before the Wombats and Florence palava and fun. The drink stand was strategically (NOT) positioned at the top of the hill above the amphitheatre. Stick it together...  nights and days of straight rain.. and a large hill. It didn't end well but we were determined and although at times I felt like giving up, I was egged on by the tango line of extremely attractive men that pulled and pushed me up the hill (thankyou Stephanie for laughing and documenting this on snapchat- muchly appreciated). I received a Smirnoff ice RED (never drinking again) and a bourbon and coke and slid down the hill to the comfort of friends and a sense of ultimate achievement and success.  Add to a funny story... I lined up for the compost loo for about 20 minutes and in festival toilet time that isn't too long. Just before I went in (I didn't) the guy before walks out and says to his friend, "mate, thats revolting, there's no room left in that toilet for anything'...

I have all the plans to go back next year and to experiment with other festivals as they come around. I haven't stopped listening to the set lists and I don't think I ever could...
I've said it so many times but thankyou to Steph, Sayuri, Juzan, Maia, Joe, Sarri, Stank, Samir and Jeremy for being great company and for allowing me to come into your weirdly incredible friend group. Sarri summarised it pretty well...

"We faced many hardships, battling the deadly monsoons, wrestling with the quick-mud, Joe's earth-shaking snore, goon overload, paranoia, noise complaints and the speed limit. In these hardships we lost many good shoes and clothes... Nevertheless, the goodtimes outweighed the bad. Some found love in unexpected places- notably the packed mosh of the florence set while I was stuck right behind you, you two sickos (I saw everything). We made friends, including but not limited to, three day pinga deep guy, the reverse dinga guy, 600 pingas deep guy, the sexually charged hipster guys, the bathroom coke guy, tommy the songwriter, Jazzy Jeff, and so on. Many horrendous snapchats were made mainly involving Joe sleeping, aka dying. In the end, we all made it out alive and Jeremy didn't get lost. Also, the music was good too. TL:DR. Splendour was fucking awesome."



Ill leave you with that.




All ze love, Elena xxx




Wednesday 5 August 2015

A Little Update

I've been so absent from this space. It was supposed to be a creative outlet and a positive space exuberayting all my happiness and love for my incredible world. I lost the motivation... or I didn't. I became obsessed with the pursuit of perfection and my image and my 'brand'. I got lost within my own expectations and the expectations that I thought others may have. Also, uni got crazy and getting used to... it isn't easy or fun. There's alot of work. I'll get back on track eventually, just give me some time. I want to create new and interesting content and I want to to inspire and collaborate and enjoy this, for it should be authentic and not filtered and blurred into an idealistic 'thing'. Next up, I'll do a Splendour in the grass review/update/'a nice way to say I'm unfortunately going to rub in my insane experience'. But that excites me. It will be good and bear with me.



All the love and wishes, Elena xx


Tuesday 7 April 2015

South Durras

I could go on forever and forever about how much I adore this place. Just as Manyana and Sydney does, it holds such a precious place in my heart. I have made the most incredible life long friendships with the most inspirational people in my life, they genuinely are so special to me. I see a group of 10 childhood friends once a year for 4 days at easter time and every year, nothing changes. I've watched each and everyone grow up and develop into incredible human beings. I can laugh until I cry and dwell on our silly little traditions such as surfing white wash on 7ft blue foam boards, having bonfires with wet wood through relentless waiting and optimism, playing charades and having dnm's on wet sand at midnight. We've made an unspoken pact that we'll continue to go to South Durras until long after we have our own kiddie winkles.

I would just like to thank the gorgeous soul that is Alana (Instagram- @alana.martin) for making such a beautiful video that makes me fall in love over and over again.




And here's a few photos (@elenamayphotography).









Love, Elena x



Sunday 15 February 2015

Optimism

My best friend can probably tell her countless encounters with my raging optimism and our small disagreements about the severity of traffic and weather and my poor clothing choices when mother nature decides that it's 20 degrees celsius even though I'm determined to clown around in my favourite beach dress with a strong dissent to wear a jumper.

I'll explain to you a basic definition of an 'optimist' as I think it's often quite lost in translation and stereotypes. Optimism comes from the word 'best' whereby a person attempts to seek the best in any situation, they aim to look for the ultimate silver lining. My optimism is something that I'm not sure stems from nurture or nature... I think I am just fundamentally so. I've had many dark moments where my faith in humanity and life was sorely tested but I learnt that it's too easy to give myself up to despair and pain and loss... what you think is rock bottom is never really rock bottom... behind a pessimistic attitude lays defeat and failure. I believe that a step back still provides you with an ultimate learning experience, even if only through hindsight and reflection I completely realise so. 

And I'm no realist because I can't use facts and past events and history to guide me into the future. I like hope and wishes and predictions and I like the facts that optimism provides me with a reason and the ability to change what's happening in my life... because I like knowing I have control.... not necessarily using it but it's there and provides me with some peace. I have hope for far flung aspirations and I dream of improbable fantasies. 








1. Focus on abundance
2. Find time to reflect and relax
3. Persist on finding solutions to problematic situations
4. Secure thoughts
5. Take charge
6. Accepts limitations as an aid for improvements and growth
7. Positive mindset
8. Capitilise your available contributions
9. Visualisation
10. Change




Thankyou for the opportunity to ramble on..
Please let me know what kind of posts you like to read and want me to maybe right about in the future. You can anonymously message me on my tumblr or DM on instagram or leave a comment. 

Tata for now, Elena. x



Wednesday 4 February 2015

, , ,

Germaine Greer

I can't deny that Germaine Greer is a huge role model to me, through her book 'The Female Eunuch' that was published in 1970.

If anyone reads this and believes that I am disappointed in today's women, you would be wrong. We have increasingly more positive publicity in regards to the revolution of feminism and gender equality. The media, celebrities and the power of social media to change views and minds has allowed women to be articulate and create change, the best evidence that something incredibly fundamental has changed.

She was developing her ideas in the midst of one of the most significant social revolutions there has ever been. Prior to World War 2, when Germaine was born, many women faced injustice in their society, enduring the burden of the maintenance of the household, domestic and family affairs. The war years, however, saw many women join the workforce of necessity, taking jobs up that were considered 'men only'. In the 1960s children of the post war era began reaching maturity and finding a voice of their own, taking advantage of the changes that had only just begun in the post-war years. These influences were reflected by large-scale protests and demonstrations for peace, women's rights and racial inequality. This period was characterised by revolution and progressive change in everyday life such as politics, music and society.

The 70's was a period when social revolution was coming to a head. It was the time of the hippy musical 'Hair'. John Lennon's 'Ben-Ins', and the arrest of Charles Manson.
Germaine Greer wrote The Female Eunuch as a testimony to the emergence of women's voices and sexuality. She wrote it in a confrontational and provocative style that aimed to shock, scare and awaken. One of the most controversial excerpts from the book is


'If you think you are emancipated, you might consider the idea of tasting your own menstrual blood- if it makes you sick, you've got a long way to go, baby.' 


I can't say that I personally support the consumption of period blood but I do believe that her extremist values and actions and verbal communication was an imperative aspect of feminism. The book's main idea, which is reflected in the title, is that the traditional, suburban, consumerist, nuclear family repressed women sexually, and that this devitalizes them, rendering them 'eunuchs'. A eunuch traditionally refers to a man who has been castrated for the sake of disempowerment. 



'The housewife is an unpaid worker in her husband's house in return for the security of being a permanent employee: hers is the reduction and absurdum of the employee who accepts a lower wage in return for permanence of his employment. But the lowest paid employees can be and are laid off, and so are wives. They have no savings, no skills which they can bargain with elsewhere, and they must bear the stigma of having been sacked.'

The Female Eunuch called of women to reject traditional domestic role and expectations. It encouraged women to question the power of patriarchal authority figures who took their power over women for granted.

Greer believed that women had somehow been separated from their 'sexual desire’. As women developed, Greer argues, they embrace the stereotypical view of being feminine produced by men, and they become ashamed of their own bodies. Alienated from their own sexuality, women are cut off from their capacity for self-determination. Personal imperfections such as body image or poor self-esteem were seen as produced by patriarchal social structures rather than psychological failings. Greer was emphasising the fact that “the personal is political”.

The feminist revolution has not failed. It's new conflict in social construct and stereotypes and the nuclear family is changing. She may men hate and be extremely horrid in her representations of men but that undoubtedly led to change. Gender roles are changing. Germaine Greer may have been controversial and extreme but she started something that will evolve for thousands of years into the future. 

Tata for now, Elena x


P.s. Go and read The Female Eunuch just for a cheeky, interesting and mind boggling read.

And I'm going to post my article on 'Meninism' when i've edited it and thought it through a little more.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"
What women “won” was the “right” to undergo invasive procedures in order to terminate unwanted pregnancies - unwanted not just by them but by their parents, their sexual partners, the governments who would not support mothers, the employers who would not employ mothers, the landlords who would not accept tenants with children, the schools that would not accept students with children.
Feminism is pro-woman rather than pro-abortion; we have always argued for freedom of reproductive choice. But a choice is only possible if there are genuine alternatives.
If we accept every instance of abortion as the outcome of unwanted and easily avoided pregnancy, we have to ask ourselves how it is that women are still exposing themselves to this risk. A woman who is unable to protect her cervix from exposure to male hyperfertility is certainly not calling the shots.
The man is most likely to have initiated the episode of intercourse, to have chosen the place and the time; the woman is probably still dancing backwards. If the child is unwanted, whether by her or her partner or her parents, it will be her duty to undergo an invasive procedure and an emotional trauma, and so sort the situation out.
The crowning insult is that this ordeal is represented to her as some kind of a privilege: her sad and onerous duty is garbed in the rhetoric of a civil right.

The crowning insult is that this ordeal is represented to her as some kind of a privilege: her sad and onerous duty is garbed in the rhetoric of a civil right.

Feminism is pro-woman rather than pro-abortion; we have always argued for freedom of reproductive choice. But a choice is only possible if there are genuine alternatives.
Feminism is pro-woman rather than pro-abortion; we have always argued for freedom of reproductive choice. But a choice is only possible if there are genuine alternatives.
If we accept every instance of abortion as the outcome of unwanted and easily avoided pregnancy, we have to ask ourselves how it is that women are still exposing themselves to this risk. A woman who is unable to protect her cervix from exposure to male hyperfertility is certainly not calling the shots.
The man is most likely to have initiated the episode of intercourse, to have chosen the place and the time; the woman is probably still dancing backwards. If the child is unwanted, whether by her or her partner or her parents, it will be her duty to undergo an invasive procedure and an emotional trauma, and so sort the situation out.

If we accept every instance of abortion as the outcome of unwanted and easily avoided pregnancy, we have to ask ourselves how it is that women are still exposing themselves to this risk. A woman who is unable to protect her cervix from exposure to male hyperfertility is certainly not calling the shots.

The man is most likely to have initiated the episode of intercourse, to have chosen the place and the time; the woman is probably still dancing backwards. If the child is unwanted, whether by her or her partner or her parents, it will be her duty to undergo an invasive procedure and an emotional trauma, and so sort the situation out.

The crowning insult is that this ordeal is represented to her as some kind of a privilege: her sad and onerous duty is garbed in the rhetoric of a civil right.



—  The Whole Woman, Germaine Greer




Friday 30 January 2015

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JANUARY FAVOURITES

After coming back from 6 weeks in Europe I have been rediscovering my favourite summer things. It's a little bit of a sweet assortment of many different items and bits and bobs from all over the shot.


COCONUTS
Thanks to my lovely little friend Madi, I can not go a week without consuming at least 2-3 coconuts... At our local fresh food grocer- Harris Farm- they happen to be $2-3 and they work well for a post-workout treat. They are most definitely my guilty pleasure and I will forever be in debt to Madi for introducing me.




BLENDER 
I use this everyday. I make juices, smoothies, icec-ream, treats etc etc and I luuurve it.




(Concoction pictured: 8-10 pitted dates, water- I always just shuck in however much I please, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and cacao powder on top and it tastes like a caramel/vanilla/DELICIOUS milkshake).

AND

I also love watermelon, ice, oranges, lime and a little bit of chilled water chucked into the blender. 

AND

I love 2 frozen bananas and a tad of water and ice all blended up into the thickest, yummiest, most delicious vegan ice-cream and (sometimes vanilla essence or cinnamon is good with it too).


WATERCOLOUR PAINT
I have gotten more and more back into watercolour painting and ink and pen drawings and I'm loving experimenting with different colours and textures and paper and pens, WEEEEEE.




(I'm kind of all over cheap, two dollar shop watercolours. If you find the right ones, most colours are reasonably pigmented and when you mess around and are a perfectionist like me, they are a much cheaper investment. If I'm feeling more adventurous then I'll jump straight into using my precious 'Windsor and Newton' watercolour paints). 




T2 TEAPOT AND GREEN TEA
For christmas, my bestest bud EVER gave me the sweetest little teapot from T2 and I absolutely adore it. I'm also becoming increasingly obsessed with green tea, especially home made iced green tea.



LINK to the same one here



FLOWY TOPS AND DRESSES AND CLOTHES
Summer is incredible in Sydney but the humidity is something that takes getting used to and it's given me a little shock since being back SO of course I've resorted to flowy tops, lace bralets, bikinis and dresses.




This dress is about 3 years old and I wear it at least 2 out of 7 days and I've broken and self sewed it together again twice now. It's from DISSH but I doubt you'll find it now.


Little Bralets... from COTTON ON BODY. For small boobs they are extremely wearable but for anything bigger than a B cup they would offer zero support. Nonetheless, they show some NIP but that doesn't both me... 


ORGANIC CHILDREN'S BUBBLE BATH
I actually discovered the day after we landed in Sydney, after my first gym session since getting back, I did the whole 'quick zip to the shops 5 minutes before it closes' and discovered this bubble bath too soothe my tragically underworked to quickly overworked 'muscles'. If you happen to have sensitive skin like me, it is extremely soft and doesn't create redness etc etc etc.



(In Australia, you can just find it at Woolworths or IGA or Coles- easy peasy).

I spilt this on my fking bedspread...


BODY BALANCE/YOGA
I cannot think of anything more fulfilling than a yoga class with a 5 minute relaxation/meditation/sleep at the end. And I am SO keen to try hot yoga in the very very near future.


BLACK RICE SUSHI
I eat sushi about 2 times a week and will now drive the extra 10 minutes to find black rice.




It should definitely be called purple rice sushi.


SLAM POETRY
Slam poetry is a new discovery of mine... My dad kind of introduced it to me a few months ago but my interest got buried beneath many other priorities. I now have a little bit more time and it's my 'I'm at home on a saturday night so i'll get caught up in the youtube black hole and vortex'. I watch it into the morning and it ignites in me, my passions and anger and new found interests. 


This channel has an assortment of incredible people reading their personal stories through the execution of slam poetry. 


ANYWAY.

Let me know if you enjoyed this, I enjoyed making it, it was quite fun.

TATA for now, 
Elena x.




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About Me

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I'm here to just write and create... about all the fun, groovy, good, little life adventures. I want to be a diary... an edited one at that. I love spontaneity and nature, the beach, music, festivals, genuine people ...

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