Location: Brisbane, Australia
Happy 27 to me!
In the words of my friend: thank God I'm not a rockstar. If you don't understand what this means, you simply don't know enough about music :-)
xo
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Catch ups - done
Home - done
New tattoo - done
New books - done
Daydreaming - done (but that goes without saying!)
Location: Bris Vegas, Australia
G’day ie. hey there,
I’ve been home for two weeks now. My tee-shirt tan has begun its return and my hair is already lighter. I had forgotten what it was like to sweat at 7am – gee thank you sun-brother! I keep hearing conversations about winter coming... what? If you ask me, temperatures in the high 20s make winter seem far, far away. And by the by Bris-dwellers, scarves are so unnecessary right now. I’m just saying.
So…
I’m super skint at the minute (am I repeating myself?) and am currently getting by with a little help from my friends: I’m living in the ‘burbs with my peeps Kelly and Tarquin, and have returned to my old job at Merthyr Law temporarily (they offered me a couple months of work, which is perfect cos I’m feeling quite the commitment-phobe right now).
My short term plans are to finish this first round of “catch ups” and ignore the “worlds colliding” feeling connected with same, move into an air-conditioned inner-city apartment (which, in reality, will likely be a bed-sit with a ceiling fan but whatever) get a new tattoo, buy some new books and continue daydreaming.
My long term plans include saving bulk cash and getting my Vancouver-loving self back to the big C.
Above all, I plan to avoid sunburn and skin cancer.
Peace, Shan xo
Location: Brisbane, Australia
What's the craic Holly?
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Hey everyone,
I am out of cash-ola and am now home in Aus. On the one hand it's nice to be home, on the other hand I feel like an alien...
I will be home for 6 - 12 months/until I confirm my "what next". I'm looking forward to spending some quality reconnecting time with my friends and family.
I will continue to post updates on here so stay tuned yo!
Love, Shan xoxoxoxo
Location: Vancouver, Canada
www.zeitgeistmovie.com
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Happy St Patricks Day! xoxo
Location: Vancouver, Canada
"People who travel all the time are weird anyway, she thought. They spend most of their energy having introductory conversations and brief romances without going through anything with anybody. Their lives become focused on scoring a place to sleep and finding a job until the next train." (Girls, Visions and Everything - Sarah Schulman)
Um.
Location: Vancouver, Canada
"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." - Albus Dumbledore
Location: Vancouver, Canada
One week of chillin' like a villain and I couldn't be happier!
Location: Vancouver, Canada
I'm back "home" in Vancouver now xoxo
Location: Belfast, UK
I’LL KNOCK YER BOLLOCKS IN!
I fly out of Belfast next Thursday February 28 (the day of Tegan and Sara’s gig – damn you Zoom!). I’m returning to Vancouver with my newly approved second Canadian visa. I’m not sure how long I’ll be there at this stage, however I’ve promised my Ma that I’ll be back for Christmas. I’m looking forward very much to returning “home” to Vancouver. I can’t wait to hang out with my friends, see the mountains, eat maple syrup, drink loads of coffee, watch hockey, over-use adjectives like “awesome” and “super”, reclaim my mojo, etc.
I’ve been in Belfast on and off for a year now. It would be terribly hard to capture this quirky place in a blog entry, and harder still to summarise a pretty hectic year and a head full of thoughts. There is a different culture here, a different context… and a different accent which, try as I might, I cannot imitate: “how now brown cow”.
I will certainly miss the colloquialisms. The local language has been a constant source of amusement – and confusion – for me over the past year. So, again, I’m posting a list of words/phrases (the extended version!). I realise that people here might think I’m taking the piss and that no-one in Canada or Australia will understand, however I find it all very entertaining and accept that I might be the only one who is laughing (now and in the future).
I’d like to make mention of the friends I’ve made here… my generous, kind, hilarious, mad friends who have listened, laughed and drank pints with me - not to mention housed and fed me at times. I honestly couldn’t have gotten by here without them. I will miss them. Yousens, please keep in touch!!
Well, that’s all for now. My next blog posting will be from Vancouver.
Cheerio xoxo
The extended list:
wee, ach, aye, dead on, daft, class, chuffed, grand, missus, wha’?, no bother, happy days, how's you?, what's the craic?, good craic, chum, you lookin’ me?, work away, ginger, ragin’, mingin', eejit, blocked, steamin', roastin', stinkin', scondered, skint, squealin', the squeals o’ me, bollocks, hard man, yousens, themens, our ones, doolally, looper, dander, blow, foreigner, peelers, cracker, a gag, chav, millie, slabber, gurnin’, culchie, sod, the chile, childer, desperate, gutted, loads, bad form, shite, feck, brilliant, thanks a million, all that there, hit it on the head, well what about ye? (‘bout ye?), no harm till ‘im, I haven’t a baldy, what am I like?, I'm away here, go on ahead, go you on, wise up, yer Ma!, cheeky bastard, I’ll knock yer bollocks in, bad form, a face like thunder, doin' my head in, I can’t be arsed, are ye windin’ me up?, give my head peace, catch yourself on will ye, my head's away, our (insert name here), your man/woman, went into one, the bru, God forgi’me, I’ll say a wee prayer for ye, God love ‘im/’er, moy (mummy), daddy, ma, da, fenian, Nor’n Iron (ie. Northern Ireland)
…so it is / so I did / etc
...like
...just
here’s me…
see...
here...
SLAINTE! (SLON-CHUH) IE. CHEERS!
Location: Belfast, UK
independence. resourcefulness. self awareness. perspective. determination. patience. sacrifice.
-- lesson learned.
Location: Belfast, UK
Last night was the opening night of Donna Black's first solo exhibition, Dragging Egos.
Donna, I promise when I'm back in Aus and earning loads of cash-ola I will make good on my IOU re a pair of prints (but which pair??) xoxo
"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary" (Cecil Beaton)
Contact information:
donna.black@gmail.com
www.donnablack.org
To read a Donna Black interview click on the link and scroll down to see the article "Belfast Drag Photos".
http://www.divamag.co.uk/diva/update.asp#3259
Location: Belfast, UK
Yo.
There are 21 days till I fly from Belfast to Vancouver, CANADIA!!!
Location: Belfast, UK
NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA -
"The Rudd Labor government will formally say sorry to members of the indigenous stolen generation when federal parliament resumes in Canberra next month (February 13)…
…Mr Rudd said he was determined to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians when it came to life expectancy, infant mortality, skills attainments and health outcomes…
…"An apology that acknowledges the existence and the impact of this dark aspect of our history where indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families, and which pays respect to the stolen generations for their suffering, their resilience and their dignity, is an early and exceptional sign of goodwill from the new government," Mr Calma said (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner)…"
ninemsn.com.au
Location: Belfast, UK
Triple J Hottest 100 top 10
1. Muse - Knights of Cydonia
2. Silverchair - Straight Lines
3. Kings Of Leon - On Call
4. John Butler Trio - Better Than
5. Faker - This Heart Attack
6. Foo Fighters - The Pretender
7. Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (live)
8. Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry
9. Soko - I'll Kill Her
10. The Panics - Don't Fight It
Location: Belfast, UK
Happy birthday to my brother Kris - "nobody likes you when you're 23!"
Happy birthday to my "twin" Fannie.
xoxo
Location: Dublin, Ireland
I spent the day in Dublin today, I needed a change of scenery. It was great to be in a big, colourful city, even for a few hours!
I took a bus tour of the city and learned that there are 600 churches in Greater Dublin, and 800 pubs.
Location: Belfast, UK
Happy Australia Day xo
Happy Hottest 100 Day xo
Happy 30th Birthday Crissy xo
Location: Belfast, UK
RIOT GRRRL RIOT GRRRL RIOT GRRRL RIOT GRRRL RIOT GRRRL RIOT GRRRL
"because I believe with my holeheartmindbody that girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can, and will, change the world for real.
because we don’t wanna assimilate to someone else’s (boy) standards of what is or isn’t “good” music or punk rock or “good” writing and thus need to create forums where we can recreate, destroy and define our own visions.
because we are angry at a society that tells us
girl = dumb
girl = bad
girl = weak
because us girls crave records and books and fanzines that speak to US, that WE feel included in and can understand in our own ways.
because we know that life is much more than physical survival and are patently aware that the punk rock “you can do anything” idea is crucial to the coming angry grrrl rock revolution which seeks to save the psychic and cultural lives of girls and women everywhere according to their own terms, not ours.
because doing/reading/seeing/hearing cool things that validate and challenge us can help us gain the strength and sense of community that we need in order to figure out how bullshit like racism, ageism, classism, thinism, sexism and heterosexism figures in our own lives.
because we want and need to encourage and be encouraged, in the face of all our own insecurities, in the face of beergutboyrock that tells us we can’t play our instruments, in the face of “authorities” who say our bands/zines/etc are the worst in the U.S. and attribute any validation/success of our work to girl bandwagon hype.
because viewing our work as being connected to our girlfriends-politics-real lives is essential if we are gonna figure out how what we are doing impacts, reflects, perpetuates or DISRUPTS the status quo."
(I WANNA BE A RIOT GRRRL!)
Location: Belfast, UK
My Ma has just reminded me that today is my two-years-away-from-home anniversary xoxo
Location: Belfast, UK
This past year (being 2007) I worked:
in a hospital
in market research
in a finance company
in a Magistrates Court
in an engineering company
in a pharmeceutical company
Why am I posting such an uninteresting list you wonder?
Well, it seems better than posting music lyrics or my budget, which is what my head is actually filled with at the minute.
But maybe a little bit o' music wouldn't hurt:
"...I got more and more to do
I got less and less to prove..."
I'm bored today - clearly. I'm sure I read somewhere that only boring people get bored. Hmm.
Location: Belfast, UK
It's 6.40pm and I'm at work (MDS).
My jacket, pants, shoes and socks are soaking wet (fecking rain!) and it's 4 degrees.
It's currently 24 degrees in Brisbane (at 4.40am).
I'm planning my escape!
xo
Location: Belfast, UK
Right when I needed cheering up, Mother Nature turned on the snow... Oh how I love snow! I don't even mind the gazillion fat snowflakes I copped in the eye.
I had a great walk to work this morning - even though I'm super unco and almost landed on my ass a few times. I hope it snows for a couple of days...
xo
PS. The snow has brought Belfast together - people are talking to each other on the street.
Location: Belfast, UK
Christmas:
My Christmas involved visitors, hostel beds and breakfasts (stolen), and a drunken Paddywagon tour guide.
Kelly and Tarquin popped by for Christmas – it was very rad to see them! The only problem with visitors is that they leave *pout*
NYE:
I went to a house party for New Years Eve. I’ll never forget the obnoxious, pink-haired Liverpudlian girl who had Donna and I backed into a corner more than once (we were completely terrified!) – a lasting memory for sure!
Happy 2008 my peeps.
Other:
My UK visa expires soon so I'm returning to Canada for a while – I ditched the Dublin idea. I fly to Vancouver on February 28. EXCITING! I’ll be staying with my friend Janelle (we met in Belfast).
I’ll be home by the end of the year to replenish my bank account (I'm skint!!).
xoxo
Location: Belfast, UK
Hello everyone,
I have some time off work over the holiday period and will be mostly off-line as a result…
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, and I send you all good vibes for 2008.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Buon Natale! Feliz Navidad!
Lots and lots of love,
Shan xoxo
PS. Kelly and Tarquin arrive today!
Location: Belfast, UK
Dear Belfast,
I can cope with the constant rain but I just wanna know: is the gale-force wind really necessary??
Regards,
Misery Guts
** New additions to my list of dislikes **
1. the wind/rain combo; and
2. when the inside pockets of my jacket are wet
Grumble!
Location: Belfast, UK
This week my friend Janelle left Belfast to return home to Vancouver - now I gots no Canadians and no Australians! Boooo!
xo
Location: Belfast, UK
"..for every hand extended
another lies in wait
keep an eye on that one
anticipate..."
Ani DiFranco
Location: Belfast, UK
Everyone should check out my friend's website:
www.donnablack.org
Do it!
Location: Belfast, UK
No more Liberal government for Australia - nice one!
NO hoWARd
Location: Belfast, UK
I have been immortalised! I am now practically a local celebrity!
Actually that’s not true at all, but I daresay that anyone who attended the Black Box Theatre last night might recognise me… Clearly, I have a story for you. Let me start by reminding you that I’m quite a shy girl, and am most definitely not fond of being the centre of attention…
Once upon a time (ie. last night) I was enjoying but another Outburst Arts event – David Hoyle’s cabaret act, SOS. It was a very witty and entertaining show, and there I was laughing and clapping and generally having a rad time. Laughter quickly turned to panic however when I was plucked from the audience and brought up on the stage in order to have my portrait painted. It is possible that my cheeks have never been a deeper red before! In retrospect, when David asked “what are you?” I should have answered “terrified!”.
Anyways, backed by a Julie Andrews’ tune, David painted my portrait onto the “backdrop” of his stage – a Belfast “murial”! – and it was all very embarrassing. There will be photos online at some point. And Mum, you should expect to receive a very large, very abstract likeness of me in a few weeks’ time.
PS.
… and of course, ANGEL spelt backwards is LEGNA.
Location: Belfast, UK
“I’m Shannon… I’m Australian… No, I’m not American. I lived in Canada for a while, which is why my accent sounds different.”
Repeat this broken record a gazillion times…
PS. I feel mean for writing this entry - it is truly lovely that people are interested in me and my accent. However, I have literally been having the same conversation for an entire year and I feel incredibly unoriginal when I rhyme off my usual response (see above). I know that it is a new conversation for the other person, and I know my accent is currently weird, but goodness! Also, I’m not impressed with being called American over and over. So…… sometimes, to avoid said broken-record-conversation I answer “yes, I’m from California” (I visited there once at least). But, as it happens, I can’t keep a lie going, and I usually feck my story up haha!
xo
Location: Belfast, UK
I started a second job tonight, at a pharmaceutical company called MDS. Don’t worry I’m not participating in drug trials, I’m employed simply for data entry purposes (another database for me to learn – my sixth this year!). MDS is a three-evenings-per-week gig…
I’ve been questioned today about my reasons for working more than one job, and I’d like to confirm that I’m not being greedy… My UK visa expires in March 2008, at which point I have to have enough cash saved to set myself up in another city/country (which will likely be Dublin, Ireland). Considering my summer travels and my brief residence in England, I’m quite flat broke at the minute, thus my two jobs.
xo
Location: Belfast, UK
Somebody kick me – I seem to be developing a Northern Ireland (Nor’n Ir’n) mumble.
Location: Belfast, UK
THE CRAIC:
I'm back in Belfast now. I'm living at Claire's place for a couple of weeks before moving into my own room in a share house in the south of the city. It is fun spending time with Claire and her family, having home-cooked meals and hearing stories about some funny characters (eg. an uncle who used a cat as a "machine gun"...).
I'm now working at an engineering company called Sharpe Mechanical (trivia: the office faces the Titanic cranes). I've never worked in the construction-type industry before so it's a bit of a learning curve but it's good to be busy, the day passes quickly. My workmates are good craic and super kind... though some of them seem unconvinced that I'm not American (grr!).
Being here is like being home, it's funny how familiar a place becomes. Nothing much has changed - the weather is still as bad as ever - though the new Belfast Eye and H&M store came as a bit of a shock! It's good to be with my friends again... Claire, Marty and I toured Belfast on the Sightseeing Bus on Saturday FUN!
So I'm doing ok - working (but unfortunately I need to find myself a second job), hanging out and I'll soon be busy volunteering at a queer arts festival (www.outburstarts.com).
That's all for now. I hope everyone is well. Peace out.
PS.
Congratulations:
to my cousin Crissy on the birth of her daughter, Mackenzie Skye.
to Katherine and Nigel on their engagement.
xoxoxo
Location: Leighton Buzzkill, England
Things have not worked out with Sarah here in The Buzz so I am heading home to the Angry Village on Saturday.
I'm looking forward to sharing a pint with my Belfast peeps - not to mention a Maggie May's fry!
Peace xo
PS. Happy birthday to my little bruv, Stevie. He is 21!
