Christmas

Had a great Christmas, Brother in law is visiting and is very chilled out.

Meal of culinary delights from many places amazingly worked. My brother does a killer satay.

All in all a good relaxing day.

Lots of catching up with great people beforehand.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Chaos from spoilt child

With an only child, spoilt by indulgent grandparents and parents, there is an awful lot of debris in the house.

Taking this weekend as a chance to clean up while they are away at Grandpas. But the mind boggles at the amount of stuff.

I am definitely not buying anymore coloured pencils.

Have to stop buying soft toys etc, etc.

Nearly as bad as the shock I had when I actually looked at my shoe collection. That put me off buying (at least for a little while)

We are such shocking consumers.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Broken finger

The joys of childhood. I must have strong bones, as I can't remember ever having had these kind of breakages.

The old call from the school office, a bit of dread, but luckily it was the left hand and she had enough sense to cover her head as she fell.

Just thought to be on the safe side we would go to the Doctor and just as well, as Arran does have a broken finger.


Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Cockatoo Calling

Video from Cockatoo Calling, My Goodness McGuiness on 4th December. We went indoors because of the rain, it was a fantastic setting, bridge in the backgroun.



Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Glebe Street Fair

Hot day, lots of people out enjoying the fair.



Another shopping opportunity, with street entertainment.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

ATYP launch

Great season launch of ATYP down at the wharf.

Worth checking out.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Cockatoo Calling

Looking forward to my free concert series Cockatoo Calling, you guessed it, on Cockatoo island.

Program information

From 13 November to 4th December is a four week performance season of free performances on Cockatoo Island featuring the music of the Java Quartet, Kristin Berardi and James Sherlock, The Scrapes, Hinterlandt, the Vampires, and My Goodness McGuiness.

Catch a ferry out for the day, enjoy the harbour, take a picnic, join up with friends.


Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Shanghai

Have to admit I have become a little obsessed with writing tips from my shanghai trip.

For travel tips visit This ain't no Tardis

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Hospital

This week it was a trip to hospital as Arran had bumped her head. They were great in that they saw her really quickly, but we didn't realise that we would have to hang around for observation for so long.



At least we had comfy chairs. And she was fine.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Grover doing the Old Spice commercial

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Penguins in Melbourne

The Melbourne Aquarium is absolutely great. Could have watched the Penguins all day. It was the best in that you could get so close. Arran also loved the rockpool section where you could hold starfish. I think it was Tim, was absolutely awesome. Joanne Kee www.ceressolutions.com.au

The Blackman

Camilla enjoyed her stay at the Blackman, the rabbit motifs made her feel sooo at home



We also loved the hotel. Definitely recommend it.

Joanne Keewww.ceressolutions.com.au

Newcastle

Just spent the weekend in Newcastle and found a cracker of a hobby/toy shop.

Frontline on Hunter Street has a great range of stuff for all ages. There speciality is model kits and trains, but a treasure trove for kids as well.

they are on 55 Hunter Street,
Newcastle, 02 4929 1140

Apparently they also have an online shop.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

South Coast

Just spent a great weekend on the South Coast at Gerroa.

Visited Bundanon for a creative works in progress.

Had a yummy meal at the Berry Sourdough Bakery and indulged in sewing porn at the fabulous sewing shop in Berry.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Sutra

Sutra an amazing piece of theatre, where East actually meets West in a beautiful marriage of dance and movement.



Flemish/Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents a brand new dance work inspired by the skill, strength and spirituality of Buddhist Shaolin monks.

A collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley, who has created a design consisting of 21 wooden boxes which move around the stage, are used by the rubber limbed Labi to create illusions, for climbing and for domino like effects.

This is a fabulous piece of theatre, definitely worth catching and another indication of what some investment in the arts can produce. Sadly its hard to imagine something of this scale being created in Oz, as we just don't make this kind of investment.

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Salisbury Festival 2009 - Vocal Sampling

If you like the sound of these guys they are on in Sydney at the Basement at the end of the month.

election

Found a great polling booth at Sydney uni that wasn't overly busy. Much better than the long queues at our local school.

Very convenient after an afternoon concert as part of the Jazzvisions festival at the Seymour Centre. Saw Sandy Evans and also the Vampires, much nicer than listening to more election commentary.

Joanne Kee

http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Mission for my shopaholic tendencies

I was thinking about how much money I waste in small purchases, to satisfy that shopping fix.

So I thought I would set myself a challenge. Each time I am in the shops and tempted to buy something "little" I will go home and put $20 in an account.

At the end of the year it will be an interesting exercise in how much I have saved.

So I have kicked it off on the 15th August with $20. Target now to reassess in one year 15/8/2011.

Joanne Kee

Brisbane

Probably a good place to visit in July, not too hot, sun's out. This is the walk along the Esplanade into the city, running alongside the Storey Bridge. Not sure of the quality of the cafes and restaurants, but they look good. The coffee at Groove was fairly average.











At the posher end of town, Vroom off James Street. I had breakfast and marvelled at what a difference a few streets makes to prices.

It was OK, but overpriced I think.

Best place for coffee around this part of town is Campos. You can rely on a good coffee there.

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au
Twitter: JoanneKee

Joanne Kee








www.ceressolutions.com.au

Sydney design - Pop out Cardspaper

We had a really good session courtesy of Benji, Paper engineer, Sydney Design and the Powerhouse museum on the weekend.

We now have learnt the basic (secrets) of pop up cards, origami cranes and paper hats!

Rather taken with the pop up dog card, sea dragon and we are going to give the horse a try.

Joanne Kee

http://www.placesandspaces.com.au/

Getup

Just spent the weekend at Camp Getup which was pretty inspiring.

They are taking a bill to the High Court re voter registration tomorrow, which I hope gets up. the Howard Government changed the timeframe for voters to register from 7 days to 1 day and Getup are challenging it.

This is a fun video re enrolling to vote and people should still enrol, as there is a possibility they might be able to vote in the next election if they register now.



Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Ancestry

Funny thing, that ancestry was all over the media this weekend and for the first time ever I saw ancestry being advertised on the TV.

We visited Aunty Phyllis and she gave us our family tree on the Gum side. Very interesting as it goes back, in an unbroken line to 1324BC. However dates are rather sketchy as it was on a Chinese lunar calendar.

Still, its rather an awesome thing to be able to trace that far and to find out we had a relative who was a prime minister in China.

We are now most curious to find out more about the Kee side and also hear more of the stories from the the war days that Aunty Phyllis can recall.

Apparently in the more recent history we were the first Chinese family to live in Hurstville and our family baked bread for the troops in Darwin pre and post the bombing of Darwin.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Coffee and cake in South Hurstville

My Aunty has been living in South Hurstville for years. We visited today and the neighbourhood has really gone upmarket.

There are water views, and its by the bay. It just used to be on the Princess Highway!

Having said that, it is a nice location and they have a great patisserie, cafe to match. We had St Honore. It was crunchy toffee, yummy custard filling and flaky pastry. That and three hot drinks and a palmier cost $13.60.

Encore

2/803 King Georges Road

South Hurstville.

Joanne Kee

www.ceressolutions.com.au

Images from Linsey Pollak show

Images from Linsey's show at the Powerhouse. It was fantastic if you get a chance to see it elsewhere please do catch his show Passing Wind.


















Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Hofesh Schecter

Great movement, use of light and shade, stillness, music.



Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Melbourne

Fun time in Melbourne. ACMI has great toys for movement.

View from our hotel room of Chapel Street.

http://www.acmi.net.au/timeslice/Timeslice.htm?file=ts-20100627-c119032a8ed0e11e801f897eecc15753.flv


Joanne Kee
http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Linsey Pollak, Passing Wind, Sydney

OK, this is a plug for a show I am putting on at the Powerhouse Museum. One of my places + spaces series.

“Linsey Pollak is one of Australia’s most brilliant and under-rated composer/musicians. He is wildly innovative in the use of instruments but never lets his experimentations get in the way of the musicality of a work.” — The Courier Mail

A quirky musical adventure that explores the science of making wind instruments work and how they are invented. Discover other uses for carrots, kitchen gloves, garden hose and irrigation pipes. Linsey turns a rubber glove into Australia's own Kitchen glove bagpipe, with a uniquely Celtic Australian flair. There are panpipes from irrigation pipe, harmonic flutes, Turkish chanters, a feather duster, watering can and instead of eating one, you can actually watch a carrot become a clarinet before your very own eyes.

Don't miss this highly entertaining and intriguing new show infused with Linsey’s gentle humour and irreverence.

Linsey studied and worked as a woodwind instrument maker in Europe. He has been Musician in Residence at ScienceWorks, Museum of Victoria and Woodford Folk Festival.

Dates Friday and Saturday 9th & 10th July 2010.

Shows at 10:30 and 2.00 pm
Tickets include show and admission to the Powerhouse MuseumPrices from $10 (under 4 years free)

This show is for everyone from 5 to 95. It will appeal to anyone who has an interest in music, sound, science or just wants to be entertained and entranced.

Powerhouse Museum, Coles Theatre500 Harris StreetUltimoFOR MORE INFORMATION Bookings: http://www.moshtix.com.au/Search.aspx?s=2&q=linsey&c=&v=0&p=0&from=20100620&to=20110620 –CLICK HERE - for info on Linsey Pollak,

Phone: 1300 GET TIX (438 849)

Joanne Kee

www.placesandspaces.com.au

Way out west

Joanne Kee

http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Eurovision party

From a fundraising lunch at Frans with lots of serious people through to the frivolity of a Eurovision party.

We had great fun at the party, but that process for voting takes soooooo long!. I thought we were in good time to get a relatively early night, but they drag out that voting.

Also so funny watching the countries who obviously give their votes for reasons other than talent. Is country biased called nepotism or country nepotism?

Joanne Kee
http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Darling Harbour Jazz Festival

What a perfect way to listen to music. Jazz and Yum cha, good music, great ambience.

Joanne Kee

www.ceressolutions.com.au

Melbourne photos - rain and pianos

Melbourne rain

Joanne Kee

http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Melbourne weekend

A beautiful day in Melbourne, where there was a mega walkathon for breast cancer which you can just see in the background.

We spent the morning at the markets by the Arts Centre, wondering around town, having a great dumpling meal and just enjoying the day.


Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Kura I

We are thinking that this is one of the best Japanese places around. Plus it is incredibly good value. We had seafood tempura udon and sashimi on rice, with miso soup and an extra seaweed salad. Add in an orange juice and it cost $26.50. The serves were really generous, and as we said, some of the tastiest Japanese we have had in a while. Highly recommended.

Kura I, Japanese dining - they only take cash
Shop 3, 76 Ultimo Road, Haymarket, opposite Paddy's Market
I doubt whether you can book, but you can order take away 9212 5661



Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Dad's Birthday

Joanne Kee

www.ceressolutions.com.au

Making ravioli pasta

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Flash mob

Nicola, Arran and I from a flash mob we did last year.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Easter show

Easter show, pictures taken from my mobile phone which I think is pretty good going for action shots.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

easter weekend

The fake Easter show at Fox studios

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

stuff

Sick child all week, its a virus so v. annoying if we overdo it, it comes back again.

Hence Arran did go to Mindquest on Saturday but was too sick to go on Sunday.

On the exciting side of what happened this week, Arran made her first sale of hand made cards.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

bra shopping

OK, is this scarey to go bra shopping at age 10. Apparently about 80% of the girls in Year 5 have one.

I seem to remember around 13 was the age for all this when I was growing up. Or is that selective memory.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Room service - birthday indulgence

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Another try at a birthday weekend

Jamberoo
















We had great fun this weekend. Stayed in a gorgeous house, Cedar Mists. we booked through South Coast Holidays. Jamberoo was really easy to get around, rides were fun.

Joanne
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Birthday weekend

What a mixed bag of a weekend.

Arran reached double digits.

Father in law taken to hospital.

Great upgrade at Hotel Realm, which we really loved.

Thank god for Shanthini - what a queue at the National Gallery.

Exhibition great but how much patience do you have left to look at art when you have been queueing for 3 hours?

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Adelaide Fringe Festival

Always a fun place to be, the Adelaide Fringe Festival is a great mix of artists, audiences and people having a good time.



Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Swimming Carnival

How nice that I was able to attend Arran's swimming carnival.

Though I have to admit after all those swimming lessons I thought she might win something. However, I am very pleased that she is able to participate and gives it a go.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Hobbies

I fel rather refreshed this week taking up a bookbinding course and also going back to slightly better than beginners in Spanish.

Nice to think in a different way.


Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Rainy days

A day of rather tropical rain, to match this summer's humidity. The kind when you listen and wonder what might be flooding, or at least when our house used to flood, the kind that you crossed your fingers that it wasn't flooding.

We spent the day doing domestic stuff, baking cupcakes and spinach pie. Finally taking the Christmas tree down.

Don't know what happened to our bunny, he was rather poorly in the evening and off his food. He seems to have bounced back to health overnight.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Back to school

Back in the groove again and back to school.

Saxophone being practised in the background, a bit rusty after a month or so without playing.

Back at full steam with my work and wondering what I want to do next.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Camilla

Enjoying the summer holidays with a book and a glass of wine.


Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Wake up Everybody

One of my all time favourite songs. Love the lyrics.



Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

gerroa

Spent the weekend at Gerroa, which was revitalising

Caught the train down, which gave me time to read, got some great ideas on the way.

Plus found out that the Guardian actually has a great setting for reading it on mobile phones.

It was great to catch up with Perrie and Bert.

Beach was excellent at 7pm, watching the sun set and lolling in the surf.

Joanne Kee

http://www.ceressolutions.com.au/

Circus Oz

Took the family down to Tumbalong Park to see Circus Oz.

It was the three generations, grandparents, us and Arran. Seems the older and the younger generation enjoyed what they saw. Us in the middle thought it was fine, but were uninspired. However for a fun, family thing to do, it is recommended.

Its a short walk from there to Chinatown, so we caught the end of the night noodle markets.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Happy New Year

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au