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