b r a v e c r e a t u r e s

Drunkorexia n. A potent cocktail of liquor and starvation increasingly popular among women who offset the calories in alcohol by eating little or nothing before hitting the town.

A drunkorexic can enjoy three glasses of pinot grigio for every skipped Snickers bar.

Thanks to the folks at Wired for this.

So at last I am on my way for my first real holiday of the summer, a week in Ibiza. I have had a few long weekends, but not a good solid break. London is a fabulous city, but you do need to get away.

The summer here has been great so far, lots of sunshine and warm weather, but I have not found the groove of enjoying the warmth yet. I think that's because I haven't found a pool here to hang out at.

Hamstead Heath Pond is suppose to me great, but London is so vast I have not found my way there yet.

But for now I am off to the Spanish sunshine again with a song in my heart and a swing in my step.The DLR and the Standsted Express, not to mention Stansted Airport itself is not the most glam beginning, but with my friends E&C, J, my room mates F&M, L and D; I am sure things will be far more glam as the week progresses.

One of the things that has struck me about living in London is how it seems that every street corner I turn around I come across another street name that is straight off the Monopoly board. It excites and delights me.

Without fail.

So I thought I would play a little blogging game with it. I will seek out all of the places on the board and make a record of my discoveries there. Given the combo of my iPhone and its WordPress client, it should be easy enough to get my thoughts done on the hop.

This is probably something only my mother is going to be interested in, but I don't much care. It seems like fun to me. So children, let's just remind ourselves about the places on the board, shall we?

In four or five months, you people here in London are going to be bitching about the cold and the lack of sunshine. At that point I want you to all stop and look back at this glorious summer.

It's really been spectacular. Sunshine, warmth and plenty of adventure to be had. If there is no light with out shade - here is the light.

Enjoy.

This is something I have wanted for ages. To be able to blog on the go. I love writing, but I don't seem to find the time anymore. There is too much life to be lived here in London, for me to spend too much time chronicalling it.

With the advent of the iPhone 2.0, App Store and the associated Wordpress client, my wish is at last granted, and I get something else to do with my thumbs during my commute.

So hopefully you will be see more from me in the way of writing, and possibly pictures. The one shown here was snapped near my work to see how the camera behaves, and how pictures work in posts.

I am not sure what I expected from this weekend in Madrid. I was planning to see some sights, get some sun, go to a few parties and enjoying hanging out with my friends. All of that happened of course, although in the end I only went to the Saturday night party, Infinita.

The rest of the weekend I spent hanging out with two new mates I met here. Two days full of laughter and conversation. They have gone now and I need to start packing - and its weird how empty my apartment feels.

When people click, its amazing how quickly they become part of your world. One lives in London, the other here in Madrid - but I have no idea when I will see them again. But I will.

As Miss Crawford says - Endings are beginnings, Beautiful Things.

12 months.

12 months I have been in Europe. I arrived here last year just in time for Europride in Madrid. I came here from Melbourne, from winter and darkness, sadness and woe. I came with my self esteem just reconstructed after a dire few years.

I came here to Madrid, one of the proudest, most regal cities in the world, to sunshine and summer, friends and excitement and warmth of all kinds.

And since then I have been happier than I can remember.

Oh not mindless, unexamined happiness. There have been ups and downs, annoyances, trouble and a little strife. But the abiding impression I have is of happiness.

So this year I have come back to Madrid to celebrate the anniversary of my arrival here, on this continent, in this new life. My return from the moon where I had allowed myself to be cast out. My return to myself.

Last night I had dinner with a few of the people who greeted me to this new life of mine. New friends and old. We ate and laughed; joked and teased each other (as is the way of my clan); flirted and lavished physical affection.

Now I am back from outer space. I love it here, and I intend to stay.

So , the picture I have in the corner. I have been asked a number of times who took it and what I am smiling at. I have been told that I look happy and I have been asked why - well there is a story to that.

There is another one, that my now-ex took of me took, they ex who did such a effective job of breaking my heart. Its of me laying on my back smiling. And everyone loves it of me.

They tell me I am so happy, appear so in love and it glows from me. I was - It did - that time is now past.

I wanted another one - that glowed as much, that was just about me.

So when I was in Rio, first couple of days there, I was up early and the sun was streaming in, past Corcovada. I was happy and at peace and at rest and at ease - with myself and my life, and I wanted to capture that. So I lay on the sofa and using the timer took a couple of pictures - only 2 or 3, and that was one of them.

I really like the picture, and I think it captures me now - grey in my beard, a few wrinkles, a bit of sun damage but smiling and looking out to the world with a measure of joy.

And thats the story of that picture.