Chill-on Ice Lounge

Sorry for the lack of updates again. Been so busy with uni that I don't have a lot of time.

A few weeks ago, my friend Matt and I checked out the Chill-on Ice Lounge in the city (Russell St). Been wanting to go for a while. It was amazing. The whole room was covered in more than 30 tonnes of ice at -10 degrees. I felt like I was back in New York in the cold, snowy winter. There were these beautiful ice sculptures of different creatures. Even the glasses were made of ice, making my lips numb every time. It was such a great and wonderful experience. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take any photos of the place but before we went in they gave us a buzzer that goes off after 30 minutes. Once it does, you have to leave the ice lounge and if you manage to stay in the ice-covered bar for the whole 30 minutes, you go into the chill on Hall of Fame on their Facebook. And yes it happened to us.

Video of the week: How to Trick People Into Thinking You're Good-Looking.

Found this upload on a Twitter account. It's by 24 year old Jenna Mourey from Massachusetts who makes these videos on Youtube. She also has a pretty awesome blog http://www.stoollala.com/ with alll these cool videos and pictures. Definitely one you should check out. 

Anyway here's the video. This is directed to women only so sorry to the guys about to watch this. Enjoy!!!!

Quote of The Day

(I was watching Californication the other day and this grabbed my attention)

 

"Its like getting homework everyday for the rest of your life" - Hank Moody on being a writer

Take a Break, Tara (May 2010)

Hi there. So sorry for the lack of updates lately. I'm back at uni now so I'll be concentrating more on assignments, however I'm gonna try and add more to LiviAvenue once a week if I can. In the meantime, here is a script that I wrote for a performance subject last year. Enjoy!!

By the way, saw No Strings Attached on Tuesday. Hilarious!!! Definitely worth watching.

TAKE A BREAK, TARA

By Olivia Vocale

Characters:

Tara – 20 year old female

Robert – 20 year old male

Daisy – 16 year old female

Guy 1 – Guy with Daisy in the library

Guy 2 – Guy with Daisy at the party

Set in a library. There is a desk front centre stage with a chair in front and a chair on the side. There are many text books on the desk. A shelf of books is behind the desk upstage. Main character Tara is behind the front desk, her face in the books, concentrating on her work. Her friend Robert enters from the right of the stage and stands behind her.

Robert: Hey is this seat taken? 

 

Tara: (without looking up) Yeah take it.

Robert goes to take the chair she’s sitting on. She jumps in surprise

Tara: What the hell are you doing?

Robert: You told me to take it (smiles)

Tara hits Robert playfully whilst giggling. She goes back to work as Robert sits on the other chair on the right

Robert: Thought I’d find you here

Tara: Yeah when I’m not at home or at work I’m pretty much here. Welcome to my life.

Robert: So when are you gonna take a break? I thought we could check out that new sushi place across the road.

Tara: Soon, I just need to finish off this assignment. It’s like a monkey on my back. I’m stressing about it.

Robert: No surprises there (raises his eyebrows)

Tara: Hey, Marketing isn’t an easy course you know! You don’t understand the pressure I’m under

Robert: Of course I understand. I have a lot of work to do for my course and I’m managing alright. It’s called time management.

Tara: Easy for you to say, you’re smart. You don’t even have to try. You don’t know what it is like to get a bad mark when you think you have done you’re best.

Robert: Tara, get a grip, you are not failing and hibernating and paranoia does not help the situation. You have to have balance and I feel like we could get some balance happening at the sushi shop eh?

Tara: Shut up I’m losing concentration. What kind of sushi do they have?

Moaning sounds are heard. Both Tara and Robert look over to where the noise is coming from.

Tara: Great, just what I need right now.

Robert: It’s coming from behind that shelf. Let’s check it out.

Robert gets up from his chair and tip toes over to the shelf

Tara: Don’t make a scene.

Robert: I’m just gonna tell them to be quiet

Goes to the shelf, looks behind it and is shocked at by what he sees. A woman’s squeal is heard from behind the shelf

Robert: Oh my God I’m so sorry

Looks away from what he’s seeing

Daisy: Robert you perv, get out of here

Tara’s lifts her head up her eyes widened. She recognizes that voice.

Robert: Hey it’s a library. Its public domain.

Tara: Daisy, is that you?

Pause.

Daisy pops her head around the shelf. She straightens her top. Her eyes widened as she sees Tara looking back at her

Daisy: Oh shit sis. I forgot you live here (she says sarcastically)

Mouths ‘I’ll be right back’ to the person behind the shelf flirtatiously. Walks over to the desk like she’s on the catwalk. Robert follows her and then goes and sits back down in his chair.

Tara: (disgusted) Really, out of all the places to hook up you decide to do it here. At a library. I mean for God’s sake there are children around.

Daisy: Well, I was looking for you but then I got distracted…Got enough books there Belle?

Tara: Belle? Who’s Belle?

Robert: (suddenly gets it) Oh, as in Belle from Beauty and the Beast. In that movie she always has her nose stuck in a book just like you. Hey wait a minute, does that mean I’m the beast!

Tara: Belle was busy reading romance novels and daydreaming and she didn’t even go to uni. She didn’t have to worry about three exams and a major assignment due at the end of the semester.

Daisy: Blah blah blah . Oh but you’re still going to our cousin Marks 18^th? Which is tonight?

Pause

Tara comes to the realization

Tara: Oh fuck. I completely forgot.

Daisy: Not so loud you’re in a library, there’s children (teasing)

Robert: Hey I can come to that with you; we can do sushi some other time

Robert looks to Tara hopefully

Robert: Man, you need help, how can you forget a person’s 18^th ? Your own cousin

Tara: Well, I am snowed under, that’s what I have been trying to tell you. Uni work is running my life. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. There isn’t any room in my head to be thinking about anyone’s birthday, let alone a family member. Shit I feel bad now.

Robert: True but its an 18^th. That’s a big deal. A milestone

Tara: I get it Rob. 

 

Daisy: So I’ll just tell mum and dad that you not coming then.

Tara: (wringing her hands) No, no I’m definitely coming. I think its time I paid my social life a little visit. I won’t have a drink and then I’ll get up real early and get back here and finish and it will be ok.

Daisy: Oh for fuck’s sake. You might as well stay here. If you are going to come, let your hair down. You need a break sis. You’ll feel better about studying if you’ve had some fun.

 

Daisy struts to the left of the stage.

Robert: See, listen to your sister. Listen to me, listen to somebody!

Tara: I can’t study now. I have my sister’s making out noises in my head not to mention the visuals and now I am thinking about what I am going to wear tonight.

Robert: (mockingly) Ok that’s a start; transferring your stress to your wardrobe, good one Tara. Just relax, I will personally bring you back here tomorrow, promise. (a puppy dog look on his face)

Tara relents and starts to soften her expression

Tara: Alright, I could use a break from this now.

They both get out of their chairs.

Black out for 5 mins

Lights come back on. Setting is at a party. Tara and Robert are leaning against the bar both have drinks in their hand. The bar is upstage left and they are watching people dancing. Robert is cool and relaxed and Tara has a ventriloquist smile on her face trying to relax.

Tara: I’m really glad I came now, if only my body would listen to me

Robert: You’ll be right, just have another drink and your any thoughts of competitor analysis will disappear.

Tara: Hey Robert at least you’re dream came true, they’re serving sushi

Robert: Awesome, got the sushi and got the girl!

Tara: (laughs heartily) this is worth the break

Pause.

Daisy comes from the right of the stage with a guy holding hands. Tara and Robert are looking in surprise.

Robert: Hey that wasn’t the same guy she was with in the library

Tara: Yep, that’s my sister. She is definitely going to live longer than me

BLACKOUT

 

Music: The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness

After months and months of waiting, I finally get to hear the new single from The Strokes. So glad that they're back with a song that sounds a lot  like their first album Is this it? which, by the way, was what  made me fall in love with The Strokes in the first place, (I should also thank my mum for introducing me to them). Anyway, I now know what to spend my JB Hi-Fi voucher on. Bring on March 18th!!!!!

Slip back out of whack at your best
It's a nightmare
So I'm joining the army

Know how folks back out, I still call
Will you hate for me now?

We got the rightous advice to use it
Got everything but you can just choose it
I won't tie me a puppet on a string

Don't go that way
I'll wait for you

And I'm tired of all your friends
They're still at your door
And I won't, I better call you

So long my friend and adversary
But I will call you

Get dressed jump out of bed and do it best
Are you ok?
I've been out around this town
Everybody's been singing the same song ten years

I'll wait for you
Will you wait for me too?

And they sacrifice their lives
In our land are all closed eyes
I've been saying we're beaten down, I won't say it again

Before long, my end
The sorry embrace

Don't go that way
I'll wait for you

I'm tired of all your friends
Knocking down your door
Get up in the morning, give it your all
So long my friend and adversary 

Rubbish Bin Millionaires (October 2009)

This is a children story I wrote for a Children's Literature class at uni. We were allowed to write about hat we wanted as long as it was either a short story or the first chapter of a story.  Also it had to be based on an exercise that we learned in class. I decided to do mines as a modern day version of a fairytale (The Little Mermaid). So hope you enjoy it, whether you're a kid or not.

I could feel the blood rush to my head as I plunged head first into the rubbish bin, rummaging through the garbage. My body from the waist up was completely inside the bin and if anyone was watching they would see my spindly legs wriggling like an ant that is near death. My hair was blocking my vision, so I had to use my free hand to shift stuff out of the way, my other hand attempting to keep balance onto the rim of the rubbish bin.

‘Man where is a hairpin when you need one’ I thought to myself. ‘Or even better, a torch; I can hardly see a thing down here’. I hoist myself out of the bin and wipe away the sweat and gunk.

Before you imagine that I must be some pitiful homeless person, let me introduce myself. My name is Mina Williamson. I’m approximately eleven and a half years old and I’m a bit of a tomboy. Sure I wear a dress every now and then but I would rather be seen dead in my favourite pair of jeans, my uniform you might say. You see like most people, I dream of being rich and famous, although I dream more of being rich than being famous. Fame is fickle. I’m talking millions of dollars rich so I can buy whatever I want, live in a huge mansion, wear expensive designer jeans and live a life full of luxury. The reality is that I live in shoebox of an apartment in a working class or should I say not-really-working-at-all-class side of town with my mum, dad and my bratty three-year-old sister Rose. Not exactly what you would call luxurious right? I don’t normally get pocket money but I do on occasions. I cannot possibly live on $10 dollars a week. Most weeks, I protest for an increase, but they just shake their heads and give me the same one hour lecture they’ve given me about how money doesn’t grow on trees and you should be grateful for what you have blah blah.

I don’t really blame them though. My dad is a construction worker and he doesn’t get paid much when he is actually working. People who work at McDonalds get a better wage. I know, I’ve asked them. My mum works as an assistant nurse to the nurse at the local dentist in our area and doesn’t get many hours. Some times she does some cleaning which means she isn’t home when I get home from school and that means that as soon as I get home I have to do the chores as well collect Rose from the neighbours and put up with her whining for 2 hours. I bet the rich kids in the posh part of town don’t have to do chores. I don’t care if it is character building. I bet they’re watching TV and playing the latest games. Our TV is a dinosaur. I bet they don’t know how to even peel a potato. They hire people to do all their dirty work while they get to do whatever they want. Man I wish I was rich.

So what has this got to do with me being horizontal in a rubbish bin? Well first of all, the bin actually belongs to the Parisi’s. They have to be the richest family living in this town. I mean they have EVERYTHING. The dad owns a million companies; the mum’s out shopping everyday and always in the glossy magazines for this or that charity function and their kids, the Parisi twins, always have the latest toys and clothes and are always doing cool things like skiing and horse riding. Unlike them, I wear my cousin’s hand-me-downs and the last time we went on holiday, it was camping! Every week I ride my bike to their beautiful mansion and raid their bins. I am not always lucky, but sometimes I pick up some decent stuff. Once I found a gold locket. They must have thrown that out by mistake. I have quite a collection hidden underneath the floor, under my bed of all the stuff that the Parisi’s have thrown out in the past year. The reason I keep it there is so my parents don’t ‘accidently’ stumble upon it and think I have stolen it. I mean is it really a crime to steal from people’s rubbish bins? To be honest I would give anything to become like them. To be rich.

Suddenly I hear a coughing noise from the other bin. It’s Frankie Bates. He’s been my best friend since grade two, practically my wing man. All the other kids, mainly the boys, used to pick on him because he is short and a bit shy. I was the only one that would stand up for him and believe me I’m not that much taller myself. Besides I knew none of the boys would fight me, because though I might be short I’m pretty tough for my age. I’m not afraid to get dirty as you have probably learnt so far. Frankie emerges out of the other rubbish bin with dust all over him and a worried look on his face.

“Found anything?” I ask him.

“I really don’t like this Mina” Frankie whines. “We could get caught any minute and then my parents will ground me for a whole month. Let’s just leave while we still have a chance”.

I groaned in frustration. As much as I liked Frankie he did have a habit of ruining my buzz.

“Relax Frankie, we’re not gonna get caught, the Parisi’s have gone out and I’m not leaving until we’ve searched every rubbish bin for some treasure they have missed”. I told him. I walked over to him as he brushed the dust off his clothes. “Now have you found anything or what?”

“Well I did see something shiny...” he said

“Perfect. Anything shiny has to be worth something” I said with excitement. “Where is it?”

Frankie pointed down to the bin. “It’s down the bottom but I can’t reach. My arms are too short” he said in disappointment.

I went over to the bin and saw the shiny object peeking out down below. I had to get it. I bent down inside to reach for it, my arms long enough to grab onto it. I pulled it out and my eyes widened as I saw what it was.

“Holy jamma lamma” I said in awe.

It was a gold chain with a shiny white pearl. It was beautiful however I wouldn’t wear it myself. But that pearl was so pretty. Frankie looked at it in total shock. “Wow that has to be expensive – at least $100.00!”

“I know Frankie. We’ve struck a gold mine alright.” I said smiling widely. I grabbed my backpack and put the necklace inside safely and zipped it back up.

Frankie stared at me for a minute before asking, “You’re going to split it with me right? It’s not just another souvenir”.

“Collectables, Frankie” I corrected him. “One day I will cash in and you and me, we’re going to get our fresh start and I’m going to be rich and have cool expensive things and you will be right there beside me. I’m going to need people to work for me you know”.

“But it isn’t fair” Frankie said with anger in his voice. “You always get all the good stuff and I get nothing. I want a souvenir too you know”.

That last remark made me feel a twinge of guilt. I had been acting a bit selfish What kind of a friend am I? I let out a sigh and smiled at Frankie.

“I’m sorry buddy, next time we go bin-raiding, you can keep the first thing we find”

Frankie’s frown faded which made me feel a bit better. “Thanks Mina, you’re a good friend”

“The best you’ll ever have” I told him. I then had another look at the tall, black, iron gates that guarded the Parisi’s beautiful mansion. They looked indestructible, not even my Dad’s truck could ram that gate down. I walked closer to the gates and peeped my head through the bars with Frankie in tow. We then stared in awe at the place I’d call my dream home.

It was as house straight out of the pages of a Home Beautiful Magazine. There was a long stretch of road leading to the mansion with big palm trees leading the way, like a holiday resort. The grass looked a lot greener than the grass in the local park. So soft and manicured. At the end of the driveway was a huge, fountain so big you could almost swim in or have a shower underneath it, with the water shooting up into the sky. Then marble steps leading to a white mini mansion. I can only imagine what it would be like on the inside if it looks so good on the outside. I could only guess that it would have a long sweeping stairway with massive pictures of dead relatives. Perhaps a chandelier or ten, black and white tiles, fat couches with millions pillows, a huge fireplace in the living room which would probably be the size of our whole apartment.

“Someday we’ll live in a house like this” I whispered to Frankie as I gazed at the mansion in admiration. I didn’t hear a reply back. “Frankie, what do you think?” I asked as I turned to see Frankie in what I must say was an awkward position. I gasped. Frankie’s head was stuck in the iron bars and he was struggling to free himself. He was wriggling like crazy.

“Argh I’m stuck, help me Mina” he whimpered.

I started to laugh. Frankie always manages to get himself in sticky situations and I’m the one who usually comes to the rescue. Seeing him like that really cracked me up. Frankie heard me laughing and got angry.

“It’s not funny; I could be in serious pain right now”.

“Oh lighten up. If it was me you’d be laughing too”. I told him as I came behind him and grabbed his head. I pulled as hard as I could but Frankie’s big head was wedged between the bars. I couldn’t help thinking, Frankie is great but he is such a bubblehead, it’s going to be up to me to plan our fortune. Frankie moaned in pain while I kept smoothing his skin off his face and pulling his hair, trying to get him out of the bars. I had started to panic a bit.

‘Hmm not so funny anymore’ I thought.

“It’s hopeless. My head’s stuck between an iron gate and if I don’t get out in time, my mum’s gonna kill me“.

It dawned on me that if someone sees us, we’ll get caught and my treasure hunting days will be over. I had to think of something fast. Then it came to me, I remembered seeing a half a tub of butter in the bin and quickly ran over to the bin and once again, legs up, head down rummaging through for that butter.

“Aha, here it is” I yell. “Don’t worry Frankie, everything is going to be fine, I’ll get you out in a jiffy”.

“Why are you still looking in the bin, I’m stuck here”.

I ran back to Frankie with the butter in my hand, I stopped to look at the butter first; it was top shelf stuff of course. I grabbed a blob of butter and started rubbing it all over the sides of Frankie’s face.

‘Gross, what are you doing?” Frankie complained.

“Trust me, I saw mum do this once to take her ring off” I said reassuringly.

After a tug and twist, Frankie’s head slipped out and he fell out on top of me. He looked like a greasy, red, angry sausage. We both laughed hysterically. It was then I thought, we may not have money, but we sure do have fun.

Pear (February 2011)

To big,

To small.

Doesn't fit at all.

Its frustrating.

How something beautiful on display can look so wrong.

No matter what shape and size you are.

They may not have the size you prefer,

So you try again with something different.

Same results apply.

Time flies as you're trying on so many clothes that  you eventually lose count,

Knowing that everything so far has failed the test.

Like a quest for the perfect dress.

A pear can have its disadvantages. 

But every shape has them too and we wear them like a birthmark.

So where are all the pear-shaped boutiques? I ask...


Its the same old dilemma,
Like a  recurring scene in a nightmare.
A milestone birthday and no dress for the pear.