This is a slightly long overdue post but it’s still the first week of the new year! I hope you had a terrific new year no matter how you spent it, and that 2013 brings you lots of smiles and love. I’m titling this post “Hello [year]” as I did with my other posts; it’s sadly not on the first of January as it was for the past three years, but we all get a little busy and tired around this time of year, and I’m no exception. :P

My cousin Ricky has been gone for less than a week and I already miss him. He had a short stay here but I hope he enjoyed the time he spent. In his last days here we went to see the fireworks in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. James tagged along too, as well as Brandon and my dad. We watched the 9pm fireworks in the harbour, managing to get a spot on a pier to watch. We were really close to the water and to the fireworks. I didn’t want to lug my camera around because it was going to be too much trouble, so I took photos on my phone instead.

We walked some three kilometres before we finally found a suitable place to stand to see the midnight fireworks that would ring in the new year. Areas around the bridge and the Opera House were full, so we couldn’t really see from our spot near the art gallery. It was kind of disappointing. The fireworks weren’t that great. Even if we did get a good spot, the fireworks seemed pretty repetitive. :( Probably not something I want to do every year. :P It was the first time James and I spent new year together, or that I’ve spent it with someone other than family, so that was nice. I think next year I’d rather watch the fireworks on television or ring in the new year in some other quiet way.

We ate a huge dinner at a buffet the day before Ricky left to go back to Indonesia. It was sad seeing him go but I’m sure he had a great time. His luggage got left in Malaysia because the airline staff were idiots, but thankfully he wasn’t the only one whose luggage was left behind after the stopover in Kuala Lumpur. They managed to deliver his luggage at 4:20am the next morning, so it was a relief that it wasn’t all lost.

On Wednesday, a day after new year, I went to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) at my favourite venue The Standard. I think I had a pretty bad day; I was tired and had barely had anything to eat. I really enjoyed seeing Black Zeros and seeing Bloods (who I’ve seen before, and play some really fun garage-punk), and seeing UMO for the first time was great. They have a psychedelic electric-punk kind of vibe. Their recordings sound like electric Simon and Garfunkel, but they sound a little like post-rock Jimi Hendrix live. Sometimes you get curious how some sounds are made in songs, and it was nice to see how UMO did that. There are rarely and good three-piece bands out there but UMO is definitely one of them. Guitar, bass, drums, that’s all you need and it’s possible to make some really great music. By really great, I mean unique, not just lathering your fingers all over a guitar. That said, you don’t have to lather your fingers all over a guitar and do solos non-stop to be impressive. Not at all.

I was a little miffed that night because I only pulled up three great photos of the guys, and because some asshole dissed my camera.

Can I just say, I really hate small talk. This guy was really tall and Eurasian (a bit like me I guess, LOL), so he had the complexion and stature of a typical Caucasian but he had a really typical Asian face. (I’m the other way around, by the way, I don’t have a really Asian face but it’s obvious I’m kind of mixed-race.) Anyway, point being, this guy said to me, “You’re taking photos are you?”

No shit, why else would I have a camera?

I hate irrelevant small talk. This is the kind of stuff I rant about with James – irrelevant small talk is when the person asks you a question that isn’t completely appropriate or relevant to what the hell is going on. A lot of the time I’ve had people say, “Are you excited for The Griswolds?” or “Do you know when Electric Empire come on?” or “Are you here to see The Grates?” Those are questions that have started real conversations. Asking about what I’m doing tonight when I’m up front with other photographers with their cameras is stupid.

Of course, I answered in the affirmative, and he proceeded to ask, “Is that a shitty 50mm… one point…?”

Wow.

Next person to diss my camera is getting a swift kick to the nuts.

Next person to call a prime lens “shitty” is getting their nuts grabbed.

And squeezed. Really hard.

If you don’t have nuts, well… I didn’t think that one through.

Regardless.

A 1.8 lens is not shitty, a prime lens is not shitty, and he couldn’t finish his sentence so I finished it for him. Glaring, I said, “One point eight.”
“Oh yeah, one point eight.”

What annoyed me more further into the night was that he grabbed one of the band’s setlists before they even finished. I thought that was really rude. He left without bothering to meet the band, so I was just glad he’d fucked off. I was sick of his dancing like a cat on hind legs only bending his knees and jutting his head in and out à la dance-like-an-Egyptian and his beer-drinking and laughing with his friends. Pretty much ruined my night. Same goes for the androgynous-looking guy in a tie-dye dress and poncho, who just kept on talking to guitarist Ruban Nielson and asking what kind of gear he had and what pedals he used and…

My god, can’t people have a normal, un-stupid conversation with someone? I went to talk to Greg, the drummer, and we had a chat about new year and what we did, and because he’s from America, I told him a little about the new year festivities here. In passing, he asked about my t-shirt, which has a cartoon of the Grim Reaper saying “GUESS WHO?” with his hands around a kid’s eyes. I mean, honestly, talk about something real. No fucking musician wants to talk to a fan about their fucking equipment, it’s the last thing you want to ever talk to someone about. In the creative industry no one gives a toss about what tools and materials you use, they want to get into questions like what inspires you and what this artwork was about and… I can’t stand people. Really. Just.

I bumped into Tim from The Griswolds, who seemed pretty blasted tired after playing at Peats Ridge Festival, and thankfully, had a more normal conversation about what we’d both been up to. I’m thankful that at least I can have a normal conversation with people.

I’m going back to work tomorrow, which means I need to sleep soon!

This week I also received the news that I can complete the next stage of my Masters program (Master of Interactive Multimedia). It’s thrilling that I’ve made it this far, though I’ll have to do two subjects this semester and in the latter half of the year, do my major project. I’ll still be working, but chances are I won’t be as shit-tired and busy as last year. :) That said, it doesn’t mean I’m going to stick to my resolutions, because the truth is that I have none. Zilch. Zero. Nada. I’m over that kind of stuff, and last year I told myself I was done with lists and goals, and so far I’ve been doing good. It’s allowed me to get along with life at ease, with no pressure, and by having no lists it’s actually made things clearer. What needs to be prioritised is clear in view. :D

That said, I won’t hesitate to recap on my 2012 like I did last year with 2011:

January

• I believe that here, I started my journey delving into the back catalogues of Australian music, as well as powering through the depths of independent local artists… this is where it all began, with classic 90s Australian band Magic Dirt beginning my year.
• I started working full-time around this time, feeling it to be a huge drag in the beginning. I was enjoying my job despite the fact that the iMac I was using at the time seemed to be crashing.
• My mum got a new phone, Samsung Galaxy Ace, and I had to teach her how to use it.
• Got my new desktop computer and named him Kepler after Johannes Kepler!

February

• My mum found me on Google. It wasn’t that bad. :P
• James and I celebrated our four-year anniversary by having dinner at a lovely restaurant. :D
• I left my job at the education centre. I worked there for four years. I still have to email or call my ex-boss to catch up. She was so nice and I’m sure she wonders how I am going now. :D
• Valentine’s Day is overrated, but James and I had sushi for lunch.
• Discovered Typo. It is now one of my favourite shops to randomly browse, even though I rarely buy anything.
• Made my first HTML5 layout for my blog (back when it was at Heartdrops.org). I bought an iPad (first generation) on eBay but was refunded the money months later because the iPad never arrived.
• O-day at uni! This means heat, games, free food, and an endless supply of Uncle Ben’s rice. :S
• Watched an entire season of The Big Bang Theory in one day.
• For James’s birthday I made him a WordPress theme for his blog. He still hasn’t blogged in ages!

March

• First gig of the year and first time going alone. I went to see The Grates.
• Started university classes this month. Postgraduate study, oh hello.
• Started getting obsessed with a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle I bought. It had been so long since I had done one, and my goal was to do one, so I thought, why not get a huge one? It was on sale.
• Several weeks later I finally finished my puzzle! /bounce
• Bought an iPad 2. Named him Kevin.

April

• Went to see Ball Park Music live and met bassist Jen Boyce, who had shaved her head for World’s Greatest Shave.
• Completed the photography challenge A Day in the Life.
• James accidentally hit our family car. Oops.
• I fell down in the rain and busted my knees, making them look like Graham Coxon’s A+E album cover. Got a reply from him on Twitter because of that. I’ve still got a mega ugly scar from the fall.

There used to be a link to a post on my old photoblog that had the original “A Day in the Life” post, unfortunately the photoblog does not exist anymore and as yet, I haven’t imported the post into this blog. (18/02/2018)

May

• I started planning my birthday dinner this month!
• I coloured my hair red and also built a simple image uploader for one of my university subjects. My hair, by the way, has faded to blonde. :P
• I had my graduation ceremony for my Bachelors that I finished in 2011! YAY YAY YAY /eee
• This month I saw San Cisco live, who were supported by the Griswolds. Little did I know this would spark the beginning of an endless love affair with one of my favourite bands… 🙄
• Our toilet flooded. Enough said.
• Here is where I start suffering with Java… I hate Java… I never want to mention it again but for the sake of this recap, here you go.
• Wore a towel to work for Towel Day.
• I saw Hey Geronimo live for the first time, with the Griswolds, oh, and little did I know that I would actually fall in love. This was the best gig of the year. I got to know The Money Go Round and March of the Real Fly, and these bands appreciated my photography.
• It was my birthday this month, and Lilian’s, the day after mine. :D On my birthday James and I went to see Boy & Bear live, and Cal bought me lunch that day.

June

• Had my birthday dinner! Thank you to all my dear friends for coming. ♥️
• I did my first exam in about three years. It was multiple choice, with stupid questions. :(
• This was the month we had some windows in our house replaced, as well as our front door. They look lovely! One of the windows in my room was replaced, and I had to move my record player. Since then, I haven’t had time to put it back and plug it back in. It’s been six months!
• I saw Founds and that’s where I spotted Andrew… though I kept missing him so I didn’t say hi. Silly me. Founds were great, but I think next time I’ll appreciate their music much more because I have been listening to them more. They sing this really lovely ethereal pop music. I think this gig was where I had my first alcoholic drink. (Which obviously contained vodka.)
• Bought a Samsung Galaxy Note, thinking it would suit me. It did, but the large size was not bearable. I was scammed when I tried to resell it. I didn’t actually fall for the scam, but in writing that post on my blog, I definitely helped a lot of people who had been fooled.
• I saw Bob Evans again this month, which was lovely! He finally played his notorious song Ode To My Car.

July

• Arrived in Indonesia for our family trip. What a culture shock. I hadn’t been there in four and a half years, and this time I viewed my visit in a much more mature way. I managed to take my iPad as well as my laptop. My mum wasn’t too happy about me sneaking in my laptop without her knowing. :P
• My cousin Ronald got married. It was a lovely wedding!
• I bought a white acoustic-electric guitar and named him Sparrow Alexander.
• My trip look up most of the month, and I spent time visiting family and extended family. It was around this month that I started to feel tired all the time, and felt so “behind”. I blogged noticeably less, and I kept coming late to work, having trouble sleeping regularly.

August

• Finally saw The Smashing Pumpkins live. After years and years of freaking out and missing their shows, I finally saw them with James. James didn’t enjoy the show that much. :( I really loved when they played their old hits. I think that’s what most of the fans were really there for. Honestly though, that visual globe thing was incredible.
• Saw Hey Geronimo play at my uni. I got to meet them, aaaaa. I think, this was around the time where I really knew I’d probably fallen in love with them.
• I can’t remember when I started running in the mornings. I haven’t gone for a while now, but August was when I was able to last longer distances.
• My aunt’s brother died a tragic death, having been hit by a train as he was trying to save his autistic son from going near the tracks.

September

• Went to see The Griswolds again. :D I think I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen them anyway. I know I’ve seen them the most.
• Found out I have a vitamin D deficiency and low blood pressure.
• Saw sleepmakeswaves live. It was truly incredible. Just like the time I saw Explosions in the Sky.
• I bought an iPhone 4S this month.
• Went to an afternoon gig and saw The Money Go Round, The Griswolds, and fell in love with the classy Lime Cordiale.
• Hey Geronimo take three. The Griswolds take five. Lime Cordiale take two. James hates the songs Dreamboat Jack (Hey Geronimo) and Faceless Cat (Lime Cordiale). This gig made him hate them. XD
• Went to see James Morrison with James. I think he was great live. There were a lot of people and we were off to the side but his music was a joy to watch, and it was wonderful when everyone sang along.
• My brother Brandon went to his first ever gig/show – I bought him a ticket to Marianas Trench! We both got to meet the members of the band, but I was more keen on doing so. My brother, being a concert newbie, chose to take a couple of videos on his phone. :’)

October

• fREE GIG TO SEE JEBEDIAH AW YEA. I actually found out on the day. I went all the way back to the train station near home, to pick up my camera from my mum and Brandon. I had to go. I had to. It was far, but I had a great time.
• James and I went to the Tulip Festival. I love when we can spend chilled days together like this.
• Happy birthday to Andrew and to Heartdrops.
• Around this month… this very month, was when I started suffering. I started feeling a lot of stress for my subjects to the point where I didn’t care.
• Saw the Griswolds. Sixth time.
• Went to see Ball Park Music again. Got a photo pass and that was my first time with one. I didn’t have a good day photographing but I enjoyed the show.
• Won tickets to The Standard’s first birthday party, and saw some pretty cool bands including Papa vs Pretty.

November

• Things moved pretty fast from here on in. The end of the university year was so close!
• James and I went to see Sculpture by the Sea where there were over a hundred sculptures near the beach. It was gorgeous and wonderful to see. (Password to linked post is workingparty)
• Also saw Lime Cordiale again this month, supporting jazz-soul band Electric Empire. EE are terrific. You would be hard-pressed to find a band even remotely similar to them in this day and age.
• At the time, this was probably the worst day of my life. (Password to linked post is perennial)
• Went to the Newtown Festival and saw local band Regular John playing. I adore them; they followed me on Twitter first and it was practically an invite to listen to their music! I went to check them out and they are great. Bands are out there wanting to be discovered, and sometimes they’ll come to you instead of you going to find them. I love that Regular John maintains contact with their fans on Twitter.
• Violent Soho. Finally. A grunge rock band I’ve been dying to see, and I got to see them. I took Dylan with me because I knew he’d LOVE it. He did.
• Saw Ron Pope and Cam Nacson, and they were kind enough to meet all their fans, sign albums and take photos with their fans. Ron Pope’s music is beautiful and I do recommend you check it out.
• Got to meet Bob Evans again at one of his shows, and again bumped into Phoebe, who photographs for Jebediah sometimes. Also met her friend Shane. They were at the Jebediah show earlier in the year too. I got to sit with them and it was nice not having to sit alone at a gig.
• Finished classes for the year. THANK THE COWS.

December

• Some weird stuff happened here and to put it simply, my blog was found by some teachers after I said some not-nice things while I was pretty emotional. /hmph (Reason why some posts are password-protected.)
• I moved my blog. To here. Hey Georgie. With this new layout. Not really a fresh start, but something that I felt better about. The reason I moved had nothing to do with the previous point. ;)
• The Griswolds. Again. Hung out with them before the show eating hot chips. Woot.
• HOMEBAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never again will I use so many exclamation points. Homebake was my first proper music festival. Words cannot explain how awesome Hey Geronimo were. They made my day. No one after them was as fun or awesome. I’m trying not to be biased, but honestly, the sound at some of the other stages were bad. I hung with Riley from the Griswolds most of the afternoon :)
• I didn’t tweet for over a day and I figuratively died.
• I made Christmas cards this month. It was lovely getting into the spirit. I mailed them out to people across the globe as well as around here at home.
• I saw Lime Cordiale again! I did see the Griswolds but only helped them set up a little. I know Oli from Lime wanted me to see them. Like, really wanted me to see them. I bumped into Andrew at their gig too.
• My cousin Ricky came to visit. ♥️ We went to various different places, mostly around the city, and also went to the Blue Mountains where it was mega cold.
• I hope Ricky enjoyed watching Hey Geronimo. It was lovely to see them play again. Probably got my best photos of the year here. Again, trying not to be biased, but I obviously am…
• I was with James as we farewelled 2012, standing on a rock in the humid air near the art gallery, waiting for the fireworks.