a poem for amelia about waiting for a visa to qatar

tentatively titled: I'm going to get quite fat if this keeps up...

i'm waiting to hear about visas
in the meantime i'm eating two pizzas
if this takes any longer
i'll look down and ponder
if my waistline can handle some cheese-uhs.

i'm waiting to hear about visas
it's been two months, three days, and a seizure
i'm going quite batty
i think i'll get a new tatty
what else do you do when you're waiting a few and you're quickly
approaching a geezer?

i'm waiting to hear about visas
london's the inside of a freezer
it's cold and it's damp
and i feel like a tramp
and i wish i was heading to tropical bedding and summertime weather at
the drop of a feather instead of here waiting and feeling like hating
the government being a teaser.

or not....

i think i need to stop telling people i'm going to abu dhabi.  every time i say something the trip gets cancelled or postponed.  Looks like I'm going on Saturday or Sunday but I won't believe it until I'm on the plane.

abu whatta?

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com

with thanks to Trevor for the link

See ya, folks.  I'm off to Abu Dhabi for two weeks.  My 2 year old cousin Miri think I'm making it up, but in a few hours I'll be on my way.  I'm looking forward to meeting my colleagues, working with students, and seeing a new country.  AND, I'll hopefully be heading over to Qatar for two days to see my cousin, Amelia, who will (hopefully) be moving there this week.  She's got an awesome gig playing music for rich people at a villa on a private island.  Yea, that kind of life.  (http://www.ameliarobinson.co.uk/home.html)  

Today, I hand in my last paper and then the summer will really begin.

Lots of love, Tamara

heartbreak

I've been inspired by this entry on darcy's blog to write one one of my own.

Yesterday, Maine voted to repeal same sex marriage.  Because of the time difference, I didn't have to stay up late to watch the votes trickle in.  Instead, I sat at the library trying to write a paper and hitting "refresh" over and over again on the Keep Maine Equality webpage.  By late afternoon I had a blasting headache and my heart hurt.

Somehow, for some reason, we think that by empowering others, we have to give up some of our own power.  Somehow, for some reason, we think that by extending rights to other people, we lose our own rights.  I am sickened by the ways that people feed off of fear and spread hatred in the name of religion.

Darcy posted these three videos, and they're also my favo(u)rites so I thought I'd share them as well.  They make me laugh and give me hope that love and commonsense will prevail.  Thank you to everyone who worked hard on the No on 1 campaign, who voted with their hearts, and who continue to keep up the fight.

Love, Tamara

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

i think i'll be a baker when i grow up!

from this...

to this....

to this!

Apparently I can bake after all.  I love Halloween.

(and a big thank you to Julie and Lucie for helping
with the baking and the party;

you made it all a breeze!)

jacarandas and terraces: spring in sydney

view from Trumper Park, on a rainy spring day.  one of my favorite spots in sydney.  especially when the jacarandas are in bloom.

veggies!!

I think I finally got the photo thing working....  Anyway, here's an update on the garden:

i

looking good, eh?

I'm not really sure when to pick the zucchini.  Any tips?

Love, Tamara

for darcy....

and for Steph, too.  I think you two might be the only ones left reading my blog.  Anyway, Darcy asked that I be better at updating because apparently talking to me once a day online isn't enough to really get a feel for my life.  hehe.

So here I am sailing on the Harbour...
Actually, not.  With the new photo editer, I can't upload photos and write at the same time and it takes forever (like a good 15 minutes) for me to upload photos onto blogger.  Steph, do you know any blogger tricks that will allow me to keep writing while the uploader does it's thing?

For now, you'll just have to see my photos on facebook or wait until I upload them to flickr.  Sorry.

The story is that last Saturday I decided to do some in-depth experiential research for my paper on Plum Creek and Moosehead Lake, so I took some friends up on the offer of going sailing on the Harbour.  Beautiful day + warm weather = perfect research setting.  We left from Greenwich, sailed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past the Opera House, and over to Watsons Bay for a swim and a bbq.  mmmm kangaroo meat mmmm.  We got back to Greenwich in time for me to find out that some asshole with no imagination or driving skills had decided that I parked him in and called the cops.  In the process he freaked out my cousins whose car I had borrowed and who thought that I had gotten kidnapped and was lying tied up in my apartment while the criminal made up off with the car.  All was put right in the end when the cops came, saw the car, and decided that the guy was just an idiot.  By the time I got back, my cousins were laughing about the whole thing and the guy was more bitter than ever.  Let's just say it was an interesting end to the day.

Today's my last day of uni for the year- although, I still have quite a few assignments to hand in.  A big celebration will be in order when this is all over.  For now, I'm off to the library.

Love you!!

Tamara

how does your garden grow?

Despite being neglected for a few days while I was in Melbourne and then barraged by dust and high winds, the garden is hanging on! It's not exactly growing DOWN, the way I think it's supposed to grow, but as long as things aren't dying, I'm happy. (Actually, one plant is dying, but you can't ask for everything...). To the right is the bunny and the little man looking out at approvingly at the garden.

Meanwhile, I'm pushing through a cold (damn you Melbourne!), writing masses of papers, and trying to find time to enjoy the weather. It's been steadily over 75 F for the past few weeks- summer is right around the corner.

Plans for November through March include: Abu Dhabi, music festival and travelling in Victoria, music festival and travelling in Tasmania, trip to New Zealand, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, and potentially a trip to Qatar and Spain. The Spain piece is really up in the air. All in all, a very good summer. I don't have much to complain about, do I? Only really that I miss all of you and wish you were here with me.

Aussie Trips

Becca and Erica come to visit me in Sydney!  Photos are up!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamgh654/sets/72157619224060676/

We had two short trips while they were here.  In their first week, we went to Gill and Andy's place in Winda Woppa.  I felt so lucky to be able to share such a wonderful place with my friends.  Winda Woppa is one of my favorite places in Australia.  Gill and Andy make their home feel so open and welcoming (even when they're not there!) and it's such an amazing feeling to wake up in the morning, pop on your swimmers, and head across the street for a dip in the ocean.  Becca and Erica went bike riding and swimming.  I mostly stayed in and worked.  Now I understand why writers head out on retreats to get stuff done.  It was a wonderful way to work.

Then we were back in Sydney for a few days before we headed out to the Blue Mountains.  1 1/2 hours away from Sydney and you're in a totally new world.  I can't believe I had never been out there before.  We went on two of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done.  After my trip to the US, I'm planning on figuring out how to join conservation volunteers and get some free "working" trips to the area.  It was just amazing.

Enjoy the photos, folks.  

Lots of love,

Tamara