Saturday, December 29, 2007

Cafe #30: Edna's Place

Date: 9 December 2007, 4.40pm
Location: Glenhuntly Rd, near Carre St, Elsternwick
Coffee: $3.00 (didn't give it a try)

This is a great cafe. I'm sitting on a velvety olive-green couch in a window alcove, looking out at the busy street. The black-painted wood floor slants upwards to the window corner and there are three red-stencilled three-rose patterns on the window. Walls are yellow and maroony-brown and there is a standing lamp with bright multi-colour plastic flower chains hanging down the shade. In front of me is an oval wooden coffee table. Behind me the left wall of the cafe has shelves of chatchkes - dishes, teapots, jugs - and the counter looks like an old-fashioned general store's, with wooden cabinets. It's a cosy, lovely cafe, though I could do without the annoying radio station that is being played. I didn't get coffee but instead a chocloate scroll - I can't afford both these days. It was nice.

I wanted to go to the beach today, but of course it is now windy and chilly - just my luck. And I'm dressed for the beach.

The colloquium I helped organise happened on Monday and Tuesday. The papers presented were great, the panel was good, but not enough people came: for example, seven audience members for five panellists. The early morning papers had almost no one to hear them. Nevertheless, I was most impressed with the quality of the papers and enjoyability of their presentations. We are chalking the lack of crowds up to bad choice of dates and focussing on feedback that it was a relaxed and enjoyable colloquium.

I presented my first academic paper, which went well, though I didn't feel it was as highly intellectual as others. I'm glad the colloquium is over and that my confirmation report has been handed in. They were taking me away from my thesis. This weekend I have finally gotten back to work on Foucault after some days of fulltime work as a Student Advocate and doing invigilation at Melbourne Uni.

Cafe closing, so must go.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Cafe #29: ice-creamery and chocolateria

Date: 6 November 2007, 5.00pm
Location: Whitehorse and Burke tram stop, Balwyn (I think)
Coffee: $? , watery, but mini-chocolate chip cookie nice
Reading: An Archaeology of Knowledge

[Clearly I did not write down enough information about this cafe]

It has been a long time since I blogged. I've been caught up in study and for a couple of weeks was working as a dog walker and doing data entry, so had less leisure time. I'm more relaxed now as I've lost both jobs (really needed a car to get to the dogs and don't know about the casual data entry) and still am only getting one shift at the bookshop and my next writing isn't due to my supervisor until 24 Nov. My confirmation of candidature is on Dec. 11. That's what I'm working towards but I'm not feeling pressured for time at the moment.

Life has been truly fun for the past couple of weeks. Last night J and B were in town and came to Hawthorn for dinner. I also invited A4 (I've got too many "A"s in my life so am numbering them - you may not know who they are but at least you'll know when I'm writing of different people) to meet J because of a shared interest in Israel/Palestine. I made eggplant parmiagiana and Ann made a lovely salad and J did the garlic bread and J, B and A4 brought wine. It was such a good evening - I haven't been party to such heated lively (and respectful) discussion in a while and it was excellent to see J and B again. Lfe should be full of cosy, tipsy (only speaking for myself here) dinners like that.

Ann was away for a couple of weeks housesitting. And though we went to a few parties and I stayed over with her a couple of times it is nice having her back. We've been sharing lots of giggles and I appreciate her to no end.

What else? I've been gallery hopping with F, organising a colloquium, had two gals from the Writers Festival round for dinner, seen a few films, been out to a couple of dinners, am off to an evening of short plays with another Writers Festival gal on Friday and Ann has a medieval gig on Sunday with her ensemble. All I need is for the weather to get nice and (gasp) there possibly can't be anything to complain about! (Okay, I could complain about having to do dishes - which I seem to do all the time. And that I should be stressing out about my under-employment situation - 'cept its so nice not working much...).

I'm sitting in an ice-cream/chocolate cafe. It's the only thing open on this Melbourne Cup day. Had to take a tram and find an appropriate open place. It's cute, though over-airconditioned. I'm in a nook with ironwork garden furniture painted in either black or white. Purply-brown brick wall and light green-tiled floor. Pictures of an ice-cream sundae and truffles and there is a painted board clown holding a lollipop. A rubber plant in the window, a cabinet of boxed chocolates.

The truffle (caramel dark chocolate mudcake) wasn't anything special, nor was the coffee. I'll try to remember to come out when things are open...

Off to Foucault.