Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman are completely charming in this short film, Non Plus One, shot by Gia Coppola and Tracy Antonopoulos, showcasing Opening Ceremony's Spring 2010 collection. I spot Tennessee Thomas and Jason Boesel (from Rilo Kiley!) in there too. It starts a tad slow and silent, but wait for the song "Is This Sound OK?" by Schwartzman's Coconut Records to come on, it's great.
My Dream is behind the Mountain
Photographer: RIĆOR
In the more fugitive, trivial association of the word exotic, the charms of a foreign place arises from the simple idea of novelty and change - from finding camels where at home there are horses, for example, or unadorned apartment buildings where at home there are pillared ones. But there may be a more profound pleasure as well: we may value foreign elements not only because they are new but because they seem to accord more faithfully with our identity and comitments than anything our homeland can provide.
- The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton
I know I said there wouldn't be a slew of pictures, but at the end of the series, I have to say the pictures were indeed plenty. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed documenting the trip!
Bridget and I went along with her friends on a drive to Brisbane for them to do some rock-climbing and me to suss out some antique centres. Things didn't go exactly to plan (with detours to a casino and going around in circles after dinner trying to locate our car) but it was all good fun.
Kangeroo Point, with its rock walls Chris and Michelle were very excited to scale
...but alas, the untimely rain that came along saw us finding shelter instead
...though that did give us the time to take in the riverviews and the Brisbane CBD across it
Paddington Antique Centre, housed inside an old theatre, where I felt like I've died and gone to heaven
...in the background the huge proscenium arch with Spanish mission tiles and plaster scrollwork
I could have browsed the whole day, but the rest had other plans, though I left happy with these buys...
top: a framed sketch of Trafalger Square and a framed floral tapestry
bottom: Portmeirion Botanic Garden salt & pepper shakers I snatched up at a steal!
top left: decorative picture frame bookend
bottom: mahogany cheese buffet
Picked up from our house, we sped towards Gumnuts Farm in the Gold Coast hinterland where we would go horseriding. Winding around mountains, past meadows with their grazing horses and cattle, in the van driven by a loquacious driver formerly of the Eastern Bloc, was just as entertaining.
though Bridget and I used to go for horseriding lessons together, I'm afraid she's the only one who knows what she's doing
Anjelica (on the left) would later get past her early fears and excitement to fall asleep on her horse while we're on the forest trail
my horse, meanwhile, just gave me a lot of grief
setting off for the forest trail (the fun part compared to doing rounds in a field later, but that may be because my horse refused to even canter)
Pictures from a day spent at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
this furry creature gave me a nice, warm hug (and poop in my napkin-covered hands)
feeding time with roo food bought from a vending machine
these tame, sleepy kangeroos are a far cry from the wild ones we tried to sneak a pic with at the reserve
...though that does make for better photo opportunities!
the reason I'm not in this picture is that these emus are scary
a presentation that was really funny and interesting
this owl's feathers allow it to be camouflaged against tree trunks
photo-time after the show with a python
a wombat ambling down towards its tea-time treat of sweet potato
this gargantuan croc propels itself with its tail to lunge for the chicken offered
Bridget, on the tram ride, as we head for the exit at closing time
evening feeding-time for the sanctuary's famous lorikeets
...holding out shallow dishes of milk for them
...but these gorgeous birds were such teases, never stopping for long
can you spot them amongst the pink blossoms?