see, hear, touch, taste & one other one

to see...
The Australian Ballet triple bill Revolutions, masterworks by Mikhail Fokine... featuring my favourite, Les Sylphides, inspired by the music of Chopin and premiered on June 2nd, 1909 by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, and enjoyed by the three of us, one cold Thursday evening in the balcony, June 29th, 2006... as well as Le Spectre de la rose and Schéhérazade. Imagining how it would have been to see these three performances in the early 1900's... with elaborate sets and costumes, and the likes of Nijinsky and co.

The long black hair piece of one of the Odalisques in Schéhérazade coming loose and falling to the ground mid performance... subtly kicked out of the way by the Chief Eunuch in a not so subtle bright pink costume.

Receiving amusing spam mail asking me to become the Chief Financial Manager for Ukrainian Folk Instruments Sales, "Hello. My name is Dmitry Sergeev and I am the manager of a Human Recourses department of U.F.I.S. PE (Ukrainian Folk Instruments Sales)..." which specialise in making instruments with gold strings or inlaid with diamonds and rubies. The job would suit anyone aged between 7 - 70 and prepared to be based in New Zealand (I may still have the details in my trash if this holds any appeal to anyone out there). It beats my earlier offer with Global Austrian Syndicate (G.A.S) hands down.

The beautiful feathers of a wary and secretive rainforest pigeon in the Great Flight Aviary at the Melbourne Zoo.

to hear...
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic score and the music of Chopin (hear a small sample here and here) filling my ears, as we sit, wrapped in coats and Winter finery... a catalogue balanced on my lap.

The rustling of a paper wrapper as Mum unwraps several cough lollies in readiness during interval... just incase she needs them mid performance.

The clickity-clack sound of the long, interwoven strands of the pearl necklaces on the dancers as they move across the stage... heard all the way back in D reserve.

The delicious squeak of the otters as they chat to one another and scamper across the rocks whenever someone jangles their car keys. And the bellowing roar of the lions, with their dark, shaggy Winter coats, heard just moments before closing time, demanding that everyone other than their keepers with their supper, leave them in peace.

The repeated scratching of the pink flowering Bottlebrush against the kitchen window on a windy night.

to touch...
The otters pawing their favourite stones over and over in their tiny claws.

The smooth disc of the ipod as I adjust the volume walking across the Princess Bridge listening to the soundtrack to Black Cat White Cat.

Playing with the corners of the page as I leaf through one of many large, homemade photo albums. Stuck upon the black cartridge paper pages, in-between photos and ballet catalogues is a receipt from Kmart for $36.36 for a baby car seat... which enabled me to ride around in our British racing car green MG YB for a brief period before it became too expensive to run.

to taste...
Sharing a packet of Smarties on the walk home.

A chickpea panini at Degraves Espresso Bar, enjoyed underneath the outdoor heaters, as we catch up with G to hear all about her recent adventures abroad... getting the powdery dust of the panini all over my chinny-chin-chin.

A late night treat of take away Indian curry from our local... I can still taste the garlic naan (even after gargling with Listerine all day long).

Peeling the thick skin off a handful of mandarins whilst they are still in season and affordable as I watch the soccer (still). Watching the cats of the house wince as the strong citrus aroma greets their noses and sprays their eyes in a fine mist.

to smell...
Can I leave this one up to you?

{Fridays animals... A Lesser Hairy-footed Dunnart, who have a tendency for sheltering in the burrows dug out by dragon lizards... and, an Eastern Barred Bandicoot who loves nothing better than to dig in the topsoil for invertebrates and tubers.}

Comments

[lottie]

Your ballet fix sounds wonderful. My parents once saw Nureyev and Fonteyn dance together - they get all wistful and misty eyed even now when they recall it. Have a great weekend!

[shari]

hi gracia!
your post is marvelous. the dance! balcony seats and long pearl necklaces and fabulous music. *big sigh*. i have a feeling one day it will be me, you and LJ at the ballet together. i love how you mix in the zoo descriptions next to the dance descriptions. perfect. i also love the drawings..the animal faces have so much wonderful, delicate detail. oh g...you make friday the best day ever. xo shari

[tiffany]

mmmm...smarties! i just had a little box of them as an after-lunch treat. love the feather picture and your drawings, as always, are amazing!

have a lovely lovely weekend, gracia!

tiffany*

[lisa s]

i heart otters.... they are so darn cute and smart....

and what exactly is "Smarties"??? and it comes in a packet? will it add to my brain power???

[jerusha]

what a sensory immersion!! i love the photo of the pigeon - gorgeous iridescent feathers! and otters, and the drawing of little tail and i love that sharply drawn cat expression of pungent smells..so funny. and all so wonderfully and closely rendered - you remember such detail. have a lovely weekend gracia! xo, jerusha

[risa]

those feathers are amazing!

[Julie]

I would love to have seen the sets! Sounds wonderful. Your picture of the wing is beautiful.
smell: haircream on my hair after a shower!
Have a great weekend! xxx

[SwanDiamondRose]

what a lovely post :) those feathers are beautiful & the 2 images together are great. and i want a chickpea panini!

[Hayley]

What an incredible pigeon picture! What a lovely post! I wish to second Shari's comment above, but with a few more exclamation points.
My parents have a stack of old photos of them, in front of cars they thought were cool [though they never owned one]. Most the pictures look exactly like yours, except mom has frizzy red hair, and my dad with a pipe in his mouth. Even my grandparents have photos like that too. Do people take pictures like that anymore, standing proudly infront of a great car?

To Smell:
The salty breeze over the wetlands
Fresh basil on my fingers after making pesto
The intense rubber-y smell of my new canvas tennis shoes

Cheers! And have a great weekend.
oh and p.s. I am interested in selling Ukranian Folk instruments. Where do I sign?

[gracia]

Hi Lottie, I love that the memory of seeing Nureyev & Fonteyn perform together has your parents "wistful and misty eyed"... and rightly so too. That would have been wonderful.
Hi Shari, Me too... one day we'll be munching on smarties during interval... and ohh-ing and ahh-ing at the whole spectacle of the props, costumes, music and dancers. Sounds like a plan! Glad you liked the two recent drawings as well... and I'm more than happy to keep the Friday Five Senses kicking along, they are such fun to conjure up and they make the week feel strangely longer.
Hi Tiffany, hooray for smarties... I think it was seeing your package of smarties from Paula on your blog that had me ducking into the milkbar in the first place.
Hi Lisa, I'll have to send you a packet or more of smarties to increase your brain power! And, realising that you guys don't have them over there has me now wishing to duck down to the local milkbar for more. Brain boosters should always come in a handy, brightly coloured box... oh, and they are a little like m&ms.
Hello Jerusha, I was lucky that the rainforest pigeon let me get as close as i did... he was actually quite nonchalant about having his feathers documented. The cats also wince and crinkle their noses up at perfume, incense and peppermint tea. They prefer the aroma of chocolate, cheese, fish and the top of my head after I've been out for the day. All the smells of the day must trap themselves on the top of my noggin for them to read like a newspaper.
Hi Risa, I was thrilled the detail of the feathers came out as they did as it was getting late in the day and I could hear some people coming up on the path behind me in the Aviary.
Hello Julie, The sets and costumes were beautiful... and the sets and costumes for Schéhérazade were new to make it more palatable for a modern audience. You may want to check out the From Russia With Love website for a wee peek at costumes from the Ballet Russes, 1909-1933... { http://www.nga.gov.au/Russia/ }
Thanks SwanDiamondRose, I'm besotted with my parents old MG... and I hope you managed to find a chickpea panini in your neck of the woods today.
Hi Hayley, I love the idea of your folks posing in front of cars they liked but didn't actually own. I'm on the lookout now to see if I can find any photos from recent times of people standing proudly alongside their motor vehicle. Oh, and a lovely three sensory smells... they make a happy trio... and the Ukrainian Folk Instruments people should be in contact with you any day now.

Have a lovely weekend all... & thanks for all the comments, it's wonderful to wake up to happy emails in the morning.
take care, grache

[alice]

Your five senses always make me happy. HAve a wonerful weekend. A

[Marieke]

Yes, a time machine for these ballet perfomances would be great...

[michelle]

Wow! Your life is so much more delicious than mine. I'll live through you for awhile as I change diapers. :)

[abby]

love the firs two pics.
what a great post-and what a funny proposition!
these drawings are so amazing. the colors are so brigth and beautiful-hope your weekend is going good...

[tongue in cheek]

The descriptions you gave of the five senses have me swooning! Bravo! Encore!

[sophie]

Bravo & Encore from me too! Your postings always brighten my week.

[Jessica]

Your drawings always seem to have this connect the dot feeling with these beautiful pencil drawings interweaved in the childish circles. There is something magical and beautiful about them. Your words as well as your pictures have always painted a great picture about who you are and what your like.

[gracia]

Thanks Alice, Marieke, Abby, Corey, Sophie & Jessica. And you are more than welcome to live vicariously through this little blog, Michelle.
take care, grache

[maditi]

ohh, I missed reading your blog!! so many lovely things :) I just adore the above photo and smarties of course!!!

[holly]

Revolutions sounds wonderful! Adore that family photo too.

[emily]

i LOVE this photo of the three of you. so sweet.