There’s been some masking weirdness here since California’s grand “re-opening” on June 15. For the first few weeks, it was pretty much mask-free except grocery stores or confined indoor spaces. But now because of the Delta variant, many people are choosing to be more vigilant. At my yoga studio, we are required to show proof of vaccination to practice without a mask. In each class there are normally 1-3 people wearing masks. There’s no way of knowing if they’re anti-vaxxers (bad), feeling extra anxious (totally fair) or unable to get vaccinated because of underlying conditions (totally fair). Because of the crossover between the wellness space and the anti-vax, QAnon community, my initial response is to always think anti-vaxxer. Coffee shops, galleries and other stores have posted signs outside saying “fully vaccinated customers are welcome to go maskless :)” or “welcome back! we are so happy to see your faces again!”. Sometimes I forget to take my mask off or can’t be bothered or just want to keep it on, but then of course I look like an anti-vaxxer. Some of the previous COVID-deniers are now actually wearing their masks as they shift their focus from being anti-mask to being anti-vax. All this is to say, it’s a lot of mental gymnastics in public spaces. Also after three months of weekly appointments with my acupuncturist, I finally saw his face this week which was weird. Not his face, just the situation.
Continuing many post-pandemic “firsts” over the past few months, I went back to the movies for the first time to see Zola and loved it. Janicza’s mindddddd. I need to rewatch it though because while I rushed to a bathroom break, apparently I missed an iconic scene featuring a montage of dicks.
Leandra Medine Cohen did not understand the assignment!!! The episode is so hard to listen to but worth ploughing through. Just remembering too the time New Zealand MP Judith Collins tweeted, “I am a woman of colour - the colour white.”
I love telling and Americans love hearing about Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt walking into the ocean and never returning. “His body was never recovered,” I add dramatically.
“whatever impresses you illuminates your ambition.” Elisa Albert
Shiva baby. OK, I loved this movie. The running time is 1 hour 17 min which is kind of the perfect length for a thing to be.
I went in for my final US citizenship interview last week. Of course I’m not dying to be an American (and plan to be a dual citizen, retaining my Australian passport of course) but I am so excited to be able to VOTE. A guy outside the Immigration building downtown had no shoes on was begging the security guard for a passport. In the waiting room, there was a preemptive bowl with a printed-out A4 sign that read “Congratulations!” with red, blue and silver chocolates in a bowl under it. Janky! In my USCIS officer’s office, she had a sign that read “Welcome to my VERSION of TIDY!” and drank coffee out of a Hershey’s chocolate mug. I had studied for the Civics Test for a few days and felt pretty confident. You have to get 6 out of 10 questions right (out of a possible 100 questions that they could ask). She also asked me the below question again. I had already filled out ‘no’ on my application but she needed to confirm, I guess.
Whenever I get my teeth cleaned at the dentist, they comment on the fixed wire retainer I have behind my front bottom teeth. The reason is that they are attached in a zigzag pattern to allow for easy flossing- normally they just attach them in a straight line. The dentists and hygienists here in America gather around my mouth to ooh and aah at this ingenious work by Australian orthodontists from 15 years ago. My question is: aren’t there international papers or magazines or something where the dental health community can share best practices across borders? If there’s some kind of revolutionary, useful thing happening in Australian orthodontics, is that not knowledge not passed on? They should start a Substack or something.
I was listening to the podcast about the West Cork murder and realized Indian and Irish accents sound the same sometimes! A reporter was asking someone “how do you feel about…” Try it! Say that line in your best Indian accent (yikes!) and tell me it doesn’t sound Irish.
I have such a specific memory of putting thick, gloppy pink gloss on my sister’s lips. Doing someone’s makeup makes them seem so childlike and vulnerable. I also love seeing my girl friend’s Top Shelfs IRL. Being in their bathrooms with all the skincare and makeup choices they have made. I affectionately picture them putting on their little masks or picking out the hand soap for their sink or when they were at Sephora picking a certain shade of lipstick.
You know how when someone posts online about how it’s their last day at a job or they’re moving houses or whatever and there’s always that one person coming in like “Congrats! What’s next?” That person has such a specific energy online and in real life, I feel.
I like the show Breeders. It’s a weird and dark take on parenthood and it’s well-acted. But I did lol at there being no real POC characters on season one and then season two rolling around like Paul’s best friend: BROWN! Ally’s best friend: BLACK! Ava’s best friend: BLACK! Luke’s best friend: BLACK! Ally’s Mum’s new partner: BLACK! The entertainment industry is fixing racism one season of television at a time.
A good double-feature is Mulholland Drive and Shopgirl.
For some reason I had booked a wax on Mothers Day- Sunday May 9th. My lovely waxing lady Lidia told me a story about how her mother had left her and her FIVE siblings in El Salvador at age 8. They were separated for 11 years. Among the siblings left behind by their Mum was a 1 year old baby. Their Mum came to Los Angeles to make a life to eventually bring the children over. The siblings left in El Salvador were split up- three lived with grandparents, and three lived with an aunt. Lidia’s eyes glazed over as she recounted this story of her childhood. “I’m not sure why my mother did that… split us up.” After a while, and us talking more about Mothers Day, I asked if she had children. She said no, she wishes did, she loves children. Tells me her sister had 7. I show her the tie-dye scarf my daughter made me that I had tied to my purse. Lidia tells me how sweet that is and remembers learning a poem about mothers and how much they do for us and how loved they are. She came home and sang the poem to her grandmother, “Because my mother was not there”. God, I was so emotional getting this bikini wax. People go through so much, how do they manage.
The spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti said his secret was simple “I don’t mind what happens”.
Remember how big a deal thighs were in the 90s? I was watching a Sex & the City episode and someone said “I hate my thighs” and it felt totally retro! I feel like you couldn’t go two days when I was in my teens without hearing about women’s much-desired thigh gaps.
Going to start watching The White Lotus tonight. I love Mike White (I think Enlightened might be my favorite series ever). Have you watched Brad’s Status? His film starring Ben Stiller. It’s a not-great movie with a terrible title but I’m not mad that I watched it. And kind of feel like watching it again.
Here is an excellent profile of filmmaker Caveh Zahedi from a few years ago. I don’t know anything about him but I read it when I was devouring everything online written by Christine Smallwood.
Did you know that in Hindi there are different words for a good smell (khushboo) vs a bad smell (badhboo)? There’s also different words for uncles and aunts and grandparents depending on if they’re on your Mum’s side or Dad’s side. It sounds complicated but it actually simplifies things.
Ever just listen to ‘Shut Up and Dance with Me’ and yearn to be a Hot Topic teen in a mall in a mid-sized American town? What if that was just enough? Grape juice in the fridge, college football games on the weekends. I swear to god, I don’t know how old I have to be to stop yearning for middle America—
You know you’ve been away from Sydney too long when you think of the designer first, and not the Sydney suburb when you hear ‘Balmain’.
Sending love to all my Sydney friends and family in lockdown. Very messed up situation and trust I’m sending many bad vibes to Scomo!
p.s. Here is a great music video filmed in Sydney in 1984! 👇