Please stop staring

How awkward is it when you see someone with a slight deformity and can't stop staring. Face burns, missing fingers, half an arm, two heads (okay maybe that's a bit extreme but you get the picture), no matter how much you try you can't stop. This is by no means intentional of course. I'm sure many of us have been taught from an early age that it's rude to stare, and boy don't we know it. But, ironically, it seems the more you try NOT to stare the more you do, rendering all 'avert-gaze' efforts futile and useless anyway. You're brain is muttering 'don't stare at burn, don't stare at burn (or whatever this deformity might be), but your eyes of course, being the rebellious little buggers they are, move to do exactly that.

So why am I ranting about deformities and staring you ask? Well, today I had a little taste of what it feels like to be on the other side...
A major downside to having a cute little cat at home is my allergy to cat fur, which over the past couple of days has really decided to flare up. A side-effect of said allergy is swollen, red, puffy eyes that make me look slightly asian (no racism intended). Today, the asian eyes decided to come out, which was probably not the best of times as I was off to Mount Barker for my internship. There I was on the bus, so engrossed in my magazine that the fact my eyes were 'deformed' completely left me. It was not until I noticed a couple of stares that I thought hey, I'm either having a really good hair day or something is up...ah, of course, the eyes.

And let me tell you people, it did not feel good. I felt vulnerable, insecure and embarrassed over some swollen eyes that were masked by make-up anyway...I can only imagine what it might feel like to have a permanent deformity... So, if there's one thing I can take away from this it's please, stop staring, let us try at least, to stop placing so much emphasis on the superficial.

Food, Glorious Food?

Food, it’s undeniably one of the most important parts of our lives, without it we would simply cease to exist. And from organic produce to mouth-watering desserts, food has never been so cool. News of the day is no longer about the up-coming election, but more importantly, how the hell did Marion get eliminated against Aaron on MasterChef!? Dinner parties have replaced cocktail soirees, and budding chefs and take-out junkies alike are donning aprons and getting out the recipe books. Diets, what diets? We want more macaroons please.

So, why the sudden change? Undoubtedly, shows like MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules have placed cooking on the agenda, and relaxed our notions of what not to eat. For once, we are publicly viewing attractive, trendy people enjoy food that is drenched in butter, deep-fried or sickly sweet. As someone who has loved food since a young age, this is a welcome change. Make no mistake, while regularly eating some of the dishes conjured up on MasterChef may leave you with a chin to rival that of Matt Preston’s (which no amount of cravats can hide), it’s time we saw food for what it is. If the rise of cooking shows has taught us one thing, it’s that food is to be enjoyed, not feared. And, it seems food-loves all around the nation rejoiced.

This can only be confirmed by the sky-high ratings that the MasterChef finale reeled in. A staggering 5.4 million Australians tuned in to watch, forcing the ‘Great Debate’ between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to move to an earlier time-slot. That’s right, Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott could not compete with omelettes and meringue snow eggs. Shows like MasterChef have shown us that it’s okay to indulge, so tuck in to a hearty pasta dish or rich chocolatey dessert without the guilt...we only have a few more months before The Biggest Loser comes and snaps our taste-buds out of their reverie.

Spray me baby

Hi, my name's Cassandra and I'm a spray-tan-aholic. The day has finally come where I joined that elusive, yet ridiculed, club of girls who must be tanned spring, autumn or winter. I used to point and laugh (not literally of course, more-so in my head) at that breed of oompa-lompas who looked like they had been spray painted orange in the middle of winter. My philosophy was that a fake tan during the colder months looked unnatural, odd and just plain funny. Why not enhance that 'winter white' skin colour with luscious red lips or a peachy blush, you know, make the most of what you've got? Which is true to an extent, we can only rely on the superficial for so much and at what point are we real? No fake lashes, no hair extensions, no fake tan...

Well, guess what, when you're out on the town or at a party, REAL is BORING. I was sick of my ghostly white arms and frankly no amount of moisturiser or 'enhancer' could take away from my scaly white winter legs (which, trust me, is not a good look when you take out the party dresses). And so the obsession began. In my defence though, the spray-tan only comes out for special occassions, and boy what a difference it makes. It lenghthens my legs, hides all those little dimples and lines near my thighs and minimal make-up is needed. Sure, it might be 'fake', but it gives you a confidence boost that money can't buy (ok, so you need to 'buy' a professional spray tan, but the added confidence lasts for days).

Iphone Mania

Ok, so maybe I'm a little out of the times, but I am still amazed and intrigued into the popularity of the good old Iphone; a realisation that hit me earlier today. There I was, sitting at the David Jones foodcourt, frantically texting on my Iphone as I ate. As I took a moment to take in my surroundings (as you do) I noticed that the girl across from me also had her Iphone out, and the girl next to me AND the guy behind me. All of a sudden I felt like I was in some weird sci-fi movie (why? I honestly don't know), as I realised just how popular this little gadget of life had become. Every second person has one, and if you don't, you probably have plans to in the near future. So, my question is, are we all lambs, deseperate to be part of the 'in' crowd? Following trends as they come and jumping on the iphone bandwagan?

I think the answer is unknowingly yes for many of us. I'll be the first to admit that I upgraded to an Iphone simply beacause I was the only one in my group who hadn't and well, lets face it, my little Nokia just wasn't cutting it anymore. A sprinkling of peer pressure, a scoop of the wonder's of apps, and I was a goner. Ironically, I only use my phone for texting, calling and facebook/internet, features my Nokia could have easily done. I can't help but thinking that perhaps the wonders of the Iphone are wasted on me, and maybe I'm not alone....

Listen to the Boy

Working in retail, it's always interesting to see how much influence boyfriends/husbands have on a woman's choice of clothing, which I find ironic, I mean, since when do we credit men with good fashion taste? Nontheless, I see more and more women begrudingly put away dresses and tops because their partners don't like it. Personally, I find this ridiculous, considering men generally pay little attention to our outfit choices anyway, but much to my surprise I found myself in a similar situation the other day...

I had been eyeing off a floral Ladakah dress in a magazine, so was pleasantly surprised when I saw said dress in a store. There I was, envisioning myself wearing this dress whilst on a tropical island somewhere, complete with cocktail in one hand, hot male servant on the other (isn't it great how women can create a whole scenario from a single item of clothing). But, I was quickly snapped out of my reverie by an annoying buzzing sound in my ear, aka, The Boyfriend. According to him the dress was too floral, and therefore resembled a 'granny outfit'. So, I am ashamed to say, I left the dress and my tropical holiday behind, and amazingly took the fashion advice of my boyfriend.

Looking back, it was definately not one of my brightest moments. I mean, taking fashion advice from a guy who wears ugg boots out, what was I thinking! So my message to all you women out there is take pride in your unique style and don't let anyone change that. Fashion plays such an important role in defining who we are, and no one wants to be defined by someone else. Next time you see a dress/top/skirt whatever it may be that you absolutely love, buy it, regardless of what HE thinks, and wear it over and over again ;)

Sex takes over our City

And it certainly did when the much-anticipated Sex and The City 2 movie hit the big screen. All of a sudden it was all about fashion, cosmopolitans and the wonderful NYC. Exams? What exams? We wanted sex, and lots of it! As a casual employee at the cinema, it's always fun to see the throng of females who have suddenly become their own versions of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, and I have never seen so many women wearing corsages in the same room. But, hey, who am I to talk. I personally loved dressing up and soaking up the atmosphere. Although I enjoyed the movie, I wanted more, and being the bookworm that I am, I jumped at the chance to read a prequel to the series, 'The Carrie Diaries'. Here is a book review I've written for the UniMag, and if you love reading and CB? Well, get on it!

'The Carrie Diaries'

Sex and the City fans rejoice, Carrie Bradshaw is back and quite literally like you’ve never seen her before. Before New York, before the cocktails and before the Manolos, Carrie Bradshaw was your average small-town girl. How do I know this you ask? Well, with the hype surrounding Sex and the City 2, mastermind behind the successful TV series, Candace Bushnell has created a prequel of sorts to the show we love through ‘The Carrie Diaries.’

The book explores Carrie’s life as she goes through her senior year, adding another dimension to her character. Set in Castlebury, Connecticut, Carrie is a small-town girl who is navigating her way through her senior year of high-school. Carrie and her friends have always been inseparable until Sebastian Kydd enters the scene and a friend’s betrayal changes everything. From high-school cliques, love dramas, sibling issues and scary revelations Carrie begins to question everything around her.

The great thing about this book is that it is not an exact replica of Carrie in Sex and the City; in fact emphasis is placed on how she evolves to become the character we know and love. Readers will learn about her family background, how she found her writing voice and the impression her friendships and relationships left on her.
Fans of Sex and the City can make connections between the ‘Castlebury’ Carrie and the ‘New York’ Carrie, such as her admirable fashion taste and dry wit, and will appreciate the extra depth it gives her character. Like the TV series, love, friendship and fashion are poignant themes throughout the book, and although there is no hard-hitting dramatic plot, it is a fun read that will admittedly be more enjoyable for fans of the show.

However, it is not just Miss Bradshaw at the centre of the book’s topic. Teen stereotypes are challenged through high-school cliques and reputations. For example, is it in fact cool to be a ‘nerd’, and is there more to the ‘queen bee’ than meets the eye?

Fun, light and flirty, Carrie Bradshaw fans, this one is for you- enjoy it with a sparkling glass of champagne and go back in time.

Adelaide

As a journalism student and all round 'chatter-box' it seemed inevitable that I would join the craze and start a blog. Experience has shown me that those deep and meaningful observations used in personal rants generally come at the most inconvenient of times-like when you're on a bus, at work, driving and ultimately experiencing life. So while I wait for my earth-shattering revelations to dutifully come to me, I'll post a column I wrote, which featured in the UniSA UniMag. Enjoy!

‘Mad March’

I love Adelaide in March. I love the atmosphere, energy and sense of anticipation that fills the air. I love how our streets become crowded with people from all walks of society; and with events such as the Fringe, Womad and Clipsal 500 injecting our city with culture and life, for once there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. With this in mind I got to thinking that perhaps Adelaide isn’t as lacklustre as perceived. While there’s no comparison to the cosmopolitan-esque lifestyle of Melbourne and star-studded streets of Sydney, I think it’s time we embraced Adelaide for what it is- and that’s not the city of churches.

Within the past month three of my friends have made the decision to move to the big smoke, Sydney. Admittedly, with more job opportunities and lifestyle choices, many have plans to do the same. Yet my point is, instead of rushing onto the next plane out of here, why not savour and appreciate all Adelaide has to offer.

One of Adelaide’s most exciting events in March is inevitably the Fringe, along with the magical, some-what surreal world in the Garden of Unearthly Delights; experience world-renowned comedy, theatrical and musical shows, or simply grab a drink and soak up the atmosphere. For music-lovers there’s Womad or the Future Music Festival, where international music and DJ acts get set to carve up Adelaide’s dance-floor, and of course, rev-heads can’t go past the Clipsal 500, three days of ultimate cars, beer and the all-important grid girls. Sorry, did anyone say there’s nothing to do in Adelaide?

You’ll notice how I haven’t mentioned anything about the pandas. No offence to Wang Wang and Funi, in fact I love the history these animals have brought to our state, but I just don’t think they should be placed at the core of Adelaide’s character and attractions. Whilst I was in Melbourne last weekend I noticed a billboard with a statement along the lines of ‘Sure, you’ve got the G, but we’ve got pandas.’ Tourism campaigns like this are essentially only going to reinforce the notion that Adelaide is a conservative, some-what mundane country-town to fellow Australians. In order to attract a wider demographic, campaigns should also focus on our lush wineries, serene beaches and popular festivals.

I say this because I truly believe that Adelaide is going places. You only need to walk down Rundle Street, filled with an array of trendy bars, cafes and designer stores such as Zimmerman, Sass and Bide and Alannah Hill, to think that hey, it’s not all that bad here. Now, all we need is a Tiffany’s!