Low impact exercise for 50+ year olds, body surfing & water aerobics

Surf at Legian Beach, Bali

Each morning I see red-faced seniors jogging along the beach. I prefer to kill two birds with one stone - body surf as well as water aerobics. 

After catching each wave or waiting for a good one, you are moving through the surging water (see video) around 50 - 100 metres between waves. Catch 20 waves that's 1-2 km of low impact exercise. Cup your hands to increase resistance through the water. Great to tone up your arm and leg muscles. My dicky knee feels a whole lot better with this treatment. 

The best doughnuts in Bali?

Custard filled, melt in the mouth. Forget the lard tasting Krispy Kreme Krap

Part of the bread buffet, loaves still warm, no need for a toaster

I remember coming to Bali in the 80's and 90's and having to put up with crap bread for breakfast (tasteless sliced bread, no grains). Things have certainly changed. The above pics were taken at the Kuta Beach Heritage Hotel (next to Mercure/Hard Rock). This is definitely the best $10 (AUD) breakfast I've had in Bali. No Nescafe or tasteless toast. Terrific Indonesian selection also. Great smoothies, fruit selection, eggs to order, noodle bar, waffles and crepe bar.

5 good things about "Victor Frankenstein"

The much maligned of 2015 movie has several points of interest.
Lighten up critics, it wasn't that bad. If it was a double episode of "Penny Dreadful", it would have been applauded.
Don't get me wrong, John Logan's series is wonderful. But I digress... here's the highlights.

1. Imaginative art direction. I am a sucker for steampunk. I will admit to enjoying "Van Helsing" and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (two other so called bombs).
2. Casting: James McAvoy has fun in the title role. Daniel Radcliffe is always exceptional. Charles Dance as Frankenstein Senior. Also Andrew Scott and Mark Gatiss from "Sherlock".
3. Some terrific throwaway lines: "It's pronounced Fronkenstein" (thanks Mel Brooks), "They will only remember the monster, not you" (says Frankenstein's beau).
4. Scottish composer Craig Armstrong's score (amazing credits: "Ray", "Love Actually", "The Quiet American", Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!")
5. That extended monkey scene in the medical college. Truly disturbing.

 I saw this film on a long distance flight. Does this make a difference? Okay, it's at least a tremendous 'plane movie'.

New Order & Pet Shop Boys - Grandads of Electro - Seniors of Synthpop

We loved them in the 80's.
Over 30 years on, New Order and Pet Shop Boys have still got it.
In September 2015 New Order released their latest album "Music Complete" (though without Peter Hook). There is not a dud track on the album. My favourite at the moment is in the link below.
"Tutti Frutti" Official video via You Tube


In April 2016 Pet Shop Boys released their 13th album "Super". Also a terrific album. "The Pop Kids" (about 30 secs in, it'll knock yer socks off), "Burn" (shades of Hot Chip), "Happiness" (the closest the boys have come to C&W), "Undertow" and "Say it to Me" are also boppy highlights.

 My partner and I first saw Pet Shop Boys perform the single "The Pop Kids" on "The Graham Norton Show"(our brand of 'old fart' TV). The clip is on You Tube too. Later in the year PSB are performing at the London Royal Opera House. Classy venue, but it is an 'old fart' venue?
Click for You Tube: "The Pop Kids" (sound only)

Bernard Sumner is 60 (my age).
Neil Tennant is 61, Chris Lowe is 57.


P.S. "Blur" doesn't qualify in the synthpop category, but "Magic Whip" in 2015 was brilliant and a great way to go out.
Damon Albarn is 48.

"Plebs" Series 3 - As good as ever

It's pleasing when a TV show can maintain its standard into its third season. Okay, with "Plebs" I use the word 'standard' loosely, there's still the required willy, bum and poo jokes. I was impressed by the first episode of the series, "The Beasts". It was consistently funny and cleverly structured. Good to see the writing team (Tom Basden and Sam Leifer) stays the same.
The clever CGI in the exteriors makes the show look terrific. The scene with the lion The lion was real, the crowds weren't) in the Collesseum was a standout and achingly funny. Grumio (Ryan Sampson) again has the best lines.
Having scene-stealer Maureen Lipman as the landlady is the cherry on the cake.

Episode 2 had its moments (Women's volleyball intro), but wasn't as good as first episode. Poor Grumio/Justin, always getting abandoned "on a hill".

Episode 3 skilfully links Vestal Virgins, blue cheese and hand-knitted jumpers.



Observation:
It was weird to see Joel Fry playing it deadly serious (as Hizdahr zo Loraq) in Seasons 4 and 5 of "Game of Thrones".

"Reykjavik Nights" by Arnaldur Indridason - Inspector Erlendur prequel

Iceland is cool. Very.
Perhaps it's because I've just watched "Trapped", the brilliant TV drama. Perhaps it's because Iceland is so different from Australia. Twenty years ago the only thing I knew about Iceland was it was the home of Bjork and the setting for Jules Verne's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth".
Anyway, I digress....

This is a prequel to the Inspector Erlendur crime novels set in Iceland. Reykjavik in the seventies, Erlendur is a young traffic officer investigating (on his own, of course) the death of a homeless man, Hannibal.
The young man is fascinated by lost souls and disappearances from Iceland's past.
Erlendur is a cold fish who prefers his own company (as seen by his patchy relationship with his girlfriend, Halldora). The novel explores loss and loneliness through the capital's homeless underclass.
There are some powerful scenes. One, on his last call out of the night, is a harrowing depiction of domestic violence. The other is Hannibal's back story, a car accident forcing him into a "Sophie's Choice" situation.
The dialogue is clunky at times, but this might be due to the English translation.
I enjoyed the leisurely pace and now will jump wholeheartedly into the Inspector Erlendur series.

The following is the order of English translations of this crime series. A few novels have not been translated into English so far.

"Tainted Blood", 2004 (first published as "Jar City")
"Silence of the Grave", 2005
"Voices", 2006
"The Draining Lake", 2007
"Arctic Chill", 2008
"Hypothermia", 2009
"Outrage", 2011 (centring around Erlendur's female colleague, the rational, caring Elinborg)
"Black Skies", 2012 (main character is his other colleague, arrogant, young gun, Sigurour Oli)
"Strange Shores," 2013 (while the action in "Black Skies" centres around Reykjavik, at the same time, Erlendur has taken leave to return to his eastern childhood home)
Reykjavik Nights, 2014, the aforementioned prequel, set in the 70's
"Into Oblivion", 2016  (recently translated, a follow-up to Reykjavik Nights, set in 1979, featuring Erlendur's mentor, Marion Brien)

The Art Centre, Melbourne, Victorian Hall of Fame exhibition

Angus Young's school uniform circa 1972

Kylie Minogue's costume "Better the Devil you know" circa 1990

Hidden away in small section of Melbourne's opulent State Theatre (part of the Art Centre) on St Kilda Road is a fascinating display of music memorabilia. Highly recommended. Noone was there when we visited. Enter through main doors and turn right (street level). It's free too.

Melbourne's overlooked building facades - Bourke Street

Public Benefit Bootery building (once a family owned shoe store)

Gloriously art deco Buckleys & Nunn buiding (now David Jones)

Coles Department Store (now part of David Jones)

Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne is probably Australia's busiest block of retail stores. Everyone is in too much of a hurry to look up and see the amazing buildings from the last two centuries. Several walking tours take in the Melbourne streetscape. Google: walking Melbourne.