What's the reality of a reality show?
I admit it, there’s nothing more I like than to tune into a reality show to make me laugh out loud. And by that, I mean, I can convince myself I’m the normal one in the comfort of my inner voice (ah, but what constitutes ‘normal’ one would say, ok, I confess I would say that). What I find funny is whose reality are we talking about here? Is it those whose socio-economic wealth-o-metre is more than the debt of a third world nation or those who consider orange spray tan and a ‘bedazzled jewelled gown’ haute couture? Or that you’ll find ‘true love’ on an island, or that botched plastic surgery can be magically repaired by another surgeons knife? And while I cannot subscribe to every reality show, the few that I watch religiously never fail to entertain me at all.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Somewhere north of So-Ho – October 2000
Currently embracing the armchair traveller movement, more images of past trips emerge as I finally get to the end of a five-decade photographic journey. I won’t even begin to count the number of images I’ve paused, giggled, and sighed at. Come on Covid, go away so we can travel again! When this picture was taken, we were sans children and on a trip to NYC. We learnt about ‘tree rodents,’ the importance of tipping, that a hot dog from a corner street vendor makes for a great lunch and tourist companion, and that coffee made by Australian baristas in Australia will always be the best. Apologies to my U.S friends but hoping for a good coffee we realised was all but a dream…Passing the myriad of mirrored Starbucks coffee shops along W Broadway, we came across this madam who decided to have a snooze. While she was very much alive (yes, we went in to check) we loved the fact that she was not only a fashionista-coloured co-ordinated granny, but that on close inspection she had the smoothest complexion. (Remember we lent in to make sure she was breathing and not in a creepy sort of way.) And as we channelled our inner Samantha Jones we said ‘Girl Paleese!’
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Everything has a story to tell
We hadn’t enjoyed a Saturday morning get together since I don’t know when. But whenever the three of us get together, it’s always going to be filled with lively and sometimes hilarious conversation. And when a bestie’s birthday falls on a weekend, there is no excuse to not celebrate all day, hence, we the three stooges as the birthday girls’ father affectionately calls us these past thirty-five years headed off to lively King Street in search of a hipster organic, fair trade and sustainably farmed breakfast slash lunch and then endeavoured to stroll along the bustling retail strip, weaving in and out of one concept store to another.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Never assume on a daily walk...
As a creature of habit, you will most likely find me taking my daily walk at the same time every weekday. I plan, it’s scheduled in my online diary, friends can catch me on the phone as I am most likely listening to a podcast or song, generally, it’s a green light for any future stalker. Contemplating now, perhaps, is not such a good idea. That being stated, there are others like me, who walk the same path around our area, albeit opposite, which, is another OCD moment on my behalf because I tend to walk the same path at the same time in the same direction.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
In the words of Charlie Brown - Good Grief!
We all know what’s going on in the world right now, I won’t use this forum to add yet another level of paranoia. Yesterday I put a 24 hour ban on any news broadcast, I refused to engage in any CV discussion and refrained from social media crazy. Even though new and updating messages are ultimately affecting our everyday life, there is one quote that resonates at the moment, and it’s from my friend Charlie Brown.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Don't let the age fool you
A few weeks ago my sister and I travelled OS together. This is something that we had never done before, so it was the beginning of a lot of ‘first’s.’ First to spend more than eight hours together, first to face tragedy together (another story to tell) and a first for me to show her the Budapest I love so so much. One of the ‘first’s’ was a visit to the thermal baths, one of the most famous in the city, The ‘Szecsenyi Furdo.’ The thermal healing waters of the baths were discovered in the 1880s and although now popular with tourists, the ritual of bathing in these baths has long been engrained in the culture of the Hungarian people. When I was a child only the mamas and the papas used to religiously frequent the 28 degree waters and I would complain how boring it was because I wasnt allowed in to ‘bomb’ and splash around. According to my great aunt Rose, the etiquette of relaxing in the soothing waters did not permit Sylvia aged 12 and her famous double barrel spike dive.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Finding the 'f' in funny
I’ll admit I’ve let time lapse a little, however there has been a lot on lately. Apart from the usual, three months of chemo, three exams, three assignments (passed, thank goodness) and full time work, Ive been on a mission (with my likeminded friends, thanks Madam C) to ‘find funny.’ I made ‘Finding Funny‘ a mission. How else was I going to get through this horrible disease, without (metaphorically) losing it completely? I’ve scoured bookshops all over Sydney, the same question asked time and time again.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
"Yes, I'll have a drink with that." How not to let others unload their crap on you.
If I’ve heard it once, I’ll seriously have heard it quite a few times. You know, someone else’s story! Whilst I’ve always had a compassionate ear for others’ misfortunate tales of woe, I’ve sympathised and listened without judgement, but now, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for you to unload your shit on me. (I do believe that was a line from a song!)
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
5 things that makes me laugh
This week Ive had what I call an ‘internally driven, humorous look at imagery that made me LOL by myself.’ You know those times, when all of a sudden a wide smile crosses your face, you ‘like’ something, you ‘share’ a funny message. It all started when my son showed me a site he follows on insta, a @rojiman post of Donald the Cat and Kim Jong the cat. Silly and juvenile as it seems, I found it very funny. And like all things, when your senses tune into the universe (yes I’m a true believer of the @attractorfactor) funny scenarios happen to appear almost instantly, see @celestebarber.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez