Who Remembers Hong Kong Phooey?!

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Natasha

If you read my Australia Day post, then you might remember one of the more exciting things that I saw at the Australia Day parade: the Melbourne Costume Group.

Image from the Melbourne Costume Group’s facebook page.

I was later able to catch up with the group’s organizers, Anne O’Reilly and Jen Sasson, to get a little bit of insight into the Melbourne Costume Group. For any of my cosplay friends out there, this is a fun one!

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Natashadventure (NA): According to the “about” section on facebook, MCG began in 2010 when it was noticed that there was a “lack of support for cosplayers in between convention appearances.” Do you have any thoughts on why this support was lacking?

Anne O’Reilly (AO): The Star Wars 501^st and Rebel Legion are recognised costume groups that have a proud history of being able to use their hobby in a way to help others in the community. However not everyone is a Star Wars fan, so there was need to expand that idea into other areas.

Image of Anne O’Reilly in a blue ball gown. Photo courtesy of Ian Stubber.

Jen Sasson (JS): Simply, large scale conventions like Supanova did not exist in Melbourne 10 years ago. Obviously there was still a bit of a cosplay scene (Manga, anyone?) but generally there was nowhere to vent your creativity. Costuming was still considered a no-no and was restricted to fancy dress parties and behind closed doors. It took Gen Y to make cosplaying cool and acceptable… and this coming from a Gen Xer!

Image of Jen Sasson as “Monster Book of Monsters.” Photo courtesy of Ian Stubber.

NA: How do you think Melbourne compares to other Australian cities as far as interest in cosplay?

AO: I haven’t been to any cosplay events outside of Melbourne. But I have seen some wonderful costumes at conventions here by the interstaters. Also, South Australia is the home of the Australian Costume Guild which has been around for many years and is well respected.

JS: I’ve been to quite a few cons in both Brissie, Sydney and even Auckland. Brisbane cosplayers are still my favourite (but only just) It’s such a huge scene up there and anyone willing to costume up in full body armour on a 40 degree day, deserves my respect! They do seem to have that bit of extra craziness about them… maybe the humidity sets them off?!!! That said, the Melbourne scene may have started off a bit slow, but they’ve come so far in such a short time. There’s so much talent in Melbourne and its getting bigger and better every year. This is why we are delighted to offer our guys an alternative to cosplaying rather than the restrictive 3 – 4 cons per year. We find MCG members will debut their costumes at the conventions, then wear them to our events. A new audience every time… works a treat!

NA: Who seem to be the favorite cosplayers at your events? What characters are most popular?

AO: Capt America, Jack Sparrow, Batman, Batgirl and any of the Disney Princesses.

JS: Depends on the type of event. ATM I’d say Brett’s Captain Jack Sparrow. That said, Andrew’s Batman was pulling them in at the recent Australia Day Parade! The princesses & superheroes are always a hit no matter where we go, and I’ve also noticed lately that MCG members have been talking about creating bigger & better costumes, especially for the parades. They’re a fun and competitive mob but I think there’s some serious competition brewing!

Indiana Jones and Jack Sparrow

Batman

Disney Princesses

(Images above from the MCG’S facebook page.)

NA: How did your interest in cosplay begin?

AO: At the age of five when I my mother made me a Robin costume

JS: I vaguely remember as a five year old donning my older brother’s superman outfit which prompted me into believing I could fly… and testing that theory by jumping off the shed roof. Once I outgrew that outfit I thought I could extend its life by dressing the family dog in the costume until he ripped it to shreds. Then there was my Hong Kong Phooey outfit with my dressing gown… oh and a cowboy faze I went through – all before I hit double figures. No princesses though – with 5 older brothers, I never really had a chance!

NA: Are there any particularly magical cosplay moments that stick out in your mind? Your favorite in character moment?

AO: At the Melbourne premier of ‘Return of the Jedi’, I was dressed as Princess Leia and there was a little girl who thought I really was Princess Leia. Seeing the look in children’s eyes is amazing

JS: Hmmm… so many. The weekend trip away to a Lego expo at Phillip Island which prompted the comment “What happens on the Island, stays on the Island”. So I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you. I will say that 9 cosplayers crammed into a hostel room are bound to create many memorable moments. We also made a giant prison prop for Armageddon last year and one of the guests Marty, from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ locked us in the gaol and ran off with the key.

NA: Is there a membership fee for this group, or can anyone with a suitable costume show up? Are there monthly/annual meetings?

AO: No, anyone can join our FB group. However for major events we ask for applications for approval. We also organise social events like film days and we have a picnic coming up.

JS: Yes. You pay me $1,000,000 in unmarked $20.00 notes due on the 1st day of each month. Unfortunately, no one has yet to pay up, but I live in hope… We do ask our guys & gals to have costumes of a high standard and depending on the event, to be recognisable. For example, The Good Friday Appeal is more child-orientated, so our cosplayers need to be aware of this when choosing a costume. The parades… they can get away with a lot more. Generally, organisers will inform us beforehand what they want and we’ll pass the info on. We do have the occasional meeting especially in the lead up to conventions to organise what we want to do and to have a bit of a brain-storming session.

NA: What are your upcoming public events?

AO: The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, Kidsflix Chadstone and our picnic at Fairy Park in March

JS: What she said…

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And my favorite costumes from the MCG?

Zim and Gir.

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Natashadventure on facebook and twitter.

Melbourne’s Eternal Addiction

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Natasha

We’ve all seen them…dusty, dirty, cluttered, crowded and sometimes downright skeevy…tattoo shops. I once accompanied a group of friends to a tattoo parlour in New York City that was open 24 hours a day, sold bongs at the front, had clearly not been swept in months and was so crowded that you could reach out and touch the person getting tattooed next to you. Not the kind of place I would prefer, or recommend, getting ink done.

Perhaps I am about to sound like a tattoo snob, but so be it. If you’re going to have something permanently stamped onto you, more thought should go into it than, “Hmm…I think I might like to get a tattoo today. This place is open, let’s do it.” To me, tattoos should have meaning and should be well thought out. They are pieces of art.

I am not saying that I don’t have any “dumb” tattoos – when I turned 18 I ran to a tattoo shop to get a heart and a star inked onto my skin in a place that is, thankfully, not usually visible. I say thankfully, but I don’t regret them – they are 18 year old Natasha, with me forever. And that is fine with me.

However, for the future, I will stick with the method that I employed on the last tattoo I got, almost 10 years after my first two. I wrote a poem, commissioned an illustrator to draw it, then, after MANY consultations with my friend, Lea Smith, who has been tattooing for years, decided to have it done. Lea is now working at Tattoo Archive, but at the time was tattooing at Trinity Tattoo in Virginia Beach, VA. Trinity Tattoo was everything I believe a tattoo shop should be – an immaculate art space. It was clear that the people who worked there cared for the shop. Any artist not working on skin was drawing on paper. Practicing. Preparing. There was real art hanging on the walls. Tattooists went in and out of each other’s rooms to see what everyone else was working on, perhaps learn something new. It was amazing and it is what I will always look for in a tattoo shop in the future.

Which brings me to a little gem that I recently stumbled upon in Melbourne’s CBD. Eternal Addiction, led by tattoo artist Matthew Kozik, is definitely a spot that I would recommend checking out if you’re thinking about getting work done. For one thing, it is clean – clean, clean, clean! The shop is not cluttered and there are none of those silly racks of posters with examples of barbed wire and dragons on the walls. Instead, hanging on the walls are examples of Matthew’s work, along with art done by the other artists who work there – Smitho, Abby Drielsma, Blake Macpherson and Eugene Pirie.

Eternal Addiction’s shop front.

Inside Eternal Addiction. The jeans are from the shop’s early days when it began as a clothing store/tattoo shop.

While speaking with Kozik about his shop, he told me a story that is all too familiar to me and, likely, anyone else in the beauty industry. As a high school student, his career counselor asked him to write down his top five career choices. Number one on the list was “tattoo artist.” The career counselor crossed it out. Number two on the list was architecture, so that’s how he ended up studying architecture and design in university. (I can not tell you how many of my cosmetology students told me the same story…)

When he was about 20, Kozik started getting heavily tattooed and meeting others who were heavily tattooed as well. Eventually, he was offered an apprenticeship and thus began his career as a tattooist and his path towards owning a shop.

Kozik (left): “Anything you have a passion for, you’re going to do well in…when you enjoy what you do, you spend even your spare time doing it because you WANT to build your portfolio, you WANT to build your career, you WANT to grow as an artist…”

Passion – another thing to look for in a tattoo artist. Nobody wants to get tattooed by someone who doesn’t care or has burned out. Unless, of course, you’re just getting some barbed wire around your arm, then maybe it doesn’t matter. (Wow, I really do sound like a snot!)

The other things that I appreciated hearing from Kozik were that, at Eternal Addiction, the artists do extensive consultations with their clients and that they do NOT reproduce other people’s tattoos. “We do not replicate, no reputable artist would…it’s about respect for other artists and the other people who wear tattoos.” He mentions that I would likely be upset if, after commissioning an illustrator and paying my tattoo artist to ink my own, very personal art onto my body, I saw someone else walking around with a duplicate. Yes sir, you are correct.

They do not even replicate their own drawings onto multiple people. Kozik pointed out a few pieces of his own art that he has tattooed onto clients and explained that he would never put them onto someone else’s body because they have already been used.

So, any Melbournians out there looking to get some custom ink done in a clean, professional environment, I can right here and now recommend that you check out Eternal Addiction. It is an outstanding example of what a tattoo shop should be. And you can rest assured that nobody else will be seen walking around with a duplicate of your skin art.

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Eternal Addiction on facebook.

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Natashadventure on facebook and twitter.

Give Me Some O’ That Uptown Sound!

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Natasha

I promised exciting things would be coming to this blog. And tonight, I will deliver!

As a kid, I remember being fascinated by Dick Van Dyke’s one man band performance in Mary Poppins. And also by his inventions in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Which is, I suppose, part of the reason that I am so captivated by the Steampunk scene. (Remember the light up goggles that my man made me? Probably the coolest thing ever.)

Anyway, being thoroughly enchanted by steampunk and gadgets and one man bands, when my sister (who shares a similar interest) and I happened upon an appearance by Uptown Brown - one man band extraordinaire! - we of course decided to check it out. And what a delight it was!

(Photo by Danny Wootton.)

Uptown Brown’s performances are definitely something special. And he is an interesting character, to boot. I am sure that you do not need proof of this, but I will give it to you anyway!

I asked Uptown Brown if he would be willing to let me interview him, and he graciously accepted.

So, here it is! My first interview conducted entirely through a time machine. Enjoy!

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Natashadventure (NA): Uptown Brown…does this name reference anything?

Uptown Brown (UB): Well, I like to think of myself as a classy type of fellow so ‘Uptown’ was a logical choice – implies I’m from the better part of town you know. Brown is my mother’s maiden name. She was a burlesque trapese artiste and as a young lady was something of a tearaway I’m lead to believe. Even as an older lady too for that matter! Rumour has it my father was a steam locomotive driver but I never did find out his name.

NA: What do you call this musical contraption that you built? How long did it take to build?!

UB: My machine is known as the ‘Goodtimes Gyratorscope’ (patent pending). I built it over a period of about 6 months using parts from a wrecked biplane (which I myself crashed, but that’s a whole other story).

Uptown Brown and his “Goodtimes Gyratorscope.” (Photo by Danny Wootton.)

NA: Was it easy to play initially?

UB: After the initial malfunctions (including nearly losing an arm) the machine is now almost entirely non-lethal. Except for mild electrocution from time to time.

NA: What or who inspired you to become a one man band?

UB: Primarily economic necessity. And the fact that the majority of the musicians in my original orchestra have all largely been imprisoned, gone mad with syphillus or are in various health sanatoriums undergoing treatment for substance abuse.

NA: Are there any other one man bands that inspire you? What other musicians are you influenced by?

UB: I was inspired by the likes of Jesse Fuller, Phillip Roebuck, the Straniero and Eric Royer (all one man bands – check them out). There’s lots more. Also the films of Fritz Lang, Terry Gilliam, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Jeunet & Caro.

NA: Do you take your act on the road, or are you mainly based in Melbourne? If you’ve been on the road, where have you traveled to?

UB: As a street performer my act is always on the road! Or the sidewalk. I’m mostly based in Melbourne but am always open to offers of travel to faraway places. I loved Morocco/Marakesh but I was mistakenly imprisoned about a misunderstanding over a camel. Thats a whole other story.

NA: What is your favorite performance memory? Any peculiar stories?

UB: I love the interactions and intimacy you have with an audience as a street perfomer – too many memories to single one out. Amongst them though playing for singing children, dancing lovers, weeping drunks and howling dogs. And occasionally combinations of all four simultaneously.

NA: What is your favorite song to perform?

UB: I only play songs I love but ‘San Francisco Bay Blues’ (by Jesse Fuller) is still one of my favorites.

NA: Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans? Where can they see you perform next?

UB: I have fans? Good lord, whatever next?!! Well, I’d tell them to not take life for granted and make sure they enjoy a few cocktails along the way. I’m performing a few shows at the Famous Spiegeltent in the next month or two and will probably hit the Camberwell or Victoria markets a few times.

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And there you have it, folks! I was lucky enough to catch another of his performances tonight, at the Spiegeltent (something else you all should check out!)

Uptown Brown Performing at the Spiegeltent.

For those of you living in Melbourne, I highly suggest that you keep your eyes peeled for more entertainment by Uptown Brown. Not that lucky? Not to worry, I will end this post with a video!

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Uptown Brown on facebook.

Hairstylist turned chef. Ok, maybe not quite.

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Natasha

Words have not been flowing so easily this week. Not sure why, but it’s time to give this a go again.

Food, walking and reading have been taking up the better part of my days recently. I finished Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential a few days ago – a very good read. I found myself relating to him a few times and learning a lot about the food industry.

First, I had to laugh when he wrote about his jobless days: “A few hours earlier, I’d been lying dazed and hopeless in my unmade bed, wondering whether to take another nap or call out for pizza.” Ah, yes. Just before beginning that chapter, I was myself wondering whether to take another nap, start another chapter, or go stuff my face.

Then, about not having the same days off as the rest of the world: “…Never having a Friday or Saturday night off, always working holidays, being busiest when the rest of the world is just getting out of work, makes for a sometimes peculiar world view…” Well, this seems an awful lot like life in a salon.

And, once more, when he was explaining the types of people that work in the food industry: “The business, as respected three-star chef Scott Bryan explains it, attracts ‘fringe elements’…They’re comfortable with the rather relaxed and informal code of conduct in the kitchen, the elevated level of tolerance for eccentricity…” Now, depending on what salon you work in, the vibe may not be informal or relaxed. But there is definitely an excess of ‘fringe elements’ and eccentric people in the hair industry.

I came to Australia to have an adventure. To live overseas for a while. And to try something different. As I have said before, as much as I love the hair industry and appreciate all of the opportunities it has given me, I am restless. Ready for a change. However, I still need to have movement in my day. Sitting at a desk does not suit me. I need to be on my feet, occupied, doing something with my hands. That’s why I thought I would try working in a cafe in Melbourne!

No such luck. Nobody wants to hire and train somebody, from the ground up, that can only hold the same job for a six month period because of their visa restrictions. Maybe it is just this city – Melbournians are ridiculously serious about their coffee.

Anyway, suffice it to say, I have had a lot of time on my hands since I arrived in Australia. And when I have a lot of time on my hands, my imagination runs wild. (Okay, maybe that’s all day, every day.) One of the crazy ideas that I have come up with recently was maybe I could be a chef. Maybe I will own a bistro with my man-friend one day! Okay, okay, let’s bring it back a bit…maybe…maybe…A FOOD TRUCK!

Thus began my search to find a food truck willing to take me under their wing. And you know what? I found one! I have only helped out two days so far, but it has been fun. I have been on register and also in the kitchen. IN THE KITCHEN! I even got my first chef’s cut! And by chef’s cut, I mean food-prep cut. I spent that day preparing basil, parsley and all sorts of herbs as well as shredding cabbage for coleslaw. (The coleslaw shredder is where I sliced my finger.) Kind of proud of it, though – kind of like cutting yourself on your shears for the first time as a hair stylist. A scar to wear proudly!

So, we will see how this goes. Perhaps one day I will attend culinary school. That is, if I don’t get distracted by all of the other things I want to study…photography…literature…journalism…Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/German/Sign Language and all of the other languages that I want to learn…oh, the things we’ve got to cram into our short lives!

(No photos this time – although there are more uploaded to my facebook page!!!)

‘Straya Day.

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Natasha

Yesterday was Australia Day. A celebration of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney, Australia, 1788. It’s kind of like our Fourth of July in the States, minus all of the fireworks. Actually, I think there may have been fireworks in the Melbourne CBD, but they weren’t going off on every street corner. Apparently, a lot of people have barbecues on ‘Straya Day, too, but I did not witness any. My housemates went on a bicycle pub crawl. More on that later.

I did run to the city to see the Australia Day parade, though. More to get out of the house and to have something to post about, rather than because I enjoy parades. As quite often happens to me, a Mitch Hedberg quote came to mind while I was on the train into the city: “If you’re watching a parade, make sure you stand in one spot; don’t follow it, it never changes. And! If the parade is boring, run in the opposite direction – you will fast forward the parade!”

And then these guys and gals walked by:

A historical re-enactment group?! You have my attention.

This guy’s mustache?!

Holding my attention.

Now I’m laughing. This is good.

The Wellington/Collingwood Knitting Group? Aw, thinking of home. (Shea and Tara, I am specifically thinking of you two.)

A Tibetan Community in Victoria? Good, good.

Still not bored…OHMYGOD!

The Melbourne Costume Group. THERE IS A MELBOURNE COSTUME GROUP?! Yes, friends. Yes, there is.

And some Doctor Who Fans (I don’t even watch the show, but this made me happy):

And the Star Wars Group:

And then…aaaaand THEN! The VINTAGE CYCLE CLUB OF VICTORIA showed up. Now I’m excited.

There were so many penny farthings, I didn’t know what to do with myself. GLEE! Total glee.

There was also the Roller Derby group and the Ukulele Kollective:

I also happened to capture this Herald Sun photographer taking a photo of this little kid:

History in the making!

There were also various immigrant groups marching. Many fantastic outfits there. But I think this post has become picture heavy enough. I don’t want to break anyones iPhones or something.

Spent the rest of the day reading (Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, if you must know) and waiting for my housemates to make it to the local pub. Which, by some miracle, they did. I was coaxed into 2 schooners while they finished off a healthy number of pitchers. In the name of ‘Straya!

And then I got to watch them cycle home. A good day, I would say.

“Why not go out on a limb? That’s where all the fruit is.”

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Natasha

I have seen the above quote attributed to both Will Rogers and Mark Twain. Sometimes, the internet is confusing. It could even be neither of them. But I like it anyhow.

Today, I am going to fully launch this thing. The blog, the facebook page, the twitter account…may as well go all out if I’m going to do this.

What do I hope to achieve?

Well. A show on the travel channel? Bill Bryson status? Yes, please. But just a blog for now. Baby steps.

I want to share my travels. My adventures. And misadventures. I want to inspire those who dream of an extraordinary life to just go out and make it happen. All it takes is for that switch in your head to go off – for you to realize that all of the societal pressures and material things that surround you are really nothing in comparison to the experiences that you can have in this world – and you are unstoppable.

I had a dream – it was called Australia. I am now living that dream and let me tell you that it is absolutely nothing that I expected. It has been fun, but also downright depressing at times. I have doubted myself many nights. But then I wake up some mornings and marvelous, sometimes peculiar, things happen. And these experiences make the homesickness and dreary, stir crazy days all worth it.

I read travel memoirs constantly. Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Everything ever by Bill Bryson. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. (I know, I know, bandwagon. I just happened to read the book at a point in my life that I NEEDED to read it. And it really is just a good book, for all of you doubting book snobs out there.) Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. Anything by Paul Theroux. Happy Isles of Oceania being my favorite.

What happens in all of these memoirs? Everyone doubts themselves. Nothing goes as planned. At some point, there is despair. Fear. But you know what? Everyone gets something out of their travels. Whether or not they accomplished exactly what they set out to do, exactly how they planned to do it or not (usually not), these people all have extraordinary experiences that surpass anything that could possibly happen in an office cubicle.

And that’s what I want. And that’s what I want for any of you out there who also have the dream…the itch. The inkling that life is so much bigger and better than anything anyone out there is trying to sell to you.

So. Anthony Bourdain has moved to CNN. Samantha Brown has just had twins. It’s my turn now!

Homesickness. Joblessness. And all of the other reasons that I’ve had poop in my pants recently.

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Natasha

Well. I was just about to head to the CBD to do some research. On what, would you like to know? Well, I was going to see if the State Library had any books on museum conservation procedures. Then head over to the Immigration Museum to have a look around. All of this because, first of all, I honestly do find those subjects interesting. But mostly because I had applied for an Assistant Conservationist position with Museum Victoria. It would have been the perfect job for me – finally! A foot in the door with the museum world (my degree is in art history.) The position was a 6 month contract – awesome! Because, on an Australian Work & Holiday visa, that is exactly how long you are allowed to work at one place.

I had even called the woman in charge of hiring. We had a wonderful conversation. And then the HR panel did not pass my resume and cover letter on. C’est la vie.

So, here I am typing up the blog I have been meaning to post instead. I will venture out later.

My sister came to visit me last week and that was amazing.

There she is, being all cute with her coffee at the NGV cafe. We hung around Melbourne for a few days, going to museums, walking and, of course, cooking and eating.

There was also a lot of silliness involved. Because we are sisters.

We then traveled on to Sydney where we stayed at the Bondi YHA. Bondi, and the surrounding beaches, really are beautiful. The weather worked out perfectly for us, as well. 100-104F on Thursday and Friday. Those days were spent at the beach and in the water, as that is the only way to cool off around here. Saturday and Sunday were cloudy and about 75F, so we did our sightseeing on those days.

Oh! And we went to see Alestorm on the last night she was in town. If “Pirate Metal” sounds like an interesting musical genre to you, I suggest you check them out.

I also ate some chicken. You read that right, any of you who know me personally. I tried some chicken. That will have to be another post altogether, though.

My sister headed back home on Sunday and I have had a pretty tough case of homesickness since. I miss my friends and family! And I also miss the security of…you know, having an income. It’s safe to say that I am basically flat broke at the moment. I would go back into the salon world, but something between my power converters and salon tools is not working. My tools literally start smoking. And I am not looking to invest in new ones. Excuses, excuses, I know, I know.

And, while you’re sitting there reading this, wishing you didn’t have to go to work tomorrow, I am here to tell you that you would go stir crazy eventually. I was you a few short months ago. And now, I am losing my mind. But I suppose this is all part of the experience for me. I have had a job and been able to do basically whatever I wanted since I was 15. I guess not having that security and freedom is something that everyone should experience at some point in their lives. Gives you a different perspective on life. Hopefully one day, when I’m settled…somewhere…and I wake up thinking, “God DAMN, I don’t want to go to work today…” I will be able to look back on this experience and roll out of bed with a smile.

Anyway. The universe is trying to steer me somewhere, I’m just not sure where yet. And the sun is shining and I need to get some exercise. And I went to the library today and now have a stack of books on Frida Kahlo, Anthony Bourdain and digital photography that I need to pick through. I guess what I’m saying is that this post has ended.

I will note here, at the end, that, even though nothing has gone as planned and I have experienced some bad luck on the job front, I would not change anything about this. These are all lessons that need to be learned and experiences that need to be had. “It will all come out in the wash.”

Natasha Muller

The Grand Adventure