How To Memorize Anything

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One of the items on my "to-do list" for 2014 was to speak conversational Japanese by the time I go back to Japan in November. I have 5 months to go, so I am feeling a weird mixture of terror and confidence. It's such a difficult language to learn, mainly because the majority of words have no point of reference to my English speaking mind. In my mission to learn this huge amount of information, I've been researching all manner of memorisation and learning techniques and have a few tips for you. Even though at times over the past few months I've felt like Johnny Mnemonic, I think things are coming along.

Whether you're learning a new language like me, or if you simply want to remember people's names, there are a few things you can do to help. Since starting on my memory adventure, I came across some interesting articles that explain and back-up the methods I've been using, including this article from Mattan Griffel on spaced repetition: How to Never Forget Anything Again and the fascinating TV program: Redesign My Brain.

There are two main techniques that work really well for memorisation.

1. Spaced Repetition

This is basically a technique where you use flash cards (or an app or learning program such as Memrise) to help memorize something. It can be anything from putting a face to a name, to learning the Japanese 'alphabets' (they're actually syllabaries, but that's a whole other topic). Mattan's article linked above goes into this method in depth, but the basic idea is that you test yourself on each item you are trying to memorize. If you get it correct, you might look at that card again in a week's time. If you get it wrong, then perhaps you review it in one day's time. The spaced repetition allows you to focus on the areas that need work and eventually, everything gets burned into your long term memory. Anki is a great resource for when you want to create your own flashcards, and also allows you to download packs created by other people (I used Anki for Hiragana and Katakana learning)

2. Mnemonics

This is any memory retention technique, but generally refers to using sounds/smells/stories and images to create a memory. When I learned Japanese at school, we used pictograms to remember the Japanese characters. One that really stuck in my head is the character for "ru" ル which looks like a kangaroo jumping, so I remember it when I see the 'roo'. The Redesign My Brain TV program had a really interesting section where they taught the host how to memorize an entire deck of cards. It started by assigning a person, action and object to each card (PAO). The PAO attached to each card helped him to recall their order when shuffling through the deck. He attended the World Memory Championships and there were people memorising decks upon decks of cards. Imagine if they put they brainpower toward world peace, or a cure for cancer? But I digress. PAO is not easy, but our brains react way more favourably to these anecdotes than pure data.

I have all kinds of stories rushing through my head about digging below the ground with my toe to find a car (the Kanji for "below" is read "ka" and it looks like the symbol for "toe" stacked under the symbol for "ground") It sounds really complicated, but with all of these little points of reference, you form a vivid image in your head and things snap into place. You can use mnemonics for remembering anything, from the old knuckle trick for counting the days of each month, to remembering how to spell Mississippi. (Mrs M, Mrs I, Misses S S I etc.) You have probably used mnemonics a lot and not even realised it!

If you're interested specifically in language resources, here's a list of what I've been using for Japanese. I'm finding that no single resource gives me the full experience, and as soon as I diversified, things started sticking better.

Memrise - Desktop and App - Free
Memrise has courses on all kinds of topics from languages, to geography to memory training. It was co-founded by Ed Cooke who is a Grand Master Memory Champion and uses his own method of memorisation. Memrise is perfect for beginners, and helped me to learn the 'alphabets' really fast. It uses a combination of multiple choice, typing the English answer for the Japanese word, and vice versa. So you never get into a 'rote' memorisation answer, it makes you problem solve by reversing the questions and answers. You can also create "mems" which are image based prompts to remind you of a word, mnemonics style. It uses spaced repetition to calculate what you need to review and how often.

Human Japanese - App - Free lite version
This is a great basic Japanese course that explains a little bit behind the scenes of what you are learning, so you're not left wondering "but why do I use this word here?!" I might upgrade to the full version, if I can find the time to dedicate to it.

JapanesePod101.com - Podcast, Desktop, App - Free for basic, paid premium membership.
I paid for the premium of this one. It's a great way to learn by listening to conversations, which are spoken normally, then slowly, with translations and explanations. There's often prompts for you to converse with the podcast too, so you can practise speaking out loud (this is so important when you're learning a language!) It's great to hear a native speaker for pronunciation and real-life scenarios. The "--pod101" program is available in heaps of languages and I believe the first month trial is free.

TextFugu - Desktop - Free trial with paid premium membership.
This program is really thorough and sets you up with an excellent foundation for learning Japanese from scratch. It's built for self-learning, so it easier to stay motivated and learn at your own pace.

WaniKani - Free on beta test (you can sign up for an invite)
I'm on the beta test for this Kanji learning program right now and it's amazing! Created by the TextFugu guys, I feel so much more confident with those tricky Kanjis (20 down, 2000-5000 to go)

An old fashioned paper and ink book has been my greatest source of understanding on the grammar side of things. Japanese Step By Step by Gene Nishi has two thumbs up from me. It's been indispensable for understanding the 'why' and getting my head around a lot of questions that aren't answered in some of the other programs.

I'd love to know your tips and tricks for memorisation, and learning new languages. I feel like I have a long way to go, I think my next step might be some in-person lessons. Or a brain meltdown. One of those.

Kitty
xo

Wish/Want | On Missing Out

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I'm going to take a break from the scheduled feel-good talk that is so prevalent in the blogosphere and talk about reality for a minute. Not because I want to crush your dreams, or tell you that they aren't possible. But because sometimes you (and I) need a dose of reality.

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you'd do anything to get it? I've been there, and you know what, I didn't get it. I could say it was for the best, and things happen for a reason, but to be honest, I'm still not sure that is true. Some things in life aren't for the taking, and sometimes you don't get what you want.

Back when I lived in London, there seemed to be a whole new world before me. I thought that I could waltz into one of the largest cities in the world, with no experience and land on my feet. And while there were many new opportunities and experiences, competition is fierce. It's expected that people starting out in the film and graphics industries work as an intern (read: unpaid). Sadly, my parents forgot to water the money tree they received when I was born, and working for free was not in the realm of possibility for me. So I got a job. Not a graphic design job mind you. I got a job selling t-shirts. It involved standing in the doorway of a store to deter thieves from ripping whole racks of clothing to sell. It involved folding 100's of t-shirts every day. It involved smiling to rude customers. I tried to upsell shitty accessories and shivered in the doorway of that shop in my t-shirt with a silly slogan on the front. All for around £4 per hour. Not exactly the glitz and glamour of an exciting new design career. To put it into perspective, my monthly wage (working 6 days a week) was LESS than the homeless man that I befriended who sold the Big Issue.

After months of t-shirt slaving, I started to pick up the odd freelance design job here and there. C was gaining interest, connections and momentum in his career as well. Things were getting better. Despite the hard working conditions, we had a great circle of friends with similar interests. The opportunity for success in creative fields is so much greater than in Australia. It was a land of opportunity for our chosen fields. As you already know, I love to travel, and London is a fantastic base and much more conducive to travel than Australia ever can be. It just seemed right and I felt at home for the first time in my life. I was finally at home.

We returned to Sydney for family reasons. Somehow I landed a pretty good design job while we were in transit between London and Sydney. I figured I would work for a little bit, get some decent experience and return to London with better odds at employment in my field. My working holiday visa expired and since I had a Bachelor's degree, I planned on applying for a Highly Skilled Migrant visa. I found out that this visa relies on a complex points system and while education and age were in my favour, my earnings were not. I missed qualifying by one point. The only way to raise my points was to earn more. But pay-rises usually come with time, and that was one thing I didn't have. So I did what seemed logical. I worked more. I worked like you wouldn't believe. I took on double shifts, so I would do one job Monday to Friday 9-5 and then I would also work weekends and 3 nights a week until midnight or 2am. I did this for an entire year. It almost killed me. But I was reaching my target. C took on a (horrible) corporate job, to gain his visa in a 'desired' industry (they don't need more musicians in London, go figure). The unhappiness, stress and despair of this situation took it's toll on both of us.

We were one month off breaking the income threshold and gaining our visas when the financial crisis hit London bad. To try and secure their economy, they tightened immigration laws. My Bachelor degree was no longer enough, I needed a Masters degree. It was impossible. I couldn't keep working like that (to keep my income up) and study for a Masters Degree. I didn't even want a Masters degree. It broke me. I made a few last-ditch efforts to get sponsorship but it was hopeless. A company had to prove that nobody in the UK could do the job first, then nobody in the EU. If there were no suitable candidates, then they could sponsor a worker. Graphic Designers are a dime-a-dozen and I was at a loose end.

I accepted my fate and decided that I couldn't ever consider living in the UK again. I grew bitter toward people who could, but didn't want to. I was angry at my parents for not applying for me to have German passport when I was a child (when I was able to get one). There were so many paths that led to a broken down bridge. So many "too late" moments. It still hurts that I couldn't fulfil that dream. It was not through lack of determination or hard work.

I learned something valuable from that experience though. Swimming against the current is exhausting. Sometimes you need to come up for air and make a decision if it's worthwhile. What are you hoping to get out of this goal or dream? Is there another way to achieve it? Are you doing it the hard way? Should it be this hard, is it a lost cause? I'm still sad that I never made it back to London. I can't say that it was 'for a good reason' or that anything 'special' has come out of me not going back. I have new dreams now, a different direction that my life might take, and perhaps it will have all been worth it one day.

While I can get caught up in the 'follow your dreams' talk just as much as the next person, I think we need to realise that not everything is possible, or right for you. I do believe that hard work and determination will take you far. But sometimes you need a healthy dose of luck thrown in too.

I'll leave you with this thought. I do believe that your dreams are possible - but be flexible with them. If you have a rigid plan on how things will be, it allows no room for magic and chance, and you will miss something along the way. Be prepared to work hard, your dream is unlikely to show up in the form of instant gratification.

I encourage you to talk about your failures or wrong turns. It can be completely overwhelming to hear only the success stories. It generates an expectation that things should be easy, or if you want it bad enough, you will have it instantly. I think you will find that most successful people have stories of failure. Life takes unexpected turns and you may reach a different outcome to what you expect. Embrace this and don't you ever give up. Sometimes the lesson is in the journey.


Kitty
xo

Lately

I don't have any April Foolin' for you today, did anyone get caught out? I think the worst one I saw was the ad for the new Vegemite Energy Drink. I just threw up a little in my throat. Even as an Australian who has been known to have the (very) occasional smattering on toast, that is beyond gross. Oh, but I do have April Rules - in case you missed my little flash sale on Twitter last night, I'm offering 20% off XL and Large blog ads - just for today! Use the code "aprilrules" in my ad shop.

Last week was quite eventful, I finished a 3 month job, thank goodness! I'm looking forward to sleeping past 5am and perhaps even seeing the world outside my front door... Huzzah! On top of that excitement, we had really bad storms in Sydney and suffered some damage to our house. Boo! Looks like there's some building investigations and repairs in our future. Top tip - incontinence pads lining a leaking floor work wonders. Try explaining that to the checkout girl. I found a wedding dress that I loved, but was sold out online, on eBay! I was scared to bid on it as it had a few people watching, but I ended up being the only bidder and won! And it fits! Mission accomplished.

Speaking of weddings, Japan is all booked for ours, I'm wishing my life away until November rolls around! I have one thing to ask - does anyone know of any celebrants in Kyoto or the general surrounds? The one thing I am struggling with is finding a location for our wedding that will allow a simple ceremony (no big plans or 'set' details) with an English speaking celebrant. I'm sure they exist!

Speaking of Japan, today is the last day to enter the Under The Shade of a Bonsai Tree giveaway - you can win a Harajuku Bows necklace or brooch (you choose) and a pair of matching earrings. It's such a lovely prize, I hope YOU win!

Oh, and I'm a teensy bit excited, today I won tickets to see an advance screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel! (yes, we Australians are apparently a third rate country when it comes to movie releases - why oh why do we always have to wait?!) *happy dance*

Kitty
xo

Life Lately

Maggie and Nico show the best ways to relax

I haven't had a chance to shoot many pictures lately (the rain has been merciless), hence the lack of Wordless Weekend posts the past few weeks. Let me know if you'd like me to keep them up, and I'll work at getting a shoot done each week if you're still into them.

That aside, I thought I'd share some of my Instagram pictures from November, since it's been a while since I chatted about what I've been up to.

unrelated to the text, but here's some yummy breakfast preparations

I'm feeling thoroughly on top of Christmas planning, working from home does wonders for getting stuff done ;) The (almost) 3 hours a day I'm saving on commuting is a godsend. In other news, I'm starting a little contract this week that means I will be back on the train, doing the 9-5 thing for December. I'm pretty grateful to have a big chunk of work this month, despite the commuting, so no complaints here.

I've spent this weekend working on a complete overhaul of the Kitty & Buck design. I am so, so excited to get it up and running, but I think it will be a little while yet. I want it to be perfect this time, in the past I have gotten a little excited and launched designs before they were really ready. Wish me some patience! On top of that I'll be working on a new site for my design services too, all hopefully launching before 2014 (wish me patience and luck)

I've been really, really enjoying working at home, since C works from home as well, we've been seeing each other a lot more and I'm loving it! I'm not sure if he's used to my constant chattering but I think he's coping OK. (we don't have an arcade table in our house... yet)

A little picture of what I wore on a ghost tour for a birthday gift earlier this month. Guys. Let me start by saying, I'm preeetty skeptical when it comes to ghost stuff. More than anything, I would love to see ghosts roaming around, wouldn't it be amazing to know there was such mystery in the world? Anyhow. I can generally find a logical explanation for ghost sightings and such. As the tour was starting, we were standing in the hallway of the house in dim candlelight. A couple of older ladies excused themselves as the edged past us in the hallway to get outside, and our guide explained that they were the caterers preparing our supper. A minute or two later, I saw a man at the end of the hallway outside a door. He walked back a forth a few times and then he walked down the perpendicular hallway down by the door. I thought he was another staff member and didn't consider it further.

We walked down the hallway and into the room (where he had been standing outside the closed door) and I realised there was no hallway there, just a couple of locked doors to the attic and a storage room. I decided that I must have imagined the man in the dim light as he couldn't have just vanished. After a little history of the room, we stepped outside and the guide explained that people sometimes see a man around the doorway, and he was quite an upsetting figure for people as he seemed to be very unpleasant. I was really surprised and mentioned that I had seen a man, but assumed he was a staff member. I'm still not sure what happened. I can easily tell myself it was dark and I must have imagined him, but it is weird that I saw a man in the spot where other people see a man? In other news, I did have the sensation of someone stroking the back of my legs below my knees, and I wonder again, if I was imagining it, or if there was a ghost who liked my cat tights!?

There's always a lot of bookstore visits in my world. There is a great 2nd hand bookstore in Newtown that is like a tribute to book hoarders. Everything is dusty and disorganised, shelves too close together, random piles of books holding the ceilings up. I love looking in there, it always feels like you could strike the jackpot at any time and rummage up a first edition of Catcher In The Rye (I know, I'm totally dreaming) They do have this cute 'cat run'. No cats spotted this time. Also the shells and beach glass were collected when we shot my outfit earlier this week.

There is a real Christmas tree being delivered to our house on Wednesday, I'm so excited to enjoy the smell and watch Nico enjoy the tree, too! She is in love with Christmas trees. One year, she liberated a branch from our plastic tree and she still has it stashed with all of her goodies. It's her favourite toy. Last time we had a real tree, she lived inside it about halfway up like an owl. Too. Cute. I'll be sure to share some pictures once the decorations are on and it feels all seasonal in here.

You can follow my instagram @kittyandbuck
Kitty
xo
   

How I Quit My Day Job: The Great Escape

I've been wanted to share this post for a long time now, but I haven't had much time to gather my thoughts and get them together in an organised way for you. It's been 3 months since I left my full-time job, so it's high time I wrote this post.

Late last year, I decided that I needed to escape my job. I was full of self-doubt though. Why did I deserve to leave this lifestyle? What right did I have to work on my own terms? Why should I be 'free', leaving behind others to 'suffer' the 9-5 fate? There's nothing wrong with working in an office. So many people thrive in that environment, but I have always struggled with the corporate grind, wishing away the days and only feeling truly alive for my 4 weeks holiday each year.

I really should have realised all the way back when I first left school. I had worked through high school, but my first full-time job was in an office. It was stifling, and I lasted only 6 months before deciding that I really should go to uni. I applied and was accepted into two courses: Forensic Science and Interior Design. I'd always been fascinated by psychology and forensic science and was thinking I might pursue a career in crime scene analysis and/or criminal psychology. I decided that the design degree would be more fulfilling to my creative longings I'd been having, and the rest is history. Surprisingly (for me), I found all of my 'creative' jobs were not much different from my first office job. Yes, I was designing instead of filing and answering the phone, but I was designing on someone else's terms. Always corporate, always someone standing over your shoulder, and worst of all, always surrounded by office politics.

For the past 12 months, my work situation went from bearable to absolutely miserable. I don't want to go into details publicly, but it was very immature high school behaviour, and things got nasty. I decided that I didn't need to put up with it and that I would be able to survive working for myself. It was tough to keep positive when I was being told every day that I was no good as a designer, that I was worthless and lazy. I knew that the criticism was coming from a minority of people who I worked with, who were insecure, jealous, or covering their own mistakes. One day I saw Jess tweet about a company called Paid To Exist (this site is a fantastic resource). I immediately checked out Jonathan's site and subscribed to their newsletter. On his advice, I created a document that stated the day that I would quit my day job (it was August 13th, 2013). 

In June, I had a meeting at work that changed my carefully laid plans completely. I did something I have never done before and walked out. Never to return. It was scary, but I simply could not put myself in a position every day where my physical and mental health was suffering. It was surreal sitting on the train coming home at lunchtime, knowing I would no longer be dragging my sorry butt into that place every day. As I walked home from the train station, convinced I had made a terrible mistake, my phone rang. It was a company who I have freelanced for on and off, wondering what my availability was like for an upcoming job. I cannot tell you how I felt at that moment. It was the perfect synchronicity, a sign that I had made the right decision, and that everything would be OK.

I spent the first week of my 'unemployment' cutting a new showreel (I do motion graphics primarily) and creating a personal website. I published the website on a Tuesday night and emailed some former colleagues, letting them know that I was available for freelance work. The following morning, I received my first job offer. Throughout the day I had to turn down 5 more jobs. Honestly, the relief I felt was incredible. I now have the freedom to pick and choose who I work with, when I work and when I travel. I will never take my work opportunities for granted, I know that I need to continue to work hard to remain employable and I will also need to manage my life around the busy times and the inevitable downtime. But I feel a sense of possibility that was completely lacking before, my only regret is that I did not do this much sooner. I feel like a wasted a lot of time doubting myself. Please don't do this too!

Here's some tips on how to make the escape:

• Figure out how much money you need to survive - mortgage/rent, utilities, food, transport
• Cut down any costs that are not 100% essential (I changed my phone plan, stopped my organic vegetable delivery and was preparing to cancel my gym membership)
• Figure out how much money you need and save up to cover your expenses during a potential period of unemployment (my time-frame on this is ideally 6 months)
• Oh yeah, pay off all of your debt. It's probably not a great idea to take the plunge if you owe some dollars to your credit card company. Better yet, scrap your credit card altogether, or bury it under a rock in the desert somewhere, only to be dug up in case of an emergency (not a ModCloth sale emergency, either)
• Make sure that this is your passion. Make sure it will cover your expenses, and make sure that you have the skills to pull it off. Before you quit your job you will be already making money from your 'side project'. Ideally, it will be enough money to cover your expenses before you strike out on your own.
• Don't rely on one source of income. I do freelance motion graphics, blog design, graphic design for print and web as well as earning a teensy bit of money from this blog. It's really important to have some backup, in case your primary income has a slow period.
• I'll pinch this one from Sarah - (I hope you don't mind!) Consider the worst case scenario. What happens if you (hush) FAIL? Figure out what you would do if you were about to lose your house because your escape plan is not going so smoothly. You need to have a plan B, but you will also have the buffer of savings (see point #3) and enough time to take action - like getting another office job, if it comes to it.

I know that list might sound daunting. This has been my life for the past year (or more):

7.45am - Commute to work, working on blog/freelance design jobs on the train

12.00pm - Lunch break spent working on my laptop (bringing lunch from home to save time + money)

6.00pm - Commute home, working on freelance jobs/blog on train

7.00pm - Arrive home, head to gym (valuable 'off' time for my brain!)

8.30pm - Dinner and pack lunch for next day (I'll admit that C often did this for me!)

9.00pm - Work on blog/freelance jobs

1 - 2am - collapse deliriously into a fitful sleep while brain refused to turn off

Weekends consisted of blogging and more freelance design work. I feel amazed that I made it through, it has been seriously draining. The end result is SO worth it! I don't want to give the impression that I've had to do this alone, either. I've had so much support from C. At the end of the day though, I'm pretty fiercely independent and have never, ever been comfortable with taking it easy while someone else paid my way. I know people who are quite happy to take 6 months off traveling while their significant other works 6 days a week to support their lifestyle. That's just not MY style! I'm a Libran, what can I say? Plus, between the two of us, we are in a position to help out friends and family when they are in need, which is one of the best feelings.

Normally I try to keep my blog less personal than this, so I feel a little vulnerable about this post, but after reading similar experiences, especially Sarah's story, I feel like I need to share my experience to give a little hope to someone out there who may be drowning in a job that they hate, or the victim of a toxic work environment.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions for me, I'm more than happy to chat more about any thoughts you have. I have a couple of posts coming up that go into more detail on how to manage your time while you hatch an escape plan, let me know if there is anything specific that you want to know and I'll do my best to offer some useful advice!

Kitty
xo

(keep up to date with Kitty & Buck with Bloglovin')

A Life Without Regrets

A long time ago, a friend shared a story with me that I can't shake. I thought I'd share it with you today, in the hope that it doesn't bring a feeling of despair, which is quite a legitimate response, but that it gives you the hope and courage to go after your dreams. While it's possible to make a million excuses as to why you aren't living the life you want - not enough money, not enough time, feelings of fear, anxiety, the fear of not being good enough, at the end of the day, you only live once (I think!) and you need to embrace life and use the resources you've been given, no matter how small, to live a life that is good, kind and fulfilling.

My friend is French, and this story comes from his neighbour where he grew up. This neighbour was a hard working man, he started a family with his wife in their hometown. They had a desire to travel by road around Europe, so they purchased an old campervan. It needed work and they didn't have much money, but they thought they could gradually repair it and soon take their journey. Life gets busy, and other things got in the way of their trip. Work, paying the bills and starting a family. As the years passed, the campervan sat in the garage, waiting for it's repairs.

Finally, as the couple were nearing retirement age, the children grown and out on their own, the campervan was starting to see some attention. The couple decided that they would travel as a retirement adventure, finally visiting all of the places they had dreamed of seeing over the years. Then, because life can be so incredibly unkind, the wife was diagnosed with cancer. They still dreamed of taking their trip, but as her illness progressed, it became apparent that she was in no state to travel. It was not too long before she passed away. The husband was comforted by the fact that his daughter promised to take the trip with him. As these things go, her life got in the way, she fell pregnant, started her own family and could not afford the time.

The old man told my friend this story as he was on the cusp of adulthood, urging him not to live a life that he would regret, but to follow his dreams in any way that he could. He wanted to impart his regret in order to prevent it happening to someone else. When I think of this old man, I feel such a deep sadness. How can life be so unfair? It's not like anything particularly tragic has happened to him, I think that perhaps I find it so sad because it is an extremely common path. My friend was so moved by the story that he pulled out a map of the world, closed his eyes and touched his finger to the page. This was where he would go next. He didn't have a lot of money, but he worked and saved for some airfares and took off to an unfamiliar place.

Happiness means different things for different people. I do not know what the best thing for you is, it's something you need to find yourself. Something that will probably change as you grow older and mature. But if you have an idea in mind, something you really want to do, what's stopping you? Please don't let fear, anxiety, or your perception of what you can or can't do hold you back. You'd be amazed of what you're capable of. Feel free to leave your aspirations in the comments, sometimes just writing them down can be the kick-start you need to manifesting them.

Kitty

xo

(keep up to date with Kitty & Buck with Bloglovin')

A Perfect Day (Bike Riding In Kyoto)

Have you ever had a day that was just so perfect, you know that you'll remember it forever? The photos  in this post are from one of the best days of my life. Nothing particularly spectacular happened, unless you count riding a bicycle down the river in Kyoto under a soft rain of cherry blossoms spectacular? Which I do, obviously. Routine for some, memorable for me. I should note at this point that C thoroughly concurs, if not leads the march on this one.

If you've been following our Japan journey, you might have noticed that we had a lot of drizzly, cold weather. This day stood out as an unusually warm, sunny day, and we decided to rent a couple of bicycles from our hostel and meet Gerard for a little bike ride. It was the first time I'd been on a bicycle since I was about 12-13 years old, so I was a little... concerned.

You know the saying, that one about riding a bike, but I wasn't sure it applied to me. Add my cycling inexperience to a foreign city, little laneways, cars, bikes and many pedestrians. I was a bit scared at first! I followed Gerard and C, who were much more confident than I, and was worried I'd fall behind. Soon, though, we took a little ramp off the side of the road and emerged onto the paved walk/bikeway that ran alongside the river.

We rode for miles along that river. The wind whipped my hair, I tinkled my little bell to warn pedestrians of my wobbly approach and we took in the sights and smells of this beautiful day. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and on every soft breeze, their petals drifted down like snowflakes.

We stopped by a canal for a rest and decided it was high time we created magic with the mountains of petals on the ground. Not very graceful, but oh well. Sometimes excitement and joy overtakes grace! I have some of these precious petals in my notebook, they fade so quickly but I'll always think of this day when I look at their fragile faded wisps.

(a perfect little house in the middle of the city)

C and I rode home alone, it was dark along the river and we gasped with delight every time the huge-bodied bugs buzzed down toward our heads as we flew down that river in the cool night air. It was impossible to wipe the grins off our faces and we vowed to do it again the next day. Of course the next day brought with it flooding thunderstorms, and the perfect day was made even more perfect in it's rarity and goodness.

Kitty
xo

(keep up to date with Kitty & Buck with Bloglovin')

A Visit From Your Future Self

In my feeble attempt to keep a blogging calendar, I had a note in my schedule to write a post about being thankful today. As hard as I've thought about it, I'm suffering a serious case of the grumps and I'm finding it hard to write a happy, reflective post. I don't think I can share the details right now, but there are a few things going on that are providing quite the challenge. Thankfully I have the sweet support of C and my family and friends, and I know once this little period is over I will be stronger and happier than before.

It's easy when you're feeling a bit hard-done-by to throw a big ol' pity party for one. But I'm going to do my best to look outward and appreciate the good things (and there are a lot!) I was reading one of my favourite blogs, Silly Grrl, and she had a link to this article by Laura Simms called the "The 'I'm not far enough along' Antidote". I get this feeling a lot. I see people who seem to have it all together, they have their dream job, a wonderful group of friends, a beautifully cosy home and a wealth of opportunity at their fingertips. Obviously this isn't the whole reality, and comparison is one of the worst ways to bring yourself down. Laura asks her readers at the end to share what the "me from three years ago" would be amazed to know now.

So here goes:

In the next few years, you will live in London and meet new friends from all over the world. You will play music in London, Paris and the USA, travel through 27 states in America, and have an amazing adventure in Japan. You will become engaged to the guy of your dreams, who also happens to be your best friend. Even though you thought you'd work in retail, or perhaps an office, you managed to get through university, and became an art director and professional designer. In between all of this, you will run the dancing school that you attended and loved since you were 6 years old. You can also talk to people without blushing, sometimes.

I'd love for you guys to do the same thing in the comments too! It's really helpful to reflect on your achievements, especially when things are depressing, or you feel inadequate. Life is a big journey and you need to stop and smell the roses sometime!

Thanks to Laura and Sarah for inspiring this post!

Kitty
xo

(don't forget Google Reader is leaving us, keep up to date with Kitty & Buck with Bloglovin')

Currently

Photo of me taken by C in Takayama, Japan

Watching //
We went on a little Noir kick lately and watched Chinatown (which I'd never seen before!) with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. I really enjoyed it. Speaking of films I meant to watch earlier, we also finally saw L.A. Confidential (keeping with the noir theme) I can't believe I missed this (even though I had heard great things about it). Kevin Spacey is brilliant as usual, and for the first time ever, I didn't want to turn off a movie that Russell Crowe was in. His Aussie bloke-ness and aggressive demeanour normally bothers me so much I can't bear to watch him, but in this film, he was actually quite good. Wonders never cease. We also have a film stashed away to watch one night soon, Fire Walk With Me, the prequel to Twin Peaks. It's time to re-watch Twin Peaks I think, so we will start with the film and work our way through. I may even finish the second series this time! I should mention, even though it's a prequel, Fire Walk With Me has some spoilers, so don't watch it if you've never seen Twin Peaks. If you've never seen Twin Peaks, get thee to a Twin Peaks watching station of some description. It really is the best blend of surreal drama and quirky mysteriousness that you'll probably ever lay eyes on.

Listening To //
I generally listen to music on the train and at the gym. On the train it's been a French Psychedelic collection that C put on my phone (it's one of my favourite kinds of music!) and Nick Drake. You know, so I can feel more melancholic on my way to the office ;) At the gym, I've been having a run to Crystal Castles. C has been dancing to Haxan Cloak.

Planning //
I am planning a few things at the moment. But I'm afraid that they are strictly confidential. I'm not saying that to pique your interest or anything manipulative like that. I just have to keep it a little hush-hush right now while I work out some details, iron out the creases and prepare my plans for public consumption :)

Thinking About //
I find myself thinking more and more about the purpose I want my life to hold. Like so many, I don't feel content to be a passenger in my life, and I'm working hard at taking a little more control of my direction, instead of floating along with the current. I wonder about everyone who feels this way, and how many succeed, and how many CAN succeed. I wonder how much the internet has given people a sense of entitlement at living the life they want, instead of the life that our culture traditionally dictates. I'm thinking about how I can feel more satisfied with my contribution and move forward in a constructive, considerate way and contribute to my community in a meaningful fashion. Nothing too heavy. Sometimes I think about the shapes in clouds and what I'll cook for dinner too. Sometimes cats.

Looking Forward To //
I'm looking forward to my little sister's wedding in July! And I'm looking forward to putting our electric blanket on the bed (Hello Weekend). The quilt we call 'The Cloud' has already made it's way onto our bed, it is the fluffiest, warmest, softest quilt you can ever imagine, we lose cats inside of it's puffs. I don't mind the winter when I have The Cloud to snuggle in. I look forward to brisk mornings, hot chocolate evenings and the freshness of winter.

Reading //
I've been reading a lot lately, and soon I will share some book reviews in my Book Nook feature. Right now, I am reading "The Lake" by Banana Yoshimoto and "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" by Joan Aiken. C is reading "The Rings of Saturn" by W.G. Sebald and "Insomnia" by Stephen King.

Making Me Happy //
Exercising with C at the gym, cat snuggles, laughing until tears come out, meeting fellow travellers in Japan and feeling like we are in Kikujiro, bidding each new friend farewell at bus stops and train stations, meeting 'Baldy' from Kikujiro (!), communicating in a new (previously learned and forgotten) language, feeling more certain of plans for the future, digging in the garden, feeling healthier (thanks to the gym and being more organised in the kitchen), posies of flowers, being brave enough to bathe in an onsen (communal hot spring) in Japan, being brave enough to try all kinds of new foods in Japan, feeling energised and ready for anything!
Thanks to Danielle from Sometimes Sweet for encouraging these posts!

Kitty
xo

(don't forget Google Reader is leaving us, keep up to date with Kitty & Buck with Bloglovin')

Sweet Surprises - A Good Things post

There have been a few sweet surprises in my life lately, so I thought I'd share a few with you today. I entered a giveaway on The Design Files/Beci Orpin feature and was the super-lucky winner of this fabulous bag from P.A.M.

Every time I see it, I wanna sing "Rock Lobster" by the B-52's

A couple of really thoughtful Christmas time gifts from some work colleagues. Lauren baked and decorated the most incredible dinosaur cookies you have EVER seen. (I know Christmas is long gone... I can't explain my tardiness - I have had these photos sitting here forever!)

And David drew a little portrait of everyone - I'm so happy I have a kitty in my handbag, plus my cat leggings. The attention to detail is so wonderful.

Back in January when I co-hosted my first Totally Awesome Blog Hop, Sabina drew the 4 hosts for her post promoting the hop. I was so excited to be featured in one of her beautiful drawings!

Finally, Catsi spotted the Found feature I wrote on her "I got important cat shit to do" bag. As a thank you, she sent me this awesome pack of stickers from her store. It was such a sweet gesture and I'm scheming about places I can cat-ify.

One of my goals for the new year was to keep a 'good things' jar, I might consider these a 'good things' blog post! It's so nice to be on the receiving end of a kind gesture, and even better to be the gesture-r, I think. Everyone this week should do at least one kind 'out of the ordinary' thing for someone, it doesn't have to be big, just a compliment, a small gesture, making time to spend with your family. It's so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of everyday life that you forget the small things. Someone taking the time to bake something for you, send you a letter, draw you a picture, it makes such a difference.

How about it?
Kitty
xo

P.S. The best kind gesture is a secret one, bragging about them takes the shine off a little, right? So I'm only going to post the kindness I've been on the receiving end of and hopefully I've payed these kind deeds forward and then some. I'll keep trying :)

Currently

Since you enjoyed the first Currently post I wrote, I thought I'd keep them up, here and there, just whenever I feel like it. Today, I feel like there's a lot going on, so I'm going to share!

Watching //
Lots of movies, we went to see Paranorman at the cinema (the only adults without children, aside from one other guy who sat next to us, I bet so it seemed like we were all together - I felt awkward, I can't imagine how he felt!) It was pretty good. My favourite part was during the previews though, we put on our 3d glasses and the cinema proudly advertised the theatrical re-release of Jurassic Park in 3d. I leaned over to C and whispered "They don't make kids movies like this anymore", feeling quite proud that I emerged (relatively) unscathed what with giant dinosaurs eating people having been implanted into my impressionable young mind. After the trailer ended, the cinema was silent for a moment. Well, it should have been. Instead there were the petrified cries of pretty much ALL the children in the packed theatre. Crying, screaming, weeping and a plaintive "Scaaarrryyyyyyy" I nearly lost my mind, it was way too funny.

Listening to //
Arvo Pärt and C's beautiful tunes, oh and not to spoil the surprise in the next paragraph, but refreshing my Japanese language skills with some audio lessons ;)

Planning //
In case you didn't hear me squeal with delight from the other side of the planet... This week one of my work colleagues was talking about his upcoming trip to Japan, and I was thinking about how much I wanted to go back after a brief visit a few years ago. I've always wanted to go over there for the Cherry Blossom Festival, so I thought I'd look at flights (you know, that online window shopping where you spend thousands of imaginary dollars and then close the window? I do that with holidays a lot) Except. The flights weren't expensive. Actually, they were on sale for really, really cheap. So... we're going to Japan!! That is about all I can think about right now. 67 days to go and counting. We're in the process of planning exactly where we will be going, but pretty much Tokyo and south, we'll definitely be heading to Nagano to visit some Onsen (hot spring baths), Koya-San (it seriously looks like a Ghibli movie there), Kyoto (so many things, I don't know where to start) and also hoping to make it to a world heritage site island right down off the southern tip. We will definitely go to the Ghibli Museum and probably Tokyo Disney. If you have any suggestions of must-see places do let me know. I'm after nature/quiet/beauty and traditional places as well as maybe some thrift stores in Tokyo (or anywhere actually!) We'll be gone for three weeks, the countdown is ON!

I'm thinking about how to handle my holiday with the blog, I will definitely not be blogging while I am away, I need a 'proper' holiday from everything! But I will most likely be scheduling some posts ahead of time so you probably won't even notice that I'm gone ;)

Thinking about //
Miss One Track Mind here is thinking about holidays, holidays, holidays. Also, to be fair, I'm thinking about trying to get a lot of 'stuff' done before we leave, just so that my 2013 goals list doesn't completely fall off the wagon. So thinking about my schedule, organisation, and trying to make every day count between now and then so I leave organised and not stressed!

Looking forward to //
I bet you can guess one thing... Other exciting things happening soon include Sydney Festival! There's a lot of great shows/events on in Sydney right now, it's almost too much. We selected a few special events to attend so I'm looking forward to seeing some orchestra+choir, art, bands... there's probably more. I was going to go to the Twin Peaks Pie Party this weekend, but I think I need to show some restraint, be thankful for all of my upcoming events and save money for Karaoke bars and a coffin hotel. Oh, also... in February it's my one year blogiversary!!

Reading //
I'm doing well with my goal to read 12 books this year! I've almost finished one, it's "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children". It was a Christmas gift and I'm quite enjoying it! The writing style is pretty simple too, so it's an easy read. It's about an American boy who travels to an island off the coast of the U.K. searching for the truth about his grandfather's fantastical stories of his youth during WWII. I'd say it's a sort of coming-of-age fantasy novel...

Making me happy //
I'm so grateful that I can take time off work and have a paid holiday, I'm really lucky and I appreciate that! I still have to save my butt off, but it's easier when I know I have some income coming in while I'm away. When I quit my day job, I know this will change! Other things making me happy: everyone reading my blog who is in love with our Nico // C making lovely music while I work // finding my fitness again // cool water // skirt weather // sleeping in // salad // reading books! // lovely blog comments // finishing up my first blog design (for a client) of the year!

Thanks to Danielle from Sometimes Sweet for encouraging these posts!

Kitty
xo

A Very Thrifty Christmas with Kitty & Buck

I've been seeing a lot of gift guides and wish-lists about lately, and I thought I'd share my experience with celebrating Christmas on a budget! A couple of Christmases ago C and I decided to embark on a 100% home-made gift giving exercise. There are a lot of things to love about Christmas. It's the time of year when you generally make more of a point than usual to spend time with your family and loved ones. There's cheesy Christmas songs, and possibly embarrassing sing-a-longs. The food is always special and it's generally accepted that you will indulge in some kind of decadent dietary behaviour. Let's not forget the subtle and not so subtle home and office beautification with pretty lights, glitter, and sometimes, enormous inflatable santa clauses. Of course, depending on your persuasion, there are various religious and spiritual reasons to celebrate as well.

The most important thing for many people is the presents, whether they like to admit it or not. Giving presents is awesome, it's a lovely tradition that offers you a chance to show someone how much you appreciate them. Receiving presents, let's be honest, even if it makes you uncomfortable, it also makes you feel loved, appreciated and thought of. For me though, something stinks about the commercialisation of the holiday that to me, means an opportunity to have a lovely meal with my family and friends, and a chance to all get together in one place at one time. With that in mind, I'd like to offer you an alternative.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, a couple of years ago we were not really in a position to buy presents for everyone. Work commitments meant we had no time to shop, and we were on a pretty tight budget and really felt that we couldn't afford anything 'good enough' to give, nor find the time to hunt down special bargains for our loved ones. We only really buy presents for our immediate family, but once you add up everyone, it tallies up to about 20 people that we need to buy gifts for. I decided to do something I've never done before. I decided to make my Christmas gifts. I felt really bad about this. It seems silly now, but at the time, I thought people might think I was stingy, thoughtless or lazy about buying presents. I went ahead though, found some recipes online, and took myself to the supermarket. A few bags worth of ingredients later, I had my gifts. I baked/made Gingerbread Cookies, Rocky Road, Truffles, Peanut Butter Cups, Brownies, Almond Cookies, Christmas Decoration cookies, and probably a few more bits I can't remember. It was like an insane chocolate factory inside our kitchen for a couple of days. I tried to make things that would last in storage for more than a couple of days, and then packaged them all up into gold boxes from the dollar store with tissue paper and ribbon.

I was actually nervous about giving everyone the same gift, and the gift being food that I'd made. It didn't seem like enough. Boy, was I wrong. I really couldn't have anticipated the response. Everyone was thrilled. And they weren't being polite, there was genuine excitement and happiness that I'd taken the time to make so many little treats. It blew me away. People still talk about the year we made treats, and how it was the best Christmas gift ever, because it showed that we cared, and sacrificed time to make it special, rather than just buying something. Clearly our families and friends are pretty cool.

Personally, it made me remember what is important, showing people you love them, not buying them the biggest and best present, or the coolest thing they've never seen. It doesn't matter how much money you spend, or how flashy the gift is, the thing people REALLY care about is to know that you care. Over the next couple of days, I'll share a recipe here and there, in case you're panicking about last minute shopping, or simply don't have the cash to spend on lavish gifts. I wanted to do a whole series but I've just run out of time. The main sentiment of what I wanted to share is in this post. Sometimes it's easy in this blogging world to be overcome with sharing cute clothes, new products and fun things to buy. There's nothing wrong with that in moderation. But I've been feeling overwhelmed with it lately and really wanted to share an alternative for those of you out there feeling the same way. It's possible to have a thrifty Christmas and still show the people around you how much you love and care for them.

Kitty
xo

Weekend update

Hello :) I have quite a bit of work on this weekend, so I have a couple of lovely guest posts going up  instead of my usual posts. It's supposed to be raining, but this is me right now :) Working outdoors in my beautiful garden. Trying to sunshine the flu away. Excuse the photobooth quality photos.

See you on Monday with a big announcement, and enjoy my lovely guest posters.

Kitty
xo

Currently...

My new friend Astryo, who loves burrito as much as I do. (no, I didn't get another cat!)

I thought it might be nice to do a 'Currently' post, inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet! I think the post title speaks for itself :)

Watching
Well, let's be honest, I work in a TV station and I do not really watch TV! That said I've been watching series 3 of Bored to Death. I just cannot get enough of that show. I love, love, love it. Ted Danson and Jason Schwartzman are somehow a match made in heaven. It's the first TV show to make me laugh out loud in forever. Brilliant. We also just finished American Horror Story, which I hated at first, but it definitely grew on me. I love film, and C and I have been pretending we're back in the 80's and head to the local video store to rent videos! I think it's really fun to browse the store, we always find movies we'd never see otherwise and sometimes they're even good! One example of a dud was Snow White and the Huntsman. I knew this would be bad, but we gave it a go anyway. Bad. I won't go into a deep critique, but between a hack script and Kristen Stewart caressing her hair after climbing through a sewer, I was done. Highlights recently that come to mind are The Cabin in the Woods, the good film Joss Whedon made before he sullied my eyeballs with The Avengers. (I know, everyone else loved it). I also enjoyed Jeff, Who Lives at Home starring Jason Segel, it was genuinely funny, but still one of those movies that makes you think and be thankful.

Listening to
C found a new band that he thought I'd like, The Black Belles. These ladies from Nashville TN are described as 'garage goth'. First, it felt weird to buy a CD. Second, I'm really enjoying it. For some reason I'm on a huge girl vocalist kick right now. These ladies have some great guitar sounds, you can definitely hear Jack White's influence on the album, and considering he 'discovered' them and signed them to his label, I suppose that makes sense. I've also been enjoying the new Bat For Lashes album, The Haunted Man. Natasha is one talented lady. I absolutely adore her sound, I hope I can see her live someday (soon, please!) She worked with Scott Walker, which gives her instant amazing-ness in my books!

Planning
Well, I like to keep my plans a secret. Dang. OK. I'll let you in on some of my plans of late. I'm working on some design tweaks for this little old blog, I was bored with the design about 6 months ago! This time I want to make it good the first time, so I'm taking a lot longer to decide on my direction. I have some ideas sketched out though, so hopefully you'll see a facelift around here pretty soon.

Thinking about
Lately I've been thinking a lot about where I'm heading in life. I know I do not want to live in Sydney forever. I've been looking at real estate in the USA, and gosh you guys have it good over there. It is SO cheap compared to Australia. I could seriously buy 4 houses over there for one in a cheap suburb in Sydney. So I've been weighing up my living arrangements. Obviously that's a fairly long term goal though. But I feel like I'm at the stage where I do need to start considering these things. I've also been thinking about my future, trying to move forward with all the creative projects I want to do with C that are always put on the back-burner of life. I've been trying to get things very clear in my head so that we can both do everything we've set out to do, or at least as much of it as possible. Life's been passing by way too fast lately and it's making me think about this a lot.

Looking forward to
We are heading to the Australian Ballet tomorrow night at the Sydney Opera House. I am definitely looking forward to that! I love going to the ballet, I only went for the first time last year, even though I danced and taught ballet for many years before that. I can't wait to get lost in the music and dance.

Reading
I'm very slowly reading Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I don't know why it's taking me so long, probably because I'm blogging too much and fall asleep after a couple of pages each night! I am loving it though and it is beautifully illustrated by Carson Ellis. I love reading a book and turning the page to find a picture, it's pretty rare with the books I usually read! It tells the story of a young girl named Prue, whose baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the impassable wilderness on the edge of Portland, OR. It's a great story and one I will read to my children one day, whether they be human or cat.

Making me happy
Talking to C a lot more than usual. Only because I had the week off work to recuperate from my oral surgery. It's not like we don't talk normally, it's just that having all that extra time together meant we could hang out and talk. (He took the week off to take care of me, aww) My cats of course, especially when they approach me for no reason that I could possibly understand and yell. So cute. My garden, where this week I will harvest my first batch of home grown tomatoes. They are green and plentiful on the vine right now, so not long to go. I also planted silverbeet, baby beetroot and some daisies. Oh, and catnip. I cannot wait until they all start sprouting. Other things making me happy: spring flowers, walking slowly, Christmas decorations arriving from Europe, sleeping in, blue skies when rain was forecast, amazing huge thunderstorms when sun was forecast, mexican food, berries and all of you lovely people who read my blog and send me lovely messages and comments. I truly appreciate and enjoy reading everything you say. Thank you.

Kitty
xo

Also, don't forget, there's only a few hours left to enter:

Bloodsucker, the Pumpkin

A few years ago, I saw my very first Halloween pumpkin in the green grocer. I know that might sound strange to my American friends, but it's not something you would see here very often. Gradually, Halloween pumpkins are becoming available in more and more stores, but this one was my first. C named it Bloodsucker, because as the young girl at the checkout scanned it, she cut her finger and started bleeding. She was a bit scared, I suppose because she was a hysterical teenage girl, and C told her (in his authoritative American (read: Halloween knowledgable) accent) that once a Halloween pumpkin tastes blood, it will come at night to find it's victim, like some kind of monster vampire pumpkin. The poor girl actually looked petrified... Surely she didn't believe him?!
;)

Here's Bloodsucker. I take credit for the scooping, C is the master carver! Look at me, all black haired and stuff! I was blown away by Bloodsucker when I got home from work that night! A masterpiece! I was expecting a standard issue Jack-O-Lantern. I should know better.

And this year's pumpkin, carved tonight! It's a Space Cat (Kitty) and a Ghost Buck ;)

I hope you have had a great Halloween, wherever you are, even if you are holed up somewhere hiding from Sandy, I hope you have some loved ones around and that you can at least tell ghost tales around the campfire (or candle) As I said last night, my thoughts are with y'all :) Happy Halloween

Kitty
xo