Highlights (AM)

Today I'm bringing you a brief round up of highlights from the week. Best thing I saw is probably a toss-up between what I saw in my brain eyeballs yesterday morning in a dream that involved Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio fighting and the Instagram account called Mandy Patinkin's Beard, which is great because it blends pictures of Mandy Patinkin with hilarity. And although you may not have ever realised it  this is a winning combination that makes he world a better place.

Best thing I ate was probably a delicious escargot type thing I got from the Tivoli Street Bakery which had pistachios and custard but although it was delicious I kind of regretted not getting a croissant because I just want to understand all the croissants of Melbourne.

But the best thing I heard was something Baby said to me on the bus yesterday. There was a print ad on the bus for a disposable, water-free toothbrush from Colgate. Below is a Spanish version of the ad.  The one we saw was definitely busier with more images and text but it still had those black fingers holding a toothbrush.

And Baby was asking me all about the ad and then he asked me why a penguin was holding the toothbrush.

The sea air (PM)

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but today's AM post made me:

• wish I was at the beach
• wonder why they renamed fairy penguins
• wonder whether they will also rename fairy bread
• pleased for J that she found a creature that seems to be a hybrid between her favourite vegetable (the eggplant) and her favourite bird (the flamingo)
• wonder whether we can make the name the Flameggplant Goose take off.

It also reminded me of an article I read about Little Penguins. During the dredging of Port Phillip Bay, they wanted to make sure that they didn't deplete the major food source of Little Penguins - anchovies - and thereby reduce the health of the penguin colony. You know what they did? They installed a bunch of weigh bridges (which are basically like little scales) on the pathway that the penguins walk to get to their nests and as the penguins crossed the path, they weighed those adorable little guys and made sure they were A-OK.
CUTE!

Finally, it made me think of this little penguin figurine KJ gave me for my birthday one year.

Thanks KJ

Also cute!

The sea air (AM)

You know what. It is no freaking wonder sickly types are always being sent to Bath and Brighton in Victorian novels. Man, I love the seaside.

I actually get beachside pretty often, but right now I'm at in San Remo. And I never come to these parts. LB had to do a bit of work down here so we all came down yesterday.

And that fresh sea air really does wonders for one's constitution.

The house where we are staying is in fact a classic kinda crappy beach house (no disrespect. I appreciate being able to stay here. I am happy here.)

You see the carpet?

It is red and orange and fluffy. Real fluffy.


This chair:

It's not the only one with books for a leg.

So you know the kind of place, right? But did I mention the view?

 And check out this freaking fabric that makes up a curtain.

I want to steal it. I won't. But man I want to.

AND last night we went Phillip Island and saw the muther ucking penguins. They are such cute little bastards! Did you know that what used to be called fairy penguins are now called little penguins. What?

Photos are strictly forbidden so I can't show them. But you know what they look like, right?

 I can show these awesome geese that populate the island. They are PURPLE! And they have BRIGHT PINK LEGS! I don't know what they are but I know what love is.

Another penguin post

I know what you mean about penguins. They are both adorable and a little sad. This one time I went to an aquarium in Osaka and there were plenty of penguins there. They just stared up at the fake snow falling on them. Or maybe that happened in Happy Feet, seeing as my photographic evidence only kind of supports my memory.


Either way, it was a little sad.

Mind you, not nearly as sad as the polar bears I saw at the zoo in Tokyo a week later when it was about 30 degrees.


Anyways, I wouldn't worry too much about Werner's penguin facing certain death because:

i) Seriously I love the 'Zog, but how can you take anything he says seriously after that wonderful Where's Waldo reading;

ii) Werner is German, it's probably practically impossible for him not to imbue everything he sees with some sort of existential angst;

and iia) technically we all are heading towards certain death;

iii) Haven't you seen Happy Feet? Pingu's going to be ok.

The Penguin Post

I love penguins.
I think it is because they waddle. And then drop to their tummies when they are sick of waddling and slide along the ice for a little while. Also, they look so neat, like they are wearing suits.
But they can also be so heartbreaking.
Sometimes, penguins get lost and end up separated from their penguin crews. Doesn't the thought of a penguin that is alone and far far far away from home break your heart a little bit?
Take this guy, who turned up in New Zealand yesterday. What are you doing in New Zealand little guy? You live in Antarctica! The article says he appears really well fed, and that reassures me. But he looks so out of place, all alone on that beach staring at some guy in a backpack. A guy with a backpack is not going to provide the kind of companionship that a young penguin needs! I just feel like this is going to work out really badly. I guess my reservations are informed by this, the saddest thing I have ever seen. Watch it all the way to the end people, the bit where Werner says that the Penguin is headed for "certain death".
This is why I am worried that things won't work out for the New Zealand penguin.
But I guess I am less worried and the NZ penguin than I am about the one who is headed for certain death in the mountains. He is well fed and has his friend with the backpack after all.

Plus, I find this so amusing that I guess I can listen to Werner's commentary about the penguin with a touch of amusement, rather than despair like I did the first time.
Still, I hope everything works out for the NZ penguin, because I like the cut of his jib. And the cut of all penguin jibs. I really like penguins.