Maps

Living in Cape Town, a pretty small city for those who've lived here most of here most of their lives, you find that maps are not really as necessary as an ipod and griffin are in your car set up. All you really need in Cape Town is the aforementioned ipod, a jack, time (for the unpredictable Cape Town traffic), your sunnys and a sense of adventure. Because lets face it, just how lost can you get in a city where the mountain is there to guide every decision you make?

When in Melbourne, you need a map for everything. Because the city is so flat and is soooo spread out, you can get lost if you only lose concentration momentarily. In Australia you need four types of maps (location depending obviously). You need a road map for when you drive. [Never before have a treasured an electronic map as much as I did my TomTom while I was driving from one side of Melbourne to the other, an hour and thirty minute drive I might add.] You need a train map so you get on the right line. You need a ferry map for Sydney's water transport system. And, you need a tram map in Melbourne so that you end up where you want to, rather than not.

Speaking of maps, have you heard Maps from Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Probably. Have you heard the acoustic version and the Arcade Fire cover of Maps? Probably not hey?

Maps - Arcade Fire | zSHARE

Maps (acoustic) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs | zSHARE

Australia

So you may noticed blogging was a little slow in December. The truth is, I was on a well earned trip to Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) with friends. Winner. So that's the explanation.
I am so glad I was not sitting next to this guy! I promise to blog more this month.

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman was in Melbourne the other day signing his new book, The Sartorialist based on his blog, The Sartorialist. I attended. It was quite a cool time. He is really short, not what I expected at all. Really quite interesting.
There were literally hundreds (maybe 1000s) of well dressed people lined up to get their books signed and steal a few words with their hero. He signed for about three hours while drinking glass after glass of Veuve Clicquot and San Pellegrino. Lifestyles of the rich and the famous. He wasn't complaining.

Die! Die! Die! & Villains of Wilhelm

Villains of Wilhelm

So while I was in Sydney last week I went to see a couple of interesting bands. We caught a train and a bus through to Bondi and after asking a few locals, we found Beach Road Hotel. Villains of Whilhelm are an Australian replica of The Hives, we decided. The Brisbane band seemed as thought they'd taken one of the Hives albums and put Aussie lyrics to the existing melody and jammed. It was quite a treat.

We were excited for the traveling band and main attraction of the evening, Die! Die! Die! who had come over from from New Zealand and are touring Australia. I had seen this video of them, and I took it for granted that they had a chick vocalist.

I don't think I can be blamed.

Anyway, the poor lads (yeah, three dudes) were awful. We left half way through their set. That's been my Aussie music experience thus far. I missed The Presets, I am missing Yacht tonight, and I found out last night that Animal Collective is sold out. Bleak. I might have to resort to Jet.

My friend is having his Bachelor's tonight, so that's sweet as.