'Out of the communal wardrobe'

Individual expression is alive and well and living in Sydney.
I took a cross city bus from a trendy up market suburb via a
funky area to a grungy suburb that flaunts individual style as
its masthead. A suburb where glam lives comfortably yet
unpretentiously next to grunge.
Having lambasted those who slavishly adhere to lists and look alikes
I’m pleased to report that after my session of street ‘gazing’ and ‘grazing’
there’s a new trend emerging in the fashion stakes and it’s refreshing to see.
The look – anything goes. It doesn’t have to mix and match nor does it need to be colour co-ordinated.
There is no ‘new black’ but rather a mish mash and hot potch of lucky dip style dressing. The look – let’s call it ‘out of the communal wardrobe.’
Spotted
On the bus – blue denim shorts over long black woollen tights, brown ankle boots
and a grey, long sleeve, waisted jacket.
On the street – 10:15am! a diaphanous primrose yellow mini dress, bare legs, long black cardigan and silver lame 12cm heels. No wonder the poor girl had to stop by a fountain to apply sticky plaster to her blistered and bleeding heels.
Coming soon to a street near you……
Have you spotted the ‘out of the communal wardrobe’ look yet?
Let’s hear about it……….

Technology overload kills the shopping bug

I have a mega moan and feel sure I’m not alone with it.

The impact of technology has not been lost on us sensitive souls. Those who have no mechanical aptitude and who are technically challenged to the point of tears, will empathise with me.

Whilst the majority of the world’s population embrace technology and demand bigger, brighter, better play things, the dissenters must begrudgingly accept them as ‘the new world order’.

Why can’t there be a global operating standard for basic every day items, a sort of electronic equipment pack for dummies?
A one touch does it all remote control that opens the garage door and turns on the burglar alarm; a friendly car park ticket machine that doesn’t have a personal vendetta against you: a two button mobile phone – one button for incoming and one for outgoing calls. Standardised credit card processing machines that speak a universal
language.

Twice a year I hit the sales on a shopping spree. I delight at the money I’m saving and revel in the buzz that retail therapy brings.

Decide to shop where cash is king and a pre shopping excursion to an ATM is a basic requirement. The one that you had in mind is invariably closed - you then have to master an opposition’s machine, and pay for the privilege.

The joy of shopping and the thrill of the chase for a bargain soon turn to frustration as shop after shop you are faced with yet another technical variation on the machine that is used to rack up debt on your credit card.

The exasperated shop assistant (not his/her most favourite time of the year) snappily demands, cash or credit card, credit or savings, signature or pin, cash out, store loyalty card?

Next challenge, the none to user friendly electronically wired exit. Burdened down by your rapidly accumulating loot you are stopped, mid stride, by the shrill sound of the door alarm. You know you’re guilt free but that a harassed shop assistant has left the security tag on one of your many purchases. Back you go to have it removed.Head for the exit and again that guilty sound pierces the air. Do you take a look over your shoulder, procrastinate, run, or obligingly hang around for the strip search?

Frustrations behind you - your thoughts turn to a refreshing smoothie.Personal details, including your ‘chatty’ first name, are fed into a machine and when your double banana, pinapple and passion fruit smoothie is ready your name is broadcast over a 10 metre radius.

There’s no escaping the technology bug, it will get you every time.
There is one thing that keeps me sane and that’s the power that I can wield by pressing the ‘delete’ button on incoming junk mail.