Cheap Eats for Staying Warm in Winter

Winter is a time for delicious food that spreads that winter warmth all the way down to your toes! Favourites discovered lately include: Sahni's Indian in Hawthorn (delicious!), The Soup Place in Centre Place (pictured, next to Hell's), and The Oriental Spoon.

If you fancy some takeaway, but want to get out of the cold, visit Gibson's Wine Store, on Burwood Road, in Hawthorn. I stumbled upon this little gem a few weeks ago, during a flaneuring trip through the suburb. You can order in food, and can even bring your own wine! We had a sip of some nice Pinot, but a sign on the wall assured me it was true!

Weekend Love

It's getting chilly out there! Rug up with some cool exhibitions, an art festival, and a free film.

The Next Wave Festival continues to blast chilly air into every crevice of the stuffy artistic community. Check out After the Rainbow, a post-modern mash-up of The Wizard of Oz and A Star is Born. I also recommend 'A Good Death', on Sunday May 23, from 5 - 7 PM, in Mary Star f the Sea Church, 33 Howard St, West Melbourne. If seeing performance artists re-enact the grisly deaths of various Catholic martyred saints is your bag, you'll be ensured a bucked of laughs! Odd and strangely funny.

The emerging writer's festival kicked off today, and includes some interesting gems.

The Living Library, this Saturday, gives you a chance to chat to experts on various topics: they are essentially there as a book in fleshy form. You can borrow one of these real-life 'books' for 15 minutes. The living library project at the festival focuses on writing and getting published, so 'books' include Freelance writer John Bailey, Dale Campisi, Editor, and Chris Meade, Director for the Future of the Book, who will be giving advice on blogging and new media in general. For a full list go here.

There's the Page Parlour, in Fed Square's the Atrium, this SUnday - a special edition of the 2nd hand book stall emporium we all know and love.Stuck in a life with... includes a variety of literary giants as interviewed by a famous fan, and members of the audience. This Saturday's edition is Paddy O'Reilly as interviewed by Jennifer Mills. See more here.

The Classic Film Festival @ Docklands is screening a FREE movie from 7pm - 9pm every night. This continues until the 30th of July. Score! Bring a blanket and something to eat and drink.
Sunday Nights - Family Favourites
Monday Nights - The Classics
Tuesday Nights - Scary Classics
Wednesday Nights - James Bond Classics
Thursday Nights - Comedy
Friday Nights - Blockbusters
Saturday Matinee - Family Favourites Saturday Nights 7pm
NOTE: Program subject to change.

Research Participants Wanted!

Have you considered participating in a research study? I have taken part in two in the last month. One of them required me filling out a short survey on a palm pilot a few times a day, and the second required answering a few questions about my hearing. Both of these required a minimal amount of time, and resulted in gift vouchers and cash.

Where can you find researchers looking for participants? Try classifieds websites like Trading Post, Gumtree, and Leader newspapers. Also Try typing in university institutions followed by 'research participants', 'study volunteers' or 'research volunteers'. eg. 'La Trobe University Research Participants.'

Bar of the Week: Lala Land

My ideal bar:

*Long Happy Hour - check
*Comfy couches - check
*Music not too loud - check
*Decent smoking area - check

Where?

Lala Land, in Hardware Lane. And I've found my haunt for the winter. You can't beat the Monday - Friday 4pm - 8pm Happy Hour. And a covered smoking area? WTF??
Awesome. (Pic courtesy of Nightlive.com.au)

This website deserves a special posting. I am in love.

Visit The Happiest Hour for the lowdown on Melbourne's best drinks specials in the city and everywhere else. Truly a godsend for a bar-loving lady like myself. Now I may actually be able to pay my rent.

Cold Snaps

Judging by the chilling wind whistling down Russell Street this morning, winter is upon us. Season of doonas, dvds and bar heaters, many of us choose to stay at home.
Even so, there's plenty of things going on around town. Get out of your trackie dacks and Ughs this weekend and head on down to one of these exciting events for a rosy winter glow.

The Next Wave Festival is here. From the 13th of May until the 30th, the festival always presents a clutch of gems that showcases Melbourne's best edgy art. This year the festival features roof-top art, fascinating short film and left-field comedy, the greater part of which is entirely free. Get amongst it.

Buddha Day is celebrated in the city with a festival on the 15th - 16th May. Celebrating the birthday of one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders, the event features an art installation in St. Paul's Court, Federation Square, a concert, workshops, meditation classes, Tai Chi , and vegetarian cooking demos, amongst many other goings on.

Fancy warming up with a little dancing? Learn to salsa for free! Classes are 530pm Every Wed and Thu in Melbourne CBD, venue is Syn Bar, Level 1, 163 Russell St, Melbourne (enter via alley behind Hungry Jacks). Bookings are essential in order to balance male and female numbers. To book, SMS 0400 933 285, or visit www.thesalsafoundation.com.au.

This week is National Volunteer Week 2010. Consider learning a new skill, and giving back to the community. Sure to give you a warm toasty feeling inside!
Visit here for thousands of volunteer opportunities.

Autumn in Melbourne Brings Plenty of Fun

It's cold, you say. It's comfy inside with my heater and DVDs and soup.
Bah! How about one of these worthy pursuits to heat up your Autumn?

The Melbourne Jazz Festival has a bevy of wonderful events running, many of them for free. Witness their daily lunchtime, and post-5pm concerts.

Their opening concert in Fed Square on May 1 between 3pm - 5pm is also free, and features some of the finest acts of the festival.

There's also an all-day festival, The Overground: A Festival Within a Festival, this Sunday May 2.It's only $30, and is a groundbreaking multi-stage event, held in the stunning innards of Melbourne Town Hall. According to their website:

'Overground celebrates the rich diversity of underground musical culture in Melbourne in a day-long event set in the many lost spaces of Melbourne Town Hall. It will be an event where new sounds can be made and heard as the outer limits of jazz and improvisation are explored, incorporating avante-garde, grindcore, big band, expanded cinema, contemporary classical and performance installation.'

Sounds awesome. Will most definitely be there.

---

Also coming up, the annual Zombie Shuffle. Operating under the tagline of 'promoting nothing other than the simple pleasures of being undead' this free event will run this Saturday from Carlton Gardens to Flinders St Station. Dress up in your best un-dead attire, smudge on a bit of fake blood and come join the zombie hordes from 12.30pm - 3.30pm this Saturday!

--
Mary and Max: The Exhibition has just opened at ACMI in Fed Square. This is an interesting little showcase of the technical and creative processes behind the film. Get along if you are interested in animation, or even if you just need to kill and hour in the city. Good stuff.
---

Half-Tix Bulletin: The Man in Black - The Johnny Cash Story - 7pm - Atheneum - $30
Dracula's Dinner and Show - Carlton - 6.30pm - $40
MTC - The Grenade - Playhouse - 630pm - $46

Coming soon: A guide to the best uni bar nights in Melbourne. Cheers!