New Westfield!

When a new $1.2 billion shopping centre, containing shops which haven't before traded in Australia, opens on the same block on which you work... well, what's a girl to do?
During my lunch break, I (and every one else in Sydney) popped over to check it out and stroke some expensive things.  I only did a brief recon because: there was literally every person in Sydney there and you could barely move - even outside the shops, around 50 per cent of shops are still boarded up and haven't opened yet, I kept getting disorinented, and I'm going with Em on the weekend and wanted to save some excitement.  I did pop into Diane Von Furstenberg and smugly smiled at the sales assistants (Aprilyn is sorting me out with the same thing at a couple of hundred bucks less than you ladies are charging, thanks very much to the AUD) and Mulberry (leather! shiny! pretty!) where bag strokers far outnumbered sales staff.  I didn't have my camera on me, but this is an online pic - clearly taken during the press opening, because you need to multiply the amount of people by 5 million to get the effect.  Exciting boarded up shops include Zara - I'm happy to wait for her, our time will come, I know we'll have a very long and fulfilling relationship.

For something that contains the calibre of retailers that it does, I think the mall design is a little boring and uninspired, and predictably shiny.  But, whatever, I'm sure I'll be spending some serious cash there shortly.

New bag

I have decided I want a new, exorbitantly expensive bag.  And what better timing, you know, with the excellent exchange rate and all.  Or the fact it's spring - who doesn't love spring?  I have been doing a lot of research, and online stalking various candidates.  I have it narrowed down to two.  This pretty puppy from Chloe:

And this little lady from Smythson.

As ever with this sort of purchase, it really needs to be heart melting love before committing.  I think it's love here in both cases, but it's internet love, which we all know isn't the same as love in the flesh.  Plus I'm actually struggling to justify spending this much money on a bag.
Tally-ho, what have we here?  A husband who is going to Hawaii and Las Vegas for a week and a half with his friends?  The perfect excuse to look supportive while leveraging off guilt to get a bag that costs the same as an airfare?  The stars have aligned my friends.  Now I just need to get over the line with my inner Jekyll and Hyde, which goes something like this: Oh, pretty bag - yeah, but it's sickeningly expensive - but quality lasts so much longer you know - what's wrong with you, why can't you be happy with what you have - I'm a professional woman who is nearly 30, I deserve a nice bag - you are a total victim of fashion trends and marketing - shut up - no, you shut up.  Meanwhile, I've emailed the Vegas store manager of Diane Von Furstenberg (Aprilyn - very helpful), and she's got a dress and a scarf waiting to be picked up by a certain husband.

Are these people f***ing serious? My letter to the parking inspector.

To whom it may concern:

Please find attached a PDF of a request Review of Penalty Notice in relation to a ticket recently received, as well as photographic evidence to support my request.

I am a resident of Surry Hills, where it is often difficult to find parking. I have a valid parking permit to park in and around my street. I always obey parking signs in the area as I am mindful of my neighbours and the inconvenience caused by people not obeying parking signs. I received this penalty notice while parked on my street, for an offence unknown to me (stopping within 10 metres of an intersection without traffic lights), where I was not obstructing any traffic or disobeying any parking signs.

Throughout Surry Hills, parking is allowed within 10 metres of an intersection without traffic lights. The "intersection" in the case of my fine was a laneway, which I repeat, I was not obstructing, I was merely parked within 10 metres of it. I think it is reasonable to infer that where I was not obstructing any traffic or disobeying a parking sign that I be allowed to park on my own street. I am not disputing the existence of the offence, I am appealing to your reasonableness in seeking to overturn the $201 fine.

As evidenced by attached photos 3, 4 and 5, areas of "No Parking" on the street are clearly marked. Attached photos 1 and 2 are of the area where I was parked, where there are clearly no signs indicating not to park.

If the City of Sydney does not wish people to park in the spot where I parked, may I suggest that a "No Parking" sign would be of assistance to residents such as myself who are trying to do the right thing, in the case where "No Parking" on the rest of the street, and indeed the suburb, is clearly marked.

I appreciate the job that parking inspectors do in Surry Hills, which enables us as residents to park in circumstances where it would otherwise be very difficult, and ask that you overturn this fine.

Kind regards,

Hipster hate

Well hello, what have we here?  A blog dedicated to ripping into hipsters for their stupid clothes and their inconsiderate parties when other people are trying to sleep?  Not only this, it's a movement - a hipster hate movement!  I couldn't be more amused.

All Souls exam

It's called the most difficult exam in the world, and earlier this year they dropped their one word essay question, the sheer thought of which is terrifying.  In fact all of these questions are.  Clearly I lack the academic prowess to think more than fleetingly about this stuff, but I was really intrigued by these past exam papers.  Especially the one word essay.  Wow.  I think the only question I'd like to answer is: Is it immoral to buy a $10,000 handbag.  The answer to that is clearly, no.