As I was leaving the train station today, and heading to where I catch my bus I started to hear some music, as I was walking I realised it was Tchaikovsky (my favourite composer) and then I turned a corner to see a stage set up in the middle of the square where a Ballet was being performed!

There were a male and female dancer on the stage, in beautiful blue costumes, dancing Aurora’s Wedding from Sleeping Beauty! They were so good! The girl in particular, her performance was very refined she made it look effortless. They were followed by a couple dressed as Red Riding Hood and the Wolf who did an amusing little piece and then a large group of girls in brightly coloured costumes. I was mesmerised, I’ve seen the ballet on stage a number of times, but as it was in the city square and there weren’t that many people there I could go so close! Being able to see the the expressions on their faces, every little movement and the fine details on their costumes was just enchanting.

Now I am even more eager to start Ballet Lessons! It was a magical surprise to end an enjoyable day, and I feel really lucky to have caught it.

We celebrated Tang’s birthday today, although it was a little while ago, by going to Mini Golf in Mandurah. For those not familiar with Australian geography, Mandurah is a sort of suburb/town an hour or so south of Perth. They have some beautiful beaches and the estuary is clear enough to swim in. As they recently opened a new train line there, Tang organized for us all to go down on the railway. It was exciting to see the brand new station, which is huge! The train was also a lot newer than the local ones.

The trip there passed fairly quickly, we mostly played on our DS’s and watched the scenery go by. When we arrived at the park we all picked up our balls and clubs and started on the mini golf course. I wasn’t as bad at it as I expected, and it was actually a lot of fun, although some of the holes were really challenging. After we’d all finished and tallied up our scores we sat down to enjoy Tang’s Strawberry Daiquiri cake (yummy!) and some cookies and cupcakes she baked herself.

We had just enough time to go on a few of the amusement rides before we left. I watched the others battle it out on the bumper cars and then went on the Ferris Wheel pictured here, its not a very big one but the view from the top was beautiful! I haven’t been on a Ferris Wheel since I was very young so it was a special treat to me.

I was pretty tired on the trip home, but managed a few games of Mario Cart with everyone else before we arrived back in Perth and I said goodbye. Happy birthday Tang, and thanks for organizing a really fun day out!

Blue ribbon tied in my hair
White BABY knit camisole
White lace short sleeve bolero
BABY Sleeping Beauty skirt
Rose Chocolat classic Mary Jane’s
Blue polkadon pochette bag

A similar outfit to my last post, but this time in blue! I’m getting the most out of my BABY camisole before the weather turns cooler. I like wearing ribbons tied in my hair sometimes instead of headbands because its much more comfortable. I did not know when I picked out this skirt that I would be seeing some of the ballet later today!

This is not the usual sort of movie I review here, it’s not a sweeping historic romance, there are no beautiful costumes or elegant sets. It takes place in the real world and is about modern themes, yet it is probably the most magical film I’ve seen in years.

Neverwas is the story of Zach Riley, the son of a famous childrens author, who takes a job in a psychiatric institution where his father once stayed. There he meets the group of patients he is to work with including Gabriel an elderly man who has never uttered a word to any therapist. Gabriel, however, seems to recognize him and believe that he is a part of the fantasy world that forms his delsusions. After some time, Zach realises that Gabriel’s world is the same as the one his Father wrote about, the magical land of Neverwas, and it may not be so imaginary after all.

There is a lot more to the plot than that, but its hard to say without spoiling the film. The acting in Neverwas is superb, Ian McKellen is perfect as Gabriel and Aaron Eckhart plays a great contrast as Zach. All of the characters have so much emotional depth and are played without a hint of judgement for their parts. I really loved the way Gabriel is portrayed, not mocked or stereotyped but given real depth, leaving it up to you to judge what is real and what is not.

This film is about Fairy Tales, and the way we create them out of our own stories, how they can protect us and give us something to hold on to. What is real in the world, is sometimes not as important as what is real in our hearts. I thoroughly reccommend this rare gem of a movie, but warn you that it contains quite strong themes and is probably not suitable for younger viewers, its very intense and made me cry with both joy and empathy. It’s not often that a film moves me to that extent. A really beautiful, touching story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.