Ozomatli

Last night we saw Ozomatli perform (our fourth time). Ozomatli are a tight group of very talented musicians who blend styles to create an eclectic and lively sound. Sadly on this occasion their set didn't start till 11pm as their flight was delayed and because we'd parked in a parking station that closed at midnight, we missed half their set so our car wouldn't turn into a pumpkin. The half we did see was fantastic - I've never seen anyone step of a 15-hour flight that had been delayed by more than 10 hours and then perform at their enthusiastic best! It was great to hear some of my favourites - "City of Angels" and "Chango" - as well as new songs from their new album "Fire Away".

Luckily we bought the album for our trip home - listened to most of it on the way. It is a bit of a change for Ozomatli. It's more sedated than their previous albums, but it's still fun, lively, humourous and, as always, full of social commentary.

Loved the show, love the album. http://www.ozomatli.com/

p.s. Mr Percival who started the evening was amazing - check him out!! http://mrpercival.com/

Tea

I love tea and have a pretty good collection of 37 different types, thanks mostly to my friends and family who have given me them. I haven't tried them all, mostly as I'm a creature of habit and usually head for my favourites, but here are some one-line reviews of the ones I have tried:

Madagascan Vanilla - it's the perfect pick-me-up. My favourite. T2
Creme Brulee - wonderful on a cool day, warm and sweet. T2
Red Green Vanilla - a great way to enjoy rooibos. T2
Japanese Cherry - a beautiful, fragrant green tea. Tea Centre
Morning Flower - a lovely light, refreshing green tea. Tea Centre
Chai - the chai from T2 is great and the madame flavour chai tea bags are great for chai on the run! Yum!
Choc Chip Chai - a lovely warm, comforting tea which is great with soy and honey. T2
Rose - odd to be drinking flowers, but nice after a meal. T2
Strawberries and Cream - a very sweet green tea which is delicious, but you need to be in a sweet mood! T2
Peppermint - good after a big lunch.
Scottish Breakfast - an underwhelming version of a breakfast tea - too bitter for my taste.
English Breakfast - a reliable, yummy favourite.
Australian Breakfast - a wonderful breakfast tea. Bold and strong.
Harrod's High Tea Blend - Yum! Can't say anything bad about this one - it's the perfect tea!
Lady Grey - light and refreshing.
Girlie Grey - great way to start a day in the office. T2
Orange Pekoe - not originally an orange pekoe fan, the loose leaf variety from the tea centre is great. Tea Centre
Cream - a warm, full-bodied tea; comforting, relaxing and great on cooler days. Tea Centre
Sydney Special - a light black tea blend that can be enjoyed with or without milk. Tea Centre
Rooibos Vanilla - I like this one, but I need to be in the mood for rooibos. Tea Centre
Afternoon Tea - a delicious, refreshing tea with jasmine and bergamot flavouring. Whittard

Book: A Young Widow's Book of Home Improvement

Although I initially baulked at buying a book about widowhood while I was on my way to a wedding, I was just too keen to take the opportunity to read a book, this book, on my weekend away. And I'm glad I did. It was not as inapposite to the wedding weekend as I had imagined as it detailed the intense love and commitment of a young woman to her new husband who was battling with terminal cancer. For this couple, it really was for better or for worse. This is an autobiographical work focusing on several stages of the writer's life with and without her husband - falling in love, the downward slope towards death, grief and renovations (which are beautifully metaphorical for her grieving process). It is written well, though sometimes it appears a little repetitive, particularly closer to the end. I particularly like how the author switches between the different stages throughout the book. It was extremely eye-opening and gave me a better understanding of grief, especially as I have been lucky enough to grieve so little in life so far. It is also challenging as the two protagonists both show such incredible commitment and support to each other through such devastating adversity. I'm a slow reader, but it only took me a few hours to get through this (probably just over half a day). Loved it and can't wait for another book from Virginia Lloyd. http://www.virginialloyd.com/