lip magazine: for girls who think feel create speak out live

Okay, Rachel’s short history of coffee.

I never drank coffee in America. Nasty, disgusting stuff. I had such issues going to cafes because I didn’t like tea either. When I discovered the steamer (steamed milk with flavour shots - almond, mmmm….) it really boosted my nightlife.

When I stayed in Metz, France, with friends of mine, we’d go sit outside in the big central plaza where all the cafes had their outdoor tables (gotta love France). One night I decided to be French and ordered an espresso. My first espresso. It came with a little chocolate square. I put sugar in it and sipped it very, very slowly. It was hard to take, but GOOD COFFEE, so I ended up enjoying it.

I didn’t have coffee again until Australia, when Allan’s friend made me a really good cup. He got Allan into coffee as well, as he just makes perfect cups of coffee, like every time. Always Vittoria espresso coffee, always in a plunger. Now I’m hooked. I love my proper coffee and won’t drink instant. I still can’t make a really good cup every time though. But that once in a while, when it comes out perfect…mmm…ahhhh…. love it….

I’m not too good with the 8-cup (or is it 6-cup?, either way it makes 4 cups really) plunger.

One last story. On my trip home before last, my parents and I went to Montreal. Before we had to catch the bus back home, we found this very fancy French cafe, with truffles and beautiful little baked things and stiff men behind the counter. I ordered a coffee and oh my god this was the most amazing cup of coffee Iv’e ever drunk. I had been coffee deprived up till then, being at home in America, the land of crap percolated coffee, so this was music to my taste buds. But even if I wasn’t coffee deprived, it still was the most perfect, not any bitterness, smooth, creamy, just fingers-pinched-together coffee ever. And despite the fact that I was going to shortly be on a bus with nowhere to pee but the bus toilet, I had another cup.

Filed under: staff blogs | No Comments »

Hello,

Brianna, I meant to reply to you ages ago. First, welcome. And second, I HAVE to meet you. You ended your blog with “I have a moral objection to paying for sandwiches or bottled water.” You are MY KIND OF GIRL. I only wish I had thought to put that in my self-introductions. Totally agree, esp. about water.

Michelle Y is in Melbourne too.

There’s a fucking March fly on my compter. I think it is the biggest fly I’ve ver seen in my house. At least it’s quiet. Maybe I should close the window the the breeze is so nice…

Anyway, back to it

>I am also a vegetarian and self-confessed coffee addict.

Me too, only I’d never drink Nescafe. Only “proper” coffee for me. I didn’t drink coffee until I came to Australia and my partner’s friend made me the best coffee I ever had… Actually, I’ll do a whole ‘nother blog on my coffee thing.

Michelle, I only asked if it was Fernwood because I know the name and they seem to be everywhere, so it’s a likely choice! Fernwood was the first women’s only gym I’ve been to and I must say I couldn’t give a rat’s ass whether there are men there or not, just how nice it is and whether I have to wait to get on machines. Though I do get highly amused at all the grunting and heaving that men do when they work out.

I don’t have an issue with a men’s-only gym. It’s only fair.

And finally, hi, Anna! Don’t let K-Mart stress you out - it isn’t good for the soul!! But you sound like me - way too much on your plate. I hope you still have time to write us great stuff.

Rachel

Filed under: staff blogs | 1 Comment »

Hey everyone! I’m new to lip in more ways than one. I discovered the magazine late last year, and love it as an alternative to many of the commercial magazines targetted at 15-21 year olds. I also found out about the editorial lip internships through their website, which I applied for, and got! I look forward to working with the lip staff, and ‘meeting’ them… I say ‘meeting’ like that because I actually live in Melbourne, and doing the internship by correspondence. I’m 21, a cancerian & currently completing a Certificate IV in magazine writing, editing & publishing @ rmit. I also volunteer at acmi (australian centre for the moving image) in their communications dept, but my actual income comes from working at kmart (which causes me too much stress). Right, I’m off to lunch, before I really start to babble.

Filed under: staff blogs | 1 Comment »

I just joined my local gym, and had my first session today. So far so good, but ask me how I feel in the morning and I might be telling a different story.

As soon as I mention that I’ve joined a gym, people always ask if I joined Fernwood, the women-only gym. I’m almost getting offended - no, that’s not quite the word, but nearly - as though as a woman I have to go to that gym. Why can’t I go to a regular gym? I like hanging out with guys, I get along with them better than women in a lot of cases. In fact, my experience has been that women are more critical of women’s bodies than men are. So why shouldn’t I feel more comfortable exercising around men?

Yes, it could be a bit of a perv-fest, but everyone there this afternoon was too focused on what they were doing to even notice what others were doing or what they looked like or what they were wearing. (I stood in front a guy I work with for what seemed like an eternity before he realised I was there - even though I thought he was looking straight at me, clearly he was looking straight through me.)

I’m sure many of you like the idea of women-only gyms and other women’s spaces, and I do think it’s a great idea - just not for me.

Filed under: staff blogs | 2 Comments »

As a new addition to the lip team and possibly the only correspondent in Melbourne, I think I should formally introduce myself. I’m Brianna (or Bree to any one who can’t be bothered with all three syllables). I’m an 18-year-old Journalism student starting my first year at Monash Uni in two weeks.

I am a writer at heart and take great pride in seeing my name in the byline. My first published story was one I wrote for my mum while she was in hospital after giving birth to my brother. It was called ‘When mummy had the baby’, and I was six years old. I read it out loud for show- and-tell and the teachers loved it so much they had it typed and bound and I took great delight in doing the illustrations.

I love art but was never very good at it. I spent most of last year trying to perfect the art of photography, and wasted a lot of photographic paper only to find that the best pictures were not always technically perfect.

I am also a vegetarian and self-confessed coffee addict. My older brother had a work placement at Nestle and brought home a gallon drum of International Roast. Pity, I can’t drink anything but Nescafe - snobbish I know.

I have two brothers, one younger and one older. Dad is a musician who also drives buses for disabled children. Mum is a kindergarten teacher.

I have a moral objection to paying for sandwiches or bottled water.

Filed under: staff blogs | 1 Comment »

Hi all,

Karina, from Sickinmilk, featured in lip issue 6 and I are planning a big all-ages fashion show/party. It will involve a few young designers, a Canberra band or two, the opportunity for girls to model, hopefully a little shop where you can buy clothes, mags, CDs and other great stuff made by young people. We are hoping to hold the show somewhere classy like the National Gallery. Please send me some feedback on this idea ASAP for our grant application. Do you like the idea? Will you come? Any other ideas for venues? What else would you like the show to involve? Do you want to be involved and help plan the show?

I’d love your feedback because I’m actually really excited about the prospect of a fashion show!

You can either respond to this blog or send me an email at editor@lipmag.com

Bye!

Filed under: staff blogs | No Comments »

Hey there,

Anybody have any tricks for getting to sleep at night? I can sit here all day and not want to think about lip. The second I get into bed, though, my mind is full of ideas and enthusiasm. Fortunately I remember a lot of the ideas in the morning, but I’m sure I lose a few. I don’t want to get up and write them down because I’m afraid it will encourage the night-thought, when really I’d rather it stop altogether. I’m hoping that when I finish up my morning job, I can rearrange my other job’s hours so that I have a couple days off and can get more lip work done during the day rather than in the evenings, which will hopefully help. But if anyone has worked out how to will themselves to sleep, to breathe deeply, meditate, relax, anything…

Rachel

Filed under: staff blogs | 3 Comments »

In about a month’s time, I’m going to be a mentor at a GirlSavvy workshop. Right now, someone out there is asking “What’s GirlSavvy???” It’s a series of workshops aimed at young women to inspire them to focus on career goals and the benefits of achieving financial independence. I was talked into volunteering as a mentor, and after countless hours pondering what I could possibly have to offer these girls in terms of wisdom and experience, I thought what the hell—I have opinions on everything and am willing to inflict them on anyone for the sake of enlightenment and emotional growth.

I don’t have to do any public speaking, fortunately, unless you consider speaking to a group of eight girls hanging off your every word in a business conference-type environment “public”. So, this will be a bit of a challenge for me, and while I am looking forward to it, I’m also seeking any words of comfort and advice before I get prodded into that arena with a big pointy stick.

Filed under: staff blogs | 2 Comments »