Saturday, October 25, 2008

Spring Chiken Old Chook




So we finally finished the book! It's a cute coffee table book that contains different stories we got from the elderly we visited. There are lots of interesting and funny stories of when they were in our age, twenty something... If you are interested, drop us a message here or to our email... adviceforyoungpeople@gmail.com

RIKA xoxo

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Ever Been Kissed?



Yes, the story is finally here! Excuse me for the super late post but then again this weekend was my birthday weekend so I should be excused! :p

So anyways, I talked to Adelia the other day and she is one of the sweetest and fun 90 years old lady I talked to during this project!! It didn’t even feel like an interview, it was more like a conversation. I seriously can say that I LOVE her!!! I would definitely go visit her again even after this project ends.

Right before I started talking to her, one of the nurse told me that Adelia was flirting with the doctor, so I asked here wether it was true or not, then she said ‘yeah I just told him that he was very handsome, I always do. But then again if he says anything back to me, I would run for my life! I’m all talk to action one.’ Ahaha, don’t you think she’s so adorable?

Ok so this time around I actually recorded the conversation so I should just probably take straight from there. I wouldn’t write everything but I will just take the most interesting part (in my opinion).

R: How did you meet your husband?

A: We worked at the same place. Well we both worked at a place called the Australian Paper Mills, in Heidelberg road, in Heidelberg. And we used to go dancing, a lot of dances. A lot of parking. You know about that?

R: Parking? What do you mean parking?

A: (makes kissing noise) Mwah! Mwah!

R: (bursts out laughing) Ohhhhh!!! Haha! Very naughty aren’t you!

A: Oh no I wasn’t naughty! I was good. But I still went mwa mwa!

R: So, tell me more about… the parking story!

A: No! You’re too young!

R: What?! I am twenty-two this year!

A: Now don’t tell me you haven’t been kissy kissy mwah mwah somewhere!? Haven’t you!

R: (giggles) I have! But I want to hear about your…

A: No! No no. It’s no different.

R: …story about parking…

A: Well that’s all, we used to just cuddle up and kiss.

R: What do you mean, what do you mean parking? Like… in a parking lot? Or… OH! in a PARK!?

A: No no no parking meant anywhere. Could be on the corner you could be parking! Parking was just… making out.


I had so much fun talking about PARKING! When she said it first I really had no idea what it was. But yeah, back then and now, I guess not much difference huh. When I asked about what they used to do for fun, she said, dancing, watching movie (or “going to picture” as how they say it back then) and making out (or “parking”). It’s exactly the same as what we do now don’t you think? But I thought it was very interesting to hear it from them because the way they tell the story is very different but yet what they did and we are doing now is exactly the same! Sometimes I think that I should have talked to my grandmothers a lot more when I had chance coz I’m sure there would be so many interesting story they could have told me. So a piece of advice I would give you all is that if your grand-parents are still around, take some time and have a conversation with them. You might be surprise what they have to say and it would also make them very very happy.

Oh one more thing, Adelia said something about fathers, I think it’s a great advice for all daughters out there with an overprotective fathers.

“If your father is strict with you, don’t blame him for it. It’s a man’s love and protection for a daughter. They just can’t help it! You know, as I say you would be his princess. Girls are very special to their father. So, if he’s strict with you - take it as something good. His love and affection for you… he wants to look after you so don’t ever blame him ‘cause it’s a natural thing for a father, to be like that with a daughter.”

Rika. xo

Monday, October 6, 2008

"Style is Nothing, but Nothing is without Style"


It doesn't matter which generation you come from, there are always gona be things that are in style, for example clothing. Different time have different style but do you realized that some old stuff also known as 'VINTAGE' is making its way back? While talking to some old people, I ask some questions about what they were wearing or listening when they were in their 20's and surprisingly some things are still pretty popular now. I'm actually using some of my mom's old belts and skits (things she was using when she was my age). So i guess it is true that fashion is going around in circle, so my suggestion would be dun throw your stuff away, keep them and one day maybe your kids might wana use then too, ahaha:p

I got this illustration from http://www.artdesignfashion.com/timelines/ done by Irina V. Ivanova. This site shows what was in during 1900's to 1990's, not only clothing but also popular music, dance etc. It's quite interesting to see the differences and also the similarities between different times.

Rika**

Wear Sunscreen

Sunday, October 5, 2008

we are what we do

"Action 14: Spend time with someone from a different generation."

This pic is from We Are What We Do, it's a movement about doing small little everyday things to CHANGE THE WORLD. Naive? probably. but it's nice! They have a list of 100 actions, things like... Walk your dad ... Grow something & eat it ... Ring the IT desk just to see how they are. The RMIT help desk would probably think I was weird. 

Sarah xx

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Ever Been Kissed?

" Don't tell me you've never been kissed before!"


Story coming soon... (I know you all cant wait to read this one!)

Rika xx

Cool little old man~


As we visited the nursing a couple of time, we do spend some time with others outside. David* is a regular customer of the cafe im working at now. He is pretty much 65-70 years old business man who works around that area and has a nickname "Long Black COffee" (cause that is his regular order). He is those kind of customer who will be in the cafe like 9.30 a.m sharp every week days with another friend of his. Years of strong coffees, strong cigarettes and stresses from work didn't do anything good for David's body. He had a minor stroke for 2 weeks and was hiding his smokey from his wife, he thought he can just come to our cafe and smoke as much as wants but we will tell him: "no coffee for you if we saw you lighting a ciggy." He is so adorable that he will pretend to go get a newspaper and light up a ciggarette at the corner and thought we wouldn't realize it. when we accidently caught him, he will say: "This is my first one in this three days."

One lovely Friday, he came in with casual clothing that makes me say "Yoh, casual friday huh?!, where Cappy(his friend who ordered cappucino all the time)?" David answer in a very young way:
"Somebody still need to work their *** out for the company, NOT FOR ME, I need heaps of rest like other elderly because I just realize I've been through alot that I didn't even notice, which you young people should really know how to REALIZE and care for things or people that is happening around you and spend more time with your love one, Don't just work and neglect things. By the way have I told you that Im going FIJI with my wife next weekend? YEAH!!"

David is such an optimist in life and it makes me like this cool lil old man alot.

*Ee Lynn