Hunting for Mali in the City!

  As I mentioned in my August 6 post, to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Melbourne Zoo they've had fifty fibreglass models made of the elephant calf Mali.  Those models have been painted by different artists and have been loosed on the streets of Melbourne until September 21st.
  Click here for Mali in the City Information  This post is to house the photos of all the Mali's I find throughout the Mali Exhibition in the order I've found them.  Click on each Mali to bring up the biggest version of the photo!

August 11, Mali Hunting with Mr Smart, Mali's Found - 10!

Jimbo by Janie Fearon, Federation Square

Wooly Mali by Mini Goss, Federation Square

Bromley One by David Bromley, Federation Square

Jingle by Jessica Rae, Corner King George Drive & Linlithgow Avenue

Forest Rides on the Elephant's Back by Pamela Condor, Royal Botanic Gardens

Elephas Maximus by Sharon Muir, Royal Botanic Gardens

Eltham Copper Butterfly Story by Karen Rawady, Royal Botanic Gardens

Mali's Dreaming by Judy Nicholson, Birrarung Marr

Wave to Mali by Andrea Carydias, Birrarung Marr

Mirka's Mali by Mirka Mora, Birrarung Marr

August 12, Mali Hunting with my three year old nephew, Mali's Found - 10!

Mali Turns the City Pink by Siemens, Swanston Street

Night and Day by Graeme Base, Swanston Street

City in Mali by Ralf Kempken, Swanston Street City Square

Endangered Asia by Kelly Just, Melbourne Town Hall

Mali, Protector of all Animals by Deborah Halpern, Melbourne Town Hall

Spot by Steve Monk, Treasury Gardens

Mali's Crimson Song by Mia Rappel, Fitzroy Gardens

Ranee by Gillian Forbes, Old Treasury Building

Lotus by Kelly Spencer, Gordon Reserve

Neo Composite by Jacqueline Gwynne, Sofitel on Collins Valet Driveway

August 18, Mali Hunting on my own, Mali's Found - 10!

Faunaphant by Sarah Hogan, Eureka Skydeck Entrance

Humangerie by Sally Heinrich, South of Promenade near Ludlow Restaurant

Spooky Possum Mali by Pippa Makgill, South of Promenade near Ludlow Restaurant

Bromley Two by David Bromley, Freshwater Place Piazza

Tiger Mali by Andy Murray, Freshwater Place Entrance

No Ordinary Elephant by Nicole Slater, Crown Casino Corner Clarendon Street

Kevin Presley by Steve Monk, Batman Park Spencer Street End

Elephantasy by Elise Martinson, South Base of Sandridge Bridge

Self-Portrait by Mali the Elephant, South Base of Sandridge Bridge

Urban Jungle by Jake Latimer, North End of Sandridge Bridge

September 2, Mali Hunting with Tricky, Bertie and my nephew, Mali's Found - 10!

Mali Is Listening To The Earth by Victor Holder, Flagstaff Gardens Tram Stop

Patch by Amy Robinson, Queen Vic Market - String Bean Alley

A Pattern Of Orange-Bellied Parrots by Vanessa Bong, Queen Vic Market

Ming Vase Elephant by Brian Cheung, Queen Vic Market Main Entrance

Mali's Winter Wonderland by Pat Minahan (insert), Melbourne Central Shot Tower

A Prayer For Protection by Blaze Warrender, Melbourne Central Food Court

Enceladus by Ghostpatrol, Melbourne Central Swanston Street Entrance

Harmony by Zara McKenzie, Marriott Hotel Exhibition Street Entrance

Rusty Mali by Russ Brebner, Chinatown - Exhibition Street End

Baroque Baby by Robert Hague, Bourke Street Mall

September 9, Mali Hunting on my own, Mali's Found - 3!

Helmeted Honeyeater's Habitat by Andrew Carydias, Intercontinental Hotel

Same Same by Max Blackmore, NAB Forecourt at Docklands

Shared Path by William Ainger, Cnr Harbour Esplanade and Latrobe Street

September 16, The Final Hunt!
Mali Hunting with Bertie, my nephew, Mum and Dad, Mali's Found - 7!

Botani by Michael Skilney, Argyle Square South (on Lygon Street)

Mali Dreams by Chantelle Ferri, Argyle Square South (on Lygon Street)

Stripes by Keri Le Page, Lincoln Square

Frank Realities by Antonia Marshall, University of Melbourne Medical Building

Pond Dreaming by David Higgins, Royal Children's Hospital Foyer

Here Today... by Elise Martinson, Melbourne Zoo Front Entrance

Gabriel by Jacqueline Le Souef, Melbourne Zoo Front Entrance

 
That's it!  No more Malis to find!  But here she is for real!

Mali the Elephant, Melbourne Zoo

August 11 - Coming Soon

Coming Soon!  Busy But Fun!

  Breakfast at Mr Smart's sister's place.
  A long walk to find Mali(s) in the city.
  Dinner at Asakusa

Sorry folks, all this and more tomorrow morning, tonight I'm having a life ;)

Jess

August 10 - TGIF

Eat or No Eat?

  Actually convinced myself to get out of bed in some sort of reasonable time today so I had time to make my breakfast.  Now I've put a photo in and I'm going to pose the question, would you have eaten it?  Don't get me wrong, it tasted great, but it does sort of look like I already ate it once.  It was the last bit of yoghurt from the old pot, a quarter cup of fibre toppers, 75g mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries and blueberries), the pulp from one Panama passionfruit and about a tablespoonful of slivered almonds.

Psst.. Mum.. that is tea-coloured.

  I was really cold in the office today so it wasn't hard to convince myself to have a hot drink at morning snack time.  I don't often have hot drinks of any kind.  I enjoy the occasional cup of tea or a hot chocolate but coffee is still a cold drink to me.  I made myself a strong black tea with one sugar and a splash of milk and had it with half a serve (2) belVita Fruit & Fibre Breakfast biscuits.  Morning snack time varies with when I get hungry but it seems to most often happen between 10:00am and 11:00am.
  Our wonderful voice artiste was in early today to do his weekly recording session.  He creates all the centre's advertising voiceovers.  He's a lot of fun, particular when he does his blokey-bloke voice or his Elmo voice.
I've been looking forward to the weekend and I was telling him about it.
  Tomorrow I get to spend the day with Mr Smart and Sunday I get to have my nephew all day for which Bertie will give me a pedicure!  I'm thinking I will take my nephew into the city on the train to see some of the Mali in the City sculptures.  I think he'll enjoy that.  He's only three but he already has a definite idea of what he finds fun and train rides and elephants (and potentially a cupcake) are bound to fit in.  The last time I took him into the city he ended up with a Bender toy.  Yes, I totally spoil him... just like Aunties should!

Positively prawnographic!

  Remember last night I stripped the BBQ chook and put some aside for lunch today?  Well of course I forgot the container when I left for work this morning, so finding myself chickenless at lunchtime, I nipped into Coles and bought a few alternative things to put in my wrap.  It ended up being a Mission Garden Spinach Herb Wrap with a quarter of a Hass avocado, baby cos lettuce, ten cooked and peeled prawns (82g, only $1.48!) and the last of the bag of Rainbow Salad, followed by a large slightly ripe banana.  I should put my car key in the fridge next time!
  The afternoon dragged on a bit.  I kept looking at the clock on my computer and then having to check in on my phone, convinced that it must be later than that... But still, it allowed me to clear up a few extra things so I'm not really complaining too much.  I paused and had a navel orange at afternoon snack time.  It's quite meditative peeling an orange.  Thank heavens I stopped biting my nails at age nineteen though, I can't imagine peeling an orange without my durable thumb nail.

Och aye the noo!

  As I was leaving work tonight I passed Big W and something in me whispered 'Lego Lego Lego Lego' and who am I to argue with the voices in my head? I got a few new mini-figurines and some more bricks!  My retail therapy completed I headed home and on to the cross trainer.  It was the first episode of Buffy Season 3 tonight.  Some episodes are slower than others but this one had a fairly steady pace.  I like the fast paced ones most because I don't notice the time passing so much.
  Dinner tonight was another homemade pizza.  The chicken and Khobz have a limited shelf life so I'm trying to use it all up!  I did put the remainder of the chicken in the freezer though.  Once I get my new slow cooker I will thaw it out in a tomato based sauce for pasta!

So tasty I almost forgot to take the photo!

 Tonight's pizza had a wholemeal Khobz flatbread spread with Leggo's BBQ Style Pizza Sauce, lots of mushrooms, lots of chicken, lots of Rainbow Salad and some finely shredded Mainland Light Tasty cheese!
  Today's auspOp post was about No Doubt's first album in nine years.  I have to say I wasn't overly keen on their new single Settle Down, it was a bit too reggae/clubby for me, but it did remind me to listen to their old stuff while writing tonight's blog!
I even put a few of Gwen Stefani's solo tracks on!
  I thoroughly recommend auspOp by the way, for anyone interested in music scene.
I don't love all things pop but I have been introduced to some artists I really like through this blog, including Melbourne artist Paris Wells and her song Let's Get It Started.
  Last thing for today, but by no means the least, a very happy 55th Wedding Anniversary to my Granny and Grandad.  That's the Emerald Wedding Anniversary!  Congratulations and thank you for being such good role models.  You've managed to get through thick and thin all while staying clever, funny and loving.  I love you both very much.
  Jess

August 9 - Walking A Fine Line

  My eating went a little astray today, but not so bad that I feel bloated or awful about it.
  As usual. ot started with me running late and therefore deciding to skip making breakfast in favour of getting something when I get to work.  This is ok when I go to Coles and get crumpets or something but today I had a bacon and egg muffin from Coffee 'n' All which they made fresh for me.

  My next little treat came at morning tea time.  Today there was a big meeting at work that happens each quarter and my dear right-hand gal caters it for the attending staff from head office.  She and I don't attend the meeting but it is definitely something she takes care of from start to finish.  Anyway, she got some Coles Banana Bread for the meeting and there was enough leftover for morning tea.  I heated my slice in the microwave for 20 seconds and then spread it with about a teaspoon of margarine.  It was as close to mine as I've had in a commercial product.

  Lunch was definitely the healthiest meal of the day, a Mission Garden Spinach Herb Wrap with a quarter of a Reed avocado, one slice of Bega Extra Tasty cheese, two slices of Dorsogna triple smoked leg ham (about 65g) and a heap of Rainbow Salad (julienned broccoli stalk, beetroot and carrot), followed by three big strawberries and nine medium red grapes.  I have to confess I am absolutely in love with rainbow salad.  It's not dry, it's filling, it's so easy to add to things!  Insta-veggies!

  Sometime in the early afternoon I had a surprise visit from Captain Cupcake bearing gifts!!  You may remember that I was bemoaning the frequency with which I was indulging in my Lindt 85% Cocoa?  Well Captain Cupcake mentioned on facebook that she knew of a special sugar-free chocolate and today she brought me a block!  That kind of support is above and beyond people!
  I haven' tried it yet as I didn't feel very hungry after dinner (for reasons that will become obvious shortly) but I am looking forward to trying it tomorrow!   A 25g serve of this one appears to be slightly lower in calories than a 20g serve of the Lindt.  It is also a high cocoa chocolate so hopefully it will also still have that appetite suppressing quality that is so helpful to me.
  In the afternoon I was dreadfully tempted to submit to the temptation of gorging myself on the leftover biscuits and cakes from the meeting but instead I patiently peeled and ate my navel orange.
  After work I remembered that I needed yoghurt and went to Cole for that and more berries and something for dinner.  I got the yoghurt and berries just fine.  I even decided that I would get the berries in the big bag this time, a suggestion of a friend at work.  Then I wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles waiting for something to yell "Eat me!"
  Eventually I settled on making homemade pizza but decided to do something a bit different.  In order to plan a few meals ahead, I decided to make a BBQ Chicken Pizza!  I got a BBQ Chook and a few other bits and pieces and headed home.  I decided to strip the meat off the chicken and split it into four lots, one for dinner tonight, lunch and dinner tomorrow and another lunch probably on Sunday now that I think about it.. will it still be good then?  Anyway, while stripping the meat I did eat a lot of the skin.. at least the crispy top bits and drumsticks.  I did throw away the soggy bits and most of the stuffing.

  Anyway, my pizza was made from a Khobz wholemeal flatbread, Leggo's BBQ Style Pizza Sauce, 8 slices of Harndorf Beef & Garlic Salami, a barbecued chicken breast diced, fresh mushrooms, rainbow salad (see, you can add it to anything!) and some finely shredded Mainland Light Tasty cheese!
  I'm quite impressed at how pretty it turned out.  Do you think the National Gallery of Australia will pay me $2Million for it?  I certainly think it's more attractive than Blue Poles.
  I didn't do any exercise tonight but I'm ok with that.  I've done the five nights prior and I will get on again tomorrow.  My blood sugar after dinner was 6.7 which, given all the chicken skin, kind of surprised me, but it was a good reading.
  I remembered to do the bins for once!  And cleaned out the fridge too!  I get paid next week so hopefully I will have time to do some planning out meals on Sunday while I babysit my nephew.  A bit of a food focus today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring!
  Jess

August 8 - Battling The Id

  Today was ok.  A good sleep certainly helped.  I'm still adjusting to my new mattress so it can be a bit restless as I work out where to lie.  Breakfast was yoghurt, berries and fibre toppers and blast, I forgot to get a new pot today.  There is still enough for most of a serve but I might need to bump up the fruit content tomorrow!
  Off I went to Chaddie bright and early for my training session.  I touched base with a few people at head office beforehand, dropped off some paperwork, mingled (or 'networked' as cynics might have it) and then a few minutes before 9:00am, walked into the wrong training room.  I backed up and found the right one and got there just in time.
  My facilitator for the day was Jeff.  I hate the word facilitator, it's so buzz-wordy, but I really liked his style and what he brought us in the session.  Today was all about employee development planning and career planning.  It's not something I'd given a great deal of thought to before, not considering myself a 'career' person, but it gave me some valuable insights that I think will be useful not only at work but in life.
  Changing your mindset isn't always easy, but it gets easier the more you learn about what you're really fighting.  This isn't where the Id comes into things, that was much later in the day.  We did touch on Flow Psychology though, which was rather useful.
  The proposal of Flow Psychology is the work of a Hungarian psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  Basically, if the challenge is low and your skills are high you'll get bored and in the reverse situation you'll get anxiety.  The idea is that where your skills and challenges almost meet you are 'in flow' and life is good, happy and satisfying.
Not bad eh?
  As suspected there were only lollies on the table but luckily I remembered a double nut snack pack.  That is eight almonds, four hazelnuts, four pecan halves, four brazil nuts and two dried apricot halves.  I took a double quantity as I knew the training went until 12:30pm and I would then have to drive back to Forest Hill before lunch.  Normally I eat lunch at noon so the additional snacks helped to see me through.

  When I finally did get back to Forest Hill I couldn't be arsed sparing the time to make my wrap so I indulged and got Sushi instead!
  I also had a large not quite ripe banana.  I was going to have an orange today but I left a very unripe banana sitting on the oranges yesterday and I forgot that putting them near citrus fruits speeds up their ripening so I had to eat it today before it went completely yellow!
  I didn't eat anything for about eight hours after that so out of curiosity I tested my blood sugar after the cross trainer but before dinner.  It was 3.4!  That is below normal range.
I am kind of hoping that maybe I wasn't careful about drying my fingertip and perhaps sweat from the work-out diluted the sample!  I don't want it high but low isn't good either!
  I had nothing much in the fridge today so I had a Lean Cuisine Creamy Salmon & Dill Pasta for dinner.  Oddly enough, I didn't fancy anything afterwards for once.
  Before dinner and the cross trainer I had some fun with the bank on the phone.  I changed over one of my credit cards and the new one arrived and had to be activated then I had some questions so I made a call.  Then I logged in to online banking and found that all the old credit card transactions had disappeared, so I made a call.  Then I analysed my home loan and decided to increase my repayments a little to shave off another 2 years (9 years saved so far if I keep it up), so I made a call.  Now you might think this was frustrating but I have to say I was impressed.  Each call I spoke to one person only and that person answered my query within nine minutes or less.  They were all really helpful, particularly Jason in Home Loans.  Which bank?
  After dinner as I was starting to write today's blog I got upset over something or other and was bemoaning my frustratedly pathetic state to my friend Earnest.  I say pathetic, as I could see that it was quite illogical, useless and pointless being upset at something that has a logical reason for being the way it is.  Earnest simply and poetically stated "Your Id cares not for reason".  Not only poetic but profoundly true!
  The Id, as mooted by Sigmund Freud, is your instinctive, unbridled desires and needs.  The dark side of you that the Ego keeps in check as it were.  Earnest was perfectly right.  My Id railed against the 'terrible injustice' as it rails against the continued denial of Peanut M&Ms, Twix, Doritos and Smith's Crinkle Cut!  My Ego knows I am not really bruised by today's events, my Id cares not, it only wants.
  Recognising that made me feel better almost instantaneously and gave me today's theme to boot!  Earnest will of course roll his eyes at my superficial self-analysis and minor epiphanies, but as usual, I will simply laugh and poke out my tongue at him.
  Jess :P

August 7 - Substitution

  I came across a much loved quotation while tidying my desk on Saturday night:

Photo by Quentin Jones

Some consider carob an adequate substitute for chocolate because it can be made to approximate the colour and consistency of chocolate.  The same arguments can be made in favour of dirt.
 - Sandra Boynton

  Now obviously what she's really saying is that it's no substitute at all and certainly I agree.  I find carob perfectly enjoyable, I can remember happily eating it as a kid, but I never considered it a chocolate substitute, it was simply something else I liked eating.  But it sparked me off thinking about other things people 'helpfully' suggest as substitutions that simply don't work.

1. Steamed vegetables instead of baked potato.  I accept that it's a better choice but it's no substitute!  Neither is creamed cauliflower instead of mashed potato.
2. Veggie burgers instead of a meat burger.  I have never taste a veggie burger that's come close to being a substitute for meat, plus then you miss out on vital iron!
3. Button Squash instead of potato in hash browns.  Without potato, don't even call it a hash brown, it's a pakora at best, and button squash!? Ew ew ew...
4. Cottage Cheese instead of sour cream... No.. just no.
5.  Rice crackers instead of corn chips... On what planet would this be valid!?

  However, here are some substitutions I have made or can make which I would consider useful and sensible even though some of them involve a minor change in flavour.

1. Avocado on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise.  Most of the time when I want mayo it's just to get the creaminess so this works for me.
2. Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.  Totally works, no argument from me.
3. Wholemeal flatbread pizza base instead of traditional pizza base.  Increases fibre content, reduces calories and GI factor, plus no waiting for dough to rise!
4. Kangaroo salami instead of regular beef salami.  No appreciable difference in flavour but way less fat.  The only downside is limited availability.
5. Light or Extra Light versions of cheese.  If you are cooking with cheese or putting it on a sandwich there really is no difference.

  So there is my two cents on dietary substitutions.  There are always better choices to be made, but for some things there is simply no substitute.
Now from pontification to my day in brief:

  It was definitely hard to convince myself to wake up this morning.  It's rough knowing the first thing you have to do of a morning is jab yourself in the finger with a lancet!  I am getting better at it though, the last three times have been done on the first jab!  I think I'm learning not to flinch.  Nevertheless, hard to cast off the cuddly warm doona in order to intentionally damage yourself as I'm sure you'd all agree.
  Breakfast was the usual yoghurt, berries and fibre toppers.  Must remember to get a new pot of yoghurt sometime in the next couple of days too.  Morning tea was a nut snack pack and a Panama passionfruit.  I have still been getting hungry before the next mealtime so I'm experimenting with spacing snacks a little more evenly.

  Lunch was a Mission Garden Spinach Herb Wrap with one slice of Bega Extra Tasty cheese, a quarter of a Reed avocado, two slices of Dorsogna triple smoked leg ham (about 65g), some lettuce/baby spinach mix and some Rainbow Salad.  It was chock-full of veggies!  I'm loving this style of Mission wrap!  I also had a navel orange.  I quite enjoy the act of peeling it and eating it a segment at a time.
  My afternoon snack was a large unripeish banana (lots of green but some yellow.
  Work was a hard slog today.  I have some training tomorrow at the Head Office (for which I'm completely unprepared) and as a result I stayed back to finish some invoice entry and figures.  It was one of those days that although you are flat-out busy all day, nothing seems to have got done.  Getting home late I felt flat, tired, hungry, grumpy, sulky and in need of a good hug.  I was seriously considering skipping the cross-trainer so I could eat sooner but then Mr Smart put the question to me, "Would you get on it after eating?".  Since "No" was the answer, I forced myself to get on it.  It was bloody hard today.
  Dinner was a serve of the chile con carne I made the other night on some wholemeal pasta with a little Mainland Light Tasty cheese sprinkle on top then mixed through.  After that I had 20g of Lindt 85% Cocoa dark chocolate.  The Lindt has become a fairly regular occurrence and I'm kind of walking the line between feeling guilty and needing to justify it and bring satisfied that I'm not binging.  I'm satisfied because I can stop at 20g and it does stop me eating, but I feel like I need to justify it or feel guilty when it's every night.

It is possible to be ugly and delicious.

  Now, did eating the chile con carne on wholemeal pasta instead of in sour cream laden burritos help keep the blood sugar a bit lower?  Two hours after eating dinner the reading was 6.8 so I'd have to say yes, but there is always room for improvement.
  The training session tomorrow goes for 3.5 hours (blah) so I will have to remember to take some nuts and things to snack on as they are bound to only supply lollies!  Hopefully it will be valuable in the end but right now I'm just not stoked about it at all.  Maybe I just need a good night's sleep.
  On that note, toodle-pip!
  Jess