A change of class

Yesterday I attended my first class - Cloth and the Body.  This was a very enjoyable experience, but when I went to the library afterwards to reflect on what I had done, and read the course outline in detail, I realised that it was a repeat of material I had covered in my studies at UH - the body project and Core Skills - fabric manipulation and dye/transfer print.  Cloth and the Body was a first year module that I had been advised to take by the course co-ordinators at Curtin, when I originally applied for Visual Inquiry - Reconsidering Traditions and Concepts.  So I have consulted with Tanya, the Student Exchange co-ordinator, was advised to talk to various people, and today have transferred to that class.

Unfortunately I have missed the first class (which was Monday afternoon) so I have some reading to catch up on, and some drawing homework to do.  I need to find some knots, and draw them in different scales and media, and then put them into patterns.  The reading is quite deep - refers patterns in domesticity; to Freud and greek mythology of Narcissus, Echo and Penelope.  Fortunately I studied greek lit for my O level, 33 years ago at school, so I could dredge it up from the depths of my memory!

Jim and I went shopping this morning.  We will start to eat different food.  Bananas are extremely expensive - $17 per kilo (about #6 per lb weight).  This is because there was a cyclone earlier this year which wiped out the crop.  I don't know whether they are importing from another supplier more distant, or the same supplier but resources are scarce - but I'm encouraging Jim to eat something cheaper!  However, papaya is about a quarter of the price (I like this and it's really expensive in England) so Jim will be eating this instead.  And asparagus is only about $4 for 8 spears.  Cauliflower is the cheapest of all $2 for an enormous one - but Jim flatly refused that (even worse than broccoli in his opinion!).

We are still having difficulty accessing wifi at home.  The mobile vivifi device definitely picks up signal, but all the places we could use it (our flat, the local cafe), are in an area of non-reception.  Jim will find the local library either today or tomorrow to check whether he can get free wifi access there if he joins the library, or if not, whether the vivifi will pick up there.  If the vivifi does not, I think we will be taking it back to the supplier.  This is a pity as Jim would find it helpful to use it at home when I am at class.