The Stew - Issue Five [Grapeshot Magazine]

GET FIT

Pub2Pub

August 28^th

How do you think you would go tackling a 13km run? No sweat? Or no chance? The Pub2Pub Charity Fun Run & Walk might not be as big and bold as the City2Surf but it is definitely not something to scoff at. You will start with the sand between your toes at Dee Why Beach and then sweat it out all the way to Newport Arms Hotel, with some seriously stunning scenery along the way. Sure, it’s a long way and there are a few hills but it couldn’t get much better than that – start on the beach and end up at the pub. Whether you want to raise money for your favourite charity or just do it for fun, you’ve got plenty of time to get in tip-top shape. Or, if all else fails, you can always walk it. Either way, I’ll see at the finish line. Hell, I might even shout you a beer.

www.pub2pub.com.au

RELISH

Sydney Fashion Festival

August 23^rd – August 27^th

Regardless of whether you’re a lover of fashion, a fan of pretty boys and girls strutting their stuff or appreciate your attire simply for its practicality, every Sydney-sider should see at least one fashion show in their lifetime. Set to the backdrop of Sydney Town Hall and featuring the crème de la crème of Australian designers, Sydney Fashion Festival is definitely an experience. With the lights, the music and the glitz ‘n’ glamour, you can’t help but feel perfectly pretentious and a little bit – dare I say – fabulous!

www.mbffsydney.com.au

HELP

Cupcake Day for the RSPCA

August 15^th

When it comes to cupcakes, I’m certainly not someone who needs an excuse to devour one, two or even three. But if you’re not as partial to that sugary icing and fluffy sponge as I am, then perhaps Cupcake Day will provide the perfect incentive for you. On this day, the streets will be swamped by bakers, shakers and cupcake makers, all armed with batches of homemade delights and ready to exchange them for donations to the RSPCA. This year’s target is $3 million – that’s a lot of cupcakes and is sure to make for a lot of smiling furry friends. You’ve got to love a day where you’re encouraged to have your cupcake and eat it too.

www.rspcacupcakeday.com.au

EAT

Mojo’s Café and Tapas Bar

32 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach

Perched at the southern end of Campbell Pde on Bondi Beach, Mojo’s Café and Tapas Bar overlooks the water and is always buzzing. If you’re game, you can sit on the benches out the front and people watch. If you’re sensible though, grab a seat inside, enjoy the warmth and soak up the Spanish scrumptiousness. The menu is extensive and ticks all the right boxes. Chorizo. Haloumi. Meatballs. Lamb. Olives. Potatoes more ways than anyone could ever need. And the sangria is bang-on. I promise, you really can’t go wrong.

ENJOY

Australia’s Winter Wonderland

I hate the cold and I’m hugely unco-ordinated. Honestly, I have enough trouble walking in a straight line without adding extraordinarily uncomfortable, oversized boots and awkwardly shaped skis to the mix. Yes, it’s cold. No, it’s not easy. But skiing is a whole lot of fun. And, lucky for you, there is plenty of time to get down to the slopes to freeze your tootsies off and have a blast. Of course, if you’re not into skiing, there is always snowboarding, tobogganing or even Tube Town. But be warned, whatever you choose, it is likely you will come home with a bruised bottom.

WATCH

An Idiot Abroad, Channel One

Whether you’ve travelled or not, this show is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both from The Office (and bundles of other things), send their buddy, Karl Pilkington, off to explore the seven wonders of the world after hearing him call them “all a bit shit”, despite never having seen one of them. Ricky hopes that Karl will hate every minute of it, and he pretty much does. And therein lies the hilarity. Please give it a go. You won’t be disappointed.

Editorial - Issue Five: Divorced from Reality [Grapeshot Magazine]

Imagine this: you’re perfectly placed on a raised platform in the middle of a large room with a glaring spotlight upon you. You’re told to not only look natural, but look at the same spot for two hours, while ten sets of pesky eyes watch you discerningly, slowly recreating your chubby face-shape, your tired eyes and your double chin with the tip of their pencil or the point of their paintbrush. If ever there was a time that I wanted to escape my reality, this was probably it.

But just as I couldn’t just leave the old codgers without a subject for their Monday portrait class, we can’t escape the fact that much to our dismay, we’re back to reality kids. As one semester bites the dust, another one seems to rear its ugly head far too quickly. Lucky for you though, I think I’ve got just the trick to overcome the bloody, sweaty, teary reality of yet another treacherous educative installment – escaping it.

As I was sitting on my pedestal, my mind started drifting. I started to imagine how much harder my situation would have been had I been naked. Or worse, naked and hairy. Then, in my mind, I began painting my own pictures of the wrinkly, weathered people before me, inventing lives to match the weary faces. Very quickly, two hours slipped by and my job was done. So my fingers are crossed in the hope that, with a little bit of escapism, the upcoming semester will pass surprisingly quickly.

And where else would you look for an escape but in the pages of Grapeshot Magazine? I promise, this issue will not disappoint, offering the perfect feast for your eyes, mind and curiosity. Have you ever wondered what the world looks like to someone who suffers from severe schizophrenia? Or what it feels like to take hallucinogens? Or how someone could possibly get so angry at a YouTube video? We’ve got all this, plus puzzles, recipes, pretty pictures and soothing words. All you have to do is keep turning those pages.

Of course, Grapeshot Magazine should be your very first port of call when attempting to survive what’s ahead. But I’d also recommend always having a good book on hand, updating your iTunes library regularly and maybe even getting a Wii.