Animal Dreaming?

Outside the Tribal cinema tonight.
A Kingfisher and a green frog with red eyes.

I was just thinking tonight, on the way to the cinema to see the film about Paul Cox's liver transplant, On Borrowed Time, that I had just about read all of the books I had bought at the BBWF this year. 
The only one I hadn't read was Animal Dreaming by 
Scott Alexander King.

But it is more of a reference book than a novel or story.
Still looks like a good read though.
Animal Dreaming: The Symbolic and Spiritual Language of the Australasian Animals
I had read the section on the Kingfisher, Crow and Frog, but that was about it, so far.

Until just a moment ago when I started flicking through it again and came across an entry for "Scallop", which had the word pilgrimage right next to it!?!

"Celtic pagans once worshiped at Brigantium,the temple previously dedicated to the goddess Brigit before their religion was violated by the Christian church and the shrine was surrendered to the followers of Saint James the Greater.
Scallops have always been popular among the pilgrims who hike the 'Way of St James' on their way to the shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Spain, their hats and cloths traditionally decorated with images of the shell."
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/santiago-cathedral

Santiago de Compostela

"According to folklore, as the early Christians walked they would present the shells at every house, basilica and fort they passed and, in doing so, could expect a handful of food, or a drink for their effort.
In this context, the Scallop heralds a quest for the truth.
It embodies the physical or spiritual journey we might take in search of greater wisdom or deeper understanding.
It heralds a time of discovery, growth and awakening by encouraging a personal pilgrimage undertaken with the intention of attaining sacred knowledge.
When taken with pure intent and no preconceived expectation, such a journey will surely see you rewarded with spiritual nourishment."  
The above passage was quoted from Scott's book Animal Dreaming.
I saw Scott give a talk at the BBWF called, 
Animals as Healers and Totems in Literature, on the Saturday that I was there.
I wrote about it here,
Cleo
I met Scott afterwords at the signing tent, along with Barry Eaton, Kim Falconer and Helen Brown.
All authors of fine books and with whom I felt a spiritual connection (I don't know any other way to describe it).   
Scott has a shop in the main streets of Byron Bay called  
Animal Dreaming.
http://www.animaldreaming.com/
Plus, you can buy stuff online from the above link, if you want to. 

Sticker on the Tribal cinema window
 of John and Yoko

 Also on the door of the cinema was the above sticker of John and Yoko holding a sign that reads,"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans".
Lyrics from his song Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)

 

 And if you've been reading this blog, then you'll know that the 
green frog with the red eyes and the Sacred Kingfisher are two of the synchronicity animals in my life.
I have never been to this cinema (or past it) since it has been called the "Tribal" cinema.
It used to be called the Dendy cinema before that ... and I remember seeing only one movie there under that name, and that was when Super Size Me  first came out, to give you some idea of the time frame of my last visit to this cinema.
That was the movie I saw, too, by the way.
It's in one of those out of the way parts of the city, so I tend to avoid going there unless the movie I want to see is only playing there ... like the one I just saw.

Des Partridge (left) and David Brdburay (right)
before screening.

It used to be called the George cinema when I was a young boy.
And my grandmother would take me there to see movies by catching a bus ... or way back ... a tram.

The old Brisbane trams ... long gone now

It was strange sitting in the old front part of the cinema (it has been divided into two smaller cinemas since the days of the George).
It brought back a lot of memories of movies seen in my youth.

 

The above photo I nearly deleted, because my cellphone camera distorted the light as I was trying to get a shot of David Bradbury before the movie screening.
But on second thoughts I thought it looked like some weird scene out of a David Lynch movie, so I decided to share it here, since it felt like I was in a David Lynch movie anyway;-)

Time flies! 
City Hall clock-tower and
modern sculptures. 

I also snapped this photo of the Brisbane City Hall clock-tower, while walking along George Street back to the Myer's centre carpark. 
I had not seen this new building with modern sculptures in its courtyard before, and with the old city hall tower peeking through in the background and the flying ... whatever it was ... thing suspended overhead, I thought it would make a good "time flies" photo.
What a weird night it was.
Great movie, though.

Update: 
I have just realized whilst I was looking at stats on the 
Brisbane City Hall at the Wikipedia site that the height of the tower is 298 feet and the Scallop entry is on page 298 of Animal Dreaming.  
The building was officially opened on 8 April, 1930, which is the exact birth-date of my father (I knew that, because he would always brag about that) and April 8th is the day his mother (my Nana ... not the Grandmother mentioned in the above post ... that was my mother's mother) died also.

 Another interesting fact which I didn't know before now was;
"The sculptured pediment above the portico and entrance, known as the tympanum, was carved by noted Brisbane sculptor Daphne Mayo in the early 1930s.
There is some controversy surrounding the theme of the tympanum, which depicts the settlement of Queensland.
The gown-clad female figure in the centre depicts "progress" or "enlightenment", while settlers with their cattle and explorers with their horses, move out from under her protecting arms to claim the land from the indigenous people and native animals, who are represented by two aboriginal males crouching in the left hand corner, and a fleeing kangaroo. 
To the right corner one can see a young European male and female, adjoined by a sheep and a row of books and an artist's palette representing the new European nation, agriculture and civilization."
Interesting!
Another thing I didn't know was about the;
2010-2012 Restoration Project

"King George Square's bronzes removed during redevelopment work

Since 31 December 2009, Brisbane City Hall has been closed for three years to undergo large scale restoration works. The works involve replacement of all building services (electrical, mechanical, fire, hydraulic systems etc.), structural works to building interiors, dome and auditorium and conservation of the original heritage surfaces and building facade. The grand organs have been removed from the building for the duration of the building works."
December 31st, 2012???
I have to get out of the house more. 

Another interesting thing was I was playing my new 
Remastered 'The Best of Steely Dan, then and now' as I was typing out the Scallop/Pilgrimage quote from page 298 of 
 Animal Dreaming, and as soon as I realized 2+9+8=19, the words "Hey Nineteen" from the song of the same name came through my speakers.

Way back when in 67
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
And where the hell am I

Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember the Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old

Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
We can't dance together
No we can't talk at all

Then on the Wikipedia site 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Nineteen
"After a humorous letter on the Steely Dan website accused the Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) movie You, Me and Dupree of being stolen from the song Cousin Dupree, Owen Wilson defended himself in similarly deadpan comic fashion, stating "I have never heard the song 'Cousin Dupree' and I don't even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is. 
I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, 'HEY 19.'"
Reminds me of the guy sitting next to me at the "Steely Dan"concert, who kept telling his brother, in all seriousness, that the guy singing was Steely Dan;-P
What a dildo!-)
(for those who don't know. Steely Dan was named after the dildo in the William S Burrough's book Naked Lunch)