Bali Party

How interesting that all of a sudden Bali is getting some bad press. Could it be a coincidence that we are experiencing tensions with the Indonesian Government regarding offloading our asylum seekers? That said, I find it refreshing one of the more popular holiday destinations among Australians is finally getting some heat. I am tired of rolling my eyes when pounded with incessant questions regarding how I felt about my safety when I was in India. 

Awake

So I just stumbled across this in the side panel on youtube. Why has nobody told me about this guy? It's love.

Patriotism

Amateur left-wing politicisms aside, I have intense Aussie Pride when it comes to the wonderful world of music. How unbelievably awesome would it have been to be at Coachella when Flume dropped this delicious remix of Lorde's Tennis Court? And although Lorde is from New Zealand, she has such a massive (and well-deserved) following in Australia that I feel excited for the world to be treated to her talents also.

Morsel

Tempo

I am enjoying learning how to spend time all over again, and it is truly delightful, and somewhat baffling. It's slowly coming back to me, this learned Art of Chilling.

Under the bright sky

I bang on about this a bit too much, but the sky here really is an amazing thing. It's endless depth and graduation of blue with dramatic plumes of grey and white cloud in infinite shapes and sizes. I could never tire of it.

Pakora

So you dive in and realise that you can't swim. Awkward! You're in the water now so walk, paddle, whatever, just get to the other end. Then maybe get some swimming lessons.

We were always at war with Eurasia

I have a question and you're not going to like it. I wish for it to be answered honestly and succinctly but I am too afraid to ask in fear of absolute and ruthless persecution, no matter how earnest my curiosity or how carefully I construct my query.



I mean not to denigrate those who fought for our freedom, I simply wish for these freedoms to be defined and to have explained in layman's terms how Australia being involved in a particular situation resulted in the way of life that we enjoy today. I throw a handful of variants of my simple question at Google to be given only the occasional article or blog post annihilating any left wing view the new wave anti-ANZACs apparently have. I scour these tidbits not because I resonate with either side of the story, but in an effort to seek out a well-rounded answer.

The word FREEDOM is so heavily bandied about and I find only evangelistic praise for past and present frontline efforts, with complete disregard to the why. What were we doing there? And what was it within these actions that gave us this FREEDOM?

Please do not assume that I am not moved by this chapter of our country's history and the tragic sacrifices that were made abroad and on our home soil, our men and all men. As a particularly hypersensitive human being, such sobering historical events are wracked with feelings of sadness and regret. This is why I cannot blindly buy into a culture I see to be subliminally breeding a war mentality, to stand up and salute this with stuff upper lip, no ifs or buts. I want us to learn from our past and make informed choices about so-called national security, to question what we are told is right and look to how we can do better in the face of what seems to be unrelenting international tension.

Call me naive. I am more than somewhat ignorant; but here I am, begging for an education that's all-encompassing and not a hot-headed lecture for being churlish. Should open minds entertain such a discussion it could become an interesting if not delicate debate. Both parties might walk away with a new as well as renewed respect for Australia's pyrrhic, pivotal first major encounter with war.

Title taken from George Orwell's 1984.

Elections

Of all the blues one could have, post travel blues are definitely the best!

Fancy

The residual inspiration from my travels, coupled with a timely desire for a wardrobe update has resulted in an insatiable hunger for fashion! When I'm not fantasising about a world free of food additives and greed-driven conflict, I'm imagining myself with choppy Alexa Chung hair and an account at Nieman Marcus!

TL4L

[The Good] [The Bad] [The Ugly] 

The endless hours reading books, drinking tea, watching the world go by. That feeling of always being in motion, that you're going somewhere. Forced leisure time - playing cards, just hanging out with your companion, hashing out outlandish ideas and serious topics and all things in between. Seeing a bright and beautiful slash of landscape quickly dance before your eyes before you are whisked into a tunnel as black as night, never quite knowing if such a vista was real. Sitting up well into the early hours, looking out for city lights, listening to metal to combat the cacaphonic chorus of apneic snores.  It's the people watching. Making small talk with the locals, relying more heavily on gestures and tone than actual words, because as the resident Westerner you are now their esteemed English teacher. Food is in plentiful supply, although the challenge lies in deciphering which local delicacies are fit for Caucasian consumption! The rails are rough, the stops infuriatingly drawn out, and it can be hard to find peace and quiet when everybody is spitting and shaving. If the stink of cigarette becomes too much, check out the restrooms, they'll be sure to take your mind off things. Yes, you are certainly in the thick of the very version of humanity and the culture that you came to see. What look like modest bunks, are instead ringside tickets to the domestic travel circus!

All these reasons and more are why I love this mode of long distance transport. It's true. Sleeper trains run raucous, rusty, beautiful tracks through many of my fondest travel memories. 

Sugar Rush

Perhaps it was kicked off by my Grimes discovery, perhaps it's simply due to the over-saturation on the market right now, but for a while I have been steeped in a resurgent love of overly-sweet sounding female vocal driven pop. Think 90s alt-bubblegum like Headless Chickens' track Cruise Control given a sonic makeover with today's production and predilection for dance. Whatever, but I cannot get enough of it! Below is a prime example, a song I am stupendously obsessed with right now.

 

A Scape

I was quite late to the party with this song. My ears pricked up whilst suffering through an horrific ordeal - the ghastly Goan hangover - and force-feeding myself Fashion TV in a feeble attempt to lift my spirits. The strains of this track then plagued me for weeks! I was racking my brains, knowing no lyrics but with the knowlodge that yes, I had heard it before, yes it had been played on Triple J at some stage. It became an unofficial anthem for my travels, a perfect soundtrack to every beautiful landscape, or experience. It leaves me feeling completely and utterly nostalgic and has been locked in as one of my favourite songs ever. 

Wistful

It's a strange feeling, this being home thing. Part of me feels as though I never left. It is this part that is itching to go - to run, not away, but to simply run.