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Malaysia and Indonesia, 2011-12
August 22, 2011
Architectonic zine
August 9, 2011
Architectonic – a zine I made in 2006 with the industrious Chris Tamm / Konsumterra. Inside is an article on ‘monster homes’, a peek inside Adelaide’s Freemason Grand Lodge, a theory on how Centrelink (Australia’s welfare program) wants to kill you and some photos of Sydney.
Hong Kong, June 2011
June 23, 2011
I spent 5 days in Hong Kong on my way from Mexico to Kuala Lumpur.
I’d like to point out the two African Grey Parrots and Blue-and-Yellow Macaw found for sale in Hong Kong Bird Park. Both species are at least as intelligent as a 3 year old human (or a 6 year old human according to some scientists) and both species are endangered. The macaw has started pulling its feathers out, a sign that it is going insane. Don’t keep parrots as pets.
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It’s hard to believe that a place like this exists on this planet:
In March 2011 I lived in a squat house in Oakland, California called Hellarity. An assortment of around 30 punks, vegans, tramps, anarchists, feminists, musicians, writers, dharma bums and lotus-eaters shared the 2 storey house. The walls are covered in art, posters and graffiti, the garden is full of bikes and the kitchen is full of dumpster-dived food. The many travellers sleep on the living room floor, while the bedrooms, attic and 2 sheds house long-term residents. The house operates on anarchist principles: house decisions are made by consensus at weekly meetings. Homophobia, racism, sexism or any other kind of discrimination is not tolerated. Despite the ever-changing crowd in the house, safety is maintained by banning or putting access restrictions on people to do not use consent. The day after I arrived someone was banned from the house for propositioning someone and making them feel unsafe. Hellarity is like a housing co-op but with no rules. Despite this, dishes get cleaned, walls get painted and the trash gets taken out. Utility bills are paid by suggested donation. The house is messy but functional. I slept in a bunk bed in a room shared with 4 other people. I met the most amazing people there, rare creatures on the fringes of society, people with big hearts, people who were honest, people who were contributing to their community, people who are trying to live free. They inspired me to do more for my community and to be more generous with my possessions. I have the fondest memories of my time in Hell.
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Photos taken in 2010 and 2011 from various locations including Phoenix, AZ, Washington, DC, Frederick, MD, Baltimore, MD, Oakland, CA, Santa Cruz, CA and Philadelphia, PA. The cycling jersey says ‘hard motherfucker on board.’
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I made this cake was made to celebrate my 6 month anniversary as a Town Planner at the Shire of Esperance. It features a rooftop pool, green roofs, green walls and a community park.
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I spent Easter 2010 riding my bike around Albany, Western Australia.
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How to win at travelling
June 22, 2011
Travel alone.
You will meet more people, have deeper conversations, try more new things, be forced outside your comfort zone and go to new places psychologically. You will be more likely to go with the flow and do crazy things. More people will start conversations with you because you look more approachable when you are alone.
Be positive, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in things.
People respond very well to this.
Don’t get upset or angry.
There are far too many grumpy rich western tourists out there. Most of the time it is not necessary to get the results you want. In my experience, being happy and polite gets better results when dealing with bad service.
Talk to everyone.
Put down that guide book! Waiters, taxi drivers, street vendors, fellow travellers, people sitting next to you on buses, children etc are all fascinating, uplifting, worldview-changing conversations waiting to happen. If you don’t speak the same language, play a game or look at pictures together. If you are genuinely interested in someone and ask them questions, or simply allow them to be interested in you and ask questions, you are sure to have a positive interaction.
Seek out your kind.
Wether it’s a fascination for bird watching or thrash metal, connect with like-minded people. Use the internet to hunt down groups in the area and join in upcoming events. If you can’t find any advertised events it pays to email someone and ask if there are any other events happening for people with that interest. Chances are you’ll be invited to a house party.
Seek out the unusual.
Get outside your comfort zone. Ditch the art gallery in favour of a performance by a local circus collective or a community garden open day. You will remember it more vividly than a day spent looking at a bunch of paintings. You are also much more likely to make new friends if you meet them in their comfort zone. Seeking out the unusual can also include joining new clubs. Interested in nudism but never got around to trying it out? Now’s the time!
Give people reasons to start conversations with you.
A political badge, interesting accent, crazy leopard print stockings, sports club t-shirt, tattoo, humorous facial hair etc are all great conversation starters. When people comment on something about you, use it to start a conversation with them.
Want to start a conversation? Invent a question.
It doesn’t have to be important or anything, even asking the time is effective. Giving compliments works exceptionally well.
Take every opportunity.
Live as though you will never have another chance to do something or see someone. Go dancing tonight; there’s a chance you will get in a car crash and lose your legs tomorrow. Want to make out with someone? You better do it now because there may not be another chance.
These rules are especially relevant for travelling, but they also be applied to everyday life with excellent results.
Any other suggestions?
These memories grip me. Suddenly I am riding hard against strong ocean winds. Sweating in the silent heat of tuart forests along the Bussell Highway. Floating in the sea at sunset after riding all day. Lost, out of water, singing on the Brockman Highway. Drinking chai at 4:30am by a campfire. Alone at night in a forest under a full moon. Celebrating with new friends in Albany. Naked in the sea at midnight.
Bike tour from Perth to Albany, December 2010.
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Freediving
June 21, 2011
Pherentian Island, Malaysia, 2011. Shout out to Susi Watson for the photoshop work on this one.
