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THE TERTANGALATHE TRAVEL ISSUE ISSUE 06 VOLUME 52
NURSING SCHOOL METHODS QUESTIONED
ON YER BIKE M8
THE REGULARS
Brittany Carter investigates student allegations that Bachelor of Nursing ECG practicals are too invasive.
Nicolas Ozolins shares the highs and lows of his 29-day bike ride from Airlie Beach to Sydney.
News, Opinions, Arts and Culture, a Gig Guide, an Alaskan Photo Essay, Exchange Advice and much more.
• Onceyou’vesubmittedyourpiece,itdoesn’tendthere.Youmayhavetocompleteuptofourorfivemoreedits.
• Statingthatyouthinkit’scoolyourmagfeaturedtheword‘c#nt’onthecover inaroomhalf-filledwithbabyboomers,will leadtoamixtureofuncomfortablelaughterandoneboisterouslaughfromyourbestmate.
• “IsaidTert,notturd,”willbecomeacommonphrase.
• Howtopushpastthatlatenight,braindeadfeeling.Nocturnalwritingisgoingtobecomeacommonthing(hint:trygoingtobedearlyandwakingupearlytoharnessthatmorningenergy).
• SmileyfacesduringFacebookconversationsareaneffectivecommunicationtechniquetokeepthepeacebetweeneditorsandwriters…especiallywhenit’soneam,you’rewearingtracksuitpants,havefoodstainsonyourshirt,arestressingaboutfinishinganarticleandanassessmentatthesametime,andareprobablyyellingatyourcataboutit.
• Whatyouthinkmightbeagreatstorymayactuallybereallyproblematic.
• Theuniwilloftendeclinetocommentonseriousissues.
• Deadlinesmayoverruleperfection…andthatfactwilldriveyoumad.
• You’ll need a larger diary that’s got enough room to write your ever-growingto-dolists.
• Genevaisthetrollofthefontkingdom.Ifyouuseit,preparetosaygoodbyetoallyourdoublef ’sintheprintingprocess.
• Yourprintersareangelsthatwillpullyouthroughsometoughtimes(weloveyouPrintandMail).
• Yourdesigners,artists,photographersandwriters,arealsoangelsthatwillpullyouthroughthetoughtimes.
• The university internet will die at the moment you try and send themagazinetotheprinters…andthatwillhappenthreetimes.
• On your desktop youwill have‘to clean’ folderswithin your‘to clean’folders…andtheninfinite‘toclean’folderswithinthose‘toclean’folders.
• Studentpoliticiansonlymakesensenever.
• Journalismishardandcoffeeisgreat.
• InDesignwilloccasionallyruineverything.
• Yourgrammarkindofsucksandwhydidn’tyourealisethistillnow?
• KeeppastEditorsclose;they’relikepublicationfirstaidkits.
• BeinganEditorisactuallyajobthatmainlyentailsmanagingpeople.
• Howtosay‘Tertangala’.
TH INGS YOU ’ LL LEARN WH I LE VOLUNTEER ING FOR THE TERTANGALA
EDITORIALS
CONTENTS
POETRY EDITOR
FICTION EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
DESIGNER
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
SUB-EDITORS
ILLUSTRATIONS
PHOTOGRAPHY
NEWS AND OPINION
ARTS AND CULTURE
THE TRAVEL ISSUE
Editor’s Notes
The Trip That Keeps On Giving
Exchange Advice
Global Travel Warnings Amidst The Ebola Crisis
When People Think Brazil, They Think Rio De Janeiro
Travelsick
Exchange Student Tasered At Kooloobong
Backpacking At 16
Students Deem Nursing Faculty’s Methods Too Invasive
Stepping Up And Getting Shit Done
Yet Another Urban Outfitters Controversy
Logging Off
The Debate
Your Opinion
A Cultural Taboo
The Ultimate Music Internship
On Yer Bike M8
Hostel Etiquette 101
A Lethal Combination
North But Not Forgotten: An Alaskan Photo Essay
To Fly Or Not To Fly?
Anywhere But Here
The Pros And Cons Of ‘The Plan’
Breezy Booking
Don’t Judge An Ashram Guest House By Its Garden
Ethical Travel
4
5
18
6
20
7
26
14
8
28
30
9
32
12
34
36
56
38
60
40
62
50
63
51
64
54
CO-EDITORS
Belinda Quinn Brittany Carter
Joel Ephraims
Chloe Higgins
Gemma MollenhauerCailin KramerBec WigginsKelsey McIntoshZofia ZayonsKelsey SutorGeorgia HollowayNatalie McLarenHeather Wortes Emily Ritchie Caitlin MorahanHayley CaseyAmy Fairall
Jess Nesbitt
Alex Pike
Isabelle ChesherBelinda Quinn
Brittany CarterGemma Mollenhauer
Jaya DegurJess Nesbitt
Milo Kelly
Belinda QuinnNatalie ZagaliaAmy FairallGeogia HollowayAlex PikeEuan Malcom
Laura PolsonNikolajs Ozoliņš Lauren Joy BaretttEuan Malcolm Tilly KiddAlex PikeJamie ReynoldsJosef FerraroTrent ThomasJake EvansAlexandra SmithBrittany CarterBelinda Quinn
Kelsey SutorEmily RitchieHayley CaseyNikolajs OzoliņšLaura PolsonJohn Glenn-Doyle
PRINTER
Print & Mail23-25 Meeks Road, MarrickvilleNSW 2204 PH: (02) 9519 8268
Leaping The Language Barrier 24
DISCLAIMERACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRYDISCLOSURE
Responsibility for Tertangala is taken by the WUSA council. The University of Wollongong accepts no responsibility for this publication.
Tertangala and WUSA acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet and work, that of the Dharawal people, and pay respect to their elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes for Indigenous Australia.
The content of this publication is made for and by the students of the University of Wollongong. Views expressed are of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of WUSA or the publisher.
[email protected] twitter.com/Tertangala facebook.com/Tertangala
Beaten Bodies
Profile Feature: Ain’t Nothing But A King
Artist Profile: Jason Bloomfield
Gig Guide
11 Quick Questions With Cover Artist Alex Pike
Our Creatives
Ninja Turtles Review
Creative Writing
Poems
68
82
70
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72
87
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79
E D I T O R ’ S N O T E S
There’s an overarching theme in the last editorial of each Tert
generation. It seems it’s common to have mixed feelings finishing
upthelastissueandourtimemakingtheTert.Astate-of-mindthat
combinesreliefandnostalgia,reflectingtheexhaustingandexciting
rollercoasterwe’vejustjumpedoff.It’sfinallytimetoputontheblue
hatandrobe,graduate,andheadoutintothe‘real’world,wherethere
willalwaysbemorestoriestotackleandmoreexperiencetogain.
Many of you guys are probably feeling the same way about your
achievements thisyear; reminiscingover thegreat timesyou’vehad
duringyourdegree if you’regraduating too (although if you spent
afairbitoftimeattheUniBarthenthisyearmightbealittlehazy).
You’reprobablyitchingtofinishthatfinalexamoressaybeforeyou
takeoffinaplane,hittheroadinacar,onabus,or(likeoneofour
writers)onyabike—toasfarawayasyoucangetfromhere.It’sthese
moments that keep us slogging through uniwork in the toughest
weeks,andit’swhywethoughtitwouldbefittingtoendthesession
andyearwithaTravelIssue.
InsideLauraPolsonfollowsthestoryofZillaVanDenBorn,aDutch
GraphicDesignstudentwhotrickedfriendsintobelievingshewason
afive-weekholidayinSouth-Asiabyuploadingmanipulatedimages
toFacebook.CailinKramerhascompiledamonthlycalendarthat’ll
giveyousometipsonwhat’sgoingonaroundtheworld,sothatifyou
haven’tplannedyournextgetawayyouarenowequippedtodoso.
LaurenBarrettbreaksdowntheprosandconsofplanningoutatrip,
andweexploreAlaskanlandscapeswithphotojournalismstudentand
keentraveller,AlexPike.
KelseyMcIntoshandZofiaZayonstradeopinionsonwhethersolo
orgrouptravelisbetter,andseveralofourcontributorshaveoffered
theirexchangeadviceandtheirbestandworst(someamusing)travel
experiencesforyourpleasure.
In our news section Brittany Carter reports on an international
student’s removal fromKooloobongwhich escalated to him being
tasered at least two times. Gemma Mollenhauer also reports the
hypesurroundinganotherUrbanOutfitterscontroversy.There’stwo
investigations:CailinKramerliststhefactsyouneedtoknowaboutthe
Ebolavirus,andBrittanyCarterinvestigatesclaimsthattheNursing
Facultyshouldreconsidersomeofitsteachingmethods.
InourArtsandCulturesection,AlexandraSmithchatswithlocalsoul,
jazzandelectronicbandBeatenBodies,andTrentThomasandJosef
FerraroreviewthenewNinjaTurtlemovie.
And to wrap things up, we’d like to say a huge thank you.There
wouldhavetobeclosetoahundredpeoplethatwearegratefulfor.
Thanks to our designer, Jess Nesbitt, for being able to constantly
work your magic, make everything look pretty and for having an
unlimited amount of patience.Thanks to pastTert Editors who’ve
keptussane(andboughtussympathybeers).Thankstoourwriters,
whomwithout,we’dprobablyjusthaveamagazinefilledwithpretty
lameandslightlyout-datedmemes.Tothewonderfulemergingartists,
illustratorsandphotographerswe’vehadthechancetoworkwith—
thankyou!Andfinally,toourfamiliesandfriendswhoarenodoubt
sickofourwhiningaboutwriter’sblock,andstress-fuelledtantrums.
We wish all the luck in the world to 2015’s Co-Editors, Gemma
Mollenhauer and RebeccaWiggins.These two enthusiastic, young
journoshavealreadygotsomegroovyideasuptheirsleeve.Theyhave
plansinplacewithanewdesignertomaketheTertevenbetternext
year!The chance to have complete creative and editorial freedom
within a publication is an inspiring (and rare) experience in the
publishing industry, sowe think thismag ispretty special.Wehope
yousupportthemandgetinvolvedintheprocessnextyear.
We’llleaveyouwithsomethingthat’sgotusthroughthisyear:
“Toavoidcriticismsaynothing,donothing,benothing.”
-Aristotle
Bowingout,
BELINDA QUINN & BRITTANY CARTER, CO-EDITORS
JESS NESBITT, DESIGNER
EDI T OR ’S NO T E S
E D I T O R I A L S4
Toourwriters:Readingyourpieceswasthebiggestblessingofthis
job.Ihaveseenyouallgrowandlearnandbetteryourselvesbeyond
whatIeverimagined.Thankyouforyouramazingstoriesthatfilled
thepages.
To the illustrators: Seeing an email titled‘Tert Illustrations’ in my
inboxwasthebestpartofmyday.Yourtalentedartworksgobeyond
illustratinganarticle-theyareastoryinthemselves.Thankyoufor
bringingourmagazinetolife.
To the dedicated team:Thank you Laura Polson- your dedication
to contribute and your friendly face never failed to cheerme up.
Thank you Alexandra Smith- you have gone above and beyond
and encouraged us in all of our endeavours.Thank you Gemma
Mollenhauer-yourenthusiasmfor learningandyourwillingness to
challengeyourself andotherswillmakeyouagreat co-editornext
year.ThankyouBecWiggins-Icouldnothavegottenthroughthis
yearwithoutyourconstantsupportandourmutualloveforanything
caffeinated.
Totheco-editors:Wedidit!ThankyouBrittanyforyourcommitment
to quality, your brilliant news pieces and your amazing ability to
juggle.ThankyouBelinda foryour thoughtfulapproaches to tough
situations, for doingmore thanoneperson should do ever and for
your hilariouswriting that always leads to embarrassing- andoften
public-cacklesoflaughter.
And finally, to my friends and family:Thank you for listening in
completebafflementasIwhinedabout‘grids’and‘spotcolours’,thank
youforbringingmesustenancewhenIspenttoomanyhoursinthe
Tertofficeandthankyouforyourconsistentloveandencouragement.
Thankyou,readers,forhavingmeandhere’stoanewadventure!
Now, looking back, I nostalgically
remember counting them and can also
appreciatethatIwentsomewhereascool
asYork; an awesomewalled city in the
RomanEmpire!
Looking back, things I took very little
interest inarenowthemost interesting
of all. I almost feel like Iwent on two
trips;likeI’mstillonatrip.Trippy.
That’swhy, forme anyway, travel is the
giftthatkeepsongivingand,luckilyfor
you,UOWcanhelpyoucatchyourvery
owncaseofthetravelbug.
Studying abroad is probably the single
mostremarkableexperienceanystudent
couldhope tohave atuniversity. It’s an
amazingwaytodevelopconnectionsand
meetnewandexcitingpeoplewhocan
becomelifelongfriends.
This way you don’t need to halt your
university studies in order to travel.
Applications for student exchange in
Spring2015arenowopen,soyoushould
definitely check that out.You can find
moreinformationattheUOWwebsite:
www.uow.edu.au/student/exchange/
index.html.
OtherwiseyoucanvisitStudentCentral
on the ground floor of Building 17,
between9amand5pmMonday-Friday.
Happytravels!
One of clearest memories I have from
my childhood is also one of my most
mundaneexperiences.Iwaseightwhen
mymumsatmedownforaveryserious
discussionaboutchangesthatweregoing
tohappeninourfamily.
One thing that stood out was how
tentatively Mum was speaking, taking
huge pauses to make sure every word
spokenwas exactly what needed to be
saidandwassaidinexactlytherightway.
Shebeganallatoncewith,“Yourdadhas
beenaskedtohelpwiththewatersupply
fortheCommonwealthGamesthisyear.”
“Uh-huh,”Iansweredprettydistractedly
(Imeancomeon,Iwaseight.Noeight-
year-oldisfocused).
“They’re being held in England,” she
pressed.
“Okay.”
“So,DadwillbeworkinginEnglandfor
6months,”shesaid,tryingtoconveythe
gravityofthesituation.
“Oh,okay.”
“…Bec,we’regoingtoo.”
“Oh.Cool.”
Iwasaveryunderwhelmingchild.
Although I didn’t know it at the time,
that brief, simple conversation marked
the start of one of the most exciting,
remarkableandbreathtakingexperiences
inmyentirelife,andsparkedmylovefor
travel.
Asachild,sometimesalotofthingsvery
easily feel like awaste of time.When I
livedinEnglandIhadtheopportunityto
haveauniquelifeexperienceandexpand
mymind,however,mostofthehistorical
and cultural aspects of the trip went
entirely overmy four-foot-tall head. In
saying that though, while I was abroad
Ihad tonnesof fun and enjoyed things
inmyownchild-likeway,butasIlearn
newthingsabouttheplacesI’vealready
been, I can appreciate them in entirely
newways.
As it was winter and England has
deciduous trees, I could see all the old
bird nests resting in bare branches. So,
with the attention and determination
that only a painfully bored child can
possess, I counted them. All of them.
No, professionals never really could say
exactlywhatwaswrongwithme,it’san
ongoinginvestigation...
Icountedbird’sneststheveryfirstdayI
wasinEngland,thedaywedroveupto
York(whichmuchtomydisappointment
wasnothinglikeNewYork).Andwhile
Ihadanice time inYork, thatmoment
was definitely the highlight for me.
THE TRIP THAT KEEPS ON GIVINGBY REBECCA WIGGINS @UOW101
T E R T C O L U M N
2015 E D I TOR !
U O W 1 0 1 5
EXCHANGE STUDENT TASERED AT KOOLOOBONGBY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter
N E W S6
T E R T N E W S
Trigger warning: This article deals with events that may be distressing for some readers.
Upset students have contacted theTertangala, asking that we investigatethe tasering of a UOW student atKooloobongVillage.
OnAugust28,anexchangestudentwasaskedtoleaveafterhesetoffafirealarm,triggering avisit fromWollongongFireDepartment.
The young man, who eye-witnessesbelievetobenoolderthan25,hadbeenburning incense and had apparentlyreceivedwarningsfromstafffordoingsoonpreviousoccasions.
Residents of the newest Kooloobongbuildingwereevacuatedtothecourtyard.They were told to go back inside butmany still witnessed the exchangestudent resisting police orders to leavethepremises.
Withoutshoesandstuckintherain,thestudent prayed as officers asked him tofindhis passport and leave immediately,suggestinghecatchatraintotheairportandgetaplanehometoDubai.
Studentssaidtheycouldhearthestudentyellinganda loudbangingnoiseoutofsight,whichtheybelievemayhavebeenthemankickingapolicecar.
Police tasered him twice, before hescreamed and fell, passing out on theground.An ambulance was called, andtheman’slimpbodywastakenaway.
While friends of the student wereunavailable for comment, otherKooloobong residents believed theburningincensemayhavebeenlinkedtotheexchangestudent’sreligiousbeliefs.
Second-year Engineering studentAnnaSands watched the scene unravel fromherOldKooloobongapartment.ShesaysKooloobong residents are still seekinganswers.
“Wedon’tknowanything[more]aboutit and it happened on our front doorstep...Thatdaytherewasafire[engine],twopolicecarsandtwoambulancesandwe’ve[been]toldnothingaboutit.”
Students that filmed the incidentwere later asked by staff to delete theirrecordingsforlegalreasons.
“Ithinkalotofpeoplegotscaredbythatanddeletedthevideo,”MsSandssaid.
ErrinClaypole,asecond-yearCommercestudentwhowas visiting friends in thecomplex, told the Tertangala she triedto email Accommodation Servicesquestioningtheircodeofconduct.
“Most of the residents on campuswitnessed a peer being tasered three
times... [it was] quite a traumaticexperience,especiallywhenwehavenotbeenprovidedwithanexplanation,”shesaid.
“WefeellikethoseinchargeatKoolabonghaveadutyofcareandresponsibilityforthosewhowitnessedtheeventandtothestudentwhowastasered.”
Shereceivedagenericemailinreply.
“The staff inAccommodation Servicesconsider it of utmost importance torespect[thestudent’s]privacy.Wearenotpermitted to discuss residents’ personaldetailswith theother residentswithouttheirpermission,”theemailread.
Staff confirmed that the student wasreceiving ongoing care and was “fullysupported” by UOW and the relevantconsulate. However, residents areconfused as to why the University hasnot publicly addressed the matter orensuredthatallwitnessesareokay.
WollongongPoliceDepartmentverifiedthattheincidentoccurred,butsaidthatamediareleaseoutliningitsdetailswasnotavailableforpublicviewing.
If you were distressed by the above events
please seek help. You can book a UOW
counsellor at Level 3, Building 11, or call
Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.
Online fashion and assorted hipstergoods retailer Urban Outfitters, haveonce again come under controversyfollowingthereleaseoftheirKentState‘vintage’sweatshirt.
The Kent State sweatshirt, retailing for$129,appearedasanonlineexclusiveaspartoftheUOUrbanRenewalVintageline,whichtheydescribedas:
“Washed soft and perfectly broken in,this vintageKentState sweatshirt is cutina loose, slouchyfit.Excellentvintagecondition.Weonlyhaveone,sogetitorregretit!”
OnMay4,1970,studentsatKentStateUniversity were gunned down by theNational Guard, following protestsagainst theVietnamWar. Four studentswere killed and nine others werewounded.
The retailer claims to be naive of anyconnotations with the shirt and themassacre.
“Thereisnobloodontheshirtnorhasthisitembeenalteredinanyway.Theredstainsarediscolourationfromtheoriginalshadeoftheshirtandtheholesarefromnaturalwearandfray,”aspokespersonforthecompanysaid.
Theshirtisnowsoldout.
While UrbanOutfitters have issued anapology, the leadership at Kent StateUniversity issued a media statementvoicing their disgust at this item ofclothing.
“We take great offence to a companyusing our pain for their publicity andprofit. This item is beyond poor tasteandtrivialisesalossoflifethatstillhurtsthe Kent State community today,” thestatementsaid.
The blood-splattered, vintage sweatshirtdesign is not the first time UO hascomeunderfire for the trivialisationofserioushistoricalissuesaswellasculturalinsensitivity.
In 2005, the retailer designed a shirtreading ‘New Mexico, Cleaner thanRealMexico’andtheyearbefore,ashirtreading ‘Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl’wassoldwiththeslogansurroundedbymoneysignsandshoppingbags.
In 2010, a shirt categorised as ‘ObamaBlack’wasscrutinised.
And in 2012, another controversyemerged as a yellow shirt featuring anembroideredsix-pointedstaroverabreastpocket, was pulled as it was distinctlyreminiscent of the yellow badge Jewishpeople were forced to wear under theNaziregime.
Earlier this year, the fashion label wasagainunderfireforashirtthatseemedtoadvocateeatingdisordersanddepression.
ActressSophieBushwasoneofthemanycelebritiesoffendedby the shirt, stating,“It’s like handing a suicidal person aloadedgun…topromotestarvation?Topromote anorexia,which leads to heartdisease, bone density loss and a slewofother health problems, not least of allpsychologicalissuesthatnevergoaway?”
YET ANOTHER URBAN OUTFITTERS CONTROVERSYBY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER
Sixty-three-year-old founder and
chairman of Urban Outfitters, Richard
Hayne,iswellknownforhisconservative
politicalbeliefs.
Inthepast,Haynehasdonatedthousands
ofdollarstoultra-conservativepoliticians
suchasRickSantorum.
Santorum, a politician who doesn’t
approveofsame-sexmarriage,isknown
for his statement, “If we allow gay
marriage, next thing you know, people
willbemarryinggoldfish”.
Thissentimentwasreciprocatedin2008,
aftertheretailerremovedashirtwiththe
slogan“I Support Same SexMarriage”
from their stores and online website,
claiming they had received“too much
badpress”.
WithBuzzfeedreleasinganonlinearticle
titled the ‘26 Times Urban Outfitters
has Failed so Hard’, it seems, despite a
backlashofbadpublicityandcommunity
outrage, that the retailer continues to
focus on making money, whatever
thecost.
@GemmaMolle017
N E W S 7
T E R T N E W S
ThecurrentEbola crisis inWestAfrica is so
extreme it is being compared to past world
crisis’suchasThePlagueandHIV.Containing
the spread of infection is becoming more
difficultandtherearefearsitcouldpotentially
becomeaworldwidedisaster.
The World Health Organisation’s media
reportstatesthatasofSeptember19th,there
havebeenover5,500peoplesickenedbythe
outbreak, and 2,500 have died.The disease
has a fatality rate of 90%, however its latest
outbreak has a current fatality rate of 50%.
Thevirusistransmittedthroughdirectbodily
fluid contact, like blood or vomit, but there
are grave concerns it couldmutate to being
transmittedthroughsneezingorcoughing.
At the time this articlewent to print, seven
Africancountrieshadbeenaffected,however
in a recent studybyOxfordUniversity, they
haveidentifiedanother15countriesthatthe
outbreakmaypossibly spread to.Thiswould
potentially put 22 million people at risk of
contractingthedisease.
Withnoknowncure for thevirus,Liberian
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has begged
UnitedStatesPresidentBarackObamatohelp.
“IambeinghonestwithyouwhenIsaythatat
thisrate,wewillneverbreakthetransmission
chain and the virus will overwhelm us,” he
wrotethroughletter.
Thevirus’sworldwidethreathasbeenbrought
totheattentionofmanyinternationalcountry’s
leaders. Obama dubbed it as a potential
“national security priority,” in an interview
onNBC’sMeetthePress,Tuesday,September
16th.AustralianPrimeMinister,TonyAbbott,
addressed the issue while opening the Peter
DohertyInstituteforInfectionandImmunity
in Melbourne, on Friday September 12th.
Mr Abbott said that Australia is “ready for
Ebola” should it reach our shores, but we
mustnotremaincomplacent.Healsoassured
thattravellersfromWestAfricaandreturning
Australianshavebeenscreenedforsomeweeks
now.
Researches from the University of Oxford
believe education is the key to stopping the
disease.PeoplecomeintocontactwithEbola
through infected animals, for example eating
bushmeetandhuntingsuchanimals,butalso
through the poor health care systems and
procedurescountriesinAfricaabideby.
Government run website Smart Traveller, is
urging travellers to seriously reconsider their
need to travel to the three most impacted
countriesofGuinea,SierraLeoneandLiberia.
Travellerswill alsofind it extremely difficult
totraveltosuchplacesandsurroundingareas
at themoment, becausemany airlines aren’t
operating and some land borders are closed
duetotheEbolaepidemic.
There are severe warnings for any travellers
intendingtovisitAfricaanditisadvisedtoput
travelsoffifyouareplanningtoheadthere.At
leastuntilthevirusismaintainedandtherisk
islowered.We’vecompiledashortlistofFAQ’s
aboutEbola,tohelpaidyourunderstandingof
thediseaseanditsseverity.
GLOBAL TRAVEL WARNINGS AMIDSTTHE EBOLA CRISISBY CAILIN KRAMER @cailinkramer
FAQ’S ABOUT EBOLA
Where did the virus originate?
Named after the Ebola River in the
DemocraticRepublicofCongo,theEbola
diseasefirstemergedin1976.Thisoutbreak
infected over 280 people in Sudan and
Congo.
How does it spread?
The Ebola virus is believed to have first
been contracted by a human that came
intocontactwithaninfectedanimal.Such
animals inAfrica include infectedordead
fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys,
forestantelopeandporcupines.
The virus is then spread through direct
contactwithbloodorbodilyfluids(suchas
urine,vomitorsemen),orthroughneedles
or syringes thatwereusedbythe infected
person.The current poor health standards
inWestAfrica have resulted inmany case
workerscontractingthediseaseanddying.
What are the signs/symptoms of
Ebola?
SignsandsymptomsofEbolacanstartfrom
twodaysuptothreeweeksaftercontracting
thevirus.Thesymptomsinclude:
• fever
• sorethroat
• musclepain
• headaches
Vomiting, diarrhea and rashes usually
followtheseinitialsymptoms,accompanied
by decreased functioning of the liver and
kidneys,andbleedingwithinthebodyand
alsoexternally.
Ifyouhave recently travelled toAfrica,or
have been in contact with someonewho
hasimmediatelyreportsuchsymptoms.
For more information regarding the
Ebola disease, visit The World Health
Organisation’swebsiteatwww.who.int.
T E R T I N V E S T I G A T I O N
I N V E S T I G AT I O N8
T E R T I N V E S T I G A T I O N
Students have criticised the UniversityofWollongong’s Nursing practices, thatrequire them to take off some of theirclothes inorder tocompletea seriesofpracticals.Twenty-five year old Sarah*,whowishestoremainanonymous, is inthe second year of herNursing degreeat UOW. Unhappy about the teachingmethods of the Bachelor of Nursingdegree, she voiced her unpleasantexperienceandopiniontotheTertangalaearlierthisyear.
Sarah recounts how uncomfortablestudents in her class felt when theywere asked to expose their underwearand in some cases their breasts, for anelectrocardiogram (or ECG) lesson. Acommon test, ECGs assess the cardiacimpulsesoftheheart.Electrodesorleadsareattachedtothepatient’slegs,armsandchest,whichthensubmittheimpulsestoanECGmachine.
TheBachelorofNursing’ssubjectoutline,instructs students towear“clothingthatwillenableanECGtobeperformedonthemwhilst maintaining their dignity”.Sarahsaysthatwhilesomepeopleinherclassknewtheywouldbelearningaboutthetest,shewasneverfullyinformedofwhattheclassentailed.
“Iwaspairedwithagroupoftwo-threepeople...weweregoing to learnwhereto put the ECG leads,” she said. “Wewere instructed that putting the ECGcordsontopofourbrawouldnotwork,andbecauseof thisweneeded toundoourbra, lift thebreastupandallow foranother student toplace theECGcordwhereitneededtogo.”
In the laboratory Sarah’s teacheroriginally grouped her with a femalestudent and two male students. Sherefused toworkwith the twomales, sowasgivenpermissiontoorganiseanall-
femalegroup.TherewereaboutsixmalestudentsinSarah’sclass.Onceorganised,the groups split up into curtained-offsections in the room. Sarah remembersthe trouble her group had trying tosecuretheECGleadsonherfriend,whowaslyingdownonthebedwithherbraon.
“Wewereallnervous...shewaswearinga sports bra that the ECG leadswouldnotfitunder,”shesays.“Noneofusaskedher to remove her bra but after a [bit]ofawkwardsilenceshesaid‘screwit’andremoved her bra so that she was bare-breasted.”
Thegroup tried to speed thingsup fortheir friend and make the procedureas quick as possible; this led to a lot ofmistakes.Thenextstudentinthegroup,although wearing a different bra, hadto expose her nipple to get a reading.The teacher came in to checkwhetherthe students were conducting the testcorrectly during this time. Sarah hasconfirmedthatothergroupsinthesameclasswentthroughsimilarsituations.
Later in the lesson, a class counter –althoughtoldbyfiveorsixpeopleintheclassnottoopenthecurtains–openedup the curtain next to Sarah’s group,before jumping back with a “Sorry,sorry”.
Nursing students are questioningwhether this is a suitableway to teach.Sarah is disappointed her peers weren’tproperly briefed before class, to ensurethat they all understood the outline ofthe lesson.“The fact that wewere justexpected to do itwas unfair...we havetheresourcesinthisdayandageandtheNursing Faculty chose to ignore that,”shesays.
While Sarah acknowledges that nurses
are expected to work on bodies, andthereforeneedtobecomeusedtoseeingandworkingon them, she says that thelesson was not dignified.“I felt that asa student, my needs were notmet andanyculturalcompetenceandrespectwasblatantly ignored... if a student had anybodyimageproblemsormentalillnessesthisexercise[may]havetriggeredthem.”
“A nurse... would be bound byconfidentiality rules to undertake thisexercise, however right now we areall students and do not follow anyconfidentiality laws,” she said. “We arenot trained professionals, and some ofusmaynothave the tools todealwiththis kind of teaching emotionally andphysically.”
RenéeMouchéCallender, President ofthe Student Nurses ofWollongong, isstudyingherMastersinNursing.Shesayssheremembersattendingasimilarclassinherbachelordegreebutinsistshertutoruseddiscretionandonlyaskedformalevolunteers.
“The suggestion of equipment andvolunteerstosimulatepatientswouldbeabetter alternative,” she says.“Exposingthemselves to get a full reading on theECGmachineshouldhaveonlyoccurredwiththosethatfeltcomfortable.True,itis inevitablethatnurseswillbeexposedto the human body, but this does notnecessarily mean they need to bepressuredintogettingundressed.”
Of the Nursing Faculty’s teachingmethods she says, “We learn over andoveragaininournursingstudiesthatnoprocedure can be performedwithout apatients consent and this is where themain issue lies. Ido realise there [aren’tmany]otherways to teacha student toperform an ECG, but this should notforcestudentstobethepatients”.
STUDENTS DEEM NURSING FACULTY’SMETHODS TOO INVASIVEBY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter
I N V E S T I G AT I O N 9
Associate Professor and Head of theSchool of Nursing and Midwifery,Angela Brown, says she is alarmed thatastudentwassoexposed.“Theyshouldhave sourced some guidance from theteacher before getting to that level,”she said.“We should never get to thatposition[ofexposure]”.
Prof. Brown was sad that the facultywas only made aware of the issue viathe Tertangala’s request for a response,however she was glad somebody hadbroughtittotheirattention.Shesaidshehadspokentoanumberofhercolleaguesabout the situation, but nobody hadheardanythingofitsnature.
“Atnopointhasanythinglikethisbeenbrought to our attention…becausewewouldhaveworkedwith the students...toassistthemtofeelcomfortablewhilstachievingtheoutcome,”shesaid.
Togain some insight into the situation,I spoke to seven aspiring nurses fromdifferent universities all overAustralia. IinterviewedtwostudentsinNewSouthWales, three fromQueensland, andonefromWesternAustraliaandVictoria.Onewasamaleandtherestwerefemales.
Noneofthesestudent’suniversitiesmadeECG patient participation compulsory.Most were shocked by the exposureinvolvedinSarah’sstory,andlistedvariousotherwaystheiruniversitiesapproachedECG lessons: using life-like manikins,employingmodels,requestingtheylearnthe practice on work placement, oraskingforoneortwovolunteers intheclass.
Evan Casella, a third-year Bachelorof Nursing Science student at JamesCook University, Cairns, said Sarah’sstorywasunfortunate.Themalestudentnurse,whoisalmostfinishedhisdegreebelieves thatwhile the university could
haveensuredtheprocessbealittlemoresensitive, it’s vital nursing students getusedtoworkingwithhumanbodies.
“Nursing is a professionwhere you dohave to work with human bodies andyouhavetobecomecomfortablearound[them],” he said.“It is quite importantto gain that while you are a studentbecause if you walk into a room as aregistered nurse and you have to do afemale urinary catheterisation and yourcompletelyawkward, it’s reallygoing tomakethepatientfeelquitehorrible.”
Evan’s university opts for volunteersfrom each group in the ECG practical,meaning it is not compulsory for allstudents to participate. He mentionedthat James Cook University willsometimes employ models to come inandbetestedbystudents.
Amy Wyborn, an Edith CowanUniversity student based in WesternAustralia, said her ECG practical wasconductedinasimilarway.
“Wehadtowearsportsbras,appropriateunderwear and [take]our uniform topsoff.Curtainsweredrawnforprivacyanditwasjustonepersonwithusbehindthecurtain...” she said. “ECGs were supersimpleandeasytolearn,soitdidn’ttakelongandwecouldputourtopsbackonprettyquickly.”
TheBachelorofSciencestudentsaysherclass were given the option not to dothe exercise, butwere being graded onECGsandthoughtitwasagoodchancetopracticeonanotherstudent.
RoseDavis, a fourth-yearNursing andMidwiferystudentatDeaconUniversity,in Geelong,Victoria, participated in anECGlessoninthefirstyearofherdoubledegree. She’s previously been made toherexposepartsofherback , legs,armandpartsofherchestforotherformsof
testinginclass.
While she didn’t have any problemsbeinginvolvedintheECGpractical,shedoes recall a classwhere shewasmadeto feel uncomfortable. She remembersstruggling to find definite points on apeersbodywhileshewaspracticinghowtoassessthelungfieldsofapatient,whena teacherpulled theactingpatient’s topuptothebackofherbra-line.
Rosenoticedthatbysecondyear,DeaconUniversity had a lot more life-likedummies for students touse, but is notsurewhetherthisisduetoareassessmentof its teaching, or if it is because offinancial or technology reasons. As aresultRose said,“we stoppedusingourpeersaspatientsinourlabs”.
“Ithinkit’sodd...it’scalledasimulationI reallydon’t think itneeds tobedonelike that... you can stick probes on adummy,”shesaid.
She also mentions consent. “There’salwaysaright...foryoutobeabletogo‘Heymygutfeelingisnot[right]’,”shesaid.“You’vealsogottotakealittlebitofresponsibilityforyourself.Atutordoesn’tknowwhatyou’refeelingifyoudon’tgooutofyourwaytosay‘Thisisn’tright’.”
What each of these students seemto agree on is making sure that eachsimulated patient is consenting to bepractisedon.TheybelievethatbymakingparticipationasapatientinECGlessonscompulsory, teachers may be forcingstudents to perform a task they areuncomfortabledoing.
However Prof. Brown insists all fiveUOW campuses regard passive, verbaland written consent as a high priority.She explained that the University doeshave access to life-like dummies thatECGtestingcouldbeperformedon,butthereisn’tquiteenoughtogoaroundand
I N V E S T I G AT I O N10
T E R T I N V E S T I G A T I O N
I N V E S T I G AT I O N 11
the teachers actually prefer to includestudentsinthepatientprocess,asaformofimmersiveteaching.
“We specifically intend that studentsengageandperform in this skill so thattheyunderstandtheexperiencefromthepatient’s point of view,” she said.“Priortothatlaboratorywhereitisundertaken,studentsareadvisedthat[they]aregoingtodemonstratetheskillandthattheyarebeinginvitedtopracticetheskilloneachother”.
“WhenstudentsenrolintheBachelorofNursingprogram,theyareconsentingtobeinvolvedinthelearning...theyknowand understand that they have to listentothelectures,participateinthetutorialsand labs simulation, and workplaceexperiences,“shesaid.
Prof.Brownsaysthefaculty’sexpectationsof participation are clearly outlined inthe student workbook, which statesthat all practicals are compulsory andstresses students wear clothing enablinga twelve leadECG to be demonstratedon them.She said this note is includedsothatstudentscanensuretheyweartheappropriateclothesthatwillallowthemtomaintaintheirdignity.
“Whenyou’relookingafterapatientinrealpracticeifyousaytothem‘CanItakeyourbloodpressure?’theygiveyoutheirarm.That’spassiveconsentandthat’sthesortofconsentweuseinthelaboratories.Thefactthatthestudentstandsup[and]it’s explained to them what’s going tohappen, by virtue of them being theretheyareagreeingtobeinvolved.Weneedstudentstobeabletosharewithusthatthey’renotcomfortablewiththat...”
“An ECG comes under the same levelofconsentinpractice,doctorsornurseswould say to patients‘We are going toperformanECGonyou’andthey’dsay‘Yeah that’s alright’. When somebodyappears at their bedside with themachine they’d [say] ‘I’m the personthat’scometodothatisthatalright?’andthey’dsay‘Yes’.That’saformofconsentandwewantthattobeemulatedinthelearning environment so that studentsunderstandthatyoudon’tjustgoupandgrab somebody.You actually speak andreceive... a shared understanding about
what’sgoingtohappennext.”
Prof.Brownsaysthatstudentswhoaren’tcomfortable only need to voice theirconcerns as the faculty has employedalternativemethodswithuncomfortablestudents in the past; based on moral,culturalandreligiousreasons.
“Weuseimmersivelearningexperiencesthatenablethemtolearntheskillsofthetechnique of the task, but also enablesthem to demonstrate knowledge, theappropriatebehaviours,andinterpersonalskills that are required in the care ofindividuals.Theartofnursingcareistomaintain respect and privacy and that’sexpectedinthelabs,”shesays.
Sarah said students were under theimpression that the faculty’s ECGlearning method was compulsory, asstudents are told that if they do notattend and participate in the labs thattheywillreceiveatechnicalfail.Shesaystheyweren’tmadeawarethattheycouldcompletethetaskanotherwayiftheyfeltuncomfortable.
The UOW Nursing staff body, bringstogetherarangeofteachersfromdifferentcountries,culturesanduniversities.Prof.Brown says they all agree their currentmethodsarethebestwaytoteachECGpracticals.HavingcompletedherdegreeinEngland, she says shewas taught thesamewayandthis learningmethodisacommonpractice inuniversities aroundtheworld.
NursingteachersareboundbytheUOWteachingCodesofPracticeandConduct,andbytheSchool’sWaysofWorkingandProfessional Boundaries. As registerednurses,theirworkethicisalsogovernedbyTheNurses andMidwivesBoard ofAustralia’sCodeofProfessionalConduct,which states, “The nurse respects thedignity, culture, ethnicity, values andbeliefs of people receiving care andtreatment,andoftheircolleagues”.
Prof.Brownsaysthatalloftheseresourcesaremade readily accessible for studentsto refer back to, and that students arethereforerequiredtotreatpeersasactualpatients, and teachers their pupils ascolleagues.“Wehaveavalue,wehaveacode,and‘oftheircolleagues’extendstostudents,becausetheyareourcolleagues.
Theyarestudentsof theprofessionthatwe belong to and they’re aspiring tojoin.”
Despite these comments, Sarah suggeststheNursingFaculty“usemoreresources,purchase propermedical dolls, and hirepeopletocomein”andbeamodel forfutureECGtesting.
The facultyhas disclosed that theywillendeavour to take the feedback veryseriously. “What we will be doing isusing this opportunity to revisit theinformation we share with students,considerthebestway[s]oflearningandthen building that into our curriculumreviewprocesses,”Prof.Brownsaid.
Although Sarah was uncomfortabletalkingtooneofherteachersabouttheissue,Prof.Brown is hopeful that othernursing students will not be afraid tocomeforwardandspeaktoherpersonallyasthey,“valueourstudent’svoice”.
SarahhascompletedtheECGpracticalforasecondtimesincethecommencementofthisinvestigationandsaysthistimeitwas specifically noted that“boys couldnot go with girls, and girls could notgowithboys”.Apersoncame into theroomduringthelessontomakesuretherulewasimplemented.ThisrulewasnotenforcedinSarah’sfirstECGlessonandshe isunsurewhether itwas influencedby theTertangala’s initial query for thisinvestigationearlierintheyear.
Sarahmadesuresheinformedherteachershewasuncomfortableandrequestedtositoutthetest-shewasnotalone.Sherecountsthatwhilestudentsinhergroupstillhadtotakeofftheirshirt,show,undo,andliftupthebaseoftheirbratogetacorrectreading,noonehadtotaketheirbraoffthesecondtimeround.
However she still strongly opposes thewayUOWconductstheirECGlessons.“I think if we are paying thousands ofdollarstolearnthenthereshouldatleastbe some sort of doll thatwe can learnon-maleandfemale,”shesays.“EventhesecondtimearoundImadeitveryclearthat Iwasn’tcomfortabledoing [it]andthe tutor just kindof brushedmeoff...Idon’tthinkweshouldhavetouseourbodiestolearn.”
*Name has been changed to protect the student’s identity.
T E R T I N V E S T I G A T I O N
ShirinDemirdag
WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON PEOPLE WEARING CLOTHING ITEMS FROM
DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AT EVENTS LIKE COSTUME PARTIES?
JAMIE SPRESSER
Y O U R O P I N I O N12
It’sculturallyinsensitivebecauseyoucanbewearingthingsthathavemeaning,butbecauseoftentimespeopleareignorant,you’redoingthingsthatareoffensive.Wethinkit’sacceptabledothesethingsbecausewe’reunawareofwhattheyactuallymeaninthesecultures.Itcomesfromaveryprivilegedpositiontothinkyoucanjustpickandchoosefromotherpeople’sculturesanddressupandappropriateitjustforfun.
No,it’sokaywitheveryonebecauseiftheywanttowearittheycan.Nowadayswithfashioneverything’schanged,eveninthewesterndress.
KarenvarSingh&PrinceSharme
Isupposeifit’sanaccuraterepresentationI’mokaywithit,butifyou’rebeingflippantlystereotypicalandracist,dependingonthecircumstancesImayhaveanissuewithit.
KieranO’Connor
@reyn0lds_559 @BelindaQuinn10BELINDA QUINN
V O X P O P S
Somepeoplefinditoffensive,butthensomepeoplealsorealiseit’sjustforaparty.It’snotreallyoffensiveifit’sabunchofmaturepeopleandtheydoitinarespectfulmanner,aslongastheydon’tgetdrunkandmakeajokeoutofit.
MustaphaBeri
Ithinkit’sfineunlessthere’salreadyanissue.TheNativeAmericanshaveexpressedoffencetowardspeoplewhodressupinthosenativeheaddresses,andyetpeoplestilldoitwhenit’spublicknowledgethatit’soffensive.ButIalsothinkit’sgoodtocelebratediversity,differentethnicbackgroundsandcultureatthesametime,aslongasit’sdoneinarespectfulwayandwithoutanyknowledgethatit’sgoingtooffendthatparticularculture[then]Ithinkthat’sfine.
EmmaPickford
Justaslongastheyaren’tdoingitinanoffensivemanner,andthey’rejustdoingittohaveagoodtimeandtogetintothespiritofthingsthenyeah,it’sokay.
HanaLee
I L L U S T R AT I O N : J E S S N E S B I T T 13
V O X P O P S
“The image of a warbonnet… has been created and perpetuated by hollywood and only bears minimal resemblance to traditional regalia of plains tribes. It furthers the stereotype that native peoples are one monolithic culture, when in fact there are 500+ distinct tribes with their own cultures. It also places native people in the historic past, as something that cannot exist in modern society. We don’t walk around
in ceremonial attire everyday, but we still exist and are still native.”
-Dr.AdrienneK,NativeAppropriationsForum
T H E D E B AT E14
Let’sbehonest.
Whenyou land in a newcountry, after hours of flying andbattlingyourwaythroughcustoms,dealingwithatravelbuddyislessthanexciting.
The rush and thrill of being in a new country comes aftera shower, after finding the hostel and most probably afterarguingwithyourtravelbuddywhethertotakethePiccadillyorJubileeundergroundline.
Travellingsoloisaterrifyingconcept.Knowingthatyoualoneareresponsibleforyourtransport,accommodation,andmoney–allwhilenotwantingtomissoutonwhateachnewcountryoffers – is enough tomake anyone signup for a 27-personContiki tour. But despite the anxiety of being alone in aforeigncountry,there’ssomethingsosatisfyingaboutbeingonyourown.
WhenIfirstarrivedinLondon,Iwasjust18andfreshoutofhighschool.IhadaweektospendinthecitybeforeheadingtoajobintheSouth.Forthenextfivedays,itwasjustmeandmyLonely Planet Guide.
IttakesadedicatedboyfriendorlikemindedtravelcompaniontositthroughanentirereadingofShakespeareinthesummer,to spend hours loitering over every detail of theTower ofLondon,or towatchmultiple re-runsofNotting Hill asyoupictureyourselfbuyingbooksfromHughGrant.ButthiswaswhatIwantedfrommytimeinLondon.
Travellingonyourownallowsyoutogainthemostfromyourtrip, without constantly worrying about the needs of yourtravel buddy.The freedom of doing what you want, whenyouwant,andhowlongyouwantfor,isjustthebeginningof
thebenefitsoftravellingsolo.Noamountoftherapyorself-helpclassescangeneratethesamesenseofempowermentthatcomesfromindependentlynailingaforeigntransportsystem.
Onmyfinalnight inLondon,Iwas transferredtoa30-beddorm.ItwasaFridaynightandtheroomwasfilledwithyoungbackpackers.Everyonewastoopoortogotothepub,sowemade our own funwith cheap vodka and some Sainsbury’slemonade.Oneofthegreatestperksoftravellingonourownisthatnobodyknowswhoyouare.Thatnight,IwasKate,theAussiebackpackerfromTasmania,heirtoacheesefactoryandenroutetoAmsterdamtocomparetheforeignmarket.Totallyuntrue.
Asclichéasitmaysound,travellingonyourownteachesyouthingsaboutyourselfyoumaynothaveknown.Ittestsyourmental strength and sense of independence.You gain moreconfidencewitheachchallengeyouovercomeandsoontherealworld,ormorepointedly, being lost in Istanbul, doesn’tseem that scary.This senseof self transcends into the restofyourlife.Unipresentationsaren’tasbadandyoufindyourselfevenoptingtorunorhikeonyourowntofindthatoldsenseoffreedom.
Perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve taken from travellingonmyown,ishowtobealone.Wedon’tcomprehendthenumberofhoursinadaywespendwithsomeonebyoursides,whetherit be in person, or online.When you travel by yourself, theexperienceisuniquelyyours.Scary?No,empowering!
Inreality,thetimeyoutaketotravelisshortcomparedtothedaysandyearsyouspendreminiscingover‘thatonesummerinItaly’.Thelessonsyoulearnwillstaywithyouforeverandifyou’reeveryfeelinglonely,justrememberthatyourfriendsareneverfurtherthanafreeWi-Ficonnectionaway.
TRAVELLING ON YOUR OWN TERMS
BY KELSEY MCINTOSH
FOR SOLO TRAVEL
@KMcintosh21
T H E D E B A T E
Itwasclosetomidnight.I’dbeentravelingsince6am.Alone.
IwasenroutefromSwedentoTurkeytobeginmyEuropeanSummeradventure.I’dspokentomyMumonlyhoursearlier.She’dtoldme,intrueMumfashion,becareful.
Eighteenhoursofbikes,buses,trainsandplaneslater,Iarrivedin Istanbul.A huge stormwas rolling in, as I collectedmybackpackandlocatedthebusthatwouldtakemefromthefaraway,lowbudgetcarrierairport,intotheheartofIstanbul.Itwastooeasy.IwasfeelingprettyproudofmyselfasIsettledinfortheride.Forthenexthour,IwatchedthestormrollinanddebatedhowIwouldgetfromthebusstationtomyhostel.
SteppingoffthebusatTaksimSquare,Iwasgreetedbyagaggleoftaxidrivers.Ichosethemostrespectablelookingone.HewaswearingBirkenstocks.Afashionable,Birkenstockwearingmanwasasafebet,right?
Duringthejourneyheaskedmetypical(andusuallyharmless)questions.Howold are you?Where are you from?Are youmarried?Doyouhaveaboyfriend?Ohyes, Iwasdefinitelymarried.Spontaneously.Yesterday,infact.
Westoppedabruptlyatthebottomofahill.Icouldn’tseeahostel.Or any accommodation for thatmatter.He toldmethehostelwasclosebyand that I couldwalk from there. Itwasmidnight.Iwasalone.ButIalsohadnowayofarguingwiththisTurkishman.ThemeteralreadyreadtriplewhatIwasexpectingtopay.Ihandedovermyonehundredliranoteandwaitedforchange.Butsuddenly,theonehundredlirawasgoneandinhishandwasatwentyliranote.HedemandedthatIpayhimmore,andineuro.
IwishIcouldsaythatinthatsituationIwasanindependent
womanthat‘didn’tneednoman’.ThatIhadwalkedawayfromthecabdefiantly,hadrefusedtopaymoreandaskedhimforhisI.D.Butthat’snotwhathappened.IhadnoideawhereIwasorhowtolocatemyhostel.Iwasinaforeigncountrywithaseedytaxidriverandnoonetobackmeup.SoIhandedovermoremoneyandmadearunforit.
Solo travelcanbeenlightening,empoweringandamazing. Icanvouchforthat.Butit’srisky.Andit’smomentslikethesethat highlight the importance of traveling with a group orcompanion.
Notonly is travelingwith a companion safer, the inevitablylongplane, bus and train rides aremore excitingwhenyouhave a travel buddy by your side.When you’re ridiculouslydrunk at a club and trying to hook-upwith the bartenderor pour yourself drinks, it’s your friendwhowill drag yououtoftherebeforeyou’rearrested.Andit’syourfriendwhowill bring you coffee and food inbed thenextmorning asyounurseyoursorryselfbacktohealthoncroissants/tapas/souvlaki.Whentimesgettough,it’syourtravelbuddywhoisbyyoursidelaughingandholdingyourhand.
It’s also your travel buddy who will encourage you to gosnorkeling,running,dancing, feasting,hotairballooningandsightseeing.They’ll be doing it all with you and probablytakingyourphotosforInstagram.
Traveling sees you not only at your worst, making it theultimate friendship test, but it also sees you at your best. Ifyour friendship has survived physical sickness, homesicknessand lovesickness (forthatdreadlocked,tannedfreespirit thatyouwereconvincedwastheone),chancesareyou’regoingtobefriendsforlife.Afterall,it’syourtravelbuddywhoyou’llsitdownwithintenyearsandsay,‘Doyourememberthattimeyoupuked/smooched/fellinlove/climbedthatmountain...?
NEVER TRUST A MAN IN BIRKENSTOCKS
BY ZOFIA ZAYONS
FOR GROUP TRAVEL
T H E D E B AT E 15
@zzayons
T H E D E B A T E
P H O T O : N ATA L I E Z A G A L I A
One of the aspects I cherish most about my study abroad experience is the friendships I forged and the connections I made.
Whilst in Tours, France, I had the opportunity to not only immerse myself in a culture and language so very different from my own, but to meet so many diverse and wonderful people from all around the world. One of these wonderful people was Paul, who I met on one of our first nights in France.
A few Australian friends and I were out drinking French wine in the Tours town square (called ‘Place Plum’), and discussing how ecstatic we were about the prospect of a semester in such a gorgeous town. Suddenly, a local French guy Paul, overheard us speaking English and came over to our table. He inquired as to where in Australia we were from and when we replied he gasped and said “Wollongong, that’s where
I am going next semester for my exchange!” It was incredible to make such an immediate connection with someone from the other side of the world. A few times during the rest of our time in France, Paul met up with my friends and I to show us the town or help us practice our French skills, which was really awesome.
Then, in the Autumn semester of this year, Paul came to study in Wollongong and I was declared his ‘Study Abroad buddy’. We would often meet up for coffee or lunch on campus; I invited him to family dinners and tried to show him my favourite spots in the Illawarra.
It’s friendships like these that have made me even more grateful for the incredible opportunity I had to study overseas, and it also means that now I have loads of places to stay on future travel expeditions!
The greatest piece of advice I can offer, is to work hard and save NOW. You will be presented with so many amazing opportunities that realistically may never be yours for the taking again.
I can wholeheartedly say that I will never regret the amount of money that I had to spend to get here. I left Australia a month before class started so that I could travel first. I spent two weeks in the United States and saw things that will stay with me forever. This trip added over $2500 to my already costly exchange program, but it was honestly worth every last cent.
I had the chance to fly over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. Some people in my tour group turned down the offer as they were worried about the cost. If you are planning to travel, SAVE! I couldn’t believe these people had travelled to the other side of the world and were not fully participating because they weren’t sure if they would have enough money for the rest of the trip. Yes, this helicopter ride may have cost me $265 for 45 minutes, but it will be one of
the most memorable 45 minute periods of my life. How many people can say they have had a birds-eye view of one of the seven natural wonders of the world? Standing at the lookout is one thing, but you can’t understand how vast and incredible the Grand Canyon truly is until you’re flying high above it.
Once you settle into class, figure out a budget. Decide what you do and don’t need. Remember that while clothes and electronics may be cheaper where you are headed, you need to be able to fit them in your suitcase to get them home. Shipping anything back to Australia will cost an arm and a leg. Save your money for experiences not things. A material object can be purchased anywhere. But just remember if you forgo an experience in favour of a material object, it will cost you another return flight if you ever want to have that opportunity again.
Exchange will be an unforgettable time in your life. Don’t limit yourself by not saving. I mean it people. Less nights at The Grand, and more nights at work. It’s worth it.Natalie McLaren @nmae22
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Sweat trickles down my spine, pooling at the bottom of my sticky leather seat. I roll down the window in search of respite; hot wind claws at my face. Closing the window, I turn up the air cooler in a vain attempt to relieve myself of the all-consuming heat.
On this day, I am flying out of Adelaide, the hottest city on Earth. Forty nine degrees Celsius of fry-an-egg-on-the-pavement, heat.
After twenty-eight hours of shitty airplane food, not knowing what time or day it is, spontaneous napping and a drug-like addiction to my in-flight entertainment system, I am gently shaken awake by a Scandinavian Airlines flight attendant.
Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I gaze out
the window. I’m staring at an airport that looks like it was built in the Soviet era. I was expecting rows of solar panels, perhaps a marching band informing visitors that Sweden is the cleanest, greenest and meanest country in the world. What I was not expecting, was to be greeted by concrete as far as the eye could see.
“Hej då”, the flight attendant says cheerfully as we file out of the aircraft. Flakes of concrete fill my mouth, dust my hair and settle on the ground around me. I laugh silently to myself, realising that my jet-lag addled brain has deceived me. The airport is not constructed entirely of concrete, but wrapped lovingly in a thick blanket of snow.Zofia Zayons @zzayons
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
EXCHANGE CONNECTIONS
By Emily Ritchie travel-ramblings.tumblr.com Université François-Rabelais, Tours, France
SAVING FOR THE EXPERIENCE
CONCRETE FLAKES / ARRIVING IN SWEDEN
E X C H A N G E A D V I C E18
Hi y’all! Now, I know a few of you reading this may one day find yourselves on exchange. Firstly, it will be the single best thing you ever do. Secondly, I have one very important piece of advice for you, regardless of where you’re off too: embrace every experience possible.
Whether it’s a spontaneous weekend trip away with a bunch of people you’ve only just met or deciding to stay in the country a bit longer, if an opportunity arises, grab it with both hands and don’t let go. Believe me, in six months or a years’ time when you look back on that experience, it’s the stuff you never saw yourself doing that you’ll remember most with fondness.
One of my favourite experiences that springs to mind, was deciding to go out five nights in a row the week before final exams.
Now, I like to party, but five nights now seems a little impossible. However back then, I figured I was almost at the end of my exchange and when would I ever be back in the same situation?
And so, despite waking up on the Sunday morning with a five-day collective hangover the size of Texas and heaps of study to do, I had the best week of my life that involved antics like trying to converse in Spanish at 4am and going to the bar of a rival school and attempting (poorly) to ride a mechanical bull.
The point is, that when your time is up and you’re facing seat 32C on the airplane back to Australia, you will want to have lived every moment of your exchange to the fullest. As those Contiki tours say: #noregrets
EMBRACE EVERY EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE
Trying new and exciting things doesn’t necessarily mean aeroplane food. Your safest bet on budget airlines is to opt for the vegetarian dish.
But seriously, in retrospect, the experiences of exchange can become a bit blurry when returning to life back home. You tend to recall the big events and nights out, but the details of actually living in another country become pushed aside for new memories.
The best advice I was given was to write down everything, no matter how minuet it may seem. Photos and videos can only do so much. It’s the little details that make the memories come alive.
My exchange diary is all hand written and covered in scribble. It begins by listing the first song that was playing on my iPod when the plane took off bound for a month at Oxford University. I’ve tried not to miss any details, recording the foods I ate on my first day in London, the colour of the flowers
during a so-called ‘British summer’, and the names of the local bartender’s children. I can clearly recall presenting my assessment at Oxford or our celebratory night out, but its remembering these little details of what you had for breakfast, that separate your time in exchange from being a tourist, to actually ‘living’ in another country.
There’s something so satisfying about writing about your adventures by hand. Putting pen to paper separates this period of exchange and travel as something so different to the everyday where we rely on our typing skills.
Admittedly, it does become a stretch to fill out an entry when you are trying to cram as much as possible into your days, but it’s worth it. The five minutes you spend jotting down what happened in your day (after half a dozen pints), become such a cherished possession in years to come, no matter how bad your handwriting is. Kelsey McIntosh @KMcintosh21
Oxford University, London, England
When you walk into a department store in the Czech Republic you never have to worry about a pesky, overly attentive shop assistant bothering you. In fact ninety percent of the time you won’t even be able to get them to crack a smile when they’re putting your sale through.
Whilst studying International Law and Human Rights in Brno, Czech Republic, in January 2014, I quickly learnt not to get offended if someone didn’t return my grin or ask me how I was going. Czech people are formal, reserved and private – until you get to know them.
A particularly vivid memory I have from the trip is of our final class at Masaryk University. We’d finished our exam and headed down to the cafeteria to get a beer. In the Czech Republic you can get beers everywhere – and they’re only $2! Naturally we’d stayed way past the twenty minutes allocated for
the break and our lecturer Katerina, came looking for us. We started sculling our bottles of ‘Starobrno’ but she told us not to worry and to bring them back to class!
Then, midway through her lecture on freedom of expression and hate speech, Katerina leant down behind the lectern and brought out a flagon of homemade honey wine for us. Now that’s what I call culture shock.
Katerina was a fantastic teacher. She’s worked at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague and had her research published all around the world. Katerina taught me how incredibly hospitable Czech people can be. She even took us out dancing at her favourite club and got them to play Australian music all night!
I miss you Brno….your University, your beer and your wonderful people. I’ll be back soon.
Heather Wortes @HWortes
Masaryk University, Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC
Kelsey Sutor @KelseySutorUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
WRITE THINGS DOWN
LECTURES AND BEER IN BRNO
E X C H A N G E A D V I C E 19
P H O T O : H E AT H E R W O R T E S ,M U M ’ S L I F E L O N G D R E A M - V I S I T I N G T H E E L E P H A N T S I N C H A N G M A I
“Sawadeeka!”Mumsaysasshetakesher100bahtofchangeandplacesitsafelyinherbackpack.Ilookovermyshoulderaswewalkoutoftheshoptoseethetwogirlsbehindthecountergigglingandpointinginourdirection.Mum’sjustsaidtheThaiwordsforhelloinsteadofthankyouforthesecondtimethatday.
“Muuuuumyoudiditagain!”
Andrew’s13.He’satthatagewhereyourmotherandsisterarethemostembarrassingpeopleintheworldandthere’snothingworsethanbeingstuckwiththemfor14daysinanothercountry.
Mum’stotallyoblivioustomybrother’scomplaint.She’stoobusylookingatthemapneartheshopentranceandworkingoutwhichwaterfallweshouldgotofirst.We’reatErawanNationalPark,anhourlongbusrideoutofKanchanaburi.Sevenlevelsofnaturalwaterfallsstretchaboveusandtherearelocalseverywhere.It’sthelastdayofSongkran,Thailand’sNewYearcelebrationandfamilieshavetakenadvantageofthethree-daypublicholidayandheadedoutofthemuggycity.
***
Kanchanaburi,twohoursdrivewestofBangkok,wasdeclaredwithastateofemergencyourplanelanded,twodaysago.Tensofthousandsofanti-governmentredshirtdemonstratorstooktothestreetstoprotest,ascelebrationsforSongkranbegan.Aswegotourstufftogethertogetofftheplane,Mumexplainedthepoliticalconflictbetweentheredandyellowshirts,andthegrowingcivilunrestshe’dreadaboutinthedaysleadinguptoourflight.
Duringthetaxidrivefromtheairporttoourhostel,allwesawoftheconflictwasalineofarmedtroopsblockingtheentrancetoBangkok’smaintouriststrip-KhaoSanRoad.Thenextmorningwhenwewentoutexploring,Mumaskedasoldierfordirections.Hewarnedhertherewereviolentprotestsoutsideagovernmentbuildingaroundthenextcorner.WetookataxistraighttoKanchanaburithatafternoon.
Whenwecalledhomeourfamilywerebesidethemselves.Onthenewsthey’dbeentoldofgunfire,Molotovcocktailsandbusesbeingsetalight.Meanwhilewehadseennothingbuttheheavysoldierpresence.
Despiteeveryone’sworrywewerefine.Mum’sasavvytraveller.SheknewwhatshewasdoingwhenshedecidedtotakeusbackpackinginAsiabeforewewereoldenoughtodoitourselves.
WhenIaskedherwhatmadeherdecidetodoitshesaid,“Iwantedmykidstogrowupwithanunderstandingandempathyforothercultures”.
AndI’msogladshedid.Itwasthetripeveryteenagershouldhave.
***
“I’vegotacamera!”Mumcallsout,clutchingittothetopofherheadandlaughingatusaswegetdrenchedwithbucketsofwaterandourfacesarepaintedwithchalkywhitepaste.
WearebackinKanchanaburifortheafternoon,andSongkranisinfullswing.Musicboomsoutofspeakersonthebackofpickuptrucks,filledtothebrimwithpeopleandhugeplasticbarrelsofwater.Kidswieldingwaterpistolsgiggleastheyblasticecoldwaterinourdirection.Motorbikesracepastwiththreeorfourpeopleonthem,theirdriversattemptingtododgethewaterthat’sflyingfromalldirections.TheThaiwomannexttomehasahugegrinonherfaceasshehandsmeabucketofwaterandpointstowardthenearestbarrel,urgingmetojoininthefun.ThewaterthrowingissymbolicofcleansingallthemisfortunesofthepastyearandwelcomingintheNewYearwithafreshstart.
It’sonegiantwaterfight.
***
AfterKanchanaburiweluggedour15kilobackpackstothecountry’sancientcapitalSukhothai,wherewecycled70squarekilometresof13thcenturyruins,beforeheadingtoChiangMaiinthemountainousfarnorth.
Weonlyjoinedtwoorganisedbustoursinthewholetrip–daytripswerenecessarytofiteverythingin.MumwaspetrifiedourminibusdrivingoutofChiangMaiwasgoingtofallofftheedgeofthecliff,aswewoundhigherintothemountainstovisittheelephants(Mum’slifelongdream),trektoahilltribevillageandgorafting-witha10-year-oldguide.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 21
BACKPACKING AT 16BY HEATHER WORTES @HWortes
In April 2009, Heather went backpacking across Thailand with her Mum and 13-year- old brother. This is what she remembers.
ChiangMaiwasourfavourite.MumandIspenteveryeveningwanderingthevibrantnightmarketsinsearchofbargainstotakehome.AndrewoptedforThaisoapieswithoutsubtitlesbackattheguesthouse.
ThelastpartofthetripwastwosunnydaysrelaxingonthebeachinKoSamet.TogettoKoSametwegotatuk-tuk(athree-wheeled,splutteringmotorisedvehiclethatisopenatthebackandsides,anddefinitelythecutestformofpublictransportinThailand)totheairport,adodgy$50planeflighttoBangkok,andanothertuk-tuktotheskyrail,whichwecaughtacrossthecitytomeetthebusthattookustocoastalBanPhe.
InBanPheweboardedaricketyboat.ItsenginesoundedlikeitjustmadeitacrossthedeepblueexpanseofwatertoKoSamet,thesameislandMumhadvisitedonhertripthroughAsiain1986.
***
“SevenformsofpublictransportinonedayMum.Canyoubelieveit?”Iask.
Icertainlycan’t,IthinktomyselfasIjumpontothebackoftheseventh-apickuptruckthatdoeslapsupanddownthelengthoftheislandeachday,stoppingattheguesthousesdottedalongtheperimeterofthesandywhitebeaches.
“Sowe’regoingtogetoffatthesecondone,thenifit’sfullwe’llkeepwalkingandtrytheonearoundtheothersideofthenextheadland.It’sabitmoreexpensive,”Mumtellsus,pointingtotheaccommodationlistinherLonely Planetguide.Iwipesweatoffmyforeheadandsearchformywaterbottleinmybackpack.AftertwoweeksinAsia,I’mstillnotusedtotheincrediblehumidity.
Thesunstartstosetandwefinallyfindsomewheretosleepaftertrudgingalongthebeachfortwohoursinsearchofanemptyguesthouse.
Afterdumpingourbagsandtakingaquickdipinthebathtemperaturewater,wesitdownonthebeachtodevourasteamingseafoodcurry.Foodtastessomuchbetterwhenyou’reeatingitwithsandbetweenyourtoes.
***
Publictransportwasdefinitelyoneofthebiggestlearning
curvesofthetrip(andtherewerelots).
WhenIaskedMumtosummarisethetripinafewsentences
shesaid:“Irememberthesights,smellsandtastesofabustling
Asiancountry.Thetraveladventureswehadonthatbusthat
hadnotoiletandthetraintoSukhothaiwiththeweirdfood”.
Andrewremembersthe“CrazybusridetoChiangMaiwhereI
keptfallingasleepandthenwakingupandwhackingmyhead
onthewindow”.“Icouldn’tpeefor6hours,”hesaid.
Despiteaskingthematdifferenttimes,theybothremembered
thebustripwetookona2ndclassbuswithnotoiletsorair-
conditioning.
Thentherewasaccommodation.Weknewwhichfriendsto
takerecommendationsoffthenexttimewetravelledandwho’s
advicetosteerclearof.
“Thebestexperiencewouldbethatdaywerodebikesaround
thetemplesinSukhothaiorwhenwewereinthewaterfightin
Kanchanaburi.Theworstwouldbethatcockroachgoingupthe
wallintheshittyhotel,”Andrewsaid.
TheJollyFrogBackpackersinKanchanaburiwasonesuch
recommendation.Thefirstroomhadbedbugsandcockroaches,
andAndrewleftmetodealwiththemwhilehebunkedin
Mum’sroomforthenight.
Butyougetusedtothebugs,andtoflushingtoiletswith
bucketsofwater,becauseit’scheapertostaysomewhere
thatdoesn’thaveatoiletthatflushesitself.Thedodgy
accommodationandpublictransportblendsintothe
backgroundbehindtheincrediblykindpeopleyoumeetand
thebreathtakingplacesyougettoexperience.It’sallpartof
travelling.AndIworkedthatoutbeforeIevenfinishedhigh
school.
ThanksMum.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E22
“
“
The dodgy accommodation and public transport blends into the background behind the incredibly kind people you meet and the breathtaking places you get to experience. It’s all part of travelling.
P H O T O : H E AT H E R W O R T E S , A N D R E W , M U M & I S TA N D I N G
O N T H E T R A C K S O F T H E B U R M A R A I LW AY , K A N C H A N A B U R I
P H O T O : H E AT H E R W O R T E S , K I D S S P E E D I N G PA S T O N A
M O T O R B I K E D U R I N G SO N G K R A N
It’sanageoldpractice.Peoplehavelongdevelopedlanguagesandusedthemtocommunicatewitheachother.Languageispartofwhoweareandhowweidentifyourselvesinourglobalsociety.
AsanativeEnglishspeaker,Ifeelprivilegedtohavegrownuplearningthethirdmostspokenlanguageintheworld,followingMandarinandSpanish.Ihaveneverreallyhadtostruggletounderstandpeople,sincemanypeoplewithanativelanguageotherthanEnglishstilllearnitasasecondlanguage.Inmanycountries,beingby-lingualisanimportantpartoftheschoolingsystem,particularlyinpartsofAsiaandEurope.
PeoplearoundtheworldoftenlearnEnglishtobettertheirjobopportunities,travelexperiences,orjusttohavethegeneralskillofspeakingasecondlanguage.Yet,inAustralia,itseemsthatlearningotherlanguagesisnotdeemedasimportant.InhighschoolIlearntIndonesianforashortperiod,butthemostIcanrememberishowtocounttoten,whichisclosetouselesstome.Ourschoolcurriculumswoulddowelltofurtherencouragethelearningofotherlanguages,inordertobenefityoungAustraliansandtoshowthatwearepartoftheglobalcommunity.Wewouldbenefitfromagreateraccesstoinformation,amoresoundknowledgeofmajoreventsandtheworldaroundus,aswellasbetteringcareeropportunitiesandaddingtoourlifeexperience.
AsamemberofUOW’sStudyAbroadprogram,IrecentlystartedasemesteratConcordiaUniversityinMontréal,Canada.
WhenIwasaccepted,manypeoplesaid,“Ohyou’regoingto
FrenchCanada,doyouspeakFrench?”Theplainanswerisno,
andithasmadethingsmoredifficultthanIanticipated.
IattemptedtolearnbasicFrench.Justenoughtoorderfood,
askdirections,andbuytrainandbustickets.Buteventhough
CanadaisanEnglish-speakingcountry,itisn’ttheofficial
languageoftheprovinceofQuébec.WhilstIknewIwouldbe
encounteringFrenchonmytripIwronglyassumedthatpeople
wouldwillinglyspeakinEnglishwithmewhentheyrealised
thatitwasmyfirstandonlylanguage.Thisisabilingualcity
afterall(althoughIhavehadtorepeatmyselfmanytimeseven
toEnglishspeakers,whocouldn’tquiteunderstandmy‘exotic’
Aussieaccent).
IarrivedinMontréaltwoweeksbeforeIstartedclass,andspent
mytimeexploringthedowntownarea.Uponenteringevery
shop,IwasautomaticallygreetedinFrench.Thefirsttimeit
happenedIwastakenaback.Inervouslystaredattheshop
assistanttryingtomakesenseofherwords,butIcouldnot
recogniseasinglephrase.
“Sorry?”Iaskednervously.SherepeatedherselfinEnglishand
Ithankedher.WhenIhaddecidedwhatIwantedtopurchase,
sheagainstartedtospeakinFrench.SheknewthatIdidnot
understandher,butIwasinherworldnow.That’swhenithit
me:Iwouldspendthenextfourmonthsfacingalanguage
barrierinacountrywhere70%ofthepopulationspeakEnglish.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E24
LEAPING THE LANGUAGE BARRIERBY NATALIE MCLAREN @nmae22
Ihavefoundwaysaroundtheissue.AnytimeIenterashopInowsmileandnodwhiletheygivemetheirspielinFrench,andthenpolitelyreplywithmerci.Idon’tneedtoknowwhatthey’vesaid.I’mjustthankingthemfortheirtime.Similarly,attheendofeverytransactionIamalwaysaskedvousvoulezunsac?Thecashierwillgenerallymovetheirhandtothesideoftheregisterasiftoreachforaplasticbag.Noticingcuesandtrendslikethisletsmeknowtorespondwithasimpleouiornon.
HereinQuébecpeoplecanbealittlerudeifyou‘disrespect’thembynotspeakingtheofficiallanguage.That’swhyI’vefoundithelpfultoatleastrespondwith“thanks”,“yes”,or“no”inFrench,acknowledgingonabasiclevelthatI’minaFrenchcommunity.Thisgesturegoesalongway,andmayevenconvincethemtothenhelpmeoutinEnglish.
I’vealsofoundthatinQuébec,therearemuchmoreseriouslanguagebarrierissuesthanthoseofoverwhelmedtourists.ThetensionbetweenproudFrancophonesandCanadianswhospeakEnglishastheirfirstlanguageisquiteintense.
I’veheardstoriesfromanoldermanwhoworksatthecampuscafeteriaaboutEnglishboyslikehim,beingconstantlybulliedandbeatenupaskidsbyFrenchboys.Thatwasjustthesociallyacceptedattitudebackthen,andaccordingtohimnotmuchhaschanged.Whilstthecityseemsharmoniousenough,promotingitselfasabilingualandmulticulturalmetropolis,alotmoregoesonunderthesurface.
Tomakemattersmoreconfusing,manyFrenchnationalscomplainthattraditionalParisianFrenchisnotusedastheofficiallanguageinQuébec.ThisaddstensionstoMontrealasalargeuniversitycity,whichattractsthousandsofFrenchstudents.TheCanadianFrancophonesseemtohaveasenseofself-importanceduetotheirlanguage,asorepointforFrenchimmigrantswhodon’tagreewiththewaytheyhavetransformedthetraditionalFrenchlanguage.
InlightoftheScottishvoteforindependence,thereisonceagaintalkofapossiblereferendum,wherebyQuébeccouldbecomeindependentfromtherestofCanada.Therehavealreadybeentworeferendumsontheissue,in1980,and1995.Thefirstofthesesawtheproposaldefeatedbyamarginof59.56%to40.44%.Butin1995,theresultswereexcruciatinglyclose,withtheproposalbeingdefeatedbya‘No’voteofjust50.58%.
IfQuébechadanotherreferendum,itcouldbesuccessful,especiallygivenQuébec’swidespreadmediacoverageandpublicsupportfortheScottishindependencecampaign.
Whilstlanguagecandivideus,itcanalsouniteus.I’velearnedtobeproudofthefactthatIspeakEnglish,asaskillthatmanyotherswouldlovetopossess.I’vealsolearntthatlearningotherlanguagesiscrucialifyouwanttotrulyconnectwithotherpeople.Weshouldembracealllanguagesforthelessonstheyteachusandtheexperiencestheycreateforus.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 25
Z I L L A VA N D E B O R N C R E AT E D T H E I L L U S I O N O F A T H A I H O T E L R O O M I N H E R O W N B E D R O O M T O F O O L H E R PA R E N T S D U R I N G S K Y P E S E S S I O N S
InearlySeptemberthewebwentwildforDutchgraphicdesignstudent,ZillaVanDenBorn’stravelpictures.Theyweren’toutoftheordinary,justabasiccollectionofyourstandardholidayphotos.Wellwhatmadethemsospecialyouask?Theyweren’tactuallyreal.
VanDenBornpretendedtobeonafive-weekholidayinSouthAsia.ShespenttheentiretimeatherhomeinAmsterdam,photo-shoppingphotosanduploadingthemtoFacebook.Toaddtothefoolery,sheSkypedherfamilyandfriends,anddisguisedherroomasahotel’s.
Watchingherfriendandfamily’sreactiontothetruth;therewasamixofconfusion,laughterandalittlebitofanger.Byfoolinghernearestanddearest,itwasclearshewaswillingtogotoalllengthstogetherpointacross.Herpointbeing,thatshewantedtocalloutpeoplewholiketomanipulatetherealityoftheirlivesusingsocialmedia.Shequestionswhetherthosepretendingthattheirlifeandtravelsarebetteronlineareactuallyinfluencingtheirtravels?
InVanDenBorn’sinterviewwithDazedDigital,theonlineversionofDazedandConfusedmagazine,Ifoundthreekeyquotesthatotherscanlearnfromher‘trip’.
1. IT’S NOT A COMPETITION
“Wewanttocompetewiththeimagesweseeonlineofothers.Everyonecanbethedesigneroftheirowndigitalidentityandofcoursewewanttokeepupwiththerest.Andthiscouldbringsomepressure.WeallknowhowitisscrollingthroughourtimelineonFacebook,feelingjealousoftheapparentlyawesomelivesotherslivecomparingtoyours.”
2. DESIGNING YOUR OWN REALITY WON’T MAKE YOUR REAL-LIFE BETTER
“Wetendtoforgetthatpeoplefilterwhattheyshowonsocialmediaandoftenusefilterstomaketheirimagesmorebeautiful.Togetherwecreatesomesortofidealonlineworldwithwhichrealitycannolongermeet.”
3. DON’T GET CAUGHT UP WITH YOUR ONLINE IDENTITY
“Youarewhoyousayyouareanditispossibletocreateyourownidealimageofyou.Weshouldn’tbesoobsessedwiththisonlineidentity–weshouldliveforthehereandnow.Inreallifeyougettoknowmuchmoreaboutsomeonethroughinteractionandbodylanguage.”
Perhapsinfuturewhenseeingotherspositingphotosabroad,you’llremembertherealitymightnotbewhatitseems.Whentakinganduploadingyourownphotos,Ihopethatyou,asVanDernBornsays,“Liveforthehereandnow”.Yourexperiencescan’tpossiblyfitinsidetheconfinesofacoverphoto,buttheycaninyourmemories.
@laura_polson
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 27
HASHTAGS THAT SHOULD BE TRENDING
compiledbyLauraPolsonandKelseyMcIntosh
#idontcarewhatyoueatontheplane
#wowanotherplanewing
#thatsaniceplaceticketyoureholdingthere
#nomorethrowbackspls
#yourlegsaresowelltravelled
July rolls round on the uni calendar, and no matter how much you’re enjoying your break, you can’t help but think... am I the only one not in Europe/America/anywhere else a part from Australia? Newsfeeds transform into holiday albums and you start to feel all the more restless. But sometimes behind the scenes, these photos aren’t as amazing as you think. Laura Polson explores a student’s experiment of social media’s influence on travel.
LOGGING OFFBY LAURA POLSON
S A LVA D O R D E B A H I A , B R A Z I L
InRio,thefavelaslayneatlytuckedawayfromthecitylimits,behindahighconcretewallsotheslumdoesn’ttarnishthepicturesqueCopacabana.Rioisnotoriousforitsconstantwarsbetweengangsandthemilitia,amessyefforttokeepcleanforvisitingrich,whitetourists.
ButinSalvadordeBahia,acity1,649kilometresfromRio’swalls,thereisaworld–andanunofficialgovernment–thatremainsuntouched.
InSalvador,thefavelaslieamongmainstreets,wrappedaroundtouristsites,andunderneaththecity’sboardwalks.ThebiggestandmostnotoriousfavelaisVascodaGama,ironicallynamedafterafamedPortugueseexplorer.ThisiswhereIspentnearlyayearlivingandworkinginanorphanage.
TheapartmentIlivedinstandsonastreetthattwistsupwardsataneighty-degreeangle.Thehousesarepackedontopofoneanother,thegatesdouble,triplelocked.
ThewomanIlivedwith–whosenameisElyandonmyveryfirstdaytriedtomarrymeofftohernephewwhileInoddedalongstupidly-issupposedtoprovidesomekindofmentorship.She’ssporadicallyinsaneandtakesoffonspontaneoustripstoPeru,stockinguponsouvenirsshethensellsoutthebackofhercar.
Thedaysheleftforthefirsttime,Iwaswokenbythesmellofburning.Atthetopofmystreet,inthemiddleofthesmallmountedroundabout,whiteribbonsofsmokedriftedfromastackoftyres.
Elywasfussing,yellingtoherneighboursacrossthestreetanddownbelowus.Igathered–inmybrokenPortuguese–thattherehasbeenanexecution.ItwascommonofthegangthatrunsthefavelawhereIwasstaying-trappingthevictiminastackoftyresandsettingthemalight.Itservesasawarning,astampontheircompetition.
BeforeherfirstspontaneoustriptoPeru,Elytoldmeshewas
takingmetohernephewsplace,andthathewouldtakemeunderhiswingwhileshe’saway.Sheledmedownthedirtyalleys,withbulletholesinthefiberglass,amazeIwillneverremember.Wewentthroughtwolockedgates,wherehernephew,Julio,greetsmewithahug.I’malreadyfamily,hetellsmebeforeleadingmeintohisfrontroom.Asmallwindowlessroom.Thewallswerelinedwitheverykindofautomaticweaponyoucouldimagine.
JulioturnedouttobethemostprestigiousarmsdealerinVascodaGama.EverytimeIwentby,circlesoftattooedmenstoodoverduffelbags,givingmeawaryglanceasIwentbytomakecupoftea,listeningin.Theconversationswouldstartoutfake,lacedwithcordialpleasantries,andthenbecomeheatedandmorerapiduntilsomeonethrewapunch.Julio’shenchmenwouldripaparttheoffenders,theywouldsettleadeal,andeveryonewouldleave,alittlerougher.
ItwasinthedingybackroomIlearnedhowtoloadandunloadanautomaticweapon,toshoottargetsdrawnonwithcrayonsinthelivingroomwalls,howtothrowaproperpunch,howtostopsomeonefromchokingme,howtopickpocket,howtosamba,howtoeffectivelyhookmyfingertodislodgeaneyeball,andhowtodothatcoolthingwhereyouspinarevolveronyourthumb.Ilearnedthereweresystemsandnetworkssorespected,sointegrated,thelocalmilitiadidn’tbotherinterfering,becauseitwouldonlyendinblood.Ilearnednottojudgeabookbyitscover,andmadesomeofthebest–ifnotmostintimidating–friendsIneverexpected.
IhadsuchanideaofwhatlivinginBrazilwouldbelike,anidylliclandscapeofbeachesandsun-brownedskin,cocktailsandcoconutoil.Anditwas.Isurfedeveryday,drankcoconutsonthebeachandgotbrownerthanIeverthoughtpossible(forasafair-skinnedCaucasian).ButIalsogotmuggedfourtimes,tackledinthestreet,andhadtodropandrolltosafetyduringastreetshooting.However,allofthatcamewiththeopportunitytoreallyseetheunderbellyofatrulypatriarchalcountry.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 29T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 29
WHEN PEOPLE THINK BRAZIL,THEY THINK RIO DE JANEIRO
BY CAITLIN MORAHAN
KELSEY WENT TO THE UNITED STATES FOR EXCHANGE IN 2013.
Youknowthatsong‘Freefalling’byTomPetty?Youknow,“I’mfreeeeI’mfreefalling!”
Well,Iabsolutelyhatethatsong.
Itcameoninthecartheotherday.Justasthatchorusstarted,theseuncontrollabletearsstartedtoflow.BythetimeIwashome,Iwasablubberingmess.
Thatstupidsongcameonnon-stopwhenIwasonexchangeintheUS.Now,itactsasatriggerforrandommemoriesofmytimeoverseasandmakesmerealisejusthowmuchImisslivingoverseas.
Andforsomepeople,itdoesn’ttakeasong.Itmighttakeasmellorhearinganaccenttomakethemfeelasthoughhomeisn’tthesameasitwasbefore.
Peoplewhogoonexchange(whichI’msurealotofyoureadersareconsideringorhavedoneifyou’rereadingaTertangalafocusedontravel),gettoknowthepeople,thestreets,thelanguageandthecustomsofaplace.
Inotherwords,itbecomesfamiliar.
Socominghome,wherethingshaveeitherchangeddramaticallyornotatall,canbehardtoreadjust.
Formepersonally,theUnitedStatesrepresentedawholeotherworld.
Ididn’tknowanyone,Ididn’tknowmywayaround,andIhadtoforcemyselftobecomeapartofthecommunity,whichIdid.Itwasacleanslate.Itwasrefreshing.Thepausebuttonwashitonmyreallife.
Whilecominghomewaswonderful,nothinghadchanged.Everythingwasroutine.
Now,beforeIgoon,I’mgoingtoaddresswhatsomeofyoureadingthismaybethinking:
“Getoverit.”
“Youhavenothingtocomplainabout.”
“Don’tyouappreciatebeinghomewithfamilyandfriends?”
Unfortunately,I’veheardthisfromsomeoftheclosestpeopletome.Ifyouaregoingthroughthisorwillinthefuture,yourfriendsandfamilywillnotunderstand.
Why?
Becausetheyweren’ttherewithyou.Andwhentheyhearyousaythatyouwishyouwerebacktravelling,theystarttothinkacoupleofthings.
Firstly,theythinkyou’llleaveagainandsecondly,theythinktheydon’tmatterasmuchtoyouasbeforeyouleftAustralia.Now,bothofthesemaynotbetrue,especiallythelatter,butputyourselfintheirshoesforasecond,thepersontheycareaboutmostintheworldwantsnothingmorethantoleavethem,again.
Sohowdowecuresecondhomesickness?Wesimplycan’t,buttherearewaystomakeitbetter:
•Chattootherswhohavebeenoverseasandmissitjustasmuchasyoudo.Theytotallyunderstandhowyou’refeeling.
•BecomepartoftheexchangementorprogramthroughtheStudyAbroadoffice.Yougettoknowevenmorepeoplelikeyou,andhelpoutsomeonewhowasonceinyourposition.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E30
TRAVELSICKBY KELSEY SUTOR & GEORGIA HOLLOWAY@KelseySutor @grumpygeorgia
GEORGIA TOOK A GAP YEAR, AND TRAVELLED AROUND 12 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE IN 2013.
WhenIdecidedtotakeagapyear,Iinvestedeveryfibreof
mybeingtoaccomplishingthat.Iworkedthreejobsforeight
monthstosave.Ispentcountlesshoursaweekresearching
placestovisit.Ihadplannedeverything,andthenplanneda
back-upplan.
ThetimeIspentinEuropewas,withoutsoundinglikeasappy
turd,lifechanging.TravellingchangedmeinwaysIhadnever
expected.Andaftersixmonthsaway,Iwasreadytogohome
andtacklenewchallenges.
ArrivingatCharlesdeGaulleairport,Ifeltrelief.Inthirty-one
shorthoursI’dbehome.Asmyflighttookoff,Istartedtocry.
Thewomanbesidemeasked,“What’swrong?”Tobehonest,
Ididn’tknow.ItwasclosetoChristmasandIwaslooking
forwardtoseeingmyfamily.Yet,Icouldn’thelpbutfeelalittle
lost.
WhileIwasexcitedtobehome,Iwasalsoscaredtoleave
Europe.Whilstbackpacking,Ihadbecomeacompletely
differentperson.Itriednewthings,madenewfriends,and
learntanewwaytolive.Ibelongedthere.Ihadmadeahome
outofallthehostels,trainstationsandairports.ThenIleftitall
behind.
WhileIwaitedatthebaggagecarouselinSydneyAirport,Ihad
thisexpectationthatallthosenewthingswouldresonatewithin
mypersonalitybackhome.YetIwasanothersleep-deprived
backpackerpassingthroughbordercontrol.Ihadthesame
clothes,gearandaccent.ButIwantedtoeveryonetoknowthat
Iwasdifferent!Iwasbetter,moretravelled,morecultured.Iwas
thenewGeorgia.
AfteramonthorsoathomeIslunkbackintotheoldhabits,
theoldconversations,backintoreality.IfeltthatnewGeorgia
slippingawayintonormalcy.NothinghadchangedwhileIwas
gone,butIhadchanged,andIwantedtostaythatway.Ididn’t
wanttoworryaboutuniorwork.Iwantedtoworryabout
wheretogonext.
Butastimewentby,IrealisedmoreandmorethatIwashome.
Thisfeelingoflosskeptgrowing,andIthought‘maybemy
senseofbelongingisn’tjustathomeanymore’.
I’vecometoacceptthelongingIfeeltobeaway.Towalkalong
thosestreetsagain,tosmellthesmells,toreallylive.Myfamily
doesn’tunderstandmysadness.MaybeIleftthenewGeorgia
inParisasIboardedthatflight.YeteverydayI’mhome,I’m
remindedthatIamloved,andEuropewillalwaysbewaitingfor
myreturn.
Herearesomethingsthathelpedmeoverthepost-arrival-hump:
•Talktoyourfriendsandfamily.Askwhatyoumissedouton,eventsetc.
•Dothingsyoucouldn’tdooverseas,gotothebeachoreatproperfishandchips.
•Taketimetoreflectonwhatyoulearntwhiletravelling.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 31
P H O T O S : K E L S E Y S U T O R A N D G E O R G I A H O L L O W AY
P H O T O : C A S E Y M A D I G A N
Mostpeoplecan’tseepastthereasonswhytheyshouldn’tgotoIndia.Thepoverty,thepeople,thedanger,thesmell,theheat…
Andforthemostpartit’strue.Therearepilesofrubbishliningthedirt-cuffedroads,cowsroamingthestreets,andheatsointenseyoucanfeelbeadsofsweatrollingdownyourback.Someplacesaresocrowdedyoucanfeelthecontentsofthepocketofthepersonnexttoyou,andthewholecountrysmellsvaguelyofeggs.Indiacan–andwill–beatyoudown,butthatmakesitallmoreworththewhilewhenyougetoutontop.
Forsome40Ktroops,comfortzonesaremilesbehindus.We’vebeendepositedinruralIndiaonacrashcourseofsocialentrepreneurship,tobuildasocialbusinessthatempowerslocalsthroughemployment,educatingchildrenwiththeprofits.Soundssimpleenough.Getoutthereandgetshitdone.Intheafternoon40KwillrunPlusPods,after-schooleducationcentresaimingtobridgethegapbetweenpublicandprivateschooleducation,togivethekidsalegupintheworkforce.That’ssometimeawaythough;rightnowthey’reconcentratingonperformingtheThreeLittlePigs,fronttoback,inEnglish.Primarykidswouldscofftoseethemtrippingoverthewords,carefullyreadingtheirlinesinhaltingEnglish,butforme,it’sabeautifulthingtowatch.
Givemetherubbishandthesmellandthecows.RegardlessofwhatIndiausestobowlyouover,thepeoplewillpickyouup,dustyouoffandserveyouchai.I’dtakeanythingthrownatme,becauseI’veneverlearnedsomuchaboutaculturethanwhatMadhumalathitaughtme.
Thetinyshopacrosstheroadfromwherewelivedwasthesameasanyvillagestore,withtheubiquitouspacketsoftea,washingpowderandrazorshanginginstripsfromtheceiling.Biscuitsinmismatchedjarsandbottlesofskin-palinglotionsatinthecabinetbelowthecounter.
ThefirsttimeIspoketotheshopkeeper,wastoaskherifshesoldchai.“No,”shesaidwithagentleheadwobbleandprivatesmile.“Downtheroad.”
Ismiledpolitelyatherforthenextweek,asIcameandwentfromthecity,feetcollectingreddustasmybindisliddownmyforeheadfromsweat.Itwasn’tuntiltheendofthefirstweekthatIgottoknowhername.
“Madhumalathi,”shesays,graspingmyfingersinherhand.“Fromwhereyouare?”
Shehadadifferentwayofputtingthings,butshespokegoodEnglish.“Istudiedatcollege,”shesaidafterIasked.“IhaveaBachelorofComputerScience.ButafterIgraduatedImarried,havemychildren.Ididnotworkaday.”
ShecanseeinmyfacethatIdon’tknowwhattosay.Shesmilesgently.
“Eventhoughwehaveacceptedmodernmeansofliving,ourvaluesandbeliefsareunchanged.Wecanchangeourclothes,ourfoodorourhomes,butourcultureisrooteddeepwithinus,frombirthtowomanhood.”
Oneofherdaughters,Lakita,sitsonacrateoutsidetheshopinherblueandwhiteschooluniform.Shecan’twalk,butsheisperfectlycontent,percheduponherpedestal,liftingherfacetobeamateverycustomer.Sherunschubbybrownhandsthroughmyhairandleansintomylap,tracingmykneecapswithclumsyfingers.
“Herspinalcord,itdoesnotworkproperly,”sayshermother.“Shewon’twalk.”
Ihaveabetterunderstandingnowofwhatthatmeans.Lakitawearstwosilverbraceletsandsliversofbamboothroughherpiercedears,butshewon’tmarry.
Itwouldfuelafeminist-inspiredrantfromanynewbietoIndia.Theinjusticeofsocialpolitics.Blatantignoranceongenderequality.Thefreedomofchoice.Butafewweeksin,Ilearntittakesmorethanthattoinfluencetheculturalrootsofoverabillionpeople.
The40kworkersasagrouplearnmaybemoreinfourweeksthanwehaveourwholelives.Ilearnthowtoteach.Ilearnthowtouseasquattoilet,andneatlyatthat.Ilearnthowtocrossaroad.Ilearnthowtomakeachildunderstandnouns.Ilearntthevitalessenceofhumanitythatexistsineveryculture.
Somedaysyoufeellikeyouaren’tchanginganythingatall.Somedaysdealyouashitdeckandyoufinallyunderstandwhat‘burningfrustration’feelslike.Sometimestheyaskquestionsyoudon’thavetheanswerto.Sometimestheyaskforthingsthatyoucan’tgive.
Butwearethereforourselvesasmuchasweareforanyoneelse.Tolearn.Todemonstratesolidarity.Reassesspriorities.Exploreanewcareer.Learnalanguage.Learnanewculture.Learnfirst,helpafter.
Maybeyou’llhateit.Maybeyou’llneverfeelproperlycleanagainandfinddirtinyourearsformonthsafterwards.Maybeyou’llchangeyourcareerpath,traveltomorecountries,meetnewpeopleandhaveamazingexperiences.
Eitherway,Irecommendyougiveitago.For more information about volunteering with 40K visit 40k.com.au.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 33T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 33
STEPPING UP AND GETTING SHIT DONEBY CAITLIN MORAHAN
Trigger warning: This article deals with suicide and depression and may be distressing for some readers.
It’stheJunemid-semesterholidays,andI’mwaitingatthebusstopinKagoshima,SouthJapan.ThebussignisinJapanesesoIapproachayounglady,withwhatlittleJapaneseIdoknow.“Sumimasen,isthisthebustoKagoshimatrainstation?”Politelyshenods,confirmingbypointingatthestationonthemapI’mholding.That’swhenInoticeherscars.Decoratingbothforearmsfromwristtoelbow,shewearsthemarksofself-harmblendedwithcutecolorfulbraceletsandapinkHelloKittywatch.
Amidstthebustleofacountryleadingthewayintechnologicaladvancementswhilealsoepitomizingthemeaningof‘cute’,ablackcloudlingersoveritspeople.JapanistheonlydevelopedcountrytomaketheWorldHealthOrganization’stop10internationalsuiciderateslist,at0.02%.Withnumbershoveringaround24suicidesper100,000people-roughlydoubletherateintheU.S.andthreetimesthatoftheUK-Japanhasseenatleast30,000suicidesannuallyinthelastfourteenyears.
Althoughthatnumberisindecline,thesuiciderateinJapanisstillverymuchaproblem.Sowhy,inacountryimmersedinimmenseandrichtechnologicalandculturaldevelopment,doessuicidehavesuchahighprevalence?
Japan’shistoryisfraughtwiththeconceptof‘honorablesuicide’wherebySamuraiwouldatoneformistakesbycommittinghara-kiri,orritualsuicideinvolvingdisembowelment.Similarly,KamikazepilotsinWW2wouldintentionallycrashintotheirtarget,disregardingtheirownlives.Evidenceinthisissuestretchesasfarbackas1946,withRuthBenedict’sbookTheChrysanthemumandtheSwordsuggestingthatJapanesecultureisoneoftolerance,especiallywithregardstosuicide.Today,thisnotionofnoblesuicidestilllingers,especiallyinolder,traditionalindividuals.
CabinetministerToshikatsuMatsuokawasdescribedbytheformerGovernorofTokyoShintaroIshihara,asa“truesamurai”forpreservinghishonoraftercommittingsuicideinlate2007.AccordingtoUniversityofTexasPh.DJohnTraphangan“unlikeinmanyWesternnations,thereisnoreligiously-guidedmoralprohibitionagainstsuicide,whichclaimsthatlifeisagiftfromone’sdeityandthushastobepreserved,evenifitisintolerable”.
Stress,highsocietalexpectationsandpressuretoachieveintheworkplacewerethemostcitedreasonsforsuicideina
governmentstudyconductedin2008,accountingfor47%ofsuicides.WithrootsintheZenBuddhistreligionsaying,“hardworkisnotameanstoanend,buttheenditself,”itseemsemployeesareexpectedtoshowtheirloyaltytoacompanythroughpersonalsacrifice.However,Ph.DJohnTraphanganbelieves“Employmentissues…areclearlypartoftheexplanationforthecountry’shighsuiciderates,butonlypartial—theydonot,forinstance,explainhighsuicideratesamongteensandtheelderly”.
Ontheoppositesideofworkplacepressures,unemploymentratesarealsoamajorfactorinthecountry’ssuicideculture.Japanisrenownedforitslifelongemploymentpracticesandbenefits,includingsubsidisedhousing.Layoffsaredebilitatingnotonlytotheindividual,butalsothefamily.Butnotonlythis,beinglaidoffmeanstheindividualmuststartfromthebottomofthefoodchain.Sincetheideaofa“freeagent”isforeigntoJapan,accordingtojournalistDustinDye“amiddle-agedmanstartingalloverinanentry-levelpositionisclearlyuntenable”,thereforethisbecomesanotherpossiblereasonforhighsuicideratesintheolderpopulation.
Inherinvestigation,To Lonely to Die Alone: internet suicide pacts and existential suffering in Japan,AnthropologistChikakoOzawa-deSilvasuggestedthatstigmatisationandalienationwerecontributingtoJapan’ssuicideculture.Shelookedspecificallyatthemotivationsbehindsuicidemeet-upsandgroupsuicideorganisedonline.Thelatter,accordingtoDr.Ozawade-Silva,maystemfromfeelingsoflonelinessthataresomehowalleviatedinthecontextofkillingoneselfwithothers.
In2007,theJapanesegovernmentreleasedanine-stepcounter-suicideplan–theWhitePaper–tocurbsuicideratesby20%by2017.Atitscore,theplanaimstochangeculturalattitudestowardssuicide,andtopromptmoreinvestigationsintoitscauses.Thegovernmenthasalsoboostedthefundinggiventomentalhealthservicessuchascounsellingandtherapy.
WhileatolerantcultureisstillveryprevalentinJapan,theyoungergenerationisbecomingmoreopentoseekinghelpaswellasrecognisingthatmentalillnesscanleadtosuicide.Forthefirsttime,itseemsJapan’ssuicidecultureischanging.
For more information on suicide in Japan, visit www.tofugu.com.
If you think you are depressed and struggling, or having suicidal thoughts, you can book a UOW counselor at Level 3, Building 11, visit www.headspace.org.au, or call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 35
A CULTURAL TABOO BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER @GemmaMolle017
2015 E D I TO R !
Asabuddingmusicjournalist,ifabandmanagerweretoaskyoutofulfilltheroleofWilliamMillerinAlmost Famousyou’dthinkyouweretripping,right?Wrong!
OnaquietafternoonattheUOWlibraryeverythingchangedforme.TherevelationthatIwasthewinnerofTripleM’smusicinternshipmeantthatIwouldbejoiningtheendofKISS’40thanniversarytourinSt.Louis,OklahomaandHouston,andIwasleavingintwo-and-a-halfworkingdays.
Thepremiseofthisinternshipwastotravelwithoneofthesupportbands.TheDeadDaisies–asupergroupwhocompriseofsomeofthebestmusiciansinrockandrolltoday.Ohanditgetsbetter,DefLeppardweretheothersupportbandonthistour.
AsImetthebandsIbattledwithmyselftoremaincomposedwhilstathousandquestionsplayedscrabbleinmyhead.Theywerestronganddiverseincharacter;Ihadtobequickinassessinghowtoapproachthem.Weaknesswouldmeanmydemise.
Meetingthesebandsattheendofatwo-monthtour-ontheirforty-somethingshow-washardlywhentheywereintheirprime.Ifeltlikethenewkidatschool,excitedbyanewscenethateveryoneelsewas‘soover’.
Pre-showI’dwatchoninamazementasthedressingroomresembledacircus.Showtunesandan‘anythinggoes’attitudetotheinstrumentswasthestandardwarm-up.ItwaslikeanADHDexperiment,anon-conventionaljamboree.
Iwasexposedtoallfacetsoftour-life,someglamorousandsomenotsomuch.OneminuteIwasshoppingwitharockstarandthenextIwasstandingoverthemlikeakindergartenteacherforcingthemtosignfan-merchandise.
Ifeltlikeanactressrunningfromstage-to-stageplayingdifferentparts.Itwasbusiness-as-usual.
AtnightIwouldgobacktomyroom/bus–annihilatedfromcoveringsomuchgroundattheshow–andwritetillungodlyhoursofthemorning.IranonadrenalineandcaffeineforsixdaysandIlovedeveryminuteofit.HowcouldInot?Isleptonatourbusandrancirclesaroundhazardouscableriddenstadiums.Imarveledatguitartechniciansbackstagebusilytuninginstruments,whilstIwatchedcrowdsof25,000+peoplerevelinsonicbliss.
Therewasn’tonemomentthatIwantedtobeanywhereelse.Itwasgrueling,butitwasaddictive.
TherearemanyidiosyncrasiesfromlifeontheroadthatIwillrememberforever:nopoopingonthebus,sensitivitiesaroundpersonalspace,afreshpotofcoffeeshouldalwaysbebrewinganddonotbelatewhenthebusistoleave…ever!
Andifyouarefamousenough,youcantakeyourpetsanywhere.
Imadecontactsthatgottoknow‘me’.Wemayhaveonlyspentsixdaystogether,butthiswasverydifferenttoyouraveragesixdays.Ifyoucantoleratesomeoneaftertouringwiththem,you
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E36
THE ULTIMATE MUSIC INTERNSHIPBY HAYLEY MAY CASEY @HayleyMCasey
havepassedtheshowbusinesspsychometrictest.Observingjustonelittleannoyingmannerismorhabitcanturnyouhomicidal.
Whenyouliveandbreathemusic,exposuretothemechanicsof
touringisinvaluable.Itisnotsomethingthatcanbetakenoff
facevalue.Itisalabyrinthofblood,sweatandglitter.Roadies
andbackstagecrewleavetheirfamiliesformonthson-endto
engineerthesehugeproductionsforliterallynocredit.Theyare
someofthemostgenuinelyhardworkingpeopleIhavemetto
date.
Therearehundredsofpeopleworkingattheircrafttomakethe
craftofothersglorified.Youseewardrobegirlsgluing,buffing,
polishing,caterersturningovermealaftermeal,busdrivers
drivingallnight,roadiesunloadingtrucksandfinetuning
instruments.EverydayislikeGroundhog Day.Allthesepeople
aretheretoreachthecommongoalofaflawlessshowforthe
fans.
It’slikeadysfunctionalfamilyonsteroids,butitworks.
AfterthelastshowinTexastherewasabitter-sweetenergy.I
wasleavingthenextdayandthetourwereallgoingindifferent
directions.Wecelebratedinthehotelbar.
DefLeppard’sManager,Mal-whohasbeenwiththeband
for32years-gothimselfintoascuffle.Luckily,KISS’sTour
Manager,Gooch,wastheretosavehim.Goochwasabig
man–Mal,however,wasnot.JoeElliott(DefLeppard’slead
singer)wastryingtoenjoyaquietdrinkaftertheshowbutwas
barragedbyfansforpictures.ThiswaswhenMalpolitelyasked
forsometime-outandafanstoodoverhim.Itgotprettyheated
lotsofswearing,threatsandpushing.Ipulledmychairaway
fromthecloudoftestosterone.
Itwasclearthatbarfightswerenotanirregularoccurrence,
itwashandledmerelylikesomeonehadspilledsomething…
‘Cleanupthebodyinaisle5’.
Wecontinuedtodrinktequila,andsing80’sballadsplayedout
ontablesandchairsinthehotelbar.
ItwasamomentthatIhadfantasisedabout;cocktailsand
comradery,mixedwithalittlebitofanarchy.
IwenttobedonmylastnightcompletelysatisfiedthatI’d
embracedthisopportunitytothebestofmyability.Therewere
timesthatIwasalmostbreathless,feelingsooverwhelmedby
responsibilitiesgiventome–timesthatIreallydoubtedmyself.
ThenIkickedmyownassandrememberedwhyIwasthere
andhowbadlyIwantedit.IfIlearnedanythingfromaglam
rocktourit’sthatsometimestherewillbeblood,andsometimes
therewillbeglitter.
To read Hayley’s full two-part story, check out: thedeaddaisies.
com/triple-m-competition-winner-part-one-music-experience-
hayley-may-casey and thedeaddaisies.com/triple-m-competition-
winner-part-2-blood-glitter-glory-hayley-may-casey
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 37
P H O T O S : H AY L E Y M AY C A S E Y
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 39
Backpackersareadiversebunchofpeopleandcheckingintoanewhostelcanbeanexcitingandsometimesfrighteningexperience,especiallyfortheinexperiencedtraveller.Hostelsareagreatwaytosavesomepreciousdosh,butmoreimportantly,toestablishnewfriendshipsandgaininsightintotheworldaroundus.Recentlyasolotravellermyself,Ifoundhostelstobethebestwaytointeractwithotherlike-mindedpeople,swapstoriesandshakeoffhomesickness.
Butaftercheckinginandoutofover20placesinamatterofmonths,stayinginhostelscanbecomeanexperienceyouwouldrathernotremember.HerearetheeightunspokenrulesofhosteletiquetteIrecommendwillmakeyourdormonebighappyfamily.
1)Beconsiderateforyourfellowbackpackers.Hostelsareasharedspaceinwhicheveryoneneedstogetalong.Avoidtakingupthewholeroomwithyourjunklyingabouteverywhere.Ifsomethingwouldbotheryoupersonally,thinkagainbeforedoingittoothers.
2)Allbackpackersareonauniqueschedule.Somewillwakeupat6am,whilstotherswillsleepwellintotheafternoonafterabignight.Ifyou’reanearlyriser,trytopackeverythingthenightbefore.Nothingismoreannoyingthanwakinguptoanunorganizedtravellertryingtocramalltheirsouvenirsinoneshriveledbag.Crinklyplasticbagsareano-no,theFinalCountdownisnotanappropriatealarmtone,andneitherishittingthesnoozebuttonthreetimesbeforeyoufinallydecidetogetup.
3)Afteratoughdayofmarinatinginseawater,sweatandcoconutoil,nothingismorerewardingthananicelongshowerbeforeabignightout.Butweallwanttolook(and
smell)ourbestwhenwegoout,sopleasebemindfulofthelinetothebathroom.
4)Hostelsareundeniablyaplacewherelibidosrunwildandsomebackpackerswillinevitablyhookupwhilsttravelling.Proceedwithcautionhere.Drapingthesheetsoveryourbunk(ifyou’reonthebottom)isapopulartactic,becausenoteveryoneyou’reroomingwithwillappreciateit.Ifyou’retopbunkanddecidetogetsteamy,justkeepthesoundtoaminimum.Theshowerisalsoagoodalternative.
5)Returningtoyourdormlateatnightandturningonthemainlightsisnotokay.Useyourphonetolightyourpathwhilstpeoplearetryingtosleep.Thatbeingsaid,returningtoyourdormbefore12amisalsonotgreat.Youdidn’tcomehalfwayacrosstheworldtosleep.
6)Loudsnorer?Thinktwiceoratleastconsiderdeclaringitbeforeyoucheckin.Youcouldbesavingyourselffromabunchofgrumpytravellersinthemorning.
7)Bepreparedtoencounteratleastonebackpackerstereotypeduringyourstay.Myfavouriteistheguywhoinsistsonbringinghisguitar(sarcasm).Othersincludethevolunteer‘savetheworld’type,andthehippycouplewhowon’tstoptalkingabouthowmind-blowingIndiais.
8)Perhapsmostimportantly,embracehostelsasbestyoucan.Sayhelloandsharesomestories,asthisisthebestwaytogettoknowsomeone.You’reheretohavefun,meetnewpeople,seesomenewplacesandtrynewthings.Theshowersmaynotalwaysbewarmandthebeersmaynotalwaysbecold,butinmyopinion,there’snobetterwaytotravel.
COLD SHOWERS AND WARM BEERS -HOSTEL ETIQUETTE 101
BY EUAN MALCOLM @euanmalcolm18
I L L U S T R AT I O N : J AYA D E G U R
Travelling the south west coast of Alaska is a glimpse into the expansive, rugged and unforgiving landscape of the largest state in the USA.
Some say beauty takes time, and it seems that’s exactly what our planet had in mind around 150 million years ago, when several tectonic plates slammed together to create one of the unparalleled examples of fearsome beauty on this planet.
Alaska, the largest state of the United States, was purchased from Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars, which works out be around two cents per acre. Many criticised the purchase of the land, as it was though Alaska had nothing to offer; however, the discovery of gold, oil and wild fish quickly earned Alaska the nickname ‘The Last Frontier’.
Undoubtedly a place of extremes, the monolithic mountains rise in a stunningly chaotic fashion, to give way to jagged, groaning glaciers that are constantly carving their way into the Pacific Ocean. The south west coast, that runs adjacent to the Yukon in Canada, is the gateway into this harsh environment that many are proud to call home.
A great deal of Alaska’s 700,000 people live on the south west coast, due to the prosperous fishing industry and the influx of tourists that the coast sees every summer. Flocks of holiday makers come to Alaska on cruise ships, which run up and down the south east coast stopping at a few previously small fishing villages. These have been transformed into tourist hot spots and tacky caricatures of Alaskan culture. Such places are easily avoided though, and travelling just ten minutes away can have you questioning what state you’re in, as it can be possible to not run into another person for miles.
Although it’s about as far away as you can get from the sun bleached beaches and tanned bodies of Australia, familiarity is easier to find in Alaska than I initially thought. The small, tight knit communities and surprisingly laid back and approachable people that populate them, produce an atmosphere similar to that of a quiet, coastal Aussie town. Fishing is the main means for income, and kids are taught how to navigate the Pacific Ocean in search for salmon, halibut and king crab before they enter high school.
While it’s impressive that these communities exist in such an extreme place today, it’s incredibly hard to imagine what life was like for the first human inhabitants, who made their way to Alaska from Siberia around ten thousand years BC. Could it be that whatever drew them to make such a dangerous journey all those years ago, is the exact same thing that still draws people there today? It was worth crossing oceans and braving the unknown back then, and it sure as shit still is today.
A photo essay by Alex Pike
NORTHB U T N O T F O R G O T T E N
The cheapest and most beautiful way to get into Alaska is on board one of the many ferries that run
along the inside passage. Depending on how far north you want to go, the trip can take a few days.
Trees cover the isolated landscape, which is occasionally dotted with a cabin or house. With only 700,00 people in the entire state, Alaska is
mostly raw wilderness and mountains.
A bald eagle dries itself after hunting for fish near Juneau, Alaska. Although a very common sight in
Alaska now, the American icon was almost hunted to extinction in the first half of the 20th century.
Vehicle sized chunks of ice break away from a receding glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, a
process which is called ‘calving’.
Steve Kroschel, owner of the Kroschel Wildlife Centre near Haines, holds up a pine marten on a
tour of his property.
Large colonies of sea lions can be seen along the coast in Glacier Bay National Park. A dominant
male will usually defend a small area on the shoreline to attract more females, all of whom he
will mate with.
Traveling from one place to another is made difficult in Alaska due to the high mountain passes.
Sometimes the most efficient way to travel is behind the hands of the extremely skilled pilots, who have to fly in some of the most testing and
dangerous conditions.
A monolithic mountain rises up from the shoreline in Glacier Bay National Park. Often brown bears
are seen walking close to the water.
Our pilot points out some local wildlife on the mountainside.
There is just over 13,000 square kilometres of ancient, harsh mountains within Glacier Bay
National Park.
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II to connect the lower states of the USA to Alaska, through Canada. As a result, one of the most scenic (and sparsely populated) drives in
North America was created.
ANYWHERE BUT HERE
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1. Natalie Mclaren - Helicopter Ride over the Grand Canyon.
2. Belinda Quinn - Kathmandu, Nepal. An Isreali nomad lets me paint his face with make-up before we head to a Jewish Halloween party for vodka and dancing.
3. Euan Malcom - Bangkok, Thailand. The street Alex Garland refers to in the first chapter of The Beach and is known for its budget accommodation.
4. Emily Ritchie - My friend Elodie amidst the fog on our climb up Mt Rigi in Luzern, Switzerland.
5. John Glenn Doyle - India, On the overnight train to Mangalore in late December 2012 we came to an abrupt stop. Some loud house music was playing outside in the dark. I pointed my camera out the window to see if I could catch what was going on. After this picture was taken, Santa climbed on board the train and continued to dance until the train began to move again.
6. Natalie Mclaren - Hot air ballooning over the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA.
7. Belinda Quinn - Tordi Garth, India. After struggling up steep sand dunes (and watching a woman in tradition Sari dance like a manic to Indian electronic music) we sat down for some Chai tea in the desert.
8. Alexandra Smith - This is a photo of me and my pal having a good ol’chat. He’s just one of the many incredible humans I’ve met on my trips to India. I don’t know if he was quoting Wayne’s World but as I was saying my goodbyes he smiled and said “live in the now”.
9. Emily Ritchie - The view I had from onstage with Belle and Sebastian at the 2013 Zurich Open Air Festival when Stuart Murdoch asked me if I wanted to come up and dance with them!
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T R AV E L P H O T O G R A P H Y50
Soyou’vehadalight-bulbmomentandwanttojetsetsomewherewithnowork,notroublesandmostofallnoworries.You’reworriedthatyoushould’vebookedmonthsagoandarehopingtofindreasonablypricedflightsjustdaysbeforeyouintendontravelling.Forgetworrying,becauseI’vecompiledalltheneed-to-knownumbers,datesandmonthsthatwillmakebookingyournexttripabreeze.
CheapAirspent2013analysingoverfourmillionairlinetrips,andfoundthatthemagicalnumberofdayswhereticketsarecheapest,isactually54daysbeforedeparture.Theysayinordertogetthecheapestticket,youneedtobookalmosttwomonthsinadvance.Whilethewebsitesays54isthemagicnumber,theyadvisethatthebestwindowofopportunityisbetween29and104daysbeforeyoutakeoff.Thiswillallowyoutomakethemostofthecheapestflightsavailable.
Airfarecomparisonwebsite,Skyscanneragrees,withtheirresearchstatingsixweeksprior(42days)todepartureisthe
besttimetobookforoptimumsavings.
Sowhataboutthose‘filltheplane’,last-minuteflights?
AccordingtoCheapAir’sdata,themostexpensiveplane
ticketisusuallythedaybeforetheflight!Theyalso
foundthatdaysleadinguptodeparture,offeredthemost
expensiveplaneticketsavailable.
Wollongongtravelagent,TaylorNashagrees.“Youhaveto
beluckytosnapupalast-minutedeal,”shesays.“Alotof
thetimetheysaytheyaredealsbutonceyouaddontax
andluggageitalladdsup.”
Sonowyouhavethemagicalbookingnumbers,whenis
thebesttimetogo?
Thishastodocompletelywithyourtravelintention,but
belowyou’llfindaroughguideofwhattobook,what
tolookoutforandthemostinterestingglobalfestivities
happeningeachmonthoftheyear!
BREEZY BOOKING – YOUR 12 MONTHGUIDE TO WORLDWIDE TRAVEL
BY CAILIN KRAMER @cailinkramer
I L L U S T R AT I O N S : J E S S N E S B I T T 51
JANUARY
NewYearsDay!Ifyouwanttogetawayfromtheratrace,thenyoushould’ve bookedback in JulyorAugust! If youwait until a fewmonthsbeforeyouheadoff,flightsmaybecheapbutaccommodationwillbeexpensiveandmostofthetime,bookedout.
If youwant to start your year escaping the heat,whynot stay inJapan’sigloovillage?InnorthernJapanLakeShikaribetsuKotaniscompletelyfrozenoverandanigloovillageisbuiltonthelake.The
FEBRUARY
A lot of accommodation is going to be booked out around thesecondweekofFebruary,aslovedupcouplesheadawaytocelebrateValentinesDay.
Anothermajordayon the international calendar isChineseNewYear. For 2015, the year of the sheep commences on the 19thofFebruary, and the year of theMonkey commences February 8th,2016.IfthisissomethingyouwanttoattendIsuggestbookingaboutsixmonthsinadvance.ThesecondhalfofFebruaryisabettertimetotakeanAustraliangetaway.ChildrenwillbebackatschoolandthelinefortheBatmanrideatMovieWorldwon’tbesolong!
Ifyouwouldratherfocusonculturethanthemeparkchaos,India’sHoliFestivaltakesplacetowardstheendofFebruary.Youmayknowthisfestivalasthe‘FestivalofColour’,wherecolourfulchalkisthrownincelebrationofloveandthearrivalofSpring.Theeventstemsfrommany cultural and religious beliefs, and is celebrated across all ofIndiasoyoucancelebrateitatpracticallyanyIndiandestination!
JUNE
June,JulyandAugustareprimeEurotripmonths!IsuggesttakingafewdaystosteerclearofthetypicaltouristdestinationsandexploreTurkey’snaturalwonders.
Hidden in Turkey’s southwest are natural hot springs calledPamukkale,locallyknownas‘cottoncastles’.TaylorNashagreesandsuggestsevenadaytriptothisphenomenonisworththeeffort!
“While you can no longer bath in the pools due to it being aUNESCO*WorldHeritagelistedsite,Pamukkaleissomethingyouhavetoseeforyourowneyes”shesays.
ThesiteisbelievedtohavebeentheancientcityofHierapolisandwhilebathinginthewaterisprohibited,themineralwaterissaidtohavehealingandwellnessabilities.
*UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
APRIL
Bordering the vodka-loving nation of Russia and with a 6amnightclubcurfew,TaylorNashdoesn’tknowwhymanyyoungpeopledon’tconsiderBelaruswhentheyareplanningagetaway.ItscapitalcityofMinsk, isknownfor itsprovocativeandevocativenightlife.TheWorldHealthOrganisation’s heaviest drinking country study,revealedthatBelarustookthetopspotwithitspeopledrinkinganaverageof17.5litresofpurealcoholperyear.“Ifyouandyourfriendsarelookingforagoodnightout,don’tskipBelarus,”saysTaylorNash.“Youmightnotrememberitthenextday,butyouwillthankme.”
AprilisLondon’sshoulderseason.Flightsaretypicallycheaperthistimeofyearandtherearefewertourists.Youcan’tguaranteeahotsummerinLondon,somakethebestofthischeapopportunity.
MAY
BasedonTripAdvisor’s2013study,thecityofMarrakechwasrated#1foritsnightlifeandpublictransport.Marrakech,alsoknownasMarrakesh,isamajorcitysituatedinthenorthwestpartofMorocco.Italsotookhomesecondplaceforthecleanlieststreetsinthesamesurvey.TaylorNashobservesthatMarrakechisagainoftenoverlookedwhen young people are planning a holiday.“Itwas rated numberonefor itsnightlifeandMayis theperfect timetoseethebestofMorocco’sculture,weatherandnightlifecometogether,”shesays.MARCH
IfanAustralian‘schoolies’wasn’tenoughforyou,thenSpringBreakwill definitely provide youwith all the sleepless nights you couldeverwant!MypickforSpringBreakdestinationisFlorida,whereUScollegestudentsflocktotanandparty.AnotherreasontotraveltoFloridaduringMarch,istheMiamiInternationalFilmFestivalandtheUniversalOrlandoMardiGras.
Ifyoustillwanttoenjoythesunandwater,butwanttorelaxratherthandrink,Thailand’ssouth-eastcoastandislandsareMarch’shottestdestination- literally.With temperatures reachingmid 20’s to 30’s,diveintotheGulfofThailandoffKoTaoIslandwithyoursnorkelsand explore the coral reefs. If you’re feeling adventurous book awhalesharkwatchingtour,asMarchandMayareoptimumsightingtimes.
AlphaResortinTomamu,Hokkaido,allowsyoutoenjoylife’scolderluxuriessuchasafullyfurnishedicelodge,icetheatreandevenanicebar.Youwillbelivingandbreathingthecoldinthisepicfrozenvillage-isthereabetterwaytoenjoythecold?
JULY
TheAustralianBureauofStatistics(ABS)statesthat18%ofdeparturesinJulyarepeopleleavingtoexperienceEurope’snorthernsummer.WhiletheMediterraneancoasthasitsperks,TaylorsuggestsvisitingoneofEurope’snativesitestotakeyouofftheordinarytouristpath.
AlthoughDubrovnikhasbeennicknamedthe‘PearloftheAdriatic’anditstourismisbooming,shesuggeststravellingtoCroatia’slargestnationalparktogetaglimpseofwhatthebeautifulcountrysidehastooffer.
PlitviceLakesNationalParkisanUNESCOWorldHeritagelistedsite and its stunning beauty is breathtaking.The site consists of aseriesof16lakesandcostsapproximately$10foradultentry.
IfyouprefertoavoidEuropealltogether,thenhead200km’ssouthofKorea’s capitol,Seoul, to theBoryeongMudFestival.Over2.2millionvisitorsattendedthe2007BoryeongMudFestival,andnextyear its set toattractevenmorefromthe18thtothe27thofJuly.Forthoseofyouwhosawthewordmudandskippedaparagraph,thetruthisthatthemudisactuallygoodforyourskin.Itisrichinmineralsandisusedinthemanufacturingofmanycosmeticproducts(ladies now I have your attention!).The event is more than justfrolickinginthemudthough-jumpingcastles,mudwrestlingandmanyotherfuneventskeepsthisfestivalpartyingforthefull10days!
SEPTEMBER
IfyouarelookingtodoasummerEuropetripnextyear,thisisthetimetobookforoptimumdeals!Getinquickorpaythebigbuckslateron.Contiki,BusAboutandothertourcompaniesreleasetheirdealsandtoursforthefollowingyearinSeptember,andTayloradmitsthatifyouleaveitevenjustafewmonthslonger,you’llbepayingmore.
September isusuallyaccompaniedbyanextremeneedtogetawayandallIcansaytothatisAloha!Hawaii’sAlohaFestivaltakesplaceon every Hawaiian island but kicks off on Oahu in downtownHonolulu.Imagineleis,coconuts,traditionalHawaiiandance,music,andwidegrinned,warmingsmiles.TheweatheriswarmandwithWaikikibeachinthebackgroundyouwillbeexperiencingHawaiiatitsbest!
AUGUST
ManyAmerican hotel rooms are discounted through the end ofAugust,sothisistheperfecttimetobookatriptotheUSA.TravelWriter,MarkHodson says thatwhileAugust is a popular time totravel, ifyouwaituntil theendofAugust, thepricestendtodrop.Tayloragrees,“Augustisourmostpopulartimeintheoffice.Peopleseetheonlinesalesandrushintobook!”
While the United States is heating up, New Zealand’s coldweatherbringsoutthebestathletesintheirannualWinterGames.Internationalandnationalathletescompetefromthe21sttothe30thofAugust,withtheeventconsideredtobeoneofthetopfiveeventsontheinternationalwintersportsstage.Youdon’thavetobeaprotoenjoythewinterseasoninNewZealand,sograbaliftpassandheadtowww.wintergamesnz.kiwitofindoutallthelocationsandevents!
Head’s up!StartthinkingaboutyourNewYearsEve/Dayplans!Itmayseemtooearlytothinkabouttheendoftheyearbutifyoudon’tgetinnowyouwillbekickingyourselfinNovember!
DECEMBER
AccordingtotheABS,Decemberisthemostpopulartravelmonthfor Australian residents, with 13% of all departures leaving thismonth. If youwant to escape the festive season but alsowant toexperiencesomethinguniqueanddifferent,Antarctica is theplaceto go! Experienced traveller,AngelaDavies has travelled to sevencontinentsandover65countries,andstillfirmlystatesthatAntarcticaishermostmemorable.
“Thereisn’tadaythatgoesbywhereIdon’tthinkaboutAntarctica,”shesays.
Sheencouragesallyoungpeopletogettherebeforeglobalwarmingrunsitscourseanditbecomesafadingmemory.
While there is no best time to travel to Antarctica, cruises inDecemberwill showcase some ofMotherNature’smost amazingevents.Thebirthof sealpups,babypenguins andwhalewatchingwillallbehighlightstoremember.
DefinitelyonewhiteChristmastoexperience!
OCTOBER
Whiletheweathermightbecoolingdown,GermanyisknownforitsOctoberfestivities.ButwhatyoumightnotknowaboutOktoberfestcouldsurpriseyou!
Oktoberfest,despiteitsname,beginsinthethirdweekofSeptemberand continues on through to the first Sunday of October. It isconfined to thecityofMunichwhereonly sixbreweries are ableto participate in the celebration.The drinking is combined withtraditionalfestivalactivitiessuchasamusementridesandtraditionalGerman food- amix that youmay think don’t gowell together!However the combination proves popular, because Oktoberfestattractsover sixmillionpeople fromaround theworldeveryyear,andisbothTaylorNash’sandmytoppickforthemonthofOctober!
Remembertowaituntilyouhearthemayorannounce“O’zapftis!”andthenletthefestivitiesbegin!
NOVEMBER
November andDecember areperiods towatchout for schoolies!The crazed teenagers are no longer contained to just the GoldCoast.Australian travelcompany,UnleashedTravel,nowspecify inmanaging trips toother cheapdestinations, such as Indonesia,FijiandVanuatu. If you don’twant to squeeze through themasses ofschooliegenerations,whynotembarkonanAfricanadventure.
NovemberweatherinMauritaniaishotanddry,andperfectforsandduningandcamelriding.ThiscountryissituatedinthewestofNorthAfrica,borderingtheWesternSahara,andishometolargesanddunes.Ifyouneedtogetawayfromtheheat,goforaswimintheAtlanticOceantothewestofthecountry.
Animals Australia - Unleashedhasbeenmygotowebsitefornews
updatesonanimalwelfareforthepastyearandahalf.Itwas
throughthemthatIdiscoveredthatinMaythisyearSTAtravel
stoppedbookingtoursthatinvolvedcruelanimalattractions.It’s
greattoseethatsometravelagenciesaretakingactionagainst
animalcrueltyinthetouristindustry.However,it’snotjustlarge
corporationsthatcanmakeadifferencetothisurgentcause.By
choosingyourtraveloptionswiselyandexploringdifferentcultures
withoutinadvertentlysupportingtheexploitationofanimals,you
canhelpputanendtothissortofprofit-drivencruelty.
SeaWorldisaninternational,lucrativebusiness;theyaremore
interestedintheentertainmentoftheircustomersthanthemental
andphysicalhealthofthemarineanimalstheykeepcaptive.Orca’s,
forexample,arehighlyintelligentandsensitiveanimals.When
theyareintheirnaturalhabitattheyswimlongdistancesandstay
closetotheirfamiliesforlife.ButtheOrca’syouseeperforming
atSeaWorldhavebeenhunteddown,takenawayfromtheirpods
andhousedinapoolthatisonemillionthofthesizeofthearea
thattheywouldusuallyswimthroughinasingleday.Underneath
thefaçadeoffunthatSeaWorldpresentstoitscustomers,Orca’s
sufferseverementalhealthissuesbecauseoftheirenslavement,live
shorterlivesthantheynaturallywould,andaredeniedneedsthat
simplycannotbemetinconfinement.
Insteadoflockingthesebeautifulmarineanimalsupandforcing
themtojumparoundforus,whynotgoandvisitthemintheir
naturalhabitat?Whalewatchingisagreatwaytodiscoverand
appreciatethelifestyleofmarineanimalswithouttakingawaytheir
freedom.Youcanstillseetheseanimalsriseandbreakthroughthe
surfaceofthewater,slaptheirtailsandinteractwithoneanother,
allontheirownaccord.Youmightspotamotherfeedingher
calves,oraplayfulshow-offleapingoutofthewatertosayhello.
Whateverthemarineanimalsaredoingonyourtour,thebestpart
isthatyouknowitwon’tbeaperformance,andyouwillgainan
honestandspirituallyawakeningexperienceoflifeunderthesea.
IfitisatriptoThailandyouareplanning,youmightwantto
reconsiderputtinganelephantrideonyouritinerary.Inmanyof
theprofitbasedbusinessesthatofferelephantrides,theelephants
endurecrueltrainingpracticesandarechainedandconfinedwhen
theyaren’tworking.Druggingiscommonandthehoursofwork
arelong.Calvesareoftenseparatedfromtheirmothersandtheir
lifeexpectancyisreducedtoaslittleasfiveyearsbecauseofstress
andmalnutrition.
Alternativelyyoucanvisitanelephantsanctuaryandshareinall
aspectsoftheelephant’sworld.BoonLottsElephantSanctuary
(BLES)isafamilyrun,non-profitorganisationlocatedinThailand,
whichcaresforrescuedandretiredelephants,andprovidesthem
withasafenaturalenvironment.Thereareplentyofopportunities
toobservetheelephantsinthisindigenoussetting.Youcan
participateinactivitiessuchaswalkingtheelephantstorelease
sites,gatheringtheirfood,hikingalongsidethemandsettingup
campinthemidstofforestland.ByvisitingBLESorotheranimal
sanctuaries,youarecontributingtothewelfareandsustainabilityof
abeautifulspeciesratherthantheirdemise.
RecentlytherehasbeenatrendonTinderwhereguyspose
withtigerstolookbraveandscorethemselvesaswiperight.You
probablyalreadyhaveplentyofideaswhyitisadvisabletoswipe
leftonguyswithtigersintheirprofile,butwhataboutthetourist
attractionitself?Oftenanimalsusedforthesepurposesaretaken
fromthewildandtheirmothersarekilled.Believeitornot,wild
animalsdon’thaveprofilepicturestouphold,andtheydon’tlike
posingforselfiesalldaylong.Oftentheyarechainedupwhenthey
aren’tworking,theirteethareremoved,andtheyaresedatedand
cruellytrainedintocompliance.
Thereareethicalphotographopportunitiesthatyoucansafely
swiperightonafteryou’veswipedlefttothedodgytigerpicture.
Whynotvisitnatureparks,historicalsites,buildingsandthelocal
communitytotakesomesnapsofthecultureyouareexperiencing?
Thesearepartsoftheworldthatareworthcelebratingandwhat’s
more,ananimaldoesn’tneedtobechainedupforyournewprofile
picture.
Nexttimeyougotothelocalrodeoshow,orvisitSpainwhere
bullfightingisatradition,considerthis-IntheSpanish‘Running
oftheBulls’festival,participantsroundupbullsandleadthem
throughthestreetstoabull-ringwheretheyarethenviolently
killed.Thetraditionwascreatedbymenthatprovokedtheir
cattlebyusingfearandexcitementtospeeduptheprocessof
transportingthem.Itturnedintoapopularcompetition,anda
bloodyspectaclewithhorrificconsequencesforthebulls.Thereis
nothingglorifyingorbraveaboutthedeathoftheseanimals.
Bullfighting,rodeosandcockfightinghavebeendefendedas
culturallyimportant.Butthereareplentyofwaystocelebrate
culturewithoutscaringanimalsintorunningorfightingfortheir
lives.ASpanishtown,Mataelpino,hasfoundasolutiontothis
crueltywhilesimultaneouslykeepingwiththeirtradition.Animals
AustraliahasdescribedMataelpino’sfestivalasthe‘Runningof
theBalls’,whereagiant125kgpolystyreneballchasesrunners
downthestreetintoadefunctbull-ring.Thisplayfulandethical
adaptionoftheSpanishtraditionallowsparticipantstohavean
adrenalin-fueledexperiencewithoutterrifyinganybulls.Tourism
hasactuallyincreasedintheareasincethetownstoppedusinglive
bulls.Ifyou’replanningatriptoSpainyoucouldjoinMataelpino
incelebratingthe‘RunningoftheBalls’.
Wearesoluckytobelivinginatimewhereitiseasyto
experiencedifferentpartsoftheworld.However,wemust
rememberthatwesharethisworldwithotherbeings,andthey
havethesamerighttoexploreitaswedo.Nexttimeyouare
planningyourtripaway,pleaseresearchthecountriesyouare
planningtovisittofindoutwhatpotentialanimalissuesyoumight
facethere.Travelkindly,consideryourchoices,andyoucanhelp
makethisworldahappyplaceforeveryonetoexperience.
For more information on Animals Australia - Unleashed, visit
www.unleashed.org.au.
ETHICAL TRAVELBY TILLY KIDD
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 55I L L U S T R AT I O N : J AYA D E G U R
P H O T O : N I K O L A J S O Z O L I N S
“Oldmateisgoingonanadventure”.Imotionedtowardstheroadatacyclistridingpast,theirbikeloadedwithpanniers.
“That’sthethingwithcycletouringthough,isn’tit?”Craigreplied.“Youcan’talwaystelljustfromlookingifsomeoneisgoingaroundthecountryoronanovernightcampingtrip.”WesateatingatsomepicnictableslookingoutoverLakeTuggerah,onanarrowstripoflandbetweenthelakeandthesea.
MybrothermovedtotheWhitsundaysinthemiddleoflastyear,andIdidn’thavetothinktwiceaboutwhetherit’dbeagoodideatovisitafterunibrokeforthesummer.Aweekspentloungingaround,swimming,andsailingwasaprettygoodoffer.Decidingtogethomebybicyclewassomethingdifferentthough.Nervousaboutgoingalone,Itriedrecruitingfriends,andobviouslyitsoundsfun,buttentativeyesesturnedintodisappointednoswiththerealityoftimeandfinancialcommitments.Bynowthough,Ihadreadenoughstoriesandarticlesofepicjourneysacrosstheglobe(towhichmyadventurewouldpaleincomparison),andwasitchingtogetatasteofit.IboughtaonewaytickettoHamiltonIsland,alongwithsomerackstohelpmecarrygearwhileIrode,atent,andasleepingbag.
Andsoonemorning,asschooliestrickledoutofthenightclubacrossthestreet,Isetoutalone,mybicycleheavyandloadedwithallthethingsIhadimaginedmyselfneedingtoridebacktoSydney.Ofcourse,myneartotallackofexperiencesawmecarryingsomeutterlyuselessitems,likeastove’sfuelbottleforwhichtherewasnostove(ithadbeenconfiscatedattheairport,goodtimes),andutterlylackingsomecrucialitems(i.e.creamforyourbutttopreventsoresthatcanpopupafterspendingendlesssweatyhoursonabicycle).OnlyoncehadIeverridden
morethan60kminaday,andwasnowsettingoutonajourneyofover2000kmhopingtobehomefortheholidays.
Thefirstdaywasdamnhot.RestingunderamangotreeinthemiddleofnowhereIscoffedatmyselfforromanticisingtheideaoftravel.Sure,itwasnicetochillunderamangotreeinthemiddleofnowhere,butIdidn’twanttodoitadinfinitum.Ihadsetmygoalforthatdayasa95kmjauntdowntoCalen,atownIknewnothingaboutotherthanitsbeing95kmfromAirlieBeach.WhenIeventuallymadeitIdidn’tfindalot,butafterchattingtoateacherfromthelocalhighschoolIwasgivenpermissiontousetheschool’sbathrooms,andresolvedtopitchmytentinthefairlyabandonedlookingchurchyard,nextdoor.
There’snotmuchbetweenMackayandRockhamptonbesides300kilometresandalotofsignswarningoffatigueddriversrunningofftheroad.You’reluckytomakeittoaplacewithdrinkingwateravailableafteraday’sriding,andIhadhadpeoplewarnofawholehostofdangers,asmildassunburnbutassinisteraskidnapping,andthewholeWolfCreekexperience,sanscrater.However,despitethestrangerdangeritwasonthislongstretchthatanindistinctfigureontheroadaheadbecameacyclist.IpedalledhardandcaughtuptoCraig,aBritcomingtotheendofayearawayfromhome,andcappingitoffwithsixweeksridingAustralia’seastcoastfromCairnstoSydney,afterbeinginspiredbysomepeoplefromhishometownwhomhe’dmetinVietnam.Theyhadcycledthere.Wemadeittoacampspotfortheeveningandontalkingfurther,discoveredthatwewerebothhopingtoarriveinSydneyaroundthesametime.Realisingwecouldsplitthecostsofcampsitesandotherthings,nottomentionthebenefitsofhavingsomecompany,itseemedtomakesensethatweridetogether.
ON YER BIKE M8
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 57
BY NIKOLAJS OZOLIŅŠ
Wefellintoaroutineofthreedaysonthebiketooneortwoday’srest,usuallydecidingonasleepingplaceforthenightoverbreakfast.NowthatIthinkofitthough,Craigwasprobablyalreadyinthisroutineandit’ssomethingIwashelpedintobyridingwithhim,butwebothlearntfromeachotherasthedaysandweekswentby.Idiscoverednewwaystoknowwhatwasaheadthroughthemagicofsmartphones,andCraigsaidhisdietimprovedafterseeinghowIate(I’mvegan!Party!).
Theexperienceofmeetingsomeoneandgoingdirectlyintoarelationshipwhereforamonthyouareconstantlyaroundeachother,takingmostmealstogether,andsometimesspeakingtofewotherpeoplefordaysatatime,wasreallystrange,anditssuddenendonatrainplatforminSydneyleftmewithafeelingthatevennowIcan’treallyexplain.I’mthankfultherewassomeoneIcouldsharetheshittymomentswith,andfranklyhumbledbythefactthatanyonecouldputupwithmeforsolong.
Andhumilityiscrucialfortraveltoo,especiallywhenitcomestobicycletravel.Youcometorealisetherearemanythingsthatcangreatlyimpactyourexperiencebutthatarebeyondyourdirectcontrol,andthatlayersofprivilegeareworkedintotheideassurroundingtravel.Sex,gender,socio-economicstatus,race,beingable-bodiedornot,allthesethingsamongotherscanchangetheexperienceyouhave,andevenyouraccesstotheexperience.ThiswasmadesocleartomeevenbeforeIdepartedthroughlisteningtothestoriesofpeopleverydifferenttome.IrodeasaprivilegedpersonandI’mnotexactlysurehowtoaddressallofthis,butIthinkit’simportanttokeepinmindasyouformrelationships,thatpeople’slivescanbeverydiverseandwildthings.
Anintrinsicdifferencebetweenbicycletravelandothermorecommonformsofgettingabout,isthatittakesalotlonger.Onhighwayswefounditgetsuncomfortabletodomorethan
100kmaday,formorethanafewdays.Althoughthereisasenseofachievementinseeingwhatyourbodycando,backingupa145kmdaywitha160kmday,hadmylegsshakingasIclimbedoffmybikeinBuladelah,cursingtheheadwindthathadpersistedmostoftheday.TheBigBananaistwosoliddaysfromByronBayratherthanafewhours,andallthetypicaltouristmomentsaremuchfurtherapart.Theinbetweentimescanbeprettyamazingthough,andthey’remomentsyouonlyarriveatbybicycle.
Thisisgoingtobecliché,butyou’releftwithnothingtodobutappreciatethesmallthings.Thesewerewhatbicycletravelcametobeaboutforme.ItwaswatchingGameofThroneswitholdbattlerswhiledrinkingbeergiftedoutofsympathy.Itwasturningacorneratthetopofahillandseeingdownhillandflatroads,orthefactthatitonlyeverseemedtorainafterwe’dreachedourdestinationfortheday.ItwascrashingbecauseCraigandIweredeepinconversationonthesideofahighway,payingwaylessattentiontooursurroundingsthanweshouldhavebeen.Itwassleepingintheshadowoffunnyshapedmountains,orcruisingthroughmorningfrosttobewelcomedintothehomesofpeopleIneverknewexisted.Itwasfeelingbrokenandfightingforeveryturnofthecranks,upasteepdirtroadtothetopofamountaininthemorning,andsippingfrostybeersatCapeByronintheafternoon.Itwasridinginonedirectioneverydayandgettingtanlinesonlyononesideofmybody,orgettingnoflattiresthewholetimeexceptforfouronthesecondlastday.Itwasallthechats,directions,andescortsfromfriendlycyclists,nottomentionthegreatfriendImadejustbecauseIwasridingmybike.Andlastly,itwaslookinglikeanidiotwearinglycrashortsandashit-eatinggrininthemiddleofSydney,butfeelingprettychuffed,andthehundredsofthousandsofpeoplegoingabouttheirdaywhohadnoidea.
Thewind’scallingyournameoutinpursuitofforeignlands.Livefreeordrive.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E58
“
“
I rode as a privileged person and I’m not exactly sure how to address all of this, but I think it’s important to keep in mind as you form relationships, that people’s lives can be very diverse and wild things.
P H O T O : N I K O L A J S O Z O L I N S
P H O T O : L A U R A P O L SO N
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 61
IshouldhaveknownthatonemeetingwithAyeshaHasanwould
neverbeenoughtimeforhertoshareallofherexperiences.After
herhour-longfascinatingandsurprisinglyfunnypresentationfor
Femsoc’sFreeSchool,theaudiencekeptaskingquestionafter
question.Untilweactuallygotkickedoutoftheclassroom...
Hasanletusintoaworldweknowlittleabout.Aworldthatwe
relyonlinesservedtousinnewspaperstories,orinformationon
televisionandcomputerscreens,tolearnabout.Hasanisafemale
reporterfromPakistan.Aninterestingcombination,considering
Pakistanwasrecentlyvotedastheworld’smostdangerouscountry
forjournalistsandthethirdmostdangerousforwomen.
Despitethedangersofthisrole,Hasanisdeterminedtocreatea
strongfemalepresenceinPakistan’smedialandscape.Shebelieves
womenreportonissueslikewardifferentlytomen,whotendto
focusonviolence,thetechnicalitiesofweapons,andgore.Hasan
preferstolookcloselyatthoseaffectedbysuchconflicts,often
seekingthevoicesthatdonotgetheard:Pakistaniwomen.
ForwomeninPakistan,thefeministstruggleisoneforbasic
humanrightsandrecognition.Hasansaysthereareopportunities
forPakistaniwomenbuttheyalwaysinvolvechallenges.Fromday
one,theyfightforeducation,andtheyfightfortheirrighttowork
laterinlife.
ButwhenHasanoutlinedabriefhistoryofhercountry,Femsoc
presentationattendeeslearntthatitwasn’talwaysthisway.In1983,
PresidentialDictatorMohammedZia-Ul-Haqm,introducedstrict
anddiscriminatorypoliciesagainstwomen.UnderneaththeLaw
ofEvidenceOrder(1984),theEnforcementofHudoodlawstated
thatifawomanisrapedbutcannotproveotherwise,shewillbe
chargedforadultery.In2006,Pakistaniwomengained,asHasan
explains“ahugesighofrelief ”,whenleaderPervesMusharraf
passedtheWomen’sProtectionBillinanattempttoappealthe
ordinances.
Hasanposesaquestiontotheroom:“Couldfeminismbethebest
antidotetothedangerouslyprevalentmalechauvinismingrained
inPakistan’ssociety?”Rightnowthisquestiondoesn’thaveaclear
answer,partlybecausefeminismisverydifferentinourrespective
countries.ButforHasantoidentifyasafeministinherhome
country,shewouldbejudgednegatively.Pakistan’sversionof
feminismisfarfromtoplessprotestslikestheonesfromFEMEN.
Pakistaniwomenaresimplyaskingtobeconsideredhuman
beings.“Womenfromthefirstworldwillneverunderstandwhat
strugglingforbasicrightsislike,”Hasansays.
Whenherdiscussiontransitionsfromilliteracylevelstothe
brutalityofacidattackstheroomtenses.Sheeducatesusonnew
termssuchasVaniandKali.Vanioccurswhenwomenareswapped
foritemssuchaslandtosettleadispute,andKalimeaningblack,
happenswhenawomenisaccusedofbeinginvolvedinanextra-
maritalaffairorconnection.Sheisconsideredastainonsociety,
andisshunnedandbanished.
Thejournalistmentionsstoriesshecoveredthatshatteredher
emotionally,andsaysamajorchallengeistoencouragehersources
totakeactionagainsttheirinjustices.Fewdo.
Hasanalsosaysshediscoverswomen’sdreamswhileinvestigating
andreporting.Butthesearen’tyourtypicalaspirationaldreams.
Theyareinfactnightmares.Onesixty-year-oldwoman,wholost
bothhersonanddaughterinwar,hashadthereoccurringdream
ofrunningandbeingattackedeverynightforthelastsixyears.
Oneparticulararticle,‘AnOpenLettertotheKingdomofSaudi
Arabia’,inspiredHasantomakealistofreasonswhyPakistani
womenwouldnotwanttomarrySaudimen.Thearticleishugely
entertaining,raisingkeyargumentslike“It’s2014,andyoudon’t
letwomenvote”.Itlandedherinhotwater,andshewaseven
bannedfromenteringSaudiArabia.Yet,shesaysshehopestoone
daymakeitthere,justtosay“Hah!Imadeityourcountry!”With
thisthecrowdlaughsandadmiresherdeterminationofspirit.
Thejournalistismindfulthatshedoesnotfullyrepresentall
Pakistaniwomen,becausesheseesherselfasfree.Despitemoving
toAustraliatostartherfamily,shestillwantstobeanadvocate
forthewomenbackathome.Fornow,thatentailswritingabout
themfromafar,statingthathergeneration,“havethepowerofthe
pen.Peoplemightfindussillyandoffensivebutwe’reluckierthan
ourgrandmothers”.
Duringquestiontime,someoneaskshowWesternwomencould
bealliesforfeministjournalistsfromPakistan,andnotspeakfor
them.Hasanrespondssayingshebelievesface-to-faceinteraction
withpeoplefromothercountries,travelling,networkingand
listeningtoothers’first-handexperiencesofwar,areallimportant.
AsAustralianswehavetheabilitytoknowhowpeopleinour
societythinkandthereforewhatwillmakethemlisten.“It’slike
synergy,”Hasansays.“Itreallyhelps.”
To hear more of Hasan’s views on journalism and her advice to
students, see Emily Bennett’s piece on the UOWTV Multimedia
website at uowtvmultimedia.com.
Soon to start a PhD at UOW, Ayesha Hassan spoke to Laura Polson about her experiences as a Pakistani journalist, and issues effecting women in her home country.
A LETHAL COMBINATION BY LAURA POLSON @laura_polson
“Doyouwanttooffsetyourcarbonemissionsfor$1.79?”
Innermonologue:No,Jetstar,Idonotwanttogiveyouanextra
$1.79.I’vejustspentthelasthalf-hourremovingeveryoptional
extrayou’vesignedmeupforsothatmybudgetflightdoesnot
costthreetimesmorethantheadvertisedprice.Thelastthing
Ifeellikedoingisgivingyourmultimillion-dollarcorporation
moreofmymoney.
Foraverylongtime,thiswastheextentofmythoughtsaboutthe
environmentwhenplanningtotravel.Mydesiretotravelfurther,
fasterandmorefrequentlycausedmetocompletelydisregardthe
environmentaldamageIwasdoingintheprocess.
The‘travelbug’isslowlyinfectingusasasociety.Whenwetravel,
weconnectwithasocietalstatussymbolandaningrainedidealof
glamourandworldliness.Astravelbecomescheaper,itbecomes
moreaccessible.Itisnowjustasaccessibletosomeoneona
budgetasitistoawealthyperson.AccordingtotheAustralian
BureauofStatisticsInternationalMovementsReport,8.2million
Australianstraveledoverseasin2012.Thismarksasteepincrease
inthenumberofpeopletravelingoverseas;itwasreportedthat
in2011,7.8millionAustralianstraveledoverseas,andin2002
only3.5millionAustralianstraveledoverseas.Travelhasbecomea
ubiquitouslifestylechoice,andwiththatchoice,lifestylehastaken
precedenceoverenvironmentaljustice.
Theaviationindustryisthefastestgrowingcontributorof
carbondioxideemissions.AreturnflightfromSydneytoHobart
emitsapproximatelyfivetonnesofcarbondioxide.Thisisthe
equivalentofhalfanaveragesperson’sannualcarbonfootprint.
AsanAustralian,almostalltravelwillrequireaflight,withmany
ofthoseflightsbeinglonghaul.Ourlifestylechoicesareactively
contributingtosignificantenvironmentaldamageandclimate
change.Andunfortunately,anoptional$1.72offsetfeeisn’tgoing
tofixthesituation.
Sowhat’sthesolution?Shouldwenevertravelagain?Thereare
wayswecancontinuetotravelbydoingsomindfully.Hereare
three:
1. Reconsider your need for long distance air travel.
Doyoureallyneedtoflytotheothersideoftheworldmultiple
timesayear?Canyourbusinesstravelbeconductedinremote
ways,suchasSkype?Couldyoutakeaholidaytoacloser
location?Therearemanyoptionsforreducingairtravelifwetake
thetimetoconsiderthem.Overlandtraveloptionscanoftenbea
fasterandmuchmoreenvironmentallyfriendlyoption.Traintravel
isafarmoresustainableoption,asisbycar-poolingandbus.Some
peopleevenchoosetotravelbyshipinordertoreducetheir
carbonfootprint.
2. Discover your own backyard. Culturalpressuretoseenew
things,trynewfoodanddiscovernewexperienceshasblinded
manyofusfromdiscoveringthebeautyinourownbackyard.
Australia’svastsizeanddiversitymakesitatraveler’splayground.
Snowymountainstocoralreefs,desertstolushgreenvalleys,
Australiahasaplethoraoftraveloptions.Bytakingaholiday
withinAustralia,wearemorelikelytotraveloverlandoronlyfly
forashortperiodoftime,thereforereducingourcarbonemission
contribution.
3. Fly with sustainably focused airlines.Notallairlines
weremadeequalandsomeairlinesenvironmentalpoliciesare
strongerthanothers.TakeforexampleAirNewZealand,whoare
enhancingtheirfleetswithnewerplanesandbettertechnology,
areimplementingtheuseofsustainablebiofuel,andencouraging
scientificresearchintomoresustainableflyingpractices.Ifyou
conductairlineresearchbeforeyoufly,youareabletogiveyour
hardearneddollarstoanairlinethatyouknowaretryingtohelp,
ratherthanhinder,theenvironmentaltraveleffort.
TO FLY OR NOT TO FLY? BY ZOFIA ZAYONS @zzayons
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E62
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 63
Haveyoueverheardastudentsay,“Idon’treallywanttotravelthe
world”?It’snosecretthatthemostpassionatetravelersareamong
thosewhothrowcautiontothewindandannounce“I’mgoing
onanadventure!”withoutplanorpurpose.We’reyoung,carefree,
tightonmoney,andtheworldisabigplace-butdoesplanninga
triphinderorhelpus?
Undoubtedly,thelargesttravelconcernforstudentsisbudgeting.
Wewantalltheexperienceswithnoneoftheexpenses,andwho
couldblameus?Withyouthhostels,budgetairlinesandallkinds
ofearlybirddiscountsatourdisposal,it’sexpectedthatwewon’t
havetocompromiseonourideals.Thekey,asmanyempty-
pocketedstudentshavediscovered,isadegreeofforwardplanning.
Whileoninternationalexchange,UniversityofWollongong
studentZofiaZayonstookanumberofsmalltrips,andin
hindsight,shewishesshehadplannedmore.“I’dbookaflight
foramonthlaterandpre-arrangeaccommodation,”shesays,
“butIhadn’tplannedanythingbeforeleavingAustralia,except
gettingtoSweden”.Afterleavingherhomebaseonexchange,
shewasplanningonetotwocountriesahead.“IfIwasinGreece,
Iwasplanninghowtogettothenextcountryandwheretostay.
Nothingwasbooked.”
Ironically,westudentsdesirea‘carefree’andflexibletravel
experience,andaimtoachievethisthroughagenerallackof
planning.Thoughtotalflexibilityisattractivewhentravelling,
Zofiasaysthatforwardthinkingwouldhavepreventedstress
andspending.“Althoughitworkedoutfineintheendand
theflexibilitywasgreat,itwasreallystressfultryingtoenjoy
myholidayonabudgetwhenIknewthatthelongerIputoff
bookingsomething,themoreexpensiveitwouldbecome.”Ifshe
couldchangeanything,shesaysthatshewouldhavehadflights,
trainsandsomeaccommodationbookedinadvance.“Thesewere
thethingsthatbecameexpensivelastminute.Especiallyasit
kickedintopeakseason.”
Mostofusdesiretodo,seeandexploremorethanwhatis
humanlypossible,eventhoughweknowit’snotrealistic.It’seven
lessrealistictosqueezeeverythinginwithoutthinkingaboutthe
logisticsof‘seeingeverything’beforeattemptingit.Zofiashares,
“itwasdifficulttogetfromsomecountriestoothercountriesand
itinvolvedalotofre-workingtheplan.Forexample,whenIwas
intheGreekIslands,mytravelpartnerandIhaddecidedthatwe
wantedtogoCroatianext.Aflightwasgoingtocostus$500.In
theend,wehadtogetaferrytoMykonos,stayanextranight,
flytoGermany,staytwonights,getupat4am,andthenflyto
Croatia.Abitofforwardplanningprobablywouldhaveenabledus
togetmoredirectflightsoravoidthesituationalltogether.”
Althoughforwardplanningishealthyforstresslevelsandbudgets,
itcouldbearguedthattravellingisallaboutfreedomand
adventure.ForgraduateDylanSmith,havingthetripofalifetime
wasaboutfindingtheperfectbalance.Whiletravellinginthe
US,Dylanenjoyedknowinghehadplansinplace,butequally
appreciatedthefreedomofunplanneddays.“Sometimesyou
willfeellikeyou’rejustwastingtimeandnotbeingeffectiveon
unplanneddays,”hesays,“butthat’stherisk.Also,rememberthat
noteverydayisepic.Ifsomethingissurprisinglyepic,juststop.If
somethingisaletdownornotasgoodasanticipated,keepgoing”.
Headvisesthat,“sometimesyou’vejustgottothrowcautionto
thewindandgo‘YOLO’!”
Whenitallboilsdown,besafe,besmartandknowyour
limitations.Ifadventureisyourkeypriority,youmayjusthave
tocompromiseonbudget,andifallelsefails-atleastyouhavea
storytotell.
THE PROS AND CONS OF ‘THE PLAN’BY LAUREN BARRETT @LaurenLjbarrett
P H O T O : A M Y F A I R A L L
IfeveryougettoSouthIndiaandareindesperateneedofserenity,Pondicherryistheplacetogo.AnoldFrenchcolony,thesmallcityhasbecomeahottouristdestinationforIndiansandinternationaltouristsalike.TheFrenchQuarterofthecityboastshundredsofbeautifulcolonialbuildingslickedinboldIndiancoloursandstreetart.It’snotunusualtoseeschoolchildrengracefullyridingbicyclesdownthecobblestonestreets,ormiddleagementakingabreakwithacupofchaiunderoneofthemanybeechtreesthatlinethelaneways.
MyboyfriendandIarrivedinPondicherryafterathreehourbusridewithnoairconditioninginpre-monsoonheat,seatsthatdidn’tfitourlegsandthebiggestripoffbyatuk-tukdriveronourtrip.Mercifullywefoundourselvesinatrulybeautifulplacetostay,atParkGuestHouse.
Asweenteredthebuilding,wefeltasuddenshiftintheair.Withdirt-coveredfaces,disheveledclothesandabundanceofoverweightbags,westraggledintothequiet,coolreceptionroom.Wefeltwehadtowhisper.
Thelocationwasalmostunbelievable.Rightonthewaterfront,itwastheonlyhotelintownonthebeachsideoftheroad.We’devencaughtaglimpseofaflourishinggardenfilledwithgrassandtrees!Realgrass!
Atthefrontdesk,wewereaskedtoreadalistofrulesthatwehadtoagreetobeforemakingabooking.AsthehotelisintendedforthosevisitingtheAshram–areligiousmonasteryinthetown–allguestsmustbemindfuloftheexpectationsoftheHindireligion.Nosmoking,nodrinking,noguestsandacurfewat10:30pm.Noneoftheseseemedtobeaproblem,sowequicklyagreedandarrangedtostayfortwonights.
Westumbledintothebiggestandcleanestroomwe’dstayedinoverthetrip.Notonlywastherealoungeandcoffeetable,butaverandahthatlookedoutoverthelushgardenandontothebreakingwaves.Atonly400rupees,approximately$8eachanight,thedealseemedtoogoodtobetrue.Anditwas.
AfterrejoicinginourfaithintheLonelyPlanetGuide,we
decidedtotakeastrollalongthebeachpromenade.Eachnightbetween6pmand7:30am,theroadthatrunsparalleltothebeachisclosedofftovehicles,andbecomesalivelynightmarketandgeneralhangoutforlocalsandtourists.Withseveralcafesandrestaurantsfacingthewater,itwasagreatplaceto‘peoplewatch’.Wefollowedourtrustedguide-booktoasmallbarwherethebeerwascoldandthecocktailswerecheap.AfterafewtoomanyLongIslandIcedTeasandaquickstumblebacktotheguesthouse,Iwasasleepthesecondmyheadhitthepillow.
Butmynightwasrestless.Tossingandturning,Icouldn’tstopscratchingmyarms,faceandneck.InmysleepystateIdecideditmusthavebeenmosquitoesbitingme,soIpulledthesheetupovermyfacetoprotectmyself.Yetsomehow,thelittlebuggersstillgotthrough.Iwasitchyinthestrangestplaces.Abovemyeyebrows,onmycheeks.
IawokeearlyandmyboyfriendandIdeclaredthatbedbugshadbeenthesourceofourtroubles.Weweren’tparticularlyangry,justitchy,anddecidedtoinformthereceptionistofwhatwe’ddiscovered.Achangeofroomsoratleastanewmattresswassurelynotabigask.
Butoncewhenwebegantopolitelytellthewomenatreceptionabouttheunpleasantsleepwe’dhad,astrangethinghappened.
“No.Wedon’thavebedbugs.Itmusthavebeenants.Ormosquitoes.”
Thatwasit.Nosympathy,nocheckingofourbedsforproof.Justadismissal.Wefoundthisverystrangeaseveryoneelsewe’dencounteredhadbeenoverlyhelpful.WeinsistedthatwehadbitesonourfacesandthatDylanhadevenfoundabuginhissheets.Butshewouldn’tbudge.
Thatnight,wemadeamake-shiftbedoutofthecushionsfromthelounge.Theviewandlocationwerewellworthanightonthefloor.
TheParkGuestHousewasabeautifulandpeacefulplacetostay.Justbeaware:it’smorethanjustthestrictrulesthatwillmakeyouitch.
T H E T R AV E L I S S U E 65
DON’T JUDGE AN ASHRAM GUEST HOUSE BY ITS GARDEN
BY AMY FAIRALL @AmyEloiseF
ARTS & CULTURE
B E AT E N B O D I E S , P H O T O : T O SC A
Reachingbacktothepioneersofgrooveandcatapultingthemintotoday’srichmusicallandscape,BeatenBodiescombineelementsofjazz,hip-hop,soulandelectronicmusictoforgeasoundthatisforward-thinkingandalltheirown.Thoughtfullyricsinspiredbythehumanspirit,arewoventogetherwithenchantingmelodies.Athree-piecehornsection,ridingfuturebeatsanddeepmulti-layeredgrooves,BeatenBodiesisanexperience.They’reaboutmovingthesoulasmuchastheyareaboutmovingthebody.(DescriptionfromBeatonBeatenBodiesFacebookpage).
InterviewwithNovakManojlovic.
HOW DID BEATEN BODIES COME ABOUT?
ItallbeganwithLiamandMarli,theywereantsytogetsomethingstarted.SoMarlicalledmeupandthenthethreeofusstartedlookingforpeopleweknewthatfilledtheinstrumentationwewanted.Wewerealsothrowingthisbandtogethertoplayatthis21stparty.Afterwedidthatwefeltthattherewasacoolvibegoingon...Sowestartedplayingandwritingourownmusicandyeah,itjustspiralledfromthere.
HOW DID YOU START/END UP IN THIS FORMATION?
Asthesoundchangesinabandyourealisethatyouhavetoalterinstrumentations,andascruelasthisis,altermemberstofitthestyleyouwanttomake.YouknowwhatImean?LikehavinganelectricalguitarintheSydneySympathyOrchestraforinstance,itwouldbeabitweird.Soyeah,we’vehadtoworkthingsoutbychangingsoundsorinstruments.Oursoundprogressedfrombigbeat-swing,feel-good,summerpophits,tomorelikegroovy,darker,hip-hoppy-soulkindofstuff,andsofromthatwerealisedweneededpeopletofitthatsortofsound.
BEATEN BODIES STYLE HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS - WHY AND HOW?
Ithinkthesearejustnaturalevolutionsthathappenwhenyou’replayingmusic,westartedwiththisthinginmindthatwejustwantedtogetpeopleonthefloordancing,andforexample,ifwewereplayingatapartywe’dplayallthoseclassiccoversthatpeoplewouldwanttohear…Sothenwestartedtowriteinthatstyle,andthenaftertimeprogressedwekindofhadthisrealisationthatnoneofusactuallylistenedtothatkindofmusic(laughs).Wedecidedtofigureoutwhowealllikedlisteningtoo(ErykahBadu,RobertGlasper,HiatusKaiyote,etc.),andfromtherewestartedtowritemusicthatwasmorelikethosestyles.Itwaskindofaslowtransformation,butthat’skindofhowweendedupwherewearenow,whichIfeelisalotmoresettled.AlsoIguessthethingabouthavingeightpeopleintheband,iswenowhaveallthesedifferentinfluences,cause’we’reallintodifferentthingsandbackgroundsetc.Whichiscool.
DO YOU LOOK AT MUSIC AS SOMETHING YOU’LL BE DOING FOR A LONG TIME?
Yeah,ImeanI’veneverthoughtofitinanyotherway.IjustassumedsinceIwas16yearsoldthatthisiswhatI’lldo.Idofindithardtobalancemusicbeingajobandenjoymentthoughhey.LikeforinstanceImighthavethesetwogigs,I’vegotonethat’sasellout,alsoknownasa‘jobby’,whichcouldjustbeafilthythingthatwedon’twanttodobutneedthemoney,andthenwemightgetthisawesomecreativegigthat’snotpayingmuchbutit’swhatweenjoy...andtryingnottoleantoomucheitherway.Youknow,youhavetopayyourbillsandalsoplaythecreativemusic.Iguesstheultimategoalistopayyourbillswiththecreativemusic.
BEATEN BODIESBY ALEXANDRA SMITH
B A N D I N T E R V I E W68
ARE YOU CONSTANTLY CREATING MUSIC?
Yeah,allthetime.WellIcan’tspeakfortheothers,Idon’treallyknowwhattheirownindividualprocessis,butIdo.Iknowthatintermsofthebandwriting,someonewillhaveanidea,likeastem,whetherit’slikelyricsorchordsandthenwe’llworkshopitforagesanddoafewrehearsalstoglueitalltogether.
HAVE YOU GUYS TOURED A LOT?
Wehave…We’vebeendowntoMelbourneafewtimes,andthroughregionalpartsofVictorialikeMildura.We’vetouredupthecoasttoBrisbane(ohthisismostlybycarbytheway),Sydney,Wollongong,etc.It’soneofthebestpartsofbeinginaband,apaidvacation!
DO YOU GET A LOT OF YOUR INSPIRATION FOR WRITING WHEN TRAVELLING?
Formepersonallyyes.IwenttravellingafewyearsagotoAmericaanditmademeactuallyinvolvemyselfinartasameanstorespondtoallthethingsIsawandexperiencedwhileIwasoverthere…andasaresultofthat,Ihavewrittenalotofmusic.Ithinkmusiciskindofaresultofthislifeprocessofgoingplacesandmeetingpeople,andtalkingaboutthingsandthensortoftryingtoconveythatinthisparticularwaythatspeakstoyou.
HOW DOES MUSIC REFLECT THIS EXPERIENCE?
Thereareheapsofways.Itcouldbereallyliteral,basedonasoundyou’reexposedtoorsomething.Iwrotethisthingbasedonmyringtoneoverthere.Everytimemyphonerung,Iknewitwouldbe‘her’soitwouldbethisemotionalthingfromjusthearingmyphone,soIwrotesomethingbasedonthat.Also
placeshavegeneralvibesthatcouldberelatedtomusic.Evenhere,Thirroul’sagoodexample,ifyouwerewritingsomethingaboutthistownitwouldbereallybeautifulandopen.
HOW HAS THE BANDS RELATIONSHIP EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF HOW IT IMPACTS THE MUSIC YOU MAKE?
Welltravellingtogetherinsuchatighttight-knitgroupyouwouldhopetogetalong.Ireckonthat’showwestartedtogetcloser...Andwe’vefounditaloteasiertobeopen,whichhastotallybeenreflectedinthemusic,whereasifyou’vegotabandthataren’tcomfortableandprettyself-consciouswithoneanotherthenthereprobablywon’tbeasmuchcreativeopenness.Sonow,afterspendingtimeandtravellingtogether,there’sjustthisrealsenseofopennessthatisreflectedinthemusic.We’reverycomfortabletositdownandtalkhonestlyaboutthingslike,howwecanmakesomethingbetter,orhowcanweconnectmoretothemusicratherthanjustbeeightacquaintanceswhoarejustplayingsometunes.
WHAT NEXT?
We’restillwritingonourEPthatcameoutafewmonthsago,andtherearetravelplans.We’reheadingtoMelbourneinNovember,afewcoastalregionalthings,gigsinSydneyandofcoursethegigattheBulliHeritagehotelonthe23rdofOctober.Thenwe’regoingtospendsometimewritingmusicforanewalbum.Hopefullywe’regoingtotourthatinternationally.
For more information on Beaten Bodies visit their Facebook page.
To listen to their EP head to www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/
beaten-bodies.
B A N D I N T E R V I E W 69
I L L U S T R AT I O N : J A SO N B L O O M F I E L D
A R T I S T P R O F I L E 71
“I think there’s a perception that kids don’t care [about art].
But kids do care.”
Whilemostyearelevenstudentswerespendingtheirtime
freakingoutabouttheirpreliminaryexams,JasonBloomfieldwas
organisinghisveryfirstsoloexhibitioncalled‘It’sOkayToBe
Different’atTheNowYouSeeMeartgalleryinWollongong.
Athisexhibition,thewhitewallsweredecoratedwithpastel
watercoloursofplayfulAfricananimals,likeatwo-dimensional
zoo.Thestylewasminimal,andthecreaturesseemedtospiritedly
demandattention.Acoupleoflightpurplebuffaloswereeven
goingatitinoneoftheframesinthecorneroftheroom.There’s
aredstickerunderneathit,indicatingit’sbeenadmiredand
purchased.
Jasonis17-years-old,astudsitsontheleftsideofhisnoseandhis
blondehairiscombedperfectlytotheright.He’sanenthusiastic
tenniscoach,acreativewriter,acatererandmostimportantly,an
artist.“AtmyschoolIsayeveryonecandoart,Ijusthappentodo
itmorethanotherpeople.”
Whenhighschoolseemstobeameasureofhowmuch
informationyoucanmemoriseandregurgitate,Jasonfeelslikethe
practicalexperienceofrunninghisownexhibitionhasbecome
invaluable.“Art’sbecomeabitmoreofaprioritytomethan
schoolbecausethat’swhatIwanttodo,”hesaid.
“Myarthastakena360degreeturn.”Aboutthreemonths
ago,JasontookatriptoAfricawithhisfamilythatwould
unknowinglychangehisdarkstyleofpaintinganddrawing.
“[Beforethetrip]Iwasjustfrustrated.I’mnotsomeonewho
wouldgoaroundandrant,itgetsinmysubconsciousandIsortof
doitthroughmyart,”hesaid.
Heworkedhardtoportrayanalmost-humancharacterinthe
animalsthathespenthourswatchingintheplains.“They’llchew
atuftofgrasshere,scratchthemselvesthereandambiguously
wonderoffagain.”
AftertravellingthroughZimbabweandBotswana,thelocals
theregavehimalessonthatpresentsitselfinhiswork;happiness
comespredominatelyfromaperson’sperspective.“Thatwasreally
inspirationalforme…Imissiteveryday,”hesaid.Arrivinghome
withachangedattitude,Jasonhasdecidedtoacknowledgehis
privilegesandworkharderthanever.
Thepeopleheworkswith,includingmentorandclosefriend,
TeganRussell,coordinatoroftheNowYouSeeMeGallery,have
alsoinspiredtheplayfulthemeinhisartistpractice.“[Itwasn’t]so
muchbytalking,butbyjustbeingaroundandalwaysencouraging,
andsaying‘justdowhatyouwanttodo’,”hesays.“Iguessthat
reallyhelped.WithoutTegan,noneofthiswouldhavehappened…
she’snotdoingitformoney,she’sdoingitforyou.”
InspirationjusthitsJason.“Sometimesit’llreallycometomeand
belike,thisiswhatIwanttodo…And[then]Ijustholdontoit
andgowithitandthenItryandfinishitstraightaway,”hesaid.
“IfIdon’tIjusthavesomanyworksaccumulateandthatIdon’t
finish.”
Whenhestartspaintinghehasago-tosong:‘2Trees’byFoals.The
smoothsynthdrones,fastdrumbeatsandplucky,metallicsounds
fromanelectricguitarcreatearelaxingatmospheretoworkin.
“Theirsongissomellowandsouplifting,itjustgetsthejuices
going.”Hepreferstoworkinhisstudiobecausehiscave-like
bedroomhasa“badvibe”.Hesaystheatmosphereheworksin
shapeshisart.“I’lldoworkswatchingTVandtheyturnoutreally
goodforsomereason,I’mnotfocusingtoomuchontheworkto
overworkit,whichcanbeagoodthing.”
Sincetheexhibition,Jasonhasbeeninvitedtoworkwith
independentartsorganisation,RAWAxis,andhasbeenforming
afreshconcept.“That’salwaysthehardestpart.Tegan’salways
like“givemesomething”andI’mlike,“Idon’tknow,youdo
something.Idon’tevenknow…”
WhenwetalkaboutmakingartinWollongongandhisfuture,
hethinksbacktohiselevenyearsofplayingtennis:“Greattennis
playerscomeoutofeverywhere.ImeanSamStosurlivedinthe
countryandshe’swonaUSopengrandslam…ifyoureallywant
toachievesomething,itdoesn’tmatterwhereyouareorwhat
you’redoing,you’lldoitifyouwantto.”
You can see more of Jason’s work on his Facebook page: www.
facebook.com/jasonbloomfieldart.
ThisarticlewillbepublishedintheNowYouSeeMeMagazine,
whichisduetobelaunchedonthe12thofDecember.The
magazinewillfeature15localemergingartists,andcanbepre-
ARTIST PROFILE: JASON BLOOMFIELDBY BELINDA QUINN @BelindaQuinn10
AlexPike,atwenty-two-year-oldBiologicalScienceandJournalismstudent,hasaneyeforstrikingimages.Currentlyonexchange,theJervisBaybornartisthasinternedforAustralian Geographic and Green Lifestyle,andisnowtryingtomakeaprofessionintheartandphotojournalismindustry.
Hislandscapephotographsaredefinitelysomeofmyfavourites,butAlex’sportfolioboastsarangeofdifferentsubjects.Andthecommonthemethattiesthemalltogether?Hisstorytellingability.
Whileweonlygetasnippetofnarrativethroughthestillshots,Alexinvitesourimaginationtodotherest.AUScoastguard,handstuckedintohishoodie,standsbesideabrightyellowJeepattheedgeofajetty,watchingtheafternoonwindsrollinandthecloudssweepover.Wollongong’swhitelighthouseprovidesastarkcontrastagainstanauburn,smokysky.Anelderlywomanhugsapelicannexttoariver-bankonawarmAustralianday,andleansawayfromthewrigglingbird’sbeak.
AlexPiketakesusonajourney.Icanfeelthecoldofthewindagainstmyfaceonthatjetty,it’shardertobreatheasIworrywhetherthethicksmokeisfromafireclose-by.ThetidelapsmyfeetandIfeeluneasyworryingwhetherthestrugglingbirdwillknocktheoldladyover.It’sthesestrongnarrativesthatsethimapartfromotherartists.
Inavote,ourcontributor’spickedAlex’sphotoforthisissue’scover.Weagreedthatitconveyedasenseofstrong,free-willedempowerment,perfectfortheTertangala’sTravelIssue.Below,Alexchatswithmeabouthiswork,influencesandaspirations.
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
MynameisAlexPike,andI’mastudentattheUniversityofWollongongstudyingJournalismandBiologicalScience.I’m
currentlyonexchangein[the]USAfortheyearinBoulder,Colorado.
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
Iliketotakeamoreobservationalapproachtomyphotography;Idon’tlikeanythingtobestaged,soIgenerallyjustgrabmycameraandseewhathappensfromthere.SometimesImighthavesomethinginmind,butit’smoreimportanttobeawareofanythinginterestingthatcouldpresentitself,andthenreactingtothat.
WHAT TECHNQIUES AND EQUIPMENT DO YOU EMPLOY?
Foralotofmyphotography,especiallyanythingrequiringalongerlens(suchaswildlife),IuseaCanon7Dwitha100-400mmtelephotozoomlens.It’sagoodcombothatisn’ttoohardtotravelwith,andIcouldn’tlivewithoutthehighframespersecondofthe7D.WhenshootinglandscapesIprefertostayawayfromultra-widelenses,duetothedistortiontheycreate.Iusea17-50mmf2.8formostofmylandscapework,pairedwitha10-20mmultrawide.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST RECENT WORK.
RecentlyItravelledtotheSouth-WestcoastofAlaska,andintoCanada.Iputtogetherafewimagesforthephotoessayinthisissue,butIcamebackwithsomanyimages,I’mstillsortingthroughthem.
WHAT UNDELYING CONCEPTS ARE PRESENT IN YOUR WORK?
Ithinkthatdependsonthesituation,andwhatthesubjectis.Thenaturalworld,andhumaninteractionwiththenaturalworld,areconceptsthatIfeelarerepresentedacrossmanyof
A R T I S T I N T E R V I E W72
1 1 Q U I C K Q UE S T I O N S W I T HCOVER ARTIS T ALE X PIKEBY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter
P H O T O BY A L E X P I K E
myimages.Ithinkthatstemsfrommyfascinationwithnaturalhistory.
WHERE DO YOU GAIN INSPIRATION FROM?
I’vealwayslovedbiologyandnaturalhistory,waybeforeIeverpickedupacamera,soIguessthat’swherethefascinationcomesfrom.Ireallylovemountainsaswell,andlivinginColoradohaskindofturnedthatloveintoanobsession.
Ialsogetalotofmyinspirationfromotherphotographers.Seeingtheamazingimagesthatthesepeoplearecreatingalwaysencouragesmetostrivetoreachthatlevel,andthebarisbeingsethigherandhighereachday.
IF YOU WERE LISTENING TO SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBE YOUR WORK, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT TO BE DESCRIBED?
Everyonewantstheirworktobepraised–I’dbelyingifIsaidIdidn’twantpeopletorespectandappreciatemine.IguessIreallywantpeopletobeabletohaveanemotionalconnectionwithmyimages,becauseIthinkthat’sareallyhardthingtoestablish...Itwouldbeprettycooltohearthatpeoplecouldfindthatwithmyimages.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE WOLLONGONG COMMUNITY HAD ON YOUR ART?
TheimpacttheWollongongcommunityhashadonmyimageshasbeenprettyhuge.Therearesomanylocalphotographerswhoareabsolutelykillingit.Theyaresosupportiveofanyonewhoisintophotography.Itcreatesaprettywelcomingatmosphere.It’salsoinspiringtoseelocalpeoplebesosuccessfulintheircraftandhaveagreattimedoingso,especiallywhenIhopetobedoingsomethingsimilar.
ARE THERE CHANGES OR IMPROVEMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE WOLLONGONG ART COMMUNITY?
Althoughthecurrentcommunityisgreat,Ifeellikethere’salwaysroomforimprovement.Itwouldbecooltoseemorevenuesopenup,butIfeellikesinceI’velivedinWollongongthingshavedefinitelyimprovedandwillnodoubtkeepdoingso.Moreyoungprofessionalsfromthecommunityseemtobegettinginvolved,soIthinkthatmakesahugedifference.
WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY?
Theultimategoalistogetintophotojournalism,butnothingisreallysetinconcrete.I’vegotafewgoalstogetmyselfestablished,butonceIgetbackfromtheStatesandgraduate,Iwanttobeprintingmyimagestosell.
IN LIGHT OF THE TRAVEL ISSUE, WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OVERSEAS SO FAR?
MymostmemorablemomentsofarwasprobablydrivingoverthehugemountainssurroundingLAtoseethecityforthefirsttime.Wehadjustdriventwodayssolidthroughthedesert,and‘HotelCalifornia’wasontheradio.DrivingintothiscitythatI’dknownmywholelifebutneverbeentowasprettyamazing,andthecrazyhighmountainsblockedthecityfromourviewsowehadnoideawhenweweregoingtoseeit.DefinitelysomethingthatIwillalwaysremember.
To keep up to date with snapshots from Alex’s travels you can follow him on Instagram: @Mangerang. To view his portfolio and the images alluded to above visit www.alexpikephoto.portfoliobox.me/.
A R T I S T I N T E R V I E W 73
Whilststealth,camouflage,andsabotagearekeytothemasteryofNinjutsu,suchqualitiesarenotsovaluableinfilm,andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesunfortunatelypossessessuchvalues.Thisnewadditiontothefilmfranchisefailedtoliveuptoourfondchildhoodmemoriesofthefourcrimefighting,pizzaloving,teenageninjaturtles.
ThepremiseofthefilmiskeptverysimpleasShredder(TohoruMasamune)andhissoldiers,knownastheFootClan,terroriseandcontrolNewYorkCity.ThatisuntilbrothersLeonardo(JohnnyKnoxville&PetePloszek),Raphael(AlanRitchson),Michelangelo(NoelFisher)andDonatello(JeremyHoward),risefromthesewerstodiscovertheircallingasTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles.TheturtlesworkwithreporterAprilO’Neil(MeganFox)andcameramanVernFenwick(WillArnett),inordertotryandsavethecityfromthegraspsofShredderandhisarmy.
FansofpreviousTeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesmovies,comics,animation,andvideogames,werecurioustoseeifproducerMichaelBaywouldbeabletocapturetheessenceofthefamousfranchise.Bay’saffectionforaestheticsandtheabsurdoftencomesattheexpenseofthestorylineandanytheatricaldepth. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswasimpressivewithitscomputer-generatedconstruction.However,asanticipated,itfailedtoexplorethefinerdetailsoftheplot,wasanchoredbypooracting,andservedupjokesthatfellflat.Thiswasparticularlydisappointingashumourisatrademarkofthefranchise.Ontheactingfront,MeganFoxhasagainprovedhowuninterestingsheis,attimesappearingmorelifelessthantheCGImadeturtles.TheonlyrealactingcreditcangotoWilliamFichtnerasEricSacks,thecultivatorofthemutagenthathasresultedintheTurtlesexistence,whoputsinafirmperformance.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesdidanimpressivejobofsettinguptheoriginsofthestoryline.FromanotableanimatedopeningscenenarratedbySplinter,thefilmcontinuestodelveintothe
originsoftheturtlesandallthecharactersinvolved.Theonlydownsideofthis,isthatthefilmseemstospendalittletoolongonuncoveringquiteasimplebackgroundstory.
WhilstthestrongeraspectsofthefilmcameviatheturtlesandSplinter(TonyShalhoub&DannyWoodburn),sadlythearrayofone-linersfromtheturtlesthatwereintendedtobefunny,werefrequentlynot.Theprotagonistswereoftenpushedtotheside,asthestoryfocusedexcessivelyonApril.Thisdisruptedthefilm,makingitfeelasiftheturtleswerenotthecentralfocus.Animportantcomponentofthefranchiseistherelationshipbetweenthebrothers,especiallyRaphaelandLeonardo.Whilsttherelationshipsandcharacterisationofthebrother’sonthewholewasdonewell,LeonardoandRaphael’sconflictoverleadershipofthegroupwasdevelopedpoorly.Therelationshipbetweenthesetwofeltun-even,asRaphaelattimeswasrepresentedasthemaincharacter.ThisunderminedLeonardo’sleadershipofthegroup,whichunhingedthedynamicbetweenthebrothersanddamagedthestoryline.
Thefilmisdominatedbyactionscenes,butflopswhenitcomestoprovidinganyrealnoteworthyactionmoments.Thesescenesaregenericandboring,untiltheendofthefilmwhereweseetheturtlesfinallyutilisingthefullcapacityoftheirNinjutsuasateamagainstthealmightywrathofShredder.
WithMarvelstudiosraisingthebarofwhatisexpectedwhenitcomestoproducinglargebudgetcomicbookmovieslikeThor and Iron Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfailedtoliveuptoourexpectationsasitreliessolelyonspecialeffectsandmiscarriesinprovidingawell-roundedfilm.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesdidnotturnouttobethemonumentalbombthatmanyprojectedittobe,nordiditprovideenoughtomakeitanythingremarkable.Insteaditwasasufficienteffort,whichgarneredenoughgoodmomentstomakeitanenjoyablecinematicexperiencethatwillsomewhatpleasesomefansofthefranchise.
RATING: 6/10, GENRE RATING: 6.5/10
BY JOSEF FERRARO AND TRENT THOMAS
NINJA TURTLES REVIEW@JHF1993 @Trent1493
F I L M R E V I E W74
01:55
‘Arriba!Arriba!Vamonos!’shewasscreamingatthedriverashis
turnsbecamemoreandmoreerratic.Wewereallscreamingand
laughingandthedriverwasshouting‘escomolaFormulaOne!
EslaFormulaOne,sísísí!’andwewererollingaroundinthe
backandourvodkaswerespillingonourselvesandAmyinthe
frontkeptscreamingtogofaster.Wegunneditthroughthered
lightsandtorebetweenthewhirlingtaxisandslunginandout
ofroundaboutsandcareenedoverapedestrianislandandAmy’s
headwasrollingbackandherredhairwasfallingoutofitsbun
andourlaughingreverberatedinthelittleshellofthetaxi.The
driverwasdraggingwithothercarsandwewerescreamingfoul
fuckwordsandthrowingourfingersupatthescaredloserswe
werepassing.Thedriverrippedhiscarintoanillegalspaceright
atthedoorsatthefrontoftheclubandwewereshouting‘thank
you’sandscreamingandcheering‘wewon!’andthebouncers
rushedthetaxiandhespedoff.WemadethefreeentrytoLaTres
(02:00),ourdearoldfriendLaTres,byabouttwominutes.We
suckeddownthelastofourvariousmixeddrinksandunspilled
vodkaandburstintotheclubwithfireandenergyandasudden
needtopissverydesperately.
02:10
Wewerestumblingoutofourrespectivebathrooms,idlingwith
thesmokersinthehallway,passingfagsaround,moredrinks–
free-poured,asalways,indearSpain–nowwewerejoiningour
friendswhohadarrivedintheirmuchslowertaxis,andburning
ourfeettotheshitSpanishdanceandnowthingswereblurring
wellandOscarandMarinawerehookingupagain,goddamnit,
andnowIwasbuyingMarinaadrink–orOscarwasbuying
meadrink?AndAmywascominginandoutofvisioninwaves
ofblueandherheadwaslollingonhershouldersasshewas
screaming‘teamo!teamo!’andtryingtokissmeandIwas
brushingheroffandsaying,‘Iloveyoutoo!’
NowthefirewasburningrealgoodandMarvinGarrix’sskeleton
xylophonewastaptaptappinginourskullsandWeAreFucking
Animalsandweareburningourfeetbecausethisisthebestsong
wewillhearallnightandweknowitandnowthingsareareal
blur,andgoddamnit,whereisOscar,hehasslippedout,then
itallblacksout.Ihavevaguememoriesofstumblingalongthe
citystreetsofValenciatohomeandscreamingatpassingcarsin
SpanishandinEnglishandloosingangryfuckwordsbutactually
Iwasveryhappy.
InthemorningIfoundthedrunkenmessagestome:‘wherare
u??’and,god,IknewIhadslippedoutthebackatabout6am,as
wasmydrunkenhabit,walkinghomeandcursingmyfriendsfor
bailingonme,wheninfacttheywerestillintheclub.ThoughI
wasn’tinthemessthatOscarhadfoundhimselfin,thatgoddamn
fool.
11:00
Oscarwokeupaloneinaforeignbedroomandsatup,hisstubbly
facestaringatitselfinafloor-to-ceilingmirror.Hewipedhisface
withcuppedpalmsandtuggedattheearringsinhisleftear.And
then,shit,thiswasMarina’sroom.Whenherelayedthemorning
tomeatourregularcafé,Ithinkheembellishedthathehad
walkedoutofthebedroomtofindthatMarinawassittingina
chairinthemiddleofthelivingroom,lightlytappingheropen
palmwitharolling-pin.But,then,thereisalwaysthechancethat
thiswastrue,withMarina.Shewassittinginthelivingroom,
cleanandfullyclothedandmade-up,onekneefoldedoverthe
other.Oscarwasstandinginfrontofherinhisunderwear.Ihave
caughtOscarintighty-whitiesmorethanonce,god,Ihopehe
waswearingtighty-whities.
‘Oscar.’
‘HelloMarina!’OscarwasspeakingwithhisusualBritishcheer
andcharmbutwassonervousthathewasbackingawayfromhis
wordsashesaidthem(later,hetoldme,‘Iliterallyshatmyself ’).
‘Weneedtotalkaboutourrelationship.’
Apparently,Oscardidn’tmeantodisappearwithMarinain
LaTreslastnight.TherewassomeexchangethatIwasunder
obligationstostophim.Now,sittinginourregularcafétogether,
threedoorsdownfromMarina’s15th-floorapartment,Oscarwas
tellingmehehas:‘lit-er-allynore-coll-ectionofthatevening,’
hesayswithacheekysmirk.Goddamnhislittlecheekysmirk,
hidinginhisstubble.‘Nowshesaysbecausewe’veslepttogether
twice,wemustbeinarelationship.IthoughtIwasgoingtodie
upinthatapartmentJacob.Ithoughtshewasgoingtotiemeto
thechairandbeatmetodeath.’
‘You’reagoddamnfool.’
‘Shutthefuckup,Iknow.’
Wewerepaleandwornaroundtheedgesandweorderedsecond
coffees.‘Anyway,wherewereyoulastnight?Youweremeantto
stopme.IthinkIspent120Euroslastnight.’
‘Shit.’
Thatwasthreenightsinarowwehadblackedoutandblowna
handfulofcash.Worse,isthatitinEuros–anddrunkenEuros
C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G76
AND THE SUN ALSO RISES IN VALENCIABY JAKE EVANS
particularly–itneverfeelslikeyouarespendingthatmuch.And
tonightwewoulddoitagain,excepttonightIwouldaccidentally
smokeabluntwithsomeSpaniardsoutsidetheclub,getway
toohigh,andIwouldspendanhourontheupperfloorstaring
atgymjunkiesthroughgreenlensesandwritingsomeweedy
bullshitaboutgymjunkies.WheneverIgetdrunkandwrite,I
alwaysstartwith:‘writedrunk,editsober’,theoldHemingway
mantra.ExceptsoberJakedoesn’tknowhowtoeditdrunkJake.
Oscarpulledmefrommystupor.
‘Fuck.Marinaismessagingme.I’mnotgonnareply.’
Thenmyphonebuzzed:‘Hey:),wanttogetacoffeethis
afternoon?x’–Enviado13:07
‘Fuck.Tellhermyphoneisbroken,’saysOscar,buthehasahuge
grinonhisface.Helovesthedrama.Andnowhewasalready
ontohisnextgame.LeChasseEstOuverte.Hewaschasing
Özüm,theTurk,thoughnoneofusknewityet,exceptfor
Marinawhowassuspiciousasallhellandsuspiciousofeverygirl
andwhenOscareventuallydidhookupwithÖzüm,Marinaran
aroundscreaming‘Iknewit!Iknewit!Isawitfromthestart!’
Shewasalovely,angryyoungItalian,litheandfamousinasharp
coatanditmademorethanjustOscarwild.HelloMarina,yesI
wouldseeherat17:00,noIhadnotseenOscartoday,butIhave
heardhisphoneisbroken.
Elsewhereinthecamp,AmyhadgonehomewithEmilianothe
ItalianStallionagain,Charlottewastoostonedandhadstayedin
allnight,Eligotgropedinthegayclubandwasfounddrunkenly
humpingacarandweallwereplayingmusicalchairsand
scurryingandswappingbedsinapartmentsallaroundValencia
andfeastingonabeautifulbanquetofforeignmenandwomen.
‘WhydoesElialwayshavetogotothatgayclub?’
‘IguessheprefersthattosleepingwithMarina.’
‘HaHa,fuckyou.’
14:00
Iwenthomeandtriedtokillmyhangoverwithashower.Kate,
Amy,Eloise,Rachelandapizzawerelyingaroundintheliving
room.Theyhadnotleftthecouches,excepttoanswerthedoor
forpizza.MyroommateJoonasdecidedhewascomingout
tonight.‘Wherearewegoing?’Theyaskedeachother.Ijoined
themandtheirpizzaandItoldthemthatOscarwasDJingat
‘Aftershock’or‘Shockwave’,orsomethingdreadfullikethat,some
dodgyjointdowntown.ItmusthavebeencalledAftershock,
becauseitsdemographiccomprisedtheleftovertremorsofa
wastedgenerationofclubbers;churnedupandspatoutbyThe
Scene,butsunktoodeepintoTheScenetoknowhowtoleave–
thoughwedidnotknowthisatthetime.
17:30
IwentandfoundMarinaforacoffee.Shewasdreadfully
hungovertoo,butinagoodmood.Shewasnotthemad-eyed
ItalianthatOscarhadpaintedmethismorning.Inthecaféwe
bothstaredintoourcoffees.
‘Look,Oscarlikesyou.Hedoes.But,we’rehereforsixmonths.
Hedoesn’twantanythingserious.’
‘OscarandIarehereforoneyear.’
‘Still.’
‘Okay.’Shelookedintohercoffee.Itouchedherarm.‘Okay.’
Marinawasquietforawhile,andthenanastygrincurledupon
herface.
‘Say,Jacob,whydidyounevertellmeyoulikedElena?’
‘What?’
‘Well,youknowshebrokeupwithherboyfriend?’
‘Iknow.So?’
‘Ah.’
‘Wait–Marina–didshelikeme?’
‘Ah.’
‘Marina!’
Shedidherlittlegrinandherteasing‘ha!’and‘ah!’andweperked
upandresolvedtogetdrunkat23:00.
23:00
Thelivingroomwasroaringandwewerepullingdifferent
drinksfromourtableofSinandSqualorandspreadingaround
spiritsandglasses,spillingredwineacrossthefloor,workingit
intothedustbeneathourfeet.TheFrenchboyswereonthe
balconysmokingwithElenathetallItalianandtheGermans
wereinsidewithusdrinking.theBritishboys,Oscar,Dan,Chris,
cameverylateafterswearingtheywouldn’tcomeatallandthen
wealldrankuntilitwasreallytoolateandohnoOscarwas
meanttobeplayingandohshitwebettergo.Wepiledintothe
taxisandAmywasscreamingagaintogofasterbutthedriverwas
anoldSpanishmaninaniceshirtandcoatandherefused
tospeakwithus.
C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G 77
03:10
NowwewereinseedydowntownValenciainabackstreetnot
farfromthecentreoftown,butfarenoughintotheindustrial
areatobeunkindandstrangetous.Istumbledfromthegroup
andstruckaconversationwithagroupofSpaniardsandwe
passedaroundspliffs,thoughtherewereprobablyenoughmoving
aroundthecircleforustojusteachholdourownbutitwas
communityanditwasdumbandfun,andinSpaintheylovea
dumbandfunAustralian–oncetheyknowyouaren’tAmerican
orEnglish.God,everyonelovesAustralians.AndtheAustralians
werefriendlyandfunandweknewhowtoparty.
Thenwehadtroublewiththebouncerbecauseyouhadtobe21
toenterthisclub,andafewofuswerejustshy,myselfincluded.
fornorealreasontheyletusthroughanyway.Ah,theSpanish.
Themostsubjectivesecurityandbureaucracyyoucanfind–pray
thatyouhaveakindface.
WellIwasinside,butIwasrealhighnow,andthelightswere
burning.SoIhidintheupstairsbarandgawpedatthestrange
andshortgymjunkies,likeItoldyou.IwishicouldsharewhatI
wrotethatnightbutthephoneburnedoutandIlosteverything.
Pliedwithafewmoredrinks,andafewmoredrinks,Ieventually
camebackdown,physicallyandmetaphysically,andjoinedour
group.Theywerescreamingandcheeringbecausetheyhad
countedmelostintherejectedcrowdsoutside,andnowtopless
menwearingchickenmasksandlionmasksstompedonthe
stagesaboveus,flexingatthecrowdandblaringtheirairhorns
wapwapwapwaaaaapandnowRobinThickewasspinningand
itspunthreetimesthatnightandwewereallflushingandhot
anddrunkasshit.IwasstillhighenoughtofindmyFinnish
roommateJoonas’dancingabsolutelyfan-fucking-tasticandIwas
bentoverandlaughingandclappinghimon(haveyoueverseen
aFinnishpersondance?)Thenthewhirlingcoloursbeganand
SummertimeSadnesswarbledinandoutwiththeairhornsand
theclashing808sandwewereraisingourhandsandscreaming
asLanawasmourninginherodetous–Oh,MyGod,IFeel
ItInTheAir–andourfeetwereburningandOscarandIwere
playingthedevils-on-each-other’s-shoulders.Theangelslong
agopoisonedanddeadinthegutterfromthelongtoxicnights.
Burnedoutofus.Wewerefightingtheclock,andbeautiful
tattooedLindatheGermanwasdancingandgrapplingwiththe
crowd,OscarwaswaftingintheairofÖzüm,Marinawaseyeing
themfromherdarkcorner,TheFrencharrivedwithElenaat5,
andCharlottewastoostonedtoevershowatall,orwasItoo
stonedtonoticethatshewasthere?
IKnowIfIGo,I’llDieHappyTonight–Thefloorswererocking
withourburningfeetandwewerefallinginandoutofeach
otherinwavesandIcouldseeeveryonepulsingandpulsating
inthegreenlightandOscarwithhischeekysmilethroughthe
stubblewasleaningintoÖzüm’searandshewasclosinghereyes
inpleasureandthehorribleghostoftomorrowseemedfaraway
asweclickedandravedandthrashedinthewaningevening.
I L L U S T R AT I O N : M I L O K E L LY78
“Womanleftitontheseat,
Icalledouttoher,
shecameback.”
“OnceIfoundapurse,
onlytookthecash,
thengaveittothecops.”
“Theyshouldknow
itcouldofbeenworse,
ofcourse,thesenewcards,youcan
getoutahundred,noPIN.”
“I’vebin
ravinghungryallday.”
“Mikewasstarved
gettingoffit.”
“Like,allthetime?”
“Prettymuch.”
WepassColes.
“Geez,thatyacht’sspeedingalong.”
“Neverknewthey
couldgothatfast.”
“Hearthatbastard’sinplaster?
Goneandcrackedhalfhisribs.”
“Dotheyknowwhodidit?”
“Well,we’dallliketobiffhim,
dunnowhythatKassie
stillwantstobewithhim.”
“She’sscared.
RememberinAprilshe’d
bruisedhalfherface?
Showedupintearsand
pyjamasatmyplace–
shetoldthenurses
she’dfelldownthestairs.”
“Wellwhatscares
meis,whenIgothomeonbail
he’dpinchedallmystuff!”
“It’srough,
but.Itookherameal,
I’mnotmuchofacook–
justpastaprettymuch.”
“Look,shutupabouteating,
I’mstarving,love.”
ON THE BUSBY JEMMA PAYNE
P O E M S 79
MoreoftenthannotIkeepsilent,strugglingtountanglethemeaningfrommywords.Idon’tknowhowtoputitsometimes…‘Meaningisamandarin?Discardfromthefleshthepeeledskinandeitherword,ormeaning,ismadeintowaste.’Thatmetaphormadenosense…
IfeelasifI’mmissingsomeothersenseeveryoneelsehas,butwhichformeissilent,uselessandshrivelledlikeanappendix.Whatawaste.Forahuman,ourgreatestweaponsarewords,soshouldIjustgiveupandchokemyselfwiththeskinofamandarin?
Theskinisuseless,anyway.Whatapoeticmandarin.Howcancreationismmakeanysensewhenthereisthatkindofwaste?Ifeverythingisthereforushumans,whatuseisthatroughskin?…WhatamItalkingabout?Letme,foramoment,thinkandbesilent,andgatherupmywords,ratherthansetmybreathtowaste.
Infact,hasallthistimebeenawaste?WhydidIsay‘waste’twice?AndwhythefuckdoIwanttosay‘mandarin’?Ican’tcontrolmywords!Icanfeelsomething.SomethingIsensesomethinginsideme,speakingthroughmewhileremainingsilent.Oh,God.It’sinsidemyskin!
Wait….think.WhyamIrepeatingwords?There’sapattern.Skin.There!TwiceIsaidskin!Firstrepetitionwas‘sense’and‘mandarin’,thencame‘waste’What’stheorder?Letmethink,letmebequietforasinglemoment…SILENT!…Oh,God…Iknowapersonwhospeaks….Mandarin?No,no,no,Idon’t!Idon’tknowanyonewhospeaksMandarin!HaveIlostmysense––es?It’sallmangled!What’smanglingmywords?
Orwho?Who’sdoingthis!?AmIpossessedbythoserepeating(no,don’tsayit)words!Ah,no,no,no.Please,I’mstillaperson!Look,IbleedwhenIclawmyskin!WhathappenswhenIrepeatallthewords?Isense…willIdie?Whathappensattheend?AmIthewords’waste?Likea…no,likea,no,no,no,please,stop…likeamandarin?No,please,don’tpleasedon’tletmedie,Idon’twanttobeforeversilent.
Thatwassix?Don’tsaysilen-please,Icandoit…say,‘Words!’…Hah!Or‘Waste!’Ha,ohthankfuck.Ah,myvoiceisroughastheskinofamandarin.Well,it’snotideal,butIbrokethecycle.Imightbeabletocontrolmyownself.Avoidfallingsilent.
SESTINA – A HORRORBY DISAPOL SAVETSILA
P O E M S80
Atrainstationatnight. Darkobviously. Empty,mostly. Thebusislate,studentsarewaiting. Theticketwindowisclosed.
Shoulders.Hunched.It’scoldoutside.
Eyeliner. Sharpenedtoapoint;thewingscurledaroundtheeyelids.
Keys. Buriedinafist,theserratededgechaffingtheknuckle. AJapanesesouvenirandaUSBonalanyardjangle. Thepalmissweating.
Aphone. Foldedintothepocketofahandbag. Untouched,inpreparation.
Hair. Red,longish,tangled.Conditionerresiduebuiltuponthescalp. Splitends.Aponytail,removed. Hairscaughtinaraggedytie,haircaughtonacollar.
ReadersDigest. Readthreeyearsagowhichexplained whatconvictedrapistslookforinwomen; distractedwomen, unawarewomen, womenwithponytailstograbonto. Womenatnight,womenalone. Oneinsixhavebeenraped.
ZOOWeekly. Readtwoyearsago. Thereisamansomewherewhobelieves thatthepossibilityofmurderbringsacertainfrissiontothebedroom.Thereisamansomewherewhobelievesgirlsarelikeplasticine: ifyouwarmthemup,youcandoanythingyouwantwiththem.Thestatisticsaren’tclear;howmanyarerapists?
Men.Twenty-twoofthem.Aretheygettingoffatthisstation,orthenext? Aretheytheexceptiontotherule?Oneofthemsmiles:histeetharejagged.
Women. Eightofthem. Womenwithponytails,womenwithphones,womenlikeplasticine. Womenlikelabels:survivor,victim,theluckyexemption.
Aseriesofclosecalls. Luckysofar:yellingoutcarwindows, ahandwhichreachedbeneathaskirtonaschoolbus, amontageofmeninclubswithwanderinghands,anex-boyfriendwhoheldhertootightlyduringarguments. Isthislucky?
ChannelTen. JillMeagher’sfaceonrepeat. ThepeoplemarchinMelbourne. CCTVfootage:awomanalone. Awomanlikeyou.
AnAmericanSenator.Hesaid:Somegirlsrapesoeasy. Howclearwasherno? Didanyoneseeherencouraginghim? Inanoutfitlikethat,onanightlikethis, howsurecananyonebethatshedidn’tencouragehim?Whatisconsent,exactly?
Blurredlines. Playingonrepeat,slidingintocourts; coilingaroundthethroatsofteenageboys. Playinginclubs,pouredintovodkaraspberriesandTooheysNew, slippingpastthetongue,showingthroughthegapsintheteeth. Thickeframedbyhashtagstellingatoplessmodel he’llgivehersomethingbigenoughtotearherassintwo.
Thegirlbesideher. Relaxed,hairtiedback,texting,earphonesin. Oneofthemknowshowtomakesuretheydon’tgetraped. Atleast,oneofthemknowshowtomakesuretheyrapetheothergirl. Iguesssomegirlsdorapeeasy.
Atrain.Itsdoorsslideopen.
A TRAIN STATION AT NIGHTBY ASHLEIGH MOUNSER
P O E M S 81
L O C A L P R O F I L E 83
AgroupofSESvolunteerswalkintoSouvaKingandbefore
theycansayaword,Frank’sshoutingouttheirorderstohis
staff:‘Andextrajalapenosforthisyoungman.’Hefinishes
theorder,‘Grabaseatboys.’Theylaughandpullafew
flimsy,metalchairsaroundatable.
“InMelbourne,I’dknowatleast100people’sorders,butI
don’tknowtheirnames.Iknowpeoplebywhattheyeat…
Peopleappreciatethat,becauseitshowsthatyoucarefor
them.They’llcomein,we’llhavealaugh,they’llbelike,
‘thatboyknowseverything’.”
FrankKaadanistheproudownerofWollongong’sSouva
King,abusinessthatspecialisesinsouvlakia,aGreekdish
growinginpopularityinAustraliasincethe90s.Theword
souvlakicomesfromtheGreekwordsouvla,meaning
‘skewer’andfeaturesgrilledvegetablesandmeat,served
inpitabread,oronaskewerorplate,withgarnishesand
sauces.
Apro-tipforgettingonFrank’sgoodside(andimproving
yourchancesofreceivingahandoutofdeliciouslamb),steer
clearofthe‘Kebab’word.
“Youjustsworeatmebysayingthek-word,”hesays.
“[Kebabshops]useour[Greek]pitabreads,theflatpitas…
theyshouldbeusingtheirownbread.They’vegota
beautifulTurkishbread.”Hebelievesaround90percentof
Turkish-Australianworkersuseprocessedmeat,mixedwith
herbs,oilsandtomatopaste.“Theypumpitoutofatube,
putitonastick,andtheyfreezeit,becauseitwon’tstick
togetherotherwise…YouTube:‘Howtheymakekebabmeat.’
Idon’tthinkyou’lleatoneagain.”
Souvlakiaismadefrom100%purelambandiscookedona
horizontalspit.Therearezucchiniandchickpeavegetarian
options,andtheshopalsoprovidessweetMediterranean
treatslikeBaklava,asweetpastrythatissoaked,layer-by-
layerinsugarysyrupandfilledwithcrummynuts.
Frank’sfriendlyattitudepresentsitselfinthebusinesses
Facebookpage,whichlookslikeadrunkandhungry
versionof‘HumansofWollongong’.Hisfavouritecustomers
holdtheirSouvlakiuptothecamera,andarethenuploaded
withhisowncommentary.Oneofthesephotosshowsa
womansmiling,whileFrankwrites:“Inherhandisthe
famoustrophyforherotherhalfkickingbackonthecouch.
Legendarystuff,marriagematerial.”
In-betweenbitesofvegemitetoastinhislunchbreak,Frank
talksabouthowhegrewupinWollongong.Hewasjust
twoyearsoldwhenhisfathermigratedfromLebanonto
workforthesteelworksandhisearlyyearswerespentlazing
aroundWollongong’sbeaches.Asateenager,hehungout
onthestreetsofMelbournesoakingupthediverseculture,
cuisineandgainingapassionforfootyalongtheway.
“There’stwothingsinAustralia:there’stheAFLandthereis
CollingwoodFootballClub.Nothingelseexists…norugby,
nosoccer,justAFL.”Theshopisdecoratedwithvarious
NRLparaphernalia,aswellaspostersofemergingAussie
bandsandfestivals.
Frankbecomesanimatedandimpassionedwhenthefuture
ofWollongongismentioned,saying,“Whatyearisit,2014?
Wellrightnowit’sthe1980sor1970sinWollongong.The
peoplearemovingforwardandalotofthelocalbusinesses
aremovingforward,butthecouncilandasmallerminority
ofthecommunityareholdingthemback.”
HesaysplaceslikeHisBoyElroy,LittlePrince,Dagwood,
RadBarandartsvenuesarethefutureforre-energising
Wollongong.“[In]barcultureinMelbourne,peopledon’t
getdrunk...Theysocialise,theymeetfriends,they’llhave
twoorthreedrinks.”Buthebelievesthebarsarecopping
it.“Iftheystayopenpast12theygethitwiththesemassive
fines,we’renottalkingabout100or200.It’sinthe
thousands.”Hesaysthemessagethepolice,thecouncilanda
portionoftheolderpopulationaresendingtotheyouthof
Wollongongis:“Youcan’tgoout,you’vegottogotobed.”
Frank’sspentthelast20yearsrefininghisskillsasa
Mediterraneancuisinechef,returningtoWollongongtwo
yearsagowithhiswifeandsevenkids.Hesays,“Mylovely
wifewantsbabynumbereightbytheway,”andhiswife
laughs“no,no…I’mlookingtofindhimanewwifeifyou
knowanyone.”Hedescribesherasacrackupandlovesher
abilitytopulloutwittyone-liners.
PROFILE FEATURE: AIN’T NOTHING BUT A KING
BY BELINDA QUINN @BelindaQuinn10
I L L U S T R AT I O N : J AYA D E G U R
Frankoftenworkstwotothreejobstosupporthisfamily.
“You’reonyourfeet15hours,16hoursaday,minimum.
Minimum.Andyou’vegottotreateverysinglecustomerthe
same.Soyou’realwayson,alwaysalert.”
ThesecondmostimportantthinginFrank’slife,after
hisfamily,ishisreligion:Islam.Hisreligionisamajor
influenceintohowherunshisbusinessandhowhetreats
hisemployees.“Youcan’tlie,youcan’tsteal,youcan’tcheat.
You’vegottobegoodtoyourneighbours.”AllofSouva
King’sfoodisHalãlcertified.“AsMuslims,andevenJewish
people(theycalltheirfoodKosher,wecallourfoodHalãl)
themeathastobeslaughteredproperly,soitcan’tbekilled
inhumanly.”Halãlmeanspermittedorlawful,sohalãlfoods
areanyfoodsthatarepermittedtoeatunderIslamicSharia
Law.WhilesomefoodcanbeforbiddeninIslam,according
toIslamiclawit’shalãltoconsumeitemsthatwould
otherwisebeconsideredharam(forbidden)ifitisamatter
ofsurvival.
Franksaysthatinthehalãlway,theanimalisfacedtowards
Meccaandis“killedwithonecleanslit.Theknifehastobe
supersharpsotheanimaldoesn’tfeelanypain.We’vegot
tosay,‘Bismillah’,‘mayGodacceptourmeat.’”Thebloodis
drainedfromtheanimal,Franksays,“[if]theanimaldoesn’t
bleedout,it’sbadforya!”
Islambecamemoreimportanttohimfouryearsagowhen
hetravelledtoLebanonwithhisfamily.Whileoverthere,
theydecidedtodoHajj,anannualIslamicpilgrimageto
Mecca,SaudiArabia.Hajjisundertakenatleastonceinan
adultMuslimslifetime(iftheyarefinanciallyandphysically
capableofdoingso).
“Itwasjustamazing,itblewmeaway.Justtoseetheblack
stone,theMeccathatyouseeonTV,andtofeelitandIwas
justlike‘woah’.”Hedescribestheexperienceasifhewas
feelingaforce.“Thepressureofthethingthatwascoming
offofitandyoufeltit!Ifeltthat,youcan’tdescribeit.My
kidsfeltitandnowwewanttogonextyear.”
“EveryonesaysIslam’sterrorism,it’snot.Todohajj,youcan’thaveanenemy.”Hesaysallofhisargumentshadtoberesolvedandforgivenbeforehecoulddohajj.“Ifyou’vehadanargumentwithyourneighbourorsomeoneatyourwork,you’vegottoaskthemforforgiveness.Andifyouoweanybodymoney,youcan’tgodoHajjunlessyoupayallyourdebtsoff.”Hesaysthisincludesmakingsureyou’vepayedoffyourhomeloan,includinginterest.
“I’mnotoneofthemguys,thatyouknow,youseeonTVandyouhearaboutextremism…You’vegot1.6billionpeoplethatareIslam[ic].Maybe100,500thousand,maybe1million,maybe5million…areinvolvedinextremism.”ThemisrepresentationofIslambeingsynonymouswithterrorismbymediasensationalistsandshockjockshasraisedseriousconcernsforFrank,andheadmitstoexperiencingdailyoccurrencesofracism.
Hisnextcomment,whichaimstoreassure,isinsteadshocking:“Idon’tkillpeople.”It’sasifhe’shadtoexplainthisbeforetopeoplewhohavemisunderstoodhisfaith.“IfyoureadwhatIslamisintheKoran,[it’s]nothinglikewhatyouseeonTV…youprayfivetimesaday,youfast,youdoRamadan.”HesaysthatwhenpeopletrustthemediassensationalistrepresentationofIslam,itfurthersthealienationofhim,hisfamilyandtheMuslimcommunity.“Myfamilyandotherpeoples’famil[ies]arejustpracticingtheirreligion,theydon’tharmanyone.”
WhenaskedwhyIslamissoimportanttohimhesays,it“connectsmetoGodandmybeliefs…Noonelivesforever,that’showIlookatit.Everyone’sgoingtodieoneday.”
ThisappreciationforlifecomesthroughinhisworkethicatSouvaKing.Hesays,“Ifyoudon’tlovewhatyoudo,then
whydoit?”
“
“
The misrepresentation of Islam being synonymous with terrorism by media sensationalists and shock jocks has raised serious concerns for Frank, and he admits to experiencing regular occurrences of racism.
L O C A L P R O F I L E84
P H O T O : B E L I N D A Q U I N NSO U VA K I N G , F R A N K K A A D A N
N O V E M B E R
D E C E M B E R
Saturday 1st BRASS AT THE PROMS Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Tickets: $22
Sunday 2nd THELMA PLUMB // SUPPORTS TBA Anita’s Theatre, Tickets Presale: $15+bf, Door: $20
Sunday 9th MORE THAN LIFE (UK) // PERSPECTIVES // SUPPORTS TBA RAD, Tickets Presale: $20+bf, Door: $25
Friday 14th DRUNK MUMS // SUPPORTS TBA RAD, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door: $15
Saturday 15th DUSKY AND DEJA VU Grand Hotel, Tickets: TBA
Sunday 16th LITTLE MAY // WINTERBOURNE // SUPPORTS TBA RAD, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door: $15 Or buy the EP + Ticket bundle for $18.95+bf
Saturday 22nd KALEIDOSCOPE 100TH SHOW // HOON // SCUMM // HOCKEY DAD DJ’S RAD, Tickets Presale: $10+bf, Door: $15, Ticket & Shirt: $25+bf
Saturday 29th JAKOB (NZ) // SUPPORTS TBA RAD, Tickets Presale: $20+bf, Door: $25
GIG GUIDETHANKS TO ALEXANDRA SMITH
Monday 1st THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS Wollongong Town Hall, Tickets: $26
Thursday 4th STEVE SMYTH // SUPPORTS TBA Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door: $15
Monday 8th FULL OF HELL (US) // MACHINA GENOVA // SNAKES GET BAD PRESS // HOME BURIAL // F.U.K RAD, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door: $15
Sunday 14th JACK CARTY Bulli Heritage Hotel, Tickets: $15
G I G G U I D E86
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IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO COMMISSION AN ARTIST, THE BELOW CAN CRAFT
OUT CREATIVE WORK, WHILE WORKING TO A T IGHT DEADLINE :
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ARTISTS
GRACE POGONOSKI gracepogonoski.wix.com/photography
MOSTAFAR AZIZPOUR Mostafa Photography
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