| Morocco dreaming |
[syysk. 6., 2011|12:06 am] |
I have had really crazy full on dreams in this country. Type of dreams that you remember and have to filter through your brain for hours once first awake. The timeless dry surrounds, lack of understanding of Arabic and the quiet ambient of the town of Youssoufia where Ive been staying with the loveliest and most generous local family has been exactly what Ive needed at the moment.
Ive been overwhelmed by the Moroccan people, so generous and open, even to discussions based on religion and politics. Sure it is best to approach these things anthropologically. Using an emic rather than etic framework when viewing a differing culture. Most fascinating is how many assume your religious status to be Christian, especially to those that have never ventured out of the Muslim world. This reflects to me the very nature of Moroccan society culturally and politically, that is a culture and politic resembling a complex woven basket, to disentangle one part you disentangle the entire thing.
The moon has been catching my eye here, especially the red orange colours at dusk with the perfect crescent for the first 3 days here which saw the ending of Ramadan. The semiotic resource of the moon provides a symbol to Islam, to myself and my life also. These days on the very glimpse of the moon on the horizon images of people that I had shared moments with looking at the moon sprang to mind. Like a photo album sprung memories and images of the past, things that had shaped my past, people that had built into my life. I put this down to my psyche dealing with the cultural emotional and linguistic isolation. It puts the brain into overdrive and perhaps turns you more critical of who and what you are. Its all been insightful nonetheless.
Within the last few days during this process, perhaps for the first time Ive noticed myself getting irritated at the lack of certainty of the near future, my financial situation which could be a lot worse, studying in Spain and from there to where. Now it seems to have passed with these few days, and now Im looking forward to a journey to the Atlas, the Sahara and the trip back to Spain. Ive regained the stability needed that was impeding my desire to travel here. Having said that, its been great to have not been drinking for the past 2 weeks, I cant remember how long it would have been since I would have drunk absolutely no alcohol for such a long period of time. And Ive generally been smoking less, although its hard to avoid the hash, but still, smoking extremely little and only when offered for politeness and courtesy.
Im looking forward to seeing the Berber culture and its music. Its always fascinated me. Id like to buy a wind instrument that features in a lot of North African instrumented, its double reeded and I tested one out in Essaouira. The guy was charging too much, I should be able to pick up one somewhere else cheaper.
To another two weeks of tea drinking and sky gazing |
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| Stuck in Rio de Janeiro |
[toukok. 26., 2011|09:27 pm] |
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These last 4 months in Rio make me want to stay another 4 years. |
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| the sky reminds me of my freedom |
[kesäk. 24., 2010|01:23 pm] |
This exam over, then, running off to join the gypsies.
Ê morena quem temperou,
Cigana quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Cigana quem temperou,
Morena quem temperou
A cor de canela
A lua morena
A dança do vento
O ventre da noite
E o sol da manhã
A chuva cigana
A dança dos rios
O mel do Cacau
E o sol da manhã
Tomorrow, Sydney, Saturday, Byron, Some day after that. Cairns. After that who knows |
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| (ei otsikkoa) |
[maalisk. 1., 2010|04:23 pm] |
to sneak into maitreya festival this weekend or not. my current question. to squat a house tomorrow, not out of the question at all. Uni courses are heading in different directions. I love how every semester I seem to be able to recast myself in the same course. Human Behaviour and the Environment, Language & Media (both small subjects) have fully caught my interest.
I need to cast myself somewhere new to earn a those same dollars. |
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| End of the Rainbow |
[tammik. 26., 2010|07:20 pm] |
Rainbow Serpent, done and over. Great Festival, nice vibes, beautiful people and a lot of pill munching going on around the traps. Mad Professor, Spoonbill, Oka were my standouts but I didnt see absolutely everyhting, or rather.. chill or dance to everything. Hot days, Cold nights and a beautiful backdrop to walk around in. Sneaking in was so simple. Hitch hike out of Melbourne, get a lift after 10 seconds from someone heading there, then dismount once inside, go to walk out and a traffic secruity guard asks me if I need a passout. I get one, then walk back in. Saved $220.
Adjusting to planet earth after getting home at 2am and dropping friends at the airport this morning quite early. Had a nice bbq in the park. The house is beeautiful.. lots of art on the walls and lovely people on the inside and out. Thinking of escaping, perhaps the rainbow gathering in March in WA, but really want to get out of Aust before Uni goes back. |
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| I did it |
[marrask. 11., 2009|06:34 pm] |
I survived a year of Uni. The next two or three, or four, should topple over OK. I've learnt a lot by being home this year, almost a year that I came back from the Americas, in between two exams today daydreaming about Brazil again. It will be good to meet up with Brazilian peeps here this summer.
Im hoping things make sense on the Urban Environments and Understanding Asia papers, i really enjoyed those subjects, especially Urban, where I got H1s. We'll see. Im thinking camping this weekend anywhere. out of the house. Even though the squat is great, i need to exercise liberty through travel. Anthropology essay to edit tonight, a tough topic, little to no literature unfortunately available for me. But thats Ok. |
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| the face tells it all |
[lokak. 20., 2009|09:44 pm] |
..apparently it does, the bartendress let me have a double shot of gin with tonic for five bucks, she said I looked a little ruffled, but that was because I had just walked into section 8 finding no one I arranged with there, and now having lost my phone from the other weekend, hate that theres no one able to contact or contact me, and still somehow enjoying it, life becomes a lot more laid back too. You dictate your actions.
Weekend was OK, if not feeling a little lost and confused. Friends but more than that. Oh well I leave my feelings to rest and contemplate writing these essays, finishing this spanish tarea, and having a weekend on the computer and reading books. I am kind of dreading the process but once over, it will be better. Then a 2000 Anthropology essay on structure, yet I feel like Im lacking it myself and therefore unqualified to really talk about it.
Today was lovely light and warm and I procured a nice bit of wood to conceal that battered window we used to break in. Last night just after having dropped Jasmine at the station I realised the guy whose name on the bills' business is only 2 blocks away, its a painting and hardware business and doubles as the Melbourne Tigers headquarters. can't believe he doesnt even remotely check up on his house.
Had a lovely time at a Buddhist Bbq at the weekend, as well as getting a touch stoned. I think after Melbourne Uni is over, I will probably wander over to the world of the VCA, the people sound more down to earth, well that is, in my personal definition of that phrase. But Summer is coming and Ill need to spread my wings |
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| Squatting on.. |
[lokak. 16., 2009|12:55 pm] |
So far, all fine and Dandy in North Melbourne. Had a great working Bee last Saturday clearing the property of ridiculous fig tree overhang on the back fence adjacent to the lane way. Had a scare on Wednesday when someone came and was knocking on the windows, the Norwegian guy staying this week got a bit freaked out and didnt open the door. Found out last night that it was my friend James, hilarious as it sent the house into Eviction strategy preparation which was good, went over legals. We are more than prepared now although Id like to have things cleaning in the event someone comes round. Dumpstered far too much last night but we have a shitload of eggs now. The kitchen was cleaner at shac I feel which was for 20+ people. With the 4 of us things should be easily maintained.
Cassie is an interesting character, starting to realise that perhaps although she is the only game squatter I cannot hang out with her much before I start to go insane.
Weekend was a bit strange with her bursting in at 3am, crying and shouting and very drunk saying that someone had pissed on her floor, but because of all the hysterics I thought it was blood on the floor. Turned out she'd obviously bumped some shower product or beauty product into her carpet on sniffing the patch on the floor. A little peeved that i got woken up for a mere spill.
I have my clarinet now so i am working on a few new pieces in my lovely big room. Will busk again soon on Errol St. North Melbourne is a very 'What White People Like" area, all the bars have conspicuous European beers Ive never heard about, all the guys seem to be going on 30, have comeovers that are slightly applied with a tad of gel and smallish dark coats. And there are a few "white" families around too. There is obviously the seedy brothel area around the station and the housing commission areas around Royal Park and the hospitals. And our house is one of the nicest in the street and I am happy and thankful for the time Ive had so far there.
Electricity connected, Gas connected, Wireless acquired from networks around and Water in abundance. Food is plentiful. Music making is my art form at the moment, and writing a long wieldy essay piece on sprawl and its affects on environment and socially and economically as well as looking at density issues with trying to consolidate the Melbourne Urban layout.
And Uni will be over from two weeks of now. And this year has been another which I have grown inwardly rather than last years outward ambition. |
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| 4 more weeks. |
[lokak. 8., 2009|09:27 pm] |
Back to Uni with a bang, and Ive made the move out, if not temporarily to a house in North Melbourne that me and a friend scouted out and have secured. There are lots of signs of no life, and a possible renovation that fell victim to the Global Economic Crisis, either way a month is maximum I am suspecting that we will get before we will probably be visited by either the owner, a renovator. But then it could be longer because they clearly have not been using power or electricity for years although they leave them switched off having creditted them a year ago.
House was easy to get into, just some handy chisel work on a window, no broken windows. The house is amazing, something that is probably too good to last long. We got in there to find nothing except two strange things, a room piled up with mattresses, and toiletpaper in the bathroom. The bathroom and the kitchen have obviously been renovated a year ago as they have a fresh newness about them covered in layers of dust. There are many cracks on the walls and almost all the old doors internally will not close properly.
First two nights were electricity free, we realized all we had to do was turn it on at the meter. The electricity bill is overdue and may be cut off in 10 days, while gas and water remain hundreds of dollars in credit, then there is the name on the bill.. Seamus McPeake. A quick Google search reveals this guy to be the Melbourne Tigers CEO, sure this is hot property but you'd think he'd of at least done something by now? If he's wealthy enough surely he could have afforded some security or a caretaker or getting the neighbours to monitor things. Well anyway regardless of who in fact owns it, the place has a lovely overgrown garden we are making a head start on, (In the event we are discovered we can bargain to caretake) and either way I just need it to last until mid NOV, when exams are over and Ill hitch over to Perth.
I wouldn't mind living in a squat that look and felt like one. I feel out of place in this house, its so huge and too nice for students with a really nice kitchen. What sees me not lasting long in this is not the fact the house is being neglected but just because it all seems to good to be true!
Well we'll wait and see, theres an old shac of a place in North Richmond to head to if we do get the boot, although this other place will need work and water connected at a minimum. |
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| Hazelwood Protest |
[syysk. 15., 2009|12:04 am] |
Despite an overreaction in police numbers was a fun and interesting experience.
The Latrobe valley has a strange eeriness to it, the towns are like detached suburbs lost in the countryside and have none of the charm that Gold Rush towns or areas of northeastern Victoria seem to possess. The future here is bleak, stuck in industrialisation that might have seemed fitting and modern 50 years ago, but now represents all that has now been proved otherwise in the world. For this reason I found the whole deal quite frustrating and wondered why we can't, in our rich and prosperous state, do better than this and match the modernity of our cities and lifestyles with our electricity production.
The Hazelwood coal station itself is an ugly monolith to 50's technology, something out of the childrens picture story book the rabbits ( a story line that is a metaphor of the consequences of invasion eluding to Australian colonisation ) and that sentiment was echoed by the aboriginal smoke ceremony before the protest, where, without bitterness the elder of the area spoke of the coal we were burning is the very land that people slept, lived and interpreted meaning and ritual through. I felt that my anger at seeing this continuing was little compared to what he, as a local, endures not only knowing that his autonomy and customs are vilified and looked down upon but the very physical presence of institutions of environmental abuse.
I can understand why 50 years ago coal was the best option, but now we know better, we face pressing issues to confront and an example to put forward. I'd like to be proud of living near to an area that was pioneering new and clean technology that not only could enrich us but provide ideas and concepts that will become mainstream. Coming back to Melbourne was a strange experience, the mind was full, the body barely together but my backpack full of dumpstered beer from ALDI, which always makes life rosy.
Essays and a job interview at a local organisation, Environment Victoria. It would be great but not getting my hopes up yet. Try and get some pics of our 'crazy cheerleading' posse up as well as the masses of cops.
And if i wake up with cancer in 20 years, I know I should've refrained from drinking and skinny dipping with others in the Cooling Pond. It was extremely warm night and the water was warm too. strange smells of some sediment |
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