The Donkey Wheel House: A Magical Vortex of Possibility

Enter all who dare to do not dream

In the past three weeks I have become a full-blown, totally addicted work-a-holic. It's not exactly what you think. Yes, I am quite interested in what I'm working on finishing up for this masters degree but that's not why I've fallen for the life of 9to9 days.

The real reason is because I can't wait to get out of bed and come to this beautiful building on Bourke St. Before I even get to my desk, I have to choose between getting my coffee with a side of philosophy or community development. Then from the moment I step through the big ornate wooden threshold, I'm not allowed to be a pessimist. These walls are strategically filled with individuals designing business structures around serving community needs, attempting all those enterprises frequently dubbed impossible and just generally functioning in a realm of infinite social possibility. It all blends beautifully like a stew of ideas, perspectives, skills and experience.

One of Alexar's fabulous Sunday night dinners 

Since taking up a space at Hub Melbourne, I have met more inspiring business trailblazers in three weeks than I have in my past 22 months in Melbourne. I've been learning everything from Persian proverbs to genetic algorithms from Alexar, a web developer. I've been learning how you force people to be social by redesigning urban spaces as well as how to brand myself and start a profitable blog from Tatyana, a feisty urban planner. I've had numerous intense economic discussions with Sam, a consultant and badass musician. Those are just some of the regulars that I have the pleasure of sharing my study break conversation with. Every week there's new people and heaps of great events and networking opportunities. It's not normally about business but I know that all I need is to ask for some direction and I shall receive.

This coffee card sits on my desk with me now, for good reason.

While I know what I'm capable of from my years of getting myself into pickles around numerous countries and contexts, the question of personal value is still something I struggle with. This place seems to understand that through sheer mental osmosis. All these happy, driven and successful people have more faith and confidence in me than I do. That's just the way they are. That's just the way this place is. That's the way you get shit done in life. I'm surrounded by people who don't take shit and and get things done, and mostly enjoy life along the way. This is exactly where I need to be.

As I get closer and closer to being finished with this last academic transformation, I feel like it's time to decide what 'growing up' means to me. It means figuring out how to mostly know what's next, why you're doing what you're doing and generally structuring your days around your values (and not the other way around). Here that isn't only possible, it's imperative.

Look Mom, I'm growing up...and crazy enough, I think I kind of like it!

**For more information on Hub's take on co-working & creative collaboration community check out more info at http://hubaustralia.com/ or come in for one of the tours.

We Are, By Nature...

If life is by nature the nature of the natural world we exist in

Do we simply occupy the nature of that around us?

Or are we subject to the nature of such life

Should the forces of nature be applied to us?

Are we not, by nature, one of those forces?

Definitions and Perspectives

are that which nature withholds its wrath

   or rather

Are a wrath beyond the grips

Is it man that unanimously ascribes

   himself above the laws of life?

The ultimate Faustian developer

  surpassed our Mephisto guide long ago

Now moving faster than the speed of destruction

On an unstoppable trajectory?

If life is -by nature- 

   governed by the principles on which it all turns

Then are we.... 

   as natural as a flame at the end of its fuel?

Lovely globe trotting ladies...Oh My!

Paris skyline at night

It's funny how people perceive and prioritize things when traveling. For some, a posh hotel with fancy fittings in the bathroom and a suited concierge is non-negotiable and for others a good meal in good company with a few cheap drinks is living it up. Personally, I had the best time in Paris because I got to spend two days with a lovely friend of mine. While we had a blast seeing some of the sites, I think we could have had just as much fun going to a yarn museum or walking around non-famous parts of the city. I'll have some reflections on Paris at a later time but that will take a bit of research to put everything I experienced in the wider context.

Warschauer strasse at night

So far Berlin has been great. I made friends with a super cool Estonian girl on my walking tour of street art. Despite some challenges in coordinating without a phone, we managed to meet back up and walk to this really nifty place full of bars, a skatepark and even a massive climbing gym. We had a few cheap beers and enjoyed the lovely swing music while discussing all manner of topics. Dare I say, I doubt it will be the last time we cross paths.

A lovely piece by Alice (2013?) 

From my perspective, it's all about who you meet and making connections with people. It seems to be, the more I travel, the more I find independent, adventurous inquisitive ladies that are wandering the world for enlightenment and excitement. Oddly enough, I hear the same story constantly from them. People are forever surprised to meet solo female travelers. Yes, it is the 21st century. Yes, all of these women I've met so far are from developed countries where women play basically equal roles in societies. And yes, these are almost all educated, motivated ladies doing their own thing back home...So why the surprise? How long is it going to take for global cultures to recognise the solo female traveler as a "normal" and important part of the travelers' community?

Sweat it out / Shiver it up: Emotional Thermoregulation in a Life of Extremes

Moments of clarity always seem to come with a perspective shift. This is nothing new. There's something therapeutic to constantly messing up my body clock and traipsing through old haunts while forging new memories. And new memories are certainly in order.

This trip back to my place of origin is covered in reminders of the brevity and fragility of life. It's interesting to see how the individual characters perceive and react to these realisations. Ultimately, I guess we all just scramble harder to be our 'real' selves. Sometimes for better, sometimes....well I don't really know.

Presently, I'm camped out on the 7th floor of an office building in the Chelsea district of Manhattan NYC. My makeshift hotel room is an unused office of my high school best friend's current workplace. You can never predict these things. They just happen. I have no idea what I'll get into tomorrow but I'm sure it will be at least decently random (and very cold).

Pardon my lack of organizational strategy but really you can blame that ugly monster the 'time crunch' (and my incessant need for sleep on a dailyish basis). What follows is random tidbits from my journal that I've had with me these past two weeks as I've hopped a few time zones, reconnected with old friends, made some new ones and been forced to do things like "relax".

Dec 3rd on the plane to take off:

Funny how the excitement of airports is tinged with an odd sense of familiarity by this point. For the first time since I lived in GA, I actually feel like I'm a visitor to these destinations ahead. I have a place to call home. A place I'm excited to go back to, people who will miss me but know I'm coming back. That's a new feeling for me.

On staying in a resort (for free) in Fiji for 2 days and 1 night:

It's very peculiar for me to stay in a large, posh, corporate hotel/resort. While the comforts and amenities are enjoyable, I can't shake the obvious sense of distance between myself as a guest and the people I will be interacting with over these two days. I wonder what it's like where they live. What do they think of this place? Do they like their bosses? What must they think of the tourists? What do they do when they get a holiday? How do they stand listening to these horrible Christmas songs for a month straight, especially while it's 32 degrees Celsius and 95% humidity?!

Artwork by Krystal Campbell 

This hotel complex is an odd slice of life. Obviously trying hard to strive for the cookie cutter corporate ideal, leveraging the "bulla smile" and typical tropical trappings to their fullest extent. Yet, the mushrooms, birds, toads and geckos all proudly remind me of the underlying untamed sense of this place. The afternoon storms don't care if you're only in for one day or you've lived here your whole life. The cheesy Christmas music on repeat adds an extra layer of touristiness to the experience. And yes, the birds will stare you down in an attempt to intimidate you out of your breakfast. This is their house and yes they like pancakes. Give them some pancakes or they will poop in your cereal!

For now, that's all I got.

(My pictures to be added later once I can download them)

Far From the Middle of Everything: Stars, Stories, and Sun for Days

Toto, I don't think we're in Melbourne anymore! Stepping off the plane in Alice Springs the sun was out in full force and the air, warm and welcoming. This is exactly the week I need. Not exactly a holiday but not exactly work either. Inspiration and illumination a plenty.

I'd describe Alice Springs as a big outback town with all the charm and ambience of 'the bush' yet with this odd, contrived tourist overlay on it. Shops close early, the pubs start to fill in around 3:30pm and everything just moves slower than back home. It works.

Our party was a youthful mob of friendly postgrads, mingling well with the handful of various other young travellers with which we shared our tour. The first day in Alice was relaxing and informative thanks to a rousing trip to the Reptile Centre complete with proper outback bloke Rex promptly opening up the glass and taking out the Western brown snake within minutes of our arrival. I'm pretty sure my colleagues came in just a few minutes after he explained how freak'n deadly this thing's bite is (fatal in 30 minutes without treatment). To say the least, I was impressed. This was what I have been missing! His presentation was amusing yet informative and really drove home the reality that Australian snakes are quite easy to avoid incident with, armed with a few simple tricks. Don't walk in tall grass with exposed legs and feet. Be aware of your surroundings and if you see a snake simply back away from it calmly. There, life safe. Too easy.

Out there, it's the dryness that will get you first. It was pretty much the most perfect weather you could ask for but there is always the constant need to keep hydrating when in the desert. Despite my best efforts, I did manage to get a little dehydration sickness towards the end of one day.

I should point out that this was my first, and probably only, purchased packaged tour. All the plans sorted, all the adventure minimised. Don't let that fool you, adventure is a place of mind. It starts with turning off your phone, running out of money, and forgoing your typical caution. This trip really only had the luxury of one of those things. The trip was centred on that magical, misunderstood monolith that serves as the only non-manmade icon of this distant and sometimes forgotten land. Sad to say but I was just looking forward to getting out of the city for a few days, away from the impaired landscapes and short sighted perspectives. Sometimes you need to get out far enough to see a real horizon line, broad reaching and deeply cleansing.

It wasn't all smooth sailing. There was one little burst of excitement when the bus decided to refuse to start. After it was established that the starter did not appear to be operational, our guide decided it only made sense to try one thing before calling for help. So about six of us got behind the trailer attached to our bus and gave it a nice hard push. Sure enough, it started up! Luckily, that seemed to be the only time it decided to play up. It's funny how perspective is everything, not a single person complained or expressed negativity through the whole event. It really was the almost ideal tour group.

The afternoon at 'the Rock' was an emotional day for me. I can't really explain why. Here is a place that some of the oldest civilisations on earth have used as a focal point of congregation to teach, learn, and grow as communities. Ancient riverbeds glued together by time and energy then cracked apart slowly to present the features now reduced to a postcard snapshot. This place is so much more than that. The scientists and stewards of this harsh land sure know that. These ponderings interest and excite my mind to not end. Land, country, community; these are all intertwined components of the intricate way of life out here. Shouldn't that be the same everywhere? Uluru and Kata-Tjuta stand as icons of the power of the centre and the story being told here is one of collective consciousness as well as deeply complex laws. A few days was a good introduction but it was exactly that.

This trip only served to further solidify my desire to see the rest of this diverse and unique country. At this point, I can't say when but in the coming months to years I have to pack up a vehicle and traverse the far flung and magical corners of Oz. I want to make another chapter in the story of my life, a sort of outback ode to Alexander Supertramp....minus the tragic ending. Maybe I'll figure out a few more things and get a bit stronger. Maybe I'll just get a sun burn, who knows.

Ride the Wave or Get Pulled Under

A quick little location sketch of where I was this time last week:

The warm brown sugar sand is perfectly formed into a little bench to rest on. It extends out to sea foam carpets inviting in those who dare. Past the invitation of the shallows, quick sets of aqua curls are speckled with little black figures. They wait for the right moment to paddle hard and drop into thousands of kilometers of pent-up energy. On top of the wave is intense therapy, underneath unforgiving harshness. Either way, every challenge an opportunity to grown, learn, forgive, and do it all over again. The waves mean no harm nor do they know the power they share with us. Its just a simple reaction to universal forces. All we are doing is make the most of it.

Tummy Tickles for a Cause, One Special Little Girl's Innadvertent Mission

There's no way to really know if a solo little female platypus was scared when she was washed away from her home and nearly drowned just over 2 years ago but she definately had no idea that she was about to be one special little orphaned girl. She was found by some people and brought to Healsville Wildlife Sanctuary to be rehabilitated. Part of rehabilitating animals is play and social contact. This particular little platypus was very keen on her people time, much more so than most of the other animals that call this place home. Like so many wonderful new experiences, this one little platypus named Yami birthed the opportunity for people to have a one-on-one hands on understanding of these bizarre and uniquely Australian creatures.

Added to the serendipedous nature of this morning of sheer joy and excitement, I came to enjoy Yami's special charm as a result of my mother finding a small link on the Sanctuary website and gifting me the chance to do it for my birthday a few months ago. Here are a species that while alive and well, are illusive and secretive even to the locals and my mother found a way for me to pet, tickle, laugh, & splash with one from the other side of the world!

It is quite easy to see why original British naturalists thought this animal was a hoax and even the local Wurundjeri stories know Dulaiwurrong as the result of an unholy union between a water rat and wood duck to be hidden away in shame. But lets not forget the Aussie spirit of supporting the underdog or misunderstood little monotreme in this case! I challenge anyone who spends time with Yami not to leave with a huge smile and strong understanding of why we must support proper use of these limited freshwater resources.

Click for Video

So what's a platypus feel like? If Yami is the norm, the overarching feeling is of softness. She darts around the little waist deep pool with swiftness and curiousity looking for food and cuddles. Yes, you read that, cuddles. Now I know what you're thinking "That's in your head. No way she asks for belly rubs like an aquatic egg laying puppy dog"  but there is no way to misread this behavior. The visitors don't feed her, the only motivation is entirely her own. The first part she most likely greets you with is her bill, soft, gummy, and her primary tool. She polks, prods, and even nibbles your hands, arms, and maybe even your neck if you're lucky enough to find her scaling you quite agilely (until she slides down your back). It doesn't feel like a bird bill and is a good bit softer than I was expecting. Her fur texture varies between her head, back, tail, and belly. The belly being the second softest part of her. When she wants belly rubs she swims up to you, spirals around and holds out her tummy as close to your hand as she can. As it turns out, platypuses also have a sweet spot on their bellies that trigger a back foot twitch when stimulated. Kittens and pandas watch out, you have competition for darned cute moments. I'm doing my best to relate the experience here but it doesn't begin to do it justice. If you possibly can, you just need to experience this yourself.

While its never ideal to take a wild animal out of their home area, this is one of those resounding success stories. Little outgoing Yami has appeared to have volunteered to spread the message of her species and all they rely on, healthy, naturally flowing waterways, the need to stop and look deeper, and above all a reminder that rules are made to be broken and enjoyed whether you're an egg laying mammal with an outgoing personality or just another person spending a day at the zoo.




For further information:
http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/wild-encounters/wade-with-the-platypus