Author - Journalist - Feature Writer
This post is a tribute to my old friend Stuart Wilde, who died of a heart attack while on a scenic drive through the Irish countryside on May 1. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Stuart Wilde came into my life for a season in my …
I don’t go to church. For me, a good rock concert is more of a spiritual experience than church. The last time I set foot in a church was when I was about 15 and finishing Year 10 at my Catholic High School. I was glad to see the back of those boring, drawn-out Masses, …
Last weekend, I went out for a nice morning walk. I was heading up a leafy hill that leads to the the showgrounds in town, and a woman had a beautiful big dog on a leash, about 10 metres ahead of me. Notice I described the dog as ‘beautiful’ — it’s not dogs I have …
Hey lady on your morning walk: not everyone thinks your dog is awesome Read More »
The first year I went to the Woodford Folk Festival I got stuck listening to a deafening bagpipe band at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Bagpipes make me want to kill myself, so it wasn’t my idea of a fun way to see in the new year. But as is sometimes the case at Woodford, …
If only the world was like the Woodford Festival Read More »
A red-blooded single woman cannot live in a small country town without giving internet dating a go, at least once. Internet dating is a viable option for meeting people in the city too, but it’s not the dating lifeblood it is in a country town, where most of the single people are still in primary …
Internet dating in a small town: so long and thanks for all the fish Read More »
Since My Kitchen Rules chef and Weight Watchers ambassador Pete Evans revealed his daily diet in the Sunday Age yesterday, the Twitterverse has gone beserk and the media has jumped on it like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. THIS crazy dude eats activated almonds. What a dickhead! This afternoon I was driving …
Think activating almonds is weird? Try drinking your own wee Read More »
I have long been a fan of shopping locally, in stores owned by local people who also shop locally. It keeps a town vibrant. As a child I didn’t know the difference between shopping locally and shopping at a big chain store that sucked the lifeblood out of the local economy. We moved from Sydney …
Today I bought some books from an actual bookstore Read More »
There are two places in the world where I’ve had the memorable experience of swimming naked with a group of men and women: Japan and Maleny. In Japan, it’s a cultural tradition to be starkers in front of complete strangers when you visit onsens (hot thermal baths). It’s totally fine to get your bits out …
Swimming in the nude is totally natural — yes or no? Read More »
We have a situation here. Buddhism has become just a little bit too cool, and consequently, we have become inundated with Buddhist paraphernalia. Frankly, I am OVER seeing cheap Buddhist crap everywhere. Not the quality stuff, but the tacky buddha statues you see in the $2 shop, or these Buddhist wall hangings (pictured) hanging in …
Note: This post was written in 2012 before the UpFront Club sadly closed 🙁 The UpFront Club was where I landed when I first drove into Maleny on a Monday afternoon after the 2004 Woodford Folk Festival. I knew one person, Nigel. By the end of that Monday night, I think I knew most of …
When you want to get pissed during the day in the city, you have a business meeting. When you want to get pissed during the day in my town, you have a clothes swap. Clothes swaps are a bit like a big city business meeting, only with fewer wankers. The currency in question at a …
Clothes swaps: a great excuse to get pissed during the day Read More »
Jet lag sucks big ones. I’ve just arrived home to my little hippie town after an epic trip to New York, which was part business, part pleasure. Now that I’m home, I will soon go back to paying out on life in my town making intelligent and entertaining social commentary about life in my town. …
I love my little town, but every now and then I need to escape to a big city to recharge my batteries. When I lived in the city, I needed regular nature escapes. It’s change of scene therapy. So, to recharge my batteries to the point of blowing them to smithereens with the size of …
Getting my blogging juices flowing at BlogHer12 in the Big Apple Read More »
If I had a dollar for the number of times I’ve heard someone say — “I’ll put it out to the Universe” — I’d be a lot richer than I am now. Hang on: did that just count as ME putting out to the Universe that I want more money? Cause I do, I definitely …
People are insanely smiley and polite in this town, which is very sweet. But they sometimes take the politeness way too far. I’m used to city rudeness and self-centredness. I feel safer when everyone’s looking out for Number One and we all know where we stand. It’s called survival of the fittest. So, while I’m …
When I first moved here, I had major withdrawals from clothes shopping. Not that I was ever a huge consumerholic or a fashion victim, but I enjoyed window shopping and seeing city billboards plastered with new dresses or cool shoes. There are no billboards in my town (which I’ve grown to appreciate), a few clothes …
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