Bands

As mentioned previously, I like having stuff on my wrists, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before one of them was tattooed. I'd been wanting some wrist bands since seeing the singer from A Dead Forest Index, and also Hugh Jackman in The Fountain. On Halloween I went to visit Kiri and her fiance Mj, the latter being a tattoo artist. The band widths are related by the mathematic/aesthetic idea of the Golden Ratio, which is believed to be pleasing to the human eye. In a really neat self-confirming way, I didn't have a ruler when drafting the lines, and just went with what looked best. Measuring them later they were spot on.
 

Northcote

I've moved house. I'm now living in Northcote, and it's great. I live with three other vegans, and my work is only a few minutes bike ride away (instead of 30+). It's a really nice suburb, lots of cool places to check out, and riding to town is easy. The people I'm living with are super nice, and it feels like this has been a good move (both logistically and... emotionally, I think). I'd been in a bit of a strange mood for the last few weeks (didn't really feel like I had nice stuff to post about), but things are back to normal. Now it's time to meet some cool Northcote people and make the most of living here.

Summer plans

I was walking through town the other day, and it was warm and sunny and beautiful, and I felt like flying through the air. I felt really positive, and like things were fizzing and shaking, trying to leap out of me. Here are some plans for the summer months, some which will definitely happen (*), and others which range from achievable to 'pipe dream'.

1 *Move to a cool new flat in Northcote with three other vegans. Close to work, and a great part of town, yeah!
2 *Go to Melbourne Laneway and Camp A Low Hum
3 *Work over Christmas/New Year at the cinema
4 *Get a tattoo
5 Paste stuff pretty much every night
6 Find work at a cafe, max out my barrista skills
7 Swim more/learn to swim
8 Pash 100-200 babes. One a day would be pretty ideal
9 Explore more abandoned buildings
10 Collaborate with people creatively
11 Learn a few bits of some European languages
12 *Ride my bike heaps

How is your summer looking? If you'd like to be a part of any of these (especially 8 or 10), hit me up

Conceive

A while back, my friend Kiri called. What I'd not mentioned before, but is relevant to this story, is that we broke up because she realised she was gay. We're still really close, and her and her fiance MJ have a lot of gay friends. She mentioned that a couple she knew were looking for a sperm donor so they could have a baby. They'd described the kind of person they were seeking, and Kiri decided that I could be up for the job. It was a big suggestion, and something I thought about a great deal. I thought about 'fatherhood', and what it would mean in this instance. I thought about having a child that was biologically mine, but that I'd not nurture. I thought a little about morals, and felt that the 'right thing' would be to help and donate. And at the most basic level, I saw this as an opportunity to help by providing a key ingredient, so agreed to meet Bec and Michelle.
And it was great. We were on the same page about everything. I would be an uncle/godfather kind of guy; they'd be very open with the child about where they came from; I'd be the donor, they'd be the parents (on the birth certificate, etc). They're a lovely couple, we were all happy, and agreed to go for it. I made two donations of Baby Magic (he he) for Bec, who was going to carry. I guess we make a good combination, as she's pregnant!
They're hoping for a boy, and are due in June. I knew that I was happy for them, but when I noticed my arms flailing and that I was shouting the news to Fran, I guess it really hit home that I'm a part of something really cool and special. I'll keep you posted.

Urban exploration

As you may have picked up, I really like exploring new places. The urban landscape is rich with possibility, and of course there will always be plenty of buildings that are abandoned or in transition. In the last two days, I checked out two beautiful locations.
The Argus Building is located right in town, and has always fascinated me. Sunday afternoon seemed as good as any to check it out, and it was surprisingly easy to get inside. I was alone, and the beauty of abandoned spaces really hit me - the decay, the graffiti, the pigeons, the past/present/future. I was covered with shivers. I made my way on to the roof, and then up the tower.

Klara had written 'love/hate heights', which is exactly how I felt. Oh boy. I was really glad I made it though, and I'll definitely check it out in the future. Definite romantic date location.












Today's adventure was to the Yorkshire Brewery in Collingwood. Fran and I wandered around here a while back, and I was determined to get to the top. And it was pretty easy. It was another battle of nerves with the height, but it's a massive, sturdy silo, so I felt okay.

Kitten of Doom had posted about this place (she seems to love heights...), and these trips were inspired by her and Klara. It's cool to know other people visit, and leave their mark (be it blog posts of tags) - and I like the fun and challenge of experiencing it yourself.

Ships

So, the rather wonderful Naomi and I broke up. She realised she still had feelings for an ex. I joked that it would be good if there were dials with which you could control how much you felt for someone. We both started off not looking for anything too serious, but it became really meaningful, really quickly. Oh, those dials! We'd also said in spite of what happens, we'd be great friends - which is how it's turned out. It got me thinking about friendships, relationships, all those 'ships'.
It feels really amazing that many of the most special people in my life are ex-girlfriends. Girls that I've dated, spent beautiful time with, and loved. I could tell them 'I love you', then and now. Maybe our time together can't help but flow in to our friendship. Perhaps breaking up isn't *that* bad if it leads to such good things. And how does love differ between 'girlfriend' and 'just friends'? I guess it's some kind of continuous spectrum. Before me lies a whole panel of dials, one for each person in my life. They spin of their own accord.

Brain waves

'Listen up, I've got a story to tell', my brain says. I listen, and I hear a familiar story, one my brain tells all the time. It's about my relationships with the people in my life. 'Uh huh... yeah... hmmm....' I think, and I nod along, showing that I'm paying attention. Actively listening. But as I listen, I start to wonder where in my brain this story is coming from. Is it from the Data Centre: backed with truth, and based on knowledge and observation? I can be pretty perceptive about people. Or is it from ol' Irrationalville: a fantastic tale full of wild speculation? It can be hard to tell, cos it's all sounds kind of the same when my brain tells it.
Cogito ergo sum, I chuckle to myself. Yeah, great. Oh boy. Nonstop cogito

Nothing lasts

The MoreArt Public Art Show is on at the moment along the Upfield train line. It seems really cool, and I plan to check it out fully in the next few days. I created my own piece to run in parallel with the show, entitled Nothing Lasts. It was there for a couple of days, before being removed. I was really annoyed with this, as I think my idea was great, and it was working as planned. It's frustrating doing things which make public spaces more interesting, only to have them removed. Perhaps it was deemed no different from other graffiti ('tags'). 'Public art' vs 'street art' vs 'tags'; 'a safe community' vs 'a diverse community'.
While my work was removed, it certainly won't stop me from doing more. If anything, I'll strive to create less ephemeral pieces.

Simon and I interview each other

I had a chat with one of my best buddies, Simon, last week. It's kind of a discussion about our time in Christchurch, the earthquake, subsequent moves to other countries, and how we dealt with all that. The second half is at Simon's blog, link at the bottom.

Simon: Hi David, how are you?

David:  I'm good thanks Simon, sitting in bed in Melbourne. It's just after 8am. How are you?

Preconceive

I'm doing a new series of pastings which are inspired by The Little Price - you can check it out at forever. I only recently read the book, but it was great, and articulated a few things I'd been thinking about. As you may recall, the narrator draws a picture of a boa constrictor, but the adults, lacking imagination, see only a hat. The grown-ups are very strange.
One time on the train, I heard a young girl exclaim, 'look! A graffiti!' I remember seeing two young children jumping with excitement as they watched a rubbish truck pick up bins. Oh what moments to see things for the first time! I know that as you grow, you learn, and everything you encounter shapes your life - it's an important part of development. But what if you could reclaim some of that wonder? Try and see things freshly without all the understanding your life has given you? Pick up a nearby object and study it, stripping away all preconceptions. Let it engage your senses, and imagine encountering it for the first time. You might just learn something.



(Also, I need your help for an upcoming project! If you could recommend a book to a stranger, what would it be? What's something that you've read that has made an impact? Something you'd really like people to experience. Comment below. Thanks)

The train

My local train station is Batman (check out some colouring I did there). It's on the Upfield line, and a trip to the city centre takes about 20 minutes. I really like catching the train, and think I live about the right distance - any more would be tiring, less would seem trivial. I find it all rather romantic. Here are some things I like:
*Coming out of the city loop at North Melbourne at night time. From under the ground, to a yard filled with hundreds of beautiful lights. Really magical
*Passing trains - they seem to come from nowhere with such fury, and then are gone in an instant
*As the train slows, watching fence posts blur, before becoming individually discernible. Also the way the train kicks back slightly when it stops, and the brakes kick in
*People watching and listening is great. People are beautiful and weird
*The Brunswick tram depot at night is a huge cavern of light
*Seeing people running for the train. It's such a desperate, hopeful moment
*General rhythms of the wheels over the tracks

Familial

I popped over to New Zealand for the first nine days of September. It was really nice being home. I went to Christchurch, Wellington, and Palmerston North, before retracing my steps. My mum had a hip operation, so I hung out with her and we watched the US Tennis Open. My twin sister, Kate, was down from Auckland, and it was out 27th birthday. I asked my dad what it meant to him to be a dad on father's day. I really wished I'd had more than 48hrs in Palmerston.
In Wellington, I stayed with Beth and we had dinner, went to a concert, walked about.
I stayed at my old flat in Christchurch. It was wonderfully familiar. I had a birthday get-together and saw my friends. I cycled around the cordoned off centre city: it was rather saddening. Alice, Eamonn and I set up a new blog of story readings - My Kafka Baggage.
Three of my four flights were delayed, and it really bothered me. I don't enjoy waiting at airports, but I tried to reconcile that with the magic of flight. Myself and hundreds of other people, all much heavier than air, travelling at hundreds of kilometres an hour through the sky.