Frederika used to work for Mrs Lippman, did you know her?
…
No, hu-uh…
*that face*
…oh wait was she a great big fat person.

A few things.
I CANT BLAH.. (blah was a typo but we’ll roll with it) *BLOG, FROM MY ROOM.
So here I am sitting outside, in the darkness. Inviting plague and fever upon myself, tapping away on my oh-so-lit-up-iPad. Mosquitos please.

Today was a pretty full on day. Starting early with my dad, we walked up the mountain. Over 5 hours and 1 conquered mountain later, we were home drinking tea. Kinda like the British… Or the Spanish. Or French… Maybe not the French. But yeah planted a damn flag. Done and done. Thankyou Mt Wellington for supplying us with water and a huuuge hike.
The bikkies afterwards were so well earned.
Not a moment later I walked and caught up with the girl i’ve been seeing. We went to the beach where I was a dork and talked loads. Collapsing in a sandy heap I chatted without fail. My mind in an opened up passion fruit. I’m a cracked nut. Information and goodness knows what else flowed freely. I do worry myself. And I hope the bystanders and witnesses are ok too.
Dinner with the fam’ was fish. Delish!
Battered flake and a squid ring each, what a treat.

I’m gonna have to go, I’m getting eaten alive, gotta avoid ‘lello fever.

The most important thing in the world is family.
Think about it.

Caught up with a great friend today. Discussed it all.
Jealousy is a sin, but it’s ok if you are.

“The spice of life” – i’ve been saying it alot lately. Interpret it how you will.

And a quote from My good Pal.
Smartphones just enable the user to be able to google themselves at any given moment.

“Nothing can stand in the way of progress” – JFD

Today was all cleaning, running and learning.
3 trash bags of childhood parephenalia junk.
20 minutes jog from north hobart to south! Immense.
And the evening turned into 1 unexpected date night.

A late late late night shooting the shit with an old friend of mine. He went to Afghanistan and survived. Enough said. He’s a different guy to the one that joined the army 4 years ago, that’s for sure. Still a great friend.
He’s certainly made of sterner stuff than I.
Four years in ‘blokes world’. Just how?
“Please god make me a stone”

Since returning home; this has felt like a bit of a reunion week. All my old pals.
Catchups galore. Too many facts, facets and faces the fanciful furore. Time apart has charged our curiosities. Lives, worlds apart. Catchups! Adventures, emotions and relationships all ripe and ready to be picked apart and explained. Such an audience! Such fun. Its really great to be back.

My finest student? A young man, physically perfect. To look upon him was to see a duellist by any other measure. His discipline was a source of awe; his form was elegance personified. He could snuff a dozen candles in successive lunges, each lunge identical to the one preceeding it. He could spear a buzzing fly. Within two years I could do nothing more for him for he had passed my own skill.
I was, alas, not there to witness his first duel, but it was described to me in detail. For all his talent, his perfection of form, for all his precision, his muscle memory, he revealed one and only one flaw.
He was incapable of fighting a real person. A foe of middling skill can be profoundly dangerous, in that clumsiness can surprise, ill-preparation can confound brilliant skills of defence. The very unprdictability of a real opponent in a life and death struggle served my finest student with a final lesson.
It is said the duel lasted a dozen heartbeats. From that day foreward, my philosophy of instruction changed. Form is all very well, repetition ever essential, but actual blood-touch practice must begin within the first week of instruction. To be a duellist, one must duel. The hardest thing to teach is how to survive.
– A beautiful passage by Steven Erikson.

“Learn by doing” I say.

Farewell Melbourne.

Its been a year and a little more, since I moved from Edinburgh to Melbourne.
The change was dramatic, but I weathered it. Finding a house with my best friend Mitch and a rather aloof, severe young woman. Its been a learning experience for me this 365 days just gone. Indeed!
Working full-time in hospitality, managing, rent paying (by god.. Rent), and trying my very best to stay true to myself.
“Live life, the freedom of an adult and the adventurous mentality of a child.” – I didn’t realise how much of a rut I got myself into for a vast majority of the time.

Three things:
– I am people person, I have so much energy and time for everyone. Except for coming off the back of a 10hour day of talking to strangers whilest making them coffee. That “uppy-downey rollercoaster” is very much at the ground when i’m done working for the day. Visits from my best friend were seen often as an invasion.
Downtime needed. Early nights: required. Peace. Quiet.

-I worked with my friends. So after a long week, did I really feel like going out and meeting new people with my work collegues? What are we going to talk about? I spend 30 hours a week having a laugh with them in a relaxed cafe. Too much, much too much.

-And finally, rent was expensive! The house was situated in 10 minutes from any public transport, I got the small room, my housmates rarely made the effort for socail interaction, friendly gestures. I lost my sense on family, and I paid for it.

All things come in 3’s I suppose.
So my lease is up, what do I do? I go home.
Goodbye beautiful, hip and happening Melbourne!
Tasmania will be my port of call once again. I have so many relationships to re-kindle. So much alone time to catch up on. My family! My soul, has vastly overstretched feeling; maybe if I lay down for a week i’ll re-semble into a more compact version of myself. Trim the fat. Have a genuine smile and un-sunken eyes.

People to see. Unpacking to do.
And eventually my old bedroom to make new and welcomming all over again.

In my own time ofcourse. Did I need to be somewhere 30 minutes ago?
Do I have time for boiled eggs? I think i’ll walk today: And every day.
Time taken to move at your own speed is time well spent.

I’ve got my list of things to do. Today and on.

I head to Tasmania tomorrow to start my university studies.
My brain and its tendrils will be as 2minute noodles, left in water far too long.

In the early morning I got up.
As did my team! 1-0 to the blues.

Awoke again on the mid day chime,
Had breakfast, exercised
And packed bags.
In my own time.

I had a list of things to do,
Slowly at first I ticked each box.
Then finally left was but a few!
Tick then tock, sorted my socks.

Rode my bike, to the city.
Dinner! Time to meet a bitty!

Home again,
I did some art.
Painted a globe all black,
Tore up my scrabble board.
Washed my hands.
Stood back and thought.
In all the lands,
Is this naught?
The eye of beholder
Should we fear
Could this be bolder
What i’ve done here.

Later that night
I’d pierce my ear.
Similar paint as Van Gogh might.
Hear ‘ear.

I spoke with dad recently and asked him why he wanted to visit a country he’d already visited.

His answer was this:

“I may have seen the sunrise, but I would like to see it again”.