The Suntrap

Bob's hooked up with a local band - The Suntrap.

A very cool name Bob thought, so Bob auditioned for the band when they were seeking a new rhythm partner. Pretty exciting times ahead! They've had plenty of airplay on Melbourne radio and best of all, they sound punchy, great and just like Radiohead and the Flaming Lips mixed into one.

Cosmic Battle

"Everything is like a cosmic battle between faith and chance."

A very Hippie Michael Caine in dialogue in the dystopian sci-fi flick Children of Men.

I like that line.

Getting there.

The key to paradise is to have no wants.

Just got reminded by the very little nugget of awareness I encountered in 2002. Am wondering how far I've come to realise that.

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In other news,

Work is like a cocoon. It feeds one, keeps one warm and safe even though it's stifling and choking. Seek to escape from it, and danger and uncertainty beckon. But once free, emerge like a butterfly and soar. We all have a choice. A difficult one admittedly.

Overheard

Very poignant, and overheard on some comedy routine.

"Stop putting a bloody dollar sign on every f-ing thing on this planet."

Yes please.

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In other news, just back from Tasmania over the weekend. And the defining shots - meeting a nice and wise man who spends his time realising his ideas through spare parts, used culinary tools and an amazing sense of humour. Made the trip!

Wandering China

"Close your eyes and it will come to you."

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Starting a new blog called Wandering China, as a scratchpad of sorts for my thesis on the "Imagination of China being over-represented by Han Culture." You can find it here.

No major posts as yet, but expect them to come fast and furious as the wisdom of the more I know the less I understand bears a torch of unwavering truth. Yes, 5000 years of history can be tough to digest.

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Also, have discovered a little profile on Bob at PlayClinique online! Was asked by a friend to contribute to her new mixed media portal, and looking back at what Bob had provided her 6 months ago, he wonders if he thought too much of himself.

M&Ms

Catch em pink and white ones. Snacking whilst reading.

Porridge, Winter and Box Hill

Little beats having HK-style porridge (with turnip cake) on cold Saturday mornings for brekkie. All that for just $7.50 with a choice of coffee/tea/iced-lemon-tea. Box Hill is the scene of the crime - a massive Chinese enclave spanning 3.5km2 and 16km east from the city - of all things Chinese and East Asian - food, provisions, supermarkets, dodgy accountants. :)

It's become increasingly cold, with tops of 13 in the day, and about 5 at night. The electricity bills are gonna be killa.

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in other news, have been asked to compose a short jingle for a Fairfield Methodist Primary School video. More to come with that later. :) Am developing a little streak writing children's music of late.

Winter BBQ in the backyard

Had some friends from South-Eastern China - Canton and Central China - Henan (where the imperial capital Luoyang, yes many eons ago before Beijing was located) over for a long-overdue BBQ. Becoming quite good with Chinese geography! Meet some of my mainland friends!

Thoughts on reality and life

Reality is as far as your life goes.
Your life is as far as reality goes.

Which applies to you?

Spending the day at the school library doing some preliminary research for the final semester which Bob has decided to do on the mis-representation of China by the Hans, yes, that's you and me and virtually most Chinese without a double syllabled surname. From the photo, one can probably tell someone got distracted by renting some DVDS to watch too.

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In other thoughts, just wanted to share chapter 2 of the Lao Zi's Tao-Te Ching.

When people see things as beautiful,
ugliness is created
When people see things as good,
evil is created.

Bliss is

Bliss can be...Sitting on the designer couch in the living room with the heater turned on, the lights down low, on a cold winter's night listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture on Vinyl. It's a little dark for any photo to make any sense, so you'll just have to imagine how blissed out I feel. :)

In other news. Took this a while back but haven't had the chance to post it. Found in Sydney's Chinatown, this restaurant. Hmm. is meant for sterner stuff.

A new track & Gold Coast and Brisbane postcards

Came up with a new track - Empty Cup. A little electronic walk.
Download it HERE!

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And, here're some photos I took in Queensland. (: yes the smiley looks strange but I've been hanging out with relatively younger people of late, and that inverse smiley is catching on.

knowing Life

"I'm so sober I dont know who I am anymore"

from a friend.

Back. Again & No Standing.

Back after a month of traveling and a second round to Queensland - covering Brissie and Gold Coast this time. Of the states so far, I have to say I like Queensland the best. Underground bus stops and dedicated bus-only tunnels and fly-overs were great. So were the catamaran ferries. In a month, was fortunate enough to travel the entire Eastern side of Australia, and Tasmania's next on the list. So. No standing, onward.

And. the computer's more or less fixed.

All good things!


Taken in Brisbane's Mt Coo-tha Botanic Gardens - massive tropical greenhouse.