Cairns.
If Cancun had a giant reef and huge rainforest right next to it, I think it would be Cairns. It's a completely touristy town, full of travel agencies, bars, hostels/hotels, and cheap restaurants. It's right on the beach, there are mountains within viewing distance, and most of the buildings in the main area are not high rises, so it has this beach town atmosphere.
Oh yeah, and there's a giant free pool, called "the lagoon" in the middle of the city. It's open 24 hours, and it's awesome. Especially when it's this bloody hot outside.
You all know me, and I'm not into the Cancun drink till you drop scene, but lounging in a pool at 11PM on a night with a full moon is pretty damn cool, getting out to have a drink with two Swiss, one Italian, and one French guy playing guitar... It's just got that kinda vibe to it. Very chill, and very international. Everyone seems to come here, and just end up staying (my roommate is a Cop from the UK, and he's been staying here weeks longer than planned because he's fallen for the girl who works the front desk...), because it's the type of town where beach bumming is a lifestyle that is viable. You get a job at a restaurant/hostel, and you work to live. (Don't worry, I'm coming back... I'm not that much of a beach bum, but it is nice to have those days on this trip)
I've got a 3 day 2 night sailboat cruise to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow, and I'm headed to Cape Tribulation (Where the rainforest meets the ocean) for 3 days after that, so my days in Cairns will be full. But, while here, hanging out with my roommate, his girl/the front desk manager, and other random people that travelling seems to bring together. There are free public barbecues, so I'm making dinner (of course) tonight for everyone, although the drinking will have to be curbed. The security is strict around the Esplanade, with tons of cameras, and guards patrolling at night.
Last night, we were sitting, drinking some wine, and this Aboriginal guy and his friend come sit down, very drunk, and start bitching about their lot in life. He hates what the white man has done to his people, but he doesn't do anything about it except drink and complain, especially since the government gives him a check every week. It's kinda sad how it works, and I'm sure it's no different with the Native Americans in the US. He has huge scars on his belly, which he attributes to the KKK, and it seems to be a Black vs. White thing for him always. We spent 30 minutes telling him how not all white people are part of the KKK, and the Swiss girl was trying to convince him that revolution was the answer, and that she will stand behind him when they start rising against the government. Yay for anarchists!
She was on call (as the night manager), and got a call from her boss, because the A/C had gone off in the entire hostel, and she wasn't inside (she was right outside). We go back, and a fuse had blown, but they wouldn't take the help of an Electrical Engineer from LA who was trying to help (makes sense, they can't make a guest liable...). The A/C eventually went on, but we were sitting outside, eating kebabs and chatting (and playing more guituar) with the whole group, until I decided to call it a night. The Swiss Revolutionary goes "you're going to sleep without A/C?"
Ha. As long as the revolution is done at a comfortable temperature, she's all for it.
Alright, time to go lounge by the pool a bit more...
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Melbourne Underground...
So, these past few days have been a complete opposite from the traveling I've been doing so far. Late nights, late mornings, more drinking, more randomness...
Last we talked, I was squatting at a couchsurfing hub in Melbourne, and I'm still there (for 2 more nights, until I head to Cairns and to the Great Barrier Reef on Wednesday). The hosts are still the very definition of hospitality, as they will take in anyone who needs a place to stay, share food with whoever needs it, and not really turn anyone away.
One of the reasons they can do this is because they get lots of stuff for free. Housing is free (except for utilities, which they pay), food is free (for the most part, which I will get to soon), so they are able to share what they have with others, because it doesn't put them in the poorhouse.
On dumpster-diving:
I've done it a few times now, and it completely blows my mind. The things that people through out because they are not "fit for purchase" boggle my mind. The introduction I had was at the Queen Victoria Market, which I purchased bread/cheese from earlier in the trip. We would walk around the produce market after it closed with bags, and pick up amazing amounts of produce. Entire boxes of cherries, bags of potatoes, enough apples to make 10 pounds of applesauce, jars of Patak's chutney still sealed (!), boxes upon boxes of day old doughnuts... Take it home, clean everything off, and cook it either that night or the next. Most of the stuff is in perfect condition, or has just a few dents/dings in them, but nothing to make them inedible...
Then there is the actual dumpster-diving. Get bags/people/car, drive around to various stores dumpsters and root through them for whatever can be found. These bins are locked, but somehow keys are obtained (that is probably the most illegal part...). The stuff in there is mind blowing. Entire hunks of nice cheese, gallons of milk (a week before expiring!), cans of sauce, personal grooming items (hair bands, combs, all in a separate area, not mixed with normal trash), bags of chips/rice cakes, etc...
And you'd think that this stuff is a bit on the freaky side, but I assure you these people are some of the pickiest people I've met when it comes to food. If it looks like it's on the verge, or open wide, or too many dents/dings, the stuff is not picked up/tossed back after inspection. Nothing that isn't 95% perfect isn't taken, and they can afford to do this, because of the sheer wealth of stuff there is available. My friends here say that they can be picky, and they are, which is really impressive.
Now, I'm not going to go home and start digging through people's dumpsters, but I will think twice before throwing stuff out, and judging anyone who goes through what others throw out. We as a society have such a strong "if it isn't perfect, throw it out" mentality, and there are so many people in the world that can't afford to be as picky as us. I realize that this isn't why the squatters up here do it (it's more of a 'damn the man' mentality), but if you really think about all of the waste that we as a western society make (and I'm sure America is just as bad, if not worse than Australia), and how much of it doesn't really need to be thrown out, the only conclusion that I can arrive at is that we figure out how to transport what can be used to people that need it. I'm pretty sure that people will never pay/expend time to follow through, but maybe if we try and buy less superfluous stuff, which we know we will never use, a small difference could be made?
*end ideological rant*
I'm not just digging through trash over here, don't worry. I'm cooking the trash, making veggie pot pies, roasted corn/tomato soup, and tonight I have to come up with a feast for 12 people using all the stuff we got yesterday...
When I'm not cooking, we're all hanging out, eating, going to parties (and meeting more couchsurfers randomly...), and being generally young/in school. The people that I'm staying with are still in college, so it's got that kind of mentality in the household. People across the world party the same way, just with different accents...
Last night, we went to a park near the Yarra River, where a group of firetwirlers go to hang out every Sunday night and practice. We brought along food (of course), and some little toys to play with (I'm starting to get the hang of those devil sticks... might need to get a pair when I get home..), but when the really good people got there, I gave up and watched. There were flaming sword fights, flaming poi (balls on the end of chains that you can twirl), staffs (sp?), and even flaming hula hoops (I totally did that! It was crazy, but awesome!). It was totally a much more fun thing to do than go on a tour bus and see a historic temple, but maybe I've just done too many of one, and not enough of the other...
There is this very chill mentality to these residents of Melbourne, a complete opposite to the well-dressed advancement types that normally run through the city streets. I guess every city has different levels to it, and it's nice to see another side of things over here.
I'm meeting people that aren't content with the normal run-through of life, instead choosing to go on adventures that make me jealous of their freedom. There seem to be the two extremes in life: Those that are ok with 9-5 lives, working towards retirement, growing a family and a home. On the other side are people that renounce all material things, all normal lifestyles, and live out of a car for months, basing their advancement through life on people they meet, experiences they go through, and adversities they conquer.
Both sides are valid, and as long as you are happy with where you are, there is no need to pine for the other side. There are, of course, shades of grey in this black and white description, and I think this is where jealousy lies. I'm in the middle, probably almost exactly. I have a job I love, and can't wait to get into it and acheive the goal of owning a restaurant. At the same time, I go on mini-adventures, and apparantly do things that others can't (although they could if they tried). But hearing about people that live on the extremes and love it make you jealous, and promote a desire to sway more towards the extreme that you idealize...
Cassie, the girl I'm staying with (well, the one that I first contacted), sat and went through her pictures and told me stories of her adventures. It really was amazing hearing her talk about living out of her car for months, finding caves with millions of glowworms, putting up an advertisment asking to be crew for a sailboat making it's way back to Melbourne from New Zealand. It made me want to give up my flight back and see how far I could make it (I'm not going to, I promised Pedro help at this restaurant, which I still really want to do). Then, I met Amy, a couchsurfer from Illinois, who gave up everything from a job in NYC to travel for a year (so far). I told her how I admired her ability to give it all up and travel, and she basically told me how much she gave up in order to do it, and how difficult it would be for her to get back to a "normal" lifestyle. Swinging so far towards one extreme, it becomes extremely difficult to go back to the other one. Leaving friends/family for so long really puts you out of the loop, and you can miss out on a whole lot that you may not want to. Finding the balance must be another key in the multi-padlocked door of a happy life.
I love where I am, I love what I'm doing out here, however, I am starting to get antsy to return. I am really wanting to get back into a kitchen, and I'm wanting to get back to a place where I'm comfortable.
At least until I'm ready to go somewhere else.... =)
Last we talked, I was squatting at a couchsurfing hub in Melbourne, and I'm still there (for 2 more nights, until I head to Cairns and to the Great Barrier Reef on Wednesday). The hosts are still the very definition of hospitality, as they will take in anyone who needs a place to stay, share food with whoever needs it, and not really turn anyone away.
One of the reasons they can do this is because they get lots of stuff for free. Housing is free (except for utilities, which they pay), food is free (for the most part, which I will get to soon), so they are able to share what they have with others, because it doesn't put them in the poorhouse.
On dumpster-diving:
I've done it a few times now, and it completely blows my mind. The things that people through out because they are not "fit for purchase" boggle my mind. The introduction I had was at the Queen Victoria Market, which I purchased bread/cheese from earlier in the trip. We would walk around the produce market after it closed with bags, and pick up amazing amounts of produce. Entire boxes of cherries, bags of potatoes, enough apples to make 10 pounds of applesauce, jars of Patak's chutney still sealed (!), boxes upon boxes of day old doughnuts... Take it home, clean everything off, and cook it either that night or the next. Most of the stuff is in perfect condition, or has just a few dents/dings in them, but nothing to make them inedible...
Then there is the actual dumpster-diving. Get bags/people/car, drive around to various stores dumpsters and root through them for whatever can be found. These bins are locked, but somehow keys are obtained (that is probably the most illegal part...). The stuff in there is mind blowing. Entire hunks of nice cheese, gallons of milk (a week before expiring!), cans of sauce, personal grooming items (hair bands, combs, all in a separate area, not mixed with normal trash), bags of chips/rice cakes, etc...
And you'd think that this stuff is a bit on the freaky side, but I assure you these people are some of the pickiest people I've met when it comes to food. If it looks like it's on the verge, or open wide, or too many dents/dings, the stuff is not picked up/tossed back after inspection. Nothing that isn't 95% perfect isn't taken, and they can afford to do this, because of the sheer wealth of stuff there is available. My friends here say that they can be picky, and they are, which is really impressive.
Now, I'm not going to go home and start digging through people's dumpsters, but I will think twice before throwing stuff out, and judging anyone who goes through what others throw out. We as a society have such a strong "if it isn't perfect, throw it out" mentality, and there are so many people in the world that can't afford to be as picky as us. I realize that this isn't why the squatters up here do it (it's more of a 'damn the man' mentality), but if you really think about all of the waste that we as a western society make (and I'm sure America is just as bad, if not worse than Australia), and how much of it doesn't really need to be thrown out, the only conclusion that I can arrive at is that we figure out how to transport what can be used to people that need it. I'm pretty sure that people will never pay/expend time to follow through, but maybe if we try and buy less superfluous stuff, which we know we will never use, a small difference could be made?
*end ideological rant*
I'm not just digging through trash over here, don't worry. I'm cooking the trash, making veggie pot pies, roasted corn/tomato soup, and tonight I have to come up with a feast for 12 people using all the stuff we got yesterday...
When I'm not cooking, we're all hanging out, eating, going to parties (and meeting more couchsurfers randomly...), and being generally young/in school. The people that I'm staying with are still in college, so it's got that kind of mentality in the household. People across the world party the same way, just with different accents...
Last night, we went to a park near the Yarra River, where a group of firetwirlers go to hang out every Sunday night and practice. We brought along food (of course), and some little toys to play with (I'm starting to get the hang of those devil sticks... might need to get a pair when I get home..), but when the really good people got there, I gave up and watched. There were flaming sword fights, flaming poi (balls on the end of chains that you can twirl), staffs (sp?), and even flaming hula hoops (I totally did that! It was crazy, but awesome!). It was totally a much more fun thing to do than go on a tour bus and see a historic temple, but maybe I've just done too many of one, and not enough of the other...
There is this very chill mentality to these residents of Melbourne, a complete opposite to the well-dressed advancement types that normally run through the city streets. I guess every city has different levels to it, and it's nice to see another side of things over here.
I'm meeting people that aren't content with the normal run-through of life, instead choosing to go on adventures that make me jealous of their freedom. There seem to be the two extremes in life: Those that are ok with 9-5 lives, working towards retirement, growing a family and a home. On the other side are people that renounce all material things, all normal lifestyles, and live out of a car for months, basing their advancement through life on people they meet, experiences they go through, and adversities they conquer.
Both sides are valid, and as long as you are happy with where you are, there is no need to pine for the other side. There are, of course, shades of grey in this black and white description, and I think this is where jealousy lies. I'm in the middle, probably almost exactly. I have a job I love, and can't wait to get into it and acheive the goal of owning a restaurant. At the same time, I go on mini-adventures, and apparantly do things that others can't (although they could if they tried). But hearing about people that live on the extremes and love it make you jealous, and promote a desire to sway more towards the extreme that you idealize...
Cassie, the girl I'm staying with (well, the one that I first contacted), sat and went through her pictures and told me stories of her adventures. It really was amazing hearing her talk about living out of her car for months, finding caves with millions of glowworms, putting up an advertisment asking to be crew for a sailboat making it's way back to Melbourne from New Zealand. It made me want to give up my flight back and see how far I could make it (I'm not going to, I promised Pedro help at this restaurant, which I still really want to do). Then, I met Amy, a couchsurfer from Illinois, who gave up everything from a job in NYC to travel for a year (so far). I told her how I admired her ability to give it all up and travel, and she basically told me how much she gave up in order to do it, and how difficult it would be for her to get back to a "normal" lifestyle. Swinging so far towards one extreme, it becomes extremely difficult to go back to the other one. Leaving friends/family for so long really puts you out of the loop, and you can miss out on a whole lot that you may not want to. Finding the balance must be another key in the multi-padlocked door of a happy life.
I love where I am, I love what I'm doing out here, however, I am starting to get antsy to return. I am really wanting to get back into a kitchen, and I'm wanting to get back to a place where I'm comfortable.
At least until I'm ready to go somewhere else.... =)
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