Lonely Planet
In Myanmar I discovered a whole new world of social etiquette. A whole new world of things I didn’t understand, that I couldn’t comprehend, but I had to abide by. … Continue reading
Love In The Time of Gum Disease
Ever since I moved to the countryside my body has started to fall apart. One thing that has been a recurring issue has been my oral health. A couple of … Continue reading
Waiting for Climax
New Years Eve is the planet’s most anticipated anti-climax, topped in 2012 only by the failure of the world to end. Over the years I have been conditioned to believe … Continue reading
Groovin the Moo
This has been a year of firsts for me. First salary paying job… and, um… This has been a year of first for me. But two weekends ago I made … Continue reading
Day of the Dead
My friend and I heave our bikes up the hill to a taqueria on the corner of Gertrude and Smith Street in Collingwood, a part of Melbourne gentrified by people … Continue reading
Battlefield Christmas
Christmas is the day the four families converge: one grandmother, ten aunts and uncles and twenty cousins in a single place. This year was my families turn to host Christmas … Continue reading
Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush
Barely two days after arriving back home in Australia from the US I found myself overnighting in a small country town where I will be working for the foreseeable future, … Continue reading
Zizi and Me
On my final night in America I found myself out of options in Boston. It was 11pm, my phone had died, I had nowhere to go and a North Easter … Continue reading
Inferiority and Self-Loathing in New Orleans pt. 3
See part 1 here and part 2 here. We pulled away from the busking trio and made our way down Frenchman street. As we drove Marc explained that he and Chestah were both … Continue reading
Inferiority and Self-Loathing in New Orleans pt. 2
See part 1 here. We left the house in Uptown and took a trolley and bus to Canal Street, made our way to Decatur Street, which runs along the Mississippi, … Continue reading
Inferiority and Self-Loathing in New Orleans pt. 1
People told me that New Orleans would make a mark and, as I look at my first tattoo neatly printed on my ankle, I can only agree. I arrived in … Continue reading
Mound City Syndrome
If America were a family St. Louis would be the middle child, not in terms of age but certainly in terms of psychology. I mean, everybody knows about the Big … Continue reading
Chicagomedy
If you want comedy go to Chicago. It is where Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, John Belushi, John Candy, Amy Poehler and various other names, that people … Continue reading
I am (not) Spartacus
Ding, ding, ding, ding I was the first to launch out of my seat. “That’s the fire alarm! IT’S A FIRE! WE NEED TO EVACUATE!” I yelled. I looked around … Continue reading
Glamping Brooklyn
You have probably heard of ‘glamping’. If you haven’t, Wikipedia defines it as, “a growing global phenomenon that combines camping with the luxury and amenities of a home.” In New … Continue reading
Philly don’t dial 911
My name is Rupert Hope Denton. Now close your eyes and conjure up an image of what Rupert Hope Denton might look like. A cherub perhaps? Surrounded by other cherubs … Continue reading
Peepee
I feel less comfortable using other peoples’ bathrooms than sleeping in other peoples’ beds. Other peoples’ bathrooms are like a big inside joke directed at you, other peoples’ bathrooms always … Continue reading
Bullshit Artist
I have just spent a few days in Los Angeles, a city that seems to run on bravado and gasoline. Everybody is always ‘on’ in LA, because everybody is looking … Continue reading
I’m a big boy now
There are few things I tolerate more dearly than my family. They have, after all, raised me from an infant to a child. At which point, according to them, my … Continue reading
Tea
I walked into a little tearoom at a nearby park hoping to while away half an hour or so reading my book. It was more of a tea-corridor, a counter … Continue reading
Strollercize
In my gentrified neighborhood, Strollercizing has taken off. Strollercize is probably the biggest fitness innovation since Zumba. Basically, it incorporates rigorous exercise with the act of pushing your kid (or … Continue reading
La Boheme
One of my recurring daydreams is about the perfect dinner party. I think it was inspired by old photos of artists, philosophers, writers and poets sitting around looking pensive, or … Continue reading
The Gym
I recently realized the day might come when I need to defend myself from some youths in my neighbourhood. They have, I think, begun to sense my fear and have … Continue reading
Kiss and heckle
I attended my cousin’s 21st birthday drinks on Sunday, both my extended family and her mother’s extended family were there. This is always a strange situation as I recognise none of the … Continue reading
Bar dining
Four of us entered an Italian restaurant. “I tell you this is a great restaurant, really authentic, just like my nonna cooks”, said my friend. I don’t think he … Continue reading
Airplane
When I board a flight I resign myself to death. So, resigned to death, I enter my plane bound from London to Hong Kong. I first pass through business … Continue reading
The couple
Save for the discreet shuffling of the waitress, the café was completely silent. There wasn’t even music playing. I sat there nursing my filter coffee, which I had stretched out … Continue reading
My time at The Notting Hill Carnival
My only real primer to Notting Hill Carnival was this article in Vice Magazine, a publication that treats me like a mean boyfriend treats his girlfriend. It makes me feel … Continue reading
Smoker’s Code
The other night I was eating with some friends at a decent Vietnamese restaurant in East London, though the décor and service were decidedly North Korean. Anyway, at some point … Continue reading
The Soft Open
On Saturday morning my chances at becoming a hip café reviewer took a hit. Some friends and I were invited to the ‘soft opening’ of a new branch of a … Continue reading
Intern
I recently began an internship; because that’s what 24 year olds with post-graduate degrees do in the 21st century economy, work for free. It began well enough. I was shown … Continue reading
When Josep Died pt. 3
The frantic Spanish of a frightened woman woke me at 3am. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but I knew it was about Josep. Without switching on my … Continue reading
When Josep Died pt. 2
We were enjoying our first dinner together. Well, maybe enjoying is the wrong word. I sat there dripping sweat, trying to stop myself from fainting. Amelia, Josep’s wife, sat resting … Continue reading
When Josep died pt. 1
On the third day he dropped dead. While undertaking my Spanish language course in Barcelona I thought that it would be good to do a homestay. “It’ll be great”, I … Continue reading
Coming of age
If people ever ask me, ‘what was your most formative experience growing up’ (Though, let’s face it, it is pretty unlikely anyone will ask me that). I will point to my … Continue reading
Melbourne’s cafe culture aka BDSM
What is the best part about Melbourne? For some it would be the sports: football, cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and, the greyhounds equivalent of Formula 1, the MotoGP. For others, … Continue reading
Assumed Discomfort and Hypotheticals Anxiety
I have self-diagnosed myself with a rare condition, I call it assumed discomfort. The key symptom of this disorder is the tendency to adopt the discomfort/anxiety that another should be … Continue reading
Interviews
I watched a documentary the other day called Inside Job. It is an exemplary account of the before, during and after of the global financial crisis. Now, generally the key points … Continue reading
Lost in Translation
Apologies for this post’s trite title (tritle). I am in Barcelona to learn Spanish, well perhaps a better description would be that I am in Barcelona to salvage what little … Continue reading
La Cinta
Barcelona is tres chic. From young to old the Barcelonan drips style. Hair is worn long by young men and short by girls, pants are as common as jeans, spectacles are … Continue reading
Don't Under Think It 