Fruitcake

I am a dessert man. If I could substitute all savory meals for chocolate and ice cream and custard and cake and creme brulee (without increasing my health risks) I would. But... one major exception is cakes that contain sultanas or fruit of any kind. The very worst thing is... Fruitcake. I was over at … Continue reading Fruitcake →

The Salvo Collection

It was nearly Christmas time, and I was door knocking for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. Here are the first four "Humans of Blacktown" I met in my travels. House 1 I knock once. Twice. I begin to leave. Before I can escape, a lanky man opens the door. In his underwear (but no judgement... … Continue reading The Salvo Collection →

Camp Shower

I was supervising at a 'youth refugee theatre camp' (as you do), and we were staying for a weekend in a Southern Highlands mansion. I inspected the bathroom, and realised one crucial thing: the lock on the door didn't work. My mind flashed through the huge list of potential problems, noting the chaotic teenagers bulldozing … Continue reading Camp Shower →

My Lost Keys

When I worked at the nursing home, there was one particular nurse; she and I found working together a great challenge. We shall call her, The Evil Nurse. Among one of the many things she disliked about me, one was the fact that I occasionally left my keys and wallet on the TV cabinet. "Keys. TV … Continue reading My Lost Keys →

The Dog Mints

I was waiting beside my car for a friend to give them a lift home. Actually it was mum's car, that I was borrowing. The friend was late (typical). I wandered up and down the footpath. Aimless. When all of a sudden, I was approached by. A Dog. A large and friendly dog. A Golden … Continue reading The Dog Mints →

Bikes in Hyde Park

I had been living the backpacker life in London for 6 months, collecting friends from "Focallocal", a community group, whose philosophy was to live without spending money (or indeed making money). But it was time for me to return home. For my last hurrah I wanted to ride bikes with my London friends around Hyde Park. … Continue reading Bikes in Hyde Park →

James Bond at Beyond

I have a friend, and in this story we'll call him by a Pseudo name (which is also his preferred name); James Bond. James is a wild, young Pakistani. His huge imagination, and left field social interactions are the cause of him getting into troublesome situations, (often hilarious) constantly. I brought James to "Beyond" in Canberra; a Music and Social Justice Festival. … Continue reading James Bond at Beyond →

Caught on the Train

For many years I would join some school friends in Tascott to play Dungeons and Dragons. The time had come for our annual sleepover event. I was at Berowra Station ready to head north. I was wearing my classic trench coat, which I had worn everyday since The Matrix Reloaded, and I was carrying a large number of bags, including figurines bag, books … Continue reading Caught on the Train →

Peeing in the Shower

T'was the days when I lived in a share-house in Berowra. A sound often came from the kitchen. "Drip." The shower, you see, was leaking into the kitchen below. "Drip." And when someone took a shower, a puddle appeared on the kitchen bench. We placed a bucket there to collect the stray shower water. One … Continue reading Peeing in the Shower →

The Flying Fox

When I was fifteen, I went on the Boys Brigade Leadership Development Camp at Challenge Ranch. We were placed into squads of six, and each squad had a young adult camp leader looking after them. My squad leader was Owen. We shared a name, and therefore we were already friends. The first two days of the camp passed with a number … Continue reading The Flying Fox →