.Comics

I have just finished Guy Delisle's Chroniques Birmaines in French, although the English translation is now out and available in bookstores under the title Burma Chronicles. The book is a series of vignettes detailing daily life under one of the most strange and brutal regimes in the world. As far as niches go, Delisle's got the graphic-diary-in-a-dictatorship all locked up. I can't think of any other cartoonist, excepting Joe Sacco, who so consistently tackles international problem states with such ease. Chroniques is his third book about life in a dictatorship, following Pyongyang, set in North Korea, and Shenzen, set in China. One of the reasons Delisle focuses on these bizarre nations is that his wife Nadege is an administrator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, and so he spends a lot of time in terrible places that most cartoonists don't visit.

Delisle's work is successful due to his eye for detail, in both his drawings and his subject matter, turning his novels into fine works of visual reportage. An example of this is the story he recounts midway through Chroniques, after he's been in Burma in few months. (The country is also known as Myanmar in the UN, but not formally recognized as Myanmar by many UN members protesting the regime.) Rumours that the ruling generals were planning to move the capital prove to be true, when one day, without warning, they begin to pack up and go. Bureaucrats are given 24 hours notice to leave the capital and if they refuse, they'll be thrown in jail. The capital itself is moved from Rangoun to town still under construction in the middle of nowhere, a place without water or electricity, and apparently tons of snakes. Bureaucrats sleep under their desks while housing is built. But the best part, the cream on the top of the ridiculous sundae, is that the generals refuse to give the name of the new capital, claiming it is a defense secret. It is then named, and then renamed, ending up as Nay Pyi Daw, meaning "The Residence of the King."

Another story that seems paranoid in the extreme revolves around a journalist friend of Delisle, who visits him in Burma then writes a story in France criticizing the regime and mentioning Delisle and his drawings. One of Delisle's animation students works for the government and is concerned that agents in the Burman embassy in France will see the article, link the student to Delisle and toss said student in jail for 10 years. In a panic, Delisle burns all his copies of the magazine in Burma and spends the next few days calling around to see how likely it is the story will be read, until he is assured by an unidentified ambassador that the Burmans in France likely can't even speak French. "One of the benefits of corruption," the ambassador remarks dryly.

Delisle and his family leave Burma after a year and bit due to MSF's withdrawal from Burma because of the increasingly ridiculous restrictions placed upon aid organizations in that country, including visa renewals every month. Delisle captures the bittersweet moments of his departure, such as his final farewell to his animation students after a boozy night, knowing he will never seem them again. He thinks back to a mother and child he saw in a clinic for HIV/AIDS patients one morning and returns the following day to ask about them, only to discover there are so many women and children that go through the clinic doors the aid workers have already forgotten the two he's asking about. It's those small details, like the farewell, that make the book so strong. As a work of comic art, the book is fine, but as work of literature and global analysis, Chroniques Birmaines deserves to stand alongside other serious books in the politics section of your nearest bookstore.

Francophones can check out Guy Delisle online, including links to reviews and other works. Also see the Guy Delisle page at Drawn and Quarterly, publishers for his English editions, here.

Missing Bondi

Here's a little snap of the ocean I took a while back. Sigh.
Miss it. The sun rising over Ben Buckler at Bondi Beach.

Essay On Homecoming

I had been waiting for this moment for ages, savouring its arrival. For the first time in a year, I'd get to wait in the fast line, the line that says 'Canadian Passport Holders' while all the unlucky slobs get stuck in the long "All Other Passport Holders' line. A quick look, a nod and I'm through!

Right. It turns out that Canada is one of the very few countries that does not make a distinction between nationalities, so all customs lines are equally long and boring. Further, I got stuck in the line with the Super-Attentive-Ask-A-Million-Questions Customs Officer, so every other line breezed ahead.

Just goes to show that reality often fails to live up to high expectations. The real pleasure is having no expectations at all and then being pleasantly surprised by whatever comes along. And that's just one of the many, many things I've learned while travelling during the past year. Although I won't recount every little lesson, there are a few things I'd like to share.


Patience














First, it might be surprising that I am going to claim I have learned how to be patient. I would like to state that the above scenario took place after three flights totalling 23 hours in length, not counting 18 hours stopover which could stretch anyone's patience a little. But all flying aside, I have increased my meagre store of patience and I blame it all on trying to learn how to surf.

It took me months to even claim to be a surfer, despite the fact that I often woke up at 5:30 in the morning and walked 15 minutes through town in a wetsuit to get to the beach, sometimes arriving before the sun was up. There were many times that I considered giving up on this sport that requires such a monumental amount of effort for such fleeting moments of joy. The turning point was another set of lessons after months of floundering, and in two days I was riding with ease and I've made progress on my own since. The best thing about those lessons was the reassurance that surfing is a lifelong pursuit filled with frustrations, setbacks and failures. My flatmate told me of a week-long surf trip he took to Fiji during which time he caught only three waves. Another surfer that I met one sunny afternoon in Manly said that he looks at the waves like a parking lot; if you miss this one wave/parking space, don't worry, because another one will come along soon enough.

Ultimately, I'm glad that I stuck with it, that I kept getting up early and dragging myself into a cold wetsuit and even colder water. There's nothing better than taking a deep breath of sea air, splashing through the waves to get out the back and watch the sun rise and the waves come in. Nothing better unless you've got someone or a few someones to share it with, which brings me to my next thought.


Meet The Locals














After leaving Australia I travelled to Thailand and then to Taiwan. In both countries I had the opportunity to surf, although in greatly varied conditions, and in both countries was able to connect with people over our shared love of the sport. In Thailand, where there can be such a great divide between relatively wealthy white tourists and the Thai people who serve them, I surfed alongside Phuket locals as an equal. To be fair, they were better surfers than me, but we sat on the same waves and a few girls and I shared a smile and a nod. Later I oogled pictures of local surfers on the walls of the surf shop as I returned my rental board. The lady running the shop pointed out pictures of herelf on sizeable waves and modestly claimed they were small that day.

In Taiwan, my friend Miranda and I visited the small surfing village of Jialeshuei and made friends with the village kids one evening. One boy, along with a Taiwanese tourist, taught us a new card game called Pai Chee (Seven Piles or Seven Cards in Mandarin) and the next morning we all went for a surf together. Miranda spoke some Mandarin while I speak none, and only one boy of all the village children spoke much English, but together we got by. Now I have a Taiwanese pen pal, and he's got a few English surfing words to practice.

In both cases I did something more than show up with my Lonely Planet under my arm, tick off sights on a list, and move on to the next place. I made an effort to talk to the people that lived there and share something with them, not just use them as a backdrop for my holiday snaps. And that brings me to my final thought.


Travelling Is What You Make It


















I read an interview a few months ago in a surf magazine that has stayed with me and is particularly relevant now. The interview is with Dave Rastovich, the world's most-famous and most-respected free surfer. A free surfer is someone who is paid to surf and travel the world but does not compete in surfing competitions. Rastovich has the respect of his peers (the rest of the world's best sufers), freedom from the pressure of competing in order to retain sponsors, and he gets to surf all the time. He's living the dream life, and the interviewer asks him how people react. Dave says that people would tell him he was very lucky and he would tell them he was given the same abilities as everyone else but he created the opportunites in his life that allowed him to get to where he is today. Granted, not everyone can grow up near an ocean or has the skills to become a world-class surfer, but the point is that you get out of something what you put into it.
Travelling is the same. If you put in the effort to see something new, to learn about the country you're visiting, you can have a wonderful experience and go home with new friends.

I hope to apply the things I've learned as I'm re-adjusting to living in Canada (especially patience!) and that I can find my own version of free surfing. It will just take a little time.

Thailand Revisited

Long tail boat, Ko Phi Phi Don
Monkey Beach, Ko Phi Phi Don
Swimmers, Koh Phi Phi Leh
Concrete musicians, Ko Samui
Urchins, Koh Phi Phi Leh
Big Buddha, Koh Samui

Country Roundup

Just a quick breakdown of observations from countries I have travelled to in the past year. Sometime this week an essay will follow.


Country with the biggest coins, rendering wallet a hefty brick: Australia

Most anger towards English speakers: Italy

Highest probability of gastro-intestinal disorders: Thailand*

Most likely to be asked to be in a photo by people you don't know: Taiwan

Place where summer feels like winter: South Island, New Zealand

Most likely place to be surrounded by Western tourists, causing self to ask what country self is actually in: Koh Phi-Phi, Thailand

Least likely place to see other Western tourists: East Coast, Taiwan

Best bread: France

Best coffee: Australia

Best pizza: Rome

Place that did not live up to reputation as pickpocket central: Barcelona

Place that unfortunately did: Overnight bus to Koh Samui, Thailand

Place which promised sunshine nearly every day of the year excepting a few days, during which time I happened to visit: Valencia, Spain

Least exciting European City: Madrid

Funny example of living up to national stereotype: Drunken yobbos fighting each other in the street after the pub closed, London.

Sexiest newspapers: Sydney

Smartest newspapers: London

Largest array of completely bizarre television programming, including at least five channels showing mathematical equations performed by host: Taiwan

Surprisingly wonderful place to visit: Montpellier, France

Worst odd garbage smells: Tie between Toronto streets and Bangkok canals

Best city to find lost objects: London, red cashmere scarf.

Most memorable Buddhist temple, deduced after seeing at least 40 million others: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Easiest city to get around: Toronto

Easiest city to get to airport due to excellent rail link: Sydney

Most difficult city to get to airport despite rail link: London

City which I am glad I will never again have to visit: Genoa, Italy

*Due to listeriosis outbreak in Toronto, Canada may replace Thailand as number one.

Bangkok

1. Random puffy food in Chinatown.
2. Muay Thai at one of BKK's two stadiums. Lots of cockroaches were watching too.
3. Cat at a Wat (temple), tons hang about.
4. Reclining Buddha.

Whitsunday Fishies

Winter Sun

Just for the record, am never buying Coles (supermarket) brand film again, it looks like juunnnk. But these all turned out well enough.

Pope-Tastic 2

I have learned a new word. The word is boat-a-cade. As in the Pope is arriving in Sydney's Central Business District by boat-a-cade and he will then be loaded into the Popemobile where he will proceed down George street by motorcade.
So what other types of cades ought there to be? Here are five I to which I have taken a fancy:

1. Skate-a-cade

2. Aero-cade

3. Chimp-a-cade

4. Hang-glide-a-cade

5. Bird-a-cade

Pope-Tastic 1

Next week the Pope is coming to Sydney for World Youth Day. I somehow managed to avoid him when I came to Toronto, but this time I am not so lucky. His motorcade is passing under my office window. A Catholic charity is exhibiting at my work. Now it looks like Sydney is going to be all chaos on Pope Visits Day (July 17th)
because the rail and bus workers are going on strike. Yes. They are. I'll be sure to take photos of the fun.

Sun but No Surf

My digi cam doesn't capture sun flares very well, but you can see that it's all sun and no surf down at Manly right now. Cross your fingers that the swell forecasted to hit this weekend actually comes. In the meantime, I'll be reading my new Frankie magazine.

Top Five Lollies Eaten At Work

1. Lindt Mint Chocolate mini choccy bar.

2. Mystery ju-jubes in Tupperware on co-worker's desk.

3. Starburst Snakes in non-naturally occurring snake colours.

4. Dove chocolately things bought on promo from Woolworth's.

5. Droste Chocolate Orange Pastille given to me by boss before going on vacay.

Book Club

How many covers can one book possibly have? Well I have the answer. The answer is four.

The new book club book. You can follow along at home.

Photo Life

The Museum of Sydney is currently running an exhibit entitled Rockabilly: Living the 50s about modern-day Sydneysiders who happen to style their lives as though we were still living in the fifties. I suggest you click through to see the fab cat-eye glasses sported by two lovely park-going locals. Not long after seeing a preview in the Herald I walked by this lovely powder-blue beauty and had to stop and snap it.

As well, my favorite Sydney gallery is running an photography show documenting the earliest days of one of Australia's most famous bands. AC/DC Exposed! is meant to coincide with Bon Scott's July 9th birthday (he being the original lead singer, now sadly deceased).

Lastly, I have recently acquired an underwater housing for my Fisheye. Fittingly, it's called the Fisheye Submarine. Watch this space for underwater shots!

(Image courtesy www.zippos.com)

Night Swim

A few nights ago I went for a swim in the Fairlight saltwater pool after I got home from work. I knew it was going to be cold as the sun had been down for a few hours already and night lows were hovering in the single digits. I chose the full wetsuit instead of the short-arms, short-legs spring suit, and I brought along the swim cap and goggles.
I hopped in as quick as I could and starting swimming. My hands and feet tingled as I kicked through the water. My face felt like I had gone and stuck it in a bucket of ice-water.

The pool itself was lit by a streetlight that hangs over one side of the water, illuminating half the pool lengthwise and leaving the other side, the nearer to the ocean side, in darkness. Despite that, I could see the bottom perfectly and the water was crystal clear. In the summer, or any time at high tide when the pool is battered by waves, the water is cloudy from sediment and turbulence. Last night it was calm and I could see shells and sand settled on the uneven rocky floor.
But, my hands and feet began to go numb and I started to imagine sharks lurking in the far dark corners, so I popped out. And today my suspicious were confirmed-no, not about the sharks-it looks like ocean temps have dropped another degree or so. Winter has truly hit Sydney.

(Pool stairs)

Like Ships That Pass in the Day

Lots of ship action in the harbour this week.

Yesterday on the way to work I saw a black helicopter land on a navy ship not far from the ferry windows in the harbour. I'm not sure if it is the HMAS Leeuwin because the Navy website offers only a few pictures, but anyway here's a link.

Today I saw two tug boats waiting near the harbour heads for an incoming cargo ship. And, as we got farther along in the harbour, I saw another cargo ship called the British Harmony just sitting about with a tug nearby. So, I Googled it (the ship not the tug). Turns out you can find out a whole bunch of information about ships on the internet.

For example British Harmony was near Indonesia in March and her call sign in MHMZ8. I also found a shipspotters webpage with pictures of the ship in Wellington, NZ. Apparently British Harmony is a British tanker built in Korea with one propeller (single screw) and a max speed of 15 knots. I also found out thanks to the Sydney Ports vessel movements schedules that good ol' BH arrived at 07:36 this morning, is scheduled to depart at 16:30 this afternoon for Singapore, and that she's carrying inert gas.

Besides vessel movements, Sydney Ports also has a cruise ship arrivals listing for the next 18 months. Some of these ships have great names like Silver Whisper, Rhapsody of the Seas, Pacific Venus and Crystal Serenity. The floating apartment block that is The World is schedule to arrive in Sydney on Tuesday, December 22 at 10:00am and departs on December 26th from Circular Quay. It will cost the World $275 an hour plus GST to dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay for roughly a period of 96 hours, making it about $26,400 dollars including GST. Note to self: own a harbour one day, charge lots of money to access.

Full Moon Night

Going to the Footy

Went to the footy match on Saturday, the Sydney Swans vs. St. Kilda something-or-others (St. Kilda is a Melbourne suburb). The game was held at the Sydney Cricket Oval. Footy is okay, but mostly you spend time trying to see where the ball is because there are literally fifty people on/nearly on the field at a time.

Do the math:

Players, 2 teams x 18 =36
Linesmen and referees =7
Waterboys =6 (at least)
Directions kids =2 (at least)

Total 51

Yeah, a bit much wouldn't you say? The directions kids probably have real names, but as far as I can tell their sole job is to wear fluoro, run on the field, whisper in a player's ear and run off again.

Going to The Birds

1. Cockatoo
2. Manly at Night
3. Bondi

Dolphins in Real Time

On Saturday I went for a surf with my flatmate, although we ended up at opposite ends of the beach. But we both saw the dolphins that came into the bay, chasing a school of fish. I had been sulking on the beach since I had hit myself in the foot with my surfboard fin (which freaking hurts and left me limping, even though it is just a piece of plastic) and had a calf cramp in the other leg. I decided to give it one last go and hobbled back to the water. I had just paddled out and was sitting up when about fifteen feet in front of me a pod of dolphins leapt out of the water. I think there were about six or so, grey and shiny. A few jumped out of the water, showing off. They continued on down the beach after the fish, fins slicing through the chop.

Moral of the story: Stop sulking on the beach and get back in the water.

Splish Splash

Last week Sydney got hit with massive south-east swell with high winds and pelting rains which made the commute to work more like a thrill ride on the high seas. The ferry captain, when passing by the harbour heads, steers the ferry into the incoming waves, out towards the open ocean, makes a quick crossing across the gap while the waves hit broadside and then turns the ship in again to ride the crests back in towards the city. As the ferry plows through the waves, it hits the troughs of the swell and massive amounts of spray cover the deck. The boat shudders when it lands at the bottom of these troughs, and creaks and leans.

During the day it is all very exciting and thrilling and some foolhardy individuals like to go out on the foredeck, watching the swell and pretending they are pirate captains of yore, on the way to plunder and pillage some unsuspecting village. A few men (of course they were men) went out on the deck last week, feeling quite macho, when a giant plume of spray rose up and soaked them all, causing the rest of the ferry to laugh at them. This video is from that morning, although you can't see the men all huddled in the doorway.

During the night however, the crossing feels dangerous and eerie. The night before I took this video I came home in a wild swell. Dense cloud cover meant the night was utterly black by five-thirty. On the ferry, the door to the foredeck was banging open, and there was just enough light to see massive waves, not plumes of spray but white walls of water smashing across the deck. The passengers were strangely quiet, as though listening for the next big one. We landed at the bottom of a deep trough with a giant shudder and the boat began to lean very far to the side, causing people to gasp and shout. And these people are Aussies, remember, they don't gasp easily. The girl next to me sputtered out that she'd never been on a ferry ride this bad in her life. Faces were grim. The possibility of capsizing crossed more than a few minds. Her and I held on tight to our seats, otherwise we'd have been thrown across the floor. There were nervous smiles exchanged. I began to realize what it feels like to be stuck at sea in a storm and how difficult it was to get to Australia when ships were the only option. And then it was over. Once we passed the headland, the rolling eased and our hands began to unclench. We arrived at Manly as though nothing much had happened, but I had to wait a bit of time for my stomach to catch up.

A Horse is a Horse

This shot is from a while back when I went on a trip up the coast avec mon amie Joy and we stopped in at a petting zoo.
I tried to save money when I processed this roll by getting prints instead of scans, and turns out I didn't save any dough and then had to scan this in and colour-correct by hand. As a result, this photo is super-saturated and maybe looks better than the original or maybe just looks a bit fake depending on how you feel. And white borders! What was I thinking?
Anyway, there are some sweet shots of goats on the same roll, but by the time I've scanned and colour-corrected, it could be some time before they see the light of the interweb.

Bye-Bye Banana

Bananas are dying. The fruit that was selected into existence by man is being selected out of existence by nature. See here, here and here. This article is even claming no more bananas by 2013!
No more banana bread, no more banana chocolate chip cookies post-ski/snowboard (my fav) no more banana cereal, no more bananas!

Unfortunately the demise of the banana does not mean the demise of banana republics in general, or Banana Republic specifically. And Banana Republic (the store) has always puzzled me with its name choice. It's like naming a store Shoddy Dictatorship or Communist Regime. And speaking of banana republics, if there are no bananas being grown in countries with governments propped up by fruit conglomerates, will there be a change in labelling? Will they become pineapple republics? Mango republics? Avocado republics?

In the meantime, I suggest enjoying as much banana-y goodness as possible. Don't forget to purchase your handy banana case. It prevents your banana from becoming bruised when you bring it into work for lunch.

Super Swell

Thought I'd share with you a bit of the morning commute.

"Attention passengers: Shortly we will be passing Sydney Harbour Heads. The vessel may experience more movement than usual due to the ocean swell." Aka be careful you don't fall out of your seat.

PLAYLIST II

The theme of this playlist is that all songs end in the letter S. In fact, each song title contains a plural noun. How's that for Nerdism?

1. MGMT - Kids

2. Custom Kings - Red Sails

3. Pnau - Wild Strawberries

4. Powderfinger - Sunsets

5. Trial Kennedy - Neighbours

(Click to link to YouTube)

Top Five Sandwiches

1.Cheese and yellow mustard

2.Toasted BLT with extra crispy B

3.Peanut butter and Cheez Whiz

4.Cucumber and Ranch dressing, toasted

5.Roasted chicken with full fat mayo and lettuce and tomato

Guess which one I had for lunch today...

Fridgidy Video Comeback

Although the name of this blog is abTV and not abPHOTO, I have been long neglectful of the video aspect of this particular piece of web real estate.
I would like to welcome Video back to the fold with a short clip from a cold swim at the beach this recent Sunday afternoon, shot on my Olympus 790 SW (SW stands for shock and waterproof, which is something my clumsy self desperately requires.) Don't be fooled: while the water looks warm, the air outside is significantly colder.



Note: Now I remember why I don't post as many vids. Blogger compresses them down. You can't even see the fishlets that were hovering under that first wave. Rest assured, in the high res version you can see their shiny little sides.

Top Five Things to Do on May Long Weekend

Ah, you lucky, lucky Canadians. You've just celebrated one of the best holiday weekends of the year. It's now pretty much summer, you've aired out the cabin and months of warm weather, long sunny evenings and days at the lake stretch before you. Le Sigh.

In Australia, the Queen's birthday is celebrated on the second Monday in June and it is, appropriately, called the Queen's Birthday Weekend. Oddly enough, it is also supposed to mark the start of Australia's ski season. However, Australians don't celebrate any one Queen's birthday in particular as we do on Victoria Day in Canada.

So, in honour of good ol' QV herself, I'd like to name my top five list of things to do on May Long Weekend.

1. Taking that first shivering, numbing, painful dip in the lake which may or may not have ice hanging about the shore. Spend the rest of the day trying to regain feelings in extremities and pestering friends about the odds of toe amputation due to hypothermia/frostbite.

2. Burning your first weenie of the summer to blisters, while you try to remember where you put the buns. Sinking feeling in pit of stomach as you realize buns are on the kitchen counter back home, and the sole convenience store located fifteen miles down the road is closed for the evening.

3. Comparing this year's weekend snowfall to the many other snowfalls that have ruined May Long Weekends in your lifetime, your parents' lifetimes, your friends' lifetimes and your friends' parents' lifetimes. Bonus points for hail/snow, snow/rain, snow/slush, freezing rain, tornadoes or avalanches.

4. Taking the canoe out for the first paddle after having cleared a winter's worth of leaves, dead bugs, spiders and dirt. Somehow managing to miss the biggest spider of them all which choses to crawl up your arm while you're in the middle of the lake, causing you to drop the paddle which is quickly blown out of your reach.

5. Vowing next year you won't need your winter coat for the best weekend of summer.

Fog

There aren't many places in the world where your commute to work is halted by fog.
Apparently that's what happened to the ferries yesterday.

Here are a few snaps of the ghostly ride to work in the morning. By the time I got off the boat, it was clearing nicely, as you'll see in the last shot of the botanical gardens.

Top Five Vodka Cocktails at Borsch, Vodka and Tears

1. The Latest Craze Sweeping Poland
Żołądkowa, cucumber and lemonade

2. Ninja Love
Wiśniówka cherry vodka and gin with lemon and a Campari sugar rim

3. Polish Bitch
Kosher vodka with sour cherry syrup, laced with tabasco

4. Fascist in Exile
A tropical blend of pineapple vodka and fresh lime shaken until fluffy with egg white

5. Diminished Responsibility
Piołunówka absinthe and Cytrynówka vodka muddled with fresh lemon and dry ginger ale over crushed ice

Melbourne

1. Borsch, Vodka and Tears
2. Night flowers in the CBD
3. Empty kegs in the laneway near St. Jerome's
4. Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road
5. Leanna, Renee and me at St. Kilda, Melbourne's beach.
6. The Night Cat