On the 10th March 2011 –  Dan Reyes, Jesse Perez and myself went to Japan for the trip of a lifetime. The day after we landed, a 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Sendai, triggering a tsunami that would go on to leave over 20,000 people dead.

Bewildered by the horrible scenes unfolding in front of us, and as piles of concerned messages from family and friends back home came in, we assessed our options in Osaka and Kyoto.

But while the TV broadcasts were locked on 24 hours a day detailing the disaster, walking the streets would reveal a different side of Japan that wasn’t shown on news services around the world.

The three of us saw a resilient nation, obviously shaken by the disaster, but determined to not let it affect their way of life.

There were true moments of reverence, reflection and gratitude, but there were also times of sheer, unwavering resilience, and a sense of embracing life, not fearing it. Sake was poured, the dead were honoured, and the Japanese subscription to beauty, liveliness, quirkiness and friendliness was adhered to.

It was this beauty in strength that caused us to fall in love with Japan during that strange and harrowing time.

This is our love letter to Nihon.

CREDITS
Director: Jesse Perez
Produced by: Jesse Perez
Filmed by: Jesse Perez & Dan Reyes
Photography by: Alex Wain & Dan Reyes
Music by: Penguin Cafe Orchestra

VIEW ENTIRE PHOTO GALLERY HERE

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It’s always funny when you go traveling with friends – because they see sides of you that aren’t apparent in everyday situations. That’s never more brutally exposed when you wake up first thing with them, hair everywhere, looking like a zombie and (if you’re like me and a non-morning person) communicating via a series of hand signals and the occasional mumble. You’re blind as a bat when the curtains are pulled back, irritably shaken from the sweet respite of sleep with the jarring of 3 iPhone alarms simultaneously screaming for attention and THEN you have to be civil and vaguely human. Not an easy task I think you’ll agree.

But after 6 hours sleep, that was the scenario as Dan, Jesse & myself ambled around our apartment in a daze, foraging for warm clothes, camera chargers and maps, before diplomatically deciding who needed to use the bathroom more badly. It’s a scenario that was essentially repeated every morning on the trip and every morning it was as awkward as it was amusing.

This was the first ‘real’ day with the three of together and it was shaping up to be a big one. We’d done some research before leaving and found that a suburb called Iga Uneo was home to the origins of the traditional Japanese ninja. The area a housed a ninja museum, castle and booby-trapped house – every 2 hours they even had a real ninja fight taking place.

The 3 of us at some point in all our childhoods regularly fantasized about being a ninja (I know I did, but I also put that down to playing WAY too much of this, so you can imagine how excited we all were to be living the dream so to speak.

What we didn’t realize and what quickly became apparent as we were on the train was that it was literally located in regional Japan. Outside the train window, the skyline of Osaka with all its buildings and logos began to fade into the surrounding suburbs – it was a strange overcast day at the time; everything was awash in a muted grey, fading out any signs of life on a Monday morning.

Our train (and when I say train, I literally mean carriage) continued onwards and soon even the rooftops of Japanese suburbia had melted away into the background, replaced with open flat fields, rusty brown hedges and barren trees preparing for spring. We were seeing a part of Japan, well off the beaten track at this point – as the train chugged along, climbing the occasional hill and stuttering past the surrounding mountains.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at Iga Uneo station, a stop that was just as barren as the surrounding area. And just when we starting to wonder what we’d let ourselves in for, we spotted it – a map of the area, brightly colored with pictures of ninjas and attractions, it shone like a dagger of hope in the bleak landscape.

Unusually enough, there was a single cab waiting – after we’d spent the best part of 2 minutes finger pointing to a picture of a ninja on a map, he decided he knew where to take us.

In broken English he asked us where we were from. “Australia” we all replied with mild relief that we’d found some humanity in such a remote region. His response was immediate; in fact he was so excited at that point he let go of the steering wheel to declare “Ahhhh! Kangaroo! Yes! Kangaroo! You fight! Box box yes?” before running through a series of boxing punches that would have made Mike Tyson nervous.

It was a great moment on the trip and certainly one that was to be repeated – our interactions with the Japanese always turned out to be humorous, good-natured and welcoming. And more importantly he didn’t crash the car so that was nice.

We arrived at the “Home of The Ninja” first, a classic Japanese styled house complete with sliding doors, wooden beams and opaque blinds. Our tour guide was a young girl who only spoken Japanese, but as we walked around the house she revealed countless hidden passages, doors which flipped 360 degrees, weapons hidden under floorboards, escape routes, secret spy areas, cellar doors and dark hiding places in the ceiling.

We even tried a few out ourselves, but none of us were as fast as her! It was a fantastic experience, because literally the entire house had two elements to it – walls were doors, beams were ladders, floorboards were trapdoors, we all walked away wishing our houses back home in Sydney were as entertaining.

Next we browsed the ninja museum, a small place of maybe 3-4 rooms – but containing ancient weapons, shrunken, grappling hooks, garments, even explosives and guns! There was even a hilarious dramatic “reinterpretation” of a day in the life of a ninja on TV which Jesse was transfixed by – actors leaping around in costumes at night, set to an epic soundtrack with close-ups of people squinting in the half moonlight.

But that didn’t really compare to what we were all basically there to see, which was the ninja fight in the battle arena. So we made our way to the theatre only to be confronted with a picture of a ninja dog high fiving his ninja master complete with the phrase “Ninja Show Is Rest Today”

It was all very underwhelming, because we’d been talking about it all morning – but what can you do? At the time, 12.30pm on a Monday during spring there were 5 of us there, so they probably didn’t think it was even worth putting on the show for such a limited audience, understandable but still more than a little disappointing.

Next stop of the day, was a short walk over to a ninja temple, as unique as it looked, it was also locked – which was shame, so we took a few token photos and scratched our heads about what to do next.

And then we saw it. “Ninja Castle This Way –>”

The first sighting of made me truly start to feel like I was in Japan. A 3 story white castle looming large over the area, complete with the classic Japanese curved roof and finished off with orate & intricate features.

Again there were very few people around and even less inside the castle itself. The three levels inside were by and large unspectacular, complete with token pieces of Japanese pottery, a few paintings and some maps. Although there were a few admittedly imposing Samurai outfits whilst the view of the area the top was impressive.

The foundations of the castle offered even wider views of the local landscape whilst below lay a huge rich emerald green lake. All in all, quite a startling little area.

Jesse thought it would be amusing to attempt to get a photo climbing the foundations of the castle itself, a gesture he later admitted to being “That was kinda disrespectful wasn’t it?” but as eye-brow raising as his actions were to the locals, did it make for a funny, if ill-advised photo. Spiderman goes to Japan as it were.

On our way out of Iga Uneo, we made a flying stop to another ninja museum – but this one contained life size characters of Samurai Warriors, along with some demonic looking soldiers complete in their full battle regalia. They made for some spooky photos that’s for sure, if you saw an army of these characters marching towards you – as the enemy you’d probably be legitimately terrified at times.

After we’d made our way back to humanity, we took the train to Nara district – a vastly more urban area but still with a touch of the past mixed in. Amusingly enough their mascot is a Buddha with antlers, a little unusual certainly but during the course of our evening, all would become abundantly clear….

We were there to see the  Shuni-e – or for us Westerners, the Buddhist Fire Ceremony which only happens once a year. Literally thousands of people crowd around the foot of the Todaiji Temple whilst above on the top level, the Buddhist monks set fire to huge mounds of leaves and twigs, gently waving them around on rods – the embers which fall on and drift over the audience are meant to bring them good luck over the coming year, whilst paying respect to nature and the elements.

Just from looking through all the information on the ceremony itself, visually it seemed to be a jaw-dropping spectacle but in truth its not until you are there, taking place in front of you that one can appreciate its beauty and tangible sense of spirituality.

To get there, we first had traverse the back streets and park lands of Nara itself and for me, it was just one of the many highlights of the day. We stumbled upon a 4 story temple, towering over all the surrounding park and woodlands – really was a sight to behold. It was fast becoming dusk and everything slowly began to take on a very gentle amber hue, once again there were very few people around – the whole experience was one of calm introspection and quiet reflection.

As we made our way to the Todaiji Temple, the atmosphere changed dramatically, by now it was nightfall and the cobbled stone streets were filled with people all making their way to the ceremony. There was a tangible buzz in the air, families with little children excitement etched on their faces – I think to them, this was the equivalent of say Guy Fawkes night in the UK, that same level of wonder about seeing something spectacular and unique.

And then suddenly, as we were about 5 mins away from the temple itself, this particular person appeared.

And that’s when I put 2 &2 together, regarding the mascot of the Nara region. The historical area itself filled with temples, parklands and open spaces is rife with deer! This one just wanted to introduce himself and see if we had anything yummy to eat.

It was a truly funny moment, because the last thing you expect to see are deer’s casually walking along the back streets of Japan. Many of the locals simply walked past them having seen them countless times before, but of course there were a few kids who were going bananas at the sight of this furry little person – we were too.

Finally we made it to the temple, with a few minutes to be able to take up a fairly decent position. Before the ceremony commenced the Buddist Priest read what I assume to be a prayer over the PA system and then ever so slightly you could slowly start to make out a few flickers of flame being carried up the staircase.

One by one these huge flaming balls of fire where held out on sticks from the balcony, with the audience staring up at them from below. Everyone remained silent (save for a few Ohhhh and Ahhhs), as the crackling flames lit up the surrounding area, the biting cold crisp air of 2c warmed slightly by the sheer intensity of the fire.

It was an experience to take the breath away, fire is hypnotizing at the best of times – but when it was on full display, blazing away in such a unique setting, it was a sight to behold. There was a tangible sense of wonder in the air, not only because the flames were so big but also because at one point it looked like the entire temple had been consumed in an inferno. All around, thousands of faces were lit up from the glow of the flames, eyes and mouths wide open.

As the embers rained down onto the crowd, it reminded me that despite the tragic earthquake, devastating Tsunami, worrying radiation leak and even the troublesome volcano erupting, the Japanese were trying to continue their normal lives, by paying their respects to forces outside their own comprehension – a concept that certainly wasn’t lost on the three of us watching from the sidelines.

Afterwards we headed back into Osaka for dinner and after prowling the streets in the cold for the best part of 40 minutes, I decided that we should follow two girls who disappeared down a stairwell into the ground below the street. The logic was, follow the locals

It proved to be an excellent choice, because it was by far the best meal of the entire tour. A cool, yellow dimly lit bar with lots of mid 20-somethings huddled around tables giggling away, there was even a birthday party going on in a private room behind us. With lots of laughter happening and genuine relief at getting out of the cold, we quickly ordered a wealth of dishes, beef, chicken, gyoza & vegetables and 3 large beers for each of us. We honestly ate like kings at times.

It came to a staggeringly cheap 6,000Y (which is about $65AU) back home in Australia; we would easily have paid that each. I can’t quite remember the conversations we were having, but they were easily some of the most amusing on the trip – this photo is testament to that.

And with that, a quick stop to Family Mart again for supply’s (ok ok, Asahi and Sapporo) we headed back to our hotel. It had been a whirlwind of a day complete with ninjas, castles, lakes, flames, chanting, temples and of course all those deer!

The Japan experience was well and truly in effect.

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p.s. View photos from the W.T.F. Japan Tour

Before I delve into a retrospective look at our time in Japan, it’s worth noting that whilst we were there the nation itself had been violently shaken by an 9.0 earthquake, it’s villages to the North washed away in a sweeping and merciless tsunami (taking 16,000+ lives), the  Shinmoedake volcano decided it would be the ideal time to erupt, oh and then the Fukushima Nuclear Powerplant went into partial meltdown, leaking radiation into the capital Tokyo – which by then had descended into a city rife with food shortages, countless aftershocks, residents fleeing and constant power blackouts.

And there Dan, Jesse and I were – right in the midst of it all, utter strangers in a land becoming perilous with each passing minute.

It’s for those blameless and tragic events that we had to cut the tour short. I got to spend 4 days there (due to my doctor preventing my from flying due to an ear infection), Dan and Jesse 6. The plan was 13. But when your Prime Minster and Foreign Minister issue a severe travel alert strongly advising all Australian’s to exit the country immediately – you don’t have much option.

The last thing Japan needs right now, is more mouths the feed, more people using power and more tourists needing attention and guidance.

With all that in the mind, I personally couldn’t think of a better title for the whole period than the “W.T.F. Japan Tour” because literally, you couldn’t believe what was happening at times.

We tried to stay light-hearted about it, saying that all that needed to happen now to complete the cycle was Godzilla to suddenly rise up and attack spewing fiery monster flames everywhere. We’d even had the discussion about potentially dying and came to the conclusion that if it happens, it happens.

It reached the point where we stopped watching the TV – because every station was tolling the bell for the onset of Armageddon. We were supposed to be on holiday after all.

Thankfully we’re all back home in Sydney safe thanks to the Australian Government and Jetstar and I’m pleased to report that so far none of us are glowing or have grown a second head – so that’s a huge positive.

But let me tell you, there were SO many positives during our time there, the good eclipsed and trumped the bad. Constantly. Make no mistake, these were some of the darkest days Japan has experience in centuries, but they are handling them with calm, grace, resolve and above all dignity.

What is abundantly clear is that Japan really has made a very dear and new friend in all 3 of us. And that’s what I’m going to focus on in this blog – because with all the news reports of the impending end of the world, it would be nice to actually have a sense of perspective and balance.

If I tried to describe the entire trip in one blog, you would literally be sitting here reading this for days on end – so I’m going to split the days into various posts, to make it bite sized and more manageable. I know in this day and age, like me you only have enough time to spend 2 mins doing something before you’re off doing something else! I’m also only going to cover the days when I was there, I’m sure Jesse and Dan will post their thoughts on their trip in due course.

We’re also in the process of putting together a video, featuring all the experiences, sights and sounds we recorded during the tour – a nice summary of the entire trip as it were, so I’ll  be posting that in a few days time.

So with 4 days up our sleeves, what did we get up to?

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First Night: Sunday Night 13th March

After travelling for the best part of 18hrs from Sydney to Cairns, Cairns to Osaka and amid various delays, I made it to Japan late at night. Greeting me at the airport station were Dan & Jesse, gleefully holding up a sign which read “WAIN TRAIN” just like those chauffeurs who have the dubious task of collecting strangers from international flights.

It was a nice touch and provided a little bit of light relief, from what had been up until that point quite a tedious day of airport lounges, passport control, immigration, customs, 80’s styled carpets and fluro lighting.

Having spent 2 nights in Osaka previously, the guys had a found a local bar right next to our hotel, amusingly enough called ‘Skippy’s’ although there was no kangaroo paraphernalia to be seen. Earlier that day, Jesse & Dan had made the trip (literally a 2 min walk from the hotel) to visit Osaka Castle (covered in my preview blog) and both were impressed by its rich heritage and imposing presence.

After a few more beers and with jetlag kicking in, we quickly went to Family Mart, which essentially is like the 7/11 of Japan – except way cheaper. They have all sorts of things in there, from sandwiches to baked breads, through to pantyhose porn and alcohol. Yep, you read that correctly, you can by alcohol from the convenience store! We stumbled across a few hilarious items, like ‘Watering Kissmint Breath Shower’ chewing gum and even cheese flavoured ice cream.

In the 48 hrs he’d been there, Jesse was declaring (to pretty much anyone who would listen) that “Family Mart sandwiches are the best sandwiches you’ll ever eat.” So of course I had to try one. Props to him, they weren’t bad and they get bonus points for cutting the crusts off, but the best sandwich EVER? Have to disagree with him there haha.

Once we finished munching away on various late night snacks, we retired back to the hotel – a decent enough apartment with three bedrooms, views of Osaka and a rather interesting sit down shower / bath combination – where bizarrely you actually sat down in the bath and then used the shower house bolted into the side of it to wash yourself. It certainly wouldn’t be the first unusual experience in a bathroom in Japan that’s for sure!

After stealing some toothpaste (a trend I would continue during the entire trip) and watching the unfolding crisis on Japanese TV and via the hotel Wi-Fi (all our friends Facebook & Twitter were in hysterics), we crashed out in our respective rooms at 3am. Alarm’s were set for 9am, with the trip to Iga Ueno (home of the infamous ninja) set to commence in a mere 6 hours.

In surreal times, the holiday had begun.

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p.s. View photos from the W.T.F. Japan Tour

3 individuals. 3 unique cities. 336 hours to experience it all. A preview.

Over the next 14 days, starting on March 10th, 3 reprobates will traverse over 16, 229 km in 336 hours, be simultaneously ripped out of their comfort zones, collide head-on into 3 unique cities at breakneck speed, become utterly immersed by countless eye-widening sights, tastes & sounds….before rapidly coming to the sharp realization they’re going to experience at least 25 W.T.F. moments each day.

Those 3 people are Jesse , Dan and yours truly.

Japan here we come.

I’m not sure if WE should get ready for Japan, or whether Japan should get ready for US.

Before I go into details about why we’ve collectively chosen to go, here’s 20 cultural references that initially sprung to mind when I was contemplating the idea of visiting the homeland of Godzilla.

20 Things I Know They Have In Japan
1. Retina bleeding game shows.
2. Random cartoons, which make no sense (Pokémon I’m looking at you) and Hello Kitty fanatics.
3. Interactive toilets like these.
4. Awesome ninjas, which we all pretended to be as kids.
5. Anime films like AKIRA and the home of Manga.
6. Sake, karaoke bars & Japanese schoolgirls – the potent cocktail for every businessman.
7. Vending machines, which dispense anything & everything.
8. Love hotels with themed rooms.
9. Real life robots that act as waiters, dogs and even dates.
10. The mighty Godzilla, who would OWN T-Rex any day.
11. All forms of delicious sushi & rice crackers.
12. The majestic and ever present Mt Fuji.
13. The Samurai Warriors of Imperial Japan.
14. Harajuku Fashion (thanks Gwen Stefani)
15. Picturesque Cherry blossoms.
16. The stylish and timeless Kimono.
17. Literally larger than life Sumo wrestlers.
18. Millions of handheld gadgets and devices.
19. The badass Yakuza with their phenomenal tattoos.
20. 40 ft neon signs, millions of LED logos and blinking skyscrapers

Here’s a visual guide to Japan in 4 minutes.

Have I missed anything? I mean honestly, why WOULDN’T you want to go?

I must admit, there is no specific monument that I’m dying to see, I literally just want to immerse myself in the culture of Japan. I freely admit, the beautiful movie Lost In Translation had a tremendous influence on me, a modern day glimpse at the REAL Tokyo – it would be hard for anyone not to feel compelled to visit such a place after watching that film.

I’d always heard great things about Japan as a country. Several of my friends have been and none of them can speak highly enough of their time there. One of my friends Erin, loved it so much she even moved over there recently.

I’d always been intrigued by Japan’s customs, traditions & psyche as a nation. It’s paradoxical at times, the level of efficiency (their bullet trains run to the second) the cleanliness of their cities, their formal greetings & idiosyncrasies, the token Japanese ‘salary man’ – all juxtaposed with their unyielding passion for fluro tinged cartoon characters, quirky TV shows, neon lit karaoke bars, a national obsession with robots even down to the OTT nature of fashion displayed in their youth culture.

One part of their society is rigid, formalized and to an extent repressed, the other side is bursting with intensity, creativity and spontaneity. Poplar opposites, colliding everyday.

So how did this trip come about? As some of you may know, I’m a die-hard Sydney FC fan (for my sins) and this year they are playing in the Asian Champions League against a Japanese team called Kashima Antlers.

I whimsically joked with my friend Dan (co-founder of Nothing Cooler Than) that it would be awesome to go over to Japan for a few days, experience Tokyo and go and see the game.

He’d been to Tokyo before for work and was already a huge fan, so we casually looked at flights.

And there it was – the deal of a lifetime with our names on it waiting to be nabbed.

Jetstar had a sale, $560 for a return trip to Japan per person leaving around 9am from Sydney and arriving back around 9pm anytime in March. You’d have been mad not to take it.

The final piece of the puzzle saw Jesse (from the band BEARHAWK) for whom the mantra “WTF Japan?” is a life-long obsession to come onboard and join the tour. He hasn’t had a holiday in 5 years so you can imagine his level of excitement right now!

What had begun as a weeks trip to Tokyo to see Sydney FC, has now collectively morphed into a 2 week trip encompassing Osaka, Kyoto, Kashima & Tokyo.

Here’s 10 Facts You Might Not Know About Japan.
1. Raw horse meat is a popular food in Japan.
2. Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is an active volcano.
3. There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana & kanji.
4. Coffee is very popular & Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica’s annual coffee production.
5. Japan’s literacy rate is almost 100%.
6. Sumo is Japan’s national sport, although baseball is also very popular.
7. There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
8. The term karaoke means “empty orchestra” in Japanese.
9. Geisha means “person of the arts” and the first geisha were actually men.
10. It was customary in ancient Japan for women to blacken their teeth with dye as white teeth were considered ugly.

Throughout the trip we’ll be documenting the entire experience, so once we get back expect to see the internet flooded with photos, blogs and videos from our tour! We’re also dubbing it the “W.T.F. Japan Tour” rather apt by all accounts.

We’ll also be tweeting as we go, so make sure you follow Jesse, Dan or Myself (gold star if you do all three!) because we’ll be giving you a first hand account of what is happening. Whatever we Tweet, we promise it will always be genuine, real and tangible – I’m sure they’ll be some amusing insights and heated debate going on!

I’ve put together a preview of each area, basically an online itinerary which will show you what we’ll be doing and where we’ll be going. I’d love for you to give us some suggestions or feedback, especially if there is something glaringly obvious which we’re missing out on.

Previewing: Osaka
Previewing: Kyoto
Previewing: Tokyo

Look out Japan, here we come – wish them luck.

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I hope you had a lovely Christmas with your family, friends and loved ones and wherever you are, all the best for 2011 – it’s going to be OUR year, of that I have no doubt

And finally a very special thank you for all your wonderful words and kind support throughout 2010 both on here, via Twitter & Facebook – it’s comforting to know there are people out there listening and even more surprising they care.

Much Love,



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p.s. Turn your volume up

48 hours ago I commenced my first official photoshoot with a band (or in this case a solo artist called Eugene Clifford featured above). He’s the driving force behind indie band BEARHAWK.

It was a great shoot to be involved with, unexpected and inspiring. He’s such a vibrant character that he gives anyone with a camera a lot to work with – nothing was really off limits and I think that shows in the images.

I’ve handpicked some of my favourites below.

You can see the entire gallery here. I’m keen to know which (if any) is your favourite – mine keeps changing.

As you know, I’m my own worst critic but I have to say, I don’t think I fared too badly on this, my first foray into the realm of portrait photography.

Hope everything is cool with you….wherever you are in the world.



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LINKS
Official site for BEARHAWK
Listen to their music

This particular blog entry, however, is about the second part of my holiday in Melbourne (not my most recent trip) and if I don’t write it down now, I think it will fade from the annuals of my memory entirely (especially as the past few weeks have become nothing more than a frenetic blur.) So I’m going to just dive straight in (Alzheimer’s permitting), from where I left off last time.

So, day number two in Melbourne commence with a brisk and vigorous search for breakfast in the city. As I’m sure you’ve been told, Melbourne has a wealth of cafes dotted between various side streets and alleys, perfect for that mid morning brekkie urge, when you’ve woken up with the munchies and an intoxicating need for bacon.

After looking at the menu at Hairy Canary (I don’t know why you’d name a cafe that either, but there you go) it instantly got our seal of approval. Their menu laid out a utopian breakfast in such yummy and intricate detail, that it actually made you MORE hungry as you were reading it.

Perfect way to start, what would become a busy Sunday.

(Or so I thought.)

I sat there, partially drooling, my mind clouded with thoughts of the wondrous gourmet feast about to make love to my eyes, the sizzling bacon, the warm fluffy scrambled eggs & the crunchy sourdough toast.

And then, without warning,  I was suddenly hauled back to reality, with a stiff and firm clunk. My ‘breakfast’ had finally decided to emerge from its former home, the clattering & quarrelsome kitchen.

I’d chosen the “Big Brekkie”, which essentially is bacon, roasted tomato, sausages and eggs – a heart-attack on a plate I’m well aware, but so utterly amazing you’re willing to run the risk.

Well, usually.

However, the big brekkie that half-heartedly stared back at me, wasn’t ANYTHING like I’d imagined. Served in a mini frying pan, everything was literally fused together, in a sort of pan-fried vomit ensemble.

The eggs were poached (not scrambled) the bacon was mere strips of fat in disguise, the tomato looked like it had been microwaved to within an inch of it’s life and the sausages took the form of some strange phallic-shaped Spanish salami.

W.T.F indeed.

Apparently, at least for the chef’s at Hairy Canary, this is gourmet breakfast Melbourne style. But as I nervously poked and prodded at it, my stomach rumbled with the almost instant realization, that it was going to have to go on being hungry for a little while longer.

I left the Hairy Canary feeling almost as empty, as when I went in. Not the ideal start to the day I’m sure you’ll agree.

Along with it’s cafe culture and boutique fashion stores, Melbourne is also predominantly known for embracing of all things arty. If you’re an artist (in whatever form) in Melbourne, you will get numerous fuzzy hugs from the arts council and even more opportunities to display your wares.

There are galleries, live venues and stand-up clubs all scattered around the city – infinitely  more than there is in Sydney. In fact,  even graffiti is promoted as a tourist feature and in the case of Melbourne at least, with good reason.

There’s the famous ACDC Lane (named after the band) which showcases some of the cities upcoming graffiti artists, but there’s several other lane-ways and passages nearby which are home to hundreds of vastly more intricate and interesting characters. Each have been spray painted with care, ablaze in colour with many of them peaking from behind recently pasted band posters.

You can tell many of these wonderful and often mischievous characters are the result of a generation who’s youth was spent watching trippy 80′s cartoons, daily doses of  Seseme Street and endless hours spent playing Mario Brothers, Pac-Man, Sonic The Hedgehog, Alex Kidd and Donkey King.

You can see more images from the streets of Melbourne, in the slideshow at the bottom of this blog and here

Now we’ve covered ‘static’ art in Melbourne, it seems only appropriate that I shed a bit of light on some ‘moving’ art we took in as well. Centrally located, the Australian Center For The Moving Image (more commonly know as ACMI) really was a highlight of the trip.

Admittedly, it’s name is rather pretentious, but once you get inside the center itself, it all begins to make sense. Throughout the entire exhibit, the history of “the moving image” is showcased. From its initial incarnation of shadows and puppets, through to the arrival of TV, its expansion into movies, strobe lights, delay effects all of which which lead onto video games, personal computers, the birth of the Internet, wireless devices and motion capture technology.

And far from being one of those tedious galleries where there are simply pictures and information heavy wall mounted plaques everywhere, the ACMI has models you could touch, twist, turn, rotate, pull, press and interact with.

ACMI – Matrix Stop Motion

Alex | MySpace Video

We even shamelessly played a few rounds of Pong, danced in front of a screen as giant Godzilla shaped shadow (complete with sound effects) and jumped very briefly into a starring role in The Matrix movie.

It’s the type of place where as a kid, you’d be unable to contain yourself, destined to walk around with your eyes wide open and a huge smile swept across your face and in fact, even as an adult, you’d be hard pressed not be impressed by the sheer fun and trip down memory lane on offer.

Next door was an exhibition by NZ artist Len Lye. Now I freely admit I’d never heard of the chap, indeed when I walked into the first room featuring his work, I rashly came to that conclusion as to why that was.

Projected onto the walls, was a collection of video displays featuring various coloured slides and shapes, in random patterns. It was tedious, directionless and incredibly uninspiring all at that same time. “I could have done that.” I thought and judging by the disappointed and weary looks from everyone else in the room, they all collectively agreed.

But how silly I was judge Len Lye with such flippant disregard, because as I rounded the corner into the second room, I was greeted with a spectacle that really did make change my opinion of him a complete 180 degrees.

The room was covered in dark grey carpet surrounded by even darker walls, 6 or so high intensity spotlights projected downwards onto 6 metal sculptures, all of which moved with a calm kinetic energy entirely of their own accord.

Sheets of metal that waved violently as you walked past, tiny strands of steels the width of your hair that shimmed as the air flow changed direction – it was as if every object had a personality, a mood and energy of its own. Beautifully done, crafted to perfection and mesmerising at the same time. The inanimate, literally coming to life.

The final part of the day, was spent under the band of a blurry rainbow, as we traversed some small market stalls, saw a lifesized cardboard castle / art installation (sounds exciting but it wasn’t lol) and then headed back late afternoon for a seriously yummy Mexican dinner in South Yarra.

Later that night we went and saw the second Marilyn Manson show in Melbourne (we had seats this time) and I have to stay it was a marked improved from the night previously. The band seemed to put more effort in and the sound was noticeably better. ( Still not a patch on the Sydney shows though.)

After the show, we found ourselves back at the Crown Casino (the only thing centrally located that was open past 11.30pm on a Sunday) having the few drinks in the lobby, surrounded by the constant whirring of machines and squeals of delight as people hit numerous jackpots.

There was even a famous b-grade actor floating around, I have no idea what his name was, but his ADDIDAS tracksuit and Brooklyn accent lead me to believe he was probably in The Soprano’s or another mafia / gangster affair. But probably the funniest part of the evening, was reserved for the food court at the casino.

Imagine the type of people you’d get in there at 2am, ties all loose, bloodshot eyes, empty wallets, high heels in hand, ordering kebabs and a chips whilst wearing suits and sequins! If I tried to remember all the wonderful characters that were stumbling around at that hour, I would be here forever – but the stand outs in my mind, would have to be the guy in the baby blue, one piece suit with trainers on and SERIOUSLY a cougar version of the lovable Vicky Pollard from Little Britain. I can’t tell how upset I was, that I didn’t have my camera on me

And then, Monday, quick breakfast in the city (yes, it was MUCH better than Hairy Canary I’m please to report) before leaping on the SkyBus and heading back to the airport.

It had a been a quick holiday, but a much needed break. I think looking back on it all, Yummy Yasmin and I really crammed in a lot of things during such a short stay, I only really went down to see Marilyn Manson, so it was great that we got to do all that extra stuff in between.

Melbourne then….would I live there? Probably not. But do I think it’s a great place to visit? Absolutely

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You can see more photos from the trip here, or by hitting play on the slideshow below

Giving a demo at the MySpace Music press conference October 1st 2009

It’s been a hectic few days, in fact the last couple of weeks have been somewhat of a blur. This is largely due to spending excessive hours @ work, in preparation for the launch of MySpace Music in Australia and New Zealand.

On October 1st, key media players across Australia were invited to come down for the great unveiling and celebrate it’s arrival at the press conference. From the major record labels (who have equity in the venture) through to established news outlets such as SMH, News Ltd, to industry coverage from the Music Network and support from the ever dependable ABC, everyone, who is anyone in Australian media, was there.

As you’d expect, there was a tremendous amount of excitement, fanfare and relief on the day. The product had been in development for over a year, with on-going rumors raising the expectation levels each and every day, however, I’m delighted to say they’ve been met & even exceeded with it’s launch. It really is a fantastic avenue for musicians and there’s little doubt in my mind, that it’s a massive step-forward for individuals who are fans of music and want free, quick and easy access to it.

As a result, Australian and New Zealand MySpace users can listen to songs & albums from over 5 MILLION artists on the site, including their extensive back catalogues.

It’s mind-boggling trying to even begin to comprehend that isn’t it

To give you an example,  Elvis Presley alone has 121 albums available on MySpace all of which you can stream in their entirety, unlimited, legally and for free.

(I’ve been listening to Daft Punk’s 2007 Alive album religiously recently).

Plus you can create your own playlists and share them with friends – just like you did with those old-skool mixtapes back in the 80′s & 90′s. Even Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has put together his own personal playlist on the site, respect!

Those two quick examples alone, should demonstrate the reach, influence, impact and potential MySpace Music has. It truly is instant and free access for everyone who is a fan of music. Come and try it out.

Exciting times ahead

Speaking of exciting times, in under a week, I’m heading down to Melbourne to go and see Marilyn Manson play two shows there, how is that for dedication hehe, I seriously can’t wait, my version of a mini-holiday.

I’m actually seeing him twice in Sydney, so all up 4 times in 5 days, and if I’m really lucky who knows, I might even get to meet him again. If I do, rest assured I’m going to send the world the photos! His new record ‘The High End Of Low’ just keeps getting better and better with each listen.

I’ll be updating and using Twitter whilst I’m down there, so please do stay in touch if you don’t already. It blows my mind that I can take a photo from my Blackberry, send it to Twitter, which then syncs with my MySpace and Facebook accounts, allowing you guys to all view it.

I used it today actually.

I found this chap, around the back of Oxford Street, left for dead on the side of the curb, after a big night out. So I took it upon myself to prop him up and arrange him in a manner the locals would approve of….

I left him there like that, so here’s hoping he gets lucky tonight.

It’s true, I rarely fail in finding ways to amuse myself haha!

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p.s. Today I watched my beloved Sydney FC return to the top the league, Arsenal hammered Blackburn 6-2 and EVEN Norwich City won 5-1. Talk about a great weekend of football!

Aside from the fact that I woke up today, to see this is anyone else feeling a little shocked it’s nearly October already?

It seems only moments ago that I was thinking about what hidden surprises 2009 might have in store, yet here we are, with less than 100 days to go until Christmas.

I feel if I’m not careful, I might close my eyes for a few seconds, only to wake up in the future, reclining in a nursing home, with a Yogi Bear cookie jar next to me and a mangy moggy on my lap, who goes by the name of Mr. Bigglesworth….imagine the thought.

One thing I often DO imagine, is the first impression people have when they stumble across my Flickr page. They must genuinely think that my friends are entirely comprised of some of the loosest drunken pirate fiends in the entire Sydney metropolitan area.

I wonder where they might have potentially got that idea from?

But enough of dust, cats, old men and drunk people, there are more important things to consider in this world aren’t there? Specifically, hehe, that back in June (just realizing it’s been THAT long already baffles me) , I mentioned that I was starting work on a new little project . Since then, there has been some seriously late nights spent beavering away, and whilst the timeline has moved a little, I’m really pleased to report that we’re looking good, to potentially reveal all before the end of the year!

It’s been really fascinating watching it develop over the past few months. You feel as if you’re achieving something as each little piece slowly slots into place. But until nearer the end of the year, I’m going to keep you in suspense about any further details. As the below picture shows, I’m all about keeping things on the down low haha

And finally, to recap on worldly matters since my last post

HIGHLIGHTS
I’m playing tennis again (Yes, even I was surprised!)
Sydney FC are top of the table
Got a decent return from Mr Tax Man
Credit Card balance $0.00
Bought tickets to Marilyn Manson
This photograph of Barack Obama

LOWLIGHTS
Still need that new bed
Fucktards who use Facebook to tell me things like this
Tax return is going on dentist
Waking up to the Sydney Dust Storm this morning!
My body trying to reconcile the notion of “exercise”

Hope all is good in your world, over and out

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(An article I wrote during the middle of 2008, which I thought I should share with you.)

NOBODY EVER TELLS….

There was no warning, but the alarm bells are already ringing.

The circumstances and situations of the past couple of days, have only hastened the urgency with which I write this post.

Whilst the world is holding its breath waiting for Obama, I’m encouraged to let you know that aliens haven’t landed to assume control of Earth, nor is there a gigantic and terrifying monster tearing down skyscrapers in the distance. So in terms of terrors on that scale you’re safe………for now. In fact, the crisis we face won’t be broadcast in the media. They won’t set up committees to talk about it. They won’t brief the President or assign a special task force with bullet proof vests to disarm it.

Despite going through years of quality education, even YOU haven’t been fully made aware of the impact of this imminent threat. It’s unnerving, stealth like, a necessity and above all unquestionably unavoidable.

So what exactly IS this danger lurking in our midst?

It’s called OLD AGE.

Simple, hardly shocking and yet it’s an issue which will plague and vex you for years to come. And nobody can genuinely prepare you for it. In fact since you’ve started reading this blog you’ve just stepped a little closer to that retirement village – horrifying thought I know, but alarmingly real.

I’ve been given a few glaringly obvious reminders of my mortality recently and I can’t say I’m particularly enjoying it.If you’re on a social networking site, if you’re looking for people, if you’re on a dating site, if you’re filling in a form, there is always the 18-25 field. When you hit 26 and beyond, suddenly you are in an entirely new realm, a new demographic, part of a new target audience. It’s one which is both intimidating and wildly perplexing.

I’ve noticed that hangovers last half the day, rather than half an hour the next morning. Staying out until past midnight suddenly seems like a big night, where’s before it wasn’t a night out until the sun came up. Music at gigs has become just “that little bit too loud” and you’d rather watch it with a beer in your hand at the back, than be at the front getting crushed.

You let out a huge sigh as your body creeks when sitting down and make a muted grunting sound when getting up. More worryingly your tongue comes out to meet the spoon first and you start buying different flavours of tea because “you really like the peppermint kind”

You meet people only 3 years younger than you who haven’t heard of half the bands from the 90′s. You get told it’s not “Fluro” it’s “Neon” and when you go out, strangers morph into you what you looked like when aged 18, except with tighter jeans and more angular haircuts. Grunge is out, electro is in. At 26, chances are you don’t own a home, nor have much in the way of savings. You need a holiday but pay so much rent you can’t afford one. You don’t want a one night stand, but a one woman man. Venues which you revelled in 2 years ago seem strangely tragic and desperate.

Posters of bygone tours are still stuck on the walls depicting happier memories of headier times, clash violently with a dude in a tracksuit handing you a flyer entitling you to a free can of VB at the “exclusive R&B Superclub VIP lounge”

WTF is going on here?

But you’re not overly worried right? It’s a natural progression.

You’ve lived it up from 18-25, it’s time to start taking life seriously – it’s time to plan for the future, 30 is merely around the corner right? That’s when it “all begins”

You have a career now right? Or rather HEX debt and the bleak reality of working through the ranks of middle management for the next 5 years, simultaneously working long hours to show your commitment whilst the temp receptionist takes home more per hour. You’re old enough to know better and still young enough to be stupid. You might believe you’re mature, but you’re not wise. You’ve come to learn actions aren’t without consequence and that inaction is far more predictable. And whilst you’d like to delude yourself into think you’re fit, those visits to Macca’s in your youth are rapidly making themselves known around your waist.

So what DO you do between 26-30 to pass the time?

When nightclubs feel like high school proms and bars seem like too much hard work, apparently the trick is to take up a peculiar hobby. There’s a whole gamut actually; Thai kickboxing, book clubs to join, burlesque dance classes to attempt, knitting groups to bond in, Bondi boot camps to get yelled at, salsa lessons for the sheer novelty of it all, wine tasting to be snooty about oh and you can become a Buddhist at the weekends.

Pretty much all the activates you could have done at any age, but when you were younger, well, you just had vastly more interesting things to do. Trying to get laid, drinking copious amount of alcohol unaided, annoying your parents or learning to drive badly. By now, you might have experienced love, yet seldom lived with it. You’ve travelled on that Contiki tour of Europe, but at times still feel lost. And all that was once a blur, shifts to a slow motion capture.

“Adulthood”….sounds so medieval doesn’t it? A time of pomp and ceremony blended with tradition and presumption. We all know that at age 18 you are considered an adult in the eyes of the law. But if being an adult means my ability to drink beer, use scissors and watch Terminator 2 legally, is offset with having to pay bills, glorious fluro lit office cubicles, unsettling bank loans, the potential of going to jail and overpriced rent – then I’d rather stay as that kid who will forever be enthralled with his LEGO set.

Society as a whole, dictates that to take another life is wrong, that conceiving at 14 for example, isn’t recommended and that fundamentally you should treat everyone as an equal, we have courts, laws and government to safe guard these Western-held views.

Religion in its truest form is a shining example of the masses following the ideals, opinions, stories, aspirations and societal norms set out and decided by others, often from an entirely different time period. But for those of you who don’t subscribe to the imaginary friend that is “Jesus”, there isn’t a book for how one should ideally lead your life let alone how you’re supposed to act at a certain age.

There are as I mentioned, certain guidelines coupled with the weight of expectation from peers, friends and family. And these are the very values we install in ourselves and try to adhere to. Nobody truly likes being left behind or whispered about unfavourably behind closed doors. Nor does anyone set out to become the black sheep of the family, that underachieving friend for whom all hope is lost. So we lead our lives, in a very general way, according to what is deemed acceptable by our peers.

There is tremendous amount of pressure, that at some point we will all be subjected to and it comes in the distilled form of living up to the expectations we and society places upon ourselves. We all seek approval, attention and respect, even in the mildest of forms. The liberal point of view verses conservative point of view, will be fought right on your doorstep. When will YOU decide when political correctness goes too far?

At aged 26, I am finding myself frequently asking myself, what exactly IS expected of someone my age? What is the common bond that links people in that bracket between 25 and 30?

Rather disappointingly we can’t ALL be born into untold wealth like Paris Hilton or hold the ability to become a musical prodigy like Michael Jackson once did. We have to find something else and to me it seems, we spend most of our twenty-something’s try to find out WHAT that is. That individual spark that makes us unique, whilst not casting us out unto the outer fringes of society.

I’ll get back to you once I know, I promise.

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