Dearest Superficial People, I find it really strange that you notice superficial things about people. No actually, I find it really strange that you notice superficial things about people and insist on pointing them out. It annoys me most that you behave as if your level of superficiality ought to be shared by everyone around…
Read more
When you hear things like “workplace discrimination” or “sexism at work”, your thoughts tend to drift towards glass ceilings, high-profile Lean In scenarios or the experiences of trailblazer women working in predominantly male areas. You don’t tend to think of the hospitality industry (AKA dealing with people and cleaning up their mess) as being a…
Read more
When I first arrived at the ashram, I was surprised and pleased by how social it was. Solo travellers had converged from across India and chatted in that eager way one does after a period of solitude. We had all arrived at the same time to commence a two-week “yoga vacation”. The director of the…
Read more
To all our teachers (past, present and future), Thanks for choosing to be teachers. I know it must be a challenging task, particularly for those of you who work with children and young adults. When you’re working with young and impressionable minds, teaching is so much more than relaying information; it’s a grand performance and…
Read more
‘Jo. You’re in. Jess, you’re in. We gotta work on your spikes though.’ I’m 14. Eight of us sit on the first two rows of bleachers in the concrete gym, shivering in navy PE uniforms. Mr Johnson, all long hairy legs in obscene running shorts, is reading out a list of girls who got into…
Read more
We’re continuing our series on the Dale Young Mothers’ Program (YMP) from Wyong, NSW. Funded by the Youth Connections program and the Wyong Better Futures Local Solutions Local Advisory Group, the Dale Young Mothers’ Program gives young parents the chance to complete their year 12 certificate and form pathways to further education/work by creating a…
Read more
Yesterday, I sat and watched a kingfisher on the banks of a creek. When I first spotted the chocolate brown and blue bird, I didn’t know what it was. I wondered whether it was a kingfisher, and instinctively leapt up to check the Internet. But I couldn’t, because there is no Internet where I am….
Read more
On my first day in India, my aim for the day was to get my bearings. I wanted to figure out Cochin, the historic trading port in Kerala, which was my first stop. I would study road names and monuments and landmarks that would help me find my way home. I also wanted to log…
Read more
We’re continuing our series on the Dale Young Mothers’ Program (YMP) from Wyong, NSW. Funded by the Youth Connections program and the Wyong Better Futures Local Solutions Local Advisory Group, the Dale Young Mothers’ Program gives young parents the chance to complete their year 12 certificate and form pathways to further education/work by creating a…
Read more
I am a hybrid child. And no, that doesn’t make me an alien. Actually, it some ways, it probably does. I identify as being an Australian Muslim of Malay descent, and I’ve spent a long time pondering what that really means for me. I left Singapore when I was 12. Aside from my immediate family,…
Read more
My abortion Pippa and I are really close. Really, we are. She’s not homesick in the slightest. For an ethereal aberration who communicates via text message and telepathy, I must admit, she surprised me with her fast-talking, deadpan, assertive personality and wild history. Neither of us expected to share my womb for nine months. I…
Read more
A couple of months ago I decided to go travelling for a while. Two weeks ago I took leave of gainful employment, packed up my lovely little apartment and sketched out an itinerary. In between clearing out my office and getting on a plane, I have a few weeks of hanging out back in my…
Read more
I am an Awkwardly Tall Woman. I feel more comfortable with the term girl, but I recently turned 22 so I figure it’s time I start to accept the terrifying fact that I am actually a woman. I stand somewhere around six foot tall. I’m short in my family, which is a small victory in…
Read more
A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey. It’s a trip far away, towards a holy place, every stride on the road a step closer to self-discovery. El Camino de Santiago, or the ‘Way of St James’, is an ancient pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela in the Northwest of Spain. The concept of exploring the soul…
Read more
