Adventures, Musings, Commentary, and Associated Fun

Travel writing...

I came across this list rather accidently, via Writtenroad.com - a website devoted to travel and writing, which I happen to consider two of my most significant passions.   The article is from Conde Naste Traveler magazine, and discusses 86 Great Travel books.  (I recommend clicking "print" button to get a single-page view.)  I'm rather embarrassed to admit that I've only read 3 books on the list, though due in part to a big Paul Theroux push at the moment, I have another 4 books with me, as of yet unread.  The only problem is that the queue on that particular list is frighteningly long. 

I was particularly happy to see Bill Bryson's book on Australia (In a Sunburned Country), which I read within my first 2 months in Melbourne, on the list.  It's a quality book, as is Theroux's Dark Star Safari, which is one of my most recent reads (and a wonderful gift to receive before I left on my present Australian adventure).  It has had a lot to do with some of the "big picture thoughts" I've had recently about the direction that I see myself going after this...that particular question is a hopelessly unanswerable one at present, stuck as I am in the  interim between the heady enthusiasm and uncertainty of early PhD candidature and the unimaginable stress and soul-searching panic of pre-submission.  While I suppose I should be enjoying this uniquely liberating time - as busy and imminently combustible as it feels - the big questions never seem far away.  Such is the life of the student, I suppose, particularly one that is one a path designed for professional advancement within a particular field.  On the positive side, it allows a calendar and lifestyle oriented along the University calendar, which can be quite a positive thing.  This was undeniably a key component of my own decision-making process in wondering whether I wanted to be part of the University community again.

I'm not sure that posting twice within 12 hours makes up for a month's silence, but I hope that it helps...present reading includes a Paul Theroux novel about the British handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese(Kowloong Tong), and listening to a fair amount of The National and Aussie favorite Missy Higgins - you have to be in the right mood to listen to either, but if you are, the results can be quite incredible...

Yea!

Funnily enough, that's actually the name of a town.  I'm heading there in a few hours with a couple of mates.  The rough plan is to have a few beers tonight, then stick around for another friend's (Steve Wealands, a fellow Chilly player that I've mentioned before on the blog) birthday BBQ tomorrow afternoon.  It's about 2 hours outside of Melbourne in country Victoria, so it should make for a reasonable if somewhat bite-sized road trip.  The plan is to be gone about 24 hours in total.

More to come, including overdue pictures and wrap-up from my Asia trip, to come very soon.  In the meantime, an interesting article about Indonesia's success in fighting terrorism...

to Brizzie...

I'm slowly getting used to the colder weather.  It's amazing how quickly your body can acclimate to summer heat and humidity.  The first two days I was back in Australia were brutally cold...or so it seemed, as my body wondered what had happened to wonderfully warm (and very humid) weather of Singapore.

NTC (National Training Camp), the reason that I cut short (to a measly 24 hours) my time in Bali was really successful.  Typically, the only time we get together as an entire frisbee community is at tournaments based around club play, such as Nationals.  This weekend, the first step in the process for selecting the Australian National Team, was quite different.  Saturday was devoted mostly to drills and exercises, while Sunday involved 8 different games (each about 30 minutes) with players mixed up and swapped around for each game.  The result was a chance to play with a bunch of different people, most of whom I've only played against before.  It was also a great chance to chat and socialize outside of the normal club-based structure, which can be limiting.  I'm surprised at how sore my legs are from the weekend, but then again we all were running very hard...and I'm not very good about taking a sub, so over the weekend I probably played more points than most.  Oops.  My thighs are grumbling at me as a result. 

In 3 weeks, we'll be in Sydney again for a weekend of "real" games (i.e. based around our club teams), followed 4 weeks later by the same in Melbourne.  After this, the Australian "squad" team will be announced, and it's from this group of players that the "Dingoes" (men's team) and "Barrimundis" (mixed team, also a type of Australian fish) will be chosen.  (I'm not sure what the ladies' team is called, but safe to say it's probably some sort of exotic Australian wildlife.)

Off to Brisbane tonight for a tournament on the weekend, then back home to Melbourne late Sunday night.  It will be good to be back home and into a routine again, though I'm less than excited about having my first classes to teach within 12 hours of touching down.  Photos and more commentary about my Asia trip once I get back.

back in Oz

I touched down in Sydney this morning.  It's been an eventful 2 weeks to be sure.  Bali was good; I'll post some pictures and a few impressions once I get a bit more time and bit less jet-lag.  The short version is that it was good, though the hyper-catering to the almighty tourist dollar was both distracting and off-putting to varying degrees.  I'm somewhat reluctant to comment in depth given my (very) brief time there, but I don't know that more time would have substantially changed my impressions - unless I explored other parts of the island.  Regrettably, due to time constraints I wasn't able to go very far or see too much away from the main tourist centers.

I don't know if I posted it before, but the justification for being in Sydney this weekend is that this weekend marks the beginning of the selection process for the Aus National Team, in anticipation of the World Country Championships in Vancouver next year.  Fingers crossed.  From here I'll head up to Brisbane, as there is a(nother) tournament up there next weekend.  Hopefully the groin strain I managed to pick up in Singapore and exacerbate surfing in Bali (not particularly well, I might add) won't act up too much.  Signing off for now...

change of plans...again!

Have to keep this one short as there are a number of errands I'm trying to complete before heading to Bali later this evening.  Due to a change of plans - the US friend I was hoping to meet up with in Bali, Eileen, won't be able to make the trip - I'll only be in Bali for about 24 hours instead of the week I had initially hoped for.  While this is of course regrettable (and means I won't be able to do my Open Water SCUBA diving course), it means that I'll be able to get to Sydney for the National Training Camp, which is the first step in the selection process for the Australian Ultimate Frisbee National Team.  I think it's the right decision, even though I do feel the inevitable regret of not being able to do both.

My time in Singapore has been productive and useful, even though I haven't done as much writing as I had originally hoped to.  I've managed to meet several interesting folks at the National University of Singapore (where I'm staying with my friend Angus) and hopefully can build upon that when I come back in Jan/Feb for my official research trip.  Jakarta is also in the cards for that trip, and while visiting the National Mosque of Singapore I even managed to randomly meet an Indonesian academic who seemed quite excited when I told him that my thesis concerned US Foreign Policy towards Indonesia, and even mentioned the possibility of me giving a seminar once I get there.

For a trip that has mercilessly mocked my initial plans, it's still been very interesting and productive.  It's a bit crazy to think I've only been away for about 10 days total as it feels like it has been much longer.  The side trip to Malaysia last week remains one of the big highlights, but having a base in Singapore has been extremely valuable as well.  It's also gotten me thinking about whether I might want to call Singapore home for at least a little bit somewhere down the line...but that's another conversation for another time.  Off to plan my accomodations in Bali!

Update from SE Asia

The short version of the story is that Southeast Asia is very warm (and humid), and I'm enjoying it a great deal.  Networking and chatting with folks here, which were the two main goals of my trip, have been quite successful.  And there's a superb offer to come to Australia via Travelzoo, even if it ports in that "other city" in New South Wales instead of Melbourne.  (The Melbourne/Sydney rivalry is quite an interesting side-discussion for another time.)

This won't be the main post detailing my adventures in SE Asia, but rather a (short-term) update on my life so far.   Missing my flight to Jakarta doesn't require too much further recap.  Not feeling all that great about 9 days in Singapore while SE Asia beckoned, I managed to plan - more like stumble through - a 3 day trip to Melaka and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.  Once again, the short version of the story is that it was appealing, interesting, and perhaps more than anything *real* in a way that Singapore is not.  Singapore, for all of its comfortability and easiness, has a very different feel to KL.  Singapore would certainly never be mistaken for a European, Australian, or American city, but it still feels "easy" when it comes to a visit.  KL, and Malaysia more generally, actually feels like travelling in a way that Singapore doesn't.  It's my intention to give the full run-down once I get a bit more time; give me grief if I don't.

Singapore

It's certainly been an eventful couple of days.

Saturday started out less than ideally, as I attempted to fight both a hangover and the clock on my way to the airport.  I managed to get there with plenty of time, though the fact that I was the last one in the queue to check-in (and only just beat the flight's closing) was hardly reassuring.  I quickly made my way to the gate, only to find the flight delayed by 40 minutes.  I, of course, was actually quite happy with the turn of events as it allowed me time for a coffee and muffin.  I was quite excited about flying on Singapore Air, which consistently scores near the top of the table for passenger satisfaction.

I then heard my name (actually, something closer to "Christopher Reez", which I of course recongnized as "Chris Freise") announced in the gate area.  Not knowing what to expect, I approached cautiously - as if walking up slower would somehow change whatever was about to occur!  With eyebrows raised and a bit of nervous sweat (though probably more due to the hangover than anything), I was asked to present my boarding pass to the smiling but clearly preoccupied Sing Air gate agent.  I awaited his response, having no idea what was about to happen.  I prepared potential responses - "I checked in on time, I swear!", or maybe "but somebody has to be at the end of the queue, don't they?!"

As payoff for my suspicion and uncertainty, I was upgraded to Business Class.  The attendant must have seen my surprise, as he snarkily smiled, even as I unsuccessfully tried to feign coolness and expectation.  Act like you've been there before, right?  What followed was one of the best airline experiences of my life.  While not flawless, it was pretty spectacular, as were the flight attendants. :)  If you have the opportunity to be upgraded, for no particular reason, from the cheap fare you bought on the most satisfying airline flying today, I recommend you take the opportunity.

Upon arrival, the airport proved pretty spectacular as well, which shouldn't have come as much surprise.  It did seem a little strange to go straight from an international flight into the main part of the terminal without first passing through customs...and then I remembered that *every* flight to Singapore is an international flight.  Ah, the joys of being a city-state.  I was in a cab, chatting with my friend (and host) Angus within 25 minutes of touchdown.  Pretty surreal, all things told.

Following a very enjoyable Saturday night in which Angus purposefully showed me extreme examples of "local" and "expat" Singapore,  fate began to turn.  It was inevitable; the cosmic law of karma conservation (karma can neither be created nor destroyed) simply required it.  A slow start to Sunday and the need to repack my bag for my trip to Jakarta ruled out taking public transport, and it took about 10 minutes to finally book a taxi to the airport.  Stupidly, I didn't look at my flight receipt, which clearly said I was to go Terminal 1.  The driver took me to Terminal 2, which is where Angus has told me to go.  Amazing that he couldn't read my mind.  By the time I realized my mistake and got to where I was supposed to be, the flight - MY flight - to Jakarta had closed.  It's safe to say that it resulted in a rather big emotional swing.

After allowing myself a bit of self-pity once I checked successive flights and found that the earliest I could get to Jakarta was Tuesday - for approximately A$200/US$175 - I got the hell out of Dodge.  What does one do in such situations?  Play ultimate, of course!  I managed to find where Singapore Summer League was being played, flagged a taxi, and made my way.  Yet again - it shouldn't really be a surprise anymore - the ultimate community came through.  I was able to pick up with a team (though unfortunately we lost), which led to meeting and chatting with a bunch of people, and by the time I left for dinner with a few of them over 3 hours later I had a stable of friends.  I was even asked to help coach a session on Saturday for one of the local University teams.

With my original plans in shambles, I'm planning on going to Malaysia tomorrow for 2-3 days, with Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Melaka the main targets.  I'm pretty gutted about missing out on Jakarta, as that was one of the main goals of my trip, but it does open opportunities to see a bit of Malaysia as well as to hunker down here in Singapore once I get back for some writing and research.  Stupidly, I forgot my camera in Australia and therefore need a friend to send it here;  thoughts more directed to impressions and culture to follow, as well as photos.

pre-trip chaos

I've been running around like crazy trying to get everything sorted before my trip to Singapore, Jakarta, and Bali.  No real surprise there...Looking at the 48 hours between now and departure time, I really have no idea how it everything is going to get done.  Yikes.

As Indonesia is heavy on the mind these days (most days, in fact, given that it's a main part of my thesis!), here's an interesting NYT article about the growing religiosity amongst Indonesians, as opposed toan increase in support for political Islam or radicalism.   Unfortunately, the picture often gets muddled by conflating the terms and using them interchangeably.  The article fits with my understanding and reading of trends within Indo.

As of July 1, Melbourne's pubs became smoke free.  Finally, you can go out for a couple of drinks without feeling like you're licked a couple of ash-trays in the morning due to the second hand smoke.  While there were a few protests from the likely suspects, it's been very well-received overall.  Remember a few years ago when the thought of banning smoke from bars was considered controversial?  Perhaps those with longer memories can remember a similar debate when the ban on smoking on airplanes was introduced.  I know Mom (a flight attendant who flies heaps to Europe) was very excited about it...

We had a frisbee tournament here in Melbourne on Monday and Tuesday; I won't go into much detail about why it was called the "Boycott City Challenge", but the short version of the story is that Melbourne University finished 2nd, losing the final to Monash University (our main rival).  It would have been nice to win it, but overall I don't think we can really complain too much about the result.  Next thing up for the University team is the Australian University Championships (to be held in late September on the Gold Coast in Queensland - described to me as the "Florida of Australia").  In between, we'll be beginning the selection process for the Australian National team for the World Championships in Vancouver next year.  Unlike last year, only one team from each country gets into this tourney, so competition for slots is very intense.  No doubt you'll be hearing about how it's going for me along the way.  I haven't really had a break from frisbee for a couple of months now, and while I'm obviously geared up and excited to make a run at the Aussie team, the prospect of 2-3 weeks of rest while I'm traveling makes my legs and feet happy.

heading to SE Asia

In what will be my first trip to our largest continent - I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that - I'll be heading to Singapore and Indonesia in July.  I'm crazy excited about it.

In addition to being a nice way to spend several weeks of "winter" break**, the official purpose of the trip is to do some unofficial research for my thesis.  (Perhaps reflecting the litigious times in which we live, an "official" research trip involving interviews requires full authorization from the University.  If I HAPPEN to run into a few academics/potential interviewees while on a "personal" trip, so be it, right?).  Singapore is the academic center of Southeast Asia - as well as a place that I am extremely intrigued to visit in its own right.  In addition to meeting a few people and developing some good social networks (very important, particularly in Southeast Asian culture), it will hopefully give me a reasonable idea about what I've gotten myself into.  If all goes according to plan, I'll be heading back to Singapore (and definitely Jakarta, which remains a side-trip possibility for this trip) in January/February for the official business.

Here's the Lonely Planet guide to Bali, as well as the Rough Guides guide to Indonesia generally.  For those that are  interested, here's a collection of photos from Bali, plus one to the right. :)  By all accounts, Bali is one of the more beautiful and serene (populated) places you can visit on the planet.  It's a big destination for a lot of Aussies on holiday - perhaps the US equivalent of the Bahamas, or Acapulco -  though the native culture (unique for Indonesia, heavily Buddhist) has remained resilient in the face of the tourist hordes, and in fact has remained a major attraction, though also a regrettable if unavoidable source of commercialization.

It also has some of the world's best SCUBA diving, which I plan to partake in with my good friend Eileen Dietrich.  She will be in Bali at the end of July as well, and is the proximate reason for me making the side trip.  I'm REALLY glad she's given me a good excuse! :)  Signing off for now, with dreams of Bali floating through my head...

**Australia does have winter, contrary to popular belief, even if it never drops below the freezing point here in Melbourne.  Snow is an extremely rare occurrence in the city, though it should be said that I felt colder last winter than I have during most DC/VA winters.  Acclimatization  to (almost) year round warm weather can be a very powerful thing.

in NZ...

Yes, it's been a while.  And yes, I'll stop saying that in every post.

I'm currently in NZ, having a great time with my Kiwi mate (and all-around rabble-rouser) Aaron Columbus, who I taught with at Aldenham School while I was in the UK.  I flew in late Tuesday night, spent Wed and Thurs in Christchurch, flew to Auckland Fri (and caught a rugby match Sat night) before coming back to "ChCh" Sunday afternoon.  We're off to the West Coast of the South Island (where Aaron is originally from) in the morning for a couple of days before coming back to Melbourn early Thursday morning.

Rog (a.k.a. dad) will be on his way to Oz very shortly - among other attractions will be the Australian Ultimate National Championships.  The competition runs from April 22-25, and for once we'll be playing a tournament in Melbourne!  My team (Chilly) will be going for its 3rd straight national title, which would be a pretty special thing to do at home.  I'll post results...looking forward to it, confident about the our preparation but realyl eager to get playing already!  Fingers crossed, etc.