A Daze for Days

It's been a burdensome time.

By Thomas Feng

May 9^th, 2015

It's all okay

At 12.30pm, we’re meandering through the tranquil Chinese Garden of Friendship on Chinese New Year.
“I thought my flight was leaving at 3.30 but that’s when I’m actually arriving in Melbourne… oh no.”

I’m about to miss my flight home. I’m strangely calm. Maybe it’s the satisfying berry smoothie and scrambled eggs with mushrooms and haloumi that I had for breakfast. Maybe it’s the wonderful stroll in amidst the Sydney sunshine with Toni, Grace and roomie Regan. Maybe it’s Maybelline. Oh how the experience inside Google was such a daze.

So has life. It’s been four weeks since the last blog post. I’ve broken a laptop. I’ve been fined. I’ve had a barrage of assessments among other important life happenings. I’ve fed myself on $2 a day for 5 days (a blogpost will come on that later) to raise money for eradicating extreme poverty. It’s all taken its toll and unfortunately I’ve neglected this project. I write on this blog because it is an exercise in my own expression; an expression of creativity and discovery; a discovery of my own personal joys of life. I’m hoping I don’t miss too many other fortnights but I also refuse forcing myself to write material which I don’t enjoy. Life is okay though at the moment. It’s all okay despite the tumultuous few weeks and that in itself is wonderful.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta go.” I abruptly bid farewell and leave to fight crime for the sake of justice; the crime of my own forgetfulness and justice for my own lack of awareness in life.

My flight leaves in 90 minutes at 2pm. 15 minutes later and I’m on a taxi Amazing-Race style trying to reach my flight in time. The driver informs me that “it’s 20 minutes in the tunnel, 25 minutes if we take a different route.” Lies.

Nekminnit, I’m stuck 30 minutes underground in some tunnel because of Sydney traffic. Come on Sydney, it’s 1.15pm on a Friday, get yourself organised. As my taxi toll mounts, my stress contemporaneously ascends too. You had one job Tom. You’re almost as disorganised as the city’s urban planning.

I decide to check-in via mobile and hope for the best. Another 15 minutes pass and we crawl out of the tunnel.
“10 minutes and we’ll be there no problem,” the driver claims. Lies. Again

It’s 1.45pm and we’re still stuck in traffic. Oh god. But after a right turn, we suddenly cruise towards the domestic airport and we’re here. Started from the Harbour now we’re here (I don’t actually endorse Drake). I struggle to pay my cab fare due to the stress and frustration after the whole ordeal as well as an additional surcharge for using a bank card. 10 minutes until I’m supposed to be on the flight. I print out my boarding pass from the machine and run straight to the boarding gate.

“Gate 8 for Melbourne is now boarding.”

I made it. It’s all okay.

photography shortcomings: music

An additional source of neglect for the blog comes from the shortcomings from March’s prints. Seeing Angus & Julia Stone, Ingrid Michaelson and Lisa Mitchell in the space of 28 days was unbelievable.
I really hoped that the photos I took (below) would turn out well but unfortunately with Lisa Mitchell’s gig all of the ones which I thought were good didn’t develop and I was left with half of her face. The others just didn’t have enough light and I refused to use flash because that is just plain rude. To add insult, other photos I took of general fun life adventures didn’t develop either which was so disappointing!

Anywho despite that, the gigs were amazing. All three artists I’ve listened to non-stop since being an angsty teen, so it was all a nostalgically beautiful time. I was reminded of when Nathan and I would hide in a music practice room during lunch time and play “Bella” and “The Devil’s Tears”; of when I’d hide in my room alone in darkness and listen to Ingrid’s “The Chain” non-stop; of days when I’d go for long walks alone to clear my mind and listen to Lisa Mitchell’s first album “Wonder” and make it a whimsical adventure.

Angus & Julia singing “Santa Monica Dream” is my new all-time favourite concert highlight. Their concert also had wonderful line-up of supports: Jarryd James, Little May & Cloud Control. Their own set was a classic mix of old and new music and they’re such beautiful human beings who create a transcendental, relaxed atmosphere.

The same could be said for Lisa Mitchell’s “Stardust Singing Out Like Comets” tour show in Howler (my all-time fave!). Her down-to-earth personality and sense of humour shone throughout her stories and jokes between songs. Her vibrato in real-life is amazing. Her show also incorporated a cassette player throughout the set. I couldn’t help but be in awe of the whole spectacle.

Ingrid Michaelson’s banter was top notch and the whole gig was wonderfully interactive and fun. The crowd was so uplifting; I don’t think I’ve ever been to a show where everybody is just singing, dancing and clapping along the whole time. Oh and her voice! Her voice live sounded like it was recorded in a studio. It was amazing.