come and meet me in the middle of the air

Not doing yoga has funny effects on me. I've been feeling sensitive for a few days now. It might be due to the cold, the impending break, having lots of work to do. Things are moving quickly and I've been feeling a bit stuck. Spring break will a be a welcome relief.

This afternoon I'm heading into the City, seeing First Aid Kit tonight...I want to wander around in the sun and meditate and eat salad. Just get rid of this euuuugh.

I've put some traxx up. Geddonit.

soundcloud.com/gavinsaysyes

only five hours to iceland

Sunday afternoon!

I'm sitting out on the front porch, covered in brilliant spring sun. I have my pasty pins out for the first time. Behind me I can hear the rumble of 25A, one of Long Island's main arterial routes, cranked with traffic. People dropping their kids off to sports, going shopping, driving to the beach, to church, to visit family. I'm nestled at the end of our road, surrounded by trees, isolated but close. I haven't seen anyone today.

Although it hasn't even been a winter- I arrived here mid-Jan, and I've only seen snow fall hard enough to cover the ground once- I feel like it's time for the Spring. Colours are appearing, people are appearing. The place is waking up and the geese are no longer alone. In a month's time I'll nearly be done with school (what the heck), and then will be free for 2 months.

Yesterday was St Patricks Day, I went to the city with some kids. All of Fifth Ave was blocked as we saw High School Marching Band after High School Marching Band, riddled inbetween with some old people wearing chunky woollen sweaters and holding the banner 'England Out of Ireland'. The city was full of tipsy people, there was soft warm light, lots of crowds but no one on edge. I hit a wall at about 11pm after being there all day, and left my friends on the Upper East Side to catch the LIRR home. I'll upload some photos of the day that was.

It's funny being here on the porch, I need a shotgun, a cat, a banjo and a rocking chair and I'd be set for the perfect Americana situation. And I'd need to be a grandma. We're so tucked away that it feels almost intrusive when someone makes their way on down here. We're having a party next Friday which'll be ballsin. Clear night, bonfire, music, good people, good food is what I'm envisaging.

All is good, never youse mind.

Next week: Couchsurfing in the city, seeing Marcus Foster (a British singer-songwriter, who I don't know but my friend is keen), going to the Frick Collection, seeing the Black Keys, House Party, going to the Montauk St Patricks Day parade (Suffolk County's craziest day of the year, from what I hear), seeing Gotye. And class in between.

Love.Love.Love. x

Bright Blue Winter Morning

HULLO.
Yes indeedy I've been a bitta the old slack tart on this front, so now I shall make it up. I could also be spending this time doing my readings for my class in 1.5 hours, BUT.....compared to home I can get by on doing verrrry little work and continue to get pretty great marks (diz shiii be ezzz).

How are we? Tell ya what, as of last time I wrote, things have been berloody great. March is looking like being a hella grouse month as well---MANY concerts planned, trips to city, SPRING BREAK (woooooo!!) as well as the beginning of fall. I've yet to step outside this morning, but the sky is deep blue and there is sun everywhhherrree. Daffodils are beginning to bud their little flowers, and if you sit in the sun long enough you can feel a hint of warmth. You cannot understand how exciting that is.

I've just got back from Boston- was there for the weekend with some of the international kids. I divided up my time hanging out with rellies, wandering around in a big group, and wandering around by myself which was actually perfect. All of my previous travels alert me to the fact that being in a big group can make me a tetchy grump - not the kind of person I like to be- so I had to spread my wings at times.
Boston unfortunately didn't offer us the best weather, actually, supposedly it was the worst all year. When we arrived on Friday night it was snowing like crazy...big soft snowflakes that would break up all over your jacket when they hit you. We also had a bit of difficulty getting into bars because none of us brought our passports and supposedly Massachusetts (sp?) is pretty el stricto with that kind of thing. We know for next time. Went to a Mexican place for dinner which totally took me back to the place. Heck, even the cleaning product that was drying on our table when we sat down smelt like Mexico. There were lucha libre posters everywhere, and dia de los muertos skeletons. We ate tacos and drank margaritas.

The next two days consisted of walking around, visitng the JFK museum (whereupon I bought a token JFK t-shirt, naturally), eating, dancing to funk/soul long Mass Ave, meeting some very handsome people, and enjoying being out of the university routine. We got back to Stony Brook circa 1.30am, then I had to ride home through the cold. My housemate was up when I got home so we ended up chatting til like 4am...I had to sleep in this morning to make up for my whacko system.

Last night some post-university plans progressed substantially. Dad's probably coming mid-May to come hiking the appalacians with me; BONNAROO; Obtaining my open-water diving license for hella cheap somwhere in the Carribean; maybe some travels/wwoofing with my cuz; Spring Break plans for carving up Montreal, etc etc. I'm getting little bursts of happiness on a pretty regular basis, and (still) am consistently amazed when I remember that I'm in America, in New York, and have this much freedom and this much time. Everyone is very friendly, there is so much happening, and it's getting warmer, and I'm making some sikkkkas friends. There is not much to complain about at this point in time.

Last week I invited some peeps around for dinner and then a jam session (dinner- stir fry with wine, naturally. Tim Tam slams for dessert), and BY JOES it felt so good to be playing music with people again. It wasn't a nervous experience, it was just very exciting and a lot of fun. It's been ages, but my voice is coming along nicely. Just need to work on the old guitar a bit more. Maybe I'll take it travelling around the country with me in the summertime? Creo que si.

Love and peace to all. I'm checking my mailbox everyday on my way home from school so don't be afraid to let me know what the shit's going on in everyone's lives. If you know me you know that I love receiving and sending hand-written letters. I do also like chocolate quite a lot.

Take care, xoxox!
Yours, bubbling with the anticipation of spring,
G

The First Cold

Monday morning. I've decided THIS is the week that I'm gonna sort my shit out. Usually, the beginning of the year involves officeworks and fresh text books and getting a wall planner and highlighters and planning and colour-coding and being on top of things. Not so, 2012.

I'm in Struggletown trying to figure out the holy heck i'm in NY quick let's do everything/ holy heck everything is SO interesting let's be a nerd balance. One thing I know is that sitting somewhere in the middle- having a crazy, balls-to-the-wall weekend, leaves me behind in school work for the new week. How do I do both?!!!! Really, I just need to pass these subjects. But I wouldn't be happy with just that..especially when the teaching here is pretty remarkable.

Everyone is SO into everything. There are talks, protests, radio shows, interviews, ...everything is so connected, I feel right in the hub. Last week I had a teleconference (hooley dooley, look out technology) with Bill McKibben, a leading climate activist. Just. Like. That. Friday there's a talk in the City about shutting down Long Island's nuclear reactor (although it never began running), with a Fukushima expert talking. Yes please. I'm not sure whether it's just the novelty of being in a university outside of Australia, but I can't get enough of it. I could be learning about anything and there's world experts within 2 hours sharing their knowledge. How bout that eh?

And people WANT to learn. Often at home it's about getting by on doing the minimum amount of work- but that is neither an acceptable, nor sought-after, way of operation over here.

But I'm getting a cold. I'll suck it up for class today then probably head home, have a bath, read, study a little, have a quiet one. 'Quiet ones' seem to be a wasted opportunity- i've gotten pretty good at doing something every night- but I don't want this illness to spread.

Carn Giants!

xoG

wensdi, thursdi, fridi

Hola amigos...........
and bienvenidos to my first week of class! The State University of New York Stony Brook Campus is welcoming me into its tender grasp until the end of May, and so far it's involved getting lost, walking past a group of sorority girls about to have their hazing experience, having those little American individual desks, classes with BLACKBOARDS- sorry, what?-, falling in love with the folksy NY accent, and of course the painstaking process of enrolling and figuring subjects out.

My subjects here are all counting towards my Environmental Studies major- I'm doing sustainable urban design, history of cities, an anthropology subject on the agricultural revolution, an environmental writing course, etc etc. My classes are small and there's familiar faces in all of them, so I think we're gonna be friends. The Friendship Jacket worked a treat on Monday, got chatting with a few fun-looking people, so I'll have to try it again tomorrow.

I'm in the library and feeling the beginnings of a cold coming on, which is not great. This afternoon I'm heading to the mall to fix myself up with a proper coat, some bedding, food, and clothes. I have an insatiable appetite to shop, so hopefully that goes ahead without TOO much loss in the funds department. Tonight I meet my landlord and pay my four months' of rent. Also tonight a group of kids are heading into the city- to an Australian pub- to listen to the triple j countdown. It's absolutely, horrifyingly cringe-worthy, but I guess every Australia Day is like that. Cummon Aussie Cummon.

I HOPE that on Thursday I secure myself tickets to go see Antony and the Johnsons. I think I'll go by myself--obviously it's going to be a spiritual experience (the performance is in collaboration with a MoMA lighting designer- holy heck)...so I don't mind taking the trip on the train and doing some thinking. I get the feeling it's gonna be huge. I just have to book the tickets. Any minute now.

Love love love. It's been warm and sunny the last few days (warm, as in like, I dunno, 4 degrees). It rained a bit yesterday and all the snow has melted again. Until later,

G

back in the game

I arrived into Stony Brook, New York, on Tuesday the 17th of January, 2012. After a gruelling day of waking up at 4am, hurtling out of Guadalajara in the pre-dawn darkness, getting captured by Cesar of American Airlines, enjoying my final huevos rancheros, and making my way through Dallas, La Guardia, NY Bus, Metro and Long Island Rail Road systems, I arrived to a vegan feast at the family home of my couchsurfing host, Chloe. The house is situated along Robin Hood Lane, just off Story Book Road, with names like Cinderella, Peter Pan and Merlin close by. I kid you not. The house also includes four Chinese-crested dogs - you know those ones with just skin and a few tufts of hair-. It's been a great place to have my first proper shower, feel clean, feel comfort, and a refuge from the cold and (now) snow, and to rediscover the eccentricities of American suburban life.

The last few days have been a blur of fatigue, culture-shock, temperature-shock, and shopping. I still hunt for a good quality coat, but I've found boots and a few tops. My other clothes are pretty shabby. I don't feel stylish enough yet to really call myself a local. Give it a few visits to Goodwill.

I move houses tonight. I'm still tossing up whether living on campus is a good idea, but in the meantime I've found myself a cute apartment overlooking the main street of the harbour town of Port Jefferson. It sits above the street, squeezed above a pizzeria and a pub. Things are looking sweet. I can't wait to be settled somewhere..To put my clothes in a wardrobe, and to hang up the decorations I bought in Mexico. Once I find a place to call mine, I can focus on taking NY by storm.
Next week's Australia Day, which may involve a cheeky trip to 'The Australian' - no doubt a horrible pub- in Manhattan, to celebrate getting drunk and Tim Tams, and listening to the Hottest 100 countdown, beginning 8pm Wednesday night. Classes on Thursday may be a struggle, we'll see what happens.

Welcome back friends.
xog

To Kill 25 Minutes

Hello!
As soon as my mind broke away from university and Canberra into the abyss of the holidays, I remembered my blog. Whilst I've been keeping a journal, blogs are fun too. So now I wait for the midnight bus outta here to start work tomorrow morning at 10am and I have perfect opportunity to write something small.

Currently I'm mega tired. I awoke at 5.10 this morning in Cunnamulla, south-west Queensland, and travelling with a group of kids arrived back to Canberra at 6pm tonight. We had gone for a trip to a remote Aboriginal community in far-north Queensland. It was fascinating. I needed something to get me out of this haze/bubble of university and college life where you easily lose perspective about the big issues at hand. But heading back to the desert changed all this and it all feels new again.

So my first semester of university is done. It feels good, though introductory subjects are very broad and not the most stimulating. I had romantically envisioned that university means attractive young things sitting on grass in the afternoon sun in summer clothes discussing the intricacies of particular literature, the flaws in particular theories. Whilst this has not yet happened, I do hope it will soon.

Also being away has given me a big fun list of things to do whilst I'm at home. Apart from work, in the eternal quest to earn youth allowance, I want to teach myself more guitar, finish some songs, run, bushwalks, firetwirl, do drives, catch up with some high school pals. I hope I can do this in the two weeks that I have.

At the end of last semester I was beginning to feel a bit more settled into college, though that did take a while. Funny, it's easy to feel comfortable and chummy with people when you're travelling, but being still and getting to know people is more challenging. Many of the first years have come straight from school too, something which I hardly feel I can relate to now. So now that I feel more atop of the social aspects of Canberra life, I hope to be more involved in things I'm interested up here. Having done this trip it would be great to be more active in indigenous affairs, and also the uni green commitee and maybe the college choir? The problem is that there are so many things that are interesting and that I want to be involved in that it is easy to over-commit. I don't want to get to that stage!

Driving south we felt the order and enclosure of the land increase. In gulf country the plains spread out unfenced for hundreds of kilometres. It is left to its own devices with no imposing forces at bay. Cattle roam free, over the road, horses, emus, pigs, you name it. As that land melted the farms that appeared seemed so precious, a bit silly. Getting a different perspective on reality is something that cannot be underestimated.

Hurrah!
Time to catch the bus.
See you next time. G.