I am like This empty bench: Worn, faded, I sit and watch the world turn
This is a photo from my archives. I’ve not been feeling very well for the last few weeks and so have not been able to get much further with my writing or to take many photos recently, so I thought I’d take the chance to post this photo in the meantime as it’s one of my favourites and I don’t think many people have seen it before.
It’s of an empty bench near a small lake in Sydney’s Centennial Park and I took it almost two years ago now, just after I’d bought my first SLR and was going on a photo walk to try it out. The original photo (available here if you want to see it) was just a simple landscape shot and I edited it fairly simply to maintain the original feel of the photo and I was quite happy with how it turned out, but on a whim I decided to come back to the photo again about a year later, after I’d learnt more about editing, and looking at it I thought about how I could process and re-imagine it differently, and the kind of stark, minimalistic feel of the photo inspired me to re-edit it more like a painting and this was the result.
I really like it and think it is much more striking and it’s definitely one of my all time favourite images. What I find really interesting though is how it shows that the process of editing never stops; you might think you’re done but every now and then it’s worth going back and looking at old images with fresh eyes because you never know, something new might emerge that you just couldn’t imagine before. I find the same is often true with my stories as well; I’ll often rework ideas from past abandoned stories into new ones, for example, in ways I just never thought of before. I guess it’s all part of honing your skills, whether you’re a writer, photographer, artist, or anyone really.
If you’re wondering where the haiqua came from as well, I’ve just had a lot on my mind these last few weeks and have been feeling rather down, so I guess the haiqua is a bit of a reflection on all of that. I’ve always found that writing helps a little and while it is sad it’s not meant to be particularly depressing; the world turns and the sun sets and rises each day, and life goes on. That’s what I take from the haiqua; we just have to find our way forward as best we can and remember that when darkness does come, the sun will always rise again.
A summer sunset A moment of pure beauty In an ugly world
I took this photo this evening from our balcony, just as the sun began to set. It was a spectacular sunset, with the entire sky seeming to catch fire for many minutes, before gradually fading away.
After receiving some upsetting news today, it was nice to end the day with a sight of such beauty and grace. It’s a reminder that, even in your darkest moments, beauty is never that far away. The world really can take your breath away sometimes.
Dirty Streets Whisper my name Fill me with longing To find my way home
I took this photo last week. I saw the motorcycle out of the corner of my eye and took a quick photo without really thinking about it at the time but looking at it now, I find the contrast interesting, the shiny bike propped up against the run-down garage and street.
What you can’t see in the photo is that the entire street was in a similar state; most of the houses looked slightly rundown, with paint peeling and tiles missing and overgrown gardens – but they all had expensive cars in their driveways and satellite TV. I guess having a car and staying connected is more important for many people these days than if a house needs new paint, particularly in the current economy.
I thought it seemed like an apt analogy for the world at the moment. I wonder how many other streets and houses are like this around the world… probably too many to really comprehend, sadly.
Marble tombs Forgotten by the world: Where the dead rest Forevermore
Went to Gosford yesterday to look at a few houses to rent (no luck unfortunately). It was a long drive and on the way back I went for a short walk around Bronte to stretch my legs. I took this photo outside Waverley Cemetery, just before sunset.
The cemetery opened in 1877 and is one of the most historic sites in Sydney. It’s a lovely spot on the top of cliffs overlooking the ocean and many notable people are buried there, including poet Henry Lawson and Edmund Barton, Australia’s first Prime Minister.
I’ve walked around the cemetery before but for some reason the condition of many of the graves seemed to jump out at me yesterday. The cemetery is well cared for but many of the graves are so old now that they’re almost impossible to read and walking by, I kept wondering who they were, what lives they had lived – if they were remembered. I guess we’ll never know.
It makes me wonder how we’ll be remembered, in 140 years.
Have you seen this video? It was recorded in 2005 at New York University’s annual talent competition, Ultraviolet Live. It’s sung by a young woman called Stefani Germanotta. Or, as she’s now known, Lady Gaga.
Hard to recognise her, isn’t it? It’s a good performance, notably without any of the histrionics she’s become known for. She just sings and it’s the first time I’ve been able to hear her voice before, without the autotuning or other effects.
I’m not a big fan of Gaga or of mainstream pop but some of her songs are catchy. This Gaga, though, I like. If you compare it to her latest single, Bad Romance, it’s hard to believe it’s the same singer.
Watching it, it makes me wonder if the only way artists can become successful these days is through these constructs… if music is so much about personality and persona and controversy now that a good voice just isn’t enough.
I think Gaga is a good representation of music in the 00s. Music has changed so much in the last 10 years. Like Gaga it’s become a mix of styles, autotuned, over-sexed and notable as much for controversy as talent. But there’s been a lot of good music that has continued to push the boundaries as well.
I listen to a lot of music, particularly while I’m writing, and it’s been interesting watching how music has evolved through the decade. There’s really been no one theme to the 00s; it’s been a mix of styles – hip hop, R&B, chillout, dance – and I think that reflects how our attitude towards music and the industry has changed as well.
For me, and I imagine many people, the iPod has become synonymous with the 00s. It’s changed the way we listen to music. But the biggest impact on the industry this decade has been online. Illegal downloads have taken a huge chunk out of the industry and when you consider the influence of sites like YouTube and MySpace as well, you can see how much of an impact the net has had on the 00s.
Personally I think it’s been an interesting decade for music but not a particularly good one. As the decade’s gone by a lot of music has become sterile and repetitive and my taste in music has shifted more towards alternative artists these days. Perhaps I’ve just grown up. But there’s still been a lot of good music in the 00s as well. Protest songs, dance music, and just good pop that gets in your head without your even realising it.
As my last post looked back at my favourite books of the 00s, I thought it’d be fun to list my favourite songs of the 00s as well. To give a bit of a sense of my musical tastes and what I’ve been listening to while I write. So this is a list of my top 30 songs from the 00s, with links to their videos as well.
I hope you enjoy it. Let me know which ones you like (or hate). What are your favourite songs of the 00s?
30) Thank You (2001) Dido
A beautiful song with Dido’s gentle voice. Was everywhere in 2001.
29) Straight Lines (2007) Silverchair
Silverchair’s return after a four year hiatus. Alternative rock at its best.
28) Anyone Else But You (2001) The Moldy Peaches
Best known from the film Juno. Deceptively simple and catchy.
27) Young Folks (2006) Peter Bjorn And John
A charming song with dreamlike tones. It’s become an anthem for Gen Y.
26) Don’t Stop the Music (2007) Rihanna
Rihanna’s transition from pop to dance. Catchy with a great beat.
25) Dear Mr. President (2006) P!nk
A letter to George Bush. One of the best protest songs of the 00s.
24) Cry Me a River (2002) Justin Timberlake
Catchy R&B/pop as Timberlake responds to his split with Britney Spears.
23) It’s My Life (2000) Bon Jovi
A lively, affirming rock song. One of the great anthems of the 00s.
22) The Rising (2002) Bruce Springsteen
Powerful reflection on 9/11. One of Springsteen’s greatest songs.
21) My People (2007) The Presets
An angry electropunk/synthpop hybrid, with an incredible clip.
20) Hey Ya! (2003) Outkast
A rousing mix of funk and hip hop, with one of the best clips of the 00s.
19) Fallin’ (2001) Alicia Keys
An R&B/soul powerhouse with a brilliant vocal. Dominated the charts.
18) One More Time (2000) Daft Punk
One of the first innovative uses of autotune. Very catchy.
17) Idioteque (2000) Radiohead
One of Radiohead’s greatest and most experimental songs.
16) The Blower’s Daughter (2004) Damien Rice
Haunting ballad with an incredible refrain. Featured in the film Closer.
15) Falling Slowly (2006) Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
A beautiful love song written for the film Once. Won an Oscar in 2008.
14) Steer (2007) Missy Higgins
A bubbly, effervescent pop song. Catchy and infectious.
13) As I Sat Sadly By Her Side (2001) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
A brooding piano ballad that meditates on religion and faith.
12) Gather to the Chapel (2007) Liam Finn
Beautiful song about saying goodbye. Inspired by Paul Hester.
11) Beautiful Day (2000) U2
One of U2’s most anthemic rock songs. Perfect for the new millennium.
10) Where Is the Love? (2003) The Black Eyed Peas
Angry anti-war anthem. The Black Eyed Peas’ breakthrough single.
9) On a Night like This (2000) Kylie Minogue
A seductive pop song that came to represent the Sydney Olympics.
8) Explain (2006) Sarah Blasko
Haunting ballad set to Blasko’s raspy voice, with a beautiful clip.
7) How Far We’ve Come (2007) Matchbox Twenty
Rousing anthem for global warming with a catchy chorus.
6) Seven Nation Army (2003) The White Stripes
One of the best rock songs of the 00s, with an incredible riff and clip.
5) The Scientist (2002) Coldplay
A beautiful piano ballad, driven by Chris Martin’s gentle falsetto.
Do you ever have strange dreams? The kind that seem so real when you’re asleep but when you wake up, they make no sense? I’ve had a few; being chased by wild animals, finding myself in a different body…. they can be quite scary sometimes.
The strangest dream I’ve had involved clowns. I’ve never liked clowns. When I was a child I used to think they were evil… something about the way they could all fit into one car really freaked me out. In my dream I was standing in a field surrounded by clowns. There were dozens of them all moving in sync; they’d take several steps, stop and harvest the corn, then move on. They’d do it again and again, not knowing I was there. It was all so eerie, so quiet…
When I woke up I remember lying there, trying to work out what I’d seen. But it made no sense! Were the clowns supposed to be some metaphor for illegal immigrants? For cloning and genetically modified foods? I still don’t know now but in the end something about the dream stayed with me and a couple of months later I turned it into a story. I took the clowns and the fields and created verandis, a drug which gave people a high of fear; in small doses it was a cheap thrill, but in high doses it proved effective for torture. The Drug of Fear was one of the first stories I had published and it’s funny to think that without that dream, I’d never have written it.
I had an experience earlier this week which made me think of the clown dream again. I was getting the bus home and listening to some music. Usually I like to watch what’s going on around me, but this time I was staring out the window. There was a seagull flying overhead and one of its wings was bent; I watched it for about a minute, wondering if it was broken, how it might have happened. When I finally looked away I caught the gaze of a girl a few seats in front of me.
She was watching me, smiling slightly, and she didn’t look away like most people do when they’re caught staring. She just smiled again and the funny thing was, I knew what she meant. She wasn’t smiling at me, but she knew what I was doing; it was like we were the only two people on the bus who had noticed the seagull. It was a moment we shared and without words, it seemed special. We got off at the same stop and neither of us said anything, but it was a nice feeling, like for a moment we’d been linked in a dream…
But then in a way it was a dream, a daydream. While I was watching the seagull I wasn’t aware of anything else… I was somewhere else, far away. The strange thing is that usually I don’t dream when I sleep, or if I do I don’t remember them. But I daydream quite often during the day, and since I’ve been having trouble sleeping I’ve actually been dreaming more than I was before. Whether that’s a good thing or not I don’t know – maybe it means I’m too active and carrying my thoughts into my sleep.
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting. Dreams fascinate me; we know so little about them, but they’re just one example of how amazing the human body and mind can be… even if sometimes your dreams are of fields of clowns.
