Taste buds

I was having drinks with an amazing friend of mine Marissa and talking about all this stuff and she went to the bathroom and so I thought, hey I am going to be a bit structured and type into my notes on my iPhone, what interesting points we have discussed, so I can write them down here. I looked at them later and they made no sense. Shit.

This is what is written on my iPhone to discuss:

- Awkward hugs
- Marissa Kiss Story
- Kid Backpack
- Love Differently


I am struggling to remember any of what these points are. Though we WERE talking about how when you go to hug someone and they pull out of the hug as you are still going in. Especially found this when I was getting to know my step mother. Struggle street when that happens. Makes you less and less confident to hug every time and it just gets worse.

Oh and the Marissa Kiss story... My friend Marissa was at her friend's wedding and something about an awkward kiss that was hilarious when she told me, but believe if I explain it, it would just sound like I was explaining how funny the grocery store was when a man in a red beanie walked past. Right?

I will try remember the other two points, including why on earth I titled this post as "taste buds" and try get back to you on that.

I had such a nice night last night. I was randomly invited to a new friend of mine's house. He is quite well known here in Australia and it is an amazing house. The people were awesome and really interesting, and I got along well with one of the guys, I reckon he will be a great new mate. Melbourne really is making me really happy.

The job is panning out well, have been there a week and really amazing. I get to help coordinate such an intriguing exhibit and feel honoured to be a part of it. Kind of like how a turkey is honoured to be a part of the royal christmas dinner as a special guest.

Had some training at the MCG the other day, that stadium is pretty bloody beautiful.


















And a song of one of my favourite songs of all time, covered by one of my favourite artists of all time.

King Tut

I find when so much happens in a small amount of time and I have not written anything, I get a little anxious as I will try and do what I always do and summarise it all way too much and its like a back page summary of how my kettle works. Without the info on where I was made.

So, I wanted to dedicate this to Lucy, as she is a wonderful human being who I have known my whole life and I still know so well and we have gone on such similar and also opposite paths. She visited me for the weekend just gone, and it was tops. Amongst having childhood icecreams from the Milkbar, to patting a cat through a stranger's flat window, singing out old Christian hymns in the park at night (and noticing hymns were NEVER designed for congregations of common people, our vocal chords exemplified this) and sitting under a full moon in a rooftop bar in Melbourne sipping cider (what else??). It was all just simply fun and to be around someone who has known me so long, there is that load of feeling like you do not have to keep giving out info to let the person know you more. We could just laugh and comment on small things, and the other would get it. I find it less and less it is hard to have those people in your life on a day to day basis and so when one of them comes for a while, it is just nice. Familiarity hey!

A cat just ran past my front door, sideways. With a bell on and then I heard a crash.

So back to my story. I GOT A JOB.

I am now the Operations Coordinator at an Egyptian Exhibition in a Museum here. I am so stoked. I love Egyptian history (seems a lot of people do!) and I now get to work and manage the operations of bringing this to Australia for the first and last time. Day One was today and it was quite the day, as most first days are. I was sent home after with a book on Egypt. I am officially loving it. Down my alley and a little bit further I reckon.

Post

I did something kind of old school and ordered a CD online, it arrived today. Yes, old school. The last CD I bought was probably in 2005. So it came in the mail today, and to my relief the snails that have decided to put a vendetta out against my mail, had not eaten it. The dickheads keep eating my mail, and I take all the snails out of the letterbox and throw them into the bush, but then the next day they are back. I even try and surprise them by opening the mailbox suddenly, it does not work. Dickheads.

BACK to the CD. It was the OST of "Mary and Max", a brilliant film released a few years ago, and produced by a friend, it is claymation and set in Australia and New York, about the unusual and quirky penfriend relationship between a young girl with no friends and a middle aged man with aspergers syndrome. Now that sounds a bit weird, but its totally above board and such a beautiful film. The soundtrack has a main theme, originally written by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, which speaks volumes for beauty to me. See the below clip to hear it.





And here is the trailer to the film, and wow, it has the music from above IN the trailer. Unreal hey.



It is St Pat's Day, and am I the only who thinks that since I am not Irish, it is not a day for me to celebrate. It is like all the Mongolian people getting pissed on Australia Day. Or maybe I am cynical or just got my shoes on the wrong hand today.

Some good new leads for work, and it really cheered me up.

Has anyone ever owned a panda suit, I am curious.

Flooded

When I say flooded, I am being a tad dramatic. I mean, I walked into my bedroom and half the bedroom carpet was a different colour. This was not because I was bored and painted it, but because it was water logged. Shit. The washing machine had decided to overflow again, at least it is functional at something right? I spent the next 2 hours soaking up the bathroom floor water with a towel and squeezing it into the bathroom tub. The water was brown. Then I soaked up the water in the carpet into a tub, but the water was yellow, I just refused to question why it was yellow. Still do, la la la.

I had my first dinner guests this week. Wednesday was Dan, and I cooked Chicken and Leek Risotto. Well it was meant to be pumpkin risotto but due to a fussy house guest I changed it last minute. No dig there.
Then on Sunday evening I had the guys I stayed with for the first few weeks in Melbourne over, and cooked corn bread, fresh guacamole and chicken chilli con carne. Was all yum! I was impressed. But this shant turn into a food blog, I aint Amy Adams.

So have had one full week in my apartment alone, and its pretty surreal. Love the feeling of doing everything for myself, but try not let the worry of having no job fill that enjoyment. I am beginning to consider bar work again, just to keep me sane and to meet new people.

Seeing the Tsunami/Earthquake on TV in Japan, once again we just do not comprehend. The thing is, we have seen all this before with Asia, Haiti, NZ etc, and we just see it and cannot imagine the experience or the great loss of life. Common experience between them and us is the only thing we have to relate. So we try and look for those common things on the TV. I dont know really, it is a grasp of understanding. Why these things happen or why these people.. always seeing it so far away we compute it will not happen to us. Dangerous to think like that.

Miss my old flatmates though... found this photo on my phone and forgot to upload it, from Christmas Eve last year at the beach. So much has changed already, but love that I have them in my life.

My first pad.

And when I say pad, I must highlight it is not the technology in your hand, or something you write on, or that other kind, but the kind that you live in, play in, dance in, sometimes cook in. You know?

I moved in on Monday and it was quite the trip down from Sydney. I actually really enjoyed it, Dad was with me and we chatted a lot, really did bond and get to know each other more. Which I always think is odd but makes sense, since he has been there since my birth yet you still get to know someone, even your father. He has been so amazing and generous and supportive and I am thankful to have him.

Mardi Gras was very interesting, as I was volunteering. I walked up and down the lanes between the floats while they waited to march, and observed a hell of a lot. But it was simply great to see, for one night, so much love and smiles in the crowd and audience and marchers. And to be a part of helping it. I returned home after a fun evening and read a friend's facebook and how he wrote out against the Mardi Gras and Sydney for being so immoral for supporting it. It got me upset, as it is so backwards and hurtful, especially as it goes against the Christian message that I grew up in. Another friend of mine wrote this in response and CCd me:

Hi Luke,

I saw your note on Mardi Gra. I believe you did that to inform those who do not know that what they might be doing is not okay in the eyes of God. It was brave for you to do this as I suspect you anticipated a negative response from at least some of your friends.

Having thought what you wrote; the entire scenario reminds me of 'Jesus and the woman taken in adultery'. A group of righteous people got together to condemn a person who they believed to be leading an immoral lifestyle. Jesus famously tells the righteous that the person without sin can cast the first stone.

My point is, the next time someone tries to tell Lucy Bates that Christians are loving, accepting people; do you think she will be more or less likely to listen as a result of your post?

I have only seen the public responses on Facebook. Based on these, nothing constructive has come of your post. Like-minded believers have patted you on the back while non-Christians are clearly agitated.

Have you received any feedback to indicate you have brought someone closer to God or even challenged someone to review their beliefs? I suspect not, but please tell me if I am wrong.

What were you hoping to achieve from the note you wrote? Why did you decide to post it?

If God has put this message on your heart, then I encourage you to meet people and form relationships and share what you believe God wants for their life.

I have included Lloyd because a) I know him, b) I think he would like to be included on this discussion and c) he is probably the most 'enlightened' of either side of this argument.

Apart from that I hope both of you are well and enjoying life in whatever you are doing these days.

Regards,

Rick.


To which I replied:

"Hey Rick

Interesting read and I totally see where you are coming from.

Lucy said what she did, because she herself grew up in the same church we did, but has gone on her own journey and is always so angry and hurt by the church and conservative words telling people what they can and cannot do, because of how damaged it made her. Hence why her reaction.

I believe Luke has a beautiful heart and Luke, you have come far in the past few years, especially in the way you have respected me and my own path. I know, especially as you live in Paddington, would have seen a lot more of the night as those in Engadine, and I do agree that there is quite a lot of sexual images pushed out there. And it is debatable if that is relevant or not to the original purpose of the parade. To gain the right like anyone else, to love and be free in a country such as ours.

I do agree Rick, that the Church has to stop with this putting fingers in their ears and shouting out condemnation. Did Jesus ever do this? No. AND the church is not Jesus, far from it. A human organisation, interpreting the scriptures, not just based on what they feel God is leading them to, but built up from a cultural background in 21st Century Australia, and the Western World. Where society views heavily influence what is OK and what is not, and interpretations of 2000 year old words can be looked at as a minority group in a society that does not understand things such as homosexuality. And they feel they are a majority because of it.

The same God made homosexuals, the same God has a path for everyone, including them. He loves them and sees them for who they are. I am so so tired and exhausted of having this sort of discussion because noone will ever know the true answer. But love is above everything, why point at each other and play the I am right, you are wrong game. People do not just DO things for the fun of it, or CHOOSE their path. It is there, and they have no choice when it comes to things like this. IF anything, the choice to not be themselves is forced on them and that is the unnatural thing, and this is where pain, hurt, self hate and depression come in. I have known those to commit suicide because of it. And one main reason, the church tells these people God "loves them but not the sin" ie, does anyone actually realise what that sounds like. That every process in their body is a sin, that everytime they have that desire in them, and for a guy, a lot of the time, is dirty and disgusting. And they never chose that desire. Which is actually a chemical in the brain, yet the Church tells them it is wrong, so one climbs to a roof, looks at the ground below and feels the wind on his face and knows that in a short space of time, this pain will go away, even though he is scared of the possible consequences and on top of the fact, he wont be alive anymore. OR the girl who looks on as the train comes closer, the cold steel of the train tracks, her last cold touch, like those at church, before she no longer has to feel alone, to just feel silence.

That sounds mighty depressing yes, but 1000's die, and its this ignorance and constant attitude that is causing this. And I know personally what it is like, to be at the crossroad, do I continue to lie and love a God who hates me, or do I be honest and accept I have to give up that faith I had. Cause I was told I had no other option. And it would have been so easy to end it all, but I believe I stayed so I can keep being an example that it IS ok. And everytime a Christian pulls a rope in the opposite direction, it simply breaks my heart. Cause each rope could be around a lost and broken person, and the death of them."





It may be a different blog to normal, but it is close to home for me, and I really needed to get it off my chest since it has been a while. It breaks my heart everytime they push it back to a place where we were 20 years ago. Or even 40.

As I sit here in my new place, still no job but got a gut feeling something good is happening soon. Gee I sound like a puffin with a high sense of how much my colourful beak rocks. Intelligent puffin I am.

That cafe (its like cake but not)

I have been told I need to wink when I am joking, as my sarcasm/humour (are those two words intertwined?) is sometimes undetectable. So when I say I love chocolate milkshake baths, I must wink. Or if I love the feeling of my hand being slammed in a vice. Wink. Is this a social problem needing to be fixed. Nah, its acceptable.

Have you ever noticed that the sound of a washing machine can be so loud yet you become so used to it, you do not even notice the loud beeping it does at the end to inform you it is finished. Nah neither have I. I usually just discover it the next day and realise I never got it out of the washer and not it smells of wet washing that has been sitting in the tub for a day, and its an Australian summer. Yeah, my favourite smell, yours too?