Calling all amateur photographers. Do you have high quality photos of Bhutan? My publisher is an independent and, while the production quality of the book is great, he doesn’t have the funds to pay a professional photographer for the cover. I’ve got some great shots in my collection, but most of them were taken by… Continue reading Seeking Bhutan Photos
Author: mag
Less Macho
I overheard two suits talking on the morning train last week. You’d expect these dapper, corporate types to be talking about deals they’ve clinched, chicks they scored with over the weekend or at least the World Cup. No, they were swapping tips for getting dishes clean. What’s happened to the Aussie macho these days? I’m… Continue reading Less Macho
Australia’s First Female Prime Minister
If you blinked, you would have missed it. I don’t watch the news and I don’t pay a lot of attention to the news on the radio, but I usually keep up with events through office chatter and the word on the street. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Rudd resigned due to a slump in… Continue reading Australia’s First Female Prime Minister
Land of Hugs
I’ve never been a fan of the french kiss – the cheek-to-cheek air kiss French people do that is, not the tongue tied kiss we label French. There’s little intimacy or even familiarity in a touching of cheeks, though a couple of Belgian women proved that lips to cheek could go a long way. Instead,… Continue reading Land of Hugs
Consumer Urges
When I first got back from Bhutan, I had the urge to surround myself with possessions. It was both a reaction to the lack of the luxuries of western life and the need to link to my past as I went through the process of separating myself from Marie. Soon afterwards, a longing for the… Continue reading Consumer Urges
In Search of Title
It’s time to decide on a title for my book and I’m looking for input. The publisher likes the title : subtitle format like ‘River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze’ so suggested ‘Dragon Bones: Two Years Beneath the Skin of a Himalayan Kingdom’. It sounds a little clunky, but it could work. Dragon Bones… Continue reading In Search of Title
Signed Publishing Contract
It’s done. It finally happened! I have a signed book contract. It will be a tough run until the release planned for October, but this is something I’ve been working towards since 2002. If all goes well, there will be others to follow, perhaps starting with a rewriting of Japanese Pond to focus on the… Continue reading Signed Publishing Contract
Portable Junkies
A Belgian woman recently pointed out to me that Australians are heavy users of portable electronics. Fewer people in Europe have iPhones apparently, but it had only taken her a few days to start acting Australian and taking out her walkman as soon as she got on the bus.
Unfriendly Drying
I signed a contract to buy a new flat yesterday and was horrified to see a clause stating that I couldn’t dry my washing on my balcony. This clause has been around in contracts for a long time, primarily to prevent a building looking untidy. I dislike mess as much as anyone and I understand… Continue reading Unfriendly Drying
Generation Conflict
From a conversation between 10 year-olds overheard on the train: ‘GMail? My father uses GMail.’