I began my trip to Sri Lanka early so I could experience the New Year celebrations. I had no idea what to expect and was surprised by the way events occurred. As in many Asian countries, there were fireworks, temples and blessings, but done with a precision that no one could explain to me. My… Continue reading New Years Day in Sri Lanka
Family and House
Anthropologists often find themselves unable to do any qualitative work when they first visit a new ‘tribe’. While they learn the new language and create bonds with their research subjects, they focus on quantitative tasks such as kinship charts and drawing the layout of the village. So many people in Sri Lanka speak English that… Continue reading Family and House
Research for Sri Lanka
I’m feeling nervous and excited today. In a few more hours I’ll be on a plane to Sri Lanka for 6 weeks of volunteer work. I’ve done very little in the way of research on the country since a school project in 5th grade (1982) and I had even forgotten what the flag looked like.… Continue reading Research for Sri Lanka
Chalk Chasings
Councils around Sydney have been making great progress in developing safe paths for cyclists and are now even advertising them before movies at the cinema. I’ve personally been delighted by the networks, which allow me to get around or just to get outside for some exercise. The cycleway alongside the M2 has been rerouted due… Continue reading Chalk Chasings
Australian Himalayan Foundation
I received a letter from the Australian Himalayan Foundation thanking me for my donation of the royalties from Dragon Bones. It confirms that the money will go entirely to the RENEW project to enable disadvantaged young girls from Bhutan to attend school. As I know some of the people involved in the project, I hope… Continue reading Australian Himalayan Foundation
Dragon Bones Supports Education of Bhutanese Girls
The first royalty cheque for Dragon Bones was for 502 copies sold over 6 months. That’s about 10% of my big goal of 5000 sales. My main driver for selling so many copies (it is a lot for an unknown writer) was to ensure substantial support for Bhutanese organisations. To put this in perspective, my… Continue reading Dragon Bones Supports Education of Bhutanese Girls
Pedestrian Collisions
Until I moved to Europe, I assumed that people randomly chose the direction they moved to avoid oncoming pedestrians. In Belgium, I found myself stepping to the same side of the footpath as my counterpart almost every time. It didn’t take me long to realise that I always stepped to my left while they stepped… Continue reading Pedestrian Collisions
New Year’s Resolution
During the first week of every year, my Australian friends and colleagues (this seems to extend to most Western cultures) ask me what my New Year’s Resolutions are. I’ve never made any. It seems odd to me to wait until a specific day of the year to make a change in my life. If I… Continue reading New Year’s Resolution
Birthdays
2011 has been a big year for me. In March, my first book Dragon Bones was released in Hong Kong. In May it was released in the US. In June, I moved into my new flat – the first place of my own that I’ve ever lived in. It’s right on the train line, but… Continue reading Birthdays
The Path Is There To Share
I recently saw a sign in my neighbourhood that said ‘The path is there to share,’ with pictures of both a pedestrian and a bicycle. I’m not sure when this changed, but it certainly wasn’t the case in the Sutherland Shire in my school days. I know because I was ticketed for riding on the… Continue reading The Path Is There To Share