Hiatus rather than retirement.

Hello.
So, I've been rather inactive on the writing front. Thought I'd give a little bit of a hint as to what is happening in my life, just if you were wondering. I stopped posting both on here and on my travel blog as I'd reached a point where I was writing so much that I was no longer enjoying myself; regular blog posts were replaced by daily journal entries, which were replaced by weekly journal entries. After I had settled in Auckland, New Zealand (where I spent the better part of a year), I found myself in a routine wherein writing was something which had to be done, rather than something I pursued as a hobby. This was especially so considering my life at this point consisted of waiting tables, having a nice meal every now and then and drinking far too much rum - although it should be said, regrets are not something I believe in strongly.

My place of residence until relatively recently

So, enough about my self-imposed writer's block. My life since graduating has unwound rather fantastically. I got a decent grade in Law having already decided my future probably lay outside the field. To add to my savings, I immediately took a job at a traditional English ale pub (with a stupendous name), scrimping and living rent-free with my mother back on the South coast. Fast forward 6 months, and I had just about saved enough to follow my dreams of long-term travel. I flew from London with my father to St. Petersburg, spending several days with him before embarking on an odyssey which until this point, almost two years thence, has encompassed 10 countries, travel by train, bus, car, plane, boat, horseback, elephant, tram, motorbike and dog-sled.

There's little relevance to this photo other than that I love it. (Siberia!)

I have worked 75 hour weeks, witnessed ice hockey and Australian rules football games, Russian opera, climbed Himalayan mountains, practiced archery in the Mongolian steppes, partied until 9 am on a beach awash with neon paint and not-quite-legal substances and learnt how to sing happy birthday in Portuguese. However, most of all, I've met the most phenomenal selection of people who without exception have been the highlight of every experience I've had thus far.

I suppose that I could have written something along these lines as a Facebook post, tagging those people who I've managed to add as online friends. However, I feel like a short post doesn't really do justice to the trip as a whole. Plus, I realise quite a few of my 'friends' would probably tut at such a heartfelt and 'gap yah' outpouring of emotion. Oh, and there's time for that when I eventually head back to the U.K. By the way, that's going to be sooner rather than later - though while I'm particularly excited to see family and friends again, I can't deny I'm also rather anticipating my return voyage, encompassing a further 3 countries (pictures of which reside below - 10 points to Gryffindor if you can guess all 3 correctly without reverse-searching the images!) and the only continent I'm yet to visit. I'm also fairly sure I'll be off on my travels again expediently.



So, I'll leave you with the information that currently I'm living and working in Melbourne, Australia - unfortunately, a very easy place to spend money as well as earn it. After far too many lovely meals, I'm knuckling down to save a little bit of cash with which I'll resume my carefree wanderings. On that note, here's a picture of some wombats I saw the other day. Until next time...

Whilst asleep, I actually saw these - as opposed to the kiwi, which I'm convinced is not real.

Review - Blindness Jose Saramago

This piece is an apocalyptic thriller in which an epidemic with unknown cause strikes, causing widespread blindness. The book charts the progress of a small group of individuals among those first struck by the illness, from their segregation and quarantine to their eventual escape and re-entry into a world beset by desperate criminality and a shortage of essentials previously taken for granted.

Saramago's writing style is visceral and chillingly graphic, with horrific scenes captured incredibly effectively. Paradoxically, it would therefore seem, is the lack of any character names throughout the entire novel. Indeed, there is a noticeable absence of any proper noun - however, this is not to the detriment of character development. In fact, this reflects the sensory deprivation around which the story revolves. This is merely one of several superb narrative techniques harnessed by Saramago.
Apparently, a less than adequate film adaptation has been made in the last few years. Do yourself a favour and read the novel first. It's excellent.
8/10

Review - 'Millenium People' J.G. Ballard

From the beginning of this book, it was clear to me that it had great promise - I absolutely loved the premise of a middle-class uprising, and there was much to be admired in terms of the style of the writer. However, the main issue I had with this piece was that it failed to engage me fully. Despite the interesting and humorous supporting characters, there was never a sense of urgency for me to continue reading. I often find that the books I enjoy most are those that draw me in and keep me reading, constantly on tenterhooks as to the next development in the plot. 'Unputdownable', though I hate the word.

While these points may seem rather damning, the unexpected twists and turns and the combination of bizarre revolutionary events (ranging from terrorist attacks at airports to a vicious backlash from cat-lovers following a protest - yes, really) and black humour compensated these points to an extent.
Not an exhilarating read, but an entertaining one nonetheless.
6/10

A rather good quote

Time is never wasted when you're wasted all the time.
---Catherine Zandonella

Review - 'Solar' Ian McEwan

My first review! I hope you enjoy it...
So, I've been through a couple of McEwan's pieces in the past, and didn't truly appreciate his writing. However, right from the beginning, there was something a little different with the way I approached this novel. Perhaps something to do with actively choosing to read rather than having it forced on me in A level English...
My early worries proved to be unfounded, though - a combination of black humour and engaging narrative drew me in and I raced through relatively quickly.
There's some fairly complex scientific explanations which demonstrate either the author's vast knowledge of certain areas or at least comprehensive research - so, I suppose if you're looking for something which doesn't engage your brain in any way, this isn't ideal. But don't be fooled, this is merely the background to the story of a man's life embroiled in excess and pocked with moments of utter hilarity. I don't want to spoil any of them for any would-be readers, save that they're masterfully executed.
Enjoy them for yourselves.
8/10

Books. Books, everywhere.

To give you a brief update on the life of a graduate, I am working in a local pub and saving money for my travels.

As you can imagine, I've got an awful lot of time on my hands - I'm looking for something else to supplement my hours which already seem to be dropping worryingly, but otherwise I've been seizing the opportunity to read more. Of course, reading took up most of my time during my degree - but this is reading for pleasure, and not dominated by dry legal concepts and the presence of a looming deadline.

Consequently, I've rattled through more books in the last few months than I have done in the last few years, and I'm happy about it!

I thought I'd start doing mini-reviews - mainly for my benefit so I can look back, but it would also be pleasant thought to realise that I'd led someone to a book I enjoyed.

So, the next few posts will (hopefully) be littered with said mini-reviews.
Peace!

Word of the day

Cenosillicaphobia: fear of an empty beer glass

Excellent stuff.