TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

  

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: APRIL 2002

Monday, April 29, 2002

10:41 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Coming down with flu and feeling miserable and cranky. everything is very fluid and in a state of flux which is usually fine, but quite challenging at the moment. Spent the morning at Art & Design school media lab - they are so well set up, heaps going on, lots of projects and student interactions, any chance of an exchange program??? (in summer preferablÿ) Visited the Sibelius monument which makes the most fabulous sound, essentially a huge pipe organ out in the wind. Beautiful. Lay on the grass in the sun and wished I could melt into the earth. Travel Delirium has well and truly set in, constant dazed where am I and what day is it??? Exhausting being constantly in new places, re-orienting myself - need to defragment! Not that I'm complaining, far from it, being in this state it's hard to make the most of where you are. Need to take the project up a level - or across, whatever, I don't know where to but something more... more public maybe or just more there. out in the world, on the air, up in the air. so ethereal. Anyway, going somewhere soon when the flights are confirmed, copenhagen, berlin, bratislava. Guess that's enough for the next week. Being in Helsinki is making me homesick for melbourne, saw a connex bus yesterday, almost cried. something about the look of the funky arty types and cool cafes reminds me a lot of melb. Anyway, I'll be back there soon enough and this will be but a distant fleeting memory ohmigod (oi zoi oi) it's time to log off before I really get maudlin.

Saturday, April 27, 2002

8:02 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Made it to the hip bar in Helsinki - 'jump inn' - (but not the rap sadly) which was the same as hip bars everywhere, minimal aesthetic, warm orange glow and plenty of self-consciously cool people hanging out being cool. Outside in the street after there was a young woman sitting on the pavement laughing, in her knee high boots and long blonde pigtails. She had been kicked out of the kebab place for being too noisy or drunk. Today I am going to the theatre to see Zeckett, a finnish zen interpretation of Beckett. produced by essi who was one of the lovely people here last night. Maybe tomorrow will make it to some of the sights of Helsinki, maybe the sibelius monument or the ferry and a swim in one of the public pools and sauna. Today is for chilling out, not up too much.

Saturday, April 27, 2002

4:55 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Siistiä!!!!!!!!! Mageeta!!!!! (coool, sweet) Survived my first streaming experience with a bunch of very cool Finns. Cemented my reputation as a lush when we were meant to start earlier and couldn't because I had gone out to buy vodka. Well, local customs and all.
Apparently going to see a finnish rap band later. Could be interesting. Some nice noise feedback happening now. Did a very quick md to md edit of 10 minutes selected bridge recordings for the stream at the house of one of Mari's friends, Villje a spunky lighting designer. Had a vodka with homemade lindenberry juice. bridges Erasmus, My Thuan and Maatinkaari. Happy with the result although does need listening on headphones for the subtle resonances. Still it's good to be part of the lo-fi ethic or was that slapdash??? Gotta love the media geeks for constant internet access. Katastro.fi rocks! Mika has taught me some cool words in finish, Vittu Mageeta!! It's ämäzing being immersed in sö many different languages none of which I speak. Bridges of Babel and all. Good for accessing the untranslatable resonance of the bridge cables. Voi vittu! I better logoff now before the art speak sinks in!!! Moi Moi.

Friday, April 26, 2002

6:45 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Here in Helsinki at Katastro.fi where the party is häppening later
The schedule for tonight is Helsinki in the 3rd hour which is 9pm helsinki time, not 7pm as before
di-fusion website http://art.colorado.edu/di-fusion/
Shadow party in Helsinki tonight! http://www.expand.fm/
live streaming url http://art.colorado.edu/di-fusion/connect.html


Have to confess already made the recording of Maatinkaari bridge, so it isn't LIVE live, but semi-live. catatonic maybe. Sounds amazing, the best cable vibration so far and had the assistance of Mari who made video and Lasse who played on it for me. Awesome. Helsinki is mad, fantastic shop signs on the buildings, most of which are 50's and 60's monstrosities, went past the market place and harbour on the tram today. Hope to make it to Kiasma to see more modern art soon and also the zoo and that's about all the sights I can take. Mari says there is a bar on the top floor nearby so I can see all the sights at once. May go to berlin sooner than expected, will see what happens in the next few days. All very fluid right now. Found some fantastic 2nd hand shops - the UFF had everything on sale for 2 euros. Julaine I wish you were here, so many things I wanted to buy you. Need a sherpa now to carry my luggage. A bit tired of travelling - already - dreaming of a home somewhere to put all this junk I'm collecting. Whoever said a rolling stone gathers no moss was so wrong. Keep rölling and gathering.

Tuesday, April 23, 2002

8:13 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Flying to Helsinki in the morning!
Di-fusion event is at http://art.colorado.edu/di-fusion
Live audio stream with di-fusion at the following url
http://art.colorado.edu/di-fusion/di-fusion.ram
Helsinki time 19:00pm
event Helsinki 18:00 26 - 18:00 27 April (GMT + 3)
event in sydney 01:00 27 - 01:00 28 April (GMT +10)

Monday, April 22, 2002

9:44 PM
Posted by jodi rose

It's been a leckerje (tasty) 3 days for art. On friday night went to the opening of COnceptual Art from Dutch and Belgian Collections 1965-75, at the Stedelijk Museum. It was great to see some of the conceptual art stars in their original setting, as Zita pointed out that was probably the last time the Stedlijk actually was modern. My favourites were the super8 film of bars van der? hanging from a tree, excruciating thrill waiting for him to drop into the water below, and owen wilson? (I'm bad with names) who did one artwork consisting of a chalk circle drawn on the floor of the gallery. After that he retired to discuss ideas of language, culture and philosophy and noted the discussions which then became his artwork. Cool.
On Saturday caught the train to rotterdam, saw windmills and tulip fields and sailing boats with the sails incongrously floating through the grass in the remarkably flat countryside. Rotterdam rocks! found a mad art space mama - media and moving art, with very funky cartoon pop graffiti aesthetic - although the boss assured us that this work was not hardcore. Come back in septermber, he said that will be hardcore - in his dolce and gabbana sunglasses. well why not.
Walked to the bridge and miked up cables, railings, grill on the walkway - then it opened and that was awesome. Got the grinding of the machinery closing the roadway and once the traffic started again some great trams and bikes from inside the resonant railings. Adam pointed out that you don't mike the strings on a guitar, but the soundboard (duh! - such a sound grasp of physics and acoustics that I have) and so it's perfectly reasonable to get more sound out of the surrounding structure than the actual cables. Definitely the most satisfying sound so far, and ít's all about the process after all. If I knew how they would sound before I did it there wouldn't be much point, I guess. Met Karoly Thoth, a lovely media artist who lives in rotterdam and he took us out for a beer in very cool pub near the harbour.
Read multiple copies of the wire - wicked sound & music mag which left me feeling a bit out of the groove, having missed so many incredible performance and events.
On saturday night another opening this one at smart, an artist run space in the ground floor of a 60's monlith. Very art sceney - you get that - some interesting work, the hanging man popped up again, along with a local artist who climbed up the structure of the building from the basement to the roof. That was fascinating to watch but ultimately unsatisfying as there were cuts when he didn't make the connection between floors and you really wanted to see a continuous journey. Had a number of climbing frames in the gallery at varying angles, fun watching people make the attempt. The other cool work was multiple screens of porn dicks going into blackness - the womens bits had all been blacked out - called 'paradise lost', which I liked.
Sunday wandered around Prisengracht and found the tiny building I stayed in for a month 12 years ago, with the Bolhoed vegetarian restaurant still downstairs. Today feeling very tired and a bit depressed, missing my lush friends and still very much a foreigner here. The dutch are freakishly tall and there are lots of terrifyingly hip europeans on the streets, some with way too much make-up pancaked on in that continental 'style'', their faces look big and doughy after the slim elegant vietnamese. Kinda miss the chaos and noise and heat and constant chatter of Vietnam.

Thursday, April 18, 2002

9:08 PM
Posted by jodi rose

In Amsterdam after 24 hours of travel on 3 airlines and 4 countries. Hanoi, Bangkok, Frankfurt (which I knew wouldn't like) and Amsterdam. Played a fun game at bangkok airport for 10 hours with no cash - since they had no atm and out of hard currency. No-one changes dong! Kept amused reading and people watching, made sound recording - think I'll do a subsidiary work on airports aural spaces and safety cards. Frankfurt had a deathly hush even the trolleys ran on eerily silent wheels and the hum of conversation stayed monotone. Unlike the fantastic clattering and babble in multiple languages of bangkok airport, but singapore chang mai is still the most fantastic I've been in. Thai air was good, had campari and oj with dinner then brandy after, but
served me asparagus crepes twice in one day. ugh. still not as good as singapore air. watched 'bandits' this morning that was fun. liked cate blanchetts demented character and it had a nice twist on the heist flick genre.
Lufthansa was a stark contrast, with the chiselled serious german boys in dark crisp suitsand grey/yellow leather seats, cool wallpaper, silver spots on white - bit like the roof of an old volkswagon. Thai scheme much more decadent, gold patterns on cream and varying crimson and purple seats.
With the fabulously detailed directions given to me by the wonderful Zita, felt like an international spy following secret instructions, now happily chilling out in their apartment. It's nice to be somewhere quiet and not have to work so hard just walking down the street, but have to admit feeling a twinge of sadness flying into schipol under the gunmetal sky the neat ordered boxes of houses stacked up in symmetrical rows. Missed the colour and chaos and noise of Vietnam. This is where the entire journey starts to feel bizarre, can't quite believe it's real. Anyone who wants to send money, can you please do so now!!!It's like the tide, ebbs and flows and right now at a very low ebb. Alternatively will write for cash!
ˇ

Tuesday, April 16, 2002

9:54 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Well it's been an interesting few days in Hanoi - not what I imagined, and very different to the south. People are not so friendly here, but knowing Carolyn was excellent, she gave me an insight into actual life in the city and introduced me to the joys o f the Bia Hoi! Something fantastic about sitting on a tiny plastic chair in the street corner drinking 1500 dong beers with whoever rocks up. Also a lush cafe called Puku, (in a secret location) run by some way cool people from Christchurch, with a very b runswick st atmosphere, good coffee and tonight is celebrity cocktails night - the ernest hemingway mojito. Can't wait! Staying in a lavish hotel above silk shop - dangerous if I had any spare cash, and the entire staff at reception in the shop dissolve into fits of laugh pretty much every time I come downstairs. Carolyn wrote the vietnamese for why are you laughing at me? 'tai sao em cuoi chi? with various inflections I can't reproduce here, and the lovely girl said because it is so funny when you come. Oh well, today one of the boys told them he loved me - Em yeu anh! so that was cute. Delicious dinner at tamarind vegetarian restaurant last night, use organic ingredients, fab cocktail Rouge Crush with vodka, watermelon, lime and mint. Yum. Sampled a few creme caramels too, have yet to decide on the best - one good residue of the french.
Quy and his sister Roa in Hue were lovely, on my last night there Quy took me to meet his english teacher, and her husband and son who live near the citadel and for bidden purple city. It was really cool to hang out with them at home, and her father peeked round the door and came in. He was a professor of english and literature for 30 odd years at the Hue College, and now teaches Buddhist monks, her husband was jokin g that he is known as the 'living buddha' - the professor complained that he got no respect from his son-in law! They were absolutely delightful, very charming and interesting and extremely intelligent, as so many people I meet here are. Quy studied mathe matics but is working in a hotel, learning english and japanese and playing pool in his family's bar - bar brown eyes, when he isn't looking for a girlfriend!
Met lots of interesting people in Hanoi, and some characters - one of whom 'Hiro' took me around the city today. Visited the Ethnic Minorities museum - sorry the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, with incredible fabrics, weaving and clothes of the various tribes, handcraft displays pottery, hunting and fishing gear, life sized houses of the Thay and Hmong people and others, all housed in a large white circular building slightly reminiscent of the guggenheim. Hiro was an exuberant and knowledgble guide, one of the black hmong people from Sapa. Then the Van Mieu pagoda and ancient university in the city - built in 1076, with gigantic s tone turtles holding up stone tablet incsriptions. Watched a traditional music performance there, with cool instruments, one a series of pipes that you clap into to make sound, and another very old lacquered one stringed number with a flange at the top. L eft an offering at the altar for writers, on behalf of all the writers in my life - hi ma! Hiro drove me around on his authentic russian minsk motorbike with a serious cool quotient. Also went to the Long Bien bridge, (?) over the Red River for bicycles, pedestrians and trains and made a recording - couldn't quite get it together when the train went past though, so will just have to imagine that.
Lined up the audio streaming with Expand out of Helsinki, as part of the di-fusion event. Will give url asap, to take place on 26-27 April. Hope to edit some sound together for that, with the bridges in vietnam, rotterdam and helsinki. Time for food, love jro..

Friday, April 12, 2002

8:31 PM
Posted by jodi rose

The bus trip from Hoi An to Hue was incredible, over the marble mountains. Looking up to peaks disappearing into mist, at the summit a couple of socialist billboards no doubt extolling the virtues of being a good citizen. Also there seems to be an election on in may, going by the many posters of smiling pigtailed girls waving paper in front of a slotted box, as good a wa as any to encourage people to vote! Many roadside altars painted bright yellow, reds and blues, with incense burning and some of the most spectacular views across small bays with mountains draped all around. Driving through tiny dusty towns, which all seemed to have a pool hall and one strip just over the pass where I counted 8 roadside barber shops. Hue was a bit of a disappointment after that - in a filthy mood all day yesterday, couldn't see why people had kept telling me they found it beautiful. Just another noisy, busy city.
Did the boat ride along the perfume river, to a gorgeous ancient pagoda and one of the tombs - Tien Ma pagoda and Tinh Hu tomb, after that just hung out in the local coffee shops and chatted to the owners. For some reason chose the slow train which doesn't leave til 10.47pm, so had all day to fill in - walked to the citadel and explored one of the lookout ruins (no entrance fee), then ended up on the riverbank again, in one of the many cafe/bars lining the north side. Was having a coffee in one when PJ Harvey started playing in the next one along, so moved to find an aussie boy who had brought his own music, was quite incongrous to hear her playing amidst the sea of pop and dance, but very enjoyable. Lush way to spend the day, watching boats pass and drinking (a) Huda beer. Time for dinner now, then off to Hanoi.
Well obviuusly took the slow train so I could hang out with the lovely family at bar brown eyes next to the binh minh hotel. They cheered me up no end, after the dingy room with lime green nylon curtains - would have felt at home in cessnock. Roa welcomed me in and had an actual conversation with her and brother Quy that didn't consist entirely of 'where are you from where have you been where are you going/ come look at my shop/please come in or how much is your hotel.' Really detest the traveller who boasts about the cheapest everything in a country this poor - it seems in very bad taste to gloat about saving a few thousand dong which is loose change to you. Although I don't enjoy having a dollar sign tattooed on my forehead, or constantly being taken for a sucker, you do need to have some compassion and understand where people are coming from.
Anyway, ranting aside, it was a refreshing change to talk with some people who, sure wanted my business in their bar, but were also incredibly warm, intelligent, friendly and had a great attitude to life.

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

3:49 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Arriving in Hoian at night is beautiful, the town appears lit by coloured chinese lanterns along its narrow streets and down the river. Stayed at the very atmospheric Vinh Hung 1 hotel, an old chinese warehouse, lots of lacquer furniture and excessive decoration. In the morning made a bee line for the tailors, fortified by the free breakfast of banana, pineapple, pawpaw (yuk) and yoghurt - much needed to fend off the constant cries of 'hello come and see my shop,' 'where you from.. come and see my mothers shop'.... etc
Guess I can't really complain, being a tourist and all hence contributing to the commercialisation of the town but tourist fatigue is setting in. Reading HH Dalai Lama on the art of happiness, and remind myself that these people, like me simply want to lead a life free of suffering and attain happiness, which means making the most of every business opportunity that walks by -trying not to get impatient after the 20th hello where you from in two blocks. Smile, Australia, you're very friendly some people say.
One of the tailors was fantastic - have beautiful silver silk shirt which makes the most of my long back, other 2 disappointing and another one ok. So only marginally added to my wardrobe - a good thing, some may say. Have altogether way too much luggage already. Catching the minibus to Hue today and staying a night or two, look at the forbidden purple city and the perfume river. Then train to Hanoi as the roads are not good, according to the travel agent. Easy to believe.
Had a fantastic time on the Japanese covered bridge, ancient wooden structure with monkeys at one end and dogs at the other - many stories, first started building in year of monkey and finished in year of the dog; japanese emperor children born year of monkey and dog; another one I forget now. Also the monster, Cu who lives across asia - head in india, body in vietnam, the bridge is said to be built over his weak point so that he cannot move and cause earthquakes, hurricanes etc. The wood creaking sounds gorgeous, and people walking and cycling across on the old wooden boards.
Sampled the local delicacy Cau lau(?) flat noodles that have to be made with water from the bai lai well, but they didn't rock my world. The coffee is fantastic - after 18 months not drinking the stuff, something about having it with sweetened condensed milk really does it for me! More from Hue or hanoi, love jro.

Sunday, April 07, 2002

6:42 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Today is my favorite day in Saigon. Mr Tung picked me up from hotel 64 and took me to a contemporary art exhibition - beautiful work, gilles rieu and cyril pujol and some other artists from france and canada. It was at Association des Beaux Arts d'Ho Chi Minh Ville, photos hand coloured with rich textures and very cool bronze sculptures that looked like scrap metal and a beautiful series of paintings with text and bits of objects called "L'Odeur de l'ete a Ho Chi Minh" the smell of ho chi minh city in the summer. Discovered the motorbike parking system, where one of the men loitering around a building gives you a ticket or marks your bike with chalk and watches it for you. The traffic hardly phased me at all, riding on the motorbike was lots of fun. I love how life is out on the streets.
Then La Quy Tung took me to his studio in the backstreets of Saigon - Tan Binh District and showed me the paintings he does - beautiful sense of space, very abstract with rich blues and ochres and textures. His work has been shown in Paris and is having a show in Madrid this year, his wife is a Doctor but he is doing very well making art. It was so special to see inside someone's home, and especially an artist, not to be out on the streets of the kings cross district of Saigon. Then we visited another artist, Nghikhue at his home where he played me the sound cd from 2002 Whitney Biennial in New York. There was an amazing piece by Stephen Vitiello of the world trade centre building itself, recorded using contact mikes on the windows after hurricane floyd in 1999. He also knows some artists in Hanoi who work with sound and made a musical instrument from a motorbike.
We went to another friend Quan's restaurant for lunch. I didn't eat much cause it was largely meat and river oysters, but made some delicious fresh rolls with herbs and drank beer and listened to the men talk in Vietnamese. Such an amazing language - I wish I could understand something of it at all. May have to come back and learn. Although it is very intriguing to not understand the words people are saying, but pick up on some of the tone and intent that flows beyond language. It is the essence of the journey that not all language is translatable, from the bridge to people, and that isa very beautiful experience. The sounds of the afternoon were beautiful, from the boys talking to a bird who talked and imitated knocking and very lovely spanish quitar music.
Quan is from Hoi An where I am going tonight on the train - he said the men in Hoi An are very handsome. I told them I think the men in Vietnam are very handsome - but he said no, only from Hoi An. Well it's not really tonight as the train leaves at 9.50pm and gets in at 7pm tomorrow to Danang - ouch! then taxi to Hoi An. I have a soft sleeper, which I hope is vaguely comfy. Apparently the 'fast' train which gets in at 2pm is not running tonight - the lady from TM Brothers travel cafée told me it is the same price for the S4 (slower than S2) as they had to bribe the railway to buy the ticket. She said, if you only follow the book in Vietnam, nothing gets done. The lovely people in hotel 64 where I am staying in Saigon have booked hotel for me in Hoi An, there I will have some clothes made, and visit the famous Japanese bridge.

Saturday, April 06, 2002

8:09 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Back in cybercafe saigon after two days on the mekong delta. Very beautiful out in a range of boats, being rowed along tiny channels or out in the main waterway. Absolute highlight was the coconut candy factory on unicorn island - very like Suga, all handmade traditional delicious, but with river view and a hammock. Was a little brave and touched the bees after drinking honey tea, but declined a walk on the monkey bridge. Did get to walk across the My Thuan bridge (mee thun), luckily as that was what I went for. The driver dropped us off about a mile from the approach and it took over an hour, and the others got tired of waiting so hired motorbike youths to come pick us up. Very exciting ride down off the bridge, a little hair-raising in the vietnamese traffic. Although I have a lot of respect for the attitude of just go and it will flow around you, and whoever honks loudest has right of way.
So, made recording of the cables, after some technical problems and in a bit of a hurry, Thao one of the guides helped me by banging on the cables - they made a lovely bell sound with great distortion when I cranked the mic level way up. Also recorded some ambient sounds on the bridge, traffic, boats and the ferry trip to Can Tho, like the one which the bridge has replaced at it's Vinh Long location.
The view was amazing, delta stretched out for miles and the blue cables are gorgeous, bought a mango halfway up - you can't do that on the anzac bridge.
Glad I did the tour thing, it was fascinating to learn about the country and people with Phuong (nickname Noodle), our beautiful safari-suited guide who was very entertaining, extremely intelligent and knew just about everyone in Can Tho. Taking the ferry across gave an experience of what it was like before the bridge was built, although the locals are paying toll for the next five years. I told Phuong you want to watch that, Sydney Harbour Bridge was meant to be paid for after 20 years and it was built in 1932(?) and we're still paying for it!
The women in the market fell over themselves laughing when I walked by, and come up to pat my belly and breasts miming big big big. This was funny at first but after a while I felt like jumping up and down yelling "I'm not that big!!" But as I didn't know the words in vietnamese and would probably have misprounced it to say 'your mother is a pig' or something equally inappropriate. One of the women asked was I going to marry Phuong and I said I'd love to, but have many bridges to cross still.
Off to Hoi An and then Hanoi, where there is an amazing old steel bridge over the red river that I'm keen to hear. Any stories about the soul of bridges would be most welcome.

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

8:18 PM
Posted by jodi rose

wow! Vietnam is amazing. Totally blown away by the people, sheer volume of traffic, the young girls selling postcards who come up and giggle and tickle until you give in, it's joyous to be somewhere everyone is so friendly. Yes cynics may say that's because they see big westerner and dollar (or dong) signs flash, but I like chatting to people on the street and they're mostly still friendly even when I don't buy anything. The traffic is incredible, rivers of motorbikes and cars flowing around each other, hooting, crazy but somehow it works the ride from the airport made me very zen, gazing out the window totally mesmerised. I'm in a very open state of mind, soaking it all in with a huge grin on my face, I could watch the constant movement and people going about their lives for hours. The high rise in Singapore fascinated me, they told so many stories. Flying into Saigon was the complete opposite, with random concrete boxes all stacked up in a mishmash of colours and shapes, wonderfully chaotic and crumbling.
Jumped into a cyclo (after he followed me for a few blocks ignoring my laughing protests that I wanted to just walk for a while - it got a bit much in the heat, so I was glad to take up his offer) Huon? took me to the war museum. Chilling images, effects of agent orange, historical truths - and of course it was called the Anti American war here - fantastic posters of japanese solidarity and the world's outrage and protests at the war. Gave me a different perspective on the people who have lived through all this, and are still incredible peaceful and open even in the mayhem. Tried to contact Mr Tung but neither the email or phone number worked, so it looks like I will be an outsider for a while longer.
Leaving tomorrow on a tour of the Mekong Delta for 2 days - the travel agent laughed when I said I wanted to visit the bridge - are you australian? he asked, lots of australians want to see it. I didn't tell him I want to hear it as well, but the tour stops to look at sunset from the My Thuan so I'll just have to make time to slap on the microphones and find a few kids to bang on it for me.
Did some fabulous shopping - feel so rich, spending hundreds of thousands of dong - which is easy considering us$1 = 15,050 dong.
More from the mekong later.

Tuesday, April 02, 2002

3:21 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Singapore's train system is fantastic, and only costs $1.80 to get into the city from the airport. Once you work out how to calculate the fare and buy the ticket, they're fast, clean and have hot pink, electric blue and sea green seats. Wild high rise apartments all the way from the airport, with lots of altars, good luck charms and and washing hanging out the window on sticks. Had breakfast at Raffles Hotel - strangely disapointing and empty, very lush in its colonial grandeur but didn't really rock me.
met minghwa, bought the minidisc recorder - very sexy metallic blue, he was lovely and helpful and not dodgy at all! I even have a warranty all you unbelievers. So now am real sound artist not imposter. Even have an external mike to record people talking, traffic on the bridge, water and anything else that catches my lurid aural fancy.
15 minutes of net fame about to run out signing off next flight soon.

Tuesday, April 02, 2002

8:49 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Well, here I am in Singapore Changi airport, feeling very international at the computer lounge in the terminal. This place has everything, koi pond, shops, gym, masssage, cable tv, orchid garden, and at 7.30 in the morning isn't too busy.
Singapore airlines is my favourite so far (ok so it's the first, but they were great!) with traveller pack of toothbrush and socks, eye mask, some free postcards which the staff post for you from the airplane. Easy 8 hour flight, very smooth and painless. Watched Kate and Leopold on the personal video screen (it was trash), had a great seat with masses of legroom, lovely fruit salad of strawberry, orange and grapefruit and the cute steward gave me playing cards and mastermind travelling game. Flying into Singapore was gorgeous, could just make out the islands as dark smudges in the predawn haze. Can't wait to fly to Siagon and see what it all looks like in the daylight. The lovely Miss Linh from hotel 64 has arranged to meet me at the airport, the guesthouse sounds lush - air-con, mini-bar, tv, window (!), bath, fresh fruit, tea and coffee and breakfast. all for US$14 a night. I'll be needing a comfortable bed after today shopping in singapore for the minidisc recorder and then another flight.
Time to go find breakfast and check out singapore, call minhwa and make my purchase.

Monday, April 01, 2002

2:46 PM
Posted by jodi rose

About to take off. A little bit exciting! It's been a mad week, anxious about stuff in storage but when I actually had to go and deal with it, wasn't so bad. Like the waves crashing over the side at bronte beach, look scary but in fact heaps of fun. Much easier with the help of lovely Richard and Chrissie to drive us around. Haydie helped me sort the many boxes of stuff that landed at her house, have now sifted down to the luggage I'm taking away. Stretched the boundaries of uni red tape on thursday, getting forms signed and travel insurance and loan application but that was all managable too.
very low key going away drinks last night, at the union club hotel in fitzroy, caught up with the people I hadn't seen and some I had. Delicious linguine and lemon tart.
Have only had a moment of stress about imminent departure, otherwise very calm and relaxed. Thinking about joining the airport luxury lounge so I can go in and do yoga, read the paper and eat fruit before the plane trip. If it isn't too expensive.
Arranged a meeting with Minghwa from the bluetin marketing co in singapore to buy a minidisc recorder at midday on my stopover there. everyone finds it ludicrous and a bit dodgy, but I'm perfectly happy with the deal. After all, he has a website so it must be legitimate, right?! Am also in contact with karoly, a cool sound artist in Rotterdam, who lives a minute from the erasmus bridge. Feeling very trans-global.
Had a luscious morning with Richard and matt missed lemon delicious as dante's was closed, but had a wild banana cream pie, feel a little ill now. Plenty of time to sleep it off. Lay in the park in the sun one of my favourite things.
Best go and make a few last adjustments to my life before taking off, next time I write will be in Vietnam. Cool!