So, I've been getting an insane amount of online traffic to this post from back in January. I'm not complaining. I just think it's funny. One thing I've learned by regularly blogging over the past couple of years is that unless you are famous, people don't give a shit about your blog if it is focused on something personal. People really need a common interest to rally around - that, or their own egos stroked. I'm the same way. The only blog I read regularly is Andrew Sullivan's, and that is because I enjoy his take on social and political goings on. Since it focuses on major events, it kinda goes without saying it has mass appeal regardless of whether or not you agree with him. My intention in creating this blog was to have a living journal of my time here in Australia. So outside of family and friends, I never really expected for anyone else to have an interest in reading it. So, it is ironic that a large number of people I don't know have stumbled upon this blog through a post via third party, and to top it off, a post that has very little to do with what this blog is actually about! For whatever reason, this has made me think about the finality of this endeavor. This blog will end when we leave Australia, but blogging is something that I want to continue doing when I get back home to San Francisco. I think I know what I want to do, but need to let the idea simmer a bit (that got your attention, right?). I have plenty of time.
Speaking of time, I've had a bit of it on my hands lately having not been employed for the past three and a half weeks. Since I know you are curious, during that that time I've set up a Google+ account, did some work on the Debris project, and made other whacky shit like this, this, and this. Tough life, I know. But having free time has also made me realize how much I despise the month of July in Sydney. It reminds me of February back home - spring isn't too far away, but there are more winter days ahead than you think there are going to be. At least with February you get a short month. Something I've never really talked about on here (at least I don't think I have?) is the whole hemisphere mind fuck. It's easy to forget what month it is because of the season flip. It's not so bad for me now, but March, April, May and September, October, November were the hardest to keep straight. Are we in spring or autumn?!? Another thing I've found fascinating is experiencing the host of typical western holidays in the southern hemisphere. Since most (in one way or another) are based on agricultural cycles, there's a bit of a surreal thing that happens when you have things out of sync. For example, witnessing Easter being celebrated in the middle of Autumn makes you realize (even more) just how ridiculous Easter is, especially in a place like Australia, where the indigenous cultures never developed agriculture for the simple fact that most of the land here is devoid of topsoil and nutrients. A similar thing happens with Halloween, which never really caught on here anyway. It just doesn't make sense to be celebrating the harvest in the heart of spring. And don't get me started on having Christmas when it's +30c outside, complete with fake spray-on snow in the windows of businesses and giant decorated Christmas trees in the park! It just occurred to me that there are no public holidays here during the winter months, which I'm sure is what adds to the depressing nature of the whole time of year. There's a pub up the street from where we live that's having a Christmas in July party tomorrow afternoon/evening. I think I know what I'll be doing...
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