Posts filed under 'Byron Bay'
Sigh. 9:50am, sitting on a bus in the Brisbane bus terminal, waiting to be taken out to the airport. The bus left Byron Bay at 6:55am. It was a struggle getting up after last night. I didn’t have that late of a night (was in bed by midnight), but that was mainly because I started so early. Nearly everyone in the house was already drinking at 5pm playing various drinking games. I’m quite sure they got drunk pretty quickly because when I went in for my first glass of wine at 7pm, I saw Dave running around in a pair of women’s thong underwear which was what he had to do as a result of losing the game. It was pretty hilarious. Good entertainment just watching them play.
Anyway I had a few drinks and then Kate and I headed over to Aquarius to visit James and his friend Simon. Everyone there seemed pretty tanked when we showed up. James was all fired up and we only saw him for a few minutes before he took off to somewhere, who knows. Then it was just Simon (England), Kate (Nova Scotia, Canada), and me.
And as much as I wanted to avoid the subject, the conversation turned to 9-11. It all started out because Simon started complaining about how during the US Open there were about 10 big American flags being held in the audience, and he thought it was complete shite because the Americans were just showing off to the world how great they think they are. And I tried to explain to him that it wasn’t like that at all actually that they were just remembering Sept. 11 and showing respect and that they are not afraid to be American and that it has nothing to do with being better than anyone else. And I asked why at the World Cup can everyone wave flags like crazy for their country and that’s FINE, but when Americans do it, we’re being obnoxious? It’s a double standard.
And well it just went on and on from there, and I heard all of the things that I really didn’t feel like hearing again, especially yesterday, about why does America always interfere with the rest of the world and how we as Americans had Sept. 11 coming to us for a long time. And we shouldn’t expect any sympathy from the rest of the world because in Britain they deal with terrorism from the IRA every day, so why do we think we’re special? And I was getting it from everyone around me. It is SO tiring to have to answer for an ENTIRE government and the history of a nation, and I am getting really sick of being the world’s punching bag out here.
Normally I try to be very diplomatic about these conversations, but the combination of the wine and the anniversary of 9-11 caused me to get much more emotional about the subject, and in the end I was saying something to the effect that everyone there would be speaking German if it wasn’t for us. Looking back, it’s actually kind-of funny.
Honestly though, it seems to be the British more than anyone else who always try to bully me into these discussions. I left last night feeling really sad and disappointed that people could be so cruel, especially on the anniversary of it all. And this morning I still felt upset, but I have to remind myself that it’s just ignorance and hate and it’s easy to hate something you have no connection to, and I have a really hard time believing that if any of those people who jump on me for being American were in NYC on 9-11 that they would be saying anything like they do.
I can’t let it change me feelings about Australia either because the Australians (that is the citizens here, not the a-typical backpacker) have been really friendly and really good to me. It’s been a great 6 weeks here, despite the crazy last night I had.
We should have payed attention to the sign….
Kate, me, and James
My good friend Simon the Englishman
September 12th, 2002
It’s September 11th here in Australia, but at home it’s only September 10th since we’re 14 hours ahead of you guys here. Even so everyone seems to be buzzing about the one-year anniversary. It’s weird, this whole trip I’ve been getting A LOT of heat for being American and people seem to really anjoy lashing out on me because of whatever opinions they have about the American government. Yet today everyone is being especially nice to me BECAUSE I’m American. Hypocrites!! Doing whatever is cool at the present moment, and of course it wouldn’t be considered cool to bash Americans on the anniversary of Sept. 11, but tomorrow everything will be back to normal and I’ll get the usual, ‘OH, you’re AMERICAN,’ with the ol’ up and down glance over when I introduce myself to someone new. Whatever. None of it is anything that I haven’t heard before, so if anyone thinks they’re being original for bashing an American, well they’re not. I’ve been accused of (yes, me personally, NOT the government) going in and interfering with too many countries, of being selfish and not giving enough to countries in need, and everything in between. Everyone who hates Americans can go and stuff it for all I care anyway. It SHOULD be abut PEOPLE and NOT governments.
I hope I don’t get any shit today. I don’t want to hear it.
I think my friend Qadir says it best when he said:
‘Yeah, I’m patriotic (whatever that means), but I guess I just harbor aversions to war, colonialism, imperialism, and karaoke.’
Anyhow, it’s my last day in Byron. I’ve decided to catch a flight tomorrow from Brisbane to Brunei. It will be Sept. 12 here then and Sept. 11 at home but I’m not worried about flying mostly because I’ll be on Royal Brunei Airlines which is a Muslim airline and I’m flying to Brunei and then Malaysia which are both Muslim countries.
I am looking forward to seeing a new place again, even if it means I’ve got to give up all the luxuries of Western civilization. It all builds character, right???
Backyard at Tinys Share House
Ben, one of the staff at the Share House
Kate (Canada), Noah (Israel), and Ek (New Zealand)
September 11th, 2002
And here’s something different – I’m sitting by the fire at another fine evening at the Share House. They’ve got a seafood barbeque on for everyone, well except the vegetarians that is. I’ll probably pop over to the market to get something in a bit.
It was another fine day in Byron – blue skies, warm sun, no wind, calm seas. Didn’t do too much at all except go for 2 long walks on the beach – one in the morning and one at sunset. And somehow the time in between just passed by – sitting around the house, and walking around town for awhile. I was going to read a book but I just couldn’t seem to get into it, then I went to the bookshop to buy a new one but I couldn’t find anything I wanted, so I settled for a magazine and caught up on such Hollywood news, as Brad turning down a film in Australia and deciding to shave his beard for Jen. Good stuff.
I also bought a new bathing suit, taking advantage of the fact that they have real sizes in Australia unlike Asia where even an XL is too small so that it’s virtually impossible to buy underwear or bathing suits.
I’m trying to do a few other things before heading back to Asia, like drink as much red wine and quality drinks as possible, eat as much bread, cheese, veggies, tofu, and carob as possible, enjoy the convenience of being able to drink tap water, take some extra hot showers, enjoy sitting on Western toilets and actually having toilet paper in bathrooms, and soak up as much of the English language as I can. I know it’s going to be tough giving up such luxuries, but I’m up for the challenge.
Tomorrow will probably be my last full day in Australia, the Thursday (I think) I’ll get myself to Brunei. That’ll give me 2 weeks to see a mountain, play with orang utangs, and do a few dives on my way back to Bangkok. Then who knows…somewhere in SE Asia for the next adventure.
By the way, I spoke to my mom today and she said my Dad is in recovery and is doing ok which is very good news! Even better is now knowing that the cancer has not spread, so everyone is feeling very relieved.
The beach of Byron Bay
Byron Beach
Byron Bay
September 10th, 2002
So guess where I’m at right now? Sitting by the fire at the Share House again, the usual place where I seem to end up every night. We’ve got a good group sitting round – people from France, New Zealand, England, Germany, and America (me). It was another beautiful sunny day in Byron and I didn’t do much at all besides take a yoga class and walk along the beach. I’ve managed to extend my ticket for another 3 days so I’m happy knowing that I don’t have to leave Byron tonight to catch a flight tomorrow.
Anyway enough of that. Because although my physical body is sitting around this fire in Byron Bay, Australia, my heart, mind and spirit are actually at home in Pennsylvania, thinking fondly of my Dad who’s getting ready to go in the hospital tonight to remove the cancer in his prostate. He was diagnosed a few months ago when I was in Thailand, and it’s been one of those things in life that you don’t want or expect but just have to deal with. He seems positive and strong and that makes me feel better than anything.
Dad, I love you, and I’ll talk to ya soon.
Sitting around the fire at the Share House
September 9th, 2002
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