Weird animals to eat – would you try dog?
We’re not overly adventurous with food in Australia. Some may argue that the plethora of Thai, Indian, Italian, Moroccan, Chinese or Lebanese restaurants in this country point to a curiosity about...
View ArticleBitten by the travel bug – why is travelling so addictive?
Travel is like crack cocaine. For those of us that love to travel for leisure, the time away is a period of intense high. When we return home, we may sink into a temporary depression but in no time we...
View ArticleGetting on it – let’s lay off the non-boozers
There is no better social lubricant than alcohol. In Australia and the UK, social interactions seem to involve, and revolve around, downing booze. We catch up for with our mates at the pub and BBQs on...
View ArticleList love: phrases you must know when travelling a foreign country
As much as it would be so much more damn convenient, not everyone in the world speaks English. This makes it a little tricky when you’re travelling in a country where the locals speak a language that...
View ArticleBeing an atheist traveller
I don’t believe in God. This news probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the “rational” part of my blogging handle TheRationalOptimist. In the 2006 Australian census, 64 per cent of the...
View ArticleThe good life – is it something to feel guilty about?
I think I’ve had a pretty charmed life so far. It’s not perfect of course, but I’m thankful for what I have and the opportunities that I’ve been given. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, so why do...
View ArticleG’day? Being a non-white Australian abroad
Thanks to Crocodile Dundee, Neighbours, AC/DC, Steve Irwin, and Home and Away, the world has the perception that Aussies are white, with broad accents and an upward inflection at the end of each...
View ArticleThe cult of food and celebrity chefs
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, once our necessities are satisfied we want more. This is certainly true when it comes to food. In the undeveloped world, people are often struggling with abject poverty...
View ArticleSeeing your charity money at work
When I was backpacking through Central America, I took some time to visit my sponsor child, Danny, in a regional area of Honduras. Danny is one of two children that I sponsor through a global NGO, and...
View ArticleSydney lights up
For my fellow piggies still living in Europe, occasionally I like to remind them that their home city of Sydney is pretty amazing. The usual approach taken is to moan about how incredibly warm the...
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