I haven't been
noding much at all, or even checking into E2 much,
for the last few weeks, because I've been preparing for my trip to
Australia, which begins tomorrow.
I'm flying to Sydney tomorrow night, if United and the FAA let me. It seems that they will. I'm excited, but nervous, actually 2 kinds of nervous - first, the kind I would have had anyway, the normal nervous you'd expect to be when you're about to fly to a different country, continent, and hemisphere. When you're about to sit in a plane for 14 hours. When an entire day will just evaporate because of crossing the International Date Line. All those sorts of things are weird, for me at least, so i'm bound to be nervous. But then there's the other, more edgy nervous that comes from the the events of last week. And the fact that my country might be going to war very soon. The deadline for the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden is tomorrow too, right? Or is it Thursday?
Anyway, I've been telling myself that my plans will not change unless we actually declare war before my plane leaves. If the war starts while I'm in Australia, well, I can think of worse places to be. In fact, if it gets really really ugly, Australia could be the best place. I could just head for the outback. But probably things will only be sort of ugly, and i'll probably head back to the States as planned on the 29th.
It will be interesting, to say the least, to see how the Australians treat me face-to-face in light of the terrorism in America. Will they be more sympathetic than they normally would be to Americans? Will they offer their condolences? Or will they say, "you Yanks asked for it, mate."? heh.
Prime Minister Howard already said that Oz would "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the US for any retaliation. How macho of him. Worth noting that their current refugee problems are with mostly Afghans...
Anyway, I'm going officially to take part in an art festival, specifically Electrofringe, which is part of a larger festival called This is Not Art. So what I've been doing for the past few weeks instead of noding (and more) is creating a video collage that will be projected behind me while I perform improvised sound collage. This will happen September 28 in Newcastle. Also performing are People Like Us and The Evolution Control Committee.
But I plan to get lots of r&r in also, hit the beaches, the Blue Mountains, see some koalas at the Koala Rescue Hospital in Port Macquarie and more. I'm not going to just be a pasty pale electronic artist sitting inside sipping espresso and shopping for records all day. I've wanted to see Australia ever since I was a little kid, this art stuff is just the excuse to finally go. But it's a pretty good excuse, don't you think?
So, hopefully I will be noding at least a few daylogs, maybe more while I'm there. Actually, no, strike that, I probably won't be noding much. Probably after I get back. But hell if I'm going to sit at a computer when i could be out looking for wallabys and wombats. If any Sydneysider noders want to meet up with me this weekend, let me know!! message me, or email steev@detritus.net....