The Last Time

I was in an Eslite store, I stumbled across a travel photojournal of a man who visited all the forgotten towns by traditional train (台鐵). I will probably never find it again, but lately, this memory is constantly on my mind.

It's such a raggedly romantic way of travelling.

Picture this: Sunlight spilling into and over the seats. Traditional Taiwanese boxed lunch with the pork cutlet, braised egg and greens. Familiar accents. Gentle rocking to and fro. Amazing scenery. My camera. Books I love. Books to lose myself in. Places to see, conversations to be heard, and people to meet.

Written in the stars

And if I told you I wanted to publish my thoughts?
All that I've accumulated under the title of Errant Thoughts.

To make it into something I can leaf through.
Something to keep.

Would you laugh in my face and tell me it's folly?

Playing tourist.

We had over an hour to kill until our next class at VCA, so spontaneously decided to visit the NGV.

It'd been quite a while since my last visit with school. The foyer was as I remembered it to be - of course, the deco had changed. There used to be a children's cubby house you could explore. It looked as though they were in the progress of change.

Inspiration hides in nooks and crannies. I should not always expect to find parcels on my doorstep. How many times had I traversed St. Kilda Road over the past 7 years? Countless. Every day of high school, and now weekly for my class at VCA. I could have easily diverged paths earlier for a short visit, but as it is, humans are creatures of habit, and I am no exception.

Not today though.

With plentiful time and weather-induced carefree attitude, this fine Autumn day turned out to be quite different after all.

It's very different, looking at Melbourne from a tourist's perspective. Drawn to the visitor's centre and souvenirs shop, I fell naturally into exploration mode, and in the heart of this bustling city, I found what I was looking for. What I missed. That ability to leisurely sidle my way through albeit small shops and discover all that other's have to offer: their ideas and thoughts. Wasn't that what I was after?

I left with half-formed ideas for future projects and a lingering feeling from the unique combination of freedom from routine, ample time and patience.

I should do this more often. Stray from routine and find inspiration from everything else I encounter. It's not that Melbourne has nothing to offer, it's that I haven't been looking. My arms are not wide open. Inspiration was on my doorstep all along, but I failed to recognise it. I have sorely neglected this beautiful city I now call mine.

"Do something daring every day," I used to say.
Well now, perhaps it's now time to take the road less travelled. After all, "not all who wander are lost."