I am a big fan of trains. I especially like sitting back and relaxing, reading a good book, and writing postcards. After my 60-hour train ride through China, the six-hour train ride from Sydney to Dubbo was no problem. Before visiting Dubbo, I researched how to get around without a car; I like to live green, and renting a car is sometimes a bit expensive. After eventually finding the bus schedule, which didn’t even go anywhere near the zoo, I knew I had two options: 1) take taxis and rent a bike, or 2) rent a car. Two bikes for four hours at the zoo cost $30, plus the taxi around the city. Unfortunately, Dubbo is just a bit too big to comfortably walk around, and being in Western NSW, it is 40°C during …

My regular weekends involve French on Saturday and lounging around on Sunday. This Sunday, however, we had other plans. My friends Daisy and Remko invited me over for a few drinks and a game of boules. The score was initially 2-12, and I came back to lead 14-12. Remko and Daisy kept tossing the jack short, and eventually pulled significantly ahead. We then moved on to an excellent dinner: Indonesian rice, cabbage, plenty of beer, and some chicken. Some great chicken.

The fire road to the swimming hole was quite steep, and I lost at least one beer along the way. Several large cities around the world blend tame and wild elements within the same boundaries. Portland, where I attended university, is certainly one of them. Its park, within a 15-minute bike ride of the city centre, covers more than 5,000 acres and offers some of Portland’s best cycling. Sydney, where I now live, has similarly impressive attractions. Yesterday, I visited Warragamba Park, just outside Penrith, after a morning of work at the Richmond campus, where I also caught up with Nathan.

The best balcony in Sydney for viewing the fireworks. I had always been very lucky on New Year’s Eve here in Sydney. The first year, I had a friend who owned an apartment on one of the piers beside the Harbour Bridge. The views were spectacular. Last year, I decided to be a little creative and boarded the train I estimated would cross the bridge just as the fireworks began, and it worked perfectly. This year, I decided to do something a little different and once again ended up being very, very lucky.

Nearly everyone on our team stayed up the entire night; most of us didn’t sleep at all. It had been years since I last pulled an all-nighter, but they had always been for good causes. I had just completed another one and had an immense amount of fun in the process. The reason? GovHack. GovHack aimed to encourage the Australian government to make as much information openly available as possible. The challenge was to take the scattered pieces of information already available and turn them into useful tools or visualisations for the public.

I closed my eyes, imagined being 16 again, focused on driving on the right-hand side of the road, and set off. I had just returned from Hawaii for Ian’s wedding, and what a fun, fast-paced trip it was. I left work a few minutes early on Thursday and went straight to the airport, where I boarded my 6:00pm flight to Honolulu. The flight was slightly bumpy, and I tried to sleep. My airline of choice was Jetstar, which was mediocre as always (imagine flying EasyJet for ten hours), but I knew to plan ahead.

I’m wrapping up an eventful four-day weekend here in Australia. Day 1 - On Thursday night, I went to the Blue Mountains and stayed with a few friends. I’ve always enjoyed visiting the area; it reminds me how much I like mountain terrain. I made my way back to Sydney on Friday and began considering what to do with the rest of the weekend. Day 2 - On Saturday, I woke early and drove to the local supermarket to buy food for the week, as the shops would be closed on Friday and Sunday. Soon after returning home, I turned the car around and headed to Kangaroo Valley, about two hours south of my house. The drive was lovely, and traffic was light. I arrived at the campsite and was stunned by its size; it …

I first learned the term “white privilege” during my first year at university. I don’t remember whether it was in a general education class, at an ASPSU (student government) meeting, or through the NAACP, but the revelation has always humbled me. Today, I had another revelation. I woke up before 7:00 a.m., caught the bus, and attended my French class. After class, I hurried back to Granville train station to pick up a lost phone, then spent the rest of the afternoon reading at Borders. My mom offered to deposit about $50 into my bank account for my birthday, but I told her I would prefer a card or a small gift she thought I would like. In the mail arrived Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. I had …

I’m about to head off to bed, but I have to admit, today has been very productive. I woke up at 6:20am (it is a Saturday), had breakfast, and went into the city. At 9:00am I started my new French class, which looks like it will be great fun. My teacher has great energy, the students are interesting (and seemingly bright), and I’ve picked up a copy of Asterix. Although I haven’t made it past the first page, I’ve enjoyed looking up the words and reliving a comic book I read as a kid. I haven’t learned conjugation yet, so I might wait to read more until next week.

Last year I had a very special New Year’s Eve on one of the private piers next to the Harbour Bridge (arguably one of the largest displays of fireworks in the world). I had great food, good company, and jaw-dropping views. A friend was not in the country this year, so I had to find an alternative. Fireworks debris was falling around the train. My first plan was to try and go into one of the parks on the north side, thinking that somehow the view would be better. I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to get into the city until pretty late, and all the parks would likely be filled up. I pondered for a little while, and we came up with an idea: the train. Last year I noticed that the train still …