Legalising gay marriage affects you

I don't completely agree with this photo.
Yes, I believe that a marriage between two people is between those people alone. That it is no one else's business and a personal choice. But giving everyone the right to legally commit to another person regardless of their gender is something that everyone should care about.

Why? Because I believe that you fall in love with a person regardless of their gender, age, race, political views, marital status, religious belief, family responsibilities or trade union practices. Basically everything the Australian workplace relations forbids harassment against and more.
You love someone for who they are, And not much else matters.
I would like to be able to marry whoever I choose, whether they be female or a Tony Abbot supporter. It's about freedom of choice. I want the choice to marry who I love and I want everyone else to have the choice too.

So you might be thinking "I'm definitely straight, how does gay marriage affect me?" It will affect you in that it is another choice that you are free to make, that your friends and family are free to make, not the government.
I believe my gay friends should have the right to marry. I believe my gay family members should have the right to marry. I believe if my children are gay that they should have the right to marry. I believe that some guy on the other side of the world I've never met should have the freedom to do whatever he wants to do AND I believe that bad things happen when good people do nothing.
Cheers to Edmund Burke who, ironically, was the forefather of conservatism, (which is apparent in his original quote where he dismisses half of the human race and references religion. I think paraphrasing was needed!)

In closing: Don't suppress other people's civil liberties because you don't care for the choice, support their right to freedom and everyone's right to choose.
I don't use cycleways but I still think they should be available for those who want to use them ... and I hate cyclists!

Jaded

Apparently I'm jaded. I was told this recently and it didn't bode well. After much analysis I understood why people might think this. I tend to give my all in relationships and I'm often the one left with nothing in return and hurting. Which doesn't strike me as fair or just. I have often given the opinion "such is life" or "ke garne" because life isnt fair, it just is. I often tell my friends, Don't worry, it will probably happen again, soon enough, so don't be too concerned. Easy to see why some may think I'm jaded. 

Buddhism teaches the 4 noble truths, which states that suffering is an unavoidable fact of life and realising that, freeing yourself from wanting and accepting this truth is the only way to happiness. 

I'm not sure that I've freed myself from wanting but I have realised and accepted that I will be hurt again and again and again. All relationships must come to an end one way or another, whether by blood splattered walls, mutual decisions or simply by death. And there is every possibility that a wonderful relationship will prelude the demise. I prefer to see this as being a realist than being jaded. 

So what to do? Opt out all together or dive in head first and hope for the best. To quote a cliche, Id rather have loved and lost than never loved at all. So chances are I'm going to keep diving head first into shallow pools... but this time round I might stop and look first, or even put a helmet on. 

As for me being jaded, surely if you break a heart often enough it will still have some sharp edges when you tape it back together. :)

Off to India and Nepal

Right now I'm flying to India.
I'm leaving behind my life in England and probably never returning. I'm glad that I came. That I worked and lived in another country. It allowed me to make some wonderful friends and see some wonderful places throughout Europe. Ads and I have barely had a weekend to rest, but definitely had some amazing adventures.
But I am happy to be going home. I miss the surf, sun and sand and I honestly think the quality of life is better in Australia than anywhere else in the world, (but as a true blue Aussie I'm pretty biased!)

The next stop is India. I'm travelling from Delhi overland to Kathmandu where I'll then join a charity, Edge of Seven, to build a secondary school in Phuleli, Nepal. http://www.edgeofseven.org/Volunteer.html In a nut shell we're building a boarding school to help girls get an education. The girl effect will then change the whole village and help many people escape poverty. Woohoo!
I am so excited about the project and so grateful to those who helped me get to Nepal. Thankyou!

I've nervous to be travelling on my own and leaving Adam behind in England. He's meeting me in Australia, hopefully for Xmas/New Years. I will miss him dearly.
I can't wait to see everyone back in Aus again and have a proper Australian xmas, (Mum's cooking a roast!) not to mention the beautiful Australian beaches.

I'll try to do the occasional blog updates as I travel, and the usual posts should come out every Friday as usual, so you won't miss me too much!

Wish me luck!
xo

Loving objects

Use things, not people. Love people, not things.

It's an old adage but when you don't have many possessions and everything around you is so foreign, it is easy to become irrationally attached to objects.

I was sitting on a chicken bus in Nicaragua when I realised I loved my engagement ring. I mean I am truly in love with it. I sat sparkling it in the sun, creating rainbows on the seat in front of me, reminiscent of discovering prisms in primary school. It made me smile.

The middle aged local who was jammed on the seat next to me looked at me strangely. He looked like the average Nicaraguan farmer. I smiled back.

I am aware that wearing thousands of dollars worth of diamonds in central America isn't the best idea. Not only because of the risk of theft, but because its bad taste. In a country where rebel groups roam the dense jungle and a substantial amount of the population lives below the poverty line, showing wealth seems both rude and stupid.

However, I was there and it was on my finger, so I usually wore it covered (poorly I might add) with electrical tape.

I was in love with the ring because it was something I had coveted for a long time. It represented love or specifically being loved. It was also absolutely beautiful.
I looked over at Ads. Yes, I loved him too, but the ring was shiny and new and so uncomplicated, perfect even.

Did I love this rock more than Adam? The realisation that my attachment had grown shocked me considerably. I spent too much of my day worrying about the ring, about what I would do if I was robbed. I checked it was still there constantly and refused to leave it unattended.

I decided to utilise the superhero conundrum.... I'll explain.

Hypothesise that on a cliff (you can use a bridge, building or volcano if you prefer...) to your right is Adam, dangling off the edge, barely holding on by his fingers. He needs your help or he will plunge to his death. On your left is the ring (the only one in existence,) precariously balancing, about to be lost forever. At the exact same moment they both fall. You can only save one, (unless you're a superhero in a movie. E.g. Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Neo...) WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE??!!!

Of course Adam is chosen 100/100 times. The love for an object can be great, but when compared on the same scale as a human, it is insignificant.

Interestingly I asked Adam the same question, replacing the ring with the only Ducati streetfighter in the world... He asked if I could pull myself up or grab onto the bike...