Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

You could cut the air with a knife. "I'm not pushing you away, I'm just occupied fighting my demons right now" he mumbled while looking at his feet. "Sweet. I'll buy an axe and help you" she responded.


Too often we find ourselves frightened by a good thing. As much as we think we have it under control, we really don't. IT. THAT THING. Lurking like a Cheetah... all Cheetah like. Sneaky yet witty buggers that are just waiting for a crack in the surface, all too ready to pounce. They are one step ahead.

What am I talking about? Don't sit there and pretend your invincible because your not. Don't sit there and pretend you have it all figured out because you don't. And by you, I mean me. And by me I mean you. And by that I mean us. Do you understand? Good. Neither do I.

Tame your emotions (or try to)

We are our own worst enemy and our own best friend. We can't choose the cards we're dealt but we can choose how we play them. This is what fascinates me about card games (excluding snap or fish or any other party games you play in real life you party animal). Bluffing! Soon enough, a great poker player will know, that your lying. Unless your telling the truth, then you have a better chance of winning. Still, with the opportunity to lie. Which makes things exhausting. But fascinating. I said that already, but meant it more the second time.

Lately, it's become increasingly apparent that I love peanut M&Ms. Also that I hate liars. I don't hate many things in life, there are some things I dislike (for instance people that don't bathe and manage to somehow get their sweat on me. Massive pet peeve).

All we truly own is 'decision'. So decide. Look at the one you love in the eye and lie. Or, tell the truth. Then wear it, loosely like your ridiculously baggy oversized knitted cardigan. Because what your running away from isn't the potential for suffering but you rather prefer it. Somewhere along the line, someone or something made us believe our happiness was limited and that love needed to be earned.

Get some binoculars

We live in a world of conditions, rules and restrictions. Albert Einstein once wrote: “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else". So who creates these rules? Some of which are necessary of course. However more importantly, do you accept them? or find a way to bend them?

All this really comes down to is the present. When the opportunity permits itself, we are naturally met with mountains of fear and uncertainty. But we must rise with the occasion. As the path we tread is unlike any other, therefore we must think unlike any other moment and act unlike any other moment. For those moments have been and gone. And what you have now is more important than what you were or what you had. Right now is what matters, because in this very moment you have the opportunity to decide to be happy.

"Blessed are the hearts that can bend, they shall never be broken…But I wonder...If there's no breaking, then there's no healing. And if there's no healing, then there's no learning. And if there's no learning...then there's no struggle. But the struggle is a part of life, so must all hearts be broken?"

(Photo above: Korovou Resort, Yasawas Islands, Fiji)

Benji Madden, Good Charlotte: Manila, Philippines to Sydney, Australia

Claim to Fame?

Benji Madden from Good Charlotte

After my recent 6 week trip to the Philippine Islands during March and April, I met a few well known celebrities in films, theatre, television and music related entertainment. One of which was Benji Madden, an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band 'Good Charlotte' which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden. Purely by chance, I happen to catch a late flight from Manila to Sydney and there on row 17 seat B sits Benji, with the rest of the band right next to myself in seat 17C. He told me about the tour so far and their upcoming shows at the time. 

They love Manila and even took a sneeky shot with the Ten Title World Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao while they were over there (see above). The eight hour flight as you can imagine was very cool as we spoke about the simple things in life such as fast cars and million dollar mansions. Oh what a burden it is to be a Rockstar and a Graphic Designer. The similarities are uncanny!

Fiona Hockley in Sydney, Australia

Claim to Fame?
Beauty Therapist and Cupcake Making Extraordinaire

If Jessica Alba had a sister, it would probably closely resemble Fiona Hockley. I met this fun, full of life and packed with laughter kind of girl spontaneously over a Friday night feed and is a treat to have around. Her passion for Beauty Therapy has allowed her to work with top models such as Carissa Walford and Nevena Tepic. Closely following her success is her joy for good old fashioned cupcakes which is nothing short of a party in your mouth! Her friends Ellen Angello Low and Chantelle Angileri can testify. This year she has her heart set on hopping around Europe for a summer in the Greek Islands and Croatia!

Selina, Danielle & Jane (UK Trio) in Fiji and Sydney

(Above picture in Fiji: Left to right) Jane Claire Barlow, Danielle Bullivant, Ram Castillo and Selina Vij

Claim to Fame?

Community Caretakers

Our boat was sinking. We had no choice but to re-enact 'Lost' and pull over to the nearest island! Selina, Danielle, Jane and I met while heading to the Sawailau Caves in the Yasawas, Fiji. Although we survived a mini Titanic experience, I came to know these three girls from England as extremely down to earth and adventurous as they left everything behind to travel an entire year around the world. Jane works in a prison working with the prisoners and their families specifically the ones with drug issues,  Selina works in a college working with students with special needs and Danielle is a Police Officer! We re-united not long after we met, in my hometown of Sydney so spent the day at the markets, MCA gallery, Surry Hills for lunch then Bronte Beach!

The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boyen

Last Sunday I had 2kg worth of chicken breast thrown at me. Yes. Cold, dead, meat! Shaun the poultry attendant at my local supermarket decided that on that particular day, he would hate life. 

I approached the counter and seeing two staff cleaning away, I waited. Shaun wasn't working but instead was chatting away about a potential purchase for electronic goods for less than cost price. I tapped on the glass after waiting a while and watching one then two customers start accumulating behind me. "Excuse me, can I be served over here?". Shaun then took it upon himself to morph into Neo's arch-enemy agent Smith from the Matrix. After some words were exchanged, mostly by Shaun venting, he took home the gold medal by throwing what I ordered at me.

There are 4 things I realised after that event:

1. It's a good idea to increase your tolerance if a person decreases theirs.

2. It's a huge effort and burden to lie rather than tell the truth.

3. How you treat others is a direct reflection of your selflessness.

4. Try to see the best in people, for we are all broken in some shape or form and learning along the way.

Maybe Shaun had a bad day. Maybe he didn't have his breakfast, maybe his pet dwarf rabbit died or maybe his girlfriend of 3 years broke up with him. We all have bad days. But your not the only one.

Here are 3 small ways I've found to spread a little love rather than take it away:

1. Write someone a hand-written note or letter saying hello. Keep it short and sweet. Postcards are great too! We seem to be a society that has lost the charm and sincerity of a message from a pen. The effort will go a long way.

2. Tell someone that you hope they have a good day and mean it. It could be via text to a friend, it could be to the barista that makes your coffee in the morning or the lady that makes your lunch at the sandwich shop.

3. Buy someone an apple!

Here is one of my all time favourite pieces of writing:
"Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate
our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
actually, who are you not to be?
your playing small doesn't serve the world
we are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us
and as we let our own light shine
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
- Nelson Mandela

We all have the potential to hold integrity and respect. Why are you so afraid to be everything you want to be? If you're reading this, I want you to try something. Get a blank piece of A4 paper. At the top of it, describe yourself and your life in keywords and short phrases. At the bottom, write the person you want to be in a year. If you had no chance of fear or failure and if today was your last, what would you do? and who would you be?

In between the gap of the piece of paper, write down 10 crucial steps that you need to take to get from where you are now, to where you want to be.

If the road to success is uphill, then I bet the view from the top will be nothing short of spectacular.


(Photo above: Coral View Resort, Yasawas Islands, Fiji)

Being Silent In A World Full Of Noise

Boredom can be a destructive place to be in, especially when you have the means to instead do something fulfilling and rewarding. During the past three weeks I found myself with a lot of free time from the design studio and strangely had pockets of silence which I had only dreamed of all last year.

We all get busy. 2010 was the busiest I've ever been. I know most can relate. Last year I was determined to nail all my goals. I had 10. I managed 9 out of 10 of them. I went to the gym an average of 4 times a week, I ate super healthy, I completed my Training & Assessment course to allow me to teach design, I worked really hard designing full-time and bar-tending on weekends, I laughed, I learned, I was inspired and made a heap of new friends along the way.

It took me a whole year of churning and burning to realise that time is a wonderful, priceless luxury. Time is a gift, that we often waste so generously. It's really from contrasting both ends of the spectrum I've come to truly appreciate it's worth.

Here are three positives of boredom:

1. You can literally hear your own thoughts, re-assess and reflect

2. You can sleep in, recharge and recuperate

3. You can work on your personal projects

Here are three negatives of boredom:

1. You can let those thoughts eat into you and become just that. Ideas in your mind with no true merit and no trigger of movement. Simply wishes, dreams and words that fail to materialise.

2. Without noticing, you end up channelling your time, money and energy on escapism. A place of illusion and momentary happiness. A bandaid, a magic trick, a facade masquerading as a satisfying and pleasurable time killer. Sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, abuse, money, power and other demons. Only to wake up the next day, feeling exactly the same. Like crap.

3. You slow down to the point of lost focus, lost momentum and lost potential. You feel like you are back at square one.

I must admit, last year was a battle of the mind. If I said I was going to do something, there was nothing that was going to stop me. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Which is probably why I've struggled to come up with my goals for 2011. Fearing that if I don't achieve them I would be a failure. So this year I'm keeping it simple. Not to be driven by fear but driven by happiness.

I almost bought an apartment recently. Instead, I'll be travelling around the world. Property can be bought and money can be earned. There are three objectives for my travel:

1. To stay grounded and remind myself that there is more to life than Lexus cages and making money.

2. To enjoy good food and great conversation with people who don't spend their days accounting for every increment of time.

3. To marvel at nature.

So this year, I'll be silent in a world full of noise. Run my own race and be content with my life decisions however big or small they are. Because at the end of the day, at some point we must ask ourselves... What will we regret more? The answer is clear.

Be happy, safe and healthy one and all. Dream big, for if it can be thought it can be conceived and don't be afraid to invest in yourself.

(Picture above was taken in Girona, an old town near Costa Brava on the East Coast of Spain)

Anjolie Marfori - London, United Kingdom

Claim to Fame?
Danced for Hilary Duff and for Natalie Portman & Ashton Kutcher's new film

Can this girl dance! This California cool cat has definitely put me to shame on the dance floor working with many great international choreographers and performing with Hilary Duff on her World Tour. Anjolie Marfori and I met a few years back now and bumped into each other again at a performance in London. On top of her success, she appears in Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher's upcoming film 'No Strings Attached'. She also has a big heart just like her wonderful Mother! And a VERY funky fashion sense.

For any enquiries contact www.blocagency.com

Milena Tramosljanin at the Rib Factory - Castle Hill, Australia

Claim to Fame?

Models for Victoria's Secret and other global brands

Milena and I met while enjoying dinner with mutual friends. A lover of life and fitness, she is one of the most down to earth models I've ever met. Keep an eye out as she is definitely one to watch in future!

Fritz Von Trout - Bavarian Bier Cafe, Sydney Australia

 

Claim to Fame?

World's No. 1 Accordion Player & has played for the Queen

How many people do you know can... well, play an Accordion? And can rock out 'Beat It' by Michael Jackson, be a father of three and have played in Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth? The one and only Fritz Von Trout holds such achievements and as a bonus a real top bloke! Catch him at Bavarian Bier Cafe's around Sydney. 

Add Fritz on Facebook

Alex Cajun in Barcelona, Spain

Claim to Fame?
Rode a bicycle from Barcelona to Paris over ten days

Alex and I met at Centric Point Hostel in Barcelona. This laid back Canadian began his travels with one pair of shoes, sandals, a black collared shirt, a plain T-shirt and absolutely no plans. We clicked right away as he told me of his passion for movie directing, script writing and our freakishly similar history.

Have you ever considered riding 120 km a day for 10 days? Over mixed obstacles, hills and at times rain? A crazy idea turned into reality. Our last days at Barcelona were filled with bike hunting for Mr. Alex and soon enough he set off on his journey. Two months later we met up again, in London this time and spoke of this massive achievement. At times Alex found himself living off tins of sardines and sleeping in public phone booths while he fell asleep as the clouds cried.

Determination is simply an emotion but brought to life by movement.

3 Big Tips For Traveling Solo

Traveling on your own is a wonderful experience but can sometimes be daunting at the beginning. You are forced out of your comfort zone but if you stick it out, the challenges become memorable highlights.

1. Get Lost

The places I enjoyed the most were always the ones that I found by accident. Be prepared and do your research however it's always a good idea to leave room for spontaneous adventures.

2. Ask Questions

Nothing beats answers directly from the locals. If you ask them questions, your bound to get answers that aren't in your pocked guide. Not only will you get brutal honesty, you'll save loads of time. I sure did when I was in Paris and asked three different and random locals where the best pastry shop in town was. It's no surprise they all suggested the same place!

3. Tell stories

Everyone has a story to tell. Part of the journey is sharing them. When you open up others will too. Traveling and sight seeing is only a small part of the experience. The real investment is in the conversations with the people you meet.

Be warned. Traveling is incredibly addictive! Especially once you've done it on your own. I've found that the value is in the positive affirmation of existing beliefs and an expansion of new ones. Sometimes we may be at a place of tunnel vision and taking ourselves to a completely new environment rapidly re-ignites your passion for life. More importantly, we are left with gratitude.

(Photo above: Ram in the Pyrenees Mountains, South of France)

Rolf Harris in Wimbeldon London, England

Claim to Fame? 
Painter, Singer-songwriter and Television personality

If there's one man thats done it all, its Rolf Harris! He kindly agreed to a photo while Ram was entering the 2009 Wimbeldon tournament. Rolf painted many of the tennis stars used as branding for the event. Interesting facts: Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the characters. He also began a musical career initially with the piano accordion. Keep it up Rolfy!