Tonight, I spent a good amount of time gazing at the full moon, perched on a brick vault covered in white china mosaic. Pleasantly cool. A light breeze made it more so. A landscape of white and blue, the shadows of a young forest, and darkness untouched by the moonlight.
Here I am. Typing my first blog post & finally making use of this website I had arranged before my coming to India. For those who aren’t aware, a few months after graduating my Masters of Architecture in July 2019, I left Melbourne for Auroville, South India. A multitude of reasons led me here, some of which I am still discovering as I muse in the shade, while summer approaches.
Initially, I wouldn’t think that the ongoing worldwide pandemic has much to do with me starting to blog. But, when thinking over it, the unprecedented lockdown has given me cause to further reach out to my friends back home and all over the world. Current events have not actually given me more free time, as I have a tremendous amount of work to keep me occupied, a blessing I must acknowledge. For me personally, these coming months are not a time of slowing down – that will come later. However, I will dedicate myself further to being mindful and reflective of my past and present experiences. This blog will be a vehicle for this aspiration. I have no plan per say with how I shall move this forward; time will tell.
I can say with certainty that it was discovering the blog of my friend Leon van Wyk (evolvingmeans.wordpress.com) that inspired me to start creating my own. He is a landscape architecture student I met while studying an elective course named Performative Ecologies, taught by Margaret Grose (A course I’d rate as the best elective I’ve ever undertaken). We became friends on the bus ride for a field trip to Little Desert National Park. My first impression of the man, before we were even introduced to each other, was that here was a man with a great deal of knowledge in his chosen field, always ready and willing to ask questions and provide enlightening commentary. I hope he enjoy’s the fruit of his labour after graduating his Masters, and builds upon his experiences to gain further wisdom.
Leon in his element, Little Desert National Park, August 2018