At eighteen, I left my home smelling of crushed cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. I stepped into Australia in the intense summer of 2013. The air smelled of eucalyptus and rosemary – a smell that I still pick up inRead more…
Riding a motorbike taught me about feminism
On a solo motorcycle ride there is plenty of time to think. In between steering the bike away from death, and observing the magnificence of the mountains, rice paddies and rolling hills, there are pockets of space to pontificate. RidingRead more…
In Control, In Command
1. Last September on the Camino de Santiago pilgrim trail, I found myself about-facing, hobbling back to the cathedral city of Leon. Along with my shin splint – I didn’t know what that was either – I was leper-like, coveredRead more…
Where do you come from, where are you going?
Jakarta isn’t a walkable city. Footpaths, where they exist, look like they’ve been showered with meteors. The traffic is an engorged snake of cars, motorbikes, angkots, street vendors. Green spaces are almost unheard of, and many choose to wear sanitationRead more…
Tainted travels
Passport privilege and borders are something we rarely think of in the West. We don’t need to when visas are seldom required and our migration and movement is not looked upon with suspicion upon arrival. Of course, this issue hasRead more…