Ok, ok… so it was a few days ago, but I’ve only just got off my bum to put the photos up from my chaotic family lunch on the day (still haven’t celebrated with most of my friends yet – that’s still to come!)

Anyway, the photos from my birthday are up! Check them out.

view more images from this album

Feel free to send me belated birthday messages. I like feeling loved.

(hell, my best friend got it a day late – but then again, he IS on the other side of the world, so I suppose he can kinda be forgiven).

Anyway, to lighten up the days between exams (where I feel I should be studying, but… because there’s so much time between exams, I can’t justify full-on study days), I got to catch up with my cousin from Queensland, who was visiting our fine city of Melbourne (a welcome change from the blazing heat and constantly beautiful weather of Queensland, I’m sure).

Just a few photos – nothing too amazing, since all we did was go out to dinner and a movie! (by the way, Mr. and Mrs. Smith ROCKS!).

view more images from this album

Yep, I’ve left Paris, and have now met up with Paul again in Montpellier. It’s a beautiful little town in the South of France. And yes, the trip on the TGV was exciting (thanks for asking).

After my last email, I finally made it to Cafe Signes (remember, the Cafe run by deaf people?) It was really interesting. The first thing I realised is that their sign for “Deaf” is our sign for “hearing”… confusing, huh? Also… their sign for “eggs” is WAAAY too similar to ours for “S-E-X”!! (don’t wanna get those two mixed up). Anyway, I had a nice chat with a few of the people there – it was interesting trying to find a way of communicating. I think it was much easier finding a common language between LSF (Langue de Signes Francais) and Auslan (Australian Sign Language), than attempting to communicate with French people with myvery broken French (I like it better when they speak English – funny that).

I then left the Cafe, satisfied that I’d finally visited, and went back to the Eiffel Tower, to take some more photos. It was dark, but this time, so the Eiffel Tower was all lit up, as were the bridges and boats, and everything else around it! It was soooo beautiful. I ended up spending a couple of hours there taking photos (I know, because they havethese flashing lights on the tower that they light up every hour, and I saw it twice!), before I went back to the Arc de Triumphe to take some night photos there.

Hmmm… I keep thinking of things that I need to tell you all about, but I keep forgetting what they are! I might have to make notes as I go, so I remember to write it all when I manage to get to a computer.

Plans from here? Well, tomorrow Paul and I leave for Nice, and we stay one night there. Then Paul and I split up again – he’s going to Vienna (for a Capoeira workshop), and I’m heading off to Venice!

I’m not sure if it’s going to happen or not, but I might be able to meet up with my cousin, Lydia in Italy – as she’s going to be there over the next week or so. If I can, that will be awesome, but if not – oh well, might have to wait until we’re both back in Australia!

Well, that’s all from me at the moment. Hope all is well with everone back home!

Update: Photos from paris

view more images from this album

I started work on it again soon after my grandfather died. Through this piece, I was able to look back and see the good times I’d had with my grandfather, and accept that he’d gone forever. This was my way of saying “good-bye” to him.

Download: Reflections