Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Whilst my blog routine has somewhat dwindled over the past month, my excuse is that I have been otherwise preoccupied with working for a Melbourne arts and culture magazine. My role, once again being one of a reviewer has seen me attend a number of shows during Melbourne’s International Comedy Festival and have a number of articles published. The month long festival hosts comedy performances every evening across an array of Melbourne venues and the city is plunged into a new air of excitement. In the evening, the streets are packed with crowds of audiences queuing for shows, lining up at the box office and having city drinks. Part of the Fringe circuit which began in Perth before making its way to Adelaide and finishing in Melbourne, it is prime time for artists to explore a new city whilst also promoting their shows before Edinburgh Fringe starts in August. I’ve already spotted some familiar faces (bumped into actors that I’ve previously reviewed) and attempted to immerse myself within the Festival vibe. One thing that does stand out is the stark difference between the Perth and Melbourne festivals. Despite Melbourne being a larger city and can offer bigger shows and more venues, the immersive community feel appears diminished here as opposed to Perth. In the warmer Western city - the most remote state capital in the world - pop up bars line the main promenade and it feels like the whole city floods to the centre to enjoy the shows. Here however the vibe is more widespread, less official and less appealing for local Melbournians to check out. Nonetheless as I rush to new venues each evening and complete daily write ups in various coffee shops, it has certainly been an entertaining month. Though I left the most recent performance wondering how I could write a constructive yet slightly negative review, I also felt something strange happen. As I left the show my phone had died and it quickly dawned on me that I was lost in a new part of Melbourne. Wandering the streets post-show for almost half an hour I finally walked past a landmark that I recognised. This being, the first hostel that had been my home when arriving in the city. A strange sensation came over me. In that moment I felt the same aimless surprise that first overcame me when I landed here 6 months ago and as the temperature slunk back to pre-summer shivers, I found myself feeling exactly the same as I had when I arrived. I felt like floating. I felt like I had come full circle - a sign that Melbourne had finally delivered itself to me in it’s entirety. Though a shadow of my former travelling self and having explored this city, made friends, landed fantastic jobs and really plunged myself into the Australian way of life, in that very moment I was reminded of how far I’d actually come. Yet the show must go on. I’ll continue to write yet maintain the knowledge that I have completed my rounds here and ready to leave Melbourne - or risk being drawn into this world forever.
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It recently came to my attention that I and many other have been placing too much focus on what we think if a key factor of our travelling plan. Whilst speaking to people from home, it dawned on me that they were completely ahead in the career game - they were slowly, and sometimes miserably, climbing the greasy career ladder even if it remains a mystery where that very ladder will take them. Furthermore as I cast my glance over my British friends social media’s, a number have now committed to longer relationships than we were normally used to. Some even live together for Gods sake.
I grappled with this dilemma for a while as I was left wondering am I running out of time? Is there a sell-by date on my travelling freedom when a career should really take precedence and do I really want to meet someone that I would want to remain in one place for? (I mean I complain enough about it). After some long hard thinking I eventually convinced myself that this is not what I’m looking for at all and I desperately need to stop comparing myself to other people. This journey that we’re all on is long and arduous and sometimes your friends are ahead when you aren’t - but at the end of the day I should only be competing with myself. Time is not running out:
So what does that mean then when I look at social media and see everyone practically married and in steady jobs and buying cars and houses? Well I feel sorry for them. The image that they spin on social media is one of security, comfort and seeming happiness but when I speak to my friends, they tend to be at a loss of telling me what interesting things have happened in their routine lifestyles. It’s not a bad thing, but just not for me. I am only at the start of roaming the world, and hopefully leaving it a little better than when I started. The memories I create, the lessons I learn and the people that cross my path weigh far more than a paycheck or promotion from an office job - there can never be a time limit on that. |
Tamara DavisonNepal, China, Malaysia, Australia, Argentina. Archives
November 2017
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