We travelled vast distances throughout the 6 weeks in Australia. Although we have travelled from Cairns to Melbourne, describing the journey by placing those two places side by side in the one sentence gives no indication of the 3,000km that we have covered, the vast space separating both places, the nothing that is something and everything magical in between. Alive, dead, arid, humid, colourful, monotonous, lush, noisy, serene, regenerating, decaying, fleeting, ancient, traditional, post-technical, effervescent, silent, migratory …… the descriptions go on.
Not sure exactly how many hours of driving time that has been….after one intolerable 9 hour traveling day, we decided against such long stretches in the car, and managed the journey in acceptable (for all) bite sized chunks, taking in interesting stops en route.
We have played I-Spy, practiced “Spelling Bee”, shared the Kindle, read books, talked, solved riddles and puzzles, sang songs, shared silences and listened to lots of music.
We have reflected on our favourite songs/music from our last six weeks in Australia.
Daniel’s is “Adam” by Natasha Atlas, evocative of an unknown, yet soothing in its melody. He liked to put the song on repeat, which would have lasted longer than my tolerance of listening to it repeating about 5 times! I love the song, but can’t listen ad infinitum.
My choice is “Across the Universe” by the Beatles…..’images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on, across the Universe’……chosen because it’s a song we all sang at the top of our voices together while driving; It is also Daniel’s choice as he says it reminds him of Ilona (who can pick a Beatles song from a mile away…..despite her not being overtly exposed to their music!).
Ilona’s music of choice was “Moldavian Tryptich” from Donal Lunny and Marta Sebestyēn because she likes it and she likes the rhythm! (I think it’s because it opens up a different world which she doesn’t quite understand, and its change in tempo from a slow ballad to a full blown chaotic music fusion in the end is quite reflexive of her approach to the day…..slow in the morning leading to the crescendo of her night-owlishness, wanting to have the ‘craic’ and reluctance to go to bed).
Tadhg chose/chooses to listen to Lorde’s “Tennis Court”….and he is in the process of learning the words….
‘Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk, making smart with their words again well I’m bored……. We’re so happy, even when we’re smiling out of fear. Let’s go down to the tennis court and talk it up like yeah (yeah)’. He also has learnt a song recommended by one of his classmates, which is a mash up of lines from various songs/artists that tells a story of taking a test at school.
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