johnny twilight

its been 9 years and 2 months since johnny left his mother in berlin. this journey is like no other. this journey will never end. 9 years, 5 countries. some people do 50 countries in 2 months. he hates those people. he takes others trekking in malaysia to earn his bread. this makes a daily budget of $13, he can show a girl how to live on $5 a day. And its all or nothing for Johnny. He does everything in blocks of 30 days, months at a time of torture or pleasure. Pub street in siem reap, 30 days of beer swigging and triple cheese pizza. checks out the birds, head bangs to pearl jam. then 30 days of isolated island, not speaking to a soul. eating 3 noodle soups per day, rising at 5, sleeping at 6. the countryside bores this city soul, but there he will stay for the prescribed time scale, to prove something. he likes to watch the western girls in their bikinis. he thinks he's more animated after 4 cans. i think not. johnny can never return, i feel he's done something bad. he calls his parents every 6 months, fearing the worst every time. they are getting old. it is the ultimate limbo stage, no where really to remain. he has gone a bit crazy with all this time away. it feels like its still 2000. 'hey old man take a look at my life... im alot like you...'

hide from time

siem reap

when dipping in and out of lands, you get to visualise your version of theirs. friendly, sober, sad, watchful, still, knowing. even the cows look sad here. most are a sack of bones with thin white skin draped sagging low.. the faces have seen most and now we enter bearing fresh dollar bills. you think you know, for sure you dont want cheap souveniers. you think you have judged but you'll never get in. red dust flies into our faces, caked on cheap sunglasses, a track can exhaust some black on you. at night you'll never sleep, be it for some animal noises or insect fear. or heat, sheer fog inside. pumpkin bellies, uploading to facebook. some sit alone, waiting to be approached, suddenly friendly. its easy to feel lost in a land, amazing to feel comfortable and welcome. crystal powers, brainstorming for answers.

oversurprised guy

small and dry and roasted. the gunge has decended into pockets of drain and the drips hang steady overhead. a flock of red ones arrive with large pouty lips, armed with glossies and malboro. withered bubbles errupt, sucking out moisure with every breath. there is no where to hide from this heat, no power. even the breeze is warm and brings no relief. locals look us over curiously until a smile beams back, then is retaliated. warmth all around, chilli in the crowd. mountains looming over lakes, showing off almost. go and rest.

so how long have you been on rabbit island?

25 days.... dont you fuckin worry

sweat

white marks dry. dust in eye. smile for your life. trodden away in a thirsty sleepless night, waking only to wipe sweat from creases. we share the space, becomes laden with the smells of the street, exhaling bodies tired. meat on sticks sweating still, drinking too much sugar to dull it down. still smiling, restless mind. ive forgotten most things that used to worry me. still smiling, there;s lots to smile to, still eating, still feeling fine. nordic voices walking around, and some have been 'on the road' for too long, some say it gets to them eventually. forget who they are and why. they have a claim to some place, so they shout at others. ive forgotten my old floor, my frown lines. little girls beg to go swimming. they beg for a ride. nothing free. drum and bass remixes, everyone having a go. where shall we go? there's a bamboo hut, $2 a night. permission to breathe. still smiling.