ISSUE 7 - City of Greater Geelong · ISSUE 7 WRITTEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. SWITCH ... Adrian Aloi, Jessica Dickers, ... sending a naked picture of yourself to a

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ISSUE 7

WRITTEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

SWITCHMAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

COVERPHOTOGRAPHER SLIPPERY PHOTOGRAPHY

MODEL ELOQUENT MX LOKIMUA MISS CEE MAKE-UP

DRESS OWL NEST CRAFTS

004 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / EDITORIAL

EDITORIALSWITC

H

EditorGabe Rule, Bridget McGivern

Deputy EditorAlastair McGibbon

Sub-EditorLinn Ahlvik

DesignerJulian Grant

PhotographerNatalie Evans

Editorial CommitteeLauren Allchin, Adrian Aloi, Jessica Dickers, Natalie Evans, Julian Grant, Alastair McGibbon, Bridget McGivern, Gabe Rule, Amanda Sherring, Kim Sinnott, and Hannah Teesdale

Production Services Adcell Media

ThanksCity of Greater Geelong, & Adcell Media.

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Editorial

Content

Values

Q&A

Image “Sexting” Debate

Sweet Abomination

Juice Cleanse

King Of The Castle

Freckleduck

Kilgour St Cafe

Middle Class

After Dark

Copying

Geelong Street Art

Gili Trawangan

Island Bound

Smith St Band

Ronin

Blood Song

Join Switch

Well hey there! It’s been a while, we know, but rest assured that whenever you don’t hear from us, we’re squirreled away in our respective homes, working on the latest issue! We’ve got a hell of a

line up this time around – we’ve got a cracker of a short story about a modern-day Frankenstein, for one – and we’ve done our best to ferret around the cosy corners and less-travelled roads of Geelong to track down the best and brightest cafes and done the oh-so-hard work of trying them out for you. We’ve also had a chat to one of Geelong’s up-and-coming musicians – who? Well, we’re not going to spoil the surprise for you – go and have a read for yourself! As always, we want to extend our everlasting gratitude to the City of Greater Geelong for their support in making this magazine a reality. Now, go and enjoy yourself – this mag’s been a hell of a lot of fun to make, and we hope you have as much fun reading it!

The Switch team

006 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / VALUES

SWITCH MAGAZINE / 007

WORDS KURT VILLAFUERTE PHOTOGRAPHER NATALIE EVANS

ESSAY

VALUES, GET THEM RIGHT!

“The only way you can justify someone’s value is when you give freely and not expect to receive anything in return.”

It’s common for us to hear wise people suggesting that you can only know

something’s worth when you lose it. Others argue that we knew exactly what it’s worth, we just didn’t think we’d lose it. It’s not surprising for people to have varying opinions of value. After all, we all value differently. Some of us are better at it than others.

As much as I hate it, I suck at understanding my values. I cannot decide if I should focus on what’s important to me or what’s important to my family. Knowing that they love me, I understand that whatever I find important, they do too. However, what if you value something that they do not agree with? Keeping that value may be seen as a sign of rebellion and losing it just to satisfy your parents is dishonesty to oneself. It’s a lose-lose situation and you can’t really come away with any positive out of it. But what if your parents were right? Maybe they don’t want you to value something because they know that you’re only deceived by this value of yours. It’s not really important to you no matter how much you think otherwise. It’s much like an infatuated value. It comes, it passes.

Perceived values, especially of other people can be detrimental to success in life. You become fully convinced that if you make all the sacrifices for their sake, then they will definitely repay you accordingly for all the good things that you have done for them. That is not value for another. That is value for oneself. The only way you can justify someone’s value is when you give freely and not expect to receive anything in return.

Like all things such as love and respect, most people believe that value has to be mutual. If it was, then people would either be forced to value someone reluctantly or refrain from valuing someone they really do just because that person doesn’t value them back. Value doesn’t have to be reciprocated to be genuine. Think of it as a helping hand. A helping hand cannot help another helping hand. Do not expect anything in return. Given someone a job? Get a job yourself. Made someone successful? Be successful yourself. Value them and yourself. Do not value what you think they owe you because they do not owe anyone anything. Obligation is an excuse made up by selfish people. It must not be valued.

Value can also be affected by honesty. I once had a friend. I told her that she was the 9th most valuable person in my life when really I felt like she was the 1st because my bliss depended on her. I cared about the world when I was with her. But I knew she wouldn’t handle the truth very well so i lied to her for months. I lied to myself. That should have been a lie that I kept long enough for it to soon become the truth but it wasn’t. I eventually confessed and there could never be a more regretful decision. I lost her.

Sometimes we have to know when to cash out. When we value someone that much, we shouldn’t go all in on them unless we’re extremely sure of the outcome. And remember, we can lie about our values if it’s the only way to keep them. Choose your values wisely however, and don’t take them for granted, they won’t be around forever.

008 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / Q&A

NOAHsinger & songwriterVERNON

Interviewer Lauren Allchin


Q & A

L: Do you remember the moment that you realised you wanted to be a musician? If so, what made it stand out?

NV: The first time I realized I wanted to be a performer was when I first watched my big sister singing at one of her concerts. At the time I was 7 years old. It was so mesmerizing to see somebody that I know and love so much just giving it her all. She loved entertaining people with her music and so do I.

L: What was your first proper experience on a stage like for you? Were you nervous? NV: My first real experience on stage was when I sang in front of my primary school in the musical we were working on at the time. The song that I performed was ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus. I still look back at it and cringe a little knowing that I chose that particular song, but I smile because I remember it being a very happy moment for me.

L: Have you performed locally? If so, where?

NV: I have performed at quite a few venues around Geelong, but my favourite place by far would have to be Beav’s Bar. It has a really cool acoustic vibe that is not only perfect for local bands, but it’s a particularly good place for acoustic solo artists like myself.

L: What kind of genre/style of music do you play predominantly? Who are some artists that influence you musically?

NV: It’s kinda hard for me to define my style of music, as I play a lot of different styles. I’d say my favourite music to play is acoustic pieces. I get a lot of my inspiration from artists such as Lewis Watson, Ed Sheeran, Cody Simpson, Saint Raymond, and — one of my personal

favourites — James Bay!

L: What do you hope to achieve by the time you are 20 years old?

NV: The one thing that I hope to achieve by the time I am 20 is to have recorded an album and the dream is for it to reach the charts. It’s a very competitive industry so I have my fingers and toes crossed!

L: When you do break into the music industry (I know you will!) would you keep your real name? Or would you go by a stage name?

NV: (Laughing) I believe if I were to make it big I would always want to remain being known as ‘Noah Vernon’. I think I would suck at thinking of a creative stage name!

L: Now Noah, we all know that everybody sings in the shower on the odd occasion (or every single occasion possible), so what are your favourite shower tunes to belt out?

NV: I do occasionally sing a song or two in the shower, but I MUST be home alone. One of my personal favourites would have to be ‘Lay Me Down’ by Sam Smith because come on — who could reach those high notes without the help of a bathroom echo?

L: Where can people find your work?

Keep your ears and eyes open for an EP sometime soon! That is my main priority at the moment, as well as getting some gigs around Geelong. You can also find my music online SoundCloud, Facebook and Youtube under the name Noah Vernon.

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with my good friend — and an extremely talented musician —

18-year-old Noah Vernon to discuss all things musical.

010 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / IMAGE SEXTING DEBATE


WORDS AMANDA SHERRING PHOTOGRAPHER JULIAN GRANT

ESSAY

THE IMAGE “SEXTING” DEBATE

Yes, sending a naked picture of yourself to a long-term partner or one time lover is risky

business, but regardless of whether you click ‘send’ or not, there’s nothing about that action that gives permission for the receiver to then share it with the world. Unfortunately, that’s just what happened earlier last year — over 500 Australian women’s photos were plastered over the internet, exposing the most intimate versions of themselves to millions of eyes when they were only intended for one person.

While there is an element of blame passed onto the men (men being a generalisation of course), the majority of the attention is focused on accusing the creator of the image: “How could they be so stupid?” “What were they thinking?” “They should know better!” “Serves them right!”

This victim blaming is something that occurs without fault and it’s something that feminist writer Clementine Ford reacted to after witnessing a case of victim blaming on Channel 7 breakfast show Sunrise’s Facebook page. The post allegedly asked fans “What’s it going to take for women to get the message about taking and sending nude photos?”Ford took to social media posting a topless picture of herself (cropped above the nipples due to image restrictions) with harsh words for the breakfast morning show.

As Ford so aptly wrote in the post accompanying the photo, “Consent is everything”. If we were to look at the issue another way — say if we shared a deeply embarrassing secret with a dear friend and that friend were to share the secret over social media — who is to blame? The person for trusting their friend with the secret

(as they so rightly should be able to) or the friend for leaking such personal information, in turn embarrassing them and bullying them in a roundabout way on social media? The only reason sexting is seen as such a tricky issue to pinpoint the blame is because of the raunchy sexualised nature of the content; it’s intimate, it’s more than just a little secret and it’s something society often struggles to deal with.

What’s important to realise as well is that in blaming these women for sending these images to men who shouldn’t be trusted, there are many instances where their trust is 100 per cent valid. In a world where technology is a cornerstone to our everyday life, we also have to deal with what also comes with it: the chance of being hacked, phones being stolen or even just the phone generally falling into the wrong hands. In the debate over sexting and nude images, it’s not all black and white.

So while there is a small amount of blame placed on the “men” for sharing these images in spite, disproportionate blame is placed on the women for taking the images to begin with, even though they have all the right in the world to use and display their bodies however they see fit. To say that men are the only ones who are vilified in this scenario isn’t really accurate — especially when most of society’s (and the media’s) initial response is to question the reasoning behind creating the image in the first place. I for one want to live in a world where I can share my love for my significant other in any way I like — if that involves sending a nude image, then so be it.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexting, call your local Police or BEYOND BLUE: 1300 22 4636

“Over 500 Australian women’s photos were plastered over the internet, exposing the most intimate versions of themselves to millions of eyes when

they were only intended for one person.”

012 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / SWEET ABOMINATION

ESSAY

SWEET ABOMINATION

Date: 26/05/2015

Police log number: 2015-5-26-151-LM

This report was transcribed from recordings taken from the crime scene at 183 Shinningham Road.

My name is Isabel.

I am recording this to document my findings and success within my experiments. It is not a confession, or some sort of admittance of guilt. It is simply facts; facts that — as a scientist — I feel obliged to record, to share with the world. It’s not for my own glory or wealth; that matters little in the grand scheme of things.Firstly, you need to know what has led me up to this point.All my life, I was groomed by my mother. I was told I would understand what it was like when I had a child of my own. But when it was time to try, I found out I was barren; I was never going to have my own child. I had spent my life being groomed to be a mother, now however it seemed it was nothing more than a waste of time. A life spent to achieve a goal — now failed. No, if I could not have it naturally, then I would make it happen for me. Science became my new calling as I dove into chemistry, anatomy, biology and the occult sciences. Sifting through ancient tomes and the so-called dark sciences, I found my answer. I found the cure for my problem, an ancient myth that turned out to be reality — Dr Frankenstein. While thought to be a myth, in my research I had found out that a myth he was not. In his time he was condemned, shunned and hated for the work he had made, shunned for the fact that he had what it took to gaze behind the curtain of the world. The troglodytes had tried to destroy his world, but they had missed something: a book, with no more than a few scribbles in the headers of the pages. But it was enough; it was enough for me to recreate the formula. While Frankenstein had been confused, chaotic and in the end insane, I was not. I knew what I was doing — I knew what it was I was trying to make. I now had the research, and I had my lab. After finding out that I was barren I sold everything

I owned to buy a small place where I would be able to do my work, but I was still missing the most important thing needed for my experiment to work — I needed a body. Frankenstein had used multiple bodies in the creation of his masterpiece, but I did not. I went to the morgue and waited; I waited almost three weeks. I wish I could say I waited for a reason any other than vanity, but I cannot. Finally a body of a young girl came in, no more than the age of 5 or six. That night I stole her body and took it back to my lab. This is where my report begins. ∞Day 1 – “After getting the body yesterday, I have begun my trials at reanimation and my first test has failed.”Day 2 – “Again, my tests have failed without any real success.”Day 3 – “Today my test worked, if only for a second. It worked, for a moment her chest rose as she took in a breath. But it did not last… I will keep trying.”Day 5 – “After the success of day three, I could not bring myself to write about failure again on day four. But now after another day of failure I feel it must be documented.” ∞Day 6 – “It was a total success, she lives! Vital signs active, blood pressure and heart beat perfectly within range. Her mind seems completely blank — void of any past feelings or emotions. Primal instincts IE: breathing, eating and drinking though remain. She seems to be able to comprehend at an advanced level. I named her Sarah.” Day 20 – “It has been two weeks since that fateful night and Sarah has continued to grow stronger. Physically she remains the same; in fact, I am not sure her appearance will ever change. This might make her re-admittance into the world a little tricker than I thought. However, her mental progress has been outstanding, far superior to anything of a normal child; in two weeks she already understands and speaks perfect English. She has also taken a shining to all things science, already showing a secondary education level of understanding. I think his has something to with the procedure

WORDS ADRIAN ALOI PHOTOGRAPHER JULIAN GRANT


using high volts of electricity; it seems to have increased the processing power of her brain. Her neurons seem to fire at increased rates.”Day 35 – “Sarah has gotten access to the internet somehow. She hijacked our neighbours’ Wi-Fi connection. She finds the outside world fascinating — she seems intrigued by everything, her thirst for knowledge is outstanding.” Day 40 – “She seems to have started to resent me. Her temper is formidable. She didn’t talk to me for two days when I refused to let her out, into ‘the real world’. She finally forgave me after I bribed her with some books.”Day 50 – “Her understanding of the world has grown even more: she now has working knowledge of particle physics, as well as taking a keen liking into all things literary. Her favourites are classic novels by Dante and Milton — she seems to find the idea of religion fascinating; she seems to almost believe in God.” Day 60 – “She snuck out tonight and made her way into town. I found her in the mall watching other people shopping — I dragged her home, in fits of rage, kicking and screaming.” Day 63 – “Sarah still has not forgiven me; she speaks to me only when she has to, and never for very long.”Day 67 – “Today was the first time Sarah spoke to me in about a week – more than 5 words, anyway – but it was not a happy conversation. She found Frankenstein’s notes today within my office. She understood them, maybe even better than I did myself. She became appalled with the idea that I had created her like Frankenstein had created his monster. Again, I saw the true face of her anger. I must admit that I became scared as she yelled and screamed at me.” Day 69 – “I found her in the lounge room last night covered in blood. She swears she does not know where it came from — but I am unsure if I believe her. The look in her eyes was like

looking at the devil. Maybe when I brought her back I was wrong. Maybe something returned with her.” Day 70 – “On the news today there was a story about a teenage boy who was found dead in the carpark of the local mall. I recognized him from a few weeks ago when I found Sarah at the mall; I asked her if she remembered him. She said she didn’t.” Day 72 – “I caught her sneaking back in tonight. I pretended that I didn’t see her; there was something off about her.” Day 74 – “There was another story on the news today about a boy going missing. When Sarah saw me watching the report she got mad and picked up the TV and smashed it.” Day 76 – “I am really starting to fear her. She seems to feel nothing other than anger. She knows no other emotion.” Day 78 – “I have been spending most of my time in my room, too afraid to face Sarah. I’m too afraid to face her wrath. She is completely changed. She has run of the house now — I feel like her prisoner.” Day 79 – “Another kid missing… It has to be her.”Day 80 – “I think I have created a monster — I must do something, anything.”Day 82 – “I shot her. I can’t believe I shot her. I had to. She was out of control and I had to do it. How could I not? She wasn’t the little girl I bought back, she was something different – something else.”RECORDING NOTE: *Loud bang* “What was that noise?”“No, it’s not possible — Sarah, you can’t be alive!”RECORDING NOTE: *gunshot* “Sara-” RECORDING NOTE: *footsteps* END OF RECORDING.Case – Murder of Isabel Manning – Unsolved.

014 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / JUICE CLEANSE


JUICE CLEANSE

1.I’m so ready to take control of my new life. 2.I’m going to be one of those people who only wear

gym clothes. 3.I’m going to like going on hikes and stuff.

4.Yum! This green juice definitely totally doesn’t taste like kale flavoured bile!

5.I feel so good. I’m not even hungry. 6.So hungry.

7.Peeing. 8.It’s only three days. I can do three days!

9.What was I doing three days ago?10.Eating, that’s what I was doing.

11.So hungry. 12.Peeing.

13.It’s been 15 minutes and I’ve peed twice. 14.I hate everyone. Look at you eating your croissant.

15.I feel so good. When do I get my next juice?16.2 hours?!?!

17.Feeling faint. 18.Peeing. I think I’m dying.

19.Nobody would notice if I just lay down in this toilet cubicle and had a sleep would they?

20.Oh my god, what’s the time? How long have I been asleep?

21.Time for another juice. 22.Yum! I’ve always wanted to eat McCain’s

frozenmixed vege in liquid form!23.I miss chewing.

24.What if I’ve forgotten to chew and I never get to eat again.

25.Peeing again. 26. I bet I look so good.

27.I just yelled at that person for no particular reason. 28.But I bet I looked so good doing it.

29.I wonder what’s for dinner? Oh yeah, juice. 30.Peeing again, again.

31.Maybe I should go on a walk. 32.Nobody would mind if I had a lie down on the

nature strip would they?33.Why is that lady asking if “I’m okay”?

34.It’s totally normal for people to sleep on the nature strip it’s not just because I’m on a juice cleanse.

35.Time for a another juice! 36.Yay! They say this one tastes just like vanilla ice

cream!37.If this is what vanilla ice cream tastes like? I don’t

remember. 38.I’ll just watch Oscar acceptance speeches for the

next 3 days, that’ll get me through it. 39.Okay, time for sleep. I bet I’m going to wake up in

some kind of yoga pose or something. 40.*Wakes up* I think I have dried drool in my eye.

41.I have to pee.

ESSAY

I love food. My life philosophy is to add extra butter to croissants and always having a bag of pretzels in my bag. I mean, I’m not really about that healthy life. For example, I’ve tried my

hand at kale chips before by getting a classic crinkle cut and placing a leaf of kale on it. Treat. But because I have things in my life that I’m trying to avoid right now I decided to procrastinate by taking control of my diet. The only way I deemed appropriate to do this was to take part in a juice cleanse. It went great! If great involves peeing every 6 minutes and yelling. For those of you who don’t know, a juice cleanse is a fast where you, a ‘Juice Angel’ (yep, they actually call you that), only drink juice for 3 days. Sounds wonderful right? Wrong. It’s bullshit. Juice is just like fruit flavoured soup. Nobody likes soup. So now, I bring you - the 41 thoughts you have on a juice

cleanse.

WORDS GABE RULE PHOTOGRAPHER NATALIE EVANS

KINGCASTLEOF THE

016 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / KING OF THE CASTLE

CAFE REVIEW


Story Hannah Teesdale Photography Carolyn West

“Pick a cafe on Pako,” he said as we settled on the destination of our first date. As if I wasn’t nervous enough, I had to impress with my choice of café, and King of the Castle did not let me down.

Set back off the main Pako strip, King of the Castle is perfect for any occasion and, in my case, a first date. I didn’t know what to expect from both the cafe and my company but in the end, I couldn’t find fault in either if I tried.

The café is hidden behind a large roller door and is certainly more than meets the eye. It’s an old panel beating shop, and still has somewhat

of an industrial feel, with beautiful polished concrete floors and a spacious layout. The buzzing cafe is both refreshing and quirky, decked out with hanging plants, funky lights and even a hanging fishbowl.

With the addition of the Pop Up Plants store within the cafe and The Resident Barber situated in a vintage caravan out the front, you can get much more than just your morning coffee.

The seasonally-changing menu contains all day breakfasts and a range of charming lunches. If you aren’t feeling as peckish, the inventive, delicious range of sweets (especially the cronuts on Fridays)

go down a treat with King of the Castle’s coffees. As for the service — I really did get the royal treatment from the owner, Robbie Lecchino. I was first seated at a communal table and while it had a nice vibe, I was looking for a more intimate setting, so on the down low — when a booth freed up — Robbie subtly moved us over (I owe you Robbie). To answer the question no doubt on your mind: yes, there was a second date, and many, many more. So if you want a relaxed first date, an overdue catch up with a friend or you’re just grabbing a bite on the run, King of the Castle’s food, service and atmosphere is fit for any King.

PAKINGTON

LOCATION 24 Pakington St, Geelong West

OPEN HOURSMon-Sat 6:30am-3:30pm; Sun 7:30am-2:30pm

018 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / FRECKLEDUCK

FRECKLEDUCK

CAFE REVIEW


Story Amanda SherringPhotography Natale Evans

Just what is a Freckleduck exactly? It’s something that has perplexed me for months since the new café of that name opened in the CBD in late 2014. Truth is, it seems it’s a new word created by the café owners, and one that matches the intrigue and surprise of the space itself.

The café itself has the effect of stepping into the wardrobe of Narnia and out into a winter wonderland, though with this café, you’re leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the CBD and entering a stylish and

welcoming space. It’s accentuated even more as you sit at a bench seat and look on at the stressed out shoppers while you sip on a lovingly crafted coffee – of which a portion of proceeds go towards One Girl, an initiative helping educate girls in Sierra Leone, Africa.

Menu wise things get fancy without the hefty price tag. Gaze upon each item and you’ll spot the café classics, but each with a twist and intriguing flavour addition. My favourite, and I’m sure for many café-goers, is the

smashed avo. It’s perhaps one of the most abused dishes across the café scene, but paired with pickled beetroots, radish and whipped feta it’s heaven for my taste buds (and only available during summer).

While Freckleduck is a word that will mystify many, the café owns it in full. Really, the meaning behind Freckleduck should now be: a space to escape, connect and indulge in some of Geelong’s most creative and lovingly prepared dishes.

MALOP

LOCATION 131 Malop St, Geelong

OPEN HOURSMon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat 8am-4pm; Sun 9am-4pm

020 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / KILGOUR ST CAFE

KILGOURSTGROCER & CAFE

CAFE REVIEW


Story Amanda SherringPhotography Natale Evans

As soon as you discover Kilgour St Grocer and Café among the ‘burbs in South Geelong, you’ll quickly be considering a postcode change — if only to enjoy the leisurely morning stroll to the café on weekends.

After experiencing a bit of a re-fit and a splash of fresh paint, the café and grocer now boasts a crisp white interior with a luxurious-looking blue Tiffany coffee machine as the first thing to greet you as you step inside.

The menu is limited in comparison to other cafes in Geelong, but whatever

they do, they do it well. So well, in fact, that you’ll want to order several servings and try to coax the recipe out of the chef.

While the menu may be select, there are plenty of carefully prepared sandwiches and wraps in the display cabinet with an even more sizeable array of sweets resting tantalisingly alongside the coffee machine.

For those who’d rather do it themselves (though, why would you really want to when they do it so well) Kilgour St also stocks some of the region’s best fruit, vegetables

and jams as well as bread, milk and deli items.

Service is super quick and with a cheery smile at each step of the way; it’s certainly got the vibe of the local milk bar you’d ride to as a kid in the ‘90s. It’s like a second home — especially when yours is considerably lacking in desirable pantry items.

Whether or not this café is within walking distance to you, add Kilgour St to your list of places when breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack options are looking bleak at home.

KILGOUR

LOCATION 164 Kilgour St, Geelong

OPEN HOURSMon-Fri 7am-5pm; Sat & Sun 8am-3pm

022 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / WHY IM MIDDLE CLASS

ESSAY

WHY I’M MIDDLE CLASS AND INTHAT - A BUNDLE OF CONTRADICTIONS

WORDS GABE RULE PHOTOGRAPHER NATALE EVANS

I’m very privileged. I’m white, I’m male, have fairly good hair, and I fit into the insanely niche

societal complex that is the middle class. Even typing this on my laptop that could buy a house in Detroit, keys imbedded with crumbs from the snacks that I thought I deserved, and braining up this article concept is so middle class. I think a fairly big indicator of my social status is my bedroom; front and centre sits my massive bed, surrounded by a range of items representing different phases I’ve been thorough to try grasp onto some kind of culture. Plants ripped out of Tumblr pages, kitsch readouts contending “it’s not easy but it’s worth it,” a salt lamp to to purify the air of my ignorance, and a fixed gear bike which has now morphed into a piece of furniture rather than a mode of transportation, all sit boldly in my mishap attempt to grasp some, any, kind of genuine culture. But that’s the problem, there is no concept of originality in the middle class, only appropriation.

I worked this out when I went to Kanye West’s concert last year. I looked like a literal ad for

‘white people are us’ in my ironic bucket hat and ‘90s New Balance remakes, but still was totally content rapping along about black oppression and the streets, all the while knowing that after the concert mum would be there to pick me up in her SUV. How can I identify with that kind of music? I’ve never been oppressed, had to really work for anything or had my place challenged. A friend really made this clear for me when she asserted over her soy chai latte and unnecessary cat eyed glasses, “I just love Kanye’s music, I just feel like it allows to me to be angry.”Angry about what? TV stopped recording Nigella for you so you can’t put her saying, “I’m going to sit on some butter,” in place of your actual eating habits? Triple J stopped playing deejay mash ups of songs from the ‘70s so you can’t say, “I should have been born in the ‘70s” through your sweat shop made John Lennon specs? I don’t think we need to be angry, I think we need perspective.

I identify John Green as the epicentre of the middle class. I hate John Green. Every time I


see a 15-year-old girl change her cover photo to a picture of a John Green quote I get shivers. Hate is a pretty fierce word, and to be real I really don’t hate him personally. I just hate what he encourages. His films are a mecca for insecure middle class girls to relate their problems. This concept was exemplified to me when I went to a late night screening of the latest brain child of the JG empire, Paper Towns. I went to the film praying not to run into anyone in the hope that I could sob into my $45 box of pop corn and 3 choc tops throughout the movie without confrontation. Instead I came out of the film really angry. So angry, in fact, that as I waited at the train station waiting for my lift home, grunting about, “what do you need to escape from,” and, “your problems aren’t real,” the security at the train station must have spotted my rosy face about to kick a pole and sent someone down to ask if I’m okay.

This is where I come undone though. This is where I contradict myself in every part of my rant. Everything I have described I have

indulged in at one point or another. I mean; I ride a fixie to my job at a cafe where for 8 hours I constantly reiterate to people that ‘almond milk is the new soy’. I received a yoga class subscription as birthday present a few years ago, and without fail after each class I treated to a burger. Namaste. My skincare routine consists of going to house parties and using other peoples products in the bathroom, and I love telling people about it. I’m going to be real here. I’m a pretentious, middle class asshole. And I know it. Anyway, if I wasn’t - what would I have to complain about?

024 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / AFTER DARK

Have you ever wandered around a city you know and love, thinking you know it back to

front, only to stumble upon something entirely new and utterly magical? It’s the perfect way to find a city’s hidden gems – whether it’s a wonderfully baroque second-hand bookshop, a tucked-away café or a spectacular piece of street art – and honestly, I wish I had the opportunity to wander more often. While that sort of exploration is usually associated with capital cities or metropolitan hubs like Melbourne or Sydney, you better believe that Geelong isn’t going to be left out of the fun.While it might seem a bit strange to associate cultural exploration with a place like Geelong, for the last few years Geelong residents have been treated to a night of pure artistic talent, courtesy of Geelong After Dark. Run as a joint venture between the City of Greater Geelong and Diversitat, Geelong After Dark is the kind of festival that artists of all kinds jump at; the sheer freedom of expression – though limited slightly by the year’s theme – means that artists can show off their talents to the public in whatever way they see fit, provided that it fits within the allowance given to successful applicants.

Billed as a “pop-up night of arts”, Geelong After Dark is something of a cultural cornucopia; if you choose to make your way into Geelong’s CBD on the 6th of May, the sheer variety of performances and displays could quite easily sway even the stoniest of hearts. It’s not like Geelong After Dark is some tiny backyard gig, either; while 2015 was only the second year it had run, an estimated 10,000 people made their way into the city to check out the sights and sounds of the festival, and that number is expected to grow even further as the years go on.

It’s the kind of night that you can approach in a number of different ways; you can plan out your evening via the festival’s website to catch the smaller, one-off performances, or you can take the path of the spontaneous adventurer

and experience the night in your own way and at your own pace. With a festival as varied as Geelong After Dark, it’s naturally very hard to describe exactly what you’ll see while you’re there, but all installations will follow a central theme. Last year’s festival had the theme “Light”, and saw City Hall lit up with a spectacular animated projection that shifted and changed, constellations lighting up puddles and – believe it or not – an impromptu alpaca parade (there’s photo proof!). Even Switch was involved – we took part in the Silent Laneway Disco in the Wright Place Walkway to launch our previous issue, and had a hell of a lot of fun doing it. This year, the theme is “Air”, and while the performances and artists are still being finalized at the time of writing, you can guarantee that Geelong After Dark won’t disappoint.

So, if you’re free on the 6th of May, I’d definitely recommend heading into the CBD – by all accounts, Geelong After Dark is absolutely going to blow your socks off. Whether you’re there for the musical performances, the art installations or anything in between, Geelong’s best and brightest have got one hell of a show waiting for you.

GEELONG AFTER DARKWORDS ALASTAIR MCGIBBON

COPYING / SWITCH MAGAZINE / 025

ESSAY

COPYING

“The only way you can justify someone’s value is when you give freely and not expect to receive anything in return.”

Kay so we’ve all done it... And if truth be told, we’re all still doing it. What I’m trying to

work out is why everyone gets so worked up about it. If you’re copying someone else’s work surely it’s worthy of being copied, of being slightly adjusted, and improved. That’s why you’re doing it. And surely the person would be flattered, right?

Wrong.

It’s my understanding that people tend to get pissed off for not getting recognition for their “original ideas” but in today’s modern age does the concept of the “original idea” still exist? Surely all the thoughts you have ever, ever thought of, have been thought of before. You just don’t know it yet because you haven’t copied enough people to realise that the people you’ve copied are just copies of other people before them. It really is this never ending cycle. Welcome to the circle of life.

Take music sampling for example. The way I see it, it’s like a water cycle. It rains and pours over the earth for people to drink etc and then ends up in the ocean or somewhere ready for evaporation, ready for round two. However something new is being added into the used. Take a song from the ‘60’s which could be used for the latest remix of some Dj’s hit song, and it’s now a hit song because a beat or a rap has been added, to create something entirely different but has been made relavent for this current day.Billie Holiday, a famous jazz singer of the ‘50’s said that “If you copy, it means you’re working without any real feeling.” She has a point in that your work should be original, however is that really a real feeling, original feeling, or did

you copy that feeling from someone else’s idea of a feeling.Another thing that frustrates me still to this very day is when at school people would cover their work so you couldn’t copy them. See the problem with that is there is no sharing of ideas. An idea is just a seed that needs to be watered and cared for over time until it can flourish and stand on its own. Other people are a vital part of that process. If you give away everything you have you’re left with nothing, this forces you to look around. Ideas are knowledge that’s open for everyone. Don’t claim ownership. They’re not your ideas anyway, they’re someone elses.According to The Little Oxford Dictionary the word copy is “a reproduction of something” the definition of reproduce is to “produce again; produce copy; carry on” So really, pass your knowledge on, let others duplicate your ideas.

Hell, copying is how the human race evolved to who we are. And no single idea could have come up with our existence and how we all go about our lives today.Comparing Melbourne to Geelong. The more people im Melbourne means more ideas, more evolving, more growing, and more people to copy and copy off others.So really we have nothing to lose from sharing our ideas and letting others imitate us. Even though at times it can get frustrating when you have a brilliant idea and someone else takes credit or has clearly used your idea for the bases of their superior idea.But then the search continues. You just have to put yourself in a frame of mind; It’s all out there or should i say there’s someone out there just waiting to be copied.

WORDS WILLHELMINA MCCRAE

GEELONGSTREET

ARTPHOTOGRAPHY NATALE EVANS

028 / SWITCH MAGAZINE


030 / SWITCH MAGAZINE


TRAVEL

WORDS KIM SINNOTT

GILI TRAWANGAN

The best introduction to the island life

034 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / GILI TRAQANGAN

Imagine waking up on a small island and watching the pink haze of the sun rising over

volcanic mountains in the distance. Imagine staying in a place without the noise and pollution of cars and motorbikes but a place that is still lively. Imagine swimming in crystal blue water during the days and drinking by the sea on warm nights.

The Gili islands sit to the north of Bali, Indonesia. It’s biggest island, Gili Trawangan, is fast becoming a popular destination for all tourists, no matter your preferences in your holidaying style.

On Gili Trawangan, the island life is there for all to enjoy.

Arriving on Gili Trawangan after an exhausting 2-hour ride by fast boat (trust me, dealing with the rocking of the boat cutting through high waves was not fun), we were greeted by the welcoming lights of the bars and restaurants that are settled along the beachfront.

Walking up the dock, we realised quickly that there are certain aspects of staying on an island that we’d forgot to consider - getting to your hotel meant walking or taking a horse and carriage. This island is so small that in 1 hour, you can walk around it completely – or cycle it in 20 minutes.

But our first horse ride gave us a taste of the vibe of the Gili islands. People walked or cycled down the gravel road, pausing to do some late night shopping or grab some street food from the night market. People crowded at bars offering discounted drinks. Other people

sat on beanbags and comfy chairs along the beach, chatting with strangers over the chilled music.

We’d come to see that during the day, everyone relaxed. It’s the spot where people partying too hard in Kuta can relax and recuperate all day and so there was tanning by the pool at the hotels, snorkeling in the water finding sea turtles. This island also knew how to keep the partying going if required and those who found a nice place for lunch always seemed to stay as the Bintangs (the local beer) kept flowing. In fact, the partying culture seemed too enticing – alcohol was cheap and other substances were a little more available.

Most meals were between $3-10. Signs in front of most restaurants showed how chilled the people of the Gilis were. Though Indonesia is a country where tipping is customary, here you tip if the service is good because as the locals say, “If you’re happy, we’re happy”.

The locals are welcoming and each day when dusk arrives, all travellers join in on walking to the quieter side of the island. Almost like a ritual, people sit along the beach, take photos at the swings and hammocks sitting over the water, join in by dancing while others take turns on the tribal drums. We’re all waiting for the sun to set – for another day on the island to end and the night ahead to finally begin.

The Gili islands show that there is more to Indonesia than the chaos of Kuta. There’s a kind of hum and energy from the island that you won’t find anywhere else. And let me just say, the island life there is pretty great.


WORDS JORDAN SAPLAMAEV

ISLAND BOUND

TRAVEL

036 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / ISLAND BOUND

I often think back to that moment I was sitting on an island that we had just swam through a

cave to get to. I had made some friends from far away places and a couple of the locals.

As we laid in the shallows and looked up at the beautiful cliff faces, luscious Palm trees and one of the clearest blue skies I have ever seen, I got to chatting with a guy named Mal, one of the tour guides we had for a few days. What struck me about this guy was how happy he was - like all the time.

Sure, these people live in some of the most magical looking landscapes the world has to offer but most of them have nothing...right? No two story house, no big TV, no fancy car, nothing we in the western world determine as a necessity. On my journey I had not just seen the coconut filled tropics, I had seen poverty in the masses. You forget that when you just go to the tourist locations, it is a third world county after all.

We talked basic small talk about the islands and places I could go for my next travel experience. He asked me what I did for a living. I told him what I did (not looking too enthusiastic). He looked at me and asked, “Do you enjoy it?”

I replied with “No, not really but that’s life, we all have to do things we don’t want to”.

Mal said he loved his. But then he told me about his last job in the capital. A big city where the sun is blocked out by the amount of pollution that plagues over it. Like a constant fog lingering around never to fade away. Mal hated his job and he had the same mentality mine - go to work, pay your bills, that’s life.

He was becoming more awake to his boss breathing down his neck constantly reminding him that he will never be good enough, will never be anything else but an item the company will own, use and throw away at their discretion. He will always be just another schmuck trying to make a buck that’s expendable, the sad truth that everyone seems to ignore and except.

Who would choose to live on an island? I know I would. Mal packed what little he had and

got himself on a boat. He had a friend named Miguel that lived a few hours away from the capital, away from the skyscrapers, pollution and organised chaos and now lived surrounded by Palm trees, blue skies, white sand beaches and the happiest people on the planet.

Miguel didn’t have much, he lived in a very small home just big enough for two people to sleep in but he opened his door to Mel. Soon enough Miguel managed to get Mel a job at the resort he was working at doing guided tours around the islands. In only a few minutes Mel told me how he completely changed his life. He found something he loves doing and can say he is truly happy. In this life we’re all in pursuit of some happiness. We all seek the same thing.

So why should we measure success the same. The mentality of grow up get a good job and earn lots of money needs to change. Why is it if you are a surgeon, a lawyer, a dentist or a corporate boss and you make over 100k a year you’re successful?

If you’re not happy you’re not living. If you’ve got a shitty part time job and but you’re doing something you love in your spare time that’s great - you’re succeeding. If you have no job but you’re trying your hardest to make your dreams come true - you are on your way to success. If you’re a manager and your happiness is determined on how miserable you can make the lives of your workers then F you and you are not welcome here.

Stop being so concerned about what other people are doing to find their success and start thinking about your own. If you can’t figure out what you want to do with your life then you’re looking too hard. Do what makes you happy, no matter how dumb or unsuccessful society thinks it is. It’s your life you deserve to be happy. I think I’ve said my bit here I’ll leave you with something Mel said to me as I was leaving never to see him again. “Hey! Quit your job, move to the beach, and be happy”.

Note: Story taken place in El Nido, The Philippines. Pic from the resort Mel worked.


038 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / SMIITH ST BAND

SMITH STREETTHE

BANDWORDS ALASTAIR MCGIBBON


You know you’re in for a good time when an album features a song entitled ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face”. Yes,

that’s an actual song title, and yes, it’s excellent. Melbourne rock outfit The Smith Street Band are in fine form on their latest album, Throw Me in the River. A ballsy alt-rock album brimming with ‘tude and sung in vocalist Will Wagner’s basically-yelling-but-still-appealing style, The Smith Street Band aren’t afraid to pull their punches. Throw Me in the River actually come out in 2014, but I got my hands on a copy of the extended edition, which packages the original album together with the EP named after the aforementioned Shit-Eating Grin song that was released earlier this year. As a whole, it’s a raw, angry album, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t have a softer side. Singer/songwriter Will Wagner excels when he’s progressive; starting off soft and building to an emotional and thunderous finish. While the sheer power of the guitar can occasionally overpower other instruments, it’s still used in a way that allows the entire band’s talents to come to the forefront. It’s Aussie rock at its finest, and while it might take a little getting used to – Wagner’s style is an acquired taste – once you’re in, you’re in for one hell of a ride. Pick it up, listen to it, and enjoy the hell out of it.

4.5/5

REVIEW

I’ll be completely honest: I’m not as much of a games connoisseur as I could be. Due to a lack of spare cash and a limited data cap courtesy of my ISP, I tend to avoid splashing out and downloading much in the way of Steam’s indie game collection. In this case, though, the temptation was too strong and I ended up picking up Ronin in one of Steam’s much-lauded sales. Developed by Polish game dev Tomasz Waclawek, Ronin is a great – if slightly buggy – 2D platformer. The game itself is rather story-light; the only information you are given at the beginning of the game is that your player character is out to avenge the death of her father. You are presented with five targets: the Old Man, the Wisegal, the Doctor, the Officer and the CEO, and you have to take them all down, Kill Bill style. Ronin’s gameplay focuses around its turn-based combat, a rather unusual feature for a platformer. While general movement around the game world outside combat is in real time, any jump movement is set into a fixed arc, and the game pauses while you adjust the exact arc of your jump. Your actions during the paused period are severely limited – either you shoot out a grappling hook (useful for swinging through windows), perform one of a number of combat actions (if you have bought the upgrades) or let your jump action run its course. It’s worth noting that Ronin is best played using a controller – you can play it with a keyboard and mouse, but it’s clearly designed with a controller in mind as movement is a lot less fluid and the controls are rather awkward.This kind of movement comes in handy during combat, and is a big part of gameplay – you have to bounce around the map, clinging to walls and ledges to avoid enemy gunfire. This is aided by the enemies’ use of laser dot sights, so you have a visual guide that helps you survive the hordes of enemies. This simultaneously useful and frustrating – although you have a good idea of where the enemies’ shots are going, it’s not perfect, and combined with an imperfect jump arc it is easy to misjudge where the shots are going and consequently die over and over again. Despite some frustration, Ronin is still a solid effort, considering the size of its dev team. Grab it when it’s on sale – it’s not quite worth buying it full price just yet.

RONINWORDS ALASTAIR MCGIBBON

REVIEW

RONIN / SWITCH MAGAZINE / 041

042 / SWITCH MAGAZINE / BLOOD SONG

REVIEW

Anthony Ryan’s novel — Blood Song — is the first in his fantasy series, and it’s truly going to make its mark on the genre. A coming-of-age story telling the life of the main protagonist Vaelin Al Sorna, Blood Song follows Vaelin from when he was a young boy and his father abandoned him at the gates of the “Sixth order”, a group of warriors trained from young age to fight for the faith. Blood Song tells of his training, as he becomes a master over death and describes the role he plays in the wars to come. The novel starts off from an adult Vaelin’s perspective, but soon flashes back to his training and as you progress in the novel you finally catch up to the present day. The book certainly has it all — from a fast paced plot to intriguing characters — and once I picked up the book, it seemed almost impossible for me to put it down. If his first book is any sign of what’s to come, Ryan is truly an artist worthy of the likes of Eddings, Tolkien and other great fantasy authors. Readers should rejoice as a new story worthy of the hype has hit the shelfs.

BLOOD SONGWORDS ADRIAN ALOI

SWITCH is a Geelong Youth Magazine that provides a creative outlet for young people as well as all the information you guys want to know. The mag is entirely written by young people (12- 25 years old) for young people and contains interviews, fiction, reviews, poetry and heaps more.

Switch magazine is managed by a dedicated editorial team. They’re in charge of the content, layout, editing process and occasionally even writing stories. Each issue is over 30 pages of matte full colour, which gets distributed to local schools, libraries, cafes and youth venues around the region. The best part is that it’s free!

If you want to see your work published in Switch, it’s super easy to get involved.

You can submit articles and interviews as well as reviews of books, movies, and albums. Your articles will be read by the Switch team and possibly published in the next issue. We are always on the lookout for amazing photos or illustrations as well, who knows, your picture may even be chosen for the cover! We also run workshops regularly at local libraries on writing.

Send your submissions to [email protected].

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/switchmagazinegeelong

Switch is a project of the City of Greater Geelong.

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ISSUE 7 - City of Greater Geelong · ISSUE 7 WRITTEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. SWITCH ... Adrian Aloi, Jessica Dickers, ... sending a naked picture of yourself to a