Switch - City of Greater Geelong

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ISSUE #6
WRITTEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Content
2.........................................................................................Contents
3.............................................................................Team/Editorial
4...............................................................................................Image
5.................................................................................Get to Know
6/7..................................................................................Perfection
8/9................................................................................Up In Arms
10/11/12........................................Memories of My Future
13......................................................................Creative Corner
14/15...................................................How to Treat Yourself
16/17........................................................,,,,,,,,,...Boom Gallery
18/19...............................................................Box Office Cafe
20/21..................................................................Down the Alley
22/23.....................................................The Idiots Among Us
24/25..................................................................Den Supply Co
26-31..........................................................Travel Photo Diary
32/33..................My First Experience: Drugs & Alcohol
34/35.............................................................................Tasmania
36/37....................................................................................Bellalu
38/39/40/41...........................Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
42/43 .................................................................................Mexico
44/45...............................................................Mitch Loughnan
46/47/48.........................................................................Reviews
49............................................From Student to Job Seeker
50.....................................................................................................IT
51...................................................................................Contribute
2 \ Switch Magazine \ Content
20
26
5
38
Team
Editor
Amanda Sherring
Sub-Editors
Alastair McGibbon, Jessica Dickers & Linn Ahlvik
Designers
Julian Grant & Amanda Sherring
Photographer
Natalie Evans
Foreign Correspondent
Sophia Skinbjerg-Eyles
Editorial Committee
Adrian Aloi, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring,
Bridget McGivern, Cassie
Santoro, Gabe Rule, Jessica Dickers, Julian Grant, Kim Sinnott, Linn Ahlvik, Natalie Evans, Tex Miller, Sophia
Skinbjerg-Eyles, Zakary Testa
Cover
Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
Production Services
Adcell Media
Thanks
Cr Jan Farrell, Mardi Janetzki, the Youth Development Team & Adcell Media.
Please Note: The opinions in the magazine are those of the writers and not the publication or City of Greater
Geelong.
A Word From Us
It’s been a little while since our last issue and so we’d first like to thank you for your incredible patience. You are one of a kind! This issue is a bumper one for us, maybe it’s the guilt or maybe it’s just
the impressive things that you’re all doing, either way, we are eight pages larger. As you flick through
you’ll come across a travel photo diary by our resident photographer Natalie Evans, an article on completing study and entering the job seeker world and travel articles on Tasmania and Mexico. We’d also
like to welcome a new section which we hope to revisit, our ‘My First Experience With...’, a feature that
takes a look at the first time when we’ve all experienced some serious, and not so serious, things. This
issue is drugs and alcohol. That’s all from us, we hope you enjoy the issue and we promise the next
one won’t be quite so far away!
x The Switch Team x
Editorial and Team / Switch Magazine / 3
Image: Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
4 \ Switch Magazine
GET TO KNOW
Ainsley Mason
Name: Ainsley Mason
Studying: Social science with a counter-terrorism
major at Swinburne University
What Ainsley does/did: Volunteered in East Timor and
then Kenya for two months.
How she got into volunteering: It’s hard to put your
finger on where it all started. When I was a child I did
Scouts and then didn’t volunteer for a while because
that’s what kids do and then I started coming to
GASP. In GASP we had some really good opportunities to engage in the marriage equality fights. A
couple of years after that I was given the opportunity
to go on the East Timor trip and I just took to it.
How she found East Timor: I’d been to Thailand
before but it was just very different. Apart from the
people I was travelling with I met one other white
person when I was there. We’d be driving down the
road and there’d be a crater in the road from a bomb
that hit or something and they didn’t have the money
to fix it. Or people would come up to me and tell
me their personal stories and some of these things
I just couldn’t even fathom and just to see so much
strength in them was amazing.
What she learnt: Being in an environment like that
teaches me to be a more loving, open and thankful
person.
Ideal job: Working for a non-government organisation,
I may study law after my course and go for a job at
the UN in foreign diplomacy or something like that.
Wherever I’m needed - I’ve got a good strong pair of
legs and a good back.
Favourite movie: I’m a bit sucker for cheesy action
films, I’m a big Tarantino and Rodriguez fan. It is
really hard but Deathproof. It’s just girls kicking butt,
it’s a great movie.
Guilty pleasure: Shoes. I’m a big op-shop junkie. And
chippies, I’m vegan so there’s not a lot I can eat so
definitely chippies.
First tattoo: An ampersand (related to Amanda
Palmer song).
Favourite book(s): I really like classic children’s
novels. The characters in it are really beautiful, like
Sara Crewe from The Little Princess. She’s got the
worst life, she used to be rich but was made a slave
at her school and she’s just got the best attitude - so
inspiring.
Get to Know / Switch Magazine / 5
PERFECTION
Alexandra Marshall
“We must realise that Allah has
created us imperfect so He does not
expect perfection
from us. But He
does expect us to
try our best.”
UNKNOWN
Now I’m not Muslim, I’m an Atheist. But
that quote - in my opinion - is one of the most accurate things I have ever heard, and I don’t even know
who said it. Whoever or whatever created us, did not
create us the same. Living organisms were created
to reproduce offspring, some with abnormalities
and differences. We were created to evolve, and to
change, to learn and to develop, to do our best. We
were not created perfect. So why is it that we continue to convince ourselves that it exists? We work out,
and eat well to get the “perfect” body, we clean, and
organise to have the “perfect” house, we date to find
the “perfect” partner, we study to have the “perfect”
job, we do all these things to have the “perfect” life.
6 \ Switch Magazine \ Perfection
In our society, we are so consumed within
this false and unrealistic idea of “perfection”, that we
don’t see what’s around us. We don’t see the imperfect. We are so focused on this idea of “perfection”
that we block out whatever is not. We refuse to see
the homeless that are there because we believe
in the “perfect” idea that there’s enough money to
go around so that everyone can be rich if they try.
There’s not. We refuse to see that (according to
the ABS) the 21.3 million tonnes of landfill that was
created by Australia alone in the year 2007 is there
because we continuously have to consume more
products to achieve “perfection”, and we ignorantly
tell ourselves that we can do this forever. We can’t.
We refuse to see that according to World Bank Data
Women aged 15 to 44 are more at risk from rape
and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war and malaria. This is happening because
we, with our unmeasurable power, are doing nothing
about it, and we naively believe it will just stop. It
won’t.
We were not created to be perfect, we
were created to do our best, and our worth, according to Peeta Mellark in Catching Fire the movie (not
the book), he says, “Our lives are not just measured
in years. They are measured in the lives we touch
around us.” We are created to do this, to be our best.
Not submerged in stereotypes, unrealistic expectation, and money, but to look after the earth, and
its inhabitants. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “What we
are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror
reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and one
another.” So let‘s make that reflection an imperfect,
yet beautiful one.
Image: Natalie Evans
Switch Magazine / 7
Up In Arms
Bridget McGivern
In a town such as Geelong, it can be hard for new
musical talent to garner attention. And with the
rise of shows such as X Factor and The Voice
producing countless ‘one hit wonders’ - whose
rise to fame is swift yet short lived - for bands to
break into the music industry, a lot of hard work
and dedication is needed.
However, for Up In Arms, an emerging,
young band from Saint Joseph’s College, the
potential and the determination is clearly evident,
as they attempt to shed the apparent limitations
of their youth. Since their formation in 2013, lead
singer and frontman Macka Heard, banjo player
Riley Harman, keyboard player Jeremy Pryzlak
and double bass player Sebastian Rawson have
moved away from their status as a mere high
school boy band, and have the musical talent to
prove it.
As I sit down with Macka and fellow
bandmate and cousin, Riley, the smiling faces
of the pair - as well as their charismatic nature
- immediately make me feel like a part of Up In
Arms. For this up and coming local Geelong band,
playing music is something that individually they
have been doing for many years, and something
that comes to them without effort. With an EP on
the way, and more and more gigs under their belt,
8\ Switch Magazine \ Up In Arms
big things are appearing in the future for these
boys.
Since their childhood, Macka and Riley
have been playing music together, beginning
with playing drums on the floor as toddlers. So in
2013, after recognizing their aptitude in the world
of music, they knew it was time to make solid
foundations and build on their talents, and so
along came Jeremy and Sebastian, and thus Up
In Arms was formed.
With influences drawn from bands such
as Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men,
and a policy against writing cliche love songs,
Up In Arms is clearly different from your typical
school boy band. “We don’t want people to judge
our music just because of a label that’s been
thrown on it,” explains lead singer Macka. “It’s
better if we just let the music do the talking.”
With the recent student organized
charity music festival Tri-Umph under their belt; a
massive audience of 5,000 students as well as
special guests conquered, it seems that for Up In
Arms the future is bright. Riley describes Tri-Umph
as, “The motivation we needed to write our own
music, to move away from playing covers in front
of our parents and families and create our own
sound”.
“I want to be able to play music all the
time; to be in the band and not have to do anything else,” says Macka. “To create a fan base of
dedicated music lovers who appreciate our sound
is the dream.” However in an industry where the
competition is high, it can be hard to stay motivated to pursue that dream
As Riley explains, for him; “playing music
is more of a hobby than a job”. With an auto
engineering course under his belt as well as
playing in another Geelong band Revolution, Riley
has a lot on his plate. However he does not want
to put all his time into Up In Arms in such a fickle
industry as the music industry.
“Television shows such as The Voice
and X Factor are ruining the music industry,” Riley
remarks. “Audition shows rush the winners immediately into the spotlight. They produce acts with
no staying power and make it so much more difficult for other people to make it in the industry.”
their success in the future is exposure, especially
to young people via social media. “Starting from
where we are now is difficult, but we get advice
from other bands who have been in our position, and we are motivated by even the smallest
successes, such as finishing a song or playing
in front of a supportive, appreciative audience.”
Macka says.
It is obvious that for Up In Arms, despite
the challenges they are facing, their genuine love
for music and talent drives them to aim high. Up In
Arms with their earthy, young sound are yet another credit to the musical talent already present in
Geelong. Stay tuned for big things from this band
in the future.
But there is still hope for local bands
like Up In Arms. “In towns like Geelong people
want to see local talent thrive,” Macka clarifies.
“But unfortunately not many people want to pay
to see a band they don’t know the lyrics to.” Riley
adds. Macka and Riley both agree that the key to
Switch Magazine / 9
Memories of My Future
Adrian Aloi
I watch the ash fall from the sky. Some of it lands
on my nose, and a shiver runs down my spine. I look
around at my once peaceful town - it’s cracked and
broken the buildings now no more than rubble. Once,
they gave the town class and character. Now, they’re
reduced to nothing but rocks, pushed back into the
earth from which they came. But worst of all - worse
than seeing my childhood house in ruins, worse than
even the mushroom cloud of ash that rose high into
the sky above me - was what was staring up at me.
The cold, lifeless eyes of a child. I know those eyes,
I thought to myself. They were my eyes; my cold
eyes, burning through me with their gaze. This was
not how things were supposed to go. This was not
how my life was meant to end.
This is Hiroshima; this is how I died.
10 \ Switch Magazine \ Memories of My Future
5 days before
School was cancelled today - sort of. Instead of classes, all students aged between 11 and
14 were given the day off. We were told to go around
the town and with the help of a few adults; we were
to pull down certain houses. We were making something called firebreaks.
“I don’t understand. Why we are doing
this?” I asked one of the adults as he walked past.
“Because we have to,” he replied simply.
“But I don’t understand! How is taking
away people’s house helping?” I asked. “What is a
firebreak? What is it meant to do?”
“It is to stop fire,” he replied.
“But why is there going to be fire?” I
asked, feelings my face warm up at the lack of
answers.
“Look after Tokyo we can’t ris-” he said,
stopping mid-sentence as if giving something away.
“What happened in Tokyo?” At last, some
information!
“Nothing, forget I said anything. I’d better
get back to work,” turning his back to me he walking
away. Well that was helpful, I thought to myself. It
doesn’t confuse me more at all.
I was working on pulling down a roof from
a house when the thunder began, rumbling off the
mountains. It grew louder and louder until it seemed
to be all around me. I scanned the sky above, and
saw nothing but blue skies. I looked around in confusion, what was happening. There was no rain, no
clouds, no lightning.
Where is this thunder coming from? Looking around my eyes fall onto the man I was talking to
before.
“What is going on?” I screamed at him,
struggling to make myself heard over the roaring
noise.
He didn’t hear me. What was he staring
at? Following his gaze, I saw the source of the
sound. It was an aeroplane, soaring through the sky
towards my home.
“A plane!”
I turned, startled by the sudden outburst;
an older lady who had been helping with the firebreaks had spotted it. She was screaming as loud
as she could.
“It’s a plane!”
“Run!”
Voices from all over the town took up to
screaming.
“It’s the Americans, coming to destroy us like they did
Tokyo!” A panicked voice cried out.
“Get inside, hide the children!” Someone
yelled. I couldn’t will my body to move. Fear coursed
through me, and my body wouldn’t respond. People
surged past me, pushing and shoving me out of the
way in desperation. Still, my body was frozen. The
plane shot over head, dropping thousands of little
pieces of yellow paper. They were drifting down from
the sky, falling gently, like snow from the heavens.
They fell to earth and covered everything - from
mounds of dirt to the houses we had yet to pull down.
My limbs finally let me move after the
plane had soared away. Bending down, I picked up
one of the pieces of paper. My eyes glided across
the unholy language that my father had made me
learn. I could feel the hammering of my heart in my
chest as the words sank in.
In 5 days we will bomb Hiroshima.
I began to run, following the paths I had
run since I was a boy. I burst through the front door
of my house.
“Mother, Father!” I yelled. “We have to get
out of here; the Americans are going to drop bombs
on us!” I thrust the piece of paper towards my father,
and he took it from me, eyebrows raised. After a few
minutes of reading, my father sighed and put down
the piece of paper. He looked up at me, his face
calm despite my dramatic entrance.
“Son, this is not real,” he said. “It is a bluff
that the Americans are using. They are trying to
make us run.”
“But what if they’re not?” I replied. “What
if they are really going to drop bombs? We have to
leave!”
“No! My father’s father built this house and we have
lived in it since that day,” he said, slamming his hand
down on the table.
“We shall not leave it just because of
American propaganda designed to make us panic!”
off.
“But Father-” I started, before he cut me
“Listen to me son, you are a Chikako, a
man of honour,” He explained. “This place has been
in our family for years, this house, this village is our
home. We are bound to it like the flower is to the
sun. We cannot leave it on a simply threats from
power hungry men. This house is an inheritance,
pasted down from father to son to protect them from
the world. For son you are my gift, to the world, my
legacy. One day when you have own children you
will understand. For the moment they are born they
become you legacy they carry on the Chikako name,
they are your future, as you are mine.”
Switch Magazine / 11
“No, We Chikako are proud men, and we
will not run and hide. Now go finish helping with the
firebreaks,” he said, waving his hand at me dismissively.
I sighed inwardly as the reporter blathered
on about the side effects of the bombing. They’d
lasted generations.
Chikako, I thought to myself as I walked
out the door. My family’s name carries a legacy. I
hope you are right, Father.
“Mr. Chikako!” I heard someone say. Looking away from the television, I saw my nurse staring
at me with disapproving scowl.
Nothing happened for the next four days.
The days went on as if no threat had ever come.
Finally, the day arrived. I watched as the adults went
about their normal daily jobs, pretending they were
not afraid, and pretending they did not think the end
was near. I sat with my father and mother at dinner.
“What?” I asked, barely able to hide the
annoyance from my voice.
“You know you shouldn’t be watching this,
it gets you all worked up!” she chided.
“I told you son, nothing but empty threats,”
my Father said, watching me.
I shifted my weight, trying to get comfy. It’s
hard thing to do when your body is covered in scar
tissue.
“Forgive me, father. I was wrong,” I said,
ashamed of my fear.
I said.
“Never ask for-” he started, before cutting
himself off mid-sentence as he heard the thunderous
roar off in the distance. Standing up, I ran outside,
already knowing what I would see.
“How can you say that?” the nurse asked,
appalled.
“The aeroplane!” I shouted, pointing up at
the sky. The plane was higher this time, moving in
a different direction – almost afraid of what was to
follow.
“Run!” my father yelled, fear permeating
his normally calm demeanour. I ran as fast as I
could, pushing and jumping, trying desperately to
get away from the plane. I saw something small - a
single, silvery shape - fall from the underside of the
plane.
Boom.
I turned, for a spilt second. I saw my
father burning as fire wrapped around him. I saw my
mother scream as a wave of heat turned her into
nothing more than ash. I saw the town I have loved
and called my home burn. Then, there was darkness.
Nothing but darkness.
This was not how it was supposed to go.
This was not how my legacy was meant to end.
This was Hiroshima; this was how I died.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Today marks the 40th year since the
bombing of Hiroshima,” the reporter on the TV
babbled on, the sound intermingling with the steady
beeping of the damn heart monitor.
“My dear, I don’t think it matters anymore,”
“You lived; you survived that bomb, when
no one else could! That’s a big deal if you ask me,
Mr. Chikako.” Survived, I thought to myself. What is
surviving? Covered in scar tissue, unable to walk,
unable to feed myself, unable to even shit without
help, but worst of all, unable to have kids.
I know that the Chikako line dies with me,
and that every great thing my father and his father
and his father before him achieved dies with me
their legacy my legacy gone. Stuck in a bed with
me, unable to even wipe my own ass. I turned to the
nurse, my vision blurring as I felt my eyes get wet.
“No you’re wrong,” I said.
“My body may have lived through the blast,
the radiation sickness and the even cancer, but that
is surviving, that is not same thing as living.”
“Sir-” the nurse began.
“No. My body pushed on, but my soul... my
soul died 40 years ago, with my family, my friends
and my future.” I said. “I am now no more than an
empty vessel, for people to feel sorry for.”
I pointed towards the TV, which now displayed the mushroom cloud of Hiroshima.
“That,” I said. “That is Hiroshima. That
was where I died.”
Leash
Kurt Villafuerte
Questions remain
As we stay inside
Why do we hide
From everyone around
The stars up high
The ground down low
This goes to show
How far apart we are
Chorus
Make sure she stays within the line of sight
Know that she might forsake you anytime now
But I think you should, just keep your trust in her
Don’t be concerned, she will always find her way back to you
Why stay true
Without a clue
When your honesty
Don’t even know how to speak
Ask her why
Ask her why she lies
Oh ask her nice
But don’t ever ask her twice
(Repeat Chorus)
(((guitar solo)))
Bleed at war
and cry for peace
don’t have to let her go
just loosen up the leash
Creative Corner / Switch Magazine / 13
How to Treat Yourself
Gabe Rule
I’m a fairly anxious person. Sometimes I can’t get
to sleep at night because I had an anxiety nap that
afternoon after watching Dr Phil re-runs. As a remedy
for this, I’ve decided to take the advice of various
people who preach the Instagram hashtag #TREATYOSELF, and become even more selfish than usual.
I’ve found I really like to treat myself. It’s
my attempt at being holistic. I tried going down the
yoga/meditation route, however I unfortunately suffer
an allergy to dreadlocks, people whose name is
Earth Child and listening to the sounds of recorded
seagulls. I really appreciate the lack of auto tune
used on seagulls single, but does he have a song
with Beyonce? If not, sorry champ, I’m out.
I’ve had to seek alternate methods to treat
myself, and I don’t mean lathering yourselves in the
free testers at Myer. They feel good sure, and free
stuff is always better, but I’ve learned some ways
to treat myself, one of my favourites is the humble
‘getaway’. A popular route for most people is to
get away from the rat race, generally in the form
of a weekend away. In my case, I get away from
the stress of living in the middle class, and general
semi-unemployment. Generally, there are two options in terms
of location of getaway available.
You can go rural, usually reserved for
those who drive Subaru and wear hiking boots all
year round. Or the coast, for those who can boogie
board. I haven’t been to the beach since someone
14 \ Switch Magazine \ How to Treat Yourself
spotted me performing my beach routine of going
into the shallows in my clothes and lying facedown,
so I naturally decided to go rural. This may seem an odd choice for those
who know me, given my general disregard for outside
activities and a strong dislike of any kind of trek that
didn’t end up at a chip shop, I don’t quite scream
“rural”. However, considering I look like an ad for
Seaworld in a wetsuit, I deemed it the only option. If you are under 18, like me, you’ll have to
get an adult to drive around. If you’re over 18, skip
step 1 to avoid confrontation about life choices. Because I’m not in the driver’s seat I get charged with
the important job of Melway holder.
“What’s a Melway,” says the girl born after
2007 most likely named Cyan (pronounce sh-ey-an)
as she reads the online edition of Switch. After explaining to her what paper is, I would respond that, “A
Melway serves no purpose nowadays, but the good
people from Antiques Roadshow might like to feature
it on their program one day”. Once you have reached your small country
town of choice you’ll need to find somewhere to eat.
It’s probably lunch time, or maybe time for second
lunch, which is increasingly becoming clear to me to
be the most important meal of the day. Country town eating hot spots are a
refreshing blend of establishments that don’t serve
quinoa, and instead replace the ancient grain with
soggy toast and bathwater temperature coffee.
It’s probably not your cup of tea, literally,
they don’t have any sort of numerical system to keep
track of who ordered what. Suddenly you realise the adverse amount
of bakeries that fit into this town are small enough
to fit into a half hour makeover episode of Burke’s
Backyard.
You begin to ask yourself; how can a town
which knows how to bake so much bread think that
Ned Kelly is the Prime Minister? How can a town with
so many bakeries not know what a latte is? How
can a town with so many bakeries not have Internet?
Maybe baked bread was their answer to dial-up. It
probably works about the same anyway.
My chosen town had Shannon Noll performing at their pub a week forward from my visit.
Finally he’s reached the big smoke. It’s great to see
Australian Idol contestants are out doing what they
set out to do. I actually ran into Wes Carr the other
day. I asked for his autograph, to which he responded, “Would you like fries with that?”
After walking around the town, and perhaps taken part in a bush walk or have patted some
horses, it is sadly time to return home.
You arrive home from the sticks feeling
gathered in thought and mind, however mad because
you realised you were supposed to be gluten intolerant that week. What are your blog followers going to
think?
Switch Magazine / 15
BooM GALLERY
Words: Amanda Sherring Images: Natalie Evans
So often galleries are attended purely to see
what’s on the walls, and while this is still true
for Boom Gallery, the building itself is just as
beautiful. With exposed brick, concrete floors
and high-beamed ceilings it’s the perfect space
to compliment any and all art forms – which the
gallery has in abundance.
that one off gift that you know you’ll never find
anywhere else.
The gallery layout is a little bit maze
like: just when you think the exhibition has ended,
there’s another room attached with a handful of
extra pieces. On an average day – a word you’d
never use to describe the gallery itself – you’ll
find ceramic bowls, objects crafted from wire and
plaster, jewellery, sculptures and paintings ranging
from the dark and disturbing to the sweetly pastel-toned.
While you’re there be sure to stop off
at Dirty Rascal cafe, the newly renovated space
created by the owner of King of the Castle on
Pakington St. Featuring a large communal table,
with the backdrop of a matte black wall and neon
lights, the cafe is the perfect space to discuss
the art you’ve just seen or to nourish creative
minds.
Artists that have featured at Boom
Gallery are Mark Cuthbertson, Ellie Malin, Chelsea
Gustafsson, Glen Smith and more. With artworks,
jewellery and ceramics also for sale, Boom
Gallery doubles as the perfect stop to pick up
16 \ Switch Magazine \ Boom Gallery
Not just a space to house the finished
product, the gallery also has a number of studios
spaces available for hire where you can create
your own art to hang on the wall.
Boom Gallery is the go-to place in
Geelong if you’re seeking inspiration, quality art, a
special gift or a bite to eat. Make sure you clear
some time in the day before venturing into the
gallery as it deserves a bit of time to fully appreciate.
LOCATION: 11 Rutland St, Newtown
OPENING HOURS: Mon-Sat 9am-4pm
CAFE HOURS: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat 8am-4pm
Switch Magazine / 17
Box Office Cafe
Words: Jessica Dickers Images: Natalie Evans
LOCATION: 77 Preston St, Geelong West
OPENING HOURS: Mon- Fri 7am-4pm, Sat- Sun 7.30am- 4pm
It seems that with every new cafe comes the same
design style; white tiles, metal chairs, hanging
globes and quirky table centrepieces. After a while,
it becomes hard to tell them apart. Which is why Box
Office - an alfresco dining cafe made out of an old
shipping container – stands out from the crowd, it’s
like nothing else in Geelong.
The idea to turn a shipping container into
a fully functioning cafe came from owner, Mark Stawicki, who wanted to revitalise what was an empty
block located just off Pako Street. Everything was
built by hand using repurposed materials to create
an industrial style coffee spot.
The container itself is bright and covered
in graffiti artwork, with teapots and bags of fruit
hanging overhead. It’s in here that the ever-changing
menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and
brekky dishes are prepared. Surrounding the container are rows of comfortable wooden seating, large
wooden spindles that have been turned into tables
18 \ Switch Magazine \ Box Office Cafe
and even a sandpit out the back for the kids.
Box Office prides itself on using local
ingredients from a range of Geelong producers (Born
and Bread Bakehouse, Zee Murray Cakes) and the
freshness resonates through the food.
The menu changes seasonally with the
current autumn one offering dishes like Vietnamese
chicken larb, a Mexican brekky burger with beans,
salsa and fried egg, and the sweet potato smash an interesting variation of the typical avocado mash.
Every time Switch comes here, we can’t
go past ordering a delicious cake or dessert from
the display case - with our picks being the lamingtons or doughnuts. Besides the food, the drawcard
for Box Office is its speciality coffee made from
Melbourne brand Axil Coffee Roasters. But there’s
also a range of fresh juices and smoothies and a
blackboard of specials.
The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and
friendly and the layout makes it okay to bring the
kids or the dogs. If it’s a nice day, the outdoor seating is the perfect spot to grab a bite in the sunshine
and, with a liquor licence in the works, there will soon
be more opportunities for some to swing by at later
times.
Box Office Cafe have recently celebrated their first birthday and are continually involving
themselves in the Geelong cafe scene, so if you
haven’t yet visited them for brunch, look for the giant
shipping container and follow the smell of roasted
coffee.
Switch Magazine / 19
Down the Alley
Words: Gabe Rule Images: Natalie Evans
LOCATION: Shop 10, Edgewater 6 - 8 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong
OPENING HOURS: Tue-Sun 8am-3pm
20 \ Switch Magazine \ Down the Alley
The contents of most Geelong alleyways are fairly
ordinary. For the most part, you’ll find dumpsters,
stray dogs and - if you’re lucky - a receptionist on
her smoke break. However, Down The Alley, located
at the end of Steampacket Lane on the Waterfront could stand to become a front runner in the
ever-growing Geelong cafe scene.
Owner of Down The Alley, Ben, has a passion for pairing fresh flavours with amazing service
- running the store on the pillar stones of ‘fresh food,
great service, free love’. Meaning that if you’re up
for a chat, the friendly staff will always be happy to
oblige.
Chef Ben crafts a selection of innovative
treats and fresh tastes everyday, including a salted
caramel pop-corn slice (yes, you read that correct).
Or if you’re looking for something a little more
substantial, Down The Alley offers a full breakfast
and lunch menu, boasting eats such as a kale corn
and linseed fritters ($17), breakfast tacos ($14)
and pulled pork sliders with house-made onion rings
($10) - to name a few.
To pair with your meals, Down The Alley
offers an array of hot and cold beverages, boasting
organic soft drinks ($4.50), Emma and Tom Juices
($4), as well as great coffee - ensuring your caffeine
hit is always a good one. However, if none of these
take your fancy, how about a Nutella hot chocolate
($4)? Yes, that’s correct. Nutella. Hot. Chocolate.
If you’re someone who partakes in the
instagraming of food, the dishes served at Down The
Alley are definite contenders for your feed. However,
if you can’t wait for your fresh meal to come to start
snapping, the cafe is full of planter boxes, succulent
filled terrariums and couches that your Dad would
have had as a kid and that are sure to land you likes
(#retro).
‘But Gabe, I don’t only like to eat tacos at
breakfast, I like to eat them all the time, but mostly
between the hours of 5-10pm on Friday nights.’ Well
fear not, Down The Alley is gearing up for a big year,
with the inclusion of Friday Night Mexican Nights, as
well as Sunday Afternoon Acoustic Music Sessions
spanning throughout the year, making sure your four
seasons are tops.
So next time your stomach’s rumbling, you
feel like a chat, or simply just want to soak up some
cool vibes, head into Down The Alley for eats that
will leave both your tummy and your wallet satisfied.
Switch Magazine / 21
The Idiots Among Us
Words: Kurt Villafuerte
“Historical discoveries and technological innovation
do not signify human achievement. These in fact
emphasise human failure as it proves ironically
that humans have been stupid enough not to figure
something out sooner rather than later.” Unknown
If I go ahead and claim that this idea has
never been suggested by anyone until this point in
time, I would think that I’m right, but in fact, I’d be
wrong. The great Albert Einstein once stated, “Two
things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity;
and I’m not sure about the universe.” Therefore this
idea might have been introduced decades before I
was even born.
Although most people who have heard
this quote would give Einstein credit, a few people
consider this to be apocryphal, suggesting that the
statement might have been derived from a book
called “Ego, Hunger, and Aggression: a Revision of
Freud’s Theory and Method” written by Frederick S.
Perls. This means that both Einstein and/or myself
could be wrong in claiming to have generated this
idea. Nobody knows anything for sure and human-generated conclusions have always been, and
are always going to be, inconclusive.
As defined in The Oxford Dictionary:
Stupidity is a behaviour that shows a lack of good
sense or judgement. Knowing that nobody on this
“round planet” (thanks to Pythagoras, or Eratosthenes, or Christopher Columbus, or whoever it was)
has perfect judgement and makes perfect sense all
the time. It can be concluded that every single human being has a distinct level of stupidity. No one on
Earth is not stupid. Everyone makes a stupid mistake
at some point. It’s similar to the fact that everyone
commits a sin at some point. As written by Margaret
Atwood, “Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by
the results.” I commend her for implying that evil and
stupidity have the exact same consequences. These
22 \ Switch Magazine \ The Idiots Among Us
two act as barriers that slow us down as individuals
and eventually deter the overall human progress and
development.
Think about the discovery of Penicillin
in 1928. Sir Alexander Fleming was a biologist who
accidentally discovered this antibiotic. You might
wonder, “What if he never discovered Penicillin?”
Well he almost didn’t. It wasn’t until later that he put
any thought into it as when he first saw it, he had
disposed of it. But ask yourself; what if this antibiotic
was discovered sooner rather than later? A lot of
deaths would have been prevented. What if gravity
was discovered sooner rather than later? What if
electricity was discovered sooner rather than later?
What if oxygen was some kind of poison that slowly
kills us? We can never be sure of anything for sure.
We can only assume and pretend that we are aware
of our level of intelligence. After all, we are smart
enough to know how stupid we really are. We just
don’t admit it.
Aside from Penicillin, there were a
number of other cases in which accidental discoveries were made. In 1879, Constantin Fahlberg of
Russia was happily eating a piece of bread on his
dinner table. He did not expect the bread to be sweet
but for some reason, it tasted sweet. He was known
to have bad hygiene and poor management. And
apparently, he never washed his hands after coming
home from work. This meant that whatever chemical
substance he had touched before would have made
contact with the food that he consumed. How stupid
was that? But luckily, Dr Fahlberg did not get poisoned. In fact, he did the exact opposite. He figured
out that the experimental substance that made
contact with his bread actually made the bread
taste sweeter. He ditched his dinner table and went
straight back to his lab where he ran some tests and
just like that, “artificial sweeteners” were invented.
Now we move on to something even
sweeter. Have you ever heard of the brand Kellogg’s?
You might think it’s just a random name made up by
some Scottish dude, or you might think it’s the surname of the actual inventor of Kellogg’s. You might
think both. And you might be wrong because you’re
stupid. I was stupid too. I still am but less stupid than
I was when I haven’t heard about the history of cornflakes. If you already know, then you might say you’re
more intelligent than me. No. You’re just less stupid.
Now I will not tell you about the history of cornflakes
because that would just be convenient, wouldn’t it?
You can stop reading this article and search up the
history of cornflakes or you can keep reading.
Did you know that six per cent of
Americans believe in unicorns? I am unsure about
the legitimacy of this statistic but I guess it would
be pretty close. That sentence that I just typed up
made me sound intelligent because of the use of the
words “legitimacy” and “statistic”. But at the same
time, it made me sound uneducated by using the
phrases “I guess” and “pretty close”. Now you ask,
where was I going with the whole “unicorn” thing?
Let me put it this way: Which article would give up
three minutes of your time to read? “Losing body fat”
or “6 effective ways to lose weight”? I bet you’d go
with the second one just because it’s numbered and
sounds interesting just like the “unicorn” thing.
At this point, I have grown weary and
I must admit, laziness follows a path to stupidity
and one reason people don’t know enough about
something is that they don’t put in the effort to
learn about something. What I’m about to show
you is a paragraph taken from an article written
by Henry Porter for The Observer: “We are dumb
beyond words in making the connection between
our behaviour and well-understood outcomes – the
links between smoking and cancer, fatty foods and
obesity, driving fast and death on the roads, impulse
buying and going broke, gossipy tweets and losing
friends and esteem. We know the likely results but
we are convinced we can defy norms with impunity,
while denying ourselves nothing but the truth.”
DEN SUPPLY CO
Words/Images: Amanda Sherring
It’s hard to walk past the Den Supply Co windows
without being drawn in by the vibrant wall art by
painter Andrea (Stampel products) at the back of the
store.
Walking in you’re quickly greeted by one of
the staff, the banter is natural and if you’re looking
for product knowledge; these guys know their stuff.
Aside from the patchwork mural, the
design of the store is quite minimal with the focus
placed on products, and we’d expect nothing less
from the owners of jewellery brand A Skulk of Foxes.
Sets of decorative pastel arrows sit
comfortably on the wall above racks and racks
of clothes. Den Supply Co are strong believers in
supporting Australian produce and as a result stock
Kuwaii, Ruby Pilvern Ceramics and Ghostly socks
- all lovingly made in Melbourne. The most recent
addition to the local wonders is the vibrant, quirky,
yet sophisticated fashion label Alpha60 - making the
shop the only stockists in Geelong.
Delicate necklaces of foxes and geomet-
24 \ Switch Magazine \ Den Supply Co
ric shapes fill the glass box at the counter alongside
rings, earrings and other pieces all made in the
studio at the back of the store.
Aside from your usual clothes and jewellery, Den Supply Co also stock niche records and
magazines that are worth coming for alone.
While all the walls are white, minus the
back wall, it wasn’t without thought and when combined with the cleverly placed shelves and display
boxes, the shop almost feels like a gallery.
With so many great boutique stores offering up previously hard to find items, Den Supply Co
has taken things up a level with a focus on quality
and niche products.
If you’ve been looking for the perfect pretzel necklace, geometric Alpha60 dress or beaker
candles, Den Supply Co is your shop. Let’s not forget
there’s plenty for the boys as well.
LOCATION: Shop 1/111 Pakington St, Geelong West
OPENING HOURS: Tue-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm
WEBSITE: www.densupplyco.com.au/
EUROPEAN
PHOTO
DIARY
Images: Natalie Evans
Switch Magazine / 27
28 \ Switch Magazine
All images supplied by Natalie Evans
www.facebook.com/NatalieEvansPhotography
www.natalieevansphotography.com
Switch Magazine / 29
28 \ Switch Magazine
Switch Magazine / 29
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH...DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Kim, 24
Alastair, 24
Elana, 22
Though I’d had a few sips of wine
and cider growing up, my first
real blackout experience with
alcohol didn’t occur until I was
17 at a party. Sounds cliche, I
know. But I was always the quiet
girl who shocked even her close
friends when she swore, the
good, incredibly moral girl who
you’d probably feel you could
never relate to. But really, I was
just looking for an opportunity
to fit in, to be included and to
feel normal and this was my
chance. I couldn’t help but be
greedy about it. I started off with
Cruisers and other alcopops
that you look down on as you
grow older. But then we started
with the stronger stuff and that’s
where my memory is fuzzy. I saw
everything through a dark haze
with only small flashes of clarity
as a friend handed over my refill,
a glimpse of fairy lights threaded
through the marquee, a snapshot
seeing my mum’s car pull up and
then to her trying to contain her
laughter as my dad scolded me.
Since then there have been times
that I can handle my drink and
others where I’ve been worse. But
I no longer feel that pressure to
drink to be normal, so I’d like to
think I’ve grown up a little bit.
Honestly, my first experience with
alcohol is pretty tame. I’ve only
ever really had one really wild
night in my drinking life, and boy
did I regret it for about a week
afterwards. I’m such a rebel,
yo. I don’t remember a specific
“first time” (I’m old, deal with it),
but I have a pretty good idea of
how it went down. Like many a
hyperactive 15-year-old, the most
appealing form of alcohol was
the nefarious alcopop – good
ol’ fashioned Ruskis. Essentially
a mix of vodka and Solo, the
kick of the vodka is drowned
out by the sweetness of the soft
drink, so you can go through a
stack of them before you realise
that you’re out of your seat and
curled up on the floor. Needless
to say, it only takes one to make
a 15-year-old giggly and stupid,
and I was only ever allowed them
in the company of family and
under strict observation. I think
disguising the kick of vodka was
really the only reason I went for
Ruskis – these days I’d much
prefer a beer. With age comes
wisdom, right?
Unlike many teenagers, I didn’t
grow up with a never ending
supply of marijuana in disposable plastic lunch bags pulled
out at parties. My experience
came from the real deal in
Amsterdam. There was much
discussion from those around
me on; do we smoke or do
we not smoke? Should we go
mushrooms or stick to the basics? My thoughts were purely
on, ‘When in Rome’, or should
I say Amsterdam? I took more
than I should have and mixed
with mushrooms a strange land
soon became even stranger.
Time seemed to blur before
my eyes and eyebrows soon
turned into caterpillars. The
trip was heightened due to my
already unusual surroundings,
and for the most of it I was on
a buzz. My one regret is not
taking advantage of the many
takeaway joints that line the
streets in Amsterdam or of
listening to friends advice on
waiting for it to hit you. If you
do decide to experiment it’s
worth taking your time. I came
close to greening out and it’s
not something I’d recommend
anyone come close to. Ambo’s
overseas, let alone anywhere,
are not fun to need!
The City of Greater Geelong is informed by and practices within the context of Harm Minimisation. Harm
minimisation aims to address alcohol and other drug issues by reducing the harmful effects of alcohol
and other drugs on individuals and society. Please refer to The Drug and Alcohol Worker at the City of
Greater Geelong for further information related to this policy.
If you or a loved one is effected by the misuse of alcohol or other drugs please contact the 24 hour
Youth Drug & Alcohol Advice line 1800 458 685.
32 \ Switch Magazine \ My First Experience
Jessi, 22
Finn, 18
My First experience with alcohol
we were all sitting around a fire
in the backyard of a friend’s
house. Actually the guy was more
of a friend of a friend and a few
years older, but somehow I ended
up going to his birthday drinks. I
wasn’t really interested in alcohol
at the time, as I couldn’t understand why people would spend so
much money to get drunk only to
regret it the next morning as they
threw it all back up (since then,
I have been this person at least
once or twice). Like most suburban teenage girls my first experience with alcohol came in the
form of a Midori Illusion; a sweet,
pineapple flavoured, Kermit-thefrog-coloured Alcopop. Here’s
what happens when most people
drink grog for the first time
and it’s something that wasn’t
deliberate but is cringe worthy
all the same. After about half a
bottle of the sickly sweet mixer
my usually quiet demure got
noticeably louder and I thought
everything said sitting around that
fire was the most hilarious thing I
had ever heard. But the thing is, I
wasn’t drunk. I think when you’ve
been around alcohol, parties and
drinking games, it’s easy to mimic
behaviour and unintentionally act
a lot more drunk than you are.
While I didn’t drink enough to feel
sick the next day, subconsciously
having that green drink resting
in my hand throughout the night
gave me a sense of inclusion.
After that came a year of clubbing, travelling and drinking, but I
now enjoy fruity cocktails at bars
and a few ciders on a Sunday
arvo without spending all my
money with the intention to just
get drunk. Besides, no one wants
to wake up to see Facebook
plastered with embarrassing
drunken photos from the night
before. Well, only if they’re not
of you, because sometimes that
shit’s hilarious.
Despite living in Geelong, not
Compton, I am exposed to a
marijuana culture, and I have
friends around me that do it on
a regular basis, I’ve just never
really been a part of it. It wasn’t
that I didn’t want to do it, but I just
really didn’t have any real close
Martin, 18
My upbringing was extremely
family orientated, most of it was
spent surrounded by my younger
siblings as well as my cousins.
When I started high school I felt
completely out of depth compared
to others around me who had older
siblings and therefore were more
experienced in the adult world of
access to it.
alcohol, sex and drugs. Even in my
later years of high school I hadn’t
touched drugs, although I wanted
I went over to a friends one
to. To be able to rebel against the
night, knowing that at some
innocence of my youth and the
point throughout the duration of
control of my parents is something
the night I would be offered to
that most teenagers experience,
smoke weed. In the lead up to
this point, I went through an array but I felt an intense pull to enter
the world of illicit substances and
of moral thoughts through my
partying that so many of my friends
head. Imagine if my Mum knew
enjoyed. However I was wary of the
I was doing this? What if I don’t
stigma associated with ‘popping
do it right? Can I just pretend to
pills’ as well as the health dangers
smoke it as an excuse to eat
which had been drilled into me in
food as a result of the ‘munchies’? I’m not saying you should Year 9 Health.
ignore these inclinations, the
The night club culture in Geelong
chances are that if you’re doing
is fun, but unfortunately a lot of it
something morally wrong, you
shouldn’t do it, but essentially it is is based around the consumption
of substances that you can’t simply
completely up to you.
buy from the bar. It was after quite
The actual smoking was nothing a few drinks, and quite a few hours
of dancing that I took an ecstasy
like I thought it would be. I was
pill, or as it is commonly known by
expecting 2-chains to barge
young people; a ‘pinga.’ This pill
through the front door and offer
me a rap career, or at least land was given to me by my boyfriend,
a one-way ticket to Byron Bay. I’m and I want to stress that I wasn’t
pushed into it at all, it was wholly
not going to say I didn’t enjoy it,
but on realisation of the amount my own choice and although I have
felt guilty about it, I do not regret it.
of stigma around marijuana,
worked out that it probably wasn’t Taking it wasn’t unlike being drunk;
I felt incredibly happy and like I was
all it was cracked up to be.
in a dream like trance. However,
the morning after wasn’t as great.
If you do make the choice to
I hit a wall, hard. Since that night I
smoke it, make sure you educate haven’t popped a pill again, would
yourself on all things marijuana,
I in the future? I am going to be
there are multiple sources of
honest and say yes. That level of
guidance, however perhaps shy
happiness that came with taking
away from rap lyrics. Go into it
it, and being with my friends was
with an open mind, don’t feel
something that I have yet to be
pressured, and remember your
able to feel naturally, and in my
first experience probably won’t be opinion it was worth the come
your best.
down to be able to feel so on top
of the world.
Switch Magazine / 33
Tasmania
Words/Image: Bridget McGivern
For many Australians, myself included, Tasmania
is the cold, wet, tiny island state that lies between
Victoria and Antarctica, and is the final destination
of one almighty ship that sets sail from Melbourne.
That’s all we know about it, apart from the fact it’s
home to vicious creatures with face tumours known
as Tasmanian Devils. So it’s safe to say that when
I ventured to Tasmania last year, I wasn’t tremendously excited about this family holiday. Upon arriving
in Devonport after a 6.30am wake up call, I was
feeling slightly groggy and in need of a double shot
cappuccino. However, while disembarking the Spirit
of Tasmania, I was greeted by the beautiful sun rising over a sleepy town, and for a split second, being
jammed in the Tarago (it’s a people mover, NOT a
mini van) with six other hungry, cold and tired family
members, it didn’t seem too bad. After a quick stop
for the greasiest breakfast Tasmania had to offer at
such an unreasonable hour, we set off for our first
destination; Cradle Mountain.
Looking out over the vast, green countryside of Tasmania as we drove through on our
journey, I was immediately transported to a place not
unlike the green hills of Ireland. All seemed still and
peaceful, as if the purest, highest form of natural
beauty had been preserved for all eternity in this
place. The drive into the Cradle Mountain national
34 \ Switch Magazine \ Tasmania
park was epic; twisting, turning and endless climbing
to reach our old style mountain lodges (complete
with the best view in all of the country, as well as
non-drinkable tap water). As a girl born and raised
into suburbia, far, far away from anything deemed
‘natural beauty’ and having already climbed the You
Yangs approximately four times, Cradle Mountain
was a dream come true. I willingly, yes willingly...
jumped out of bed at 5am two mornings in a row, because I could not pass up the opportunity to explore
the great outdoors in absolute serenity, walk past
lakes as still as glass, and trees as tall as apartment blocks. I had moved from a concrete jungle into
a real jungle, and it was incredible. Three days was
not long enough in this magical place, and before I
knew it we were on the road again.
Our next stop was a tiny village called
Low Head, a narrow little peninsula in North West
Tasmania at the mouth of the Tamar River. The quiet
nature of this little town paved the way for unspoiled
beaches. The house we were staying at was virtually
on the tip of the peninsula, surrounded by the ocean,
and overlooking a magnificent, operational lighthouse. After a couple of days in wilderness, staying
in true mountaineer style, it was nice to have a few
creature comforts back (such as couches) but the
sense of wanting to be outside; doing, instead of
inside; watching, didn’t leave me. The countryside
surrounding Low Head was beautiful, walking along
the beach and clambering over rocks was an experience to be remembered, and come rain or shine,
nothing could stop me from ‘getting back to nature’
- as cliche as that sounds. After Low Head we began
the long journey to Hobart (well as long as it can be
when it takes approximately three hours to cover the
length of the entire state).
descending into a dark labyrinth of confusing art
and some extremely disturbing pieces was slightly
uncomfortable, although the quality of the art was
impeccable, and full of hidden motives and meanings. It was an experience I believe everyone should
have, as it is very interesting, just not something I
can say I totally enjoyed...
Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, was
really the only one with which I identified most with,
being the city slicker, uptown girl that I am. It was
a quirky place, the best method of transportation
definitely being walking, as the amount of one
way streets and lane ways was a constant source
of trouble every time we decided to venture on a
small road trip (usually to a supermarket). A huge
tourist attraction in Hobart are the weekly Saturday
Salamanca markets; which did not fail to disappoint.
Food, jewellery, local wares, clothing, it encompassed all aspects of a typical weekend market, yet
somehow it seemed so much better than all those
local farmers markets I have trawled through in my
18 years of existence. The atmosphere was fun, with
incredible buskers spread through the length of the
stalls, providing great entertainment. Another sight
recommended by the very few people I actually knew
who had visited Hobart, was the Museum of Old and
New Art; MONA. It’s hard to put into words my experience at MONA, I honestly cannot say that I actively
loved and enjoyed my visit, the feeling of continually
When it was time to leave Tasmania, I
actually found myself a reformed woman. No longer
an ignorant, mainland Australian I felt sad at the
thought of leaving my naturally beautiful and eclectic
home of the past two weeks. The only way to memorialize this incredible place was to pass on my new
found wisdom and love for the outdoors onto other
mainlanders (including you, our most valued reader)
in the hope that the bogan stereotype placed upon
Tasmania by many people could finally be lifted. So
pack your bags (and your family’s), bring the dog and
set off down to Port Melbourne for the journey of a
lifetime. Australian tourism at its best.
Switch Magazine / 35
BELLA LU
Words: Amanda Sherring Images: Benni Knop
Nestled in a bed of shredded paper, tucked into a
box and wrapped up with twine is one of Geelong’s
best secrets. Bellalu is a lip balm that was created
by Hannah Rasche back in 2009, partly by chance
but mostly from a desire to find a lip balm of substance.
as Bellalu jumped from two to 10 stockists in just a
few months.
“The reason I started on lip balms was because I
bought one that was terrible and I thought, ‘Where
can I go to get a good lipbalm?’,” Hannah says.
“I do everything 100 per cent by hand; I source all
my ingredients as locally as I can,” Hannah says.
“You can buy all these lip balms and chapsticks but
they often contain petroleum and all these nasties.
I then started to research and look at the different
things I could do and I soon perfected it – and I’ve
perfected it even more over these last two years.”
With a background in retail and business, Hannah
was quick to get her perfect formula from her kitchen stove to the lips of locals. Now 10 flavours later,
Hannah has a wealth of loyal customers who rely on
her lip balms.
“I’ve got people that purchase them yearly, they
use it every day and it lasts and that really makes
me happy. It stays on the lips well, it’s smooth, and
the consistency on the lips is beautiful and it lasts
because it’s packed with things like olive oil and
carnauba wax and all these earthy elements,” she
says.
Pair the carefully chosen ingredients with quirky
flavours like Blueberry Bliss, Lemon Meringue Pie
and Strawberry Milkshake and you’ve got yourself
a winner. The flavours were perfected through customer feedback and testing and clearly it’s worked,
36 \ Switch Magazine \ Bellalu
Though the real success isn’t in the number of
shelves the product is stocked on, it’s that someone
who is passionate about it makes them by hand.
“I’ll start it in stages, one night I’ll lay out all my
boxes and shred the paper, then the next days I’ll
get all the lids and stick all the labels on and then
I’ll start making the batches and do one flavour at a
time and box them up.”
It may be something that takes time into her
weekends and evenings, but Hannah wouldn’t be
doing it if it weren’t something she believed in. Put
simply Hannah will be stirring, cutting and folding up
packages for as long as we can predict.
The great moments are where someone walks past
you and pulls this out [gestures to lip balm pot] –
that’s just the best day ever for me,” she says.
“I have found something that I’m passionate about
and enjoy doing so why not do it every day if you
can. I really do hope it gets to that stage and that’s
why I need support from people to get my brand out
there.”
To purchase a gift for someone, a treat for yourself
or to have a better look, visit www.bellalu.com.au,
Facebook (www.facebook.com/bellaluaus) or on
Instagram (@Bellaluaus).
JOSHUA MAXWELL
de HOOG
A concentration of creativity//
38 \ Switch Magazine \ Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
Words: Amanda Sherring
Images: Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
The true talent for photographers lies in their ability
to draw you in. You feel perplexed by these characters captured before you and can’t help but wonder
what their story is.
Look at any one of Joshua Maxwell de
Hoog’s images and you’ll soon get lost in the hazy,
dreamlike quality that each one possesses. Interestingly each of the models in Joshua’s pictures are
often his close friends, and the end result from their
shoots came from a spontaneous trip to anywhere.
“I love taking photos for myself and it’s a
good reason to hang out with my friends. I’ll just be
like ‘Oh let’s go somewhere and take some pictures’
and we do,” Joshua says.
Also a school photographer and with a
cafe owned between three friends – named Analogue Academy – that also has a strong focus on
photography, it’s a wonder Joshua hasn’t pursued his
personal photography more.
But it seems that the pleasure really lies
in doing it for himself, without the pressure of anyone
40 \ Switch Magazine \ Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
else dictating what you do – after all, it’s bound to
stifle creativity.
And with so many creative outlets –
Joshua also paints – it’s not at all surprising that he
doesn’t want to be locked into any one medium. In
fact, it’s often each medium that inspires the others.
“I photograph a lot of people on the spectrum and my mind thinks spectrum, that’s the colour
spectrum – it just made me think of paintings and
from there I wanted to paint about it,” he says.
Put simply, Joshua is doing what he loves
and how he wants to in the most organic way that art
should be created. There should be no pressure, only
love for what you do and his images reflect that.
To see more of Joshua’s photos visit his
website (www.joshuamaxwelldehoog.com) or pick
his brain at his cafe Analogue Academy (Rear 68-70
Ryrie St, Geelong).
Switch Magazine / 41
42 \ Switch Magazine \ Mexico
Mexico
Words/Image: Kim Sinnott
Growing up, there were a lot of places I wanted to
visit. My list seemed endless. I wanted to see the
Pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the
New York City skyline. Cancun, Mexico was not on
my list.
It had never appealed to me. I actually
believed the stereotypes. I thought I’d be walking into
drug cartels and crazy partying Americans at every
turn. It had never been an option because I really
didn’t know if I would like it.
But after much convincing from a friend, it
became a stop on our epic American trip and is now
one of my most favourite places in the world.
Even from the sky, Cancun looks so inviting. The water is an unbelievably turquoise blue, the
sand is blindingly white and in the middle of all this
sits a long strip of beach that is home to a number
of larger than life all-inclusive hotels.
confident swimmers it is advised to hire life jackets
on site. It is one of the most beautiful places to swim
and there is a designated cliff for the brave to dive
off from.
Another fun day trip is heading out via
boat to Isla Mujeres. The island is another popular
spot for kayaking, sun baking, swimming and just
generally chilling out. It’s a good idea to join a group
as this gives you more of an opportunity to meet new
people and party and relax with new friends.
Buses run 24 hours, are very cheap and
safe and therefore provides a good opportunity for
tourists to get to downtown Cancun for some souvenir shopping. I took the chance to use my bargaining
skills and it was clear that the locals were expecting
it and loved it.
The Grand Oasis is one such all-inclusive
hotel. Though the price seemed a bit steep, knowing
that all food, drinks and gratuities were included allowed us to quickly get into holiday mode the second
we were greeted by the Mexican sun.
Cancun is such a fun, friendly place
and for me, going in the low season was a great
decision. There was always a seat available at the
swim up bar, an option to join day trips last minute
and an opportunity for the bartenders and waiters
to help give you a free Spanish lesson. One of the
highlights of the trip was being sung La Bamba to by
a mariachi band at dinner.
Cancun is the ultimate holiday destination
– there are a range of different sights and activities
to cater for any kind of traveller.
If you’re travelling anywhere near the
Americas, make Cancun a destination and you won’t
regret the experience.
An amazing adventure all travellers to
Cancun must take is a day trip to Chichen Itza. Located a couple of hours from Cancun, this pyramid
and home to the Mayan culture, is one of the new
wonders of the world. As part of most tours, guides
will take groups around the ancient relics and show
how the time and date was told through the reflection of the sun onto the pyramid. They will also show
the court that the Mayans used to enact their own
form of Gladiators and other entertainment.
“I actually believed
the stereotypes. I
thought I'd be walking
into drug cartels and
crazy partying Americans at every turn”
Included in the tour is a stop at the cenote
Il Kil. Orginally used by Mayan royalty as a place of
relaxation, Il Kil is a fresh water natural sinkhole and
has become very popular with tourists. Even for the
Switch Magazine / 43
MITCH
LOUGHNAN
Part bizznezz man, part DJ we had
a chat to 18-year-old Mitch on
what the DJ scene is all
about.
Who has been influential for you?/is there anyone
you aspire to be like?
I tried not to have anyone to look up to in the
DJing side of things. I felt that if I looked up to
someone too much, I’d end up being very generic
as a DJ and performer. I kind of wrote my own
books and didn’t follow too many rules - which
turned out to be a really good thing for me. As for
the business side of things, I looked up to James
Fava of the Love That Music Group and Mynt
Lounge. I was doing work experience for James
since I was 14. He took me under his ever growing
wing and taught me (almost) everything I know.
I’m so grateful for Fava and all of his colleagues,
without them, I’d probably still be running below
par events.
I don’t really aspire to be anyone but me. I just
want to be the go-to man and the guy that everyones wants to know (I have a lot of work to do).
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In a decade, I see myself having all 10 of my fingers in different pies. A venue of my own, a record
label, an artist agency, a food vendor, a festival, a
family, a hit song (probably not) - are all definite
goals of mine. All based within Geelong.
Tell me a bit about yourself.
My name is Mitch Loughnan. I am an 18-year-old
bizznezz man. For a part time job (since I was
14) I ran underage parties, events at nightclubs
and helped out at festivals and tours for a few
different companies. Now, since growing up and
learning the ways of a pushy booking agent or a
very particular event manager, I have started to
run and direct a nightclub.
What made you first pick up the headphones and
start DJing?
I think I first started DJing because I saw a friend
of mine do it and I was blown away by how you
could manipulate a crowd. There weren’t too many
DJs around town when I started, so I decided
to give it a crack. I never got booked to play
anywhere (probably because I was bad) so I just
put on my own events that I could play at. Then,
hey presto, the gigs started rolling in. Everything
from your Mum’s 50th, to festivals in Melbourne, to
clubs in Geelong.
44 \ Switch Magazine \ Mitch Loughnan
What do you think of the music scene in Geelong?
What would you change if you could?
At the moment, it’s not that great. There is so
much amazing talent, but not enough recognition.
There’s no one pushing each and every artist
properly. There’s no one taking care of a proper
branding. There’s no one bringing all those big
acts to our little Sleepy Hollow - which is really
sad because Geelong has so much taste and
so many beautiful things about it. Within the next
year or so, I hope to start working on something
that will completely change how Geelong views,
sees and listens to music. We deserve something
amazing.
Any advice for people aspiring to enter the music
scene, either as a DJ or in another role?
My biggest piece of advice to someone trying to
be a fully sick DJ is don’t let yourself get put into
one category. Be versatile and really work out
and practice being able to read and work a crowd
properly. There are so many DJs these days and
hardly any of them are entertaining. They’re all
the same, none of them stand out. No matter the
genre.
For someone wanting to be a businessman, my
best piece of advice is not to piss anyone off. You
never know who they are or what they could do
for you.
@mitchloughnann
REVIEWS
The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Reviewed by Kim Sinnott
Nowadays it’s hard to find the time to read a book,
let alone trying to figure out what is currently good in
the world of fiction.
In a throwback to a favourite, The Messenger by Markus Zusak still remains to be unique,
surprising and genuinely a great read.
The Messenger tells the story of Ed Kennedy, a 20-year-old cab driver whose purpose in life
is changed after stopping a would be robber one day.
He is sent on a mission by a mystery watcher after
an Ace of Diamonds shows up on his doorstep with
three addresses. In order to get to the next ace, and
through his mission as soon as possible, he must
correctly deliver a message to the people who live
at these addresses. The hard part? He doesn’t know
what the messages are.
A coming of age story, The Messenger
reminds its readers to understand that there are others out there living in less fortunate circumstances
whether it be living with a lack of love and joy, living
with abuse and neglect or feeling absolutely no self
worth.
It also tells how easy it is to rectify such sad and
difficult circumstances.
As with all Zusak novels, The Messenger
is written in a different postmodern style. It takes
some time to get used to but ultimately the intricate,
exciting storyline more than makes up for it.
46 \ Switch Magazine \ Reviews
Also due to the writing style, the reader
requires some concentration. The plot is filled with
little clues about the identity of the mystery card
dealer - but these are very easy to miss.
Lastly, this book is a bit dark for younger
readers - it is recommended that mature readers
tackle it as it deals with scenes of crippling suspense and a small amount of brutality in Ed’s dealing
with his messages.
Insurgent (2015)
Reviewed by Kim Sinnott
Insurgent is the second film in the Divergent series
based on the young adult novels by Veronica Roth.
Following right where the first ended, Insurgent shows Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) and her
allies continuing the fight against a powerful group
who had previously used a form of mind-control
to start a civil war between the five factions that
make up their society.
Each faction services a particular need,
however the divergent do not belong to any single
faction. This is where the trouble for Tris and her
friends begin as Jeannine Matthews (Kate Winslet),
the head of Erudite, feels that these divergent are
abnormal and is taking drastic measures to weasel
them out.
As with all young adult dramas, Insurgent is a coming of age film. Tris struggles to deal
with her actions in the past, particularly that of the
deaths of her parents and her friend, as she fights
to reveal the truth about Erudite and the genocide
they were behind.
while some may say that many details were cut out,
in reality, the story line seems clearer and easier to
follow.
Insurgent is an action film. Throughout
the journey of the film, the characters do not stop;
their obstacles are seemingly endless in their efforts to liberate their society from the propaganda
of the Erudite. As a result, the audience is expected
to become enthralled and somewhat involved with
this story and the 2 hours seems to pass by without
real notice.
Director Robert Schwentke has succeeded in bringing such an intricate world to life.
The special effects in particular are great as this
dystopian world set well into the future has a good
sense of reality.
Ultimately, this is a great film for those
aged 13 and older and is one not to be missed.
8/10
If you are a massive fan of the book,
be warned: the plot does deviate slightly. However,
Far Cry 4 (PC) MA15+
Reviewed by Alastair McGibbon
I first picked up the Far Cry series with Far Cry 2 on
the PS2, and while I appreciated what Ubisoft were
trying to do, the game never really grabbed me and
there were a number of features to the game that
drove me insane. Then Far Cry 3 came along, and
absolutely blew me away with its excellent setting,
characters and gameplay. Far Cry 4 is a natural progression from its predecessor – while it doesn’t add
too many new features, Ubisoft have taken what you
know and love and have polished it until it gleams.
Far Cry 4 follows Ajay Ghale, a Kyrati-born
American, who returns to his war-torn homeland to
scatter the ashes of his mother at a place called
Lakshmana. Upon arriving in Kyrat, he is abducted by
the country’s despotic king, Pagan Min, rumoured to
have been romantically involved with Ajay’s mother.
Ajay is rescued from Pagan’s clutches by members
of the Golden Path rebel movement and begins a
quest to find out about Lakshmana and take down
the king’s regime.
While the lack of innovation is a source
of disappointment – after all, this is meant to be Far
Cry 4, not 3.5 – it also means that you have a good
idea of what to expect when you’re dropped into the
land of Kyrat. The setting itself is much richer than
that of its predecessor; the mountainous regions,
forests and shanty towns of Kyrat are not only prettier, but much more interactive and allows for greater
vertical movement in-game – perfect for tacticians
attempting to take down outposts. The characters
are more engaging too; Troy Baker as Pagan Min
steals the spotlight, despite essentially disappearing
from view for most of the game. An excellent entry
into the series, despite being light on innovation.
4.5/5
Choker by Elizabeth Woods
Reviewed by Florence Noble
I’ve always been the type of person who picks
up books that have pretty covers. This book has
definitely taught me a lesson: do not be fooled by
the cover of a book. The pretty pink cover led me to
believe this was going to be a ‘pretty’ story. However,
if I’m honest, it may have been one of the creepiest
books I’ve ever read and had me looking over my
shoulder at noises I would usually have ignored.
In the beginning this was your average and
what I thought was going to be, a predictable Young
Adult book about a girl called Cara. Cara didn’t fit in,
she had only ever had one friend called Zoe whom
she had left behind when she moved away several
years ago and hadn’t seen since.
One day after an incident in the school
cafeteria Cara gains the nickname ‘Choker’ and that
evening her old friend Zoe turns up, almost out of
nowhere. The next morning Cara wakes up to find
that her neighbour has drowned and the mystery
begins. As time goes on more disappearances occur
and Cara becomes very suspicious of Zoe.
At this point, I really thought I knew where this story
was heading - your typical murder mystery.
Elizabeth Woods goes into such detail
that the story seems almost real, like it had actually
happened and the characters were actual people.
Her writing with its twists and turns kept me hooked
until the very last page. Although very dark Choker
successfully tackles subjects such as bullying and
low self esteem - which are sadly all too common in
young people today.
I think books like these can teach us all
some important lessons. Whether that lesson is
about judging things by the way they look (the cover
of the book for instance) or that by labelling someone with a cruel nickname (like the way
Cara becomes known
as Choker) can change the way that person looks at themselves forever. If you
can handle the haunting, creepiness of
this book, I’d highly
recommend you
giving it a try.
However as I read on I became more and
more unsure.
Hole – Celebrity Skin
Reviewed by Amanda Sherring
With the denim overalls, tartan shirts and
unusual hairdos, it seems everyone’s reliving the
‘90s, so I thought it was fitting to take a look at
one of my favourite albums from the decade.
wanting to release your frustrations. If you’re planning on reliving the ‘90s make sure you do it right
with this album, just think of how cool you’ll look.
4.5/5
Released in 1998, Celebrity Skin by Hole
just scraped in and embodied everything that we’ve
come to love from the ‘90s. The guitar is loud,
Courtney Love Hewitt’s voice sounds ragged – yet
alluring – and it’s the kind of music you want to be
caught looking cool to (you know what I mean).
From Celebrity Skin, Hole easily created
an album of anthems that we still pull out to this
day – hell, this album has been my go-to car music
for the past month. ‘Celebrity Skin’, ‘Malibu’ and ‘Dying’.
A forgotten track on the album is ‘Awful’,
where Courtney sings a little sweeter than before,
though still of the darkly concerning lyrics. Be sure
to chuck on ‘Reasons to be Beautiful’ if you’re
48 \ Switch Magazine \
Have you read a good book
lately, seen a terrible film or just
like sharing your opinion? Send in
your reviews to switchmagazine@
hotmail.com.
From Student
to
Job Seeker
Words: Jessica Dickers
There’s a wonderful Dr. Suess book called Oh The
Places You Go that talks about the great things that
you can achieve in your lifetime. It starts with the
quote “You have brains in your head. You have feet
in your shows. You can steer yourself any direction
you choose.” Life after you graduate university starts
off a bit like this. You have just spent several years
learning all you can about your chosen field and
preparing to start a career in that industry. But what
happens after you finish your last class and receive
that shiny certificate, what do you do when you go
from ‘student’ to ‘job seeker’?
For some the transition is easy and they
enter full time employment almost immediately,
whether through grad jobs, internships or pure luck.
For others, it’s a bit like what Doctor Suess calls ‘the
waiting place’.
“Waiting for the phone to ring, or the snow
to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No. Everyone
is just waiting”.
For job seekers this ‘waiting place’ isn’t
that much fun. Days are spent scrolling through
advertisements, writing cover letters, answering
criteria questions, updating CVs and making phone
calls. And after all this work you may not even get a
response. Then sometimes you will get an interview
and spend time researching, planning what to wear
and prepping for questions, but the company could
decide to go with someone else.
With a tertiary education and, in some
cases, unpaid work experience under your belt, this
can be disheartening. I’m not just going to tell you
to suck it up and get over it because you’re allowed
to be disappointed. You’re allowed to be sad that
you didn’t get that particular role and you’re allowed
to be frustrated at the process. But what you’re not
allowed to do is give up. If you get a rejection call,
spend a few hours watching TV, go for a walk or
gorge on some Ben and Jerry’s. But then move on
and apply for the next one.
A friend once told me some advice that
can apply to many situations, which was that he has
no zero days. If he has a goal that he is working
towards he does at least one thing per day to get
himself a step closer. This can be anything. If today
you updated your resume, tomorrow you might make
connections on Linked In and the next day you could
send an email to a potential employer. Little things
will stop you from getting discouraged and will ultimately help in the future.
This transitioning phase can be hard but
the key thing is to take some time to figure out exactly where you want to be and what practical steps
you need to take to get there.
Remember that it sometimes takes time to
find that perfect job and once you get it you’ll forget
about all the ones you didn’t. Take Dr. Seuss’s advice:
“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your
mountain is waiting. So get on your way.”
IT
Scott Reid
It’s a startling sight when you walk into a library and
everybody is using a computer. When the shelves are
lined with books on every topic imaginable, why do
people choose technology? It seems like the simple,
fast and direct solution as you can get answers within seconds instead of pouring over books for hours
on end. But is this a good thing?
The 2012 Programme for International
Student Assessment found that that Australian
rankings in literacy are dropping worldwide. This
troubling fact is by compounded by the idea that
instant access to social media is more addictive
than cigarettes or alcohol (University of Chicago). It
was found that mobile users couldn’t even leave their
phones alone for an average of 6 minutes!
With constant tweets and blaring updates,
it’s nearly impossible for students to immerse themselves in study, what with the annoying pings from
Facebook inboxes to distract us. I’ve tried to do it
50 \ Switch Magazine \ IT
myself, to sit at a desk and delve into the extremely
interesting world of quadratic trinomials uninterrupted. But with my iPhone lurking nearby, it’s very hard.
I have even used my phone as a way of “taking a
break”, but self-discipline and teenagers don’t exactly go hand in hand.
In a world where the humble book is
arguably becoming a dinosaur, and technology is
everything, what are we to do? We can’t just accept
this self-contained isolate way of life where we are
liking each other’s posts but living a lonely and sedentary life. What is needed is balance.
I believe that both the young and older
generations take education, the outside world and
each other for granted. We need to put away the
IPhone, IPod, Tablet and whatever other devices that
suck us into another dimension and we need to pick
up books, magazines and things that can teach us
the value of time, knowledge and cost. Instead of
immediately picking up the answers on Wikipedia, try
to invest some time to find a book and leaf through
its pages- as who knows, you might learn something
completely new.
Image: Joshua Maxwell de Hoog
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