BarryONeill

Back to the blog for me it seems. After the glorious two month food and drink festival that was home over Christmas, I find myself abroad again. Escaping the despair and gloom of the emerald isle I, like many of the Irish youth, have checked out. Following stale breadcrumbs left by our ancestors, I have become a unfortunate statistic lost amongst a monstrous exodus of paddys seeking work abroad. I however, have opted for the the easy road; teaching English in South Korea where jobs are plentiful and the life of a king is easily within grasp. Much to my delight I started in my school on valentines day, where the cutest little snot nosed Korean kids yield candy and chocolates for their respective elders. In Korea, I have learned, there are three or so days ... read more

Sadly my time in this country has come to end and although I have a strong connection to this land and its easy way of life I feel like my time to leave has been long overdue. I am ready for a new adventure, to see new things. I have since flown to Darwin where I peruse these dull streets looking for something to photograph. I am literally counting the hours until my flight. Cheap food, long sticky bus rides, peculiar traditions and strange cultures await me on the populated island of Java, Indonesia. After my epic adventure up the west coast four weeks ago I flew to Cairns, Queensland’s second largest city 3000km removed on the east coast. One of my original goals in Australia was to spend a winter in cairns working on a ... read more

Back in a hostel, again! I suppose it's where all great adventures begin and end in the red land down under. This time I've bunked up at an old military barracks turned mad house, complete with Irish loons and cheap drink specials that would put you in an early grave. When I arrived in this city five months ago I was supposed to put my head down, save as much as possible, get fit and physically and mentally sober up from a cracking summer in Melbourne. I was so naive. Employment complications, lack of money and a general loathing of a coming miserable autumn found me on the quickest budget flight out of my love Melbourne and into the isolated outcast city that is Perth. Regarded as one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on earth, ... read more

Its hot, but not too hot, its more sticky than hot. Im standing in shade, but the sun rays still hound me as enter hour number six of this tiresome day. It’s a group of Asian kids! A cheeky smile creeps across my famished but attentive face. “Two-in to win guys, just two-in to win”! Half cracked smiles and innocent giggles are returned. Not to worry, my A-game is brought to the table. I catch the eye of a teenager who straying from the herd, adorns a cheap knock-off of Spongebob Squarepants. Locking in on my target I skip down to my yellow stuffed friend, to some a cuddly toy, to me a mere pawn in the wicked game I play. “Just two in for Spongebob”! I reiterate, introduce pigeon english (portraying simplicity) and thrust a ... read more

After 10 weeks in the back arse of the planet, Sydney airport was a technological marvel. It had newsagents, coffee shops, deli counters (Marcel near tears at the sight of them) and most importantly a reliable transit system. The driver’s relatives were not ushering us into a numberless bus. No sketchy ‘bag man’ disappeared behind the bus with our lives in tow. Just a friendly "G’Day" from a forty something Ozzie sporting khaki shorts and socks wrapping his knees. “Ahh……the first world” we smugly reflected as our ghastly early bus left for our new home, the Blue Parrot Hostel in the ever charming and always unpredictable suburb of Kings Cross. Sydney should be the capital of Australia! For those who don’t know, in their wisdom back in the early 20th Century, the government, undecided on whether ... read more