“Where are you from?” This is a typical way of breaking the ice among solo travellers. I get asked the question up to 10 times…
What do you think this symbol means? A thumb and forefinger arranged into a circle shape, with the middle, ring and pinky fingers sticking straight…
I recently asked my boyfriend if he felt afraid to express his culture and religion in Australia. “Yes,” he replied, without hesitation. “I don’t feel…
Midday was drawing near as the air conditioning unit began to choke in the corner of the underground restaurant I’d taken refuge from the heat…
My third evening in the Islamic Republic of Iran lands me in an underground music gig in a hip café-cum-alcohol-free-bar in the capital, Tehran, where…
He raises his eyebrows for a second, tosses his head back and laughs. It is deep and husky, and drums through my ears. My face…
This month, the western world is on edge. Alongside two horrific terror attacks in the UK and a deadly hostage situation in Melbourne, the ABC…
I remember the day I told my mum I couldn’t confidently say that I am religious. “I feel like I have failed as a parent,”…
France is a cold, proud place. In winter, the snow is brittle and grimy, white like bone. And the people seem equally cold-blooded. They walk…
Pt. I You are bleary eyed, stiff and ready to be home. Your flight has just landed in Frankfurt and you have to catch a…
Surfers bobbed over the reef break a hundred metres from the shoreline and a bay-like lagoon shimmered in between. The ocean was a welcome respite…
“The problem with Muslims is that they don’t assimilate,” announced the Australian owner of a Balinese sports-bar. The red-nosed sexagenarian was drunk on his own…
