All work and no play makes Ryan a bored guy…Herrow! So I’ve been just working lots since I last joined you. So, as in any usual work situation, you need things to look forward to so you don’t go insane with the mundane. Instead, I got Insane in the Membrane *Insane in tha Brain!** I’ve done a pretty good job of doing some wicked things while in Sydney. A mission when I planned my trip was to head to a huge music festival here in Oz. We don’t get anything like that back home, and while we do get a lot of acts come through, we never get a whole bunch of performers for one massive show. For some reason, we suck like that. I was choked to hear one of my main homies, Kanye West, was coming to Van just 2 days after I left, when I heard he’d be playing a festival over here, I had to go. The Good Vibrations Festival is the biggest hip hop festival to tour every year in Australia. This year had Kanye, and Cypress Hill kickin’ it (and hittin’ it fo sho) old school shit. It was frickin’ massive!!
I went with a Frenchman, an Irishman and a Scot, so of course, our morning began with alcohol. In fact, it was called a Champagne Breakfast.
The beginning of the day, around 2pm. Thousands of people totally off their faces already. 
Some of the dance and house stages. Aussies love their house, and you couldn’t have a music festival here without it. 
Toronto Hip Hopper K-Os. Even though I’ve seen him like 10 times, I felt kinda proud of him, reppin’ Canada. Even with his ugly ass, “Toronto Canada” hat. 
WEST SIDE!!! I’m so frickin’ hardcore!
Cypress Hill! This picture isn’t blurry, its just the amount of pot smoke in the tent. And I’m not gonna lie, it was really quite pleasent. 
I obviously approved. 
The man, the myth, the Legend himself- Kanye West. So Good Vibes was indeed good times. Mos def a highlight so far.Now I’ve gone on record numerous times about living in the swanky gay district of Sydney, the 2nd gayest city in the world. So what better place to be for the gay pride parade, the 30th Annual Mardi Gras Parade. My mates at the Marriott had been telling me it was one of the biggest weekends of the year for tourism, and they ain’t lyin’. Thousands upon thousand come into the city for the weekend party, which just happened to be right outside our door. We had the best view in the city, and had a few (like 40 or so) peeps over to witness the crazyiness. 
We actually had lineups getting into our building and then again into the elevators. That’s how good our building was. So friends from all over came to see, with over 50,000 people on the streets below. 
The ceremonial and official start to the parade, Dykes on Bikes. 
My flatmates (one- le Frenchman, who got REALLY into the spirit)Gay ol’ times indeed. And, for once, I was happy to go to work the next morning, because I didn’t have to clean up the mess. And it was sooo nasty in the morning.
And just this past weekend, because things had gotten a little too mundane again, I went to another massive show, The Future Music Festival. 
This pic was taken atop one of the rides, much like the Rainbow at the PNE. It was the coolest concert I’ve ever been too. It took place at a huge horse race course. 8 stages, all sorts of house and electronic music. 
Good Vibes had wicked music, but the production value of this show was incredible. They had amusement rides, tents, good food- everything a good festival should have. Well worth it. 
The headliners, the Chemical Brothers, put on an immense and trippy show, complete with invading robots and psycho clowns. It just shows me how tight-assed Vancouver is about having festivals of this size. The Royal Randwick (where it was held) is the presteen racing venue in the country, and probably got trashed after this show, but the city is open to having cool events like this and Good Vibes take place. We need to take a page out of their books for sure. So that’s about it. I’ve now completed plans and will soon be continuing on in my journey. I’m leaving Sydney on April 14th, heading to Melbourne until the 18th. And then I’m leaving Down Under (or Unda as the Aussies would pronounce it). India will be the next step, meeting up with my lady, and I will be totally culture shocked on April 20th (4/20 btw for my homies….)Its going to be freakin’ crazy, but I’m sooooo psyched to continue on. Oz has been great, but the next chapter is just around the corner, and I have no idea what to expect. And since its March 10th, Happy Birthday to my sis Alina, who may be only the one of two *the other being my mom* that still checks this. I’ll be calling you tomorrow anyways. Love and miss youz,Ry
posted Monday March 2024