EARLY OCTOBER

My time in Australia ran away like a runaway bullet train in a hurry but I managed to see many people and expose my art a little whilst there. It was great to see family and many old friends who have supported me in many ways during the past three decades of my erratic, logistically complicated, art driven worldwide tour. I thank you all. The mini pop-up show titled DPL in Melbourne went swimmingly, lubricated by a selection of small works from Iceland, South Korea and Argentina as well as Russian vodka and good people. A stubborn cold made my last week in Australia a bit difficult but I weathered the cough and goo and now I find myself in a very different climate with my drawing show - SPIRITSCAPES. (www.thavibu.com)  A massive Hindu festival was outside the gallery on the opening night adding to the evenings madness. 10,000 people and no shortage of colour with too many gods to pray to. I tried to take photos but my camera went crazy with the sensory overload.

Bangkok is as splendid, as sticky and as smoggy as ever with that amazing double extra spicy food on every corner and that special everyday charm exuding from most locals. It is a mega-city that I have frequented since 1984 and I have managed to exhibit here half a dozen times so I easily jump back into BKK-mode. Seeing a new yellow Lamborghini next to a smelly clogged canal where an ancient old man sat selling insense sticks, his wife with tri-colour dyed hair cooking noodle and beef offal soup under a wild tropical storm reminded me how complicated Bangkok is and how amazing it is that this city actually works.

In an attempt to cool down and avoid another storm I ducked into a café and watched the S.E Asian foot-volley ball game on TV. I have seen this game many times but it is one impressive sport to watch. Called Sepak takraw which combines Malay and Thai words for kick and woven ball. It made me dizzy watching these guys twirl their bodies through the air while continually slamming the tiny ball over the net.  I was finding it tricky enough navigating across main Bangkok roads as I stared at gaudy temples adorned in electrical wires and coated in the cacophony of traffic.