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Above is a photograph of a hardcopy montage consisting of photos I have taken* between 1999 and 2007. The pictures are not necessarily my best or most spectacular. Instead, they are images that evoke certain memories, feelings or emotions in me.

The photos are from the following countries:

Australia: 1

Egypt: 1

Iran: 2

Italy: 1

Lebanon: 1

Malaysia: 1

Northern Cyprus: 1

Pakistan: 2

Poland: 1

Switzerland: 1

Syria: 1

Turkey: 5

United Kingdom: 1

Which photos are from which countries?

UPDATE: I have included the photo subjects, locations, dates and my reasons for choosing them in comments.

*Except for 2 shot by Karin (I included her versions because hers were taken with a digital camera whereas mine were film and less accessible)

When Mum was on the West Coast of South Australia she bought me a great Mambo yarn dye shirt for $5 (price reduced from $84.95 and then $42.50) from a shop’s clearance sale. What a bargain!

Pages 4 and 5 of the Adelaide Sunday Mail, 27 July 2008, consisted of a double-page spread on the QANTAS flight QF30 near-disaster. To recap: an exploding oxygen canister is thought to have caused a hole in the side of the Boeing 747-400 plane flying between Hong Kong and Melbourne, causing an emergency landing in Manila.

Q: What was the advert at the bottom of page 5 promoting?

A: Domestic airline tickets (“Jetstar’s Domestic Bliss Sale”), with a picture of a woman jumping in the air, excited about flying!

Thursday and Friday nights last week (24 and 25 July) I saw an excellent band I had not heard of previously: Melbourne-based Martin Martini And The Bone Palace Orchestra at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. The Adelaide gigs were the first 2 concerts of the Australian “We’re All Just Monkeys” album launch tour.

We’re All Just Monkeys is Martin Martin and the Bone Palace Orchestra’s second studio album after their 2006 release Dream until You Die. They a also released a live album Live at the Famous Rainbow Hotel.

Singer/keyboardist Martini Martini, with his enormous stage presence, was well backed by the Bone Palace Orchestra consisting of Sam Dunscombe (clarinet), James Macaulay (trombone), Jules Pascoe (bass), Natasha Rose (guitar) and Arron Light (drums). At various stages, Martini gave each of the band members a chance to shine with Dunscombe performing a huge solo at the Friday gig.

Satan’s Cheerleaders and the John Baker Trio were the support acts Thursday night with brillig acoustic and The Joans on Friday.

I recommend everybody see Martin Martini and The Bone Palace Orchestra live for great music, original and topical lyrics and a unique performance. Visit their MySpace page and see videos of them performing on YouTube for a small taste of what to expect.