Raw long beans sambal
I crave for sambal kacang panjang (raw long beans sambal) sometimes. This often happens when I have a huge bowl of white rice on the table. Good quality rice smells fragrant. It makes me want to add a touch of strong salty taste to it. In this case, sambal kacang panjang with any type of […]
Chillies wisdom
Grow chilies in the garden, my grandmother used to say. Green chilies are fine. Red ones are better. Chili eaten fresh, or combined with other elements, makes everything taste better. Chili is spicy, zingy, and fiery. It is hot and addictive; it makes you want for more food. Chili is the crucial ingredient for the […]
With van Marwijk
The choice of Bert van Marwijk as coach of the Socceroos was a selection based on pragmatism and short-term goals. This does not necessarily make it a bad one; but rather merely being the most viable option based on circumstances in the wake of Ange Postecoglou’s departure. The tension around his appointment, and the position […]
Writing Richmond Together
Footy fans cheer together, barrack together, shout at the umpire together, and sometimes, cry together. During the third and fourth quarters of the 2017 Grand Final, when it became clear Richmond would be Premiers, many Richmond fans in the crowd – and elsewhere – started to shed tears. These were tears of joy, relief and […]
Krakatoas FC
It is a calm Sunday afternoon in late August 2016. For the AFL and amateur footy leagues, the season is coming to an end, but, for the Krakatoas, the pre-season training is just beginning. At the designated meeting time a few have arrived at Arden Street: the home base of the North Melbourne Football Club […]
Long Live Persebaya
The re-launch of the Go-jek Traveloka Indonesian Football League saw the return of Persebaya from several years in non-playing wilderness. This was a struggle played out on the increasingly orderly streets of the port city of Surabaya, and of course through social media campaigns, where fans strengthened their attacks and resolve against the PSSI (Persatuan […]
Becoming Héritier Lumumba
“I have found that when speaking out against the injustices that I have perceived to exist in sporting communities, particularly within professional Australian rules football, that my words have always been used against me. So, I want to stress, that I am happy to be here and speaking in a safe space.” The space is […]
Saturday Recreation
The path next to the river is used by cyclists, runners and walkers. I rode eastwards: into a cold wind. Overcast. And the sun did not come out. This was normally my running route, but, owing to a slow-recovering injury, I was on my bike as some kind of alternative. This third weekend of October […]
Footy Dreamings
footy dreamings: Playing the Large Glass Edwards has the Ball Daniels Everywhere Edwards Down the Line
Cricket Walkabout
D.J. Mulvaney. 1967. Cricket Walkabout: The Australian Aboriginal Cricketers on Tour 1867-8. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. 112 pages. Prior to the start of the Boxing Day test of 2016, a group of historians and cricket enthusiasts gathered by the Scarred Tree in Yarra Park (i.e. next to the MCG) to remember the Aboriginal cricketers who […]