The Bondi Pavilion in 2010

The Bondi Wave Music Course provides young musicians with intensive training in all aspects of music and working in a band – singing, theory, percussion, business skills, etc. So over the autumn-winter months of 1992, spent 5 full days a week living, breathing and practically eating music with the other “Wavers” at the Pav. It was one of the most creatively satisfying few months of my life, being taught by a diverse range of outstanding and inspiring musos.

Is there anyone else who has can share some memories of being a “Bondi Waver?”

In the early days of the course, the uprising of anti-democracy protests in Thailand became headline news here in Sydney. Thai people were protesting in Bangkok against the government of General Suchinda Kraprayoon (a non-democratic regime), demanding Democracy. The military response resulted in over 50 confirmed deaths and hundreds of injuries. One of the hotels that I’d stayed in while I was in Bangkok became a makeshift hospital for the injured and nearby, the Democracy Monument on boulevard Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang was where many of the protestors were killed, since this was where they gathered to give voice to their pleas for Democracy.  This calamity became known as Black May in Thailand.

I was pretty upset by what was happening in Thailand and at the same time was getting into songwriting from doing the Wave. So I ended up writing a song called The Monument and we publicly performed it on stage in the Pav at in the end of course show.

In the last few days the news of protests in Bangkok again has and the injuries and deaths that have resulted from the military crackdown have jogged this Bondi Wave memory for me. Is it a coincidence that the Black May event of  17^th – 20^th May 1992, happened exactly 18 years ago?

Is this now Black May #2?

So I’ve decided to dig out the original recording of The Monument and put it up here in memory of all the Thai people who have died or who have been injured protesting for democracy in Bangkok, both in these past few days and during Black May 1992. Hope you enjoy it.

I expect that when most people think about Bondi they’re thinking of the beach area, or of the Campbell parade area. For me, “Bondi” is actually quite a large area.

Although a lot of things in this blog may be primarily concerned with the Beach area of Bondi, when I’m imagining Bondi, I‘m not just thinking about Bondi Beach. I’m referring to an area that spans beyond the beach area, and also beyond North and South Bondi.

For me, Bondi’s borders span from Dover Heights to Rose Bay to Paddington/Woollahra to Waverley to Bellevue Hill to Bronte. I know that strictly speaking this area is not exactly “Bondi” but this area is my Bondi, my stomping ground.

I’ll try and illustrate what I’m trying to say here…when I lived in Sydney’s inner west, in Newtown, for about 1 year in the early 1990s, I used to feel rather out-of sorts when I hadn’t been down to Bondi for days on end, sometimes a couple of weeks or so. I’d get a bit antsy and have to get myself over to Bondi. So I’d be driving from Newtown towards Bondi and I remember very clearly that when I reached a particular spot on the journey I would then feel like I was back in Bondi. That spot was on Birrell St heading down the hill , towards the beach, a little ways past where Waverley College stands. I’d get to that point where I could suddenly see the ocean and I’d just take in a deep breath and feel a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing I was back in Bondi.

As Dorothy said…”There’s no place like home…”

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Today was a stunningly beautiful warm autumn day in Sydney, 26 degrees and it’s almost mid-May. Of course Bondi just shone.

Great day to be starting this blog.

You could say I’m a Bondi girl…I was born in Bondi, grew up in Bondi and I still live in Bondi. There have been a couple of years here and there, where I lived in nearby suburbs, but even then spent so much of my time in Bondi that I would say I have pretty much been a Bondi local all of my life. My roots are in Bondi and many of my friends and family live here and grew up here so I’ve always had a very strong relationship to this place.

The beach looked so inviting today, not many people on the beach at all and the water was a lovely aqua colour.

I had my heart set on getting into the water for a swim today but ended up having to finish some work up and of course the end of the day arrived way too quick. bugger!!