Cecilia Macaulay

02/09/2025

I celebrated the last day of winter with the West Papuans and friends at Docklands today. I learned for the first time their heartbreaking dissapointment, when the colonial independence that was within hands reach was snatched away, back in 1964. They still hope and work towards to becoming the newest country in the world, any day now.

The photos have stories, of the lovely volunteer freedom fighter ladies of melboune, the stowaway escape to asylum story, the succulent cuisine story, and a call out for a teenage illustrator for a cheeky alegorical children’s book, cassawory and crocodile uniting against the common foe.

The betrayal story happened in 1964. The Dutch colonisers were in the process of withdrawing, and supporting the Papuans to be ready for independence. Thr whole celebration was lined up: a national anthem, their own new flag with the morning star, ministers reqdynto roll, everything a country needs. Then the Netherlands prince broke the promise his mother had made. A deal was done with president J.F.Kennedy, and west Papua was given over to Indonesian rule. Men with guns turned up. Passports were thrown into big oil drums and burnt, up in smoke.
It was one month from Independence Day.

09/08/2025

The Zoo in Singapore is the world’s most beautiful, with all the animals living in naturalistic enclosures, even the humans. I was in a kind of Ewok dream, staying at the Mandai Resort, where all the buildings felt they were born, not built. Here is a tiny preview: haughty Mr Bean leumurs, intense blue dart frogs (do not lick!), a bird with a blurry head, and a mouse deer being fed by a parrot. World’s tiniest hooves!
My favourites in the amazement department were the improbable ant-eater, all shaggy, no head, and the armadillo: so serious in its armour, yet it dashed around in a built-in grass skirt. No photo of the latter, as I saw them doing their thing at the night safari. I’m reminded that being here and alive in this vast universe is a many-splendored thing.

09/08/2025

“…now go shine so bright, you short circuit this fear grid!”

30/07/2025

Ive just arrived in melty, opulent Singapore. The locals are dashing, the greenery unstoppable, and six days doesn’t look like it will be nearly enough. This pic is taken outside the Raffles Hotel.

27/05/2025

07/05/2025

May 4th. I woke up, noticed the date, and put my hair up Princess Leia style, hoping someone would invite me to an intergalactic bar.
I ended up at Holy Family’s church festival with my mum.
‘This will work’.
The gorgeous guy leading the rap dancing was Father Francis. Parisoners were levitated (almost) in his magic show.
I ate Vietnamese and Philippine party food with Linathr lady in the wheelchair. . She has been married for 68 years, has lots of opinions, and will soon turn 100. She wanted dessert, but resisted. There is a lesson.

Children sang like stars on a stage that doubled as a dining table, strewn with paper plates and people enjoying lunch and each other.
I didn’t need the Intergalactic bar invite at all.
May the Force be with you!

16/04/2025

Between industialized South Korea and who-knows-what in North Korea, there is a 4k strip of land belonging to nobody. It’s called the Demilitarized Zone, and was created for the 1953 armistice, after a 3-year unwinnable war. Today, to my amazement, I got to visit.

12/04/2025

Between industialized South Korea and who-knows-what in North Korea, there is a 4k strip of land belonging to nobody. It’s called the Demilitarized Zone, and was created for the 1953 armistice, after a 3-year unwinnable war. Today, to my amazement, I got to visit.
The North Korean army dug a series of secret tunnels heading for Seoul, one large enough to carry 30,000 troups per hour. The first one was discovered in 1974, and today I got to put on a helmet and wander down to Visit .
These soldiers waiting patiently with me are wax.
The old ladies digging aren’t scared of the land mine warming signs. They are harvesting wild vegetation. Maybe something delicious for dinner, maybe something rare to propegate. The DMZ is now an accidental wildlife sanctuary, free of industry, commerce and chemicals for over 70 years. If you are an elk, crane, or even ocelot, it’s a pretty good place to raise a family.
This ambushed South Korean train was found in the forest in the 70’s, and was somehow allowed to be brought here. It had a mulberry tree growing in it, which was carefully taken out and planted right beside this big guy, in DMZ soil. ‘They are family’ said our guide, of this machine and this mulberry tree.
The picture of the wooden bridge is very special. One day, thousands of prisoners of war walked over this bridge and one step later were free.

12/04/2025

My first day in Korea, since 1995. Today was peak cherry blossom day for sure, with the office workers still in their dark winter clothes, and almost every petal still on its tree: in a few days the avenues will be in snowglobe-mode, swishing with petals.

The Korean language is lilting, with lovely fades of sound sprinkled through, and this gave a kind of soft-focus hush to the whole city. That was my first surprise.

A gorgonzola cheesecake with a little pond of truffle oil on top: another surprise.
I walked the city all day, the surprises kept on happening, and here are some pictures.