Hi All!

Here is your weekly round up of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along to a friend if you think they might enjoy.

First impressions of China

I landed in Shanghai a day a go, and already, I love it here.

I’ve never been anywhere so clean.

Shanghai reminds me a lot of New York in the way how it’s very commercialised, and you can distinctly feel the heart beat of the city when you move through the crowds of people.

I’ve also come here with no exact plan of what I want to do, because in my opinion, it’s funner that way, and you open yourself up to the spontaneity of travel when every minute of your day isn’t meticulously planned out.

Very excited for the rest of my trip.

Give people their flowers

One thing I’ve realised is that people usually don’t get their flowers until they pass away. We hold in compliments, praise, and gratitude until the moment it’s too late, and we wish we could’ve appreciated that person more.

Maybe we do this because we think time is abundant, and we can wait until tommorow. However, there always comes a day, often when we’re least expecting it, that you realise, it’s over, and it’s too late.

Now, it’s easy to think about all the things you could’ve said, and feel regret for being unappreciative, however, what’s done is done. Which is why I like to now think about what I can still say, today.

This might be in the form of a compliment to someone who’s made a meal for me.

Or it could be a simple thank you to your bus driver.

Or even a hand written note just to remind someone how grateful I am for them.

So with that being said, I’m putting this here as a reminder to myself to give people their flowers while I still can.

40 Minutes

It’s 11:46 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and I’m sitting in the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

I’m downstairs in the research library typing this entry into my email.

When I’m done writing this, I’ll send it to myself, and share it later.

But for now, I’m here sitting in silence surrounded by thousands of books.

I feel at peace.

I haven’t experianced this kind of quiteness in a while.

It feels like I can finally think and see clearly again.

I thought about buying something sweet at the cafe on the way down but I resisted.

Trying to eat less sugar.

Not because I have a problem with it but because I want to get better at not always giving into my urges.

I want to sit with them, look at them, and patiently listen, until they get bored with me and leave me alone.

In silence.

Finally.

I don’t think I’ll be in here for too long today but this might become my new spot to come work, or maybe just hangout and read.

I saw some beanbags that looked comfortable.

I also love the ride over here on whatever e-bike I find laying outside the station.

And even though the bikes are normally covered in tags, and the baskets are usually full of shit, I don’t mind.

This is my new favourite form of transporation.

Sorry trains.

I still love you.

There’s just something about rolling through Hyde Park weaving in and out of the crowds of people while you listen to your favourite music, that doesn’t quite compete.

I tried to write some other stuff below this but I’m running out of things to say.

Just gonna hit send.

Sent at 12:26 p.m.

In Defence of Pigeons

Last year I went pigeon racing in Egypt.

Sounds like a joke, I know, but I’m dead serious.

There’s even a video you can watch here.

Now, the reason why I bring this up is because I recently read an article titled In Defence of Pigeons, and immediately after reading it, I was like, wait a minute, pigeons are fucking sick.

Which is why the pigeon gets a shoutout in this weeks newsletter.

If you have a spare couple minutes I’d reccomend you read the full post here.

If not, I’ll quickly summarise some of the key points as to why we should have a little more appreciation for one of the most overlooked animals on the planet.

1. Pigeons are highly intelligent, and can remember faces aswell as hold grudges
2. Pigeons have the ability to navigate home from hundreds of kilometers.
3. Pigeons can perceive ultraviolet light.
4. Pigeons clean our cities, consuming 13-18kg of waste a year.
5. Pigeons helped deliver messages in world wars when our radios failed.
6. Pigeons mate for life. (goals)
7. Pigeons iridescent feathers are gorgeous.

Also, if you think any of this is slightly interesting, wait till you hear about Cher Ami, a WWI carrier pigeon that saved the lives of 200 people, despite being shot, blinded in his left eye, and losing a leg.

Sounds like a fake story, but it’s real, and he was even given millitary honours, along with a wooden leg.

And now that I think about it, pigeons might be my new favourite animal. Not because of everything I listed above, but because they remind me to appreciate the beauty in places most people overlook.

Hope everyone enjoys their week.

Love,

Jet Williams

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