He also gives me Painting and Sculpture of A Decade: 54 - 64. It is the catalogue of an exhibition at the Tate Gallery (April to June 1964) organised by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which, I realise as I make this page, originates in Portugal. Of more interest at the time is the painting on page 47.

Smitten with Austenmania, I reserve special esteem for Mansfield Park. To find influences I scour Fisher Library's history and eighteenth-century fiction holdings.

One day while travelling to work on the Northern Line, in either 2003 or 2004, I see a man, who looks to be Indian, reading a novel. Thus begins my acquaintance with the work of Haruki Murakami. In 2004, I see and enjoy the movies Somersault (with the gorgeous Abbie Cornish) and Peaches (with a fey Emma Lung).

In December 2005, I buy another unit, this time in Sydney's inner west.

At the old alma mater, in 2006 I enrol part-time in media practice (average 80.8 for the first four units of study towards a master's degree).

I submit an assignment in April 2006 for MECO 6914, 'Making Magazines', a unit which I enjoy (final grade: D). For an assignment I submit in September 2006 for another unit I enjoy, 'Literary Journalism', I get a mark of 90 (final grade for the unit: HD).

In September 2006, dad sends me a CD-ROM containing his memoir, titled 'Growing'. Dated 2002, it contains 135 pages of single-spaced text. Another CD-ROM is dated February 2006 and titled 'Family Tree'. It contains five Microsoft Excel spreadsheets naming descendants of progenitors named Beilby, Shaughnessy, Dean, MacGugan, da Silva, and Caldicott.

Photos:

• My local area (8 shots).
• My local area at night (8 shots).
• The Domain (9 shots).
• Parramatta Road, Stanmore (9 shots).
• Art galleries in Sydney (11 shots).
• King Street, Newtown (6 shots).
• Crystal Street, Petersham, and Canterbury Road, Petersham and Dulwich Hill (14 shots).
• Marlowe Street, Campsie (21 shots)

Friends:

• Antony Talone
• Andre Righini
• Paola Sergi
• Dena Pezet
• Mingming Feng
• Sawsan Zumot

I read two broadsheets and view four free-to-air newscasts daily, and subscribe to Al Jazeera English.

I complete a masters degree (Master of Media Practice) and graduate in May 2008. Study undertaken and completed in addition to my masters degree focuses on technical writing and journalism.

In June 2009 I am on the way to visit mum in Queensland. While at the motel in Glen Innes, I get a phone call from the hospital because she fell and broke her cheekbone. I decide after much inner quesioning to move from Sydney to be able to assist her in her life. I move into an apartment near the beach and start writing stories for publication. My dream is to be a feature writer.