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ISSUE #4

Content2.....................................................Contents/Team3..............................................Editorial/Contribute4.......................................................................Rant5..................................................................Q and A 6/7............................................... Bound by Hound 8/9..........................................................Olly Friend10...................................Parents Getting a Divorce 11...................................................................Poem12/13..............................Young Business Woman 14/15.........................................2 Little Birds Café16/17.................................................Frank & Dolly18/19...............................................Awkward Café20/21...................................................Be Creative22/23....................................................East Timor24/25/26/27.............................Lucinda Goodwin28/29/30/31...............................Morgan Conolly32/33.......................................The Brainery Store34/35.........................Cheezels are a Health Food36.................................................................Recipe37......................................................Album Review 38/39...............................................Comic Review40/41...................................................Film Review42/43...............................................Game Review44/45......................................Next Time in Switch

TeamProduction ManagerAmanda Sherring

EditorAlastair McGibbon

Sub-EditorLinn Ahlvik

DesignerJulian Grant

PhotographersNatalie Evans, Imogen Ruby

Foreign CorrespondentSophia Skinbjerg-Eyles

Editorial CommitteeAlastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Jessica Dickers, Tex Miller, Natalie Evans, Zakary Testa, Julian Grant, Sophia Skinbjerg-Eyles, Linn Ahlvik, Cassie Santoro

Production ServicesAdcell Media

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Editorial and Contribute / Switch Magazine / 3

We’re back!2013 went by super-fast, but now that 2014 is here, we’re definitely going to make the most of it. This is issue #4, and we’re hoping this is one magazine you’re not going to forget! This time around, we’ve got articles covering a huge range of topics – everything from awesome musicians to the often unsettling topic of divorce. Hell, we even threw in a comic book review. Yeah, that’s right – we like to live dangerously! As always, we want to acknowledge the people who help us make this mag a reality: the perpetually stellar Mardi Janetzki, Cr Jan Farrell for her continuous support, and YOU, for reading this. Thank you to all!Peace out.

The Switch team

ContributeSWITCH is a Geelong Youth Magazine that provides a creative outlet for young people as well as all the information you guys want to know. The mag is entirely written by young people (12- 25 years old) for young people and contains interviews, fiction, reviews, poetry and heaps more.

Switch magazine is managed by a dedicated editorial team. They’re in charge of the content, layout, editing process and occasionally even writing stories. Each issue is over 30 pages of matte full col-our, which gets distributed to local schools, libraries, cafes and youth venues around the region. The best part is that it’s free!

If you want to see your work published in Switch, it’s super easy to get involved.

You can submit articles and interviews as well as reviews of books, movies, and albums. Your arti-cles will be read by the Switch team and possibly published in the next issue. We are always on the lookout for amazing photos or illustrations as well, who knows, your picture may even be chosen for the cover!

Send your submissions to switchmagazine@hotmail.com.

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/switchmagazinegeelong

The Generation Gap

If you were born in the early 80s to mid-90s, chances are you’re in Generation Y and have had to live your life under constant scrutiny. Apparently, Gen Y are lazy, tech-obsessed moochers who would rather sit inside and upload pictures of food to Instagram than do something productive.

Although from the outset this is partially true — I have been guilty of posting the odd food porn image to Instagram — surely this isn’t enough to dismiss a whole generation.

If there’s one complaint that is somewhat hard to defend, it’s our “failure to launch”. As statistics have shown, about a quarter of peo-ple between the ages of 20 and 34 still live at home. However, this can easily be understood when put in context — the current average house price is 9.3 times the national wage, as opposed to only 5.8 when baby boomers were moving out.

Factoring in baby boomers purchasing more than their fair share of houses and renting them out at ridiculous prices — and the already cut-throat process of successfully finding a rental — moving out seems virtually impossible. Expecting someone of our generation to move out as soon as they are deemed an adult and out of high school is asking for a miracle.

While some of us may be wasting our life away on Facebook, there just so happens to be a man behind it all raking in the millions:

Mr Mark Zuckerberg. We all know the name, but many may not know that he is in fact from Generation Y.

And he isn’t alone in his Gen Y entrepreneur-ship. Some of you may have heard of the fashion mega site ModCloth.com, which sells an endless list of vintage and quirky fashion items. You can probably tell where I’m going with this, but at just 17-years-old Susan Gregg created the website, and now the business is worth more than $50 million. So are we all lazy? I think not.

Many have labelled Generation Y as being job shy, and claim we aim for jobs that are completely out of our league and impossible to get. But after watching our parents work away at jobs they absolutely hated, only so they could get the money to get ahead earlier in life, I say we’ve learnt to aim for what we want to do rath-er than what society says we should do. Surely we can agree that learning from your parents’ missteps is an improvement in a generation?

By the way, Baby Boomers, don’t forget who will be taking care of you in your nursing homes!

If you’re somehow still unconvinced that us Gen Y-ers have something to offer the world other than regular status updates, then have a flick through the rest of this issue and the amazing writing, unique photography and innovative design that have all been crafted by a bunch of “lazy” kids from the nineties.

Amanda Sherring

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Get To KnowNatalie Evans

What she does: PhotographerWeapon of choice: Nikon D600 Camera or Pentax K1000Website: http://natalieevansphotography.com/

What do you wish you had invented? The toaster. I love bread and the toasted kind is even better.

What would be your ultimate festival lineup?Green Day, Haim, Blink-182, The Grates, The Kooks, Bloc Party, Stonefield, Arctic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lorde.

Your top photographers. Steve McCurry, Richard Misrach, William Eggle-ston, Elinor Carucci, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Nich Hance McElroy.

Last thing that inspired you? The other day I saw a very long strand of spider-web that’d been turned golden by the sunset and was caught in the wind. Small things that are often overlooked by other people inspire me the most, kind of like finding the beautiful things in everyday life.

Favourite type of photography?I like the ease and immediacy of digital pho-

tography, but I’ve always liked shooting film be-cause it makes you step back and actually think more about the photo you’re taking. I also like shooting with expired film because the results are often unpredictable which is fun.

How do you relax?I like going to the beach, watching movies, cook-ing, listening to music, reading, hanging out with friends, writing poetry and drawing.

Weirdest nickname you’ve been given? Choompa Choomp.

What’s the photo you’ve been the most proud of taking?This is a really tough question! The photographs I’m usually most proud of are the ones that were taken in a situation that forced me out of my comfort zone. My first experience with a model and makeup artist at a cemetery in Melbourne did just that, and I’m happy with how the photos turned out.

Favourite place in Geelong?My favourite is a combination of two places; getting takeaway from Hi Sushi and eating it at the waterfront.

Q and A / Switch Magazine / 5

In a town littered with unbelievable musical talent and hidden gems, Bound by Hound might just be the pick of the crop, and it is quite clear that the Geelong music scene is alive and well.

Perhaps the greatest attribute of Geelong’s music scene is its ability to unearth talented young artists. You’d be hard pressed to find another emerging band with as much potential as Geelong’s Bound by Hound.

Since forming in the summer of 2011-12, Bound by Hound have grown to become one of Geelong’s finest young bands, formed by some of the towns finest musicians.

Rachel Mamonski heads up the band on vocals with Luke Huddle on bass, Conor Walkeden controlling the drums, Luke Briese playing lead guitar and the band’s newest member, Lachlan Soulsby, on rhythm guitar.

Bound by Hound describes themselves as a rock/grunge/alternative band and when ques-tioned about what influences the bands music, many successful bands sprung to mind.

“We all love the classics like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Beatles but also more recent stuff like Blink 182, The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana,” said Briese.

“In saying that, I think the kind of music we play really reflects what we’ve been listening to at the time. So our influences are pretty centered around bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, Wolfmother, and newer bands like Fidlar and Violent Soho.”

For a band that has been developing music for just 18 months, their highlights reel is a very impressive one.

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Bound by Hound

Zakary Testa

For a band that has been developing music forjust 18 months, their highlights reel is a very impressive one.

“I think one of our best moments so far would have to be the gig we played at the Barwon Club last year opening for Alex Anonymous at their EP launch. We pulled such a great crowd that night and the atmosphere was awesome,” said Briese.

Several members also highlighted the signif-icance of being asked to perform recently as the reception band for one of the member’s relatives wedding. Performing ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica for the newlyweds was a signifi-cant moment in the band and a highlight of the wedding.

The band members had nothing but good things to say when questioned about the Geelong music scene, suggesting it’s getting healthier by the minute.

“We recently played at a Battle of the Bands put on by FReeZA – a fantastic local music organi-zation – at Courthouse ARTS in Geelong,” said Mamonski.

“It’s safe to say before playing Battle of the Bands we had no idea that the local talent was so incredible, especially the younger kids still in school!”Bound by Hound had a simple message for the general public to get on the band wagon and support local music!

“We have such fantastic, well established bands in Geelong. Not only that but the Australian mu-sic scene as a whole is definitely getting bigger and better by the minute.”

It’s quite clear that the sky is the limit for this talented young band, and they suggest that in five years time they intend to be doing exactly what they are now, while branching out into an area with more exposure. “We hope to continue doing regular gigs around

Geelong and hopefully moving around in the Melbourne Scene,” said Mamonski.

“I think we’d all agree that we would love to be on a festival line up, playing at places like Soundwave or Big Day Out would be a dream come true. Even local festivals like Queenscliff or Anglesea would be awesome!”

To support Bound by Hound please like their Facebook page www.facebook.com/boundbyhoundkeep your eyes peeled for upcoming gig information.

Switch Magazine / 7

Olly Friend is a local musician who is making waves on the back of his latest release, The Darling EP. If you’re a music lover and head out to venues in the region, you are sure to bump into him some point along the way.

After being one of the finalists in the City Quar-ter Unplugged competition on a few occasions, Olly is quickly making a name for himself. I recently sat down with him to have a chat about his career thus far and where he plans to take it in the future.

It’s been a big couple of years for Friend and since finishing school his day-to-day life has turned to being a full time musician. Armed with his Maton acoustic guitar and bag of soothing heartfelt songs, he is becoming a household name and the guy everyone wants to know.

“It’s been a big year for me and my music and having the opportunity to get out and play shows, is simply fantastic. Although my follow-ing and fan base consists of family and friends everyone is so lovely and I cherish all of them,” he says.

“Lately, a lot of people have been mentioning my name in pubs and restaurants around town, it’s more than I ever imagined in such a short time in the industry.”

The Darling EP is an acoustic and relaxing listen, which features the new single ‘Shoulders’. If you haven’t checked out his Facebook page, there is an official video clip for it that is rather snazzy.

Friend’s start in music, developed from a family connection to the Port Fairy Folk Festival, “My

Busking To The Big Apple

Tex Miller

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dad used to be on the committee of the festival and so the Labour Day weekend in March was always a special time for me,” he says.

“I would busk doing human pyramids and play-ing a little blue Honor harmonica they bought me. I started to play guitar seriously in about Year 9 when I realised girls didn’t like me as much as I wanted them too.”

With so much talent behind him, Olly must have some great influences in his life. Aside from the love of family and friends, he looks up to the work of the well-known ladies man, John Mayer.

“John Mayer was probably the biggest influence when I started to write songs and I really like his arrangements and lyrics,” he says.

“I think that Room For Squares is his best album; and he seemed to get the ladies after releasing that album.”

Olly started out playing in Geelong, and although it is ‘a little limited’, he admits that there are some great opportunities for bands and soloists out there.

“Geelong has been great to me but I think it would be awesome to play some more shows in Melbourne,” Olly says.

“I feel that the scene there has a lot more life

to it and greater opportunities to develop a fan base. Wherever I spread my wings, I’ll always call Geelong home.”

Social media is an incredibly important tool for bands and musicians to get their music out there. And for Olly Friend it’s an easy platform to keep in touch with his fans all around the world, especially after his recent trip to New York.

“It provides you with so much insight into what is going on and it’s crazy to think where we would be without it today. It’s worked well for me breaking into the Melbourne scene and simply is the way of the future.”

With a burning ambition to record another EP, and currently working on demo tracks, it’s very likely that we will hear new music from Olly Friend in 2014.

For up to date tour information and all the latest news and shenanigans, be sure to check out Olly Friend on Facebook. From just spending twenty minutes talking to Olly, it’s obvious that he is bound for big things.

Check him out, while its still hip: https://www.facebook.com/OllyFriend

Images courtesy of Ambition Photography.

Switch Magazine / 9

Once upon a time in a far away land, the Prin-cess married the Prince and they lived happily ever after—well, at least that’s what we always thought it was supposed to be like. Today, it seems everyone knows someone whose parents have split up, lending to the statistic that around 1 in 4 people will experience the divorce or permanent separation of their parents before the age of 18. This can result in emotional and economic hardship for the family.

You would have noticed, either through your own experience or that of a friend, that there will be a mass of changes happening when going through a parent’s divorce—some that can’t be controlled or may be difficult and heartbreaking. Despite wanting what every child wants—their mum and dad to remain together in their home bearing all your memories—it is important that you understand that sometimes things just don’t work . . . and that’s okay.

At 12 years old Jenna — now 20 — learnt a lot by going through her parents’ divorce, now ap-preciating the little disguised blessings that her parents’ broken story has had on her life so far. She discovered that her family was now more stable and that her relationships with both par-ents were stronger than before. As we get older, we see that no parents are perfect. Obviously the stress and insanity of raising us children is exhausting, and our parents’ frustration can be taken out on each other - putting marriage on the backburner. This is completely normal and it is not our fault. Sometimes people don’t work together, and they stop loving each other and trying to make it work. Whatever the reason, it’s okay for people to make mistakes; we are human after all.

Jenna has learnt that the best thing to do is to try and keep a normal routine. This may seem difficult — especially if you are moving between two houses — but continuing with your hobbies, friends and schooling will keep you distracted from what’s going on at home. While enduring the rollercoaster of emotions associated with your parents separating, it’s important not to forget about your feelings too. Often talking to someone outside your family can help expose certain feelings and offer ideas about how to deal with them. This can be anyone: a friend, neighbour, teacher, professional psychologist or a school counsellor. There is nothing to be ashamed about and taking care of yourself is an important element in getting through.

From her parents, Jenna has uncovered what she wants in her relationships: learning to put 100% into them because she doesn’t want to repeat her parents’ past. It is valuable to take out of the experience everything you have learnt and the strength that you can apply to your own life and future experiences. Remember, you are strong and resilient. You will survive this and it will give you the strength to appreciate the little things in life. Time heals all wounds and fairytales can be re-written.

Want to talk to someone but don’t know who? Call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

The Big BreakTalia Rinaldo

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Shania Rose Elisa

Poem / Switch Magazine / 11

The magnificent dawn of that morning,Was painted a beautiful scarlet.

The likes of which, I’ve never seen in my life.As beautiful as the colour of her hair,

And like her, ever bit as radiant.And if she were to look up,

The beautiful sky would open up before her.If she would only look up.

The first thing I noticed about Caitlyn was that she had blue hair. I’m not just talking about a tinge of blue but rather bright turquoise colour-ed locks. When I spoke to her she’d had this colour for a week, however over the last year her hair has been varying shades of blonde, brown, purple and neon green.

It all comes with the job when you’re a hair-dresser as Caitlyn is the owner and principal hairstylist of Chelsea Lane Hairdressing in Belmont. She runs the salon and oversees her team of eight senior hairstylists and three apprentices, while working with clients and competing in hairdressing competitions. Oh, and did I mention she is only 24-years-old?

After completing a work placement at school, Caitlyn realised that hairdressing was what she wanted to do, so at 15 she left high school to do an apprenticeship a salon in town. After four years working in a salon, she was then offered a position at Chelsea Lane. Caitlyn was only there

for eight months before an opportunity arose to buy the salon, an offer that she just couldn’t pass up. So at 19-years-old she became the owner of Chelsea Lane Hairdressing.

“Mum and dad were like ‘just do it’, what’s the worst that’s going to happen, if it doesn’t work out, you’re young enough to do it again,” Caitlyn says. “I knew nothing, so it was a big risk and it was a bit scary but it has worked out so far.”The risk has paid off, as Chelsea Lane is a popular and well-respected salon in Geelong. This is partly thanks to their excellent customer service. Caitlyn believes client satisfaction and commitment to your trade are the key aspects in making a business successful. “Customer service is a big one and so is com-mitting to your business,” she says.

“You need to commit 100 per cent, I mean I’m there 50-60 hours a week.”

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Caitlyn MacDonald

Jessica Dickers

Caitlyn says she is very fortunate to have 11 amazing girls to work with who all get along and make sure each client is happy. You only have to look online to find many positive customer reviews and it’s through these glowing recom-mendations that people find the salon.

“The nicest thing for me to hear is people saying ‘oh I was just walking down the street and some-one asked me where I got my hair done and I sent them your way’,” she says.

A normal day for her can be up to 13 hours a day and a fully booked salon. To mix things up, the team compete in three hairdressing compe-titions a year; state, regional and nationals. This keeps things interesting as they can go wild; cre-ating their own styles and making their models’ hair bigger, bolder and more exciting. The judges seem to like what they’ve been doing, as the salon, Caitlyn and several of the Chelsea Lane hairdressers have won many awards.

However, the crazy, out-there looks aren’t always reserved for the catwalk as Caitlyn says there have been clients with strange requests. The weirdest ones include a woman who asked for black and yellow streaks and another client who came in with orange roots, khaki coloured ends and chunks of broken hair. They had at-tempted to do the styles at home, so the lesson seems to be to leave it to the professionals.

Caitlyn also places high importance on appren-ticeships and puts a lot of effort into training people. On top of the experience they receive by working at Chelsea Lane, the apprentices are also trained every fortnight for five hours

where they are taught how to cut, colour and do everything properly. However, it’s not only the apprentices who are taught new things.

“I think that hairdressing is an ever changing fashion; techniques change, tools change and so I think you learn a lot from having young people in the salon as they bring in new things they learn from trade school,” Caitlyn says.

“It’s so important to keep learning and keep our trade alive.” It’s this constant learning and education that is Caitlyn’s advice to young people who want to get into the industry, or who want to be suc-cessful in business.

“Education is paramount, get into tafe or every course that comes your way, go and see seminars, go and compete, practice with your friends and do everything you can,” she says.

It’s clear that Caitlyn is passionate about her job and loves making her clients feel amazing. She says that watching her apprentices win competitions and become qualified hairdress-ers as well as receiving good feedback from customers are some of the most rewarding aspects.

“To be honest I thought I would have a career change by now but I’m very inspired by fashion; my apprentices and my clients. It’s an opportu-nity to be creative, so it’s a great job.”

Images Courtesy of Chelsea Lane Hairdressing

Switch Magazine / 13

Tucked between a drycleaners and a dentist on Roslyn road in Belmont sits a bright blue door.

Behind it is the gorgeous shop and café combi-nation 2 little birds, which sells beautiful home wares, clothes and gifts while serving delicious homemade food.

2 little birds is owned by mother and daughter duo, Mary and Tanya, who have created a wel-coming space to do a bit of shopping and grab a bite to eat.

The café, located at the back, has a lovely relaxed ambiance and despite its size, feels very open. The décor is gorgeous with splashes of soft pastel colours against simple white walls and dinnerware. Fresh flowers sit at each table,

little ceramic birds are perched around the store and beautiful pink and blue cushions cover the seat along the wall; overall it’s a very pretty setup.

The menu for the day is written on a framed blackboard in coloured chalk and hangs up next to unique artworks and sculptures that are available to purchase.

At 2 little birds, the atmosphere is very genuine and homely. This is also reflected in the food, as the simple dishes are homemade, fresh and very appetising. The whole store is basically one open space so you can see behind the counter where the food is being prepared. Depending on the day, the menu may include fresh baguettes, sausage rolls, soups, bagels or savoury pies.

LOCATION: 46 Rosyln Rd, BelmontOPENING HOURS: Mon - Fri: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm Sat: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sun: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Jessica Dickers

One of my favourites is the chicken baguette with cucumber, cos lettuce and homemade garlic aioli. The pear, rocket and French Brie ba-guette with homemade basil and walnut pesto is also divine. Or if you want something to warm up your belly I recommend the red lentil and coriander soup or the pork, veal and rosemary sausage rolls.

On display is a great selection of baked goodies including sponge cakes, cookies, gluten free cakes and cute little gingerbread men for the kids. 2 little birds has a family friendly vibe, with food options the kids can enjoy as well as a little play space in the corner with a blackboard and some toys, which is perfect to occupy the little ones while their parents catch up over coffee.

The shop side is aimed towards woman, with flowy dresses, handbags, wallets, candles, jewellery and other great items for sale. There are also shelves with home wares that have been reduced, so you can find yourself some bowls, jugs, tea towels or other items that are on sale.

The staff are very friendly and will strike up a conversation with you and are genuinely happy to have a chat. It’s refreshing in a café to have people talk to you because they want to not because it’s their job.

2 little birds only opened this year but has already managed to create a quiet and relaxing spot. The café is perfect to grab lunch with a friend or read the paper with a pot of tea and some cake. It’s a small store that is proving to be popular for Belmont locals but it won’t be long before the rest of Geelong realise what a gem this little café is, so why don’t you go and find the little blue door for yourself.

Switch Magazine / 15

Images courtesy of Natalie Evans

Even on the bleariest of days Frank & Dolly’s will always manage to put a smile on your face, just maybe not your bank account.

With colourful wares and crafty goodies lining the walls you’ll feel just like a kid in a candy store. Necklaces hang ornately off antlers, plants hang precariously from the ceiling and bits and bobs fill the bowls on the counter, all for your fingers perusal.

Even though the shop is only small, it will take you a while to go through as the lovely storeown-ers tell you the back-story to their handmade and ethical wares. But it’s this immediate open-ness that’s half the fun of shopping at Frank & Dolly’s, and they manage to make you feel so at home you’ll never want to leave.

Just like a curator sources artists for their gallery, the owners behind Frank & Dolly do a similar thing. They stock items from around the world, with an extensive range from the hill tribes in Thailand, as well as from local artists

in Geelong. They even go as far as selling their own products that they have slaved at home creating.

Husband and wife duo, Rachel and Joel Cooper, aren’t good at just running a store, and they are damn good at that, they are also the members of local band The Evening Cast. When they aren’t busily creating things to sell at the store they’re touring around the country sharing their pop-infused tracks.

The couple have just got back from touring their new EP Lake around Australia and have come straight back to focusing on their lovely store.

The couple have just got back from touring their new EP Lake around Australia and have come straight back to focusing on their lovely store.

After recently having a spring face-lift Frank & Dolly’s is looking brighter than ever, even though the weather is yet to catch up.

LOCATION: 72a Garden Street, GeelongOPENING HOURS: Mon –Fri 10am – 5:30pm and Sat 10am – 5pm

Amanda Sherring

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Switch Magazine / 17Images courtesy of Natalie Evans

We’ve all had one of those awkward café dates where you sit, agonizingly staring into your cof-fee cup, waiting for the acceptable time to leave. Luckily, the only awkward thing about this café is the precariously positioned squirrel on the wall.

Boasting a selection of homemade treats, including a mouth-watering Oreo, peanut butter cup and chocolate brownie, café owner Natasha puts great pride into the contents of her display.

In every group there’s that one friend who seems like their hands were crafted only to bake delicious treats. Natasha is one of those people and there’s no denying she is good at what she does.

With so many deliciously baked treats, you’ll need to start planning your workouts months in advance to keep up. But while your diet may suffer, your wallet won’t. Each meal is at such a reasonable price that you’ll wonder why you don’t eat out more.

Book terrariums, taxidermy and vintage knick-knacks sit at the large bookcase along the wall and on many tables so there is plenty to keep you distracted, if you need it.

If you’re looking for something easy on the wallet but packed full of taste or perhaps a guilty little treat, head on down to Awkward Café for a great time out (with minimal awkwardness).

LOCATION: 45 Malop St, GeelongOPENING HOURS: Mon–Fri: 8am-4pmSWITCH RECOMMENDS: Warm chicken, haloumi cous cous salad with tzatziki, $8

Amanda Sherring

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Switch Magazine / 19

Images courtesy of Imogen Ruby

Year 10 Be Creative students of Lara Secondary College were asked to take photos around the school for a project under theme of ‘negative space’. They had to look around and find creative ways to capture a photograph that shows the power of

negative space around the subject matter. These photos are the favourite images carefully selected by the Switch team, after much deliberation of course.

1. ‘Flower’ by Jordan Smart (WINNER)2. ’Taps’ by Shanae Gathercole3. ’Water’ by Stephanie Mayer

4. ’Flower & friend’ by Jordan Smart

Be Creative

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Switch Magazine / 21

East TimorBridget McGiven

Before I embarked on my trip to East Timor I knew I was going to be exposed to a country with huge economic problems that would be different to anything I had ever experienced.

I felt anxious yet exhilarated at the prospect of being able to make a difference in someone’s life.

On March 24 this year we began our trip in Dili, the capital city of East Timor. As we arrived we realised how serious the poverty was from the overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions right on the edges of the busy, potholed roads. After settling in we set off to make the most of our day in Dili before the long journey to Baucau the following day.

Our scenic tour of the city showed us the decay-ing, burnt out buildings left by the Indonesians and the new, innovative developments such as the free Wifi station on the beach for the univer-sity students.

Our first stop was Chega (Portugese for “stop, enough”), a prison restored and converted into

a museum to raise awareness of East Timor’s sad history.

It was shocking and upsetting to learn how East Timor received little help to end the violence and repression of the Indonesian rule. Something that really impacted me in Chega was the dark rooms. The cells were about two to three metres in diameter and would hold 10 to 20 prisoners for weeks in pitch black, with no access to food, water or a toilet.

Prisoners would be strung up by their feet and hung upside as a method of torture. These cruel practices appalled me, and I still cannot under-stand why, in their darkest hour, the innocent and terrified East Timorese people were left completely alone and vulnerable.

After our solemn, yet enlightening trip to Chega we went to the famous Santa Cruz Cemetery, the place of a massacre that would open the world’s eyes to what was really going on in East Timor.

The grave that we saw was of Sebastiao Gomes,

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the young man whose widely attended funeral turned into a bloodbath where 250 people were murdered by Indonesian authorities, who put it down to a simple misunderstanding. Gomes’ grave was like a shrine, covered in beautiful flowers and letters as a tribute to an innocent young man. Our time in Dili, though short, was our first glimpse of East Timor’s sad history and slow progress to full recovery.

It left us feeling hopeful that we could really help out in our next stop; Baucau.

When we arrived it was a calm, quiet town, with fruit and vegetable stalls lined up along the main road. It was in the city of Baucau that we would finally get to meet the students at Canos-sian College, and work with them to establish a relationship between our schools that would hopefully last a very long time.

Canossian College is basically a secondary school and TAFE institution for girls aged 15 to 18. After leaving the College most girls go on to university or get a job through the college.

At first, meeting the girls was overwhelming. But after lunch, and about five minutes of getting to know each other, we were all up, learning tra-ditional dances and singing together (It seems Justin Bieber is very popular in East Timor!).

The time we spent at the college was right in the middle of their Holy Week, as they prepared to celebrate Easter, and it was interesting to com-pare how they worship as Catholics compared to how it is in Australia.

After going to mass at 7.30am on Easter Sun-day, we went for a walk to the high hills of Bau-cau for lunch. We walked with the girls through people’s backyards and over streams, all the while chatting away and holding hands.

After lunch we were each presented with a handmade Tais, a traditional weaved cloth made only in East Timor. Ours had the words “Follow Your Dreams” on them and this small, but significant, gift was a reminder from them to us

as our monetary donations and gifts had helped them to achieve some of theirs.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening lazing away, talking and laughing together be-fore all gathering as one big community to sing and dance for the last time.

Saying goodbye to the many friends, or mannas (Timorese for sisters) that I had made was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and yes, many tears were shed for these amazing young women.

The time we spent in East Timor, but especially with the girls at the college, were and always will be some of my happiest memories. Even though I may never see their beautiful faces again, they have impacted my life, and made me reevaluate myself and what I want to do in the future.

I am so privileged to have embarked on this trip, and I would like to thank all the amazing girls who went with me, as well as my teachers Marlo and Lauren, our team leader Tania and our local guide Edna, who was the funniest, kindest young woman I have ever met.

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PHOTOGRAPHER

LUCINDA GOODWIN

Words: Alastair McGibbon

Lucinda Goodwin is a Geelong-based photogra-pher, and a specialist when it comes to snap-ping amazing photos in the chaos that accompa-nies live music gigs. Lucinda works for a number of different publications as well as collaborating with a team for The Pulse’s show Musik Cube. She took time out of her busy schedule to have a chat with Switch Magazine.

How long have you been a photographer? And what got you started in the industry?

I started working as a photographer properly in 2010, but I originally got into photography in year 11. The photography teacher at my school didn’t really like photography that much – they were more into movies – so I did Studio Art instead. Then I focused on photography for my finals and went from there.

What inspires you?

My friends inspire me. I’ve got a lot of friends that are in bands, and because I’m interested in gig photography, I tend to work with them a lot. I’ve got a couple of bands that just act like complete idiots when I have my camera in front of them, so I normally get my best shots off-stage because that’s when they just act like they normally do. It’s always good fun with them.

Where did you study photography?

I studied at the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) for two years and graduated in 2012. I ended up with a Certificate IV in Photo Imaging, and followed that up with a Diploma in Photo Imaging.

How often do you work? Are there regular gigs?

I work for a couple of different publications, and they usually send out a gig list. I pick out the ones I want to shoot, and they provide certifi-cation for me to shoot the gigs. I usually do two to three gigs per week. Unfortunately I don’t get to shoot too much in Geelong – there’s too much competition between photographers- so it’s easier to go to Melbourne instead.WI also go into The Pulse once a week and work on a show called Musik Cube. The show gets local artists to play a few songs, and then I shoot photos and upload them onto Facebook for the artists to use for whatever they like.

The show really helps up and coming artists to get their work out there because it promotes local artists over international acts. We might slip a few international artists in there, but the vast majority of what we play is local. It makes a good connection and it’s a good way to make friends.

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What bands have you photographed?

The biggest band I’ve shot was probably Good Charlotte last year; they were amazing! I’ve also shot Gotye at Pyramid Rock, Boy and Bear, Bliss N Eso, Matt Corby and Kimbra. I regularly take photos at gigs in Melbourne, and shoot more bands than I can count.

What’s it like shooting big gigs?

Sometimes for a bigger band you only get to be in the photography pit for three songs, so some-times they’ll really play it up and give you a good show for those three songs. Other times, if they don’t want the photographer there, then they’ll just stand there or hide behind a piano.

Most of the time I’ve been pretty lucky – I’ve been the only girl in the pit a number of times, and the bands will play up a bit more for my camera, because I’m the odd one out.

What big things do you have planned for the future?

I actually have a book coming out (hopefully) lat-er this year, called Patron to Pit. It covers my first year as a photographer, with a bunch of my stuff

from 2010. I had finished VCE and decided that I didn’t want to go to schoolies so instead I went to Falls Festival with a friend. I got some good shots from the patron side of the fence there and decided that I wanted to be on the other side of the fence next time – which is where the title of the book comes from. I’m also hoping to have an exhibition towards the end of this year and plan to launch the book there.

Where do you want to go with your photogra-phy? And what’s your dream job?

I think I’d really love to end up with a Rolling Stone cover! That’s probably my dream job – that or going on tour with a band. It’d be awesome to go on tour with someone like Matt Corby – I’d love it!

Well there you have it – Geelong’s own Lucin-da Goodwin. Lucinda’s work is spectacular, so make sure you check it out at www.facebook.com/lucindagoodwinphotography and tune into Musik Cube on 94.7 The Pulse.

Images courtesy of Lucinda Goodwin

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ARTIST

MORGAN CONOLLY

Words: Jessica Dickers

With her whimsical illustrations Geelong artist Morgan Connoley is continuing to rise in the art world.

Morgan works full time as a professional designer for Geelong boutique design agency, Paul Kelly Design to Print, but it’s her work as an illustrator that is getting all the attention.

For over a decade now Morgan has been creating beautiful prints that feature a mix of skulls, animals and woman that strike a unique balance of black and white with pops of colour.

Her designs often feature shadowy skulls and floaty butterflies and aside from being one of Morgan’s fascinations are iconic elements in her collection.

“I have always had a particular intrigue into skulls and the ‘Day of the Dead’ festival. I’m just lucky they’re trending!” she says. Morgan has drawn her whole life and when she was old enough began private art classes before finishing school and moving to Ballarat to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts.

Since she was 15-years-old Morgan has sold her large acrylic canvases around Geelong and now sells artworks through her online site.

Morgan says her career highlights include her feature in Fashion Journal, the selection of work on display in the Jasper Hotel in Melbourne, participating in BOOM Gallery’s Christmas show, collaborating with Torch Soy Candles and when her site was mentioned in Frankie magazine.

This is a small selection of her impressive com-missions as she was also featured in Westfield’s fashion festival, the ANIMALIA exhibition at Courthouse ARTS and in several publications including Real Living Magazine and the Herald Sun’s Sunday Style Magazine.

It’s no wonder her work has become so success-

ful as Morgan seems to live and breathe art. Her cluttered studio is surrounded by artwork-both her pieces and other artists- and she does her work on a rustic wooden table made of old Thai fishing boats.

Its little things like this that provides her inspira-tion as well as reading as much as she can.

“I read lots – both magazines and books. I spend too much time online and on Pinterest but they all provide a huge amount of inspiration for my work,” she says.

Morgan uses a combination of watercolour, acrylic paint, pencil and digital elements in her work. But also likes to challenge herself with new mediums, concepts and collaborations. However, she is a big lover of print and always likes to see her work on paper.

“There is absolutely nothing like tangible art-work,” she says.

“People say that print is dying, I think that is an overstatement. While it’s definitely becoming less common, it won’t ever die.”

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Morgan is also part of the artists collective Gee-long Illustrators which she describes as being a breath of fresh air.

Geelong Illustrators has created a little commu-nity for the niche market of illustrators in the region, and it’s all about support and collabora-tion rather than competition.

“We wanted somewhere for like minded people to interact, throw around ideas and help each other out. There is a huge amount of illustrative talent in our region that we are just dying to expose,” Morgan says.

Morgan believes Geelong is becoming a cultural-ly vibrant city with an evolving art scene and this was another reason for establishing the Geelong Illustrators.

“I truly believe that we have a beautiful city that we can activate with street art, exhibitions, mar-kets and pop up stores,” she says.

Morgan added another string to her bow this year when she started writing for Curvy online, which showcases creative female artists through upcoming events, projects, exhibitions and markets.

“I love writing about all things art and design and I feel that being in the industry I am already on the ‘front foot’ with things that are happen-ing,” she says.

Morgan is kept busy juggling all her projects and admits it can be a challenge finding the balance between her career as an illustrator and her professional work as a designer.

“I love them both equally but sometimes my illustrative work must come second to my job,” she says.

However, Morgan does manage to find time to relax while cooking and going over to her close friends house for a cuppa.

“I feel that cooking is such a great creative outlet. I’m always on the hunt for a fresh new inspiring recipe,” Morgan says.

Having spent the better part of the last year pro-cessing orders and selling the print she already has, Morgan is now looking forward to getting stuck into some new pieces.

She has recently collaborated with Geelong artist Mike McLean and has undertaken another project with Geelong Illustrators. All this on top of her job as a designer, drawing new pieces for her site, drafting house plans and organising her upcoming wedding. There doesn’t seem to be any slowing down for this talented artist and so it’ll be exciting to see what she does next.

You can find Morgan’s amazing artwork online at www.colourandskulls.bigcartel.com or in stores around the Geelong region including Bal-lyhoo art, Winter’s Café and Mc Queens Florist & Gifts on Pako. Also you can follow her blog at colourandskulls.blogspot.com.au.

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It’s true that there can never be too much of a good thing, and that’s why we’re sad to farewell The Brainery Store from Geelong.

The Brainery store is a space that sells lectures where people can listen to inspiring and creative thinkers and then participate in discussions.

After calling Boom Gallery her home for the win-ter and spring terms, Sarah Cooper, the creative mastermind behind The Brainery Store, has announced Kyneton will be their next stop.

Sarah first thought of the concept during her travels in New York, but was later inspired by having nothing to do in her suburban town.

“There was nothing like this in Dandenong, so I thought, well why don’t you be the person that makes that sort of stuff happen in those areas?” she says.

After two years tailoring the event, including studying a short business course, Geelong was lucky enough to be the first to experience what The Brainery Store had to offer.

Over the two terms, locals have been inspired and educated by the likes of modern day hunt-er-gatherer Rowan Anderson, editor and founder of Broadsheet, interior designer Stephanie Somebody and plenty of other creative minded people.

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With each choice of presenter, Sarah underwent a deliberate research process to ensure that they had something worthy to discuss.

“I have to believe in these people as well. They have to shift my thinking for me to see them being able to shift other peoples thinking,” Sarah says.

Although Sarah has put a lot of research into her speakers, she admits that it’s essentially a great discussion of ideas as she says, “I don’t want people to think that it’s necessarily right, it’s just kind of this idea”.

In the duration of an hour, lecture goers will be plunged into the mind of their creative speaker. Not only will they hear the finer details of their craft, but the audience will also have a chance to ask their own questions.

The Brainery Store may seem like a project created and tendered to by a large group of creative people, but you’d be wrong.

“It’s just me, people think that it’s a team. I think further down the track I’d like to bring people in because I’ve found that I go a bit crazy when it’s just me by myself all the time,” she says.

Also with a background in dance, Sarah spends most of her time practising in her studio or at-tending dance classes at Chunky Move or Dance House.

There’s no denying that Sarah clearly has crea-tivity running through every inch of her body, but it’s also in the Cooper genes. In her family, there is a graphic designer, musician and the owner of East Geelong store Frank & Dolly’s (see pages 16/17).

The Brainery Store recently partnered up with specialty magazine, Dumbo Feather, to throw a bon voyage party for the Geelong project. With a variety of tasty food-vans and colourful seating, locals partied in the Boom Gallery car park for one last hurrah, before being treated to a screening of Mary Meets Mohammad.

So if you’re over the noise and bustle of the city, and want to immerse yourself in something a little different, then visit The Brainery Store in Kyneton or wherever it will be next! Details on the creative lectures can be found at www.thebrainerystore.com.

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Before this week I didn’t even know more than one kind of milk existed. There are currently four types in my fridge and none of them contain actual milk.

There’s almond, oat, soy and rice milk. It’s prac-tically a supermarket health food aisle. Wack. Usually if you open the cupboards of our house it’s like the dairy product equivalent of a rapper opening their cupboard on MTV cribs to reveal 300 pairs of Nike’s.

Apparently milk is made of things I wouldn’t usu-ally consider putting in my mouth and is ‘health-ier’ than regular milk (a bit of science for you kids! No, you’re welcome). ‘The Google’ powers mum’s new health passion because apparently people even devote blogs to chia seeds.

I can’t talk healthy. As proof, right now I’m typing on a brownie crumb covered keyboard and my idea of yoga is being able to touch my toes. One time I only ate KFC for three days and as a result of that my face went scaly - tick, I had started distorting into lizard form.

When there are signs like ‘all you can eat’, I eat all of it. Sorry mother, but that cheesecake

wasn’t going to eat itself. Sometimes I tell my-self that I’ll eat healthy and eat things that have some kind of seed in them and then find myself five minutes later sitting on the couch watching Dr. Phil with an empty box of Cheezels. But Mum has spat at us that this time, it’s a ‘group effort’. I did year 8 English (I won’t show off though) and I keep it real saying that ‘group effort’ does not mean slaving your son to go and purchase salad rolls.

I, like Nigella, take great pride in getting people the correct salad roll for lunch so, using my iPhone, I took photos of the front windows of the bakeries, one by one, sending them to Mum. It’s how we get things done in Gen Y (battlerz). I could just call her and ask, but then I’d have no rad bakery photos to put on Instagram.

There was a nervous looking man standing out the front of one of the bakeries. Just as I was snapping away at the front window, another man approached the nervous man and quickly they swapped a very small item. I don’t know any-thing about drugs (I did debating in year 9) but let me tell you, they were not swapping basket-ball cards. I had inadvertently snapped a picture of a drug deal in progress.

Cheezals are a health food too

Gabe Rule

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Rule in the middle. I just want a salad sandwich, this won’t do. Should I say something? My first thought was to utter: “Crispy baguettes are my passion.” No, that’s not gold; I’ll get kidnapped and made to work for a drug dealer for my crimes against coolness fo sho. I yelled loud enough at the man, “Delete that one, delete, that’s gone.” Done. And got off scott free.

Rule: 1. That’s the last time I try and eat lettuce and bread together.

Anyway, I don’t like people having to rely on me for their own benefit, not because I’m lazy, but because I’m a terrible person. Therefore ‘group effort’ gym workouts are not what I do. My skills include wrapping presents and baking.

I’m all up for solo gym pursuits, as dancing on the treadmills and receiving eyebrows from those around me who don’t understand that this country boy is all up in the big smoke by yourself is not followed by a post workout family debrief.

I’ve realised I only go to gym classes them to judge people (mainly 45-year-old ladies who wear army-print pants to body combat classes because, “It’s just like the army!!”), there’s something about ‘woo-ing’ while high-kicking as I’m lumped in the corner of the room moving my arms out of time to the music that I don’t love.

I’m sorry but eating no fat Greek yoghurt that looks like John Stamos’ jizz and bread with more seeds in it then flour is not my forte.

Thank-you Mum.

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Ingredients

• 1cupblueberries(freshorfrozen)• 2cupsself-raisingflour• ¾cupbrownsugar• ½cupwhitechocolatechips• 1egg(lightlybeaten)• ¾cupbuttermilk• ½cupvegetable/canolaoil

1-Pre-heatovento180Candgreasethemuffintin2-Placetheflour,brownsugarandchocchipsintoalargemixingbowl3-Stirinthebuttermilk,eggandoil4-Gentlyfoldthroughtheblueberries5-Spoonthemixtureintothegreasedmuffintin-filleachoneto¾full6-Bakemuffinsfor30minsoruntiltheyareslightlybrown

Notes:

-YoucanusefreshorfrozenberriesforthisrecipebutSwitchrecommendsfreshones-Youcanalsosubstitutetheblueberriesforraspberriesorthewhitechocolatefordarkchocolate.Playaroundandmakeyourowndeliciousvariations.

Switch RecipeBlueberry and White Chocolate muffins

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John Mayer haters are always going to hate his music, no matter how good the review of his latest release is. So this review isn’t trying to change your perception of him; it’s just telling you that the new country sounds that he has produced on his sixth LP Paradise Valley are funky and infectious.

Mayer was recently announced as the main headliner for Byron Bay’s Bluesfest next April along with a sideshow at Rod Laver Arena in late April next year, it won’t be long before we are hear his new tunes in a live setting.

The swooning ‘Your Body is A Wonderland’ type vibes are present in his tracks ‘Paper Doll’ and ‘Who You Love’ where Mayer duets with Katy Perry (his current flame). Like Battle Studies (2009), Mayer pays homage to a classic blues/rock track once again with J.J. Cales’ ‘Call Me The Breeze’.

‘Wildfire’, ‘On The Way Home’ and ‘Dear Marie’ are also highlights, and I for one, think that this release is his strongest since Continuum in 2006. With similar horn arrangements in some songs, Paradise Valley gives hope to those fence-sitting fans of his music. If you haven’t checked out this album and like your guitar licks bluesy and cranked to eleven, give it a try. It may not sway you on the first listen but by the fourth or fifth, you may just be converted.

Album Review

John Mayer - Paradise ValleyTex Miller

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Comic Review

Preludes and Nocturnes: Niel Gaiman Alastair McGibbon

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So, this time, the Switch team and I decided to mix things up a bit in our reviews section. Now, for the first time, our book review features one of my favourite things – comics. Hold onto your socks, kids!

Comics are something of a passion of mine – I’ve collected manga for years now, and my west-ern-style ‘traditional’ comic collection is expanding at an alarming rate. In my world, comics are serious business. Seeing as this is the first Switch comic review, it seems only fitting that I review the comic that first sent me down the dark path to comic obsession – Preludes and Nocturnes.

Preludes is the first trade paperback in a series that collects Neil Gaiman’s fantastic Sandman Chronicles. Gaiman excels at crafting otherworldly fantasies, and Sandman is easily his magnum opus. Now, this might sound like simple fanboy glee, but if you’ve ever had the slightest inclination toward picking up a comic book, this is a great way to start. Originally published between 1989 and 1996, Sandman is by no means a recent development, but has been cited by comic writers across the world as a source of inspiration.

After all this waffle, you’re no doubt wondering what on earth this story is about. Don’t stress, I’m getting to that! Sandman follows the adventures of Dream, the literal personification of, well, dreams. Dream and his 6 six siblings are collectively known as the Endless, and rule over different aspects of life ranging from Destiny through to Delirium (and yes, all their names start with “D”). Preludes and Nocturnes sees occultist Roderick Burgess (think Aleister Crowley) attempt to capture and bind Death, in an attempt to gain immortality. However, the ritual goes awry, and rather than binding Death, Burgess captures Dream in a glass bubble. After stalling until Burgess dies of old age, Dream frees himself and sets about reclaiming his scattered and stolen tools: his helm, his magic ruby and his pouch of dream sand. It’s not going to take a simple trip down to the shops to reclaim these items, though – Dream’s quest takes him from the depths of Hell to the dark and gritty streets of London.

Sandman is one of those comic series’ that deserves a place on any collector’s bookshelf, and if you’ve ever considered reading comics, Preludes and Nocturnes is the perfect place to start. Stories like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen have blurred the lines between literature and comic books in the past, and Sandman proudly continues this trend. Do yourself a favour, and buy this book.5/5

Want to read more of Alastair’s rambling about comics? Check out PULP, a regular column in Forte magazine, or visit www.pulponline.tumblr.com

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“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…” is a phrase almost every person who grew up with superheroes knows and loves. It’s just as famous as the character it’s based on, and we all know who that is. Upholder of truth and justice, the caped crusader himself, Superman!

Superman is one of the most famous superheroes ever created; everybody loves him, but let’s face it, he’s as dull as a brick. Although his reputation precedes him, Superman isn’t a very complex character is he? From his beginnings in comic books to his movie appearances, he hasn’t been given much of a personality; he just saves people from villains and natural disasters and disguises himself as a “mild mannered” news reporter. Many fans regard the first two superman movies as the most successful in making Superman a (somewhat) three dimensional character who we can both identify with and cheer for while still maintaining a humorous and likeable personality. And now he’s back in Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder. This rendition of the age-old superhero is an attempt to make the Superman story more adult-oriented and serious. How well does this new superman hold up you may ask? Well…

At times the story does have some clever and even brilliant moments, however it’s very basic and inconsistent, and is made unnecessarily complicated through the strange decision to use flash-backs. While it tries to entice the audience into becoming emotionally invested, it ends up rushing some moments that could’ve been brilliant scenes, like taking more time to explore Superman’s upbringing and character. Instead, the movie focuses most of its time on the special effects in the final scene which, while impressive, is rather self-indulgent and take away from the story.

The first half of the movie is a character study of this tortured and misunderstood alien amongst men, but that is all abandoned for action scenes that, for a Superman movie, are quite disturbing. Superman is faced with challenges yes, but his heroic acts are counteracted by the almost complete destruction of Metropolis, and by the end it feels like the villain still won! This isn’t what Superman is about; Superman is about having hope in humanity, so why would you end the movie in such a harsh and downright mean-spirited manner?

Film Review

Man of SteelWilliam Farnsworth

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This movie does have its faults, but it’s not a terrible movie. There are some very decent things about it; Superman is likeable, the action is fun and the story, although it’s told rather obscurely, is still engaging. However, it isn’t the brilliant Superman movie that many fans have been waiting for, which is, in the end, Man of Steel’s biggest crime.

3 stars out of 5

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Game Review

Tomb RaiderAlastair McGibbon

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In recent years, video games seem to be taking cues from Hollywood blockbusters – they’re focusing on creating the biggest spectacle possible, with bigger explosions, more action and a blisteringly fast pace. Modern first person shooters are the foremost example. Ever since that cataclysmic nuclear explosion in Call of Duty 4, we’ve seen games include more and more over-the-top set pieces. While they certainly add to the impact of the game, they have a tendency to take away from the actual gameplay.

Tomb Raider certainly doesn’t shy away from spectacular set pieces, but don’t let my cynicism spoil things for you – it’s still a damn good game. This iteration of the long-running franchise is one of those reboot-that-uses-the-original-title games, but thankfully this is a remake that really works, and works well. While previous Tomb Raider games have seen Lara Croft as an established treasure hunter, the new TR tells the story of Lara’s evolution from uber-green archaeologist to battle-hard-ened survivor.

Lara’s journey begins as she seeks the lost civilization of Yamatai, an ancient Japanese kingdom ruled by Himiko the Sun Queen, a mythic figure said to have the ability to control storms. However, upon entering the Dragon’s Triangle, the infamous seas around Yamatai’s supposed location, Lara and her companions (a combination of the ship’s crew and documentary team) are shipwrecked in a vicious and sudden storm. After madmen separate Lara from her fellow survivors, she must trek across the island and reunite her friends – and then try to find a way off an island that doesn’t want her to leave.

While previous games have focused on platforming, this Tomb Raider throws in significantly more gunplay, ending up like the lovechild of the Uncharted series and Far Cry 3. For the most part, this works out fine – there is (for the most part) enough balance between navigating the game world and shooting the bad guys.

The only major problem I have with this game stuck out at the very beginning. Just after Lara is ship-wrecked, she has to scavenge a bow and try to survive her first night; as one of your first objectives, you must successfully hunt and kill a deer. The introduction of this hunting mechanic suggests that survival and scavenging for food might be a core gameplay mechanic, but rather than being put to good use, it’s introduced and thrown aside without ever needing to be done again. While it’s not an absolutely necessary mechanic, not having to make any effort to survive after that first night breaks immersion and somewhat tarnishes the experience.

Gripes aside, Tomb Raider is still a great game. It channels the spirit of the original games, and puts a modern spin on a classic format. It entertained me for hours, and with the colossal number of collectibles stashed around the island, you’ll be playing it for ages.

4/5

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Next time in Switch we talk to the amazing local photographer Daniel Longo about his work and why he

does what he does.

Image courtesy of Daniel Longo

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