In Australia, It’s Impossible to Think About Anything Except the Bushfires

by cjharris | Jan 6, 2020 | current affairs, environment, life, politics

I woke up in Melbourne this morning, not just to the smell of smoke — I’m used to that — but the unmistakable odour of burning. It was so strong that I actually checked my partner hadn’t left the stove on, before I realised that it was coming through our closed doors...

It’s Okay to Admit That You’re Not Okay

by cjharris | Sep 13, 2019 | life, mental health

In Australia, September 12 was ‘R U OK? Day’, a national day of action which encourages us to check in with friends, family and workmates. Coming two days after World Suicide Prevention Day this year, it is a reminder that people who can appear to be functioning on...

5 Ways to Fight Climate Change When Your Government Won’t

by cjharris | May 24, 2019 | current affairs, life, politics

Australia has just voted for three more years of climate inaction — the latest country to follow a terrifying global trend. It’s clear that we can’t rely on governments worldwide to take the kind of leadership required to fight climate change. It’s up to us, the...

To My Mother Who Danced With Turkish Carpet Sellers

by cjharris | May 14, 2019 | life, travel

When I visited Turkey with my mother 12 years ago, we parted at the train station in Istanbul — she was on her way to Athens and a flight back to Australia, I was headed for the Middle East, not knowing when I would see her again. When the Kurdish boy working in our...

I Became the Kind of Traveller I Never Thought I’d Be

by cjharris | Apr 28, 2019 | life, travel

A few days ago, I was telling a friend about the worst birthday of my life. The year I turned 23, I travelled alone to an oasis in Egypt. A local offered to drive me out to the desert which I really, really wanted to do. So I said yes. I then spent the evening in the...

How to cope with a narcissist

by cjharris | Mar 31, 2019 | life, work

I spent a few horrible years working closely with someone who was a full-blown narcissist. I don’t mean difficult to work with, I mean ticked every single box when I googled “what is a narcissist”. It was only after watching this person systematically destroy others...