street photography

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‘It’s a form of escape for me. I really love baking – it’s my passion. I work with ATMs during the week so it’s completely different.

“t started as a form of stress relief when I was at Uni. Whenever I would bring cupcakes in, my friends would ask if I was stressed again. When I’m stressed, I make cupcakes at 3am.

”I also bring them in to work and my colleagues know that I’ve been stressed. It’s the creative part of baking that de-stresses me.

When they smell nice that’s when I know that I’ve done well. When they’re all gone by the end of Saturday, I know that I’ve made it!”

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‘What we’re doing right now is complaining about the Abbott government.’

If you were to meet Abbott, what would you say to him?

‘Do not repeal the racial discrimination act because you’re not at the forefront of what the average person says to people who are not white and you don’t know how bad it is on the street.’

Have you been on the receiving end of racism yourself?

‘My whole life! There is an atmosphere in Australia of arrogance and belligerence towards people who look like immigrants. Not people who are immigrants as there are a lot of white people here who are immigrants but people who look like immigrants.’

If you were to address a large group of people, what would you say?

‘Don’t underestimate how important it is to have compassion. A lot of people think that life is all about getting what you need for yourself but actually, no, you hold yourself back when you cannot feel compassion for another person. The compassion you can feel for another person is exactly the amount you will feel for yourself.’

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‘I feel her all the time. I don’t know if that’s a bizarre thing. My dad and I have spoken about that. I’ve had a Christian upbringing and both my parents were Christians but my dad’s family is Buddhist so he’s got that real spiritual side of him as well. I remember when mum passed, he said when it happens, don’t get upset because her spirit will come back. It was very poignant at that point.

‘There are all these moments all the time. I have this warmth and I don’t know what it is. I definitely feel her. I see her. I see things that remind me of her. People’s characteristics. Smells. Voices.

‘I believe in afterlife. I think that’s the only thing that’s kept me OK about it all. Because if I didn’t think there was something after it, it would be a real struggle for me to understand why it happened. I would struggle to think that this is the end. There is too much amazingness in life; there are too many things you can’t explain to not believe in it.’

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‘I turned 80 on Valentine’s Day. I spent 25 and a half years as a fireman.’

How are the lungs?

‘Oh, they’re 75-85% there. I try to keep active. The mind is still willing but the body’s not quite there.’

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‘I designed these by myself. I learned how to do this in Tanzania where I’m from. My friend is an artist who likes painting and carving. He showed me how to do it and after some time, I’ve made my own designs. Some people like it. When they buy my jewellery, it inspires me to make more designs. If I make it, I feel happy.’