Things Mark Reads

Every year since 2008, I've taken the opportunity to write about my annual reflections and future plans. The plans really come to fruition as they are more motivational than realistic, but if I get more than half of what I seek to achieve done, that's invariably a good year. Usually, I manage these reflections in the last week of December or the first week of January, but of course, when you're gazing over Antarctica, the sublime beauty of nature gives reason to delay. But now I have left that grandeur and the lively cities of Latin America to return to the relative calmness of Melbourne with my work and study.

The past year wasn't nearly as busy as the previous, but there was still a great deal of activity and progression. I paid off my apartment in Southbank, which hosted four major themed parties, continuing proof that my apartment can hold more than a score of people. I travelled to the Northern Territory, New Zealand, China (twice), Chile, Lima, Argentina, Antarctica, and especially the South Atlantic. From these journeys, I can mark visiting The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, the Nanjing Memorial, Machu Picchu, and, of course, Antarctica as major locations. And I must mention that my health continued a turn for the better with almost 35kg being shed between June 2024 and June 2025 as I have revived a long-dormant athleticism.

In academic life, I completed three units in my doctorate studies at Euclid University, each with A-grade results (I'm a swot), along with two online courses from the University of Edinburgh (music theory) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Spanish), hosted a Murdoch University alumni event and, for what it's worth, was in the top 0.1% of users on Duolingo for the third year in succession, completing the Spanish language course. In other writings, there were eight articles for Rocknerd, six for Isocracy, and another 15 on other sites.

I gave two conference presentations in New Zealand, as well as brief presentations and panel participation in Australia and China, along with an extensive philosophy presentation on Daoism and Stoicism, which resulted in some permanent ink being etched into my skin. Unexpectedly, I also delivered a Christmas service. At work, I delivered 15 HPC training workshops, organising three researcher technical presentations, in addition to usual technical and managerial tasks. Plus, I've been running three non-profit incorporated associations. Through the ACFS, I hosted and organised at least four events, wrote a dozen articles, attended ten concerts, events, and received delegations. Perhaps one of the most important actions of the year, however, was fundraising for the Isla Bell Charitable Fund through the RPG Review Cooperative; over $15K, mostly through the sales of my personal collection.

Despite all this, there are a lot of things I didn't get done in 2025 that I initially planned to do. These remain on a "to-do" list and will make up the bulk of activity in the initial months of this year. I know I want to travel more, and I have already made plans for my next adventure. I certainly have to continue my current doctoral studies in climatology, economics, and international law, as it remains a great priority in my life. However, I will admit that beyond this, I have yet to build firm plans for the year. Perhaps over the next few weeks, this will coalesce into something more definite. However, as I expressed on the morning of the year, I do have a theme: Do what matters. Live deliberately. Act despite fears. Don't postpone. Memento mori.

After two days at sea from the Falklands, the next port was Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The first sight coming into port is a "ship's graveyard", which is apparently is being cleaned up. Some similar work is probably required in the nearby old city, Ciudad Vieja, founded by the Spanish in 1724. Whilst there are a number of glorious old buildings, some are in a state of dilapidation; I suspect there's a poor incentive structure at work. In a heroic effort over a day, we started at the famous Café Brasilero, the oldest cafe in Montevideo, and famously a haunt for the excellent Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, now with a namesake coffee. Other nearby sites visited included Plaza de la Constitución, Museo Histórico Cabildo, Museo Torres García, Puerta de la Ciudadela, Mausoleo de José Gervasio Artigas, Palacio Salvo, Museo de la Casa de Gobierno, Museo Figari (for Pedro Figari and Juan Carlos Figari), and the Teatro Solis. Three of these were art galleries, and one gets the impression that Montevideo is rather proud of its artistic history, and justly so. The constructivism of Torres García and Juan Carlos Figari and the impressionism of Pedro Figari (Juan's father) were all excellent, and the García museum also featured the amusing fashion designs by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

The following day, after crossing the Rio de la Plata (arguably the widest river in the world), we returned again to Buenos Aires, where there was an opportunity to catch up with Cobina, an old activist friend of mine whom I haven't seen for many years, and visit the Xul Solar museum. A friend of the magical realist author, Jorge Luis Borges, Xul Solar was a painter and designer. His artworks combine both expressionist and surrealist styles. He invented a spiritual form of chess where moves can provide a horoscope (of his own making) and tell a story (in a language he invented). He also redesigned the piano to make it easier to play and learn. Probably one of the truest artists I have encountered. After that we all made our way to the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, which has an astoundingly beautiful interior, but also houses the mausoleum of General José de San Martín, a leading figure in the Argentine War of Independence, the Chilean War of Independence, and then Peruvian War of Independence - he had a busy life!

All adventures must come to an end, however, and after a month of an extraordinary journey with travelling companion Kate, we boarded the flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago, then to Melbourne. We spent seventeen hours in the air overall, and a significant portion of January 9 was lost due to timezone changes. Looking back on it, so much was packed into the thirty days, but that is definitely how I like to travel. From Chile, to Peru, Argentina, Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, and then back to Argentina, it was a journey that witnessed grand cities (Santiago, Lima, Buenos Aires, Montevideo) with all their artistry and history, extraordinary pre-Columbian sites (e.g., Machu Picchu), breathtaking nature (Antarctica, Falkland Islands), and a cruise through the Drake Passage and the Argentine Sea. It is, without a doubt, one of the most extraordinary journeys I have been on. Whilst it is good to be back home in Melbourne town, I must confess that my taste for such journeys has been whetted rather than satiated. I am a long way from being "world weary".