Words by: Soraya Rezal Art by: Madison Marshall
People always say, ‘never meet your heroes’. Often the expectations are set so high that when you finally get the chance to meet them, you’ll be disappointed when they’re not at all what you imagined them to be. Not for me, though. The first time I met my idol was definitely one for the books, despite me making a complete fool of myself.
… Never Meet Your Heroes
Words by: Caitlin Cefai Art by: Victoria Loizides
Commuting is one of the most universal human experiences: bumper-to-bumper in early morning traffic jams, stumbling while standing on a moving bus, or the sweat on your brow after a cycle to work. What is even more human is being nosey — and there’s nothing quite like peeking at what other people are reading while sitting on the train.
What someone is reading can tell us an awful lot about them, and so below we’ve decoded some of the most popular books you might be caught reading, and what it tells other people about you.
… Literary Clout
Words by: Marla Sommer Art by: Therese Dias
I was 12 when my parents bought what is now our family home, nestled in between beach and parkland. I remember being the first to slide my hands across the sold sticker; while my parents were busy adulting, I was already picking my room. It never occurred to me how much being at that one auction would shape what I’d come to know as home.
… A House is Not a Home
Words by: Gabriela Fannia Art by: Stephanie Wong
You can ask anyone from different backgrounds and cultures, and they would agree that food is a huge part of their lives. Food is universal — universally enjoyable. According to trusty ol’ Oxford Languages, ‘Comfort Food’ describes edibles that provide consolation and a feeling of wellbeing. Put simply, it could be anything of sugar, spice and everything nice, right? Well, it’s still subjective. As a foodie myself, all things can be comfort food at this point; some days, Flipboard’s fudge chocolate brownie is my comfort food, sometimes it’s the $3 salmon sushi rolls. Yes, our comfort food is never consistent!
… Food For the SoulWords by: Eden Hopgood
Fashion has always been the way I like to express myself the most. Coming from a smaller country town, this has been harder to do, but since moving to Naarm (Melbourne),I have been able to progress my personal style and dress for myself rather than the expectations of others.
… It’s Called Fashion, Look It UpWords by: Ashmitaa Thiruselvam
Cardi B once said, “I don’t dance now, I make money moves”. Well in my case, only half of that statement is true. I don’t dance — in other words, strip — for money because one, I’m just way too insecure for that and two, my Asian parents would straight up disown me. As for the second statement, I do make some money but I quite envy Ms Cardi. Money naturally falls into her bank account, must be nice. But enough about Cardi B — in the most humble way possible, let’s talk about me.
… Making Money MovesWords by: Sarah Arturi
To the women of today: you are nothing short of unstoppable.
You’re fearless, empathetic and strong.
Women are shapeshifters. Gone are the days when the role of a woman was restricted to ‘mother’ or ‘wife’, and when human shapeshifters were considered a ‘fictional element’. In fact, women have been shapeshifting for years — adopting the many roles expected of them and more to keep the world moving.
… Women We Stan
Words by: Kate Zhang
Sex therapists can be mysterious. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard about them. Maybe Dr Jean Milburn in Sex Education is the first and the only sex therapist you know. Maybe your knowledge about them is based on assumptions, or even imagination.
… Nine Assumptions About Sex Therapists
Words by: Kiera Eardley
It’s a phrase that’s all too familiar for women who grew up quickly, matured early, felt ahead of their years as a teenager: “you just need to meet an older guy”. All the shortcomings of the seemingly clueless boys our own age could easily be attributed to immaturity and slower brain development, so the obvious solution for us was to date older. With age comes inherent maturity and life experience and security, they say, and that was an appealing prospect as a young girl whose eyes glazed over at the mention of any testosterone-fuelled pastime. But when the age gap is substantial, is it really all it’s cracked up to be?
… Mind the Gap
Words by: Eden Hopgood
Here we are in 2022, and female body hair somehow continues to be taboo. Having permeated gender dynamics for centuries, it’s always been regarded as yet another beauty standard women are expected to abide by, and a lack of body hair in the female-identifying population has long signified the ‘ideal body’. But this has begun to shift. More attention in the beauty industry is being given to gender fluidity, body positivity, and more inclusive messaging. In recent years, norms are finally beginning to shift; almost one in four women under 25 no longer shave their armpits, compared with just one in 20 in 2013.
… Body Hair, Don’t Care
Esperanto Magazine 