How great are airports? They're a fantastic place to meet and greet people of all colours and creeds. 

The other day, flying Gold Coast - Sydney, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Sydneysider and her daughter, Mackenzie. Unfortunately, I didn't get the mother's name, so let's just call her Christine. 

Let me paint a picture of the situation for you: I've boarded the plane after a pleasant day, ready to rest my wee little head and zone out for the next couple of hours. Shortly after I've been seated, I notice, struggling up the aisle, Christine and Mackenzie. Two  larger than life gals with rosy cheeks, Christine gripping a Coke in one hand and Cheezels in the other (but who can blame her? Cheezels are delicious). After struggling to fit their mini-suitcases in the overhead locker, I kindly let them into their respective seats, offering my own seat in case Mackenzie felt uncomfortable at the window. She did not :(

"Are we leaving yet?" whines Mackenzie a mere second after she is seated, then every ten seconds after that. Frustrated, Christine lets out an over-the-top sigh, tells her daughter to shut up, looks at me and says, "I'm sorry about her!"

"Oh, it's quite alright," I say, "planes are an exciting thing for little kids. Even for big kids like me!"

"Not me, I hate flying. Oh God, I really hate flying."

"She hates it! She can't stand flying. Ha ha ha," taunts Mackenzie, poking her head out of the seat to talk to the handsome stranger sitting in 19c. 

My initial  lack of enthusiasm at what was clearly going to be a disrupted flight quickly dissipated, as I came to the realisation that I would be able to have a little fun with the situation.

"Are we leaving yet?" Mackenzie nagged.

"Shut up, Mackenzie! You bloody asked me two minutes ago! I said 'no' then, so stop asking!" Christine retorted. 

"Oh, you'll know when we're leaving," I replied to the child, with a sly wink for added measure.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God... I really hate flying," muttered Christine.

The hard-working staff on the tarmac had just finished loading the baggage onto the plane when, as the door closed, Christine cried, "What the bloody hell was that!?"

"Just the staff making sure the wings are still attached," I reply, excited about the impending take-off. 

"Are we leaving yet? Mum? Hey Mum, are we leaving yet...? Mum..."

"MACKENZIE! Yes! We're leaving now! See, we're bloody moving!" exclaimed Christine.

I kept quiet and continued reading an article about Rachel Taylor in the Jetstar magazine (note to self: must watch 'Red Dog').

Mackenzie noisily occupied herself with the window blinds, doing little to disperse Christine's palpable nervous energy. I suggest that perhaps having the blind down, blinding Christine to the outside world, will help reduce her fear. It turns out that it is illegal to keep your blind down during take-off. Fail. I decide to dive deeper into conversation with Christine.

"So, what is it that you hate about flying?" I query. Noting her groan of displeasure at my unintentionally insensitive question, I quickly add, "you know what, don't worry about it. You just breathe and focus on yourself."

We start taxiing down the runway, which is my favourite part of flying: feeling the gravity push you back into your seat. Obviously, Christine did not have the same appreciation for aviation as I did, and remained motionless with anxiety, eyes closed. The initial take-off, when it feels like the whole back half of the plane has gone plummeting back to the ground, makes even a seasoned flyer like myself feel a little queasy at the best of times. Poor Christine. Mackenzie was having fun, though. 

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, this is horrible. Argghhhh..." Christine was having a terrible time, especially when the plane began emitting a series of mechanical noises. 

"Don't worry, I think that's just the wheels falling off!" I jested. She did not appear comforted by this. Weird. 

"Hey Mum, can I use my iPad yet?" Mackenzie asked.

Having obviously made note of my extensive flying experience, Christine bestowed upon me the responsibility of alerting her child as to when she would be allowed to switch on her iPad (to start playing Candy Crush, undoubtedly).

"Not yet; when the seatbelt sign goes off and they announce that you can use electronics, then you may use your iPad," I tell the child. 

Mackenzie repeats her questions at one-minute intervals until the light goes off. 

Having had my fun, I decide that it is Tim Time and stick my earphones in, excited to listen to a playlist of new tunes I prepared earlier. I thoroughly enjoyed Hayden James' 'Permission To Love', Shining Bird's 'Distant Dreaming' and Robert DeLong's 'Happy'. 

As the third song reaches its final bars,  Mackenzie loudly informs everyone within earshot that she needs to visit the restroom. Christine immediately panics about her daughter going by herself. 

"It's okay," I reassure her, "it's pretty hard to get sucked down the toilet."

We start talking about her family trip to the Gold Coast and I briefly touch on my baby brother's recent first birthday. 

"Why would you be so worried about her going to the toilet by herself?" I ask Christine. 

"Well she's only five... She's tall for her age"

"Whoa, yeah she's pretty big for a five-year-old!"

It was a poor choice of words given the girl's... physique... But Christine doesn't pick up on my accidental insult. 

I am talking to Christine about the benefits of flying as opposed to driving  when Mackenzie returns from the bathroom and demands her iPad, which her mother has already carefully packed away. An enormous sigh ensues.

After what seemed like the blink of an eye, the flight attendant informed us that we were about to begin our descent into Sydney and that electronics should be switched off. As she walked away, I noticed a large skin-coloured patch on the back of her neck, barely covering an extensive neck tattoo. I wondered why she would select a career requiring pulled-up hair and no visible tattoos, and which came first: the tattoo or the career?

We started climbing down toward Sydney and Christine exclaimed, "oh Jesus!"

"Jjjeesssuussss Cchrriiissst!" Mackenzie mimicked. Big mistake. Christine scolded Mackenzie for swearing and threatened her with an impressive variety of slaps and grounding if she swore like that again. I was very tempted to point out where the little girl had learnt such language from, but I, unlike Mackenzie, wisely bit my tongue. 

The pilot landed the plane roughly, even by my standards. I talked to Christine about the flight and she seemed okay about the whole ordeal. I congratulated her on her courageous effort. 

We didn't really talk much as everyone else immediately leapt to their feet and collected their bags, clearly excited about hovering in the aisle for the next five to ten minutes. So, when the time was right, I stood up, got their bags out for them, gathered my own, and we all bid farewell to each other and went on our merry ways. 

If the experience taught me anything, it is that you should try to avoid seeing the negative in every situation. Rather, look for a positive, and have fun with it. Life will be much more pleasant. 

- By Tim Commandeur

Edited by April Rose Pengilly

I'm sitting here at Sydney airport waiting for a flight to the Gold Coast. I'm going back home for a few days to celebrate my half-brothers 1st birthday!

As my flight is in an hour, what better way to pass the time than to write a blog post, detailing what has been happening in my little bubble lately. 

First off, who do people think they are charging $4.70 for a coffee? Do the coffee beans perhaps hold a special power to give the passenger no pain while cramming their legs into an uncomfortable, tiny space for a couple hours? A pain relieving coffee of some sort? We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

And also, do those people that stand behind their little counters, letting people sample their wine, actually sell wine to anybody? I don't think I've ever seen a person engage them other than to have a little bit of alcohol before their flight!

This week, my cousin and I, who make up Colour Coding, shot a music video for our new single 'Yours, Not Mine' which comes out in a couple weeks. Comprised of two days of shooting, it was a lot of fun and I think it's going to turn out great! The director, Adam Dostalek, was extremely passionate and a lot of fun to work with. With out giving too much away, the video follows a story line that correlates with the song, and has shots of Chris and I performing amongst that story. It was beautifully shot, and the actors were great in channeling the emotion of the story and characters! Keep your eyes out for the song and video in the coming weeks on our Facebook - www.facebook.com/ColourCoding

Even though I fall victim to to this far too often, how entertaining is it watching people sprint for their plane. The nervous, scared, rushed emotions all intertwining to create a very expressive face as they run, trying to carry their over-filled carry on bags through the terminal. . .

This week I had my first rehearsal with a new act i'm drumming for, Guineafowl (aka Sam Yeldham). I had always been aware of Guineafowl, as Operator Please were in similar touring circles a few years ago. How ever, I hadn't really gotten involved in the music. When Sam contacted me explaining that there is new music coming out and he needed a drummer, I was certainly intrigued. And upon listening to the music, especially the new material, I was really excited and honoured to be asked! I started playing along to the tracks and learnt them straight away. The songs are epic and I think they will transcend in a huge way to the live stage. If we come to your city, as with any band, I would encourage you to come along and check out the show! Huge guitar and synth lines with Sam's unique vocal style make Guineafowl a must-see/hear experience!

I've been focusing a lot on my drumming lately. After ignoring the basics of rudiments for a long time, I felt my style was becoming a bit undone to an extent. So stripping things back, playing paradiddles or doubles at 80bpm for 5 minutes straight for a basic example, has helped me piece together a lot of patterns that I've been struggling with. I urge any musician that is reading this to never forget the very basics, for they are the foundation of everything you do! Sure it may get boring doing scales over and over for hours, but that's how you become a tight player! Lately I've been tempted to go back and re-train myself in reading drum charts. Back in high school when I was in the school band and playing for musicals at the Gold Coast Arts Centre, I was confident in having a drum chart put in front of me and being able to play it straight through. It's a skill that has unfortunately slipped always over the years as I never had use for drum charts. 

That's probably enough rambling for now. Please feel free to join in conversation with me. Whether it's through this Tumblr, or on my Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/soundsbyAK - my solo musical page or www.facebook.com/TimCommandeurOfficial - which I keep updated with all the different musical projects I'm involved in ). A wise man once said "Be strange, but don't be a stranger" ;)

I've seen a few "Best Albums of 2013" lists floating around, so why not jump on the bandwagon and compile my own? Perhaps you would like to know what I've been listening to this year? No? Well, maybe this page isn't for you...

In no particular order:

     #1. Disclosure - Settle 

I first got into Disclosure when 'White Noise' became the theme song to a surf trip I took with a bunch of friends. I couldn't stop playing it! This was just before the album was released, so I was really hanging out for it to drop. I got it the day it came out - every song is great! No skipping necessary. The production and the precision of the drum programming and bass is flawless. A real treat to play when you just want to lie down, close your eyes and escape into a warm, bass-filled world.

       # 2. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories 

I've always really enjoyed Daft Punk's unforgettable tunes, but their taking this new album in the direction that they did was a very pleasant surprise! I love the collaborations and instrumentation, from the awesome synths in 'Giorgio' (not to mention the drums toward the end) to the full orchestra in 'Touch'. It's aaaall gooooooood!

        # 3. Phoenix - Bankrupt!

The French, eh? There must be something in their baguettes. Phoenix have long been a favourite of mine - every one of their songs is happy and refreshing. Perhaps it's the tone of Thomas Mars' voice - so cool and breezy - or the poppy guitar chords they lay effortlessly on top of your favourite Phoenix chorus. Whatever it is, it is great, and this album does not disappoint. 

          #4. Empire Of The Sun - Ice on the Dune

Empire Of The Sun are amazing at everything they do. They create a world that extends beyond the music in so many ways. Certainly a big inspiration to me personally. I can't wait to see these guys live again soon!

     #5. Foals - Holy Fire

I've always had great respect for Foals, especially as a live band. We (Operator Please) toured with them in France a few years ago and became friends with the lads. Their music captures such great energy. And I love how, especially on this album, they have fun, danceable, poppy songs like 'My Number' mixed up with epic, heavy songs like 'Inhaler'. I'm also a big fan of Jack's drumming; he is so solid, and his fills are out of control!

Surprise! #6. Alaskan Knight - Cabin Fever EP

I simply had to throw this one in, of course. My debut EP which came out just over a month ago. I have always wanted to have my own solo project and I'm pretty excited that I got off my ass and decided to do something about it! I spent a lot of last year writing and recording this EP, and am relieved to finally have it in your ears. I can't wait to get back into the studio and making something even cooler!