Author
Simon has been a vegetarian cook for the past seven years. He obtained his Ayurvedic cooking skills and great passion for preparing good wholesome food from his mentor and friend Sabapati Das Prabhu and from impromptu cooking classes across the subcontinent.
He has also gone on to share these skills with others through Krishna’s cafè. Simon has worked with the
public through formal cooking classes, with volunteers and travellers, and with people from the Bridge Works and Work-For-The Dole programs. The cafè became a vehicle for up-skilling and empowering individuals and a second home to many, including myself.
A Food For Life program was also run out of the cafè which provided nutritious meals to disadvantaged community members in the Maroochydore area. This food distribution program was an integral part of the values and philosophy of the cafè. Simon organised several very successful community events and cultural programs doing everything from grant writing, marketing, catering to entertaining and cleaning the pots.
Simon’s love of India and Indian philosophy has seen him travel extensively across India studying
religion and philosophy, practising the art of Tabla (classical Indian drum), and also involving himself in food relief in very remote locations such as the Ganges river route in West Bengal.
This enthusiasm for Indian philosophy and music has had a strong influence on Simon’s identity and life path. He has been practising tabla under the tuition of his teacher Pandit Suresh Kumar Prajapati of Udaipur, Rajasthan for the past 5 years, utilising and sharing these skills in Australia by performing at fundraisers, private functions and cultural festivals. His band Krishnapada played monthly for a devoted clientèle at Krishna’s cafè (later known as Govinda’s cafè). While taking tabla classes in Udaipur Simon has had the great thrill and fortune to play beside his teacher at the City Palace.
When at home in Australia Simon’s time is consumed by his University studies. For the past few years he has been studying Philosophy and Religious Phenomenology at Macquarie University, the University of Queensland, and the University of South Australia. This has created an avenue for Simon to explore his other great love – writing. He was the driving force behind Macquarie University’s Expression08 writing conference. This conference included written works from diverse fields such as Philosophy, Sociology, Religion and Anthropology. Simon’s work A Fighting Chance: Virtue Ethics and David Fincher’s Fight Club was featured amongst this
compilation. Simon is also the current administrator for MQPhil, Macquarie University’s Undergraduate Philosophy blog.
Simon currently lives in Mount Isa in outback Queensland, following his partner of thirteen years who desired to put her Community Development skills into practice in a rural setting. He is now seeking to do some equally satisfying work in this area.
Jodie Vibe.
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
Loading image
Click anywhere to cancel
Image unavailable
