Attic

Britney Spears, a new definition of 'lost'

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:09:57 -0400

Last week my ignorant self was introduced to an article that appeared in ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine from February this year. ‘The Tragedy of Britney Spears’ by Vanessa Grigoriadis at first was something that i didn’t think was going to have the slightest chance at drawing my attention. However, I have to admit that this cover story really struck a chord with me some, oh I don’t know… nine months after it was published. (yes I know I have the true makings of a journalist)

Anyway, the story is pages of a very depressing account that seeps into you like an addictive drug. The more you read, the more you really don’t want to continue but then again the more you can’t stop until you reach the end.

Aside from drawing wide criticism for a vast speculative account in which the person in question never sat for an interview, the story is really a vivid and impressionable account of one of the most famous pop icons of the contemporary era.

In a way I feel that Grigoriadis painted a very plausible portrait of Spears be it entirely accurate or not it is hard to say. None of us really get the chance to know what the people in the tabloids are really like down to their bones and I guess this puts us, the general public in the hands of individuals like Grigoriadis. We rely on these people to get as close as they can to the real thing and project that back to us.

With this said, I consider myself served by this particular story, and I am eating it up.

Beyond the trashing account of Spears; her bad stock, false breasts and chastity earlier in her career, one can even empathize with her story or at least parts of it. If nothing else, from where I stand, Grigoriadis has told the story of a young individual who like so many of us simply didn’t know what she was and wanted to become.

I say that I empathize with this because I myself stand for example. Here I am studying to be a journalist but to be honest, I feel only 10% of myself can actually step into the shoes of a journalist. Sometimes there are so many possibilities today it is hard to know where you are meant to feel at home. Britney clearly wanted to be loved but then craved to be sexually idolized but was too confused or naive to know how to craft the two together.

There are parts of me that love the journalist world, but it goes hand in hand with doubts and dislikes. More and more I feel that a true journalist has to be someone who lives and breathes journalism and I have to say I have a bohemian streak in me that simply wont allow self sacrifice of the majority of my life for what will always be a profession and not a lifestyle for a lazy mule like myself.

I guess what I am trying to say as is that there are some people who get caught between so many versions of themselves. How they are, how they see themselves, idolize or despise themselves, and it is hard to try and unite these into one single goal in life as the person you ultimately are set on to become. So coming back to Britney, I see her as an example of someone who simply had these different versions of herself heading in opposite directions rather then bringing them together. In essence she simply lost it, or lost track of herself.

They are cats and they are big!

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:56:48 -0400

Does anyone see the stories circulating about ‘big cats’ of particular importance recently?

Amidst the climate of economic damnation, there seems to be a smaller topic that provides an outlet from all the depressing reportage on interest rates and shares going belly up. This story is as mentioned above about big cats in Sydney’s outer suburbs.

On the way to work this morning with the radio turned on I found myself listening to stories about this topic yet again and asked myself ‘why oh why is this in the news headlines?’

It seems to me the fame of these big cats attempts to rival the phenomena and hype of big foot or the lochness monster. But really I have to tell you… big cats are exactly what they are, cats that are big.

The footage of these things which isn’t anything new in the media in itself shows cats that really don’t appear to be that phenomenal to me. Has the domination of dire economic reportage in the media created this whiplash that brings us ‘big cats’ to try and take our mind off Wall St.?

Thus this topic of ‘big cats’ has entered a certain part of my memory underneath the aptly named heading - ‘Huh?’

The Week Off

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:36:00 -0400

Firstly - an update on ‘The List’ - I have done my Tax!!!! (a seemingly minor achievement, but for me it is simply HUGE!!!)

Anyway, this week has been my mid semester break which has however been filled with work hours. Still in the time after work it feels oddly irregular to not be panicked about what is due just around the corner for uni. It is hard to rid oneself of that jolty heartbeat that seems to foresee the approaching due date for each and every assignment to come crippling you from being able to think clearly on anything else. I try to ignore it these days on my week off where nothing is really due any time too soon to overcome with last minute preparation. Although this could be a terribly bad sign meaning that I am yet to realize that something is due TOMORROW!!! (No, not really but possibly immediately next week.)

Well nothing noteworthy has happened in my life particularly as of late. Although it seems perfectly ignorant to be wafting on and on about my mediocrity while we are at the onset of financial damnation! Well hopefully not financial damnation but to put it in less theatrical terms we are in possible economic purgatory. Although I am not too concerned about super at my age and who cares about the parents. I mean, they got by for years and years before I was around, I figure they’ll survive just fine without my intense worry over things concerning money and numbers that clearly I have less than no aptitude for.

For anyone who is dependent on super to make a living in their cosy retired lives I am sorry but… I didn’t do it.

Here’s a tip for anyone fantasizing about the exciting possibility of another depression! Two years ago the last of my dad’s parents, my nanna past away. Now, this couple were the real thing and grew up slogging it out in the great depression. I have to say as a kid growing up with them it was evident that they had come from a time of drastic measures.

There were the times at ‘all you can eat’ when my pa would lecture us at the age of four that we must finish all our food and leave the plates sparkling white. If we didn’t finish it, he would.

I remember I would play games in their house finding all the hilarious places my nanna would hide her expensive jewelery. Under the grand Bechstein, or hidden in the cut out pages of an old bible on a shelf high up that nobody would bother to notice. Much to her distress, my sister and I would only take a few minutes to find them in their new places each time.

Anyway, after both grandparents had past away and my family had to go through the grueling process of clearing out the house we uncovered many bizarre traits that must have been brought about by the depression. My grandparents were quite the little hoarders. The things from decades of life all stashed in the overstocked garage. This doesn’t mean that I wish to give you an image of a house riddled with garbage and overflowing with junk, as it wasn’t the nightmarish places you might see on ‘today tonight’ or ‘ACA’. However, it appeared difficult for them to discard things that may have been of use to them making it evident of the different world they had grown up in still leaving a strong impression on them through till the end. My pa had even stored bars of gold, platinum, and silver underneath the house just incase another depression came. He always said that if anything else, the price of gold never declines.

Then there were bank accounts and shares all over the place that my dad had never heard of, and if anything else, my pa was first and foremost a hardcore saver.

So let’s learn from these golden oldies. Two apparent tips of the moment are: Be resourceful and savvy minded by thinking twice before you chuck something that may be of use to you. (but please don’t go to the lengths my grandparents did incase you die in which case your relatives will really be given hard labour cleaning out your vast archives of ‘things’.)

Also, “store ye gold meheartes”. Perhaps, burying in the yard is going a bit far, however it’s a good tip to know that gold will always bring you a steady price.

Anyway, we are not really in a depression but it seemed like something to waft on about for the time being.

See yaz later-

Japanese Story

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:30:07 -0400

I received a package in the mail yesterday sent from Fukuoka, Japan. It’s an eerie coincidence that I just happened to mention my experience there as an exchange student in a post just a few days ago. I was there from December last year till January of this year and spent my time living with a Japanese family. At the end of my experience I had to write a report, not knowing at the time (perhaps lost through translation as were many things) for what purpose this report would be or where it might end up. After hastily writing the report the night before my return home, I never read it again and had almost forgotten entirely about it.

When I think about how I treated the package now it seems almost insane. I carried it carefully up the stairs and sliced through the envelope cleanly with a silver letter opener. The whole process was like the delicate dissection of a precious artifact preserved from a world that seems as distant now as if it were confined to the pages of a storybook. As embarrassing as it sounds, I even pressed my nose up against the opening and sniffed the air that had been carried inside from a place I miss.

‘Youth Exchange Report’ read the cover and it is the 2007-08 printed edition of the Lions Youth Exchange in which I took part in. The reports of exchange students from Japan and staying in Japan line the pages one after the other along with mine that I found taking up an embarrassing amount of room.

However, when I read my words, it put me back in touch with that place I spent time in and with the narrative that became my Japanese story. So here are the reflections of an exchange student that I thought may be something mildly interesting to post:

In the past six weeks I have had so many wonderful experiences that it seems difficult to describe them all in this report.

Fukuoka Chikuzen Lions Club has without a doubt done everything possible to make every day of my stay special and memorable.

I have been extremely lucky to have Mr Koichi Kikuchi as my host father for he has been so generous towards me. Everyday he had something planned and gave so much of his time and money to show me his wonderful country and culture. More so, his passion and knowledge of Japanese culture and history really made sight seeing with him special even thought the poor state of my Japanese made it difficult to understand.

kikuchi’s friends who are also Lions (Fuji, Sato, Hirata, Wakisaka) also have been very generous with their time and patience towards me.

Together we went to Kyoto, Kumamoto and Nagasaki where I saw so many amazing things. It is one thing to come to Fukuoka on exchange but to also be taken to these other amazing places really revealed to me the generosity and efforts of kikuchi and his friends.

My host family has also been extremely welcoming and generous towards me. I’m really going to miss the simple things like eating dinner together or making conversation in the living room as it is these times spent together with my host family that really signify to me what exchange is all about.

My host mother, Yuko Kikuchi always cooked wonderful meals for me, but most of all I am going to miss her smile when she laughs. There were often times when I had no idea what she was saying, but it would always end in smiles as a reaction to my vacant expression. Her warm nature mirrors the women in my family back home in Australia, and that has meant so much to me during my stay.

Kikuchi’s son, Yuji has also been most accepting and patient having me live in what is also the home of him and his family. I really admired how hard he works six days a week and at the end of the day, still saves energy to be a great father to his children, seven year old Naoki, and three year old Airi.

Yuji’s wife, Mutsumi has also meant a great deal to me during my stay. She shares many of the qualities of my mum in Australia when I see her dedication to her children. However, she really has a wonderful heart and an attentive and giving nature. Often at times when I felt like I was impossible to understand, Mutsumi’s patience and sensitivity always seemed to overcome the language barrier in our conversations.

Kikuchi’s grandchildren, Naoki and Airi have been an important and extremely special experience. In Australia I’ve always had an older brother and an older sister, so I was extremely excited to have the opposite in Japan.

I remember my first night at Kikuchi’s home, at first Naoki was shy but almost immediately he warmed to me and made me feel like part of the family by wanting to play games with me and talk non-stop.

Airi has taken more time to get closer to me, but now she often plays with me wanting me to lift her up and spin her around or practice writing hiragana with me. So I feel sad to be leaving at this time.

Throughout my stay, my Japanese has really been put to the test with about four speeches. Of course I found these slightly stressful as even in English I hate to talk in front of a crowd, however at the end of it all I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity as I really feel that it has given me the chance to grow in so many ways. Not only did it exercise my Japanese, but also my nervous character and I feel stronger than before because of it.

There have been so many things I have wanted to say, so many questions I could never ask. However, this is a common experience of anyone struggling with a second language. I wish I could have understood everything, however the times when I could understand were only made more vibrant and special.

I’ll never forget seeing a Maiko walk the narrow alleyways of Gion district in Kyoto, or getting up at 5:30am to go to a temple and pray for the sun to rise. The shrines, temples, New Year’s celebrations, shopping, everything was a new and colourful experience and it is all because of the generosity of Kikuchi and Lions Fukuoka.

Although there were times when things felt tough and inflexible, this is normal for anyone who goes to a foreign country and culture on their own. I have to admit that I have struggled with the restrictions of the Fukuoka Lions YE program, and I feel greatly sorry to have caused grief and concern to those of Fukuoka Lions who had given me so much. I guess it is my independent nature that made it tough for me.

However, although I met conflict when it was the last thing I wanted, I really appreciate the attentiveness of Lions Fukuoka towards me. Even thought I had to succumb to the restrictions, Lions did everything possible to make me feel relaxed and I greatly appreciate and recognize their generous consideration towards me.

Returning to Australia, I’m filled with a mix of emotions. Of course I’m excited to see my Australian family once more, but extremely sad to be saying goodbye to my home and family here in Fukuoka.

However, at the end of this wonderful experience, I ask everyone not to think of this as the end, for it is really the end of just the beginning. Although I return home to Sydney, the relationships built have only just begun and I’m sure we’ll meet again in the future. Through my studies of Japanese, I’ve really grown a passion for this culture and people which has only grown stronger through this experience. I’m Australian but I’ve found something Japanese within myself, my family name is ‘Long’ but a part of me has become ‘Kikuchi’.

Most of all I will miss Koichi and Yuko Kikuchi and I really hope in the future when I return, they will still think of me as their Australian son, for in my mind and heart they’ll always remain as my Japanese parents.

My farewell from Fukuoka airport in January 2008.

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:31:48 -0400

My farewell from Fukuoka airport in January 2008.

Post Secret - tell me what I don't know

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:44:38 -0400

I came across a site recently that you probably have heard of. Postsecret is a blog where individuals from around the globe can have the very depths of their soul displayed for the world to see. The site provokes us to confide in it our darkest, dirtiest, funniest and simply quirkiest secrets.

To me Postsecret is one of those unanticipated successes. Its meteoric rise to fame and fortune extends well beyond humble beginnings as a meager social experiment conducted by one man by the name of Frank Warren in Washington DC. In the past three and a half years, the site has expanded in both recognition and scope attracting widespread acclaim.

However, passing beyond this rather ‘wikipedia-esque’ introduction I find myself asking “What is it that has made Postsecret so attractive to countless people from all corners of the globe?”. Is it so simply true that beyond the scaffoldings of culture, history and language, Postsecret has shown us once again the universal scope of humanity?

It’s simple really! People submit their secret on a postcard and accompany it with a visual element be it an image, photo or drawing that further conveys the meaning of the text. The variance in visual and textual storytelling in these secrets is rather remarkable, but when one moves down to the simple core of these messages, reoccurring themes emerge. People yearn for love, friendship or acceptance, or they joke about their daily lives be it work, family or entirely random.

I know it seems mundane and naive to parade the notion that Postsecret has uncovered that everybody hurts, feels love or shares humour. Of course it is rather inhumane to assume that we all don’t feel and share these commonalities. However, I believe that this is how Postsecret thrives and works. The site simply has found another way in which these commonalities may be accessed, revealed and coerced in a new and culturally stimulating way.

The site is at foremost a visual site. Postcards are displayed like art and text is minimal thus expanding the site as a global apparatus by eliminating the segregation of language. It is simple to navigate which suggests that it has not wavered from the focus of its basic purpose. However, there are different avenues in the site such as the ‘Postsecret Community’ that has features like a forum for chat and discussion topics. ‘Postsecret videos’ is also a new edition that works in conjunction with youtube.

However, at the heart of the site remains the original blog still in its rawest and therefore most accessible form. I have to say, upon visiting the site I almost felt provoked to submit a secret of my own. I believe it is our human nature that begs us to reveal some fleeting glimpse of our darker and more controversial selves. Perhaps it is the same as our human curiosity that gives us excitement when uncovering the secrets of others.

Be it what it is, Postsecret has struck a chord with this part in us that is as simple and common as having two legs and arms. The only regret I have is that I didn’t come up with such an idea myself sooner.

Reflections

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:02:00 -0400

I took the previous photo during my time on exchange in Fukuoka, Japan which is on the Southern island of Kyushu. It’s a gateway to one of the many shrines and temples that I visited during my stay there.

Since early childhood I have been intrinsically linked to the land of the rising sun and it seems that it is leading up to my one year abroad of study that will take me there again in 2010. (Obviously providing that I don’t fail previous course requirements which is within a considerable margin of doubt.)

I think life is a series of gateways through which we must all pass to move onto the next stage in our lives. (Brace yourself, I am seeming to attempt philosophy… but don’t worry I will steer clear of the phallic.) For me life at the moment feels almost as though it is on hold or standby until I get to see more of the world and explore beyond the Sydney suburban jungle. That is not to say that I don’t love my life, and I have so many things to be grateful for… I really do!

However, everyone has something to come through in their life and sometimes it is easy to lose focus of what or which part of life we should be focusing our enjoyment on. Sometimes I think it is easier to have goals and focus on those such as ‘the list’ which I mentioned earlier to give yourself worth in your day-to-day regime. Yes, ‘the list’ is vitally important, however, it is a cliche to say but the journey counts perhaps even more.

My experiences as an exchange student in Japan brought on some of the greatest challenges I had ever encountered. It is hard to overcome the cultural misinterpretations, language barrier and general differences that separate so much of the world as we know it. However, if anything, my experiences taught me to make everything in life an opportunity to learn and grow not just on a knowledgeable basis but simply as a human being.

Dreaming of days in Fukuoka.

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:39:39 -0400

Dreaming of days in Fukuoka.

To be done hopefully by the age of 50

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:45:53 -0400

1. Get a new job - done

2. Get my driver’s license - pending

3. Do my Tax - pending

4. Pass uni this semester - pending

5. See the Career advisor - pending

6. Obtain level 3 JLPT - pending

7. Arrange for an internship - pending

8. Sign up for a sport - pending

9. Obtain my LmusA - pending

10. Eat breakfast - pending

So here is ‘the list’ that is the promise land of productivity! I have to say I wonder what is in the top 10 of ‘the list’ in your life?

Before I cut this short I would like to offer some commentary to defend myself for the second of my things to be done.

I know it is embarrassing to admit that I still walk and catch trains everyday four years past being able to apply for my license but hey I have been entirely open with you about my lazy persona. Also for that matter on a higher morale ground I could argue that I am standing my ground by not committing to global warming and climate change so you just think about that while you churn through fuel in your shiny VW!

Cheers to ‘the list’!

Have faith in 'The List'

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:10:12 -0400

Well as I have made it clear that I have found new employment, this has actually been crossed off from the things that I intend to do known as ‘the list’.

I think ‘the list’ is something we all have in common. Struggling against the daily grind and trying to make sense out of our day to day activities can seem daunting more often than not. If you are inherently lazy as am I, you regularly come to a point where you view yourself as your own arch enemy.

Struggling against meaninglessness brought about by your own lack of initiative is something that us lazy people know all too well. I know people who in their spare time can spend an entire afternoon plunked in front of the TV while others around them get their dinner and clean their clothes. I for one am deathly afraid of becoming like this. At times I have found it all too easy to stay in one mode for an extended amount of time and to find at the end of the day that my lack of productivity seems to mock my very existence.

Is this getting a little ‘angsty’?

Anyway connect with me if you can and if you can’t and happen to be a perfectly self sufficient beaming bright individual than rack off.

So where was I? Ah yes ‘the list’!

This trusty little technique seems to be the desperate counter to unproductively which as explained is the devil manifested.

Ironically the relationship us lazy people have with ‘the list’ is complex. Yes it is our saviour against meaninglessness, but it is met with resentment for it entails productivity which is the shallow intolerance of a lazy individual. However, after the initial struggle, relief, happiness and self worth is felt as a result of production. (this is beginning to sound a little psycho but what the heck)

To put things into perspective, the struggle lazy people have with ‘the list’ is the same between overweight people with ‘the diet’.

So the advice to my fellow lazy individuals is do not give up hope in ‘the list’. Keep it alive and active. Keep producing things to make you happy in life and dodge that drain of lazy non-existence.

Trick to an interview

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:19:14 -0400

Well I have news! To link on from my last post I am pleased to say that I have found new part time employment which offers me great comfort. To think that I have overcome that dark chapter in my life that was being the chunky cheerleader ‘wannabe’ offers such relief.

So at the close of my struggles with finding employment I shall conclude that one-on-one interviews beat group interviews hands down.

Although my crusade is now complete for the time being, I can’t help but still wonder what are the techniques people use to fob their way through their interviews. I guess we can say it comes down to tailoring your presentation both outer and inner to the formality of the interview. Being confident, well organized and communicating fluidly and effectively to show your great people skills seems to be a no brainer.

However, going beyond this, we all seem to ‘act’ in a way or pretend to be the person we think would suit the role we are applying for. So does getting a job come down to how good of an actor you are?

With this said, if you really do want to have a decent shot at an interview why not seriously consider acting classes? It seems more than slightly ridiculous, although I admittedly tried exhaustingly to step into character for my interview. Anyway, believe it or not but I personally have faith in acting as the foundations for my aspiring career path wherever it may go if it goes anywhere.

Group Interviews - what the!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:20:00 -0400

So here’s the thing. I am on the job hunt right now just for something casual to replenish the devastation that is my current financial situation. Well yes I am currently employed however I am tight for shifts and overall am ready to move on from the place I have worked at for the past two years.

I hate interviews. I totally don’t present well as I have somehow become partially socially retarded and always end up saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. I don’t understand how this happened to me. I have always been complex in the way that since I was little I could easily become nervous and uneasy about myself. However, recently it has grown to the point that at some stages I have found eye contact an overbearing challenge. Unfortunately, stating good people skills on my resume could one day have me sued for false advertisement.

Anyway I decided recently it was time to bite the bullet and get over my ‘hang-ups’ or suffer the fate of not being able to buy my happiness at ‘Easy Way’. So I applied for jobs and began to radiate a facade of confidence.

Eventually came the day that I was called into one interview with a clothing retailer. The only problem was that it was a group interview. I was just coming to grips with handling myself in an interview let alone having to compete with other applicants on the spot. An image came across my mind where the interviewers would return to the room they left the applicants in not 20 minutes earlier to find that only one remained licking the blood from her polished fingertips.

Anyhow I didn’t really get the group interview. The whole thing had this polyester feel to it. The fake smiles and forced laughter. Having to pretend your best friends with the person next to you that you met not five minutes earlier to show how much of a people person you are.

It became apparent to me that regardless of how good your answers were, in the end it depended on something much more shallow. I looked around at my other male competitors. I was up against a former Colombian soccer player and another guy who claimed he was in the trials for the Olympic swimming team. Upon hearing this a jolly little voice in my head sung “ok! I’m done”.

Now I know exactly what it feels like to be the fat girl who didn’t make the cheerleading squad in High school.

Fiery red head needs someone to rekindle her flame

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:33:29 -0400

So the Olympics are over and my time of procrastination has come to an end with it. I am back at square one and admittedly still without a purpose in this blog yet I must write on. With this said, I turn my attention in another wayward direction.

Last night I watched the highly news worthy program ‘A Current Affair’. Who couldn’t fall in love with the rich thematic sequences the stories have such as:

“chocolate: eat up the doctors say it’s good for you!” (2 weeks later) “scientists have found a link between chocolate and heart disease” (another 2 weeks later) “good news for all those ‘chocoholics’ out there, new research shows it boosts your metabolism”

However, I am not here to talk about chocolate. There was a story last night that caught my special attention. Basically in a nut shell Pauline Hanson, former Australian politician, is recently very lonely and on the prowl for love.

Apart from being hilarious, this story made me consider as objectively as I could if one would consider her a catch. I thought long and hard as to how I might sum her up in a profile on rsvp.com or some other online dating service.

‘Fiery red head and political enthusiast seeks a handsome and engaging man to rekindle her old flame… no asians please… caucasians only.’

It seemed simple to work out what her type would be first and foremost. However, one doesn’t need to guess as Ms Hanson never makes any hesitation to let you know exactly what is on her mind.

“I don’t like fat people” She put quite bluntly.

If nothing else, I’m sure she would be a very entertaining date. More than often she has come up with some killer lines that crack me up far better than any professional comedian.

Anyone interested?

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:12:00 -0400

Last night I stayed up to watch the Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony. It wasn’t as technically spectacular as the Opening Ceremony, however it showed a different side of China.

The Ceremony displayed the sheer joy and euphoria of the Chinese people for the success of the games in Beijing. The performances were more of a celebration than an exhibition which seemed to be the style of the Opening Ceremony.

Last night, I was actually about to go to bed early and watch the highlights of the ceremony the next day. Nestled in bed i tried to get some sleep until the buzz of my mobile woke me from underneath the pillow. One of my Chinese friends texted me to announce that the Closing Ceremony was about to start!

I knew this meant a lot to many of my Chinese friends seeing as the Olympics has been at the apex of our conversation for the past month, and so I dragged myself out of bed to the TV to watch the ceremony.

Throughout the program we were volleying texts back and forth about our thoughts on the Ceremony.

‘Ah so Chinese la..’

‘Yeah how many drinks did she have before she left the house in that?’

‘Yeah, you know in China she is famous for flirting with the previous Chinese president?’

‘Seriously? Those poor children’s cheeks must be aching so bad, their smiles r frozen rigid.’

Our senseless dialogue continued pointlessly until the conclusion of the ceremony where it reoccurred to me how important this was to not just this one Chinese friend of mine, but to Chinese people everywhere.

‘I’m so proud to see my country is growing. Every time seeing Chinese people’s smiling faces on TV. I know it’s so real from deep inside with confidence. So happy to see every little change. Still there’s a long way to go for China, but I do believe Chinese people can make it.’

As cheesy as it may seem, I guess this is the Olympic spirit or part of what it can bring to people around the world. Surrendering controversies and differences for the moment, it is nice to see how Beijing 2008 has become the genuine and true ‘Great Leap Forward’ for a country that in the last 100 years has been through an extremely rough and hostile journey.

I love multiculturalism

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:43:00 -0400

As the swimming events have come to a close and the Olympics have shifted primary focus to the track and field, it is that time in the games where Australia has to sit back and watch its gradual decline on the medal tally.

Every year I wonder: Where are the aussie athletes in the track and field events? Is swimming all we do down here, or is it really true that white men can’t jump let alone run?

Every four years we see the talents of athletes from countries like Jamaica (which now boasts of being home to the fastest man and woman in the world) and various African nations scoop up the medals of the track and field events.

Some people criticize that multiculturalism hasn’t worked in Australia. However, all those in doubt should yet hold their tongues for the immigration policy could become our secret weapon for future domination of the Olympic medal tally!

Imagine the possibilities! The best the world has to offer: gymnasts from China, sprinters from Africa, and weight lifters from Eastern Europe all competing in green and gold. Multiculturalism is a many splendid thing!

The glamour it is to be Australian

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:49:00 -0400

I saw on the news recently a story about the cheerleading squad following around the Australian women’s basketball team aka ‘the Opals’ in their Olympic matches in Beijing.

A conglomerate of extended family, mums and dads, boyfriends and husbands of the team members, they have been drawing the attention of the Chinese locals at the events they attend.

Many seemed humoured by the animated aussie way of supporting one’s country. Perhaps it is the laid back and friendly signs of aussie mateship or the vibrant colours of green and gold. Or who knows, it might even be the men in drag dressing up to blend in with the athletes on the court.

I can see why others are beguiled by their glamour; fluorescent wigs, stubble, muffin tops and beer guts. Ah, it is moments like these that make me proud to be an Australian!

Pray for my fingers

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:52:00 -0400

Probably the most current thing going on at the moment would have to be the Beijing Olympics.

After watching the opening ceremony, it is obvious that China has dressed to impress with no failure whatsoever. The venues are stunning and the organization impeccable.

However, the olympics is about the only time where once every four years some people who barely even have an interest in sports normally, become exceedingly patriotic over a game of water polo for example.

I for one come from a family of musicians and was raised with the fear that any sports pose a threat to my ‘precious’ musical fingers. However, the other day I found myself wrapped in spectating a judo match. It was the bronze medal match between Brazil and Australia in the women’s 57 kg division (I think, however clearly know nothing about sports)

The Australian competitor was attending something like her 5th Olympics and was up against a 20yr old. Thus in short it was experience vs. youth.

It really is the most unusual and confusingly difficult sport to follow. Two people grabbing each other and head butting like bulls while trying to sweep each other’s legs reminiscent of the moves of a boxing kangaroo.

Anyway, I alarmingly found the sport entertaining. It was the dark and butch Brazilian against the rough Aussie fishwife.

Although all my cheering didn’t seem to bring Australia the bronze in the finish, I am now somewhat in fear for the safety and security of my perfect fingers. A classical musician with an interest in any sports is surely a debauches affair.

Mitch speaks from the heart

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:20:22 -0400

"Man who stands in front of speeding car may get hit"

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:15:13 -0400

“Man who stands in front of speeding car may get hit”

- Confucius …. not really

Going round in circles

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:15:00 -0400

I just realized I needed to post something here… However, obviously this brings me to the realization that yet again I have neglected to make any progress on an aim or theme for this blog.

However, this may not all be bad news! This actually might work simply as a way of better introducing what kind of person I am. You see there is a parallel here between this post and myself as a person, that being two words - disorganized and aimless.

I am 20yrs old, a uni student, a brother, a son, an employee (surprising as it may seem that I am somehow employable), yet I still have no real direction in where I want my future to go. Although is this not a common issue amongst people around my age and beyond?

Anyway, in a weak attempt to give this post some small shred of purpose, consider this a tribute to all like-minded vagrants out there. Cheers!