Always Travelling

Top: Semester 1 2007 US Student Advisors.
L-R Leith, myself, Sian, Loren, Hayden, Bonnie, Ellie & Adrian.

Above: Most of the US students involved in the study abroad program this semester.

http://www.skyscanner.net/
http://www.farecast.com/

I shake my head and wonder.

FORMER One Nation party founder Pauline Hanson has put her name to a new party which she hopes will help her win a Senate spot at the next election. (article)

I remember saying back in high school when incensed by some of the things she said, that I thought someone would shoot her. Well... she didn't get shot, and at least we have freedom of speech and freedom for idiots to vote for her. Yay for democracy.

Got sent these photos from a journalist who was with us in town for the weekend.

With the recent upswing of violence in Lebanon, and given that I have attended a number of events in the last few months including the launch of the WA branch of the Australian Friends of Palestine Association, a Middle Eastern Business and Etiquette dinner, put on by CBSplus at a Lebanese restaurant and with a Lebanese speaker, was certain to raise my interest. Unfortunately the political situation was not touched on at all... but the business insights were still very good and worthwhile.

I went with Anusha, and was pleasantly surprised to know a few other people there. All in all a great night. Moreover, attending these events and getting to know people from various parts of the world really motivates me to learn more across the whole range of cultural, political, economic, and historical issues. I find my daily news reading becoming broader and more connecting as I personalise it through new friends and acquaintances.  

I logged in to my old yahoo mail account for the first time in years tonight, for no particular reason but to have a look. I came across a folder with all the initial AIESEC emails I wrote and received in it. This was before I switched over to gmail around about the start of 2005. It looks like I kept everything. It was really interesting reading my first email exchange with Julia... I've pasted my very first email below. I didn't know anything about @, just that it was something interesting that I could invest some effort into. I had no clue about the exchange aspect at all from the looks of this email. I suppose I am looking back now at that period of my life and reflecting, drawing the lessons from it and summing it up in my mind. This is an ongoing process though, I think every time I look back there might be something more to learn.

I still have almost daily interaction with the AIESEC guys who use the office, I often use the computer as it's better than the student advisors' computers in our office down the hall. I still try to positively influence Ian with regards to AIESEC and send him the email updates on Riana etc, and whatever good news there is to pass on basically. I am however really enjoying the intellectual things I have been able to pursue lately, and have a regular gym and exercise routine in place now.. and I'm building muscle for the first time in a long time! Steady as she goes I think for this period, I want to get my two feet firmly on the ground, consolidate some great marks and finish off my undergraduate course in style.

I've just been on LinkedIn, looking at some profiles of people who have themselves listed as AIESEC Alumni... and I've just had a rush of motivation to study harder than ever! It's awesome to see what past committee presidents and national committee members are doing now and have achieved. I think whenever I'm feeling a little lacking in motivation I'll use that to put the commitment back in me.

My nephew Lucas rugged up in his stroller this morning. It's cold in Perth! I had 4 blankets last night and slept with jumper, pants, and 2 pairs of socks.

• The $3.95 six inch ham or roast beef subways are the best value you can get in fast food (I can't eat a foot long). With all the salads (except onion and chili) on a wheat or grain roll, no dressing (as it overpowers the delicious salad and meat combo) it tastes delicious, fills me up, is healthy, and costs less than four bucks.
  
• You really know you're getting back into weights when the creases on your hands are sore. Bring on the rough skin baby!
  
• There goes another semester. 3 weeks to go, all major assessments (bar exams) done and exam preparation starting this week.

I've changed over the template of my blog... it's just a quick fix, I can't be bothered these days. The commenting now works properly again. Anything wrong please let me know :)

On the other hand, this is the first time I've received spam in another language...

Labels: spam

We went for breakfast at the Boatshed in South Perth, on the Swan River foreshore. Photo set. In the photo above: my nuclear family minus my brother Damien, who is in Malaysia.

(L-R back row) My Dad & Mum, my little nephew Lucas and his Dad Kieran.
(L-R front row) Sebastian, me, and Daniel.

Lucas is more interested in the back of my head... he is five months old now. For the first 2 he was quite a handful, now he is a little person.

Through a university run program to ease transition to Australia for new international students, I've been exchanging emails with a great Iranian guy who is coming to Curtin to study petroleum engineering. I'm his 'Aussie Buddy'. I participated in this program before the start of last semester too, and was matched to guys from Tanzania, Botswana, Nepal, and Pakistan. I've met up a few times with the African guys but unfortunately my Nepalese and Pakistani friends did not ever meet up with me! haha. I really enjoy participating in this program, I get a lot out of meeting people from different places and helping them ease into life in Perth.

But back on track: I've been exchanging emails with a guy from Iran and he will arrive in Perth next week to get settle down before second semester starts. Moreover, he's going to study petroleum engineering - I hope there are many more like him in Iran, as I would hate to see their oil reserves exploited by foreign multinationals with little benefit to the populace. I feel good when I hear about natural resources being used to the benefit of all within a country as in the case of the diamond mines in Botswana, and the oil reserves and subsequent $300 billion pension fund (and growing) in Norway. I'm looking forward to meeting him.

Also recently, a friend of mine started working for Halliburton. I jokingly said to her when I heard about her new job, "Don't mention the war in Iraq".... she had no clue what I was talking about. So I pointed her to a google search of Halliburton+corruption, and to the hilarious website (well hilarious in this situation, she had no clue about Halliburton's unethical conduct) http://www.halliburtonwatch.org. Well... I'm glad I can be of assistance in situations such as these :) haha. She is only working in the Perth office after all. I wouldn't work for them though.

Finally, to cap off this trifecta we have a group of Iraqi agricultural students in Perth for a course at Curtin's Muresk Institute. The 4.5 month course covers 'agricultural policy and management, agribusiness systems and specialised agricultural training' (2004 press release). There is the opportunity to participate in their language classes twice weekly for half an hour each time. Once I'm healthy again, I think I will attend.

Spencer Tunick, world reknown for his photography of the human body, brought together over 18,000 volunteers to pose nude in Mexico City's Zocalo Square. His photographs celebrate the beauty of the nude human form.

"All eyes are looking south from the United States to Mexico City to see how a country can be free and treat the human body with happiness and not as pornography or as a crime," Mr Tunick said. (ABC News Online)

"The capital of the world's second-biggest Catholic nation, where tough-guy masculinity and family loyalty are held dear, has recently challenged some important traditions. Last month, Mexico City legislators legalised abortion in defiance of criticism from church officials. Also, gay couples are getting hitched in civil ceremonies thanks to recently passed laws in the capital, and lawmakers plan to debate whether to legalise euthanasia." (Brisbane Times)

For more photos, as is the case for almost any event these days, just search 'Spencer Tunick' in flickr.

My opinion: Great! If we can strip down and show off our bodies, we display and reinforce within each other a strong sense of pride for ourselves despite our obvious flaws. If we can accept others for everything that they are, the good parts and the bad, and show goodwill and acceptance for people when they are at their most vunerable, we bring down the walls that separate and divide us. When naked in front of each other, we are all the same, we are all human, and yet because of that we are all special and valuable.

I'd like to draw the link between the acceptance and celebration of others for everything that they are, that everyone is intrisically valuable and good, and the celebration of those things that make us different. Differences are to be celebrated, not just tolerated.

A few weeks ago I was sorting out my room and I still had a big cardboard box in the corner that my parents had brought up at the beginning of 2005 from our old place in Bunbury. Opening it, I found my childhood trophies, mostly for soccer and tennis but a couple for Kumon maths too. Sports used to take up so much of my time, almost every single afternoon from the age of maybe ten years old I'd have soccer or tennis practice, and my weekends would include Saturday soccer matches in the age competition or driving to Perth for the metropolitan competition, as well as the Sunday South-West regional competition, mixed up with Sunday tennis and penants. My sports ability (I was good but not great) used to form such a large part of my self-image since I played so much sport and since many of my friends were from those environments, and it's interesting to compare that to now. Anyway it was good to think back on those times. The trophies used to take pride of place on my desk hutch, lined up in a row with medals hanging from each. :) 

4-1 on penalties!

Such a nail-biting match to watch. Chelsea were up 1-0 after the first leg at home and so it was always an uphill battle and it was always going to be a hard fight. When Liverpool equalised I went completely nuts! You would have laughed at my reaction when Kuyt scored the winning penalty! By the way, the match started at 3.00am here, but I still got up for it! It's 5.40am now and I'm writing this before I go to bed.

In the case of aggregate scores being equal at the end of play of the second match, away goals count for two, and so there was constant anxiety throughout the match, especially in the closing stages when if Chelsea had scored it would have meant Liverpool would need to score 2 more goals... and then to go into 30 mins extra time with that same possibility hanging over our heads... and everyone totally stuffed and cramping up... it's moments like this that I love supporting Liverpool.

One day I will be there, at the Kop end, screaming the team on and singing "You'll never walk alone" till my voice hurts and I'm as stuffed as the players on the pitch.

Bring on the final in Athens!