SOLVE THIS!!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
sinX/n=6
How would you equalize it? |
Harmony Day
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Yesterday's Harmony Day and coincides with the UN International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimmination. Couple of weeks leading to the event were some advertisments on television telling people about the sheer diversity of Australia's population.
Get this: 1) Over 200 languages spoken in Australia, 2) Over 43% of Australia's population was born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas, 3) Australia has a net gain of one international migrant every 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
Now that I'm done with the documentary moment, that IS a lot of different people. I applaud the government's stand to eliminate racism and I had several first-hand taste of how vile racist behaviour can be. As small as those incidents were, the bitter taste remained for life.
I counted 3 separate incidents where people yelled from their cars telling me and whoever my group of friends was at that time to "Go back to where you came from!" and then speeding off. Such bigoted cowards. I remembered someone in the group from one of the encounter shrugging it off by telling us, "Sure, we are heading back to Monash right?" I could only muster an uneasy laugh.
Then there was that incident in Brisbane where AO and I were forced to jump away from the zebra crossing when a car surged at us. Immediately after, I heard laughter coming from the car as three Caucasians surfer dudes inside smirked at us.
I personally witnessed eggs being thrown from a bus at some Japanese tourists.
I also saw for a brief moment some kids inside a car throwing ice at my friends in a car park before driving off.
But then, at the same time. I also remembered a kindly elderly couple offering my friends and I a ride to the halls of residence when they saw us struggle with our groceries.
There was also a parade at a festival in Clayton that showcased a variety of cultures within that community. Clayton may not be anything like uptown Toorak or Kew, but the people in that humble suburban town lived in harmony there. I was impressed to see people of various races coming together, wearing the traditional costumes of someone else outside their culture and walking side by side.
I saw an international student struggling to communicate with the cashier in English over some trouble with her credit card. The queue got longer as people behind still waited patiently for the transaction to be done. The poor student looked very embarrassed and a lady behind her told her not to worry and that it must be hard doing all these things alone when she's so far away from home.
I guess as long as you don't intend to live your life as a hermit, you'll meet with the good as well as the bad. It is just a matter of how much hostility runs beneath that calm surface, causing it to ripple and rear its ugly head.
Nevertheless, my stay here makes me realise just how much I'd taken Singapore's racial harmony for granted. History may have told us that it was not the case many decades ago, but I didn't really grasp the full extent of what that really meant at that time. Never in my life did I have to feel this sort of fear. The fear of what might happen to me, as a minority- a foreigner- in this land bursting at its seams with migrants. Would I be discriminated against today? Tomorrow? The next day? As I am part of the majority race (Chinese - 70% of the population) in Singapore, it made me wonder whether the other minority races still feel that way even now. Perhaps they still feel that sense of security when they see someone of their race amongst a sea of Chinese faces nearby? I know I do secretly sigh in relief when I see any Asian people nearby during those days I have to travel alone on the train or bus here.
So anyway kudos to Harmony Day. I'm not sure if it was a big event as there was no ra-ra about it as far as I could remember, but at least it's a tiny step in the right direction to really living in harmony. |
What a Circus
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Watched Quidam by Cirque Du Soleil (it was GREAT!! Too bad photography was not allowed) today and did some shopping at the sideline. I wonder how a trip to the city could yield such harvest. And this is already done on a tight schedule.
Think of it this way... it's a guy's equivalent of waking up the morning after a crazy night out in town only to realise that he's in bed with a strange woman (or man even!). To the effect of:
"WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
|
Education Faculty Day Trip to Echuca
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Came back from a 12+ hour long day trip out to Echuca. If I'd known that it would be so hot today, I would have reconsidered forking out that 20 dollars for the trip. Whatever the case, I got to know a couple of new faces and unless they have any outstanding features (walking around with a clown's red nose could've helped alot), I have a feeling that I'm going to forget what they look like. Odds are stacked against me right now.
Anyway, it's a Victorian country town and situated on the Murray River on the border of Victoria & New South Wales. The Murray River was an important river port in Australia's early history. Journey? 300km away. Thank goodness for toilet breaks. |
After a gruelling 3 hour ride out off Melbourne in the direction of NSW, we finally reached Echuca, a quaint, historical little town in the middle of nowhere (alright, it's near the Murray River), 5 degrees hotter than Melbourne, and full of happy people who hardly see tourists in huge numbers (I'd seen several folks wave at us from their cars).
|
Here's a demo of the fashion back in those days. The couple were there to meet the tour group (that is us) at the entrance. It's kind of funny not to give then any tips for allowing their photos to be taken. I can easily recall many times where I'm to suppose to pay for a lousy photograph of even a rickshaw in Shenzhen, China. Can always count on the ever enterprising Chinese to make a quick buck out off anything.
|
Echuca's a small boating town with alot of history. Once upon a time it used to be a thriving boat transportation area. Now's just trying to preserve its memory. Was standing at the dock when I saw this. It's a tool warehouse and untouched for a really long time.
|
Close up of the cobweb. I've never seen this sort of pattern before.
|
We went to an underground bar at the Star Hotel in Echuca. Die hard drinkers will always find a way to twart the police.
|
We're going on a trip around the Murray River on one of these old fashioned boats. The kinds that makes those loud "TOOT" sounds. I'll call those tooty boats then.
|
Well, going on the tooty boat now. See you all later. (by the way, don't you just love the non smoking sign?)
|
Oh mercy! Just don't run the entire boat ashore!
|
Inside one of the first class cabin on the boat. I didn't get to stay there for long as we were shooed off into the economy class section. It's just a large area at the bottom of the boat with numerous sandbags. Probably a very early version of bean bags.
|
Yay! We're at the winery. Yup, that's our next stop after the tooty boat ride.
|
Why am I so happy having my picture taken next to a pepper plant? Who knows?
|
Close up of the pepper plant at the entrance of the winery. The guide said that the fruits/flowers suppose to give a certain scent. It doesn't have any smell when I sniffed it though.
|
On the prowl for victims. Wait a minute, there I was at the winery so.... aren't I suppose to be inside the bar tasting wine? Ah well.... trees proved more interesting than squished grapes.
|
Not the most perfect of pictures, but I love the colour contrast.
|
Yet another prop for more action. Why do I have to do the work....
|
...when I can get someone else to do the work for me?! By the way, that's Jacky. She's a student from taiwan and an avid photographer. See what kind of camera she's using. No novice commercial ones like mine for sure.
|
Alright, guess who just HAD to look cool again?
|
Well, on a sunny day like this, the scenery made up for my baked skin. On the left's part of the children's playground.
|
Was intending to call this artistic shot "MESS", but grrrr.... it's blur!!
|
The horse drawn carriage that comes by from time to time. The horses' back is even higher than my head! Then again, I'm not exactly the basketball player, Yao Ming's height.
|
There was a wedding near the river. I think the song played on their arrival was by Enrique Iglesias. Don't remember the title, but it went something like, "I can be your hero baby..." The bride looks quite serene doesn't she?
|
It was a long day, I konked out for a while inside the coach and woke up just in time to witness the sun setting in the horizon. I was quite facinated by the swiggly cloud thing near the sun. Wonder what it is.
|
Cosmic Justice
Friday, March 18, 2005
You know, I'm starting to believe a little in karma. There had been several days where ants raided the kitchen and I squished as many as I could in order to prevent a massive takeover. Perhaps I actually relished in the fact that my single thumb could hold so much power to snuff a life out of a living being. Sometime later, I lost my locker keys and was faced with the prospect of paying for the replacement of the entire lock.
Then came several days where the ants disappeared and I didn't have to declare genocide. And today, I recovered my locker keys. However, the ants also came back in small numbers and I called upon the power of my thumb yet again. Plus, I killed a spider by smashing my textbook against a wall it was at. What am I to do?! It was heading for my table! Now, after collecting my clothes from the laundry, I discovered that my favourite white blouse is covered in brown patches.
Coincidence? Or pure Bad karma? Is there really some sort of cosmic thing going on here? If so, can't I just get a stomach ache from the expired yougat instead of this?! |
Expired Frozen Yougat
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
I must be having some sort of sugar deficiency because I had violent cravings for chocolates and ice cream a couple of times this evening.
I reached into the fridge for my trusty crave-stopper yougat only to discover that my precious stash of yougats were covered in ice and frost. Using a fork, I worked my way picking at the ice in a bid to free them. One by one I pried the cups loose except for one which was in most serious predicament of all. It was as if a mini avalance happened at the corner of the fridge and totally engulfed the yougat under all the ice. I left the refrigerator door opened for a while and after alot of pulling and tugging, I've rescused the final victim from its early grave. As a reward to my work, I decided to eat from that particular cup.
Expiry: 1 March 2005. Today: 17 March 2005
Should I or should I not? I wonder. I scooped up a spoonful and noticed that after a couple of weeks under all that ice, the yougat texture had turned to something like shaved ice. It still smells okay and it hasn't turned into any weird colours. Feeling edgy, I thought why not and put it into my mouth, half imagining myself lying on a hospital bed while the doctor tried to pump those junk out off my stomach.
It tasted normal so I ended up finishing it all. Only time will tell if I should not have done that. |
Brain Fart
Was staring at the chicken rotating inside the microwave when something just clicked in my mind. Perhaps I should take a trip somewhere within Australia by myself?
The most major solo trip I made was just a trip into the city. It didn't really matter to people that I went alone into the city until they learnt that I did it without a purpose. "Just for fun", as the saying goes. I strolled the streets, visited the Melbourne Museum and explored the Shrine of Remembrance at the Royal Botanical Gardens. I felt awkward being the odd sock amongst a variety of pairs and bundled packs. However, I did also feel a sense of serenity. The exact same feeling I had while sitting by the lake in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.
I've always wanted to see the Ayers Rock up in the Northern Territories and the only thing that is holding me back is the lack of trip partners. The thought of going solo is as exciting as it is scary. I find security in numbers simply because I can step back and be someone else's responsiblity. Not to mention the hotels' singles rates! How do people who have no quims about travelling alone do it? Perhaps it's time to step out off that circle of comfort. Other than walking into a random hair salon to have my hair coloured for the first time, a solo trip to Ayers, if I do not chicken out (my apologies to the chicken that is now making its own solo trip through my digestive system) would be the single most brash thing that I'll ever do. I might do it in June when it's not so hot... just might... |
Look at all those green stuff. I went overboard on the veggies. The broccolis are the latest addition to the vitamins and fiber family.
|
Touch a Rainbow
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Staying in a room that gets the full sunrays in the morning has its good stuff and bad. The bad stuff is that I'll never be able to wake up after 8am with the sunlight shining in my face. The good stuff is well... this.
|
