The first of said goodies comes in the form of Aussie hip hop band, Joelistics and their incredible crowdsourced video for single 'Heart Remains' taken from their brilliant album, Voyager. Ch-ch-check the Australian magic:
Second, comes the glorious workings of one of Jordan's most promising talents, Mike Derderian. I came across Mike's work via Twitter and have literally been hanging round his profile like a fangirl ever since. Refreshing, intelligent scifi-based satire and more. Check out his first fanzine, 'Panels', here:
a) Vote for the wonderful Niam Etany and her super short 'Super.Full' in Youtube's 'Your Film Festival'. The film is beautiful in its honesty and lack of any pretentiousness, telling the true story of the richest country in the world, through the eyes of the less fortunate. Check out Sir Ridley Scott's video message here and follow the prompts to VOTE.
b) Support a project that's a little different and give the naughty 'Daddy Cross' kids over at Sponsume something to smile about. If you're silly and overtly sensitive and don't like British exploitation (uh, what's wrong with you?) and gore, then don't click on the link. Just sayin'.
*The world is such a small place. This time last year, I was feasting on chicken pad Thai with my beautiful Geordie colleague Laura, in one of the dodgiest** joints in town. Fast forward almost twelve months and things couldn’t be more different. We’ve just come back from the same Thai place, but Laura’s only here on holiday. She’s packed up and moved to Australia.
It never fails to blow my mind that what I consider to be general demographics is often completely alien to others. In saying this, I’m not trying to be pretentious at all – on the contrary, I am incredibly interested to find out why this kind of information is not widespread knowledge. Oh, wait, I’ll tell you why; because the media can be viciously biased and consumers have become comfortable in their classification of individuals, nations, religions, etc. We won’t go into that now for now though.
Aspire Tower and Khalifa Stadium moments before the game
In spite of the AFC's ridiculous choice, opting for an Uzbek referee (Australia beat Uzbekistan 6 - nil in their last match) and the vuvuzela-competing, 'Honda' emblazoned plastic tubes, a brilliant night of football has marked the end of the Asian Football Cup, here in Doha. Playing to the beat of over 37,000 spectators' chants, the Socceroos and Japan took to the pitch for 120 minutes of pure excitement.
Like you, I’m not very fond of the quintessential party pooper, skulking round in the corner, moping and crapping all over everyone’s booze-induced state of euphoria. However, this year I am going to be your party pooper; only because whilst the rest of you lounge about on your couches, eating bacon butties and watching reruns of Life on Mars (as you should on a Sunday and the start of the bloody year) I am back at work, wrapping up deadlines and the like.
On Thursday 2nd December 2010, football history was made as the winners of the 2018/2022 World Cup bids were announced. Polar geographical opposites, Russia and Qatar respectively, had nabbed the rights to host the World Cup on these two separate occasions, much to the surprise, and sadly, the horror of a worldwide audience.
Since Thursday night, a flurry of negative feedback has saturated news agencies, from both Western and Arab networks. Blogs, online newspapers, sport sites, Facebook-ers, Tweeters, radio stations and even President Obama, have dished lashings of sour commentary in response.
There have been some legitimate queries put forth, surrounding Qatar’s capability of fulfilling the promises made for the 2022 WC. Sadly though, most have been...well, bullshit.
Sometimes, all it takes is a headline like, "Public Servant's Lovelorn Email Goes Viral" to put a fresh perspective on things. Courtesy of a lovesick Department of Immigrations employee, an email was sent out to the ENTIRE Federal Government department in Canberra inquiring about a girl the employee had met at a work function.
I've always known that I have the attention span and focus of a fruit fly. I can be incredibly patient and tolerant of certain situations, particularly when the object/person in question is close to my heart. However, in saying that I have to be completely honest and say that a lot of the time I am incredibly flakey, change my mind far too much and am not the stubborn, determined person I'd like to think myself to be. When things get hard I often backtrack. Somehow I always manage to come out smelling like roses, because if the situation involves others I even remotely care about, I will not leave the situation without remedy. Its an incredibly frustrating habit, that need to please, to ensure everyone is happy, even if it often leaves me feeling hollow and much unlike the other party, incredibly dissatisfied and frustrated with the fact that I almost end up back at square one.
I dont know if this is making any sense at the moment, so Ill get to the point. I know I need to stop with the cowardice and laziness. Thats what it is really. There is no other explanation. I have the tools to do what I want, I have the knowledge to take me there and all I need is myself and this belief to be able to get that step further in my career/ relationships/ health, etc.
An example of this is my current situation with my triathlon training - sorry, I know Im going on about it a fair bit but I dont think many people realise how hard this is. No-one, not the people I live with, people I work with or my closest friends know how this feels. My colleagues constantly take the piss, others think Im 'overdoing' my 'workouts' and even my mate who's wedding I will attend as a bridesmaid is upset with me in intervals due to my lack of excitement over particular outings and my recent - and admitted - scatterbrained demeanour. Dont get me wrong, I dont blame anyone for their lack of acknowledgement. I know Im not going to get a pat on the back or an hour early off work so I can actually have some dinner before I workout or whatever, but its at this stage, when things get tough, and not just people's general attitudes, but my personal belief in my ability to complete the task at hand is shaken, this is when I backtrack.
Someone I look up to a great deal spoke with me about the direction of this blog only the other night. This is pretty much a whole lot of nothing thrown together with some pretty pictures, I know that. My dream is pretty clear to me though, and that is to work for the likes of Lonely Planet, writing for their magazine or traveler guide books. Why? Because I have so much love and passion for so many different things. I get obsessive and overtly emotional with things like music, the weather, people, food, languages, mannerisms, etc.
See what I mean? I can ramble for hours when it comes to travel. Nothing brings it all together like a trip abroad. The point? Why would Lonely Planet hire ME? What do I have that INCREDIBLE presenters like Toby Amies and Asha Gill dont? I've been wanting to write a mock script for the show and shoot a reel to send through to LP for months now. Months. And I still haven't done anything about it. I sit and dream. Is it cowardice? Is it laziness? What's holding me back? I just dont know.
Normal chirpy service will resume soon, promise. And if you scrolled through this and cant be fucked reading the entire bloody thing as I clearly have issues with sticking to a word count, please watch the video below. Ian Wright is my all time favourite Lonely Planet presenter. You can find clips of his travels with LP on Youtube. This is a clip of him doing a talk in NY about some of the funnier things he's come across as a presenter. Lucky bastard.
For a bad ass, Nick Cave sure knows how to get the water works going. Everyone should have someone they can relate these lyrics to. I particularly like the the second verse, 'when it all comes down so bad and beauty lies exhausted in the streets'. I feel the lyrics apply heavily to the prospect of a trouble enduring love, which really isn't as fairytale-ridden as folks make it out to be. Hard work? I have no doubt. I wont go on, Im definitely not the authority on the subject. I do however, love love this tune. And count myself one of the lucky, lucky ones.
Bless his ever loving heart
Only he knows who you are
He may seem so very far
Bless his ever loving heart
And when you're feeling sad
And everywhere you look you can't believe the things you see
When it all comes down so bad
And beauty lies exhausted in the streets
Hold his ever loving hand
Even when you do not understand
Sorrow has its natural end
Hold his ever loving hand
And when you're feeling low
And everyone you meet you can't believe the things they say
When there's no place left to go
Where someone isn't moving you a little further down the way
Bless his ever loving heart
What you do is what you are
When it all comes down so hard
Bless his ever loving heart
Hold his ever loving hand
When it seems you ain’t got a friend
Only he knows who you are and what you are
Bless his ever loving heart
Bless his ever loving heart
They went with songs to the battle, they were young Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
An incident last night spurred some serious thought on my part surrounding the international facade, partaken by nations worldwide, that is multiculturalism.
It constantly saddens me to think what kind of world the children of my generation will live in.
I am a dual citizen of two of the most diverse countries worldwide. Australia's 22 million plus population boasts a richness in culture unlike any I have ever witnessed. The Australian Bureau of Statistics notes that every one minute and 46 seconds, the continent gains an international migrant. In 2006, over 24% of the entire residential Australian population was recorded as having been born outside the country. This number consisted of a combination of over 23 different backgrounds, with heavy influence from the United Kingdom, SouthEast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, respectively.
This is the reality but where is the acceptance?
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, my second home, is also widely regarded as a multicultural landscape. In 2008, the CIA World Factbook noted that over 31.5% of the entire 6 million strong Jordanian population were actually of Palestinian descent. Superficially, our once neighbours live peacefully alongside smaller communities of Circassians, Chechens, Armenians and Kurds, that have also made a home for themselves in the Kingdom.
Mount Nebo, Bethany on the Jordan, Palestinian Territory - a symbol of religious peace amidst a world of turmoil
Yet this is exactly where my qualms lie. It is unknown for a nation to be undisrupted politically or economically for a prolonged period of time, I do appreciate this fact. However, I do not appreciate the prejudices that some nations embed in their people in due effect. Wether this is purposeful or not, the effect is detrimental to an entire nation, and like a relentless high tide, will eat away at the foundation slowly but surely, until it all crumbles. When it does, it will do so on the common people's heads, and not those in power. I do not understand how this goes on everyday, with the full recognition and awareness of likeminded people as myself, to no avail or material/significant changes by those with the authority to do so.
Shots from December 5th and the riots following the original assaults on the 4th
In 2005, a group of Australian lifeguards were assaulted on a beach in Cronulla on the New South Wales coast by a single individual of 'Middle Eastern' appearance. The next day thousands flocked to Cronulla protesting violence against 'locals'. Like attacks occurred during the weeks to come, with namely gangs of young men with Middle Eastern backgrounds and 'white' Australians coming to clashes over the events of the 4th of December.
In all honesty, I dont know who's holding the rifle and who's running from it - puts things into perspective
September 1970, or Black September as it is more commonly referred to, motioned for the urgent call to arms of the Jordanian military in quashing Palestinian movements within the country to gain political power. The conflict lasted almost 11 months, resulting in the deaths of thousands, the expulsion of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation from Jordan, and the immigration of thousands of refugees into Lebanese land.
I am a 23 year old woman, with dark hair and white skin. I've been told I have a Greek nose and people have guessed my nationality as a random mix of Spanish, Italian, Canadian, Lebanese and others I don't even remember. I am Australian. I am also Jordanian. I am by law, loyalty and gratitude entitled to the life and rights of any Australian and Jordanian. I have lived in neither for longer than a spell of six years at a time, however, the minute I step foot in either, I feel at home. It is a crime to rob anyone of this feeling of belonging due to race, religious affiliation or stereotypes.
A must read for any Australian, regardless of background
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands.They are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.7% of the population. Less than 3%. They are the real 'locals'.
I find a t-shirt for everything
Jordan was the first country to grant Palestinians citizenship post the Palestine War in 1948. Refugees were granted full use of public services and health care, creating a life for them outside allocated United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) camps and creating leeway for integration into the Jordanian community. Her Majesty, Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the current spouse of the King of Jordan and one of the most powerful women on the planet, was born in Kuwait to refugee Palestinian parents.
