Purple n pink
Op Shop II
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Op-shopping in Melbourne
I have been in Melbourne for over two weeks now, but only started to explore the northern suburbs today! My friends Sylvia and Basu took me to an Op Shop in Thornbury, warehouse looking store, but housed some seriously cheap and fabulous stuff! Here’s a random snap from there:
Cups and saucers in the Melbourne suburban op shop
Also, I think I have finally understood the concept of power shopping, in fact what I achieved today was beyond power shopping. Twenty minutes and five items – 1 pair of vintage shoes, one vintage bag, two summer tops, one denim jacket and wait for it – one winter jacket. Now I know what most people will think, buying winter jackets in summer, but hey, if it’s vintage, then what the heck!
Simply spectacular – Spit to Manly scenic coastal walk!
Let’s go for a long walk, well how ‘long’ is actually classified as a long walk? I did a 15 kms walk. Too long? Heh. It was simply beautiful. See the walk route here
Walk review: 10/10
Time: 4.5 hours approximately
Essentials: Comfortable shoes, Water, Sunscreen, camera, snacks (sesame snaps recommended!) and a cap
Where: If you’re new to Sydney, you need to take bus 180 from the corner of Wynyard Station and Carrington Street. Don’t panic if you think it’s taking too long! You’ll pass some of the affluent suburbs of Sydney. Posh is the word. Villas, villas and more villas, accompanied by marinas, bays and spectacular views! Once you’re past Mosman, get off at the Spit Road, and make your way to Clontarf reserve.
Walk: The walk begins soon after you cross a sandy patch of beach at the reserve. The walk is well guided with directions, all the way from the Spit to Manly.
Highlights: The first stop was the Clontarf reserve, it was a gorgeous sunny day and the beach and grass was filled with families barbecuing.
Sails and yachts making their way near Clontarf reserve
Wildlife: The walk goes through the Sydney Harbour National Park, simply amazing to see abundant amount of wildlife less than 10 kms radius from the central district! We had a few guests popping up so say hi every now and then:
Lizzie showing up every now and then
Besides the reptiles, there was a large number of birds. I frequently heard an electronic bird call, almost like a ‘boingg’ from a videogame! I tried very hard to spot the bird in the trees, so that I could get a description, but it was very swift, leaving me bewildered with its rather strange call.
Another strange call – a constant ‘moohahahahaha’, thank god is was daytime, other wise I’d be quite freaked out, and run in the opposite direction! Thanks to this amazing site www.birdsinbackyard.net I could search for a bird based on its call! And this one was – Laughing Kookaburra, success!
The walk was long, but saw amazing sights like these:
The last part of the walk was easier, but seemed never ending! This view of the North and South head together is hands down worth the effort! It definitely looks better in real life.
Sunset at Manly was simply an icing on the cake!
Return journey was as simple as it could get – ferry to Circular Quay from Manly wharf. I have been to Manly before a few times, but never experienced it a more beautiful way. The word on the street is – a 9 hour walk from city through national parks, that ends at Linfield station – hmmmm c’est possible?
Durban Climate Change Conference 2011, what’s innit?
Copenhagen summit (2009) was nicknamed from being Hopengahen to Nopenhagen for its failure to reach significant resolutions on limiting carbon emissions. Next was Cacun, climate change conference in 2010, yet again the divide between the developed and developing countries resulted in failure to address the climate change concerns.
Now the ball is rolling in Durban as I write. The Kyoto protocol, which is the ONLY legally binding climate agreement expires at the end of 2012. What’s a Kyoto Protocol, read it here, but in short – a globally binding agreement signed in Kyoto at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 191 states (excluding the U.S). It basically outlined the need to reduce carbon emissions leading to climate change.
If an agreement is not reached over renewal of Kyoto protocol or framing a new proposal, then one can only imagine the consequences. It’s not to say the Kyoto protocol reduced the greenhouse gases drastically, but it was a legal document binding 191 nations.
The argument over emissions cut between developed and developing countries is never ending. China and India are the leading in carbon emissions, with growing populations and urbanisation, it is unlikely to change. Copenhagen failed miserably because of disagreement between these two factions. Is it fair to demand carbon emission cuts by the developed countries when they have been the primary contributors to emissions for decades? Now that the developing countries are growing industrially, they require more energy, which means more emissions, and let’s face it, it’s never eco-friendly.
The developed and developing worlds cannot live in isolation, the world has been connected even before the advent of technology.
And the truth is, no matter how much leaders, diplomats and delegations argue over this, climate change is universal. The recent floods in East Asia, hurricanes in United States, droughts in Africa are results of climate change. There will be a lot of diplomatic clap-trap going on in Durban, but I am hoping the NGOs, pressure groups, indigenous associations get the better out of it.
The focus must be on sustainability and renewable energy at the Durban climate change conference.
Thanks to Harvinder, it’s Slapsgiving in India
Slaps giving is a popular event if you have seen ‘How I met your mother’, an American television sitcom. But it’s turned into reality in India today, thanks to Mr. Harvinder. In case you have missed the buzz on social media Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar got slapped in New Delhi by Mr. Harvinder. You can see it here.
Now who is this dude? No one knows, and probably know one cares. The public and the media has just found their new temporary hero. The 24/7 news channels can relax for a couple of days, since all they have to do is play the slapsgiving video on loop, accompanied with some tacky editing skills.
It’s a type of spectacle that we wait for every now and then, and when it happens, we rejoice, praise and soon forget about it. But of course there many others like Harvinder, the Iraqi journalist – Muntadar Al-Zaidi, who threw a shoe at Bush, unfortunately he was sentenced for three years of imprisonment.
So what’s the point? Some one slapped the minister, MPs condemn it, Anna Hazare first passes a cheeky comment about being just one slap, and then condemns it, and social media find something new to trend on. If Mr. Harvinder was true to his word, where he explains in a short interview after the slap, he is a pissed off man, who is upset with rising inflation and corruption in the government.
It’s not actually about Sharad Pawar is it? He is simply the face (punn intended) of one of many corrupted politicians in India.
Whatever the case maybe, he was successful in getting the attention, and achieving something that 99% of Indian want to do every single day of their life – slap a minister for pocketing their hard earned tax money.
It’s Thanksgiving in one part of the world, for us it’s Happy Slapsgiving!
Will Egypt rise from the ashes of revolution?
Another violent clash, another news headlines, the Middle-East is bursting with angry demonstrations, some people may think it’s a mob. They’re not. The military rule is getting wee bit too fond of power, causing anger among Egyptians. If you missed the news, see it here.
The interim rulers of Egypt, namely chief of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Field Marshall Muhammed Hussein Tanawi declared that power will be handed over to Egyptians no later than July 2012. But the actions of the Egyptian army don’t match this promise. There have been wide concerns over the toxicity of tear gas being used by SCAF and the overall treatment of the citizens.
People around world are wondering if these angry protestors are bunch of mobs, who are not able to comprehend the SCAF’s messages? Or genuinely expressing their anger? The Army intervened in January 2011 revolution, and earned accolades for its duty and responsibility, but what after?
The SCAF’s actions have earned interesting comparisons in the media. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria compares Egypt with a possible Turkey, which has embraced secularism (at least on its face) and a possible Pakistan, where the military rule took over, and resulted in the death of democracy.
Additionally, there are parallels being drawn by Amnesty International on the Human rights abuses under Egyptian army and Mubarak’s rule. The situation is tense, the army which upheld the people’s rights against a dictator is displaying greed and lust for power. Among Tahrir square turning into a battle field, there are other pressing issues that Egypt must deal with maturity – women’s rights and secularism (read mass violence against Coptic Christians)
For now, we wait and watch if the elections in Egypt commence next week as announced. If there is a chance for the Arab Spring to prove its potential, it is now.
Film + Development – from ‘The First Grader’ to ‘Wasteland’
After days of waiting for its Australian release, I finally saw ‘The First Grader’ directed by Justin Chadwick (director of ‘The Other Boleyn girl’), if you’ve seen his previous films, you’d not expect ‘The First Grader’. The film is a biography of a Kenyan man named Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge, who suffered endlessly under the British colonial rule, and now wants to learn to read at the age of 84, following the Kenyan government’s announcement of free education for all.
The film has a few profound messages – everybody has a right to learn and learning makes us better. Indeed, the film conveys them successfully, with remarkable performances by Oliver Lintondo and Naomi Harris. It touches on many issues faced by the dynamic African country. Some of the prominent ones being corruption, education, discrimination based on tribes and development. Good effort by Chadwick, however, it tends to be predictable owing to the biographical nature of the script. The characters of Jane and Maruge have been laid out at the beginning of the film, and follow the audience’s expectation. As a foreign viewer, I can only comment on cinematic quality of the film, but I am sure Kenyans might see it differently, would like to get some wider perspective.
Prior to the screening, the theatre ran a few trailers (which I thoroughly enjoy, honest). ‘Wasteland‘ was one of the trailers that caught my attention. It’s a story about Vik Muniz, a contemporary artist who decided to create garbage in to art, literally and attempts to help a group of scavengers living in Jardim Gramacho, the biggest landfill located in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. The film won awards at Seattle, Berlin and Sao Paulo Film Festivals. The film is made by directors Lucy Walker.
What never ceases to amaze me is the powerful stories film makers like Lucy Walker, Chadwick and many more choose to narrate through their scripts. Cinema and development have never shared a closer relationship. Ground breaking documentaries find their way into the commercial space, all thanks to affordable and efficient technology. Another masterpiece that I have been waiting for – An African Election. The film is an account of the 2008 Ghanian elections, something that I fortunately witnessed, and a cinematic experience would only help me relive it!
