Despite all appearances, I had the most amazing time doing Great Ocean Road with mum. If it explains anything, that cup I’m holding is the first coffee hit I’d had that day and that was at 4pm. I don’t do well starved of caffeine.

48 hours

My housemate, AR and I headed off to Wilson’s Prom for Australia Day long weekend and mingled with the Greenwood St crew that had set up a 50-strong camp crowd there. The place was packed and PS was in his (organising) element. We didn’t go there for the people though so the weekend was mainly spent on excursion. I think the rainforest-type walk to Salter Cove was my favourite.

I had all intent to use the time away to clear my head but I must admit I spent most of it thinking of that which I was trying to expel. The silence of the frickin bush only amplified it. It was almost enough to get me pissed at mother nature but then she pulls this on you and its really hard to hold a grudge.

Chinese New Year and Australia Day fell on the same date this year and it felt strange camping out on Sunday rather than having tuan yan fan. My colleague WC invited me to her Chinese New Year family feast but I barely made it home after two days accelerated hiking so had to pass. Miss the fam a bit but well, I sent them a postcard.

Civilians in war

This latest story about an Iraqi woman suing the federal government for negligence over injuries she suffered as a result of Australian fire in Bagdhad has preoccupied me all day. So much so, I’m sitting here with a nuisance of a stabbing bellyache and yet insist on setting down some thoughts before they will undoubtedly escape me as I later writhe in my pain. That piece of melodrama aside, familiarise yourself with the situation a little and excrucitating empathy aside, I think it’s relatively clear her likelihood of success is slim if anything. Besides the fact that she’s lodging in the state supreme court what I would have thought should have been an IHL jurisdiction (and someone more legally-qualified correct me), I’m unsure how they plan on establishing duty of care among the other gray legal issues with which I’m completely unfamiliar.

I lost you at ‘Iraqi’ you say? Crazy media stunt perhaps?

Alright, if all you wish to muster is a sigh of pity and maybe an amused chuckle (I’m looking at you, pa), fine. But I think its raised a whole range of moral questions, a number of which I’d been tossing around since reading this piece about Hugo Slim’s Killing Civilians from the Economist earlier this month.

Citing Kenya’s current disintegration, endless Afghan warfare and Sudan’s genocide campaign(s) alone make it hard to argue a blanket definition of civilian as innocent bistander. But then there are also the obvious ideals – my mother winces everytime she sees a photo of a 5 year-old Iraqi boy that I have in my journal; he’s sitting on the steps in his Mickey Mouse jumper staring blankly up at the camera as the blood and brains of his father and brother lay splattered beside him. And of course child soldiers, that horrific grey. There are obvious inadequacies of international humanitarian law in dealing with civilian trauma (and culpability) but why have we avoided building protections for (and against) them simply because it’s too hard?

The only response I’ve gotten from people I’ve quizzed for an opinion on the subject has been just that – it’s too complicated and cumbersome, how do you even establish who you’re trying to claim against, law isn’t much of a deterent when you’re amongst chaos and my personal favourite, “to be honest Naomi, I’m just happy to be here with my … life” (a friend from the DRC). I can’t say I have any answers but I thought at least to leave it on a good note.

Never been prouder of this country

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

EDIT: hear it here

16 seats please…

Absence yet again. Though hopefully not in vain…
Those in the Oz (and possibly greater) geographical sphere will know we go to the polls today to hopefully get rid of a racist, myopic and fear-mongering federal government. I will admit a soft spot for a Coalition member or two but you’d have to get me really drunk to find out whom. In the meantime, head to the polls early – beat the 37 degree heat, think of me sweating through the day in it – and exercise what has to be for me, the most exciting part of living in a free and democratic country. If anyone’s down the Hasluck way, I’ll be at E. Maddington primary; come say ‘hi’ whichever way you vote.
But really…

It’s Kevin 07 baby.

p.s. Happy birthday Pa.

futuresexloveshow

Not the best gig shots but JT doesn’t really require explanation, does he. Strangest encounter was with a mother who brought her two daughters (under 10!) and who consequently spent half the evening alternating them on her shoulders. At 150 a pop in the free-standing area, you think she wouldn’t opted for cheaper and less physically demanding nosebleeder seats.

A massive happy birthday to my sweetheart mom. After the obligatory Saturday morning workout (I’ve taken a real liking to 7:30 starts but only on the weekend… strange), we drove out for a little family outing in the Swan Valley. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and it’s unfortunate I didn’t have a proper cam on me but I promised a couple of pics for the fam in the northern hemisphere (mum’ll send proper ones in due course). They’re taken at this quaint little German brewery, Duckstein – hence the cute little wooden benches, and odd wall murals. Mum was in good spirits and Pa was really taken with the German folk trio playing in the beer garden… at one point bellowing “wunderbach!” shocking more than just the accordianist. The rest of the time was spent gorging on local ice cream, chocolate, produce, cheese and wine from the region.

The obligatory couple shot.

This is Pa pouting after not liking the above result.

This is what happens when he has a go.

Slightly better.

I still like to pretend I can fit in the nook on his shoulder. Obviously that’s
an alternative reality judging by the cheeky awkwardness of this pic.

I really do wish I had a little more motivation to post something more substantial here but it will come one of these days. In the meantime, have a wonderful Foundation day long weekend. Lv, N.

Read the last post? I lied about my weekend.

Apparently, I’m not the kind to let a bronchial-y cough or a busted wrist get a girl down.
And I’ve got lots of recommendations (R) to prove it.

Friday:
After-work drinks at The Vic for HY’s farewell where it was bizarre to see so many people from work hanging out and looking well… normal. Then more normality over dinner at Thai House on Aberdeen (R1) where I truly dug into a cuisine I’m known not to like. The food was brilliant. But then again I’m a sucker for a larb gai. Earned myself another two hours at the gym on Sat morning.

Also on Fri, reason for my indulging in a little camwhore moment to commemorate 7 years of long hair in all its forms. Layered, structured, waved, permed, black, chestnut, copper – I finally got tired of it all and lopped it off this week (midway-down-my-back to barely-to-the-chin). No farewell drinks for this lot – just a quick sweep off.

The ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots I sent to the boy:

S is forever telling me how he loves my long hair but today he was sure that the new do was “even sexier”.
Sweetheart. I reckon it was one of those tell-the-woman-what-she-needs-to-hear moments but you gotta love him for the effort. Conversely, my hairdresser didn’t bother with an ounce of coddling – 5 seconds worth of preliminary snips and most of it was gone. But her work was amazing. You can’t tell here but it’s incredibly short and beautifully choppy in the back. If you’re in Perth & in the market for it, I really recommend Davina at Global Hairdressing in Applecross (R2).

Saturday:
A gym high and care-package shopping for the boy make up my morning. More psych testing made me miss the game but rest assured, our winning streak remains in tact. Of the three tests in this round, I’m most confident about the logic testing set. Advice for undergrads – do a whole bunch of online IQ tests to prepare you for this moment (R3) I reckon its identical stuff. But I’m so over it. This is really not for me.

Meanwhile it’s now Saturday night, and here’s evidence that Eric, oh humble grand state chess champion that he is, wiped the checkered floor with my ass over lovely coffee & tea at Soto in Mt Lawley. Note below how I spend a run of minutes pondering my moves while he chats on the phone completely unperturbed by my futile challenge.

That said, we recreated some of E’s strategies and I’ve learnt so much already. As much about personality as mental dexterity. The guy’s too good. Later we headed to Flipside Gourmet Burgers in Nth Freo (R4) where I ate… “like I always do”. Before checking out a bunch of great local acts next door. We missed Chelsea Lights but really dug the Novocaines and the Preytells (though I couldn’t help but think of AYE and the likelihood that he would’ve told the “scenesters” (read: everyone) to give grandpa back his wardrobe). All in all a lovely evening.

One day remains to redeem myself.