If you have not worked it out yet, it is school holiday time. I have a couple of weeks off, sort of. I am preparing a presentation abstract for a conference in August. It is also an opportunity to do some blogging. Although my personal blogging is for fun and to humour myself by ranting and railing on whatever takes my fancy or posting the weird and wonderful I discover while surfing the internet. Blogging is something that I am going to start doing with my students. The plan is to set up unit related blogs that the students contribute to and use to work through the unit of work.
Anyways, on my travels today, I came across this video of Jozef Wadecki doing a tumbling run. Awesome!
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
10 April 2011
Term 1...Done & Dusted!
Well, Term 1 is done. It has been a long term in both the literal and figurative senses. In the literal sense it has been an 11-week term instead of the usual 10. In the figurative sense, it has also been long as teaching every day gives rise to new and different challeges every day. These challenges arise irrespective of the fact that the students stay the same.
Nevertheless, when it is all said and done, the term has been an excellent one. I have learned much and I think I have taught much. And, hopefully, the students have learned much.
One of the perks of teaching is that I now get to enjoy two weeks worth of holidays with my family before having to front up and do it all again (the holidays can't end soon enough).
We, at Collarenebri Central School, have just completed another rap in our "step-by-step" program. So, keep your eyes and ears peeled for that to appear. It is likely to be our most controversial effort to date, but it also sounds like it might just be our best.
Nevertheless, when it is all said and done, the term has been an excellent one. I have learned much and I think I have taught much. And, hopefully, the students have learned much.
One of the perks of teaching is that I now get to enjoy two weeks worth of holidays with my family before having to front up and do it all again (the holidays can't end soon enough).
We, at Collarenebri Central School, have just completed another rap in our "step-by-step" program. So, keep your eyes and ears peeled for that to appear. It is likely to be our most controversial effort to date, but it also sounds like it might just be our best.
25 November 2010
Thanksgiving: Obama's Message to the Nation...
Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday celebrating the harvest. In some places it is the 'homecoming' that is celebrated in place of the harvest. Nevertheless, thanksgiving really is about recognising what one has and appreciating those gifts. So, in that sense it transcends national boundaries and it is a celebration that we can all be a part of no matter where we are born or where we choose to live.
However, it is important to also remember those less fortunate than ourselves and perhaps resolve to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate, even if it is dropping off some clothes that you have not worn in years into the Salvation Army clothing bin. Little things can always make a difference, a big difference over time.
I am thankful for many things, too many to name or list here. But, to those who celebrate Thanksgiving, enjoy! Enjoy the day as you share it with family and friends! Enjoy the good food! Enjoy life and what it has to offer!
01 May 2010
Kuta Cowboys -- Gigolos, Prostitutes, or Self-Employed Entrepreneurs?
A recent documentary exploring the life and times of Bali's Kuta Cowboys has caused an uproar. An uproar that sees Indonesian police trying to build a criminal case against the film's director, Singaporean, Amit Virmani. The life and times of Kuta Cowboys is not something new nor is it something that is not widely known about. Most Balinese, most Indonesians, and most visitors to Bali are aware of the Kuta Cowboys irrespective of whether they have ever been in need of the special services that these young men provide.
A Kuta Cowboy might be described as a tour guide ++. Generally, the services provided depend on the demands of the respective client; it may be a full-service gig (no allusion to gigolo intended), then again it might be as simple as providing company during a holiday. Are the Kuta Cowboys male prostitutes? No. The service provided is so much more than a pure sexual one. The service might include sex, but the sex is not a core service nor is it the primary service. So, it is pretty hard to sustain an argument that Kuta Cowboys are male prostitutes.
Are they gigolos? Perhaps, but in my mind, No. A gigolo, strictly speaking, is a man supported by a woman in return for attention. This attention is primarily based on sexual encounters. So, once again, it is hard to sustain and maintain an argument that Kuta Cowboys are gigolos as the services provided are much more varied and are not premised solely on sex.
It is more likely that the best way to look at Kuta Cowboys is looking at them as self-employed entrepreneurs. They are generally young men who provide myriad of services that may or may not include sex. These men are then compensated for their time and service.
However, that said, the reality is also one where I have not heard of a Kuta Cowboy that has not provided sexual services as part of the full-service experience. Yet, I have not been actively researching the topic with a view to writing some sort of thesis on the subject.
The police have gone to some lengths to state that they are not pursuing the Kuta Cowboys as criminals, although perhaps they should if there is a belief that they are prostitutes as prostitution is illegal in Indonesia, but rather the police are arresting them as a means of being able to interview them and build a case against Virmani. The police are acting under the provisions of the 1992 Film Law, apparently. The police interpretation is that Virmani has shot a film in Indonesia without first obtaining the correct permits. For this breach of the law he could conceivably be sent to prison for one year and / or fined up to IDR 40 million.
This got me thinking. Would one need a film permit to bring a hand-held video camera into Indonesia and take holiday video footage? What about if this holiday footage is then cobbled together and put on YouTube? Or, heaven forbid, it was cobbled together at some later date and made into a short film and shown at a film festival? Are Indonesians and foreigners going to need to get a film permit to carry mobile phones with cameras? Let's face it, there is a lot of footage on the internet at places like YouTube, LiveLeak, and others that has been shot using the video function of a mobile phone. This video is clearly video that can be cobbled together into a more substantial piece of creative work and published.
It would seem that Indonesia's film law, and the people who drafted it, has not considered the available technology and the widespread use of social networking opportunities quite deeply enough.
Oh well...
A Kuta Cowboy might be described as a tour guide ++. Generally, the services provided depend on the demands of the respective client; it may be a full-service gig (no allusion to gigolo intended), then again it might be as simple as providing company during a holiday. Are the Kuta Cowboys male prostitutes? No. The service provided is so much more than a pure sexual one. The service might include sex, but the sex is not a core service nor is it the primary service. So, it is pretty hard to sustain an argument that Kuta Cowboys are male prostitutes.
Are they gigolos? Perhaps, but in my mind, No. A gigolo, strictly speaking, is a man supported by a woman in return for attention. This attention is primarily based on sexual encounters. So, once again, it is hard to sustain and maintain an argument that Kuta Cowboys are gigolos as the services provided are much more varied and are not premised solely on sex.
It is more likely that the best way to look at Kuta Cowboys is looking at them as self-employed entrepreneurs. They are generally young men who provide myriad of services that may or may not include sex. These men are then compensated for their time and service.
However, that said, the reality is also one where I have not heard of a Kuta Cowboy that has not provided sexual services as part of the full-service experience. Yet, I have not been actively researching the topic with a view to writing some sort of thesis on the subject.
The police have gone to some lengths to state that they are not pursuing the Kuta Cowboys as criminals, although perhaps they should if there is a belief that they are prostitutes as prostitution is illegal in Indonesia, but rather the police are arresting them as a means of being able to interview them and build a case against Virmani. The police are acting under the provisions of the 1992 Film Law, apparently. The police interpretation is that Virmani has shot a film in Indonesia without first obtaining the correct permits. For this breach of the law he could conceivably be sent to prison for one year and / or fined up to IDR 40 million.
This got me thinking. Would one need a film permit to bring a hand-held video camera into Indonesia and take holiday video footage? What about if this holiday footage is then cobbled together and put on YouTube? Or, heaven forbid, it was cobbled together at some later date and made into a short film and shown at a film festival? Are Indonesians and foreigners going to need to get a film permit to carry mobile phones with cameras? Let's face it, there is a lot of footage on the internet at places like YouTube, LiveLeak, and others that has been shot using the video function of a mobile phone. This video is clearly video that can be cobbled together into a more substantial piece of creative work and published.
It would seem that Indonesia's film law, and the people who drafted it, has not considered the available technology and the widespread use of social networking opportunities quite deeply enough.
Oh well...
21 December 2009
Will, Santa, and Christmas 2009...
Happy holidays to all.
For those celebrating Christmas, may it be a wonderful time for you all shared with family and friends.
This photo of Will was taken on Saturday. We had been enjoying a day at the markets at Warwick Farm and Liverpool. While we were at Liverpool, Santa was doing the rounds. So, we thought it as good a time as any to get a happy snappy of Will with Santa. However, it seems that Will is not so sure that the fat man in the red suit is all that cool.
I am sure that over time Will will come to appreciate Santa and Mrs. Claus, especially if the Christmas stocking continues to be filled in the same way that it is this year!
29 September 2008
New York City and Eid
Multiculturalism and racism or bigotry go hand-in-hand in the sense that many oversimplify these terms to be opposite sides of the same coin. This is to say, if you do not support multiculturalism or a more plural society then you are racist or a bigot and conversely if you have racist or bigoted tendencies you cannot support multiculturalism. Sometimes I wonder whether the equation is quite as simple as that.
Nevertheless, the Big Apple or perhaps the Big Melting Pot that is New York City is soon to vote on whether two Muslim holidays are to be declared school holidays for all. The two holidays are Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha which celebrate the end of the fasting month and the Haj pilgrimage month respectively. The vote is to take place on 16 October 2008.
This is something that has been on the agenda since 2005 and it seems that the supporters of the vote have finally mustered the numbers to take the issue to committee and then get it through to a full council vote.
The measure was initiated by a Muslim councilor from Harlem, Robert Jackson. However, it is claimed that the measure has broad support within the community and also on the council and this support is from non-Muslims as well. Broad-based support is no guarantee that it will get up when it comes to a vote.
I wonder though whether this sets a precedent that every religion should be able to lobby for its special days to be legislatively declared holidays and then have them so declared. I am happy for governments to declare as many religious holidays that they want. Simply, the more they declare the less number of days I have to work while still getting paid.
The population of NYC is approximately 7 million and of these 1 million are Muslims.
Nevertheless, the Big Apple or perhaps the Big Melting Pot that is New York City is soon to vote on whether two Muslim holidays are to be declared school holidays for all. The two holidays are Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha which celebrate the end of the fasting month and the Haj pilgrimage month respectively. The vote is to take place on 16 October 2008.
This is something that has been on the agenda since 2005 and it seems that the supporters of the vote have finally mustered the numbers to take the issue to committee and then get it through to a full council vote.
The measure was initiated by a Muslim councilor from Harlem, Robert Jackson. However, it is claimed that the measure has broad support within the community and also on the council and this support is from non-Muslims as well. Broad-based support is no guarantee that it will get up when it comes to a vote.
I wonder though whether this sets a precedent that every religion should be able to lobby for its special days to be legislatively declared holidays and then have them so declared. I am happy for governments to declare as many religious holidays that they want. Simply, the more they declare the less number of days I have to work while still getting paid.
The population of NYC is approximately 7 million and of these 1 million are Muslims.
28 September 2008
Eid and Going Home for the Holidays
Jakarta is a much quieter place during the Eid celebration that takes place at the end of the fasting month. It is a much quieter place because the vast majority of residents return back to their home villages in the days before Eid and for a week or so after.Although Jakarta is much quieter, everywhere else suddenly gets a whole lot less quite and sees a significant spike in traffic and the associated problems.
I read in today's Kompas Newspaper (the photo is from Kompas) that the 267 km trip from Jakarta to Cirebon was taking about 19 hours to complete. For my mind that means that you really must want to go home for the holidays. Apparently, on a 'normal' day this trip would take a leisurely 6 hours. This still seems like a long time to travel less than 300 km all the same.
25 September 2008
04 June 2008
Short Break...
Dear Loyal Readers,
You know who you are!
I am heading to South Lampung until early next week on family business...
I might post I might not. It will depend on Internet access.
I might write and then just dump them all in to the blog at once. I am taking the camera so I might have some happy snappies to post as well :D
L8R...
You know who you are!
I am heading to South Lampung until early next week on family business...
I might post I might not. It will depend on Internet access.
I might write and then just dump them all in to the blog at once. I am taking the camera so I might have some happy snappies to post as well :D
L8R...
25 December 2007
The Milk & Cookies are out!
The milk & cookies are out and awaiting Santa's imminent arrival...So I thought I might jot a few posts as I await a glimpse of the big fella, but if he does not arrive in time I will just go to bed and see what he delivered later in the morning...
Australian milk and Anzac cookies no less (probably the wrong time of the year for Anzac cookies but if Santa is on a diet, I will eat them myself)!
Australian milk and Anzac cookies no less (probably the wrong time of the year for Anzac cookies but if Santa is on a diet, I will eat them myself)!
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