Tomorrow is Australia Day. "What are you doing for Australia Day?" everyone has been asking. At the supermarket, Australian flags abound and in the meat section, that annoying lamb man (I refuse to write his name) has his signs plastered everywhere about how Australian it is to eat Lamb on Australia day.
I love my country, and I appreciate the day of work but I don't agree with Australia Day. This is a day that commemorates the day that Australia was entered by the English who declared it empty, despite the people living here. Because of course, they did not count people of colour as people (the original survey only had flora and fauna).
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So what I am doing tomorrow is cleaning. I'm not having a party; are you kidding? Chinese New Year is next week! We're going shopping for supplies and then I'm tackling my room and my bathroom. I might even fit in a vacuum! Okay, maybe the vacuum will happen this weekend.
Chinese New Year will involve many people coming to our house, having to clean frantically after the ones on CNYE leave (I hope they realise that we're kicking them out at 11pm this year, no repeats of frantically vacuuming and mopping the house at 11:40pm like last year)
It involves special food, beautiful decorations, family, avoiding wearing the colour black. It also involves not cleaning on the first day (technically it's sweeping) as you don't want to sweep away all your good luck. Oranges, love letters, the white biscuits with the red eyes. The loud chatter of the crowd of friends, the music playing in the background.
CNY is a full sensory experience. It has always been one of my favourite holidays. I might not get a public holiday for it (although I usually take the day off work) but it means a lot to me.
Also! I hope to catch at least one Lion Dance. Last year one of my favourite restaurants Tak Chee had two wind their way through the close confines of the shop. So in addition to excellent food, we got entertainment! Yes!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Some Blogs I've Been Reading (When I'm Supposed To Be Writing)
I'm struggling with a post at the moment. Probably I'm going to have to wait a week before I look at it again. Who knows, it might not even get revised before I post it. I have however been reading a number of blogs and tumblrs.
The Hairpin: Awesomeness. A general interest blog with an emphasis on women and feminism. Also, hilarity. I exercised yesterday, followed by about four hours of laughing that gave me sore abs today. Just so you know :P
Reasoning with Vampires: One person's attempt to make the Twilight books more palatable :D Her comments are so funny. So are the comments of the people who wish to be offended by her endeavour.
Hoyden About Town: I spend a lot of time here. It's a good space in order to talk about stuff. The links that get posted every few days are also excellent, as they are often things that I find interesting, but would never find myself.
Muslims Wearing Things: Because some people say all Muslims totally dress the same. Actually no, this tumblr reminds people that not all Muslims dress alike.
And yeah, I blogstalk this woman, for no reason other than she is hilarious. Also, she has a very cute baby.
Oh! And Colour Me Katie which I purely visit for all the pretty Photos. It is the Blog of Katie Sokoler who is very interesting and is a freelance photographer (and actress and very creative person).
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Yesterday I saw a rather racist video from the 1994 Barbie Party where they went to "Australia", and there was an American with a terrible Australian accent wearing what most people probably think of as Steve Irwin clothes and an cork hat, and all the other actors were dancing in bikinis and boardshorts at the "beach". It was awful and painful, and I wish I hadn't watched it. But that was 1994. Supposedly people didn't know much about racism, because Australia (and all other countries that were once racist) lost all their racism years ago, with the abolishment of the very terrible policies. Also, all dancing beach bunnies were fair skinned wiht light hair.
The Hairpin: Awesomeness. A general interest blog with an emphasis on women and feminism. Also, hilarity. I exercised yesterday, followed by about four hours of laughing that gave me sore abs today. Just so you know :P
Reasoning with Vampires: One person's attempt to make the Twilight books more palatable :D Her comments are so funny. So are the comments of the people who wish to be offended by her endeavour.
Hoyden About Town: I spend a lot of time here. It's a good space in order to talk about stuff. The links that get posted every few days are also excellent, as they are often things that I find interesting, but would never find myself.
Muslims Wearing Things: Because some people say all Muslims totally dress the same. Actually no, this tumblr reminds people that not all Muslims dress alike.
And yeah, I blogstalk this woman, for no reason other than she is hilarious. Also, she has a very cute baby.
Oh! And Colour Me Katie which I purely visit for all the pretty Photos. It is the Blog of Katie Sokoler who is very interesting and is a freelance photographer (and actress and very creative person).
*
Yesterday I saw a rather racist video from the 1994 Barbie Party where they went to "Australia", and there was an American with a terrible Australian accent wearing what most people probably think of as Steve Irwin clothes and an cork hat, and all the other actors were dancing in bikinis and boardshorts at the "beach". It was awful and painful, and I wish I hadn't watched it. But that was 1994. Supposedly people didn't know much about racism, because Australia (and all other countries that were once racist) lost all their racism years ago, with the abolishment of the very terrible policies. Also, all dancing beach bunnies were fair skinned wiht light hair.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Seeking something
So, on the 26th I took myself off on Holiday. It was fun, I ate lots of food, walked lots of steps and subsequently, bought some amazing shoes! (The shoes I was wearing did not wear out) My Holiday was amazing, I was so relaxed even though we were on the go all day every day for the entire five days.
And then I was home again last Wednesday, at work, nose to the grindstone, and I became aware of something that has been bothering me for a while.
I am not happy.
My Boss growls a lot. I assume this is because he is having money problems, and that me and my coworker nag him about our pays and the fact that we still haven't been paid our super, which is kind of illegal, but I'm playing it close at the moment. I am looking for other stuff. Stuff that makes me happy and is more enjoyable, and is more stable. And is PERMANENT. With Paid Leave. And Superannuation. All those things I used to take for granted in my old jobs.
I need to be happy and to feel safe in my job. I am seeking something that matters.
And then I was home again last Wednesday, at work, nose to the grindstone, and I became aware of something that has been bothering me for a while.
I am not happy.
My Boss growls a lot. I assume this is because he is having money problems, and that me and my coworker nag him about our pays and the fact that we still haven't been paid our super, which is kind of illegal, but I'm playing it close at the moment. I am looking for other stuff. Stuff that makes me happy and is more enjoyable, and is more stable. And is PERMANENT. With Paid Leave. And Superannuation. All those things I used to take for granted in my old jobs.
I need to be happy and to feel safe in my job. I am seeking something that matters.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Jennifer Rardin
Jennifer Rardin, author of the Jaz Parks series, died on September 20. :(. I only just found out when I visited her blog to find out if she'd posted anything recently about the next book. Her blog advises that next book and also the final book in the series were completed before she passed away, and will be released later. She was only 45 :/ My thoughts and prayers to her family, who must be going through a very tough time after she died so suddenly.
I love her books. I discovered them last year, and soon bought the whole series. The books are about Jaz Parks, she is assistant to Vayl, a vampire who was born in 1744 who is now an assassin for the CIA. Jaz is an excellent lead. She gets herself into trouble (and often gets herself out of it), and has a lot of witty snappy dialogue. It's a really gritty urban fantasy novel, and if you're looking for a new series that will suck you in, by all means, try it!! I'm always on the look out for excellent female leads, and this series really did tick all the boxes for me.
I love her books. I discovered them last year, and soon bought the whole series. The books are about Jaz Parks, she is assistant to Vayl, a vampire who was born in 1744 who is now an assassin for the CIA. Jaz is an excellent lead. She gets herself into trouble (and often gets herself out of it), and has a lot of witty snappy dialogue. It's a really gritty urban fantasy novel, and if you're looking for a new series that will suck you in, by all means, try it!! I'm always on the look out for excellent female leads, and this series really did tick all the boxes for me.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Othering at the Northam Meeting.
Just wanted to talk about the coverage re the 1500 people expected to be housed in a centre in Northam.
Watching the ABC, who is reporting on the town meeting.
One guy said "But what about when they jump the fence, steal my car, and rush down to Perth to hide amoung Their Kind"
Their kind? What, people? who are legally in this country - or born in this country? I understand you are upset by not being consulted (although if you were, you would probably have said you didn't want these people because they are queue jumpers and criminals), but you aren't by any chance, showcasing your racism, are you? Using othering and dehumanising terms when saying why you don't want something to happen makes me uncomfortable, because like many others, I am sometimes made to feel "other". I'm half Chinese, I don't look the "same". So when you make broad sweeping statements about asylum seekers, it really frustrates me. I have immigrants in my family tree. Mine came here legally, but when you make comments about "their kind", you kind of lump us all together, people who came through the "correct" channels, and those who had to leave immediately, and not wait for a visa. Many people have immigrants in their family. This is because a lot of people in Australia have at some point, come from another country. Or their parents or grand parents or great grandparents have.
I couldn't help but notice that except for one man hiding behind a sign that looked dark skinned, every person I could see in the shot of the crowd looked white. :( What? There aren't any PoC in Northam? Not even any Aboriginals? Or is it they wouldn't be caught dead at such a function so full of hate?
And I thought the response for the South Australian Institute being built for women and children was unpleasant.
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Some links about the meeting.
Local Anger Will Not Stop Detention Centre
will try to find more links later. Unfortunately, I read lots of stuff, but often forget to save them :/
Watching the ABC, who is reporting on the town meeting.
One guy said "But what about when they jump the fence, steal my car, and rush down to Perth to hide amoung Their Kind"
Their kind? What, people? who are legally in this country - or born in this country? I understand you are upset by not being consulted (although if you were, you would probably have said you didn't want these people because they are queue jumpers and criminals), but you aren't by any chance, showcasing your racism, are you? Using othering and dehumanising terms when saying why you don't want something to happen makes me uncomfortable, because like many others, I am sometimes made to feel "other". I'm half Chinese, I don't look the "same". So when you make broad sweeping statements about asylum seekers, it really frustrates me. I have immigrants in my family tree. Mine came here legally, but when you make comments about "their kind", you kind of lump us all together, people who came through the "correct" channels, and those who had to leave immediately, and not wait for a visa. Many people have immigrants in their family. This is because a lot of people in Australia have at some point, come from another country. Or their parents or grand parents or great grandparents have.
I couldn't help but notice that except for one man hiding behind a sign that looked dark skinned, every person I could see in the shot of the crowd looked white. :( What? There aren't any PoC in Northam? Not even any Aboriginals? Or is it they wouldn't be caught dead at such a function so full of hate?
And I thought the response for the South Australian Institute being built for women and children was unpleasant.
--------
Some links about the meeting.
Local Anger Will Not Stop Detention Centre
will try to find more links later. Unfortunately, I read lots of stuff, but often forget to save them :/
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Losing your name?
If there is one thing that I don't think I'll ever understand, its why a woman would change her name when she marries.
I used to say it was a Chinese opinion. The majority of Asian women do not adopt their husbands surname, they keep their name, they don't lose it in a bid to look more like a family, or something like that. Personally, I've always thought that even though I plan to keep my name (basically forever), if I ever marry and have kids, I would still be known to other children as Mrs {insert lastname here}. Because that's what kids do. They assume their friends lastname is the name of the parent.
But I can say that it isn't a Chinese thing. Both my grandmothers, my Ah Poh and my Grandma, both kept their maiden names. I find this a little intriguing; not because my Ah Poh did, but because my Australian Grandmother did. She would have been an anomaly among her generation. If my grandmother were alive today, she would probably be in her late eighties, so for someone born at that time...
One thing my mother has regretted for years, is that when she married my dad, she changed her name. Completely changed it, looking at her on paper or talking to her on the phone, you would never guess she's Chinese. She's talking about changing it to something which is a balance of her old and new names. And in a lot of ways I'm pleased. It will be a little strange for her to have a different name than the one I've known my whole life, but at the same time, it's really quite exciting, because if feels like she is reclaiming something she willingly gave away.
One of my friends got married this year, and I was a little aghast that the first question she was asked, the day after her wedding (on facebook) was "Why haven't you changed your name yet???" And I felt like saying, why would you change your name? If it is so important that everyone have the same last name, why shouldn't the husband change his name?
Why must all the sacrifices be on one side?
(And then of course in most households the woman does more housework; even if she works long hours she is still expected to do the lions share of the domestic work, including childcare. Is this what we really want?)
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A more extensive post on this topic can be found At BitchPHD (by bitchphd). It also discusses fair division of labour in the home and other such issues.
And Here at Hoyden About Town (by bluemilk).
I used to say it was a Chinese opinion. The majority of Asian women do not adopt their husbands surname, they keep their name, they don't lose it in a bid to look more like a family, or something like that. Personally, I've always thought that even though I plan to keep my name (basically forever), if I ever marry and have kids, I would still be known to other children as Mrs {insert lastname here}. Because that's what kids do. They assume their friends lastname is the name of the parent.
But I can say that it isn't a Chinese thing. Both my grandmothers, my Ah Poh and my Grandma, both kept their maiden names. I find this a little intriguing; not because my Ah Poh did, but because my Australian Grandmother did. She would have been an anomaly among her generation. If my grandmother were alive today, she would probably be in her late eighties, so for someone born at that time...
One thing my mother has regretted for years, is that when she married my dad, she changed her name. Completely changed it, looking at her on paper or talking to her on the phone, you would never guess she's Chinese. She's talking about changing it to something which is a balance of her old and new names. And in a lot of ways I'm pleased. It will be a little strange for her to have a different name than the one I've known my whole life, but at the same time, it's really quite exciting, because if feels like she is reclaiming something she willingly gave away.
One of my friends got married this year, and I was a little aghast that the first question she was asked, the day after her wedding (on facebook) was "Why haven't you changed your name yet???" And I felt like saying, why would you change your name? If it is so important that everyone have the same last name, why shouldn't the husband change his name?
Why must all the sacrifices be on one side?
(And then of course in most households the woman does more housework; even if she works long hours she is still expected to do the lions share of the domestic work, including childcare. Is this what we really want?)
*
A more extensive post on this topic can be found At BitchPHD (by bitchphd). It also discusses fair division of labour in the home and other such issues.
And Here at Hoyden About Town (by bluemilk).
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Passing White
I was watching Deadly Deportment on Landline just now. Basically it was about how young Aboriginal women in the area are being taught additional skills in the hope of making them more employable, and giving them the confidence to dress appropriately and do well in whatever job interview they go for. It was a very good program, and it makes me sad that they feel shame over dressing well, and things like that, fearing that they will never be good enough, that they will fail, and it will be worse than never having done anything in the first place.
Some of the women involved (as happens in any mixed group) can "pass" as white. In some ways this is worse than being discriminated against for being different, as many POC experience. The casual racism in Australia is still very rampant and alarming - as anyone who has been asked "What are you?" (not who are you, what) can attest. But it is worse when you can "pass" because, suddenly people are making these horrible comments, not about you, but about people like you, maybe your friends, all because they assume that you are (white) like them. And it takes courage and strength to say to these people, no it's not okay, you can't make those comments about these people, these are my people and you are being rude.
I can't say that I know what it is like to be Aboriginal in this country, for I am not of that descent. But as a half-Chinese person growing up here, living here, it is apparent to me that the discrimination does not go away. When someone makes a rude comment about Chinese people, and then turns to me and says "Oh, not you Julie", or worse, doesn't realise how offensive they have just been, because I don't "count" or "register" to them as Chinese, well, if I don't say anything, then I am shamed. Because I have just passed, and it feels like I have let the side down.
I want to be strong enough to stand up for my beliefs. Always.
Some of the women involved (as happens in any mixed group) can "pass" as white. In some ways this is worse than being discriminated against for being different, as many POC experience. The casual racism in Australia is still very rampant and alarming - as anyone who has been asked "What are you?" (not who are you, what) can attest. But it is worse when you can "pass" because, suddenly people are making these horrible comments, not about you, but about people like you, maybe your friends, all because they assume that you are (white) like them. And it takes courage and strength to say to these people, no it's not okay, you can't make those comments about these people, these are my people and you are being rude.
I can't say that I know what it is like to be Aboriginal in this country, for I am not of that descent. But as a half-Chinese person growing up here, living here, it is apparent to me that the discrimination does not go away. When someone makes a rude comment about Chinese people, and then turns to me and says "Oh, not you Julie", or worse, doesn't realise how offensive they have just been, because I don't "count" or "register" to them as Chinese, well, if I don't say anything, then I am shamed. Because I have just passed, and it feels like I have let the side down.
I want to be strong enough to stand up for my beliefs. Always.
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