Australia day 2012

Posted on January 26, 2012 | 4 comments

Every year on the 26th of January we celebrate Australia day which is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.

To mark Australia day, there are lots of activates all around the country. This day not only reflects contemporary Australia, it also highlights Australia’s diverse society, landmarks, achievements and future.

It is a public holiday in Australia. Most people choose to go and attend events organised for this day or just relax with friends and family with BBQ and watch the fireworks.

I went to a shopping centre today and I saw the Australian flag everywhere. It is so nice to see everyone getting into the sprite of Australia day. There are also lots of merchandise for Australia day on sale like party plates, cups, table clothes, lollies. One of the beauty salon was offering Australian flag manicure. That should be interesting.

Every year I try to go and attend celebrations in different part of Sydney. Last year I went to a concert in the city followed by amazing display of fireworks. I had a tattoo of Australian flag on my face (temporary of course!) and was proudly waving our flag.

The year before I had gone to Brighton where there were lots of stalls and market for Australia day celebration. There was a concert and lots of dancing going on. I remembered that day to be very hot so after lunch we went for a quick swim in the ocean.

Today I am going to the city to enjoy the music and fireworks. It will be followed by BBQ lunch and some shopping with hubby.

Australia day is very popular among migrants to take their Australian citizenship. There are lots of ceremonies conducted around the country where many migrants take the oath and become Australian citizens.

Each year there is a celebration of the achievement and contribution of eminent Australians through the Australian of the Year Awards. They are given to Australians who achieved and contribute to a better Australia.

The awards are given in the following categories:

  • Australian of the Year
  • Senior Australian of the Year (those aged 60 years or over)
  • Young Australian of the Year (ages 16 to 30)
  • Australia’s Local Hero

This year the award recipients are (source news.com.au)

Australian of the Year- Geoffrey Rush. Rush was recognises for his outstanding achievements in a lifetime career on the stage and screen as well as his long-term commitment to the Australian arts, including mentoring young artists.

Senior Australian of the Year – Laurie Baymarrwangga. Laurie has shown extraordinary commitment to maintaining her culture, the environment of her beloved Crocodile Islands and ensuring younger generations continue to keep their heritage alive.

Young Australian of the Year – Marita Cheng. Marita founded Robogals Global in 2008, as a response to the traditionally low levels of participation by women in science, engineering and technology.By 2010, Robogals had run workshops for 3,000 girls in Australia and has now expanded to 17 branches across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Australia’s Local Hero 2012 – Lynne Sawyers . Lynne has shared her home, her family and her love with more than 200 children. For 15 years, she has been on call to care for lost, abused and bewildered children in heartbreaking circumstances.

Hats off to all the winners.

Happy Australia Day everyone !!!Have a great day!!!

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Posted in Australia, Holidays

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Animal Print

Posted on January 25, 2012 | 14 comments

 I am not a big fan of animal prints like the leopard print or tiger print or zebra print. I thought it was out dated and I didn’t know how to wear them. Then I turned the page of Vouge and it says animal prints are in fashion now. Vouge is the bible for the fashion conscious so if it says it is back then it must be. 

When I was out shopping I actually saw lots of dresses, shoes, shirts, handbags, belts, glasses, earrings, bangles etc in animal prints. They looked cool and sexy. 

I checked out a few of the celebrities in animal print and they looked incredible. It’s as if it shows their wild side. 

Then I went through my wardrobe the other day and to my surprise I have a few clothing and accessorises in animal print. (If my husband reads this, he will tell me for the 100th time to sort out my wardrobe and throw out the clothes I don’t need but then can a girl ever have enough dresses and shoes? My answer is Never :)) 

Will you ever wear animal prints? What’s your favourite print?

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Posted in Fashion

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Pushkar Shah – Cycling around the world in 11 Years

Posted on January 25, 2012 | 4 comments

I was watching a film ‘Life in a day’ and the Korean cyclist reminded me of a cyclist from Nepal–Pushkar Shah. 

I remember I was still in Nepal when he took his bicycle and went to conquer the world. I haven’t heard about him for a while so when I did my research found his website

http://www.pushkarshah.com/ 

Who better than the man himself to describe about him and his mission. 

“On November 29, 1998 I set out on an 11 year-long journey to capture my dream, the dream of riding 221,000-kilometres around the world on my bicycle to spread the message of peace and hope for my country and for the world. This mission is not about material gain or international fame. It’s simply about spreading the message of peace. If you see a Nepalese guy panting and puffing on a bicycle with a sticker “I ride therefore I am” please yield and for one second think about how you as an individual can contribute to world peace. This is my tenth year and I have already toured 150 countries and hope to complete the world tour in a total of 11 years. During my tour, I visit schools and clubs in different communities and like to speak about peace, respect for other religions and cultures, living in harmony, respect for human rights and democratic values. 

I like to meet civic leaders and exchange views. After graduation from college, I worked as a school teacher and participated in the Democracy Movement in Nepal in 1990. I was arrested and imprisoned many times for my political activism. It had a deep impact on me and I decided to embark on a world tour spreading the message of Peace. I began my journey with only 100 Nepalese Rupees (One Euro) given to me by my mother. I have no official sponsor and have thus far been able to pursue my dream through the kindness and generosity of the many strangers who have befriended me along the way. 

When I began my journey ten years ago, many people did not believe that such a trip was possible and said that I would get no further than India. As of July 2009 I have visited 150 countries in Asia, Asia Pacific, North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean, African, Middle East and the Europe. 

In May 2010, I cycled from Kathmandu to the Everest base camp.” 

Here are some of the photos of his trips. 

I know that he was a courageous man to even attempt to cycle around the world with very little support and money. I still remember the day he left Kathmandu, there was this big event for his farewell and it made the headlines in the country. 

Currently he is back in Nepal and is still cycling for various causes.

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Posted in Nepal

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Another happy ending

Posted on January 24, 2012 | 7 comments

The bride

On Saturday, one of my friends got married and it was a happy ending of yet another love story. 

My friend, HW is from China and her boyfriend, RF is an Aussie and there is a bit of story to tell you before I go into the details about their wedding.

HW and RF met in a university 6 years ago in a small town called Orange in country NSW. HW finished her bachelor degree and moved to Sydney to do her masters while RF stayed there and continued his study. So they have been having a long distance relationship for the last 4 years. They used to travel whenever possible to meet each other. 

SL and me- The bridemaids

On top of that HW’s family were not ok with the relationship in the beginning which pushed the wedding further because HW didn’t want to be married without the blessing of her parents. Like most parents, her parents wanted her to find a Chinese guy to be her husband. 

Last year RF had to go to China for work so he made an arrangement to go and see HW’s parents even  she was not there. I think meeting with the guy in person helped HW’s family to realise that RF is a good person and their daughter will be happy with him. Despite the language barrier, they were happy to meet the guy their daughter was talking about for a while. 

The happy couple

Luckily everything fell into place and last Saturday they got married. HW’s parents were here from China to bless her and RF had his family present as well. 

It was a beautiful wedding with their friends and family. They had a registry wedding followed by reception. 

The bride wore a while gown with maroon embroidery with a long the train for the wedding and she changed into a red gown with diamonds for reception. The groom wore black dinner suit. She made her own bouquet with pink and orange roses. 

Me and my friend SL were the bridesmaids. We both choose to go with a long gown; I wore an aqua blue one while SL wore a purple one. 

Posing with the bride and the groom

First we went to the marriage registry where they had their wedding vows exchanged in front of the wedding celebrant. Then we came back to the hotel where we had nibbles and drinks followed by a buffet dinner. 

There was a toast for the bride and groom with a few speeches which was then followed by the cake cutting ceremony.   

Here are some photos from the day.

 

So everyone out there in a long distance relationship and/or intercultural relationship (I have a few specific people in mind right now), hope this year will bring you lots of hope and good luck for your own wedding. I am sure I will be reading about your wedding preparation in the near future. 

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Posted in Wedding

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Chinese New Year: Year of the Dragon

Posted on January 23, 2012 | 2 comments

In Australia, there are many Chinese migrants so every year we see Chinese New Year celebrated in full swing. It is a time when not only Chinese but all of the people in Australia enjoy Chinese delicacies and culture. 

This year, Chinese New Year celebration started from yesterday and will go on until the mid of February. It is the year of the dragon. Dragons are most powerful and lucky signs in Chinese zodiac so this year is believed to bring great news to lots of people. 

Many believe there is a balance between heaven and earth in the lives of people born in the Year of the Dragon and they are blessed with good fortune. Those who are born in this year are believed to be innovative, flexible, self-assured and passionate. However, there is also a dark side to Dragons which is that people can be stubborn, intense and quick tempered. 

I read in the news somewhere that China is expecting more babies this year as it is one of the luckiest signs. 

In Sydney, there will be lots of activates marking the new year, like street festivals featuring arts, entertainment and children’s activities, Chinese New Year markets showcasing arts, crafts and food stalls, dancing, music and people wearing colourful costumes to welcome the Chinese New Year, vibrant displays of Chinese lanterns, dragon dances, new lion dances, Chinese magic shows, Orchid New Music, bamboo dances, fire crackers display etc. 

There are many traditions and customs associated with the festival, here are some of the commonly practiced that you might like to try : 

  • Wear new clothes on New Year’s Day (January 23 in 2012) and be on your best behaviour, as actions on this day set the tone for the year to follow.
  • Enjoy a New Year banquet, keeping an empty seat to symbolise the presence of family members who can’t be there.
  • Eat fish on the eve of Chinese New Year (January 22), and keep some stored for the next day. The Chinese phrase “may there be surpluses every year” sounds the same as “may there be fish every year”.
  • Enjoy a bowl of traditional Korean duk gook, a soup of thinly sliced rice cakes, to represent a clean start to the New Year.
  • Serve uncut noodles as they represent longevity.
  • Wear red, as the colour scares away evil spirits and bad fortune.
  • Give red lai-see (“lucky money”) envelopes to pass on prosperity and good luck.
  • Clean your house and sweep out the bad luck of the previous year.
  • Decorate your house with apricot and peach blossom, symbolic for new beginnings and sold during Vietnamese Tet.
  • Say farewell to the Kitchen God, the guardian of the family hearth. As he reports to heaven on the behaviour of the family over the past year, make sure to feed him sweet foods and honey, either as a bribe, or to seal his mouth and prevent him from saying bad things.
  • Pay off all debts and cast aside all grudges. 

Check which Chinese zodiac you were born in: 

  • Rat (1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
  • Ox (1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)
  • Tiger (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
  • Rabbit (1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)
  • Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
  • Snake (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)
  • Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
  • Sheep (1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
  • Monkey (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
  • Rooster (1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
  • Dog (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
  • Pig (1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019) 

At work, we celebrate different things like Songkran (Thai New Year), Mexican Republic Day (There are no Mexicans in our team but still who can resist yummy tacos and burritos  🙂 ) and Greek Independence day. I guess we all just need another reason to celebrate and party so we are ready to celebrate Chinese New Year. 

Today most of us at work were dressed in red as red is the lucky colour in Chinese culture. Also one part of the office is decorated in big paper dragon and lots of red lanterns. 

We all cooked one Chinese influenced food and we had lunch together. It is really amazing what people can come up with. We had fried rice, noodles, dumplings, wontons, spring roles and lots of sweets for desert. It was really yummy and different to try so many Chinese influenced dishes made by people from different cultures. We had only one colleague from China so it was interesting to know about real Chinese culture from her. 

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!! Hope the dragon will bring all of you lots of luck and happiness for the rest of your life!!!

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