Imagine All - Reflections on anything and everything I find

Beckhams create yet another stir

2009-12-30T11:36:00.010+01:00

Mark Walberg has a lot of hate in him! And it's currently directed at superstar David Beckham and his stick-insect wife.

Walberg has come out, claiming that since the Beckhams moved from the UK to Los Angeles they've become a total nuisance. According to some sources Walberg is claiming that what used to be a quiet neighbourhood for his family to live in has been ''ruined'' by the Beckhams who attract paparazzi and fans.

Wahlberg says, "Man, the Beckhams. It used to be so quiet on my road. Then David moves in with his family. Suddenly we've got paparazzi hanging out day and night. Now they'll follow any car that drives down the road...”

His advice to the Beckhams? Well, although he's claiming that he's ''not telling Beckham to take his family home,” he has been very outspoken about the pointlessness of their move, stating that ''There's no way Americans are going to buy the idea of 90 minutes of running around without much happening. Thanks for trying guys, but we'll stick to baseball and basketball."

Need to be a little more open-minded Marky Mark! Look at how much of the world has become obsessed by 'soccer' - real name is FOOTBALL! And can I quickly point out the boringness of baseball; I saw the Mets play when I was in NY - it went for ages and very little happened. You think football is boring - take a look at your national past-time, buddy!

All of that being said, I understand where he's coming from with the paparazzi bit. It would be annoying and he's not the only person to complain about this sort of thing; according to gossip sites, Paris Hilton's neighbours want her to leave so much they were ready to stage an intervention. It should be OK for a bit though; Beckham's back in Italy for the moment playing real football. Although stick-insect is reported to be returning from England. Who knows? Who cares?

The players that shaped the decade

2009-12-29T16:00:00.002+01:00

Scrums Sevens, one of the numerous rugby sites drifting around the Internet have let lose their selection of the best players in the last ten years.

Weirdly enough they've only included 7 blokes; isn't the minimum for these sorts of lists 10? And they've gone and missed out on so many lads who just should not be ignored. Lets not forget Matt Giteau and Byran Habana to name 2 amazing lads, and so many more that are finally beginning to get noticed over the old lads.

So, from Scrum Seven come 7 players, 3 from the North, 4 from the South (how unsurprising that the South has more, eh?). What do you think of the choices? In no particular order...

1. Brian O'Driscoll - there is the argument that he would have probably joined this list even if he only began playing at the start of this year. The man just keeps going through everything. Captaining Ireland to 3 Triple Crowns in 4 years and winning Player of the 6 Nations in 2006 and 2007, Ireland could not be more proud. Except of course in 2009 when the team finally won a Grand Slam in the 6 Nations; I think everyone in the pub was going for Ireland even though most of them were English. With 100 caps to his name, that man is a legend.

2. George Smith - known apparently as "Mr Consistent", he has become Australia's most capped forward with 110 to his name since he began in 2000. As well as being vice-captain and occasionally captain, he has played in two World Cups and against the Lions where he was part of the victorious Australian side. Well played Georgie.

3. Martin Johnson - now England's unlucky manager, this tree of a man, along with Johnny Wilkinson, was one of the hero's of the RWC 2003. Under his reign England won Six Nations titles and became the first Northern Hemisphere team to win the Cup. Thanks to his dual nationality of British/Kiwi, the big man actually played for NZ's U19s before returning to England. After captaining the Lions twice - 1997 and 2001 - with mixed success he then lead his club team Leicester to victory in the Premiership and Heineken Cup. Retiring in 2004 Johnson was awarded a CBE for his services.

4. Jon Smit - One of the many heroes of South African rugby, the giant man has captained his side more than any other Safa and took them to glory in 2007 when the Springboks won the World Cup out from under England's nose. He has continued this string of success with victories over Australia and NZ in the Tri-Nations and against the touring Lions this year. With just under 100 caps in his career Smit will be front and centre in 2010-2011 if things go his way. All he needs to do is not commit any more bloody penalties that get him suspended again - although, can't say I'd be too upset if my lads have to play the Springboks.

5. Shane Williams - This little Welsh man was once not picked to start for the Lions against the All Blacks because he was so much small than Joe Rokocoko, but since then he has convinced pretty much everyone of his indomitability, becoming Wales highest try-scoring player in history, passing by legend Garth Thomas. His part in the Grand Slam victories have proven his worth, helping him win the honour of IRB's Player of the Year in 2008.

6. Dan Carter - New Zealand's answer to the domination of Johnny Wilkinson, most rugby fans now believe that this man is the best fly-half we've seen yet. Apparently known as 'New Zealand's David Beckham' this bloke won 2005's IRB Player of the Year as well as the NZ equivalent. Surpassing Andrew Mehrten's record points earlier this year, Carter is now the All Black's leading Test points-scorer of all time, although still lagging behind Johnny. Carter brings to the game such a streak of excitement, and like McCaw, he inspires confidence in his team - unfortunate for all those who do not go for the AB's! At only 27, Carter thankfully still has time to grab for a RCW medal; he just has to ensure the team doesn't choke once again.

7. Richie McCaw - His number, and my favourite position - and no, it's not just because he plays there - Richie is my hero. Unfortunate that he is a Kiwi; I get told off for not supporting my team, blah, blah. I don't care. Named IRB Player of the Year for the second time, McCaw has proven his worth. With enemies from Australia to Britain, his name is one of the few that is always recognisable, if only because some opponents and their fans accuse him of cheating. He and Carter seem to be the glue of the AB's, rarely losing, something that NZ shows their appreciation for by awarding him the Kevlin R. Tremain Memorial award for the third time. All he has to do now is actually get his team to a RWC final and follow through.

So; those are the 7 players jotted down by Scrum Seven; good choice, don't disagree with any but think there needs to be at least two more additions to the list.

8. Bryan Habana - the man who raced a cheetah. Habana clocked at 10.2seconds for 100m - the world record is currently held at 9.58 by Bolt. Awarded Player of the Year in 2007, he helped the Springboks win their first Tri-Nations overseas match since 1998 with two long-range sprints. He is regarded as one of the most lethal wingers in the game, and dominated in the recent Barbarians-All Blacks match at Twickenham where he scored yet another hat-trick. As well as playing an integral part in the 2007 Springbok's RWC campaign where he tied with Jonah Lomu's record of number of tries scored in one tournament, the 26 year old plays for the South African Rugby 7s team and participated in the U21s IRB World Championships.

9. Matt Giteau - aside from some seriously bad kicking in the past few months, Giteau has become one of Australia's most important players and play-makers. He still has a way to go to reach Wilkinson and even Carter in the points margin, but there's no mistaking his talent. Debuted in 2002 against England before he had even begun playing in the Super 14, Giteau has become a consistent face of Australian rugby. Known at one point as the 'Six-Million Dollar Man' for his excessive contract with the Western Force, Giteau is finally returning to his home town, Canberra where he is signed to play with the Brumbies (yay!). With a bit of rest and some hard training with the rest of the Wallabies, Giteau will hopefully be back on track next year, capitalising on his good performance for the Barbarians in November.

What's the verdict then? I know there are plenty of others and if I could I would add them all but then it wouldn't be a list of the best of the best, now, would it. Here's to the next decade of rugby!

Oh, and happy 29th birthday to Richie in 2 days - he's getting older! :(

New Zealand rivals Triumph once again

2009-12-28T16:00:00.000+01:00

Alfa Romeo has won the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race once again, with the crew happily celebrating their victory over arch-rivals Wild Oats XI.

While failing to fulfill his vow of finishing the race within two days, Skipper Neville Crichton, a New Zealand born car salesman, maintained that his yacht's victory was all the more sweeter as he had beaten the best fleet in the world in ''the pinnacle of ocean sailing'' races.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Crichton stated that this year's race ''was the most important to us … the last time we lost was to Wild Oats XI three years ago, and we haven't been beaten since then. This is a bit of payback for us''.

And payback they got, winning the race comfortably after picking up some wind off Jervis Bay on the second day. Thanks to those small gusts the yacht pulled away from it's main competitors, Wild Oats and Britain's ICAP Leopard supermaxi and stayed in the lead for the rest of the competition.

With a race well known for choppy seas and hard waves over Bass Strait, this year was considered the opposite to normal with many yachts struggling to find enough air to move across. At one point there may have been slight concern aboard Alfa when Wild Oats began closing in, doing double the speed of their rival. However the yacht failed to pose a serious threat and Alfa finished with a time of 2 days, 9 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

With 146 victories to her name since she began racing in 2005, Alfa is considered one of the strongest on the seas. After losing to Wild Oats in 2005 due to a technical error from Skipper Crichton, this victory will feel all the more satisfying for the crew. Next up for them is to beat Wild Oats race record time set in the 2005 race of one day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds.

Top Honours for World No. Ones

2009-12-28T15:22:00.004+01:00

Do you think you'll remember
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Roger Federer and Serena Williams have won the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) badge of honour; Champion of 2009. This is not the first time for either player; Federer has now won it five times whilst Serena is being given the award for the second time of her career.

It was a strange but victorious year for Federer. He lost both the Australian and US Open finals in five sets to strong rivals, but won the Wimbledon Final after being dominated by Andy Roddick, and also claimed his first ever Roland Garros trophy. With those two victories, Federer made history twice; achieving a career Grand Slam, the first player to do since Andre Agassi played as well as beating Pete Sampras's Grand Slam record after winning his 15th Grand Slam against Roddick.

"To win my first Roland Garros title, break the all time Grand Slam record and regain the No. 1 ranking is amazing. It means a lot to me to finish the year again on the top."

Federer has also had a good year in his personal life; after marrying his most loyal supporter, finance Mirka during Easter, he was blessed with twin daughters in late July.

Meanwhile, the WTA's world No. 1, Serena Williams has clocked up several more victories over the year but her reputation has been damaged recently by her unprofessional behaviour on the court as well as her complaints to the media about the structure of the WTA rankings after winning Wimbledon this July.

Williams ended this year on a high, finally reaching the elusive position of World Number 1 after winning the final tournament of the year in Doha. She now holds 11 Grand Slams to her name and was also awarded the women's doubles award with her sister Venus. She is only the third woman to have been given such honours, following in the footsteps of Martina Hingis and Lindsey Davenport.

However, what many tennis fans will remember as 2009 comes to an end is Williams threatening a line judge at the US Open and losing the semi-final to Kim Clijsters by a penalty point. Accused of unsportsmanlike behaviour, Williams, who denies that she threatened the woman, justified her actions initially, saying;

“How many people yell at linespeople?” she said. “If you look at all the people that kind of yell at linespeople -- players, athletes get frustrated. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that happen."

With The Associated Press reporting that Williams told the line judge: “If I could, I would take this ... ball and shove it down your ... throat,” and a record $82,500, she is not going to have all happy memories come New Years Eve. Whilst some called the fine and her 2 year probation 'excessive' with Williams herself claiming that male players got away with worse for much less, others within the tennis community, including Pat Cash, have praised the judgement call, and many believing she got off lightly.

The award ceremony will take place in Parisat the annual ITF World Champion Dinner in June 2010. Enough time for the fans to forget her transgressions perhaps.

Second week past; working on Christmas Day

2009-12-27T17:05:00.007+01:00

If it weren't for the decorations I see each day as I walk along the road to work, I wouldn't think it was Christmas time. The IHT had no decorations up at all; the Features room had sweets that included gingerbread but I think that was more due to what they could find, over Christmas cheer, and Comcen had some really random snowman toy that no-one seems to know where it come from.

I had to work Christmas Day doing Daycopy - thank God I didn't do Nightcopy, it was so depressing there! In France it seems Christmas Eve is the big day, when everyone opens their presents and has a big feast and so IHT gave everyone the day off then and had us work Christmas Day instead. I'm not complaining - like I said, I did Daycopy and so finished at 3pm - but you'd think they would be able to give interns the day off and get the editors to print their own things for once.

Interns get paid peanuts already but from what I understand everyone else gets a bit extra if they do public holidays like Christmas or New Years; we definitly do not. After talking to our boss we learnt that originally they were going to make the editors print their own stuff; this would have meant they didn't need us and they may have actually saved some paper! But in the end we worked. Tay Tay got shafted - she had to do Nightcopy which meant she was there until 9pm or just beforehand. I was lucky and did Daycopy so I could be home for the dinner at 4pm.

But it was just amazing how little people reacted to the idea of christmas. Very few people wished each other 'Merry Christmas', and for the most part everyone seemed in rather bad moods. Understandable in the sense they had to work that day but even so; let's see a few smiles at least.

Anyway, moving on from Christmas issues; so far my IHT internship is going swimmingly, I do believe. I am fully capable of doing both Day and Nightcopy, I answer the phones vaguely confidently and I am starting to remember most of the names of the different editors and support staff. Isn't it ironic that now I've learnt or re-learnt, depending on how pendantic you are, Comcen, I'm moving to the library to do research.

But hey; I did Comcen for the majority of my time here the first time round and failed to even pitch an article idea; this time, I don't have that luxery of knowing I can reapply. I have to pull my head in and get some ideas flowing and the guts up to actually throw some ideas out to the right people. Working in the library on research may help in that aspect. It can't be too bad, ignoring what Tay Tay says.

"I just happen to be gay, It's irrelevant.

2009-12-21T11:49:00.008+01:00

Garth Thomas is gay. Who would have thought that the macho, thuggish bloke from Wales is gay? Apparently he's been quoted as saying he did overcompensate to deny it on the pitch, often starting fights and stuff, so perhaps it's understandable that not many people picked up on it.

According to articles, Thomas has known he was gay since his late teens but felt that his rugby career would be damaged if he was to come out publically. He said that he needed to establish respect and status as a player before he felt comfortable with others knowing, saying that "Rugby was my passion, my whole life, and I wasn't prepared to risk losing everything I loved."

However, after the collapse of his marriage Thomas eventually came out to Scott Johnson, the caretaker coach of the Welsh team after losing to Australia in November, 2006. Rather than be teased or worse, Johnson told two senior members of the team, Martyn Williams and Stephen Jones who gave their immediate support to Thomas. Thomas retired after the 2007 World Cup after racking up an impressive 100 caps for Wales as well as 3 caps for the British and Irish Lions. He is now 35 years of age and playing for Cardiff Blues.

Since coming out last week a number of figures involved in the rugby and sporting world have spoken out in support for Thomas. Welsh referee Nigel Owens who admitted he was gay in 2007, gave an interview to BBC Radio 5 Live, saying that whilst "there's still a bit of stigma from some people...as far as the rugby community goes as a whole, I'm sure he'll be very pleasantly surprised like I was."

"I think people will respect him as a person and as a player - he's a person just like anybody else, who just happens to be one of the great players Wales have had over the years and who just happens to be gay."

Clive Woodward who coached the Lions when Thomas captained them against New Zealand in 2005, also gave his support, stating that ''If anyone doesn't take that attitude [his sexuality is irrelevant], then they've got the problem, rather than Gareth having a problem."

Cardiff Blues chief executive Robert Norster added: "His private life is his own concern and we will continue to acknowledge him for the qualities he brings to the squad as a player and an individual who exemplifies the values of commitment, determination and fair play we expect from our team. Gareth will always be revered for his achievements as a player and he deserves his place of honour in Welsh rugby history.

With the support from heads of rugby flooding in, Thomas should feel much more secure than he may have originally. As well as admitting he had hidden his sexuality for over a decade, the player also confessed that he had seriously considered suicide a number of times, citing the stress of his secret too great.

However, Thomas is obviously much more comfortable now, stating that "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby." Unfortunately retired NBA star John Amaechi who came out in 2007 pointed out that Thomas may have to get used to being defined by his sexuality now by some people, no matter his skill on the field, as it did happen for him once his news went public.

"When people learn you are gay, oftentimes that can squash your definition so that all that good stuff goes and you just become 'some gay rugby player', which is quite difficult for many athletes to deal with," added Amaechi.

Ian Roberts, former Australia rugby league star and a definite gay icon for the sport, on the other hand, praised Thomas's decision to go public, saying "It's so bewildering to me that other people haven't allowed for that to happen to themselves. There are so many gay sportspeople ... gay people playing league. I'm just like, 'How can you be controlled by all these other people?' It doesn't have to be a problem, as long as you don't allow it to be a problem."

As far as his fans go, there seems to have only been support, with many expressing little surprise, pointing out that it wasn’t actually ever really a secret. Many articles are now popping up pointing out that this secret he tormented himself over was actually never properly hidden, hence there was little surprise when he officially came out this weekend, explaining why the news has not been so widespread.

Christmas time

2009-12-20T18:57:00.004+01:00

Paris this time of year is awesome! It's freezing cold - it snowed this morning but didn't stick - and all you want to do is take a walk and look at all the lights before coming back home to a vin chaud.
I've just come in from the cold and am sitting by our Christmas tree, writing whilst attempting to fix one of the rows of Christmas lights. My sister and I have just been wandering around the 6th, where we visited her old work, the KIWI CORNER, to help them eat their leftovers before they closed for the holidays.

I met her friend from there who told us all about her trip through Germany and Austria; complete bender but sounded awesome! I have never really done a huge trip like that where I've travelled around the country to lots of different places because I've always been able to come back to Paris and then go again. She organised to do all these different things in different places so did so much more than I've done in a long time. She also drank a lot more than I have in a long time but that's not too hard.

After all the leftovers dissipated, we trotted off to the Christmas markets in the square where we made sure to sample all of the different treats, including a very strong compte which was actually quite nice, loads of different sausages; boar, donkey, mushroom and nut and chestnut honey! That was a bit strange, actually, it tasted quite strong and smoky. But it was great fun and really complimented the vin chaud we decided we had to have!

I have to say, although I came home with frozen hands and ears that I'm pretty sure would have cracked off if I had touched them, it was great fun. Paris in the summer is beautiful, green and lush but with so much to do. But Paris in the winter is just magic; the lights, the displays, the markets. Europe has just the best way of celebrating at Christmas; Australia, I love for Christmas because of the warmth. But Paris just comes to life in a way Sydney or Canberra can never do. The buildings have so much history that they come to life from the lights and everyone is so happy.

And thankfully, we have central heating!

My first week on the job

2009-12-19T13:03:00.000+01:00

What a change from university! I know it's not considered a proper job, what with the fact that we get paid peanuts and are basically the dogs of the entire business, but I still feel like I'm part of that working force we hear so much about when at university career talks.
Currently, though, I'm liking it so it's not a hardship that I have to act more grown-up and responsible. I'm sure eventually that will change (doesn't it always?) but for now, I'm pretty excited by it all.

For the most part, I'm actually doing the same job as I did 3 years ago when I was the youngest intern there. I'm working in the editorial room, acting as the Communications Centre, or Comcen. I think I'm basically a glorified secretary; answering calls, sending emails to all the editors and customers, printing off the skeds, taking notes in the meetings. But hey, I get to talk to all the editors, hopefully make friends with some of them and learn how it all works.

Things have changed a bit since I was there; a few more responsibilities, a few new faces and a new layout of the room, but otherwise it's all coming back to me and I'm remembering different things about each editor and support staff. I had a wonderful day on Tuesday when one of the editors, Randy noticed me giving out the Asia Editon and recognised me from last time! He seemed happy and properly remembered me; asked me what I was upto, why was I back, all that. It really made my day that I wasn't just a faceless intern last time, especially when, on Wednesday, Jim, our web master and Richard Berry (apparently a grumpy folk according to other interns) also remembered my face and welcomed me back. I may not have been amazing and they may not remember my name, but at least they remembered me. I'm going to make sure this time they'll remember me for even longer...until I come back as a journalist!

What was also rather funny was that the intern who is training me on Daycopy is actually Harry, a student from University of Exeter, who is doing a BA of History and French. Apparently we had the same classes in First Year but neither of us recognised each other. I love that I have to leave Exeter where I don't like terribly many people to find an Exeter student I do get on with. Isn't it ironic?
No matter; I'm having fun working with him and he's been really good about the whole training thing...except for making me crawl under the photocopier to pin up the NYT front pages! We noted how demeaning it is to have to do so and then he made me do it from then on. But I've picked pretty much everything back up and now I'm helping train another intern whom I'll be working with on Christmas Day. Most of what we've done is giggle and probably cause a proper disturbance to all the editors working.

Next week I'll be doing Nightcopy for a couple of days to get retrained on that. I think I'll be moving around the departments; I was told I'd be doing research in January so that could be fun. My aim is to work on Special Reports; apparently that's the best place to pitch stories to. Who knows if I'll get there though; apparently the boss has had the same intern there for 3 months even though everyone else wants to work there too. Perhaps I'll get to do some sports stuff again, that was easily the best time!

Either way, all I can say is that I am definitely happy to be missing university for the IHT!

Here comes the bride, all made of...plastic?

2009-12-17T16:25:00.000+01:00

How far is too far with technology?

I'm not talking about stem-cell research or anything to do with curing diseases or poverty and famine. I'm talking about online games or games on your Nintendo and other playstations.

Some Japanese man has gone and married his virtual girlfriend! She is a character from a video game called Love Plus and he married her in front of 40 plus guests in Tokyo after a honeymoon in Guam.

The young man calls himself SAL9000 and won't give out his real name for fear of being teased. Got to say, buddy, I think you're going to be teased quite a bit behind your back. BBC had a piece on him on the World Channel so he has allowed his face to become known. Not terribly smart if he doesn't want to draw attention to himself.

Apparently Love Plus restarts the game if the players fail to make their girlfriend's happy - so really it's just a cheaper way of being dumped after a couple of dates. Apparently one of the ways to make said girlfriends happy is to say 'I love you' one hundred times to the screen and your reward is to give the screen a kiss. Hot.

Is no one else worrying that all these reality games are hindering peoples' social interaction skills? If you can build yourself a virtual girlfriend and love her enough that you would forsake real women and any upgrades to the game, where's the line? I think I'll stick to MarioKart; cheaper and far more fun than virtual dating dramas!

Barbarians 25-18 New Zealand

2009-12-05T17:17:00.000+01:00

I know that as a show of good sportsmanship I shouldn't cheer that a team lost. I shouldn't have a massive shit-eating grin on my face as I watched them trudge off the field. But come on...it's the All Blacks! Who, aside from the few million kiwis of the world, wouldn't be happy that the team finally lost a match? Especially against a team that many say are meant to be the easiest to beat.

The Barbarians have only ever beaten the All Blacks once before now; so to say this is a game for the history books is not going far. Like last week's explosive victory over France, this game was filled with suspense and fantastic rugby. None of that kicking game we've seen dominate for so long now, but lots of running, good plays and passes and fantastic interceptions.

Bryan Habana, 'le gazelle du Sud Afrique', was outstanding yet again. He fully deserved the Man of the Match which, as an Aussie, I am disappointed (come on, I wanted Mitchell or Giteau to get it!) but what a game for him! The fantastic support and set ups from the other lads and his very good hands - anyone see how many times the ball jumped around during his interception before he finally grabbed it properly?

I have had a few different arguments about how strong the Baa-baas are as a team. One of my friends says they're meant to win each time because they're compromised of the best of the best of the international rugby players. They should know their opponents weaknesses, or at least some of them should since they do get players from that team to join them. They should also be skilled enough to play with whomever they are joined with in the team. So for instance, today Jamie Roberts and Matt Giteau should have been able to play seamlessly together. To be fair; this did happen, so kudos to that argument.

However, another argument against this statement is that, though these guys are some of the best, they've never trained with each other for long periods of time before. The team they're up against will have been playing with each other for years possibly whilst these guys only usually have a week at the most. They are coming together for one game, bringing all these different styles of playing together - how can they be expected to be the best and beat everyone?

Well, they did it this time round. They made the All Blacks look slightly less than the best and made Richie McCaw - who is lovely - look small and tubby racing after Habana. The All Blacks have suffered a defeat at the hands of an enemy they may have taken lightly - only two players survived selection after last week, and one of them was McCaw. Maybe this loss will linger with them over the Christmas holidays.

The Grand Slam; final opinion?

2009-12-02T20:46:00.000+01:00

The Wallabies, God bless them, are just not making us proud very often anymore, are they?

I am a proud Australian, and will cheer for my team even when we're losing. But, I have to say, I was ashamed of our boys when they went to Murrayfield and messed around so badly that we finally lost to Scotland. Do you realise that before two weeks ago, the Wallabies hadn't lost to Scotland in 27 years! That record is older than I am, and in reality it should have been continued, not tossed out for the Scots to run all over like the Wallabies were.

Matt Giteau, who has been our star player for so long, had such a dismal performance that people in the crowd at my pub, most of whom were Scot's fans, were yelling to replace him. They said that he was ruining the game, which in all fairness he did; I and a fellow compatriot jumped to our feet when he kicked the final conversion, though not for the same reasons as all the Scotsmen around us.

I am not saying that we didn't play well in some of the games. I actually missed the Ireland-Australia game thanks to work commitments. But the way I've read and heard about it; we should have had a much higher score than the equalising 20-20. But at least Ireland is a tough team. They won the Six Nations and did it well. They beat South Africa, the world champions, this past Saturday. I am not ashamed we tied. Disappointed, yes; who wouldn't be, but not ashamed.

And, go the lads against Wales! Our toughest Northern Hemisphere opponents, bravo to all the Wallabies for kicking their butts! What a way to stand up for their dismal performances in Edinburgh. I sat in Cafe Oz here in Paris, biting my nails as the game began, convinced that we were about to be run into the ground. No matter what all those articles on rugby-heaven say and all the quotes from the blokes saying they would rectify their mistakes, there was so much doubt in the crowd. Which, thankfully, the lads blasted away.

Experts have said that overall the Wallabies are OK - we now apparently have one of the strongest scrums in the world. We also have the up and coming players like James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and Will Genia who apparently has the potential to be the best scrumhalf in the world too. All of these are good things which are not lost on any of us.

The problem is that whilst we may have won against England and Wales, and only tied to Ireland, thus losing only one game, its one lost game after a terrible and embarrassing Tri-Nations. This was described as our year. All those young blokes that had come up were meant to have brought together a fantastic team that would rival the All Blacks and Springboks. But to be honest, aside from the bloody wonderful victory over South Africa this summer, we have not been very amazing. Do you know that had we lost to Wales by over 15 points, we would have slipped to 6th place in the IRB world rankings? We would have been lower than France, Ireland and Wales who are great teams but not meant to be in the same league as the Southern Hemisphere giants.

And now, they're off on holiday. While the All Blacks may deserve those towels on the beach Carter mentioned, I fail to believe that our lads wouldn't be more deserving on training in the paddock for a wee bit longer before being rewarded for losing the last 7 matches against New Zealand, amongst other defeats.

How to become an intern at a major newspaper

2009-12-02T19:45:00.000+01:00

Now, one of the reasons I spoke of that new beginning in my previous post is because I am about to enter a new stage in my path to becoming a journalist.

Normally, I am a university student studying History and IR in England. I should be currently sitting in my French class, talking about doctor’s appointments and other very complicated things. However, instead, I am sitting in my family's apartment in the 15e of Paris, contemplating what it is that I will be doing once I begin my internship at the IHT. For those of you who do not know, the IHT stands for the International Herald Tribune, which is owned by the New York Times.

Its main offices are here in Paris, but they also have some in Hong Kong, plus other areas of the world. It has both print editions - an Asian-focussed one, a European focussed one and an American focussed one, as well as a sister website to the NYT. I am lucky enough to be awarded a 2-month internship with the Paris offices over December-January. I have worked for them before as an intern, during my gap year whilst I worked in a bar and did french classes. But this time, I will be there working on a research team and gaining even more experience.

I'm terribly excited, and nervous about the French speaking aspect. I doubt there will be many people there that remember me but everyone was lovely the first time round, so I'm feeling positive about the experience.

All I want is to start. And I am going to use this blog as a way of recording all the events that happen, as way of remembrance and because once I return to university I will need to write a report of the time spent. This will help me from forgetting anything. Here's hoping it's exciting enough that people want to read about it!

A new beginning

2009-12-02T19:02:00.000+01:00

Ok, so that whole 'I'm back and ready to write' phase didn't last too long. In all honesty, although I love writing, it works so well in my head but once I sit down the words no longer flow. I get so distracted so easily that this blog just does not get updated.

But no more. I am, once again, 'back' and ready to write. Only this time, there's going to be a thread of one topic for the next two months or so, as well as sporadic posts on random subjects - like my brother, which I'll be mentioning in the next few posts I'm sure.

Here's to the new era of this blog, and here's hoping I stick to it. Can guareentee that my main New Year's resolution will be to be more committed to my goals!

Back and just as disorganised

2009-11-09T11:14:00.000+01:00

Let's get to it people! I have spent two months now reading and taking notes for classes and just random articles that never seem to get written, so now, I am writing without thinking...or planning, depends on how well this little speech pans out.
I find it kinda liberating that no one reads this blog. Sure, I would love to be a famous writer, with fans telling me how much they wish they could write like I do, but hey, let's be realistic; I am no writer. I'd like to be, heck, one day I know I will be. But until I train myself more, I put more effort into it, there isn't a chance of me picking up some fans.
But, like I said; it's liberating like this; I can write whatever and whenever I feel without worrying about how someone might take it.

Now, this post is going to be topsy-turvy, swinging out on loads of different branches. I'd apologise but at least it's more natural than planning it all. See I am back at university now, with a bucket load of work happening so the less structure in this, the better. I spent yesterday writing a thousand word essay on Third World Aid. It took me all day because of the structure and wording. Not that I'm complaining too much; one day for an essay - that's pretty good timing. I feel good about it and still have a week before I need to hand it in so plenty of time to fix it later. My gripe is just that it was meant to be an opinion piece and I think my opinion wavers each time I come back to the topic.
Do you think wealthy states should give assistance to less developed countries? It's a simple question, one that I would hope it wouldn't take a long time to answer. And yet, when I asked students here at uni, quite a few went 'um...no?' or 'hell no! Why is it our responsibility?!' Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having an opinion, I'm not going to fault your choice but I may ridicule it.
Firstly; why is it our responsibility? Well, mainly people, it's because a lot of these countries are poor, corrupt and ill-managed because of us! Because of the British or French Empires, because of American or Russian hegemony, because of China's exploitation! We wealthy states went across to these poor countries and practically stripped them of resources, of Independence and of free choice. Britain, France, Germany, Belgium; they all ruined cultures of Africa and Asia and then left those countries in varying states of disarray without care. That is why it's our responsibility. Just like it is America's responsibility because the hundreds of million people there exploited the poor, turning arable forest land dead after stripping it of all the resources they could get at the lowest possible prices.
And, even if we to ignore the fact that we are responsible for the poverty these people live in, how bout the fact that we are rich whilst they are poor? What about the idea that all beings are equal, but some are just luckier than others; we were born into wealthier families and so we should help those less fortunate? Human rights, guys, moral beliefs and reasoning! The elite over in Africa have become rich by ruling corruptly and filtering off money and resources from the government and people. Now, we can't stop them easily without crossing their sovereign lines which very few nations will do without having some interest in it for them, but we can try and help the grassroot levels, the local communities. And we should. There should be no question about whether or not we should help, it's a definite yes, we should and we will. Otherwise we condemn them to a life of probable hardship and poverty whilst we live it up in the West.

Apologies for the rant, but hopefully I made my point.

I feel the need to write more on this post but I know it will become a giant text without interest so perhaps I shall just begin another one in a few minutes. I've decided that sometimes, rather than writing a big post, I may just jot down a few lines, a thought bubble if you will. Who knows - no planning:D

What a retaliation!

2009-09-05T17:36:00.001+02:00

I know it's been an age since I wrote - that's what summer holidays are for though, wandering off and finding other things to do, outside in the sunny sun and warm air. Why would anyone stay inside during this time of year?

I'll tell you; any Australian sports fan would be currently, no matter where they happen to be in the world, jumping up and down in delight. This night, this morning, this lunchtime, our boys, the Wallabies, kicked South Africa's butts in rugby!
We went out there with grit and determination and actually followed through! Hats off to James O'Connor, Australia's youngest national player, to Adam Ashley-Cooper who has grown up so well and is now one of the most valued players of our team!

Thanks to Matt Giteau, who, like last week, was there all the time, making a few mistakes but always ready. Thanks Drew Mitchell who would have scored, who was always waiting and who could only improve as the night went on.

Our boys were...not fantastic actually. They messed up, they had to deal with the fantastic defensive efforts of the Springboks, who stopped three would-be tries in the first parts of the game. They had to watch out for Bothas Boka and so Bryan Habana and yet they got passed them all in the end, through field goals from Giteau and tries from O'Connor and Ashley-Cooper, cheeky taps and runs from Elsom, Will Genia (go you little beauty) and all round amazing plays by Benn Robinson. He deserved man-of-the-match in every way and god know's what will happen if Robbie Deans allows Al Baxter to return to the starting pack over him.

If only we hold on to that momentum and play just as well in two weeks time when we go up against the All Blacks in NZ. We won't win the cups, that is for sure but at least we can prove that we are not 5th in the world, we are in the top 3 and dammit if we will be one of the top two in the years to come! All we ask is that come saturday 19th September, Giteau tries to do drop-goals like he did today, that Elsom comes back better than ever, like he played for Leinster and that we run the game to the ground, forcing the All Blacks to play our game, not theirs for the first time this year.

A new window

2009-08-14T09:49:00.000+02:00

I cannot really believe what happened to me yesterday. Something that I have dreamed about for years finally came true. Albeit, not in the form that I desperatly wanted but I've learnt that nothing ever comes true in the exact way you dream it so take what you can and see the beauty in that which does come true.
Yesterday I became a published sports reporter! I wrote 4 articles and did some research on the English female football captain as well. My name was at the bottom of all those articles, my friends and family read them and so did however many other people out there surfing the web.
I haven't felt that proud in a very long time. I am moving up the ladder, opening one door at a time and finding I like it in the next room.
I shall leave links to the articles on my blog so everyone can see. Happy days!

Rugby news!

2009-07-30T11:53:00.001+02:00

Yes!

Come on New South Wales! Finally the Waratahs and the Brumbies are building together teams that may actually have a better chance of beating some the SA and NZ teams in the Super 14.

Not only is Matt Giteau coming to Canberra to play for the Brumbies after giving up his Western Australian contract but now apparently Berrick Barnes, the star of the Queensland Reds, has chosen to sign on to the Waratahs rather than stick it out in his home state. According to Rugbyheaven Australia he's become disillusioned with the club and its franchise and has been given a one year contract with NSW. Hopefully he'll bring a fresh start for the club who just lost Lote Tuqiri.
Meanwhile the brilliant Brumbies (can you tell I'm a fan?) have now gotten hold of Giteau, the Wallabies star, and returning man Rocky Elsom. I watched the Lenister-Munster game this past season when Leinster won the final and he was amazing. Definitely one of the key players for the team and I think he will be in the Brumbies as well. Plus, just wait until he's back from injury and playing for the Wallabies - hopefully he'll sack Richie McCaw a couple of times to really show his dominance.

Ah to be back in Australia for the Super 14. I guess I'll have to wait a few more years. Hopefully everything will be running smoothly by then.

How old is too old to say....

2009-07-29T18:34:00.002+02:00

'Mummy' and 'Daddy'?

In this world where every child is desperate to grow up and be their own person, to live on their own, to travel and be allowed alcohol, why oh why do university students still deem it acceptable to call their parents 'mummy' and 'daddy'?
I realise this is quite childish of me, to zero in on an issue that many people would choose to ignore, to snicker quietly at the immature adults these students are, but after 4 days of listening to some very bright graduating students say these titles and chuck tantrums in the line for photos, I really must ask; WHY?!

They are about to go and recieve their bachelors, masters or, heaven forbid, their PhDs and yet they feel comfortable to call their mother and father, their mum and dad, 'mummy, mummsy' or 'daddy'. They are at ease with themselves enough to complain loudly and bitterly that their peers were taking too long getting their graduation photos done, and bold enough to elbow parents and students in front of them out of the way to get to the mirror. Really, are these the type of people you want working with or for you?

One photographer said to me that Exeter is where all the Oxbridge rejects come to because they don't have the grades for the elite unis but definitly have the cash. And I am afraid I do have to agree with the fact that there is an abundance of snobs at my univerisity. I have been lucky to find others who are not snobby in any way and share my opinion that not everyone in the uni must own a mini-cooper and wear ugg boots outside in order to be considered fashionable. I have also been lucky enough, something that others may not agree with, to be raised to know I should work whilst studying - not too much, but enough to understand my responsibilities and not need to rely on my parents for everything. I had the most alarming morning last year whilst at work, when I was waiting for a girl to pay for her items. She was on the phone to her mummy, I assume, asking that daddy transfer some money to her for the rest of term. The rest of term was three weeks away but hey, understandable; parties were of the abundance as we all celebrated our summer freedom. However, what shocked me was the amount; she asked for a 'couple of thousand' as 'that should last' until they came to pick her up! Holy god! What so many people wouldn't give to live in a world as rosy as this lass's! Such a request and she was so blasé about it. My, Exeter is certainly different.

Now all I have to do is find out if my friends call their parents 'mummy' & 'daddy'. That possibly could be the deal-breaker, I'm afraid. Judgemental I know but I wouldn't be able to stand it since I am there on a budget and proud of that fact. The only way those who do say those words will stay my friends; they buy me a mini.

A 'new' home

2009-07-29T16:53:00.001+02:00

I am what I like to think as an 'economic jet-setter'. The theory behind this is that, if I had the choice I would eschew my daily life of university classes (cos let’s face it, does the world really need another journalist or politician?) and work to bumble off to different locations around the world, looking for adventure and fun without getting too narcissistic and forgetting that I was just one small being. But unfortunately, as a student...and a regular dependent who makes far less than £100 a week, I cannot afford to toddle off on every whimsical desire I have to see a new country, county or place. I must choose my destinations carefully (Leicester instead of Spain), book them early (1 week beforehand - I almost shot myself at the price) and make sure everyone I want to see will be there for my pleasure - the second friend decided London seemed a good place to be that weekend.

However, this past weekend, I finally got on a plane, or a knat seeing as how small it was, and flew from the little country town/city of Exeter all the long way (1hour, 5mintues) to Paris, the City of love and rude locals. My boyfriend and I were bouncing off the walls all the way to the airport, obviously excited to be leaving a place where it had rained, and still is, for the past three weeks to the polluted air of Paris. Both families currently live there and thank god. I may be from the small town of Canberra, Australia which is not nearly as bad as anyone from outside it thinks, but I must say, the best city in the world is Paris. The food, the drinks, the culture. I love New York, I want to live there one day, but god help me, when Paris falls I will die.

The people may be rude - my sister and I went to buy some bread from a boulangerie yesterday and got told off for asking for a cereal baguette. Apparently all of this woman's bread was made from cereal. We didn't have the energy to tell her that we were simply asking for a wholemeal loaf, something our regular boulangerie would have known and happily sold us. Instead we simply said a 'banette' instead and proceeded to buy half the deserts for a picnic for three. I think she probably would have been happier if we had left without buying anything. However, across the street from this charming French babushka we met a lovely French couple in the key shop. Whilst they could not do what we wanted - a dog tag for our slippery ball of fluff - they were helpful and loved telling us how much they liked Australia and Australians, and how they wanted to go there.

My only problem is, and I think it possibly is similar to what happens to men when their wives are pregnant - they get sympathy pains - is that I am feeling jetlagged yet I only went forward one hour in the process of coming to France from Britain. My sister, dear to me that she is, came from Australia. Strangely enough she is currently passed out on the couch downstairs, crushing our dog beneath her. I would save him but I think he actually likes it since he's getting some sort of attention. Now, why would I be having sympathy fatigue for my sister? I don't know except it gives me the chance to blow off actually going outside and lets me have some lazy summer days. It won't last of course - I've been in France for years and yet only been to the Louvre twice. This tells everyone that I am not the most productive expat around. I have finally moved from Paris to England and now, when I'm suffering in the wet and grey all I can think about is doing things in Paris. I must take the opportunity.

And take it I shall. I plan for many a thing in the next two months, including velibbing everywhere around Paris - yes it is a verb now, the French made another thing fashionable. For those that do not understand, velibs are the public bicycles situated across Paris. You can hire them through a machine with your credit card and trot on off for a leisurely cycle in the midst of crazy drivers. I will go to many a museum and art gallery, especially on the first Sunday of the month when many are free (I'll never not be a free-loading student) and I am going to eat many people's weight in fabulous food and wine whilst never putting on a kilo. Alongside that will be the mandatory shopping trips - the sales are up to 70% off! As well as the days trips to the beach and a look-see at Grenoble so I can plan how I will spend the winter holidays camped out at my sister's apartment, boarding whatever slopes surround the town.

Ah, to be living rent-free at your parents flat in Paris. Perhaps I shall be a less economic-minded whilst I am here.

Scratch that last bit – I do not want to be one of those university students who still call their parents ‘Mummy’ & ‘Daddy’ and rely on them for everything. Any self-respect would be out the window. Good thing I have Paris to distract me from those snobs and their complaints.

Farewell to Flintoff

2009-07-19T13:54:00.000+02:00

One day before the second Ashes test between Australia and England kicks off, Andrew Flintoff, Britain’s golden boy, announced his retirement from test cricket. An all-rounder, Flintoff played 76 times for his countries in his 11 year Test career, becoming a national hero in 2005 after the successful 2-1 Ashes series which saw England regain the trophy for the first time in 18 years. After four ankle operations and a recent knee surgery Flintoff has finally acknowledged that his ‘body has told me it’s time to stop.’ He plans to retire from test cricket after the Ashes series finishes, and will concentrate on One-dayers instead. "For my own sanity I can't keep going through rehabilitation, I think I've done two years in the past four, just rehab all the way through. "I've got four Test matches, and I'll give my utmost for England to try and contribute to an Ashes win, so that's what I'm focusing on over the next few weeks." He is commended for his commitment to the game and his team.

Many hope that this news, while not surprising or unexpected, will inspire the English team to win the series and once again regain the trophy after losing it to the Australians in 2007. BBC’s Jonathan Agnew commented on the timing of Flintoff’s announcement, decreeing it as a ‘bit of a distraction,’ and noting that the Australian camp might want to think about the motivation this might bring to the English. However, Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, said though they were surprised by the decision of the young man, the team would not be treating him any different come the Lord’s battle.
Flintoff will be missed in the game; he’s always been a great figure and an important part of the England team as a bowler and batsman. The game will lack a bit of flair with him missing.

Ah the unfairness of it all

2009-07-17T14:59:00.000+02:00

As none of you would know seeing as I began this blog only a few months ago, I was robbed last year. My room in the university halls was broken into and I lost about £1300 worth of items, including my family earrings (some pearls and opals) and also my passport. I believe it was taken simply because it was in my laptop bag and they took everything that involved my computer; I'm hoping the thieves were not out to sell it. Whatever the motive, it was stolen, whisked into the night and never seen since.
This wouldn't be so bad a drama except that it meant, as an international student, I would need to apply for a replacement copy of my student visa. Easier said than done. When I first applied for my student visa, I did it in France, going through a friend at the British Embassy, and it only took 8 days, something remarkable and virtually unheard of in France, the dilly-dally capital of the world.
When my sister, who is coming to France for a year abroad to study at the University of Grenoble, applied for her visa it took just under 2 weeks. Once again, shock and disbelief covered all of our faces.
And the main reason for this shock and disbelief was because, thanks to the new immigration laws that the British government that were passed in March 2006, all immigrants had to provide their biometrics in order to obtain an ID card for Britain. Apparently 21 of the 25 EU countries have already introduced this law into their national systems; do all those countries take quite as long in processing their applications? And how long does this wonderful, much-needed process take for the poor smhucks who need a visa to work, study, and live in these wonderful countries?

14 weeks! What in god's name can take that long to do? I understand that there are a lot of people wanting to live in the UK – over 237,000 this year in fact. Apparently a migrant now arrives every minute and as it is well-noted by every person that reads or listens to the news that all national parties want to stop that from happening. So it is understandable that the Border Agency must go through all these applications, sifting through those people with skills, those who seeking asylum and those who shouldn’t be allowed in the country. But 14 weeks still seems too long a time for that to be done. Go out and hire those unemployed people who are littering the streets and getting angrier and angrier at the government’s failures and kill two birds with one stone. Curb immigration which is something that is annoying many British people and give those disgruntled British people some more jobs. And, more importantly, don’t take so long to process our applications.
I do know that it is not only Britain who takes so long to do this, Australia and America and many other countries are probably just as bad. But what really annoyed me in this instance is that there appears to be no way of speeding up the process in urgent circumstances. As an international student my permanent residence is not in Britain obviously. I live in a house which has a set lease which in this case runs out next Sunday. After that I am effectively homeless. I also have a frail grandparent who was undergoing intensive surgery this past week, something that I would have like to possibly be there for or come afterwards if needed. Yet even though I told this to the BA I was told there was literally nothing I could do but wait. And that is what I find outrageous – they give a number to call if you urgently need your passport and visa but once you call, all they tell you is to write a letter and wait and see. The ineffectiveness of the entire process is unbelievable. They should be ashamed.

Gym wonderings

2009-07-14T10:03:00.001+02:00

It's back to pushing myself out of bed kids. For the past three weeks I have been at the gym 5 times a week doing cardio or weights and coming out of it feeling great. However, the problems haven't been at the gym; once I am there, I am there for good! I could go for longer than an hour doing weights and then some running or cycling. I love the idea of being in a gym, I feel good, I know I'm doing something healthy for my body and I know eventually I will feel and see the effects of my work.

No, the problem for me, like many people I spoke to, is just getting to the building. I live 30mins away and although it is not a hard walk by any means, even though it is definitely up some big hills, it is just the idea I have to spend 30minutes getting there before I can begin my workout. My sister, when she heard this, asked me why don't I just jog to the gym and back and say that was my workout. Valid question, one I've asked myself many a times. But my answer, as it turns out, is one that others I've spoken to use in their defence as well; I am too self-conscious to run outside. I do not believe that I would be able to run the distance to the university from my house. I think I would end up having to stop, out of breath, and walk most of it. Which I do know is stupid, and Michelle also acknowledges is silly for her to think as well. Be as it may, from the three girls I spoke to whilst at the gym running or on the cross-trainer, I would say it is a more common belief than we realise.

It's funny because once I am in the gym I will run on the cross-trainer or workout on the bike happily, not noticing how pink I get (and that is very pink) until I return to the change rooms or leave to go outside. Why do we feel safe inside the Mecca of muscled beings?
Should it not be the other way round? The old belief was that gyms are where you see the toned, muscled beautiful beings running, lifting weights and doing aerobics classes. All of this they do whilst looking amazing and never sweating. Has this image changed so dramatically that we normal people now feel safe inside those walls?

I go to a university gym where, during term time, it is filled with rugby and football lads, lacrosse and hockey girls, and the odd few who are there to increase our fitness and boost our self-image. As a water polo player I should be in good health and be reasonably fit, which I do not deny, I am. But I could stand to be a lot more so, especially because, although I can swim, running kills me. So being in a gym for me, surrounded by those girls and guys is, like Jessica said, a nightmare. Why do we do it? Why do we come at times when we know that those amazing bodies will be there? Jessica said it was a great motivation for her - seeing those girls around her served as a goal for her to get to. The only problem she had was that once she left the gym, she was always so hungry that she ate too much processed food afterwards, and put back on any calories she had worked off.

So what do we do? How do we get to be like those athletic wonders who stay fit and don’t sweat even though I’m sure they eat bad food and drink too? And why are we putting ourselves through the nightmare of working out next to them, and always feeling inadequate? Why not suck it up and run outside, in the fresh air and where we might feel good about ourselves for getting to a certain place?

The problem is society tells us that we should hide away until we become trim enough to be attractive to see run. You may see some overweight people running outside but I can guarantee that they are a small minority compared to those athletic figures out there. I think you'll find those overweight people inside a gym sweating away or, even more probable, at home doing nothing.

The one-man team returns

2009-07-10T18:33:00.001+02:00

I am a proud Australian when it comes to sports. I will support my national athletes each and every time, unless of course they do something unsavoury. But is it wrong to be excited to see our nation's biggest enemies rugby union captain return to his side? Don't get me wrong, I'm worried too - I want the Wallabies to win the Tri-Nations and I know having Richie McCaw back is a negative to that dream. But as a player I think he is fantastic.

Just like our flanker George Smith, that man is everywhere. He always plays to the full and he really does make the team that much better. Of course, come July 18th I'm sure I'll be seen screaming and pointing at the big screen whenever McCaw does yet another dodgy move in the ruck and mauls. But I'll also be that much more excited to see our boys go out against an All Blacks team that will no longer be sub-par like the ones that played against France and Italy in June. I want the Wallabies to win in the end. But I want them to win against the best and McCaw is definitely one of them.

The Williams family dominates again in all but rankings

2009-07-09T14:42:00.000+02:00

The initial underdog of the women’s Wimbledon final, Serena Williams, proved her worth this Saturday, beating older sister Venus Williams in straight sets of 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to lift her third Wimbledon trophy. She is now the current holder of three Grand Slam trophies including the US Open and the Australian Open. Her victories tally against Venus speaks of six wins and two losses in all Grand Slam finals.

Dominating the serve with 12 aces compared to 2 from Venus, Serena pushed her sister to a first set tiebreak which she happily won. The second set was over once Venus double-faulted in the sixth game, handing Serena a 4-2 game lead. The match ended with a backhand error from Venus that denied her a sixth win at on the grass court. After her victory Serena stated that though she was very proud to win the trophy had ‘been named for Venus and she always wins.’ However, as the years have shown, Venus will have plenty of chances to win a Wimbledon final again; this is the fourth Wimbledon final played between the two sisters.

Serena is now the proud owner of 11 Grand Slam titles, just one behind the sixth all-time greatest female player Billie Jean King. She still has a way to go before reaching the top, trailing behind Steffi Graf with 22 wins to her name and Margaret Smith Court who won 24 Grand Slams. Yet what vexed Serena is the fact that though she currently is the champion of three Grand Slams she is still not World Number 1. That honour is kept by Dinara Safina of Russia, a player who is yet to win any Grand Slams but who has played at a consistently high level in more tournaments than both sisters. At the post-game interview both players were asked how they regarded this possible flaw in the Women’s Tennis Association, with Serena declaring that ‘I'd rather definitely be No. 2 and hold three Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any.’

There have been a number of players, female and male, commenting recently on the logic of the WTA rankings decreeing that those who win the big tournaments should be number one. The logic behind the WTA is that those players can do that, if they are to show a commitment to the smaller events on the tour as well. This is a criticism that has been levelled at the Williams sisters often; they participate in the Grand Slams but their commitment to the tour on a whole is lacking. Should Serena believe it to be unfair that she is not No.1 perhaps they can rectify it and make the tournaments more popular with greater amounts of viewers tuning in to see some great players.

A tangled web of secrets

2009-07-09T09:42:00.000+02:00

Lote Tuqiri, a superstar of Rugby League and Union, was sacked without warning by the Australian Rugby Union on Monday, June 29th 2009. With the reasons behind the actions not being made public, the country and remaining Wallabies players are all wondering what went wrong this time. Tuqiri had been involved in many off-field misdemeanours in the past, and was warned by the ARU that any further incidences would be detrimental to his rugby career. Indeed the decision to sack him seemed to come following an investigation into a recent incident at the players’ hotel.

A one-time constant in the Wallabies line-up, Tuqiri has not played for the past four international tests, having been overlooked for younger, faster players, including Lachie Turner and Drew Mitchell. Robbie Deans, the Australian coach declared that though he had a good relationship with the player, he fully supported the ARU’s decision, having been consulted during the process.

This cannot be said for the Wallabies players however. Captain Stirling Mortlock pointed out that ‘the unfortunate thing for us is that no one in the group actually knows what has happened.’ According to the Rugby Union Player’s Association this has left some of the men intimidated and fearful of the ARU. Tony Dempsey, Chief Executive of the RUPA declared there to be an ‘iron curtain’ between the players and senior management and stated that the RUPA would be leading its own investigation into the conduct of the ARU’s recent actions.

For Tuqiri, whose world ‘was turned upside down’ on the 29th June, he is fighting back. On the 9th of July Tuqiri's lawyers began proceedings against the ARU for a breach in of contract at the New South Wales’ Supreme Court. The first hearing is due to be on August 7th.

Gyms; worthwhile or wasteful?

2009-07-01T16:25:00.000+02:00

I am not a very athletic person. Whilst I love to watch sports – don’t get me started on rugby union – I am not the fastest or the strongest person around. Far from it in fact, I am perfectly content to sit down in the sun with a bottle of water and read a book. Running around with a ball and shouting can be fun but only occasionally – and when it’s not too cold or too hot.
So the question begs – why do I belong to a gym and why did I buy the platinum membership rather than the cheapest choice? What is it about the gym that makes me want to do exercise? Currently the walk to that building is killing me, so how come, once I’m in there, all I want to do is work out for 45 minutes to an hour? I walk outside my house onto a perfectly good road and yet, there are very few times where I suddenly think, ‘I know, I’ll just start running and see where I end up!’
Last time I went regularly to the gym without someone dragging me there was during my final year of high school. Many girls I’ve spoken to about this say the same thing, but instead of me trying to fit into a final year ball gown, I was trying to fit into the high ranks of my PE A level class, where I was surrounded by rugby and football boys, and one hockey girl. I wanted to prove not that I could have the perfect body (although that was a good motivator), but that I could last as long as all of they could on the pitch regardless whether I had skill or not. I had to write a Personal Exercise Programme for that class, and I damn well stuck to it. I found that the motivation of beating the others was really useful, and yet, I don’t play that many competitive sports. Don’t get me wrong, I do like competing but because I am never the best or one of them straight away, my motivation slips quickly.
So why, after all this time, am I back in the gym, getting excited about the different leg and arm exercises I am about to do? And will I be able to keep going with my regime when I am not competing for something out of it? Is this the same with everyone who joins a gym? Do they start enthusiastic and quickly give up? Or do the majority of big spenders stick with it through the pain of tight muscles, the healthy, carb-filled diet and the humiliation of not running quite as fast as the girl next to you? I guess I’ll find out over the next couple of weeks as I run my heart out (well, probably just slightly) and talk to the random people I find along the way about why they do it, and what they get out of it. Anyone want to join in the competition?

Pointless and shielded

2009-06-18T11:08:00.000+02:00

For one of the biggest and possibility greatest parliaments of our world, these EU elections were pathetic. Not only did we see the lowest average turnout of 43% since the European Union was formed after WW2 but those parties that did achieve higher votes were either centre-right or openly racist parties.

In Britain, the public that voted chose The Conservative party, the UK Independence Party, both blatant eurosceptics. Those people who were even more annoyed with the levels of immigration into Britain and, apparently, many disgruntled Labour party supporters, turned to the racist British National Party who won 2seats, their best yet.

What is it about the European Union that has British people so defensive? Those who believe they will lose their national sovereignty are misinformed - though the Supranational institutions have gained power over the years, the nation-states still remain, and will for a long time, the front runners in the governing of the EU.

One of the main arguments from the BNP and other eurosceptic parties is that these free borders allow mass immigration into Britain. These people then steal British jobs and take advantage of not paying the taxes, blah, blah, blah. Whilst I do see their point that mass immigration can be disadvantageous, it can also be good for the nation's economy. Most of these immigrants are either skilled workers, educated citizens or, at the very least, motivated to make money and support their families, who often are left in their home country. These immigrants come to Britain, learn a trade or work productively for a few years and then leave again. What many British students whom I have talked to do not seem to realise that the problem is not the immigrants working in Britain, but them leaving after a few years, leaving spaces in the job market which are often not filled by British citizens because they are either not of the skill, motivation, or regard said jobs as beneath them.

Students I have spoken to often say that they're going to lose their jobs to immigrants once they graduate because immigrants can work longer for less pay, making them more economically desirable. However, as a Law student noted, this is not so for graduate jobs; immigrants who are qualified for the positions will be able to demand the same pay through equality laws. This undercut in pay may happen in labour work, but then that's what trade unions are for; fighting to keep it equal. Why not include the immigrants rather than ostracise them?

Final point on immigrants - Ireland voted NO in the referendum earlier, but enjoyed a boom in its economy, which lead to high immigration of Polish workers. These workers made their money helped the economy prosper and now that it has hit the country badly, the Polish workers have returned home to wait the crisis out. They are not putting extra pressure on the Irish economy nor taking the few jobs from Irish citizens. Rather they have gone home to lower-paying but regular jobs, at least until the economic crisis improves. Once it does, perhaps they will be back and help add skilled workers to the nation.

For Britain, Denmark and Ireland, amongst other nation states, there is also the worry that the nation will lose their sovereignty. This would be due to the loss of power of national parliaments as more and more national legislature is derived from those working in Brussels, forcing the countries to operate through European laws, not their national ones. Apparently very few British feel they have a European identity, just a British one. Fair enough, it is your choice on how much you like the EU and believe it is worthwhile. But wouldn't it be better for the current government, a non-eurosceptic party, who needed a high vote in these elections to raise the profile of the EU more so? There was little publicity about the votes - many students I spoke to, three in my house alone, didn't even know there were elections happening. Others said that they knew but didn't care because the policies do not affect them. And even some told me that they voted as a protest against the government, not actually because they believed in what the other political groups were advocating. This is a common occurrence in the EP elections, especially in Britain and France, something I find ridiculous - these people obviously realise that their votes count, and that the EP is different to their national parliaments so why would they waste their vote on national drama? The answer to this conundrum is this; nearly all national parties ran their campaigns on national and local issues, not European ones, and in this, gave the wrong impression of what the EP focuses upon.

Voting in the European elections should be something exciting and worthwhile, something that makes the public think about how they want the EU to be run and what they want from it. It should not be a time for parties to promote racist views or a protest movement against national governments. The EU needs to improve its legitimacy as to decrease the ever growing democratic deficit that plagues the institution. It also needs to improve its communication with the public in order for them all to understand what the point of the EU is; to improve trade and democracy in Europe, not to allow supranational institutions to take as much power from the nation-states as possible. Perhaps if the world economic crisis improves, we may see a change in heart toward the EU. But until then, expect more eurosceptics to come out of the woodwork and more boycotts against any EU issues.

Rugby love

2009-06-03T09:55:00.000+02:00

Tis the season...for rugby matches!
There are so many games over the next few months, it's fantastic! Not only is the Lions Tour of South Africa beginning (well, began with a scrappy win against a regional group) but there are also the Barbarians playing Australia this weekend, where we get to see Sonny Bill Williams play in his first international for his new code.
I am quite interested in seeing him play - I had never heard of the guy until I was back in Australia at the time he walked out of his rugby league club to go play for Toulon in France.
But the best news of the week has got to be the fact that Elsom has resigned with the Wallabies and will start playing for the Brumbies! Yes, go Canberra!

So even though this weekend, (9.30am British time) he'll be playing for the Baabaas in Sydney along with what seems to be half of New Zealand, he'll be back playing for the Wallabies come next week! For those of you who don't know, Rocky Elsom has been playing for Leinster in Ireland for the past year. Not only was he playing fantastic, he played a bit part in their victory in the Heineken Cup final over Leicester. And now he'll be back playing for Australia, just in time for the Tri-Nations!

Just for laughs; Australia invades New Zealand

2009-06-01T00:15:00.000+02:00

After reading my just-published post about my housemate, I felt slightly immature about writing it all out but at the same time I didn't want to delete the post. My parents raised to me to talk about what angers, frustrates, hurts me, and also what makes me laugh. So rather than deleting said post, I want to add another one for the night, in order to relax and give everyone, especially any Aussies out there, a laugh.

Now, I love New Zealand. I believe every Australian does, albeit secretly a lot of the time. It's just that much more fun to make fun of the way they say '6' and 'fish and chups'. I've met many Kiwis on my travels, tons at the Oktoberfest(!) and also here in England. They're great fun to hang out and have a drink with, laughing about how bad the English are at rugby and cricket.

However, as this clip shows - they have a beautiful country...and it's ours for the taking!

Bane of my existance

2009-05-31T23:27:00.000+02:00

There are many things that vex me, some strange and silly, things that don't make sense to anyone else and resulting in those people concluding that I am weird and not to be taken seriously. Different things on the other hand, they make sense and can anger or annoy even the most relaxed person.

Now, I can't say for sure that this is the area of my life, anyone's life that I cannot stand being out of order. But it is definitely top 3.

Why, oh why, do some people think that they can create messes in the house that they share with other people and not bother to clean it up? My housemate, who has already stated several times that she "doesn't like or care for any of [us] and so doesn't feel the need to do anything in the house." Now, I can understand that in group houses some people just don't get on with the others and keep out of everyone's way. We have another housemate who doesn't love or hate any of us, but prefers to stay in his room doing his own thing.

But how can you justify claims that you are a "very clean person," and complain bitterly on end about the disgustingness of the boys in the house, when you never vacuum or help clean the house? And how can you think of yourself as a good person, someone people would want to live with, when you clog the kitchen sink pipes with food and the shower ones with hair, and then demand others clear said pipes? That, as my family and friends have all decreed over these past nine months, reeks of an inconsiderate, selfish pig.

And what exactly are we, the housemates who clean and care about our house, meant to do? We can ask, demand or yell that she fixes her messes up but there is no way of forcing her to do so. We could write to her parents but I can safely bet she has been on the blower to them all year round complaining about us and how we bully her - which we do not; if we had it our way, we just would not see her, but she keeps coming to complain. So what is there left to do? I plan on letting the landlord know of these problems and requesting that should there be any more when he gets the house back, he charge her for the costs. However, seeing as there are 5 other people in the house for at least another couple of weeks I doubt there will be, since we'll have fixed the sink and shower. Perhaps though, we can give her back all her hair and food. Immature I know, but possibly effective in making her leave earlier than originally planned. At this point, having put up with her crap for 9 months, I'll take any solution.

Picture of the Week

2009-05-30T16:49:00.000+02:00

A sweet photo for all dog lovers. This bar is in the inner suburbs of Paris, where they welcome all creatures of Parisian life. My little dog loves this place since he stops there for a quick drink before he comes inside where they provide him with a bowl anyway.

Everybody dance now...

2009-05-26T23:27:00.000+02:00

except we won't because the liberal state of California has once more decided that homosexual couples do not deserve the same rights that heterosexuals do, as seen here. And yet, they have 'allowed' the 18 000 gay marriages that had already happened to remain legitimate. Talk about being wishy-washy.

If I were one of the couples that were allowed to remained married in the eyes of the California state government, I wonder what I would do. There's the pro-side that, hey, they're still allowed to be married, but on the negative road, they are remaining in between the heterosexual who have no trouble getting married, and the other homosexuals who are denied their desires.
Would you throw in your lot with the others, and say that until we all win the right to marry freely in our state, none of us will? Or would you remain on the fence in this sense, and feel slightly guilty that you are being treated differently to the others?

It's a sad day in the world when a supposedly liberal state of the wealthiest nation decree that gays & lesbians are not entitled to the same rights as others, whilst the state of Iowa and other
countries including Belgium, UK and New Zealand all believe in same-sex marriage. In a country where the church and state are separate, who is to decide whether same-sex marriages are sinful and not to be recognised? Full-hearted support to all those who turn out to protest against this decision over the next few months/years.

Procrastinations

2009-05-26T19:53:00.000+02:00

If anyone is noticing/reading, they will see that I have updated more in the past day than I did when I first began this blog oh so long ago. It's very bad of me - as a wannabe journalist I justify my actions writing here as practice for my future career and therefore very important. Whilst I don't deny that it may help my skills, or lack of, I do note that this is not the best time to concentrating on my blog. This would be because I am about a week away from my first three final exams of the year. How I hate my lack of study abilities - I have found so many thing I NEED to do in the past few weeks, including clean my room, go through my clothes, even scrub my group house's oven, which believe me was something I have never thought to do before, and shall never do again...on the plus side, it is very shiny now!

As a scholar I suck. I have no memory for any political or historical events of any kind unless they have to do with Russian communism or American Cold War tactics. And seeing as I am currently studying African conflicts and Middle Eastern democracy, these issues don't come up as much as you'd think. I think I chose the wrong degree - instead of doing History and Politics, I should have studied TV media - I can tell you so much about different shows such as Gossip Girl, Private Practice and How I met your mother it's embarrassing. My father often comments that if I could recite the facts taught in my classes like I can about Seachange (Aussie drama circa 1998-2000) then I'd be a genius. How I wish he was right.

Instead, I am now contemplating how I can learn an entire module about EU public policy in three days, and so far my answer is through wikipedia. Unless anyone happens to know anything about how the European Union works?

Wanderings; Prague

2009-05-26T15:18:00.000+02:00

My blog is going to be filled with many different subjects, one of which will be my travels. After living in Western Europe for 7 years, I have only been to the Eastern countries twice. Once was with my final year History class to Russia, and more recently with my mother, when we went to Prague. Over the weeks more pictures will go up of this wonderful city, showing off the different art nouveau buildings as well as the numerous historical sites in the city.
This photo is of the Municipal Hall in the middle of the city. It's used by all for events, and has a speical room that is used by the mayor when he entertains or holds meetings. The outside may not be amazing, though it is beautiful, but the inside is outstanding. It literally encompasses the style of art nouveau and should not be missed by anyone visiting this beautiful city. You can see paintings done by the world-famous artist Mucha during the tours, and at night listen to talented opera and chorale singers in the hall. What could be better?

Tastings

2009-05-26T12:36:00.000+02:00

Another review I'm afraid, but hopefully one that everyone will appreciate - after all, it's all about food.
In the small town of Exeter, on a student budget, I must admit that I do not get to explore many medium to high cost restaurants, of which there seem to be more than I originally believed. However, one medium priced restaurant my friends and I found last year and fell in love with is Al Farid, a Moroccan themed restaurant with a shisha balcony. With a small, cushion scattered bottom floor and a more ordered dining room upstairs, this restaurant has a calming, quiet atmosphere that allows everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.
The wine is varied and good, but what you're really after is the food. Although you can order a la carte, my recommendation would be the all-you-can-eat tapas menu. A bit pricey - around £24 per person, but still worth it. The first serving is different dips, including hummus and baba ganoush with never ending pitta bread. My only advice at this point is that whilst you enjoy all the different tastes, don't eat too much! There is tons to come.
After you have had your fill of different middle eastern dips, the waitresses bring out the chef's choices for your second serving of tapas. The best here for me are always the garlic prawns and the pastries - chicken, feta or spinach, all fantastic. You can order more and more rounds of whatever plates you like after this first round, so make sure you keep a menu with you and try everything!
What you need to know before you go to the restaurant is that these guys will not allow any doggy-bags. A pity as I would love to order as much as I can and then take it home but that's what every student wants to do, hence why they don't allow it. Our solution is just not to eat beforehand, although that doesn't always work out.
After eating in Paris, London, Sydney and New York amongst other places, I can say in confidence that this is one of the better tapas restaurants I've been too. The service is good, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is very calming. If you come to Exeter, definitely check it out.

Music Talk

2009-05-25T14:22:00.000+02:00

As you can see I am having trouble filling my blog. This is not due to a lack of ideas, believe me - I have several posts going, just none of them that are worthy of being published.
However, my new idea is that in the midst of writing full length posts, I am going to put little reviews of different places, people and events that I like or even love. These will include cafes and restaurants, bars, bands and actors, TV shows, movies and any prominent people I believe in.

To start things off, I would like to introduce one of the best bands of Australia, at least at the moment, and my favourites; Bliss N Eso.

I'm not too sure how many people outside Australia know of these guys, but I do recommend going on their MYSPACE and checking out some of their songs. They are a hip-hop group emerging in the past few years, similar to Hilltop Hoods, another aussie group. An English friend to whom I introduced their CD loves them, and compares them to Eminem for their passion and emotion.
Their last album was released over a year ago and according to their site, has remained in the Album Charts ever since. Definitely their most famous song outside Australia would be 'The Sea is Rising', but I am yet to hear a bad song on that CD. My favourite at the moment is 'Field of Dreams', it is fantastic.

Powerful beats, memorable lines with just amazing vigour. I recommend these guys over anyone if you like hip-hop or rap. They're a fantastic way to learn about Australia styles of music.

http://www.myspace.com/blissneso

G'day, g'day!

2009-05-05T21:54:00.000+02:00

As you will all be able to tell as my blog begins to fill up, I am an amateur writer, a budding journalist, without the skills necessary to get me my dream job. At least not yet. But like everyone is now saying, blogs are the way to go when we want to practice our writing and get our names out there...even if it's our screen names that no-one else may understand. At the very least, the feeling of accomplishment is settling in my stomach, not unlike a lead balloon, but hopefully that feeling will soon be a bit lighter and I won't want to delete anything that gets put up.

Quick lowdown on who I am;

20-something student wanting to be a sports journalist, specialising in rugby and tennis - obviously not ambitious at all.
Currently studying nothing that has to do with sport, unless you want to compare African/Middle Eastern fighting to football players diving.
Apparently living in one of the rainiest places in England, which is definitely saying something. However, I have been told this summer we just might hit 30 degrees - got to say, I can't wait to feel a little bit warmer.
Living with 5 other people, one which we never see, one which I wish we saw less of and three others that either love rugby, summer and surfing or dancing. I myself love all of those but am a bit too shy to go dancing often...and no-one wants to play rugby with me - I'm just that good.

Now, I'm not quite sure how to sign off on this, but as I haven't told anyone about this blog yet, I doubt I should be too worried. Ciao, expect lots of drabbles, followed by a drought for god knows how long.