One of my New Years resolutions was to lose weight, specifically, I want to be blow 110kgs by end of year. One month into the new year and I'm not doing well. I'm still walking regularly but am missing the odd day heere and there. My diet could be better and when I do walk, I don't push as hard as I have done in the past. In short I am not in "The Zone".
There are a couple of things that may be holding me back. Firstly, when I was enormous, I used to think that losing weight was the answer to all my problems. I could lose the weight, then finding friends would be easy, I'd find Miss Right, she wouldn't be turned off by my size and I would live happily ever after. In practice, losing weight is a help but not the answer to everything - I still have confidence issues to deal with. Secondly - I am addicted to sweets and junk food. My dad blames this on my mum drinking sweetened powdered milk when she was pregnant and when I was a baby but in reality, both my parents and three out of four grandparents are or were overweight and my issues could well be genetic.
The best motivation I have right now is news that my friend is getting married in November. My suil looks much better when I am a few kilos lighter. My challenge now is to get back into the zone. i'm still at a stage whereby I look at myself disappointed and swear that I'll start my diet tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes. Hopefully getting this off my chest is the catalyst for getting to tomorrow.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Going to the polls on September 14
I love my politics and my political arguments with my dad. December and January are traditional political quiet months. Radio discussion dies down and most times you see them on TV, they are at some disaster site front line giving relief to some distressed citizens in front of a news camera.
I went for my lunchtime walk at work today and was shocked when my boss told me that Gillard had called an election. I was even more shocked when I heard how far away it was. 227 days is a lot of notice.My initial thoughts were that she was mad - why give her opposition so much notice? this is unprecedented in history and will be one of the most dragged out election campaigns on record.
I was then thinking about it a little more and read her statement online, and I see the logic in the decision. Firstly, it puts Kevin Rudd at bay and makes it more difficult for him to assume the Prime Ministership again as they will be in campaign mode. Secondly, as Gillard said in her speech, it is one less thing for the media to speculate about and gives them more time to focus on policy on slow news days. Thirdly, A September election was always on the cards and the window for an election is only about 3 months.
My father, the staunch liberal, couldn't wait to put the boot in. "Shes a liar! she said that she is doing to give Australia certainty but she is really doing it out of self interest!" Well dad, no surprises there, 99% of politicians look out for their self interest and will take an opportunity when they have it.
Time will prove if it is a stroke of genius of a complete flop, but good on her for having the courage to do something different.
I went for my lunchtime walk at work today and was shocked when my boss told me that Gillard had called an election. I was even more shocked when I heard how far away it was. 227 days is a lot of notice.My initial thoughts were that she was mad - why give her opposition so much notice? this is unprecedented in history and will be one of the most dragged out election campaigns on record.
I was then thinking about it a little more and read her statement online, and I see the logic in the decision. Firstly, it puts Kevin Rudd at bay and makes it more difficult for him to assume the Prime Ministership again as they will be in campaign mode. Secondly, as Gillard said in her speech, it is one less thing for the media to speculate about and gives them more time to focus on policy on slow news days. Thirdly, A September election was always on the cards and the window for an election is only about 3 months.
My father, the staunch liberal, couldn't wait to put the boot in. "Shes a liar! she said that she is doing to give Australia certainty but she is really doing it out of self interest!" Well dad, no surprises there, 99% of politicians look out for their self interest and will take an opportunity when they have it.
Time will prove if it is a stroke of genius of a complete flop, but good on her for having the courage to do something different.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Lets get ready to Rumble!
I have mentioned before that the Royal Rumble is one of my favourite wrestling PPV's. This years Royal Rumble was contested this week and I watched it at home with my dad and my uncle.
I found last years Royal Rumble to be high in comedy value but deficient in star power - there were really only a couple of wrestlers with any real chance and the winner was rather predictable. Despite having some memorable spots (Foley and Santino, Kingston handwalking) It was one of the most disappointing rumbles I had seen and I thought that they pushed the comedy element too far.
It is normal for Rumbles to have a thin card as the Rumble is a lengthy match. This rumble had four matches. They started with a championship match between Big Show and Del Rio. Del Rio was never going to lose, having won the title only 3 weeks ago and receiving a pre match pep talk from the legendary Bret Hart, but the manner in which he won was very creative. They then moved into the tag team championship match - Hell No vs the Road Scholars. Hell No isn't as fun when they are at peace with each other, but predictably retained the tag belts and followed on with their self toxic rivalry.
In a break from tradition, they went straight into the rumble. From the minute Cena announced his entry into the rumble at the start of the year you had the feeling he was going to win it. There were some nice surprises along the way. Seeing Jehrico come in at No.2 had me cheering - and the crowd appreciated it too. He had quite a run in the rumble and made it pretty deep. I felt the same way when Goldust entered the ring. I was a little suprised when Godfather ended the ring (I thought Brodus Clay had assumed that role and Godfather was way too old for the match) but he was disposed of quickly). There were good comedy spots and story telling but it wasn't overdone like last year. As predicted, Cena took it out.
Then came the main event. This had to be a good one to be billed after the rumble and it was on paper. Two of the best talkers in the business - The champ, having held the title for over a year and one of the longest reigns in history, C.M. Punk versus the prodigal son and movie star, probably the best known name in the business right now returning for his first match in about 6 months, The Rock. I had high expectations but was going for the heel and current champ even though the event was primed for a Rock victory. I was actually disappoiunted in the match itself - it was a little boring and lacked flair. It was nothing compared to Rovk vs Cena at WrestleMania last year. I had my cheer when there was a false ending but the predictable winner won.
All in all, the event was enjoyable but far too predictable. The Rumble waa a good match, there were several creative spots and endings and wasn't a complete waste of time but all the faces won (and as a guy who likes heels, this was a little disappointing). Looks like it will be Rock vs Cena at WrestleMania - interesting particularly as last year was billed as "Once in a lifetime"
I found last years Royal Rumble to be high in comedy value but deficient in star power - there were really only a couple of wrestlers with any real chance and the winner was rather predictable. Despite having some memorable spots (Foley and Santino, Kingston handwalking) It was one of the most disappointing rumbles I had seen and I thought that they pushed the comedy element too far.
 | ||
| Royal Rumble 2013 Poster |
It is normal for Rumbles to have a thin card as the Rumble is a lengthy match. This rumble had four matches. They started with a championship match between Big Show and Del Rio. Del Rio was never going to lose, having won the title only 3 weeks ago and receiving a pre match pep talk from the legendary Bret Hart, but the manner in which he won was very creative. They then moved into the tag team championship match - Hell No vs the Road Scholars. Hell No isn't as fun when they are at peace with each other, but predictably retained the tag belts and followed on with their self toxic rivalry.
In a break from tradition, they went straight into the rumble. From the minute Cena announced his entry into the rumble at the start of the year you had the feeling he was going to win it. There were some nice surprises along the way. Seeing Jehrico come in at No.2 had me cheering - and the crowd appreciated it too. He had quite a run in the rumble and made it pretty deep. I felt the same way when Goldust entered the ring. I was a little suprised when Godfather ended the ring (I thought Brodus Clay had assumed that role and Godfather was way too old for the match) but he was disposed of quickly). There were good comedy spots and story telling but it wasn't overdone like last year. As predicted, Cena took it out.
Then came the main event. This had to be a good one to be billed after the rumble and it was on paper. Two of the best talkers in the business - The champ, having held the title for over a year and one of the longest reigns in history, C.M. Punk versus the prodigal son and movie star, probably the best known name in the business right now returning for his first match in about 6 months, The Rock. I had high expectations but was going for the heel and current champ even though the event was primed for a Rock victory. I was actually disappoiunted in the match itself - it was a little boring and lacked flair. It was nothing compared to Rovk vs Cena at WrestleMania last year. I had my cheer when there was a false ending but the predictable winner won.
All in all, the event was enjoyable but far too predictable. The Rumble waa a good match, there were several creative spots and endings and wasn't a complete waste of time but all the faces won (and as a guy who likes heels, this was a little disappointing). Looks like it will be Rock vs Cena at WrestleMania - interesting particularly as last year was billed as "Once in a lifetime"
Monday, 28 January 2013
Wet Wet Wet
Today is the Australia Day Public Holiday. I tried to go for a walk this morning but the weather had other ideas. It has been a constant downpour from morning to night and my activities have been rather restricted.
My biggest achievement today was goiing through my clothes and getting rid of alot of them. I have not done this in years, some of my clothes were bought when I was much larger, others are starting to fade and some are just out of fashion and i'll probably never wear.
In sorting through my clothes, I found several pieces of sleepwear that I forgot I had bought and one or two shirts to move into my work rotation (just as well as I was due to buy a few more!).
The hardest thing I found about doing this is that I hate waste, I try not to collect and accumulate things but once I own something, I hoard it. The clothes I am getting rid of will not be missed, but the thought of getting rid of them out is difficult nonetheless.
I now have two big bags full of clothes that will meet the next charity bin I find. It is a shame that I couldn't make more out of the day but at least it wasn't a complete waste of time.
My biggest achievement today was goiing through my clothes and getting rid of alot of them. I have not done this in years, some of my clothes were bought when I was much larger, others are starting to fade and some are just out of fashion and i'll probably never wear.
In sorting through my clothes, I found several pieces of sleepwear that I forgot I had bought and one or two shirts to move into my work rotation (just as well as I was due to buy a few more!).
The hardest thing I found about doing this is that I hate waste, I try not to collect and accumulate things but once I own something, I hoard it. The clothes I am getting rid of will not be missed, but the thought of getting rid of them out is difficult nonetheless.
I now have two big bags full of clothes that will meet the next charity bin I find. It is a shame that I couldn't make more out of the day but at least it wasn't a complete waste of time.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Rain can't tear us apart.
Today is a rather sacred day for me - It is on this day 12 years ago that tubby died. When I composed my list of new years resolutions, one of them was a catch-up with my uni friends. by co-incidence, today was planned for that day.
Upon learning that all of my friends were free today a week or so ago, I had planned a BBQ at a park. One of my friends has 2 young kids and is not very mobile.so the park seemed reasonable. We had all planned to do our little bit and being meats, salads, drinks, etc. I was looking forward to it.
The weather had other ideas. It had been constantly raining all morning. In a scramble, we were looking for an alternative venue (ie another friend to host). I like at home and my sister was over today so I was out and one by one my friends ruled themselves out. It bacame incerasingly clear by mid morning that the BBQ was not going to happen.
After a hasty conversation with one of my friends it became increasingly clear that the meetup was unlikely, but he did not want to pull the pin until all avenues were exhausted. I suggested lunch at a club and fortunately for my friend with kids, he suggested a sailing club not too far away that had good food and stunning views. We put back the meet-up a couple of hours and it was game on.
It was fun playing with my friends kids. It was the first time I had met the youngest one. He must have been around 8 months old. The older one was around 3. He was fearless and enjoyed jumping in the puddles the rain left behind. I found myself playing with his kids as much as catching up with my uni friends.
I was glad that the rain had not prevented the meetup - I had almost given up hope. Tubby was not mentioned, but was in my thoughts. This is the first of my resolutions that I can cross off my list, however, I hope it is not the last one this year.
Upon learning that all of my friends were free today a week or so ago, I had planned a BBQ at a park. One of my friends has 2 young kids and is not very mobile.so the park seemed reasonable. We had all planned to do our little bit and being meats, salads, drinks, etc. I was looking forward to it.
The weather had other ideas. It had been constantly raining all morning. In a scramble, we were looking for an alternative venue (ie another friend to host). I like at home and my sister was over today so I was out and one by one my friends ruled themselves out. It bacame incerasingly clear by mid morning that the BBQ was not going to happen.
After a hasty conversation with one of my friends it became increasingly clear that the meetup was unlikely, but he did not want to pull the pin until all avenues were exhausted. I suggested lunch at a club and fortunately for my friend with kids, he suggested a sailing club not too far away that had good food and stunning views. We put back the meet-up a couple of hours and it was game on.
It was fun playing with my friends kids. It was the first time I had met the youngest one. He must have been around 8 months old. The older one was around 3. He was fearless and enjoyed jumping in the puddles the rain left behind. I found myself playing with his kids as much as catching up with my uni friends.
I was glad that the rain had not prevented the meetup - I had almost given up hope. Tubby was not mentioned, but was in my thoughts. This is the first of my resolutions that I can cross off my list, however, I hope it is not the last one this year.
Saturday, 26 January 2013
My first T20
After my dramas trying to give away a T20 ticket, I was fortunate enough to find an old school friend willing to go. I was lucky that my Sri Lankan friend was already going with his brother, so a third friend took the chance. The weather reports predicted rain and possible thunderstorms (kryptonite for cricket) but we took our chances regardless.
We met up at the brewery bar beforehand and had an early dinner at the bistro. Our seats were not close to my friends so we did our reminiscence before the game. It had been 3 years since I had seen these guys so was a little surprised that the conversation was focused on school days and not current times.
We finally made it for the start of the game. It was odd watching cricket at Homebush - the modular ground made the concourse narrow and the field felt more square than round. The outfield was slow, making for a low scoring match. Our seats were square of the wicket near an end - not terrible but not ideal either. Australia batted first but made a low total that you felt wasn't enough.
In the interval we found our Sri Lankan friend. His seats were near the side screen and much better than ours. There were a few free seats in front of him so we relocated. Sri Lanka were off to a good start in their innings but faltered near the middle of their innings, before finishing off the job and winning on our national day.
It was interesting to see the innovations that were made to make the game more interesting to fans. There was music snippets at regular intervals, an Australian / Sri Lankan dance off every time there was on - field action, Good Charlotte played in the interval, fancy dress competitions and there was regular twitter messages posted on the big screens.
Australia may not have won but at least the weather held off and I had a good time and I can cross 'attend a T20 game' off my things to do list.
We met up at the brewery bar beforehand and had an early dinner at the bistro. Our seats were not close to my friends so we did our reminiscence before the game. It had been 3 years since I had seen these guys so was a little surprised that the conversation was focused on school days and not current times.
We finally made it for the start of the game. It was odd watching cricket at Homebush - the modular ground made the concourse narrow and the field felt more square than round. The outfield was slow, making for a low scoring match. Our seats were square of the wicket near an end - not terrible but not ideal either. Australia batted first but made a low total that you felt wasn't enough.
 |
| Original seating. |
 |
| Upgraded seating = Coming out onto the ground. |
 |
| Upgraded seating during play |
It was interesting to see the innovations that were made to make the game more interesting to fans. There was music snippets at regular intervals, an Australian / Sri Lankan dance off every time there was on - field action, Good Charlotte played in the interval, fancy dress competitions and there was regular twitter messages posted on the big screens.
 |
| Good Charlotte - interval entertainment. |
Friday, 25 January 2013
Looking after Tubby
My fathers side of the family put great value in looking after the deceased. He will always visit my Grandfathers grave every Christmas and Easter, usually taking my grandmother along and sometimes I would tag along.
It should come as no suprrise that some of the tradition has worn off on me. 12 years ago, my best friend died suddenly. It had had a huge affect on my life - If I were to get married, Tubby would have been the obvious choice of best man, now I honestly wouldn't know who to pick. As much as possible, I've tried to make a tradition of visiting his grave once a year around this time of year - i missed a couple of years around the 5 year mark but have been pretty regular the last 5 or so years and have myself into a routine.
The hardest part is getting there. He is a good hour and a half away from where I live. He is close to his parents bit it isn effort for me to get there. Fortunately, he is not too far away from work, so I'll usually try to get a 1/2 hour early mark, duck into a florist, buy a bunch of white roses, get to the cemetery, clean any dirt/webs around his headstone, say a prayer and head off home.
At first I felt like I was doing it for him. Regardless of where you are in the religious debate, no one can prove without shadow of a doubt what happens when you die. If there is a shimmer of hope that your soul lives on, then I want Tubby to know that I haven't forgotten about him and will never forget him. After I mussed a few years, I felt really guilty and realised that I do it as much for him as I do for me - I look forward to the ritual and feel satisfied once it is completed.
I wonder what his parents must think. I suspect that they know somebody visits as they must see my flowers. They replace the artificial flowers when they become aged so must still visit at least semi regularly, I don't think they know who visits. The way he died was quite tragic and sudden and I still think they blame some of my friends for his death, regardless, for better or worse I had no involvement.
In any case, I miss you tubby.
It should come as no suprrise that some of the tradition has worn off on me. 12 years ago, my best friend died suddenly. It had had a huge affect on my life - If I were to get married, Tubby would have been the obvious choice of best man, now I honestly wouldn't know who to pick. As much as possible, I've tried to make a tradition of visiting his grave once a year around this time of year - i missed a couple of years around the 5 year mark but have been pretty regular the last 5 or so years and have myself into a routine.
The hardest part is getting there. He is a good hour and a half away from where I live. He is close to his parents bit it isn effort for me to get there. Fortunately, he is not too far away from work, so I'll usually try to get a 1/2 hour early mark, duck into a florist, buy a bunch of white roses, get to the cemetery, clean any dirt/webs around his headstone, say a prayer and head off home.
At first I felt like I was doing it for him. Regardless of where you are in the religious debate, no one can prove without shadow of a doubt what happens when you die. If there is a shimmer of hope that your soul lives on, then I want Tubby to know that I haven't forgotten about him and will never forget him. After I mussed a few years, I felt really guilty and realised that I do it as much for him as I do for me - I look forward to the ritual and feel satisfied once it is completed.
I wonder what his parents must think. I suspect that they know somebody visits as they must see my flowers. They replace the artificial flowers when they become aged so must still visit at least semi regularly, I don't think they know who visits. The way he died was quite tragic and sudden and I still think they blame some of my friends for his death, regardless, for better or worse I had no involvement.
In any case, I miss you tubby.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
My Dilemma
There is a Twenty 20 cricket international this Saturday between Australia and Sri Lanka. My youngest sisters husband had a couple of free tickets to this and offered me a seat next to him. I was quite chuffed and am eager to go and have been looking forward to it.
The problem is, his grandmother recently had a heart attack and is quite sick and may have days to live. He has decided to go to Gosford for the weekend to spend time with her He has hept his promise and will give me both tickets, so I need to find a friend willing to go with me.
I offered it to my regular uni crowd but all have prior commitments and can not attend. That is fine and almost exected given the late notice. My Plan B would ordinarily be my cousins but due to family infighting between my parents and uncles, that would not be appropriate at this time. Next down the list is to offer it to a workmate, however, few are interested in cricket.
I am still eager to go but am not keen on going alone. There are only 2 feasible options in my mind - firstly I can offer it to my mum, though she is not familiar with the current crop of players and is a very part time fan. I have taken her to the cricket before in the golden ages of Warney, McGrath, Waugh and Gilchrist and whilst she enjoyed that, I don't think she would appreciate going and is not the most fun person to go to the cricket with.
The last option is to throw it open to one of my school friends. I have not seen any of them in years but one of them happens to be Sri Lankan and at least a couple of them are keen cricket fans so I'm thinking that this is my best option.
The problem is, his grandmother recently had a heart attack and is quite sick and may have days to live. He has decided to go to Gosford for the weekend to spend time with her He has hept his promise and will give me both tickets, so I need to find a friend willing to go with me.
I offered it to my regular uni crowd but all have prior commitments and can not attend. That is fine and almost exected given the late notice. My Plan B would ordinarily be my cousins but due to family infighting between my parents and uncles, that would not be appropriate at this time. Next down the list is to offer it to a workmate, however, few are interested in cricket.
I am still eager to go but am not keen on going alone. There are only 2 feasible options in my mind - firstly I can offer it to my mum, though she is not familiar with the current crop of players and is a very part time fan. I have taken her to the cricket before in the golden ages of Warney, McGrath, Waugh and Gilchrist and whilst she enjoyed that, I don't think she would appreciate going and is not the most fun person to go to the cricket with.
The last option is to throw it open to one of my school friends. I have not seen any of them in years but one of them happens to be Sri Lankan and at least a couple of them are keen cricket fans so I'm thinking that this is my best option.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Skyfall
I am a passive Bond fan. I liked Roger Moore as a kid and have seen the odd movie to keep up to date with the regular characters and nuances. Skyfall was highly recommended so I made the time to see it.
My father, the train guy, had no quarms about pointing out the factual inaccuracies of the opening scene - "you can't detatch a train in motion without enabling the air brakes!" - I'll have to take is word for it. My biggest issue was when Bond was shot and fell 25m into the water - really, they were never going to make a movie last 20 minutes and kill off their main character, they could of went with something a little more realistic without ruining the plot.
I really like action scenes in Bond movies. Special affects are great, but can look fake and overdone. Having a real scene helps set limits on how far they can go and helps the authenticity of the camerawork. There were many high quality action sequences that were at some points better than the story itself.
I couldn't talk about this movie without mentioning the car. Bringing back the DB9 was a great touch. In a movie that wanted to be old school, it was welcomed and is a shame that it had the final fate of most Bond cars.
All in all, i liked it but is probably not a good movie to see if you have never seen a Bond movie before. Best enjoyed in front of a large screen with 5.1 Dolby Surround.
 |
| Skyfall movie poster |
My father, the train guy, had no quarms about pointing out the factual inaccuracies of the opening scene - "you can't detatch a train in motion without enabling the air brakes!" - I'll have to take is word for it. My biggest issue was when Bond was shot and fell 25m into the water - really, they were never going to make a movie last 20 minutes and kill off their main character, they could of went with something a little more realistic without ruining the plot.
I really like action scenes in Bond movies. Special affects are great, but can look fake and overdone. Having a real scene helps set limits on how far they can go and helps the authenticity of the camerawork. There were many high quality action sequences that were at some points better than the story itself.
I couldn't talk about this movie without mentioning the car. Bringing back the DB9 was a great touch. In a movie that wanted to be old school, it was welcomed and is a shame that it had the final fate of most Bond cars.
All in all, i liked it but is probably not a good movie to see if you have never seen a Bond movie before. Best enjoyed in front of a large screen with 5.1 Dolby Surround.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Custardo
I was thinking today about the last band I saw live. I had to wrack my brain, but am pretty sure that it was Custard. They did a 10-year reunion show just off Oxford Street - I really liked their music when it was released and used to have a "We Have the Technology" poster on my bedroom wardrobe. A friend from uni was a die-hard fan and when she offered me a chance to buy her spare ticket I jumped at the chance and attended with a couple of other uni friends.
The first thing that hit me was that the crowd had aged and matured, all except for the one twat front row center who was spilling his drinks and getting in everyone's way. The venue was quite small and would not have fitted in more than a few hundred people. It was apparent that the people who were there were true fans and most knew all the songs.
Dave McCormack came out to an almighty roar. He was not as shinny as I had remembered him but hten again, none of us are. Custard played a prety comprehensive set list and played all the hits with the exception of "inner West Girls". Nonetheless it was a rocking night and I had no voicebox left by the end of it. Now I'm hoping Machine Gun Fellatio reform for a 10-year reunion - I miss you Pinky!
The first thing that hit me was that the crowd had aged and matured, all except for the one twat front row center who was spilling his drinks and getting in everyone's way. The venue was quite small and would not have fitted in more than a few hundred people. It was apparent that the people who were there were true fans and most knew all the songs.
Dave McCormack came out to an almighty roar. He was not as shinny as I had remembered him but hten again, none of us are. Custard played a prety comprehensive set list and played all the hits with the exception of "inner West Girls". Nonetheless it was a rocking night and I had no voicebox left by the end of it. Now I'm hoping Machine Gun Fellatio reform for a 10-year reunion - I miss you Pinky!
Monday, 21 January 2013
Flight
I managed to watch Flight yesterday. The only things I knew about this movie going into it was that it was about planes and Denzel Washington starred in in. This created conflict for me, as I generally enjoy plane movies but am not a huge Denzel fan. Nonetheless, I took the plunge.
 |
| Flight - Movie Poster |
For the first half hour, I had the impression that this movie was set in the early 90's. I'm not sure if it is because of the soundtrack used or the way the pilot was so casual with substance abuse (I expect frequent drug and alcohol tests in any workplace like that these days!). My next thought was that this movie will never make the cut for anyone in charge of choosing in-flight entertainment!
The flight scene was relatively early in the movie and I enjoyed it. In talking with my boss today, we discussed the Hollywood factual inaccuracies (dumping fuel, handle that cant be reached, one more I can't mention without spoiling the movie!). It felt like talking about trains with my dad - He dismisses the plausibility of most train movies as he works in the railways. Nonetheless, if you suspend your disbelief, the flight scenes are outstanding.
The story was however not focused on aviation. It was more on how Denzel (Whip) deals with substance abuse and his interactions with friends, family and coworkers. It was more of a drama than an action film. There was quite a heavy religious undertone as well, however, this subplot was left unanswered. Whip was an interesting role for Denzel - I don't think I've ever seen him quite this rough before and there were a couple of other noteworthy celebrities in smaller roles.
I enjoyed the movie but found it a little predictable once you made it past the first half hour. It is quite a long movie but not 2 hours wasted.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Don't diss the Slobberknockers
I was a huge fan of wrestling as a kid. I have fond memories of watching the wrestling with my uncle as a kid. He taught me to love the bad guys (or Heels as they are currently known) and I loved The Hart Foundation, The Iron Sheik, King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant and The Million Dollar Man. My uncle took me to a show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre when they toured - I had a ball and is a great childhood memory.
Not long after the tour, wrestling disappeared from free to air TV. In pre-internet times it became difficult to follow and i'd hear the odd mention of it or see a match on a Sunday sports show but largely lost track of it. Then came Foxtel and I was overcome with nostalgia. I wouldn't miss an episode, I went down to Melbourne with a friend when the WWE toured for the first time in about 20 years. I was a complete addict for a few years at this point - would watch old tapes and indie leagues, went to a few subsequent shows, would religiously read forums and websites and download anything that looked interesting. My new favourite stars were The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Edge and Christian, Jehrico and Goldust.
I was such an addict that I eventually became sick of it and needed a break. I think I grew out of it when my new favourite stars left and wrestling looked increasingly repetitive, fake and PG. That being said, it never entirely went away.
These days I am contempt with watching the last half hour of Raw or Smackdown or channel flicking when it is on to keep up to date with current plots and storylines. I do take keen interest around this time of year as the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania have always been my favourite feature events. It also makes for good conversation with my dad, an uncle and the occasional coworker.
Not long after the tour, wrestling disappeared from free to air TV. In pre-internet times it became difficult to follow and i'd hear the odd mention of it or see a match on a Sunday sports show but largely lost track of it. Then came Foxtel and I was overcome with nostalgia. I wouldn't miss an episode, I went down to Melbourne with a friend when the WWE toured for the first time in about 20 years. I was a complete addict for a few years at this point - would watch old tapes and indie leagues, went to a few subsequent shows, would religiously read forums and websites and download anything that looked interesting. My new favourite stars were The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Edge and Christian, Jehrico and Goldust.
I was such an addict that I eventually became sick of it and needed a break. I think I grew out of it when my new favourite stars left and wrestling looked increasingly repetitive, fake and PG. That being said, it never entirely went away.
These days I am contempt with watching the last half hour of Raw or Smackdown or channel flicking when it is on to keep up to date with current plots and storylines. I do take keen interest around this time of year as the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania have always been my favourite feature events. It also makes for good conversation with my dad, an uncle and the occasional coworker.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
The joy of an argument.
My youngest sister came over today and we were watching the Lance Armstrong - Oprak confession on TV. Before too long, we were arguing over Lance's sincerity, if anything he said could be trusted and his motives for doing such an interview.
The simple fact was that neither of us knew the answer, but once one of us formed an opinion, it was easy for the other to form the other side of the argument and the debate went on for the duration of the interview, particularly in the lengthy commercial breaks. I think we both felt like we won the debate and held our grounds well and it was never malicious, however, I was reflecting afterwards about how we were able to mount arguments that were compelling and justified with little thought or preparation and enjoyed how we forced each other into corners and made us think of counter arguments.
My father is a die hard conservative, which has made me argue for the progressives when debating him. Only problem is that when debating dad and I have him cornered, he just throws his hands in the air and accuses me of not knowing what I am talking about. I can argue the opposite side with my mostly progressive boss. I don't think these two understand me as well as my sister - it is not what I am saying that is important, its the joy of the argument.
The simple fact was that neither of us knew the answer, but once one of us formed an opinion, it was easy for the other to form the other side of the argument and the debate went on for the duration of the interview, particularly in the lengthy commercial breaks. I think we both felt like we won the debate and held our grounds well and it was never malicious, however, I was reflecting afterwards about how we were able to mount arguments that were compelling and justified with little thought or preparation and enjoyed how we forced each other into corners and made us think of counter arguments.
My father is a die hard conservative, which has made me argue for the progressives when debating him. Only problem is that when debating dad and I have him cornered, he just throws his hands in the air and accuses me of not knowing what I am talking about. I can argue the opposite side with my mostly progressive boss. I don't think these two understand me as well as my sister - it is not what I am saying that is important, its the joy of the argument.
Friday, 18 January 2013
Big day out for some...
Today the Sydney Big Day Out was held. I did not attend, but it was as good a time as any to reflect on them. It feels a bit weird that it is hosted so early - I've long associated the Sydney show with Australia Day but the organisers decided to shake things up a little this year.
I was relatively late on the festival bandwagon and attended 1999 - 2001. I loved the idea of spending a day out, analysing the set list, pulling my hair out because two of the bands I liked were always on at the same time, running into people that I did not expect to run into and trying to cram as much music into a 12 hour period as humanly possible.
In general, I've found that I have most enjoyed the bands earlier in the day - it is so much easier to get intimate with them and I guess as the crowds are smaller and as your energy levels are higher. I normally spend most of my time around the main and essential stages, venturing to the boiler room for a single token act and chill out at the Lily Pad when there is a break in the schedule.
I tool a long break from Big Day outs and returned in 2010 and 2011. I had wanted to see Rage Against the Machine for so long and the thought of seeing a reunion show was too much to pass up. They were fantastic and I was up the front, left of stage. I went with a friend in 2011 and reminded myself how old I was getting - back in 1999 I think I visioned myself attending every year, but particularly after such a long absence, the crowd had changed and felt so much younger, it had me thinking - I was one of those people once!
Highlights in past years include RatM, NiN, Marilyn Manson, Regurgitator, TISM, Bluejuice, and CSS off the top of my head. I have had days there with past girlfriends, with friends and on my own. Whilst my time there has been largely positive. Nonetheless I attended the year that Limp Bizkit battled the security guards and organisers, the rush that followed was blamed for Jessica Michalik's death which was heavily publicised in the media at the time. Sadly, a friend passed away not long after that event and it is very hard to think of the Big Day Out without thinking of him.
I was relatively late on the festival bandwagon and attended 1999 - 2001. I loved the idea of spending a day out, analysing the set list, pulling my hair out because two of the bands I liked were always on at the same time, running into people that I did not expect to run into and trying to cram as much music into a 12 hour period as humanly possible.
In general, I've found that I have most enjoyed the bands earlier in the day - it is so much easier to get intimate with them and I guess as the crowds are smaller and as your energy levels are higher. I normally spend most of my time around the main and essential stages, venturing to the boiler room for a single token act and chill out at the Lily Pad when there is a break in the schedule.
I tool a long break from Big Day outs and returned in 2010 and 2011. I had wanted to see Rage Against the Machine for so long and the thought of seeing a reunion show was too much to pass up. They were fantastic and I was up the front, left of stage. I went with a friend in 2011 and reminded myself how old I was getting - back in 1999 I think I visioned myself attending every year, but particularly after such a long absence, the crowd had changed and felt so much younger, it had me thinking - I was one of those people once!
Highlights in past years include RatM, NiN, Marilyn Manson, Regurgitator, TISM, Bluejuice, and CSS off the top of my head. I have had days there with past girlfriends, with friends and on my own. Whilst my time there has been largely positive. Nonetheless I attended the year that Limp Bizkit battled the security guards and organisers, the rush that followed was blamed for Jessica Michalik's death which was heavily publicised in the media at the time. Sadly, a friend passed away not long after that event and it is very hard to think of the Big Day Out without thinking of him.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Doing the walk.
A coworker and I have a lunchtime walking ritual whereby we take an hours walk into a nearby national park. Our walk is hilly and takes about an hour to negotiate, but I usually feel better having done it.
Interestingly enough, if one of us can't do the walk, none of us do it. I guess that shows the importance of a good walking partner. He is in his early to mid 60's but is very fit and pushes me hard, particularly on hot days.
One of the good things about walking through a national park is the exposure to Australian wildlife.
Lately, lizards have been popular and here are a couple I managed to snap.
Interestingly enough, if one of us can't do the walk, none of us do it. I guess that shows the importance of a good walking partner. He is in his early to mid 60's but is very fit and pushes me hard, particularly on hot days.
One of the good things about walking through a national park is the exposure to Australian wildlife.
Lately, lizards have been popular and here are a couple I managed to snap.
 |
| Hiding on a log |
 |
| Peeping through the crack |
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
I don't get social networking.
I don't have a FB account. I honestly don't see the need.
I have a small but close group of friends. I like catching up with them. When we do, they can tell me any meaningful happenings in their lives. I don't need to subscribe to a broadcast feed so that I need to know at the same time as the rest of the world. I also have privacy concerns - not everyone knows everything about me, in fact, I tend to share my secrets in small groups. A FB account seems like more hassle than it is worth. Sure it may be moving with the times, but sometimes, old fashion is better in my book.
One friend in particular often hounds me to join, so that I can get FB invitations whenever something is on, but honestly, I don't want the obligation of having to check and update a site. This particular friend keeps going back to the point that I don't know what I am missing, to which I ponder, If I don't know what I am missing, how can I miss it?
I have a small but close group of friends. I like catching up with them. When we do, they can tell me any meaningful happenings in their lives. I don't need to subscribe to a broadcast feed so that I need to know at the same time as the rest of the world. I also have privacy concerns - not everyone knows everything about me, in fact, I tend to share my secrets in small groups. A FB account seems like more hassle than it is worth. Sure it may be moving with the times, but sometimes, old fashion is better in my book.
One friend in particular often hounds me to join, so that I can get FB invitations whenever something is on, but honestly, I don't want the obligation of having to check and update a site. This particular friend keeps going back to the point that I don't know what I am missing, to which I ponder, If I don't know what I am missing, how can I miss it?
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Knowing ones strenghts and weaknesses
I have a confession to make - am a horrible cook. It may be a symptom of living at home too long, but I know how to make 3 or 4 dishes and that't about it.
Being on-call, I'm trying to cook for myself this week. I fried up a vege patty with some broccolini, snow peas and sliced mushrooms in soy sauce. I am trying to diet and eat healthy, but that is easier said than done.
Here was my latest effort:
It was certainly not my worst attempt - but I wish I was a better cook!
Being on-call, I'm trying to cook for myself this week. I fried up a vege patty with some broccolini, snow peas and sliced mushrooms in soy sauce. I am trying to diet and eat healthy, but that is easier said than done.
Here was my latest effort:
 |
| Dinner |
It was certainly not my worst attempt - but I wish I was a better cook!
Monday, 14 January 2013
Another week of house arrest.
Today is the start of another on-call week for me, so yours truly is expecting to have a very quiet and unsocial week. Generally speaking, everything slows to a halt on Christmas week - customers go on embargos, work traffic is non-existent, work parking is ample, news is boring and everything freezes. Day by day business usually picks up until just after Australia Day weekend, when everyone returns to work, school starts again and back to normality for 11 months.
This week customers are starting to finish their embargos and work should start to pick up, I'm still not expecting any call-up's, though I have to be ready for them nonetheless.
In the meantime I'll have to think of something to keep my mind busy this week. Wish me luck!
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Hitchcock
I finally had the chance to watch Hitchcock today. He was a bit before my era, however, i do remember wathing The Birds and Psycho as a young teen and had fond memories of them. I'm sure I watched a few other Hitchcock movies and remember looking out for his cameo's that appeared in all of his movies. I'm not a fan of over the top horror films, however, suspense - thrillers ar realistic enough to be enjoyable.
The biggest warning I can give to anyone considering this film is that this is not a biography on Hitchcock, moreso a biography on the making of Psycho. If you haven't seen Psycho and are considering watching this, I strongly recommend watching Psycho first. Fortunately I had enough of a recollection of it for the movie to make sense to me. I was a little nervous in the first scene when it looked as though Hitchcock was in his twilight, expecting a lot of time travel but that wasn't the case here and the movie targeted the year or so it took to make Hitchcock..
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and the window into the lengths that Hitchcock took to make his masterpiece and the obsessive compulsive extremes he went to to ensure all parts of his movies were exactly what he wanted.. Hopkins played a great Hitchcock and it was good to have an insight into the 50's and 60's and watch the little nuances associated with the period. There was an underlying love story thrown in and the script was quite impressive and had very good use of the english language.
This movie certainly has my recommendations. Go on, Enjoy!
The biggest warning I can give to anyone considering this film is that this is not a biography on Hitchcock, moreso a biography on the making of Psycho. If you haven't seen Psycho and are considering watching this, I strongly recommend watching Psycho first. Fortunately I had enough of a recollection of it for the movie to make sense to me. I was a little nervous in the first scene when it looked as though Hitchcock was in his twilight, expecting a lot of time travel but that wasn't the case here and the movie targeted the year or so it took to make Hitchcock..
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and the window into the lengths that Hitchcock took to make his masterpiece and the obsessive compulsive extremes he went to to ensure all parts of his movies were exactly what he wanted.. Hopkins played a great Hitchcock and it was good to have an insight into the 50's and 60's and watch the little nuances associated with the period. There was an underlying love story thrown in and the script was quite impressive and had very good use of the english language.
This movie certainly has my recommendations. Go on, Enjoy!
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Avoiding the summer heatwave
Sydney is in the middle of a massive heatwave. Today temperatures were forecasted to approach 40 degrees and considering how hot our house can get and our lack of air conditioning, its standard for me to make plans to get out of the house on such days. I've been wanting an excuse to go back to the casino since winning $800 on New Years Day, and today was the perfect opportunity.
I made my pilgrimage and crossed the bridge at Darling Harbour. I saw the rear end of the oversized rubber ducky in the harbour as part of the Sydney Festival. I also noted that the weather was not as hot as was predicted.
I arrived at the casino relatively early for my 5-hour sting. There was a large waiting time for a table, so fortunately they opened up a new table. This is usually great as everyone starts off with the same chip maximum on the table.The table was very elderly and I think I was the youngest person on the table. we shuffled up and dealt and the game began.
The start of the game was very slow for me. I just could not catch a hand or a spot and did not win a hand for the first 2 hours. When I finally won a hand, it was a small one and I had to wait another half hour before winning a decent pot. In all this time my stach kept eroding and I kept having to top up my stack. It was a tough day at the office!
Around the 3 hour mark I started to get a run of hands. Managed to win a $120 pot when I picked up AA and called an All-in against AK. My AA held up. Went through quite a decent patch of winning hands until I managed AA again, this time I managed to get it all in against another AA, only his black AA managed to 4-flush me and I lost a massive pot and undid alot of my good work.
The rest of the game was further erosion and I was well out of luck. When I chanced playing a creative hand and rivered a straight, my opponent had the same hand and we had to halve the pot. I ended up calling a day down $380. I probably needed the loss as my previous win was giving me an unjustified confidence and the loss has dropped me back down to earth.
As I left the casino, I noticed how much the crowd had changed. The older people had all gone home and there were many younger people there, many of teh women were wearing glittery shiny clothes and heels making me feel underdressed (it is after all a Saturday Night!). I made my way back through Chinatown, had dinner, checked out the progress on the Frank Gehry building and went home. All in all, I had a good time, a good run and enjoyed myself. I may not have come home a winner, but at least it felt like I added value to the day.
I made my pilgrimage and crossed the bridge at Darling Harbour. I saw the rear end of the oversized rubber ducky in the harbour as part of the Sydney Festival. I also noted that the weather was not as hot as was predicted.
I arrived at the casino relatively early for my 5-hour sting. There was a large waiting time for a table, so fortunately they opened up a new table. This is usually great as everyone starts off with the same chip maximum on the table.The table was very elderly and I think I was the youngest person on the table. we shuffled up and dealt and the game began.
The start of the game was very slow for me. I just could not catch a hand or a spot and did not win a hand for the first 2 hours. When I finally won a hand, it was a small one and I had to wait another half hour before winning a decent pot. In all this time my stach kept eroding and I kept having to top up my stack. It was a tough day at the office!
Around the 3 hour mark I started to get a run of hands. Managed to win a $120 pot when I picked up AA and called an All-in against AK. My AA held up. Went through quite a decent patch of winning hands until I managed AA again, this time I managed to get it all in against another AA, only his black AA managed to 4-flush me and I lost a massive pot and undid alot of my good work.
The rest of the game was further erosion and I was well out of luck. When I chanced playing a creative hand and rivered a straight, my opponent had the same hand and we had to halve the pot. I ended up calling a day down $380. I probably needed the loss as my previous win was giving me an unjustified confidence and the loss has dropped me back down to earth.
As I left the casino, I noticed how much the crowd had changed. The older people had all gone home and there were many younger people there, many of teh women were wearing glittery shiny clothes and heels making me feel underdressed (it is after all a Saturday Night!). I made my way back through Chinatown, had dinner, checked out the progress on the Frank Gehry building and went home. All in all, I had a good time, a good run and enjoyed myself. I may not have come home a winner, but at least it felt like I added value to the day.
Friday, 11 January 2013
No Friggin' Ad's.
One of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's greatest achievements was to set up the youth radio station no known as Triple J. It is a government owned national station that has no friggin ad's and plays a wide genre of music including Alternative, Hip Hop, Metal and techno. It is hard to be pleased with all the music they play given the wide variance in genres (and I'm not a big fan of the latter two genres) but it does try to cover the spectrum well and has a good focus on unearthing Australian talent. They are not the type of station that plays the same top 40 songs over and over again.
Just about everyone you speak to have a sentimental attachment to the music they listened to from their late teens to early 30's. i am no different and Triple j helped me along with those emotional bonds. In the last few years, my interest has been more towards politics so my radio listening has moved away from Music and onto the AM dial, as such, I've lost track of many of the new bands that are popular with the youth of today. I still tend to listen to Triple J over the Christmas and summer breaks.
one of the biggest Triple J summer rituals is the Hottest 100 countdown on Australia Day. Voting opens on New Years Day and stays open for 20 days. I vote every year, but voting gets harder every year as the bands I used to love and listen to slip out of fashion or lose their edge. This year was very difficult for me and I had much catching up to do - it was obvious early on that listening to an hour or two's radio in the car each day for a month wasn't going to cut it this year. Today, I voted in this years countdown.
I've needed to get creative in finding new songs. I've searched top 10 lists and previewed the favourites and picked the songs I like out of it. I remember years where I would struggle to get down to 10 songs from a short list of 30, this year I barely made the 10.
My standout choice was Icona Pop's "I Love It"! - i first heard it on an ad but it was ringing in my head for a week or so and is the only new song this year to give me an ear worm. I was happy to discover that the Presets, Metric, The Herd, Hilltop Hoods and Regina Spektor were still pumping out decent tunes and also voted for some bands I had heard of but their music is relatively newer to me - Seth Sentry, Birds Of Tokyo and Rudimental.
Whilst the exercise was difficult it was not in vain. I made an opportunity to familiarise myself with some of this years new songs, even if I didn't vote for it. Now all I need to do is wait for the countdown on Australia Day.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Hong Kong/ Macau funnies 2012
I couldn't finish a post on my holidays without mention of some of the funnies I saw on my trip.
Firstly, the following was spotted near Central. The great thing about HK once being under british rule is that they had English street signs. I can imagine that this one was named after the famous Australian band of the 80's:
On my trip to Victoria Peak, I noticed the the following recycling station, with an interesting typo.
Macau was not unscathed. The below was a drink shop. Needless to say, I was not a consumer.
I think the beow was seen on Wan Chai Road near Causeway Bay. I never went into this shop and have no idea wha it was, but it has an interesting English translation.
And last but not least, the following was a picture of a Nikon as campaign that was seen in Hong Kong and Macau. There were a few in the series, but if that girl was older, this would certainly look like what is commonly known around these parts as a Sanchez.
And that is a wrap for me.
Firstly, the following was spotted near Central. The great thing about HK once being under british rule is that they had English street signs. I can imagine that this one was named after the famous Australian band of the 80's:
 |
| Ice House Street - Near Hong Kong Central |
On my trip to Victoria Peak, I noticed the the following recycling station, with an interesting typo.
 |
| Taken at Victoria peak - They recycle everything down that way! |
Macau was not unscathed. The below was a drink shop. Needless to say, I was not a consumer.
 |
| San Ma Lo Macau. This place sold drinks. |
I think the beow was seen on Wan Chai Road near Causeway Bay. I never went into this shop and have no idea wha it was, but it has an interesting English translation.
 |
| What is this place? |
And last but not least, the following was a picture of a Nikon as campaign that was seen in Hong Kong and Macau. There were a few in the series, but if that girl was older, this would certainly look like what is commonly known around these parts as a Sanchez.
 |
| Nikon ad seen at a bus stop in HK |
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Now in Widescreen.
It was a coworkers last day today. She is not part of my team but someone whom I've had several 5 minute chats with in the kitchen or an the walk back to the office after a coffee run. She has decided to go on holidays for a couple of months then re-settle in her native country (Hong Kong).She has lived in Sydney most of her life and it is obvious how big of a decision this has been for her.
There have been the obligatory farewell emails and final catch-up but one particular email that caught my eye was one where she was trying to sell or give away her stuff before the big move. I bought a widescreen monitor (which I am using now) and a blood pressure monitor for the bargain price of $150 total.
Whilst I was happy with my purchase, I almost felt I was intruding into this persons life as I was browsing through her well organised pictures at work. She had a lot of nice stuff. This was a major move for her - she is selling her bed, car, TV and a host of other equipment we all have and take for granted.
I really wish her well for the future and wonder how long it will take before she changes her mind and comes back. I give her 3 years but she believes the move will be permanent.
There have been the obligatory farewell emails and final catch-up but one particular email that caught my eye was one where she was trying to sell or give away her stuff before the big move. I bought a widescreen monitor (which I am using now) and a blood pressure monitor for the bargain price of $150 total.
Whilst I was happy with my purchase, I almost felt I was intruding into this persons life as I was browsing through her well organised pictures at work. She had a lot of nice stuff. This was a major move for her - she is selling her bed, car, TV and a host of other equipment we all have and take for granted.
I really wish her well for the future and wonder how long it will take before she changes her mind and comes back. I give her 3 years but she believes the move will be permanent.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Macau 2012 - The Casino's
It should come as no surprise that the big reason why I wanted to go to Macau was to visit the casinos. I had read much about the 36 or so casinos in the country and had hoped to do a couple a day and get through close to half of them.
The first thing that hit me about the place is how much the casinos were competing for patrons. I caught the ferry to Macau and even at th ferry terminal departing HK, there were ads and casino representatives trying to leave a first impression. When I left the ferry there were no less than twenty staff, mostly females wearing scad clothing, trying to hand out brochures and point you in the direction of their buses.
The bus stop at the ferry terminal was huge. It looked like the same location that the Grand Prix garages were and every casino had a bus, with the bigger casinos having bigger and more regular buses What I discovered about Macau is that the casinos basically ran a free public transport system - so long as you were at a ferry terminal, the airport or the China border and you knew a casino near where you wanted to go, similarly, if you ever found yourself lost you could find the closest casino and bus your way back to the ferry terminal, then back to your hotel.
The casinos were far more elaborate and modern than I had imagined, however, every one featured Baccarat as their main game and most if not all targeted high rollers. This posed a challenge for me, as I am definitely in the low roller bracket and my preferred game, poker, was only offered at 4 or 5 casinos. Rather than play at several casinos as I had expected, I chose to visit casinos, occasionally played a few hands of roulette or three card poker and played all of my Hold-em poker at one casino that i particularly liked, Starworld.
Starworld issued the coolest membership card that I own. It is completely black, looks like a credit card and has aces in the corners. It is membership to their "Poker and King" club and they had a corded off section reserved for high rollers and pro's. The table was empty while I was there, however, you just never know! I lost a fair bit in the first few days but recovered a bit. I ended up $900 down in the end but still feel I had value for money - most days my buy-in would last for a good session.
The prettiest casino was definitely the Venetian. A large portion of it was an upper class shopping centre. They had indoor gondolas, the shops looked like old buildings, the ceiling was a painted sky that looked so realistic, if it were not for the air conditioning you would think you were outside. I heard that it was a scale replica of the casino in Las Vegas, believable and impressive if true. The best looking casino goes to the Grand Lisbon - it looks like a giant flower and unmissable in the city skyline. I had a good view of it from my hotel. Best outdoor feature goes to the Wynn, whose water opera display went off every 15 minutes and was mesmerising. Biggest disappointment was the City of dreams, across the road from The Venetian. There has been lots of local media how James packer sold off Channel 9 to build this and it looked ordinary (in comparison to other casinos in the area). You can see why he is struggling to get his money back.
 |
| Grand Lisbon from the base of my hotel. |
 |
| Venetian Casino - Cotai. Indoors |
 |
| Venetian Gondola - This was quite long, also indoors. |
 |
| City of Dreams Dragon....meh! |
I may not have seen all of the casinos, but I did see all of the major ones, and a few not so major ones. I'd love to go back here but probably wouldn't stay a whole week next time.
Monday, 7 January 2013
Macau 2012
Whilst the slow news days continue, I also spent a week in Macau during my Hong Kong trip. It had been a dream of mine for many years to go to Macau as I nearly won a trip years ago. I played a series of Poker tournaments in 2008 that had the first prize as a trip to Macau, all expenses paid, and entry into a major tournament. After 3 or so final tables, I attended the last tournament offered with a friend. We made the last 2 and did a deal where I ended up winning $6000 and I gave up my chance to my mate. Whilst it was an excellent decision financially, there was a part of me that wanted to make it to Macau, and I can now say that I have done it.
I had read before going that there were 36 casinos there, and whilst I was salivating at the thought, I didn't want to spend my whole holidays at casinos. This post will focus on some of Macau's other attractions. Firstly, whilst Hong Kong was under extended rule by the British, Macau was under extended rule by the Portugese - this meant that all the street signs were in Portugese and most people only knew about three and a half words of english. Macau is tiny, and if you were not into gambling, you could do it in 2 days but I tried to spend my days walking and exploring and my nights a the tables.
Before the Portugese handed Macau back to China, they did their best to empty their bank accounts and built several new buildings and memorials. The one below caught my eye. I was talking to a local about it - it is the Lady Buddha. It was designed by a Portugese sculpture, and as they are primarily Christian, the Lady Buddha looks like Mary. Most Buddhists are offended by the resemblance to Mary and as a result, few people pray here. Its a classic example of what happens when you do not understand others culture.
Below are some more elevated shots I took during my walking travels. The architecture of many buildings have a European feel to them. I also walked to the local central meeting point and strip shops (San Ma Lo). Visited a very old church there (which I wish I had taken some pictures of!)
In one of my walks, I went north and soon was lost. I remember walking through a cemetery. There were both Christian and Buddhist graves side by side, and Portugese and Asian names. I kept pushing north and before too long, found myself at the China border. I was tempted to cross over to the other side but did not want to risk not having the right visa for reentry or to be stuck in China without my room or luggage, and thought better of it.
Macau is in 2 parts, the main part is attached to China,then there is a southern part called Cotai (it may be an Island). Much if not all of it is reclaimed land and the parts I saw were very modern. One of the last things the Portugese built was a friendship bridge. It was not a clear day when I travelled on it, but you can see in the distance the parallel bridge that is being built to hook up Hong Kong, China and Macau. Whilst this would be very convenient, I could imagine a fair few Ferry operators being concerned about their business declining once this bridge is finished.
The food here was fantastic - inexpensive, high quality. I had a buffet breakfast at my hotel every morning and that was also great. I'd really love to come back here someday, but time will tell.
I had read before going that there were 36 casinos there, and whilst I was salivating at the thought, I didn't want to spend my whole holidays at casinos. This post will focus on some of Macau's other attractions. Firstly, whilst Hong Kong was under extended rule by the British, Macau was under extended rule by the Portugese - this meant that all the street signs were in Portugese and most people only knew about three and a half words of english. Macau is tiny, and if you were not into gambling, you could do it in 2 days but I tried to spend my days walking and exploring and my nights a the tables.
Before the Portugese handed Macau back to China, they did their best to empty their bank accounts and built several new buildings and memorials. The one below caught my eye. I was talking to a local about it - it is the Lady Buddha. It was designed by a Portugese sculpture, and as they are primarily Christian, the Lady Buddha looks like Mary. Most Buddhists are offended by the resemblance to Mary and as a result, few people pray here. Its a classic example of what happens when you do not understand others culture.
 |
| Lady Buddha |
 |
| View from my Hotel room - Hotel Royal. |
 |
| View from highest mountain |
 |
| Sky Tower - tallest building in Macau |
In one of my walks, I went north and soon was lost. I remember walking through a cemetery. There were both Christian and Buddhist graves side by side, and Portugese and Asian names. I kept pushing north and before too long, found myself at the China border. I was tempted to cross over to the other side but did not want to risk not having the right visa for reentry or to be stuck in China without my room or luggage, and thought better of it.
 |
| Gates of China from Macau |
Macau is in 2 parts, the main part is attached to China,then there is a southern part called Cotai (it may be an Island). Much if not all of it is reclaimed land and the parts I saw were very modern. One of the last things the Portugese built was a friendship bridge. It was not a clear day when I travelled on it, but you can see in the distance the parallel bridge that is being built to hook up Hong Kong, China and Macau. Whilst this would be very convenient, I could imagine a fair few Ferry operators being concerned about their business declining once this bridge is finished.
 | ||
| Under construction - bridge from Hong Kong to Macau and China |
The food here was fantastic - inexpensive, high quality. I had a buffet breakfast at my hotel every morning and that was also great. I'd really love to come back here someday, but time will tell.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Hong Kong - 2012
I have mentioned in a few blog posts that I visited Hong Kong and Macau in April 2012. I would have blogged about it at the time, however, I was not writing a blog at that time. Today being a slow news day is as good a time as any to tell you my thoughts.
I had been to Hong Kong a couple of times before as a kid. They were family holidays, and so not much fun. My family never knew how to enjoy themselves once they arrived somewhere on holidays.
I spent most of my time in Hong Kong on the island. I was there for 4 days and it was terrible weather - always humid and rained most days. I did a little bit of shopping, bought a couple of digital radios and some watches for my dad. When I was young, Hong Kong was a shoppers paradise, nowdays, I think ebay has leveled the playing field - it is still relatively cheap, however, not as cheap as it used to be.
I spent one day going to Victoria Peak. I caught the tram up and did a massive walk back to causeway bay. The view was great and the air up there was fantastic. It surprised me how developed the mountain was, yet it still managed to have large green areas.
In total, I was in Hong Kong for 4 days and loved it. I spent an additional week in Macau, but I'll tell you about that some other time.
I had been to Hong Kong a couple of times before as a kid. They were family holidays, and so not much fun. My family never knew how to enjoy themselves once they arrived somewhere on holidays.
I spent most of my time in Hong Kong on the island. I was there for 4 days and it was terrible weather - always humid and rained most days. I did a little bit of shopping, bought a couple of digital radios and some watches for my dad. When I was young, Hong Kong was a shoppers paradise, nowdays, I think ebay has leveled the playing field - it is still relatively cheap, however, not as cheap as it used to be.
I spent one day going to Victoria Peak. I caught the tram up and did a massive walk back to causeway bay. The view was great and the air up there was fantastic. It surprised me how developed the mountain was, yet it still managed to have large green areas.
 |
| Victoria Peak - View from the tram up |
 |
| Victoria Peak - Walking Path |
 |
| Victoria Peak from the mountaintop. |
In total, I was in Hong Kong for 4 days and loved it. I spent an additional week in Macau, but I'll tell you about that some other time.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Day at the Cricket
My sisters husband works for a sporting retailer and often manages to get free tickets to the Cricket. In past years it was a tradition among my Uni friends to go to at least 1 day of the New Years test at the SCG, however, this stopped a few years ago.
The visiting team is Sri Lanka - a credible cricketing nation however, not one of the world superpowers, particularly in the test arena. Today was day 3 and whilst the visitors had some hope at the start of play, such hope is quite limited now and many expect the test to be over tomorrow.
Our tickets were in the concourse - Bay 14, 25 rows back. They would have been decent seats if only the sun didn't hit you in the face after lunch. Fortunately the day was not a sellout and we managed to find undercover seats in the new Victor Trumper stand. It was the first time I sat in this stand and it was quite obstructed towards the O'Reilley stand. There was a huge hole between the membes and the O'Reilley where they are getting ready to buils a new grandstand.
-
Considering the reduced ground capacity, you could imagine that the organisers would be a little disappointed that there was no sellout and average crowds have been around the 26,000 mark. The bug gimmick this year was that one section of concourse was ripped out and turned into a beach - with sand, umbrellas and beach chairs.
If the organisers wanted a sellout they really need to look at themselves. These days, the banned list include beach balls, mexican waves and beer cup 'worms'. In addition, food and drink are expensive and very limited in choice, ticket prices are ridiculous and you very rarely see replays on the screen (the scoreboards are very poor these days but I suppose most can check an app on their phones).
All in all I had a good day, though I don't think I would have paid to go. I may have another opportunity to go to a twenty 20 but we will have to wait and see.
The visiting team is Sri Lanka - a credible cricketing nation however, not one of the world superpowers, particularly in the test arena. Today was day 3 and whilst the visitors had some hope at the start of play, such hope is quite limited now and many expect the test to be over tomorrow.
Our tickets were in the concourse - Bay 14, 25 rows back. They would have been decent seats if only the sun didn't hit you in the face after lunch. Fortunately the day was not a sellout and we managed to find undercover seats in the new Victor Trumper stand. It was the first time I sat in this stand and it was quite obstructed towards the O'Reilley stand. There was a huge hole between the membes and the O'Reilley where they are getting ready to buils a new grandstand.
 |
| Former Noble, Bradman and Messenger stands from my original seat. |
 |
| View from our 'Upgraded" seats in the Trumper stand. |
Considering the reduced ground capacity, you could imagine that the organisers would be a little disappointed that there was no sellout and average crowds have been around the 26,000 mark. The bug gimmick this year was that one section of concourse was ripped out and turned into a beach - with sand, umbrellas and beach chairs.
If the organisers wanted a sellout they really need to look at themselves. These days, the banned list include beach balls, mexican waves and beer cup 'worms'. In addition, food and drink are expensive and very limited in choice, ticket prices are ridiculous and you very rarely see replays on the screen (the scoreboards are very poor these days but I suppose most can check an app on their phones).
All in all I had a good day, though I don't think I would have paid to go. I may have another opportunity to go to a twenty 20 but we will have to wait and see.
Friday, 4 January 2013
I need a coffee hit
I blogged about a month ago that my regular barista at work had left. The move has been hard on me. Since he has left, no less than 6 people have made coffee at this place with various results. Yesterdays coffee was awful - I hate waste but it was a total screw-up. My regular was now a small, and it was so bad that I had to tip it down a sink.
Today I ventured a bit away and had a had a decent coffee at a shopping centre but this is not sustainable. Once teh Christmas break is over and other coffee shops start opening again, I may need to venture out and find another place to get coffee. In the meantime, I keep yawning at work!
Today I ventured a bit away and had a had a decent coffee at a shopping centre but this is not sustainable. Once teh Christmas break is over and other coffee shops start opening again, I may need to venture out and find another place to get coffee. In the meantime, I keep yawning at work!
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Putting a ring on it.
As I'm sure you have figured out by now, I do not have many friends. One group of friends that I hold close and try to stay in relatively close contact with are my uni friends. We have been through alot together and I can't see us getting separated in a hurry.
That being said, we have all taken different paths. One couple were married not long after Uni, then divorced a decade later. Another is married with kids. Another moved overseas. Another is single like me, only I have just had news that he has proposed to his girlfriend and there is a wedding on the way.
Whilst my first reaction is nothing less than happiness for them and best wishes, I have only met his partner once, and only knew he had a partner about 3 months ago. I'm assuming that they have been going out for a year or so. Logistics and different lifestyles make meetups very difficult (which prompted this to be one of my new years resolutions). no one is directly at fault, but I wish we could meet up more regularly and I had better opportunity to get to know this girl who is marrying one of my best friends.
We once used to spend so much time together, we now catch up a couple of times a year. What I would give to go back to the way we used to be.
That being said, we have all taken different paths. One couple were married not long after Uni, then divorced a decade later. Another is married with kids. Another moved overseas. Another is single like me, only I have just had news that he has proposed to his girlfriend and there is a wedding on the way.
Whilst my first reaction is nothing less than happiness for them and best wishes, I have only met his partner once, and only knew he had a partner about 3 months ago. I'm assuming that they have been going out for a year or so. Logistics and different lifestyles make meetups very difficult (which prompted this to be one of my new years resolutions). no one is directly at fault, but I wish we could meet up more regularly and I had better opportunity to get to know this girl who is marrying one of my best friends.
We once used to spend so much time together, we now catch up a couple of times a year. What I would give to go back to the way we used to be.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Seeing in the New year
I really wanted to go to the Casino on New Years Eve, so it should come as no surprise that I was busting to join the tables on New Years Day.
There was a big buzz around the place. Apparently pro's like Antonio Esfandiari, Tony G and Jeff Lisandro was at the tables the night before, no doubt warming up for the New Years eve fireworks (If only I could have been there a day earlier!!) I sat on the $80-$200 table again and set myself the same rules - maximum 5 hours, leave when $500 up or at my time limit. I loaded my seat and sat in seat 10, view of seats 1-3 is restricted, but a seat is a seat.
I had a pretty standard first 3 hours. I dipped as low as $150 but recovered to be closer to $250. I missed a couple of chances but was not getting monster hands and was playing a relatively safe game - I tried to see as many cheap flops as possible and when i hit it, tended to make around $20-$40 a hand. It was at the 3 hour mark that a couple of Vietnamese people joined in seats 6 and 7 that changed the game for me.
The guy in seat 6 was an older gentlemen. I saw a cheap flop with 45 from the button. The flp came down 678, giving me a small straight. There were 2 clubs on the board which was enough to scare me, so I decided to bet big and take the pot there. I made a $40 bet and was immediately called by the guy in seat 6. The turn was a 3 of clubs, putting the flush into play. He checked, I put $50 into it, thinking he would have bet if he had the flush, he called quickly again. At this point I was worried. The river put out another 7 which was bad for me. if my opponent had trips, he now had a full house. He put his last $55 into the pot at which point I conceded and called. I thought I was beat but the pot was too big to turn down. He shows 8 -10 no clubs - he was calling with top pair and an inside straight draw. Very bad play on his part and I was delighted to win the $300 pot. He did a rebuy and won a few hands from others at the table.
I sat on that $450 mark for quite some time. I ran into a streak of good aces, however, struggled to get callers for my preflop raises. The 5 hour mark was just 15 minutes away when I managed AK hearts. I preflop raised $17 from big blind and had 4 callers, the 2 Vietnamese and one other. The flop was 274 with the 4 of hearts heart. I checked, seat 6 raised $20. other two called, so, despite having nothing, I decided to call as well, since the pot was already over $130. The turn was the 6 of hearts, giving me a flush draw. I checked, seat 6 bet $80, seat 7 was all in for $63 and the other guy folded. Action was on me, and I thought for an eternity. When he initially bet $80 i was ready to fold, however, It would be hard to put me on a flush and I couldn't put any of my opponents on a flush draw either, telling me there were more hearts out there. Furthermore, Seat 6 had been winning hands and had another $280 in reserve. If I hit my flush, it was going to be a good pay day. I decided to call but was in agony over it. River came 2 of hearts, I hit my flush bit it paired the board. I still felt like I had the best hand and led out $250. There was an extended pause but I realised pretty quickly that he had no full house - if he did he would have been all in straight away. he eventually called with pocket 9's - an over pair to the board but not good enough. The pot was over $850 and I was ecstatic.
My stack was a bit over $1000 and I was well over my $500 target now. I played out the last 10 minutes and left the table over $800 in front. This is as good a start to the new year as I could have hoped for and I had lots of fun.
There was a big buzz around the place. Apparently pro's like Antonio Esfandiari, Tony G and Jeff Lisandro was at the tables the night before, no doubt warming up for the New Years eve fireworks (If only I could have been there a day earlier!!) I sat on the $80-$200 table again and set myself the same rules - maximum 5 hours, leave when $500 up or at my time limit. I loaded my seat and sat in seat 10, view of seats 1-3 is restricted, but a seat is a seat.
I had a pretty standard first 3 hours. I dipped as low as $150 but recovered to be closer to $250. I missed a couple of chances but was not getting monster hands and was playing a relatively safe game - I tried to see as many cheap flops as possible and when i hit it, tended to make around $20-$40 a hand. It was at the 3 hour mark that a couple of Vietnamese people joined in seats 6 and 7 that changed the game for me.
The guy in seat 6 was an older gentlemen. I saw a cheap flop with 45 from the button. The flp came down 678, giving me a small straight. There were 2 clubs on the board which was enough to scare me, so I decided to bet big and take the pot there. I made a $40 bet and was immediately called by the guy in seat 6. The turn was a 3 of clubs, putting the flush into play. He checked, I put $50 into it, thinking he would have bet if he had the flush, he called quickly again. At this point I was worried. The river put out another 7 which was bad for me. if my opponent had trips, he now had a full house. He put his last $55 into the pot at which point I conceded and called. I thought I was beat but the pot was too big to turn down. He shows 8 -10 no clubs - he was calling with top pair and an inside straight draw. Very bad play on his part and I was delighted to win the $300 pot. He did a rebuy and won a few hands from others at the table.
I sat on that $450 mark for quite some time. I ran into a streak of good aces, however, struggled to get callers for my preflop raises. The 5 hour mark was just 15 minutes away when I managed AK hearts. I preflop raised $17 from big blind and had 4 callers, the 2 Vietnamese and one other. The flop was 274 with the 4 of hearts heart. I checked, seat 6 raised $20. other two called, so, despite having nothing, I decided to call as well, since the pot was already over $130. The turn was the 6 of hearts, giving me a flush draw. I checked, seat 6 bet $80, seat 7 was all in for $63 and the other guy folded. Action was on me, and I thought for an eternity. When he initially bet $80 i was ready to fold, however, It would be hard to put me on a flush and I couldn't put any of my opponents on a flush draw either, telling me there were more hearts out there. Furthermore, Seat 6 had been winning hands and had another $280 in reserve. If I hit my flush, it was going to be a good pay day. I decided to call but was in agony over it. River came 2 of hearts, I hit my flush bit it paired the board. I still felt like I had the best hand and led out $250. There was an extended pause but I realised pretty quickly that he had no full house - if he did he would have been all in straight away. he eventually called with pocket 9's - an over pair to the board but not good enough. The pot was over $850 and I was ecstatic.
My stack was a bit over $1000 and I was well over my $500 target now. I played out the last 10 minutes and left the table over $800 in front. This is as good a start to the new year as I could have hoped for and I had lots of fun.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
And a new one just begun...
It is tradition to set goals on New Years Day on what you would like to achieve in the new year. I recently asked a close friend what her resolutions for the coming year was, she abruptly replied that she didn't believe in them. To me, it isn't so much about belief, rather an opportunity to set goals in an.effort to get you motivated.
There are a few items that I would like to my 2013 wishlist, in no specific order:
There are a few items that I would like to my 2013 wishlist, in no specific order:
- I will lose 10kgs.
- I will learn how to make nonna's homemade gnocci
- I will go out on a date.
- I will organise a meet-up with my uni friends.
- I will go on a holiday.
- I will get my cousin and her dad in communication with each other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)