ISSUE 4: WANDER
CAMPUS NEWS & LIFE | ARTS & CULTURE | STYLE & SUSTAINABILITY | REVIEWS | & MORE
Creative || 1
WATSON CALENDAR MAY/JUNE MONDAY
TUESDAY
18
19
25
26
1
2
8
Queen’s Birthday
15
WEDNESDAY
20
IDAHOT @ MQU Central Courtyard 9am onwards
27
THURSDAY
21
TedxSydney @ Sydney Opera House 9am Poetry Publishing Forum @ Parramatta Artist Studios 6:30pm
28
Romeo and Juliet @ Factory Theatre 1:30pm
Campus Engagement Vivid Cruise @ Man O War Steps 5:30pm
3
4
9
10
16
17
EXAMS COMMENCE
Culturally Themed Brunch 10:30am hosted by Campus Engagement Sydney Film Festival
FRIDAY
22
International Day for Biological Diversity Vivid Sydney @ Central Park MCA Zine Fair
29 5
SATURDAY
23 30
24
Future Sound: free music/art show @ Ching-a-Lings 5pm
31
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard @ Factory Theatre 7pm
One Day Sundays @ Factory Theatre 1pm Campus Engagement Harbour Bridge Climb 11:40am
6
7
World Environment Day Redfern Night Markets 5th Edition 4.30pm
Alison Wonderland @ Wonderland Warehouse Project 5pm
11
12
13
18
19
TEDxSydney 2015 @ Sydney Opera House 8am Richard in Your Mind @ Newtown Social
SUNDAY
20
World Refugee Day BAD//DREEMS @ Good God
14
World Blood Donor Day
21
Winter Solstice
Do you have an upcoming event? Let us know and we’ll do our best to include it in our calendar. Email grapeshot@mq.edu.au
Creative || 1
ISSUE 4: WANDER
CONTENTS
7 NEWS
15 REGULARS
23 FEATURES
35 CREATIVE
8 NEWS FLASH
16 ISLAND HOPPING IN
24 THROWING STONES AT
36 SOUTH AMERICA
9 MUPRA AND MACQUARIE
YOUR OWN BACKYARD
A PAPER SUN WITH DBC
38 THE DAGGER AND THE
UNIVERSITY TO MEDIATE
18 SPEAK OUT AND SPEAK
PIERRE
ROSE
OUT OF COURT
LOUD
26 THE WOMAN WITH A
40 MODERN RUINS
10 STUDENT MASSACRE IN
19 ADVICE FROM FAKE
THOUSAND STORIES
42 PHOTOGRAPHS BY
KENYA
BEAR GRYLLS
28 BRAZIL: A COUNTRY OF
IRENE PHAN
12 LOCKOUT LAWS
20 MEET THE TEAM
CONTRASTS
AFFECTING CULTURE AND
22 UNPLANNED
30 UNIVERSAL WANDERING
VIBRANCY OF SYDNEY
32 CLOSED CURTAINS
NIGHTLIFE
EVERYWHERE IN SOUTH
13 AUSTRALIAN
AMERICA
GOVERNMENT FUNDS
34 THE UNEXPECTED
ASYLUM SEEKER
UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
TELEMOVIE 14 DALLAS BUYERS CLUB DECISION NO “GAME CHANGER”
43 REPEAT OFFENDERS 44 THE STEW 46 REVIEWS 50 HOROSCOPES 51 CROSSWORD
HANDS ON JOURNEYS The new, more meaningful, way of travel.
Simla’s story Not everyone gets to give back a piece of their luck, but Simla Sooboodoo has a mission to do so. At the age of 25, she was cut down with a brain haemorrhage, followed shortly by a brain aneurysm. Against all the odds of a 10% chance of life, she recovered, but with a new zest to help others further themselves. Staring death in the face taught Simla that every moment should mean something; every action requires a purpose. Since then, she made it her life-purpose to help the children of developing countries in any way she could. Volunteering on every holiday she took, Simla improved young lives by working in schools and nurseries, hospitals and local communities, right across the world.
4 || Editorial
When she was made redundant from her accountancy job in the travel industry, she realised that it was time to make a big difference. Hands on Journeys is that difference. It’s about assisting children and young people off the streets, and giving them the opportunities to support their families long term, through better education. Hands on Journeys travellers support schools, the children who study there, and help to educate parents. They are an essential asset to communities across the world, and all this because of one woman’s brush with death. It just goes to show what you can do if you have the will to fly free of convention. Give something back to the world and see where it takes you.
Give something back to the world, and see where it takes you.
In life
the smallest changes at a low level create the biggest differences at a world level. That’s the thinking behind Hands on Journeys, an exciting new way to travel the world and give back something of ourselves at the same time. Think of the butterfly that flaps its wings in the Atlantic, creating a typhoon in the South Pacific. In a truly positive way, if we take advantage of how lucky we are, and use it to deliver something of value elsewhere, we are the butterfly.
Make it a gap experience that’s worth more than just time out.
Fill out our survey for a chance of a free trip! www.handsonjourneys.com.au/win-a-trip
India The beauty of India is now, as well as in her past. This journey is partly one of self-discovery as you volunteer in local schools to help young children learn to read better. It’s also one of external discovery, as you break through the shell of western-style living and find yourself immersed in community life in India. With a bilingual guide, the most delicious foods possible, and comfortable lodgings, join in a genuine discovery experience that provides the opportunity to give something back at the same time.
Vietnam and Cambodia Vietnam and Cambodia: two remarkable countries impossible to discover fully without a guide who knows them well. Full of exciting foods, beautiful and mystical places, and home-from-home accommodation, Hands on Journeys offers a cultural immersion that you won’t find anywhere else. By helping children and adults in the communities here discover themselves through better education, you can give them some of your good fortune and improve your own life exponentially. Uncover depths you didn’t know you had, and in return, Vietnam and Cambodia will give you a life experience that you can’t forget.
Tour Details India Starting date
Finishing date
21 November 2015(SAT)
4 December 2015(FRI)
12 December 2015(SAT)
25 December 2015(FRI)
26 December 2015(SAT)
8 January 2016(FRI)
2 January 2016(SAT)
15 January 2016(FRI)
9 January 2016(SAT)
22 January 2016(FRI)
Vietnam and Cambodia Starting date
Finishing date
29 November 2015(SAT)
14 December 2015(FRI)
6 December 2015(SAT)
21 December 2015(FRI)
13 December 2015(SAT)
28 December 2015(FRI)
3 January 2016(SAT)
18 January 2016(FRI)
10 January 2016(SAT)
25 January 2016(FRI)
Book your adventure with us right now, or call us for more information: +61 (0) 2 96297981 bookings@handsonjourneys.com.au
Contents || 5
www.handsonjourneys.com
EDITOR’S LETTER SARAH BASFORD
The word ‘wander’ freaks me out. Floating aimlessly with no end destination sounds like the idea of pure freedom to many people. But to me, it’s like walking into an endless white room or having a mind void of any thoughts, just nothingness - pure terror. In actual fact, however, the word ‘wander’ doesn’t just offer one meaning but rather a whole branch of different connotations. It can mean to move from away from a fixed point, to meander or to move in a leisurely way. This theme is fluid, just like the word; there was no set goal or endpoint. Some insisted on calling
it our travel issue, others assured me we would only receive articles about wanderlust. I like to think that we avoided those things as best we could. We attempt to celebrate the art, or even mundanity, of movement. We meander over to South America where we discuss the systemic drug problems within the San Pedro prison in Bolivia (p. 32) and the stark contrasts of lives in Brazil (p. 28). We chat with serial wanderer and esteemed author DBC Pierre (p. 24) and realise that wandering can also transcend our terrestrial bounds (p. 30). We caught up with our old pal’ Bear who gives a mate some hardearned advice (p. 19) and we review the latest arts releases. So for an issue that was almost called ‘Roaming’- because that’s what most of our devices do while on campus – I think we acheived some pretty cool stuff. Maybe you’ll learn something new, or maybe not, but I hope these stories break up the monotony of your daily commute.
Macquarie University Law Society magazine Edition 1, 2015 (Volume 21)
EDITORIAL & CREATIVE PRODUCTION EDITOR IN CHIEF Sarah Basford DEPUTY EDITOR Regina Featherstone FEATURES EDITOR Jack Cameron Stanton NEWS EDITOR Anna Glen REGULARS EDITOR Vanessa Capito COPY EDITOR Amelia van der Rijt WEB EDITOR Raelee Lancaster EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Nicholas Wasiliev & Aswathi Neelakandan CREATIVE DIRECTOR Natasha Michels GRAPHIC DESIGNER Samuel Ip MARKETING TEAM ADVERTISING MANAGER Michael Rosser MARKETING MANAGER Joanna Marciniak OUR AWESOME CONTRIBUTORS Andros, Shannon Abberton, Yehuda Aharon, Riahta Grace, Glenn Hopper, Kieran Horne, Emma Jones, Adrian Kenyon, Phoebe Kwan, Irene Phan, Kat Robson, Dylan Schneider, Alicia Scott, Charlie Smith, Caitlin Stevens, Rowan Taylor, Erica Tilse, Tony Zhang EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD STUDENT MEMBERS Emma Grimley, Jack Morgan, Jacob Rock, Kris Gilmour, Natalie Morton, Patrick Barkachi, Sarah Cameron, Yi Wong COORDINATOR Melroy Rodrigues PUBLISHER Craig Oliver
Grapeshot would like to acknowledge the Darug people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, and pay our respects to their elders, past and present.
onnolwine ’S BE ST AC CE SS AU ST RA LIA IC AT IO N LAW ST UD EN T PU BL AN YT IM E, AN YW HE RE
Edition 1, 2015 | 1
www.facebook.com/ thebriefmagazine
www.issuu.com/muls
www.muls.org
NEWS
u
NEWS FLASH WORDS || ANNA GLEN & REGINA FEATHERSTONE
ALLEGED UPSKIRTING BY MACQUARIE LAW STUDENTS
1
Macquarie University is investigating claims of upskirting, sexual harassment and bullying by students against a member of the law faculty. The Dean of the Law School, Natalie Klein, sent an email on 6 May to students enrolled in first year subject LAW115, where the criminality of the act was outlined. The filming of another person’s genitals can be met with a maximum two year gaol sentence. In the email, Klein expressed her disappointment, saying, “the peers that you have today could well be the peers that will continue with you into the legal profession and you should have a say in who those people are and what conduct is acceptable to you”. Another email was sent by Klein to all law students on 11 May, which advised that an internal investigation was underway, and the NSW Police had been informed of the incident. Students with any information are invited to come forward to speak to Campus Security Manager, John Durbridge, or Steve Bailey, the Emergency Care Manager of Campus Wellbeing.
STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AMENDED AFTER COMPLAINTS OF TRANSPHOBIA Transwomen were recently excluded from running for the position of Women’s Representative on the Student Advisory Board, as candidates are required to be female and must submit ‘evidence’ of their gender in the form of a birth certificate. Alusha Newnham-Kell, a student and member of Macquarie University’s Women’s Collective, said she was “incredibly taken aback” by the requirement. She wrote to the Manager of Campus Engagement, Angela Voerman, expressing her concern about the conservative and out-dated representation of gender. “The notion that womanhood be defined by genitalia or medical procedure is inconsistent with the Women’s Collective’s all-encompassing and trans-inclusive environment; it is logical that anyone who identifies as being a woman could hold the position of women’s representative,” NewnhamKell wrote in an email. The University has resolved the complaint and allowed candidates to make a statutory declaration of their gender for future elections, which is consistent with requirements for disabled and indigenous representatives.
8 || NEWS
2
3
ICAC SAYS UNIVERSITIES’ FINANCIAL DEPENDENCE ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS “CONDUCIVE TO CORRUPTION”, BUT RESPONSES SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has released a thirty-six-page report outlining problems posed by universities relying on revenue brought by international students. The report notes that in the last twenty-five years feepaying international students have increased thirteenfold, now accounting for seventen per cent of university revenue in New South Wales. This means international students are actively recruited, and in some cases fall short of language proficiency tests, making them vulnerable to acts of plagiarism. Because of this, “students may be struggling to pass, but universities cannot afford to fail them,” the report outlines. Just this year Macquarie University has taken action against those using the Chinese language ‘MyMaster’ essay writing website, and similar crackdowns on cheating have occurred across the university sector. However Higher Education expert Emmaline Bexley from the University of Melbourne has warned that such findings can have “unnecessary effects on public perceptions and treatment of international students”, with the vast majority of international students having “genuine capacities and aspirations”.
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY VS. MUPRA DISPUTE SENT TO MEDIATION WORDS || ANNA GLEN On 7 May, the Macquarie Universityv Macquarie University Postgraduate Representative Association (MUPRA) case was heard in the NSW Supreme Court, regarding the winding up of MUPRA and subsequent liquidation of over $500,000 dollars held by the organisation. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students and Registrar), Deidre Anderson, says the University is not trying to obtain control of the funds but is “seeking to have an independent liquidator appointed to manage MUPRA’s assets in the interests of all Macquarie’s postgraduate students”. As an unincorporated association, the defendants, including two international students, face individual liability for the dispute. Because of this, the University has provided funds so MUPRA can obtain appropriate legal counsel for its case. Deakin University Student Association’s distance committee also contributed $10 000 dollars in legal costs “to improve the experience of Post-Graduate Students at Macquarie University”. The presiding Judge, Justice A Black, sent the parties to court supervised mediation, which must be conducted before 28 May. In the event of unsuccessful mediation, a judgement will be handed down. Anderson said the University will provide funds for the mediation process, stating “the amount of these funds will be negotiated by Counsel assisting MUPRA and Counsel assisting the University”. Former President of the Macquarie University Law Society and University Medalist, Sebastian Hartford-Davis, represented MUPRA pro bono. He wrote in his submission that it was “the first time since 1904 that a Court has been asked to wind up a voluntary association using its inherent jurisdiction”. Hartford-Davis argued that the University’s attempt to dissolve the Association interfered with property rights vested in MUPRA and, moreover, the decisions made by the University were beyond the power afforded by the Macquarie University Act 1989. Counsel for Macquarie University submitted that the directions to dissolve MUPRA were lawfully made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor. He also argued that MUPRA is unable to fulfil its purpose and should be wound up for loss of substratum. If MUPRA is dissolved, the money would need to be handed over to the University pursuant to clause 22 of the MUPRA Constitution. The dispute has been ongoing for almost three years following failed negotiations and finally a motion of no confidence from the University in June 2012. “From the outset this issue has been about the failure of governance and accountability at MUPRA. Macquarie University is
acting in the interests of its postgraduate students who have not been well represented by MUPRA,” Ms Anderson said. MUPRA President. Doug Williamson. rejects these claims and says MUPRA are affiliated with the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) and have organised activities such as art competitions, seminar programs and how to write classes. The case has drawn attention from students nationwide because it could set an important precedent for student representation in Australia. It is the first of its kind where a University has sought to forcibly wind up a solvent, unincorporated student association. Student unions have become increasingly vulnerable since the introduction of voluntary student unionism by the Howard Government in 2006, which reduced union funds and forced student organisations to negotiate with universities for extra financial support. President of the Newcastle University Student Association, Clare Swan, said she is following the case with great interest because of the ramifications it could have on other student unions. “We’re watching what happens with Macquarie and MUPRA very closely. Our funding negotiations have not been going well and [this] kind of finding would place so much pressure on us,” Ms Swan said. Mia Kwok, Vice President (Equity) of CAPA, echoes these concerns, stating that “If Macquarie University is successful in convincing the Supreme Court to close a successful, solvent student organisation like MUPRA, there are many embattled student organisations who fear their University will see this as an acceptable course of action. It isn’t”. However, the University maintains that MUPRA has not delivered adequate services to students, and argues that the current non-profit body ‘U@MQ’, which is not an independent student organisation, nevertheless provides amenities to students similar to those performed by independent student organisations at other universities. Anderson also says the current Student Advisory Board at Macquarie University provides greater representation for the student cohort, stating “the Student Advisory Board - which is drawn from the wider student community, including postgraduate students - is more representative of students and therefore better equipped to engage with the university for the provision of student amenities.” However, the Student Advisory Board itself condemned the actions of the University, moving a motion asking the University “not to pursue any individual office-bearer or members of MUPRA for costs resulting from the legal proceedings”.
NEWS || 9
142 MURDERED STUDENTS: KENYAN MASSACRE
SHEDS LIGHT ON MEDIA-OCRE MAINSTREAM MEDIA WORDS || IRENE PHAN
On 2 April 2015, gunmen from the Al-Shabaab militant group stormed Garrisa University College in Kenya, resulting in the deaths of 142 students of the university, three police officers and three soldiers. A further 79 students, of the total 700 students held hostage, were also injured in the terrorist attack, which targeted Christians. The siege ended after fifteen hours and resulted in the death of the four gunmen involved. The Al Qaeda-aligned militant group later claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage stating that the group’s mission was to “kill those who are against the Shabab”, and that “Kenya is at war with Somalia”. Al-Shabaab has been engaged in combat against the Federal Government of Somalia and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) since 2006, with attacks such as the 2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting in Nairobi serving as evidence of the ongoing conflict. It was acknowledged by the Al-Shabaab that Garissa University was a prime target because it was “on Muslim land colonised by non-Muslims”. Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, is currently experiencing increased pressure to
10 || NEWS
withdraw Kenyan troops from Somalia, where Al-Shabaab are based, with the militant group threating a “long, gruesome war”. Outrage has also been expressed in relation to the lack of effective security measures in Kenya. The United Nations Security Council, the the British High Commission and the US have all condemned the attack.
Desipte such high-profile condemnation, there has been a serious lack of sufficient media coverage of the Garissa University attack. Individuals have taken to social media to express their outrage, with angry comparisons to the huge media coverage of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in January. With the death toll of the Garrisa Massacre totalling almost ten times that of the Charlie Hebdo attack, individuals are questioning why the Garissa Massacre has not been more prominent in the media. Maya Ranganathan, a journalist and lecturer of journalism and communication studies at Macquarie University, says there was a significant “lack of in depth media coverage”. “What is difficult to condone is the indifference to equally tragic events in the developing world. With access to new communication technologies being what it is, it has become quite simple to learn of events in different parts of the globe”, Ranganathan says. The fact that the pure repugnance of the act did not warrant more media attention is particularly disturbing. “The Garissa University attack is shocking for the sheer number of victims it claimed, the purported aim of the perpetrators
and the brutality of the attack. People were quick to learn of it online. The fact that it was not covered significantly by mainstream media has led to a greater disenchantment with news media”, Ranganathan says. With the press facilitating connections in a globalised world, extensive media coverage on tragic events in today’s society is subject to biased selectivity. We have grown dependent on media to raise awareness of issues and events occurring around the world. However, as seen through the lack of extensive media coverage of the Garissa University attack, it has become increasingly evident that the priorities of mainstream media are ‘skewed”’ and, according to Ranganathan, centred on “economically powerful regions, nations, groups and individuals”. It has become our responsibility to be aware of the inherent agenda and bias within the mainstream media and remember those 142 students who were beginning their life at university, just like us.
NEWS || 11
LOCKOUT LAWS AFFECTING CULTURE AND VIBRANCY OF SYDNEY NIGHTLIFE WORDS || CAITLIN STEVENS The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recently released a report on the effect of the lockout laws introduced to Sydney CBD and Kings Cross venues. The report stated that there has been a forty per cent decrease in the number of assaults since the laws were introduced in early 2014. But how have these laws affected the small local businesses and Sydney’s nightlife? The footpath congestion in the lockout zone has seen an eighty-four per cent reduction since the laws were introduced. Dr Don Weatherburn, the director of the Bureau, said it was unclear whether the reduction in assaults could be attributed to the drop in foot traffic in the area, or a decrease in alcohol consumption. The laws have affected the FBi Social Club in the Kings Cross area. A recent Backchat FBi broadcast proclaimed, “Oxford Street has [been] really badly affected by the lockout laws. Drinking, cultural and entertainment institutions are going out of business because everyone seems to be going home after lockout at 1.30am”. The area’s night-time economy has been hit hard by the lockout laws, with staff cuts to many businesses, and smaller businesses being forced to close their doors. Since the laws have been introduced, a number of popular Sydney venues such as The Flinders Hotel, The Backroom and The Bourbon have closed due to the downturn in trade in the Sydney CBD
12 || News
and Kings Cross area. At least forty-two bars, clubs and small businesses have shut up shop in the Kings Cross area alone. A poll was conducted on university students residing in Sydney, and seventy-eight per cent said these lockout laws have affected their weekend plans, with many choosing to go to areas outside the lockout zone such as Newtown or the Star Casino. Because these areas are outside the lockout zone, there has been a noticeable boom in night-time economy in these areas, which has benefited the local businesses. A current second year Bachelor of ArtsMedia student, who lives in Ultimo and is familiar with the Sydney nightlife, said that the lockout laws had a detrimental effect on the culture and vibrancy of Sydney nightlife. “My friends and I now prefer to go to Newtown on a Saturday night just because we want to be able to enjoy our night out without having to look at the time. I feel that more people are choosing to head to different areas or tend to go home once they are locked out.”
“If the government were trying to make Sydney nightlife dead ... they were successful,” she said. The forty per cent decrease in assaults is within the lockout zone only, and does not represent whether this ‘anti-social’ violence has been displaced elsewhere
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDS $4.1 MILLION
TELEMOVIE TO “SAVE” ASYLUM SEEKERS WORDS || PHOEBE KWAN
Last year’s budget cut funding to hospitals, university students, the elderly and, notably, Screen Australia. Yet the Federal Government has recently commissioned a $4.1 million telemovie to discourage potential asylum seekers from travelling to Australia by boat.
paid for this particular piece of propaganda”. The company website also states there is an untouched multi-million dollar potential in conflict media, which seems to throw doubt on Tierney’s supposed motivation to ‘save asylum seekers’.
Put It Out There Pictures, a Sydney-based production company, has already signed a contract for the drama, which is scheduled to be broadcast later this year in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is said to include storylines that portray ‘realistic’ experiences of asylum seekers drowning at sea, with a feature appearance from the Australian Navy.
It must be remembered that the desperation that drives people to seek asylum overseas is not something most Australians have experienced. It is evident that social attitudes are shaped by the media, but is this telemovie likely to deter potential asylum seekers? Phil Glendenning from the Refugee Council of Australia believes the Government is sorely mistaken in commissioning this telemovie. “A TV show isn’t going to stop people who are running from the Taliban,” Mr. Glendenning said.
Trudi-Ann Tierney, the company director of Put it Out There Pictures, stated that the film will strongly impact people’s decisions to attempt the boat journey and “[save] people from detention, disappointment and even death”. But would there even be a need to save people if the government implemented better management of detention centres and application processes? It’s no secret that Australia’s administration of detention centres and inhumane treatment of asylum speekers, especially children, has been at the forefront of international criticism. Despite Tierney’s assurance that this forprofit telemovie is “about people, not politics”, the production company’s past affiliations suggest this is not the truth. In 2010, funded by the US, the company played a part in the production of the propaganda film EAGLE FOUR in Afghanistan. Audiences remained ignorant of the funding source. In her 2014 memoir, Making Soapies in Kabul, Tierney mentioned that they were “well
Professor William Maley from the Australian National University described the film as the “most expensive fantasy film since Lord of the Rings”. Maley argues that Afghans living in places like Pakistan are already aware of the risks and uncertainties of bureaucratic resettlement. He believes the money would be better spent helping the UNHCR process applications faster. Cultural studies Professor James Arvanitakis, from the University of Western Sydney, suggested that documenting the treacherous conditions inside detention centres would be a cheaper and more efficient method for deterring asylum seekers. It is ironic that while we are sending troops over to help Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State, when it comes to helping victims of war, we are so reluctant to assist.
News || 13
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB DECISION NO ‘GAME CHANGER’
IN STRUGGLE AGAINST ONLINE PIRACY WORDS || TONY ZHANG
In April 2015, Dallas Buyers Club LLC successfully sued iiNet and several other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the Federal Court. Justice Perram ordered that the ISPs hand over the private information and identities of 4726 Australians who have illegally downloaded the popular 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. The decision sends a strong message to online copyright infringers: online torrenting is no longer immune from legal claims. The case does not, however, mark the death of online piracy, as the liability of any particular individual has yet to be confirmed by a court. The Federal Court has only granted Dallas Buyers Club LLC the right to access the names and physical addresses of account holders associated with the IP addresses believed to be involved in illegally accessing or sharing the copyright material. The copyright holder is likely to find it challenging, however, to prove that it was the account holder and not third parties who were actually responsible for the infringement. Associate Professor Niloufer Selvadurai of Macquarie Law School believes that the significance of the decision has been overstated. “The decision is not an unexpected interpretation of the present law. The more significant issue is yet to be decided,” Professor Selvadurai explained. In the US, pirates have been hit with huge fees issued by copyright holders, but in Australia the quantum of damages to be paid will first require the approval of the court. “This is designed to prevent the sort of speculative invoicing which we have seen occur in the US,” Professor Selvadurai noted.
14 || News
Speculative invoicing occurs when copyright holders issue demands for significant sums of money from copyright infringers, in order to avoid court proceedings. Some individuals have agreed to pay studios up to $9,000 AUD to prevent lawsuits being filed. Industryresponse to the Federal Court decision has also been significant. The Communications Alliance, the peak representative body for telecommunications companies in Australia, has submitted a Copyright Notice Scheme Code for consideration. The Code proposes that ISPs should be required to compile lists of IP addresses from which copyright material has been unlawfully downloaded, and also suggests that ISPs should send warning letters to infringers. Professor Selvadurai says this will place “an onerous and costly monitoring obligation on the ISPs and it is likely that the costs of this will be passed on to the consumers”. In the future, consumers are more likely to face the prospect of legal proceedings for copyright infringements, however Professor Selvadurai believes that alternative measures can be taken to require copyright proprietors to contribute to investigation and enforcement costs. There is no doubt that the Dallas Buyers Club case is a victory for copyright holders who have, until now, been unsuccessful in Australia in their attempt to pierce the veil of online anonymity when tracking down alleged copyright infringers. The case is, however, far from being a game changer in terms of copyright law in Australia.
REGULARS
|| 15
ISLAND HOPPING IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD WORDS || AMELIA VAN DER RIJT If you have a sense of adventure but lack the funds to travel overseas, never fear! There are plenty of spectacular sights right in our own backyard, and the islands of Sydney Harbour National Park offer the perfect opportunity for your next weekend break. The combination of gorgeous scenery and local history make the islands a necessary trip for every Sydneysider.
SHARK ISLAND Named for its shape, Shark Island offers spectacular views of the city, including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. From the 1850s until 1975, the island was used as an animal quarantine area, a naval storage depot, and a public recreation reserve. Today, the island hosts a thirtyperson gazebo, picnic tables, and handbuilt grottos. Its shallow waters historically presented a challenge to shipping, and today offer the perfect opportunity for swimming. With an area of just 1.5 hectares, Shark Island is the perfect spot for a picnic and some weekend fishing. To get there, take the Shark Island Ferry from Circular Quay. Photo by Aaron Booth
CLARK ISLAND Just under a hectare in area, scenic Clark Island is located just off the tip of Darling Point. In 1789, Lieutenant Ralph Clark, who arrived with the First Fleet, attempted to cultivate the island as a vegetable garden, but the vegetables were repeatedly stolen. Although the vegetables are now long gone, Clark’s name lives on. Today, the island can hold just 150 people at any one time, so bookings are essential. Landing on the island will cost you $7 per person, but that will definitely be $7 well spent, as the island offers scenic walking paths and a gorgeous view of the Harbour.
16 || Regulars
FORT DENISON Once known as ‘Pinchgut’ thanks to the convicts who were confined to the island with rations of only bread and water, Fort Denison is now a major Sydney tourist attraction. Today operating as a Harbour Navigation facility, the island boasts the only Martello Tower in Australia. Explore the fascinating history of Fort Denison in its modern museum, or take one of the guided tours of the island. Make sure you’re there for the traditional daily firing of the canon at 1pm. If you’re looking for a unique experience, book a place at Dinner De-Lights, which promises spectacular views of the city during the Vivid Festival. Getting there is easy – just take the ferry from Circular Quay, where ticket prices include the landing price.
GOAT ISLAND The untroubled view of the Harbour led the Dharug people to name Goat Island ‘Me-mel’, which means ‘pupil of the eye’. Since colonisation, Goat Island has played an important role in Sydney’s history and development, serving variously as a home for convict working gangs, an explosives store, and a quarry. More recently, the island has proved to be a popular location for concerts and filming. Guided walking tours are available, which include an indepth history of the island and the people who have lived there. Night tours are also available for those interested in the more grisly history of the island. Photo by Emmett Anderson
COCKATOO ISLAND Closed to the public until 2007, Cockatoo Island is now perhaps the most famous island in Sydney Harbour, and in 2010 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rich history of the island as a penal establishment and one of Australia’s biggest shipbuilding docks means that there’s plenty to see and do. Explore the island yourself with a self-guided walking tour – pick up one of four different route maps upon arrival. Guided tours and audio tours are also available. Make sure you check out the Island Bar, which is constructed from recycled shipping containers, and offers the perfect vantage point from which to view the sunset over the Harbour. Take the ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour.
Regulars || 17
SPEAK OUT AND SPEAK LOUD
WORDS || SHANNON ABBERTON COLLAGE || ADRIAN KENYON
Poaching and animal cruelty are prominent all over the world, and yet many people seem to dismiss the issue because it is seemingly too distant from their own lives. Thankfully, there are a large number of people and groups who actively stand up against these injustices including organisations like PETA, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation and the Born Free Foundation. These groups aim to send a core message: animals deserve better. Ricky Gervais is the most recent celebrity to lend his voice to the cause against poaching. Recently, a photo of a female game-hunter posing with a giraffe she had just killed went viral on social media, and the loudest voice against this cruelty was that of Gervais. In retaliation, the woman defended her kill as an act of mercy, claiming she had put the giraffe out of its misery. Gervais has expressed his strong disgust at this act, and was echoed by all those who share his beliefs. Voices are being raised across the globe, extending criticism regarding the treatment of animals from poaching in Africa to whaling in the Pacific, bear baiting in the Middle East, and animal exploitation in Asia. Many organisations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), actively strive to end the injustices suffered by animals. In April, it was confirmed that there was one male white rhino remaining in the whole world. Named Sudan, he is kept under 24/7 surveillance to protect him in hopes he will breed with one of the two surviving females of the species. Closer to home, Victoria has
18 || Regulars
proposed new law reforms for animal farming, including the ability to seize animals from breeders and poor conditions where owners have not registered, or have previously been charged with animal cruelty. The RSPCA will also recieve an additional five million dollars in funding to assist in a crackdown on animal farms that cage and mistreat animals. Every action, no matter how small, is a step towards better treatment of animals. Donations and contributions to trusted organisations, like WWF, the RSPCA and the Rainforest Alliance all make a difference, as do hosting fundraisers, using sustainable products, and signing petitions. Writing to your local member of parliament and boycotting certain products are great ways to help. Educating yourself on the treatment of animals is extremely important. Documentaries like Food Inc, Earthlings and Blackfish are both confronting and informative, and may make you question what you eat, what you wear and what you find entertaining. Animals like the leatherback turtle, Chinese alligator, northern hairy-nosed wombat and organgutans are just some of the animals predicted to become extinct in the next few decades. Without active support, these numbers will only continue to dwindle. Through even the smallest actions, you can make a difference. Please choose to. Remember: “Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game” – Paul Rodriguez
ADVICE FROM
FAKE BEAR GRYLLS WORDS || ASWATHI NEELAKANDAN
Dear Bear, I am always so forgetful and unprepared for everything. I can’t help it! I am falling behind and it’s exhausting. What should I do? Dan. Alas my friend, unpreparedness is not the enemy here. I have managed to check my emails by crafting a makeshift telegraph machine from a fish fin, a bird claw and my wedding ring. I’m currently sitting atop a glacier in Iceland but just had a cup of my finest piss so I’m filled with enough protein and chlorides to deliver this advice and live another 3.12 hours. Now I don’t know what conditions you are up against exactly, they’re probably nowhere near as rugged and life threatening as mine but I can sense a common spirit between us. Dan, you’re a survivor - am I right? Therefore you are prepared. Three words: mind over matter. I have ventured wide from the Canadian Rockies to the Borneo Jungle, the Northern Territory to the cover of British GQ. As many have watched on, I have been caught in very slippy, very dangerous situations; where a match, rope or cloth could have improved my conditions dramatically (GQ cover excluded). But I have never allowed my thoughts to trail off in the wrong direction. Do you know why? Bravery only exits in a hyper-reality where you
have sharpened your emotions; you are alert, confident and yes, fearless. The moment you tremble and wish for something better like a blanket or filtered water, you have lost. It sounds like you are in a comfort pit. I call it a pit because it’s not just a zone, it’s a downfall of ambition. (You can read that in my book Survival Guide for Life by me, Bear Grylls). You are contained in a box, created by your inability to remember things like your Opal card or a media essay on health misrepresentations that was due yesterday. You don’t have to break the box Dan. Ease up! You just need to accept it and be excited by its potential. That is where creativity thrives and where you can finally lead your own way. So rub some dirt on that weak ‘save me’ attitude of yours and don’t pack anything at all. You already have all that you require, right inside your head. I hope you can embrace the uncertainty of unpreparedness and transform that energy bouncing within your limitations into greatness. Good luck my good man.
Regulars || 19
MEET THE TEAM We thought it was about time you saw the faces behind the words here at Grapeshot, so we’ve dug deep to give you guys a little teaser into the lives of the people who put this baby together. We’ve tried to be as honest as possible, because we love you, and honesty is the best policy. In staying true to who we are, we’ve opted to go for old pictures of ourselves, to really show you where we came from. Let’s be honest, an old bad photo trumps a new bad photo. Thnx MySpace. Sarah Basford, 21, Umina Editor-in-Chief Bad habit you want to break? Not listening to people. I’ve really honed my skills over the past fifteen years or so Dream pizza? One that never ends. How would your friends describe you? KEWL. AS. SHIT. (real talk) Fav word beginning with G? Grouse m8 Your spirit animal? Liz Lemon Do you collect anything? I collect a lot of things. Some call that being a ‘hoarder’. I prefer to think of myself as a connoisseur of all things physical. Regina Featherstone, 22, Lithgow Deputy Editor Bad habit you want to break? Ambitions of doing nothing. Meat pies or sausage rolls? OMG I’M A VEGO! But in my heart, meat pie. Fictional character you’d be besties with? Tom Haverford or Michael Scott or Gandalf Spirit animal? Dugong (sea cow) If you could breed two totally different animals together, what new animal would you create? Dugong + eagle = Gongle Do you collect anything? Hearts
Michael Rosser, 23, Lithgow Advertising Manager If you could be any celebrity, who would you be? Dylan Moran, who is my personal hero, and very handsome (at least in my opinion) Favourite meal? Swedish meatballs with linden berry Meat pies or sausage rolls? Meat pies (fkn duh) Favourite word starting with a G? Gangsta (specifically with an a) Your spirit animal? Meerkat
20 || Regulars
Amelia van der Rijt, 20, Wagga Wagga Copy Editor Meat pies or sausage rolls? Definitely meat pies Your spirit animal? Grumpy Cat, without a doubt Have you had any brushes with the law? Erryday, but only because I study law Favourite word beginning with a G? Gregarious. It rolls nicely off the tongue Pet hate? People who walk really slowly in large groups
Anna Glen, 23, Summer Hill News Editor Strangest food eaten? I ate octopus sashimi when I was in South Korea. You have chew quickly because the wriggly tentacles can stick to your mouth Bad habit you want to break? I’m a big hoarder. Currently trying to break free from my sentimental attachment to junk Addiction? Documentaries and Diet Coke
Joanna Marciniak, 22, Castle Hill Marketing Manager Where would you teleport to right now? Europe, so I can escape the oncoming winter here and see my family If you could be one celebrity right now, who would it be? Victoria Beckham – she has it all doesn’t she? Have you had any brushes with the law? No, and strangely enough every time I’ve done something silly I’ve always gotten away with it!! Your spirit animal? I have no idea! Let me do an online quiz and see. Okay, I’m a hummingbird
Jack Stanton, 21, Sydney Features Editor Bad habit you want to break? Smoking with my mouth full Meat pies or sausage rolls: I’m vegetarian… What fictional character would you be besties with? Probably Henry Chinaski Where would you teleport to right now? The heart of Tokyo If you had to get a tattoo right now what would it be? Dali’s soft watches (melting clocks) If you could breed two totally different animals together, what new animal would you create? Tony Abbott and a jellyfish
Vanessa Capito, 23, Radelaide!* Regulars Editor Bad habit you want to break? Stealing tampons. Meat pies or sausage rolls? Saus rolls all the way man Strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? I’ve eaten the red frilly bit off the top of a rooster. It was pretty good If you could bread two totally different animals together, what new animal would you create? A domesticated flamigdog (flamingo and a dog). Because a pink, sort of able-flying dog would be hella cute Do you collect anything? Mugs. I have over 40, no jk *More commonly known as just Adelaide
Raelee Lancaster, 20, Toronto* Web Editor Bad habit you want to break? Online shopping. Lol jk, I’ll never give it up What fictional character would you be besties with? Cersei Lannister, I feel like we’ll have fun drinking wine and bitching about people Dream pizza? Ice cream and M&M’s Have you ever had any brushes with the law? I had a fight with my friend who’s a law major Favourite word beginning with a G? Grapeshot! (Do I get a raise now?) *Toronto NSW, not freaking Canada!
Samuel Ip, 23, Hong Kong Graphic Designer Bad habit you want to break? Procrastination on assignments Meat pies or sausage rolls? Can I have both? Do you collect anything? Boxes from stuff I buy What are you addicted to? Coffee, can't have enough of it every day Strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? The first time I've ever had Philly roll was really weird, I mean...who thought of putting cream cheese in sushi?!
Natasha Michels, 22, The ‘Riff’* Graphic Designer Bad habit you want to break? Nail biting Meat pies or sausage rolls? I’m meat free, baby Fictional character you’d be besties with? Marceline the Vampire Queen. We could jam and spook together What are you addicted to? Rose flavoured everything. Tea, jam, turkish delight Strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? A few years ago I was in Cambodia and ate frogs, sea bugs and crickets *Penrith
Regulars || 21
UNPLANNED WORDS || EMMA JONES
Travel, for any university student, provides the break you really need and, in some cases (mostly my own), can make you realise just how culturally uneducated you are. J.R.R Tolkien once said, “Not all those who wander are lost,” but I have to say ... sometimes, you actually are lost. After one month, five European countries and no plan, I bring you what ‘unplanned’ meant to me: # Running ... a lot. For trains, planes or any kind of automobile. It meant contorting your body to fit between mounds of luggage on a train for nine hours between Berlin and Paris on Christmas Eve who knew there was a difference between booking tickets and booking seats? # Keeping a map securely in your pocket and avoiding its use until you’re well and truly lost in the confusing city streets. Then finally relying on Google Maps to tell you that if you want to get to your hostel, you’ll first have to attempt a giant climb.
# Trying to communicate to the locals with your poorly practiced French, only to give have them give up on you and ask for your order in English. # An interesting array of hostel roommates. From the Korean fellow that woke me up in the middle of the night to ask for help, thinking I was his girlfriend- “she’s in the other bunk, mate” - to the elderly gentleman spending his days in youth hostels, and stripping down starkers in the middle of the afternoon to go to bed. # Mistaking the sirens that rang out through Prague as an air raid and panicking in the main square only to realise that this was the norm on Wednesdays. # Understanding history, paying respects to Holocaust victims and to those separated by the Berlin Wall. The great moments I experienced could never have been planned. I guess that’s part of the beauty of flexible travel plans.
FEATURES
THROWING STONES
AT A PAPER SUN WITH DBC PIERRE:
MAN BOOKER WINNING AUTHOR EXPLAINS
HOW ONCE YOU BECOME PROFITABLE,
THEY’LL RIDE YOU LIKE A HORSE. WORDS || YEHUDA AHARON
T
oday is supposed to be the day I interview writer DBC Pierre, who won the Man Booker Prize for fiction in 2003 for his debut novel, Vernon God Little. I’m supposed to do it today. There is hardly any indication I will have better luck than yesterday. I shoot him another email and check Skype. Nothing yet. Pierre is infamous for a lack of adherence to protocol. In his writing, defying protocol has awarded him much praise, but I am also aware of his reputation for not attending interviews or conferences if he doesn’t feel like it. I check my emails again. I see a new message from him. It says Skype is on, but he hasn’t received any of my messages or calls. Oh shit, I think. It must have something to do with my technological incompetence. So instead of waiting, I give him a ring. At last, the phone rings and DBC Pierre’s voice crackles through, after I’ve cycled through every variation of the international calling
24 || Features
codes. His voice is slow and measured yet warm nonetheless. I probably sound flat, and somewhat afflicted by the flu. We discuss his turbulent life on the move. Pierre was born in Australia, grew up in Mexico City, then spent time in Texas. Later on, he moved to London, which was far too much of a rat race for his sensibilities. So he finally settled in Ireland. “I also lived in Trinidad and Tobago,” Pierre adds. “They have a saying: as a traveller you must keep a piece of chalk in your pocket, and at the end of the day, wherever you are, draw a bed beneath you and lie down.” But there is a darker side to his travels: “It makes you homeless. Once you leave your homeland, then no matter where you are, you always feel you are missing somewhere else”. Wherever he has been, Pierre feels regarded as a foreigner. “People have never known how to categorise me,” he says. “London was driving me crazy. I was just full of frustration, and angry at the culture of the time.” So, even though he
lacked any formal experience or training, he began to write. “I wrote a page in anger and it was satisfying enough that I kept going. After five weeks, I had 300 pages. It was pretty crap, just the voice in monologue, but that made me think that maybe there was something there.” Working in a creative industry is finicky business, and Pierre has advice for anybody aspiring to reach into it. “The most important thing is to jump in with your boots on and not give a shit. Get the soul of your art down first; don’t worry about grammar or details. Then polish it up later.” Pierre has applied this mentality to every realm of his creative life – from his career as a cartoonist to a fiction writer, and actor. “You have to work with what you got, and don’t be afraid to be different,” he continues. “The most interesting stories can happen in your own neighbourhood. If you are going to write about the King of Spain, put him in Parramatta. Don’t wait for the right moment or equipment to turn up at your feet. The ones who make it are the ones who say ‘we have a knife and fork; we can buy the shovel and bulldozer later’.” I ask him how winning the Man Booker Prize may have changed all this, and whether it changed his ability to not give a shit. Pierre pauses for a moment, then tells me he has been recovering for ten years after winning the Man Booker in 2003. “Recover?” I ask. For many, winning the Man Booker is the height of their career, the sole affirmation that they’ve finally ‘made it.’ So why didn’t Pierre feel the same? After winning a prize, it’s not the author who changes, but the publisher. “Once you become profitable, they ride you like a horse,” he says. “They feel they can sell the phone book if they put your name on it.” He describes the first nine months between publication and winning the prize as his honeymoon. “They [the months] were lovely, because I never heard from them [the publishers].” Pierre’s novels portray people in cities and large societies, a world very familiar to him. But
to write it down on the page, he prefers distance. “I wrote a novel about Texas in London, about London when I was in Ireland, and about Europe while in the UK. While I was immersed in them [the cities], they were too big. Like a billion pixels coming at you all the time.” Ireland gives him space for the most striking memories to percolate in his mind and rise to the top. That is why he moves around, ruminating on his past lives until a novel pops out at him. Pierre loves burgers. He mentions them three times in this interview and countless times in other appearances which can be found across the Internet. Not to mention their cameos in his novels. But it all happens for a reason: Pierre has a theory. “Food is the symbol of decadence,” he says, comparing our obsession with food to the decadent decline of Rome. “As beliefs and bindings of society come apart, then the animal base instincts come out.” And, just in case I didn’t understand, he clarifies: “They [base animal instincts] are to eat and fuck.” For Pierre, putting food in a book aiming at reflecting modern life is like drawing the sun into a picture. Yet, even with the entire cultural collapse and nagging publishers, Pierre loves contemporary existence. “We are living in the most exciting age since the fall of Rome. We have an arrogance thinking we are at the pinnacle of intelligence. The idea that we are all individuals,” he tells me, is a young idea – one that won’t last. At least decadence and change make life exciting. “Or maybe I could be wrong.” Despite all the talk of isolation Pierre isn’t running away from the culture: he immerses himself in it. He simultaneously embraces it while recognising its frail tether with his life. “I’ll tell you something,” he says. “I don’t sit outside the culture and throw stones in. I’m involved, I eat burgers, watch television, and try to update my fucking computer.” I laugh, but then apologise for keeping him up. It’s almost 3am in the U.K, and my next class is about to start. I ask him if there is anything he wants to finish on. He tells me to go find it.
Features || 25
THE WOMAN WITH A THOUSAND STORIES: A BRIEF COLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES IN QATAR THAT MADE ME REALISE THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM WORDS || RIAHTA GRACE PHOTO || MARC DESBORDES
I
felt I was adjusting pretty well to life in the Gulf. I’d taken full advantage of the sauna in the housing compound, avoided the gym, and sunbathed as much as my peeling skin could handle. When I wasn’t by the pool, I spent my time at The Pearl, a stylistically Venetian manmade island dotted with waterfront retail outlets, restaurants, and car showrooms. I was inside a restaurant, waiting for my meal, when I saw the couple arrive.
The artificial island was connected to the mainland by a strip. Its muted pastel pavement was flung out in the shape of a circle, as if someone with deft hands had kneaded it out with a rolling pin. But they had missed a spot, leaving a small gap. Yachts and boats were anchored adrift on the ocean. Jetties jutted outwards along the waterfront. But I was yet to see anyone sailing. Most of the boats looked unused and newly purchased, gleaming under the fiery sun.
There they were: Yin and Yang; their tradtional dress not quite touching the tiled floor of the restaurant as they glided away from the heat outside. They were shown to their table by a waiter. The woman’s diamond-pressed heels clinked on the floor. The jewels winked at me from beneath the black hem, reminding me of the moment I first moved to Doha – the dry shining capital of Qatar – and how staggering The Pearl had first been.
The waterfront area of The Pearl resembled a kind of drawn out portico that was usually shrouded in shisha smoke, dust and sand. It was crammed with expensive retail, entertainment, and fine dining, while behind it were housing compounds, where tapering condominiums stood in clusters, like fingers protruding from the ground up. Here, people mingle after a hard day’s work, lounging about under a deep purple dusty sky, letting the drinks and balmy evenings chip away the stress.
26 || Features
The surroundings were very much a blend of different spheres, ranging from families to expatriates and native citizens. The entire population sprawls across The Pearl to relish every indulgence, from the greatest manners of luxury to the simple purchase of some cigarettes. I reflected on this disparity while watching the couple order in the restaurant. The black clad figure, slighter in size than her counterpart, unhooked her face veil. When it fell aside, I saw her face. Eyes lined with black, lids painted, eyebrows blooming from her face, and full lips kissed by pink. Her eyes held power. She may have seen the same things I have experienced during my time here. Things that, when they occurred, were both unsettling and confusing. I remember a sleek, crimson Lamborghini that paused along my street the other day. A man sat behind the wheel, enigmatic, with shades perched on his nose. The way he slowed in the haze and – with firm, confident authority – gestured for me to ‘get in’. When he realised I wasn’t going to make a move to enter his car, he sped away. All the while, his face never changed. He didn’t shout any crude remarks, nor did he flash a disappointed smirk. It seemed like business as usual.
I only needed to look outside to see the difference, the ugly gap: the dirty side of glamour. I wondered if the woman’s body had felt the same trembling rage. Or if that very same rage faded into disgust, later picked apart like a doll, until it was limbless and hollowed out. Maybe she had felt the same coerced shame that I did on my walk to the central plaza after he had driven off. I was left untouched, but somehow tainted and spoilt at the same time.
conversation. His chatter swelled and quietened, like waves of music. The waiter hovered around them, nervous and jittery, scribbling things into his notepad, nodding at anything the man said. And just outside the restaurant, beyond my plate of pasta and through the glass doors, were workers labouring under the sun. They were the only people outside during the day. Everyone else was either at work, or inside plaza restaurants and pools. A stark and divisive hierarchy exists in Qatar. Men and women from countries like India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, with lower socioeconomic status than many locals, forced into the background of Qatar’s ostentatious glamour. They covered their noses and mouths with tattered fabric to repel the sand and dust kicked up by the wind. Their hats sat right down over their foreheads, trying to shield their eyes. Working hard with weathered faces and calloused hands, they hoped to receive the money once promised, but never given, to send back home. I saw how grim and jaded homesickness had made them whenever an attendant filled my car with gas, or bent over to repair fallen power lines. I only needed to look outside to see the difference, the ugly gap: the dirty side of glamour. Once my second course arrived, a flood of people streamed into the restaurant. I glanced back at the couple. The woman had covered her face with the black veil and was cutting her halal meat. The pink colour of its flesh reminded me of the courtyard in Souq Waqif, the marketplace for everything imaginable. I watched the couple pay the bill and leave. The longer I gazed outside the window, the faster my appetite lessened, until emptiness settled like lead in my stomach. It wasn’t because of them, or the raucous Pearl or Chloé handbags. It was the neglect. Contemporary understandings of caste, race, sexuality, agency – or lack thereof – are crushed by backward ideologies. We’ve come this far and are still somewhat lost in ideas of hierarchy and superiority.
I watched how rarely the couple interacted with each other. The woman’s eyes slid to her husband. His wiry beard shuddered when he spoke. Sometimes I could catch glimpses of
Features || 27
BRAZIL
A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS WORDS || JOANNA MARCINIAK
28 || Features
H
e stood proudly, gazing over the city, feet planted on the pedestal, body carved by Swedish stone. His outstretched arms invite peace. His concrete eyes have no peripheries; so when I pace back and forth, his gaze never leaves mine. Hundreds of people around me, standing on the paramount of Corcovado mountain, experience the very same sense of awe. How could you not feel that way in the presence of Christ the Redeemer, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World? Known for its annual euphoric celebration, ‘Rio Carnival’, aromatic coffee, the sexy samba, stunning coastlines, and the most beautiful women on the planet, it’s too easy to be enchanted by Brazil. It appears to be one of the happiest countries in the world. And in many respects, Brazilians are prosperous, welcoming, happy people. But sometimes, the country can be glossed over by these romanticised elements, which obscure issues involving inequality, poverty, and crime that lie beneath the surface. Last September, I landed in Sao Paulo on a ridiculously hot night. After catching the first available taxi, I planted myself yet again, having already spent twenty-four hours in transit. The language barrier between us was quickly apparent: the taxi driver couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t understand a word of Portuguese. It wasn’t such a problem – we were getting by – until he started driving at race car speeds through intersections, ignoring obvious red lights. My eyes widened, and heart palpitated with the speed of the cab. I discovered that a new kind of fear exists, one that jolts through you and collides with a feeling of hopelessness. I couldn’t communicate with the driver and request him to slow down. I was surprised later on to discover that the actions of the taxi driver were for my own safety. The following day, I was told that one of the most dangerous prone areas in Brazil is stopped at a red light. This experience is but one example of a culture of violence in Brazil. A stream of stories reach our ears, telling the horrors of ‘flash robberies’ in Sao Paulo, where a criminal gang heists a restaurant with guns or machetes, and takes the possessions of every customer. Likewise, during the recent 2014 Football World Cup, international attendants received safety brochures, which advised you to avoid ‘reacting, screaming, or arguing’ when being robbed, suggesting instead to simply comply. The high crime rates in Brazil are a consequence of the social disparity within their population, some 200 million. A bi-product of these conditions is massive underground drug running syndicates, which facilitate large extents of gang and territorial warfare. In fact, I was shocked to discover that Brazilians struggled with crime, as so much of their beautiful
culture was contrary to this realisation. And it’s a shame that a lot of this crime intrudes on people’s lives in Brazil, because, for the most part, it doesn’t happen. At least, not in the places I was exploring.
The beaches are picturesque, with soft sand, pristine waters, and enormous mountains breaking up the horizon. Yet I was inside one of the largest favelas in the world, crammed with residents, animals, disease, ersatz homes, and other ruinous conditions Yet it prevails in the poorer areas of the country, in Brazil’s slums, known as favelas. But there is an unfortunate ripple effect of criminal behaviour in the more popular and gentrified areas of the country. The reason is quite simple: wealthy, tourist-dense hotspots exist in close proximity to impoverished favelas. During the next week of my travels I took a guided tour through one of Brazil’s largest slums: Cantagalo Favela, in Rio de Janiero. For hours, I trekked past barefoot children playing with shopping trolleys, raw sewerage running freely though concrete slab homes, hungry and disreputable cats and dogs, and claustrophobic alleyways decorated with hanging washing. It was hard to believe that roughly 7,000 people lived in such horrific confines. When I reached the peak, I saw the illustrious and gentrified party beaches Ipanema and Copacabana. I couldn’t fathom how close this other chic world was to poverty. The strangest thing about my experience was that I did not know how to feel. The beaches are picturesque, with soft sand, pristine waters, and enormous mountains breaking up the horizon. Yet I was inside one of the largest favelas in the world, crammed with residents, animals, disease, ersatz homes, and other ruinous conditions. It saddens me to say it, but here lies the real contrast of Brazil. Many residents of the favelas work some kind of low paying job. On average, they can earn the Brazilian Real equivalent of $250 a month. If you work for a gang, however, those numbers are set to rise, and a man can earn close to the same amount every week. For somebody living in the slums, the attraction toward a life of crime is pretty hard to resist. Brazil is the twelfth ranked country in the world for levels of social inequality. For many, this isn’t news. But what a lot of people might not appreciate is the proximity of poverty to luxury. I’m sure everyone has seen the vibrancy of Ipanema and Copacabana countless times, with their flamboyant parties, beach babes, and sunkissed skin. But a stone’s throw away, kept in the shadows, stands a polar opposite world: the grim and struggling Cantagalo favela.
Features || 29
UNIVERSAL WANDERING: SHOULD WE VALUE OUR ENDEAVOURS
INTO SPACE MORE THAN WE ALREADY DO? WORDS || ALICIA SCOTT PHOTO || NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
30 || Features
I
n the famous television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan said, “Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still”. Sagan devoted his life to advocacy of astronomy and the journey to uncover humanity’s cosmic purpose. When we ponder those immortal existential questions, like ‘why are we here?’ or ‘what is our purpose?’ we restore value in space exploration, for astronomy seeks to solve these gaps in our understanding that remain unexplained. Scientific exploration is arguably the most transformational, innovative and ambitious form of wander known to humanity. Our innate drive to explore the unknown, venture to new worlds, and surpass scientific and technological limitations, underpins the values and triumphs of contemporary society. While humanity’s desire to wander the cosmic ocean must be celebrated rather than suppressed, serious questions fuel the debates around funding for space programs. In our increasingly complex and connected world, in which social, political and environmental issues are no longer confined by national borders, many people fail to see the financial value in institutions like NASA. Many sceptics question whether is it wise to invest in space exploration when so much needs doing on Earth. The benefits that space research can have on everyday life would suggest that we are right to fund space programs. A great number of technological advances can be accredited to NASA’s. Apollo 11’s moon landing on 24 July 1969 and the Voyager 1 mission in the 1990s have inspired generations of space enthusiasts. Now, more than ever, the onus is on world leaders to accept the responsibility of endorsing the next ground-breaking program, which will find itself in the pages of history and inspire future generations. There is a common belief that a hefty chunk of America’s budget is reserved for NASA. This understanding is a fallacy. In fact, America’s 2016 Budget allocates NASA $18.5 billion, a meagre 0.46 per cent of the budget. These statistics are easily put into proportion when compared to the 2016 budget for the United States military, which is more than the sum total of NASA’s funding since its inception in 1958. Even though space initiatives are expensive, they do not take up the proprortion of funding that we are led to believe. Despite the limited budget, NASA continues to enhance our lives through cutting-edge technology. A great number of modern technological advances
can be accredited to NASA’s research. If it weren’t for NASA’s hi-tech progressions, prosthetic limbs would not be available, and none of us would be able to use exercise machines at the gym, undergo a CAT scan at the doctors, or benefit from solar energy. Now, the average smartphone is more powerful than the computing technology that was used to send Apollo 11 to the Moon. The potential for future technological advances is limitless and astounding. Thanks to NASA’s innovations, we can now explore life and the universe in new and varied ways. The Hubble telescope, for example, has revolutionised the field of astronomy by revealing the depth and beauty of the universe. Since its mission began in 1990, Hubble has made over 1.2 million observations, and Hubblesourced data has provided essential information to over 12,800 scientific papers. Although it is important from a scientific point of view, Hubble has also fuelled human creativity, and you are now likely to see images from the telescope sprawled across desktop backgrounds and lycra leggings. When wonderful technologies like the Hubble telescope prosper, fields of art and science come together to form a single entity, working for the advancement of human society. As Charlie Bolden, NASA administrator and the pilot of the mission that brought Hubble into orbit, has said: “Hubble has fundamentally changed human understanding of the universe, and our place in it”. The power of Hubble’s images permeates everyday life. The Hubble telescope, and other NASA inventions which are now essential components of everyday life, illustrate that space exploration and scientific development hold immense potential. Expanding humanity’s presence in the cosmos holds immense value for humanity, literally presenting us with an outof-world experience, providing us with unprecedented forms of transcendence and beauty. Human settlement of Mars is predicted to begin in 2020, with colonising crews set to depart Earth in 2026. Mars One, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit organisation, helps organise and facilitate this program, and describes human civilisation on Mars as the “next great leap for Mankind”. This initiative represents the capacity for institutions other than NASA to promote endeavours into space. If we value space exploration as one of the main pillars of a progressive society, we can push forward to unknown realms of the universe to improve the quality of our own civilisation. Curiosity and the search for meaning are vital to the human spirit; years of triumph are a testament to the power of our hunger for knowledge.
Features || 31
CLOSED CURTAINS EVERYWHERE
IN SOUTH AMERICA:
SPEAKING WITH RUSTY YOUNG ABOUT CRISIS IN BOLIVIA AND COLOMBIA WORDS || JACK CAMERON STANTON
W
hen I propose that our Western perception of suffering countries has developed from judgements made at an arm’s length, I am being banal. Our preconceptions wriggle under the microscope after the realities of other cultures hit the mainstream, and challenge us to think otherwise. So when I spoke with Rusty Young, author of 2003 true crime biography, Marching Powder, his assertion that “the side effects of the War on Drugs are far worse than the drugs themselves” was, in his eyes, already obvious. It’s us, eyes glazed over with blissful ignorance, who are playing catch-up.
story of Thomas McFadden, a convicted British cocaine runner incarcerated in San Pedro, Bolivia’s strangest gaol. Through the friendship between Young and McFadden, the book illuminates the social structure and economies of San Pedro, which is renowned for existing as a society rather than a prison. Freebase cocaine is manufactured and sold inside the gaol and illegal tours are offered to tourists: a consequence of having a prison full of excocaine runners, it seems, is cocaine will inevitably run through your prison. Even more absurd, perhaps, is that inmates bribe guards so their families can live inside, and accommodation works capitalistically: the more you can afford, the better you will live.
Young’s intimate proximity with the drug economies of Bolivia and Colombia redefined his worldview. Since Marching Powder’s publication he has spent eight years in Colombia, profiling child soldiers used in the ongoing civil war. This informaion forms the factual core of his upcoming novel, due for release near Christmas this year.
Before Marching Powder’s publication, Young believed telling the truth would help end corruption in San Pedro. “I found it extremely disillusioning,” he said, after encountering bitter reality; “Unfortunately, my book changed nothing. I didn’t expect the prison to shut down, but hoped at least the drug trafficking, abuse of children, and prison tours would stop”.
But before that, in Bolivia, Young’s endeavours as a lone journalist with an eager heart enhanced the globe’s consciousness of corruption and mayhem in San Pedro, but failed to defeat the vices inside its walls.
In 2011, a twelve-year-old girl became pregnant after being raped by inmates, including her father. This horror struck world news. And even though Bolivian authorities disputed the claim, they vowed to shut San Pedro forever. But it never happened. The prison still remains open to this day.
BOLIVIA: STRUGGLE AND STRANGENESS IN SAN PEDRO PRISON A result of Young’s backpacking experience across South America in 2001, Marching Powder tells the true
32 || Features
Sometimes it’s hard for us, as Westerners, to swallow the fact that these evils aren’t being stopped immediately. The prison won’t close because there’s nowhere to
else to relocate the inmates. These families, deprived of their fathers and husbands, must move into the prison to survive. And the guards will keep turning a blind eye to corruption and drug running as long as their lives are plagued by poverty and beaten morale. Young is returning to San Pedro this May for the first time in twelve years, assisting the Channel 7 program Sunday Night in their investigation of the prison. He expressed some reservations. “Just before the book came out … I was almost arrested for secretly filming. The police came to our hotel and demanded the tapes. We had to flee the country. I’m not concerned about the prisoners, but the authorities …” While Bolivia’s injustices are not confined merely to San Pedro, it acts as a functional microcosm for greater spoils throughout the nation. In Colombia, as well, the War on Drugs has pushed the country to the verge of catastrophe.
COLOMBIA: CIVIL WAR, CHILD SOLDIERS, AND CORRUPTION In Colombia, the power struggle is arguably far more violent and abhorrent than Bolivia. According to Young, what started in 1964 as an ideological war between Central Government and the communist insurgents FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has faded into protecting drug traffickers and has forgotten dogma. The US Government supplies the Central Government with military training and ammunition as a perfunctory gesture of fighting the War on Drugs. But in the shadows, a private army, called the paramilitary or outer defences, support the Colombian Government by effectively doing their ‘dirty work’. Ostensibly illegal, the paramilitary operates as a terrorist organisation, specialising in “torture, kidnapping, selective assassination – horrific stuff the Government’s army is restricted from doing, but tacitly supports,” Young said. Most disheartening is the reality that Colombia has the second highest rate of child soldiers in the world. So how did we reach this point of madness? “The macro political dynamic facilitates the recruitment of child soldiers by FARC,” Young said. “They [child soldiers] are recruited for the supposed cause, because they only see injustice, poverty, and corruption in the Government. But the motor for their recruitment is cocaine sales … They are ultimately soldiers in a private army protecting a drug cartel.” This complex predicament can be boiled down to the first rule of economics: supply and demand. “There is a
good argument from their side that we are, in essence, funding a civil war,” Young said. “By taking cocaine, we fund terrorist organisations.” It may come as a surprise that South American countries, too often associated with cocaine, maintain very different paradigms to those we ascribe to them.
“You don’t really see Colombians taking cocaine in a nightclub. I mean, you do, sometimes, but it’s not like Australia. For a start, it’s a lot cheaper: cheaper than a beer. It doesn’t have the same glamourous price tag.” For years, our media and wealthy personalities have perpetuated the stereotype of cocaine as a social signifier. It represented our guilty pleasures – material wealth, avarice, success, excess, fame … the list goes on. To pay $300 for a gram of cocaine is a form of status signalling, it yells ‘Hey, look at the cash I’ve got to burn’. But Colombians don’t think that way. Their lives are tougher, and most are unfamiliar with the abstract constructs of our consumerist society. Extremities of poverty simultaneously explain the spread of corruption in policing bodies and the likelihood of people turning to crime and drug running. The cycle is self-fulfilling and Sisyphean. “For Colombians,” Young said, “cocaine is a cheap dirty drug that ruined their country.” Young applied his experiences in Bolivia to the way he has tackled inciting change in Colombia. In 2011, he co-founded the Colombian Children’s Foundation, which aims to rehabilitate child soldiers and restore their autonomy. Yet in the global sphere, Young believes the way to deter these drug-fuelled evils is to “control, license, and regulate. What if $290 from your gram of cocaine went towards rehab clinics, or hospitals, or anti-drug marketing campaigns ... and kept money away from drug cartels and terrorist organisations?” But time and time again we have witnessed political heavyweights take the high moral ground, with a no compromise attitude. By doing so, and committing to this so-called ‘War on Drugs’, we fund, by proxy, the very organisations we strive to eradicate. It’s not as simple as revolutionising the system overnight. There are no definitive solutions. What must be urged is a reconsideration of our consciousness. At an arm’s length, we can always turn to the drawing board and discuss the next way to fight these terrorists, forgetting that these policies often cause more suffering in faraway countries than they resolve.
Features || 33
THE UNEXPECTED
UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE BY A FOURTH YEAR BA/LLB STUDENT
Do you remember during high school watching all those American college movies? You know, the ones where they have the most amazing college life, go on wild adventures, forming great stories and lifelong friends in the process? Yeah, those ones (let’s all raise our hands if you were thinking of Pitch Perfect). Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I always thought, ‘nah, university won’t be like that’. Well, I was wrong! From my first O Week back in 2012, I was blown away by the amount of student groups that I could join and all the incredible things they offered. There truly was something for everyone. Be it social events, networking opportunities, skills workshops, competitions, excursions -you name it, these groups had it and they spanned across every interest possible. If there’s agroup that doesn’t exist, you can start one yourself. Perhaps you and Amy
34 || Features
can get together and create a ‘horizontal running’ group, or maybe ‘mermaid dancing’, which I hear involves a lot of floor work. I’m now in my fourth year and the best memories I have of uni so far are from my involvement with the student groups I joined in that first week. I met amazing friends by getting involved with different clubs and societies who were, at first, people who shared similar interests to me, but are now lifelong friends. I’ve been on harbour cruises, attended speaker events, gala balls at five star hotels, camps, cocktail parties, contributed to student publications, competed in sporting competitions, and more, all while having a laugh. So, to sum up, my awesome uni experience has been as a result of joining different student groups and, believe it or not, they’ve lived up to every expectation that the movies made them out to be. It’s never too late to get involved! Check out CheckIn.mq.edu.au to see which groups andsocieties interest you and to make the most out of uni like I have.
CREATIVE
SOUTH AMERICA
PHOTOS || GLENN HOPPER
36 || creative
creative || 37
THE DAGGER AND THE ROSE
STORY || KAT ROBSON
W
hen most people thought about Henrietta Chambers, they thought of hurricanes. Of ditzy pop stars with tiny dogs stuffed into fluffy, bedazzled handbags. Of tropical storms that swept in and destroyed everything. Of deep auburn hair rolled into ringlets, and dimpled cheeks - a girl with a wide smile involved in far too many scandals and sex tapes to keep track of. When he thought of Henrietta Chambers, he thought of all those things. He thought about how he hated her crooked teeth, and how she’d squint when trying to read a menu, but would refuse to wear glasses. He thought about how he hated her sharp shoulders, and the odd number of freckles on her thighs. But there was one freckle that revealed itself on the inside of her knee, making it an even number. He likes that one best. When he thinks about Henrietta Chambers, he thinks about a rose with no petals left on it. He thinks about old marble statues with paint stripped from them. He thinks about dormant volcanoes, about sandstorms in deserts - about a dozen poetic things. But there was one thing in particular that described her perfectly.
38 || creative
He decides to get it tattooed on his arm. He doesn’t know why he does it. All he knows is that the burn of the needle against his outer left forearm is actually soothing. He knows that the press, the paparazzi, the fans are all outside. Thankfully, the owner of the parlour had courteously locked the doors when he’d come in, and was only opening them for clients with proof of their appointments. He sits with his head tipped against the back of his chair, fingers hanging limply over the armrest as his closed eyelids twitch, his brown hair a tousled mess over his brow, and his strong features for once completely at ease. The very picture of casual elegance, with his earphones jammed into his ears as the artist works. Drawing the edgings of ink, and then wiping it with a damp cloth, over, and over - until the burn of the needle becomes numb, and the wipe of the cloth becomes soothing. Over and over. Bzzt, wipe, bzzt, wipe ... When it’s finished, Lou sits up. He draws his arm into his lap, and he looks down at it. It’s classic, and it’s her. A sleek silver blade comes halfway down his arm, topped by a hilt guilded with
smooth rubies. If it was real, it would be incredibly sharp. The artist wraps his arm in cling wrap, and he shrugs on a faded grey hoodie over his black Pink Floyd shirt before paying in cash and leaving with the new tattoo covered up. He isn’t sure he wants anyone else to know about it isn’t sure he wants her to see it yet. Vlad, his security guard, is on him the second he steps outside. The burning flashes of the cameras go off far too close to him, and he needs much more than one burly man to hold them back as he tugs the hood of his jumper over his messy hair. “No pictures, please—” he hears Vlad say, but that doesn’t stop them. “Lou! Can I get a photo? Please?” a fan calls. “Lou! What’s your tattoo?” another shouts. “Can we see?” He lifts his head, gives her an apologetic wave that will make him hate himself later, when he sees this event trending on Twitter, with an outraged fan claiming he’d ‘blanked’ her. He climbs into his car, with its tinted windows and it’s sleek, black, body, and he yanks the door shut after him. The moment he’s alone, he slips out of his
jumper and peels the wrappings off. When he gets back to the hotel, he checks his Twitter feed. He checks her page, and her last tweet is still the promotional one made a good twelve hours ago by one of the members of her PR team. If she’s been online, she hasn’t said anything. He covers his tattoo in ointment, and wraps it before he falls asleep. Being under the needle always exhausts him. * * * He’s woken at three in the morning by an alert. He rolls over, bleary-eyed as he unlocks his phone, and blinks down at what she’s tweeted. “It all comes out in the wash...” * * * The first time the public see the new tattoo, he’s at a press junket with the rest of the cast of his latest movie. They sit along a conference table in front of a wide audience, and it’s warm enough in the room that he is able to tug off his hoodie. He hears the cameras go wild somewhere to his left, but he doesn’t look at them. He hopes the pictures reach Twitter. He hopes she sees them.
creative || 39
MODERN RUINS WORDS || VANESSA CAPITO PHOTOGRAPHY || ANDROS When people set out to explore Sydney, what might not be on their ‘to see’ list is abandoned buildings; from deserted schools to forgotten hospitals. Urban exploration (urbex or UE) is the exploration of the modern metropolis. This can entail anything from transit tunnels to sewers and storm drains. One of the most common aspects of urbex is abandoned structures, remnants of a city’s past. Local Sydney illustrator and explorer Andros has been to numerous sites around Sydney and has photographed these places that were once alive with activity.
40 || Creative
Creative || 41
WORDS & PHOTOS || IRENE PHAN
There’s something fascinating yet scary about the size of the world. To us, the skyscrapers that compel us to crane our necks, or the places we think of as comprising our whole world, become nothing more than ants when seen from above. This piece is a reflection of the idea that we may be small in this world, but we are all part of something bigger.
This photo reflects the daunting choices we have to face in our lives: which path should we take? The steady and seemingly more stable railway is symbolic of the path a majority of us will take, while the almost invisible, diverging rail is the path that is often overlooked or ignored. Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ plays a huge part in the meaning behind this photo. As Frost wrote, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”.
This photo was taken in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, not the United States, which is where I typically picture diners. It made me realise that there are often many worlds in the one – kind of like Matryoshka (mistakenly called Babushka dolls) – and no matter where you go in the world, there is always an outside influence that has contributed to making it what it is today.
42 || Creative
REPEAT
OFFENDERS
THE STEW
WORDS || VANESSA CAPITO Sydney is difficult to navigate, but stumble into Chinatown, where you’re overwhelmed by choice, and you’ll likely end up lost in a maze of restaurants. But never fear, I’m happy to share a little insight about where to go for the best eats. I strongly recommend exploring on a Friday night from 4pm to 11pm, when the Night Markets will be in full swing.
EATING WORLD
25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket Mon-Sun 10am-10pm Eating World. It has the best name and is one of the oldest and most popular food courts in Chinatown. It’s also home to Gumshara Ramen, who specialise in tonkotsu ramen - a thick broth made out of pork bones, fat and collagen that is cooked for hours to release all the delicious flavours. The tomato tonkotsu ramen ($9.50) has fried shallots and pieces of tomato through the ramen with the option to add a chilli bomb. I’ve got to say that if you’re not one for the heat then don’t add the whole thing as this chilli is hot. The broth here is thick and heavy, so a bowl can be difficult to finish, but if it’s not to your liking you’re certainly surrounded by plenty of other options.
44 || Repeat Offenders
DIXON HOUSE FOOD COURT
EMPEROR’S GARDEN CAKE & BAKERY
Hidden within the depths of Chinatown, you could quite easily walk past this place without realising it exists. It was only a neon sign at the entrance that caught my eye. Once you head down the stairs to the food court, you’re overwhelmed with a plethora of Asian eateries. One of my favourites is the Oriental Dumpling King. You can get sixteen pan-fried or steamed dumplings for only $9!
This is one of Chinatown’s coveted jewels. The place itself is your typical Asian bakery with all the goods you’d expect, such as cream cakes, egg tarts, custard buns and bread. But the real pièce de résistance here is the Emperor’s Puff. To the left of the shop front is the tiny little window where you can buy these goodies. And don’t worry, you won’t miss the place because chances are there will be a good long queue out the front. I promise you it’s worth the wait! The puffs themselves are golden, eggy, fluffy dough pillows filled with a sweet egg custard, and since they’re being made constantly throughout the day, chances are they’ll be hot when you get them. At 30c a pop, or four for $1, these puffs are a must have when you’re in C-town.
Cnr of Dixon and Little Hay Street, Haymarket Mon-Sun 10:30am-8:30pm
Another store you must check out is a gem called Ramen O-san, which already has several stores other countries, including Japan and Cambodia. Most of the ramen here is tonkotsu-based, however there are some with chicken and fish stock. I personally always opt for the black garlic ramen ($10.80).
96-100 Hay Street, Haymarket Mon-Sun 8am-10pm
Dixon House also boasts its own licensed bar, so head down there and check it out.
Repeat Offenders || 45
IN REVIEW
FILMS
THAT SUGAR FILM
REVIEW || ALICIA SCOTT Directed by and starring Damon Gameau, That Sugar Film is an educational and entertaining mustsee documentary. You may recognise Gameau from Underbelly and other Australian TV shows, but in his debut feature documentary, Gameau shows his true potential as a rising Australian filmmaker. The film documents Gameau’s sixty-day sugar challenge, where he consumes forty teaspoons of sugar per day by eating foods that are perceived to be ‘healthy’. This includes breakfast cereals, low-fat yoghurts, fruit juices, and muesli bars. If forty teaspoons sounds a little excessive, it may shock you to learn that is how much the average Australian consumes per day. Gameau provides his viewers with an uninhibited look at the effects of sugar on his mental and physical health, aided by a dietician, nutritionist and pathologist. The playful, children-friendly film techniques he adopts are effective in persuading the larger audience to engage with the film, but also to encourage a questioning of the role that sugar plays in our daily diets. That Sugar Film is comparable to the likes of Morgan Spurlock’s renowned Supersize Me, however it is much truer to the consumption habits of average, everyday people. While almsot no one eats McDonald’s in the voluminous quantities that were consumed by Spurlock in his documentary, Gameau explores the hidden sugars found in eighty per cent of the foods we buy at the supermarket. The documentary has received some criticism for drawing ballsy conclusions from a single experiment, with claims that the experiment lacks scientific credibility. Nevertheless, there is one obvious conclusion from the film: sugar in such large quantities can have frightening impacts on your health. Putting his body on the line was a risky challenge, however Gameau stands by his radical experiment for the imperative message it broadcasts. That Sugar Film will almost definitely make you want to reconsider your sugar intake. 4/5
46 || Repeat Offenders
THE AGE OF ADALINE
REVIEW || CHARLIE SMITH When I first saw the trailer for The Age Of Adaline, it had my immediate attention. It appeared to be a film that draws similarities to The Curious Case Of Bejnamin Button, but somehow far more interesting. While I wasn’t blown away, it was a very good way to kill a couple of hours. Blake Lively and Michiel Huisman portray the two leads, Adaline and Ellis, and both give a stellar performance. But whenever Harrison Ford is on screen, he steals the show. The film follows the story of Adaline Bowman, born in San Francisco in 1908, who cannot age as a result of a ‘freak accident’ at age 29. My only real gripe with this movie is the fact that they use exposition for the sake of using exposition. I feel that they could have discovered a better way to establish Adaline’s story, and that did put a dampener on the tone of the movie. But all in all, if you’re looing for a romantic movie to watch, this gets my vote. 3/5
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
REVIEW || AMELIA VAN DER RIJT Based on the acclaimed memoir of Vera Brittain, The Testament of Youth is a powerful and poignant tale about the sacrifices made during World War I by the men and women of the ‘lost generation’. The film is powerful for its commentary on the social and political context of Britain at the time, and particularly effective is its examination of the impact of the First World War upon the female rights movement. The acting is superb, and the direction and filming simply brilliant. But the most powerful element of the film is its use of silence. What isn’t said is often more important and poignant that what is said, forcing us to read into the silence and imply our own meanings. I was apprehensive that this film would simply be a glorification of war, conveniently released during the 100th anniversary of World War I, but its restraint has allowed it to be so much more. 4.5/5
BOOKS
THE WALL JOHN HERSEY
REVIEW || ERICA TILSE Published in 1950, John Hersey’s fiction follows the events of a dozen or so characters within the Warsaw Ghetto between the years 1940 and 1943. While the characters and interactions are fictional, Hersey captures such an authenticity and narrative within this huge volume that The Wall is able to offer a truly astonishing look at a significant moment in history. Hersey leans neither on emotional manipulation or historical dryness within the novel, and through the testimonial style, lets the characters and story develop organically, creating realistic characters and an earnest portrayal of the events and attitudes inside the Warsaw Ghetto. While it is a heavy read and a complex format, if you can get your hand on a copy and are willing to navigate the unapologetic swarm of characters, then The Wall is a insightful and rewarding read, and it remains one of the most incredible, hidden novels of the 20th century. 4/5
SWEET TOOTH IAN MCEWAN
REVIEW || ROWAN TAYLOR Ian McEwan’s work often defies classification, but Sweet Tooth is a spy drama that’s more accessible than most of his other work. Set in 1970s Britain, the book follows a young MI5 agent’s involvement and affair with a writer whose ideas MI5 want to promote. Full of references to 70s music, literature and politics, it provides an immersive picture of England in a difficult time. Despite its richness of language, McEwan’s trademark plot twists and painfully dense writing can make Sweet Tooth slow going. If you’re looking for a fast paced, action packed spy story, this isn’t for you. It’s a dense psychological thriller that’s either intriguing or infuriating, depending on how patient you are. McEwan is a very talented writer but he can get lost in his own cleverness. Although not his best work, Sweet Tooth is a unique take on the spy thriller that will reward the attentive reader with beautifully written insights into books, espionage and the human condition. 3.5/5
THE BURIED GIANT KAZUO ISHIGURO
REVIEW || AMELIA VAN DER RIJT Littered with literary references and allusions from Shakespeare to Tolkien, and drawing upon the Arthurian legend, Ishiguro’s latest novel is hard to fault. Set in sixth century Britain, amongst a mist of forgetfulness in which both recent and distant memories are lost, Ishiguro weaves a masterful tale, drawing upon myth and fantasy to explore themes of memory and love. Readers of Ishiguro’s previous novels will recognise his typical evocative combination of simple language and complex ideas. Although this technique may serve to slow the pace of the narrative, it is used to great effect in a novel which explores the journey of old age, memory loss, and love. The Buried Giant is well worth your time. 3.5/5
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN PAULA HAWKINS
REVIEW || AMELIA VAN DER RIJT If you thought Gone Girl was good, prepare to be blown away by The Girl on the Train. Eerie and fast-paced, Hawkins’ first thriller will grip you from the outset. Rachel, a lonely alcoholic, likes to create imaginary lives for her fellow commuters on her daily journey to the city. Then, when one of the regular commuters goes missing, Rachel makes it her mission to become involved. Told from multiple perspectives, with each narrator as unreliable as the next, this psychological thriller offers a truly excellent character study. You’ll suspect every character at least once, and there are red herrings at every turn. Although at times the plot can become a little melodramatic, Hawkins’ use of timescale and perspective will keep you enthralled from start to finish. 4/5
Repeat Offenders || 47
MUSIC
ALABAMA SHAKES SOUND & COLOR (ALBUM) HIATUS KAIYOTE CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON (ALBUM)
REVIEW || SARAH BASFORD Hiatus Kaiyote aren’t your average band. They aren’t even your average ‘future soul’ band but rather, a collection of four virtuosic souls who seamlessly blend impossible polyrhythms and craft soundscapes that are seldom explored. Their sophomore album, Choose Your Weapon, builds on one of the few things that their debut, Tawk Tomahawk, really lacked: length. Featuring an impressive eighteen tracks ranging from the Yukimi Nagano-esque ‘The Lung’ to the thick-synth-laden ‘Swamp Thing’, the album never settles in one groove for more than a few bars. Tracks transcribed from their live performances like ‘Jekyll’ start off as straight-forward tracks, later crashing into all-out Latin and jazz fusion jams. There’s even an homage to ‘80s video games with the 8-bit, drum n’ bass tribute, ‘Atari’. The vocals of singer and guitarist, Nai Palm, act as just another sound in the dense scape, but become the focus on tracks like the soulful ‘Borderline With My Atoms’ and the more conventional ‘Building a Ladder’. Choose Your Weapon is as chaotic and frenetic as it is mesmerising but it is a journey that needs to be heard to be believed. 5/5
LAST DINOSAURS ‘EVIE’ (SONG)
REVIEW || VANESSA CAPITO The boys from Brisbane are back, and it’s safe to say Last Dinosaurs aren’t extinct. Releasing ‘Evie’, their first new track in almost three years since their stellar 2012 debut album In A Million Years, it’s everything you love from these indie rocker boys. This is also the first track played with new bass player, Michael Sloane. A contrast between the melancholy of long distance separation and the band’s signature sense of naïve optimism, ‘Evie’ is the tune that brings together Last Dinosaurs’ characteristic indie-pop guitar style, courtesy of the Caskey brothers, with far richer layers and defined synths than what we’ve heard from the boys so far. This should definitely be on your playlist. 5/5
48 || Repeat Offenders
REVIEW || VANESSA CAPITO Alabama Shakes follow-up their riveting 2012 blues explosion, Boys & Girls, with their latest release, Sound & Color. The album opens with a organ humming as front woman Brittany Howard sings, “A new world hangs outside the window. Beautiful and strange. It must be I’ve fallen awake.” The lead single, ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ is a strutting slab of soul-funk that Howard uses to speak about peace, love and understanding. ‘Gimme All Your Love’ is an explosive ballad, with blasts of guitar and impressive vocal melodies. It’s certainly one of the best tracks of the album and perhaps even the highlight. This album is also a great showcase of Howard’s voice, with tracks like ‘Dunes’ really showing just how gigantic enough her voice is (if it wasn’t obvious enough already). Self-produced by the band with help from Blake Mills (Sky Ferreira, Jesca Hoop), the album is full of rolling grooves and slaphappy blues-rock teamed up with a whole lot of soul and funk. Most of all Sound & Color is fun, and this is no small accomplishment. 3.5/5
THE WOMBATS GLITTERBUG (ALBUM)
REVIEW || AMELIA VAN DER RIJT The Wombats’ third album, Glitterbug, is a bit of a disappointment. The synth and electro that snuck into their second album, This Modern Glitch, simply take over their latest album in a clear attempt to increase the band’s commercial success, particularly in the United States. Unfortunately, that means that the British indie pop that characterised their first album has been sacrificed. Glitterbug’s electro becomes tiring in its repetitiveness, and it’s easy to forget which song you’re listening to, as most of them tend to blend together. Some maturity does manage to peek through in the lyricism, which is. for the most part, as witty as ever. Standout tracks include ‘Isabel’, ‘Greek Tragedy’ and ‘The English Summer’, but unless you’re a true Wombats fan or a lover of electro, I’d probably give this album a miss. 3/5
GAMES
ONEIRIC GARDENS
FOR PC, MAC, LINUX REVIEW || DYLAN SCHNEIDER Lilith Zone’s Oneiric Gardens feels like a dream, perhaps a familiar nightmare. Inspired by half-remembered spaces and feeling, Zone has created a world of disjointed, juxtaposed spaces that are conected by and ethereal, yet earthy hub. These spacess themselves create entire worlds that seem draped in imaginative innovation. The low-res, apocalyptic backgrounds and mysterious rotating 2D shopkeepers are all perfectly designed. There is something comforting about a returning dream, even if it is a nightmare. It feels known, it feels homely, in a space that should otherwise set us on edge. As we innocently drift from space to space in this game, we become unfalteringly aware of the dedication that has gone into this game. Oneiric Gardens is an exceptional game, and one which I highly recommend. 5/5
YEAR WALK
FOR IOS REVIEW || ERICA TILSE If you’re ever going to spend $4.99 on anything from the App store, this game should be it. Swedish-born horror game Year Walk places you in the middle of an ancient ghost walking tradition. The beauty of this game comes from the enchanting, minimalist art and the mystery that envelopes the game from start to finish. Given no instructions or controls, you’re left to explore the staggering scenery and figure out the plot piece by piece. There is a free companion app available to download that gives you a background to the Swedish mythical creatures you will meet, and aids you in gameplay. So instead of buying a second, over-priced coffee this Monday, put your headphones in, turn off the lights and prepare to be transported to another world in this hauntingly beautiful and wholly original game. 5/5
ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST
FOR XBOX ONE, XBOX 360, PC REVIEW || KIERAN HORNE Ori and the Blind Forest may be the most delightful platformer to come to PC and Xbox One this year. With delightful art design and a story that ropes you in emotionally, the game is one that immerses the player through its delightful playability rather than difficulty. The game itself is relatively simple and does not challenge the player with too many difficult fights. The game does, however, keep you enthralled with its amazingly well-polished gameplay. Simply moving the character around is enough to make you squeal in joy, so much so that all I did in my first hour of gameplay was move across the screen. With a relatively simplistic talent tree, the game is not as demanding as Dark Souls or even Mario, but is still one of the best games I have played in a long time. 4.5/5
HEROES OF THE STORM
FOR PC REVIEW || KIERAN HORNE With the open beta being released on 19 May, you should definitely be prepared to get into this newest addition to the Blizzard library. While the game is not yet finished, it feels like it could be released tomorrow. With thirtyfive playable characters from the Blizzard collection and a rapidly expanding roster, Heroes of the Storm is an amazing team game to play with a few friends whenever you have twenty minutes to kill. With different mechanics on each map, the game will stay fresh for a long time. An expanding roster of playable heroes with easy-to-learn but hard-to-master gameplay will keep you playing for months, and best of all, it’s free! 3/5
Repeat Offenders || 49
HOROSCOPES
WORDS ||ASWATHI NEELAKANDAN
GEMINI
Why is no one pickin’ up what you’re putting down? Flying solo has taken a bit of a stab at your soul, so recuperate with a cuppa and the good ol’ telly.
CANCER
Take a deep breath and hold it for thirty-seven seconds. Santa might be off on holidays but Fairy Godmother is always around to play.
LEO
Your humours are way off balance! I’m afraid you’ll have to cough up that phlegm if you want to avoid a tumultuous turn of events.
VIRGO
Piercings or pets? Let’s be real here, you’re never going to get that piercing. But yeah, pets are cool.
LIBRA
You are a master of Life. No, not real life, the game ‘Life’. Nonetheless, good on ya!
SCORPIO
Take a gander around your local library. There are things hiding on shelves you would never have imagined, ever.
50 || Repeat Offenders
SAGITTARIUS
An arrow is only meant to be pointed at a target and you’ve got em’ flying everywhere! Please proceed with caution because others won’t be forgiving.
CAPRICORN
Your ancestors, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, have left you a beautiful legacy to uphold. Muster up all the strength you have to pass upcoming tests.
AQUARIUS
Quick like quick sand and the tick of the clock. You won’t need a time machine this month my speedy friend.
PISCES
Plain will never be your middle name. Sport something purple to let everyone know.
ARIES
Revisit that box under your bed. I’m sensing more than just Yu-Gi-Oh cards and Snickers wrappers are hidden there. It might sway you towards a new love. Kisses.
TAURUS
You’ve been on bender, and by that I mean you broke the fence that you so caringly built for yourself over the summer. Jump back into the ring now, or prepare to face the rain alone.
WANDER CROSSWORD #
6
&
7
"
8
9
$ :
#; ## #6
#7 #&
#"
#8 #9
#$
#:
6; 6# 66
67
6& 6"
68 69
Think you’ve got the brains to finish this bad boy? If you do, then send it, completed, to grapeshot@mq.edu.au because we’ve got two double passes to give away for HIJINKS’ “15 Minutes of Fame� party on Friday 29 May.
CLUES
,
!
, ,
ACROSS
2. Windiest city in Australia. 4. How many states does Tennessee border? - . . .
8. Where is Comoros? 10. World’s most populated city. - / 12. Number of letters in Hawaiian alphabet. ! 0 1 ! 13. How many countries are there in Africa? , . 16. Bangkok’s largest market. 2 17. Brazilian spiders. ) 3 1
4 19. The Devil’s Triangle. ) . 20. World’s largest lake. 5 21. Has more pyramids than Egypt. ,
22. Self-governing territory of New Zealand. 25. Second most spoken language in the world. 27. Machu. 28. Where ramen originated from.
6$
! !
5 .
DOWN 1. How many continents are there?
3. Jumped in the cab here I am for the first
time.
! 5. Popular dessert in Italy. "# 6. You shouldn’t name a pig Napoleon. $%$&$ 7. A spinning map. 8. Collisions between electrically charged ' (
)
particles. )
9. Number of countries in The Commonwealth. * 11. Area 51. +
14. 8,848m mountain. 15. China’s largest city. 18. First capital of the United States. 23. Solid green flag. 24. I am within the city of Rome. 26. Official language of Cambodia.
Creative || 1