Contested Places, Contested Identities

I found the topic “transgression in public place” involving adolescents very interesting as I believe most people, including me, had been there at one point of their lives. And why are adolescents' use of space often deemed as transgressive? Because as Nolan (2003, 314) has stated, “The category of adolescence has socially constructed young people as being distinct from adults (White 1990 and Valentine et al. 1998, quoted in Nolan 2003, 314), and teenager are often stereotypically characterised as a “polluting presence” (Matthew et al. 2000, quoted in Nolan 2003, 314), out of control, and requiring supervision (Lesko 1996, quoted in Nolan 2003, 314).” In society, adolescents don't have much of a voice as their opinions are often not taken seriously, or worse not matter, due to lack of seniority and life experience. Therefore, they get excluded from the planning of spaces, and “the social environment of the street” (Nolan 2003, 313).

Skateboarders is a good example as it is an easily recognisable stereotype, though I hardly see any in the areas of Perth I've been to, except in designated skate parks. I remember for many years skateboarding was, and probably still is, a symbol of youth, rebel and freedom. “Misunderstood” adolescents escaping from domestic nagging on their skateboards, and spending every drop of their energy on perfecting stunts. Besides the skateboard in hand, skateboarders are often identified by their branded skate attire ie Etnies, Globe, Vans etc., and the older teens often display a facade that hints at rebellion ie tattoos, piercings, unconventional hair colour etc. At one point in my teenage years, skate fashion was more of a statement than practicality. I remember hanging out with friends who were dressed from head to toe in skate attire but weren't actually skateboarders. They wanted to be identified by the stigma, or image, surrounding skaters– sending a message to society that they're “misunderstood”, and not afraid to break rules to prove their point. Adolescents up till today use public space to express themselves and, as we've seen on graffiti-lined walls around the world, also to channel their often oppressed voices. In return, the wider society (comprised of adults) would then endeavour to control the use of public space through “regulations” (Nolan 2003, 313). And it becomes a vicious cycle.

Another example of transgressional use of public space by adolescents, I've personally come across, is the use of void decks of high rise dwellings. In Singapore, where most people live in high rises, more often than not youths meet up and gather at void decks (see picture below). “Void deck kids” were being similarly compared (unjustly in my opinion) to latchkey kids, as they spent their whole afternoon and evening socialising at void decks. I remember my mother's daily warnings against mingling with the “void deck kids”. To most parents I know, having your kids seen loitering and socialising at void decks is a sign of parenting defect. Anyway, some time later, law against gathering at void decks were enforced, making any gathering of more than 2 people at void decks and certain public spaces in residential areas illegal.
 

Taken from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17317708

Reference List

Nolan, N. 2003 “The ins and outs of skateboarding and transgression in public space in Newcastle,

Australia.” Australian Geographer 34: 311–327

Panoramio. Seating on the Void Deck- Block 933. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17317708

Crossing borders: The global sporting workplace

When I was going through various sport blogs and new articles, I didn't have to turn more than a page to stumble upon news on the movement of athletes. Some movements are major ie athletes moving internationally, some not as major ie athletes moving interstate or between clubs, and some movements are minor ie athletes out or in for that season. Regardless, I see a pattern– the themes surrounding the mobility of athletes and others associated with sports, are often (not in any particular order): reason for the move, their rankings, their reputation, their earnings, and what they've achieved for the country, via club or league, they represent. There were also more than once where I came across the word “trade” (Nicholson-Smith 2011), unambiguously used as an adjective before an athlete's name. It is a fact that athletes are being traded and bought by clubs. The commodity here is not the athletes per se, it's their expert-ism in their field, and, to simply put it, what national glory they can bring in for the clubs/country they represent. In exchange for?? I would like to say the common motivation is $$, but I might be over-simplifying it. In search for answers, I browsed a few sports blogs, and found three rather interesting posts:

http://www.badminton-information.com/olympic_hope_li_li_walks_out_on_singapore_badminton.html
 

China quickly becoming Nuggets Far East

 

Marlins, Omar Infante Discussing Extension

Again, the common themes talked about in the blog posts are the reputation of the athletes, their achievements on behalf of their club/country, their earnings, and their history/future movements. 

So back to the question– what are the athletes playing for? Not patriotism, as the athletes mentioned in the blogs were initially of a different nationality. Often they are playing for the social and economic benefits of sport (Klein 2009, 1129). For instance, a developing country like China produces many excellent badminton players who mostly moved to developed countries, to be professionally coached, get paid, and represent their country of residence– opportunities and benefits they would've never received if they had stayed in China. They would've also helped boost the Chinese economy by “sending money home”. Besides helping with the economy, high ranking Chinese badminton athletes who are a national pride, also put China on the map in the badminton arena. However, I don't know enough to say that the social benefits for, say Chinese badminton players, are as extensive as Klein (2009, 1127) has illustrated with Dominican baseball in terms of academy as social capita, but I can't imagine the principles being far off. 

I also noticed another pattern: a Chinese badminton player, a Dominican baseball player, and an African-American basketball player. Why didn't Singapore “buy” an African-American badminton player; the Marlins (USA) “buy” a Chinese Baseball player; China “buy” a Dominican basketball player?

Reference List 

 

Badminton Information. 2010. “Olympic hope Li Li walks out on Singapore badminton.” Sports Blog. http://www.badminton-information.com/olympic_hope_li_li_walks_out_on_singapore_ badminton.html. 

Kerby, Trey. 2011, September 14. “China quickly becoming Nuggets Far East.” Sports Blog. http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2011/09/14/china-quickly-becoming-nuggets-far-east/.

Klein, Alan 2009 "The transnational view of sport and social development: the case of Dominican baseball." Sport in Society 12(9):1118-1131

Nicholson-Smith, Ben. 2011, September 14. “White Sox Notes: Williams, Quentin, Pierre, Morel.” Sports Blog. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/09/white-sox-notes-williams-quentin-pierre-morel.html.

 

Knowing place, enacting place

Only recently have I consciously think about and question the “making of identity” (Senses of Place 2011) behind rituals and celebrations that I often mindlessly partake and take advantage of. “As ways of place-making such events call out for understanding” (Senses of Place 2011)– I can't say it any better than this. An excellent example of this is Australia Day. As per McAllister (2009, 164), native Australians were never included in the Australia Day celebrations pre-1998, even though they were mentioned to be an icon of “Australia in the same way the country’s unique flora and fauna do.” I have to admit, my first Australia Day was a mindless celebration. I was ignorant of the historical context behind the day also known as “invasion day”. I assumed Australia Day is the Singapore National Day equivalent– a celebration for independence– something to celebrate to. Oh, was I wrong. I've learnt that an understanding of the rituals/ceremonies/celebrations/place is required for us to have a sense of the place, not be just an ignorant participant.

You Tube: St. Patrick's Day 2007 Fremantle Western Australia

 

The video assumes that the audience know the historical context of St. Patrick Day. The references to leprechauns, three-leaved clovers, the colour green, Guinness, binge drinking, and granny kisses might mean nothing to someone who has no knowledge of the significance of the Irish icons, especially in relation to St. Patrick'. If you knew nothing about this celebration, then you'd think it's just a drinking “festival”.

St. Patrick's is widely celebrated by not only the Irish and Irish diaspora around the world, but also most festive-loving beer/stout/whiskey drinkers who has had come across this after-lent celebration. I've been to Rosie O'Grady Fremantle many times and I am sure that the pub doesn't get as busy and festive on most days of the year other than on St. Patrick's.

 

Tube Video: NZ Maori Haka

Every time I see a Haka demonstration, I knew straightaway that the “performers” are Maoris, from New Zealand. Different parts of the South Pacific have their own distinguished war dance or war cry, and the Haka is prominent; the “bulging” of the eyes and the sticking out of the tongues. As I often see the Haka performed by Maori athletes before a game, I came to the perception that, in historical context, Haka were only performed by men before a battle to intimidate their enemies. But I learnt that there are different types of Haka, for various occasions, and are performed by numerous groups in the Maori community.

Cultural Experience

Since I was little, Eid ul-Fitri is one of the festivals I've always anticipated (the other one is Christmas). This is the only time of the year where my mum would stay up the whole night to prepare and cook food so rich with coconut milk and other kinds of fat that we won't be wrong calling them heart attack on a plate. Eid is my passport to stuff my face, and not feel too guilty about it. The diplomatic term I personally love to use is– Eid feasting. When in Rome.. 

 

Of course, Eid is not all about “the feast”. More importantly it is about being a “good Muslim”. Muslims are reminded about the financially disadvantaged community, in this time of merriment. Donations, Zakat, are mandatory (not by the government). But the true test happens before Eid– the sunrise-to-sunset fast for a month. In a nutshell, the fast is not only to control the urges to eat or drink, but also urges for any misdeeds as per Islam.

This year I'm blessed to attend two feasts *smiles*; my family's, and friends'. For my friends' Eid feast party, I carried on the family tradition– minus the cooking overnight– and dished up two of my favourite Eid goodies.

I made the ketupat (rice cakes), prawns sambal (bottom left) and vegetarian lemak (top right)

Reference List 

 

Senses of Place (2011). “Week 8: Knowing place, enacting place.” Blackboard lecture notes. http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapp/portalframeset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1url=%2fwebapps% 2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher

invictusitic. 2010. The Best Haka New Zealand vs France in Paris 2004. You Tube video, 1:01. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g3QbH_i2VU&feature=related

Turfrey. 2007. St. Patrick's Day 2007 Fremantle Western Australia. You Tube video, 6:11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzm86j66IOs

Patrick McAllister (2009) “National Celebration or Local Act of Reconciliation? Public Ritual Performance and Inter-Ethnic Relations in an Australian City.” Anthropological Forum 19(2):163-183.

Foodie Globe-Trotter: My Image/Word Narrative

 

 Whenever someone mentions "travel", a few words consistently pop into my head– food, history, culture. I have to admit, these are the three elements I seek out during my overseas travel. Sampling local cuisine (the "local way", of course) while soaking in the culturally rich atmosphere and listening to a free-flow of historical tales, are usually the highlight of my travels. What can I say. When food, history and culture intertwine, an addictive concoction is born.

Aswan, Egypt, Feb. 2009.

The scent of brewing spices found my nose, and I felt my stomach growl.

A glass of hibiscus tea later, we laid the straw mat on the raw sandy floor of the family area.

I couldn't help but be fascinated about the roofless design, blue walls and sand-lined floor.

Dinner would be ready in 30 minutes, we were told.

I wasn't sure what I anticipated more– the Nubian cuisine I flew 15 hours for, or the stories of the first Nubian village.

 

 

Nadi, Fiji, Sep. 2010.

Every stall at the market had been packed up, when we got there.. at 2pm.

Our beautiful Fijian friend invited us to a dinner party. And we heard the best gift a guest could ever bring is kava roots.

To cut a long story short, our gracious hostess informed us that Fijians now buy grounded kava, and no longer grind the roots themselves.

We had a good laugh over earth-baked cassava, assorted meat and veges.

Singapore, Jun. 2011.

Never had I consciously thought food could conjure up floods of memories. Childhood memories.

Especially ones that Mum dishes out once every year, on special occasions.

The dishes that take 2 hours to prepare and even longer to cook.

"Shush," Mum often says, as she believes it's rude to talk while eating.

This once, I thought to myself, I'm happy to enjoy goodness in silence.

A whiff of familiar spices caught my attention as I reached my Bentley home.

Our Omani friend ushered us to the dining table, where we were greeted by familiar smiley faces.

With the pressure cooker whistling in the background, he began to tell us how he missed communal dining back in his home town.

Men, women and children don't usually share the same plate.

"But tonight, we'll all share. We're family," our friend said.

Living on the edge: shackies and campers

The different perspectives in regards to campers and “shackies” near the Ningaloo Reef, presented by Four Corners: Seachange are very insightful. I can empathise with the different parties and their point of views, as each made a valid point. The Aboriginal people believe they belong to the land, not vice versa, hence they practice taking only what they need, which is in sync with conservation ethics. And then we have the visitors– most likely regulars who've been “paying their pilgrimage” to the reef since they were little– the innocent Australian “cheap beach holiday”, for many generations. However, vehicle access, water usage, and sewage have to be “managed”. This is when the Conservation and Land Management comes into the picture. Hence, the pilot of the eco-tourism plan. But $400 per day for an eco-friendly resort?! I can understand why people would opt for the B.Y.O accommodations. And when the government mentioned “marina resort development” near Ningaloo, it wasn't a big hit with the people because most people, including me, associate Australian resorts with luxury and therefore pricey. I guess in the defence of the eco-tourist operator – as mentioned in the video– the cost of the “rooms” are justified by the cost of renewable energy usage, sewerage treatment, water supply and miscellaneous maintenance costs. But visitors of the reef would steer away from these eco-friendly accommodations knowing that the high costing upkeep would filter through to them. Catch 22. 

Restrictions need to be implemented to save the Ningaloo Reef from ourselves. Imagine– if the reef is not environmentally sustained, what sort of “inheritance” are we leaving our children and their children? So as to the question of whose coast it is and who's entitled to a place there? I say the coast belongs to all Australians and we are entitled to a place there but that doesn't mean we know and are doing what's best for it. That's why I'm leaving the land conservation part to the experts.

Architectural places and spaces, silenced histories: demolishing the past

I took a walk down St. Georges Terrace and took a picture of some of the “old” buildings. As old as they are, some of them look rather new. Buildings rich with history. And there's something else.. All of them stand out in the midst of modern skyscrapers. At one point in time, they could easily be the tallest infrastructure architects ever dreamed of designing. Now they seemed drowned by the wave of modern, more geometric and taller buildings dotting the city like mushrooms. 

I asked my other half, who was born and brought up in Australia, about the Barrack Arch. His response: What barrack arch? So what significance do these monuments have to Australians? Would they be equally significant to the newer generation as they would to the first generation Australians? 

The St. Georges Cathedral 2011

The Perth Town Hall 2011

The Barrack Arch 2011

The Cloisters 2011

After reading Peter Read's Our Lost Drowned Town in the Valley: Perceptions of the Inundation of Adaminaby, my very initial thought was– devastating! I can, to a certain extent, relate to the residents of Adaminaby even though I can't say my grief will ever be on equal par to theirs. Regardless, my grief is for a place which harbours my childhood memories. Mine is not for a town, but for a school. The old single-storey Sembawang Primary School (funnily the school wasn't located in Sembawang but in the Yishun/Khatib district instead) was one of the smallest primary schools in modern Singapore. Built during the British colonial times, it had 7 classrooms, 1 small library that was also used as a music room, 1 small teachers' lounge, 1 small audio video room for whenever we had guest speakers (which was seldom), 2 girls' and 2 boys' toilets, an outdoor junior badminton and basketball court, a decent size canteen, a tiny outdoor stage area, 2 grassy sun courts and a large field. I can still remember the names and faces of most of the kids I went to school with, and the teachers. What fond memories they are. No, fond is an understatement.

The “minty” smell of morning dew during the daily 8am assemblies turned me into a “morning person”.

Recess time meant whipping out (read: showing off) the self-made thick chain of rubber bands for an anticipated game of “Zero Point”– an all girls jumping game– with friends.

In primary two, my teachers frequently caught me day dreaming in class and complained to Mama.

My first school camp. Literally. The team-bonding camp was held on the school ground; we camped on one of the grassy sun courts.

I participated in my first (and only) school beauty pageant.

My first crush... which didn't involve Hollywood actors.

My first dried seaweed.

The very first ghost tale I heard was told by the school caretaker, which mentioned the dilapidated 4-storey teachers' quarter right next to the school canteen. I suspected that was only to deter us from going on one of our notorious “Famous Five” explorations, but I didn't want to risk it just in case.

I could never sleep the night before the school's annual sports' day, from all the excitement. That was the only time when Mama would let me run around barefooted (still love the feel of morning dew on the soles of my feet), though that wasn't the only reason for excitement.. The Milo truck. The endless top ups of cold milky Milo a child could ever drink.

My first encounter with the amazing (thorny) mimosa plants.. without shoes.

My primary school was demolished in late 1990s, to make way for one of the first government condominiums in Singapore. I recognise it to be a somewhat similar situation to Adaminaby, where the governing power undervalued the nostalgia attached to the old place and deemed it not any more significant than the new project. The demolition was “in the best interest of the nation”. Along with the debris and rubble, went the tale of the school that used to stand there. I wish I could show you pictures, but besides the map of the site where it used to be (see the link below), I've nothing.

http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/travel/travel_id_19022/travel_site_1/

The old Sembawang primary school stood where Euphony Gardens condominium is now.

Googling “Sembawang Primary School” would only bring up the pictures and info of the new Sembawang school, which was built a couple of years later in the Sembawang district.

On the Yishun-Sembawang heritage trail, http://heritagetrails.sg/content/1673/Yishun_Sembawang_Trail.html

some of the places and schools mentioned were founded numerous years after the old Sembawang Primary School. Though Jalan Mata Ayer– where the old school was located– is along the trail, there is no mention of the school.

It is as if it never existed.

Who determines whether a building is to be heritage listed or not? The country's National Heritage Board or equivalent? On what grounds? Based on who's values?

I do resign to the fact that urban redevelopment is inevitable, but I believe as a nation we have to acknowledge the existence or previous existence of places and respect that they might hold sentimental value to other people, even though they're not of any significance to us personally. In my opinion, the more practical way to commemorate “loss places” would be to place sculptures and/or plaques on the site. However, if the place is more prominent, a bigger commemoration is only befitting. A good example of this is the memorial museum and performing arts complex built at Ground Zero, New York.

Individuals can also get involved in acknowledging the past uses of “loss places” by sharing stories and pictures with others through blogging, internet chat forums, community clubs, commemoration events etc. I found a couple of good blogs and chat forums on old Perth and Singapore:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=600041

http://www.6000times.com/2010/01/swanbourne-abandoned-mental-crazy.html

http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/

I have to admit, after reading Namadgi: Sharing the High Country, I had conflicting thoughts about who should have more “rights” to the heritage of ANY place. Of course I say the easy solution is to get common consensus or meet halfway, but I guess it's never that easy when the parties have conflicting interests.

Making a sense of self, making a sense of place: Food

The politics surrounding food is not as subtle as some of us think. In fact, the food we consume can almost accurately tell others about who we are– our “socio-class”, our wealth, our education, our religion and beliefs, interpersonal ability etc. Whether we consciously think it or not, food is a status symbol.

On a slightly different note– this week's interesting read was Mandy Thomas' Transitions in Taste in Vietnam and Diaspora. I haven't had the privilege of having Vietnamese friends as yet so, besides loving their cuisine and a little read on the diaspora, I have very little knowledge about Vietnamese social culture. In my opinion, Thomas' work cleverly explores the Vietnamese "socio-culture" change in relation to the diaspora by illustrating how the Vietnamese flavours have evolved as meal times, for the new generation, become more socialised. I've never been to Vietnam but have always wondered (whenever having steaming hot combination beef pho with floating red cut chilli) what it would feel like to be having that meal on Vietnamese soil, in a little shack by the Mekong river. Would the flavours, serving size and presentation be the same, better or worse? In most of the Vietnamese restaurants I've patronised here in Perth, I can see that time has been invested into not just the cooking of the meal but also the presentation. Something that a sole hawker of a street-side stall in Vietnam, serving tens of patrons every hour (maybe even every half hour)– I'm assuming– would not be doing. So in a way, the presentation of Vietnamese cuisine served here in Perth has been "westernised"– a signifier of the transition of socio-culture in Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnamese cuisine is not the only one, I've seen similar transitions in cuisines from other cultures, including mine. For instance, pais (Portuguese baked fish in Kristang) has been for generations cooked in banana leaf. Due to the scarce availability of banana leaves in Perth (not many Asian shops order them in) and convenience, my mother and I have been substituting them with aluminum foil.

There is this magnificent restaurant in Leederville, serving gastronomic Eurasian Portuguese and "Malaccan" cuisine, that still use banana leaf to cook their dishes.

Anyway, reading Thomas' cross-cultural analysis, I was taken back in time to my own transition in culinary experience.

It was that time of the week again. Japanese night.

Even before I sat down, my eyes were already fixed on a plate of sushi, that was probably on its umpteenth round on the slow-moving conveyor belt. I'm able to recognise that hue of orange even from a mile away, every time. Plate in my hand, as I removed the translucent cover. The welcoming sight of glistening and plump roe on rice that's wrapped in contrastingly dark green compressed seaweed, made me salivate. It's been more than a decade, and nothing's changed. It felt like I was 12 again, just about to have my first sushi. And the world paused for a moment. The popping sensation of the tiny bubbles of roe in my mouth, and the distinct taste of moistened seaweed. Mmm.. Seaweed. Rewind.

Brought up in a Muslim household (even though we are not religiously staunch), when we were children, my parents used to control what my siblings and I ate: no consumption of non-halal food. It was like in a maximum security food prison, as Mama (with a pleasant smile on her face) searched our school bags and uniform pockets the very second we got home, in case we had secretly stashed “prohibited” supplies. Till today, I still wonder in amusement if Mama expected to find anything. I guess those bag checks were implemented as a deterrent. However, at the age of 10, I started forming a palate for experimenting new flavours. To cut a long story short, I got into trouble for a) successfully “smuggling” dried seaweed (the one used in sushi-making), b) eating it secretly in my room, and c) giving my brother some!

Over the years, as my parents became more exposed to the wonders of the culinary world, their food restrictions lax. Hence, my first sushi experience at the age of 12 (yet for most 12 year old girls in Japan, it is part of a staple meal). Nowadays, as I share my plate of roe sushi with my other half, I couldn't help but reminisce about the day marked as the start of my culinary independence and freedom.

Reference List

 

Thomas, Mandy. 2004. Transitions in Taste in Vietnam and the Diaspora. The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 2004: 15 (1) Academic Research Library

Senses of place: How do we know who we are and where we belong?

Before presenting the reflexivity on the documentary and you tube videos, I would like to reflect on this week's theme– how do we know who we are and where we belong?

What makes me “Me”? My cultural background? The languages I speak? We are a product of generation after generation of socially constructed ideals, customs, religions, etc. I find that people's social interaction with others is, to some extent, a blue print of their ideologies. Most people (including me) resign who they are to their upbringing. Easily, almost submissively, I often find myself saying, “Well, that's how I've been brought up.” This got me dissecting the very ideologies I was born into. If I had migrated to Australia at a much earlier age, would I have developed a completely different identity to my current one? And would that make me more or less “Aussie”? As I have lived in Australia on and off for about 14years and permanently for 5 years, I would very much like to regard myself as an Australian but at times I get abruptly reminded by some that I am not a “true blue Aussie” due to the fact that I wasn't born here. Do we need to be born here for us to belong here? Ironically, I have cousins born here in Western Australia who have rather staunch grip on their ethnic roots and religion. I, on the other hand, embrace the Australian culture (an honorary award should be given to the person who created Vegemite– where have you been all my life?) at a blink of an eye. My friends even often jest about how I'm more Australian than they are. But what if I hadn't embraced it with ease? Would I not be Australian if I had stuck firmly to my ethnic culture, or as some people would call it– a refusal to integrate? Can't we be Australians and still practice our beliefs openly (without imposing them upon others, of course), without being prejudicially stereotyped and discriminated against? Constantly seeking for this utopia I heard so much about; the fair go, equality, multiculturalism etc., I'm hoping to land at its door step one day. Regardless, my sense of place is here. For now. As much as I can't deny the rat-race city of Singapore is without a doubt my motherland, my heart tells me I belong here in modern democratic Australia.

SBS: Immigration Nation Documentary 

I was intrigued by this documentary because, not having the privilege of learning Australian history in depth, I had little knowledge of the “White Australia Policy”. I believe one of the intended purposes of this documentary is to effectively bring awareness to the history of Australian immigration policy, by provoking emotional reaction from the audience. This is achieved through the narration of the “White Australia Policy” that tore families apart. Being a family oriented society; I can envision Australians emotionally reacting to the exemplifications. The documentary also hints at Australians to look at their roots, because just like other migrants in Australia (regardless of race), their ancestors were not native Australians either. No one should have more right than another to belong in Australia, except for the Aboriginal people. In my opinion, one of the chief questions raised is– has the “White Australia” political condition changed? Modern Australia proclaimed to be multi-cultural, a racial melting pot, non-racist and yet many didn't disapprove on the “black face” skit on Hey Hey Saturday. Some said the guys that painted their faces black aren't even Caucasians. Personally, I think it shouldn't matter that they are not Caucasians. The issue is we are tolerating prejudicial stereotype, and thus encouraging racism by making excuses for such act and brushing it aside as just “larrikin” humour.

You Tube: Australia Day- Perth

Alright, the very first thing I noticed is that there are no Aboriginal people in the video, which says that the producer of the video has very little clue on the historical context of Australia Day. My first impression of the video was that a tourist, not an Australian, put it together; it presents what looks like a tourist's idea of Australia Day– sequences of Australian icons. Australia Day has been portrayed superficially in this video. If a local made this video, then it saddens me to think that someone (and maybe a lot of others out there) can be as ignorant and insensitive as to think that Australia Day is all about celebrations and meat pies. Either that, or they chose to sweep that knowledge under the rug, in support of the “White Australia” ideology.

You Tube: Mankind Is No Island

My first impression of this video was that it would've touched the audiences’ hearts. The background music is hauntingly melancholic, juxtaposed against emotive visuals of homeless individuals. What almost put tears in my eyes was the shot of the signboard saying, “This is freedom?” It makes me wonder if there is any place in society for homeless people. Their family, friends, employers and the government have rejected them. And vice versa. They've been stripped of any individual identity previously held. They now take on a collective identity of just another “homeless” on the street. In society, they are “faceless”. Then I thought, “Wait a second.” Good on Van Genderen for taking raising-awareness of this pre-existing issue to a creative and enthralling level but what was said in the video is not something that hasn't been said or brought to our attention before. The million-dollar question is– has Van Genderen's video made me care about homeless people more than I already had? Is the video such a revelation that I now see the issue of homeless people in a different light? The more I watched the video, the more it feels like an exploitation of homeless people. I have to admit that it's a fine line between raising awareness and exploitation, as I've seen in poverty tourism. But when personal gain is involved, in my opinion, that's enough to tip the scale.

P.S: That's not a picture of a real homeless person.

Reference List

Australia Day - Perth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyE31HcsBPo
(accessed 22 July 2011)

Jason Van Genderen, Mankind is No Island

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDxe9gK8Gk
(accessed 22 July 2011)

Immigration Nation

http://www.sbs.com.au/immigrationnation/

(accessed 22 July 2011)