My new year resolution: act like lady gaga
January 1st, 2010 § 2
- She thoroughly studied the industry she wanted to get into before she did anything.
- She then created a persona, a story, a bizarre fashion style, an album and an audience. And stuck to her guns. So far there hasn’t been a break in her concept and if there’s anything I love, it’s consistency.
- It’s very hard to create a story out of your artistic vision but she does it effortlessly and from her gut.
- She knows her shit. Clearly, her first album is doing well.
- Lady Gaga is two months older than me. Nothing motivates you more than someone your age doing something absolutely amazing.
- What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Held the wheel pose in yoga, got my shirts laundered, discovered interesting places through thousands of photographs for my job, smiled at a child under the age of five, counted the different derivates of corn syrup in a food product, made a budget for the next year, actually, generally looking ahead to the next couple of years. - Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can’t really remember last year’s resolution, to be honest but I’m sure it included lots of yoga, photo-making and getting a regular gig. So I kept it. For this year, see above.
- What countries did you visit?
Does the States count? If so: San Fran, Chicago, New York, Arizona, Las Vegas, Outer Banks of North Carolina, a small town in Pennsylvania. Canada: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal. Aruba. - What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Extreme motivation, to the point of ignoring things like social media and food. - What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Getting my LensBaby for my birthday and the consequent fun. Changing visas in July, always memorable and complicated but at least I got to try poutine. Eating crème brûlée at the Bellagio and veal-I-don’t-want-to-admit-to-but-was-so-good at the Phoenician. Times with W. that I can’t really share here but was definitely memorable. I’m not that good with dates, food and good times more so. - What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Really nailing down what I want to do with my life and being ok with where I am right now. - What was your biggest failure?
French fries. Seriously, they have a special place in the addictions part of my brain. - Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh yeah, got a really bad virus and had to get an IV, forgot about that. - What was the best thing you bought?
Them Crooked Vultures album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer: the book, everything else was gifts. - Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All the bloggers that I love: they have backbone, an opinion and the figurative balls to put themselves out there. You know who you are. - Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
No one. It takes too much effort to get appalled or depressed. Oh, I know, I get down cause sometimes I feel like I haven’t done enough for my age. But I’ve felt that way since I was 16. - Where did most of your money go?
Travel, savings and rent. - What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Photographers. Food. Travel. Spending time with W. Awh, how cute. - What song will always remind you of 2009?
Can I do artists? Björk, the Presets, Coldplay, Bat for Lashes, Kings of Leon, Them Crooked Vultures. Metallica, always, Metallica. - Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder:
Happier.
Thinner or fatter:
I have no idea. Same.
Richer or poorer:
Richer. - What do you wish you’d done more of?
Organising photography projects. - What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cooking. I spend far too much time thinking of and composing meals. That quiet time at the end of a yoga class? Yeah, I spend that mentally going through my fridge and seeing what I can cook for the next week. - How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it in Toronto with absolutely awesome family and my little sister. - Did you fall in love in 2009?
In three month intervals as in any long term relationship. - What was your favourite TV programme?
I’m currently in the midst of The Office marathon. Just started session three. Flight of the Conchords. - Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Fuck no. - What was the best book you read?
Sex, Time and Power: How women’s sexuality shaped human evolution. By Leonard Shlain. Although the Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond changed my way of thinking. - What was your greatest musical discovery?
If you don’t know by now, you’re a noob. - What did you want and got?
Everything I really wanted. - What did you want and not got?
Peking duck pancakes, we’re working on it. - What was your favourite film of this year?
Watchmen followed closely by Wall-e and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It should be noted that I haven’t seen Fantastic Mr. Fox as of yet. - What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Good food, brew and company. 23. - What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A warmer winter. - How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Seriously? Not to flash my underwear. - What kept you sane?
My family, mates and W. - Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
You don’t want to see that list, there’s a lot of wtfs. - What political issue stirred you the most?
Healthcare in the States, gay rights. - Who did you miss?
Family and friends in Australia. Australia as a country. - Who was the best new person you met?
Blogger friends. Random drunken conversations. - Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009
Organisation. Regular yoga. Things to aim for. - Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
The triumph of a heart that gives all
That gives all – Björk, Triumph of a Heart
Male pseudonyms and women in jobs
December 21st, 2009 § 2
Cupcakes and Mace linked to a blogger that used a male pseudonym and instantly saw a rise in the job offers and a pay increase.
To be honest, I don’t know how that makes me feel. Men still do earn a little bit more for doing the same jobs but to see such a spot on example of this prejudice in action is a lot harder to ignore that a statistic.
I just finished reading Malcom Gladwell’s book, Blink, which goes in-depth about the judgements humans make in the first impression. One study he talked about had symphony judges choose musicians through their music alone – with a wall set up between the musician and the critic. Women were suddenly getting offered positions in the symphony playing instruments that were considered manly, big cumbersome, low sounding things.
Gladwell suggested that in order for everyone to have a fair go at a job, we should remove gender, race and any other personal factor out of the applicant choosing process, leaving the bare bones of accomplishments to pick the best person for the job.
Here, here.
It turns out that by choosing a male name: James Chartrand, the pseudonym the female blogger used, she removed the inevitable questions that come with gender. A relationship, kids and family responsibilities seem to be a weight on only the female workers backs. Which, I believe, with all of me, is bullshit.
I don’t know how we can over-correct this. Fact of the matter is, it takes nine months of incubation for a woman to pop out a child. And sadly, most mothers do the hard legwork of raising the chubby balls of flesh while it’s acceptable for a male partner to go about as business per usual.
I know the Aussie government, and maybe the Brits as well are looking at extending male partner’s maternity leave to that of the woman involved in the child-making business. Which is great.
Feminism hasn’t even been around for a century. I don’t know how long it will take for equal opportunity to sink into our brains. It will be a slow, evolutionary process. At least, that’s what I keep on telling to myself when I see a reclining semi-nude woman selling toothpaste or beard shavers.
Will we have to use male pseudonyms until our collective human brain has been rewired? I’ll tell you one thing, our anonymous female blogger certainly made more impact by going out and being successful when she was believed to be male. Imagine if she had just written up a scathing blog post claiming prejudice because she was a single mother of two and wasn’t getting paid enough for her skill set. We’d blame it on the economy and think nothing of it.
What do you think?
Consistency
December 13th, 2009 § 0
© Denzil Jayasinghe
Consistency, the last refuge of the unimaginative according to my idol Oscar Wilde.
Up until six months ago, this was my mantra. I think my career projected this: I now have a passionate appreciation of timber furniture and can use subversion in a pinch. But I’m now beginning to doubt this famous saying (isn’t every Oscar Wilde line famous?)
In an environment where you can’t control the people you deal with, which I suppose is work, school, family, basically everything but friends – it sucks dealing with erratic people.
If a person is persistently grumpy, you sympathise or come into the room guarded for the worse, if someone is consistently calm and friendly, you gravitate towards them and are more inclined to help them in a pinch. But either way you know where you stand. Unless, there is the token passive-aggressive. Oh my god. Then it fucking sucks. Especially for me, for you see, I don’t pick up on nuances.
I once flirted with a man for ten minutes before my dad took me aside and told me my future lover was gay. So subtly and me, not good. When you add a passive-aggressive person to my lack of subtlety cocktail why then, it’s painful to watch and could be made into a television series that lasts for ten years.
Inconsistency is awesome when you get lost in the middle of the night with your friends or you discover a love of peking duck pancakes but on a day to day basis, it kinda sucks ass.
Snow puddles
December 7th, 2009 § 3
Snow puddle from Tash Jayasinghe on Vimeo.
My 15-year-old sister is staying with me for seven weeks. The first time she saw snow, she must have been two years old. We went to the Snowy Mountains, she spent her time eating the brown slush off the ground while I bruised my ten-year-old bum on rocky toboggan slides.
Today, we jumped around the three day old slush, 15,989 km away from the Snowy Mountains while we waited for a bus. If she ate the snow, I didn’t see it.
We’re on a grand adventure as of Saturday, off to Aruba, New York and Canada. Hot then cold. She asked for a white Christmas and Toronto is going to give it.
My mum’s the biggest fanboy of all!
November 29th, 2009 § 0
I hate people that fish for compliments
November 29th, 2009 § 2
Natalie does too. That is why I love her. She also makes me incredibly, stomach-wrenching home sick with her caustic wit and self-depreciating humour. We’re brethren.
Looking for inspiration in the loo
November 25th, 2009 § 0
I loved this post card sent into Post Secrets. Looking at a Reuters article is never going to be the same for me after this.