SurroundSound5000

Saigon

2011-12-14T15:50:00.004+11:00

After Hoi An, we headed further south to Nha Trang; I'd never heard of this city, but it turned out to be a bunch of fun. We went on South East Asia's longest cable car over to the amusement park on Vinpearl Island. It turned out to be an awesome place, complete with bumper cars, buck hunter, a 4D cinema, hot dogs, and a roller coaster (my first). The city also boasts a number of trendy beachside

Hoi An

2011-12-13T16:54:00.003+11:00

Hoi An is another phenomenally tourist centric locale, but I'd still reccomend it to anyone travelling through Viet Nam. The town is primarily famed for it's boutique fashion stores (Including the tailor shop Yaly, as featured on Top Gear, where I got a few shirts made). On every street there are shops for custom building shoes, tailoring shirts and dresses, making hats, and flogging floor price

Ha Long

2011-12-04T21:59:00.006+11:00

Everyone I spoke to about travelling through Vietnam's north has told me I simply must see Ha Long Bay, and that there is no better way to see it then cruising on a traditional Junk. The bay is excuisite, and absolutely picturesque. So we headed to Ha Long, looking forward to seeing this unspoilt place with it's crystal bays and majestic caves and islands. We headed to the dock by bus, our small

Ha Noi

2011-12-04T21:23:00.003+11:00

Touching down in Ha Noi was a fascinating experience. For some reason my flight arrived in the domestic terminal, instead of international. While I was waiting for my bag, which was delayed, a group of passangers hanging out by the No Smoking sign lit up a cigarette. On seeing this, a number of other passangers went and joined them.After clearing customs I headed out in the hectic terminal. I

Malaysia

2011-11-28T21:32:00.002+11:00

I'm sitting on the steps of a temple in the backstreets of Johor Baru, taking shelter from a sudden downpour. I haven't seen another whitey since clearing customs at departure. From the looks I've been getting, I suspect there aren't so many westerners coming though here at all. A family just walked past me, a large hairy white guy, in bright green shorts sitting on a filthy step; the old man

Singapore Beginnings

2011-11-24T11:50:00.001+11:00

People often complain that flying can be tiring, which seems odd given that out consists of sitting for hours on end. But I think I've figured it out; it's the constant offers and queries. From the moment you board the plane, you're being given things. "Would you like a hot towel, sir?", "Can I offer you a drink?", "Here is your headset", "Would you like a cold towel?", "Here is your toothbrush",

ANZ ATM

2011-02-10T22:25:00.008+11:00

I just sent the following to the ANZ, via the ANZ Online Enquies service:Earlier today I attempted to withdraw funds from my ANZ account, with my ANZ card, at an ANZ ATM. I was given the message that the transaction had timed out, and I should try again.This would be fine, but my card was retained by an ATM. I contacted ANZ immediately and was offered no explanation as to why my card was taken,

NSW Police Dangerous Driving Report

2010-12-03T10:25:00.006+11:00

So I just emailed NSW Police Customer Assistance, with the following to say about an aggressive and dangerous driver. I didn't mention that I was passing a paddy wagon at the time, nor that I shouted 'Watch what you're f*cking doing' at the top of my lungs and was ignored by the cops standing only meters away.My inquiry is this: Does the NSW Police website offer the facility to report dangerous

Marriage Equality

2010-11-11T22:56:00.002+11:00

So, someone tweeted me a link reminding me to write to my local MPs on marriage equality. Here's a summary:Dear Rob,I know a lot of gay voters in the electorate. You're a reasonable guy, you probably recognise that the majority of the population supports gay marriage.It's one more step to removing state sponsored discrimination, which will eventually help to reduce homophobia. That means that

Congratulations, and...

2010-08-22T17:19:00.010+10:00

Unable to stand idly by in such an exciting time for Australia, I penned an email to my local member and (now) political power broker Independent Rob Oakeshott about this momentous moment, and who deserves to be granted supply.Rob Oakeshott,Like so many others, I want to congratulate you on your phenomenal win this election, deservingly retaining our electorate; and particularly showing that

Email to UN about Alum Mountain

2009-11-30T12:36:00.007+11:00

This morning I wrote an email to Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, about the Bulahdelah bypass.I haven't time to write anything more in depth this morning; but adding another voice to the discourse can't hurt. James' contact details are as follows:OHCHR, United Nation1211 Geneva 10SwitzerlandTel. + 41 - 22 917 96 47

Mos Def, and...

2009-10-09T17:51:00.025+11:00

I heard this song on Triple J the other day and tracked it down. It is called Auditorium, and was released by Mos Def, but features Slick Rick. He sings the verse, that made the song stand out to me (I've since tracked down some of his releases). Anyhow I went looking for lyrics to this track, and found none of integrity, so I decided to pen out my own; but it seemed less appropriate when written

2009-08-24T15:46:00.003+10:00

An odour came in the window thismorning, and has permeated my day. The house began to smell, and when I burst forth expecting fresh air out the back door, I began to dry wretch and the stench only intensified outside. I scampered to the train station, pausing only to cough and hack from the newly induced illness. It resurfaced briefly on the breeze at the platform, before disappearing; leaving

Delayed

2009-06-12T15:29:00.006+10:00

This post has been waiting for some time to be posted, in order to get the promised photographs from vodafone. I still haven't got them, but cannot hold off on posting any further.It’s Friday afternoon, I am sitting on a bus, and I think now is a perfect time to begin looking back on my week. A few interesting things have happened this week, including skydiving and performing at the opera house.

Out of date

2009-05-31T22:09:00.003+10:00

As I write this, I am sitting on a train on my way to see Dylan Moran. I left only realised the time (I was yet to pack, clean the house, get changed, go to the station, buy a ticket etc.) about 10–15 minutes before the last train left. I managed it.But now think I should write something about the incident currently occurring:Firstly I’ll make reference to my previous post about north shore girls

In reverse chronological order

2009-04-07T17:08:00.006+10:00

Firstly, a letter I just sent to the Australian Government Senate Inquiry on Climate Change:We all know that PV (Photovoltaic) technology is being effectively utilised around the world, and that our great big slab of land is ideally placed to utilise this technology, right beneath a tropic.Australia not only lies in the ideal position geographically to utilise the technology, but also has some of

A few Conversational Snippets

2009-03-26T13:16:00.005+11:00

Snippets of conversation can be bizarre.The folks next to me appear to have just met, and in the time I've been sitting here, they have discovered that she has, at her 21st, hooked up with his cousin. And she sounds like a Queenslander.This morning, during the extremely long wait for the bus, I heard a discussion between two girls that went something like this:"My arms get sore, after like, 4

With some urgency

2009-03-20T18:29:00.004+11:00

Please do sign the above petition. Hopefully I'll see you at the rally tommorow on the lawn of parliment house in the ACT.Today I forgot my iPod, so I'm on the train listening to music on my laptop (with headphones). It is for this reason that I've found time to post.An aside before I so even start; I recently joined the microblogging Twitter subculture.I was in an educational psychology lecture

Backlog

2009-03-13T21:16:00.004+11:00

It has been a very long time since I posted last. This is not because I have had nothing to post about. Far from it. My life has effectively started afesh. The reasons for my lack of posting are twofold: I have had an ideas backlog that became so large I simply couldn't think what to write first, (and couldn't put in day to day updates for the lack of chronology) and secondly I haven't had the

Thought for the day

2009-01-16T00:17:00.005+11:00

OK, here’s my thought for the day. I was at the new kebaberrie in town (they just got a new one of those tools they use for cutting "the finest cuts of chicken" from the big spinnin' stick) enjoying my vegetarian gozleme, when two law enforcement officers entered, just after a kebab and a salad. It interests me how everyone becomes uncomfortable around police. This is the question that arose:Why

Some things

2009-01-15T00:19:00.002+11:00

When I saw Bush awarding Howard with the 'highest civilian honour' (interesting, that phrase is used in all the ceverage I've seen. I wonder what the medals title is..?) it occured to me, like an epiphany, our ex-pm and their ex-president should fuck off to the same nursing home together so they can sit about and congradulate each other on jobs well done. "Hey, without you, I never could have

Results

2008-12-17T08:58:00.003+11:00

It has been a long while since I've last posted, this is because my life has been sporadically busy: I've been either too busy to post on the blag, or lifes been so mundane to post about. So, anyhow, here's my results:Engineering Studies91 (Band 6) English (Advanced)81 (Band 5) General Mathematics97 (Band 6) Physics80 (Band 5) Software89 (Band 5) Entertainment Industry91 (Band 6)I'm

Freedom of the 'Net

2008-11-26T19:02:00.002+11:00

You've all seen the permanent link unit in the top right of this blag, (unless you syndicate). Well, no longer is it just about informing yourself. The time has come for action. Hit this link, which will take you to http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet/442 . This is very important.I've just done a mass email, so I can't be bothered to retype it here. You know the deal, and if you don't,

EPA Carbon Regulation

2008-11-26T14:57:00.002+11:00

The deadline for the EPA to decide on carbon dioxide regulation is Friday. I just gave them my opinion:Dear EPA,This is your chance to save the world, in a very real way.Remember, don't give a license to pollute. Carbon permits and carbon trading are not real soloutions.Implement a carbon tax; with no discount for industry or electricity generation (it would be senseless to enact the tax and then

Hope my SDD exam is marked by a is a digital freedoms activist

2008-11-04T17:11:00.000+11:00

This morning I sat for my final Physics examination. I'd only studied starting the afternoon before, which for a subject like physics really isn't enough. I was already a little out of form because I have wagged so many classes. I remember the last day of K-Dog (an awesome music teacher), when we all (about 12 of us) piled into his car and went on one final Maccas run. I was wagging physics, and