Seven Random Things

Jeff, T S Shaw and Phil kindly tagged me for the latest chain blog thing. Here's the rules:

Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here goes:

(1) I grew up in Malaysia in the late 1960s / early 1970s. The first memory I have of Malaysia (I was four) dates from May 1969. From my parents' bedroom window I watched a convoy of trucks, carrying heavily armed soldiers and riot policemen, moving along Jalan Umpang just after dawn. They were heading into the central city to quell fighting between Malays and Chinese. It was the start of several weeks of turmoil and bloodshed.  

(2) After graduating, I went to Western Australia to work in the mining industry. While on a bush survey near the mining encampment of Laverton, I had a punch-up with the American geologist I was working with. It was hot (close to 40 degrees celsius), we'd been working together for nearly four weeks without a break, and he was a know it all. Need I say more?  

(3) Cars bore me. I can't stand petrol heads and TV sportcasters who drone on about motor racing. As for boy racers, they should be taken outside and shot.

(4) My five year old son loves dinosaurs. As a result, I know the names of at least 30 species of sauropods, hadrosaurs, pachyecephlosaurs, anklyosaurs, pterosaurs, tyrannosaurs, ceratopsians, raptors and so on.

(5) My favourite drinks are Islay single malt whiskey (preferably Laguvulin and Ardberg, but really any Islay malt is fine), Monteiths' summer ale, and a stiff gin and tonic. Oh, I drink a lot of red wine too.

(6) I own a genuine Japanese samurai sword (not the el cheapo imitations you can buy from the corner store). My grandfather brought it back from the fighting in the Solomon Islands during World War Two. He gave it to me before he died.

(7) Living in the outdoors has defined my life. I've climbed, tramped and hunted throughout the Southern Alps and overseas, and have also been into diving and sailing. Now, I write about more sedate outdoor activities, like birding, photography and walking on Diary of an Outdoorsman.

I tag Stef, Sven, XCrocs, Adrian, Linda, Antonius and Shane.

Comments

[Jeff]

Kotare,

As usual, great post! You know we indentify our fellow bloggers by the image of their blog pages. And for the most part, most of us talk current events or history, etc. So it's fancinating to learn little pieces of personal information about each other. For example, I see we're basically the same age. You were born in 1965, I in 1966. We both have fine boys. You have a 5 year old, I have a 9 year old and 5 month old.

[Kotare]

Thanks Jeff. It interesting how we form a view of fellow bloggers based on what they write about, including what they look like, and then find that our impression is quite wrong.

Reading your post I was interested to see that you play piano and guitar, both things that I have wished from time to time that I could play.

BTW, I guess that your five month old is still keeping you and your wife busy, particularly at night?

[Linda Popova]

Hi Kotare, Hi Jeff,

this is actually just to say thanks to Jeff for the tag.

I'm completely behind on keeping up with my blog: totally swamped at work as well as dealing with a ridiculous immigration case. As my blog is not a personal one, I try to keep private details out, but my frustration with the Swiss is getting close to hitting the publicity margin! Without going into detail, they're trying to refuse to renew my permit on the grounds of divorcing my Swiss husband despite the fact I'm working for the government (!) and providing consulting to several of their agencies, not to mention actual personal details of the case.

Anyway, a couple of things 4 Jeff. We're not that close in age. I was born in 75, but a few interests in common. First, your samurai sword! Interesting. Can you post a photo of it? Hagakure is a permanent fixture on my bedside table and I carry a pocket edition of Sun Tzu in my bag! Never know when it might come in handy:-) Books, not swords are my weapon, but one can't help admire the craftsmanship!

Second, you may already be familiar with this but if you're not, here's a recommendation for a great book of essays on the legacy of ancient Greek and Roman authors to modern politicians and (military) strategists: Robert D. Kaplan, Warrior Politics: http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Politics-Leadership-Demands-Pagan/dp/0375505636

Kaplan is a brilliant writer. Apart from being extraordinarily well-versed in the Western classics, he's also fond of quoting Sun Tzu with great diligence.

Apologies for the long comment. I found no space I could post this on Jeff's blog.

Best regards to both,

Linda

[Linda Popova]

Hi Kotare, Hi Jeff,

this is actually just to say thanks to Jeff for the tag.

I'm completely behind on keeping up with my blog: totally swamped at work as well as dealing with a ridiculous immigration case. As my blog is not a personal one, I try to keep private details out, but my frustration with the Swiss is getting close to hitting the publicity margin! Without going into detail, they're trying to refuse to renew my permit on the grounds of divorcing my Swiss husband despite the fact I'm working for the government (!) and providing consulting to several of their agencies, not to mention actual personal details of the case.

Anyway, a couple of things 4 Jeff. We're not that close in age. I was born in 75, but a few interests in common. First, your samurai sword! Interesting. Can you post a photo of it? Hagakure is a permanent fixture on my bedside table and I carry a pocket edition of Sun Tzu in my bag! Never know when it might come in handy:-) Books, not swords are my weapon, but one can't help admire the craftsmanship!

Second, you may already be familiar with this but if you're not, here's a recommendation for a great book of essays on the legacy of ancient Greek and Roman authors to modern politicians and (military) strategists: Robert D. Kaplan, Warrior Politics: http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Politics-Leadership-Demands-Pagan/dp/0375505636

Kaplan is a brilliant writer. Apart from being extraordinarily well-versed in the Western classics, he's also fond of quoting Sun Tzu with great diligence.

Apologies for the long comment. I found no space I could post this on Jeff's blog.

Best regards to both,

Linda

[Kotare]

Hi Linda, and thanks for your comment.

I agree about Kaplan's Warrior Politics - it's a great read. I don't carry a copy of The Art of War with me, but I refer to it frequently.

I hope that your immigration case gets worked through favourably soon.

[Linda Popova]

Thank you! Just noticed I managed to post my reply twice somehow. Please feel free to delete.

Btw, I'm "working" on a cultural profile of Switzerland with some friend expats here in Zurich. Should make for an amusing read when it's done. Short anecdote as a foretaste:

I have a black American friend married to a Swiss. Her last name by marriage is Schweizer. Well, Mrs Scheizer was at the doctor's for a general check up appointment and her name was called out. Upon seeing Mrs Schweizer's color, the nurse/receptionist burst into tears of laughter about my friend's last name, only able to explicate the phrase: "You are Mrs Scweizer?" So, which country in Africa do you come from? ......

Well, the hilarity extends to other ethnic groups or geographic prejudices. My name, for instance - Popova- has privileged me questions of the type, "So, how is it for you Eastern European girls dealing with the Asian cmpetition?"...etc. I normally respond with a laugh(I'm 100% U.S/Canadian raised), but it is no laughing matter when you think about it in the sense that a person is perceived according such stereotypes regardless of their background or anything else. In fact, I have a few stories I can't wait to make public regarding police profiling in Switzerland even in obvious cases of a Swiss person abusing the law when the police would try to find every and any excuse to ignore the actual occurrence and file the case under an ambiguous "domestic violence case". It is sick! There is ONE Ngo that deals with cases like this domestically but over a hundred that extend their friendly services abroad! Things like this just don't happen in a civilized place like Switzerland. Yeah, right! This is not to say that Swiss women themselves don't suffer under the stereotype. I personally know several Swiss born women who have had to deal with the local domestic violence profiling; point being, things like this just don't happen here and if they do, there's always a justification of why it happened, i.e. in what way way was the victim's behavior provoking the violence, etc. Perhaps not all that surprising for a Western country that gave women the vote in the 1970s!

From the women I've discussed the issue with they have tended to be , on the whole, foreign. Yet, this in no way means that Swiss women themselves don't bear the consequences of this para-Muslim attitude to the female gender. Wonder why more than half of Swiss males import their brides from Thailand or the Southeast Asia region in general?!

I'm, on one hand the most vocal advocate of the benefits of this country; yet the issues of racism, discrimination and general lack of respect are something I have not encountered in any other country I've lived in in the "West". In that respect, I miss my adopted homeland - Canada! Things of this sort would generally not be tolerated there; not only in terms of government policies, but also in terms of the general population feel as a whole.

Ok, enough on this topic. Nothing more annoying than an activist, whether of the political or gender type or both. My advocacy is for individualism, i.e. people should be judged and treated for their individual merit!

Greetings, Kotare!

[Xcroc]

Thanks Kotare, I just posted The seven of crocs

[Jeff]

Kotare,

At best my blog reveals some of my political and social positions. But then I tend to be purposely more polemic on my blog in order to stimulate discussion. I enjoy good conversation.

I recommend you try the guitar. You only have the treble clef to deal with, and it is an easy instrument to learn how to play.

Actually my youngest son turned 6 months old on the 14th. He is a very good sleeper---thank God! My wife and I couldn’t be happier about that. But thanks for asking about him. As you know, Dad’s always love to brag about their children.

[Kotare]

The guitar might be a project at some stage in the future, Jeff. Not enough time at the moment!

[deichmans]

Done!

http://oz.deichman.net/2008/06/random-seven-meme.html