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Category Archives: Rants

The Distinction

21 Feb

I have always joked about the fact that people seem to see Asians as being all the same. I mean from one Asian to the next, there’s no difference. I always joked about it. But I’ve been called by the name of the only other Asian guy in the office around me. I mean, I will be talking to people, and they would acknowledge me with what they’re saying – they may reference something that I had said a few days back, but once they go to mention me by name, to my face, they call me the other guy.

I can understand that some people may look like someone else, like how Gary Busey somewhat looks like Nick Nolte or how Zooey Deschanel kind of looks like Katy Perry, but I have never gotten them mixed up. But why is it that Caucasians can’t seem to tell the difference between Asians; maybe I’m being far to generalist. I mean it didn’t happen before I started this new role, nor has it happened in my working career prior to this, but in the past two weeks, it has.

I wonder if it really is a race thing, and we all think that at least someone in one race, can look like another of the same race; it surely can’t be case of them mistaking one person for every other person of the same race, can it?

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Caricature

20 Feb

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been defending my behaviour saying that it’s not really me, that I’m a caricature of my true self. I may say something inappropriate, or something awkward, or something outrageous. Most of the time I don’t really mean it. I say things just to keep the conversation going, keeping it alive. I say things to get a reaction, because I know the reaction that I’m going to get, is going to give me a bit of a laugh. But that’s not really me. Is it?

It’s worked for me in the past, but I don’t know if that reasoning is applicable as time goes on. The more and more I act this way, the more and more I make lewd and crude comments, the more and more I become the caricature, rather that fronting as one. Sometimes I feel the need to act that way, and that’s how I am for the rest of the night.

It’s funny, it all started a while back, and it was just for laughs, but it feels like it’s a crutch these days, and without it, I can’t get around. In someways it feels like it’s a case of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Yes… indulge me for a second. In the beginning, it was a case of Bruce Wayne donning a mask to fight injustice, and bring down fear and retribution against those that do no good, in the guise of Batman. But as time goes on, it’s become Batman taking off the mask to act like a billionaire playboy in the guise of Bruce Wayne. At first it was an outlet, only now it has consumed.

What a sad state of affairs it’s become.

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Insincerity

14 Feb

Everytime I leave a job, I question whether or not I should leave a final email. If you’ve ever left a job, then you would know what I’m talking about. It’s the email that you write to everyone that’s still hanging around the workplace that you’re leaving, with a final farewell message, along with your details whether they be your phone number, or your personal email address.

When I left my most recent employer, I was quite certain that I was going to leave like the wind. The reasoning behind this is the fact that I think everyone comes and goes; sure we would like some to stay more than others, but in the end, we come and we go – nothing is permanent. I am just another cog in the machine, one that’s readily replaceable. So I was not going to leave an email, or my details to contact me.

But once I made this known, people were giving me grief. They were wanting me to leave my details so they could catch up with me in the future. So stupidly I wrote an email, and provided my details. It’s been four weeks since I wrote that…. and not one peep, other than from me.

Why does it always seem to go that people say they want to catch up with you, but they never end up doing so. Is it just something you say, because it’s just something you say? Like how you ask how someone is going, but you really don’t care how they’re going; it’s just something you say.

I haven’t received an email, or even a text to confirm my details, or even someone else giving me their details via those methods. Now don’t get me wrong, I really don’t care if I do or don’t keep in touch with most of these people. I’m more annoyed by the fact that I have gestured that I care, and now I have been effectively been slapped in the face.

This world is a game of who can care the less, and I’m currently losing, when really I should be the victor.

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Kanye West Concert

29 Jan

I totally forgot that I was going to this, until my friend, who bought me a ticket as a Christmas present, emailed me to remind me that it was on. I don’t know why I didn’t remember it because I’m a massive fan of Kanye West; yes including a good portion of the 808′s and Heartbreak album!

Kanye West

I’ve heard many outrageous stories of his diva behaviour on stage. Most lately I heard that he booted someone out of a concert, during the Watch The Throne tour in the states, because one of the concert goers threw up a business card, or something of the sort – supposedly it was a safety hazard.

Kanye West

Anyhow, lucky for me, I did get to see a glimpse of it. He is known for being a perfectionist, and it was a sight to see him, when he stopped a song to restart it, because the lighting wasn’t right. I know people think he’s a diva, and he probably is, but I think it’s adds to the concert going experience.

Kanye West

From the start of the concert, right up until the end, it was a grand spectacle. Ballerinas running across the stage, and around in circles, pyrotechnics and laser shows were seen throughout the concert, and it was a sight to see.

Kanye West

You could really tell that everyone was having a great time, and that Kanye was lapping and living up every minute of it. If you looked around at any time during the concert, you could see pretty much all of the seated crowd, standing. Like how the cliche saying goes, you just had to be there, to understand it.

Kanye West

The song selection was expansive, ranging from each album, save for the Jay-Z collaboration, Watch The Throne. Kanye even dropped songs that he featured in, but wasn’t the main artist. The one that really stood out for me, was American Boy, which was by Estelle, but he dropped his 16 bars, and I lost my shit. It was crazy, or as Kanye would say, “That Shit Cray!”. The crowd was into each song, from the empowering tune of Power, to the sombre-ridden Say You Will.

Kanye West

Kanye West, call him whatever you like, but there’s no denying that he isn’t one of the best entertainers alive today.

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Raw Nerve

18 Jan

I think that I’m good at taking jokes; I give them as much as I take them. Even in the most awkward situations, I seem to be able to make a joke about myself. Suffice to say, that I don’t take myself that seriously. There are things that get me worked up, but they’re generally related to my work, and what I can do; when it comes to me as a person, whether it is the way I talk, or the way I look, I generally am pretty easy going about it.

What’s funny is that not all people are the same.

There is this guy at work that I see every now and again. We trade banter, but it’s more him making inappropriate jokes where ever possible. I get in on that talk, because I can hold my own. Some people cringe when I make a comment, or do something quite uncharacteristic of me, but it’s good that I can get a laugh out of it.

We were having lunch today, and the same old routine was being played out; he was making inappropriate jokes, and I was playing along with it all. Then he started having a go that I know kung fu, because apparently to all Caucasians, Asians know kung fu. Now I don’t get offended by it, because I have heard it many times before, so I play it up. The next thing I know, he moves onto jibing me with homoerotic comments, and suggestions about my sexuality. Again, I play along with it, because I’ve been dealt these cards so many times, I know how to play the game. I must admit, I cop a lot of shit from this guy, but it’s like water off of my back.

Next thing I know the topics of cycling come up in the conversation, and I was having a go at cyclists – not because I don’t like cyclists, but for the fact that I know that this guy is one. Next thing I know, he closed up real fast, and then the racial epithets about Asians come flying thick and fast, saying I have a small package, and all the usual jazz. And this was with a serious face, and tone.

Suffice to say that I shut up about the cycling. It’s funny; to think that I guy can be so offensive towards you, but can’t take any of it back. Smeagol would be proud! My Precious!

I don’t know who’s worse, him because he’s a massive bigot / hypocrite / sulk, or me because I let him off with everything that he says to me.

 
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Posted by on January 18, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Stand Off

17 Jan

I’m not the biggest fan of catching the bus. I don’t mind it if I’m going at a leisurely pace to somewhere that I don’t have to be in a hurry, but when it comes to me catching a bus to go somewhere where I need to show up at a specific time, like getting into work, then I get a bit antsy.

For the past two or so weeks, I have been catching a bus from my usual train station, to the adjacent one, because CityRail decided to conduct track work, over the supposed quite period of the year. I’m sure someone’s doing something, I mean why else would they shut down a block of the track line for no reason, but for the life of me I can’t see anything that would suggest work is being done.

Some days I’m lucky and I can rock up to the bus depot and manage to jag a seat on the bus, which is surprising because I’m at the last stop before the trains start working again, so by the time the bus does stop, it’s generally packed. Some days I have to wait for a bus or two to drive past because it literally is packed like a can of sardines. Today though, I managed to get on the bus – albeit I had to stand.

I don’t mind standing. What I do mind though is when the bus pulls up to the destination, and as I proceed to alight from the bus, someone who has been sitting down for who knows how long, think it’s okay to get up from their seat and push in front of me to alight before I do. What makes matters worse was the fact that not only did he push in front, but he held me up, because he was letting his girlfriend get out as well.

The freakin audacity!

I muttered to myself, but loud enough for him and those around me to hear, “Yeah, you have to let your girlfriend out too…”, without thinking of the ramifications of such a blatant remark. Most rational people avoid conflict, if they know they’re in the wrong; lucky for me, he complied to this assumption.

I know that there’s no handbook of bus behaviour, but come on, seriously. It’s an unwritten rule that standing patrons have right of way before seating patrons.

Sheesh, I think I’m getting too old, and am becoming an old grumpy man.

 
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Posted by on January 17, 2012 in Rants

 

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The Diet

24 Oct

I don’t understand the fascination of people always having an opinion of what you should and should not eat. I don’t know why it’s a concern to others, but apparently your choice of food, and your general diet is much more important than what they’re eating and their general health. I just don’t get how my lifestyle is more important than theirs. Is it because it’s easier to point out the flaws of others, than to look introspectively and evaluate themselves?

I find it really annoying when I’m having my lunch, and then someone chimes in, saying that I should not be eating what I’m eating. It’s not like I go around saying that you shouldn’t be drinking or smoking. I wouldn’t do it, but I’m not going to preach about the downfalls of those vices. I’m going to let people live their life, the way they want to. Hopefully they can do the same for me.

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2011 in Rants

 

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The Jelly

19 Sep

If you have been reading news articles lately you’ll know what the term “jelly” refers to. For those of you not in the know, it’s another way of saying “jealous”. The colleague at work has been using that term to no end. I don’t mind it because I use it too. But today was a case of overuse and it wasn’t warranted.

For the past week or two we’ve been talking about cameras. I recently purchased mine and brought mine in to show about, plus another guy recently purchased his before his trip to Europe. So the main colleague whom is in a frenzy over the camera talk brought his one in. It’s not the latest one on the market and I’m sure it’s a good setup, but I personally wasn’t impressed.

His setup was just not my thing; I personally don’t care much for mid range zooms but he was talking it up like it was the bee’s knees. He was boasting about it so much so, that he wanted me to be “jelly” over it. But I wasn’t. And it wasn’t a case that I was slightly jealous, and I was trying to hide the fact; far from it really. Like I said, I don’t care much for mid-range zooms.

So when he asked if I was “jelly” I told him straight up no. But he wasn’t having any of it. He was adamant that I was “jelly”, and he wasn’t going to let it go until I told him so. He kept on nagging me; he was just like a little kid looking for validation. At that point right there I had lost any respect for him. I don’t like it when people try to force things on me, most of all forcing me to feel an emotion that they want me to feel.

I’ve learnt over the years that you can’t make someone feel something that they haven’t realised themselves. I must admit that I was really agitated by him and it showed in my choice of words. People have said things about him like that before; now I’ve formed my own opinion of him. Jelly? If only that were the case…

 
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Posted by on September 19, 2011 in Rants

 

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The Shutterbug

14 Sep

I’ve always known that there are some people whom take offense when you take their picture; there was one time when I as a birthday party and some guy took a photo of another attendee and she just skitzed it – she flipped out and ran off and didn’t come back. So it’s understandable that sometimes taking a photo of someone can lead you into a bit of trouble. But I would never have thought of someone being so defensive when taking pictures of their products on show.

I felt game of having the camera out for the day, and decide I would take my new camera into work just so I could take a few shots around the city; I need more practice! There was a shoe that I really wanted to take a picture of, that I saw the other day. As I walked by the shop front, of the Jimmy Choo store I must point out, I prepped and took a shot of one of the shoes in the window. It was of one of the new ones called Flaxman.

As I was leaving a lady came out of the store and stopped me. She asked suspiciously, “What are those photos for?!?”, to which I replied, “For my personal collection”. This whole situation surprised me. What was the big deal? I mean the shoe was on public display. I just don’t understand the need for her to question me. I mean if it was because she was worried that I’m going to fly to China to get a knock off produced then that would be moot because you can see the shoes online! I just walked off casually. Actually I should have said I was going to copy the design and set up a new store.

My work colleague wanted to check out some cameras, so we went to the closest electronics store. Along the way I walked passed a cafe and they had a coffee display set up, with cups of coffee propped up by some splayed out coffee beans. I thought it was a great set up so I whipped out the camera and shot away.

Halfway through though, a lady asked, “What are you going to do with this photos?!?”. Seriously, again? She continued to say, “You should ask first”. I replied with, “It’s just coffee cups, I didn’t think I would have to ask. I didn’t think it would matter”. Apparently it does. But why? I mean sure it would be polite to ask first, but I don’t see the need. It’s like asking the father for his daughter’s hand in marriage; it would be polite but irrelevant because it’s really up to the daughter. Same with the photo; its on public display. It’s not a private gallery that you have to pay admission for.

I think people take it far too personally and assume the worst of someone taking photos. There are no sinister intentions!!!

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2011 in BluntKrayon Photography, Rants

 

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The Stand Off

11 Sep

Well work is trying to screw me over again jus dying by the situation that they’re pitting me in. I told them I needed some time off work so I could go to a friend’s interstate wedding. I didn’t think that it was too much to ask, but I got asked straight away if I could cut it down. I was thinking of taking 4 days, but the boss is thinking that it is far too much; she said I should cut it down by a day.

Now it would be a reasonable request if she indicated whether it should be at the start of the trip or at the back end of it. But she didn’t. She just wanted me to cut it down. So now I’m contemplating whether I should comply, or just leave, given that I have already resigned. The only issue whether it will burn a bridge that I didn’t think was close to catching on fire.

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2011 in Rants

 

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