Way to open the Academy Awards

Some embarrassed (or acting?) actresses

So I was just watching The View as I ate my lunch, listening to the ladies discussing Seth MacFarlane’s “We saw your boobs” song at the 2013 Academy Awards (if you missed it, he opened the show with an original song listing actresses and the movies that they exposed themselves in).

A couple of weeks ago, right after the Awards, I thought it was a pretty low move and that, obviously, everyone would think so too. I mean whatever it is, and whatever we have come to expect from MacFarlane’s notably inappropriate humour, the fact remains that the song is intrinsically disrespectful to women. What point is there in being all for women’s rights if we are content to let the dignity of women take a jab at every event?

Do we care too much about how we look? DUH.

All you need to get a natural look… Image from gomumsy.com

On last night’s Can of Worms this question was breached. And funnily enough, of the panel members, it was the procedure-friendly socialite Brynne Edelsten and the fashion designer Alex Perry that said “no.”

I felt like this question would be answered with an obvious and resounding YES. And I still think so, even though that would mean that the more image-conscious panellists answered “no” to defend their lifestyles. I mean, people are obsessed. There’s no other word for it. It reminds me of that line from Mean Girls: “I used to think there was just fat and skinny. But apparently there’s lots of things that can be wrong on your body (sic)”.

Why do girls stay in abusive relationships?

Good girls have been dating bad boys since at least the fifties. Image from flickr.com

Last week, the inspirational South African athlete Oscar Pistorious was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Following this, the mother of his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Taylor, posted these chilling words on Facebook:

“I am so glad that Sammy is safe and sound and out of the clutches of that man – there were a few occasions where things could have gone wrong with her and his gun during the time they dated. My condolences to the family whose daughter has passed away. My heart breaks for you.”

Now I cannot judge, to any extent, whether Pistorious is guilty or not. But this story does lead me to wonder about why girls date guys who they know are not in their best interests.

No time for Valentine blues

Gotta love a handmade valentine!

There has been many a year where I’ve greeted Valentine’s Day morning with a bit of pining – rechecking my phone to make sure there wasn’t a message after all, looking for roses waiting at the front door, keeping an eye out for the postman…

Pathetic, but true. And I have a feeling that I’m not the only girl that has felt this way. No wonder the day rolls around with a myriad of Facebook posts about anti-Valentine parties and bitter tweets about the pitiable commercialism of the day. Why so harsh?

Snapshots – Johannesburg Faces

South Africa, 2012

Primary School, Soweto Township

Soweto Township

Our charming hiking guide

“Masterbuilder of the Twentieth Century” – Ove Nyquist Arup

A profile of Ove Arup, the founder of Arup, which is now an international engineering consulting firm.

Ove Arup. Image from aefirms.wordpress.com

Doodles and doggerel

on paper, in rhyme

Crumbs of wisdom

or waste of time?

Dottiness creeps in

whatever I do – Or is it just that nature

is dotty too?

– Ove Arup, ‘Doodles and Doggerel’, p.3

Ove Nyquist Arup was a man with a tendency to misplace his briefcase containing important documents. He had the cheek to ask the King of Denmark what his name was. He wrote in his reflections that ‘Absentmindedness is that which distinguishes man from other animals.’  He carried a pair of chopsticks in his jacket pocket – evident in many a photo – which he used, according to Jones, ‘to poach enticing dishes from his neighbour’s plate’. And he is described as the “masterbuilder of the twentieth century”.

My nutty professor

A piece I wrote in uni about a teacher from my high school. If you went to the same school, you’d hopefully guess who it is straightaway!

Image from educ.ubc.ca

Her eccentricity is evident to the untrained eye, as she walks between classes muttering to herself; unaware of people around her. In my first Year 7 English class, she produced a thrilling rendition of ‘Macavity the Cat’ by T S Eliot with all the right emphasis and pause. She modulated her voice and tone, uttered some words and shouted others, and all the time prowled the front of the classroom with her eyes darting between paper and people.

Should the Guy Pursue the Girl, or vice versa?

My post for TigerPrint – published May 01, 2012

Image from heraldsun.com.au

With boy band One Direction in Australia at the moment, I have been inundated with visions of breathless, hysterical and altogether obsessed young female fans. Personally I don’t consider this the most attractive look, but maybe guys do… Which brings me to a larger and universally pondered question. Should a guy pursue the girl, or vice versa?

To Arrange, or Not to Arrange, a Marriage

My post for TigerPrint – published May 28, 2012

Image from actuallyawesome.wordpress.com

My grandparents had an arranged marriage. Coming from a Sri Lankan background, this was quite a normal thing to do. My parents were a “love match”, but many of their contemporaries were also arranged. This life choice, when I happen to mention it, is generally met with disbelief, shock horror, and/or moral indignation. But isn’t it funny how similar the concept is to modern reality TV shows such as “Please marry my boy”…?

Snapshots – Johannesburg Landscape

South Africa, 2012

Zoo Lake

Zebra