#greek culture in brisbane

[thenextrush]

I get it.  Some days are harder than others when trying to stick to your fitness routine.

Alot of the team at The Next Rush feel the same, but as long as you’re still moving, one way to keep motivated without letting your fitness goals suffer is to do volunteer work where you maintain some sort of physical activity.

From Brisbane festivals, Sydney Comedy Festivals, sausage sizzles, charity runs, drop in centre social activities, that’s where you’ll find alot of the team doing in their free time among other things.  You get to chat to people, you’re in the thick of the action and your’e having fun.  Ocassionally you do need that jumpstart to get back into your routine.

We also thought it would be a great opportunity to look back on last year’s Paniyiri Greek Festival which celebrates 44 years this year and will be themed around a tribute to the 2020 Olympics which began in ancient Olympia!

The Olympic Flame relay begins in Greece with the Flame Lighting Ceremony at the Temple of Hera in Olympia on March 12 before being handed over to this years’ host city on March 19 in a ceremony in Athens. Don’t miss the stirring homage to the Olympics at Paniyiri Greek Festival.

Volunteer work is also a great way to stay connected to the community while having a good time and depending on the event or cause you choose can help create a little joy in someone else’s lives.  And all it will cost you is your time.

Click below to read more reviews and news on (New articles daily)

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The Paniyiri Greek Festival is held in May each year in Musgrave Park, Brisbane, Australia. The festival was started in 1976, and is the longest running cultural festival in Queensland, and the longest running Greek festival in Australia. It was initiated by Father Gregory Sakellariou, with the aim of bringing the Greek community together and sharing their culture with the people of Brisbane. The festival is famous for its food, music and Hellenic dancing. Crowds of up to 60,000 people flock to the two-day festivities, and over a thousand volunteers help in the running of Queensland’s largest festival. The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is a friendly, unique and internationally acclaimed event presenting a 10 day program of over 30 concerts and special events. Experience the world’s finest chamber musicians performing in various combinations exclusively in the tropical winter warmth of Townsville, North Queensland. #panyirifestival #greekfestival #brisbane #whatsonbrisbane #brisbaneevents #visitbrisbane #qldtourism #toowoomba #acfm #classicalmusicians #orchestra #musiciansunite #symphonyorchestra #music #brisbanemusicscene #musicfestival #greekculture #greekaustralian #sunshinecoast #goldcoast #queensland Video Credits: Taty Sodre, Melvin Davis, Ashton Glese, Cypriot Youth Brisbane Dance Group, Kevin Rudd, The V-Expats Journal, My Competitive Eating, Set Time 2588 Music Credit: San Ta Matia Sou – Nikiforos Δημήτρης Καραδήμος – Έχω Πρόβλημα I Dimitris Karadimos – Exo Provlima

A post shared by The Next Rush (@thenextrush) on May 8, 2019 at 8:15am PDT

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Keeping active through volunteer work #brisbanevolunteers #brisbaneevents #brisbane #visitbrisbane #brisbanebackpackers #brisbanefreestuff #whatsonbrisbane #greekfestival #paniyirifestival #greekculture I get it.  Some days are harder than others when trying to stick to your fitness routine.

[notesfromthefielddesk]

Episode 1 - Malinowski

Episode link; https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nIUBg5IthVY6F1caobf1N?si=04759ed73f474e39 

We hear the fizz of the surf and some seagulls

John

Imagine yourself set down surrounded by all your gear alone on a tropical beach, close to a native village, while the dinghy which brought you sails away out of sight.

Now imagine, you look down that beach and see a man. He’s sat behind a desk wearing a tweed suit. Is that a microphone? You head over to investigate and realise he is narrating your actions.

Hi! this is notes from the field desk.

Theme

John

Why don’t you grab a seat… I guess on the sand. I’d offer you a chair but honestly getting this one here was hard enough. It’s a good one though, one of those ones with lumbar support. I insisted on it.

I said “if i’m going to sit behind a desk on a tropical beach for months you better believe i’m having lumbar support.” The guys on the fishing boat were not impressed. You should have seen their faces when they saw the desk.

Oh.. I seem to be sinking in the sand a little, would you mind, yeah if you just grab the other side. (Skuffling) Okay should be good now.

Transport and sinking aside it’s a pretty good office though right? I know you can see it but do you mind if I just describe for the benefit of the tape?

I am sat on Maliu Island just off the coast  of Papua New Guinea. We’re at the North West Shoreline. It’s early morning the sun still rising. Looking out over the bay the lightly rippled sea shimmers in a thousand tints caught briefly on it’s continuously moving surface. In shallow spots amid turquoise vegetation, you see rich purple stones overgrown with weeds. Where the water is smooth unruffled by wind the sky and land are reflected in colours ranging from sapphire to the milky pink shadows of the mist enveloped coastline.

brief silence just washing of waves

John

I know what you’re thinking. Why the desk? I actually think this is a stroke of genius. I was talking to my supervisor, Susan, and she told me theres a debate in anthropology about the separation between field and desk.

You know anthropology? We’re like sociologists who like travel and hate maths.

Just so you know in academic circles that joke kills.

Anyway, apparently theres loads of articles about how anthropologists go to the field and they meet all people. Then they go back to their desks, in the universities and libraries and whatever. And then they write things that don’t relate to the people. Which makes going pointless in the first place. At least I think that’s what they were getting at, I sort of skimmed them, and they seemed to fit with this other idea of mine so… Sort of just ran with it.

My main idea, was that i’d recreate the research of the first anthropologist. Sort of a peer review, what did he get right, what did he get wrong. So i’m recreating “Argonauts of the Western Pacific” By Malinowski.

There were others before him, some old english blokes called Taylor and Frazer. Some people even say this Greek fella Herodetus was the first. But Malinowski was the first one to get the travel bit down. Before him most of these guys relied on reports they got from colonial officers or missionaries or even worse amateurs, usually wealthy people, running around writing nonsense.

Nowadays we’d call Taylor or Fraser armchair anthropologists. Taking the observations done by others and theorising about it. AKA philosophers, am I right?

Not a joke fan, noted.

Malinowski thought that the studies done before him were theoretically strong but the data unscientifically gathered. To successfully study the “other” you had to go and live with them see the world through their eyes. If you lived with them and participated in their community you could make objective observations about how their society worked. He said this becoming native was key and to achieve it you have to stay in the field for at least a year.

So the problem of early anthropology was people not leaving their desks to collect data, and the problem of modern anthropology is people leaving for the desk and forgetting the field. I thought two birds, one stone. I’ll bring the desk to the field.

(Disappointed) Oh. You were wondering about the tweed on a tropical island. Well in scientific study you control the variables right? If I want to see the Trobriand Islands like Malinowski did I need to recreate his experience. He was a posho, and in the photos he wore this weird colonial outfit which I couldn’t find but I figured this would work just as well.

Same deal with my travel route. I flew to Brisbane, not clear how he got there but we will say Brisbane was the starting point. I sailed up the coast from there to Cairns. From there I chartered a boat to Papua New Guinea. I’m not really a big boat guy and it was a lot longer than I expected so I was sick most of the way. But good news, so was Malinowski so we’ll count that as scientific accuracy.

We arrived pretty late at Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Malinowski doesn’t describe it but to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. It’s a massive city. I was sort of hoping to be far flung you know, cut off from civilisation the way Malinowski says you should be. I knew this was a risk though, in the intro to Argonauts Malinowski mentions that even back then in 1915 Native communities were melting away.

I tried to put my disappointment aside. After all, this wasn’t my final destination. And hey look at this, pretty cut off right? I took a car the following morning down the coast to Deba, I know that’s not how he would have done it but I couldn’t find a boat willing to take my desk. At Deba, I managed to bribe my way onto a fishing boat. Now here I am.

I know it’s not really the Trobriand Islands. But Malinowski hung around here and Moresby for a while and with the desk this is as far as I can get. I have now, in the words of Malinowski “spread my nets in the correct place” now it’s time to wait and see what falls into them.

Waves washing on the shore. Drag this out 10-15 seconds, see how it feels in the edit.

John

Seems like no-one coming. So Let’s go over some theory in the mean time. Don’t whine we’ll keep it light. You can paddle while I talk it’s mostly for my notes anyway.

Sound of someone paddling in sea

Malinowski was a functionalist, which means he thought all our social behaviour is an extension of our physical needs. He argued that thinking about it this way you could understand any behaviour, however strange, by understanding what need it filled.

Example, magic, weird right? Malinowski said no. It’s a response to emotional distress. When something bad happens that you can’t explain it’s comforting to fill that void of understanding, with Magic. Malinowski says that’s why magic persists in modern society. Like when you have a shit month and say it’s because mercury is in retrograde, it’s comforting even if you don’t fully believe it.

But this doesn’t just happen after the fact, participating in magic can make us feel like we’re in control of the future, which is strange and scary. That’s like saying “Next month Mercury is in retrograde get the incense ready.”

Remember that guy Frazer I talked about earlier? This is basically his theory of magic and religion. He said people realise they aren’t powerful enough to control nature so they ask higher powers to help. Malinowski loved Frazer, total fan boy, used to carry his book around, so it’s not surprising he borrows a lot of his ideas.

That other guy, Taylor, he would say we’ve advanced as a society beyond the need for magic. Through industrialisation we can control nature. Any magical belief left over in society was a “survival.” It used to serve a useful function in society but now it doesn’t, it’s just a silly ornament that we should throw out. Imagine a twitter atheist bro, “uhh horoscopes are stupid, haven’t you heard of this thing called science.”

Malinowski, not so much a fan of Taylor. He said no Taylor you dummy, society is functional. How can there be a social behaviour that doesn’t have a function. Doesn’t make sense. He said the function probably just changed to serve a different purpose.

Despite that little spat, they all basically agreed in an evolutionary perspective. That less advanced societies are what our society looked like in the past. By studying other people maybe it can help us understand the weird things we do now.

So i’m here to take an objective look at Malinowski’s objective look. A hundred years ago he was on the Trobriand Islands, so now they should look like the UK did in 1920. I suppose that big city at Port Moresby was a good sign they were right.

Oh shit, I’m actually late to teach my tutorial. Just gunna Skype in. In the mean time i’ll leave you with a recording of a passage from “Argonauts of the Western Pacific.”

Waves washing on shore maybe ten seconds

“The goal is, briefly, to grasp the native’s point of view, his relation to life, to realise his vision of his world. We have to study man, and we must study what concerns him most intimately, that is, the hold which life has on him. In each culture, the values are slightly different; people aspire after different aims, follow different impulses, yearn after a different form of happiness. In each culture, we find different institutions in which man pursues his life-interest, different customs by which he satisfies his aspirations, different codes of law and morality which reward his virtues or punish his defections. To study the institutions, customs, and codes without understanding the desires and feelings of these people is, in my opinion, to miss the greatest reward which we can hope to obtain from the study of man.

These generalities the reader will find illustrated in the following chapters. We shall see there the savage striving to satisfy certain aspirations, to attain his type of value, to follow his line of social ambition. We shall see him led on to perilous and difficult enterprises by a tradition of magical and heroical exploits, shall see him following the lure of his own romance. Perhaps as we read the account of these remote customs there may emerge a feeling of solidarity with the endeavours and ambitions of these natives. Perhaps man’s mentality will be revealed to us, and brought near, along some lines which we never have followed before. Perhaps through realising human nature in a shape very distant and foreign to us, we shall have some light shed on our own. In this, and in this case only, we shall be justified in feeling that it has been worth our while to understand these natives, their institutions and customs.”

Waves washing on shore for maybe ten seconds

John

Well…that was… an interesting tutorial. In the end we talked a lot about Malinowski’s diaries rather than argonauts. They were published in 1967, a while after he died. In part probably to protect his reputation, as it turns out. To be honest, I hadn’t read them in depth. But my students said they show he was kind of a racist. More like he was a racist, throughout. He curses the Trobriand Islanders, calls them lazy and stupid. Also it seems like all through his research he was bribing the islanders with tobacco to include him, and dance, or do magic. It all comes across… unscientific.

But I said to them, this is just his diary, his private thoughts. I’m sure, when he went to the field he was able to set his personal prejudice to the side and carry out good research.

They didn’t agree. First they said, objectivity wasn’t possible because people know their being watched and that changes things. They gave the example

From of a photo from Argonauts of the Western Pacific with the caption “A Ceremonial Act of the Kula." A shell necklace is being offered to a Trobriand chief. Behind the guy presenting the necklace is a row of six bowing boys, one of them sounding a conch. All the figures stand in profile, their attention apparently concentrated on the rite of exchange. But if you look again, you see one of the bowing Trobrianders is looking at the camera.

To be honest when you look at the other pictures, Malinowski does look awkwardly out of place. Hardly, a member of the community. And Malinowski definitely skewed the results with the bribes.  

Sorry, the tide is coming in and the waves are now washing onto my brogues. Would you mind helping me shift the desk a bit further up the beach.

General awkward moving the desk sounds.

Sorry where was I? Right, secondly, they said Malinowski was wrong. Those colonial officers and missionaries, it wasn’t that they couldn’t be objective because they weren’t scientists. But because nobody is objective, we’ve all got baggage, things that have happened to us that make us think a certain way.

He couldn’t just leave his racism in the diary because it effected the way he thought about everything. They said when you claim something is objectively true you’re really making a claim about authority.

Remember, before, how we were talking about the evolutionary stuff. They said that is based on the assumption that European civilisation was the peak of human society and everything else is on the same track to becoming that.

They said that’s what colonialism was, British people going around the world claiming they were the height of civilisation so they should be in charge. By being in charge they’d make them better. They called that “The White Mans Burden.” Not the students, the colonial officers. What Malinowkski’s diary proved was that he was just as prejudiced, just as guilty of this way of thinking. He saw them as savages and backwards, less evolved. and that wasn’t just a private opinion, that formed the basis of his theories.

I said, wasn’t that just cancel culture?

They groaned at that. One of them said really cancelling someone was just challenging the authority of their statements and actions. When Malinowski was “cancelled” it challenged the authority of colonial racism. Even if he only thought in private that the Trobriand Islanders were lesser it still effected how he treated them and described them. The same way it effected British colonial officers descriptions and treatment those they ruled.

That’s why anthropology is suspicious of objectivity, because objectivity is a claim to authority and authority leads to misrepresentation and mistreatment. In other words, arriving as an anthropologist and claiming to be able to see someone else society objectively is like saying “I’m big your small, I’m smart, you’re dumb and there is nothing you can do about it.”

They stumped me a bit at the end there, couldn’t really follow, but I did feel hurt. I said “if that’s all true and I’m replicating his work then how am I different from Malinowski. Am I a racist?” It got a bit awkward after that.

Still, I think there is some merit in what I’m doing. I’m not a racist. So I can asses Malinowski’s work, see the flaws. Societies still advance so, i’ll just see how things have changed, have they become like us? I told them I would carry on and prove I could be objective.

Anyway a lot to think about. [Phone ring]

John

Apparently, the students have complained. And Susan has reminded me that my contract requires I teach the tutorials in person. That this fieldwork was not cleared and that I have not done an ethics form. Further, she reminded me that the department does not subscribe to a teleological perspective. I asked what that meant and she said to do some fucking reading for once.

Still, Malinowski teaches us a lot. Fieldwork is still really important in anthropology, you’ve got to go and talk to people and understand their perspectives. That’s his lasting legacy more than the theoretical work. Plus, I suppose his diary teaches us that we should keep an eye on our assumptions. And remember that no matter what we do, like bring a desk to the field, we always sneak into our work. So maybe we should just be upfront about that.

So - would you mind helping to carry this desk to that village? I need to get back or i’ll get fired.

more desk moving noises

I just realised I never asked what you were doing here.

Really!? that’s disgrace-

Theme

This was notes from the field desk written by me John McGrail.  

This episode references

Clifford, John (1983) On Ethnographic Authority in Representations, No. 2 (Spring, 1983)

Dahl, Roald (1988) Matilda published by Jonathan Cape

Malinowski, Bronislaw (1922) Argonauts of the Western Pacific Routledge

Malinowski, Bronislaw (1948) Magic, Science and Religion Waveland Press

Malinowski, Bronislaw (1967) with introduction by Firth, Raymond (1989) A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term Stanford University Press

Tylor, Edward Burnett (1871) Primitive Culture published by the Cambridge University Press

Young, Michael W. (2004) Malinowski: Odyssey of an Anthropologist 1884-1920 Yale University Press

The sounds were all taken from Freesound. If you can donate to them you totally should, I would not have been able to make this podcast without it.

The sounds were;

Water Lap by snog https://freesound.org/people/snog/sounds/67031/

Sand slidding out of shovel slowly by XfiXy8 https://freesound.org/people/XfiXy8/sounds/467301/

Tropical Ocean Waves » Mau U Mae Beach Waves by tombenedict https://freesound.org/people/tombenedict/sounds/397594/?page=2#comment

Tropical Island by rich wise https://freesound.org/people/richwise/sounds/451743/

The theme music was dark side of my students, posted by Mia Stodzwiekow created by Tadeusz Maszewski https://freesound.org/people/miastodzwiekow/sounds/341770/

[sciencespies]

Tomb Painting Known as Egypt's 'Mona Lisa' May Depict Extinct Goose Species

https://sciencespies.com/history/tomb-painting-known-as-egypts-mona-lisa-may-depict-extinct-goose-species/

Tomb Painting Known as Egypt's 'Mona Lisa' May Depict Extinct Goose Species

The 4,600-year-old tomb painting Meidum Geese has long been described as Egypt’s Mona Lisa. And, like the Mona Lisa, the artwork is the subject of a mystery—in this case, a zoological one.

As Stuart Layt reports for the Brisbane Times, a new analysis of the artwork suggests that two of the birds depicted don’t look like any goose species known to science. Instead, they may represent a type of goose that is now extinct.

Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist at the University of Queensland in Australia, noticed that the animals somewhat resembled modern red-breasted geese. But they aren’t quite the same—and researchers have no reason to believe that the species, which is most commonly found in Eurasia, ever lived in Egypt.

To investigate exactly which kinds of geese are shown in the artwork, Romilio used what’s known as the Tobias method. Essentially, he tells the Brisbane Times, this process involved comparing the painted birds’ body parts to real-life bird measurements. The resulting analysis, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, found that two species shown in the artwork corresponded to greylag geese and greater white-fronted geese. But two slightly smaller geese with distinctive color patterns had no real-world match.

“From a zoological perspective, the Egyptian artwork is the only documentation of this distinctively patterned goose, which appears now to be globally extinct,” says Romilio in a statement.

A facsimile of the full Meidum Goose painting

(Public domain via Metropolitan Museum of Art)

While it’s possible that the artist could have simply invented the birds’ specific look, the scientist notes that artwork found at the same site depicts birds and other animals in “extremely realistic” ways. He adds that bones belonging to a bird that had a similar, but not identical, appearance to the ones shown in the painting have been found on the Greek island of Crete.

Per Live Science’s Yasemin Saplakoglu, Meidum Geese—now housed in Cairo’s Museum of Egyptian Antiquities—originally adorned the tomb of Nefermaat, a vizier who served the Pharaoh Snefru, and his wife, Itet. Discovered in what’s known as the Chapel of Itet, it was originally part of a larger tableau that also shows men trapping birds in a net.

Other paintings found in the chapel feature detailed depictions of dogs, cows, leopards, and white antelopes, writes Mike McRae for Science Alert. Looters stole much of the artwork from the tomb, but Italian Egyptologist Luigi Vassalli’s removal of the goose fresco during the late 19th century ensured its preservation.

In 2015, Kore University researcher Francesco Tiradritti published findings, based partly on the idea that some of the geese depicted were not found in Egypt, suggesting that Meidum Geese was a 19th-century fake. But as Nevine El-Aref reported for Ahram Online at the time, other scholars were quick to dismiss these arguments.

Romilio tells the Brisbane Times that it’s not unusual for millennia-old art to portray animals no longer found in modern times.

The tomb of Nefermaat contained many animal images.

(Maler der Grabkammer der Itet / The Yorck Project via Wikimedia Commons under public domain)

“There are examples of this from all over the world,” he says. “[I]n Australia you have paintings of thylacines and other extinct animals, in the Americas there are cave paintings of ancient elephants which used to live in that region. With Egyptian art it’s fantastic because there’s such a wealth of animals represented in their art, and usually represented fairly accurately.”

The researcher also notes that other Egyptian art shows aurochs, the extinct forebears of modern cows.

Ancient art can help scientists trace how life in a particular region has changed over time, as in the case of Egypt’s transformation from a verdant oasis into a desert climate.

“Its ancient culture emerged when the Sahara was green and covered with grasslands, lakes and woodlands, teeming with diverse animals, many of which were depicted in tombs and temples,” says Romilio in the statement.

As Lorraine Boissoneault reported for Smithsonian magazine in 2017, northern Africa became a desert between 8,000 and 4,500 years ago. The shift was partly a result of cyclical changes in Earth’s orbital axis, but some scientists argue that it was hastened by pastoral human societies, which may have eliminated vegetation with fire and overgrazed the land, reducing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

Romilio tells the Brisbane Times that he hopes his work sheds light on species loss, which is accelerating today.

“I think we sometimes take it for granted that the animals we see around us have been there for all our lives, and so they should be there forever,” he says. “But we’re becoming more and more aware that things do change, and we are becoming much more familiar with the idea that animals can and do go extinct.”

#History

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 190: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES]

There’s a masterlist below compiled of over 170+ Saint Vincentian faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever faceclaim or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Sommore / Lori Ann Rambough (1966) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Grenadian, Afro-Trinidadian, Afro-Barbadian, African-American - actress and comedian.

Nia Long (1970) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Grenadian, Afro-Trinidadian, Afro-Barbadian, African-American - actress.

Nikki M. James (1981) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Haitian - actress and singer.

Nicosia Lawson (1983) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Caymanian - model and Miss Cayman Islands 2008.

Cassie / Cassie Ventura (1986) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Anguillan, Mexican / Filipino - actress, singer-songwriter, model, and dancer.

Annaliese Dayes (1986) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Saint Lucian, Afro-Barbadian, Afro-Grenadian / Afro-Jamaican - model, tv personality, and tv presenter.

Julia Holt (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Trinidadian, Afro-Barbadian, Kalinago, Indian / Irish, Scottish, French, German, English - actress.

Jezra Matthews (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - model.

Mary-Ana Baker (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer.

Judy Boucher (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer-songwriter.

Kimya Hypolite (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer, dancer and actress. 

Soli Wallace (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian, other - model (instagram: ahtilos_model).

SunDivas (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian, St. Lucian, Barbadian, British - soca artist. 

Jimelle Roberts (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - Miss SVG 2017.

F - Athletes:

Joan Baptiste (1959) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Bigna Samuel (1965) Afro-Saint Vincentian - middle-distance runner.

Jacqueline Ross (1969) Saint Vincentian - long jumper.

Gail Prescod (1971) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Shani Anderson (1975) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Natalie Martindale (1977) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Juliana Nero (1979) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Natasha Mayers (1979) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Teran Matthews (1980) Afro-Saint Vincentian - swimmer.

Clea Hoyte (1981) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Cordel Jack (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Sophia Young (1983) Afro-Saint Vincentian - basketball player.

Genielle Greaves (1983) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Sancho Lyttle (1983) Afro-Saint Vincentian - basketball player.

Kineke Alexander (1986) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Arantxa King (1987) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Bermudian - long jumper.

Bryanna McCarthy (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - footballer.

Christine Exeter (1992) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - footballer.

Gabrielle George (1997) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Izzy Shne Joachim (2000) Afro-Saint Vincentian - swimmer.

M:

Arthur W. French Jr. (1931) Afro-Saint Vincentian - actor and director.

Papa Winnie / Winston Carlisle Peters (1955) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer.

Ardon Bess (1964) Afro-Saint Vincentian - actor.

Jamesy P / James Morgan (1970) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer.

Andi Peters / Andrew Peters Eleazu (1970) Afro-Saint Vincentian - actor, voice-over artist, tv presenter, and producer.

Noel Clarke (1975) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Grenadian, Afro-Trinidadian, Akan Ghanaian - actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and author.

Kevin Lyttle (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer.

Protoje / Oje Ken Ollivierre (1981) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - singer-songwriter and DJ.

Marlon Roudette (1983) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Trinidadian, Dominican / Scottish, English - singer-songwriter, rapper, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, percussionist, and producer.

Aml Ameen (1985) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - actor.

Demetrius Joyette (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Greek - actor.

Skarpyon (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian - singer-songwriter.

Watts / Austin Garrick (?) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Greek, Russian, Polish - rapper-songwriter, producer, and composer.

M - Athletes:

Garnet Brisbane (1938) Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Mike Findlay (1943) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Frankie Lucas (1953) Saint Vincentian - boxer.

Colville Browne (1953) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Lance John (1957) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Errington Kelly (1958) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Winston Davis (1958) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Albert Texeira (1960) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Sydney Murphy (1960) Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Orde Ballantyne (1962) Afro-Saint Vincentian - shot putter.

André François (1964) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Errion Charles (1965) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Roger Gurley (1965) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Lenford O'Garro (1965) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Ian Allen (1965) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Verbin Sutherland (1966) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Dawnley Joseph (1966) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Leroy Blugh (1966) Afro-Saint Vincentian - Canadian football player.

Fitzgerald Bramble (1967) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Lennox Adams (1968) Afro-Saint Vincentian - triple jumper.

Tyrone Prince (1968) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Eversley Linley (1969) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Kendale Mercury (1970) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Cameron Cuffy (1970) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Mike McLean (1970) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Keith Ollivierre (1971) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Carlton Myers (1971) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Italian - basketball player.

Kendall Velox (1971) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Michael Williams (1971) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Ezra Hendrickson (1972) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Rodney Jack (1972) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Eswort Coombs (1972) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Ezra Hendrickson (1972) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Linvoy Primus (1973) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - footballer.

Pamenos Ballantyne (1973) Afro-Saint Vincentian - long-distance runner.

Nixon McLean (1973) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Julian Joachim (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Deighton Butler (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Joel Mascoll (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Melvin Andrews (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Thomas Dickson (1974) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Orlanzo Jackson (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Cornelius Bernard Huggins (1974) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Adonal Foyle (1975) Afro-Saint Vincentian - basketball player.

Erasto Sampson (1975) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Wesley Charles (1975) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Marlon James (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Sabuton John (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Oronde Ash (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Wesley John (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Rohan Ash (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Kenlyn Gonsalves (1976) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Zema Abbey (1977) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Julian Charles (1977) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Kahlil Cato (1977) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Nathan Abbey (1978) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Ghanaian - footballer.

Dan Gadzuric (1978) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Serbian - basketball player.

Bront DeFreitas (1978) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Caswain Mason (1978) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Kenroy Martin (1979) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Clayton Latham (1980) Afro-Saint Vincentian - long jumper.

Kenroy Peters (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Shawn King (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - basketball player.

Calvert Hooper (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Jared Lewis (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Hyron Shallow (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Shandel Samuel (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Romel Currency (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Stephenson Wallace (1982) Afro-Saint Vincentian - swimmer.

Alston Bobb (1984) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Omari Aldridge (1984) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Kishore Shallow (1984) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Andy Grant (1984) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Lindon James (1984) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Donnie Defreitas (1985) Afro-Saint Vincentian - swimmer.

Casnel Bushay (1985) Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Miles Bascombe (1986) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Damal Francis (1986) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Nyika Williams (1987) Afro-Saint Vincentian - basketball player.

Donwell Hector (1988) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Othneil Bailey (1988) Afro-Saint Vincentian - squash player.

Delorn Johnson (1988) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Kieran Agard (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian, Afro-Dominiquais, Afro-Jamaican - footballer.

Jolanshoy McDowall (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Keron Cottoy (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Dwayne Sandy (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Cornelius Stewart (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Gavin James (1989) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Junior Cadougan (1990) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Trinidadian - basketball player.

Reginald Richardson (1990) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Chad Balcombe (1990) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Darren Stewart (1990) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Afro-Jamaican - mixed martial artist.

Kesrick Williams (1990) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Gregson Hazell (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Courtney Carl Williams (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Jamal Yorke (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Atticus Browne (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

David Pitt (1991) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Jomel Warrican (1992) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Myron Samuel (1992) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Jesse Lingard (1992) Afro-Saint Vincentian / English - footballer.

Nazir McBurnette (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Akeem Williams (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Sunil Ambris (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Tolga Akcayli (1993) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Turkish - swimmer.

Kevin Francis (1994) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Tevin Slater (1994) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Azinho Solomon (1994) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Jahvin Sutherland (1994) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Ray Jordan (1994) Afro-Saint Vincentian - cricketer.

Brandon John (1995) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Chavel Cunningham (1995) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Lemus Christopher (1995) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Brandon Valentine-Parris (1995) Afro-Saint Vincentian - sprinter.

Oalex Anderson (1995) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Gidron Pope (1996) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Jevon Cottoy (1996) Afro-Saint Vincentian - Canadian football player.

Kyle Edwards (1997) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Obed McCoy (1997) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Tayo Edun (1998) Afro-Saint Vincentian / Yoruba Nigerian - footballer.

Nikolas Sylvester (2000) Afro-Saint Vincentian - swimmer.

Diel Spring (2000) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Joel Quashie (2001) Afro-Saint Vincentian - footballer.

Problematic:

21 Sa**ge / Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (1992) Afro-Dominiquais, Afro-Haitian, Afro-Saint Vincentian - rapper-songwriter and producer. - His stage name involves an anti-native slur despite not being native, in his song ASMR he had anti-semitic lyrics, and made tweets supporting rape culture.

[glompcat]

Non-Christian Doctor Who Companions

In celebration of Thirteen continuing to stay away from the Christian holiday of Christmas, here is a list of the companions (that I know of) who are not Christian. 

I have divided this list into four categories: 

Humans who were raised with real world religions other than Christianity 

Humans who were raised Christian/Culturally Christian but expressly no longer ID as Christian

Humans who wound up in times/places with no concept of Christianity at the end of their travels with the Doctor

Humans who were raised with made up fantasy/sci-fi religions

I debated on listing non-Human companions as well (since for the most part they are not Christian) but in the end decided against it. 

If a companion came from a future civilization that was coded as being super British, I assumed they were culturally Christian and did not list them. If no religious affiliation nor anything indicating a potential religious affiliation could be found anywhere when researching a companion, I assumed they were of a vaguely Christian background and moved on.

Companions who appeared on TV are in bold. 

I went through a few lists of Companions to compile this, so I haven’t actually seen/heard/read stories about everyone listed here? I just really wanted to be thorough as fictional characters with a connection to some form of belief outside of Christianity really do mean a whole hell of a lot to me, personally. It is very possible that I missed characters, or put characters on this list in error. Please let me know if I have!

Human companions who were raised with real world religions other than Christianity:

Katarina was from ancient Troy, and she worshiped and deeply believed in and feared the Greek gods. 

Tiger Maratha was a Hindi man from the 24th century. 

Tegan Jovanka is, according to just one book from BBC Books (Divided Loyalties by Gary Russell), a patrilineal Jew from Brisbane Australia (the Jewish bit is what is only in one book. Tegan being from Brisbane was stated on screen during her second TV story). 

Erimemushinteperem was from Ancient Egypt, and she was raised believing in the Ancient Egyptian gods. Erimem was the only surviving child of a Pharoh, so this was super complicated.

Anji Kapoor is a Hindi woman from Yorkshire, England. It seems there was confusion about her heritage in the books she was in, with some writers having her explicitly mention being Indian, and other writers identifying her as Pakistani. Alongside this, the stories also wavered wildly from Anji growing up in a strict and religious household (these were linked concepts in the books) to her growing up in an assimilated and permissive household (again, linked concepts). From what I read when looking companions up for this post, there are explanations fans have come up with to make sense of some of these inconsistencies, namely that since the references to her being Pakistani tend to be framed in ways like “her grandparents were from Pakistan” it is possible that her family was originally from an area that became Pakistan and they moved to India after the partition. These are only headcanons, as the book series she was in never addressed this discrepancy. The Doctor Who wiki linked to an interview with one of the writers of that series, Lance Perkins, and this comes from the middle of a much longer response about the ways he believes the series mishandled Anji: “The Indian background thing… when Colin Brake created her, I’m sure he thought nothing of it, but it’s the sort of thing writers love to play with, and so suddenly there’s more backstory, but it wasn’t terribly well co-ordinated, so she was of both Pakistani and Indian origin, she was from a liberal household that was also religious and strict and so on, and you could almost hear us writers all thinking ‘what does her background mean?’, which is a question with the best motives, but not one we would ever ask if she was Angie Cowper.” 

While I can not find direct confirmation of it online and have not read the comics she is from so I really am unsure, given the country she was born in (Sri Lanka) and her name, it is very likely that Tara Mishra is a Buddhist. I mention it where I would normally just move on from lack of any info because of the very overt coding of her name.

Yasmin Khan is a Muslim woman from Sheffield in Yorkshire, England. This has been stated on screen during the TV show multiple times, and has even played a key role in one of her televised stories.

Humans who were raised Christian/culturally Christian but no longer ID as Christian:

Sarah Jane Smith IDs as an Atheist. This was overtly stated on screen, and is especially apparent when Sarah Jane almost gets married.

Mike Yates became a Buddhist after a massive crisis of faith while working for UNIT. One of the the writers of the story where Sarah Jane and the Third Doctor visit him at a Buddhist retreat (which is also the story where Three regenerates into Four) was Barry Letts (he was uncredited in that role) and he also directed and produced the story. Letts was a Buddhist himself. Sadly the heartfelt handling of the Buddhism in that serial is undercut by the leader of the retreat being played by a white actor in yellowface makeup putting on an accent. I tell you this as a warning in case you want to seek it out in the hopes of Buddhist representation. 

Humans who wound up in times/places with no concept of Christianity at the end of their travels with the Doctor

Vicki Pallister was from an Anglican coded future. She chose to leave the Doctor in a time period before the advent of Christianity, departing to live in the ruins of Troy following the Trojan War. 

Steven Taylor was from an Anglican coded future and was even in the first Doctor Who Christmas episode (which was a lighthearted romp in the middle of a long and depressing story. That one episode ended with the First Doctor passing out drinks and breaking the fourth wall to wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas). He became the leader of a planet that did not seem to have a concept of Christianity. That said, since the planet he stayed on was a very blatant parable about British Imperialism and Colonialism, if you told me they were all Christians there I’d have no trouble believing it. 

Perpugilliam “Peri” Brown was from Baltimore. She very much was a strange British fantasy of what an “All-American Girl” is, and Protestantism comes hand in hand with that. Peri’s actual ultimate fate is… confusing to say the least. One explanation of what happened during/after Season 23 is that the Time Lords split her personal timeline in at least five possible directions, so there are simultaneously multiple post-Season 23 Peris living very different lives. At least one possible timeline has her living on the planet Krontep as a warrior queen, and Krontep is NOT a Christian-coded society. Sadly this also means Krontep is heavily cast as ~savage~ and ~immoral~ (the specter of the White Man’s Burden and British Imperialism really do tend to creep into this show).

Stacy Townsend was set to marry a fellow Human at what I believe was a Catholic Church (?) when she first met the Doctor. At the end of her time traveling with the Doctor, she married an Ice Warrior named Ssard (who had also been a companion of the Doctor’s) and the two of them settled down on Mars.

Human companions who were raised with made up fantasy/sci-fi religions:

Leela of the Sevateem was raised to worship a God named Xoanan and fear his enemy - The Evil One. After expressing that she did not believe in Xoanon and then refusing to recant her statement of disbelief, Leela’s father was killed and Leela was exiled. Long story short, the Doctor was the Evil One and Xoanon was a malfunctioning AI. Leela helped the Doctor shut Xoanon down, and then she left with him. Later in life Leela maintained a very strong sense of spiritual belief. Specifically, she believed in a great unifying spirit that nurtured all life and directed the course of processes like evolution. Since Leela used she/her pronouns when describing the great spirit, the spirit she believes in does not seem to be connected to Xoanon or The Evil One, although she does still invoke their names when swearing.

Ly-Chee the Wise came from somewhere that could not possibly shout ~White People attempting to sound Asian~ any louder (he was a hermit on the mountain of Kabuki on the planet Tora). My attempts to figure out his deal seem to indicate that he was a follower of the fantasy faith of ~vaguely Asian mysticism as written by White People.~ Just to triple check my gut instinct on this I googled both the writer and artist of the comic he was in. Not surprisingly, my gut was 100000% correct here.

Liv Chenka comes from the planet Kaldor. I know nothing about the religion practiced there since I don’t think it came up when the Doctor and Leela visited the planet in the TV story The Robots of Death, and I haven’t yet heard any of the audios with Liv in them (they are on my list of audios I intend to buy). I do know that there is an audio where Liv expresses that she doesn’t know what Christmas is, so fellow companion Helen Sinclair teaches her about it. Not going to lie, as their stories together are very much On My List (I hear the shipping potential between Liv and Helen is Great) that story in particular is a huge reason why those audios are never really at the top of my list. I’ll get there eventually, but people who do not celebrate Christmas being ~~taught about Christmas~~ is kind of a major narrative Nope for me.

Note: After some debate, I have decided that given its name, it would be absurd to class The Church of the Papal Mainframe and its offshoots (such as The Silence or The Kovarian Chapter) as anything other than a form of fantasy Christianity. That said, since the connection between that religion and Christianity mainly comes down to the very blatant coding of its name, I do want to mention that there are two individuals who were raised within one of the splinter cells of that Church who may or may not be classified as companions. It’s a whole thing. They also may or may not be classified as Humans. Generally they are considered “Proto-Time Lords.” One of them is River Song, and the other is her clone/sister Brooke. 

Ruth Leonidas is a priestess of Poseidon from Atlantis/an alt. Earth. She’s really more one of Bernice Summerfield’s companions than the Doctor’s, and I only know her from the one book that got her Companion-of-the-Doctor status - Big Bang Generation, so I can’t comment on her fantasy religion too much.

So there you have it. Five Human TV companions have expressed on screen that they are not Christian, including one who is explicitly an atheist. Of those five, only two explicitly on TV belonged to modern day religions (not including Atheism as obs it is not a religion). These two are Yaz and Captain Yates.

Anyway I hope anyone reading this is having a wonderful Wednesday night, and like me is looking forward to Doctor Who’s return in the New Year!

[melbournenewsvine]

Greece is the word as Panieri promised to smash dishes

Honey puffs, Greek dancing and plate smashing will make a triumphant return to Brisbane with this weekend’s Greek Paniere Festival. The festival, which usually attracts 50,000 people, was postponed in May due to the severe weather, but organizers intend to hold it this year, moving the dates to Saturday and Sunday. The Greek Panieri Festival sells a myriad of honey puffs during the two-day event. “Whether you come for saganaki or souvlaki, dolmades or lokumades, to discuss Greek wine tasting, or join Zorba or Sosta, we know that everyone leaves Panieri with their heart as full as their stomach,” the organizer said. Chris Kazonis. “Panieri’s strength is that it brings people of all ages and abilities together to dance, dine and have fun, which not only celebrates our culture, but recognizes our need to connect,” he said. Every food stall and market at the festival, which takes place in Musgrave Park in south Brisbane, is run by the Greek community, raising money for community groups and charities. [كازونيس]He said the group had missed out on communicating with each other through food and culture as well as economic benefits. There will be about 20 kiosks serving different foods from 11 regions. Paneri grew into a much anticipated event on the Queensland calendar after it was started in 1976 with a simple stroll in the park by a group of Greek Australians who wanted to share their culture and cuisine with Brisbane. Through this, the first Hellenic Dance Club was set up in Brisbane in 1978, where dancers showcase the traditions at every festival. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[sellyourgoodsa]

Brisbane the City Of Events

What started out as a group of passionate Greek Australians wanting to share their culture with Brisbane has grown over the years into a vibrant celebration of all the colour, dance, food and traditions of the Greeks.  So bring the whole family and enjoy the food stands, grape stomping, hours of traditional entertainment, Greek cooking demonstrations, culinary delights and much more at Australia’s longest running Greek festival.

Caxton Street in historic Petrie Terrace is transformed into a festival street party featuring food and drink from the local restaurants and cafes, a range of live music, as well as art exhibitions and historic displays.

collection of performing arts centres, parklands, entertainment and exhibition centres in a city of open spaces, river views and great weather attract millions every year for a variety of festivals and exhibitions.There are hundreds of major Brisbane events every year that include music, arts, performance, film, exhibitions and stand-up comedy With such a diverse population many of the parks in Brisbane find themselves home for cultural festivals such as Norwegian, German, Brazilian, French, Greek and even Israeli to name a few. There are too many local events to list at once so we’ve compiled a list of some of the bigger events held in Brisbane city every year.

The comedy Brisbane the City Of Events festival runs from the end of February for almost a month through to the end of March each year and is all housed in the one unique venue, the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse.

All competitors cross the finish line in the heart of the Botanic Gardens amid cheers of support from an eager crowd of family, friends and keen supporters.An ongoing event since the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the Brisbane Marathon is a fun event for everyone from the endurance athlete to amateur runners and their enthusiastic supporters.

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – Archeology News From Around The World

Friday 17th August 2018

Good Morning Gentle Reader….  Well, the end of the week has rolled around and it’s the day the quite a few of you look forward to, Archeological Friday, where I attempt to stimulate your interest in all things old…No! I’m not talking about your Husband or Wife, I’m talking about things from the past, in the “Way back when” era .. so pour that coffee, tea or other favourite drink and pull up a chair and enjoy this Friday’s archeological discoveries…

ANCESTRAL PUEBLOANS MAY HAVE BRED SCARLET MACAWS…. STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA—According to a Smithsonian Magazine report, a new study of scarlet macaw bones unearthed in New Mexico suggests the birds were bred in captivity and raised with a great deal of specialized care and effort at a single, small aviary in what is now the southwestern United States or northwestern Mexico by ancestral Pueblo peoples between A.D. 850 and 1150. Richard George of Penn State University and his team extracted mitochondrial DNA from the remains of 14 macaws recovered from five different sites in Chaco Canyon and the Mimbres region of New Mexico. They found that all 14 birds shared a similar heritage, and more than 70 percent of them likely shared a maternal lineage. “This is important… not only the population history of macaws and human interaction, but also what was happening between groups of people,” George explained. Images of macaw chicks on Mimbres pottery also support the idea that the fast-growing birds were raised locally. It had been previously suggested that macaws in North America had been imported from the Paquimé aviary in Mexico, which was most active between A.D. 1250 and 1450. Such a long journey from Mexico to Chaco Canyon would have taken more than a month.

LOOTED ARTIFACTS RETURNED TO IRAQ…. LONDON, ENGLAND—According to a report in The Guardian, a collection of eight ancient artifacts seized by the London Metropolitan police from an antiquities dealer have been repatriated to Iraq, based upon an identification made by scholars at the British Museum. Cuneiform inscriptions on the 5,000-year-old ceramics named a Sumerian king, a temple, and a dedication, which indicated they had been taken from Iraq’s ancient city of Girsu. British Museum archaeologist Sebastian Rey and his Iraqi colleagues were able to find the holes in the Eninnu temple’s mudbrick walls that had held the objects, and broken pieces at the site that had been discarded by the looters. “This is a very happy outcome,” commented St. John Simpson, assistant keeper at the museum’s Middle East department, “nothing like this has happened for a very, very long time if ever.”

SECTION OF ROMAN-ERA STREET UNEARTHED IN BULGARIA…. PLOVDIV, BULGARIA—The Sofia Globe reports that archaeologists working in the eastern part of the agora in the ancient city of Philippopolis have uncovered a 30-foot stretch of the Cardo Maximus, or main street. They also unearthed large fragments of the main façade, columns, and architectural elements of the Odeon, which had three or four entrances and a portico. Fragments of a marble statue of a prominent citizen named Sozipatar were also recovered. Text on the fragments indicate Sozipatar was given the right to sit in the theater’s front row. The building, which had been originally used by Philippopolis’s city council, was destroyed by an earthquake in the medieval period.

CARVING TOOLS FROM EASTER ISLAND ANALYZED…. BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA—CNN reports that Dale Simpson, Jr., of the University of Queensland and colleagues think the idea that Easter Island’s Rapa Nui culture collapsed due to overuse of resources and competition to build the stone carvings known as moai may be overstated. Jo Anne Van Tilburg of the Easter Island Statue Project led a team that recently excavated four of Easter Island’s moai and uncovered more than 1,500 volcanic stone basalt carving tools. Chemical analysis of 17 of the recovered tools, which are known as toki, found that most of them came from one of three quarry complexes on the island. Simpson says this focused effort in one quarry points to craft specialization, information exchange, and cooperation among the Rapa Nui to produce the nearly one thousand statues, thought to represent important Rapa Nui ancestors. Van Tilburg cautions, however, that such focused labor may have been coerced, and more study is needed.

EXCAVATION OF ARTEMIS TEMPLE UNDERWAY IN CENTRAL GREECE…. EVIA, GREECE—A team of researchers led by Karl Reber of the Swiss Archaeological School in Greece and Amalia Karappaschalidou of the Evia Ephorate of Antiquities has uncovered a variety of artifacts at the sanctuary of Artemis near Amarynthos, according to The Greek Reporter. The site, discovered last year, was the end point of an annual procession from the ancient city of Eretria. The items include embossed tiles bearing the name “Artemis”; statue bases inscribed with dedications to Artemis, her brother Apollo, and their mother, Leto; and a copper and quartz object that may have been part of a larger statue. Scholars suggest the temple, which is thought to have been destroyed by a natural disaster in the first century B.C., and rebuilt in the second century A.D., helped to strengthen Eretria’s border. The excavation team also found evidence of earlier buildings at the site, dating back to the tenth century B.C.

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the archeological news from around the world this, morning… …

Our Tulips today are with coffee......

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Friday 17th August 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Archeology #History #Greece #Australia

[sikhmarriage]

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Vibrant cafes in Melbourne for the meeting with your match

Brunetti | The Hardware | Societe | Kinfolk

Casual dining with your match in Melbourne

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[ejpaustralia2020]

The ATP Cup

In Brisbane, we were able to attend the ATP Cup Men’s Tennis Competition and see Germany and Greece play each other. The play consisted of two singles matches and one doubles match. We stayed for the first singles match who were some lower level players. The German won easily since he was ranked in the top 100 while the Greek player was ranked in the low 400s. The second singles match was a lot more exciting to see because it had the #6 ranked man in the world, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, against #7 in the world, German Alexander Zverev. The quality of play was a lot higher and it was cool to see those top-10 players in real time. 

The crowd seemed to be a lot of Australians looking to see some high quality tennis, but there was a major Greek crowd in attendance. Considering Melbourne has the second-highest Greek population in the world, many fans were able to make the travel up to Brisbane. They came armed with Greek flags, drums, whistles, and chants ready to cheer on their country after every point. 

It was easy to see the global aspects of the event through the food that was being sold. There was classic American food with wings and burgers, but there was also a Bavarian stand selling Bratwurst and another stand selling Asian food. Since this was an international competition, it was clear they wanted to cater to all the different cultures that would be in attendance. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the ATP Cup because I watch tennis all the time with my family and it was cool to get to see some live action and some extremely talented players. I also think the national pride that these competitions tend to encourage makes players more motivated to play hard, especially with the Australian Open right after. 

(P.S.: My original one got deleted somehow so this is very out of order)

[thenextrush]

Korean, Russian, Latin, Greek, Italian & Jewish movie lover? International Film Festival season starts now!

Korean, Russian, Latin, Greek, Italian & Jewish movie lover? International Film Festival season starts now!

Movie lovers are in for a treat with a never ending tour of international film festivals taking place now and continuing through the Spring.  Film festivals such as the ones listed below are a critical link in the chain of global film culture.   They encourage great breadth and variety in views, critical thinking on difficult topics, exploring new cultures and creative diversity elevating the…

[sheofthetea]

These are all fascinating questions and I think about them a lot. My own experiences have been...complicated. I call myself ‘vaguely ethnic’ because that’s the most accurate way to put it, I think. No one ever guesses my background right (I’ve gotten Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Italian, Greek, Jewish, Mexican, Romani and the list goes on). I speak with an accent, but it’s 50% Brisbane Australia, 20% secondhand from my mother, 20% speech impairment/language disorder and 10% whatever I’ve been watching a lot of on TV (the result of that has been guesses of British, American and, most recently, Canadian). 

I’m actually half Hungarian on my mother’s side and half El Salvadorian on my father’s. I have little attachment to either culture; I wasn’t raised with much of either, I can’t speak much of either language and I don’t have much interest in either of them (I have a difficult relationship with both sides of the family, so that’s a major factor). I’ve never identified with either culture. I was born in Australia and identify most with the culture here. I feel almost like a white Australian. 

Almost, because even if I don’t think of myself as a PoC, the rest of the world seems to. Both sides of the family have insisted I’m part of their race, Dad’s side because “You’re brown (sorta). And you have our hair and eyes!” and Mum’s side because “You’re part of our family and we’re Hungarian! And you’re the spitting image of *distant cousin*”. But they always say it less like a welcome and more like a territorial claim. 

Strangers don’t think I’m a real Australian either. Every other person I meet asks ‘So where are you from??’ and they point out my accent and the ways I pronounce words differently. In school, I copped my share of racism, was even told "You’re parents came from somewhere else, so you can’t be Australian!” by 2 older white girls. 

And I still have no answers for OP’s questions. Because personally, I kinda feel like that shift to ‘being white’ ought to have already happened simply because I don’t identify or even understand anything about either of my parents’ cultures. I feel like you have to have a genuine connection with that culture/race to identify as it.  And I just feel like an outsider when I interact with their cultures, and an imposter when someone claims I belong to either race. It actually feels like cultural appropriation for me to say ‘I’m Hungarian’ or ‘I’m Elsalvadorain’. 

But I’ve also lived many of the same experiences other PoC have and I relate so much when I hear some of their stories. So by this point, it’s kinda like my ethnicity is just ‘PoC’ but with a side of ‘I dunno, man, I just work here.’

I’m going to tag @verycorrectlotr​ because I know you’ve made posts about this before. No pressure to weigh in if you don’t want to, though.

At what point do you go from “looking white” to “being white”?

This is really interesting to me. A person I follow on Facebook was complaining that she looked too white because it meant white people kept telling her racist shit, thinking she was one of them. I’ve only met her a few times in real life and have to admit I didn’t know she was a person of color either until she posted photos of her family.

I told my friend who belongs to the Páez people and showed her my friend’s family photo and she looked at it for a while and said “I think she might just be white at this point”

Because it’s such an interesting question I talked with another friend who said “They say race is just appearance, right? Otherwise our DNA is the same or something. I mean, she grew up with a different culture, so is culture race? But if she looks and acts so white that white people feel comfortable saying racist stuff around her, how different is she really from a white person? She must get white privilege too, right? If it’s all culture, does that mean someone adopted into a family of a different race becomes that race? That doesn’t sound right” Then she thought for a while and asked me “It’s like, why don’t you consider yourself Jewish? I know it’s not exactly the same but you got all this family that see themselves as this separate thing because they’re Jewish, but you don’t. Why?”

And in that case it really is all about culture. The last three generations of my branch of the family has been culture Christians, which means people who aren’t religious but celebrate the Christian holidays like Christmas and Eater because that’s just what people do in our culture. But at the same time we got family who insists that we are Jewish because it’s very important to them.

But like my friend said, it’s not the same thing because my Jewish family is white, even though a lot of people consider Jewish people a different race.

I have another friend who found out that his family used to be black and I asked him why he didn’t consider himself black and his response was simply “I look white and my parents look white and my grandparents look white. I have no connection to black culture”

People have very different opinions on this but it’s always interesting to hear what people think because I don’t think there’s a clear answer. So what do you think? When do you go from “looking white” to “being white”? When does the shift happen? When does it become offensive to say you belong to a certain race?

[kostas-nakas-blog]

A day at the ATP Cup

Visiting the ATP Cup match yesterday, has by far my favorite part of the trip so far. The ATP Cup, in its inaugural year, is essentially a World Cup event for tennis held throughout multiple cities in Australia. The match we saw in Brisbane featured two countries, Greece and Germany, who were both participants in this inaugural global sporting event. Other global aspects of the event included major marketing signage and branding of major international brands like Stella Artois and Dunlop throughout the arena. Lastly, there were many food vendors present throughout the arena representing multiple global cultures like a Loukoumades stand representing Greece and a Kebab stand representing the Middle East. 

Regarding the localization of the ATP Cup, there were many Australians of Greek heritage who were at the event cheering on their team. Also, all the Australian tennis fans at the event were very respectful in their spectatorship; as they would remain silent during points and applaud long rallies between the players. This local difference in sport spectator culture, that I experienced at the ATP Cup, is much different than that of the US where fans are often obnoxious and disrespectful while spectating sporting events. Overall, the ATP Cup was an amazing experience and I’m happy I got to cheer on my country of heritage; and experience the global and local aspects of a major sporting event.

D. The ATP Cup Entry

[parasholidays]

Top 25 Best Places to Visit in Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that is known as a continent glittering like a rare jewel between the Indian Oceans and South Pacific. This wild and gorgeous country is wrapped with surprises that will awestruck travelers, starting with the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns. The prime tropical rainforest of Queensland’s Gold Coast Hinterland, the coastal cities of Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and the arid mountains and savannahs of Australia’s red sand are some major highlights for Australia tour packages from India.

Here are 25 places that must be added in your travel lists.

1. Sydney

Sydney is Australia’s favourite city and finest destination for international travelers across the globe. This engaging city has numerous attractions such as hearty dining opportunities, fascinating shows and entertainment, serene beaches, and a wild nightlife. Cultural attractions include the unique light sculptures of Vivid Sydney and the renovation Sydney Opera House. Sydney Olympic Park, home of the 2000 Olympics is a must visit for all adventure lovers. Nature enthusiasts will be charmed by many enchanting national parks and attractions, including free tours of the Royal Botanic Garden.

2. Gold Coast

Gold Coast is extremely beautiful for Australia honeymoon packages with Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, and Surfers Paradise top most visiting destinations. Broadbeach is Gold Coast’s swanky, waterfront neighborhood where tourists relax at Kurrawa Beach, fancy shopping at Pacific Fair, and try your luck at the Jupiter Casino. Burleigh Heads is the ideal place for experiencing surfing with international pro events. Other places are Burleigh National Park, Burleigh Beach Tourist Park, and David Fleay Wildlife Park. Surfers Paradise is the hidden treasure of Gold Coast with the shops and cafés of Cavill Avenue, and the Q1 building with the SkyPoint observation deck.

3. Melbourne

Melbourne is a great metropolitan city giving the gateway to Victoria’s natural springs, awesome wineries, alpine villages, peninsulas, and charming coastline. The city offers as a culture and arts epicenter with happening bars, covert boutiques, quirky cafes, and lively restaurants found at every corner. The Southbank precinct is definitely the favorite place for artists featuring The Arts Centre, Recital Centre, MTC Malthouse, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

4. Cairns

Cairns is a calm city where travelers will admire the great outdoors. A necessary visit is the Great Barrier Reef known as the largest coral reef system in the world. Whitsunday Islands and Hayman and Lizard Islands are also some prime features. The Daintree Rainforest is worth visit and an inspiration for the movie Avatar, and the world’s oldest rainforest. For Adventurer lovers they have lot to offer such as whitewater rafting, tubing, bungee jumping, and skydiving.

5. Adelaide

Travelers planning for a cosmopolitan Australian experience should begin their journey in Adelaide. A hearty food and wine destination, the city also gives a chance for a fun foodie in the Adelaide Laneways, a former warehouse district repurposed into fancy bars and shops. The ideal way to discover the Central Market by leisurely walk through its hormone-free meats, seafood, and farm-fresh produce. History enthusiasts will love walking ancient Port Adelaide. Adelaide offers numerous beaches such as retro-bohemian Semaphore, surf happy Glenelg, laidback Henley, and quiet Grange.

6. Brisbane

Brisbane is an evergreen city and part of Australia honeymoon packages offering visitors variety of experiences such as the outdoor urban fun of Riverlife Adventure Center, the magnificent gardens of Mount Coot-tha and the City Botanic Gardens, the subtropical rainforests of D’Aguilar National Park as well as the Australia Zoo. Redcliffe Jetty Markets artisanal market and James Street’s boutique retail shops is surely a shoppers paradise. Those who have a way for history surely discover Brisbane’s convict and World War II history. Travelers can enjoy breathtaking views above the Wheel of Brisbane or climb Story Bridge, cruise the Brisbane River, or take a brewery tour to explore the city.

7. Broome

If you adore different cultures then Broome and the Kimberley are the destinations to know about Aboriginal culture. It is situated in the northernmost corner of West Australia, the Kimberley is home to sailing charters that redefines the Buccaneer Archipelago. You can try Horizontal Falls by boat or seaplane, tour a pearl farm at Willie Creek, or have a complete guided jeep tour of Dampier Peninsula with the excellent James Price Point beach. The other must-do activities in Broome are the futuristic hovercraft flights out to sea, and the adventurous camel rides on the beach during sunset.

8. Byron Bay

Byron Bay is located on the northernmost coast of New South Wales. A famous Australia packages from India destination filled with beaches and hinterland. The temperate climate here is suitable for outdoor activities. Cape Byron Headland Reserve has been known as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with rugged cliffs and unbeatable views of both the ocean and hinterland, rainforests, and vast sandy beaches. It highlights Cape Byron Lighthouse, Australia’s most easterly and most powerful lighthouse. Offering more than seven nature reserves, tourists will search plunging waterfalls, rainforest communities, endangered species, isolated beaches, places for rock scrambling and bird watching, and much more.

9. Canberra

If you are planning to have best things to see and do in Canberra, then you only need to checkout Lake Burley Griffen. The lake is in the heart of the city and most of the prime features ring its shoreline, such as the boomerang-shaped New Parliament House that lays on its shore, forming one side of the Parliamentary Triangle. The National Carillon with 55 bronze bells is placed on Aspen Island, one of six islands in the lake’s center. Other highlights are the solemn Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, Questacon – the National Science and Technology Center, and many different sites.

10. Darwin

Darwin is known as the laidback capital of the Northern Territory with Asian and Aboriginal inspirations. You will see Aboriginal art in remarkable museums and galleries here. The Nightcliff suburb gives the chance to enjoy a lively food van scene with Asian, Greek, and other cuisines. The beachside neighborhood is ideal for wandering along the jetty or a dip in the shaded waterfront pool. Mindil Beach os ultimate for enjoying sunset market with international food stalls, crafts, street performers and music. You can also try the journey from Stokes Hill Wharf for a sunset harbor cruise.

11. Fraser Island

Fraser Island has been the world’s largest sand island. The World Heritage-listed island offers over 100 freshwater serene lakes, towering rainforests, sand dunes, a shipwreck, and splendid sandstone cliffs. This is the destination for eco-tourists and shore anglers. Tourists can try island cruises to know about the western side, guided island tours, and self-drive tours. Anglers will adore the fishing off Kingfisher Bay Resort jetty, Sandy Cape, or Indian Head. There are various rides such as hot air balloon, helicopter, and airplane tours; nature and wildlife tours; ranger-guided four-wheeler tours; secluded beaches; and crystal-clear lakes. Lake McKenzie is the most awe inspiring of them all and a must-see.

12. Grampians National Park

For nature enthusiasts who also love a good bottle of wine, Grampians National Park is the destination that will serve your senses. This nature reserve in Victoria is recognised for its rugged sandstone mountains, ideal for knowing dramatic rock formations, ancient Aboriginal rock art, and ultimate waterfalls via mountain biking, four-wheeling, or trekking. Wildlife can be witnessed in abundance here including kangaroos, koalas, and emus. Some of the prime places are Mackenzie Falls, Reeds Lookout and the Balconies overlooking Victoria Valley, The Gap Vineyard, Baroka Lookout overlooking Fyans Valley and Halls Gap – gateway to the park.

13. Great Otway National Park

Great Otway National Park starts from Torquay to Princeton and ends up towards Colac after passing through the Otways hinterland. The vast park gives majestic rugged coastlines, rock platforms, clear sandy beaches, and a windswept heathland. Towards the north, tourists will provide a complete varied landscape of towering forests, serene lakes, thundering waterfalls, and ferny gullies. The park includes The Great Ocean Walk, around 55 miles from the stunning resort town of Apollo Bay to the Glenample Homestead, which neighbors the 12 Apostles. Nature lovers will have fun discovering the area on a mountain bike or via horseback and also picnicking at the numerous waterfalls.

14. Hobart

Hobart is the tiny, spectacular, capital city of Tasmania boasting huge city sights, a hearty food scene, bold art, and many natural attractions. A Foodies paradise where they can try a wealth of dining experiences from the lively restaurant strips in North Hobart or ancient Salamanca to the waterfront restaurants along the city’s docks. Visiting the MONA would be great cultural experience being the continent’s largest privately owned museum constructed within sandstone cliffs and be amazed by an eclectic collection of Old and New World art that just can’t be missed.

15. Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park is one of the grand nature reserves in the world and also listed in World Heritage Area for both its natural and cultural heritage. There are plenty of distinctive experiences available within the park, like trying the spectacular natural rock art galleries featuring over 50,000 years of Australia’s rich heritage. You can try the most popular Yellow Water Cruises through Kakadu’s wetlands and four-wheeler tours to unique areas like Boulder Creek, Twin Falls, and Gubara Rock Pools.

16. Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is placed in South Australia stretched over 300 miles of picturesque coastline highlighting many pristine beaches. It’s the perfect place to watch wildlife in the bushland while enjoying various adventures. The island gives natural attractions like Admirals Arch, Flinders Chase National Park, Hanson Bay Sanctuary, and the Penneshaw Penguin Center, suitable for witnessing the local wildlife. For adventure lovers will try sandboarding, quad biking, adventure caving, and horseback riding.

17. Kuranda

Kuranda is a breathtaking mountain village around 15 miles northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland. It is a World Heritage-listed tropical rainforest and also recognised for having an energetic arts and craft culture due to its artisan inhabitants. There is too much to see in Kuranda like the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda Koala Gardens, Birdworld Kuranda, Rainforestation Nature Park, and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You must be at the Kuranda Scenic Railway, for visitors going on a journey through the scenic Barron Gorge National Park as they glide by spectacular waterfalls, dense rainforest, and steep ravines.

18. Margaret River

Margaret River is located in Western Australia about a 3-hour drive from Perth; it’s known for its isolated beaches, wine, and adventures. The area gives visitors over 90 local tours like whale watching, horseback riding, hiking, and diving, as well as cultural and heritage activities. A travel lover will go to the cave and lighthouse tours, which helps you exploring underground beneath the surface of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Bridge where more than 150 special limestone-decorated caves reside. Beyond the touring experiences, head to the world-class restaurants, microbreweries, relaxing beaches, natural jewels, and towering forests.

19. Perth

It is situated on Australia’s west coast, the bright city of Perth seamlessly combines together scenic green parks and clear beaches with a small, thriving metropolis having various dynamic restaurants, lively bars, and amazing street art. There are plenty of things to do here, wandering through leafy Kings Park, touring the Swan Valley vineyards, or discovering nearby Rottnest Island. For your travel packages major attractions that must be added are swimming in the translucent waters of Cottesloe Beach, touring St. Mary’s Cathedral, swimming with dolphins in Rockingham and visiting Fraser Avenue Lookout.

20. Phillip Island

Phillip Island is the best family holiday destination for those planning trip to Australia. The island is home to many white beaches, exciting wildlife, and hi-octane motorsports. Wildlife watching is a bliss, where you can see koalas and penguins in their natural habitats. It’s also a great place to enjoy the water with many sheltered swimming beaches, a rugged coastline best suitable for surfing, ultimate fishing hot spots, and also whale witnessing from May to October.

21. Port Douglas

The gorgeous Port Douglas almost takes an hour to reach north from Cairns. In this favourable climate where balmy days turn into tropical evenings with clear starry skies there are unlimited things to do. It’s the only attraction in the world having two natural gems on the World Heritage List, including the rainforest of Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef. Cape Tribulation is a quaint village where these two special places meet, a hidden treasure all of its own.

22. Royal National Park

The Royal National Park is a Sydney Heritage-listed park constructed in 1879 and also the second largest national park in the entire world. It’s an outstanding day-trip excursion that gives endless things to do like bushwalking, fishing, bird watching, and whale watching. Appreciated by locals as “the Royal” or “Nacho,” is where you will get everything from sandy beaches to rainforest, wandering amongst fascinating plants, watch native wildlife, surf, and cycle. It’s also most suitable for camping, barbecuing, and picnicking.

23. Townsville

Townsville is a major gateway to the Wet Tropics, Queensland outback, and Great Barrier Reef, providing visitors over 320 days of sunny skies each year, green tropical gardens as well as national parks that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. This youthful city highlights Federation-style architecture, alfresco dining, boutique shopping, and calm beaches. With plenty of things to do, it could be difficult to select from where to start, but you can begin with this prime feature like the SS Yongala – the country’s biggest unblemished shipwreck – should be in your lists.

24. Uluru-Kata National Park

Uluru-Kata National Park is listed as World Heritage destination and one of best Australia’s attractions within the country’s Red Centre. This royal ochre-colored desert landscape is rich with Australian indigenous spirituality and culture, giving tourists many ways in which to discover it. You can wander with an Aboriginal guide while knowing about ancient traditions and tales from Dreamtime. Riding across this lovely desert landscape while on the back of a camel, or trying through behind the handles of a thundering Harley Davison, is also a great option. Visitors can experience the high skies via a hot air balloon or helicopter to take in these beautiful surroundings.

25. Whitsunday Islands

Just off the Queensland Coast in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef are 74 fascinating and admirable island wonders, the Whitsunday Islands. These islands include Hamilton Island, Hayman Island, Daydream Island, and Long Island. These Queensland resort islands offer welcoming, activity-based, eco-friendly, luxury, foodie-inspired and all-inclusive accommodation options. Visitors can try activities like sailing, swimming at isolated beaches, rejuvenating spa treatments, jet-skiing, helicopter sightseeing and skydiving.

Source- https://www.parasholidays.in/blog/top-25-best-places-to-visit-in-australia/

[vitmelbourne]

Why should choose VIT Australia for study?

Studying in Australia can prove to be quite beneficial for anybody. Its because this country is home to the most reputed universities in the world. The students also don,'t need to worry about getting a high score in IELTS because even if they don't, they have options to pursue a course in ELICOS for improving their English levels upon their arrival in the country.

Australia is one of the most amazing education destinations in the world. The biggest island on earth has much to offer when it comes to education. More than 300,000 international students enrolled in higher education in Australia in recent times, according to the Department of Education and Training of Australian Government. We can conclude from these statistics that many international students favour to work and study in Australia over other developed countries. There are more reasons to choose VIT Australia as the ultimate destination for students around the world.

This class of Australia study visa is applicable for all those students who wish to pursue even schooling from this country including primary/secondary education.

The student requires a visa for the pursuance of those courses for vocational education and training available in this country. This visa is also required if students want to pursue any course in higher education from this country. Such courses can include bachelor, masters as well as research degrees. In the institutes like VIT Australia.

 There are certain requirements that a student needs to meet to qualify for this visa which is:

The students should have taken admission in a course that is a part of an institution sponsored by CRICOS.

If the applicant is not a resident of Australia, its important to provide a confirmation of enrolment at the time of visa application. Although an offer letter from the concerned education provider is sufficient at the time of application, for the approval of the visa, a confirmation of enrolment needs to be shown to the authorities from the institutes lie VIT Australia Etc.

If this visa is required by someone who is planning to do a post graduate research course in this country, its better to show a letter of confirmation from the concerned education provider.

It’s important to provide your score in an English level test at the time of your application for this visa, otherwise refusal is guaranteed. A student may however not be required to show any such evidence if he has enrolled himself in an ELICOS course in this country or is a part of the post graduate research program in institutes like VIT Australia. Students who have gained an education of 5 years in countries such as UK, New Zealand, Australia, US or South Africa, Canada or republic of Ireland are also exempt from providing any evidence of their English language scores at the time of making the visa application.

However for students who are not enrolled in ELICOS a minimum score of 5.5 in IELTS, or a 527 in paper based TOEFL or 46 in internets based TOEFL is required. In the absence of such a score, a student is required to enrol himself in ELICOS courses in Australia of varying durations. For example, if he gets 5 in IELTS, he should enrol himself in an ELICOS course of 10 weeks duration, but in case he decides to enrol himself in an ELICOS course of 20 weeks duration, the his score of 4.5 in IELTS can also suffice.

The Higher Education Scenario in VIT Australia For International Students

Mixture of cultures

Do you know that around 25% of the population of Australia which consists of around 6 million people are born overseas? Around 47% of the population have at least one parent born outside the land down under. The country has become a melting pot of different cultures due to the presence of people from the various ethnic backgrounds and nations. More than 200 different languages are spoken there. Apart from English, Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, and Greek are widely spoken among the masses. People enjoy diverse occasions and festivals of every culture throughout the year. International students can relish various mouth-watering dishes of different cultures. Due to this culture blend, Australia is acknowledged as the 9th happiest country in the world according to World Happiness Report.

World class cities

Australia is a beautiful country with world-class infrastructure. Five out of top 50 cities with the best infrastructure in the world is in Australia. Seven cities are ranked in the top 75 according to QS Best Student Cities 2016. Melbourne, the cultural capital of Australia, is the most liveable city in the world. There are no of universities and institutes like VIT Australia  in Melbourne featuring in the top universities and institutes in the world. The city scores are high in desirability with beautiful beaches and high standards of living.

Many Australian education consultants suggest Australia's largest city and economic and financial hub, Sydney. It is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world. Sydney also ranks much higher in employer activity. Apart from these two major cities, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth score high on global rankings for both world-class infrastructure and overseas education institutes like VIT Australia.

 Full support for international students

There are 22,000 courses available in 1,100 institutions in Australia like VIT Australia. International students can choose from a wide variety of courses from liberal arts to marine biology. According to the reports in 2016, Australian government spent nearly AUD $200 million in providing scholarships to international students. There are 16 Noble Prize laureates from such small population which indicates the quality of education provided by Australian universities.

There are two formulated laws from Australian government named as Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and National Code of Practice These laws are made to provide consistent standards in the field of education for international students. Many overseas education consultants are providing the best advice before joining any institutions. International students can work up to 20 hours a week to support themselves, and they can work unconditionally on school breaks. Studying in Australia will be a life changing experience for international students.

 For getting  more information visit here VIT -  Victorian Institute of Technology.

14/123 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

1300 17 17 55 (or) support@vit.edu.au

[melbournenewsvine]

The new Australian music group proves that there is more to Australian music

When George de Silva grew up in Australia, there weren’t always other people around him who shared the same cultural identity and experiences. “I found myself rejecting my Sri Lankan and sometimes Greek heritage in order to assimilate into white Australian culture,” he says. Today, the musician is part of a newly formed group of South Asian Australian artists called Kerfew. The group includes 13 producers, musicians and artists from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra. Connected to their shared experience as young South Asians in the Australian music industry, they want to create a support network for other “misfits” like themselves, says Brisbane-based member Etrat Maimon, who makes music under the name Iti. “I immediately felt like family,” says Sydney-based DJ Munasib, of the group, who connected on Instagram. Four members of Curvo, from left to right, George de Silva, Atra Maimon, Positions, and Amar Singh. Its members are inspired by the Daytimers, a British group of South Asian musicians that formed at the first shutdown in London in 2020 and rose to prominence after performing at the popular music event Boiler Room. “We saw what the Daytimers were doing and we thought, ‘Wait, could there be an audience for this here?'” says appropriate. Their first concert was already sold out before Saturday, so there is clearly an appetite for alternative sounds outside of what is still largely white Australian mainstream. And as the landscape slowly changes, so does the acting – and perhaps most importantly How First Nations peoples and people of color are represented – they still have a way to go. Last month, an independent review of bullying and discrimination in the Australian music industry found that “people from diverse backgrounds, including First Nations, people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+, often experience discrimination, resulting in to deny them opportunities.” Elsewhere, a 2017 report from the University of Sydney investigating sexism in the industry ignored the intersecting experiences of women of color, and there have been no investigations into racism in Australian music of this scale. “Government and national bodies must recognize that we are an enclave for the Australian music industry whether or not they choose to recognize it,” says Maimon. “We create our own space,” he continues. “I never believed that we should ask those who never listed us to include us.” Suitable, whose father founded the first Bengali music school in Australia, grew up attending classes and performing poetry and singing in Bengali. Her parents, who are musicians, exposed her to South Asian music from a young age. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine