People always askin' me where i'm from...

One of the most common questions I get asked is 'where are you from?'

I always give them the short version, 'my mums Australian and my dads from the West Indies'.
But then I always end up branching into the long version...
'Well actually my mum's mum is Cornish from Cornwall in England, and Spanish people migrated there before the Cornish people migrated here, which means i'm part Spanish. And my mum's dad is German. So then from that, I get, "oh... so your German, Spanish, and Indian?'. I answer the usual... 'No... the West Indies is the Caribbean'. Then I get 'oh where's that again?'. And this all makes me wonder, if this person doesn't know what and where the Caribbean is... what else don't they know? So I answer back with ' Next to Central America...you know... like Pirates of The Caribbean? (I get a blank face) ... JAMAICA?'. They answer in realisation 'Ohhhh so your Jamaican! Thats Awesome.. like Bob Marley'. Like seriously... 'Not everyone from the Caribbean is from Jamaica.' Then they say in disappointment 'Oh... then where are you from!?'. 'Well he was born on the Island of Tobago... like Trinidad and Tobago'. '(blank face)'. 'You know... the Cricket team?'. Now... most boys get me as soon as I say Tobago/Trinidad and Tobago. They say 'Ohhhh like the Cricket team!' But the girls... they have never heard of it. And all this makes me think. Where did they think Jamaica was before we had this conversation. And how does anyone not know where central America is!? Its a bit of a given isn't it? It would be in between North America and South America.. In the CENTRE! Half the time people just ask me if i'm African, I answer with 'yeah you could say that'.

I remember my friend who is African her self, asked me... 'Are you black in any way'. Apart from the fury heating up inside me thinking how dumb can you be, where do you think West Indian people came from!? Where does it look like we all came from. Have you ever heard of Slavery and the workers who fled the country, and migrated to the Caribbean, the USA, England, Europe. I mean come on.

Map of the Caribbean

My Aunty, Grandma, and I

Trinidad and Tobago flag

Beach in St Vincent

View from the house in St Vincent

African slave trade

     

Video we took in the St Vincent (an Island in the Caribbean) out of a moving car...

Asakusa - Japanese restaurant

Outings with Katherine and Katie...

A few weeks ago my friend Katie and I were discussing food in maths. I asked her if she had been to a restaurant on Waverley rd called 'Shallot'. She said 'no but I drive past it all the time', and then continued with asking me if I have been to restaurant called 'Asakusa' also on Waverley rd. I also said 'no but I drive past there all the time'. So right then and there, we made a deal that if I try her restaurant, she has to try mine too. And so we did.. Us along with our lively friend Katherine tried our first restaurant stop at 'Asakusa' Japanese restaurant. 

Especially after Maru Shih I was excited for some more exciting Japanese food to eat. So instead of ordering one main dish... We ordered three entrees each. There was the Ebi Gyoza, Nasu no Dengaku (miso paste Eggplant), Agedashi Tofu, Pork Gyoza, Tori no tatsuta age (Fried chicken and mayonnaise), and some Spicy Tuna Roll. I must say the food was quite delicious.

The atmosphere wasn't bad and we were able to observe all the other amazing looking dishes coming out of the kitchen. However I think we may have caught them on a busy night as we had rather slow service. But other than that my experience here was great. I do recommend this restaurant, (especially if your patient enough to wait quite a while for your food). 

They were standard prices, not cheap nor expensive. Worth checking out...

Service: 6

Food: 8

Price: 7

Return: Possibly 

Spicy Tuna roll

Nasu no dengaku (egg plant with miso paste)

Pork Gyoza

Agedashi Tofu

Tori no tatsuta age (Fried chicken and mayonnaise)

Big Fat Liar

This is definitely another one of my all time favourite movies..
You know those movies that you just never get sick of. Those movies which you can watch over and over again. The movies you know all the words to and can quote any part of it. Well this is definitely one of them. I think as a young child the most times I ever watched this movie in one day was 5 times... in a row. I just could not get enough of it. I mean Frankie Muniz from 'Malcolm in the Middle' and Amanda Bynes in the same movie... it can't get better than that. This movie is any kids dream. Sleeping in Universal studio's props store room with your best friend. You can only imagine what was in there.

Big Fat Liar is about a young boy known for his constant lying, and his experience of when he travels to LA in search of his story he wrote for a school assignment, which he believes was stolen by a Famous movie producer 'Marty Wolf'. Marty Wolf is planning to turn it into a movie. However Jason is determined to get his story back and prove to his parents that he did write that paper and he wasn't lying. If you have never seen this movie, you must watch it. And if you have seen this movie, it doesn't hurt to see it again...

Fabometer: 10/10

Watch the Trailer here!

Maru Shih - Japanese Restaurant

Outings with Leana..

Last week, my friend Leana and I thought it would be a great idea to hit up a Japanese restaurant and attempt to practise some japanese... So with the help of my mum, we looked on Urbanspoon.com. And found a great sounding restaurant called 'Maru Shih' which is just in South Yarra on Toorak rd.
Along with the cute ornaments, lovely staff, and great tableware, the 'FOOD' was fabulous and cheap! we both got two entrées, a main, and a drink for under $20.
Another good thing, was that it wasn't crazy busy, and the tables weren't slammed right next to each other. We were also able to sit next to the window where we could study the people passing by.
The service was fast and efficient. Restaurants with staff that top up your water as soon as your glass becomes empty, definitely have my vote. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone (definitely recommend trying their Green Tea Latte's, as crazy as it may sound, it is quite endearing.

Service: 9 
Food: 8
Price: 9 (very affordable) 
Return: absolutely

Green Tea Lattes and Chicken Gyoza (Great dishes)

Chicken Gyoza, Miso soup, Green Tea Latte, Sukiyaki, and Yakiniku

Ri (Leana) and Me having a swell time

Walter Van Beirendonck Exhibition

Looking through some photos from about a month ago, I saw some photos from Walter Van Beirendonck's exhibition 'Dream the world awake'. Mum decided to take my brother and I out for the day. Didn't really know what we were in for, but when we got there.. we definitely came to like it. Saw some pretty crazy outfits. I would definitely love to be seen wearing some of these outfits. They are definitely my type of thing. If you ever get the chance to see any of his exhibitions, I highly recommend you taking that opportunity. You can see inspiration from so many aspects. You can see some incorporation from of the 70's, the 80's, the 90's, cowboys, rock and role, hippy, nature, carnival, Marie Antoinette-esk, ski suit, goth, indie, various cultures, and much more. See what else you can spot... 

Few of the outfits on display

What was on the wall and in the video that was playing

brother and I (mum says I look like one of his outfits)

Walter Van Beirendonck on the plastic curtain

More of what was on the walls and in the video

Forever Balling...

One of the things I love most, is sport. Basketball definitely being my favourite.

While others find it easy to express through art, music, and simply just talking. Many find it great to express through sport. I know i've had my many encounters, of other peoples angry-teenage-hormones from hell, while being on the court. The odd elbow to the rib, pull of the hair, shove of the body, and swear word or 2 (more like 1,000). And although this may sound like unnecessary violent behaviour.. it is actually one of the best ways for young people to express. 

As it is a physical game, your able to be angry on court, and if you go too far in your actions, you get a foul called on you, meaning you need to reel it in. If you play soft through out the game, then you don't get anywhere, and are barely contributing. And if you give a little shove here and there, but your keeping it PG while contributing to the hopeful result of success. Then you find a balance that works, and a balance for expression.

As well as dealing with all the on court shenanigans, you also have to deal with the off court shenanigans. In any sport, you will get yelled at by your coach.. you can either 1. Take it onboard and attempt to fix the problem, 2. Ignore them like water of a ducks back, 3. Half listen and sort of fix the problem with a little bit of attitude thrown in, or 4. React angrily and talk back which gets you no where, or take it personally and go have a cry. I personally prefer number 2. 

But with all this we learn that as soon as the game finishes, nothing can change. We are best to move on and think about what to improve on the next game. We are taught to understand that what happens on the court stays on the court.  

Putting that rebound back up

On a fast break in a Youth League game

had a little fall at the Adelaide tournament 

Played an Under 19's team from China

Marli the... Cheetah girl?

The Cheetah girls is absolutely one of my all time favourite movies.. So why wouldn't me and my friends dress up of them for a school dress up day..? ft. Maddy as Chanel, Jade as Aqua, Me as Galleria, and Eilidh as Dorinda

first post

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