Lawrence Benedict G. Ang

Nine Inch Nails in Manila, Wave Goodbye Tour (August 5, 2009)

2009-08-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus....(and surprisingly finding myself in an OK job in government while simultaneously rediscovering my "artistic side(s)" ) I will attempt to start blogging once again in the hopes that it will only provoke more excitement in my life...yup, that's it.

I open with pictures taken from the historical NINE INCH NAILS CONCERT held last August 5 at the Araneta Coliseum, Manila as part of the band's WAVE GOODBYE TOUR.

I thought I'd never actually get to see them play live after missing them twice already in Australia. Trent apparently heard my prayers. Here's to you sir, the band, and for bigger, greater things in the future.

The Setlist:

1. Somewhat Damaged
2. Terrible Lie
3. Heresy
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. Closer
7. Reptile
8. The Becoming
9. I'm Afraid Of Americans
10. Burn
11. Gave Up
12. La Mer
13. The Fragile
14. Non-Entity
15. Gone, Still
16. The Downward Spiral
17. Wish
18. Survivalism
19. Mr. Self Destruct
20. Echoplex
21. The Day The World Went Away
22. Dead Souls (Joy Division cover)
23. The Hand That Feeds
24. Head Like A Hole

Encore:
25. Hurt

Anticipation

Pupil

Somewhat Damaged

I'm Afraid of Americans

Lights in the Sky

Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Trent Reznor

Robin Finck

Survivalism

Wish

Ilan Rubin and Trent

The Fragile

Industrial Purple

NIN Pulong

Wave Goodbye, NIN 1989-2009

Singapore Lite (March 19-25)

2009-03-27T19:20:00.001-07:00

Miguel

Sophia

Straits Kitchen, Hyatt

Tanya

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Fine Cartoon

Another Fine Poster Shirt

With Andre and Val

Viva La Vida

Chris

Nattura (Iceland)

2008-11-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

Nattura is a movement in Iceland seeking to stir debate and awareness for local environmental issues, especially in relation to the encroaching heavy smelting industry compounding the effects of climate change on Iceland's unique landscapes. Primarily initiated by the artist Bjork, the group has as its goal supporting small businesses and steering Icelandic society and economy towards sustainability.

Here's 2 music clips related to Nattura taken from the National Geographic, both from Icelandic artists I've always been drawn to.

First one's a live rendition of Sigur Ros' Gobbledigook performed during the Nattura concert in June 2008 . Second one's Bjork's Earth Intruders.

Art and sustainability: a fertile mix?

Congratulations Cupcakes

2008-11-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

It's officially the end of university life for Lawrence, a new chapter is waiting. For now...congratulations cupcakes!

Floriade (October 1)

2008-10-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Finally saw what it was all about. An explosion of colour, beauty, and life in one of Australia's newer pilgrimage sites.

Cheers.

His Heart, Our Art: The Amorsolo Retrospective

2008-10-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Fernando Amorsolo, the First Philippine Artist in Painting, is well known for his portraits and paintings of women and landscapes. But he is best known for his backlight technique, his greatest contribution to painting. Using this trademark technique, his subjects become outlined against a golden glow and a burst of light in one part of the canvas serves to highlight small details nearby. He had what one would call a love affair with sunlight. And it showed clearly in his pieces. His works were always suffused with natural light, which made for rich and vibrant colors.

With this, his idealism is clearly reflected in his work. The light shining on the Filipina beauty rivals the glow in her eyes. The daily routines that occupy his subjects become illuminated with his brush. The setting is simple and bountiful, unfamiliar to darkness and hunger and strife.

(excerpt from http://www.amorsoloretro.com)

NASA: Mars Water Discovered, "Tasted" by Lander -- A First

2008-08-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

"NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander quenched a longtime scientific thirst yesterday when it detected water in a soil sample—the first time liquid water on another planet has been touched or "tasted." "
Above: picture of Mars' polar caps taken from national geographic.

(full story and implications at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080901-mars-water.html)

At last.

The Return of Nine Inch Nails

2008-08-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

A great new lineup, with an even greater lights show...very much still pushing the boundaries.

courtesy of twce, taken at Pemberton, Seattle July 25, 2008 where the audience were blasted with a solid set of 31 friggin songs. Wish i was there.

cheers.

The Oldest Jokes of Time!

2008-08-01T05:45:00.001-07:00

Chanced upon an amusing article from the BBC a few minutes ago (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7536918.stm).

It compiled some of the oldest jokes known to history. It seems the question-and-answer formula was the preferred mode of joke delivery then, as i believe it remains to be the case today.

Here's a couple:

Egypt 1600BC (I presume found on a papyrus by worker adobes): "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? Sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile - and urge the pharaoh to go fishing."

Sumeria/Iraq 1900BC: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap,"

Britain 10th Century: "What hangs at a man's thigh and wants to poke the hole that it's often poked before? A key."

Popular themes were identified to be flatulence, and anything to do with women or sexual topics.
Haha. No pictures here. Well, maybe just a fitting one.

Sydney (June 21)

2008-06-28T02:22:00.001-07:00

Sydney, revisited. With the right people, and the right frame of mind, you've got one of the best cities on earth.

The new over the old

Traditional owners (didgeridoo jam)

Vanilla cannoli

Ex-vanilla cannoli

Messina's gellato

Happy street

To the soldiers of misfortune

Hunter-gatherer

Lord of the high rise

Poseidon: out of water and underemployed

Sydney crawler

Bat tree

Flower's got a secret

Communicant cake

Lost and dazed in Sydney

Bridge to forever

A thousand arches

Sydney swoon

Thanks to Japs and Nicole for a most wonderful weekend. You've changed my mind about Sydney and inspired in me a heightened appreciation for Pinoy hospitality!

Bronte/Bondi Beach (June 21)

2008-06-28T02:11:00.001-07:00

Bronte and Bondi: Sydney's saving graces.

seashell picking

Nicole

Blue

Chasing baby

Japs

Sicily, non?

Surfer by really steep cliffs

Swallowed but one

Art imitates life

Wish you were here (yes you Tanya!)

The Blue Mountains (June 20)

2008-06-28T01:29:00.000-07:00

2 hours west of Sydney, along the quaint little town of Katoomba.

Katoomba Falls

One with the skies

Last minute sentiments

Three Sisters

Katoomba graffiti

SRES 3014 Vegetation Management

2008-06-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken during the course's many interesting field trips and 'challenging' practicals. I should say, however, the level of awareness and general abilities gained through this course have certainly made the heavy workload and the long treks into woodlands, ravines, swamps, hills and rough terrain well worth it.

in a Group selection forest

Eucalyptus regnans seed capsules

Dorothy and Mel identifying tree species and measuring for tree dbh

senescence

Mr. X, wants biodiversity back in his property

Mr X's biodynamic farm estate, with trees acting as windbreaks, buffers, and land rehab agents

Mr. X's stagnating forest stand, what to do.

By John Field's (left) test plot in Mr. X's stand: figuring out the effects of thinning, fencing, burning and applying fertiliser on enhancing regeneration and biodiversity

A hollow-bearing/habitat tree in Mount Majura reserve

Friends of Mount Majura, helping record HBTs

Old Blotchy, tallest spotted gum in the world (part 1 of its 68 metres)

Part 2

Slash by a single selection forest on the South Coast

Briefing

into the stand

another Group selection site

tree felling giant

body slam

group selection ensures healthy and productive stand regeneration

Rosie randomly sampling for litter

open woodland

gnarly stems

Solene

it gets dark early

sheathing bark

on tube stocking

Brian from Greening Australia introduces direct seeding for tree plantings in agricultural landscapes

native vegetation nursery

Greening Australia trial site

tree corridor for farm and biodiversity benefits

Chris McElhinny (course lecturer) on the importance of preserving and nurturing remnant trees

Creative Commons Licensing (take a look!!!)

2008-06-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

The rules to creativity have changed, and it's just the beginning.

The way forward for protecting and sharing ideas to the world!

An intro to CC licensing...to build a better, more vibrant creative culture.

CC's success stories and an insight into where it's headed.

Hooray! Finally, sharing and downloading online done legally, properly, and creatively!

the Lyrebird of South Australia: A tribute to David Attenborough

2008-04-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Watch and be astounded...I couldn't believe it either.

And the irony of it all...a chainsaw!

David Attenborough has provided a human voice for the natural world for many years now. His work leaves a legacy of awareness and concern for the rich world in which we are only equally a part of.

I choose to believe that humanity's legacy on the world, though on a seemingly blinded and distracted trajectory, is still very much in our hands and could very well look up if only we tried harder.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-03-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

May 22. Gahh. And it doesn't help at all that I've successfully downloaded all existing Indiana Jones-related comics. Long live torrent, long live Indy.

Kuala Lampur, Malaysia (February 20-21)

2008-03-01T05:34:00.002-08:00

In mood for Malaysia. Thanks to the great Jimmy Tham for his unparalleled hospitality and incisive political commentary. You fed me like a pig ready for the slaughter. Eternally grateful. Your generosity is only outweighed by your cunning in basketball.

Home is Where The Heart Is: Manila (Dec 11 - Feb 19)

2008-02-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Manila: Schuyler, Benitez, Greenhills, Quezon City, Makati, Tagaytay, Batangas.
Manila: Home.

SRES 3023: Agroecology and Sustainable Systems (November 19-30)

2007-12-06T03:13:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the field: Willeroo, Leeton, Gum Creek, Marrumi

George Gundry checking for overgrown grass at his Willeroo cattle farm

George Gundry on Time Controlled Grazing

The Sun Rice factory at Leeton

Rockdale Feedlot

Purdy's reflection over a long row of happy cows enjoying sweet grains, low morbidity and low mortality rates

Rockdale Feedlot representative on Rockdale's closed-loop operations

Dean Morris and his hydroponic oranges

inground hydroponics control centre

election night at the caravan park, boozed up and screaming anything but howard

david dumaresq on david suzuki

PM Kevin Rudd: New Leadership, Fresh Ideas

Verity checking out the harvester and its sharp teeth

Carina and Blight Jr.

Ian Blight in one of his wheat fields at Gum Creek

drained rice paddock

Blight's self-recycling irrigation system

Peter Randall: organic farmer at Marrumi

SRES 3023 2007

The most important course I've done yet...!

The SLC End-of-Semester Extravaganza (November 15)

2007-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

Spring has come, and what better time to have a barbecue going out under the nice afternoon sun, make music, and have hearty conversations with none other than the beautiful people of the Canberra Environment Centre and the ANU Sustainability Learning Community. Truly, i am yet to fully understand why I have only the fondest memories to associate with this place and these people.

(note: above paragraph not intended to sound gay.)

the SLC Organic Garden (where perhaps at least 10% of my last 3 months was spent on)

carrot, beetroot, cucumbers, marigolds, rosemaries and basils. beans and more to come!

diedrie, liz and jen finally harvesting the garden's giant cabbage into...you wouldn't have guessed it...cole slaw!

little james and kathy

bosses robin and roger

mia impressing everybody with her on-time eggshaking abilities

harris and verity, aspiring plant geneticist and bird scientist

oo, haggang dito, (pa-)bida pa rin ako. deal with it.

jenn, sam, claire, lawrence, dan

verity is by night a skateboard heroine (or at least in training).

manchester here she comes

sunset by lake burley-griffin

hooray for permaculture and food.

Melbourne Cup, Melbourne (November 5-8)

2007-11-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

I just had to go back.

After a grueling semester, what better idea (which must be mentioned, was initially imogen's) than to escape back to Melbourne, dress like a rich cat, and partake in Australia's biggest horsing (and also gambling) event--The Melbourne Cup.

Despite losing a total of 15 bucks on bad bets, i came out of the races with a huge smile plastered on my face after having finally seen horses actually galloping faster than 2 km/h.

Staying over at Trish and Tara's, needless to say, was a huge delight. Roaming the city could never have been more perfect with Melbourne's wonderful weather, great people, glorious architecture, blooming culture, and the occasional drunken feller.

Here's to new friends and folly.

city welcome

of fascination and fascinators

(l-r) julius, jemma, imogen, lawrence, geoff

mr. and mrs. we're from the tropics

observing the dress code japanese style

table tennis troupe from the 80's

high expectations

jemma and imogen finally busting the myth of the tikbalang

betting ring

jemma's winning ticket

trish

tara

anthro geeks

by the yarra river

by swanston street (polish clown hoolahooper)

by federation square overlooking st.paul's cathedral and 2 sikhs.

But don't get me wrong, Manila is still home and...(mark, open-ended).

Melbourne (September 22-24)

2007-10-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing but good vibes and an ubiquity of irresistible culture. I left my heart in Melbourne. Thank you to my "coconut" benefactors, and my good friend Trish for letting me live off their good fortune for three unforgettable days.

Trish's apartment...that was just to die for.

Flinders Station

St. Paul's Cathedral

The Pilgrim's Destination

The Library Of Victoria

just like in the movies eh?

street theater 1

Melbourne with the world in its hands

street theater 2

Cassie and sister

if truth be told

an art installation i'd aptly call "kawawang kalabaw"

St. Kilde's beach by night

my first real dinosaur experience

Blue Whale remains

Velociraptor and friends

my first real mummy experience

taking this picture confirms it, i'm now cursed for life

my first totemic experience

Trish's old Catholic adobe: Yes, Catholics have it good by cosmological default

The Ian Potter Museum by Melbourne University

What was an 18th C. Gothic establishment,
preserved through the ages to become one hell of a bank

Queensland and Northern Territory Airline Service planes and boy

My type of city.

Frog Survey, Booderi National Park, Jervis Bay (September 1-3)

2007-09-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

"The Effects of Fire and Climate Change on Frog Species Distribution"

What can be summed up as one INTENSE field experience, into untouched and beautifully varied ecosystems. From swamps, to creeks, to beaches, to marshlands, to rainforests, and scary/strangely mystical nighttime excursions into the world of nocturnal wildlife.

a truly one of a kind experience into what was quantitative research at its f*cking finest (well at least for a neophyte like me) consisting of water and climate sampling, "tadpoling", call recording, vegetation analysis, rugged roads, and delicious ratatouille. Truly, a life-altering 3 days of renewed awareness and passion for conservation and sustainability.

Thank you to Martin Westgate for having me on this PhD field trip. Frog pictures c/o NSW National Park Services.

Martin, Maddie, and Me

Tadpoling (identifying stages of development and perhaps the effect of pH levels)

one of the 200+ call recorders (for nocturnal mate calling sessions)

site 126a

beachfront (white sands and utter seclusion)

site 131b

in the rainforest with markedly special flora and fauna

Governor's cliff

(a pair of endangered Jervis Bay Bristle Birds, i think)

foursome

abandoned limestone lighthouse

spot the penguins standing around

the Holden Rodeo has proven itself quite invincible. 1 near fatal kangaroo incident, 5 fallen tree trunks, 4-feet tall reeds, muddy slopes, and we still made it alive somehow. now there's a good pick-up.

sun and marker: a matter of life and death, really.

macro-view of a wild coastal species of flower

Crinia signifera (Common Eastern Froglet, the most rampant of all species in Jervis bay, notable for its loud and low croak call, which tended to overpower other calls, which was annoying to us trying to make out calls of more endangered frog species)

Paracrinia haswelli (Haswell's Tree Frog)

Litoria aurea

Litoria jervisiensis (Jervis Bay Tree Frog, endemic to Jervis Bay)

Lymnodynastes dumerili (Banjo Frog, which really did sound like a banjo looking for a mate)

I firmly believe the value of ecological surveys should be recognised more by countries like the Philippines, where dynamic yet highly vulnerable ecosystems are at risk of not only disappearing unrecorded, but of disappearing totally unknown to Filipinos who should first and foremost be celebrating their responsibility over what is a wealth of diverse Filipino landscapes and wildlife.

The moral of this picture set: Conservation. The rate of human-induced destruction on Earth is so unprecedented, that defenseless ecosystems and creatures are barely coping and slowly disappearing without a trace. And all it takes to start turning things around is by being aware, and start realising that a world with just human beings is a crap world.

Archie & The Gang

2007-08-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

Here's to a new generation of Archie readers...

effective 2008

but lest we forget the Archie of sweet cherished teenage memory, here's a personal tribute to the Christian gang we learned to celebrate, to emulate, and to take with us to the loo on those lazy summer nights. A toast to our true Pals and Gals...

my personal favourite

Josie, pre-WWII (yes, this was real)

From official Archie cartoonist Dan De Carlo's
'Archie After Dark' renegade pin-up series

Betty and Veronica discover feminism

10 years later, Betty finds out Veronica's not as perfect as she once was

--------

and just for kicks...

N.B. Don't ask me why i put these up here, i don't know too.

Chevelle and The Butterfly Effect, ANU Bar, July 22

2007-07-24T19:26:00.001-07:00

the concert was sonic. was really impressed with the opening band Dead Letter Circus. Chevelle followed, playing a couple of new songs, but it was their old ones that really did it for me (Send the pain below, forfeit, comfortable liar, the red, vitamin a). i couldn't stop thinking about 4th year high school when i saw them up there. it's funny how prior to the concert it felt unreal knowing that i was going to see Chevelle play live, right in front of me; but when i was actually in that moment, it didn't feel at all unreal. sure it was great, but it didn't feel as novel as i thought it would...i guess that's what globalisation does to you. (?)

The Butterfly Effect, the headlining act, was pretty good. i mean, it's not so much their brand of music, it was more their energy and the lighting that did it for me. you could really tell by the crowd reaction Australia's real proud of these 'blokes'.

Only a few shots here. the mosh pit grew unbearable.

The Opening Act: Dead Letter Circus (Brisbane)

And he jumps and he sneers

Delay Junkie on a Telecaster

Perry Farrell-esque

Chevelle Sings

"In America, when you flick someone off, it means I love you, well, fuck you Canberra."

Chevelle and the red

The Butterfly emotes

The Butterfly's wings

A Slow Descent

I miss playing in a band. This sucks.

Sydney (July 7-9)

2007-07-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Missed out on the sewers field trip for this. What can i say, i loved the place. Nothing like Manila (but i knew that), i reckon, had more of a new yorky kind of feel to it. nonetheless a magical city indeed. even the red light district (where our hostel was) had a fantasy-esque tinge to it. its not as shitty as others say it is. well of course, compared to Canberra, Sydney's a busy beehive. but i wouldn't mind going back.

the usual suspects

cityscape 1 (george street)

"take a picture of the flying hopper"

McDo with chandeliers

McDo under tower

narnia 1

cityscape 2 (darling harbour)

street jester posing

street jester playing with fire

sydney aquarium (dad would have loved this)

tila-pia

"ge ge nemo zai na li ah?"

"hindi ako si nemo"

nice

anak-anakan

baby's first sea mammal experience

"trained to be cute"

the famous underwater dome thing

maui and sons

"you're a bit too close mate"

the opera house by night

narnia 2

Lowenbrau's Bier Hall

eidlveiss

germans kicking it medieval-style

"if you know what's good for you, spray that on my face please"

um...

"life is good"

i miss my tanya

the opera house by day
at the top

cityscape 3 (main street)

Lunk Park (would be scary at night)

a 1930s themed park

in the swirling barrels

the sydney harbour bridge

peace out...

Random stuff

2007-07-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Some random pictures i took prior to my winter session course.

in late june, i discovered what sadness meant when i found out tickets for the nine inch nails concert in sydney cost ninety bucks, not of course including travel and accommodation expenses. its shite i tell you.

mein dvd, rammstein so gut

some of the smarter stuff i bought since i got here this year
(excluding of course the kung pow and toxic avenger dvds)
a 16th C. torture catalogue from Nuovissimo Melzi (think Guantanamo)

La Escala de la Vida

The Butterfly Effect and Chevelle: not quite NIN, but good enough i guess.

Ginnindera Lake

2007-06-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

On a nice winter day, by the lake.

the lake and dock

red billed black swans

death by trolley

death by non-degradable packaging

odd one out

peace out.

And he returns...

2007-06-13T20:43:00.001-07:00

Needless to say, gaps in between my blog entries are usually caused by essays, assessments, tests, and presentations. They are all to blame really. And i know i keep on using them as excuses. but they are all really to blame.

However, as of tuesday, I officially finished first semester.

and what can i say about the first semester?

hmmm, highlights would include often finding myself being rudely awakened by a sharp pain in my back as caused by regularly falling asleep over a pile of (what could only be interesting) books.

over the past three months, i've also grown a close affinity to the simpsons after so religiously observing their evolving family/community behaviours from seasons 1- 15 (1989-2005).

i've also contracted a second-hand-DVD-buying addiction over the past few weeks, scoring myself some pretty neat old sci-fi flicks and a few new concert dvds (the latest being the new Nine Inch Nails DVD, which is perhaps the best concert dvd i've seen yet, though i am still waiting on that limited edition Rammstein DVD).

also in the course of the last 4 weeks, i was able to deliver 3 oral presentations, and finish 5 long pieces of written assessments--with some pretty original ideas to go with them too ;p

looking back, i can really say i threw in 200% worth of effort for the first semester... and it damn better reflect on my final marks...

well as for now, its another two fleeting weeks of break time for me. winters come. and its getting wickedly cold on early mornings and late nights. A big storm ravaged Sydney a few days ago, damaging some $100M worth of houses and property, while killing about 10 people. Funny how natural disasters are far worse in the Philippines...and yet, the indifference is far greater as well.

I'll be starting uni earlier than everybody else though, on July 2 :( because im meant to do this intensive winter-session course on urban ecology. so, yes, its going to be the sewers for me.

I've also been looking into doing exchange next year...i've been told to have a "strong fighting chance" of landing myself in a "top" university....(quoting someone who shall not be named hehe). i guess i'll have to see how that one goes...(with fingers ever so crossed).

For now, here's some pictures i've managed to take over the last month. nothing much really.

Surprise by the doorstep

Tanya !
Sophia, all ready for Assumption!

Pampangenan craftswomen

Bart's friends are my friends too, you know...
"Yaaay! Lawrence is replacing Bart!" (-sigh- if only Springfield would give me the chance to prove i'm one of them)

Homer wakes up in a parallel universe (found this one more freaky than funny)

Peter Bellwood's Asia Pacific Collection (please do click, some pretty astounding stuff behind the glass here) *all following pictures obtained with permission

Tracing Peter's (contested) Austronesian migration theory through pottery remains:
1. as beginning in 4000 BC South China, later moving into Taiwan

2. then to the Philippines and (maybe) Indonesia

3. And then quite possibly to mainland SEA to the west (Vietnam and to some extent Thailand)

4. and to the Pacific in the East
Above: a Rapanui (Easter Island) glyphed rongorongo board (of which i think resembles the Alibata in some odd way)

some red slipped pottery from South Asia (1st column) and some pretty sharp tools (2nd column)

recently discovered "ling lingo-o" earrings from across Island and Mainland SEA, all which are believed to have originated from Philippine (Palawan) workshops

Hedda and the interview that finally happened

Don't be fooled: 4 degrees.

I mean its got wings and a bike, so why wait for the bus? (forgive the corniness, i've deserved it)

...and i'm off to the pub.

Chee-yeers.

Birthday tributes

2007-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yet again, i find myself busily swimming in uni work and childcare work. I am going out more on the weekends, though (if that makes me sound any less pathetic).

So while my camera sits in the dark and my butt on a sweaty chair for the next few days, I've decided to post some pictures of birthday parties that have come to past in the last few weeks.

Lolo's 83rd

Felix and Lolo: 'magiging kapos-palad ka anak'

Fey and Grace's 21st: hogging over Lester

Felix's tiger dragon: 'saan diyan'

John's 22nd: 'a Brit with balls'

the one dollar drinks finally hit the cameraman and his steady hands

Nicole's 6th

Dinuguan ni Chito: walang takas ang bawat salu-salo

Ben Bukol: '53. Too bad!'
or as Albert would have entitled this shot, 'Uminom ka nalang.'

Indiana Jones IV

2007-04-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

...enough said.

Snowy Mountains Field Trip

2007-04-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Its mid-semester break at last...

And I'm finally getting the time to post these pictures i took during the Human Ecology field trip to the Snowy Mountains.

Basically, it was a 4 day survey done from March 30- April 2 on the various human and environmental impacts in the Snowies.

The highlight of the whole trip was the in-depth (and physically challenging) analysis of parts of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

The scheme is a massive system of dams, aqueducts, tunnels, weirs, turbines etc, spread across New South Wales and Victoria, capturing snow melt from the Snowy Mountains, and at the same time, diverting west flowing waters of the Snowy, Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers into the east for use for irrigation and electricity generation.

Needless to say, the scheme continues to curtail environmental flows needed by the original ecosystems deprived of their flowing waters. The challenge therefore presented is the proper management of the scheme which would allow human and environmental interests to be realised.

Yes, the details were quite complex for a naive outsider like me, who, still remains unfamiliar with the landscape; but the whole trip was nonetheless educational as it taught me how crucial systems thinking is in the business of social and ecological change--where different actors and different interests have to be considered with any attempt to instigate transformative processes.

Anyway, here are some pictures I'm allowed to put up...

Snow Water: giving life to Australians

The Scheme: networks of diversions

The details and the myth

Mindy, the Thai-Australian

The bridge at Dalgety, where the water from the Snowy river below used to overflow up to the white line

(pre-)water analysis and sampling at the Snowy by Dalgety

the polish explorer at Jindabyne

the artificial lake at Jindabyne

Rod Mason, the Tidbilliga (aboriginal term for the "Snowy Mountains") shaman and park ranger

(l-r) Amy, James, Toby, and Mindy chalet (cabin) mates and bluff losers

Boxhead: the Australian drinking game

Friday night footie, pretending call time was not 4 hours laterMama Kanga and Baby Ru with nose sticking outGuthega Power Station

Pipes running across the whole scheme

Lecturers Rob Dyball and Dave Dumaresq, with David the Kosciuszko expert

all covered up and ready to goAscent: 2000 feet here we come! (and believe me it was not easy at all)The Peri-glacial boundary: pertaining to the greenery admist the burnt herbageremnants of what used to be a 100 sq. m subalpine fen bog depleted by grazers
a snowy capped mountain i forgot the name ofat the peak of Kosciuszko

breathe lungs, breathe

the Dicky Cooper rock formation: where Tidibilliga boys were made into Tilibiga men

Snow, and unfortunately, the only picture i took with a part of my body in it

rest at the bottom
Flightless female Mountain Grasshopper, Acripeza reticulata (c/o debbie)

In the peri-glacial boundary: home of the endangered mountain pygmy possums hiding beneath the rocks...still thanking God it slid to the left

Rob and David

Big Trout in Cooma: Becc wondering what's in her sandwich

Tantangara dam: as vandals believe "is *bleep*ing unnecessary!"

SRES 2011 2007 (c/o debbie)

Dale wearing my nameHome on the mind: sick of hiking, sick of getting wet, sick of listening, sick of sitting in the bus

but loved every moment of it....

Cheers.

An illustrated walkthrough on how to appreciate and survive the ANU

2007-03-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

An illustrated walkthrough on how to appreciate and survive the ANU (when you still don't have much academic hullabaloo to worry about yet)

(this is, by the way, my first and, therefore, uncreative attempt to take pictures without being noticed)

From the bus stop, in order to get to anywhere, you need to tread through a really bushy track. Once you've braved that, you will be greeted by a pleasant looking phallic sculpture...

when you see this, you'll know you're on the right track (and that physics students are queer)

Walk straight through the grass, and remember not to be intimidated by students walking faster than you...after all, they really might have somewhere urgent to go, or they just might have really long legs unlike yours and mine. As you trod through

the path made famous for its various metamorphoses during the year (for now, its fashioning the summer look)

first be aware that, no, you are not in China as the loud majority of superiority complexed Chinese hooligans to your right, left, front and centre may suggest...you are actually soiling what is ranked the 22nd best university on planet earth...

and did you know filipino students enrolled in this institution are confirmed to be the smartest human beings to ever exist?

Keep on going and you'll see the famous union court, a gathering area where a lot of students are able to go about their daily routine of eating, making out, and bashing their favourite arts or law students.

this is a picture of the union court (at 6pm, believe it or not) on what had supposedly been a very successful and exciting celebration of international women's day

try sitting on the steps and see why they say the ANU is a microcosm of 'multicultural Australia'...

only here will you get to see...

...happy sri lankans

...flanked by a lonely australian

...who happens to be sitting across a fixture of mixed colours on the wall and on top of each other.

if you're lucky, a singaporean secret agent with the codename of 'vanness' will hopefully come up to you and ask you to play basketball with him, of which you'd be better off politely declining and instead challenging him to badminton the next day, of which you will bitterly lose but of course will redeem yourself when you find out that you actually play basketball better than him

while you're in the whole socialising mode, why not forcefully bump into an irish-australian and start a conversation about the middle-east? you'd probably be surprised that she can both speak and write arabic and is almost certainly going to jordan next year all by herself to learn to deal with the problems that have plagued the world since 9/11. I'd advise a rebuttal consisting of some esoteric knowledge about Muslim burials recently excavated in Southeast Asia that instead of pointing to Mecca, as they should be, shockingly point to South China; and that archaeology is cool.

If that doesn't work, shut your mouth and your camera and just be content that you've been blessed with the fortitude of good experience and company. And that at least now you know the reason why australian beef doesn't taste as good because here they don't drain the blood of the cow before they butcher it, which leaves the smell of old blood and spews up an awkward smell when you fry it for tomorrows baon.

God bless.

Paintball and Nicolle's 23rd

2007-03-03T23:22:00.000-08:00

Went down south of Canberra today to play some paintball with a bunch of old (coffee club) and new friends (there were 23 of us). At round 6, we all headed to Nicolle's place for her birthday BBQ.

Paintball was surprisingly awesome. Got to raise the flag in one of the games, not to mention shoot a lot of people dead. It hurts more than it should theoretically but who cares. It was heaps of fun.

Here's some pictures prior to the 4 hours of relentless shooting, when we didn't know as of yet what we were getting ourselves into.

Caitlin and Helen

Tony

Frank

Pep talk (and yes it was 38 degrees hot that day so the cover-alls didn't really help, not that they even lessened the pain)

Then we headed to Nicolle's place for her 23rd birthday. Nothing too rowdy, just the usual small amounts of alcohol, barbeque, and extremely good company. Here's some of the faces to the names I've been mentioning before.

Che-yeers

John and Suzanne

The boys with the girl

Suzanne, Joey, Kathryn, Nicolle, Terri, Deb

Barista, Manager, Taxation Officer, Ring Leader and Friend

Good times.

The Long Weekend

2007-03-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

It rained pretty hard last night. But i didn't think it rained that hard to have caused 'extensive damage to 60 buildings in the ANU'. Apparently, a freak 'hail storm' hit the city last night with raindrops as big and hard as golf balls. And to think it's summertime. Global warming strikes again.
Notwithstanding, its no classes for me for the rest of the week.

Obviously, someone didn't venture too far beyond familiar territory to take these shots of the usual garden effects.

aftermath 1

aftermath 2

aftermath 3

local colloquial

Back to reading! (the only thing i ever really do here...)

Greetings, the Internet has found me.

2007-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Testing...1...2...3...
1 Pre-departure picture
4 In-country (house) pictures

Will post more when i get the time! It's been truly busy this week with uni and all. Hope all of you are well. I feel a good year coming.

My father, the Faithful Navigator

Upsy Daisy

Summer Pink

Nicole and Chito

Terra Cotta Lover

God Bless.