Photography challenge: D is for Determination

Bronze statue of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop

Determination can be seen in the look on a face, in the tone of a voice or in a person’s actions.

Sometimes it can lead to people doing extraordinary things.

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop was one of those people.

Sir Dunlop joined the Australian Army Medical Corps during World War II and was in charge of the No.1 Allied General Hospital in Bandung, Java, when the city fell to the Japanese in 1942. He and the members of his medical unit were taken as prisoners of war and were eventually brought to Thailand to help build the Thai-Burma railway.

As one of the war crimes committed by the Japanese during the war, the prisoners working on the railway were treated appallingly. They were malnourished, severely beaten by their captors and given no medical attention despite the tropical diseases that were rife in the camps. Many died during the construction of the railway.

Amongst all this horror, Sir Dunlop was a true inspiration, with a determination to survive and help those around him. He stood up to the Japanese at great personal risk and did all he could to save sick, wounded and starving prisoners. Australian prisoners of war had a high survival rate compared to prisoners from other countries, with Sir Dunlop’s efforts, along with a number of Commonwealth Medical Officers, credit for this.

Not only that, Sir Dunlop was able to forgive his brutal captors when he return to Australia at the end of the war. He devoted himself to caring for and lobbying on behalf of former prisoners of war and their families. He also worked to improve relations between Australia and Asia.

Most deservedly, Sir Dunlop received honours from Australia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom in recognition of his numerous achievements. He sadly passed away in 1993 at the age of 86.

A bronze statue of Sir Dunlop stands along St Kilda Road in the Botanical Gardens. It is a constant reminder of a great man with great Australian spirit.

Review: La Belle Miette

Without a doubt, Salted Caramel macarons are one of my most favourite things in the world. Ever since I had my first one over a year ago, I have been on a mission to find the best Salted Caramel macaron in Melbourne.

My latest taste test was La Belle Miette in Hardware Lane in the CBD.

The store is truly exquisite looking. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon enjoying tea and a macaron or two (or more!).

La Belle Miette

La Belle Miette’s flavours are quite interesting too - Olive Oil & Vanilla, Cherry Blossom & Sake and Bastille (Moet et Chandon & Blackcurrant) are some of the more… unusual ones.

I went for the Salted Caramel but also got the Strawberry & Vanilla and Pimm’s & Pomegranate. 

 Let me start off by saying that I admire anyone who makes macarons. They seem like they are really hard to make and get right.

These macarons weren’t the worst I’ve ever had, but also weren’t the best. The Salted Caramel filling was a bit overpowering and the texture of the outer shell was a little dry and not chewy enough. The flavours of the other two weren’t really present either and didn’t really make much of an impression on me.

It was a bit of a shame because I love the look of the store and the customer service was really good.

The search continues...

Photography challenge: C is for Colossal

It’s an unexpected sight. Giant statues of babies with wings and tails are not something you would expect to find scattered around the lower end of Melbourne’s CBD. It begged the question, what were they and why were they here?

The gleaming jet-black, six metre tall statues make up the Angels-Demons. Parade. As part of the Melbourne Festival, the outdoor exhibition is the brainchild of the Russian art collective AES+F. The group is made up of artists Tatiana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovich, Evgeny Svyatsky, in collaboration with (+) photographer Vladimir Fridkes.

The Angels-Demons. Parade. is AES+F’s version of the Apocalypse. “We present an apocalyptic parade, which does not constitute the end of the old world. It's the beginning of a new one”, they describe on their website.

The statues are modelled on new born babies. They have wings and tails, which aim to blur the lines between angels and demons. “The clear difference between angels and demons, which is common to all cultures, does not exist here. Evil may look like good and vice versa”, AES+F explain further.

The Angels-Demons. Parade. was premiered at the Lille Festival in Lille, France in 2009. Its inclusion in the Melbourne Festival is the second time the art work has been shown. 

It also marks the first time the Melbourne Festival has brought one of its exhibitions to the streets.

The Melbourne International Arts Festival, or the Melbourne Festival as it’s now known, has been running for the last 15 years. It showcases unique Australian and international dance, theatre, music, visual arts and multimedia in free and outdoor events over 17 days in October.

The Melbourne Festival runs from 6-22 October, visit the website for more details.

The rise of the girly girl

There has been a recent spate of articles attacking actress Zooey Deschanel for being ‘too girly’. Julie Klausner added fuel to the fire when she published her tumblr post, claiming that adult women are behaving too much like little girls in order to attract men.

She also goes on to say:

“Because the larger issue is that it is a lot easier for men —or even guys or bros—to demean us, if we’re girls. It’s much harder to bring down a woman, or to call her a moron, when she’s not in pigtails and Ring Pops”.

Interesting.

Zooey Deschanel’s reply highlights my thoughts exactly as I too am struggling to understand what is so wrong with being a girly girl.

In this day and age, when so many women before us fought for equality, I feel like it’s a rather archaic view to believe that being girly somehow makes a woman seem weak or even that men look for opportunities to ‘demean’ women.

Maybe it’s a generational thing. Being on the cusp and Gen Y and Gen X, I see the new generation of men who have respect for women and view them as their equals. On the flip side, I have also seen men of the older generation who have a very different view on what a women’s role is and how she should be treated. Girly or not, it’s going to take more than not wearing a headband or sparkly lip gloss to change their attitudes.

To be a strong woman doesn’t necessarily we have to act more like men. Nor does it mean that we have to become defensive and aggressive when dealing with men. I know women who have felt the need to fight for their position at work, in social circles, in the world in general and they just end up stressed, angry and alone.

I would classify myself as a girly girl. I like to wear pretty skirts and dresses, subscribe to several fashion magazines and hardly ever leave the house without some makeup on. I don’t do it to attract men (I am in a committed long term relationship), I do it for me. The only time I do things like dance around the house to 80s music or try on different outfits that I haven’t worn in a while, is when my boyfriend isn’t home (well, most of the time anyways…). Yet I feel like I am respected by the males in my life and I don’t believe that the pencil skirts and cardigans I wear to the office give men the impression that I don’t take my job seriously.

Being yourself is the best thing anyone can do. When a person is comfortable and confident in themselves and the image they are projecting to the world, that’s when they can achieve anything. Just because a girl is wearing pink and likes to bake cupcakes, doesn’t mean there isn’t a Marlene Dietrich, Marie Curie or Amelia Earhart lurking underneath…