Gateway Racism

Need a light - JDM Media

Damn, living Indian stereotypes piss me off. 

Last week I started working as a dishy at a restaurant called the Boat House 20 minutes down the road. It's alright for a dishy job, so for now it's going to keep me above water while I look for something better. 

The one problem with it isn't the work, it's my colleague. 

Tornado, his name is. I guess that must be an Indian name. He's the most frantic man this side of the black sea and needs everything to be done his way. I can't even work without him going "No, bad." then giving me something else to do. 

I'm exposed to this kind of irritation and the only thing that sets him apart from everyone else is the fact that he's Indian. So now my brain is slowly liking annoyance to Indians and I can't let that happen. 

We all know that racism towards Indians is healthier than cigarettes for way more of a buzz. If you still want to be racist, but don't want all the negative side effects of other racisms, the Indian root is your best choice. But kids, rascism towards Indians is more than just an easy to access, harmless, legal-in-some-states racism. It's a gateway racism.

That's right, a gateway racism. You see you start with the Indians, pointing out something half funny about their accent but everyone laughs cause they're racist. Then one of your friends might see an Asian and do the stretchy eye thing. You're confused inside and a little scared. You've heard stories of people falling into comas from Asian racism. But, you've become used to your Indian racism and think to give it a try. You utter a racial slur under your breath, then suddenly you've crossed the tipping point.

You've begun a long spiraling nose dive. You being to become racists towards specific countries, beginning with Ethiopia and ending up at France of Holland trying to quench your thirst for unwarranted racism. When there are no countries left to try, you start looking for new things to be racist against and before you know it you've hit the lowest of the low: You're racist against left-handed people. 

It's an epidemic in Australia. Watch the video, http://www.salon.com/2012/09/30/is_it_okay_to_be_left_handed/ 

Last week when I was taking pictures of Cameron busking, I met two guys who asked Cam if they could light their cigarettes with his poi. I thought that was such a cool idea so I asked them to do it again and snapped some shots. After they left, we also met two German girls who were couch surfing and had no where to go. I let them use ours for the night. 

I have to remember that Tornado is one of a kind, a living stereotype that isn't a model of all Indians. If not, I could fall into the racism trap and next time I find two couch surfing Germans I'll be too racist to give them a place to stay. 

- James

Light me up - JDM Media

Cameron loves vodka

Bird in flight - JDM Media

Damn, birds are fast. 

Bird eating therefore not f*cking
moving - JDM Media

So I got a call today saying I didn't get the school photography job that I'd wanted because I lived to far away. I'd like to believe that is the only reason why they didn't hire me, so I will. 

It's sad, but there's plenty of other opportunities cropping up out of absolutely no where. Yesterday, Cameron and I were walking in Melbourne and saw a little arts market down an alleyway. I like arts markets, so I went down to take a look. The guy who runs it saw me with a guitar bag on my back with a fire staff sticking out. He stopped me then asked if I busk. I said yes and so now he wants to arrange for Cameron and I to perform at the market. I think that's pretty cool.

Second, I got an email from a writing agency giving me some writing exercise to do. I had to write product descriptions and a fake blog post. I did that and sent it back so hopefully they'll get back to me by Monday. I've got a dish washing job right now paying $17 an hour which is keeping me above water. I just want to find a decent job before I go back home.

Cameron meet vodka watermelon

On the other side of things me and my flat have been partying hard. The other week, Cameron's friend Adam came over from New Zealand to visit. He was a good guy, fun to talk to and amazing at playing hillbilly songs about porcupines.

To the left you will see the result of finding out the Aldi nearby sells vodka combined with discovering the one dollar a kilo watermelons from the market next door. The only logical thing to do was to carve a hole in the top of the watermelon and drain the vodka inside. The second logical step was to give it to Cameron since the vodka sits better if you give it some affection.

Once we cut up out creation everyone said cheers and we all dug in. All we'd accomplished was making a watermelon taste like vodka. Eric said the vodka was too strong, but I think Cameron went a little too far with his lovin'.

- James

My Fire Staff

My new fire staff - Eric Provencher

I took none of the pictures in this post!

Last weekend I went to a circus store with Cameron and saw a fire staff. I had to have it. 

In Canada I used to practice bow staff after Matt gave me one. I didn't get that good at it, mainly because every time I messed up it would damn near knock me out. It was three times heavier than my new one, plus I couldn't light it on fire. 

The practice tree - Eric Provencher

For the last week I've gone out to practice for an hour everyday. I normally just walk down to the park next to my house and stand in front of one of the trees. 

It's become a ritual. I feel extremely calm when I'm spinning the staff. Well, I'm calm until it hits me and I throw it at the tree in frustration. 

Most of the time there is no one in the park, so it's just me surrounded by trees, the river and birds flying around. I don't make a sound, so it feels like I'm in Lord of the Rings or something practicing how to fight. It's an image I will use in my writing soon, as I am determined to start writing my book again. 

Throw - Eric Provencher

Anyway, I practiced it for about a week until I decided I was going to light it on fire. The thing about my staff in particular is that their are four pieces of wrapped Kevlar on each end meaning I could probably create some interesting effects with salts that burn different colors. I was going to light each spoke one by one as I got better, but it turns out each one is too small to be lit individually. So I lit two so far, and I will light them all next time.

Fire staff - Andreanne

I'm also trying to do something I've never done before and become good at contact staff. Contact staff is when you flip the staff around without using your hands at all. Instead you use your forearms to balance it in the air and guide it wherever you want it to go. My style is very aggressive and strike oriented, so I think bringing some contact staff into it will add more tranquility to the dance.

Now, why would you want to learn to do fire staff? Wouldn't it be a waste of time when you could be getting a career instead.

Melted face - Andreanne

Well, yesterday me and Cameron went busking in Red Square in Melbourne. We busked for a little less than three hours when the rain and wind forced us into the shopping center near by. We talked to lots of people and almost got filmed for a street art show. We also left with a guitar bag with $93.20 in it.

This was on a rainy Monday night. Imagine when all the drunkards are out on Friday. They'll throw money at us.

So, if I can get good at fire dancing I can always have a side job (or a job if I'm unemployed). I mean everyone loves fire. EVERYONE.

Anyway, I've gotta go practice.

-James

Great shot - Andreanne

Melbourne Botanical Gardens

Melbourne fountain - JDM Media

Some building - JDM Media

The Melbourne council has failed its tourists because it does not emphasis the dangers of the Botanical Gardens. I believe it may be a ploy to attract the unaware traveler to the place, so that they do not feel as though the gardens are a bad investment.

Where do I begin.

The other day Agathe and I went down to the botanical gardens. She had one of those walking tour guides where you follow the numbers on the map. For the first twenty minutes we thought we were in the Botanic gardens. We were wrong.

A gate to the gardens
- JDM Media

After a wander past a few statues of people we didn't really know, we came to a gate covered in spikes about 4 inches long. The arch above was wrapped in barbed wire. It looked like the teeth of a monstrous guard dog. Beside the door a sign read “closes at sunset”.

Despite the savage entrance and the sighting of plants shaped like lost souls we entered. These were the true botanical gardens.

Light through the trees - JDM Media

Past the gate we saw no one, only a path flanked by trees and plants of all categories. There was something serene about the place. The sweet scent of fresh fauna seeped into our lungs and any fear the gate had created was instantly expelled. The path beckoned, and so we followed without question.

As dancing birds and whispering trees passed on either side, we came to a clearing. It was a small area of grass with a garden of pink bushes and a lonely blossoming tree. Agathe told me it was her favorite tree, a Jacaranda mimosifolia. It reminded me of the rose from Beauty and the Beast whose petals slowly fell one by one, the last marking the beast’s inability to escape his curse.

Jacaranda Mimosifolia - JDM Media

We lay down in the grass for a while. We didn't say anything, just stared at the sky occasionally taking a picture of the tree and the bush. It was picture perfect. Colors seemed not to match their objects, as if the entire area were an impressionist painting. A small boy ran by chasing birds. His father walked briskly behind him leaving his pram unattended.

Little did he know the evil that his crisps, left behind unguarded on the pushchair, would unleash.

No brochure warned us. No sign gave us guidance. No information office advised us.

They came from nowhere, creating black voids of avian shapes dashing across the picturesque gardens. They sat on benches and hoped across the grass. I’m talking, of course, about crows.

Demon head turn

I saw one of the little horrors on a bench next to the blossom tree. It head was turned completely to see behind. An ability of demons I assume.

Phase out

One of the scariest things about crows is their ability to phase in and out of existence. I am proud of the following picture. It’s difficult to photography something phasing out of existence.

Crisp steal

Once the crows had caught the scent of the crisps (and fear), they came in a pair. They tore the packet from the prams womb. Its rustling cries echoed in the clearing. I couldn't bear to watch, but my camera’s eye is merciless.

Crisp steal phase out

After stealing the newborn chip bag, the pair took a second to torture it slightly before being summoned back to their master. The crows faded out of existence midflight, taking the bag with them.

We fled the gardens after that, leaving the observation tower and a strange ball monument in our wake. I will never forget the incident with the crows. I will never speak of it again, lest history repeat itself.

The devils garden - JDM Media

-         - James 

The Red Violin

Hermes - JDM Media

A lot has happened in the days since my last post so bear with me.

So first of all, within the last week I took a trip to the Melbourne Arts Centre with Agathe, my new friend from France. I'll let the pictures do the talking, so I don't have to right too much.

Invisible protesters (left), Statue of something (right)

He with the nose that size (left)

Hannuman's  dad (right)

Sausage dog (left), Painting by painter (right)

Man he can (left), Man with Swag (right)

Agathe

This is Agathe. Close your eyes and imagine a french person. Imagine what they would be interested in, what music they would like, what movies they would watch, etc. The person you just imagined is Agathe.

I met her when I used to work for the Wilderness Society when my unmatchable good looks and charm squeezed a number out of her. Next thing you know we're admiring art together. That's the most logical next step after getting a girls number, right?

Anyway in other news my week of joblessness seems to be coming to an end. Suddenly I have three interviews, two for restaurants and one to be a school photographer. I really hope I can get the school photography job, it would look amazing on my CV. 

Also, I started writing reviews for a club/bar website in Australia. With enough effort I should be able to weasel my way into places for free. I wrote my first review the other day. I'll end this with the link. 

www.barsandnightclubs.com.au/melbourne/melbourne-cbd/red-violin-cocktail-bar/

-James

A day without electricity

Desolation - JDM Media

 "A day without power makes the whole world sour." -Nobody

You know the saying money doesn't grow on trees. Well neither does power apparently.

Actually, other than being true, that saying doesn't really make sense. If money did grow on trees then banks would just monopolize the money tree then we'd still be in the same boat. 'Cause the mans like that. The man does what he wants, especially with the money trees.

So all that to say I lost power yesterday because whoever lived here before took their name off the contract. The power guy didn't come until 6 yesterday so I spent the day phoneless.

You never actually realize how many things require electricity until you're forced to spend a day without it. Even the clicker that ignites the stove stopped working so we had to use the more primitive lighter technique to cook our omelettes. Suddenly battery life became a permanent worry, as the end of the battery was the end of convenience.

Computers are great until you can only use them for 20 minutes. Problem is you get flustered because you're trying to organize your thoughts and get all the necessary things done before it starves to death. Next thing you know you're sitting in front of a black screen recovering from a hypnotic Facebook news feed.

Once it came back though, everything was back to normal. I could charge my phone, reconnect to the world and end my existential crisis.

Max

This is Max.

He's the old tenant and was our room mate for a few days. Although his name was not on the electricity and it was someone else who canceled it, he is the closest link I have to the culprit and have therefore decided to blame him for the power out.





This is Andreanne

She was a victim of the power out, along with four of my other room mates.

We were forced to turn to powerless entertainment like talking and guitar.







And this is my reaction.

Utter devastation.

- James

A cozy Christmas

Writing - JDM Media

It's really weird seeing Christmas decorations in the shops when it's 27 degrees outside.

The second Halloween ended, most convenience stores went on an overnight restocking rampage replacing their Halloween decorations with Santas, snowmen and Christmas trees.

Thing is, my brain has a hard time registering what's going. In my head, my expectations of Christmas weather take over my system and I actually begin to feel cold. My mind automatically associates the decorations with the environment I'm used to, and my body gives me signals.

Isn't that insane?

Other people have told me they feel this too so it's not just me. It's amazing how we can become so attached to things that our body feels what we're used to rather than what's actually around us. Sensations course through us when the catalyst is in our minds.

This phenomena reminds me of something in a book I'm reading. The Game by Neil Strauss is a personal account of a man who becomes part of a society of pickup artists. During his adventure he learns a kind of hypnosis called anchoring.

When a man is trying to seduce a woman he can attempt to anchor certain feeling to himself. For example, the man could ask the woman to describe the last time she felt attracted to someone. In doing so, she will feel the feeling as she remembers her last crush. This acts as a way to force an emotional response from the girl in his presence.

To follow up there's plenty of things you can do to reinforce that feeling and link it to yourself. You can tell the girl to channel that desire into an object then put it in her pocket. Every time she sees the object, she'll remember the feeling and the person who gave it to her. Those sneaky pickup artists. tee hee.

So to put what I'm saying about the temperature in perspective, it's supposed to be 28 degrees today and summer really only just started. We're going to end up having a barbecue for Christmas.

Today, me and Cameron are going down among the Christmas stalls and train stations to try and suck a little of Melbourne's change. I'll be playing guitar and he'll be playing harmonica. Lets hope we can get enough money for a subway!

On another note, I saw this the other day.

Business Baby

This is business baby.

Business baby was very frustrated with his mother when she wanted to put her Iphone back in her bag.

Business baby is boss, so business baby gave her a good talking to and she gave him the phone.

Business baby spent the rest of the tram ride checking his assets and discussing with various business partners an action plan to avoid losing wealth during the economic down fall.

Business baby has recently suffered loses in Rome, Madrid and Athens.

After his nap, I'm sure business baby will have the answers.

- James (I don't even get my own jokes)

Who needs a job when you've got a guitar

From the bridge - JDM Media

I lost my job yesterday.

Boo, says the negative Nancy who becomes depressed and resentful in situations such as this. But not I, my friends, not I.

You see, I've realized that sales, especially on the street, isn't that great at all. Whether its fundraising or trying to sell John the gutter man's high end gutter servicing specials, you always feel a bit sleezy doing it. The main reason is simple, you basically have to convince yourself that what you're doing is good for both you and the customer.

Sometimes the little realities click in and it takes a lot of energy to keep yourself sell, sell, selling away. No matter how good your cause is, it's hard to keep your sales goals in mind when your real life goals are so far removed from what you're doing.

Head space is the key to sales. If you can brainwash yourself into making the job everything you want it to be, you can make a killing. If you begin to realize you'd rather be writing or playing guitar or drawing, your day will come down because your I-want-to-be-here vibes will escape your body language. Then, no one wants to talk to you.

I was like that, going out to different spots around Melbourne basically begging for environment money when I would rather out photographing the wilderness or actually protesting something.

But that's city life I guess. I just know there is something good out there for me. I'm going to check other job sights and take a look for writing and photography gigs. There must be stuff. I'm in Melbourne.

One thing that does bring my day up no matter what us seeing children smile. Kids are so innocent and ready to soak up the world around them. It's so sad when parents won't come talk about the environment with their kids because they're teaching them to not care.

Seb - JDM Media

The PotP on the left is Seb.

On the last day of work for St Lazare Day Camp last summer I went around taking pictures of everyone. At some point I was doing an Indian war dance underneath the gazebo at Bedard park, and Seb came to join in. Eventually I started taking pictures, and just a chance moment resulted in one of the best pictures I've taken of a person. I mean look at that smile.

Having worked with kids, I find you begin to understand how much kids soak in from the world around them. Being a parent is such an important task. It really is sad when I see parents with their kids acting rudely, because it will become part of their children.

I need to find a job doing what I want to do. Cut throat sales is a game I don't want to be a part of and fundraising is too much pleading for my taste. I need to be out there writing stories, playing music and just being myself. I'll try selling my pictures on the street. Someone also told me about a sight where you can do it. I think ill join tonight. The more I have going the better my chances.

I bought a guitar the other day from the Swap Shop in Melbourne. It was a great little store tucked away in the student part of town near the university. I walked in and couldn't wait to get my fingers on a guitar. I saw some classical guitars advertised for $200 each. I took one down and started to play. To say they were only $200 they really did sing beautifully. I couldn't believe my luck, they were in the price range.

You see, when you buy a guitar you don't ever just buy I guitar. If I only want to spend $300, the guitar itself will be $200 then you'll buy a case, capo, pedal, picks and everything else you could possibly need to make it work. So, after choosing the guitar I asked how much all that other jazz was. He just threw it in for free.

I got a guitar, case, capo and 6 picks for $200. Even in Canada that's a good deal.

In other news, Cameron and I are underway with the fire dancing video. We have a working title "The night sings," and have had various photography sections. The picture up top is from the bridge last night and those below are Cameron firdancing on it.

Circle of fire (left), Dancing on the bridge (top right), Duet (middle right), Fire foot (bottom right) - All shots JDM Media

Blog photos never quite place the way you want them to.

Anyway, we had a bit of a scare when Cameron's dance summoned a ghost. Look at the top of the flames. It's there.

Ghost in the flames - JDM Media

I'm also working on poster styles for this kind of thing. Cameron wants to start a campaign on one of those fundraising sites so that he can get his buskers permit and perform on the street. I was thinking of making posters in the style below. Tell me what you think.

Black flames - JDM Media

There would be writing below the picture obviously. I kind of like the selective color effect though.

- James

Cameron Koala

Cameron Koala - JDM Media

I'll keep this one short. 

Cameron decided that today was the day to really take the whole Wilderness Defender thing to a whole new level. The old "How are you (response no)?" line wasn't having the effect we wanted it to. We needed more bazaz and some jazz hand action so Cameron got in a tree. I would then ask people on the street if they wanted Cameron to lose his home. Cameron would then shout out facts about nature to passabys.

Although it seemed like a good idea, I think actual stops decreased significantly with this stunt. Although our execution was perfect, something about Cameron classic, satyr like face surprising people from above was scaring them away.

Once he got down, singing the environmental blues did not help us get more conversations. Neither did asking people how they felt about same sex marriage among turtles. Why don't people have opinions on pressing global debates? 

Anyway! Completely unrelated picture of the post time. 

Cards from the balcony - JDM Media

This is a shot from the balcony I took while playing cards. That's our street, full of cars and potential for mischief.

It really is a beautiful place to live and the sky is often beautiful. I wish we weren't down the hill though, so I could see more of it. 

All in all, this picture doesn't mean too much, just that I live in a wonderful place and I have not been displaced by strife.

The refutrees have. This is another of Cameron's inventions. Refutrees are groups of trees that have lost their home due to war or famine. Please help by sponsoring a refutree today and make the world a better place for people, wildlife, trees and native fauna. 

- James

The day the sun burnt me

Armeneh (I think you spell it like that) and Rozin fundraising very enthusiastically - JDM Media

Eric, who I am traveling with and is often mistaken as my brother even though he is NOT wrote an interesting blog post about monopolies in super markets.

You'll find the article here: http://wavesofoz.blogspot.com.au/

He is right when he says me and Cameron care a lot about the subject. I mean, for one I'm really tired of someone who isn't me getting all the trains and charging me 200 fu*king monies every time I land on one. I mean, come on, they're pretty much everywhere on the board and they don't even take me anywhere. I just land on it with my car (So I don't even need to catch the train) and have to give my two hard earned 100 money notes I JUST got from passing go to some deck (I'm picking up the New Zealand accent) with all the trains.

Also, real monopolies are pretty bad too.

Right now at Coles, everything that is made by Coles is about 25% cheaper than the other companies. Why? probably because Coles wants their brand bought. Makes sense, but if Coles are both the distributor and the producer, then they can push all other companies out of the market with their ridonculosly low prices. I mean, Coles isn't the only supermarket around, but if Coles becomes a store of Coles brand and everyone is going to Coles because it's so cheap, then all Coles is going to do is continue to make food cheaper and cheaper. They'll be able to do whatever they want, and they'll be our sole source.

Probably not going to happen anytime soon, and the aware people in the world will start growing their own stuff, but extremes are more fun to talk about.

So anyway, today I went to a remembrance day festival with the team. The team being Tom. There was a moment of silence at 11 a.m. that nobody announced so everyone forgot. Kind of against the point. Anyway I got 2 sign ups, 1 call back and a French girls number. Over all it was a pretty good day, other than the fact that I am sun burnt.

My God does the sun hit you here. There is absoluteness no middle ground when it comes to sun burns. It's like I'm either white as a snow flake or red as a sun burnt penguin in that joke about being red all over. My skin is all crusty and I just want to be encased in a vat of vaseline.

Stilt people

Now that last sentence brings us to an even future removed tid bit I just discovered. The more typed Google search with vaseline in it is "vaseline as lube."

So on that point, if we keep eating Coles brands we may end up as blue stilt people.

Oh yeh, and this is Jeremy.

Jeremy - JDM Media

- James