with a flugelhorn

the bug

I love travelling - the freedom, the education, the experiences. If I could change one thing about my life, I would probably choose to travel more.

But my boyfriend, he hasn’t quite been bitten by ‘the bug’. So, perhaps selfishly, I am setting out to get him bitten. We’ve had a few car trips to a couple Victorian towns and Orange, NSW (you know, to ease him in), we’ve flown up to Sydney for a weekend and tonight we head to Hobart! (We’re also planning a trip to Japan - excitement!)

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

I’m not sure if travelling is actually enlightening, selfish or just plain fun, but I know I enjoy it. And kinda hope other people do too :)

the first Olympics

No, this is not about the very first Olympics (ancient or modern), this is about the 2012 Olympic Games - the first Olympics in which all of the participating countries have sent female athletes to compete.

Personally, I feel very conflicted about this. Of course I am happy that women have been given the opportunity to compete, but at the same time, why has it taken so long to reach this point? The first modern games were held in 1896 and women were allowed to compete in the 1900 games, which seems pretty good. But in 1992 thirty-five countries were only sending male competitors to the Summer Olympics. So it seems we’ve come a long way in 20 years. 

Women have had to fight to get equal opportunities in education, work, etc. And in many countries, this fight is far from over. The differences between men and women in sport, however, isn’t remotely close. Even in supposedly ‘equal’ countries like Australia, male and female competitors are given very different treatment. And finally, this has been getting some air time.

Regardless of the present issues and inequalities, I thought it is still important to recognise the significance of these games. So cheers ladies!