Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.




I may not agree with why you are doing what you do, but I will always admire your courage and never begrudge you the honour you deserve.



~~ Lest we forget ~~


Sunday, November 9, 2008

Further Zebra Thinkings


I have no idea what to think about the execution of the Bali Bombers.

On one hand, I hate the thought of taking a human life. To think that there could be so much more to these lives. Or the huge effect that their deaths would have on the people around them. Also, what happens if the law system was wrong? What happens if they did not really do it? I'm pretty sure there has been a few people that were hanged or electrocuted and then were cleared when DNA testing came in.

On the other hand, I have a bit of a connection with the Bali bombings. Nothing too great. I was in Kuta less than a month before the bombings. (I think it was around 2 weeks before) I went on a school trip with my mum as I was studying Indonesian at school. I got to talk with the people, go to a local market, visit the temples and spend a few nights in the wonderful hills of Ubud. The second Bali bombings took place at Jimbaran Bay - the beautiful beach where we had a very special dinner on one of our last nights. I was more traumitised by this then I was by September 11.

So sometimes I feel like the deaths of these men are warranted - they ruined that idyllic holiday island, took the lives of so many people, and ruined the tourism of Bali - the one thing the locals count on to survive.
But then, these men were people, human lives and who are we to decide that they no longer deserve to live? How can we punish their decision that others lives are worthless, by reacting in the same way???

It's times like this that I wish I did think in black and white.

Friday, November 7, 2008

round and round.....

Things that people do on buses that irritate me:

- don't give elderly or pregnant or disabled people a seat
- stand at the back doors which forces people to cram in down towards the front door - the driver then thinks the bus is full and won't let anyone else on even though there is space at the back.
- sit in the aisle seat. Then either put their bag on the window seat or stand up to let someone else sit at the window seat - Just move the fuck over!
- people who put their legs out into the aisle or sit only half in the chair. People do need to get past!
- school kids that sit in the seats and refuse to move for anyone else, whilst making a lot of noise whilst I'm trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep (this morning there was actually a whole group of school girls that stood up to let others sit down - but they then ruined the good gesture by standing at the back door)
- smell. Okay its said a lot but some people really do smell! Don't eat a lot of curry if you are not going to bathe!!!


Hmm....maybe I just get annoyed easily.