Geek up late reading stories of political turmoil

I have always been into politics and being a political geek means spending a lot of time reading books about politics well into the night and well after ALP branch meeting have finished and conferences have wrapped up.

It must be tough running a country. With what Jacqueline Kent describes as a ‘sullen and disengaged electorate’, alongside a 24 hour news cycle and an increasingly globalised world it is not easy to have rational and sensible discussions about the decisions that are being made in Canberra. 

Below are just a few books and essays on the challenges that the government faces in managing Australia’s prosperity while ensuring a fair and decent country for all citizens.    

Sideshow – dumbing down of democracy (Lindsay Tanner)

I don’t know where to start with this book, not to say that it was bad in anyway but that Lindsay Tanner brought up so any good points that I could almost write an essay.

But basically political spin has increased over the decades and Tanner seemed to imply that the main reason because the main purpose of commercial media was to make a profit and therefore giving people consumers what they want, i.e. entertainment. As he points out ‘news is now often judged on its entertainment value; and that there is an increasing emphasis on visual imagery.  This means that everything has to be seen as ‘fun’ and the physical appearance of politicians (more often than not, female politicians) is more important than the difficult discussions surrounding inequality, Aboriginal disadvantage  and refugees. As a result anything serious and of substance is a lot harder to get covered by the media.

This idea is shared by Mark Latham in this book (see review below) who writes, ‘for most people news bulletins and current affairs shows have just become another form of infotainment, a forum for escapism and light relief, rather than hard news content.’ It is all a bit depressing really. The challenge of including the electorate in the discussions and decisions that directly affects them has to be one of bigger ones that face the government.  

So in this current environment, the media focus on words and events that would entertain their viewers and readers. Just think of the stunts that Steve Fielding pulled or any situations that were described as fiasco, turmoil, row, crisis or chaos and any of such situations are not nearly as big as they are made out to be.  The 24 hour news cycle doesn’t help either.

I found his arguments surrounding the role that media plays in the disengagement with politics and the widening gap between those who are “into” politics and those who aren’t very interesting and a point that I wished he’d developed further.     

Tales from the Political Trenches (Maxine McKew)

As an ALP hack and in Sydney during the 2007 election campaign, I found it interesting to read her story about her time in Politics as well as why we didn't hear more from her. It soon became apparent that it was the party machine's slight obsession with keeping on message at all costs But as I got through the book I found that it was as much about her story as it was about the current problems with the party and politics in general.

It was often painful to see the dirty laundry of the party whose values (working for the common good, equality, improving the lives of working people etc) that I believe in aired in public but hopefully books such as Maxine's will get read and will learn from the mistakes that she discusses. 

No wonder that the apparatchiks don't want to read this book because it has the repercussions of their work staring back at them.

The Making of Julia Gillard (Jacqueline Kent)

Simply written but an easy read! While it interesting to find out more about Julia Gillard's life, I didn't learn anything that I couldn't find out on the internet; my attitudes weren't shifted in any way. It does read like a bible for any future political ALP hack or apparatchik, so if you are thinking of running for parliament this is a good book for you.

Not Dead Yet: Labor’s Post-Left Future (Mark Latham)

Latham’s essay describes a party with an identity that is in conflict with itself and the changing nature of Australian society. Australia is very different to the Australia that gave birth to the Australian Labor Party in the 1890s. Australia’s working class no longer is necessarily economically disadvantaged or even supporters of the labour movement. 

Latham correctly identifies that civil society has changed and developed to a post political party environment; meaning that individuals opt to participate in civil society groups, even though they might be political in nature, rather than participating in the mainstream political process.

Mark Latham laments that while union membership is at around 16%, the ALP is still controlled by an “oligarchy of union-based factional leaders” whose unquestioned power extends to who gets pre-selected, which issues get “debated” at party state/national conferences and how delegates to these conferences vote. This, he argues, has lead to disengagement by the rank and file membership who struggle to participate in a party that seems to be full of “the aging party faithful, plus party members of parliament and their staff and hustling aspirants for elected office”. 

Of all Latham’s recommendations it was his focus on using education as a tool to economic and social empowerment which also included improving the status of the teaching profession, using the Asian model of education (encouraging and supporting parents in the education of the children) and improving pre-school education. Also his focus on poverty in Australia was a good reminder Australia is not a lucky country for everyone.

The Political Bubble (Mark Latham)

You mention Mark Latham to rusted on Labor supporters and they will dismiss him as a once crazy leader who crashed and burned. But after reading his latest book I have developed a new respect for Latham. 

For a while I thought his time out of politics had mellowed him and given him a sense of perspective but his article on feminism in November 2014 in the Financial Review made me not so sure.

But sometimes I just think he gets it and maybe the reason why some ALP people hate him so much is because Latham writes some uncomfortable things about the political game that they play. Like when he argues ‘It operates as a tribal situation, a closed club in which the comfort of its members is a bigger priority than the interest of outsiders’.

I found the discussion around the government’s decreasing control over the economy interesting and how governments like to claim more control over the economy. I think he’s correct when he writes ‘increasingly in public life, there is a disconnection between political rhetoric and the power of the government. While party leaders continue to make promises they can’t keep, the influence and authority of the nation state continues to be marginalised’.  

I also found his reading of the Australian public quite interesting. He argues that Australians have become (through better access to education and jobs) socially mobile and self sufficient as a result. This has meant that there has been a shift in how citizens view the political establishment.

He argues that ‘the weight of influence in Western nations has shifted to individual agents: well-educated, highly skilled people who have little reason to rely on collective organisations….elsewhere, capacity has dispersed to a growing group of self-sufficient citizens, people with the skills and resources to bypass traditional institutions. While I think his reading of the general public is by in large correct, he doesn’t discuss the sense of entitlement that goes with that and the common attitude of ‘the government owes me’ or ‘what does the government done for me?’

It is a good read, especially if you are into party politics, although your level of discomfort will be linked to your level cynicism.

Latham’s World: The new politics of the outsiders (Margaret Simons)

The first thing that struck me about this article was how much Simons was a fan of Mark Latham and I wondered how much objectivity she would have.

Mark Latham was a Labor Party leader in the early to mid naughties and was a ‘loose cannon’. He was hated by many and not considered prime minister material by many more.

The article taught me a lot about how Latham's past influenced his politics and behaviour. I now appreciate what he stands for and can see past the roguish behaviour to his values that drive him to be a player in the political game.     

Mom’s Dumpling House not your usual experience

Often Restaurants in Australia that offer food from other countries adapt their food to the local pallet. While they do it for business reasons, I often look out for places that pull crowds from that country as it is usually a sign of being true to their roots.

Mom’s Dumpling House in Victoria Park is great like this. Situated near Vic Park's famous 'Kidney Roundabout', it is an unassuming restaurant that specialises in Northern Chinese food. 

While they have the standard fare such as dumplings, sweet and sour pork and the like, their menu is full of dishes that I had never heard of and weren’t particularly appealing to the Aussie taste such as ox tongue in chilli sauce, beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce, hot & spicy pork ear as well as poached pork liver.

To celebrate the end of the working week my friends and I visited Mom’s Dumpling House and after some discussion we chose quite the feast.    

We went for kailan in oyster sauce, spicy seaweed salad, spring rolls and chives, pork and shrimp dumplings (steamed) to start off with and which we loved. Although the dumplings came out much later which was a shame as we would have appreciated them if they came out before we were half way through our meal.    

The butter chicken was chosen by my young friend who loved it as it wasn’t spicy and had simple flavours.

The hot & spicy pigs ear was served cold on a bed of shaved cucumber; with its multiple layers of flavour, it was an unexpected favourite.

The chicken, mushroom vermicelli claypot was a surprise and wasn’t what we expected. This dish was heavy and resembled comfort food that you would have in the middle of winter in Russia rather than on a late spring everning in Western Australia.  

    

It quite easy to order too much food but luckily, the staff were happy to provide containers for you to take food home. Overall, the service was great and I will defiantly be back to enjoy their Northern Chinese menu.     

Help, I need a wife!

Like most people, my life is super busy and so often I wish I could have a wife. Someone who does the domestic things while I go out and have a fulfilling life without the inconvenience of having to the mundane errands and waiting around!

What stuck a cord me while reading Annabel Crabb’s new book The Wife Drought was that it offered such a different angle on the gender and work debate. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh perspective on the women and work discussion.

She wrote this book to fill a gap in the discussion about gender and work. There is so much literature about how women are disadvantaged in the world of work and how the current paradigm favours men as well as how women should make the system work for them.

But there isn’t much written about men in the world of work and this book asks if men are happy with the current system. She writes ‘we focus our attention on who wins and who loses at work, but we don’t join it up with what is happening at home. As long as we assume that women are the only losers in this situation, nothing will change. Because the truth is that everyone loses in a system like this. Women feel hard done by, men who feel trapped at work, children who don’t see enough of their fathers.’     

So, why are wives so important?

According to Crabb, a wife (it doesn’t always have to be a female, there have been male “wives”) is someone who works a lot less in order to successfully manage the domestic sphere and handles all the things that pop up in everyday life such as visits from the plumber/electrician, goes shopping, chooses a new fridge, spend hours on the phone to the internet provider, and, not to mention looking after kids, elderly parents and associated pets.

Having such support allow men to focus on their careers, which includes staying back in the office, being available to travel (after all they have a wife and, as men, they are not primary responsible for their children) and attend out of hours networking functions.

You couldn’t do all is if you didn’t have a wife to manage your domestic life.

Different experiences and expectations       

While other books on this topic focus on the experiences of women, Crabb’s book includes a look at the role of men in family life and society attitude towards this role.

She rightly notices that while the role of women has changed dramatically over time, men’s role in society has remained stagnant. It is still assumed that they are the main bread winner and the mother of their children will be their primary carer.

Any deviation for that narrative creates huge burdens for everyone. Women feel like there are neglecting their children if they work while also being made to feel like they are not quite present in the workplace.

On the other hand, marriage grounds men – the bachelor lifestyle with its flamboyant is supposed to stop once a guy marries and has children.           

The highlight of Annabel’s discussion was around the lack of opportunity for men to access flexible working arrangements as well as the societal expectation that men won’t make much of a change to his working hours after he has children.

     

I thought it interesting when she quoted George Megalogenis who said ‘Women have trouble asking for pay rises, and men have trouble asking for time off’. The reason being that it is uncool for men to scale back for the sake of their family or ‘work-life balance’ and doing so makes them look like they are not serious about their career.   

What makes this book different?

While there are a plethora of books and articles on this topic, what Crabb’s book adds to the debate is a unique investigation of the effects of the gender roles and how ‘having a wife’ benefits men. It benefits them economically as well as in regards to their ability to participate in business and public life.

What I also like about Crabb’s book is that, unlike other books on this topic, there is a strong emphasis on men’s role in balancing work and family rather than just only on women and the problems that they face in this area.

You just have to switch on the TV or read the newspapers to notice that the individuals running the companies and in government are men and what often goes unnoticed is the level of support that they require to become captains of industry and government ministers.

Just so you know…..

This book isn’t so much about hating the patriarchy; it is about encouraging men to as for flexibility at work and participate equally in the lives of their family. As Annabel Crabb writes, ‘This is not a book of rage on the whole. And – on the whole – it is not a book about women. Because in all the research and argument and thought that’s been expended over the past five decades on the question of why women don’t succeed at work like men do there’ a great, gaping hole. It is a men shaped hole.

That’s why I liked this book (other than that it is super easy to read and is full of the usual Annabel Crabb charm, wit and grace) because it acknowledges that the problem not just one facing women that has to be solved by women or be dealt with by corporations for their female employees but that men are as much part of the solution as they are part of the problem. Allowing both men and women flexibility at work to have a life out of employment and look after children makes for a better society.     

Why read ‘The Wife Drought’?

I could go on and on about this book as well as quote every idea that I highlighted but I hope I gave you enough of an idea to give this book a try.

It is super easy to read, highly relevant and easily relatable.    

Home town discoveries

If you live somewhere for long enough you develop certain ideas about where the cool places are and you want to spend your time off. As time goes by cities and suburbs change without you noticing unless something grabs your attention and changes your views.    

Until recently, Perth’s entertainment hub of Northbridge, with its seedy undertones, has inspired images in my mind of drunken teenagers and out of control Bogans and has put me off spending much time there.

This was before I went on a Foot Loose Tour which is essentially a long walk around Northbridge’s best restaurants. It is run by well known Perth blogger with years of industry experience and these tours are designed to be a snapshot giving you an opportunity to try several places in one night.

We met under the big screen in the neighbourhood’s piazza and then, after a short introduction by our guide, we made a move.

First stop was Darlings Supper Club, one of Northbridge’s new kids on the block.  As we tried various dumpling we made a mental note to come back and explore more of their menu.

Next we got to try another new kid place called Lot Twenty,

although it was on a different block, but it was as cool. The vibe was great and somewhere I’d return to.

After a nice cider and a long chat with friend who came with me we moved on across Northbridge to Big Els Latin American Fusion. We hadn’t heard of this place before so it was good to give it a go and with its funky décor we would be back if we ever felt like South American food.    

When we seriously thought we couldn’t eat any more we shuffled over to a burger joint that I never new existed. Varsity Burgers is down a pedestrian side street and, given the name, had an American feel to it. Think deep fried, think burger after a night on the town. They seem different to the burgers that you get at other burger places but we loved our double cheese burger and fried peanut butter thing.

At this point we couldn’t eat anymore so we piked but I think the group went to visit more places.

On the whole, we had a great time and we discovered some great places to eat and look forward to going back to spend some more time at these places. It looks like Northbridge is changing for the better and making it somewhere that people would visit rather than avoid.

If you want more information regarding Food Loose Tours, go to www.foodloosetours.com.au. 

Dinner at Shilla’s Korean BBQ makes good discussion possible

  

I’m part of French Meet-up group and we do all sorts of stuff together and last night we met at Shilla’s Korean BBQ for dinner and conversation, in French of course.

As it turned out it was an ideal place for such an event because it wasn’t too noisy that we couldn’t hear each other and the food was great. We had a great table with a nice view of the river and we chatted away in French about all sorts of things, including how we were the only Anglos in the restaurant, which we thought was a good sign.

Some of the group ordered a banquet which I would recommend as it, especially if you’re dining with a posse. The round communal grill in the middle of the table aided good conversation and ended up being a bit of a hit with the Francophiles. 

They also enjoyed the nice entrée that were part of the banquet as well as the dessert of either a green tea or espresso pannacotta or green tea ice cream. It was well presented and everyone loved it.    

After much thought I chose menu number 42, I can’t remember what it was called but whatever the name was I loved it. It was so different (in a good way) and not what I expected. It came with entrée that that got you in the mood but didn’t fill you up.

The staff at Shilla’s BBQ Restaurant were attentive, polite and added to a great night out.  

Thank God it’s Friday at the Vic Park’s Hawkers Market

Being a bit of a traveller around South East Asia, I have always loved hawkers markets as it is where the locals go to eat.

They are also great value and cheap and while the food isn’t usually 5 stars, it’s honest, authentic, satisfying and genuine. 

Since markets are usually crowd pullers, they are great places for a good place for a relaxed night out with friends as well as a perfect spot for people watching. 

So when the Town of Victoria Park started its own Hawker’s Market on a Friday night (in the laneway off Albany Highway but will be moving to near the Victoria Park Library) I was super excited. I had these visions that it would be similar to the markets that I had visited in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

It took me a few months before finally making it to this lane way sandwiched between a supermarket and a restaurant. Immediately, I got taken in by the relaxed vibe. Just like the markets that I had visited overseas, the place was full of people celebrating the end of the working week; there were families with kids, guys on their way home from work in Perth and a every other demographic that you could think of. People just eating food and enjoying each other’s company in their local community!

The first thing to do when you get there is to wonder down the lane and decide what to eat as the choices are varied but not as wide as the bigger markets elsewhere.

The stalls range from Persian, Moroccan, and Japanese to Filipino, Italian and French. You can enjoy something substantial or go just for desert. The good thing about its location is that you can go to many of Vic Park’s cool cafes and bars after for a post dinner coffee or glass of wine.

My first time visiting the markets I had the Persian Kebab which was nice and the following time I had the Spanish meatballs with creamy parmesan polenta and salsa verde which was really nice but for the portion size a little too expensive.      

Take away Turkish desserts make for lovely treats at home 

This made me think and made a little disappointed. As someone who is obsessed with travel, I so wanted to be back overseas and I was kinda hoping that these Hawker’s Market were reminiscent of markets overseas where the portions were big, the food wasn’t made for a foreign taste buds and the price doesn’t seem inflated. But then again, this Perth where everything is inflated and everything is expensive.

Vic Park’s TGIF Hawker’s Market is a great thing to do on a Friday night, even if it is not as gritty, edgy or as cheap as overseas. I am just glad that’s it’s on.  

Why travel as an identity thing isn’t so bad

While chatting to dad recently, it came up in conversation that he thought that my identity was somehow wrapped up in going epic adventures overseas.

Although I think he is right to some degree, as I often get asked where my next holiday is, he comments reminded me of the complex nature of identity politics and what leads people to do what they do.

 

This got me thinking on why I have this inherent need for travel but I can comfortably assure people that I don’t do it because it is preserved as cool or for the kudos. I do it because it is ingrained in deep within my soul.

Coming from an “Anglo-Swiss” heritage with a bit of  Dutch, Scandinavian and Indonesian (way back) thrown in and born in Australia, I had a global outlook pretty early on. Ever since I was little, I’ve been interested in what was happening in the wider world (I’ve got dad to thank for that) right from politics, food, books and to how people lived differently to me.

Moving to the world’s most isolated and boring city of Perth aged 14 (also, got Dad to thank for that) did nothing but inspire me in wanting to leave as soon as possible. Right from the get go I wanted to leave this dullsville town and be part of something bigger.

These experiences stayed with me for the rest of my life. International Relations (among things) was a major theme throughout university studies and I continued to travelled as much as possible. Backpacking around Europe, development projects in Thailand and Romania, internships in Malaysia and China as well as a journalism project in India, study programmes at the UN were all highlights of a life spent travelling.

There is so much about travelling that I love. It makes me feel so alive, it has opened my eyes and taught me so many things about the world and myself. I can’t help but see travelling as a positive experience.

   

But more recently when I have been in more of a financial position to go travelling is when that it has become more of my identity.

Of course you need money to travel so having a permanent job with paid holidays is a fundamental requirement but, more importantly, it is the job’s inherent mundane and repetitive nature of the position that inspires me to make sure that the time I spend away from work is full of things that I love and make me happy.

After all, everyone needs something to look forward to in order to survive the mundane.  

But wouldn’t you agree that you are more than the job that you do or even defined by the more negative challenges that you face in your life?

While I do a mind numbing job that is soul destroying at best and I refuse to be drawn by it as much as I refuse to de defined by my physical disability; there is just more to life.                   

But there is more to my life than my job-to-pay-the-rent and my well used passport. I’m an avid reader, political hack, a choir girl and, not to mention, a home owner. I guess it is just that travelling is the most extreme thing that I do.

Travel will always be a part of my life. It drives me to work multiple jobs so that I may meet my financial responsibilities and go on epic adventures overseas. I don’t plan to stop anytime soon and I am always planning my next adventure, trust me!     

Singapore proves to be a great place for a weekend get away

Due to an over zealot Frequent Flyer flight booking blitz a few months ago, I ended up with a solo flight from Singapore to Perth.

For a while I regretted booking this flight as there were more direct and cheaper ways of returning to Perth but I knew that pushing it a few months would mean that I would another little trip to look forward to.

I even thought about cancelling this flight or even just letting it go because, with a mortgage, I couldn’t really justify going overseas again so soon after a big trip to Europe and the Middle East. 

With this City State being almost the same flight time from Perth as to one of Australia’s cooler cities on the east coast (not to mention cheaper thanks to the various budget airlines) paying a visit to Singapore is a great idea.

It is tropical, green, lush and a super clean metropolis with so much going on and a fascinating history, not to mention food that is to die for. The urban environment is a cross between the ultra new office towers and colonial buildings that look like big white wedding cakes.

There is shopping, there is food as well as art and culture.

After flying in from Perth on the “red-eye express” and easy trip on the MRT, I made a beeline for Little India where I was staying in an AirBnB accommodation. It was great to enjoy some local food and tea and soon I realised I would have to put my diet on hold as there was so much food to try and enjoy.   

Next visit was the Asian Civilisations Museum which was awesome. With its interesting and diverse collections, it has to be as good as any of the top museums in the world. The museum is well designed and laid out while not being too long. It is currently showing an exhibition of porcelain which is beyond beautiful.       

Over the next few days there were visits to Chinatown, Singapore Art Museum and National Museum of Singapore for a big history lesson.

A highlight was going to the Tiger Beer Brewery which is totally cool and great value! It is in the industrial part of Singapore so I opted for a tour that picked us up from a more central location and drove us back. It was great learn about the history of Tiger Beer as well as try the new beers on offer which is really why most of us were there. As per usual, 6 out of 8 people on the tour were from Perth – we seem to like beer a fair bit.

A trip to Singapore wouldn’t be the same without a shopping expedition and a visit to Starbucks.

The last item on the literary was a visit to Changi Prison. As with Tiger, it was a bit out of town so I again (I had my bag with me this time) opted for the organised tour option. While learning about the atrocities committed during WWII, it was good to be reminded of the strength of the human spirit and how good we have it in Australia.

Soon enough it was time to head to the airport but not before some food and refection. I came to the conclusion that I have to visit Singapore again (for longer next time) soon as well as Malaysia, Vietnam and India because the Asian region is so amazing, vibrant and interesting.

Oh dear, I think I maybe addicted to travel.