dependent perceptions

"Sometimes you see someone doing something that does not fit at all with your idea of that person. You realise that, a lot of the time, you don't really know people, even one of your best friends.

Instead, you get to know a little bit about that person--the things they want to reveal, or inadvertently reveal--and then you make up a whole lot of rubbish that's your idea of the person. So it's not all that important who people really are. Honestly you could end up spending your life with almost anoyone, and it wouldn't matter who--because the person they are to you is totally dependent on your view of them."

-Steph Bowe, from girl saves boy

one of the best Australian ads: Bankwest Sunflower

I've been thinking about the sunflower with an Asian accent in the Bankwest television adverts.

Giving Sunflower an Asian accent is really clever, functioning not only attract new Australian migrants to Bankwest, but also to bridge differences between everyone.

Now in Australia, there is an unspoken divide between people who have stayed there for generations, and every new wave of migrants. Australia, unlike America, fails to proudly recognise themself as a country of migrants, of diverse heritages. State Governments may talk about 'multiculturalism' but they prefer to use 'tolerance' to deal with differences, rather than encouraging understanding of common human traits and cross cultural learning.

Hence there still exists a group of people who look down on new migrants, believing in a migrant pecking order, ignorant as they are that foreign investments account for a major part of Australia's economic growth.

Bankwest's Sunflower appeals to international students/new migrants--an extremely large community in Australia who are happy to serve their new country, via their skills, if not taxes. It is probably the only character in Australian TV which these group of people can relate to. I know I can.

Sunflower talks about being open, as a normal person, to make friends. This hints at being open to different people as a local business, and being open to make new friends in a foreign land.

And we all know that being receptive and open to interacting with other cultures gives you an edge. Obama is popular with the rest of the world for a reason.

http://eurasian-sensation.blogspot.com/2010/11/obama-in-indonesia.html

In this era where global superpowers are inter-reliant, it is not only cool, but also beneficial to recognise flexibility in between cultures!

For further interest, here's a clip that shows how Sunflower puppet is maneuvered:

popular culture differences

phrase of the day

"If you take a sharp knife to dissect my heart for the grit and sludge of hated and prejudice, you will find it there. If you carve my heart in search of the red blood and scented flesh of compassion, forgiveness and courage, you will see that too. I am a prism of possibilities. And as you move, and as my breath moves me, the colours of the refraction is shifting, shimmering, shifting."

--Chi Vu, in Vietnam: A Psychic Guide

summary of my week

caricatures

B is for Bitch, by the way.

And introducing...

strawberry gnome hats and plush creatures

On a side note...

The strawberries gnome hats were inspired by the lovely cake Hui Ying, Hwei San, Regina, Shing Yun, Eddie and Kim got for me and Charlene.

The sea monsters, unicorn and primates were inspired by this wonderful lady's creations! Buy her plushies if you're willing (and I shall come play with them hoho).

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nonesuchgarden?page=3