Mansour Bahrami!

Where do I find good in other human beings?
I think it is my hope to see the best in all people no matter their background, or their circumstances.
Certain people shine a light, while others become the worst part of the system.
I’ve been sitting here reading about Mansour Bahrami, wondering if I think he is a coward, or an incredibly smart man, I think the latter.

While I think what is going on in Iran at the moment is incredible (RIP Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani, and those who follow to such a despicable fate behind you), the citizens are incredible and so very brave.  I’m coming to the conclusion that sometimes in some situations it is best to keep your mouth shut and work from the inside out.
Also things that have made my ears prick up in recent times, and I’m looking for more information on, is the inquiry that Geoffrey Robertson QC is working on into the Iranian Prison Massacres of 1988-1989.
The complexities in Iran as outlined by Dr Robertson in the following video:

I would love to see more information from Geoffrey Robertson’s inquiry.

Away from those complexities, back to Mansour Bahrami, who I think is an incredible human being.
A man of 53, all he ever wanted to do as a young boy was play tennis, it was his passion.  He was a ball boy in Iran for many years, but was never allowed to play.  He did sneak out onto a court once and subsequently his racquet was broken, and he was severely beaten by a guard.
He resorted to learning the game, by watching players, and resorting to mimicking them with frying-pans or broom handles.
There came a time when the Iranian team was short of players, and Bahrami was allwed to play.  His talent was obvious from the start, he made it to the Davis Cup Tennis team by the time he was 16.
As the Islamic Revolution of the 1980s came down, so did the governments views on things that were viewed as having a western base.  The Tennis Courts were closed down, and Bahrami played backgammon for three years.
He so desperately wanted to leave Iran, that he fled with his life savings to France, which he unfortunately gambled away at a casino.
His singles days were behind him by this stage, but he did very well in Doubles, although this came from his inextricable thirst to entertain the crowd.
Bahrami gave up professional competition in the 1990s, but found a permanent home and niche on the champions tour in the early 90s.  His most memorable matches when being teamed up with Henri Leconte during doubles matches.
My favourite thing about Bahrami however is that despite all that he has been through, he has the most amazing sense of humour, and loves to entertain his audience, it’s a beautiful thing to watch.
But I think I’ll just let the video’s speak for themselves:

A late Australia Day/Invasion Day post…

I’m not sure how to start this post off…

I’m finally out of bed (yay! Sleeping Upwards of 16 hours a day for the last 2 – 3 days has not been fun! Nor have the headaches, body aches, and general lack of energy!).  The time I have spent awake, I’ve spent watching random things on you tube, old and new Degrassi, random vids of Latvia and Estonia, bits and pieces of the 2000 olympics (Opening ceremony snippits, and parts of Roy and HG’s The Dream), Andrew Denton’s interviews with Geoffrey Robertson and Helen Thomas, random tourism video’s for Australia (And Dorethea MacKellars reading of My Country, which is gorgeous)…
General random stuff, that either made me laugh, or just feel better in general.

I love my country, and for all of the bad press we have been getting over the last few months, I think we are actually quite a tolerant society.  Sure we have pockets of idiots, but everywhere does.  In every country around the world there are extremists, the ones who ruin the party for all of us.
My parents and teachers always taught me to be tolerant of other races, and also taught me that there is much to be learnt from other cultures.
I love the thought of Vindaloo Against Violence, such a fantastic concept.  I’m hoping it will fill the Indian Restaurants in Melbourne, Australia on the 24th Feb.  It’s a great cause and an even better reason to go enjoy an amazing meal!
It is one of those things that really does bring us all together.  There’s nothing I love more than a great meal (at home or at a restaurant), and great conversation.  Gives people a chance to vent, and in some cases understand more about the people that they are sitting at the table with.
I know that when I was younger I always loved the stories of indigenous culture.  Dreamtime stories always drummed up that imagination you need to love this country for what it is.  “Her Beauty and her Terror – The wide brown land for me”
It’s quite akin to the bonfire concept.  I love sitting around a fire, singing songs, watching the night go by, listening to people tell stories.

Whats my point?
To all that would sarcastically say “Happy Invasion Day”, to stray from the crowd that they dislike with a hatred.  Saying things like that is quite akin to those that incite their own form of said hatred, and incite imbecilic violence.  As much as it pains some people to admit that they live in the same country as those whose racist tendencies cost lives, and incite fear into the community as a whole, they do.  While it is fine to vent, I am more than happy to allow that, you are free to do it.  Sometimes, just sometimes, to fight the evil, you need to celebrate the amazing.  To celebrate the achievements of those who have fought for equality and freedom, stood up and said no.

Giving these people more of our time, just gives them more time to appease their egos.  It is not about celebration of our multi-cultural country, it is the degradation of the things that we should stand up for, and hold together.

That sounded a little bit politician-ish eh?

Maybe I am finally going insane…??

So… Blog Stats…

My Blog stats are proving to be, for the sake of any other word, fruity!

33 yesterday, and 16 today it makes no sense what so every, espsecially considering the one place I ahve posted in the last few days, is a law blog, and had nothing interesting to do with anything, and I ahve had no refers from that site.

Utterly Bizzare, bring iton though, comment if you feel, I’ll be Blogging like a mad woman over the weekend, much to write about, but alas have been too tired during the week!!

Law, Music, Psych, it’s all coming up this weekend!

Where What How ???

Fisrtly they asked, where were YOU when the punters closed down?
A: I was inside, crying, drinking, hugging the people I loved and had grown with in the pub.

Then they will ask WHERE were YOU when the TOTE’s closed down?
A:  I was Outside, I was distraught, mostly, we all knewe waht was going on, without believing it.

Finally they will ask, WHERE will you be as The Arthouse closes down?
A:  I’ll be inside drinking beer, hugging my favourite people and crying.

Blah, deflated…

Having a very deflated week, in which I was mean to go out, have fun, enjoy the sun, y’know summer and all.  But I’ve been in a bizarro realm of deflatedness.   I can’t work out why though.  Bizarrely enough the world doesn’t scare me so much anymore, I’m just not finding anything interesting, and anything that I am interested in, is making me quite tired.  Not sure if it is the amount of information I am trying to take in all at once, or just general lack of interest in stuff.  It is a bit of a worry though.

I need to do something to re-light my senses, but I’m not completely sure what that is…

Any Suggestions?