When recycling becomes ostentatious

UK activist group We Are What We Do has a simple mantra – use your everyday actions to change the world.

Well put. Simple but sensible and powerful credo.

That was how they started their collaboration with famed bag designer Anya Hindmarch and Sainsbury’s to produce an eco-friendly bag to encourage people to reduce their use of plastic bags.

An unpretentious bid that has since erupted into a shopping spree for the hungry fashion addicts, who do not necessarily care two hoots about the environment.

The newborn recycling bag iced with Anya Hindmarch’s designer tagline “I m not a plastic bag” took the world by storm since it was first launched in London in July this year.

It has since evolved, within a short span of two months into a fashion icon plugged by the likes of Keira Knightley and Alicia Silverstone, and met with huge crowds and stampedes each time the bag was launched.

“I m not a plastic bag” made her appearance not only on environment publications and material, it was heavily marketed as a fashion must-have in leading fashion magazines and beauty forums. Has media jumped onto the bandwagon and lost all consciousness for the environment and sell themselves out to haute couture?

Environment causes never quite make headlines in the papers and this seemed a rare opportunity for environment to advocate their cause – but only if these crowds will listen.

The mindset of the public was homogenous.

This noble project presented perhaps the only opportunity to own an authentic Anya Hindmarch creation for a fraction of the price.

The long queues at the supermarkets do not signal conversion of the masses into environmental cause. Of these turnouts, it makes one wonder what the ratio of the trend followers versus genuine tree huggers is.

"I know this is an environmentally friendly shopping bag aimed at encouraging people to ditch their plastic bags for this more eco-friendly option, but the truth is I won't," said one would-be fashionista when interviewed by thislondon.co.uk.

"Besides it wouldn't fit a week's worth of shopping in and will look a lot better with my sunglasses in."

Enough said.

PS: Check out the Riverfire videos at the earlier postings
PS2: Happy Birthday BW! Welcome Welcome! :P

It's an early day for me... I am off to interview a political aspirant contesting to be Brisbane's Lord Mayor. He's gonna be at some seniors' club for some talk (& of coz a PR stint!)

Very diversified character - an ex-cricketer and lawyer with a particular interest to solve Brisbane's water crisis. Hopefully he hasn't mastered the art of evasion and actually will answer questions!

The Great Climate Debate

The week went by in a whizz. I can't quite recall what exactly happened in the week or what I was busy with. I suppose it was just down to lessons and work?

The weekend was good though. I finally got to play overnight mahjong again on Friday... and we had "supper" at 5am at the casino cafe. There isn't really much to choose from in peaceful Brissy.

Sunday was eventful for me. There was a public debate to attend and then a footy match in the afternoon... I wanted to start the day by having breakfast at Southbank. It didn't go smoothly. My chicken and vege pie was attacked by an ibis, this preying bird who hopped onto my table and took my pie away. Just like that!! Brekkie was back to just a cup of latte for me. Damn the bird!
After that, my friend and I attended a public debate "The Great Climate Change Debate" between Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Garrett (Minister for Environment and Shadow Minister for Environment). The debate was absolutely brilliant! I never did have to struggle at all to keep awake... both speakers were eloquent and needless to say, extremely politically correct.

The audience had no qualms about interupting the speakers by shouting out loud objections like "that's not true!" & "answer the question!!" even though the person speaking is a Minister. Now, this is freedom of speech!
Never will you get this brand of open communication back in my home country without getting into trouble...

The public packed the Griffith Uni Conservatorium which held about 600 pax... the free event was booked out! I was one of the lucky ones (and one of the two non-Aussies) who got the ticket.

Demographics of the crowd clocked the entire range, from young school kids 10 years of age to the seniors. It was very inspiring and heartening to see this natural response (no mobilisation needed to bus people down). These people were genuinely keen to do their part for the climate and to represent the community voice in government.

Point of similarity nonetheless which probably cuts across politicians of the world united: They NEVER answer the question... and have pretty much mastered the art of evasion.

On the other side of the law

Protest rallies aren't quite a common sight in Singapore so I made an additional effort to wake up earlier last Sunday morning to catch a protest rally in the city. This one's particularly interesting because it was staged by the Queensland Police!
*IF things get ugly, who steps in to control the chaos if the police themselves are involved...???*

The rally meant to fight for fairer wages and treatment of the cops by the state government. Not sure if the men&women-in-uniforms got their desired outcome...
My housemate pointed something interesting - the rally time is probably the peak hour for crimes to happen... didn't hear of any sudden rise in crime rates though :)

Took a couple of shots particularly liked this one of a patriotic dog who donned an OZ flag plus the dog is so darn cute!
There were also scores of people who lined the pathways to applaud the police. There was also a bagpipe squad who lead the rally, and their somewhat celtic music had a certain effect on me. I actually felt my patriotic switch turned on!

God Save the Queen

I went for my first court hearing today, to listen in and to get material to write a court story due next Friday.

It was an experience yet again becoz I have never been inside a court room, let alone actually sit for 2 hours and listen intently and scribbling all at the same time.

Queensland runs on a jury system like some major powers in the world. I got to witness the jury selection process and the oath swearing process which ends with "God Save the Queen"

I spoke to a friend studying law in the state of Victoria and apparently they don't say that anymore. Hmmm... someone enlighten me on the legal system in Singapore. *just briefly pls... no blabber blabber :P*

I did manage to get what I want so it's just down to the writing bit *AARGGHH + whinge*

It's just a great pity there is no similarity at all to The Practice and Ally McBeal... which is way too frivolous a representation of reality. *I hear nuanda nodding and screaming "I told you so!!!"*

The sentence is not passed yet... so I am liable to stay mum about the case details.

God Save the Queen...

Real Life Imagery

This is an entirely different frame of mind from the afternoon where chocolate proved to be effective therapy and sleep-buster.

I haven't quite blogged about my Journo studies here... Now that Semester 2 has started I suppose there isn't much point to writing much about what happened in Sem 1. But very briefly, some of the highlights were
1) Interviewing people for radio news packages
2) Reading the news on radio (All the radio stuff do go on air!)
3) TV practicals which allowed me to do a PTC (piece to camera). This is the part that you watch reporters on TV on actual location and telling news as it is.
4) Interviewing and squeezing in a question to the DPM about the Aussie budget... they must be thinking why the heck do I bother about the budget being someone from overseas!

I thought I would enjoy TV journalism. Furthermore, the radio journalism in Singapore seemed contained in Caldecott Hill - nothing much really!
I changed my mind.

Radio news allowed me autonomy over my reporting and scripting. I selected the news angle I wanted to focus on, rather than the TV producers deciding what was newsworthy.

That was how Semester 1 went.

I am hoping to get experience in print journalism this Semester 2. After all, back home, print journalism is THE thing. At least that was what I thought when I was doing corporate communications.

I was just looking at a website for photojournalism www.worldpressphoto.org
It was startling to realise the award winning entries seemed to gear towards war, death, poverty and the likes... I never had a chance, or rather, never had exposure to these issues back home. Viewing the photos, I now do realise that we are indeed all but a dot on the world map...