Life
Back in Sydney
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 | Japan, Life | No Comments
After over a year and a half in Japan, I’m back in Sydney. So I decided to get back to SydneyFriends blog, and you may also have noticed I fixed up the site a bit www.sydney-friends.com. I finally decided to get the same overall look for all pages, however still want each page to be unique in some ways.
Life in Japan was generally very interesting, however married life is quite different to single life, as I didn’t go out to niteclubs this time, however I still went to ‘Izakaya’ with a private student for a drink sometimes (the student was a Japanese man). Some of the best things I did in Japan this time (besides getting married !!) was to visit some beautiful temples around Kyoto, we went there a few times and even stayed at a comfortable hotel in Kyoto. I was also fortunate to stay at Hilton Osaka a few times as my wife used to work there.
Our wedding in Japan by the way was awesome.. we were both extremely happy, and are both living together in Sydney now. Here are some photos of the wedding.
Back in Sydney, life is good, however I would like to be more financially stable as it’s not cheap living here… casual teaching has its good points however many not so good points too, like having to wake up at 6:45am and not getting a call/calling and not having work. However I enjoy the variety of the work, working at many different schools around Sydney and different years and not having to mark homework are some good points.
I live near Balmoral beach, which is a really beautiful place in Sydney. I like all of Sydney’s beaches actually.
My goal is to get to a level of trading FX where I can comfortably live on the earnings, and I may even continue teaching. Got more to learn till then. Almost there though 
Lindsay Woolcott
www.sydney-friends.com
www.mechajapan.com
Ideas on 2012
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 | Life, Uncategorized | No Comments
By now you must be quite curious about the year 2012. Is what people are saying really true?
Well a lot of it is just hype, and fear mongering, however there are definitely reasons to be concerned in that year, in particular 21/12/2012.
The year 2012 Dec 21 (11:11GMT) is talked about at: http://www.greatdreams.com/2012.htm in relation to the Mayan calendar (the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar) and how it represents the Winter Solstice and the crossing of the Galactic Equator. It is the end of what the Mayans call “The Great Cycle” which is of 1,872,000 days in length. The actual time according to their dating system is the year 13:0:0:0:0.
It is also mentioned that in a book called “The Mayan Prophecies”, by Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell, that the end of the Great Cycle is the culmination of a series of long-term sunspot cycles, which will flip the suns magnetic field, causing “causing earthquakes and flooding on earth. Moreover, the changing magnetic field will alter the endocrine production of the pineal gland.” (David Willcock has an interesting video on Google videos where he mentions about the pineal gland).
So there is some evidence/theories/revealing studies of ancient texts, that point to activities caused by the above i.e. our sun aligning so that it apears to rise from the galactic centre, and increased sun-spot activity which may cause a change in the magnetic field of the sun and also a polar shift on the earth.
-You don’t have to search far on the internet to find that solar storms are on the increase, and the sun will be in such an alignment on the above date. (the alignment itself does not appear to be unsafe physically)
Other theories/prophecies for 2012 include:
- The Hopi Indians, have it as a time of purification of the earth.
- The prophecies of St Malachy predict only 1 more Pope (not exactly saying it will end in 2012)
- Nostradamus hints of it being a time when an asteroid may collide with earth.
- Experiments using the Chinese I-Ching lead people to believe it’s the end of our time.
- Some surprising words cross with 2012 in the Bible Code.
- Some say Einstein said it’s when a polar shift will occur, but actually he didn’t give a date he just talked about the theory of when there is a dramatic change in the ice in the poles there may be a shift - which is happening during these times. (http://www.crystalinks.com/poleshifts.html)
- The ancient Sumerian texts, (which people like Zacharia Sitchin have translated) talk about there being another planet in our solar system which has a 3600 year orbit and travels between Jupiter and Mars, it is said that the “Annunaki” (or “Nephilim”), a race of aliens live on that planet, which Sitchin calls Nibiru (planet X). - This is a very interesting theory and probably the most thought provoking of all, however there are many sceptics on both the physics and translations, the truth to this one should be seen in the next year or 2 if there is such a planet. (One video on youtube, says by March 09).
One thing I’ll say is that all these predictions and prophecies, call for at least a bit of Hollywood commotion, and so yes we have 2012 the movie, coming out this year in July… cool.
I’m not worried myself, however if NASA/politicians are hiding any evidence. that’s uncool.
There are movies about 2012 being a time of a consciousness shift.. they are also quite interesting, however many are anti-Christian so it’s hard to sift through what’s out there and find the truth, be careful when looking at movies/sites about 2012 as many seem to be true, but are based on lies.
One recent documentary I found interesting was: “Nostradamus 2012″ on youtube, from the History Channel.
If there will be a polar shift… we should be able to survive.. have an evacuation plan in case there are any huge earthquakes/tidal waves. Be careful of massive solar flares which are a cause of the Aurora Australis, if there is a massive one, the Aurora may spread to other countries.. -Don’t stare at it, stay indoors would be my suggestion.
There is no evidence to say that the Mayan’s believed the end of the great cycle was the end of the world, they actually celebrated the end of cycles.
Other pages with more theories include: http://2012-predictions-review.blogspot.com/
Final note, just because I have mentioned some peoples names above it does not mean I support them (besides Einstein).
-Lindsay
Understanding the Japanese Culture better
Sunday, November 9th, 2008 | Cultures of Sydney, Japan, Life | No Comments
I’ll write on the following customs/habits, in this entry I’ll mention the first 5.
- Asking about your blood type
- Wearing Yukata
- O-bon
- Cleanliness
- Why Japanese things are very compact
- Kaizen - continuous improvement
- Mochi
- Behaviour in Public
1) Blood type - Some people may feel a bit strange when they first meet a Japanese person by some of the questions that may be asked. One question may be “What is your blood type”. Firstly, don’t think this is strange, as for Japanese it may be just the same as others asking what you star sign is.
Japanese TV and newspapers/magazines etc, provide daily readings as to what things will be like for that particular blood type, 0, A, B, AB etc. it would be quite interesting esp, if you are interested in star signs.
2) Yukata - The Yukata is a kind of Kimono, in recent times the yukata is becoming more popular than in the past, the most likely reason being that Kimono’s are labourious to put on. The Yukata used to only be worn as night wear, however these days people tend to wear them outdoors mainly during Summer festivals, as can be seen in the photo below.
3) Obon - Obon is one of the largest family gatherings of the year. It’s when people respect their ancestors, and visit their grave sites, to pay respect and clean the area. Obon is also like a Japanese version of Halloween, as it’s when spirits of the dead are meant to come back and roam the earth.
There are a number of traditional events, such as lighting a candle and floating it down a river on a boat to symbolise the souls returning back home. There is also an organised dance called Bon Odori, which many towns partake in. At the end of Obon, there are 5 large fires lit around Kyoto, “Gozan no okuribi” which represent 5 spirits that can be seen in heaven and on earth. O’bon is a Buddhist festival with roots supposedly from India.
4) Cleanliness - In general Japanese people are very clean. Like every country there are differences between families.. however the really clean here… go over the top. One friend stayed with a family in Shikoku, who were extra clean.. They wash their wooden floor every morning, and before you enter their house, you need to take off your shoes, your feet will be washed! then you wear slippers indoors. Luckily that’s only in extreme cases. However you do need to take your shoes off at the “Genkan” before entering almost all Japanese houses, then it depends on the custom of the house, they either have slippers or you can just wear socks around. Most Japanese slippers are a bit small for my size 11 (~30cm) foot. So socks are fine for me 
5) Compactness - Japanese have an art for fitting things in. If you look around Japanese houses, you may sometimes be amazed with how well things are stored, with very few spaces left unused. In apartments, you will often see garages with a rotating lift so you can store 6 or more cars, with an entrance for just 2. You’ll see many bicycles that can be folded in half and the average width of cars is less than in most western countries.
-Lindsay (currently in Osaka)
www.sydney-friends.com
Here is a link to my Japan Buying Service:
Rinkai - Japan Shopping Service
Differences and similarities of Byron Bay and Sydney
Monday, October 13th, 2008 | Cultures of Sydney, Life | No Comments
As I grew up in Byron Bay and have lived in Sydney for the past 3 years (and 1 year 14 years ago) I thought I’d write about the differences and similarities of the two places.
Firstly both places are growing very fast.. when I was a child Byron Bay’s population was about 6000 people, now it must be around 20,000 or more and tripling in holiday season, however due to land and building restrictions, the population of the town can’t increase too much more unless there are major building changes - at the moment the council has restricted the height of buildings to be no higher than about 4 stories. Byron Bay’s house prices are among the most expensive in Australia in particular from about 2004 house prices went through the roof with some house prices tripling in a matter of weeks.
Sydney’s population is growing all the time, and the population is spreading out through the suburbs, at least the houses can go upwards in Sydney with taller buildings being built all the time. House prices are also very expensive in most suburbs of Sydney and finding a place to rent in ‘07, ‘08 is a difficult task indeed, with usually over 50 coming to inspect a place at the one time.
Some people say Sydney is like a big Byron Bay, as Sydney also has beautiful beaches, and good pubs and shopping, just go to places like Newtown for the hippies :). . I can see what they mean, as there are many beautiful places in Sydney, the headlands around the Harbour, the beautiful bushland walkways around Manly, Lane Cove etc. the excellent restaurants and entertainment of the city. For me Sydney is like a bigger version of Byron Bay, however bigger isn’t always better. As the uniqueness and petiteness of Byron Bay is that you can see all of the town and most beaches in one big walk, however in Sydney you could spend days just going to all the beaches.
Sydney has a lot of great places, however they aren’t as accessible as places in a small town like Byron Bay, I guess you could make a place like Byron Bay if you mix, i.e. Dee Why with Palm Beach and Newtown with Lane Cove, however that’s silly and it may also be an insult to those unique places. Byron Bay is unique and so are those suburbs….. there’s not much point in saying you can make Byron Bay in Sydney.
Some people say Sydney is boring, well Byron Bay can also be boring, any place can be boring if you let yourself be bored. Some say Sydney is an exciting place, and it can be if you allow yourself to get excited and put yourself in the right situations. Byron Bay can also be a fun place.
Sydney beats Byron Bay for jobs… more jobs there, that’s one of the reasons I moved there. There are more people in Sydney, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have a better social life, it depends on who you spend your time with and who your circle of friends are. Cities can be a lonely place, if you don’t find people to mingle with, it can be hard. Small towns are friendlier, maybe that’s why many people like Byron Bay… these days it’s on the most part a backpacker town.. so you can play “spot the local” they are becoming a bit rarer to see.
The air is fresher in Byron Bay, water probably cleaner, night time much quieter.. however there are many tranquil places in Sydney, you just have to be lucky to live there.
I’m a bit of a city person myself..(even though I spent most of my life in a small town) there’s more to see in the city, more people to meet, (however more is not necessarily better), I like meeting people from Asia as I speak Japanese, and some of other Asian languages, so Sydney is a good place for me as there are many students studying English there. The population of Sydney city has a majority of Asians, however the ethnicities of the suburbs vary.. quite diversely. Byron Bay’s main ethnicity is Caucasian, with a wide variety of backpackers going through the town, most from Europe however it is slowly becoming more popular with Asian tourists, with Byron Bay now having it’s own language school.
Any facts welcome.. I’ll try and modify this blog from time to time.
-Lindsay
www.sydney-friends.com
The Meaning of Life
Monday, September 29th, 2008 | Life | 2 Comments
I thought I’d add a bit of philosophy to my blog. . I’m sure many of you have asked this question at some time in your life. This entry is not aimed at giving one answer but to look at some of the many answers from my point of view
If you have read the answer to that question at Wikipedia, you will find the answer according to the many different factions of philosophy and science. Some are quite surprising such as Nihilism which claims that the universe has no meaning, and Logical positivism which doubts whether the question is even meaningful.
As I am a Christian, I believe the purpose of life is to serve God, and one way to serve God is to be the best me that I can be. One nice saying that Andre Agassi got from one of his friends and said in one of his tennis coaching videos, was “Our life is God’s gift to us, what we do with our life is our gift to God”. I think that if we do the best with what we have, what more can we do?? However there will be different interpretations on what is the best way to “do the best with what we have”. How can we do the best with what we have… that also depends on what your values are, some may think that to do the best, would be to spread the Word of God, the best way we can, others may say it’s to use our natural talents the best we can, even if it may be to become the worlds best boxer, such as Evander Holyfield.
So besides pleasing God, what may be other meanings to life?
Just listening to the world a bit, it’s not too hard to come up with answers such as
To be happy
To be powerful
To raise children
To become popular
To make friends
To do business well
To travel the world and explore
To party and have fun
To take care of the world and universe
To study and grow more intelligent
To better the human race
And the list goes on. Why do some people turn to Christianity? to simplify things? I don’t blame you I became Christian as I was born into it. However I can still argue for Christianity with the huge array of counter arguments.
So as you have grasped, I do believe life has a meaning and it’s important to live life according to God’s commands. So for me it’s quite simple.. to please God. Does that mean I can’t have happiness and power? Look at some of the people in the old Testament, they were very rich and powerful with many wives.. I’m sure they were happy and powerful, then again you might say, happy are the meek and those that get persecuted for God’s sake. I agree, they are very special people.
Is it that life in 2008, people are too self centered to be bothered about pleasing anyone else but themselves? We have so many conveniences, and can experience so much if we set self fulfilling goals.
Is life just to see how happy we can be? or for the kinder, how happy we can make our family and friends? Many of us wish that to be the case. Christians say, there is no condemnation for those in Christ, so some people don’t seem to care about if they sin. . and think God is so kind he can’t send anyone to hell could he? Well, this kind of question puts people really off religion. Christians telling others they will go to hell for this or that. . Is the meaning of life to escape hell? to help others escape hell? Those that follow the Great Commission may believe they are saving others from hell.
I have never really taken evangelism to heart, but I respect those that do, maybe I will oneday. I try to do the best I can with my life.. and that’s the kind of meaning to life I like to have.. To be the best me I can be. To use the skills that I believe I have for the good of myself and for mankind.
Someone asked me why I wrote about this topic.. I said.. I feel a bit down… and
When I get down I get deep.. hehe.. :) Life is a garden, dig it.. kind of deep.
On a more personal note.. I am a teacher (ESL and primary school) so I think for me, besides loving family, and as many people I can.. teaching children is one of the main purposes of my life so far, so the meaning of life for me could be to be the best teacher, boyfriend -> husband, friend, classmate, webmaster etc… I can be.
Looking forward to your comments.
-Lindsay
www.sydney-friends.