There’s a lot of excitement in Australia at the moment over tonight’s census. Many fear that our growing Muslim population will cause the government to cater overly to their religion and culture. I’ve seen a number of posts on facebook urging non-Muslims to declare themselves as Christian rather than entering a joke answer. I can… Continue reading Census Night
Author: mag
Bhutanese Repatriated
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about Bhutanese/Nepali refugees settling into new homes. It’s news I’ve waited years to hear, but that’s short compared to the time these people have waited to feel welcome somewhere. While I’m always sympathetic to the plight of refugees, I generally don’t think that them fleeing, or repatriating them, is… Continue reading Bhutanese Repatriated
Banning Plastic Bags in Canberra
A ban on plastic shopping bags is being phased in from this month in the ACT. My first thoughts on hearing the news was of a similar ban in Bhutan when I was there in 2005. They’d previously tried in 1999 and have apparently tried again in 2007. The ban had failed in Bhutan because,… Continue reading Banning Plastic Bags in Canberra
Do We Really Want Cleaner Air?
The government’s ratings are plummeting after the announcement of the new carbon tax in Australia. The tax, chosen from among the models already in use around the world, will be applied to the 500 biggest polluters in Australia to encourage them to find greener alternatives to their current processes. It seems strange to me that… Continue reading Do We Really Want Cleaner Air?
Go Back To Where You Came From
When Dr David Corlett appeared on Go Back To Where You Came From and began using the reality show voice, I realised that the show would be sensational rather than true. That expectation was justified in the first episode when the participants were put on a sinking boat. From the comfort of my sofa it… Continue reading Go Back To Where You Came From
Science of Happiness
Only months before I moved to Bhutan I was introduced to the country by an article that gushed about Gross National Happiness, a concept created by the Bhutanese king in 1972 to guide development. Rather than measuring economic growth, Bhutan aimed for happiness through the four pillars — natural environment, good governance, cultural values and… Continue reading Science of Happiness
Does Team Culture Help Virtual Teams?
Imagine working with someone on a daily basis but only seeing them face-to-face once a year or even less frequently. Instead, you’d communicate over the phone or via email, instant messaging, web conferencing, video conferencing and, these days, even social network tools like facebook and twitter. Most of my career has been spent working in… Continue reading Does Team Culture Help Virtual Teams?
Bhutanese Belief in Shangri-La Naive
Could the Bhutanese belief in their Shangri-La status be naive? Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche asked this question in the Bhutan Observer on Friday. It’s very similar to one of the central themes of Dragon Bones and he raises many of the points that I describe anecdotally. There’s a snake in this garden of… Continue reading Bhutanese Belief in Shangri-La Naive
Dragon Bones For Charity
I’m very excited to say that the first copies of Dragon Bones have been shipped. This is a good time to announce that 50% of the royalties for all editions of Dragon Bones will go to Bhutanese organisations. Two years living in Bhutan convinced me that local people are best placed to identify and address… Continue reading Dragon Bones For Charity
Samson & Delilah
In 2009, Samson and Delilah took Cannes by storm, gaining a standing ovation and winning the Camera d’Or. The honour is doubled since it was the first Aboriginal film ever to be presented at Cannes, proving that Aborigines can hold their own with the world’s best if given the chance. I only saw the film… Continue reading Samson & Delilah