Knowing what to do with $10 million...

Using all my skills, I've managed to tailor yet another research essay to the subject of global inequality and it's kind of got me thinking about something somebody asked me not so long ago. I've decided to write it down so that the thoughts will stop interrupting my brilliant essay-related ideas, and publish it here because, well, it's always good to keep this space at least a little updated :P Or, for those that can't be bothered reading, I've been good and posted a few recent snaps as well :)


Somebody asked me the other day what I'd buy if I won $10 million on the proviso that I spent it selfishly. I spent a long time trying to convince them that if I was acting entirely selfishly, I'd have to take into account the feeling of guilt that I know I wouldn't be able to shake if I spent $10 million on a house overlooking the river, a fancy car, a designer wardrobe, or a lifelong supply of coffee. If you accept that, then I should be allowed to use a vast majority of the money to help in decreasing social and economic inequality, and pay off my parent's mortgage, because these are the things that would make me happy. They didn't buy into it, and so I was at a loss.

source

What the hell would anyone do with $10 million, all for themselves? House, car, designer wardrobe, travel, private jet - the possibilities seemed endless but I didn't particularly like any of them.

I supposed I'd buy a small apartment or house in Freo, and maybe a little holiday house or two - nothing fancy cause simple and a little rustic is much more my style - perhaps a beach shack in Yallingup and a little shed that I'd renovate in Exmouth? I'd get a ticket to travel the world, and I'd go back to India. They said I couldn't go to India because they knew I'd use my time and money there to try and help everyone else. They were right, and so I thought about it some more.

India, from The India Project

"Are you sure I can't at least pay off my parent's mortgage? What if the only reason I'm paying it off is because when they're stressed, I'm stressed, and so paying it off is selfish because I only want to increase my own happiness?"
"Except I know you care about your parents happiness, thus that reason would be a lie. So, no."

Oh my... Is it even possible to spend $10 million on travel? I'd really like to travel. I suppose I wouldn't be able to resist buying some clothes and little trinkets, a surfboard and a longboard. I'd buy a lot of books, some new CDs and a watch or two. I really like watches.

I'd also throw an epic party, with great food that I cooked with my Mum and little brother, and with good friends and rad cocktails.

"Do you think I've spent $10 million yet?"
"You're way off."
"Oh."

I just physically cannot comprehend how one person could spend $10 million entirely on themselves. It's a completely absurd amount of money.

What would you do if you had that amount? And you couldn't just leave it to sit in a high interest bank account unless the money you earned from that was also spent entirely selfishly?

I genuinely can't think of anything...

Actually! I've thought of one more thing! I'd get myself an old datsun ute, and fix it up so it's all new, shiny and wonderfully efficient on the inside, but old and crappy looking on the outside, because I'm cool like that :P

Still don't think that would get me to $10 million though...

PS. Sorry for my absence! I've had so much on with uni, and still do! I'll do my best to post more regularly, reply to your lovely comments and read your wonderful posts, but it might take me a little while. With love from my study desk, Rhi :P xx


PPS. If you happened upon this blog via my facebook (or via any other link for that matter), and have a google account, can you be awesome and follow the blog through google please? If you avert your eyes, and scroll to the top of this window, there should be a little button that says 'follow'. Just click it, and do what it tells you to! If that doesn't work, scroll to the bottom and click the link that says 'Join this site.' Grazie mille :)

UWA Arts Union Charity Gala.
With Mike & Nageena.

With Chloe and Nageena.

Running through the rain.
It's kinda a little bit fun...except I think I should get some gumboots :P

@ Grill'd.

Dinner with the ever-wonderful Lauren and Nageena (she's behind the camera) :P

Highway.

Some of you might remember the last post I wrote about Jim and Sam. Well, I realised it's been a long time since I've shared any of their story, and so I decided to give you the next paragraph of the last tidbit - a chapter which I have since entitled 'Highway'.


The heat of the bitumen scorched Jim's feet as he walked down the highway, his gait slow and hinting towards the feeling of pointlessness that had engulfed him. The overcast grey sky and the muted green, grey and brown of the native shrubs that shrouded the edges of the highway suited his mood, if only that sunlit patch of cloud would disappear.

As he stared down the cloud, he began to walk faster, willing it to disappear, to leave him alone. And as he walked faster, his mood changed. Jim began to see red - he was furious. It built up slowly, his parents, the mirror, his school, Sam, although how he came into it Jim wasn't quite sure. From one part of his life to another and there seemed to be something wrong with all of it, until he couldn't avoid it any more. The one thing that was really pissing him off, that made him walk out of his house and somehow end up on this highway which smelt a little of the exhaust left behind by speeding cars, and a little of the pungent trees that lined it...

*   *   *   *   *   *

I'm always nervous posting these little bits of writing online. Or showing anyone at all, actually. Even though I've never run down a highway, it is still very personal. In this post, I mentioned that my words are my sanity, and even though I'm not finding the times so tough right now, this still holds true. I want to put more of it on, but I have to wait for it to be right and often I'm never quite sure if it's ready yet. It's so conflicting!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it :) I will post the rest of it soon I hope, I just need to fix up the next little bit, because it doesn't sound quite right yet.

And now just for fun, here are some photos of my day, which has really been quite rad :)

Some of the raddest people out, not to mention they make the best coffee in Perth.
Read my review of their coffee here.

Letting me pretend I'm a barista.

A note from a great friend.

Helping my cousin with his homework,
and re-remembering the horrors of the English language.

Being nerdy and getting overexcited about politics books.

Anyhow, it is almost 1am, and I need to be up at 6.30, so with that, I am going to ignore the insomniac within and attempt to sleep. Hope you're all having a grand day/night. 

Over and out

Rhi xx

The India Project: Days 1 & 2

Well I'm back, and I didn't post any blogs while I was in India which is terrible! Unfortunately though, internet is quite rare and my attempts to set up roaming failed miserably so there you go. To make up for it though, I do have a few posts ready to go that I wrote while I was over there so I'll be posting them over the next few days along with a few photos :) Hope you're all well!


April 12, 2012

It's unbelievably hot down on the plains. I get in the shower, eager to cool off. Feel better, and then the moment I step out of the bathroom I feel sticky again, but that's ok.

I'm not quite sure what I've gotten myself into. India is home to a very patriarchal society. There's separate security checks for men and women, and while it's safe for my cousins to go out and roam around, I always need somebody with me. I understand why, it just feels very strange to me.

There's people and lights and cars everywhere! Power lines are just one big mass of wires and cables, there's only one road rule that anyone cares about and I am, apparently, a rare commodity to be openly stared at. Everyone told me that this is how it would be, but it's not something you understand until it's been experienced. I've had men shoving cameras in my face and others just gaping at me as they walk past. It's a little confronting to say the least.

Just your average power lines.

By the same token, there have been parts that have just been absolutely incredible.

We went to see silk weaving yesterday, which was done in a cottage industries style. Basically, men work in rooms with these old looms, they also live there with their families with bathrooms and kitchens close by. My uncle reminded me that as Westerners, we would usually be calling these sweat shops, but actually, it's standard living in India. It's a good stable job, the provision of food, and a house for these men and their families to live in which is really something.

The silk loom

It's encouraged me a lot in what I went to India this time to achieve, although I'm still in a bit of culture shock I think. I'm also tired. Would be so nice to get a decent sleep...

The cottage industries also showed me how much Indians value education which is great to know. One of the men higher up in the business was showing us the looms, when he suddenly got very excited and took us to meet a young girl, the daughter of the man in the photos with the loom, who'd done extremely well in her exams (488/500) and had also won a talent contest. It was great to know she had that support around her :)

Then we went to Kings and Queens School, a boarding school where most of the kids are from really poor families. It was fun talking to the kids, and seeing their faces light up when I went to take a photo. At one stage, all these boys just poured out of their dorm when they realised I was getting my camera out.

Kings and Queens School
These are the boys that rushed out of the dorm :D

And then there's the joy of the Indian Premier League (i.e. the cricket) which is just a whole new thing in itself. The excitement and the noise and the cheering and the dancing is bizarre! It's utterly fantastic though :D I don't really know how to describe the experience except to say, if you get the chance, go. Even if you hate cricket it's an experience not to be missed, especially when there's guys dancing bollywood style in the seats in front of you (see the shoddy quality video for more) :P

Anyhow, I'm off to catch a casual midnight train that we'll be on for 8 hours or so.

Even though I only left a couple of days ago I am missing everyone at home ever so much. Looking forward to seeing you all again! Much love from India :) xx

Backlog: To the wind, the sand, the green grass and the sea...

It's been a while since I've posted a blog that I wrote during my high school days, but this seems thoroughly appropriate, and it's one of the few posts that I still actually like. About 20 months ago, I stopped being an insane child and decided to listen to doctors. I stopped doing outdoor sports, and worked on exercises given to me by my multiple physios instead. I began the long and horrible process of having 4 joint reconstructions, spent countless weeks on crutches or in a sling and slowly, but surely, slumped into a state of depression. It's not something I've told many people, I don't really like to talk about it, but in the past few months something has changed and I'm aware that depression is not something to be ashamed of. I didn't let myself stay there, I fought it every step of the way, and a few weeks ago I suddenly started to become myself again. There'd been stages where I'd been better, but better was never quite me. The feeling of hopelessness that it was only ever going to be just 'better' made it worse and worse, all I wanted was to get out and be myself - the crazy insane child who was constantly out and being active and doing the things that I loved because I knew my joints were fucked anyway. Now I've decided to go back to that and it's like my personality has come back, I feel like myself again and even though my emotions still hang on a tenuous balance, I feel lighter, like my life is my own again.


With this being said, I've decided to re-blog this (with some slight amendments). It gives me hope. It puts a cheeky smile back on my face, but more importantly, it has made me me again, instead of a person who hardly recognises themself.


So to the wind, the sand, the green grass and the sea...


...it's just you and me baby, you and me.

People often wonder why I don't follow doctors orders and go surfing or kayaking or running, and while I do say that it's because of the natural adrenalin that flows through my veins, it's also because I live in a world and a society where there is so, so much pressure to do well and become something or someone, and for me, the way to escape this is by doing crazy, physically challenging things where it doesn't matter if I'm a success or a failure. It's my personal way of escaping my family who expects so much of me, the pressure I place on myself to do well at uni, my friends who I love so much but just sometimes get a bit annoying and everything else that is playing havoc with my emotions and with my brain. It's my escape because when I'm out there, in the ocean or the sand or running on the green grass, there's no one expecting me to do something amazing. When I go for a surf, I know that even if the only waves that carry me are the ones that are pummelling me beneath their rough surface, that no one will be angry or disappointed when I trudge once again on the sadly solid ground. When I'm running around the oval inhabited by ants and birds and beetles and shrubs, I'm free from the expectations of everyone and everything, and I can simply enjoy the cool wind sweeping against my face and the floating sensation that follows.

But there's more than just that. When I go for a surf, I'm amazed that there is a single body of water with hundreds of thousands of living things swimming around inside of it, and that there's somehow still room for so many oblong bumps to rise out of the water and carry me and my surfboard (whether above or below) for a few meters before I either get my head up to suck in the oxygen or before I jump back into the blue expanse triumphantly. When I've finished my run and have collapsed onto the ant-filled grass I can be amazed that such tiny creatures exist so perfectly. That is, I can be amazed until one of them bites my back and leaves me with a sore, itchy red lump. Either way, every time I go surfing or running, I'm allowed to just be me. To be a version of me who has forgotten about the world and instead to be filled with liberating freedom and wonder.

So, when people ask me why I don't follow doctors orders and go for a surf or a run, I tell them that it's because of the wind, the sand, the green grass and the sea.

It's just me and them baby. Them and me.

Placebo of Adulthood

The last 18 months of my life have been so unbelievably dramatic, and it all seems to stem from this idea that we've finished school, we've turned 18, and magically, we're mature adults. I don't get it. At all. And it's really making me nostalgic for the days of being a kid. When there wasn't some kind of invisible barrier between the sexes (that society has since magically placed there), and when life just seemed a lot simpler. But it more makes me wonder when and why this placebo of 'adulthood' settled on us all, and how on earth we let it happen without a fight.

Thinking of Jim and Sam

So lately, a few people who've read some of my scribblings have told me perhaps I should try to publish something. Seeing as I'm not too good with writing shorter things that would appeal to any magazines that I know of, I have decided to embark on the slightly crazy mission of telling the stories of the two dudes who realised that maybe the pressures of life weren't actually as important as people made them out to be in one of my older entries, Prologue (you should read it and let me know what you think!) :P

My wall - the subject of my fury when I can't find any inspiration...

It's going okay so far, although trying to get two intertwining stories to work is proving to be interesting. More importantly to this though, it means that my random bursts of inspiration are largely being turned into stories about Jim and Sam, and although I'd love to post them on here to get some feedback, I want to wait until I've fully developed their characters and storylines to show them to other people. So, I might not be posting as many tidbits of 'creative' rambling.

I'll still definitely be posting on here though, and I'd love you to keep on reading! Just thought I'd post this seeing as a couple of people have asked about it :)

And on that note, I shall leave you with a song! I've had this album pretty much on repeat lately - if you like moody, mellow music you should definitely check it out :D

Baby blue, I really wanna kiss you, but I'm not sure if that's wise...

Untitled

So I sometimes think I'll start writing, and then the words just don't work for me. But I will start posting again properly soon, I hope. In the meantime...



A video that I can't stop watching...

 

And some seriously rad coffee art!

I keep thinking perhaps I should revert back to the summer of 2009. Making coffee by day. Sitting on the beach with friends til after dark, the taste of chips on our fingers, sand between our toes, salt caked in our hair. What a life, hey?

The Ocean Floor

A song that's meant a lot to me these past few days.

I've had a rough couple of weeks lately, which in the summer would usually culminate in me spending far too much time duck diving time and time again, trying to see if I can sit on the ocean floor forever. The murky blue light that filters through the water and the gentle ebbing of the ocean as it fills my ears gives me peace. 

Lying on the ocean floor. Sand ingrained in my skin. Staring at the waving sun, clouds, blue fragmented sky, I find a stillness that I can't get anywhere else.

Last weekend, I took a trip to the ocean. It was calm. Gentle. I almost walked in fully dressed to try and find some of that peace, but decided against it.

This weekend, everything had gotten that bit harder and I fully intended on going for a quick swim. Just one dive down, that was all I needed to be able to wade through all of the hard times that were coming. But I didn't need to.

One look at the roaring ocean. Almost getting blown away by the wind. The tide sweeping up higher than I ever expected it to and turning my shoes into sandpits. The taste of salt on my lips. It was enough to make me realise that life is bigger than me. Things will happen that I won't understand, but life is still beautiful. The hard times are what make the good times so good, and all we can do is try our best.

Insight

A thought flicks through my brain. The flick of a tuning fork. The flick of the wish, hanging on my neck.

Inwardly, I sigh, and reluctantly, I retrieve my phone.

I tap three times and then it starts. I watch the tendon flicking in my wrist, as my brain searches for the right words.

The words, my words, are what keep me sane. The chaos of my mind becomes ordered. Organised.

It's like suddenly, the piles of paper are stacked neatly in brown cardboard boxes. Flick. Flick. Flick. I find the right word from that one, and move on to the next.

Eventually, I've exhausted the boxes and so the tendon in my wrist comes to a halt, along with the screech of the buses brakes.

As my feet pass each other on the pavement, one foot ahead of the other, I'm happy. Satisfied. Ready to share my words, my sanity, with the world.