Monday, August 29, 2011

Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour

Adam Young, the man behind American electro-pop musical project, Owl City toured Australia earlier this month, as part of his 'All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour'. I fortunately had the chance to attend one of his two concerts in Melbourne on Wednesday 17 August! Feeling inspired by his unbelievable musical talent, I decided to write a gig review based on his concert held at Billboard!

My article is featured on Upstart, a site for emerging journalists.

Here is my piece below...

Adam Young from Owl City serenaded a sold out concert in Melbourne on Wednesday night, delighting the audience with both his charm and his music. Gianna Dalla-Vecchia reports.

Only two years into his career, singer songwriter, Adam Youngbecame one of the most talked about artists in the music industry.Fireflies, from his third album, Ocean Eyes, reached the number one spot in 24 countries.
Two years on, 24-year-old Young, the musical genius behind electro-pop project, ‘Owl City’, has finally arrived Down Under to promote his new album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
On Wednesday night, an exceptionally long line of Owl City fans cued outside Billboard nightclub in Melbourne, waiting patiently to see their Adam perform his greatest hits and new creations.
Upon entry at 8pm, everybody flocked to the front of the stage and within an hour, the club was filled to its maximum. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones who managed to gain a spot right at the front.
Being surrounded by a throng of screaming teenage girls waiting impatiently for Young to make an appearance certainly had its challenges, but that’s the price you pay to be up close and personal with an idol.
By 10pm, the Owl City band accompaniment was on stage, although Young was nowhere in sight. By this stage, my eardrums were already sore, as the squeals became more prominent left, right and centre.
Young refused to disappoint, as upon his entry, the club immediately became enchanted with the sound of birds chirping in fresh clover fields, a notable Owl City characteristic.
Owl City: Adam Young 
As the stage lights became more and more luminescent, Owl City’sAll Things Bright and Beautiful album cover, which complemented the sound effects was unveiled as the backdrop. The entire crowd went wild as Young started with a drum solo, while being awash with red laser lights.
Young made his way centre stage where he played his electric guitar and sang The Real World, the very first song from his new album, as the crowd waved their arms in the air.
Within two hours, Young had managed to perform around 20 tracks, many from his last two albums, and with every one of them, there were multitudes of people singing along to every lyric.
Throughout the entire concert, Young came across as such a free spirit and constantly interacted with the crowd. He threw off his shoes and jumped around, making us feel we were no longer in a club, but rather in his living room.
Young concluded the night with the magical, How I became the sea, which coincidently happens to be the last song on his new album.
‘You make me feel so special. God bless you,’ said Young as he left the stage. ‘Melbourne I love you. See you soon’.
After the reception he received on the night, there seems no doubt  Owl City will return to Australia in the near future.
Owl City - 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' album cover
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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Social work sans frontier

Melbourne based social worker, Dianne Yoong has worked with hundreds of families and refugees for over 10 years. This experience has helped Dianne forge some strong and controversial opinions about society’s treatment of underprivileged people. Gianna Dalla-Vecchia reports.

Dianna Yoong (Copyright © 2011, Kiam Yoong)

These days it seems that we all live busy and consuming lifestyles. Whether we immerse ourselves in full time work, study or community service, our time seems to slip away from us. Once you add our extra commitments, ‘me’ time soon becomes obsolete.

However, there is one person who, despite a degenerative neurological disease, throws her personal concerns aside, taking each day as it comes, as she works to improve the lives of society’s abused and oppressed.
Her name is Dianne Yoong and she is a well-regarded social worker, who has always dreamed to make a positive difference.

From the tender age of 10, Dianne became attune to the social injustices evident in her local community. Now at the age of 43, Dianne coordinates a Counselling and Adolescent Program in Melbourne, which assists children from newborns through to 17 who have experienced family violence.

For over 10 years, Dianne has been instrumental in assisting hundreds of needy families. But sadly, for the last four years, she has been fighting her own personal battle, dealing with the devastating illness, Multiple Sclerosis. Despite this hurdle, she remains determined to leave her stamp in the world of social work.

“I received the diagnosis three days after I turned 40. They called me saying that I had ten brain lesions,” said Dianne Yoong. “It’s being a difficult journey, working while dealing with the various symptoms of MS and relapses. Sometimes I’ll need to be away from work for several weeks at a time.”

“Having an unpredictable future has been a very difficult thing for me to deal with. I can’t over plan my life, therefore I just strive for markers instead,” said Dianne. “However, I have become a team leader since my diagnosis. So I am grateful that I continue to be recognised for the work I contribute.”

Dianne Yoong has had to emotionally deal with working with children who have experienced the worst forms of abuse, both physically and emotionally. Despite her dealing with these traumatic cases, Dianne’s personal values have helped see her through her day-to-day work.

“I have very strong values about social injustice and equality. Along with the theoretical frameworks of social work, my personal alignment to Buddhist principles such as compassion informs my values greatly. In this way, I find great inner peace.”

“Social work has such diversity and at its core, it’s about social injustice and the misfit between different systems for people within the broader context of society. It’s a very complex career.”

“I once worked with a young 10-year-old boy who lived a tragic life where his mum, for a number of personal reasons, constantly rejected him. As a consequence he was out on the streets a lot engaging in drug usage and so forth,” she said.

“One day, I met up with him at McDonalds. I remember looking into his eyes and seeing that they were red from substance abuse. I stopped and said to him, ‘When I say happy, you don’t know what that means, do you?’ And he just shook his head and said that he had no idea what I was talking about.”

“This was tragic as this young boy could not identify a simple emotion that most of us experience and take for granted in our lives”.

“Everybody deserves the dignity to be treated with respect. I listen to their journey and their hardship. To be invited into people’s lives and hearing their life story is an absolute position of privilege.”

Australia’s intake of asylum seekers seems to always cause controversy. The last few months have been no exception, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s implementation of a ‘five for one’ deal with Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, has sparked great debate, dividing the country in two.

Dianne is far from a bystander when it comes to understanding the Australian government’s asylum seeker policy. Many years ago Dianne managed an Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, where she witnessed the injustices shown towards Australia’s asylum seekers.

“Australia’s treatment around detention centres is horrendous.”

“We all sit in our ivory towers and make judgements on things that we simply have no understanding of: the plight of people who have experienced political persecution in their own countries and who have seen death and war, civil up rest and poverty.”

“What a lot of people do not understand is that in Australia, compared to the United Kingdom and other countries, we are under our quota for the number of people we actually allow into the country as refugees, as we have signed the Human Rights Declaration Act.”

“Certainly, to say that some people are not legitimate refugees is correct. There would be some people that might take advantage of any kind of policy or opportunity to exit their country.”

“However I believe that this is a minority of people and most seeking refugee status are genuine.”

Dianne believes that the Australian media perpetuates skewed views in the broader community and contributes to society’s lack of understanding and simplistic views regarding the social injustices shown towards minority groups in the wider community, including that displayed to Australia’s asylum seekers.

“I am very critical of the media as they use sensationalism to scare the community.”

“People will say that we report independently on topics. Well that is absolute rubbish.”

“Every form of journalism is somewhat controlled and calculated. It is very difficult for a journalist to report on something that they truly believe in, for they are restricted by policies, Government, media enterprise and funding.”
“I really think that journalism is about entertaining the masses and making sure what is presented is what their audience wants to hear.”

“When I worked at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the media published news articles which highlighted the fact that refugees were sowing their lips together for no real reason, describing the incidence as barbaric,” she said.
“It is this analysis of ‘difference’ that poses the greatest risk for dominant groups in society, which perpetuate policies that continue to oppress minority groups. An example of this was the introduction of the assimilation white paper policies that saw to the shameful genocide of aboriginal peoples in Australia’s history.”

“A more accurate understanding behind the story of asylum seekers sowing their lips together would demonstrate the desperation and trauma of people who are still treated like second class citizens. Unfortunately, the media don’t always understand these complexities and often align with dominate community and government values.”

“Journalism could be working for the good, but it simply doesn’t sell, it doesn’t always entertain and it isn’t what the masses want.”

“As a society, we seem to focus on trivial matters, which isolate us. We become immobilised and do nothing.”
Despite be diagnosed with a degenerative debilitating disease, Dianne has remained optimistic, embracing all that underpins her role as a social worker.

“Social work to me is a privileged career. There are moments where you feel so solely connected with another person. Many of these people’s stories merge with mine and have left a spiritual footprint in my heart,” she said. “At the end of the day I feel so grateful to have had such a meaningful and rewarding career.”

“In ten years, I don’t know where I see myself. I hope I will still able to walk and continue in my career. That’s my main goal. I still hope to embark on some kind of project. But if I didn’t get there, that would be ok too.”

“I just throw all my cards out to the universe and sometimes things just turn up. That’s where the magic is.”

Dianne Yoong (Copyright © 2011, Kiam Yoong)

I would love to hear from you. Send me your promenade to promenadewithme@hotmail.com

Cheers!

Promenade With Me

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Wildhaven: Much more than a wildlife sanctuary

Wildhaven is a wildlife sanctuary that was completely destroyed by the catastrophic 2009 Black Saturday Victorian bushfires. Gianna Dalla-Vecchia recently spoke with owner Stella Reid to discuss her passion for wildlife, the rebuilding process and her vision for the future.



We all remember Black Saturday, when Victoria was put to the test as the world witnessed the overwhelming power of nature. On February 8 2009, 173 people perished and 2029 homes were destroyed, as Victoria experienced its worst ever bushfire. Despite many livelihoods being burnt to the ground, one thing that remained was the sense of hope. Hope for the future.


Now two years on, many survivors have made a fresh, new start, however, there are still others trying to get back on their feet.


Wildhaven, a 100 acre property devoted to caring for Australia's injured native wildlife, was completely destroyed on Black Saturday, killing all its resident wildlife as it burnt everything to the ground.


Determined to rebuild her once beloved sanctuary, Stella Reid, owner of Wildhaven, has been slowly restoring her property, as her dream is to re-establish a safe haven for her adored wildlife.


I recently caught up with Stella Reid at Wildhaven, where she shared her traumatic experience on Black Saturday, the rebuilding process and her thoughts and hopes for the future.


Upon interviewing Stella, I came to realise that she is a visionary who dares to dream. Despite the devastation and challenges caused by the catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires, she continues to possess a positive outlook; hence making her a true inspiration.


Teenagers holding little joey, Buttercup at Wildhaven 
(Photo Copyright © 2011, Gianna Dalla-Vecchia)
 



Prior to the bushfires, how long did you maintain this sanctuary for?

We began sheltering native animals 19 years before the bushfires. As of 2011, we have been saving Australian animals for 22 years. We have been here in St. Andrews for 13 years and prior to that, we were in Warrandyte, sitting on a tiny two acres, compared to this block, as it is over 100 acres.

How has your life changed since the 2009 Victorian bushfires? Has your outlook on life been affected?

My mother who had Alzheimer’s came to live with us two years before the bushfires. She ended up passing away on this property six months before the Black Saturday bushfires.
Leading up to the bushfires, we were so happy for we had just finished building all our enclosures. It had taken us over 15 years to get where we wanted and in a blink of an eye-lid it was all gone. Until this day, I still cannot comprehend what happened, that everything we had built had been completely destroyed.

There were no birds, no trees, no green, no animals. That was the hardest part for us. There was nothing. There was no life. I think seeing that and knowing it could happen all over again, makes me realise how lucky we are to live in a world like we are in now. We have such a beautiful country. Look at our wildlife. Australia is special. Australia is awesome.


Although I guess that’s the way life is. We will eventually die and the emptiness will be there for those left behind.
I thought rebuilding would be easier. However, we started from scratch. We had a completely blank canvas. It was scary. Sometimes, you just want to go back to the way everything was before, but the fires took it all away, therefore this time we decided that we wanted to make it safer, stronger and better.


Unlike before, we simply haven’t got another 15 years to rebuild for we are getting too old, we just do not have the time. My husband Alan does most of the re-building on his own as I look after the wildlife.


The Australian government gave all those affected by the bushfires $50,000 and Human Services gave us around $10,000. Everybody received the same amount. Most people had never seen that kind of money before, so they bought a computer or updated their car or went on a big holiday, but that was not what the money was meant for. The money was meant to help us rebuild. Most people saw themselves as needing that money due to the trauma they had been through. However, what Alan and I did was we went to see our bank manager and we invested it. We now call that account ‘The Wildhaven Trust’. We put the money given to us into this account and used it along with our insurance allowance to rebuild this sanctuary. We made good of what the government gave us. We didn’t take one single holiday. We chose to stay and rebuild.


We have no regrets whatsoever. It’s not my dream to go on a holiday and lie on a beach. If I did, I would be looking out for any wildlife and there wouldn’t be any for humans are there.


Sometimes, you will be living in a world of your dreams and you just don’t see it. This is not uncommon. If you look around where you live, it could be something very special. And if it isn’t, then you make it special for it is your home at this present moment. It might not be special to somebody else, but it just might mean something special to you.
If somebody approached us right now and offered us a grand holiday, we would immediately decline. We wouldn’t even think about it. This is our life and our home and we simply couldn’t live without the wildlife.


You are truly an optimistic person who loves caring for native Australian animals. How did the bushfires affect your dream to make a positive difference?


When the fires came, we were in shock but we had so much to do. We knew we had to rebuild, for there was nowhere for the big kangaroos to go. We were one of the biggest shelters around and still are. We had to make a home for them.


For us, a whole lot of our little animals had gone. Healsville had contacted us saying that they had animal shelters which had shut down, so their wombats had to be out before a certain date. That put a lot of pressure on us to re-build an animal enclosure, therefore it was the first thing we did. We started building it literally two weeks after the fires.


Bill Watson from the Ferntree Gully CFA organised 50 men and machines to come here. The wombat enclosure was the first thing we built. Virtually 24 hours after we built it, the wombats turned up, because they were too little to release. They were only little guys weighing eight or 10 kilos, still drinking from bottles and we also had another two which weighed around 20 kilos. We couldn’t release any of them into the wild as we there was no grass.
After we finished building the wombat enclosure, we immediately began working on the little joeys enclosures and then the possum enclosure.




Stella Reid holding one of her two wombats
(Photo Copyright © 2011, Gianna Dalla-Vecchia)


You seem to speak a lot about dreaming. What advice can give to assist those who desire to live a harmonious and fulfilling life?

You should only worry about the things you can change. Don’t let the things you can’t change bother you. Ignore it. There is simply too much to think about. If you start thinking about it too much, it can destroy you.

In the end what you do throughout your life is not your mother’s choice, it’s your choice. Make the most of what you have. Continue to strive to complete all things to the best of your ability. If you do, I guarantee you will have no regrets.

For me, when I go to bed at night, I make plans. It’s called ‘moving forward’. It’s goals in a way but it’s also a dream to makes things better for the wildlife and for ourselves too.

To live in harmony, that’s a dream. I often watch things that are on TV that are strange to me. I watch people at big functions, at dinners with lots of lights. I find that intimidating. It’s not a dream that I ever wish to be a part of.
I am not a great gardener, however I love planting trees. I love walking in and amongst wildlife. If I see any injured animal along the road, I look after them, like our little joey, Buttercup. The first thing on my mind in the morning is ‘Buttercup’. In actual fact, if kangaroos do not want to live, they will simply shut down and die. So, I just hope that everyday when I get up, she is still alive.

Soon after the bushfires, the local council came to visit us to explain all the things we weren’t allowed to do. We ended up telling them to come back another day. We know as human beings what we can and cannot do. I wanted to know what I could do to move forward.

So if you have a dream, you need to know what you can do to achieve that dream. Take yourself into that space. That would bring a smile to your face. It will.

What are your views surrounding the world in which we live? Do you believe civilisation is moving forward for the better?

When we were living in a site office after the fires, somebody said to me, “Isn’t it squashy?” The truth is, what makes it squashy is not the two people, it’s your material possessions. All my husband, Alan and I had was a green shopping bag that contained underwear and toothbrushes, nothing else. So for us, it wasn’t squashy at all.

Years and years ago, after World War One, swagmen would move from property to property, working on different sites to make money and all they would carry was a rucksack. These days, we could never do what they did. We cannot live without our computer, our mobile phones, shoes and clothes. We have become so materialistic.
There is no way we could ever live like swagmen, for we would never be able to fit all our material possessions into a rucksack.

The world has definitely changed.

What can you see yourself doing in the future?

What is great is that little joey, Buttercup will grow up with lots of other little friends on our property.
We normally house five to six kangaroos and four to six wombats. They all get bottles during the day. Buttercup gets a bottle every four hours for she is still a baby. So we are constantly getting bottles for them.
We want to make this place work for the wildlife, so it’s a safe and easy place for us to release them. If it works for them, it works for us. I see us growing old here.




A truly inspirational story. I believe that Stella Reid’s passion for saving injured Australian wildlife and her desire to make a difference is truly commendable. I thank Stella Reid whole heartedly for allowing me to hear her promenade. 

To find out more about Wildhaven and the great work that Stella Reid does, visit her websitehttp://www.wildhavenstandrews.com.au/

I would love to hear your thoughts on Stella Reid's story. Or alternatively, you can send me your own promenade to:


Cheers! 

Gianna :)