Friday, March 4, 2005
Repeat ad infinitum ...

It was my gran's birthday today, she was 83 and has lived alone for the last fourteen years. She only lives about twenty minutes car journey away but when your all alone thats a long way. Including my dad she has four children, I have an uncle and two aunts, and the two aunts have moved far away - one currently in Oman, the other NZ. But my dad and uncle have stayed close. So when we went to see my Gran today to wish her happy birthday my uncle was there. He's bluntly put a bastard. Sharp of tone, some foolishpeople call it wit, and eager to embarass my uncle isn't a man you take to easy. He's getting on now, almost into his sixtieth year, but is as acerbic and rude as ever. His health, thanks to way too many fags, is on the down and down and he may aswell be divorced for allthe joy he gets from his marriage. So he enjoys putting it to people and playing the big man to my father's more reserved, been-there done-that personality.

When you enter my Gran's house you may mistake it for an industrial furnace. It could be t-shirt and shorts weather outside but she has a fire and two radiators going all in the same room. My father falls asleep in there after ten minutes most visits. But not this time, my uncle was there. Its hard to tell sometimes whether they get along, they are chalk and cheese, and watching them is oftenentertaining as long as you don't get drawn into the crossfire. So in he comes spouting this crap, that crap, all kinds of nonsense because he hasn't seen me and my brother in a good few years. Now I can take this because its just words from an old man,but my brother can't, he loves the challenge and soon they are in a fully fledged war of words with my brother clearly getting the better. And I'm sitting there and I realise how similar they are and how similar mine and my father's responses are. It was really strange to see, especially with my gran stuck in the middle of it on her birthday telling my uncle to shut up and my brother to ignore him.

Afterwards and now I'm wondering, are we with minor alterations doomed/lucky enough to be like our parents? Do we repeat theway they did things in their lives and if so - how come I'm not playing for Wales by now :)

Posted by Owen Jones 2005-03-04 20:34:03

Thursday, March 3, 2005
Playing above your level

Sometimes I get this and it makes me wonder how to change it. Your going along your daily life doing the things you like and someone or thing comes along and makes you feel like a real dope. It happened to me tonight, I was sparring in the gym, working onmy many weaknesses with a friend and he had to go home early. So another guy I sorta know asked if I fancied a few more rounds. I needed the time in the ring sodidn't mind at all. The guy is about three weight divisions below me butI believed we matched up pretty well. He pounded on me.He was way quicker than me, and it was kinda embarassing. I tagged him maybetwice in three rounds before giving up.

Until this point I'd felt comfortable with what I was doing in the gym but the beating has now made merethink my whole approach. The question is how? Whether your just not strong enough in the tackle, quick enough in the punch, able to write like a 'writer'or accurate enough with your kicking, there are some things you canimprove but what do you do if you find yourself playing above your level?Is this how some boxers become so badly damaged, just can't accept that they aren't made forthe big one? Is this whypeople keep on writing even though they know they'll never be published - is it all just about hiding yourself from the truth?

Posted by Owen Jones 2005-03-03 18:09:47

Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Multiculturalism and free speech

In an interesting decision in Britain today a muslim girl won the right to wear full Islamic dress at a school in Luton. The Court of Appeal overturned a decision by a High Court judge that stated the girl had failed to prove the school breached her human rights. The girl, Shabina Begum, said "Today's decision is a victory for all Muslims who wish to preserve their identity and values despite prejudice and bigotry.

I suspect cases like mine will not be the last, but nevertheless I hope that my case will give strength to others.

I sincerely hope, therefore, that my small victory - to gain an education - brings hope to millions of Muslim women around the world."

I did quite a lot of study on multiculturalism during uniand came to the belief that if someone moves to a new country for any reason - persecution, fear for their life, to make more money etc then they should make some attempt to adapt to their new home. So the problem I have with this is that the words bigotry and prejudice were used, and allowed to be used,so easily without anyone batting an eyelid. The school - where 80% ofpupils are Muslim, had a clearly defined school uniform, every other child in that school Muslim, Christian,atheist adhered to it. YetBegum was amazed at being turned away for not wearingthe defined school uniform, something her and her parents must have been aware of prior to her starting school there, and started alawsuit against the school. Whenthis did not succeed, they appealed and finally gained the verdict they were looking for.This sets a massively uncomfortable precedent.

To claim the right to an education, something every British citizen should have, is one thing she is totally within her rights to claim but in this case to my mind the only person preventing her from having an education was herself and her parents.So when the presiding appeal judge says:"The school undoubtedly did exclude the claimant. They told her, in effect: `Go away, and do not come back unless you are wearing proper school uniform'." I ambaffled as to how this is a crime. School uniformas standard is decades oldand is used to showall pupils are recognised as the same, they gain the same access toan education and educational materials, receive the same punishments and rewards. It promotes school unity and pride. There is no insidious attempt to undermine religion, belief systems or a persons right to an education. The school is the property of the whole not the individual, it is not a personal space and there are rules that govern it. I wouldn't walk into work wearing shorts and t-shirt claiming this is my right, and yes I accept this is an extreme and stupid example but what is a 'belief' or worse define a 'serious belief'. This is the problem the judicial system has now set for themselves because in a school where 80% are muslim there won't be much of a problem. In tough secondary schools where the majority isnot of a specific religion the chances of prejudice and racism, even violence increase. School uniform has a purpose, what happens when that purpose is removed?

My best friend in high school was a muslim, he is a top bloke, a good laugh and a complete wind-up merchant. In school he wore school uniform as did we all, no fuss, no grief from fellow pupils,no thought of wishing to be different because of his religion. When I returnedto the school tohelp part-time for some cashwhile a full-time employeewas found, they were holding interviews. One of the applicants was an intelligent, experienced middle-aged woman who had just moved here from India. Within seconds of her entering the school children from all years were sniggering, pointing and making quiet but rude comments. She seemed very put off by this and rightly so it was shameful. However the jobshe was applying forwas teacher aid to some of the worst kids in the school, I mean real uncontrollablelittle shits, and had not factoredthis in regard to herself. Ideally we all hope she would have been able to do the job without a hitch, in reality they would have been holding more interviews in a few months.

So this is theproblem I pose, religion, beliefs and cultural identity are a fact of life, issues to be respected anddealt with fairly. But the reality as opposed to the ideal is that there are places where these issues must not hold sway, where there must be no favouritism because ultimately there will be no end to it and fragmentation will occur. Ther relationship betweeneach citizen and the nation must be equal,where rules apply to all and not just the majority. Otherwise the nation will cease to exist.

Posted by Owen Jones 2005-03-02 18:19:28

Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Waiting

For all the best intentions isn't it incredible how long we spend waiting. For food to cook, the postman to show up :) , for the breaks between a TV programme to end, for christmas, for love, for inspiration,for the bus/train/ride.Anticipation is great but considering the possible time you have to live it shouldn't be used waiting yet it is. There are whole periods in your life when your waiting for something, who knows what it is, a spark, a look, anything to bring about a change. Kids wait for the holidays, we even have calendars to count the days till christmas, as if there will be this defining moment and the world will change and all will be right.

It happened to me at uni, when I went people said 'It'll be the time of your life' as if the sum total of my existence to that point had been to go toyet another educational institution. Now don't get me wrong it was fun and I learned a lot, about institutions more than in the educational sense, but what comes after. After the 'time of my life' surely its all downhill, am I then just waiting for the big D to come around? Andfour years later I came out and I was still me, with some added experiences but never with the impression that I'd had a life defining moment or moments. In fact that last year I was kinda waiting to get out and I don't think that was a good thing. When the event, whatever it is, occurs your in it and so the judgements you make are the ones that fit your mood and thoughts at the time. If your fed up, you wait for it to finish.

And thats the problem, because all this waiting means there's time being wasted, it's your time to waste no doubt about it and sometimes its even necessary but all that waiting you do, someday it may just catch up with you and whatever time you had has passed you by.

Posted by Owen Jones 2005-03-01 20:54:55

Monday, February 28, 2005
St David's Day

I'm proud of my country, I think most people are, but what makes me patriotic is not so much because it's 'my' country, meaning I was simply lucky enough to be born here, but what Wales offers it's peopleas a culture. I can remember trying to explain St David's Day to a few American friends on my exchange year and they didn't get it. Not because they were slow but I think because its afairly unique event. Most countries have patron saints and St Patrick's day (ironically he was born in Wales:)is massive in the US purely because its seen as a day of non-stop drinking - they even have a 'half-way to St Patrick's day', I kid you not.

But while some English mates don't know when St George's day is, my housemates almost came to blows last year about it, St David's day is pretty memorable because its on March 1st - about an hour away as I type. St David's day is special because it is a celebration of the Welsh culture and although there have been some more 'modern' additions in schools to make it supposedly more interesting for the younger kids, the Eisteddfod has essentially remained the same.

The Eisteddfod??? The Eisteddfod is a gathering, almost literally meaning 'sitting',to celebrate and perform artistic pieces in Welsh (and more recently English). The Eisteddfod is a combination of singing, dancing, poetry recitation, music and writing in both languages in a competitive environment. Essentially its a big arts festival but done literallyall across the country, mainly in schools. Whilst Ididn't always enjoy taking part - I used to stick to the writing side, I have since leaving school come to see how incredibly powerful the Eisteddfod really is in sustaining and promoting Welsh culture. It has come to symbolise exactlyWales and its people represent and Iknow that I'm happy it does. Cheers :)

Posted by Owen Jones 2005-02-28 17:49:40