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Cultural Times ISSUE 2 JULY 2019

Cultural Times is an independent magazine crafted for the culturally curious. Each issue is a vibrant celebration of the diversity and richness of cultures from across the globe. Through carefully curated stories and perspectives from a wide range of voices, we invite readers to explore the world’s traditions, practices, and innovations. By showcasing inspiring examples of cultural exchange and collaboration, Cultural Times seeks to entertain, inform, and nurture a deeper appreciation for the connections that unite us all as humans.

Cultural Times is an independent magazine crafted for the culturally curious. Each issue is a vibrant celebration of the diversity and richness of cultures from across the globe. Through carefully curated stories and perspectives from a wide range of voices, we invite readers to explore the world’s traditions, practices, and innovations. By showcasing inspiring examples of cultural exchange and collaboration, Cultural Times seeks to entertain, inform, and nurture a deeper appreciation for the connections that unite us all as humans.

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I S S U E 2 | J U L Y 2 0 1 9

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CULTURAL TIMES

W H E R E D I V E R S I T Y T H R I V E S

C h i l d r e n o f G a z a

M e n t a l H e a l t h a n d W e l l b e i n g

A n i m p o r t a n t E l e m e n t o f D i v e r s i t y

S h o o t i n g S t a r s

An Indigenous Case Study

F a r F r o m H a r m l e s s

W o r d s C a n D a m a g e R e l a t i o n s h i p s

G r o w i n g Y o u r C u l t u r a l I n t e l l i g e n c e


C O N T E N T S

02

ON THE COVER

Children of Gaza

Expression through

art, by children from

war torn countries

04

Shooting Stars

08

10

Far from Harmless

Growing your Cultural

Intelligence

12

Mental Health and Wellbeing

PEOPLE AND THEIR STORIES

The power of

yarning circles to

engage Indigenous

youth

18

Expat Life in Mongolia

20

Rearranging my Understanding

28

A Brief History of Experience

07

16

WORLD KNOWLEDGE

The Most Accessible Passports

to Have in 2019

The Tale of Two Democracies

Growing your own

CQ to be more

effective

26

The Petri Dish of Life

22

25

MORE

Writing! Isn't that a Dying

Art?

Cultural Mindfulness

Mental Health - an

area of diversity

often neglected or

not even

considered

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9


Letter from the Editor

With the end of financial year upon us, it is a good time to

reflect on the year thus far. Have you exposed yourself to

different cultures this year? Did you do some

volunteering perhaps? Or travelling? Or had a

conversation about mental health with someone? Have

you actually thought about the impact of your words or

felt the impact of someone else's words?

I can safely say I experienced all of these things and this

quarter's magazine will offer further insights into all of

these topics. All of these experiences will also help you

grow your cultural intelligence (CQ).

I've been fortunate to have been in Singapore, KL,

London and Ireland with the magazine this year. I am also

looking forward to the Grand Prix in Singapore in September and will publish a bit more about my

experiences there in our next release.

As fortunate as some of us are, so disadvantaged are others. Our feature article looks into the lives of

children from Gaza, who have experienced some dreadful sights, and volunteers who are providing them

with glimpses of hope. We continue to look at a very practical Indigenous case study and the power of

yarning circles. There is lots of food for thought about how your words may impact on those around you,

how to grow your cultural intelligence and cultural mindfulness. With the recent Australian elections and

various political shifts around the world - we compare Australian and American systems to provide a

cognitive piece for you to chew on.

May you all have a successful second half of the year! (and address the elephants in your organisation -

see back cover)

Tanya Finnie

Want to get in touch? Have an amazing story to tell? Write to us at editor@cultural-times.com

MEET THE TEAM!

from left to right:

Magan Hurrelbrink - Creative Director and

Social Media Manager,

Arjun Bhugra - Research,

Jordan Phoebe - Copy Editor.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9


Children of Gaza

Expression Through Art - Healing Trauma

Ayman Qwaidar

Ayman Qwaider, co-founder of Gaza Children Cinema, was in his early 20s before he saw his first movie and

a proper cinema. This was in 2010, when he was awarded a master’s degree scholarship to leave the

blockaded Gaza Strip to pursue higher education in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies in Spain. It was

not by Ayman’s choice that he was born and raised on the Gaza Strip (Palestine), a 365-square-kilometre

coastal enclave of more than two million people, more than 40% of which are younger than 15 years old. 73%

of the population are refugees forced out of their original homes and villages during the creation of the state

of Israel. Peoples' movement is highly restricted, and electricity is only available up to four hours per day.

In 2013, Ayman and a team of volunteers

established Gaza Children Cinema in Gaza,

Palestine. It is an education and community-based

initiative inspired by Ahmed, a 10-year-old boy who

worked long hours selling ice-cream to people on

the beach. Ahmed was asked to speak about his

situation where he shared the difficulty and

hardships of working at such a young age to support

his family.

The team realised that this conversation could have

been Ahmed’s only opportunity to have an informal

space to express himself and voice his own reality.

Ahmed inspired the idea of a mobile cinema, as an

idea to create a safe space for children. The Gaza

Children’s Cinema was born a few months later and

is volunteer run and directed.

It is a mobile cinema designed to move from one

community to another. The initiative has been

operating through building partnerships with existing

non-profit and local community organisations since

its foundation in 2013. Through Gaza Children

Cinema’s local partner in Palestine, Tamer Institute

for Community Education (a leading education

provider), cinema workshops are organised in

marginalised areas as well as refugee camps.

Gaza Children’s Cinema provides children with a

unique platform to verbalise their stories. Children

are encouraged to draw their feelings and tell

stories. Children are also encouraged to play out

their experiences in supervised play sessions.

These approaches enable the children to find ways

to externalise the trauma, rather than letting it fester

like an internal time bomb.

The violence that children in Gaza experience daily,

including the loss of loved ones, due to devastating

12-year siege and three major aggressions has

created a humanitarian crisis and left an entire

generation emotionally and psychologically

damaged. A recent study released by Norwegian

Refugee Council (NRC) stated that 68 per cent of

Gaza school children suffer from psychological

distress.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 |


CHILDREN OF GAZA

Mahmoud, a 15-year-old boy participating in one of the film workshops, had this to say about the children’s

cinema:

“Expressing your sad feelings and sharing it with your

peers about the situation in Gaza is better than hiding it

inside yourself. When we smile but we have great internal

pain, it is important for me to share how I feel in this

platform…”

Gaza Children’s Cinema is designed to offer a regular routine, the

opportunity for self-expression and the chance to engage with

peers in a safe and creative environment. Gathering children

together can support socialisation, establish peer and family

networks and encourage children to understand and accept views

other than their own. It is important that the children don't suppress

their feelings and that they search for their strengths and hope for

the future.

In the context of Gaza (or any war zone), if the children

can't process their emotions during this time, they could

be affected for the rest of their lives.

The initiative is working to expand reach and eventually visit more children communities in Palestine. This

cinema service is crucial, as movies provide a form of escapism - one that children in Gaza certainly need.

Fact Box

Understanding the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through creative expression,

known as art therapy, is still in its relative infancy. However, there are promising results that indicate artistic

expression is useful in reconstructing traumatic events and managing psychological symptoms and stress

(Spiegel et al. 2006, pg. 159). Proponents of art therapy claim that creative expression allows patients to

reactivate positive emotions, enhance one's ability to express emotions in a controlled manner, and reconsolidate

memories. Some scholars even claim that art therapy can effectively achieve similar goals to

trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy (Pifalo 2007, pg. 171).

Reference - Pifalo, T 2007, 'Jogging the cogs: Trauma-focused art therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy with sexually

abused children', Art Therapy, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 170-175.

Spiegel, D, Malchiodi, C, Backos, A & Collie, K 2006, 'Art therapy for combat-related PTSD: Recommendations for research

and practice', Art Therapy, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 157-164.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 3 |


S H O O T I N G S T A R S

In Australia, the gap between Aboriginal

students and their non-Aboriginal peers is

significant in terms of attendance, retention

to Year 12, and literacy and numeracy skills,

with the gap widening in regional and remote

contexts. School-based 'academy-style'

engagement programs work to close this gap

by providing holistic support services to

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)

students. Funding is currently biased

towards boys' programs, with $40 million

granted to the mentoring and support of

young men in June 2017, compared to $9

million for young women.

In 2017, the Standing Committee on

Indigenous Affairs found that the common

elements among successful engagement

programs were “flexibility, cultural safety,

buy-in from the family and connection with

community”; yet how the success of these

programs was measured was not defined,

with the committee also stating that they

were “consistently surprised and concerned

about the lack of data available regarding

attendance and education outcomes for

Indigenous students”. So how do you

measure the success of an engagement

program? While attendance numbers

are significant, they do not tell the whole

story.

One engagement program, Shooting Stars,

is based in eight remote and regional

schools in Western Australia, where it uses

netball and other incentives to

engage Aboriginal girls in their education,

while promoting their health and

wellbeing. Committed to culturally

responsive, site-specific programming,

Shooting Stars evaluates the efficacy of its

services through collation of school

attendance data (see figure above),

participant case studies (confidential), and

yarning circles. The methods used in the

yarning circles research were developed

over 18 months in collaboration with

Shooting Stars participants, localised

Shooting Stars steering committees,

and Shooting Stars staff across Western

Australia.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 4 |


S H O O T I N G S T A R S

The yarning circles research provided

baseline data for participant attitude towards

school, learning, and their aspirations (data

identified as non-existent by the Standing

Committee on Indigenous Affairs). One key

learning from these yarns was the

importance of growing local role models and

exposing participants to different post-school

pathways.

Shooting Stars staff are predominately

Aboriginal (82%), thanks to the Shooting

Stars governance structure and Indigenous

employment strategy, which includes a

traineeship model to foster local Aboriginal

women, where local trainees learn the ropes

while undertaking a Certificate III or IV in

either Sport and Recreation or Youth Work.

This system has proven very successful,

with Shooting Stars' Aboriginal staff rate

growing from 50% in 2015 to 82% in 2019.

Aboriginal staff in schools, specifically

Aboriginal teaching and support staff, have

greatly enhanced student outcomes in both

remote and boarding school contexts,

illustrating that Aboriginal employment

strategies should be embedded in all

Aboriginal engagement programs.

Role models are also actively grown from

withing the Shooting Stars program itself,

with the Shooting Stars Leaders project.

Shooting Stars Leaders, who are voted in by

their peers, facilitate yarning circles with their

cohort in order to develop student-led

community initiatives.

The yarning circles project enables Shooting

Stars participants and localised steering

committees to define local barriers to school

attendance. Twenty yarns across the

Carnarvon, Derby, Halls Creek,

Meekatharra, and Mullewa sites were

conducted from 2016 to 2018 that explored

barriers to attending school. Once these data

were collated, Shooting Stars staff, in

conjunction with localised Shooting Stars

steering committees, were able to tailor their

local program to address the barriers

identified by the students and community

members themselves.

A key part of this process is education, with

Shooting Stars staff running health and wellbeing

sessions on targeted topics, such as

defining bullying and what to do when you’re

bullied/teased at school.

To yarn is to converse — in a mutual,

reciprocal dialogue, where interjections, interpretations,

and additions are welcome. A yarning circle is a group

conversation with a purpose, a focussed discussion

which is grounded in respect and democratic

participation. The yarning circle has an ancient history in

Aboriginal Australia, with similar practices called by other

names in other Indigenous nations

throughout the world.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 5 |


S H O O T I N G S T A R S

The Shooting Stars program has found that

by acting on what the participants and

steering committees identify as barriers,

and developing solutions together, both

participants and communities have a greater

buy-in to the program and are more invested

in outcomes such as attendance

improvement.

Yarning circles are not just a

culturally safe way to evaluate

program success and to tailor

engagement programs to local

contexts, they provide a platform

for student voice and selfdetermination.

For Shooting Stars, the essential element is

the relationship that is built between

facilitator and participant before, during, and

after the yarning has taken place.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 6 |


G L O B A L P A S S P O R T R A N K I N G

M o s t a c c e s s i b l e p a s s p o r t s t o h a v e i n 2 0 1 9

Globalisation has created an increasingly

connected world, and as a result access to

countries across the globe has become more

important than ever. In addition, the number

of high net-worth individuals choosing to

migrate to other countries is higher than ever

before, with recent data indicating that twothirds

of Ultra High Net Worth Individuals

have access to a second passport or plan to

obtain one. With this in mind, it is clear that

holding a passport with a high degree of

international access is of utmost

importance for globally minded

individuals and a key concern for modern

organisations.

Residence and citizenship advisory firm

Henley & Partners recently published their

Passport Index – a ranked list of which

passports have the greatest global access

based on data from the International Air

Travel Association (IATA). Topping the list in

2019 are Japan and Singapore, allowing

Visa-free access to 190 and 189 countries

respectively, while the UK and USA offer

access to 185 and Australia 181.

Greater global access means more

opportunities for investment, a wider talent

pool and access to preferable social

conditions such as lower crime rates or

higher quality education. It is estimated that

open access visa policies may generate up

to USD 206 billion dollars and as many as

5.1 million jobs.

The best passports to hold midway through

2019 are:

1. Japan (190 countries)

2. Singapore, South Korea (189 countries)

3. France, Germany (188 countries)

4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden (187

countries)

5. Luxembourg, Spain (186 countries)

6. Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,

Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

(185 countries)

7. Belgium, Canada, Greece, Ireland (184

countries)

8. Czech Republic (183 countries)

9. Malta (182 countries)

10. Australia, Iceland, New Zealand (181

countries)

The worst passports to hold midway through

2019 are:

94. Kosovo (44 countries)

95. Congo (Dem. Rep.), Sri Lanka (43 countries)

96. Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea (42 countries)

97. Bangladesh, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan

(41 countries)

98. Nepal (40 countries)

99. Palestinian Territory, Sudan (39 countries)

100. Eritrea (38 countries)

101. Yemen (37 countries)

102. Pakistan (33 countries)

103. Somalia, Syria (32 countries)

104. Afghanistan, Iraq (30 countries)

Reference: https://www.henleypassportindex.com/assets/2019/HPI%20Global%20Mobility%20Report_Final_190104.pdf

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 7 |


F A R F R O M H A R M L E S S :

H o w W o r d s C a n D a m a g e R e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d R e p u t a t i o n s

Sticks and stones may break my bones,

But words will break my heart.

Does this sound familiar but also… wrong? It’s my

version of this English language children’s rhyme

from the mid 1800’s.

'Sticks and stones may break my bones But words

will never hurt me.'

As a girl who wore glasses from the age of six and

was teased about having ‘four eyes’, I know that

words can indeed hurt.

Words can break hearts, ruin relationships

and damage businesses.

The wrong words can have consequences that

last longer and reverberate further than physical

damage. And much of the time, we don’t realise

the damage our words are doing because we are

unaware of the unconscious bias that shapes our

language. We believe, without even articulating it,

that the way we speak is ‘normal’ which, through

our own cultural lens, may appear to be the case.

However, words frame our experiences and

establish norms for others that may not actually be

their normal.

Words carry assumptions about gender, sexual

orientation, ethnicity and racial identity, disabilities

and age. Words can suggest that one experience

is the norm whilst the other is the exception.

Words like

chairman

businessman

fireman

Or the use of a gendered pronoun with a role that

is gender-neutral. For example, ‘When you next

see a doctor make sure to tell him about your

headaches.’ By assigning the male pronoun, we

are reinforcing the male as the norm and the

female as the exception in this role.The problem

with gendered language, or any language that

expresses bias, is that the groups of people not

represented are then given less opportunity to

envisage themselves in those roles, that situation,

that future.

It must be said that there is a greater awareness

of gendered language these days and for many

people a greater awareness of how to adjust to

counteract it.

What is less obvious is language that marginalizes

other groups of people. For example, expressing

surprise when a person of Asian descent is not

good at math because -

'I thought all Asians are

good at math'

Or skepticism on being told of a person’s

Aboriginality because -

‘He doesn’t look Aboriginal.’

Or a new technology tool so easy to use that,

‘Even my grandma could do it.’

Once again, this sort of language presents

assumptions about others that reinforce

stereotypes and could work to limit opportunities

for particular groups of people.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 8 |


FAR FROM HARMLESS

At this stage, it’s important to point out that I am a white

female, mid-fifties and from an Anglo Saxon educational

and social background. It’s not only possible but quite

likely that I am making assumptions in writing this article

about language.

I acknowledge that I am seeing things through the lens of

my own cultural bias.

And that’s the first step to improving our use of language

- cultivating an awareness that we may (and probably

are) operating from a place of unconscious bias.

For it is only by recognising the potential for bias that we

can be more intentional in finding ways to counteract it.

Which brings me to the second step in addressing

unconscious bias in language -

For many, a brand voice is nothing more than

artifice and appearance. Yet the brand will be

judged by potential clients and customers in

the way its voice is expressed, through words

and language at any touch-point.

Being aware and intentional about the

language we use and the words we choose

can open up a world of opportunity for us,

personally and professionally. The opposite

can close off just as many exciting avenues.

About the Author

Being intentional.

Your voice in the world, as an organisation or individual,

is revealed through the language you use and the words

you choose. You will be judged one way or another

regardless of whether you are conscious of the impact of

your language.

Those with the greatest integrity will ensure that their

voice is aligned with their values.

Sherene Strahan is a writer and coach

for individuals and businesses that

want to develop their authentic voice

for greater impact and reach.

Unfortunately, this does not always happen. For many

businesses, the focus in establishing a brand voice is

about identifying personality traits - Quirky! Or serious.

Friendly or formal - rather than understanding the

connection with the mission and values of the

organisation.

She is a former journalist who

somehow fell into marketing, where

she relishes the storytelling

opportunities. She believes every voice

matters, especially when they are

genuine.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 9 |


Diversity and Inclusion

Growing your

Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

By Tanya Finnie

'Do I really need to learn about culture to be better at

my job?' 'Don’t you just automatically know this stuff

and adapt accordingly?' 'Surely it is just common

sense. I can just follow my intuition.' Questions and

statements, I often hear in the corporate world. The

answer to this is simply, that you probably do have

some sense, but can someone just define common

sense one more time... What is common behaviour for

one, may be exactly the opposite for another.

For example, how would you respond if you are new at

a workplace and your colleagues work until late and

then want to go and socialise together until midnight?

Some of you may be mortified at the thought of

socialising with your colleagues. Others may see it as

their duty or simply the way they do things. The reality

is there are some things that we deeply believe in and

often think is the only way to do it, until we come

across someone who does it differently.

Culture is a bit like gravity – we do not

know that it is there until we take a leap.

Once you’ve leapt you have two options:

1. Dismiss them as obviously wrong and continue in

your own way or

2. Be open to another way of doing things and

consider that your way may not be the only way.

Depending on what this is, you may be more or less

inclined to consider the options. However, when you

practice different perspectives and expose yourself to

different perspectives, you’ll stretch your brain to

become more and more comfortable with those.

When we are stressed, we tend to fall back on our

comfortable default behaviour as in the moment of

stress we do not have the energy or capacity to

rationally find the best solution. That is why it is so

important to practice the correct behaviour, so it does

become second nature.

Who has not had a driver do something silly like cut

you off? What did you do? In that moment of rage, you

may have chased past the person to glare through the

window to confirm your stereotype of what you already

decided. Then you continued with a sigh, thinking that

was typical (insert your stereotype here). Was it fair?

Can you really say all (insert stereotype here) are

(insert your belief system)?

I’d like to challenge you to be curious

to others and their behaviour and

question your own stereotypes.

Let me be clear that no one can constantly operate in

that space of exposure – it is exhausting. However, like

all things in life, the more you practice it, the more

comfortable you’ll get with it.

Cultural self-awareness is the key to start growing your

cultural intelligence (CQ). We can only adapt to others

if we are aware of our own comfortable operating

system (OS). So, what is your OS?

Do you tend to be more direct or less direct when you

express yourself? Are you willing to take changes or

are you more measured in your OS? Would you cross

the street where there is not a traffic light or rather walk

an extra 100 meters to the nearest traffic light? Are you

happy to just do it, or would you rather spend more

time planning , researching and weighing up all your

options? Are you comfortable with being on a first

name basis with your colleagues and superiors or do

you prefer a more formal approach? Combine all these

different scenarios into one workplace, one meeting

and you could be facing a melting pot of potential

conflict.

Most confusing is when we don’t even recognise when

a misunderstanding has occurred. Self-awareness and

situational awareness are key to managing this

potential conflict and building stronger relationships.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 0 |


Growing your Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

Slow is neither good nor bad, it is simply slow. Direct is

neither good nor bad it is simply direct. What are your

belief systems (BS)? I want to point out that when I

refer to culture – it could be ethnic culture as in where

someone is from, but there is so much more to culture.

There are generational differences, gender

differences, organisational differences, socio economic

background differences and many more.

These are all part of us. You are not even like all the

others that are ‘like you’. You just have to look at your

family – people from the same background (possibly)

with similar value systems (possibly) and already you

are all so different.

Once you are aware where you sit on the cultural

scale, you can start comparing where are others are

coming from. You don’t need years of experience and

having travelled to several countries. Rather, commit

to being culturally intelligent and plan how you can get

there. You can start by self-awareness and step up to

the next level by observing others.

I dare you to do a few things

out of your comfort zone.

Be patient and have fun.

Tanya Finnie is the Director of RedHead

Communications. She is a global cultural

strategist working with organisations to

adjust their culture to enhance job

performance, improve creativity and

innovation, amplify situational awareness, but

mostly just create thriving cultures.

She is also mother of one human child, one

canine and a wife. She is based in Perth, but

calls herself a child of the world.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 1 |


MENTAL HEALTH

AND WELLBEING

An Important Part of Diversity

T A S H A B R O O M H A L L

Diversity in the workplace is a key focus in many organisations,

with the goals of increasing awareness, respect and inclusion.

People have significant diversity in their individual mental

health and wellbeing, and a lack of knowledge and respect in

workplaces can lead to discrimination and exclusion.

Would you discriminate against an employee who

was blind? Would you allow time off and a

graduated return to work for an employee after a

heart attack? Would you make adjustments to

support an employee with a broken limb who

needed a change in duties during recovery? Most

organisations have a comprehensive health and

safety policy relating to their employees’ physical

health and it is imperative that organisations

respond to a person with mental health problems

with the same principles that they would apply to

an employee with a physical illness or disability.

Nowadays we hear a lot about mental health and

well-being in the workplace, but we are usually only

hearing about it in relation to the costs associated

with mental illness. Mental health is a part of our

general health. Each year 1 in 5 of us will experience

mental illness (1) and during our lifetime

approximately half of us will experience a mental

illness. Employees’ mental health issues can have

significant human and economic impacts in an

organisation.

The Cost of Mental Health Issues in the

Workplace

The overall financial impact of mental health

issues in the workplace is estimated to be:

6 million work days lost in absenteeism

annually due to untreated depression (2):

12 million more work days lost to

presenteeism each year 2;

$10.9 billion lost in productivity per year

(average cost of $9,665/year/FT employee)

(2);

$10 billion a year for the cost of stressrelated

workers’ compensation claims

(this has doubled in recent years) (3); and

When considering psychological injury

claims, work pressure is reported as the

cause of half of all claims, and harassment

and bullying is the cause of almost a

quarter of all claims (4).

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 2 |


MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Ensure health and safety: OHS legislation requires

employers to ensure your workplace is safe and

healthy for all workers and does not cause ill health or

aggravate existing conditions. This applies to both

mental and physical health.

Ensure privacy: Privacy legislation requires employers

to ensure personal information about a worker’s

mental health status is not disclosed to anyone

without the worker’s consent.

Avoid adverse actions: industrial law requires

employers to ensure your workplace does not take any

adverse action against a worker because of their

mental illness. (4)

Despite the prevalence of possible impacts and

obligations, many supervisors, managers and

colleagues are not confident in recognising and

appropriately responding to mental health issues.

People often know a good deal about common

physical health problems, yet there is widespread

ignorance or misunderstanding of mental health

problems. This adds to stigmatising attitudes and

prevents people from seeking help early and seeking

the best sort of help. It also prevents people from

providing appropriate support to colleagues and

family members, simply because they do not know

how to help.

Work related mental stress Workers’ Compensation

claims are the most expensive form of Workers’

Compensation claim because they usually involve

lengthy periods of absence (4). Poor psychological and

physical health is having a serious impact on worker

well-being and productivity, which results in increased

costs to employers. Research indicates that job

stressors such as an ‘unhealthy’ workplace, work

overload, or a traumatic work incident can contribute

to the development of mental illness (4), or exacerbate

existing illnesses.

As well as the costs, in many countries employment

and non-discrimination laws require that

organisations provide reasonable adjustments for

employees with mental illness and that employers do

not discriminate against an employee on the grounds

of mental illness or disability.

In many countries, employment law states that

employers are legally obliged to:

Not discriminate against an employee with mental

illness: Disability discrimination legislation requires

you to ensure that your workplace does not

discriminate against or harass workers with mental

illness (either directly or indirectly). This includes form

recruitment through to cessation of employment and

extends to making reasonable adjustments to meet

the needs of workers with mental illness.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 3 |


MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Consider the leaders in your organisation:

Do they know how to recognise and appropriately

discuss mental health concerns with an employee?

Do they understand their obligations around

privacy and confidentiality?

Do they know how to design and implement

reasonable adjustments for staff with mental health

issues which support both the individuals’ and the

business’s needs?

The workplace impacts of mental health issues on an

individual can vary greatly. Whether an individual

needs to disclose their illness or not may also differ

depending on the type, frequency and impact of their

symptoms. Sometimes it will be very clear that a

person is experiencing mental health issues, but at

other times it might not.

Nearly half of all senior managers believe none of their

workers will experience a mental health problem in

the workplace (4). Given the evidence to the contrary,

Leaders sticking their heads in the

sand does not make good business

sense.

Mental health issues are a factor in diverse workplaces.

It is far better to develop a proactive strategy to

minimise the impacts and costs – both human and

economic.

Mental health problems are a very individual

experience and the types of symptoms and functional

impacts people experience can vary. Similarly, the

type of supports and treatments that are appropriate

can vary from one person to the next. It’s important to

respect a person’s individual experience of mental

illness and to assist them in seeking professional help,

as people can and do recover from mental illness.

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2007, National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results 2007

date viewed 30/8/2015

<http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/6AE6DA447F985FC2CA2574EA00122BD6/$File/43260_

2007.pdf>

2. Price Waterhouse Coopers, 2014, Creating a mentally healthy workplace return on investment analysis, Price

Waterhouse Coopers, viewed 30/8/2015 < http://www.headsup.org.au/docs/defaultsource/resources/beyondblue_workplaceroi_finalreport_may-2014.pdf>

3. Medibank Private, 2008, The Cost of Workplace Stress in Australia, Medibank Private, viewed 30/8/2015 <

http://www.medibank.com.au/client/documents/pdfs/the-cost-of-workplace-stress.pdf>

4. Australian Human Rights Commission 2010, 2010 Workers with Mental Illness: a Practical Guide for Managers,

Australian Human Rights Commission, date viewed 30/8/2015,

<https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/2010-workers-mental-illness-practical-guide-managers/1-

mental-health-workplace>

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 4 |


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A Tale Of Two Democracies

C O M P A R I N G T H E A U S T R A L I A N A N D A M E R I C A N P O L I T I C A L S Y S T E M S

By Sophie Barclay

Australia and the United States are often

referred to synonymously, particularly when

referencing democratic political systems. It is

easy to justify the comparison; the Australian

political system was partly inspired by the

American model and shares its federal design of

dividing power to govern between national and

state governments. However, the Australian

model was actually created as a unique hybrid

of the U.S. system and the British ‘Westminster’

system of responsible government. This has

resulted in two different models of governance

that share certain similarities.

The Constitution:

Both countries have a written constitution,

dividing the power of governance and law

making between three key branches; the

executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The

division and separation of these powers is to

avoid one of these branches from misusing or

having too much power.

The Australian constitution is considered

minimalist, with many aspects of the political

system developed over time rather than being

explicitly enshrined. Did you know that the Prime

Minister and Cabinet are not even mentioned in

the Constitution?

In comparison, the U.S. Constitution is a

maximalist doctrine and is the single and

overriding source of constitutional law. It also

contains a Bill of Rights, which is a collection of

10 amendments that explicitly protects individual

rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom

of religion. Conversely, Australia is the only

common law country that does not have a

constitutional or federal legislative bill of rights.

The House And The Senate:

Both countries have two houses, the House of

Representatives and the Senate. In Australia,

federal elections are held at least once every

three years, with 150 members elected to the

House of Representatives and 75 elected to the

Senate. In America, congressional elections are

held every two years, with 435 members elected

to the House of Representatives and 100

members elected to the Senate.

In both systems, the number of elected

representatives in the House of Representatives

is dependent on the population of each state

whereas, in the Senate, every state has an

equal number of representatives. In Australia,

the Prime Minister must be the leader of the

winning party, whereas the American President

is separate to their party and is elected every

four years. Their party does not have to be in

power in order for a President to win office.

Systems Of Representation:

In Australia, members are elected to the House

of Representatives using the preferential voting

system, whilst proportional voting system is

used to elect Senators. The preferential system

requires members to receive 50% + 1 of the

popular vote, with the winning party forming

government. The proportional voting system

requires Senators to receive a quota of 14%,

allowing for a much more diverse range of

candidates to be elected.

In comparison, a U.S president is elected via the

Electoral College system. The Electoral College

is a group of 538 people, all of whom represent

one vote, and the president must receive 270 or

more votes in order to take office.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 6 |


A Tale Of Two Democracies

Each state receives a particular number of

electors based on population size. Presidential

candidates often try to win states with a high

distribution of electoral votes, such as California,

which represents 55 votes. If a candidate wins in

a state, they receive all of the electoral votes. A

president can take office, having received the

majority of the Electoral College vote, but not

the popular vote. In 2016, Donald Trump

received 304 electoral votes but received 3

million less votes in the popular votes than his

rival Hillary Clinton.

At the same time, when it comes to electing

candidates to the House of Representatives and

the Senate, the United States uses the firstpast-the-post

voting system, which means the

candidate, who receives the most votes, wins.

This does not automatically equate to receiving

the majority of the votes, which means there

could be representatives in office who receive

less than 50% of the vote.

On the other hand, the United States is a

republic, with the President the head of the

government and head of state. Whilst the

Governor General is appointed by the Queen on

the advice of the Prime Minister, the President is

elected by the American people.

Closing Thoughts:

It is easy to look at political systems like the U.S.

and Australia and assume they are identical.

However, what this analysis shows is that

models of government can evolve quickly and

independently, despite beginning in very similar

historical and political circumstances. It will be

interesting to see what the future brings for

these two democracies.

Voting: Right Or Obligation?

Voting is one of the central tenets of a

democracy, a method by which the people can

freely appoint representatives to government.

Australia is one of only 11 countries to enforce

compulsory voting, meaning that it records voter

registration and turnout consistently above 90%.

In contrast, Americans have the option to

exercise their right to vote or to decide not to

vote. This has led to the lowest voter turnout

amongst the developed nations. In the 2016

presidential election, only 55% of the voting age

population ended up casting a ballot.

Sophie Barclay on the

speaker's balcony in DC

Head Of State:

There are also fundamental differences between

the Australian and U.S. political systems when it

comes to the head of state. Australia is a

constitutional monarchy, where the British

Queen is the nation’s head of state and the

Governor General acting as her representative.

However, both these roles are ceremonial and

the elected government is the primary and

overriding form of governance.

The author is currently studying a

Masters of Strategic Communication

at the University of Western Australia.

Previously, she completed an

undergraduate degree in Political

Science and International Relations,

and was a congressional intern in the

U.S House Of Representatives.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 7 |


Expat Life in Mongolia

By Rebecca Stubley

Growing up in Western Australia I dreamed of

living abroad one day somewhere like Canada

or England. You can imagine my surprise when

my partner was offered an expat role with Rio

Tinto in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It sounded

outrageous to us, but it was an opportunity for

adventure that we couldn’t pass up. I have

done quite a bit of travel in the past however

the questions from our friends and family were

questions that I really couldn’t answer without

doing a bit of research first. Where WAS

Mongolia? What language do they speak? I had

never considered Mongolia as a travel

destination let alone somewhere to live.

In September 2017, we packed up and

arrived in what would be our new home for

the following 2 years. Landlocked between

Russia and China, Mongolia is a country

known for its extreme temperatures, nomadic

culture and vast, rugged landscapes.

Mongolia has a population of approximately

three million people, half of which are based

in the relatively small capital city of

Ulaanbaatar (UB). Just 15 years ago UB had

the population of around 500,000 people but

after finding large deposits of valuable

mineral resources including gold, coal and

copper, mining companies flocked bringing

with them expats and wealth.

UB is a city of (somewhat) organised chaos.

Walking around the city to the sound of cars

honking, it’s easy to get lost. There is little in

the way of street signs and building addresses.

Many stores and restaurants are located on the

upper floors of soviet style, concrete office or

residential buildings.

It takes a while to become confident to just walk

into a building hoping for the best. Public

transport is crowded but available and many

local Mongolians drivers are happy to stop for

you on the side of the road and take you to your

destination (for a small fee). However, in a city

centre where car ownership has quadrupled

from when major infrastructure was planned it

can often take an hour to travel a couple of

kilometres.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 8 |


Expat Life in Mongolia

Winter in UB is bitterly cold, with temperatures

dropping to minus 40 degrees Celsius, making

it one of the coldest capitals cities in the world.

Being a West Australian, I have never

experienced anything like it in my life – I had

never seen snow before moving to Mongolia. I

was expecting beautiful, white snow like in the

Christmas movies but this was not the case.

The snow is generally quite light and the

freezing temperatures cause it to quickly turn to

ice on the roads and footpaths. During winter,

UB experiences some of the worst pollution in

the world. Much of this is attributed to the

impoverished ‘Ger’ districts that border the city.

With little electricity in these areas, families rely

on cheap, inefficient coal for warmth. Sadly, this

causes terrible health issues for people living in

UB, particularly young children, and even

issues such as car accidents due to reduced

visibility. For a couple of months over spring

and summer, UB experiences warm days in the

mid 20s (c). The flora around the city bloom into

lively green, the air is clear and the days are

long. This is the best time in Mongolia.

Hospitality in Mongolian culture is generous

and inviting. When visiting families in the

countryside you are welcomed into their Ger

(or ‘Yurt’ – a tent like dwelling) and offered

snacks of bread, cheese curds and milk tea.

Some items are an acquired taste but it is

polite to try it for their efforts – you often get a

giggle from your hosts knowing Westerners

aren’t enjoying something but trying it

anyway. If you finish your serving they will

come straight over and top you up, so if you

do not enjoy it leave a small amount. During

celebrations like Tsaagan Sar (Lunar New

Year) be prepared for a boozy day. Host

families offer you vodka, lots of vodka, early

in the day. This mixed with roast lamb meat,

buuz (steamed meat dumpling) and Airag

(fermented mares milk) can make for an

uncomfortable tummy ache later in the day.

1.

Around UB you can find many Western food

options at stores and restaurants. Often at

restaurants the meal or beverage you order is

not available so it’s always a good idea to have

a few options in mind.

Older Mongolians have quite traditional values

and ideology, however young Mongolians are

becoming quite progressive from their exposure

to other cultures through expats and

opportunities to study and travel abroad. Pop

culture from other countries like South Korea

and the USA play a big part in the changing

views and values of the youth in Mongolia. In

recent years founders from around the world

have started not-for-profit and charity

organisations in Mongolia where many young

Mongolians become involved. Still, today, with

little disposable income, it is uncommon for

Mongolian people to donate to charities. Some

notable organisations I have been involved in

during my time in Mongolia are: The Mongolian

Bankhar Dog Project (1.), restoring the Bankhar

dog to its former status as the mediator

between nomadic people and the fragile

Mongolian environment since nomadic

practices were banned during the Soviet

occupation, and The Veloo Foundation (2.) who

work to improve the lives of children and

families forced to live and scavenge the rubbish

dumps of UB. I have met many national young

adults who are passionate, innovative and

eager to make the future in Mongolia a happy

and healthy place for all.

Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project: https://www.bankhar.org/

2. Veloo Foundation: http://www.veloofoundation.com/

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 1 9 |


REARRANGING MY UNDERSTANDING

THREE THINGS I LEARNED WHILE STUDYING JAPANESE

J O R D A N P H O E B E

At the beginning of this year, I had a gap in my university timetable that needed filling. Having

completed all units necessary for graduation, I decided to pursue my long-time interest in Japanese

culture and history by taking a Japanese language course. The following is a list of things I learned

while taking this class, none of which are exclusively about Japanese, but language and learning in

general.

1. The Internet helps, but it is no replacement for going to class –

As much as it dismayed me to drag myself to the bus stop for a two-hour tutorial at 7am, I can't deny how

helpful it was to practice speaking and listening with my peers. Certainly, there are great resources online for

understanding grammar, sentence structure and the characters used in foreign languages, however there is no

replacement for the immediacy of conversing as best you can in a language you are still coming to grips with.

By speaking and listening, as opposed to writing, you are forcing yourself to firstly understand another person,

which reinforces what you have learned, then to compose thoughts into language in the most immediate way

possible with no room for deleting and rephrasing.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 0 |


REARRANGING MY UNDERSTANDING

Of course, this approach results in many mistakes, and

I often felt humbled as I grappled with a child-like

frustration at struggling to understand quickly, let

alone express myself adequately. However, these

challenges (and mistakes) are necessary, in my

opinion, for fluent language acquisition; particularly

since adults spend 65-85% of communication time

either speaking or listening (Rivers in Gilman and

Moody 1984, pg 331). Fortunately, I had a group of

enthusiastic students and an encouraging teacher to

support (and sometimes commiserate with) me,

which studies have shown benefits language learning

in many aspects (Zhang 2010).

3. Fun provides meaningful context –

While I have played some language games designed

for Japanese children that were a lot of fun, in this

case I'm referring to preserving the wonder and

excitement that can all to easily turn into drudgery

when studying a new language. Basically, having fun

gives context and meaning to the struggle of

learning something so difficult.

Some of my fondest memories from class involve

asking my teacher about dajare (Japanese puns) or

learning how to type 'lol' (if you're curious, you

simply type 'w' the first letter of 笑 い, which means

laughter). Studies have found that when students

are enjoying themselves, anxiety about learning

language decreases, while motivation and interest in

learning increases (Yolageldili & Arikan 2011).

The above topics aren't usually presented in

textbooks, but they create a real sense of the

language living and functioning in the real world,

which illustrates that, beyond the confines of the

classroom, beyond grammar worksheets and long

nights practising hiragana, the function of language

is to communicate with other human beings. I think

there is something beautiful in understanding that.

2. Mnemonics work –

A great example of this is using fun or creative

mnemonic associations. For example, the Japanese

word for 'famous', ( 有 名 ) is pronounced yuu-mei, which

I remember with the phrase "yuu-mei have heard of

this". It sounds simplistic, but rigorous analysis has

demonstrated that this method is superior to nearly

every other method of vocabulary learning (Gu 2003).

In addition to soundalikes, associating a visual image

with the many, many characters necessary in learning

Japanese is extremely effective way of quickly

boosting your ability to recall information.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 1 |


“WRITING!

ISN’T THAT A DYING ART?”

By Judith Ann

When people find out I am a writer of the hand

written word, this is a comment I hear often!

My reply is, “Actually, there’s resurgence. It IS

alive and my aim is to give it breath - the beauty

of a legible, stylish hand that empowers and gets

you noticed at the same time.”

As I write this, it is on paper with my favourite

tool: the pencil. The feel and glide of lead when

looking back at my marks made on the pages

gives my words creativity and meaning.

Somehow, it helps my story telling to flow and my

thoughts to ponder and strategise. Sure, you can

do this on your PC, but for me it’s honouring the

engagement of lead and paper, the hands-on

movement with sincerity to it all.

When a hand written letter was delivered in the

mail it may have taken days, weeks or months to

arrive with news from elsewhere in the world. Can

you imagine that? That very act of reading a news

letter often reveals life’s details more honestly

and intimately than what we may load instantly on

social media. It’s the tactile exchange that comes

from receiving something either private, news

worthy or an invitation to a special event.

To me, somehow, the importance of the written

word is showing you care enough to put it down

on paper. If you receive a 'Thank You' note or

card by post, actually delivered into your mail box

(the sort out on the street), it means someone has

taken the time to offer you their appreciation and

gratitude in a meaningful way. I believe the art of

writing is about impact and connection, about

utilising the power of the written word to deliver

your message.

I wrote addresses on 150 or so beautiful, quality,

thick envelopes in nib and ink a while ago, one of

which was delivered to a well-known Perth lawyer

and he said it was the most beautiful invitation to

an event he had ever received.

Apparently, he had received many and this very

compliment made my heart sing. It’s the fact that

it went from my handwritten words to the bride

and then to her guests. The conversation it

caused, the amount of people who actually

phoned her and commented on the beauty they

received was over flowing appreciation. That flow

on effect is why I write by hand.

The art of the handwritten word has been proven

to slow you down and as you form your shapes,

link up your letters and design your flourishes,

mindfulness and well-being engage. You get into

the zone and forget everything else.

It is also proven that the act of

writing down your information is a

beneficial way of learning. Eye, hand,

brain - all connecting.

Students are still required to handwrite exams for

up to three hours and the problem with this is

they are out of practice. I taught Year Nine

students to write legibly and quickly with only a

few, too-short lessons. Obviously, they, like any

computerised student had to practice, to build up

the flow so that muscle aches in fingers, arm and

shoulder did not occur. And let’s not forget the

finger blisters! This is exactly what happens when

daily writing is not in our schedule. I've taught a

Qantas pilot, real estate agents, a poetic builder

and an international model to write and I love to

see the evolution of skills advance because of the

confidence it gives them.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 2 |


WRITING! ISNT THAT A DYING ART?

Once upon a time, everyone who hand wrote did

so beautifully. Today, people hand write but

because we have no marker of beauty, the

youngsters seem to think that just because

anyone can form a letter it’s fabulous. Style and

standards have gone. Culturally, we’ve lost the art

of writing due to technology and are really just

finding it for the benefits of learning and

mindfulness. However, we still have to

concentrate on the formations for style, which

allow the beauty of handwriting to flourish.

Think back to the 1740s when notable copperplate

engravers and calligraphers like George Bickham

overlaid fine flourishes, swirls, spirals, featherings

and volutes by hand. Extreme decoration in

writing indeed. However, it is these very basic

exercises which I use today to capture the beauty

of the hand written word and teach it.

Most of our youth are embarrassed to

pick up a pen and write today because

they have not been taught how to; it’s

not high on the curriculum.

Interior design and architecture students are being

asked to perform a sketch on the spot, on a note

pad to quickly elaborate something to their client

and they will probably have to write a few words

too. Not corrected on how to pick up or hold a

pen, they write with fingers crooked around their

biro, unable to actually view what they are writing.

It’s not their fault; we’ve just been remiss in

assisting them in this detail.

However, the biggest thing that disappoints me

from a legibility point of view is that the letter

formations have gone beyond being fashionably

“imperfect”. I quite often see a modern style

brush lettered quote and deciphering it becomes

a typographical challenge. There is a time for

artistic lettering but I have to question if the word

reads 'happy', 'nappy' or 'pappy', I desperately

want to run up and erase or fill it in and finish off

one minor detail to read it easier.

Yes, artistic letters are great when required but

we are forgetting to finish and close off the joins

and meet ups and messing with incorrect height

and unclosed shapes is too much. Let’s not lose

the art of letter construction completely in our

modern world and let’s not break the rules too

much so that the illegible is fashionable. This is

something I encourage when engaging in

calligraphy, lettering class. Shape, form, space,

flow and rhythm are still the steadfast rules of

writing anything by hand. As I tell any of my

younger students; “Writing is a skill that takes

time - weeks, months, sometimes years

depending on how much you observe and

practice. So be patient with yourselves and in

this instant world, if you do not grasp it

immediately you are not failing but learning.”

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 3 |


DIVERSITY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Writing with style, like manners, can open doors.

It gets you noticed, admired and utterings of

surprise and delight occur when it’s beautiful.

The signature has the power to also give you

status no matter what your handwriting is like.

The signature has the presence to bring the

senses together into a visual majesty of sight,

sound and mark making. The signature has been

forgotten too.

I dearly wish I had taken a photo of a 15-year-old

teenager whose handwriting was somewhere

between printing and scribbled writing. I didn’t

even think he was going to turn up for his

appointment but the glorious, beaming smile and

the way he shook my hand after he stood up was

good enough indication that he had something

attainable that no one else in his class had. He

felt good about himself, with a sense of pride and

the firm, thankful handshake made me feel glad.

If nothing else, his signature was a kicker to go

forward with.

A signature to me is the mark of a man or

woman.

Let’s strive to keep the art of the

stylish, handwritten letters and

words alive, unite the signatures of

penwoman and penman and stand

out from the rest by connection,

beauty and the joy of our own hand.

Poise our biros, let the fountain pens flow and the

pencils glide. Dip your nib in the ink and let the

beautiful words flow, like all the words inside you

waiting to mark the page.

Write on, forever.

Judith Ann teaches calligraphy at

university level. She also developed an

hour long, one on one, trialled and tested

recipe that will give you, the owner, a

unique signature capturing your personality

and demanding attention. It joins with

handwriting to give you confidence and

control.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 4 |


Cultural Mindfulness

CULTURAL MINDFULNESS

By Guglielmo Placanica

Recently, I was in India where its culture is diversely

different from that of an Australian. I visited a Hindu

temple in Tamil Nadu where there were certain customs

that needed to be adhered to before entering the

temple. At that moment I realised how much of a

“Westerner” I was with a strong, personal cultural

make-up. How would this impact on others in the

temple and how would they see me? I realised I needed

to follow their rituals in order to be able to enter the

temple.

Firstly, to be barefoot; I removed my shoes.

The term 'Mindfulness' has increasingly been

mentioned over the last few years. It has been talked

about by celebrities and major companies. These

companies are incorporating mindfulness into the

workplace in order to bring a focused, harmonious

working environment resulting in increased

productivity.

Secondly, knees were not to be exposed; wearing

shorts, my knees were visible; I bought a dhoti at the

nearby markets and wrapped it over my shorts covering

my knees.

Thirdly, men were to be shirtless; at the doorway I took

off my shirt.

Literally, 'Mindfulness' can simply be described as

being continually aware and focused on a particular

object or subject and by observing one’s thoughts in

that moment. It can also incorporate observing one’s

emotions and actions.

Mindfulness can be brought not only to the workplace

but to every other aspect of one’s daily life including

personal relationships. Being mindful within a personal

relationship can certainly transform that relationship to

a more authentic and honest exchange of energy.

What, then, would happen if mindfulness was brought

to all of one’s interactions with other people?

Travelling is a great teacher for

observing one’s interactions with

people from other cultures and

customs.

I followed a line of devotees giving homage to a Hindu

Deity. As I walked along with them, I witnessed their

profound sense of faith; some of them made eye

contact with me and smiled, one or two of them even

greeted me. If I hadn’t respected their custom, I would

have missed one of the most satisfying experiences of

my trip to India.

I learned the lesson; being Culturally Mindful/Sensitive/

Aware impacts our interactions with others with

understanding, respect and appreciation.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 5 |


The

Petri

Dish of

Life

By Dr Chelinay Gates

Images supplied by the author

To culture a bacteria or cell is to

provide suitable conditions for

growth and the maintenance of

life. Traditional Chinese

Medicine (TCM) adheres strongly

to the concept that the

macrocosm is reflected in the

microcosm.

It is the belief that the purpose

of life is to fulfill one's destiny

and all deviations from the true

path is the cause of disease,

both spiritual and physical.

Viewing the human condition

and its treatment from this

viewpoint makes for a very

different understanding of cause

and effect in the disease process.

Culturally, the stance of Chinese

Medicine compared to Western

Medicine seems worlds apart.

Western Medicine believes

that the body is the enemy

and it’s going to get you in

the end.

Chinese Medicine believes

that the body is the friend

and that it will do it’s best

with whatever it’s given.

Both models recognise death

as a momentous event.

In Western Medicine it is the

inevitable, bitter conclusion

to the end of the physical

body and its I-am-ness.

But in Chinese philosophy,

physical death is the way to

open the door to spiritually

return home to the Dao.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 6 |


THE PETRI DISH OF LIFE

Zuo Chuan (2356 BC) wrote:

"He who ignores his own destiny,

probably will not return home again."

Thus the onus is on the Chinese Medical

Practitioner to be supremely interested in the

patient because that person is the one single pearl

in the midst of the boundless ocean of Life Forces.

In fact Zhang Ji (150 – 219 BC) said:

“A doctor is only as good as the virtue

he possesses. Without virtue he cannot

see (the patient)”

Hence the inextricable belief that organ function

can both provoke or be affected by emotions is

recognised in any primary medical diagnosis and

its resulting treatment protocols.

Confucius said:

"A man’s faults all conform to his type

of mind.Observe his faults and you

may know his virtues."

A healthy person can feel emotion without those

emotions becoming habitual.

Let's have a fun look at the complex emotional

stew that brews in the workplace, where most of

the excesses mentioned are practiced on a daily

basis.

The ancients were not expecting that the modern

human would work all day and party all night.

Regularity in all things; eating, sleeping, and even

defecating will increase health and longevity.

Let's say Grandma had a stroke and is expected to

die within two weeks. She’s put into a nursing

home and lives another ten years. Not because the

food is wonderful or the company is inspirational.

No her life is extended simply because she is fed

at 6am, 12 noon, and 6pm and is expected to sleep

from 6pm – 6am.

Shifting to constant night work is preferable to

oscillating shifts to encourage good health.

TCM believes that we should sleep in the yin of yin

time, when the night sky is at its darkest (9pm –

3am). This is when stem cells are switched on and

a concert of natural steroids are mobilized for

organ repair. You cannot replace this sleep at any

other time of the day. If you sleep by 10 mins to

11pm it is like having an extra 2 hours sleep in a

different time slot. The recovery of the body is

excellared by this earlier bed time as opposed to

going to bed at 11:10pm.

.

12pm =Yin of Yin

6am = Yin of Yang

Midday = Yang of Yang

9pm = Yang of Yin

5 Excesses that damages our health

1.EXCESS USE OF EYES

injures the blood and the heart.

2.EXCESS LYING DOWN

injures the Qi (Energy) and lungs.

3.EXCESS SITTING

injures the muscles and spleen.

4.EXCESS STANDING

injures the bones and kidneys.

5.EXCESS EXERCISE

injures the sinews and liver.

The technological age should have provided us

with more time to find contentment, joy and

appreciation of life and this amazing universe.

However, the catch cry of our generation is

anxiety, stress and discontentment. Elation and

joy stem from understanding your place in the

universe and being content.

In addition the environment most people work in

is not conducive to health or happiness.

It is not all doom and gloom though, we can use

this knowledge to heal ourselves and adjust our

schedules where possible.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 7 |


A BRIEF HISTORY OF EXPERIENCE

By Torrance Mendez

T

Lamborghini Espada launched in 1968 – a bestseller with space-age looks.

Picture: Wikimedia Commons

his ageless Italian car with futuristic appearance is a Lamborghini Espada. Incredibly, it was launched way

back in 1968.

Here and now a white-collar worker wants to rebuild their online profile to advance their career. But time is a

foe. They feel old, jaded. Reassurance to the contrary is pooh-poohed.

That night, this media professional tasked with helping to shape a new profile surfs the web for pleasure and

hits on a magical formula: time = unique experience = enrichment.

A fascination for Italian-made vehicles reveals that, in 2018, car maker Lamborghini went to town on 50th

birthday celebrations for its Espada model, a glorious bestseller.

The hoopla involved shipping an

Espada to London for display in the

gilded rotunda of the Royal Automobile

Club in Pall Mall, fabled home of British

motoring.

For period context, the supercar was

then posed on the zebra crossing

outside Abbey Road Studios where, in

1968, The Beatles recorded Hey Jude.

That zebra crossing was on the cover

of their seminal Abbey Road album of

1969.

Lamborghini hoopla in the Royal

Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London. Picture:

Lamborghini

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 8 |


A BRIEF HISTORY OF EXPERIENCE

Espada poses on the crosswalk outside Abbey Road Studios, which featured in artwork for the

Beatles’ 1969 album, Abbey Road. Picture: Lamborghini

The media professional had personal

knowledge of the interior of the Royal

Automobile Club. Personal knowledge of

McCartney’s Lamborghini Espada. And

personal knowledge, too, of Abbey Road

Studios – all gained through work assignments

in a career marked by experience.

A trip to Abbey Road Studios became

unforgettable when a studio staffer confided

that, despite modern technology, The Beatles

insisted that everything in the room where they

had recorded a multitude of hits be left

untouched. That segued into a one-on-one

guided tour of the room. Inside, all that was said

reverberated to the timbre of Beatles’ vinyl.

So, what does this mean? Nothing. But it is an

insight into a rare combination of trivia

regurgitated and reassembled around a middleaged

totem – the 50-year-old Lamborghini

Espada.

Few would have first-hand experience of three

relevant factors in the story – the RAC interior,

McCartney’s Espada and The Beatles’ favoured

venue in Abbey Road Studios. Yet some have

been there, done that. But is it of value? Yes,

when experience is rare enough to be retold,

but obscure enough to be unknown. Aging is

enriching, personally and socially.

For survival, experience is priceless. Yet it can

only be gained one way. By living life.

Torrance Mendez is a veteran of the

media industry, formerly in England and

latterly in Australia where he worked in

newspapers. He is a consultant for Perth

Media public relations firm and has a

fascination for cars though he prefers

travel by public transport.

C U L T U R A L T I M E S | J U L Y 2 0 1 9 | 2 9 |


"When there is an invisible elephant

in the room, one is from time to

time bound to trip over a trunk."

Karen Joy Fowler

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