Month: April 2012

G – Golf in Australia

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Australia is known for its beautiful golf courses and its mark on the world of golf in general.  I have been a part of the golf industry for over 6 years and in that time, I have seen and been exposed to just as much drama in this industry as there is on any day time television show.    Australian golf is right in the middle of it all.

Let me introduce you to Mr. Greg Norman.  Norman is the most successful Australian golfer.  His story book romance with tennis legend Chris Everett Lloyd is the stuff fairytales are made of.  If, your fairy tales involve adultery, betrayal, quickie marriage and an even quicker divorce.  Ah, romance.

Next I would like you to meet Mr. Adam Scott.  The most attractive man in professional golf.  He is a good player in his own right, but was involved in some controversy lately when he hired Tiger Wood’s former caddie.  Adam can also turn his upper torso 180 degrees.  Super flexible and oh so hot.

In China, we get a lot of golf tourist from Australia.  It is typical to see a new group of Australian men on their annual golf trip every week.  Why do they travel to China with all the beautiful courses in Australia?  Well, they come here for the golf and the amenities.  And, to have beautiful Chinese women fall all over them.  It may sound like a cliché but I have watched if for 5 years.  Chinese women are still trying to snag them a foreign husband.  It is a stereotype that just happens to be true.

On my Australian trip, my fantasy is that I meet a tall, gorgeous Australian who not only surfs, plays golfs, cooks, has beautiful tattoos and by the way, is a multi millionaire.  They are on every beach, right.  Well, if my memories serves me correct, the Australian men are how do I put this, ambitionally challenged.

I have had the opportunity to work with two Australians.  The guys were very sweet, but so different from American guys in every way.  They don’t lack confidence, that is for sure, but they are lazy and drink a lot of beer.   I had a great time partying with these guys, but they weren’t boyfriend or husband material.

Don’t get me wrong, I am open to any Aussie hottie who wants to try and change my mind.

Playing golf in Australia is going to be so much fun.  I usually play better while on vacation and when I haven’t played in awhile.  Last time I played golf was on December 25th, so I should be good to go by next week.  I have had a birdie in every country I have played golf in, so I hope to keep that streak alive.

F – Famous Australian Movie Stars

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Here are a few of my favorite famous Australians and the roles and quotes that featured their fabulousness.

  1. Cate Blanchett – Her oscar winning role in the Aviator as the amazing Katherine Hepburn.  Greatest line every, “Do your worst, Mr. Hughes.”
  2. Heath Ledger – William Thatcher in A Knight’s Tale, Ennis Del Mar in Broke Back Mountain.  All good choices, but I have to go with another Oscar winning performance; Joker in The Dark Knight.  Another great line, “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.”
  3. Hugh Jackman – Wolverine and the X-Men movies are good, but my absolute favorite movie of 2011 was Real Steel.  Totally shocker for me that a movie about robot was the most powerful, emotional, feel good and touching movie I have seen in a long time.  I actually cried.  Seriously, if you haven’t seen it.  Check it out.
  4. Russell Crowe – Begins and ends at Gladiator.  Oscar winning performance.  Absolute best line, “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius.  Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife.  And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”  

                

E – Emus

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

Now I know what you thinking.  Emus?  Really?  Sydney, you are just reaching for topics now.  And so early in the A to Z Challege, too.  So sad. 

Well, don’t pity me.  There is a point to this. 

Emus are the third largest bird in the world.  It is a flightless bird, but it can run really fast. Up to 36 mph.  So, this bring me to my point.   

I was attacked by an Emu when I was 9 years old.   Ok, not actually attacked, more liked chased.  

 When I was younger, my family would spend time at a family friends ranch in East Texas during the spring and summer.  This place was just beautiful. They had cows, and horses and chickens.  The property was spread out over several 100 acres of the finest land in Texas with a man made lake full of fish.  We would spend the day swimming, riding jet skis, eating bar b que and fishing.  

The first trip of the season when I was 9, there was some new additions to the ranch.  They had built an exotic animal refuge.  I can’t remember what other animals they had, but I do remember they had an Emu. 

The only other time I had even heard of an Emu was in the movie Protocol with Goldie Hawn.  Goldie’s character worked at a bar called the Safari Club where the waitresses dressed up in animal costumes.  Everyone avoid the Emu costume for obvious reasons.  One, it is not a very pretty animal and two, no one had even ever heard of an emu.  

So, seeing one in real life was exciting.  To my 9 year old mind, he looked friendly enough.  I was definitely more fearless back then, so I decide to climb over the fence and get a closer look at this strange creature. 

Big mistake.

Public Service Announcement! Emus are not nice birds.  In fact, they are rather mean.  And they run fast.  I mean really fast.  And when they run fast, they let out this insanely high pitch screeching sound.  As soon as my feet hit the ground, that bird took off towards me screaming like, well, like an emu.  I was utterly terrified.  Thankfully, before it could reach me, my dad literally pulled me out of the cage by my braids.  

I had forgotten or blocked out this entire incident until recently when I discovered, wait for it.  Emus are native to Australia. 

I am excited for the kangaroos.  I can’t wait to see the koalas, but as far as the emus go.  I think we can say I have covered that one.  Much respect for the Emu. 

D – Distracting Distractions

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle4 Comments

Do you get distracted easily?  Are you about to leave this page and move on to the next? AM I BORING YOU TO DEATH?

Ok, now that I have your attention.

Sorry to have to raise my voice like that, but I wanted to make sure you were listening.  That you were focused.  Because I would like to share something with you. And, don’t you just hate when people click on your site and then leave with out giving it a chance.  I mean, come on people.  We all work hard on these things.  All we ask is that you get past the

Oh, wait, I did it again, sorry.  You see, this is what I have been trying to talk to you.   I have a problem.  I get distracted. Easily. Way to easily.

My attentions span is getting shorter and shorter the older I get.  When I am on deadline.  Forget about it.  Unless I can find a sensory deprivation chamber, it is a good bet that I will always be this way.  A thought, a sound, a song, a feeling, a movie, a bug, a wrinkle on my shirt; any and all things can get me distract.

Distracted is defined in Webster as mental confusion.  Mental confusion.  Well, that is confusing and distracting.  I mean.  Of course is it mental confusion.  Is there another kind of confusion?  You can be sexually confused, but that is not distracting.  You can be physically confused, but if that is the case, you have more problems to worry about them distractions.   There I go again, the post is not about confusion, it is about distraction.  Wait, what was I talking about?

If something or someone is distracting me, they are taking my attention away from something that is important.  And, I get it.  I am allowing that to happen.  But, what I need help with is how to stop it.  Stop the distractions.  Stop letting other things distract me from my goal.

See, right know I am thinking about how many times I have typed some version of the word distraction so far in this post.  (10 times, just in case it was distracting you and the distraction was causing you to not focus on these brilliant words)

The reason I bring this up today, beside the fact that distraction starts with the letter D (shout out to #atozchallenge) is I am thinking about this trip.  Yeah, the Australian adventure (I know you were wondering when I was going to get back to that).  This is the first real vacation I have had in a long time:  my dream vacation.

I fear that I will allow reality to get in the way and distract me from fully enjoying it.  It has happened before.  I let an email or text message, a relationship or even the state of the world prevent me from fully engaging in the present and enjoying my vacation, sans distractions.

I still have 11 days left to try and circumvent the distractions.  Short of destroying my computer and cell phone before I go, perhaps I can do some preparation and just let go and only be distracted by the wonders of Australia.

If you are easily distracted by social media, check out this article from TechCrunch.com