In truth I personally don’t like the idea of hearing a journalists voice in a news story because I don’t like being told what to think.  Unless there is a very good reason for it or if the journalists voice is not present in the entire piece.  In some features this may be acceptable and in columns obviously as well.  But when I read a column I am aware from the start that I am about to read a persons opinion so I am prepared, I wouldn’t want my everyday hard news story to be written in the first person.  This being said a journalist can always show their opinion indirectly if they want to.  Like in Sean Gardiner’s article about Romona Moore’s murder and the lack of investigation that went into it.  It is very clear what the journalist’s opinion is in this article however in this particular story there really wasn’t any other opinion.

The Blue Grotto - Malta

“Io non parlo Italiano!”  This becomes my favorite thing to say in Italy.  At first it makes me feel very sophisticated to be able to tell someone in their language that I don’t understand what they’re saying.  But later when I get very good at mimicking the accent it becomes very difficult to convince such people that I am in fact NOT ITALIAN.

Apparently my dark brown hair, olive complexion (too much European sun) and curvy figure (large arse and boobs) has led every Italian person who runs a shop or market stall to the misapprehension that I am one of them and trying to convince them that I am not is no easy feat.  Until finally a confused look appears on their faces as they hear my obvious Aussie accent and suddenly the talking in Italian with simultaneous hand gestures stop.

A week earlier I was in Nice and at a bar listening to a band who have apparently come from Denmark.  A few people are dancing but mostly the crowd is just sitting around and mingling.  I’m sitting with a friend and two guys head towards us.  They introduce themselves and say that they’re on holiday from Greece and ask us where we are from (no one in this bar is French even the bar staff are foreign).  My friend tells them that we’re from Australia and the taller guy looks at me and says, “Yeah but where are you really from?”  I stare at him un-amused and answer with just one word “Australia”.  He gives me a look like he thinks I’m lying to him and they walk away.

Back home I was use to all the questions about my heritage because I obviously look European.   In my part-time job at a western suburbs supermarket I get asked by every fourth customer if “you Italian?” or “you Greek?”  And I always try to answer as politely as I can “no”.  Sometimes if a person is really persistent and insists on knowing what nationality I am I tell them that my parents were both born in Malta and they give me a satisfied look and an “ahhh,” like they think this is the same thing.

It is understandable in my own suburb where every second person is from some kind of European decent I get harassed and asked what part of the Mediterranean do I come from.  But to have to convince people overseas that I’m an Aussie can get annoying very quickly.  Until this trip I had never even stepped foot outside of Australia.

I am a hypocrite though.  While I was in Malta I loved it when someone believed I was Maltese.  Maybe it was because most people knew that I really wasn’t.  My skin didn’t have the amazing Maltese bronze glow (for the first time in my life I felt pale) and I was still delusional enough to believe that my hair could be straightened in 40-degree heat and extreme humidity.  I loved it when my uncle George would take me around and introduce me to people as his nephew’s daughter from Australia and I wanted so badly to understand every word that they were saying cursing my parents for not teaching me to speak Maltese and vowing to learn it some day.

At the end of my trip in Scotland a four-year-old girl points out to me that, “you have dark skin because you’re from another country.”  I don’t have the heart to tell her, “no Sweety, this is just what four days in Mykonos will do to you.”

Robert Clinch has been drawing from a very young age, doodling in his bedroom when he was supposed to be doing his homework, his love for drawing and painting just grew.  Robert describes his paintings as sentimental and whimsical with an element of social comment that he believes are understandable and universally comprehensible and that’s why they work well because they are accessible to all people.

You might recognise Robert Clinch’s work as he painted the well known gates of the old abattoirs in Kensington – that are now the Kensington Banks, the work is titled “Gateway”.  “Gateway” features a little boy holding a toy, “gateway” for Robert is about looking to the future and the little boy is doing just that looking out at his future, Robert Clinch uses imaginary scenes to create his paintings that draw upon real life a term used to describe this style of painting is capriccio.  Clinch paints most of his work in Egg Tempera medium which is made from egg yolks and are associated with classical paintings such as paintings by Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists, it is a style that is not as common today.

It’s fair to say that Clinch has come along way since drawing and sketching as a child.  After leaving school he worked for many years as a labourer and though still painting he has only been painting full time for twenty-three years.  He remembers the date vividly because his decision to become a full time painter coincided with the birth of his first daughter and she is now twenty-three years old.  His first art deal was with Australian Galleries but he has been with Robin Gibson Gallery Sydney for over twenty years and is also represented by Hill smith Gallery in Adelaide, Dickerson Gallery in Melbourne and for seven years by Hoorn-Ashby Gallery in New York.

Robert Clinch also has works in the National Gallery of Victoria and this is where our meeting took place.  To show me to his painting Robert directed me easily around the NGV as if it were his own home showing me to his huge work a 77cm x 180cm Gouache/Watercolour/Drybrush painting titled “Soliloquy” and then to the Joseph Brown collection a room that was donated to the NGV by Clinch’s mentor and friend Dr. Joseph Brown.

Clinch’s last painting sold for a record $96,000 and he chuckles as he admits the irony that though his paintings deal with the fan fair for the common man and “talking about the common man, but I sell to the wealthy.”  $96,000 may seem like a lot but when you take into account that each painting with its incredible attention to detail, painted at sometimes numerous locations and not from photographs often taking anywhere between six months and a year to complete and then accounting for all expenses $96,000 still seems like a lot but is a lot more understandable.  A painting that Clinch sold in 1984 sold for $250, went under the hammer again last year and sold for $15, 500, proving how far Robert Clinch has come.  Robert also sells beautifully hand drawn lithographs which boast the same attention to detail but are more affordable.

Clinch grew up admiring the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer and is often compared to Jeffery Smart and in America Andrew Wyeth.  He never went to art school but was self taught and made his way as an artist through visual media.  When Robert Clinch was young he dreamed about his future and of reaching his goals, but once those limits were reached Robert Clinch says his next challenge lies in what’s next?

“There are paintings in my imagination that I don’t have the means or the time to approach, I have a long way to go still,” says Clinch.

If you would like to find out more about Robert Clinch you can get onto his website www.robertclinch.com

Nicole has been collecting clothing for over thirty years – when she was 15 she found a 50s polka dot party dress and fell madly in love.  She loved the way the she looked but mostly loved the way the dress made her feel.  “When you’re 15 it’s all about identity,” says Nicole and this dress became a part of her identity.  But Nicole’s love for vintage clothing starts earlier then this.  Her mum ran an antique shop and always took her to Op Shops and dressed her in hand me down clothes.  Modern clothes didn’t appeal to her and classic vintage styles were often better quality and a better fit.

Nicole studied costume design and construction in Perth and moved to Sydney to work in Theatre she also got a job in a vintage shop and after one week was running things.  She moved to Melbourne 11 years ago and changed careers slightly working at IBM.  A year after moving to Melbourne Nicole bought a house in Flemington and has been there ever since.  She says that as much as Fitzroy is the only place to have a vintage clothing store it is important to keep her home and work life separate, that is why she has been so happy living in Flemington all these years.

After going back to Sydney for a visit she decided to check out the old vintage clothing store she worked at.  She found that it didn’t look nearly as good as when she worked there and found this a kind of “ego kick”.  Nicole bought the shop and shipped it down to Melbourne and here CIRCA was born.  Nicole’s success is driven by her passion and love for vintage and antique fashion.  She is an encyclopaedia of knowledge on the subject and her book “Love Vintage” is evidence of this.  Just by flicking through the first few pages you can see the dedication and love that has went into the book and the pictures are just stunning.  The book features clothing from Nicole’s private collection including a 1920s opera coat she will never sell.

Nicole restores and repairs every piece of clothing in her store herself and she won’t sell an item that doesn’t look better then brand new so it is no wonder that she is very protective of the pieces in her shop.  “A certain per cent of clothing will always get damaged,” says Nicole that is why she always encourages her customers to take extra care with the clothes because they’re particularly delicate and very valuable.  She admits that some people have an unrealistic idea of vintage clothing.  It is not a cheaper alternative to modern clothing and pieces are not easy to come by.  1920s dresses are not sold for less then $300 but at the same time you are not going to find a “1947 Dior” which is what a customer has asked her for.  What you will find is beautiful vintage and antique clothing for both men and women restored to their former glory.

“I want someone to feel special when they put on a dress” says Nicole.  But she doesn’t just cater for women.  Nicole says, “A lot of men like stylish clothes but there is not a lot of shops out there to cater for them”.  Nicole has a large collection of vintage fashion for men as well and confesses on meeting her husband “if he wasn’t well dressed I probably wouldn’t have noticed him”.

Nicole Jenkins has many aspirations for her future from writing another book to opening a shop that caters for just men’s wear.  One thing is for certain whatever the future holds for Nicole we can expect great things from this charming, talented and creative woman.

If you would like more information on vintage clothing or Nicole Jenkins check out her website circavintageclothing.com.au or visit her shop at 102 Gertrude Street Fitzroy.  “Love Vintage” RRP $49.95 and can be purchased from CIRCA or ask your local bookstore.

I felt like I was reading a bad version of the TV show “Without a Trace” where the police are the villains and not the heros.

The way Gardiner describes a step-by-step account of the lead up to the disappearance of Romona Moore and the lack of investigation surrounding her disappearance is very effective.  He uses quotes from the victim’s mother, which evoke strong emotional reactions and sympathy for her and spark fury at the dismissive response of the NYPD.   He also doesn’t hold back on the descriptions of torture Romona went through in the lead up to her murder and the state in which her body was discovered.

When Gardiner compares the investigation of Moore’s disappearance to the investigation of a white woman’s disappearance two weeks earlier I am outraged!  This is what keeps me wanting to read more of this article -  the constant outrage that and fury that it caused me to feel.  This white woman lived on the Upper East Side and her disappearance while walking her dog sparked a full-blown investigation for her and her dog.  Gardiner’s line “After all, the NYPD tried harder to find Arnov’s dog than they did Romona Moore” sums up the entire article for me.

I love Gene Weingarten’s article \”Pearls before Breakfast\” because it is a story that could have been told in few hundred words but is so beautifully written and use language to take the reader on a journey of classical music.

This article is great for someone like me whose only exposure to classical music is the little that is played in the mainstream media and film.  The story does not require any prior knowledge of the classical music industry as it fills you in on all the necessities.  The article flowed like music and as I read the piece I couldn’t help but hear the enjoyment in each line.

Up until I read this article I had never heard of Joshua Bell but after reading about it I wanted to know more.  The article isn’t just an account of the little experiment but a mini biography of the performer with lots of interesting little anecdotes.   I especially love the description of the 3 year old that was intrigued by Bell’s music but his mother was in too much of a hurry to entertain his curiosity and the description of the homeless man that died in similar spot and no one noticed.

This article would have taken a great deal of research and some prior knowledge of classical music and culture.  This would have taken a lot of time and money to coordinate and prepare and a hell of a lot of support from the Washington Post.

The article by Tom Griffiths “We have still not lived long enough” is more facts driven and more to the point then “Pearls before breakfast”.

The descriptions of the engulfing fires and immense loss of life are incredibly moving.   The article is very critical of the “stay and defend” option that was given to Victorians and not realistic to Victorian fire conditions.

The comparison to the 1939 bush fires is particularly moving as if history has repeated itself and have we learned from history?  How could we not learn that “some of the fires that roar out of the Australian bush are unstoppable.”

Overall it was an interesting article but I didn’t find it as compelling as the first two.

I really like how Ehrenreich tells her story but also gives the readers news as well.  She discusses the average wage of unskilled workers and the cost of rent and living situations as part of the story.  I feel like I am being entertained whilst being told news.  I especially love her descriptions of working conditions for low paid workers.  Such as while working at “Jerry’s” she has to use her hands to prepare food and how Jerry’s will provide a poster with a step by step description on how to wash your hands but then not provide soap.

Though she admits that she cheats a little and sneaks back to her old life to check her emails and pay her real life bills I think the experiment is very affective overall and definitely captured my attention and kept me wanting to read more.

But are first time experiences only linked to our youth?  As we get older do we get fewer first time experiences to look forward to?

According to Mary Cruz her most significant first time experience was getting her first job at K-mart when she was 17.

Working at K-mart was her first introduction into the workforce however for Mary working at K-mart felt more like a social experience then work, she associated going to work with going to hang out with friends.

After a year and half of working at K-mart Mary moved to a corporate environment and though this wasn’t her first job it was her first experience in a professional environment where being at work actually felt like being at work.

Mary believes the reason some life decisions are so hard to make is because the affect of the decision is so unknown thats why we get nostalgic about the past because sometimes our most significant memories had a big decision behind their instigation.

Today Mary is 27 and a Masters student at Swinburne University of Technology, she believes life is full of firsts and “you never run out of first time experiences because you’re always learning and every decision you make incurs a new experience whether significant or not.”

Mary Cruz recently decided to change careers and move from Marketing to Journalism and this in itself has been another first time experience involving a lot of decision making and evaluation.

When asked what she foresees as a future first time experience Mary replied, “Motherhood,” with a big smile.  She believes this in itself will bring with it a number of first time experiences to look forward to and later look back on in nostalgia.

Senior Constable Glenn Paxton and Senior Constable Craig Small were on patrol when they witnessed the incident and attended the scene just after midnight.

“You could see flames coming from the under carriage of the car.  Once we had them out I grabbed a fire extinguisher from our patrol car and put the flames out,” Senior Constable Paxton said.

The driver, Darren Browne, 25, was unconscious when pulled from the car he was taken to the Alfred Hospital with suspected head injuries.

The passenger, Sally Weinstein, 24, was in a stable condition with a suspected broken arm and able to detail to police the circumstances leading up to the crash.

It is believed that the couple were driving near a McDonalds on Wells Street Frankston when a bottle was thrown at the back of their Nissan Pulsar by four men.

The couple turned the car around in an attempt to confront the four when a rock was then thrown through the windscreen hitting the driver on the head causing him to lose consciousness before crashing the vehicle.

Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland commended the detective’s “fast-thinking actions and their bravery”.

Frankston police will be viewing surveillance footage from and around the McDonalds as part of the investigation and would like to speak with the four caucasian men that were at the scene.

According to the report genetically modified ingredients are in hundreds of everyday foods and current lax food labelling rules leave consumers with no way of knowing whether they are consuming foods containing genetically modified ingredients.

Currently products containing GM foods don’t have to be labelled as GM due to substantial scientific evidence to suggest these foods are harmless.

CHOICE argues that much of this evidence was derived by research undertaken by companies producing GM foods and is not subject to academic scrutiny.

“You have the right to know if your food comes from GM crops or GM fed animals, directly or indirectly.  The law should require full disclosure of any GM ingredients so that consumers have all the information they need to make a truly informed choice,” says CHOICE Senior campaigner Clare Hughes.

Foods with ingredients that are likely to be GM include soy, corn, canola and cotton many of these ingredients found in everyday household foods including breakfast cereals, breads, biscuits, cooking oils and snack foods.

Australia’s meat, egg and dairy products could also come from animals fed GM feed.

The report was released as the government undertakes a Food Labelling Review and CHOICE hopes that it will inspire consumers to take action demanding better GM labelling on all foods.