True Aussie

Austin had been born and had grown up in Australia. He'd been to Sydney countless times on Australia Day, battled the crowds and enjoyed the festivals all around the big city, with a huge explosion of fireworks come night.

Austin was in his 20's now and back in Sydney for another Australia Day. As he looked out over Sydney Harbor from his spot on the balcony of a bar on one of the top stories of a tall building, Austin began to wonder what made someone a true Australian. It was an age old debate that had been going on for a long time. But it really spiked up around this time, around Australia Day. Some said that you weren't a true Aussie of you didn't get completely plastered with alcohol in celebration of the country, others claimed if you didn't know Australia's history, you were un-Australian. But Austin wondered, was there really any way you couldn't be Australian, or a true Australian as some people said.

Austin didn't think that any of those factors even contributed to whether you were a true Australian or not. Everyone had a different view of what, to them, made you a true Australian. Every single person's opinion differed. Therefore was there any real, exact model of what made a True Aussie? Given the evidence, Austin thought not, but everyone's view differs. So what do you think?

Paradise

Bridget was a girl who had to have lots of mefdical treatment. Medical treatment as any other 15 year old girl would, that she hated. Her mother had tried countless strategies to help Bridget cope, but up until now, none had worked. The day that Bridget got an iPod and discovered music was the same day that all of that changed.

That day's appointment was dental. When it was her turn, Bridget kindly asked the doctors to give her a moment, telling them she'd give the thumbs up when she was ready. Bridget's mother watched on anxiously from a chair along the floor as did the doctors, but they were filled with curiosity and amusement. The whole room watched in silence as Bridget prepared herself.

First, she took the new iPod from her bag and went to the dentist's chair in the middle of the room. Then once she was comfortable laying down, she stuck each of the ear pieces gently into her ears and after scanning her iPod for a short moment, hit play. Then Bridget layed her arms at her sides, the iPod resting weightlessly in her left palm and closed her eyes. Next, she took three deep breaths. There was a few moment's silence before Bridget slowly opened her mouth and raised an arm not too far from the chair, giving a thumbs up to the doctors. The signal that she was ready to start.

At first, all Bridget could see was black. Then slowly, an image began to appear. She was alone on a boat. Behind her, not too far away, was land and ahead was the wide, open ocean. The boat began to drive forward. As it sailed away, Bridget imagined the land she was slowly leabving behind to be her problems and her fears. Problems and fears she was going far away from. Once the land disappeared, Bridget looked ahead, at what was to come. After a long while of travelling on the naked waters, Bridget spotted an island. The island, she realised was paradise. An escape. Her escape paradise.
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Hope you all had a great christmas and New Year. Welcome to 2013 and all the best for whatever lies ahead this year.