e num ers ame

While achieving a high ATAR is considered essential, the true test of strength is in the struggle

Ireceived a message just after the HSC resu lts were released. lt read in pan, as follows, "1 got 64 in English, 65 in Legal Stuclies, 68 in Business Studies, 7 3 in General Mathematics and 64 in Chemistry that's what I got and I can't change it. I just need to continue to work hard to get somewhere".

1 also received three other messages, two from students who, against their expectations, got ove r 90 in Legal Studies. The third was about the studemwho came first with 100%, a student who sought m y assistance when seeking to improve her responses.

The apo logies, the relie f, the joy from these different students was palpable. But none of them unde rstand t he meaninglessness of numbers, 100, 92, 90, 64! These numbers do not indicate the struggles each of these. students shared with me through the year The journey was individual for each one, and they faced their own specific clifficul ties and successes

'64' for example, had to face a realisation that academic success framed around competition a nd time tria ls was not a personal strength. With wo rk experience, he saw a manager who worked alongsid e his employees. He found out that the manager was personally paying for the. medical care of a staff member suffering from cancer. He told me he wanted to be. tl1at kind of manager. DL1cing work experience, '64' made. an observation about tl1e supply chain that has since been ad o pted b y the business, saving it time and money

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (AT AR) does not measure his observation or his insight. '92' at 17 years, has already had considerable sporting success, competing nationall y as a state champion for many years.

A year younger than most, the HSC can be difficult when time and experience can affect tl1e quali ty of analysis and insight.

Neve rtheless, after spending Year 11 struggling academically, '92' finally started to believe that she could do very well academically by app lying the same discipline and sa:ucnLre to academic stuclies, as s he did to her sporting success. There were, of com·se, tears and frustration o n the. way. She sometimes stated aloud that she could never get over 12 marks i n a section of the paper worth 15 marks This did not stop her from se nding draft responses again, and ag,iin, and again. Sh e kept refining her answers and seeking her best form.

The J\TAR does not measure her growth in cliscipline o r humilit)' in accepting tha t s he needed to keep trying.

'90' has an older sibling in whose s hadow her academic returns have always been compared. In this context, sbe waited a very Jong time before committing herself ro cryi ng her best. Fear of faihtre can paralyse.

'90' woul d never ask questions in class for fear of feeling exposed for 'not knowing'. When submitting draft responses, they would usually carry an apology. A strategy was devised whereby she would create an outline ro a question first, and t hat would be marked prior to her writing a complete response. This, she. realised, reduced the tension around havi n g to focus on achievement. Rather, focusing on tl1e Iittle steps helped manage her processes and anxiety. le also hel ped her to concentrate o n skillbuilding.

The ATAR does not measure self -definition or the effect of the success of an o lder sibling on a yow1ger sibling's growth.

'100' worked consistently and quietl y throughout the HSC year, displaying great cliscipline and tenacity. Howe,, e r, she came seco nd in the trial HSC, not first. This means that within the school coho r r she was n ot always the stro ngest candidate. The student who beaL her in tl1e trial exam worked extremely hard and born students clisplayed excellent organisation, tenacity a nd insight Both sought specific mentoring to eraclicate mistakes. '100' competed against herself, whereas me other student so metimes compered against others In t!Jis regard '100' only wanted to do her best, whereas the other smdent wanted to d o her best and also beat everyone else.

The ATAR does n ot measure how a person achieves against his o r her own best self.

Of all tl1ese muubers, in som e. ways, '64' clisplayed some character traits that none o f the others clid. '64' captained a school team and would always help others. When asked to give a speech at a formal dinner, '64' found qualities to celebrate in every o ne of his teammates. He was nervous speaking in front of a large, forma l gatherin g, but '64' prepared his speech as a leader would do: around the success of each of the others

During the yea r, '64 ' befriended tl1e most marginalised students and included tl1ern in the popular group. He also wore the putdowns from three teach ers w ithom anger - though h is anger would have been justified. Veiled comments by tl1ese teachers implied that '64' was dumb and would never achieve Tr is hard to assess what impact the low expectations of these teachers had on the academic success of '64'. It is very important that teachers and parents do not define success in terms of numbers. Numbers are inherently limiting and as shown, can be quite mis leading.

From eating 12 grapes to wearing polka dots, the special day has many different traditions across the globe, reports FARZANA

AHMAD

Doesn'tNew Year's Eve bear a comfortable familiarity? Every year, we all know pretty much what's in store. People dre ss up in celebrarory outfits, children don wi ngs, halos and carr y gl ow sticks. Everyone awaits the b ig moment when o n e year \Vill breathe its last and another will be born. Some stake our the best vanrage points from the moro.ing for the spectacular fireworks and the rowdy countdown to m idnight. There are l ew Year Eve's parties and picnics where people just let their hair down. That's how Australia celebrates cbe stare of the New Year, and that's bow i t's clone all over the wo rld, r ight? WRONG

Some cul m.res take their New Year celebrations much more se r iously, in the belief that what you do o n the birch of a year will reAect on how yo ur luck will pl ay o ur throughout the year

South America

ln South American culmre something as simple as choosing die colour of yo ur underwear on New Year's Eve can p lay a vital ro le on how your luck will pan o ur for the next 12 months. Ir is serious bu siness, so if you are looking for love you go for red, or if it is mone y you are a fter you dish out those bright yellow underpants.

Britain

He re, die First Foo t New Year custom is quite co mmon. le is believed d1at the first things a per.son sees when the New Year arrives is indicative of the rest of the yea r. A male is usually chosen co enter the house at midnight bearing symbols of prosperity like a lcohol, food, money etc.

Denmark

Two o ld New Year customs have survived in Denmark to this day. Leaping o ff chairs at the stroke of midnight is believed to ward off evil spiri ts and th rowing crocker y at friends' houses is a rem inde r of love and friendship. People score away their cracked plates and bowls ro throw at their frie nds ' houses on New Year. The more broken crockery yo u have at your door the n ext da)' the l uckier you are because it is indicative of how many frien ds you have.

Spain

Tr i s a long stand ing tradition in Spain co eat 12 grapes between the first and the twelfth stroke of m idnight on New Yea r. Jr is believed d1at if you finish 12 grapes by the last stroke you wiU have 12 mond1s of good luck.

The Philippines

Filipinos focus on round things on New Year. Ir is strongly believed d1ac consuming round fruits and wearing cloth es with circular panerns like polka dots ensures good luck for the rest of the year. It is associated with gaining wealch in the coming year as coins are rou nd

Panama

]11 Panama the New Year celebratio ns take on a macabre cwist. Here, highly detailed dolls called muiiecos are crafted of prominent celebrities and politicians and se t alight on l ew Year.

Ecuador

A similar custom is also followed in Ecuador where people gather around in the neigh b ourhood and bu.rn pictures of things d1ey do not wan t in the New Year

Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans clean a nd decorate the ir hou ses in preparation for the New Year This is thought to cleanse the spirit a nd ward off bad luck. l tis also cu sromary ro throw buckets of water out of wind ows to throw the o ld year out and make way for di e new.

Mexico

Staying with the spirits, :Mexicans celebrate l ew Year's Eve trying to communicate with die dead in order ro seek guidance for the coming year. Short sessions of spiritualism, meditation and communication w irn the dead are offered at various places for a small price.

Chile

Chileans like to include their deceased ancesrors in their ew Year celebrations as well The custo m here in some cities is to participate in mass on New

Year's Eve and then visit d1e graveya rd to await the New Year with the dead

Ireland

In Ireland, single women place mistletoe leaves under their pillow on New Year's Eve in the hope of finding love and getting married i n die corning year The rnistleroe leaves are al~o believed to deAect bad luclc

Scotland

The New Yea r c elebration or di e Hogmanay Festival is bigger than Christmas in Scotland. Oo New Year's Eve men parade the streets swinging huge balls of 6re attached to chains, over their heads. In tl1e Scottish cul tu.re, i t is believed t hat the fire symbolises puri ty and is d1 ough r to bring sunshine and hope Ar the end of the c eremony the fire ball~ are thrown into the sea

So the fact remains that clespire all of our Ii rtle differences, deep down we a1·e all quire similar in our belief that a new ye ar symbolises hope an d comes with a promise of new beginn in gs In all culmres it is considered a rime ro make resolutions to g ive up bad hab its, adopt good changes and look forward to a better fon1te. Here's to the new year.

James Galea reveals his first job as a magician was in an Indian restaurant, but he is still working on his Hindi

"I started off as a pianist. I rea ll y loved m usic, but m y parent s d id n't wa nt me to do, as that they wa nted meto get a rea l job"

'

• BY " KASH IF H ARRI SON

It's been quice a while s ince I have spoken about magic, apart from the magic of whac on air vibes can make you do and think of, but #ThrowbackThursday is all about going back and what better to do that than with the Sydney Festival show 13a11d of Magicirms. I was lucky enough co interview one of Sydney's own and best card trick magician James Galea on Indian Link Radio, and did it bring back some awesome magic vibes just in rime for New Year or what?

Galea was introduced tQ the arr of magic at the age of 14, used co smdy magic for eight houts a day, gave his first stage performance when he was 18, and is knm,vn as incroducing a fresh breath of li fe into tl1e world of magic.

Here are some shortened excerpts from che interview:

Kashif Harrison (KH): how did you become a magician?

James Galea GG) : Firstly I started off as a pianist. l really loved music, but my parencs didn't want me to do, as th at they wanced me to get a real job. So, I said ok,

I want co be an actor, so cliat went on for a few years but then cl1ey said no, we want yo u to get a real job. Then I didn't give up so I cold t hem 1 wanted to be a magician aml chey choughr 1 was joking, but then I just did ic!

KH : You're an actor, a director and a producer, so Jee me jusc say wow to that! How do yo u manage ic all?

JG : Ahmmmm 1... don't sleep much, 1 do it b y choice as I enjoy it. I enjoy planning che act and putting i c all together, so yes, i e's a lot of fun for me.

KH : Now ceU me, how did ,ou stare our?

JG : I did my first crick ac an Indian restaurant. There was an Indian restaurant in Eastwood. 1 remember A Jays I used to work there three 11.ight.~ a week doing magic and that's where I learnt my craft.

KH: Who inspired yo u?

JG: Well, there was che first magician I ever saw on television. There was a show called the lf'/orld'r Grer1tesl Mt1gic and ic bad like 30 magicians on ic doing tricks Being a kid, I recorded it on VHS and kepc on watching it over and over again.

KH : Tell us about Bt111d uf J\lfagicians?

JG : Well, it is the world's first magic s uper group and simply it's me and chree ocher very talented magicians, Justin Willman, Nace Staniforth,Justin Flom, who are incredible magicians in their own right. And cl1ese guys are rea11)7 good fr iends of mine I Jive in Los Angeles and l remember we we re having dinner ac m y p lace o ne night, and desp ite aU of LlS being from different pans of America, we all just happened co be in the right place at the same time. We were sharing some reaUy great stories abom magic, and it was like, you know, we should do this every night. W h at if there was a show we coLt!d do where we get to travel di e world, and we could do chis every 11.ight? And thac was kind of the origi n of how ic came to be I'm so excited chis is the 6rst time me guys will get to be in Australia. We're o o for 10 nights from the 9' h- l 9t11 of January, wit11 on.line at sydneyfestival.org.au/ magician.

KH: How much p lanning and rehearsals go into coming up w itl1 an act?

JG : lt is differenr fo r every act. With the Bond uf J\l!.agicirm.r, ic's probably che mo.st intense period anyo f~hubeeoa~rto~and ic's different for every show: I mean, we kind of have the idea of what the show is going to be like and t hen the certain p ieces witl1in the act and pitch in KH : Om of the cwo, performing live in front of the audience, or performing in front of a camera what's your pick? l chink 1 wiJJ always remember Ii.is Hindi debut on irying to say ]\lloi11 ]0111es Galea boon and v1ai11 !eke rir[Ja hm1jr1doo k(J show to Sydney! Ic was indeed quice an experience and I would suggest you aU Google J ames Galea m see his awesome cricks.

JG : Oh definicel y an audience l mean chere is no better experience, especially for an audience member seeing magic live, w hich is a wonderful experience in itself!

KH : So would you be performing an)7 Bollywood cricks for us?

JG : Haha, yo u know what, I don't know whac a Bollywo od tr ick is all about buc I'm up for i t and I'm sL1re all the other guys are up for ic too You can organise a Bo !J,wood show fo r Band of JVfogicio ns and we'll be chere how's thac ?!

KH : Do yo u remember a Hindi word someone ever cold you about and you still remember it maybe?

JG : I have bee n to a lot of Indian weddings, as I use to perform at most of them. I should know some, buc I don't yet. I'rn ready to come back and know more about ic though.

1 know I am booking tickets for chis one, an d tt u sc me you shOLt!d too! About time we make 2014 a magical year ahead!

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Retail Spice And Oriental Food Shop For Sale

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Being in business for over 3 years at Centro Shopping Centre. Very good location and fairly secured place for business. Weekly sales ranges from $4,500 to $6,000, long lease and reasonable rent. Price - 85,000 (Neg)

For further enquiries ring 0448 896 783

Indian grocery shop for sale

Indian /Pakistani/ Sri lankan spices and fresh food store with worldwide money transfer facility located in a sub urb of south sydney. Across westfield shopping mall wit h an upcoming new look onroad food court. Close to s tation and sch ool.

Around 65sqmt sto re with seperate storage area

On site parking in secured garage for owners. Plenty of street parking. Long term lease available

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Sri Durga Shakti Astrological Center Pandith Sri Ram

PLAM READING FOR ALL RELIGIONS IN BLACKTOWN AN EXPERT SRI RAM AT YOUR SERVICE sri ram is an expert in plam reading , face reading , photo reading , numerology, Epemeris, horoscope , 100 years shatabdi panchangam , lucky stones & vastu shastra

LENA PEACOCK picks the best of the free stuff at Sydney Fest ival 11l\

(11.30pm) at Sydney Town Hall for all clmse night owls.

Ferrython

Australia Day just isn't Ausu·alia Day without watching cl,e oh so ver y fast ferr y races, c omplete with their over the top decorations, and honking. The race g9es from Circular Quay co Shark Island and back again. Sercle in with a picni c on the foresh ore or watch from the bridge for tl,e best v iews

Symphony in the Domain

You might be feeling a li ttle bit casWess this time of year, after all of those holiday shenanigans, Christmas present buying, endless parties, New Year's Eve craziness, and just general over indulgence.

So how about taking on cl,nt ew Year's resolution co start saving money by checking out these events (which involve leaving cl,at couch):

Merchant's Store

This one's ao art installation cl1at's iust travelled to Paris aod London, guaranteed to confuse your eyes. The work makes it look like you're dangli ng out of windows o r crawling over cl1e r oof of a match:mt~ store in Darling Harbour 9am- 9pm daily

Sacrilege

A bouncy castle art\vork of Stone Henge in H yde Parle lt's like a free amusement par k for the whole family This should entertain for hours.

Summer Sounds in the Domain with Chaka Khan

A night of Ch aka Khan magic i n The D o main. Bring your dan cing shoes.

Donny Benet & the Donny Benet Showband lf ltalo funk disco means anything to you (or nQt), check o m this band in The Spiegletent in Hyde Park at 11.30pm.

Boxwars

This is o ne for kids of all ages. They get to make b9x armour at the Festival V illage (closed Mondays).

Paradiso Lates

Bands and DJs playing late

Bring a picnic blanket, yo ur closest friends and family and settle inro the D o main for Sydney Symphony Orchestra's performance of Gustav H olst's Th e Planets and readings b y J o hn Bell, of Bell Shakespeare theatre company Music under the stars with fireworks to cop it all off.

For more details on any of the above, head to: sydneyfestival.org.au

Best stuff of the west (Parramatta) for Sydney Festival

POP 2014: Parramatta

Opening Party (also free)

You can't get any bigger in Parrarnatta than chis. Food, music, street theatre, Boxwars, a street parade and more This one's suitable for the whole family and ai.nis to turn Prince AJ fred Park inw party cen tral after the sun secs.

Band of Magicians

The 'boy band of tl1e magic scene,' these four young ill usi onists are go ing to wow you with their tricks Check out our other article o n these guys for more details.

Rubber Duck (a lso free)

The duckie is back and will be cruisi ng d own the Parramatta

Rive r. Get set to take a selfie witl1 this guy.

Project 28: Roman Ondak (also free)

This one's for all the arty types o ut there. Slovaki an a r tist Roman Ondak has produced a work, Terrace, especially for the fe stival. It's all about m e rging arr with everyday experiences and w iJJ be at Parramatra T own Hall.

Bombino, Amadou & Mariam, Chri sThile, John Murry and La Orquesta Ti pica

Fernande

At The Lennox (Ri verside Theatres) there's going to be a s tad: of musical offerings ranging from music from the

Sahara, USA, England and a 12 piece lively tango group from Argentina cl1a r sure you get you dancing.

For more details on any of the above, head to: sydneyfestival org.au

Leisurely exploration along the Mekong River in little-known Laos is a pleasant interlude from a busy life

Bordered by golden temples, thatchroofed villages, fe r tile fields of rice and dense jungle, we cruised slowly downstream on the :tvfekong River in Laos, passing fishermen casting their nets and children waving from the shoreline, with no bridges, just the occasional barge crossing slowly from o ne bank to the other. Here the river splits into several channels that wind their way around 4,000 islands, so m e large enough co be inhabited, others little rnore than clumps of trees Du ri ng the monsoon season, the Mekong is known for expanding co 14 kilometres w ide.

I was in south ern Laos, tbe least developed nation in South East Asia, travelling on tbe most charming of wooden river boats. The Vat Pbott, spanning 34 m erres long a nd 7.5 metres wide, origi nally carried teakwood before being converted into a comfortable riverboat with 12 cabins and an expansive upper deck with rattan chairs and day beds for viewing the passing sce nery.

Over a h eady espresso at the Sisouk Cafe in Pakse, 1 met our guide Khan and the other guests, a couple from Finland and family of four from Switzerland. The laidback smal.l city of Pakse, capital of Cbampasak Province, sits at the conAuence of the Mekong and Don rivers. We departed by long tailboat for an exhilarating ride until we reached the Vat Phou boat.

After a delicious lunch of Laotian dishes followed by coconut pudding, we clambered on boa rd a tuk tuk an d were rransported along a m u ddy road to t he Vat Phou temple ruins constmcted between the 7"' and 12'h centuries, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shaped co express the relationship between nature and humanity using an axis from the mountain to the ban ks of the Mekong, a geomerric pattern of temples and shrines once extended over 10 kilometres. Climbing up steep stairs lined 40 w i th Aowering frangipani trees, a spectacular landscape unfo lded benead1 us, of two large artificial lakes and the vast p lain beyond where once stood the ancient city, founded b y King lvlahendravarman who became ruler of the Khmer empire.

The Khm er empire once extended fro m Champasak to eastern Thailand, and south to the tem p les of Angkor in Cambodia

The historical significance of Vat Phou lies in its role as an imperial centre and its Indian inAuence is evidem by signs of Hindu religious belief. The tem p les were built around a sacred spring pi ped into the temple's sa11ctw11 that bathed its lillga111, the emblem of the Hindu god Shiva. Other buildings were dedicated to Hindu deities, including Brahma and Vishnu. The complex later becam e a sanctuar y for Theravada Buddhists. Ar the Angkor tem p les, throngs of tour groups surrou nd you, but here there is almost no one co disturb quiet contem p lation.

Next morning we moored near a smaU village known as Tomotha where life centres around rice cultivation and fishing, before venturing into the jungle to see the ruins of the mysterious Oum i\ifoung temple built from the 13'" to 14'" century, now consisting of piles of stones and fallen lintels. The cmious children who followed us were more interested in the large brightly coloured butterAies that hovered overhead

Passing Don Daeng, one of islands in the middle of the l',1ekong where the river starts to widen, we saw several restaurants and upscale guesthouses, one of the few signs of change. Further on at Don Khon, we visited the o ld French railway opened in 1893 and the bridge linking d1e two islands When che French sought to transport arms and supp lies on the Mekong to their control over Laos they came across an obstacle, a huge mass of water at t he Pha Pheng waterfalls. Undeterred, ther constructed a railway across the island to allow specially crafted boats co be d isassembled, transported, then reassem bled. The disused tracks can scill be seen, together with the ms cy remains of one of the steam locomorives and several crumbling Frend1 colonial buildings. These days it js a relaxing destination for backpackers crave.lling onwards ro Camborua, with rusric bungalows fitted w ith hammocks diat dot the shoreline.

Our linal excur sion was to the Pha Pheng waterfalls, a semicircul ar line of rocks over whid1 dJe water tumbles down 30 metres wi d1 a deafening roar.

On our final night as we ro unded a wide sweeping river bend, the mo o n began to rise above d1e jungle and the faraway tinkli ng of temp le bells coming from a nearby village could be heard. I asked Khan what he l oved most about life in Laos. He paused for a moment and d1en replied that NATIONAL EDITION it was his farm, his family and h is water buffal oes.

J ust LO kilometres farth er south was d,e border with Cambodia

Next morning after watching a spectacular sunrise, I headed north to Pakse and Khan returned to his farm. The main reaso n I'd come to soutllern Laos was ro cruise on the Mekong, a river that I find captivating an d r eturn to year after yea t. Over the course o f three days I saw it i n all its colours dar k brown, grey and silvery blue, and l was able to observe life spent on the land. Laos h as long been the small sleepy neighbour o f Thailand and V ietnam that is waiting to be discov ered

GETTING THERE

Thereare severa l options ror arriving in Pakse Th al Airways International and Air Asia fly from Austra l iato Bangkok with onward co nnections to Ubon Ratchathani, a th ree hour bus ride from Pakse Several airlines fly to Vientiane, from where you can ta ke an overn ight VIPbus Lao Airli nes flies to Pakse from Ho Chi MinhCity, Bangkok and Siem Riep.

GETT ING AROUND

Wh ile the 4,000 islands can be accessed by road, a much more pleasant way is by boat. Highly recommended ist he Vat Phou with 12 comrortablecabins with ensu ite bath rooms. W: www.vatphou.com

WHERE TO STAY

In Pakse the cent rall y located P.esidence Sisouk is a charming, bout ique hotel overlooki ng the Mekong. The breakfast with jams fresh ly baked bread and strong loca llygrown coffeewasa deli ght W : www. re~dence-sisouk.com E: hotel@res idence-sisou k.com

INSIDER 'S TIP

The money-changer near the monument bookshop in Pakse has the best rate of exchange. Thai Ba htor US do ll arsgive the best rate. Treat yourself to a pressul!' point massage at Do kChampa Massage oppos ite t he Pa kseHotel. Avisa is required br entry into Laos W: www. laoembassy.net E: laoemb@bigpond.net.au. Carry afleece top as it gets cool onthe river.November to April is the best t ime ror a Mekong cruise.