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Month: May 2016
What do you suck at?
Ah, a soon-to-be 100+ answers question that Quora would block as a poll question, but should not because it is community building. Reflexes. When I was in high school, I went to the Victoria-wide tryouts for the student version of the Sale of the Century game show. I do believe I can find some pictorial […]
What comes to your mind when someone mentions Turkey (the country)?
I am Greek. (And Australian, but a lot more of my reactions are going to be informed by being Greek than being Australian, for obvious reasons. In fact, Gallipoli to me is more about the manuscript of Gallipoli dialect I saw in Athens, than the ANZACs. But to me, Australian history started in 1942 anyway.) […]
What are some facile equivalences between European countries and Asian countries?
Here’s one that isn’t mine (it’s my friend Suresh’s), but it triggered the question. Japan is the Britain of Asia. Consider: Island nation Never invaded Industrial powerhouse (at least historically) Home of whisky (Suntory, Nikka Whisky Distilling) Belief in its superiority over, well, everyone Emotional constipation. I mean, I defy you to read Jay Liu’s […]
In a TV show where people get eaten alive by zombies or worse why is saying “fuck” a big deal?
American Network TV-specific, Anon. “Fuck” gets used in quite innocuous contexts in Australia. Such as Gogglebox Australia, a show showing couch potatoes yelling at Reality TV shows. (And only the Real Housewives of Melbourne say “fuck” unbleeped.) And in the States, there’s lots of profanity on HBO shows. Walking Dead is cable too, but I […]
What are your five favourite operas?
I… don’t actually like opera, with the following exceptions. So my answers are (a) not representative, and (b) damn good, if they got past my “I don’t like opera” filter. John Adams, Nixon in China. Alban Berg, Wozzeck. Wolfgang Mozart, Don Giovanni. Richard Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier. Need a fifth, OK: Benjamin Britten, Peter Grimes. Thirty […]