猿人的啓示

昨晚看罷新片《猿人爭霸戰：猩凶崛起》，除了其CGI技術震撼，猿人演員在表情動作上演出細膩外， 故事橋段也編得出人意表的高明巧妙，叫人驚歎。戲中的情節激發起內心說不清的情緒，縈繞一整晚，至今仍在我心中糾結。

承接上集《猩球崛起》中人類貪婪造成的致命病毒，令猿人智慧進化的元素；今集講述十年後， 人與猿如何在末日後不斷各自壯大， 從而產生及化解之間的恩怨。 由凱撒（Cesar）為首的猿人帝國不斷進化並佔領地球 ，另一方面，餘下已免疫的人類不但將「猿流感」的罪名卸落無辜受害的猿人實驗品，還私心作動，為了奪取電力資源悄悄密謀反擊。需然雙方達成共議，但各方也有成員侵犯對方利益，破壞原來僅有的信任，地球上兩個足以主宰世界的種族—人類與人猿－的對立越趨繃緊，領土戰爭如箭在弦。這一切也彷彿是預言我們地球未來無可避免的能源之戰......

戲中兩個社會裡也有主戰派與和平派，自然形成內訌。大部份人類不但沒有檢討自己 「猿流感」的錯誤，更起哄韱滅「愚昧無知」的猿人去「保護家園」。另一方面，在猿人中主戰的只有凱撒得力助手柯巴（Koba）和他兩個同伴。柯巴曾被人類進行冷血實驗，令到牠左眼失去視力，心靈上的永久創傷遠比身上的多處開刀傷痕。牠從未體驗過人類好的一面，所以牠的仇恨完全可以理解的。人類和猿人的本性一下子被作出一個強烈鮮明的對比： 人類的劣根性和獸性---往往怪罪在別人身上，能為了自身利益而不擇手段，甚至起獸性而自相殘殺。反之，猿人存有的人類與生俱來的憐憫和人性，就像凱撒只單純想要和平，而柯巴只是被仇恨沖昏而欲以牙還牙。

主角猿人凱撒的智慧和領袖典範也不禁令人佩服。為了避免人類所犯的錯，牠教導所有猿族「猿人從不自相殘殺」。 飾演凱撒的 Andy Serkis 演技更值得一讚。他被譽為捕捉動物神態界的大師，不論是凱撒的果段機智或是沉靜哀傷，他也掌握的淋漓盡致，將這個攝人領袖演繹得栩栩如生，令整部電影的起伏都在他掌握之中 。此外，幾幕戰爭動作場面氣勢磅礡，緊湊得令人拍案叫絕。

或許全片的高潮是在電影末段，凱撒跟兒子披露牠是被拿寵信的下屬柯巴背叛謀殺，感嘆說著：「其實，猩猩與人類也沒有兩樣。沒有誰比誰優秀，也沒有誰比誰殘酷。」

確實，電影的這群角色就是社會的縮影，值得反思。人類也就跟其他動物也一樣，貪婪的野性總會冒出吞噬人性。人們往往會做對自己安全有利的事，謀求最大福祉。就像眾猿人一樣，因為膽怯而沒有在殘忍柯巴的領導下發聲，就等同鼓勵和服從牠繼續侵害無辜的人類。反觀今天，在這個喧譟愚昧的世代，我們被獨權，欺凌和不公蒙罩。有人保持沉默，還以「理性」、「包容」的借口狡辯，無異就變成幫兇。我也曾經懦弱過，沈默過：

當政府要拆掉皇后碼頭時， 我沒有說話，因為「我從來都不坐船，關我什麼事？」

當政府要起高鐵拆菜園村時，我沒有說話，因為「我又不是住那兒...」

當陳茂波被揭發有劏房問題時，我沒有說話，因為我認為「要給他時間和機會做實事...」

當政府要推行國民教育嘅時候，我沒有說話，因為我對自己不誠實「我也中學畢業了，這些任務留給我的師弟妹吧...」

當中國同胞來香港買掉奶粉時，我沒有說話，因為「我都不用買奶粉，香港自由市場，購買力就王道！」

當政府拖延選擇性只發兩個電視牌照時，我沒有說話，因為「其實TVB 劇集也蠻不錯的...」

若說沈默是金，那行動豈不是無堅不摧的鑽？

我們真的要忍受像電影中柯巴的統治嗎？我們要看著敬佩的凱撒被謀殺也坐視不理嗎？難道 我們真的甘於沉淪，再多看特首夫人在電視裡 (air quote) 倒抽一口涼氣嗎？

在生死關頭，為了未來，要做出忠於自己的決定。這套電影有警世涵意，不但帶出了危機感讓人省思， 它的喻意更可以延伸到社會上的政治階級鬥爭。

與其說這套好評不絕的《猿人爭霸戰：猩凶崛起》是今夏最好的科幻電影，倒不如說它比科幻經典《星球大戰》還要好， 來的更有層次，更有深度。

Chaotically Yours,

Jodee

The Woman Who Always Likes To Win

An interview with the former leader of the Australian Democrats and ALP parties

by Jodee Fong

Whoever has seen her with that professional suit in the senate would say she is ‘strong’, ‘powerful’ or perhaps ‘resilient’. But today, standing in front of me, is a down-to-earth woman with slightly messy, blonde curly hair and her comfortable sandals.

It is hard to imagine that Cheryl Kernot, the once powerful Australian political leader for 11 years, is now looking for something other than being in power and “keeping the bastards honest”.

After her defeat in the federal ALP party in 2001 because of the extramarital affair with Gareth Evans, she once said “it is very hard for politicians to carve out a life after politics...And women aren’t as good at preparing their exit path as men.” Luckily today, she has found herself creating a satisfying life out of politics.

With her current directing position at the Centre of Social Impact at UNSW, she now can put a combined 23 years of experience as a political activist and a controversial politician into good use. “I love [teaching] fantastic post-grad students who want to go out and operate differently in the landscape from the way their previously generations did.”

Despite her new love of teaching and directing, anyone in the room could smell her hunger for getting back in politics.

In 2012, Kernot campaigned with a slogan ‘change politics’. She claims “I just wanted to be a catalyst. I didn’t expect to be elected,” though. She expresses enthusiastically that the idea was like a rush of blood to her head. “[I] really wanted to change the conduct of question time...because I think that they help [restoring] some parts of trust between voters and the political system.”

Kernot feels that she is doing a better job to achieve goals now than she did during the time in the parliament. “I'm doing things which are meaningful to me now, umm, and I don't have to stand up and talk talk talk in parliament or go through all the media - [the] circus [of] politicians manipulating and agendas being set on both sides,” she says.

Disappointed by current institutions, Kernot finds herself embracing new forms of solutions. “I used to think that if you were in parliament you might able to change something like bring a criminal like [Joseph Kony] to justice, I used to think that collective global will would do something [...and] that the UN was effective. I don't think that any more.”

“I'm a great believer. If you can't work within the system, you have to do what you can without it. I don't mind revolution.” Perhaps this is the reason Kernot left the politics in 2001?

When asked about her scandalous affair with Gareth Evans , Kernot simply performs what politicians do best. After shifting to a bunch of unrelated facts and comments, she manages to say “[it keeps] reminding me that there was much more to my life than just one episode like that...Oh gosh here we go again - the trivialisation of life to the sexual and the sensational - I'm just as determined by working with my daughter to write an alternative obituary - to move beyond being pigeon-holed as just that.”

In spite of her ambitions and the controversies, under the floral-patterned, chiffon top, Kernot is just like us.

In a 2002 interview Kernot confessed that there is no such thing as the biggest regret in her life. Due to limited time during our interview, I could not bring the question up. But upon the deadline of this article, I still wonder what her answer would be.....

The Painful Truth About Tongue Piercing

By Jodee Fong

"I feel like crap," Amanda wrote on her Facebook page after she has just gotten her "ultimately cool" birthday present -- tongue piercing. Later the same day, she collapsed and died at home.

It is a rare case that people die of tongue piercing.

The 34-year-old woman passed away 48 hours after her birthday celebration, when bacteria reached her bloodstream from the 22mm piercing hole. She has reportedly complained about her swollen tongue and sore throat the day after receiving the gift that she has always wanted.

According to the autopsy, she died from septicemia and acute tonsillitis, which may be developed from an equipment the police found at the piercing parlour containing “bacteria associated with poor hygiene”.

This brings us to question: how far should one go for accessorizing your body and fitting in?

The practice of tongue-piercing can be traced back to the ancient history, however. Back then, it was not a fashion statement of juvenility or dare. It was performed in a ritual form by the ancient Aztecs in which the tongue was pierced to draw blood to appease and communicate with the Gods. With the change of values in the modern society, it has become a trendy statement since the 90s’, especially for “emo”s, rebels and punk rockers. They do it for a myriad of reasons, be it peer pressure, a sense of identity, shock value or pleasure enhancement.

Josh, a certified piercer who has been in the practice for three years, says that it is mostly young girls who get their tongues pierced.

Rachel Darby is a teenager who has had her tongue pierced out of boredom and peer pressure. "Anticipation was the worst part. For starters, they check your tongue and see if it’s good and the right shape to pierce. Then they mark two dots on your tongue below and above where the bar will sit. A clamp is then placed to provide support and numb it a little, and a bib is placed on you because you will dribble -- that’s when the BIGGEST needle I've ever seen came towards my mouth. It wasn't as fun as I've expected. You could literally feel it pierced every layer of tissue and muscle and come out the other side. And then he left the needle in and put the bar on the top and pushed it through, [at] the same time the needle drops and the balls are screwed on.”

You may have heard about the common ramifications of tongue piercing: gum disease, tooth fracture and enamel loss from the tongue metal bar’s constant hitting against the front teeth, tooth loss, severe periodontal problems such as massive pain when a cavity exists, and even a higher chance of infecting the HIV and difficulties in talking and eating.

These are nothing in comparison to the most life-threatening side effects of tongue piercing: a disorder called trigeminal neuralgia or “suicide disease”. It causes excruciating facial pain that can be compared to an electric shock or a stab.

“There are people who have been dropped to their knees [by this infection]”, says Alana Greca, a registered nurse and director of patient support for the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association. “That’s how intense and how horrendous the pain can be.”

The disorder can be brought by triggers such as eating, brushing your teeth, even smiling. It attacks irregularly and can last from seconds to minutes on one side of the face. This extreme pain usually develops after the age of 50 and affects women more than men. A recent research has suggested that such disorder also happens to people with tongue piercings which causes compression of the root of the trigeminal nerve by a wrong positioned blood vessel. If the disorder persists, depression could occur.

Unfortunately for the victims, the available medicines are either ineffective in relieving pain or contain too many side effects. The only permanent cure is undergoing surgery that could result in permanent or temporary numbness of the face. Surgical procedures include removing or relocating the blood vessels that are compressing the trigeminal nerve; or destroying the affected parts of the nerve.

In Italy, a young woman’s mouth jewelry costed her trigeminal neuralgia with stabbing pains in her face that lasted 10 to 30 seconds and struck 20 to 30 times a day. When all the medications fail, she simply removed the metal stud. Two days later, her pain vanished. However this is not the case for everyone.

After her serious infection, a woman decided to remove the stud. Later, it has developed so much scar tissue that it resembled what she called a “second tongue.”

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), it is recommended not to remove the jewelry from a piercing before it is completely healed in cases of infections. Even though piercings generally get smaller in size, they probably will not close completely even when the jewelry is taken out. Scar tissues inside the piercings may even develop and create a bump in the skin.

You would not have guessed how little knowledge body piercers have on this issue. When asked about how to treat customers suffering from severe side effects of tongue piercing, Josh, a certified body piercer, said, “yeah sometimes [it happens.] Their [tongues] swell up really bad and [customers] have to wait till it goes down, but if they just take it out then there is no problem.”

Besides the potential risks arising from tongue piercing, there is a lack of systematic training and certification for piercers.

The set of safety protocol that he performs is “basically always were your gloves and make sure everything is sterilized and clean and that’s about it. And make sure you give [customers] aftercare so they can look after it....that’s basically it.”
A 22 years old girl is now dreadfully regrettable of her choice she made when she was 14. “It (tongue piercing) was sort of outdated even then but I didn’t care. It screws up your teeth and I ended up taking it out when I was 17 [...] I hate the way it looks when your teeth are chipped and trust me, they’ll get chipped even with a plastic barbell. It’s not worth it. [...] You’ll get sick of it fast.”

Whether or not one should get tongue piercing is up to his/her personal preferences. But with the immature system of piercing training and the high risk of side effects, the pros and cons should undoubtedly be balanced out before making a decision...

The Geek Who Got Stuck In The 1930s

by Jodee Fong, Jennifer Wang and Lillian Vongratsavai

Bendegúz strikes a pose! 

Bendegúz Daniel Devenyi-Botos is not your typical 20-something man, and he knows it. Having recently competed in reality TV show, 'Beauty and the Geek', Bendegúz has seemingly stepped into D-grade celebrity status. On his home turf at UNSW, he is easily recognisable with his 'cat whisker' moustache and whimsical dress sense. As if he had stepped out of a Charlie Chaplin movie, he wears a tailored suit, top hat and briefcase in tow, while most students don sneakers and jeans. “I know I am not Captain Handsome, but I do appreciate beauty,” he says.



Having participated in Channel Seven's reality TV show 'Beauty and the Geek', Bendegúz puts a lot of effort into grooming and appearance. He spends 10 minutes waxing and straightening his moustache, which he has nicknamed “little fellow”. And with over 20 hats and expensive tailor-made suits, Bendegúz has dubbed his unique sense of style as 'Bendeguizm'.

His passion for the 1930-40s period started long time ago, led to his unusual obsession for uniforms, suits, mannerism and the prestige of lordship. As for his signature moustache, he recalls “as a kid, ...whenever there’s a character [on television programs] with moustaches, I just like them a little bit more.”



But Bendegúz’s childhood was far from smooth sailing. He experienced the perils of childhood bullies, “I remember back in primary school I was bullied a lot. In fact, in high school I was bullied a lot [too].” He believes he was targeted in part of his immigrant background and for being different.
As the only kid in the school who wore a tie, Greek fisherman’s hat, blazer while other children wore normal polo shorts, he got picked on all the time. Children would always run away with his hat and make him chase it. He has also once experienced being poured with super glue by a classmate.“I had to...walk with my legs stretching because if I move my legs too much, the skin would rip.” Instead of reporting to his school, he fought for himself, like he always does. “One of the ways I got respect was that I was not afraid to fight. Even if someone was twice my size I would always fight.”

Bendegúz believes that despite being targeted by bullies and being content with his solidarity, people were attracted to him. ''I didn’t try to ingratiate myself with certain social groups, because I was the only child. I was quite happy being on my own. I didn’t need friends. [...] People gravitated towards me, which is what generally happens. People knew that I [had] a strong personality, [...] integrity, that I was different and I didn’t give a damn.'

With his Hungarian immigrant background struggling to fit in the school, it sounds as if it came from a Marvel action comic book in which the stoic underdog who later blossoms to be the hero of the story. And you can't help but wonder if Bendegúz has ever stopped living such a dream. 

“To be honest I forgot about [the bullies]...They are not the people who dominate my life. Obviously [...] the resentment is there.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons Bendegúz was obsessed about “power and revenge”.



For a man who is so humble and open about his love life (or lack thereof) it is hard not to feel sympathetic towards him. Bendegúz has began counting his rejections: with 31 rejections to date, he is honest about the lack of love life. 'I’m just gonna be frank about this: well, I’ve never been popular with women in the slightest.'

The one and only love he has had so far was five years ago, in which he describes it as “the fortune to be loved”. The girl liked the look of his moustache back then, but has requested him to shave it off since “the moustache wax would accidentally rub off [when they get intimate].” He was too proud to shave it off, which is why they went their separate ways in the end. Since then, according to Bendegúz, it is “rejections after rejections”.



“Girls LOVE having me as a friend, I’m the best damn friend there is. Girls are just never or very, very, very rarely interested in me. Well I could go and talk to that girl but then I’m going to spend what? Six months of becoming her friend only to be rejected?” 


In fact, Bendegúz did receive female attention for a while after his makeover in the Beauty and the Geek show. Like the ugly duckling turned swan story, he was transformed into a clean shaven and manly looking guy. Unfortunately, his old identity and looks took over the first moment he stepped out of the mansion. “I changed back because I am an honest man who wears his ideals on his sleeve unapologetically. If I am doomed to romantic loneliness because of it, then at least I have my integrity in solitude and can look MYSELF in the eye. I live for myself, not for others.”

However, some geeks have seemingly made the transition from 'Geek' to 'Beauty'. Lachlan, the winner of the latest season, has found love and started a career in the music industry. Another geek Gilbert has also been popular with women with his amazing six packs. But Bendegúz remains confident that his friends from the show would reverse to their old selves at some point.


It is a dire outlook for a gentleman with a moustache that wiggles as he talks, who continuously tells us “it's okay to be who you are”. You can't help but feel pity for the man who finds it difficult to reconcile with the world he lives in. As we watch him leave, we're amused to see him standing stationary, looking at his watch, then to the flurry of university students passing him by, as if he is actually trapped in time. “Oh my god! It’s Bendegúz over there!” One of the girls said.

Truckload Of Food, Handful Of Joy

By Jodee Fong

The impatient, hungry crowd gathering in front of Eat Art Truck

With the food truck mania hitting Sydney, foodies are gathering in the city despite the cold and rainy weather to explore the latest food movement revolutionising Sydney’s dining landscape.

On this chilly and slightly rainy evening, I find myself in the middle of a buzzing crowd full of hungry Sydneysiders.  On the crisp air from the Sydney Harbour, there is a strong scent of barbecue with a hint of sweet-and-sourness. Peeking into the kitchen, I was welcomed by the sizzling sound and hot smoke arising from the stove where the former Tetsuya sous chef Stuart McGill is cooking.

Located right in front of Customs House, Eat Art Truck is lucky to have its customers entertained with a sequence of striking colours with state-of-art 3D animation displayed on the sandstone building. With the Disney-like, dreamy music playing in the background of Vivid Sydney, I almost forgot I came here for the food. Finally, it is my turn to order.

Just as many pedestrians, Wong was attracted by the elaborate graffiti art printed on one side of the truck. I started a chat with him as he curiously walks to the menu stand displaying food ranged from $5 to $12. The first thing he asked me was ‘how long have you been waiting?’ I said 10 minutes so far. ‘That’s long...it shouldn’t take that long,’ he said. With my total waiting time of 17 minutes including queuing, ordering and waiting for the food, I am lucky compared to those who have stood for almost two hours at its grand opening. As soon as I received a hot pulled-pork bun with thick spicy sauces in my hands, people in the queue started staring at my food with envy.

Yes. It’s official: everyone has gone bananas for the food truck phenomenon in Sydney. The mania has hit Sydney with the opening of the second food truck - Eat Art Truck. Originating in the US, the trend has proven successful in major cities such as London and Melbourne. 10 Sydney-based operators were chosen among 30 competitors by food critics. As part of the city’s 12-month trial of Night Time Policy, opening hours of these trucks are planned around the closing times of existing cafes and restaurants; four hours maximum for each period. Each truck has its own artistic design, as promised to be a part of its sensational package. They offer affordable gourmet street food ranging from Chinese Yum Cha, Mexican tacos and burritos, organic dessert, vegetarian and Italian. The 13 approved sites include the CBD, Sydney Central, Alexandria, Annandale, Glebe, and Haymarket.

Out of the ten licensed food trucks, there are two rolling in the city at the moment. As one of the very first fleet, Cantina Mobil serves authentic Mexican food including Mexican-imported nachos and non-alcoholic Sangria. The prices vary from $4.5 per taco to $10.9 per burrito. It took them three minutes to serve each customer, in vast contrast to the cooking time of Eat Art Truck. ‘What makes [us] unique is the way we cook. The slow roasted meat [is prepared] up to six hours, as well as the sauce,’ said one of the owners, Rode Vella.  Having run a Mexican and Spanish restaurant in Manly for nine years, his philosophy for food doesn’t vary much from his former restaurant. ‘Our goal is to make sure we feed people with really good food. The key to this industry is the gourmet taste and [word of mouth].’

Owner of Cantina Mobil and his team serving it up on a chilly Thursday night

Even though these food trucks enjoy the luxury of an efficient kitchen with low overheads and flexibility, one critical factor of the business is its location. On a Thursday night, Cantina Mobil has experienced a slow night in Queens Square. Located in a quiet side street two blocks away from Martin Place Station, most customers were office workers, passer-bys and foodies who came especially for the food. With the cold weather in Sydney, ‘people are always rushing home...[business] wasn’t that great in some other locations [as well],’ said Vella. ‘We are constantly on the hunt to file [better] locations that aren’t on council’s land.’

Although many have agreed that the food served is great, there are some sceptics. With the price of $12 for a pork bun from Eat Art Truck, some find it too small for their appetite and the quality not worthy of the price. David, a Czech who has stayed in Sydney for seven years, chose a Big Mac over Eat Art Truck. ‘I don’t know what “this” is (pointing at the food truck), but I know what McDonalds is, [which is just a few steps away].’

Using social media as a major tool to communicate with the foodies, the truck owners release real-time updates on the time and venue two to three hours before serving. Most of them don’t have an official website. It was only an hour before vending when a cancellation was made through Eat Art Truck’s twitter account due to pouring rain on a Saturday. Some might support this short-noticed system. Carsten, a traveller from Melbourne, went all the way from his hotel to the Eat Art Truck after reading the news update on Facebook.

There are also people who find this last-minute update system ‘completely insane’, ‘[We] went all the way from Pennant Hills to the city to try their food and only like what, 40 minutes before [the event] they tell us “Whoops! Sorry! We’re rained out!”on Twitter? [I feel like telling them] “Whoops! Sorry but we’re on our way!”‘said Joanne, a mother of two.

The City of Sydney, a council which licenses these trucks, will release a smartphone application for foodies to track the trucks down as soon as all the trucks are on the road.

While people know about the food trucks mostly from television, newspaper, word of mouth and social networks; the rest remains uninformed. Many of the owners of small cafes and restaurants around the area, including the manager of Appetito, an Italian restaurant in The Rocks, have never heard of the trucks. ‘We offer different [kind of] service. Here we have nice atmosphere and luxurious food. If people want a quick bite they’ll just go there. It’s not like they’ll cancel their reservation just because they see the truck in front of [our restaurant].’

It was once reported in Sydney Morning Herald that there are concerns about the competition from these trucks. However, all small cafes are closed by the time these food trucks are operating. Out of all the eight nearby restaurants and food kiosks, none of them have heard about their competition, let alone feel threatened by it.

With hype building to monstrous proportions, you might question how long these trucks will continue to blossom? Are they really prepared to handle the frenzy of Sydneysiders who really love their food and booze?

You can spare yourself the trouble of chasing these trucks by embracing the next big food movement: underground dinning, as known as ‘guestuarant’.

Again, originating in the US, underground dining is the concept of spontaneous supper club and closed door dining in private space such as homes, galleries and offices. Strongly influenced by the food truck culture, underground dining is exclusively for its members or people who are listed by strict recommendations. Serving a surprise menu of authentic food made by the host with home decorations and alternative music, a sense of novelty, intimacy and secrecy is built within the groups of strangers.

Some secret dining groups are also closely aligned with political and social movements for like-minded foodies. Members will be sent a private message on the same day, or even hours before the one-off event, requested with a strict code of conduct.

As a further diversification to Sydney being a cultural hub, the food movement echoes the art happenings in the 70s and music raves in the 80s. The landscape of dining is rumoured to be transformed by these spontaneous dinners of secret locations, homemade decor, live music and a surprise menu with authentic ingredients.

In this bad economy, foodies are now looking for an affordable yet intimate quality eating experience. So caterers, make sure you’re prepared for the mayhem to come!

The Devil Does Not Wear Prada

Behind the scenes: Shermaine Heng tells her struggles and fun to be in a ‘glammed-up’ fashion world

At the age of 23, Shermaine Heng has completed six internships in the area of fashion, marketing and public relations (PR) within two years. As a fresh undergraduate, she now furthers to climb on her career ladder within the fashion industry.

Shermaine works as the Senior Account Executive of a high-end Australian publication, ‘Poster Magazine’, established in Australia and Pan-Asia. The magazine pioneers to inspire people with high disposable income through exposure of the latest in luxurious fashion, design, automobiles, travel and global affairs. The job requires her to write proposals and present them to clients, which encourages collaborations with Poster Magazine through involvement in editorials, advertisements and photo shoots.

After her graduation at the end of 2010, Shermaine decided to pursue her dreams. She stepped out of her comfort zone, left her family and friends in Perth and explored the glamorous city life in Sydney by herself.

‘Fashion and design is something I’ve always wanted to do, since I was a kid,’ Shermaine says. This has brought her to a sophisticated and networked hub of professionals, artists, models as well as well-known businessmen.

When asked if her boss resembles with the demanding boss of a fashion magazine as portrayed in the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, she smiles, ‘well, most of the people I’ve met are nice. But I do get extraordinary requests and asked to do things that I’ve never heard of before. ’ She often finds herself getting thrown in the deep-end, leaving her rather clueless but figures it really is the best way to learn. Google often helps, along with shout-outs over the paintings of seascapes used as a barrier between herself and her fellow workmates.

She then continued with interesting stories of her internships: ‘It was an ‘eat pork’ campaign. The producers wanted to place wings on cooked pigs under a cloche so I had to hunt around a shopping centre to buy all the available wings…from crafty, glittery wings to big, dress-up angel wings.’

There was another time when she spent six hours arranging shoes, from high heels to Converse sneakers, in a perfectly colored coordination on the shelves. She also organized the coat hangers in the showrooms and ensured that they were ‘perfectly and evenly spaced with exactly one centimeter apart’.

There have been other unusual encounters along the way. When working for a fashion festival, she had to frantically search for appropriate background videos and music for a runway show, just a few minutes before it began. She also had to ask her father, CEO of Refresh Pure Water, to drive the company van and personally deliver boxes of bottled water to a fashion bar at midnight as there were no other suppliers.

When it comes to the most unforgettable experience is, she recalls ‘running around the entire city to look for a Diet Coke in a glass bottle because her boss absolutely refused to drink Coke from a can.’

‘Of course I don’t like all of the work that I have been required to do. But because of my passion, I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time at all. For most of the time, I enjoy what I’m doing!’

The job only provides her with a basic monthly salary and her longest extended working hours were from 9am to 1am, without extra pay. However, Shermaine does not see this as a disadvantage, ‘It’s like that In this industry. People don’t get paid very well in the first few years. Money shouldn’t be a priority if you want to be part of the fashion industry. It’s all about connections, networking and the experiences that you gain.’

Regardless of all the long hours and low starting pay, Shermaine gets to travel around the world and is invited to numerous A-list events and parties, such as the Vivid Sydney launch party, concert after-parties, product launches, as well as art gallery exhibitions and openings.

She remembers one of the best moments as ‘getting inspired by all the successful people I meet. It’s amazing how talented people like artists and professionals can work seven days a week not for money, but for their passion and be motivated all the time. As one said, “It’s not considered work when you love what you do.” ’

Alone in Sydney, struggling for her career, Shermaine does not regret any bit of her decisions. Instead, she is grateful to be granted the opportunity. ‘It is very hard to get into the industry. But once you’ve started and worked hard enough, you can excel.’

Shermaine replies to whether she thinks she is successful, ‘no, not at all. This is just the start of it.’ Quickly finishing her lunch, she looked at the time from her Blackberry and then hurried back to her office to make up for her half-an-hour lunch break.

Everyone deserves a second chance

An inspiring story of a Christian rapper

Rodney Disciple Ahenkan raps in the stage, where audiences in the church raised, started clapping and even crying.

Rodney was tall and muscular. When we first met, what got my attention wasn't Rodney's big physique, but his huge bag full of notebooks. It was later revealed that he carries his written poems and music compositions with him wherever he goes. With his good manners and unquestionable confidence, it is hard to believe he's had a dark past.

Unlike most rappers, Rodney combines poetry in his lyrics and raps about his faith, lifestyle and religion and that his listeners can relate to. “[Mainstream] songs are always about sex, money or a woman being objectified as a piece of meat in the club, I found them degrading.”

God, Rodney’s inspiration, always comes first in everything he does, including his music. His stage name is D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E- the abbreviation of Dedicated In Serving Christ In Preparation of Living Eternally. Even for his internet account names, he includes the number ‘314’ that stands for ‘three’ nails where Jesus was killed; ‘one’ cross where Jesus was hanged; and ‘four’ for forgiveness.

Rapping about religion for seven years now, he has released singles, albums and gained reputation in the church community around New South Wales. However, there is a dark story behind his success.
“People deserve a second chance. And the second chance was given to me by God.”

This can be traced back to the time when Rodney was four years old. Before his parents divorced, his father had abused his mother to a point where she developed sickness. Rodney was separated from his family by foster care for a few months before re-uniting with his mother.

Rodney was rebellious in his teenage years. He started drinking and beating people up. “Life was unfair. I didn’t have a proper family and we were poor. I wanted to see people in pain because I was always in pain. It made me feel better,” he recalls.

The turning point came at the age of 15 when God transformed him. “I was always forced to go to the church and I didn’t believe in God. But in 2005, when we were praying in a camp, I saw God. From that moment, I believed God exists.” Since then, Rodney has become a better person.

At 16, he taught himself piano by playing random key chords. In addition, he started composing music and writing poems.

“I would prefer to be known as a minister, rather than a rapper.” Other than normal rapping, Rodney dedicates each section to specific church members who are experiencing the downside in their lives.
Rodney has encountered a lot of frustration. “Some of my closest friends didn’t believe in me because I didn’t go the usual, American-dominated way,” however, he sees this as a test for him to grow “stronger, wiser and better”.

“The world we live in is so separated, with all kinds of discrimination and misunderstandings. I believe through my music, people will put aside arrogance and ignorance.” Other than producing music, Rodney spreads love by doing voluntary work that helps orphans, widows, homeless people, prisoners and prostitutes. “I don’t do music for fame. I don’t care about awards. Spreading hope, love and faith- that’s what I truly care about.”

I was curious. By rapping religious music, did he want his listeners to become Christian? Rodney shakes his head, “people don’t have to be Christian to listen to my music. What I value is diversity.” In fact, with nearly 2000 fans on Facebook, 30 per cent of his fans are Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim.

“People always ask ‘how much do you charge?’. I tell them I charge nothing. It’s whatever you feel. If you feel like blessing me and supporting what I’m doing, then go ahead. If you don’t give me a dollar, as long as I know I’ve moved someone, it’s fine.”

Rodney’s upcoming album will be released in December with a launch concert accommodating 800 fans. His future plans are to build a record label in Australia and perform in his home country, Ghana.
When asked about his biggest success so far, he smiles, “my best show is my next one, my biggest goal is my next appearance.”

Visit D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E.’s fan page to find out more:
www.facebook.com/314disciple