middle kingdom

i'm in hong kong public library right now, using their excellent free internet service. i've been away from home since 26/12/04. In case you didn't know, i've been on a tour backpacking throughout china. the cities i've been to are beijing, xi'an and shanghai. i have to say that travelling to china on this intrepid tour has been are very cool experience. china is an awesome place, full of things to do, and of course full of FOBS.

City to city breakdown

beijing - the capital

beijing is friggin freezing. when i went out the first day, i was wearing some jeans and three layers of clothing and the coldness just killed me. i couldn't believe how cold it was, it makes your teeth clatter, and your hands numb. there's snow and ice around but its the dry wind that cuts you up.

we stayed near beijing train station, in the center of town, which was close to everything. my impression of beijing is that there are some cool things to do (touristy) but its pretty bland. i went to the temple of heaven and saw massive temples, and buddas. then tim and i went to the summer palace, and walked around for like ages, until we decided to cross this frozen lake which went for kilometres.

i also visited the silk markets (sorta like paddy's market, but selling more clothes). Prices are like fully negotiable. the rule of thumb is pay one quarter. its like a game when your in the markets. they start way high, you start way low. you make an offer, then walk away for 4 secounds, then the shopkeepr chases after you and agrees.

going to tinanmen square was also cool. the forbidden palace is behind this massive wall, and its the place where only the nobles could go...or if you pay the entry fee you can also get in. i just can;t believe the size of this place and all the palace buildings inside. this emperor who build this also buit the great wall of china, and the terracotta warriors so it doens't really surprise me.

i purchased a new pair of fake timberland shoes and i decided to break them in whilst walking along the great wall of china. hmmmmmm..prolly not the smartest thing to do and my feet were all blistered afterwards. aside from that, the wall is insipiring. it stretches for as far as the eye can see. guess what they used to hold the wall togeher..as in the glue/cement stuff? it was chinese goosebeeries....more commonly known as KIWI FRUIT! i'll never look at thtat fruit the same way again. btw flying down from the chinese wall to the base of the mountain (which is normally like a one -two hour walk or so) on a toboggan was fun!

Xi'an - small but eventful

this is a city famed for one attraction - the terracotta warriors. there were literally like thousands of them - up to ten thousand that have been discovered, all in perfect battle formation, each with individual faces, in life size, in battle poses with horses and weapons (that haev been destroyed). this is just an incredible feat. they also had these big ass drum tower which we visited, with the biggest drums you'll ever see. had a nice foot massage in xian too!

xi'an is a very cool place. it a city surrounded by a city wall...sorta like a fortefied city. in fact i cycled along the city wall on a crappy pink fob bike. the ground was frozen but the bikes still worked and i was doing drive by's shootings at Tim. we also saw like some kind of Fob ghetto jam session where a bunch of old people were playiing various instruments and singing.

i also saw something very shocking. in china, there's a lot of hustlers/touts. people come up to you selilng you all types of crap and usuaally you ignore them. we were out one night at the Feeling Bar and this little kid approached us trying to sell us a rose. we ignored him and walked away. so the kid walked up to some ohter dude nad tried to sell it to him. but what did this dickhead do? he karate kicked the little kid into this steel bar fence. it was like some full frontal -solar plexus- bruce lee- i think i am a big man by knocking out a five year old into a fence-kick. we were all pretty shocked and christian was protesting and i thinked a couple of us wanted to do soemthing....but we walked away. you just don;t know what to do in that kind of sitautaion.

shanghai - the future

if there ever was a definition of a booming town, it has to be shanghai. there's just a certain vibe to this place. it will be the next hong kong/tokyo, and it may even surpass that. it's just amazing at night. it's like las vegas with the flashging lights and excellent night life. you know how i said everythig was negotiable? we didn't have enough money for the bill at the bar so we had to negotiate and said like 90% of the price. try doing that in sydney.

i went on a river cruise along the huang pu jiang river and you could see two sides of shanghai . on the one side was the traditinoal old style buildings that were built by the europeans in the early 1900's. on the opposite bank of the river was the future - pudong. futuristic skyscrapers, and hundereds of buildings that were unfinished.

shanghai is the shiznit. it's the place to be ya'll. they even had the breathtaking shanghai acrobats. the stuff that they did was just freaky/backbreaking and just plain unbelievable.

i took a lot of pics so i'll upload them when i get back.

HK - honkie land

I'm currently staying with Ip, so big ups to him for the free accomodation. I really appreciate it. we supposed to see Kung Fu hustle tonite so i better get going soon. when you buy movie tickets here you can actually buy them well in adavance......i bought tix to a session at 7.30pm at 11am and i was actaully able to select my seats, kinda like when you watch a kings game.

Hk is a happening place. You can see the hustle and bustle and the street life. i went to Victoria peak today, which is the highest point. it was aiight, but not that great coz of the crappy smog which made everything beyond the first row of buildings disappear.

i really need to start eating some proper fill me up meals. i've been eating a lot of crap lately. i potentaiily had the worst meal of my life today at macca's. do not eat the beef "prosperity burger".it's gross. i think i almost threw up whilst eating.

I've written a lot to make up for the one month i was away. so enjoy !

Gotta run,

DJ HO.

StopRippingMeOff

I feel really good today. To cut a long story short, I have been battling with the Padstow Branch of the CBA. WHy? Because as a student, your not meant to get charged with $5 account keeping fee. But they chose to charge me twice until I notified them that they couldn't. So they reversed one of the charges but not the other one (which was actually charged b4 the one that was reversed). I could have ignored it, but I decided to make my complaint known.

So i went back there several times to fix it up. It wasn't about the money, it was a matter of principle. it still didn't get reversed, and my complaint was falling on deaf ears. So in my silent protest, I transferred my remaining balance out of the bank and entered the transcation as "StopRippingMeOff". This word also appeared in my bank statement. It was an awesome feeling. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

I just feel that the service of the banks (all of them) is just appalling. I hate having to wait in a line that seems as if I'm lining up to purchase concert tickets......when in fact, all i am trying to do is deposit MY MONEY into their coffers.


he came he SAW

What words can describe the movie "SAW"? Intense. Awesome. Thriller. Horror. Scary. Bloody. Must see movie. Aussie?

All i can say I really wanted to see this movie and it delivers. Its fast paced and cut in the similar mould to Seven. Essentially the movie is about these two dudes who get trapped and chained in this industrial bathroom by some psycho called "Jigsaw". This nutcase forces them to either make choices and the two guys are forced to work together to solve the mystery of why there are there and more importantly, how they will get out of there.

DJ HO gives this movie 9 out of 10.

We Will Rock You

Buddy you’re a boy make a big noise/
Playin’ in the street gonna be a big man some day/
You got mud on yo’ face/
You big disgrace/
Kickin’ your can all over the place.

The musical "We Will Rock You" was very good and not just because I went for free! Its about the death of contempoary creative music and is set in the future (2050) when electronic music dominates. Creativity, individuality, thinking freely is out. Conformity, Obeying the all-ruling corporation is in. The play is about Gallilleo and Scarramouche, two charaters who attempt to find out who they are and rebel against the rest of society by attempting to be different. They manage to team up with the Bohemains, an underground race of rag-tag rebels who the Corporation is attempting to wipe out.

Essentially all the characters and the whole story is based around Queen Songs, and every 5 mins they break out into a Queen song. If you don't know who Queen is or their songs, it doesn't matter cause you'll still enjoy it.

I'd recommend this musical. My ticket cost about $50 and I had a seat upstairs.On the DJ HO Scale: 8 out of 10. FYI who is Queen? They are a group and they were absolutely huge in the period of 1975-1990. When I mean huge, they were like Michael Jackson in the 1990's to the power of 10.


Young Leaders XMAS Ball

All I can say is this is not what I had expected. When I walked through the entrance, I had what you could say was a bit of a shock. At the entrance were a bunch of old FOBS in their 40's, cheap balloons hanging from the ceiling, an asian band singing in Chinese to a curtain backdrop with letters stuck on. You could say it was a bit tacky. But I bit my tongue and just laughed it off cause the ball cost me $30, so i was like "what can you expect?".

But I ended up having a very very enjoyable time. It was such a fun night. We won the Trivia. We couldnt' figure out all the answers so Chris (who is very competitive) decided he badly wanted to win so he started calling up some people to get the answers. I'm sure your not meant to do that but we came first.

I think what also made it so enjoyable was the company. I think the people that your with can make any situation better. We meet these three girls (Lisa, Mimi, Dao - when are you gonna email us?), and they were just hilarious doing stuff like grabbing the balloons from the roof, sucking the helium and singing out loudly. Yes they might have drunk too much wine, but they were really fun to be with. Jacq, Chris, James (after they decided that they weren't going to kill me for bringing them along) were great company.

On a slightly more serious note, the keynote speaker Pamela Vernon (who pushed Century 21 to its heights now and now trains CBA Management) gave a real stirring speech on about leadership. She basically talked about her sister for the first time ever. Basically her and her sister, grew up in orphanage home and were severly abused. Her sister was diagnosed with a life-ending disease and was only expected to live another couple of years. She didn't even finish year 10 when they both left the State Home.

Her sister then penned a story about herself for some National writing competition and came first. Then on the strenght of that, she got accepted into Wollongong Uni. And the most amazing part was that she won the Uni Medal for her degree. Now Pam's sister is Dr Vernon, doing groundbreaking research into the disease that crippled her. That's overcoming real adversity.


DJ HO's Hypotheticals

Air Canada has officially landed in New jersey! In case you didn't know Vince Carter just got traded for Zo, Eric & Aaron Williams, two draft picks. When I first read about this deal, I thought this trade was just stupid for both teams. In theory its simply a maxed out Vince Carter for Kenyon Martin. Its good for Toronto cause they got rid of Carter, get some financial flexibility (hopefully Zo retires) and they can rebuild around Chris Bosh.

For New Jersey, they can have some awesome fast breaks with RJ and Kidd pushing it up the floor. But they'll have an enormous hole in the middle. Somehow i don't think Jason Collins and Brian Scalabrine can cut it. And you can't fast break if you can't grab rebounds. I reckon the only winner is Sportscenter, who get more highlight reels of Kidd to Carter. Also, NJ have no flexibility now cause they are paying max salary to like 3 players: Kidd, Carter, RJ yet have no depth and no post presence. To be honest, I'd rather have K-Mart than Carter.

Sports fans lend me your ears! Tell me what you think about the deal

CHINA IN 5 days!

Wo Bu Jiang Pu Tong Hua (I don't speak Mandarin)

Wanted: Fluent Mandarin Language Ability
Missing: 5 Years Saturday school, 2 years Tutoring

Where has all my years of schooling in the art of PutongHua (Mandarin) gone? I think I've totally regressed. I used to be much better than my brother, used to practice writing but it's just gone MIA. I've made no effort to read/write/speak Mando for ages. I had a lesson the other day and its just plain shocking. Personally, considering that I've grown up in Australia, and only barely speak Cantonese at home, I feel that my Chinese isn't that bad. I wouldn't say that I'm socially proficient but in everyday situations I'm ok eg. if my parents friends speak to me, i can tell them what's going on at my house, etc, although they do insist on speaking to me in English for some unknown reason........ ( just don't ask me to order coke in a restaurant).

Let's see if my language skills will be adequate enough in China. I'm gonna take my learn to speak chinese book as well as my lonely planet guide.

But why is Chinese, especially mando so hard to learn? Firstly, there's a character for every word out there. Unlike English, the whole system can be broken down into 26 characters, unlike chinese which has like literally thousands. The language is built on memorising characters. Someone (a honkie) once told me becoz of this, that is why Chinese students are excellent at memorising and learn best this way and further said that is why a lot of overseas asian students struggle at uni (besides the english barrier) becoz there is less memorising more thinking/analysis . i think there may be a valid point there.

If you don't know the character, you can't work out the word unlike English eg. if you see the word angry you can work out how to pronounce them becoz you'll know the individual letters.

With Chinese, there are clues eg. for words that have to do with oil, there's these three strokes/dots which look like water drops next to the letter. On the one hand, I love the intricacy of the Chinese characters and how some of them look like things eg. the word for person has a head and two legs. And I am impressed how the word heart is built into the word love. On the other hand, its a pain in the ass trying to remember all these words, or coming across words which you don't know.

Oh yeah, and then there's the intonations i.e. how to pronoune the word. If you ever see the english pronounciation it may have one of four little squiggles above it, sorta like above french words. It tells you which words have a up, down sound, bounce, flat or no sound emphasis.

One day I swear, I will be fluent. Sometimes I wish that i that the chinese language could be zapped into me, matrix style i.e. stick a cord into my neck and upload the language into my brain. But i'd never fully appreciate the language. It's the journey that's important, the pain, the struggles, the laughs, the hours spent studying, the satisfaction of being able to go into a restaurant and order a coke instead of bbq pork, being able to name all the dishes at yum cha.

Being Chinese is a part of me. I can't deny my own heritage. It's who I am. I look into the mirror and I see a Chinese person staring back. I have to learn chinese, there's no other option. I don't want to reach the age of 40 and not be able to speak Chinese, having to speak to my kids in English, saying to myself i wish i had learnt when i was young. Now is the time when i have time and motivation.

For me learning mandarin is like rediscovering a part of myself and being able to communicate to my grandma and parents better. It's like this holiday to china. In fact it's more than a holiday, perhaps even a personal journey for me cause it's where my family is originally from, where my ancestors are at, finding out more about the history and wonders of China.



DJ HO's hypotheticals

If you were the GM of the Indiana Pacers, what would you do with Ron Artest?

a. TRADE HIM.
b. KEEP HIM.
c. SEND HIM TO ANGER MANAGEMENT COURSES.
d. MAKE HIM PRESIDENT (Answer for Howard only)

It's your birthday

Dear diary,

It's 12.04am. It's 4mins past my 23rd birthday. I'm not sure what to make of it. It hasn't hit me yet that I have turned 23. Even though I'm supposed to be older, wiser, more mature, I don't feel no different to when I was 18. The only good thing about it so far is that its Michael Jordan's number.

Where am I now? I've started a new job at a good company, have a beautiful gf, finished uni, loving family, great friends who I can depend on. There is not that much more that a man can ask for. I still remember my b'day speech at my 21st. I got up and said: "I feel quite lucky to be have so many friends". And then I sat down! To be honest, I'm quite happy the way life is and if I had a party right now, I'd prolly say the same speech, this time with a few more words added in.

At 23, I guess I've got to perhaps start thinking about the future. I'm not that young any more. Maybe in a couple of years I'll get married, buy a house, get a mortgage and perhaps be a father one day. The age 23 definently sounds a lot more serious than 22. Maybe I'll even start to dress my age - no more basketball jerseys? Sorry, I think that's one change I won't make - sorry dawen!

If this was the NBA, 23 would be the age that you start realising your potential. For me, it's time I start utilising everything that I have learnt in life - from uni, from the playgrounds, from the streets of Bankstown, from work. I don't think I've really thought about my own life seriously beyond 23. In terms of basketball, it's time that I unwake and unleash my true abilities (hahaha), becoming the true sleeper of 2004~! Well maybe not.

I know that I don't really have a party planned, but maybe we can do something this Saturday night? Eg. go out and eat. I would love to pay for everyone but unfortunately my financial situation isn't that great at the moment as I'm scraping together every penny to go to China.

Feel free to post a b'day comment!

Leaders where you at?

I'm going to the Young Leaders XMAS ball this friday. It's organised by the Young Unity party (some Asian political party. It's like some anti one nation party formed in response) and is targeted towards university students/graduates/young professionals. I've been told by the organiser (my mate Willis from uni) its primarily a networking event to meet other people and has little to do with the political party. i'm sure there is some slight bent as the speaker is Dr Peter Wong, the founder but that's cool, I've googled him and read his speeches in Parliament, and agree with some of the points that he makes.

Also, being the current Vice President of the UTS Networking Society (yes thats me!), I feel that I should go and represent along with the official delegation (the President - Jacquline) and our partners. To be honest, I was gonna go anyway becoz I like to be connected. Hopefully I'll meet some political heavyweights, cause I need some more political connections!

The tickets are $30 and includes a 3 course meal @ the Mandarin Club in the City. We have 4 people, possibly 5 on our table, and would like some more. If your interested, email me at djho.mixes@gmail.com. It's on this Friday, the 17th and starts at like 7.30pm.

DJ HO's hypotheticals

Who is the biggest bust/disappointment of the following #1 NBA draft picks? Why?

a. Joe Smith

b. Kwame Brown

c. Michael Olowakandi

d. Lebron James, since he was meant to average 100 points/50 assists/70 rebounds a game.

Gone crazy with the deco

Just at work now, and everyone is doing nothing...waiting for the day to end cause we have an awesome XMAS party planned. We are going on Cruise along Sydney Harbour, then to the Retro Nightclub. I guess its a time for everyone to let their hair down, relax, and drink their brains out (except me of course). It's been a pretty fun day, cause we hvae fully decorated the office. There's XMAS lights criss crossing the rooms, a huge tree complete with ornaments, tinsel hangin everywhere. Each of the partners rooms has been decorated with a theme - one is called the reindeer barn with a reindeer and a "do not feed sign", another the toy shop which actually has toys in it. There's even snowflake cut outs hanging on the windows.

Have we gone overboard? !!!!

Well we even had a guy dress up as santa claus and we charged everyone a gold coin to take a photo with him. We raised about $102 for charity. It was fun and quite loud. I didn't get any work done for about an hour...but its all good. My team which I work with know how to have fun and chill out.


Shop til you drop

We had a few issues when shopping yesterday. See, when guys shop, we buy on need. I really needed a pair of black pants for work. In fact, I have been wearing my two pair black pants which are suits - but I have been wearing them without the jacket coz I could not be bothered to buy another pair. I don't think it was the smartest idea, as the pants have started to wear out much faster than my jacket. So i was in the frame of mind, to buy any pair of black pants.

I don't find shopping the most pleasant experience. I don't like the crowds, I don't like digging around for things unless its music (diggin in the crates) or sports shoes. Of course I like to get the best price like everyone else, but i'm not prepared to search every store to find the best bargain. So therefore you could say there was like a slight conflict between me and dizzie (Dawen has a new moniker now).

You know what else? I was at Myer yesterday and I was thinking, man society has advanced pretty far in terms of commerce. I mean in the olden days, traders used to have little carts and trade in markets selling trinkets etc.... Now, we have huge mega stores, exquisite floors, elevators.

I also just stare at the stuff (Clothes, CD's , electronics) and think have we all become too materialistic? We shop for hours on end, trying to get the latest fashion, making ourselves look trendy, upgrading our standard of living. I must have that Fossil Watch. When I make money I must have that $200 formal shirt with the cufflink holes. I need another pair of basketball shoes.

3 on 3

We play a lot of 3 on 3 basketball at Blakehurst and I woke up this morning with this burning question on my mind:

In a game of 3 on 3, who would win out of the following -

a. Larry Hughes, Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas.
b. KG, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell.
c. Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash.
d. None of the above, coz DJ Ho, Ashby, Tim would crush them all.

WHO WOULD WIN???????!!!!!!

DJ HO has briefly entered the rat race

I finished work at 8.30pm yesterday, and it dawned on me that yes, DJ HO has officially entered the rat race. It's the same routine, day after day. Wake up at 6.30am, eat breakfast, read the SMH, go to work, come home at 6 - 7pm.

I get so tired when I come home from work. I just want to collapse and fall into bed, let alone try go play bball at Blakehurst against the Croatian Inkjets. Why do I feel so exhausted after work? Many other people are the same. I think its becoz you have to concentrate from 9am - 5pm, and work constantly during that period. Sitting in an office chair, staring at the computer screen, tires you out. Although, spare a thought for those labourers, and other folks that do physical work, i'm sure they are a lot more worn out than us.

People in the rat race work crazy hours. I mean I left pretty late, and there were still a few people around. I used to critise Dawen for not leaving work at 5pm, but now that I start working, you kinda not notice or feel like going home after 5pm. In fact time just drifts by (although i did manage to play 1/2 an hour of table tennis against a manager). Speaking to Ip on the email, it seem as if my hours pale in comparison to what he is doing.

Have we lost the plot with these long working hours? Is there really that much to be done in the office? Perhaps the workplace has become our second home.

Don't forget the work-life balance ya'll, otherwise you'll become a robot.


Lebron vs The Communist

I don't see what is wrong with these ads coz they recently got banned by the Iron fisted Chinese Government. Are these ads that controversial to the Chinese people? it's been reported that they don't like the way that Lebron defeats the Kung Fu master (insert shock) and the ad defaces dragons and ghosts. To be honest, from a personal perspective, I think they are quite cool. In fact, the background to my computer is one of the Lebron ads and I have obtained (they were free!) all these Lebron ad postcards from uni.

The ads are targeted towards an Asian/Chinese audience coz the ad incorporates Mandarin commentary and is based on the Bruce Lee movie where he enters this tower and has to battle his way up each level, facing a different kung fu master.

In short, ads are awesome, Chinese government is anal (altho prolly shouldn't be saying that since I am applying for a chinese visa!!!!!). Check out the ads for yourself here.


$64million Question of the day

1. Who would you rather start your NBA team with - Andrei Kirilenko or Amare Stoudemire? Why?

DJ Ho is perplexed. He wisely decides to take a lifeline. He asks the audience.

First off, big ups to Tim for lending me every hip hop CD in his collection which i haven't heard. I'm currently bopping to Dilated People's "Heavy Surveillance" and its got some excellent tracks. I've also got ODB, Gangstarr's "Moment of Truth" (one of the best yet!), Mos Def (very cool), Chingy (not that great) in heavy rotation. I think i have been missing out on some awesome hip hop.

I don't wanna know

Figgkid.........Figgkid.........Figgkid.....who is Figgkid (FK)? Who is the name on everyone's lips....hahaha.....FK is an aussie rapper who is currently on the Australian TOP 30 Charts. Why is this relevant......cause we used to ball against him at Bankstown!!!. He's heavily tattoed, white and our age (around 23) and backed by the Sony Record label. His like an Eminem clone with some N.e.r.d.s. beats. All of a sudden this dude has exploded from nowhere and is now doing the undercard performances at Cypress Hill. What is his claim to fame? He won a u/18 rap battle at Crush, Segaworld. hahahah. We used to call him Jason Williams because of his playground game and his tatts. And at rap concerts we'd play spot "Jason Williams" and more often than not, we'd find him!


The mind is a terrible thing to waste

Why is it that so many of our brightest young people are found in the fields of law, investment banking, management consulting, accounting, etc?.....What i want to know is are we wasting the minds of our talented young people? Some of our most talented peers with PHD's in finance are found sweating it out in front of computer screen, watching stock prices rise and fall. Others are corporate lawyers, corporate tax accountants, corporate consultants helping companies make squillions more.

Why aren't we out there making a serious difference in this world? Why can't we be found in government departments, in public policy think tanks, or working for Non Government Organisations like the United Nations, or the IMF......helping to create a better world for humanity.....solving the problems that are plaguing nations.

Instead of helping a corporation trade out of insolvency, why not use those skills to assist a nation back from the brink of collapse? Instead of working a 9 to 5 job, why not take a job where you wake up thinking you can improve someone's standard of living? Instead of dreaming of working for a investment bank why not work for the World Bank, where you truly influence the GDP of a nation? Instead of being a GP doctor in the suburbs, why not take those skills to a third world country to those truly in need?

I think it is incumbent on those of us that have the talent, ability, drive, entrepreneurial flair, and the creative nous to make the most of our professional skills for the benefit of all. To often I think "How can I advance my career? What's best for me?". Rather, we need to accept some kind of responsibility for the opportunity we have been given and payback the society that made us. Most of us have been educated at the best educational instutions (Sydney Tech! UTS, etc...) in the country, we have white collar skills and jobs, yet we won't even look back and consider those members of our global society that are still struggling.

On that note, Mayank and I will start working at Redfern Legal Centre next year, for one night a week. Hopefully I can keep this commitment and help people that are more disadvantaged than myself.

Ho careers update 4-12-04

This is the second edition of the Ho Careers Update, which is back by popular demand. The only graduate careers newslettter which you need to read.

Pop Yo Collar

Many of us have heard of the term “white collar” as referring to working professionals, typically found in office jobs. But what about those people on those bling bling salaries, that might go overseas to work or reach upper upper management (I’m talking CEO, CFO, directors)? Would these people still be considered white collar…….or are they different? I’d argue that they are now classified as “gold collar”.

Gold collars (GC’s) are not a new class of worker. We always had people like that in the upper echelons of the workforce. But the classification of them is new and it is starting to get greater recognition in the HR industry and in news media. But why is it relevant? Because many of us aspire to become GC’s in the long term – everyone wants to be blingin’ and successful, don’t deny it! More importantly, local companies and the government are recognising that these people are incredibly hard to keep within Australia. If white collars and blue collars can be considered the engine room of the Australian workforce, then GC’s are the ones shifting the gearsticks, directing and changing the ebb and flow of commerce.

GC’s typically do go overseas for more money, opportunities and challenges. One side of the argument is that this represents a significant brain drain in our local economy. The highest talent levels are being taken away. But consider this. Many of them desire to come back and work. Hopefully, they will bring back new skills and ideas learnt from foreign countries. Furthermore, they provide the connection between our economy and foreign ones.

So pop yo collar!


Want opportunities? Go work in an accounting firm!!??!!

I used to work for a company known as High Fliers, a company which did surveys on graduate careers. I ran their focus group on campus and we surveyed the opinions of final year students. High fliers just released the results of one of their surveys in the Australian and particular one caught my attention (thanks to Kyle for DELIBERATELY mentioning it to me to rub it in). Students were asked:

"Which employer do you think offers the best opportunities for graduates?"

The results may shock you. It did to me. Some of the noticeable ones are as follows:

1.........................KPMG

2.......PricewaterhouseCoopers

3..................Ernst & Young

4........................Telstra

5...........................IBM

6.......................Deloitte

8.....................Accenture

12...............Macquarie Bank

19......................Citibank

More importantly, notice how the Big 4 Accounting firms (KPMG, EY, PWC, Deloitte) are well represented in the top 6. Initially it surprised me but it slowly dawned on me why. Accounting firms are excellent training ground for young people, providing and supporting further education. But just as important is their reputation in the marketplace – they are huge globally and are well recognised as the leaders in their field. You also add their diverse and top notch client base and the fact that you gain a lot of good solid professional skills there. They are an excellent launch pad for anyone, to jump into other industries and other careers. So it is justifiable that they represent the greatest career opportunity for a young person.

However, it must be qualified in that its not for everyone. If you know what you want eg. if you want to be a lawyer, your better off aiming to go a top law firm as that represents the greatest opportunity for you. Or if you want to be an IT person, you’d be better off going to an IT place. Similarly, if you’re a marketing person, scientist, teacher, or a graphic designer, an accounting firm is not going to be the best place for you.

But I’ll stand by my statement that for the average person, that is the normal person that graduates from uni, that might not know what they want in life, an accounting firm may represent their best starting point for their career* as they hire from a diverse range of degrees – people with business, law, IT, degrees. However they tend to be biased as they mainly hire people with accounting majors (surprise surprise, they are an accounting firm).

What really shocks me is that Ho Ho Gifts is not on the list for top gradutate employers. What’s up with that????!!!!!

*This author works in a Big 4 Accounting firm and may be slightly biased in his opinion :P.

Rolan......Rolan..... Rolan on a river

Rolan Roberts......Rolan Roberts........Rolan Roberts.............that's name of the new Sydney Kings import. Hopefully this dude pans out cause the Kings are struggling right now on the injury front. Apparently this cat was an NBA draft pick of the Wizards, cut b4 the season began and then tried out at a number of NBA summer leagues. In fact you can still find him on the NBA website. This guy has the university college bball pedigree having led his college in blocks (all time leader) and killed the boards.

From what I know, he's 6'6 and weighs 250 pounds. That's a highly unusual combination. I only know 3-4 players that have that kind of bio: Charles Barkley, Marcus Fizer, Malik Rose, and Ron Artest.

The scouting reports say the following ........... power forward with immense strength........ could move bigger dudes off the block with his sheer brute force.......can't shoot....very hard worker.....mack truck build....incredible arms....charges into the paint like Big Chris (well maybe not that comparison).....

Why didn't he make the NBA?

In my bball opinion, you look at his skill set - he's a natural power forward with post up moves. But he's too short. He's already giving up two or three inches to the average power forward. So in the summer camps, coaches put him at small forward (SF). But he admitted himself in an interview that's not his game. Dude is not suited to running around on the perimeter, shooting jumpers, doesn't have the footspeed or ball handling. It's like putting Ashby into the guard spot. Rolan is a classic tweener. Could he be the next Charles Barkley or the next Marcus Fizer?

There were also other issues - I think many teams were scared off by his "off-court" incident which forced him to change uni's. I had to dig around to find out about this and I don't want to go into it cause I want to give this guy a chance.

The Kings badly need this guy because Thalo Green, our current PF is a chump as is the other dude which we just cut recently. Rolan "Mack Truck" Roberts could be the solution. Currently the kings have no interior presence. We could use a scorer down low, an enforcer in the paint that could complement the kings shooters and slashers. And being 6'6 is huge in the NBL - you can even play centre with that height if you know what you are doing. I mean anything is possible cause Ashby could make it as six foot power forward in the NBL.


Centre of Attention

On a side note, you don't have to be huge to play centre, cause sometimes I play centre at UTS bball courts cause:
a) I'm taller than most people down there or even if I'm not,
b) I know how to rebound and challenge shots
c) I'm one of the few people that is willing to play centre
d) I can score down low with a variety of post up moves.

My friend Michael who is about my size used to tell me that he often played centre for his team at Bankstown. He always said it wasn't becoz he was the biggest player but because he knew what to do. He knew how to box out, how to block shots, how to position himself. I think that's the most important thing. A cat with the theory about how to play centre and can execute it but not the height will always kill someone that is bigger. Sure you'll be shorter or giving up weight, but if you know what to do you can out think'em and outplay them.

I still remember watching games where Dennis Rodman would sometimes outplay Shaquille O'neal (back when he was a pup at Orlando). He'd frustrate him, use his leverage, flop when Shaq leaned on him, and use quickness as an advantage.

You see a lot of cats in the NBA, particulary in the LEastern (East Coast) that are natural PF's but are forced to play centre because they are the tallest person on their team or don't have a dude that is capable of actually being a starting centre despite being 7 foot. Ballers like Amare Stoudemire, Ben Wallace, and JO are really PF's but have been quite effective at centre.

I do admit though, it sometimes very very frustrating matching up against bigger players cause it might be impossible to rebound against them cause they have a natural height advantage or longer arms. In addition, when they back you down in the post, sometimes you can't do much, you'll just bounce off them. I sitll remember Steve, the 30 year old uni student/baller telling me to get down lower, spread your legs further apart, and use your leverage. I used to see guys like Charles Oakely and Dale Davis doing that too.

DJ Ho the Franchise

The Name is Mine

DJ HO < pronounced Dee-jay Hoe>: A person that is true to oneself, who is cooler than "ice cool". Someone whose life is dedicated to the three B's: basketball, blogging and the Bible. A person that is down to earth yet is acutely in tune with global issues. An individual that is loyal and dedicated to his friends. He/she may walk with a certain rhythm in their step as if they are above this world yet walks slow enough to smell the roses.

I was googling my name "DJ HO" and the following quiz came up: "Are you a DJ HO ?". There were a bunch of questions which I cannot repeat but they related to what you would do at a nightclub such as try to get with the DJ's, etc...After taking the quiz, it became clear that I was as a DJ Ho.

I'm not sure if I appreciate other people using my name like that. Maybe I should copyright my trademark name. "DJ Ho" is a franchise name, you can't mess it up. It's equivalent to brandnames like Nike or Toyota. When you think Tupac Shakur you think "2Pac". Along these lines, when you think my name, the words "DJ HO" should pop into your mind.


Gimme a book deal

Also, I happened to be reading breakupbabe's blog who recently scored a bookdeal. Now, props to her getting this deal, but where's mine? I think people want to hear the exclusive inside story of DJ HO - half man half student, 100% baller. Like I said, the DJ HO franchise is just starting to be recognised globally.
I've got a loyal following of fans, my work is tight, and the site is growing in popularity (from 2 fans to 4 fans, a 200% increase).

I know your out there big publishing companies trawling for new innovative writers. I'm young, fresh and dynamic. DJ HO is your man.

You just take more than you give

Christmas is just 26 days away. As a Christian, it's a pretty big event because that is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I think many of us including myself forget this as we get caught up in this whole commerical xmas presents/trees/festival craze. I made the commitment about two years ago to become a Christian and I'm not really sure what i have done about it. I mean I help out in Church as much as possible but there has been a lack of effort on my behalf to do anything else.

People often ask me what does the phrase "no turning back" mean as its attached to all my emails that I sent out. I guess to me once I became a Christian it was a life long commitment and there was no turning back to a life without Jesus.


Birthday/XMAS presents list

Dawen always ask me what should I get you for your birthday and I always give the same response : "world peace" and then she gives me the same sigh and says "how do i get that?"

Here are some of the things that i want for xmas in no particular order:

• For me and Dawen to continue being happy and going out :P
• An allen iverson killer crossover
• For my grandma to live another healthy year
• For Ron Artest to come back on the court and just play ball
• For all my fantasy bball teams to come first
• For Grant Hill to continue his amazing comeback
• for the Ukraine to sort out their political mess and have some legit government.
• to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all
• Every kid in the world to live in an safe environment without fear of war, horror, hunger or shelter.
• For the Chicago Bulls to win the 2005 championship
• For the Padstow Church to continue growing
• For me to expand my mind and grow in confidence
• To speak Cantonese AND Mandarin fluently
• To pass all my PLT subjects
• For you to continue reading this blog and add some comments!

If you think you can't get any of the above for me by xmas in time might I suggest some alternatives? Either contribute to the "DJ HO needs a car fund" which is a worthwhile charitable cause or sponsor a child for me instead of getting me a present.

~~~~~~~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Check this price list from World Vision gift catalogue:

Five chickens to support families in East Timor $45

Traditional birth attendant kit in Somalia $77

Eye surgery and treatment for a child in Ethiopia $78

Emergency relief supplies for a family $100

Community toilet in Malawi $170

Surgery for a disabled child in Chad $651

The difference you can make on someone's life - Priceless.

Once I start working full time I'm gonna sponsor a child as it's only $39 a month. The money doesn't go to the child, it gets pooled together with other money for other children in the community and goes toward projects like toilets, taps, better eductation, etc......

Ready for war y'all

Last nite was brilliant. I had absolutely no responsibilities/commitments. No more exams. So I sat down and watched Blackhawk Down. It's basically a movie based on an ill-fated U.S. operation in Somalia in 1993. The troopers try to extract some Warlord Militia men in a hostile city (deja vu - can you say IRAQ). The US army is armed to the teeth with massive BlackHawk helicopters, convoys of little army trucks with mounted machineguns and represent the elite US army.

The operation goes terribly wrong cause the Milita own the city, and the troops have stirred up the hornets nest. I love the movie beacuse of its action but also because of its rawness. It bring you right to the centre of the action. Having played the game Counterstrike, it's exactly the same. However despite the technology, advanced planning and the overall numbers the army are immediately overwhelmed by the whole operation. Also, Eric Bana (Fast Forward, Hulk) plays a rather cool character who is slightly mad yet absolutely cool under pressure.

Whilst watching this movie it reminded and highlighted to me the atrocities of war. Soldiers putting their bodies on the line, being carried into coffins back home. What I thought was really moving was the code of the troops : "No one gets left behind". Each soldier would give up their life for the man fighting next to them, even when they didn't know them. In the last frames, we see that it's not only soldiers that die but also civilians. An old man carries his wounded child, dripping in blood. That stuff is moving. THe movie doens't go into the deeper reasons why the troops went into Somalia, other than to overturn the Warlord and restore some peace.

The main character, the Young Commander who I thought was rather like myself. The other troops called him idealistic and asked him why are you here (fighting in the war) and he was like: "I was put here to make a difference. People are dying, there's no food. It's my job to restore the peace". The others are like, "I'm just here to kick some ass".

ON the DJ HO ratings, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. Plenty of action, blood, guts, not much plot or character development.


Battle anybody, I'm as hard as........

Speaking of battles, I also went to the Bankstown Police Club yesterday to take my bro to his breakdance session and to work on my basketball game.

My bro was showing his stuff and he was doing a handstand using only one of his forearms on the ground. He started spinning around and then immediately some guy starting pointing at him and then was challenged to a battle. I was like "yeah, that's what I come to see!". There were about 5-6 people there and they formed two teams.

I have to say that bro held it down and his side easily won. He had too many impressive moves. He started with a running front flip and then pulled off this budda position where he had his legs crossed and elevated himself off the ground with his two hands. THen he proceeded to rotate his legs above his head (with legs still crossed). It was just absolutely mad. I was standing around pointing saying to anyone that would hear "he's my brother. I taught him that!". I don't think anyone believed me though.



You either sell rocks or have a wicked jumpshot

At the Police Club I was in my element. I was the only one on the court after 7pm (the other ballers left after I had destroyed them lol). I worked on a variety of post moves, such as my patented turnaround jumpshot, upfakes, baby hook shots, drop steps. Normally I go to work on the left block causing I'm more comfortable going left so I started doing some training on the right block to make myself more of a threat. Later on, i started working on my jumpshot, drilling them from the elbow, outside the key, and the free throw line.

Offensively I need to add a crossover to shake off defenders. I'm trying to work on two dribble, right to left and left to right crossover. It's a bit hard when your DJ HO and you don't have the natural speed to blow them away. To me its all about quickness, and you have to execute the crossover with speed and then explode in the direction you want to take. Another move which I would like to add into my repotoire (of two moves) is a jab step. I've seen Kobe do it and its quite effectively. Except the problem is, he's Kobe and I'm DJ Ho.

Warning: Prisoner DJ Ho was just released on 25/11/04.

---------------Latest Breaking News -------------------

11.30AM: Prisoner Number 01066911, alias "DJ HO" was released from the UTS Jail House after serving 5 years hard labour.

Crime: Business (Accounting)/Law degree.

Misdeameanours: Just completed practical legal training

Known Associates: Kyle, Mayank, Anvij, Alex, Thurka. This offender must be treated with caution upon release as he has many contacts in the outside world as well as still on the inside (i.e other prisoners serving their time - Jacquliene and Catherine)

Release terms: Must serve several years in a halfway house called an "accounting firm". Must work diligently between the hours of 9 to 5. May also be required to complete a Masters in Tax to show rehabilitation.

Items which he may take with him from prison: A piece of paper known as a "degree". It is entirely worthless yet is valued for some reason to a group of people known as "employers".

Chances of coming back to prison: Quite high. Although the offender expresses a willingness to integrate himself into the real world, his chances of survival are slim. It is likely that he will recommit the same offence with greater severity, possibly a Masters in Tax.

Bad habits that the offender has gained in prison: Is known to get highly stressed in July and November, a period known as " exam time". Bad eyesight as a result of too much studying. Bears the mark of habitual study offender - able to stay awake at all hours of the nite, surviving on a few hours sleep. Has also learnt how to operate complex machinery known as a "Computer". Can communicate rapidly through a secret tunnel known as "UTS email" and has learnt how to reach a vast audience using "UTS online discussion board". Become addicted to "junk food" - may have problems going cold turkey on wholesome meals.

Conclusion: THis prisoner is still dangerous to the community. Use extreme care in approaching him as he may be still armed and dangerous, as he is known to carry a backpack full of textbooks and pens. Maybe be talking jibberish knowledge gained on the inside.

Is it possible to be a good lawyer without being dodgy?

As I am currently studying for my legal ethics exam tomorrow, I had this burning desire to write about this issue: Is it possible to be a good lawyer without being dodgy?

Dawen often says to me that I won't make it as a lawyer becoz i'm not dodgy.

However, I disagree as I don't think that being a successful lawyer requires an element of dodginess. There are many good lawyers out there who are not dodgy. Sure you can bend the rules sometimes but sooner or later it'll catch up to you. In additon, what kind of clients would you attract if your dodgy? Obviously clients that are also dodgy. The legal profession requires that the public trust them - you have to have complete confidence that they will keep things confidential and that they will help sort out your problem.

If you adopt the methods shown on "The Practice", you will lose a lot of respect from your fellow peers. It might be good in the short run to be dodgy but in the long run it'll kill you. Personally, I don't think I could walk around with my head held high if I used dodgy methods to help my clients.

Drawing the line between doing what is right and what is wrong is not black and white - there's a lot of grey areas. Is there a difference between finding a loophole and actively exploiting it? Do I do everything in my power to get my client off a criminal charge? Do i resort to underhand tactics like the "PLAN B" in the practice and accuse someone else in a murder trial?

This question doesn't apply to just lawyers. I mean can you be a successful business person without being dodgy? I think you can. As I have said before, there is a difference between being sharp/ using commerical tactics and being outright dodgy.

This questions I think we will come across in our working lives: CAN I BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT BEING DODGY?

What does everyone think?

Don't mess with the Artest

I just felt compelled to write about this incident. It was the most ugly scene I have ever seen and heard of in sports. In the Pacer vs Pistons game today played at the Auburn Hills Palace (Detroit's home turf), Ron Artest, a player for the Pacers fouled Ben Wallace of the Pistons in a hard foul from behind. Wallace proceeded to give Artest a two handed shove to the neck/face. If you've seen Wallace, he's 6'9 and 250 pounds. Artest is no shrimp either, coming in at 6'8, 250 LBs. The refs try to isolate Artest from Wallace but all hell breaks loose. Both benches jump into the melee and everyone starts shoving but cool heads prevail and it all simmers down and Artest lays on the scorer's table.

Some dickhead fan proceeds to chuck a full cup of beer at Artest. Artest gets up and starts CHARGING into the stands. Punching and pushing people out the way, he reaches the fan that is 3 rows back. He proceeds to lay the smack down on this dude who is just plain laughing at him. Artest is then restrained by 3 fans and is totally outnumbered. Another fan decides to shower Artest with some more beer. Stephen Jackson of the Pacers has also come to support Artest and throws some haymakers at that fan. Guys from both teams are in the stands trying to break up the fight. Stuff is just flying from everywhere, including a chair.

Artest gets pulled out of that fight and starts walking onto the court. Another fan decides to walk up to him ON THE COURT with another mate all macho with his fists clenched. Ron Ron then clocks him with a killer right hand that would have stunned any mortal man. The fan falls to the ground and gets back up. Jermain O'Neal runs in from nowhere and throws the biggest cheap shot i have ever seen, with a running right handed fist. Some dude in a suit (who must have been a pacers player) throws another punch at the guy for good measure.

The Refs in their wisdom decide to cancel the game.

I was talking to Tim about it, who saw the game live, said it was the most shocking incident that he had ever seen in sports. I 'd have to say it overtakes the Eric Cantona incident where he decides to do a flying Liu Kang kick at some fan that started abusing him. This is the most craziest thing i have ever seen.

You just don't mess with Artest who is a hot headed pshycho to begin with. But he is to blame for taking this incident to the next level by confronting the fan. He could have easily walked away from this incident. He took the law into his own hands and sought vengenance. It was not self defence. Stephen Jackson didn't need to join in either. He could have broken up the fight. But I do sympathise with the players, particulary Artest. You just don't take that sh#t from anyone but he should have been smart enough to walk away. He was smart enough not to take on Ben Wallace as he just back pedaled out of there.

Artest, Jackson, and JO need to understand that they are role models for little kids, whether they like it or not. Sure you can blame security for not having the whole place secure and undercontrol but you can't prevent this kind of thing happening. People can chuck stuff from anywhere in the stands. But you've got to be the bigger man and walk away from it.

Ya'll need to check the ESPN website and watch the incident on ESPN motion. Sports fans are totally divided on this issue. Some blame the players, the referees, and the security.

I know I shouldn't be saying this, but what about my fantasy NBA team? I've got Ron Artest, JO and Jackson on my squad? What's a GM to do?!!

I'm not sure what the appropriate penalty is for this fight. Some are calling Artest to be banned for 10-15 games, some say for a year. Being Judge Ho, I'd sentence him to a year long ban. I know that the fan started it but Artest should know better.

Tell me what you think peoples!

3 Down, 1 to go!

Just got home from my commercial and estate exam. I feel so relieved that i've almost finished my exams. I've got a 5 day gap til the next one, so much time! What am I gonna do? Study?!.

Can't believe that I am gonna finish uni soon. It'll be all over. I think there is some salty residue in my eye LOL.

I woke up this morning at 6am and has this sudden urge to watch the new AND1 Mixtape 7 that I just downloaded...whoops...... I mean bought. After watching it, i was all hyped up and motivated to study. it was so good, it actually made me go "whoa", and I actually did a couple of "lean back" reactions cause the dunks were that awesome. Also, what amazed, me were how confident these guys were. The theme of this mixtape seems to be "we ain't scared, we''ll play in your backyard, and still embarrass you".

What really inspired me was how confident Alimoe, Hot Sauce, AO and the rest of the crew were despite being up against a hostile crowd, and a team hell bent on taking them down. I think that's the major factor that I lack when I play basketball and in life generally. I get intimidated too easily on the court if some guy steals the ball off me whilst I'm dribbling or if I miss a couple of shots in a row. Confidence I believe comes with playing a lot more and having faith in your own ability. That is what separates the average players from the great players.

The thing is I know to hit a jumpshot. I know how to box out. I know how to do a screen and roll. I know how to hit a fake left, spin right, up and under layup whilst posting up. But the thing is to actually execute it whilst playing against decent competition and not dawen :P.

Got Rice, Got Rice?

it seems that George Dubya has a new sidekick, Condelezza Rice. Is that good or bad? I think its very very bad. She seems to be cut in the same mould as Bush in terms of ideology and approach to world affairs (blow them up, then ask questions). Colin Powell at least protested, although meekly that Bush wasn't right. However this feel on deaf ears and he didnt stand up and take Bush on. Although he did a lot of good things like put AIDS agenda on the map he will forever be remembered as the man that supported Bush in the mysterious war against the missing weapons.

Rice is a gun (i.e. phenemonal) in her own right. Attended college at the age of 15, PHD in international relations, advising Bush about Germany at the ripe old age of 36. She reminds me of that Tupac line : "I'm young, black and strapped"....well maybe not that last part about being loaded with a weapon, but you know what i mean. She has that fearless attidude that has allowed her to succeed.

Colin Powell's problem was that he was a soldier. And it is totally against the ethos of the combat warrior that is willing to give up his life for his country to turn his back on his leader. For a dude that's been in the armed forces for 23 years, if there's one thing you learn, its to obey your superiors. It wasn't in him to argue against Bush. It would have been sign of disloyalty to his country and everything that he has lived for.

Why i am so interested in American Politics, but don't give a crap about Aussie politics?

New Dance Moves

i don't know if was just me, but i seemed to have spotted a new dance move. they were playing that ludacris song "lean back' and these two girls in front of me on the dancefloor started leaning back. HAHAHA. I think I'm gonna adopt that into my new repotoire. When I was at the Law Ball, i remembered this move I saw in Honey. Lil Bow Wow was doing this "rub the dirt of your shoulder" thing so i started doing it. it was kinda as a joke but i thought it was a quite a funky number. Although Dawen was laughing her head off at me.

MCing, Djing, Breaking, From Your Own Mind You Know

Most teenagers play soccer after skool, tennis or basketball. My lil bro has decided to take up breakdancing and gone to his first breakdancing class today, so i went to pick him up from the Bankstown PCYC. I walked in and they were blaring out some hip hop tracks and there were approx 20 guys mucking around trying to do moves. it wasn't so much a class, more just a gathering of people.

They had mats where people were doing hand stands and helmets lying around, so people could spin on their heads. It was gangsta as everyone was decked out in their most ghetto fabolous breakdancing gear as my lil bro goes "I've never seen so many arm bands b4". Guys were wearing knee pads, bandannas, skullies, baggy jeans.

i felt like a parent going to his kid's first soccer game, as my bro was nervous. But I saw him show his thang with a handstand, then let go of the other hand and did it one handed while leaning back. Then he showed more of his skills by doing a running front flip (Anthony Mundine style sommersault) and taught some kid how to do it. And I can say is he learnt from the best.........me!

We always have these dance-offs battles in the living room where I try to pull out all these moves I've seen in the "You Got Served" Movie. I'm sure I look really lame, but I always have fun by challenging him saying by playing some loud hip hop beat and yelling "You wanna battle? You must be crazy!". And then he proceeds to kill me with his variety of handstands, windmills, then his one handed move with his body horizontal, and this flurry of leg action.

Mini AND1 game

Just FYI, whilst I was watching the breakdance class, I joined a 3 on 3 pickup game. There were these punks trying to pull off AND1 moves on me, and i did get a few bounce passes between my legs and then my shot blocked twice, then shot like 1-10. But I bounced back when with a couple of my signature turnaround jumpshots, cut hard then hit a floating layup drawing some "oohs and aahs". I got embarrased again with another AND1 move, and then I thought "I had enuff of this sh#t. I'm gonna start doing some stuff too". This one guy was talking so much trash to me, I had to bring it - exhibit some DJ Ho flava to shut him up.

So I checked the ball from on top of the 3 point line, drove hard right, blowing past him (at my DJ Ho slow speed), and there was this other guy waiting for me just inside the key. As I approached him and the basket, I did a quick spin to my left and hit a jumpshot from point blank. Money. I started bouncing up and down (cause I seen the black widow do that) and that shut that guy up cause that was the second shot I hit in a row on him. Sometime competiton brings out the best in you.

After I did that, I started getting pretty cocky and threw no look passes, doing some crossovers, started bouncing the ball behind my back continously, doing plenty of fakes whilst positng up. I then got a bit too adventurous by posting up and bouncing the ball behind this guy's back and regather. It didn't work but it went direct to someone in my team, so it looked like I did it on purpose!

And then it was on, game point. It was one point to win and I was pretty nervous. I blew a bouncepass into the key but my team quickly regained possession. I was open somewhere between the right hand side of the key and the three point line. I was in one of my favourite spots because it was at a 45 degree kind of angle. They chucked me the ball and it looked like I was squaring up for a shot, so this guy just ran at me with his arms flailing. What did I do? I calmly drilled a perfect bank shot, a la Tim Duncan style. The only thing I didn't do was call bank, so it wasn't obvious that I had done it on purpose! We won and I had earned my stripes gained some hardearned respect at the PCYC.

Next goal: joining a flavo's game whilst knocking down a few shots, grabbing some boards, throwing some dimes, handling the rock and not letting some 50 year old chump get the better of me whilst dribbling.

A MARKED MAN

I woke up this morning and had this sudden urge to calculate my current average, even though i was only half awake. It seems that I have the opportunity to go from second class honours to first class honours. It also is apparent from talking to other students in my course that everyone else is concerned about this phenemomena know as "first class honours". What really bothers me is that I think students these days have become too mark obsessed. I understand that achieveing a high mark is important to most students, but why? Why are we studying our arses off to achieve these elusive marks? I remember hearing Chris saying " I need to get that D!", emphasising it with some karate chop hand action.

In my humble opinion, I think we've all forgotten what uni is about. It's a place to learn, not a place to score the highest marks possible. I've have had the most fun at uni in a long time in this pass/fail course known as "Advocacy", because I didn't have to worry about all this mark rubbish. I was just able to do my best. But then again, would i have been more motivated if there were marks involved?

I think most students worry about marks because of the following reasons:

1) there is a direct link to future job prospects
2) Some people are just high achievers
3) It's a hold over from the HSC days
4) Some people just get obsessed about anything

For the majority of people its the first two, but most likely the first one. Obvoiusly getting a good mark is important to finding a decent job. If i was an employer (Boss Ho), I'd select the people with the better marks. But the thing is, that's only one part of the criteria that I would use. I think its just as important to have other skills like communication, teamwork, leadership, ability to adapt to pressure, ability to innovate. What I would also want is some evidence of life outside of uni. As Aadesh once told me " They don't want a book worm". I totally agree.

If I am a client, I'd select the lawyer that I felt most comfortable with - it's people skills that I'd be after, although i'd be impressed with a first class honours thing hanging on their wall! But if you can't explain to me why you did a certain action or simplify a complex legal concept for me, forget it, I'll take my service elsewhere.

I have learnt as much in the classroom as outside the educative boundaries at uni. I think life experiences and work experience prepares you just as much as hitting the books and attending lectures. That's why I tried to involve myself in stuff and worked my ass off to achieve the following:

- Young Achievers ( i was the finance director - Director Ho)
- Higher Education Workplace Olympiad: National finalist
- Boston Consulting Group: National Finalist

I also did Kung Fu, played basketball, went out with my frens and gf, and tried to fit in some part time work as well. I'm sure if I sacrified my time going out and doing other things and just focused on my studies, I would have cleared that barrier to get first class honours or achieved some average of 99. And must i say, I already did sacrifice a lot and worked hard to get my current average to where it is today.

Also what person would I have become if I became totally obsessed with studying? I feel pretty comfortable with the fact that I've got skills, abilities, and experiences that transcend the class room (i.e. a patented turn around jump shot -hahaha).

And the thing is I heard this quite often: "it's not what you know, its who you know". I think uni is good place to meet people. I've taken the time to make friends with a lot of people and this made going to uni a much more enjoyable experience. And if ya'll know me, you know that I'm connected, like the mob :P . Coz I've also invovled myself in a lot of other activities such as basketball at uni, I've met heaps of people in my course and also outside. I rock up to the courts, and I'm like the local elder stateman (as i have been there for years). I feel like the Black Widow, minus the skills and the reputation.

Ho Careers Update

State of the job market

I was getting my weekly dose of My Career and thought I'd share this with ya'll, since most of us are gonna graduate this year or have just recently graduated. It said that the class of 2004 (this year's graduates) can expect a much better entry to the job market than their counterparts in past years, due to increased grad jobs being advertised. There were apparently 3 times as many grad jobs advertised on the Net than this time last year. From my opinion, I totally agree because I have gone on the Seek.Com website every couple of days for the past couple of years checking up grad jobs, and I have to say I'm seeing a lot more opportunities now for Business/Law/Engineering grad jobs. This is confirmed as according to the article the greatest growth in job ads seems to be in the area of accounting, sales and marketing, IT and building and construction.

Grad Jobs out there

For people that don't have grad jobs now or may be re-applying, the major grad recruitment season is over. However, don't despair, as there are many companies that have positions to fill or may not not have filled their grad intake program. Just recently I've checked out Seek, UTS Job Board, UNSW job board and kept my pulse on the job market and seen job ads for:

- PWC: tax and audit grads
- Middletons law firm - grad program
- Commonwealth Bank - Enginneers to assist in enhancing work flows
- Telstra : Customer service grad program
- Select Recruitment - HR firm, grad program, not just for HR grads
- For you FOB international students, Deloitte and KPMG are recruiting Mainlanders or people with the right to work in China/HK
- Jardine Thompson: Global Insurance Company seeking business and law grads

For engineering jobs, a friend of mine just got an grad engineering job at a Hydro company and another one was telling that he just scored 3 Engineering intern job offers.

For those wanna be lawyers, law firm jobs, particularly paralegal work opportunities are available in small pockets. A friend of mine just recently got hired as a fulltime paralegal at a litigation firm. Furthermore, for those that want to just gain legal experience, Crown Solicitor's Office is hiring, as well as PIAC (Public Interest Advocates) and the Aboriginal Legal service.

THe IT market also is picking up, with ample part time jobs available.


Casual Job Opportunities

This is picking up substantially as we approach the XMAS season. Many retailers are hiring as of now. If you want some spare cash or have just finished uni, this is good for you. Just met someone who went for an interview for Myer Grace Bros, apparently the whole Myer group is hiring now. Also, spoke to a friend at the Nike Factory @ Auburn who said they are looking for people to fill 3 month contracts (includes December and January). If anyone is interested, ya'll know who to speak to :P.

Applying for jobs

From my experience last year helping out some peeps, November and January is probably a better time to apply, as people are too busy in December or just in plain holiday mode. It picks up substantially in January, when everyone is refreshed from their holidays.

Psychometric testing

Having done heaps of these, I've decided to find out how they really work. Psyche tests, as they are commonly called, are a series of tests, usually made up of Maths, English and selecting the sequence of pictures. What they try to test is raw intelligence. The employers are basically trying to put everyone on a level playing field. Why? Think about this. A Distincion at Business at UTS might not be the same as a distinction at UNSW. So they go back to the basics and find out who smart you really are.

The thing is you don't have to ace these tests. From what I understand you just have to meet their minimum requirements. Eg. At a certain global investment bank, you have to score 90% in the Maths and English test to pass. Sometimes they will lower the barrier after the exam if they find out that hardly anyone met their requirements.

Can you prepare for these tests? Yes to some degree. They try to test out how naturally smart you are. But I wouldn't be the JOB MIESTER if I didn't give you some hints. You can find on the net or at your uni careers service, sample exam questions. Just google psychometric testing or just look up intelligence tests like MENSA (spelling?). Before I went to a certain company, I stumbled across their foreign branch which had practice tests and done heaps of other ones. It gave me great comfort when the questions turned out to be quite similar and I walked out smiling, while the rest where like "what were those questions???".

Practice tests help because they give you the style and flavour of the questions. It can't help you become smarter, just more familiar of what they will test you on. It's like the selective school tests. If you practice on some sample ones before hand, if you've got a greater chance.

Time yourself when you do them and you'll be surprised that the questions ain't hard it just you've haven't got much time to do them.

Having spoken to some academics/industry people, there are rumours that the test is weighted, that is the questions at the front count more than then ones at the end, because everyone does the ones at the start.

That's all for now folks,

THE JOB MIESTER AKA DJ HO

NO MORE PROPERTY!

Just finished my property transcations exam, I'm feeling that Mase song "feel so good". It wasn't too hard, I was just pushed for time. Man, these PLT law exams are like two hours each and it's just not enough time. I was going insane in the last 10 minutes. It was an open book exam so folders were flying everywhere, I was flicking through all my materials at a 100 miles and running, had to run to my bag to get out my calendar to work out council rates.

It's very funny seeing lawyers (or well law students) doing exams. They are all open book, as in you can take in anything. It's a very interesting scene before you go into the exam. You see some students come armed to the teeth with everything under the sun related to the subject. Alex and I call them heavyweights. THeir either very smart and have read everything or it's what I call a "safety blanket/insurance policy". In the hope that something pops up in the exam that you haven't studied for, you can make a mad dash through all your materials and find that pot of gold.

On the other hand, you have the "lightweights" who go in with the bare essentials. I'm somewhere in between. My policy is that I take in what I need and that I don't take in anything I haven't read. For me, it just creates a lot more stress trying to find something which I have no idea about. May as well freestyle: make something up !@!

So if anyone is buying/selling a house, entering into a commercial/residential lease, involved in a mortagage, wants to exercise a power of attorney, yall know who to see - Solicitor Ho, attorney at law at your service.

Justice is served: It's all coming out now about Justice Shaw and the blood samples. I told you, the doctor didn't put it in! There was a second doctor! What about Arafat? The milita groups are claiming that he was poisonsed. You heard it here first! See DJ Ho Diaries for the latest consipracy theories (and I didn't even speak to Ashby!)

Rest in Peace
A soccer great, Johnny Warren had his funeral yesterday. It was the first State Funeral for a sports person in NSW. There were some very interesting scenes, cause after they got out of the church there was this brazillan dance and drums going off, like a wild party/mardi gra. Some of those brazillan chicks were hot!

Man can't believe ODB (OLD DIRTY BASTARD), the wu tang rapper died two days ago. He will be remembered as a unique rapper for his style and personality. He just had this weird drunken flow but it was so cool. I had to play a song to remember what he sounded like, and I couldn't find anything, so I was forced to pull out my bro's Mariah #1 hits CD ( i swear its his) and play the "Fantasy Remix". I know that sounds kinda lame, but ODB had skills and tore that Mariah song up. It was strange how they made that Wu-Tang album without him, cause he spent the last three years in jail and was then admitted into a mental ward. The Wu Bangers aren't the same without him.


21 Questions

I was jogging today, and started thinking about these questions (and added a few more):

1. What if I had stayed at UWS (Univeristy of Western Sydney) and finished my degree there?

2. What if I had looked over my shoulder when I changed lanes before my accident? What if I hadn't hit the brake, would that little kid in the car have been injured?

3. What if I had fought back when those two guys robbed me? Would I have been worse off? What if they were carrying weapons?

4. What if I hadn't said anything to that girl sitting next to me at 4.G.0.2 on that Thursday afternoon?

5. What if I could write legibly?

6. What if I had studied harder? Would I have that elusive HD average?

7. How come I can't play confidently at Bankstown Basketball Stadium? How come I'm half the player that I can be when i play comp?

8. What if I had 50 inch hops? Or a decent jumpshot?

9. How come I can't speak Cantonese, yet my parents speak it fluently?

10. Where has all my years of Mandarin Saturday School disappeared to?

11. Why can't I play the piano anymore, when I'm up to Grade 5?

12. Would I have been worse off when I was five and pushed the handbrake on the car, and the car rolled down the hill?

13. What if I had never moved to Padstow and stayed at Dulwich Hill? What if I now moved to Voyager Point?

14. What if I moved to Hong Kong to work? Or London? Or New York?

15. Where can I find a Gilligan's island outfit for the Gilligan Island themed Deloitte XMAS party?

16. What if i had done something when my mum was being dragged around Town Hall by some thief she had apprehended from our store?

17. What if my last name was not Ho but Wong or Smith? Would our store be called Wong Wong's Gifts? Would I be called DJ Wong?

18. What if I inherited the Ho Ho Gifts Empire?

19. What if I had taken the job at Proctor & Gamble instead of Deloitte?

20. Why can't I stand up for myself? Why do I get stepped on all the time? When do I fight back for once?

21. Why are you reading this?

AND1 Mixtape (Minus Hot Sauce)

Wow, the AND1 mixtape tour was awesome. in case you don't know and have been:
A) hiding under a rock
B) not a fan of basketball,
you missed a pretty cool event. It was a very eagerly anticipated night, by many an AND1 fan. There was a certain buzz around the place when I got there. Everyone was pretty hyped up.

Ghetto Fabolous

Everyone was decked out in their most ghetto fabolous fashion. I was rocking my Dr. J jersey and for once, I didn't feel out of place. Tim had his Robert "Clutch" Horry jersey, Hoi was decked out in a Jordan retro, and Aadesh with his Iverson "Soul on Ice" t-shirt. I spotted a number of other noticeables:

- Bravest guy: Some dude was rocking his Vlade Divac Sacto jersey (hahahah)
- Band wagon: quite a number of Lebron James Cavs floating around as well as Iversons
- Hoochie mamas: saw some teenage chicks wearing Melo nuggets jersey with mini skirts (can you say weird?!)
- The truth is out there: Props to the guy donning the Paul Pierce Celtics number
- Seeing double: Who was wearing my jersey??!!!!! CJ BRUTON!!!!! See great minds think alike. Except his much have been real, otherwise he'd have so street cred at all lol

Actual Game

That depended on who you spoke to. My opinon, there were some absolutely filthy, I repeat filthy alley oop dunks. Woah Mumma. The AND1 team always plays some local players, and they were up against decent local talent.

I think some people were disappointed because they were expecting everything to be like the AND1 mixtapes. Well sorry, but those tapes are like highlight reels, they don't show the whole game. My highlights were watching Sir-Hop-A-Lot (local player) throw down a nasty one handed alley-opp which he had to reach way over his shoulder. Then the And-1 team responded with an alleyoop thrown from halfway. When the ball was coming down I was like "No Way" but Helicopter just crammed it down home. Other noticeable higlights include The Pharmacist crazy handles, where he just plain embarrased "E Man".

My favourtie AND1 player? GOtta be the Black Widow (AKA Alimoe). He's just got really smooth handles and just plain NASTY. The Black Widow hails from New York and is the most known streetball player at Rucker Park . He has some amazing in the air body control. WHen he dribbles he's like swaying side to side, so you don't know which way he's gonna go. That's it, I'm gonna start dribbling like the Black Weeeeeeeeeee-dow.

I remember this dude because in the AND1 mixtape 6, they profiled Black Widow in his own backyard, Harlem NY. He meets some homeboy on the street, and this exchange happens:

ALimoe: (Gives him a hug and then points) This is my nigga, Jake, from up North. He just got out (Ghetto Dictionary: Out of Prison)

Jake: I'm telling Niggas on the inside about the Black Widow.

I'm just like wow, that's pretty impressive, that he's reppin him whilst in Prison. And the coolest bit is when the Black Widow must have been asked what's your background in playing bball and he says "the streets is my resume". If only I could say that at the next job interview.

MIA

There were a number of noticeables missing:

Hot Sauce (apparently you got your own tour now)

SickWidit

Shane "The Dribbling Machine"

Escalade - I wanted to see you dude, apparently your some huge monster

Half Man Half Amazing - THe man with the original name before Vince Carter was annointed.

Skip to My Lou - How could you give up the AND1 tour for a starting position at the Toronto Raptors?!!! Your a sellout! Nah, you deserve it man, you worked your way up from the streets. The streets will always give you love.

Post Mortem

I just completed my first exam, litigation and I think i've done quite poorly. I've studied my ass off for the last week and a half and know the subject back to front. Even the most complex cases I understand. But for all this effort, I don't feel like my exam reflects ANYTHING of what I actually know. I just hate that.

Firstly, it didn't help that my exam was running like 10 minutes late. It was meant to go from 2- 4pm. But we started at 2.15pm and i was full panicking when I got to 3pm because I thought the exam finished at 4pm, not 4.10pm. Those 10 minutes are precious. You could say that I was in a state of frenzy quite similar to Bill Rancic from the Apprentice in the last episode. I then realised that at 4pm, that there was still like 10 mintues to go. I can't really blame anyone as I should have taken this into account, but I choose to blame the exam staff that said "we don't have a room for you. that room is closed" and they funnelled us to different rooms, and then realised that there was no room, and took us back into that room. SO that didn't help at ALL.

Secondly, I just hate exams because it never reflects my ability partly because of the pressure and time involved. We have to spit out everything we know in two hours. As a student, I don't its the optimum learning environment, where you have to cram everything into your head. I prefer assignments as I can do that in my own time, with a lot less pressure. I can do orderly deep complex research, and organise my thoughts and ideas in a logical manner, as opposed to my disjointed and vomit of information. Personally, I feel that I can take away so much more from doing an assignment.

Thirdly, I didn't stick with my game plan. ALthough I have all this stuff SUPPOSEDLY worked out and they are worth equal marks, I always spent too much time on some questions, which takes away from the other ones. Time allocation is so crucial yet I never seem to lose my head in the actual exam. I screwed up BIG time because there were 5 questions and the last couple of questions I had only half the time allocated and it didn't help that I thought that I had less time available.


What I would do

If I ever become an academic, I would either do away with exams or make them count a lot less. Exams just put too much pressure and unnecessary stress on people. But then again, 100% assignments are not the way to go either, because I've had frens fully complain about that too. If Judge Ho every became Dr. Ho (I like the sound of that - Kind of like Dr Dre or Dr J), I'd have assessments throughout the semester and an exam at the end that counted max 30%. I reckon you would save a few years off some people lives.


Dr. Ho is in the house

IF i became an academic, my title would be Dr. Ho B.Bus (Accounting) B. Law (Hons) M. Tax PHD Fantasy Basketball. How cool/weird would that be?!! Hopefully, I get my second class honours in law or even first class (if some miracle happens and I score like 100 in everything), and then do my compulsory Masters in Tax, and then take my PHD in Fantasy Basketball 101, I'd end up with those qualifications.

I am so qualified to do a PHD in fantasy basketball. I have spent enormous amounts of time studying the NBA, reading articles and analysing stats. In addition, I have had extensive discussions on this topic with my fellow illuminaries: Professor Tim, Master Ashby, Dr. Hoi, Dean Bucky, Illinois Scholar Chuck, Emeritus Ken, Adjunct Professor Aadesh, Bacca-Laureate Tony and His excellency Christian.

Seriously, I think we'd make a pretty awesome faculty on fantasy bball. Our combined brainpower and academic research ability would surpass any other faculty in the world, even Brian Funston's team on ESPN Motion.

Who else reads ProBasketball Prospectus at 3AM in the morning whilst on holiday in the Blue Mountains, surrounded by his colleagues Professor Tim and Dr Hoi reading The Jordan Rules and Money Ball.

Exams, Exams

I got my exams tomorrow, and although I don't feel stressed out, I must be. Why? Because I have these painful ulcers in my mouth (Cringe). I always seem to get sick around exam time as well. Seriously, this is like the worst period in the whole year. This is when you do the mad late night cram sesssions, shoving as much info into your brain as possible and regurgitating it during the exam.

I really can't wait til all this stuff is over. Hopefully, I won't have to do another exam ever again.


Great Black Hype

How cool is this? There's this Black African guy from Ethopia who might be in the Essendon AFL squad. He only started playing about 6 weeks ago, but this guy is a beast. He broke the clubs 20M sprint record, vertical leap, and agility test. He's a full athlete with a background in playing basketball and soccer. To me, that's the perfect but highly unusual pedigree for AFL.

You need the rebounding skills of basketball to grab those high balls, plus this dude must have some serious hops (NB: He's black and broke the vertical record). Also, he's got the foot co-ordination down pat, having played soccer and used both feet. And he's friggin huge - 196cm, but only 76 kg. I reckon this guy could be the Hakeem Olajuwon of the AFL. A dude with mad footwork, and also an intense desire to succeed.

If I could choose some NBA players to make the AFL, this is who I would select:

- Shaq: Cause it'd just be funny. He has amazing agility, plus he just crushes everyone else. Not sure about the stamina though.

- Kobe: Cause he just glides in the air and he could utilise those hops.

- KG: I want him to scream in the face of someone after he's kicked a goal.

- Earl Boykins: He'd just run around crazy like Michael O'Loughlin, and it's be funny seeing him run around.

- Ron Artest: He full shut down anyone with his phyiscal nature and also his size (6'8 250 pounds). Plus it'd be interesting seeing him throwing cameras around aftera loss.

- Kenyon Martin: Love to see him ram a few people with some shoulder charges. And throw some 'bows.

The big showdown: Casey v Anthony

This is what it boils down to, the big battle, the showdown, the title fight, no holds barred. A winner will emerge, as will a shortlived career as the Australian Idol. Who will win? My tip is Anthony. Although I said Haley Jensen ages ago, that was just a joke. I wasn't serious. As if there is any stopping Anthony Calleas right now.

This seasons idol has been a very strange series. I just could not believe when Ricki Lee got kicked out. I would have like to have seen a Ricki-Lee versus Anthony showdown in the finals. BUt what does it matter anyway. As soon as the show finishes, a crappy album will be released within a week and a shortlived career (if Guy Sebastien's career is anything to go by). They get to build on their 15 minutes of fame and release a couple of hit singles. ANd then they will recede into the back of our memory within a year or two.

Prediction: Anthony by a landslide.

Fantasy NBA

How am I coming last or close to last in the Flavo's league? Ashby is coming last and he's not doing jack all. Whereas I am actually trying (!!!!!!!) and still not producing the goods. ALthough I shouldn't be jumping to any rash conclusions right now after a week, my team just ain't performing. Guys which I thought were solid have just been slow out of the block. And Donyell Marshall who I thought would be a fantasy beast has just been a bust. He can't get any gametime as they are playing Bosh at PF and Rose at SF. What's the deal with that?

If I were the raptors I'd insert Marshall into the lineup and take out Rose, cause he's so much better. The only rationale for Rose starting is that he's a better ball handler and helps spread the floor for VC and doesn't clog the key. BUt how can you ignore 18pts/10 boards/1.5 blocks/40% threes/1.5 threes/1 steal. These stats are off the top of my head, but still, you gotta go with Ludacris.

Also, the Bulls suck right now. Apparently "Management (Jerry Resindorf) builds championships" not Jordan. The bulls are just mediocre and are not going anywhere.

If I were the GM of the Bulls this is what I would do:

- Tell Eddy Curry to shape up or ship out. He is just really pissing me off with his "i've go potential but don't wanna try" attitude. I dont see how someone with that kind of talent and that size can average 4 rebounds. I could average 4 rebounds in the NBA (well maybe not, but I were that big........). I'm all for either getting rid of him or just resigning him to a small contract of $5 mill or so.

- Forget about Tyson Chandler right now. He has the makings of a great defensive player, but he's injured too much. He obviously has serious back problems. He's going to be in our long term plans.

- Have a permanent starting lineup with Kirk Hinrich/Luol Deng/Andre Nocioni. Go with Antonio Davis at Centre and someother chump at PF.

- Stop drafting these chump guards. We continually draft point guards but none of them seem to work out. Ben Gordon is the latest in the line of busts (except Hinrich). Jay Williams got injured, Jamal Crawford got traded. Now we have a steady floor general.

We need to start making some serious moves and get some second tier free agents and draft another big power forward, but NOT a high schooler. We need someone that is more ready to contribute. Right now, we need to attract a decent powerforward and a wingman. Forget the centre position, coz we are in the East. I reckon go for a guy with a winning attidude or someone with some serious skills but is in an unhappy sitiuation. We obviously cannot build through the draft, because that is what we have been trying to do for ages.

Go for some established veteran guys with skills like Peja Stojakovic, Ray Allen and then a bunch of decent second tier free agents that could be our reserves.We should also make a run at a centre like Primoz Brezerc becoz he's cheap right now.

We could have a starting line up of:
G - Kirk Hinrich
G - Luol Deng
F - Peja Stojaovic
F- Tyson Chandler
C- Primoz Brezerc

Bench: Nocioni/Gordon/Curry/Davis etc.....