Foot binding was practiced in China for 1000 years. Young girls would have their feet wrapped, thus limiting the normal development and essentially crippling them. Today, it is a prominent cause of disability among elderly Chinese women. Read more about it here

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In 2003 I bought a Subaru Impreza WRX MY01 Hatchback. I had the car for one beautiful year! I am no expert, but I would like to offer some thoughts about the vehicle, as well as a few pictures.

Looking for a car
I was looking to buy an SUV. In Australia, I figured, you need a large vehicle with a generous petrol tank, room for camping equipment, and a roof rack sturdy enough to carry a couple of kangaroos. After having test driven a Mitsubishi with a powerful V6, and a Toyota Rav4 Sport (which was disappointingly un-sportslike), a bright yellow car caught my attention. It was a 2000 Impreza WRX Limited Edition. The Australian sun had really had it´s way with the yellow paint job, which now looked more like a bleached easter egg. The black alloys were nice, but the interior was quite worn. My girlfriend looked at me with amazement, was my taste really this bad? As with most “normal” people, she failed to notice the beautiful air-intake on the bonnet (I guess it was kinda hard to see past the color).

Anyway, I had a look at it, and that was quickly noticed by a young salesman who was quite eager (finally?) sell the car. I had never driven a WRX before, but I knew them by reputation – and I wanted to take it for a spin. We took the car out on the busy Melbourne streets, and among trams and utes I had my first taste of what that amazing 2.0l turbocharged engine can offer. It was amazing! The acceleration pressed me deep into the deep racing seats, the car was so responsive (except for the turbo lag, but I can forgive that). It just had so much grip and power.

The car was completely stock, but the limited edition is tuned a little bit to give an extra edge. It diden´t take long for me to realize that this was the kind of car you can have fun driving every day, even if it´s just a quick trip to the supermarket (and at legal speeds, and because of the all-wheel-drive system, there is not a lot of wheel-spin to attract attention) I had completely forgotten that we were supposed to buy an SUV.Buying I started looking online for a suitable car. The first I decided was to go for a car with no modifications. I did this because the car keeps it value better when there are no mods, it has hopefully not been raced if its stock and the insurance is insane if you do modify it. I also decide to go for the MY01 model, the 2001 facelift gave the car a much nicer interior (including the 6-disc slot-in cd-changer).

Notice the MOMO steering wheel

It took me a long time to decide on a car, but finally we found the perfect one. It was a silver MY01 hatchback, tinted windows, roof-racks, nice tires and in MINT condition! This car had been bought by new a guy who expected to have it for many years, but he was sadly forced to sell it. He had taken very good care of the car, and it was a great buy!
I would recommend giving yourself a lot of time when buying a WRX. My impression is that there are a lot of abused cars out there. I decided to go for privately sold vehicle. Since I was getting a 01 model, the new car warranty still covered car. My experience is that the seller gives you a good idea about the state of the vehicle.

Driving and daily use

The WRX is a joy to drive. It offers massive traction (which might make you a bit overconfident) and it feels very well-balanced. The great performance comes at a cost, it is not the most comfortable car. It is a bit unfair to compare it to a “normal” car, but if you are buying one not only for racing, you (or at least your passengers) will notice that it is a bit stiff and noisy. What kind of tires you put on the car greatly affects this, but they are expensive and 17″ wear quickly on the edges. Also, it is not the perfect car to put children in. It´s a bit too small to fit all the baby-stuff in, and I know of people that have had problems fitting a child-seat in it. The biggest problem for me though, is the idea of dirty boots, ice cream and cookie-crumbles in the back seat

People (at least aussies) notice you in a WRX. The car is very popular in Australia, and the supply is good with a large number of second handimports from Japan. The car is often highly modified, this is one of the reasons for it´s popularity. For a young bloke with a limited budget, this means you can buy the “platform” and the keep modifying it when you can afford it (at least in an ideal world).
Waiting for a green light at an intersection often means being challenged to a drag race (which you are quite confident on winning due to the all wheel drive system). The people most eager to challenge you, I found, where the the ones driving big V8s (Holden, Ford). It was a great feeling being able to leave them behind as they struggled for grip – especially when my girlfriend was driving The car is perfect for day and weekend trips. Taking it out in the Victoria wine districts on a warm saturday, or heading for Great Ocean Road with your driving gloves on makes you forget about more or less anything that has bothered you during the week. For me deciding on the Hatchback was a bit of a compromise (we were supposed to get a car we could go camping in…) but I never regretted it! Still a small and agile car, it can hold what you need for long road trips, and you want to be able to do that. When you drive a BMW M3, you might afford to sleep in hotels every night, but where is the fun in that?

The 2.0l Turbocharged 218 hp engine
Cost

I would say that the WRX is a reasonably cheap car to buy, when you consider what you are getting. It is not a BMW M3 or Porsche 911, but it does deliver a performance not that far from what you get in the expensive cars. Being a Subaru it is, as most Japanese cars, very reliable. Parts and service cost is not bad at all, I say this even though I only had the car for a year. The 2.0l engine can be fairly economic if you drive it carefully, but what is the point of that? Using cruise control on long straight highways, I´ve had it down to about 0,6 liters per 10 km, which is very good – in the city it quickly goes up to twice that. Insurance is defiantly one of the major problems with this car. It is (at least in Australia) very hard to even get it insured. I was 23 when I bought the car and I ended up paying $ 2500 AUS throughJust Car Insurance The WRX was one of most popular cars among car thieves in Australia until the upgraded the engine immobilizer. This is part of the reason the insurance is high, another is that the car is popular among young boys and they tend to slide off the side of the road with it. Speeding tickets is something that might be a problem, especially in places where the cops know the car. I believe the hatchback is a bit more low profile, also not having an aftermarket exhaust system helps. I was never caught in any speed traps. The hatchback also keeps it´s value better. I drove the car 22 000 km in a year (from 3200 to 54000 km) and lost almost AUS $ 4000, including new tires, which is a little over 10 % loss. Luckily the exchange rate was very favorable for me, so I ended up get not far from what I paid for it back! Tasmania I was lucky enough to be able to take the car on a 10-day camping holiday to Tasmania. This was definently one of the highlights of my year with the WRX. The Tasmanian roads are beautiful, and the best thing is that you are all alone most of the time. (Except for the BIG logging trucks that suddenly decide to come out in the road in the middle of a turn!) Even with a car full of camping equipment this was an amazing experience. There was at times hard to find proper petrol in Tasmania, I had to settle for 96 octane, and even that was hard to find sometimes.

In Tasmania

Selling the car – the worst part

When it came to selling the car I advertised it online and quickly got a lot of response. I had kept the car well, there were only very minor cosmetic damage on the paint from rocks – the rest was as perfect as when I bought it. Although there were many people interested in the car, sadly this kind of vehicle attracts a lot of people just wanting a test-drive. I was in no rush to sell, so I took the time to find a buyer willing to pay a reasonable price. All in all the WRX was a great car to own and drive, and I miss it a lot! I now drive a BMW 318i, which is very nice, but is very lacking in power. I have decided that I will buy another WRX at some time when I can afford it. This time I might go for the STi version. Pleas let me know if you agree/disagree with anything I¨ve written here. If you have any question, feel free to post them here or e-mail me.

My WRX album

If you want to get more info on the WRX – check out these links:
www.wrxforum.com
www.wrx.com.au
www.clubwrx.net/forums

Here is an amazing clip from the french movie Les Chevaliers du ciel (Sky Fighters), made by Gerard Pires, who also directed Taxi

In the clip we see a Dassault Mirage 2000 and a Dassault Alpha Jet, the score is Madonna’s “Push”, from the album Confessions on a Dance Floor

Download 36 MB version of this file

Yes, you can also find this clip on YouTube, but in my opinion, watching it is a waste of time! The beautiful cinematography deserves a proper quality image. There is also a 136 MB version available on the net.

You want to see more low-level flying? Check out: The French again, even more french, the Swiss and US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds“

Imdb.com says this about the film:

While in an international fair of exhibition of airplanes, a French Mirage 2000 of the last generation vanishes and pilots Antoine “Walk’n” Marchelli and Sebastian “Fahrenheit” Vallois are assigned to locate the plane that is flying in a hiding position below a commercial airplane. The pilots order the Mirage to return to the base, but the Mirage attacks Fahrenheit instead, and Walk’n immediately shots the Mirage saving his partner. However, the evidences are forged by the leader of a force called “Special Missions” and Walk’n is falsely accused of not following the orders and discharged from the air force. Blacklisted in the commercial flight companies, Walk’n and Fahrenheit are pressed to join the Special Missions team, where they disclose betrayals in a net of espionage. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilÂ

On the 16.feb. 2004, while camping in Tasmania, I found a plastic bottle washed up on the beach. I quickly noticed that there was a few rolled up pieces of paper in the bottle. This was very exciting, and I was really looking forward to see what was in the bottle. The letters I found made an enormous impression on me and I would like to share it with you.

The beach on the N-E tip of Tasmania. Click image for large version.

My girlfriend and I were on our second day of our camping trip to Tasmania. We had set up camp close to the beach, and decided to go for an evening walk along the beautiful white beach. We were completely alone, and the beach stretched for miles.

Our good mood was furthered by discovering this bottle. What we found made us both, at first, very sad.

The letter we found read:

Sam William Dowling (13 Sept 1977 – 6 Nov 2002)

We are sailing along the top end of Tassie heading for Hobart, in the “Torres Pearl” (an old pearling lugger built on Thursday Island (Aust)) – 1928. It was then known as the “Sedney”. Phil and Sue Hart are the captains; their sons Toby and Jamie and Sue’s cousin Michael Smith and his girlfriend Tori, are the crew.

As we reach the N.E. tip of Tassie, we shall set this bottle (with its contents Sam’s spirit) free, to travel where it may.

Although Sam only walked on this earth for a short 25 years, may his spirit through this bottle visit many places that he may have wanted to see if he had had more time.

Whoever may read this, Sam died in a motor bike accident Nov. 6^th 2002. He was a very gentle soul and many hearts were broken that day. He was the nephew of Sue, and cousin of Toby, Jamie and Michael. He Shared many happy holidays with Toby, Jamie, Sue, Phil, Emily and Jessica Hart in Evandale Tas, when their grandmother Winnie Downling brought him across Bass Strait from Victoria. They all went bushwalking, swimming in the Sth Esk river, exploring the farm, “Trafalgar” and building cubbies.

We All miss you Sambo and send you our love. From the “Maccas”, the “Harts” and Grandma and Grand-dad.

Whoever reads this could you Please return this letter to the bottle and send it on its way again. Let us know if you read it.

“The Harts” 141 Trafalgar Lane, Evandale Tas. 7212 Aust. Phone 03-63918309. e-mail – middleearth@OzEmail.com.au

I’ll also remember the last waltz Sambo – Love Susie X

The second letter read:

Some of the happiest times of my childhoosd involved you Sam. And it was an honour to be your cousin. TOBY

The third letter:

Dear Sam

Thanks for helping me build my firstt billy cart, and swimming at the basin. Also thanks for scaring me while I was younger with Toby. It helped make me as tough as I am now. Jamie Heart.

The fourth letter:

Dear Sam,

A sad time in all our Lives when we lost you, I’m sailing down the East Coast Of Tassie with Phi,l Suzie, Toby, Jamie, and my partner. Wish you were here with us as it is an awesome experience. I guess you are with us anyway watching over us either that or having a great time with Liam.

Miss ya

Mick

The fifth letter:

Sam.

As you know I didn’t make it to your funeral but I don’t like them much, and I guess you don’t either.

I am really pleased that we caught up at the wedding and both Susie and I were full of the fun we had and esp. enjoyed seeing you kids after such a long time.

Anyway don’t worry we will all see you again before too long and and hopefully share a VB with you again. I [???] you had grown to a fine young man, its no wonder everyone misses you. Phil.

We talked a lot about death, family, friends, love and Sam that night. Although I never met Sam, trough the actions of his friends and family, he made an impression in my life.

We brought the bottle with us on our camping trip. I guess Sam had seen most of the places we went to in Tasmania, so we also brought the bottle back to Melbourne with us. There we gave it to some friends who threw the bottle back in the ocean when they were out sailing of the coast of Australia. I am hoping that the bottle has travelled far, and that its content has influenced many people.

I didn’t bring the bottle back to Europe, but the memories from that beach in Tasmania has followed me in the years since I left Australia. I hope this webpage can further the “travels” of Sam, and serve as a reminder too the value of the people around us.

After posting this entry, I have been contacted by Sam´s family. Here are a few words they wanted included:

Our names are Amy and Harry , Sam’s sister and nephew. We are touched at how beautiful this site is and thank-you for letting us remember how truly special Sam is.To me as a brother Sam was always there, someone who understood everything I was feeling and with a simple laugh or a joke about Dad going grey would make me feel like I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Sure we would have our ups and downs like all siblings ~ Yes I did eat all his rocky road, but I was lucky to have a wonderful brother like Sam! To my great family, my mum, dad older sister and younger brother and my husband and two children who in their own ways carry a part of Sam that I can see every day I thank-you.

Amy

Sam I loved you like a father you shared your subway cookies with me you let me ride your motorbike I didn’t really know what was going on because I was 4 but I still loved you and I always will.

Harry

Sam William Dowling (13 Sept 1977 – 6 Nov 2002)

Emma, Sam´s sisters wedding 2 Nov 2002. Left to right: Amy, Brendon, Emma, Brett, Gayle, Tommy and Sam.

From Susan:

Hi Sambo,
I bet you love your website, thanks to Gunnar. I think he is going to make a great doctor, a heart surgeon I reckon, he’s so good at mending broken hearts.

Well Sambo after we released your bottle about 2 dozen dolphins came swimming beside and in front of the Torres Pearl and they stayed with us for such a long time. Later that night more returned and the phosphorous in the water made them glow, aswell as the spray they sent out as they dived in and out of the water in front of the boat. Michael was amazed at their spectacle, and he has spent many years in boats around Australia’s shores.

Robyn told me that when they scattered Liam’s ashes into the waters off Lorne they also made an appearance. So when its my turn on the wheel, late at night, while the rest of the crew are dozing, and the dolphins come calling I try to guess which one is you, Nanny Ida, Poppy Billy or Auntie Bertie. I think Auntie Bertie has winked at me a couple of times.

Here is a photo of the “Torres Pearl”.

Love Susie. See you on the water.

How good are you when it comes to concentration and perception?
Here is a cool experiment where you can test you ability to focus attention on a certain object in a short video.

When you follow the link below, a new window will open and you will see a short video. In the video two groups of people are passing a basket ball to each other. You should focus your attention on the people in white t-shirts. Try to count how many times the ball is passed between them during the video. This can be a bit tricky as the other group, in black t-shirts, must be ignored. When you have watched the video, close the window and return to this site.
Watch the video only once.

Selective attention video – Visual Cognition Lab

Scroll to the bottom of the page to get the answer.

How many did you get? 10-15?

Did you see anything else?
Whenever your eyes are open, all the information in the image that is projected onto your retina is available to your brain. But the amount of information is just too great, so you choose to focus your attention on certain things. For example if you look out your window for five minutes, then look away, you can probably tell if there are a lot of people or cars outside. You have noticed if it´s raining and you can tell the color of the house across the street. What you can´t say is how many tiles are on the roof of that building, or how many branches are on the big tree in your neighbor´s garden. Your brain has chosen to ignore that information, even though it was available to you.

Watch the video again, this time don´t count the balls, just watch it like any other video.

Selective attention video – Visual Cognition Lab

Don´t read on until you´ve watched the video again…..

Did you see anything this time?

Did you see this gorilla?

Very few people actually see the gorilla, partly because you are asked to watch the people in white, but mostly because you are too busy focusing on the ball. Now you can ask yourself how much else are you missing every day?

Send this page to your friends and see if their minds are more observant than yours! Also try to show this video for a group of people – ask them not to say anything, but just write down their answer. Tell them that this is a test of the attention of men vs women – that will get them really focused See how many times you can show them the video before they all see the gorilla.

Selective attention on Wikipedia.org