1. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
2. The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simmons
3. The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
4. We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
5. Perfume - Patrick Suskind
   
6. Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky

1. Flat meeting tonight.
2. I'm making everyone fill out flat mate contracts to protect me (as I'm the only one with my name on the lease).
3. I'm going to ask everyone to write their names on their bread and milk (that's the stuff that mainly goes missing) to avoid any confusion.
4. I'm going to take everyone through the kitchen to show them where their shelves are.
5. If anyone doesn't like what I've put into the contract, then out they go! (The people I mean, not the contract!)

louismaistros

1. Learn to keep my room clean. It sounds so stupid and simple, but I can never seem to tidy up after myself and its an endless source of frustration for my boyfriend. I also think a de-clutter will be good for me too!
2. Get into a proper study routine and stick to it so I can be ready to graduate at the end of the year!
3. Get into a real exercise regime so I can feel confident, look good, and reach my long term goal of climbing to Mt Everest base camp.
4. Make a decent dent in my "50 Books Within a Year" goal.
5. Save up enough money for my Vietnam visa, Sydney airfares, spending money = $1000.00
6. Pay off my overdraft (although its not THAT much!)
7. Get my car in a relatively good condition.
8. Be on a reasonable budget that allows me to save.
   

1. To have landed a good job in the health sector that I actually enjoy.
2. Complete my "50 Books Within a Year" goal.
3. Plan and save for another overseas trip.

1. Have paid off my student loan.
2. Be moved overseas.
3. Be well established within my career so that I can enjoy my job and have time to play as well.
4. Be well on my way to completing my goal of reading all the books in "1001 books to read before you die" .

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10512882

This story in the New Zealand Herald particularly interested me as I am traveling to Vietnam soon and the American war in Vietnam is obviously a topic that is both important and unavoidable. I have no doubt in my mind that the New Zealand government should apologise to the veterans of this war. The implications upon the physical and mental health that resulted from the warfare and chemical exposure has been devastating to these individuals and their families.

I do agree with Turia's request for an apology to the Vietnamese people. Although the Vietnamese may be moving on and putting the devastation of the war behind them, public acknowledgment of the wrongs done to them is necessary. If the government does decide to aplogise for New Zealand involvement in the war, they need to carefully word their apologies to the veterans. Governments that have sanctioned war will always aim to glorify the actions of their troops. This glorification would not do the government any favours if they are to admit that our "glorious combatants" were wrongly deployed to the country.

However, I can't help but wonder:
Is it too little, too late? Many of these veterans will never recover from the war and many have already passed away. The consequences of New Zealand's involvement in the war can never be undone.
Is it a coincidence that this apology is delivered in election year? It seems to me that following the appalling public response to the 2008 Budget, the Labour party needs a stunt like this to boost public opinion that at least they're doing something, anything at all, that the general public believes should happen (even if it should have happened thirty years ago).

It is of some satisfaction to me that although the New Zealand government bowed to international pressure to participate in the Vietnam war, the NZ government of today isn't as easily swayed into sacrificing its citizens and morals. Whilst a small country like New Zealand is still subject to pressure from "world powers", I believe that we are finally beginning to stand on our own two feet.

Although the New Zealand government needs to apologise to both the Vietnamese and the veterans, part of me can't help but wonder whether this is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

Kia Ora,
This is my sparkly new live journal that I plan to use to discuss my thoughts on politics, news, literature, religion, all the big things.
I am a sheltered person. I have lived out my entire existence never feeling real hunger, loss, need or desperation. Until recently I believed I had a worldly perspective, that is until I actually went out into the world.
I welcome replies as I would like to use this journal to broaden my perspectives.
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