How do you go to the beach as a Hijabi anyway?

I didn't feel like I belonged,

In my tights, scarf and t-shirt with the sleeves long.

The constant stares are never kind,

What are you doing here, they seemed to ask: Do you mind?

I minded a little, and it was becoming a lot,

Yet, why did I care, for what?

For the stares of strangers, as harsh as they are,

Cannot beat the bigger picture, which is never far...

***

One of my best friends is from South Africa, and loves the beach.

We always joke though that when her and I head into the ocean, we look like fresh tourists that would probably end up drowning on a TV show like 'Bondi Rescue'.

Why? Well given our 'ethnic' appearance, the loud squeals when hit by a wave and the fact that we - or I at least - don't wear the usual Australian beach attire means we  look a bit different to your average aussie surfie.  Gotta love fitting into a stereotype right?

***

As a teenager, the question I got asked the most by curious classmates was always along the same lines.

"So how do you go to the beach if you're all covered up?"

I would always make some answer up that seemed to make sense.  "Oh, I find a way".  Truth was, my family just never really went to the beach! Both my mother and I wore the hijab, the beach was a little far  and I wasn't a huge fan of swimming anyway.  It wasn't a sport we were ever going to be competitive in.  When was the last time you saw a Sudanese Olympic Swimmer?

***

Mashallah, no one can deny the beauty, the power, the draw of an ocean.  So now, all grown up, what are the options?

I have been known to wade in wearing my normal, everyday clothes: a long dress or regular pants and a top and so on. In my mind, I look like this:

Where as in reality, I look more like someone who took a wrong turn and ended up drenched.

Most of the time though, I wear a pair of long running tights, a large, voluminous top and a bandana like scarf that is often misinterpreted.

It's hot, but you get used to it.

It definitely doesn't blend in, but I tell myself people are staring because they think I have swag.

I chose to cover up for reasons that meant something to me.  Yes, going to the beach is an exercise in hilarity, but who said it was going to be easy all the time?

I've decided the beach is awesome, majestic and something that I am going to embrace and enjoy.  I may look like a tourist, or a Sudanese Nile Perch out of water, but I'll be enjoying myself every step of the way!  #Yolo, right? :P

***

Too Busy? Think again...

This piece was written for my regular column in the 'Australian Muslim Times' :)

***

How often do you repeat the phrase, "oh, I'm just so busy?"

In a world where we are surrounded by technology aids that are meant to save us time, it is amazing that so often we still seem to find ourselves swamped, run off our feet and 'too busy' to be doing the things we say we want to do but never seem to find the time to.

They say that if you want something done, ask a busy person.  Yet so often we are seemingly so busy that the time seemingly can't be found.  Where is the disconnect, and is being this way really allowing us to be as effective as we can be?  

Ironically, sometimes being extremely busy does not always correlate directly to being extremely productive or creative.  At the beginning of this year, I did a personal stock take of how my year went and areas I would like to improve on.  I found that being constantly over-occupied did not allow me to stop, think and reflect.  It is these moments of reflection that allow us all to think outside the box, critically analyse issues and mull over topics in our mind.  This enables connections and links to develop between ideas that may have not been easily noticed had we simply rushed to the next task.

There is a reason why many a great idea is thought of in the shower.  The shower is a brief moment in time where there are no distractions apart from a simple, routine physical act, allowing the mind to wander.  It is this moment of brain-walkabout that can often bear fruitful mental results.  When was the last time you had an A-ha moment? Was it in a moment of routine activity?

So how can we increase the instances of mindfulness in our lives, allow for more reflection and less unproductive busy-ness?

Western convention talks a lot about meditation, and we are fortunate in Islam to have a meditative, reflective process inbuilt into our worship.  Salah is the perfect chance, particularly as it occurs five times in our day, for us to take out time from our busy lives and reflect.  First and foremost naturally, we can use this time to remember Allah.  We can also use the time as a prompt to take an extra five minutes to reflect on what is going on in the day, let our mind wander and have a mental rest before we continue.  This is something that I hope to start implementing this year inshallah.

Secondly, I hope to take the concept of a mental break further and better utilise an habit I picked up from my father that I practiced throughout my school and university studies.

No matter how 'busy' I was, whether it was with event planning or with writing my final year thesis, I would take Friday afternoon and night off.  From about 3pm every week, I would clear out my schedule and desk and mentally disengage myself from work or study in order to give my brain a rest.  One night off a week was an important habit to reduce the chance burn out.  It allowed for making time to appreciate other important aspects of life like family and friends, and to just take a break.   It may be more difficult with full time work, but that is all the more reason to try to schedule in time off.

The third thing I am going to try this year inshallah is to change my attitude towards being 'busy'.  For at least a month, I am going to try not use the word when someone asks how I am. Rather than simply masking my actions by describing it as a hive of activity without specifics, I will look to find other ways to answer that question and force myself to acknowledge what I am spending all my time on.  In this way, I am constantly reflecting and keeping myself accountable.

None of these actions will directly reduce the physical number of tasks in a day, but it will inshallah change the mindset that tasks are approached with.  By cleaning, clarifying and sharpening the mind by reducing the focus on haste, as well as allowing for mental space to reflect and spend time with those we love, hopefully we can move away from being simply 'busy' to becoming little more mindful, appreciative and productive members of society.  We can pack a lot into the 24 hours of each day, and inshallah enjoy as many of them as possible.

SMH: Future of Australian Manufacturing will be what we make it

Check out this piece that I wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald! (Click for original piece)

***

The writing has been on the wall for some time for young people in Australia who want to manufacture cars.

"The automotive industry is dead in Australia. Go overseas if you want to get anywhere in this field, or try another sector," automotive veterans and mentors have told me in the past few years.

As a young mechanical engineer who is passionate about motor sport and the automotive industry, I always found this advice disheartening. Given recent events at Toyota, Holden and Ford in Australia, their words are prophetic.

Considering Ford Australia reports that the unit cost of production for Australian-made car models is four times that of Asia and double that of Europe, these closures were inevitable. The mass production system is not viable in today's economic climate and in the face of our competitors.

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The question now is not whether or not the government did the right thing by allowing Ford, Holden and Toyota to shut their factory doors and seal the fate of an industry; that point is now moot.

Putting aside ideology, the thinking must now shift towards what manufacturing jobs will look like in future; what frameworks and mechanisms are required to ensure job creation, and if we value manufacturing sufficiently to keep investing in a way that emphasises Australia's natural strengths.

Our primary industries are economic powerhouses that have served us well. Yes, they are strong and dependable but recent trends have shown they are not infallible.

As the resources industry moves from the labour-intensive construction phase to the production phase, which requires fewer employees, it may not be able to meet the demand for jobs, which will be exacerbated by job losses in automotive manufacturing.

Casting our eyes further down the road, as the population ages there will be fewer workers to support a rising number of retirees. The government's 2010 intergenerational report indicates that, by 2050, 23 per cent of the population will be 65 or older.

With an increasing number of older Australians depending on a shrinking population of working-age employees, it is important the economy is diversified to ensure it remains robust in the long term.

We need a clear vision for what the nation will look like in 10, 20 or 30 years time, and what industries we will rely on.

Rather than focusing on the short term, investment should be made in developing the skills, expertise and knowledge base of workers to ensure Australia can compete in global markets.

This includes investment by government, plus developing a culture of private investment and venture capitalism.

If we are to stimulate production of innovative, high-tech and niche products that are within our capacity to create, our appetite for risk and failure will have to be re-examined.

Australia has the potential to be a nation of manufacturing and engineering excellence.

From medical innovations such as the cervical cancer vaccine, to the research and development powerhouse that is the CSIRO, we excel in high-quality technology and manufacturing - but this growth and development does not happen on its own.

Expecting the automotive manufacturing industry to make a painless transition may be unrealistic but if we approach the situation as an opportunity to develop a narrative about what new jobs should look like, and begin to take concrete steps in that direction, the future looks more exciting and optimistic.

More investment in innovative research, more risk-taking, and a focus on high-quality niche products and services - these are the things that will allow us to build a future for the nation.

Read more some of the super interesting comments here.

What do you think?

SBS Comment: I'm an undercover hijabi too?

Check out this piece I wrote for SBS Online!

When I'm at work on the rigs, it turns out I'm an undercover hijabi.

The experience I have reflects what blogger Leena talks about in her piece 'I took my hijab off for a day'. She describes a complete shift in the way she was perceived by society after she accidentally covered her hijab up with a knit hat and scarf.

The style of hijab I usually wear is flowy, full of tassels and in some ways an occupational health and safety hazard around heavy machinery. While on site I wear a head covering that has been described by coworkers as a 'tea cosy'; a beanie and bandana combination similar to a style favoured by Egyptian ladies. I wore it for a while without realising my coworkers didn't see it as a religious head covering.

I was loving the fact that I wasn't experiencing the racisim in country Australia that I had expected. This fantasy was ubruptly burst when a colleague asked if I ever took the tea cosy off.

'Nah,' I replied easily. 'I'm a Muslim woman, this is what I wear as a hijab on the rig.'

A look of confusion crossed his face and the topic was dropped. It didn't take me too long after that to join the dots.

'Hey, you know I'm Muslim, right?' I asked another fellow that I'd become friends with.

'What? Really? Nah I didn't know...'

'Oh, well why do you think I wear this?' I asked, pointing at my head.

'Oh, I thought it was a fashion thing, or maybe for safety ...'

Like Leena in her piece, this left me feeling confused. The next day, I wore a full hijab (the traditionally wrapped kind) to the crib room for breakfast. You could have been forgiven for thinking people thought I was a completely different person.

It wasn't until I began interacting like the loud, feisty person I always am that people warmed to my presence. The experiments was repeated at a bigger mining style camp and again, the difference in attitudes was startling.

With a beanie, you are just a chick who is cold. With a headscarf, you are the new local tourist attraction and smiles are returned only occasionally and almost fearfully. Suddenly, you're are a foreigner in your own home.

Being a hijabi in the West has its challenges. You're extremely visible as a representative of the religion and people on all sides of the fence see it as their role to police, have an opinion, and a right to comment on your choice. You are constantly asked to justify the actions and mistakes of every extremist that chooses to do something crazy and inhumane in the name of your religion. These are roles that we hijabis have simply become accustomed to filling, part of the deal in a way.

To get a 'get out of jail free card' by wearing something not recognisable gives me mixed feelings. Occasionally, it feels like cheating to be wearing something that people don't associate with Islam for practical reasons while also working to fulfil the conditions of my belief. At the same time, religion and politics are two topics that are avoided like the plague in any blue collar crib room, and so keeping it as personal as possible is a natural default in this environment.

It would be fair to argue everyone should be accepting regardless of what kind of head covering is worn, be it a beanie, a hijab or a ninja-style niqab. Realistically, many are just not ready yet for such changes in their environment and find hijab - for better or for worse - confronting. An effective response is akin to tailoring a message for different audiences: if a group is not at all primed, they'll close their minds off completely to confrontational messaging. The hope is that perhaps as my colleagues now see me as a person first, the common ground found will help reduce ignorance and forge understanding.

When I'm not on the rig, I go back to wearing my classic brightly coloured flowing pieces. They feel like 'me', a part of my identity, something I do for God and an external representation of my faith. It is interesting to consider how many interactions have been missed because people have already made their decision on what I represent based on the type of wrapping I have used on my head.

My way around it at the moment? Grabbing every opportunity to chat to those people, and the more traditionally dressed I am, the better. A slightly inappropriate joke, or a comment about my love of motorsport and knowledge of engines usually shocks them enough for them to forget what I look like for a moment and be drawn into a chat. Then, everyone wants to know what the bikie and the hijabi are laughing uproariously about. Nothing breaks down barriers in Australia like a well timed self deprecating joke.

It may not be perfect, but until all facets of our society become comfortable with seeing displays of faith like the hijab and what they represent, we may have to be more creative about our engagement and representation. After all, to be seen as a foreigner in the only country we know as home is a lonely place indeed. It is a two way street though, and ultimately, it is all about finding the place where we belong in the patchwork fabric of Australia's identity while holding (and displaying) the true values of Islam and faith dear.

One week left! "Australia Day" at your local Queensland Theatre!

Inshallah this weekend I will be heading off to check out the slightly controversial "Australia Day" production by Queensland Theatre Company!

"It's funny as hell with some killer lines but there is more to it than meets the eye ... and the heart." - Courier Mail

It's supposed to be a pretty tongue in cheek, sometimes difficult to stomach (?) look at Australian society and I can't wait to check it out...

Shameless plug - youth tickets are $33 so I'd totally recommend everyone go check it out as there is only one week left! Tickets can be found here.

“Moor carefully directs this play so as to test audiences’ limits …” - The Guardian

(love limits being tested)

“… laugh out loud, and be appalled that you did so.” -  XS Entertainment

"Jonathan Biggins’ Australia Day is a laugh, a jab, a thought provoking prod at our current political and cultural climate ..." - Aussie Theatre

Official blurb:

"Welcome to the Aussie country town of Coriole, where life is laidback and carefree. Unless you're a member of the Australia Day committee, who couldn't raffle a chook in a pub. These six quirky community leaders can't agree what it means to be true blue Aussie, and Mayor Brian Harrigan is no help. He's too busy scheming over his Liberal Party preselection and sledging the local Greens.

A bang-up-to-the-moment barbecue-stopper of a comedy, Australia Day follows a mob of bumbling bureaucratic battlers as they debate the details of the national day. Never mind wrangling the Nippers, the Lions and the CWA; these unhappy little Vegemites are at loggerheads deciding on the appropriate type of bread for a dinky-di sausage sizzle. Grab a lamington and a stubbie, sit back, and find out if Coriole's Australia Day will be a little ripper, or will it go off like a bucket of prawns in the sun!

As the brains behind Sydney Theatre Company's wickedly satirical institution The Wharf Revue, writer Jonathan Biggins has his finger firmly on the pulse of Aussie culture. Director Andrea Moor was behind last season's smash hit Venus in Fur. And for actor Paul Bishop (pictured), who plays the Mayor, this material is comfortably close to home. When he's offstage, Paul is a Redland City Councillor on Brisbane's bayside.

Australia Day features strobe lighting, political themes and medium level coarse language"

***

Disclaimer: QTC is providing me with two complimentary tickets to go check this out and generally encourage people to as well. I will be writing an honest review though, so stay tuned!

Crazy Rig Conversations: Part 10!

One of the most interesting parts about working out on the rigs is the crazy/hilarious/random/unexpected things people say.

Here are a few of the gems…

NB: In the interests of privacy and what-not, I have referred to individuals as Old Mate, or OM for short.

***

OM1: Hey Yassmin, I saw you walking across the lease just before, was that box you were carrying heavy?

Me: Oh, no, not really... I mean I am pretty strong. (here I go, trying to be one of the boys)

OM1: Oh okay. Well I was going to say, if it was heavy, I wouldn't have come and helped you. You're one of those equality types right?

OM2: Oh are you into the equality thing are you?

OM1: I know right? Equality?

*cue raucous laughter across the room*

***

One of the rig crew was helping unscrew two large collars (thick pieces of pipe) from each other on the ground using hand tools.  It was quite heavy and he'd asked me to hold one end while he turned and unscrewed the other. 

Me: Mate, are you sure you don't want me to help out?

OM1: Oh Yassmin, no. They'd all laugh and me. They'd be like look, there he is, letting the girl do all the work.

Me: But I can handle it!

OM1: That's not the point... I'd be a laughing stock!

Guess there is some odd sort of chivalry out here? Whether you see it as sexism or chivalry depends on which side of the fence you sit on I guess...

***

OM1: So Yassmin, why are you leaving? You should stay a little bit longer, learn more tools...

Me: Oh you know old mate, new challenge and well, really, we don't have a life do we? Always working, I will end up with no friends!

OM1: That's easy! You earn lots of money and when you go home you take the money out and hold it in your hands (he lifts his arms up in the air, like he just don' care) and you walk around saying 'look at me everyone, I got money!!', then you will have many friends! 

***

Me: I want to learn how to surf

OM1: You won't be able to surf with all that gear you got on. I don't know any women only beaches either...

Me: Nah mate all good, I've got a outfit that I wear to the beach.

OM1: You could start a new clothing range - beach and surf wear for Muslim chicks. Youth without board shorts.

***

I've been riding in the rig crew's bus over the past few days which has elicited some hilarious anecdotes. Most of them are too 'explicit' for me to share on this family friendly blog, but there were a couple of lines I thought may give you an idea.

OM1: Snapchat's like the best app ever ay

OM2: Yeh man, but I don't know how they make any money. It's free and there's no advertising.

OM3: Can you imagine, what would it be like, $1 a boob?

***

OM1: You're legs are so long bro, they're like sticks

OM2: Mate, yeah, it's cos I'm aerodynamic. I run really fast in the wind.

Airing of the IQ Squared debate on ABC!

The Intelligence Squared debate which was shown on BBC, "God and His Prophets Should be Protected from Insult" is now online!

You can also catch it next week on ABC TV Big Ideas on Friday 7th February on ABC1 at 11 am.

This program will REPEAT on Sunday 9th February on ABCNEWS24 at 6.00am.

If you aren't near a TV, the the full web version of the session it is available here.

It will also be available on ABC Online (iview) after the program has aired :)

Looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Life isn't all about men.

"Oh, I much prefer hanging with guys. They're just so much simpler and there is isn't as much drama"

"Yeh, most of my friends are guys. I prefer it that way. Chicks are just so harsh to each other"

...and so on, and so forth.

Women hating on other women is an interesting phenomena, and more common than one would think.

In all honesty, I shared these very same sentiments for a long time.  My actions reflected it: I did mechanical engineering and ended up in the oil and gas field, areas where women cannot be said to be the majority.  The decisions were not made consciously because I knew there would be less women, but I dare say it somehow tapped my subconscious.

However, as I have become more interested in the concepts of (formal?) feminism, equity of opportunity and diversity (particularly in the workplace) I found that this attitude was something that I consciously had to stop.  It was destructive, petty and I couldn't figure out why I was doing it!

On reflection, it may have something to do with the relationship between women and the male gaze.  

This occurred to me early on in my oil and gas stint when I heard about a new lady joining the crew, doubling the female population.  My instantaneous mental reaction was 'Oh, I wonder what she looks like / what the guys will think of her'.

Then... I mentally frowned (which is like a normal frown but no one knows you are doing it).

Why on earth did I care what she looked like or what the guys thought of that? Why was I making it some sort of competition? 

It occurred to me that some of my thinking had become about (embarrassingly) competing for male attention.  For someone who prides themselves on being an 'independent women' a la Bey, Queen Latifa, Aiysha (RA) and the like, it was a little bit of a shock.  

In some ways, the hijab helps remove the dependence on the male gaze. In some ways it says (and this is something I have appreciated as I have aged), "well I don't want to be subject to your gaze, and I am not going to let you have the power to make a judgement on my worthiness.  I am removing what you find desirable from your view.'  But what I have been learning is that a simple veil and code of dress wasn't enough, it is also about changing the mindset.

Male friends have been confused at this choice:

"But why would you want to hide your beauty if you have it? Why wouldn't you want to share it with the world?"

Perhaps because it isn't all about you?

***

I am now working at a location where there is a large camp and plenty of female staff.  It's awesome to have other women around, even if they are mostly in the admin and catering roles.  I made a couple of acquaintances yesterday, who inquired about my role and expressed their delight when I shared that I was working on the rigs in a technical job.

"You go girl! Show them how it's done!"

"Oooooo!" the Philippino lady in the kitchen also remarked. "So good to see girls get out there!"

That's the sisterhood that I'm talking about.

Perhaps 'sisterhood' is too nerdy a term, or one that has negative connotations around, but we should be in a place where we back each other up rather than compete for some level of acknowledgement from the men around us.  Unfortunately it isn't so easy, or at least it is easier said than done. In a world still mostly run by men (sorry Beyonce), acknowledgement and preference by the patriarchy adds an awful lot of social capital to one's account, and usually opens up more doors to achieving.  Females who do in some way tap into that without compromising their integrity (perhaps by being a woman in a male dominated field...).  Still working on ways around that one...

Whatever it may be, at the end of the day we should consciously choose to shift our attitudes in each and every interaction. Let's support each other and not pretend life is a zero sum game where only one woman may win.

Let's create our own worth and be proud in that.

One year to go!

I am super proud and honoured to be an Ambassador for the Asia Cup that is being held in Australia in 2015!

Football (or soccer as we like to call it), is up there with my favourite sports of all time (F1 has a pretty strong hold, if I am being honest). So to be a part of getting the word out there about this competition is something I am really excited about!

We've got one year to go and I'm getting pretty stoked for some awesome matches!

It isn't Brazil, but it's going to be good inshallah nonetheless!

Who is your proverbial money on?

***

There was a cool event not too long ago celebrating 'one year to go'...check out a video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CDfKMkeyAw

Everyone is getting married!

I felt like it crept up on me, but I was warned on my 16^th birthday.

“Oh you’ll get excited about 16^th’s!” she said.

“But then it’s 18ths, then 21^sts, then graduations, then engagements, weddings, baby showers, first birthdays…”

I remember being all like “whaaaaaaaaaaat? That shiz is so far out, yolo!” (but yolo wasn’t a thing yet. Trendsetter).

…but it is here!

All of a sudden, I’m being invited to weddings, engagements and baby showers, my facebook feed is full of pictures of children (?) and various issues relating to child rearing (!!).  There are epic debates about the virtues or sins of being married, worries about settling down, friends talking about mortgages and shares and buying houses…

I am super excited for all my friends that are going through these exciting and obviously life changing experiences.

On the other hand, I think I missed the memo.  When did this all start to happen?

What exactly is going on?

Growing up, I guess…

***

There’s an article that’s making the rounds at the moment: 23 things to do instead of getting engaged before you're 23.

All in all, the tone of the article is a little self-interested and condescending, but hey.  The reply, 24 things to do… is a little more aligned with my personal values, however both articles, and the respective responses (vehement, opinionated, passionate in approval or disapproval) illustrate something larger is at play. Something, I feel, particularly as a young Muslim woman from a traditionally conservative background who has grown up in a thoroughly Western society feels quite keenly.

What social norms are we meant to adhere to?

The world of my parents was simpler in a way: the roles that were to be played were understood.  As my cousin said to me: “We know what we are meant to do to live a ‘good’ life by society’s standards, and how to be a ‘good’ woman. Being good in that way, and making my family happy and proud of me, that is what will make me happy’.

It’s simple. 

Get an education but get married young,

have children,

be a good mother,

hold down a good house.

If you have a career alongside that, great, but your family is more important.

In Western society though, things aren't nearly so prescribed. In fact, the freedom of choice is lauded as revolutionary and liberating.

Yet…there is such anxiety in the twenty-somethings I know.  There seems to be so much confusion around what is what; in relationships, in life, what we are meant to be doing and if we are meant to be settling down (am I behind? Should I find someone to settle with? Am I settling too fast?).

Seeing everyone else’s life, described daily for you in painstaking detail everywhere you look (phone, laptop, tablet…) only exacerbates the FOMO (fear of missing out).

It isn’t even just fear of missing out on an awesome party, it’s the fear of missing out on *life*. It’s the fear that, at its root is the most primal of fears – the fear of ending up alone.

I don’t know if this is something that *all* twenty-somethings go through and have gone through for decades and I am just discovering. This isn’t something I’ve been through before, personally.  I’d also wager society is in a drastically different place to where it was even 20 years ago, so the experiences of previous generations are incomparable.

For me, it will be interesting to see how this year plays out. 

Turning 23 for an Arab/African girl is definitely a point where family and community members start making noises about ‘settling down’ (you should have heard the conversation with my father as soon as I graduated from University…at 20!).

I am not against the idea of marriage as an institution in itself, far from it.  It’s a huge part of Islam (half our ‘deen’, or belief in fact, so marriage is seen as a fundamental part of the way of life), and if I am being perfectly honest, as a Muslim, there are things I can only do as a married woman that the rest of society tells me are really quite fun, so I’d like to get to it!

At the same time though, there seems to be a perception that marriage brings about the end of all the fun. The responsibility, the kids, the family, the mortgage… and for women, the point where you start to think about juggling career and family.

So I don’t even know if I should be anxious about missing out, or living it up because I’ve only got a little while as a young free bird left!

All I know is this.  I believe in fate, so I believe that what happens will happen, and what is meant to be shall be.  I have control over my choices and how I respond to what does happen.

Some things are outside my control.

Being anxious about those things isn’t going to change anything.

So, I’ve decided I will do what I’ve been doing. Living life, being grateful Alhamdulilah, learning as much as I can, appreciating those around me and taking it as it comes.  The fact that other people are at other stages in their life is exciting, but it should not affect how I live my life.

At the end of the day, we are the only ones who have to put up with ourselves forever.  So we better make sure that we’re happy with the choices we make, regardless of what society says (or doesn’t say) we should be doing.

#yolo

Richard's F1: Ecclestone dramas could derail F1

Check out my piece on Bernie Ecclestone's drama on Richard's F1 here!

***

F1 Chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is once again in the news regarding his financial affairs, with a British MP calling for a ‘Serious Fraud Office’ probe into the billionaire.

The call by Labour Party MP Emily Thornberry comes as the civil case against him for $100 million in damages concludes in London’s High Court in a few weeks’ time.

 

The results of such an investigation combined with the results from the courts may have the potential to loosen the tycoon’s almost four-decade-long grip on the sport.

The MP commented: “We cannot just walk away from this case. It does seem to me that we have a duty to investigate this. What is the Serious Fraud Office for if not for investigating cases like this?”

Ecclestone has been embroiled in a number of accusations across a variety of affairs over the past few months. This most recent case alleges he made corrupt payments to a German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, to undervalue F1’s commercial rights owned by the BayernLB group and allow him to maintain control even after it was sold to the private equity group, CVC Capital Partners.

CVC has stood by Mr Ecclestone through all of the court dramas, however its co-founder Donald MacKenzie did not rule out firing the Chief if he was found guilty.

Ecclestone denies this and says that in fact he was a victim of blackmail, alleging that Gribkowsky in fact threatened to report Ecclestone to the British tax authorities over false accusations of tax evasion. Although Gribkowsky called it a bribe and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for the corruption, the F1 Chief continues to deny this version of events.

In July last year, German authorities made noises about having the billionaire on trial but have yet to decided if he will take the stand. Furthermore, Ecclestone faces damages claims from a firm in the US, Bayern LB, as well as proceedings in Switzerland.

Ecclestone has also indicated that he would step aside if convicted in Germany.

What do you think? Does it matter that the F1 Chief has doubts over his financial credibility and actions? Is this just part of the F1 world that we accept or just turn away from and pretend doesn’t exist?

More importantly, where does that leave F1 if Bernie is removed from his post?

See more on Richard's F1!

New beginnings (a.k.a "wtf is happening!?")

A few months ago I wrote a relatively honest and slightly exasperated piece reflecting on uncertainty about the future: whether to take the safe route or do things in a riskier manner. A few weeks later, I made a few decisions that are all coming into fruition, just in time for the new year.  I thought I might share some thoughts around it all...

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In a couple of weeks inshallah, I will be finishing up with my current employer and moving to work with a big oil and gas company as an engineer. (Yeh, desk jockey for now).

Inshallah, I will leave behind the FIFO life (for the time being), the lifestyle that has given me so much story fodder over the last 18 months, for something a little more regular.  I'll move across the country to start a life in a new city (and possibly soon after, a new country) and generally leave everything I know to an unknown future.

All in all, pretty cray! 

Those who know me well know I am pretty terrible at making decisions that affect my future. I think about things for a long time without always coming to the rational conclusion.  I dilly dally for far too long, because I hate the idea of making a choice that might close a door that I might decide I want to go back to ('someday').

It isn't necessarily a flattering aspect, and it is something I am working on...

Any how.  I have loved the role I am currently in: met some amazing people, seen awesome things, learnt a hell of a lot and generally had a ball.

However, for a variety of reasons, I decided to do what scared me, bite the bullet, jump into the deep end, etc etc.  

Make the decision and not look back. 

Funnily enough, making the decision was the hard part.

Once it was made, the weight came off my shoulders.

I think I learnt that sometimes, we just have to make a choice.

Whatever choice we make will be the 'right one' for that moment really, because it leads to experiences that make us who we are.

A'akila wa tawakal, is what we are taught as Muslims. Pretty loosely translated it means: Do your thang, do your best...and the rest is up to Allah.

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So that is where 2014 starts. 

New job, new city, new challenges...

You know what though? New is awesome. New is exciting and new is now set in motion, Alhamdulilah, whether I like it or not :)

So...

I'm not really sure what this year holds, but I look forward to sharing it with you all (inshallah), learning loads and hopefully having the blessing of making some sort of a difference.

Let's do it!

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PS Also working on a new project that is super exciting! I will update you all soon (not really wanting to count chickens before they're hatched...) but khair inshallah!