12 Months Later

Its been 12 months since I did Life Design and this year I was given the opportunity to do it all again, starting with another fire walk.

Mark

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Its a Sneaker Thing - Part I

I have always been a fan of the hi-top shoe since the mid 1980's. Back then, the hi-top was intended for ankle support when playing sports such as basket ball. They also became popular as street wear. I don't play basket ball, but I do like my hi-tops, even to this day. This post is being re-done for the purpose of documenting some of the hi-tops I've owned over the years.

NIKE AIR PRESSURE

I did actually buy a pair of these in 1990 [first released in 1989]. They were only my 3rd pair of hi tops and the most expensive shoes I'd ever bought. At the time, the price tag was $350, and even though I got them on sale [$199 where everything with a bladder was being sold for less than $200], it is still expensive for a pair of 'sneakers'. They were amazingly comfortable and very well made and I got a good 5 or 6 years wear from them in my travels across Australia before they finally died in 2006, when they basically fell apart.

The shoe itself was leather with molded collar made from urethane which housed the bladder and valve [the lump at the back where a clear plastic 'pump' could be inserted to inflate the shoe]. The idea was that the bladder would make the shoe fit regardless of your foot shape. Apparently, urethane only lasts 5 or 6 years before breaking down and the collar of the shoes [and mid-sole] practically crumbled as I put them on one day.

These shoes had quite a few things that made them unique including an air sole that was part of the sock liner, not built into the sole. This allowed for the air soles to be replaced should they ever deflate.

Speed lacing was a neat feature that should have been used on all shoes using 'flat' laces. If a lace is flat, why pull it through a round hole? When you do, the laces twist and bind. Not the case here. The slots kept the laces flat and allowed them to be pulled through quite fast allowing a very firm fit.

The ankle strap could be removed and was end user adjustable.

The shoes came in a clear plastic case with a recess in the lid [which was orange] that allowed the the 'pump' to be stored. The case was the best shoe box NIKE [or any shoe company for that matter] have ever released.

AIR JORDAN XX

Not the cleanest I know, but proof I wore these. The Jordan 20 was my first Air Jordan and I must admit, there is something a little special about a pair of Jordan shoes compared to standard NIKE Air.

The Air Jordan VIII

When the Air Jordan 8 first came out in 1993, I was still wearing my NIKE Air Pressures, so didn't really gravitate to them. Back then, they seemed to only be available in dark colours and I preferred the lighter option [above] which was released in 2008 as a 'retro'.

The X cross lacing system is neat. I still wear these and because the straps actually secure your foot, I don't bother with the laces. Whilst not as high as the Pressures, they look similar [clean toe, grey collar etc] and are comfortable. I actually bought two pairs, one for general wearing and one to be kept clean for when I wanted to wear them out. My general "kicks" pair is looking a bit worse for wear these days.

NIKE AIR MAG 2011

No I don't own a pair of these. Since NIKE released the NIKE AIR MAG for the film BACK TO THE FUTURE - PART II, sneaker heads from around the globe have been waiting for this shoe to be released. In 2011, NIKE did release a version of the the classic shoe to the US market via EBAY. Proceeds from the sales were then donated to research of Parkinson's disease in a marketing campaign called 'back for the future'. Some of the pairs of these shoes auctioned for well into the 5 figures.

FAN MADE

This pair of "NIKE AIR MAG" shoes are made by a fan of the film BTTF2. They are wearable, but were bought as a prop in my home cinema.

NIKE AIR MAG [Custom]

So whilst we wait, many copies of the classic shoe from BACK TO THE FUTURE - PART II are finding their way onto the feet of 'sneaker heads' vis the internet like the NIKE AIR MAG [Custom] which is not authorized my NIKE. I do have a pair of these [and they are comfortable] which will have to do until NIKE release the real deal [2015?] for the general public.

I also did own a pair of REEBOK 'PUMP' shoes once [about 1990]. They didn't have the same appeal as the NIKE Air Pressure, but were more affordable than the NIKE offering, so gained their popularity that way. The REEBOK 'Energy Return System' was their answer to NIKE's Air sole. My "PUMP"s filled the tongue of the shoe, not the collar.

Reebok 'THE PUMP'

So just where did this trend start? Whilst I think the film BACK TO THE FUTURE Part II [ 2nd image below] has allot to answer for, a popular brand name high top was also featured in the 1986 film ALIENS.

POWER LACES

The idea of a shoe that laces itself up is very cool and whilst very 'Jetsons', could actually serve the disabled or people that have trouble bending down to tie their laces. I despise laces. Here we are in 2012 with all of the wonderful modern technology and we still secure our shoes with a piece of string - go figure.

So why are they not a reality? Questions to yet be answered:

1. Where does the extra 'lace' [strap] actually go?
2. Can they make a motor small enough with enough torque to actually tighten these straps?
3. Where would this motor be housed?
4. What type of power supply would it need?
5. What happens if the shoe gets wet?

We can only wait and see what the future brings.

Sneaker fans have certainly been hopeful that NIKE would release that shoe and NIKE have released a few different [colour ways] shoes to appease the sneaker buff.

The Alternatives

The two images above were tributes to the shoes from the film Back To The Future Part II but never quite hit the mark. Why? HINT: no ankle strap with the blue NIKE!

Mark

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My First Visit To South East Asia, And I Survived :)

Like so many things in life, it is not until we take action that we actually complete the tasks we set out to accomplish. Last year I decided that I wanted to visit China. On June 1, 2009 I boarded a plane. My trip covered almost 13 days. I left from Brisbane, flew to Singapore for a few days, then travelled to various cities in China for a few days to then return to Singapore for the remainder of my trip before heading home.

The purpose of this blog is to document this journey and experiences.

June 01:
Depart Brisbane International Airport at 13:55
Arrive Singapore International Airport at 19:50

Today's flight was long. It was pleasant enough, lots to eat and drink. You even get free movies on international flights :) I landed safely and was met at the airport by my guide who dropped me off to my hotel. Singapore is a very pretty city. It is very clean and the people there are friendly and seem to want to help to make visitors feel welcome.

June 02:

A veiw from level 6 of The Skytech Building, Singapore.

The Golf Club

I had a meeting on the 2nd of June with the owners of the company that manufacture parts for my lens. We discusses the technical details of the lens, then went to the local Golf Club for dinner. I had a local dish which was basically Curried Chicken In A Clay Pot. Yum!!! Very impressed.

Me [centre] with Robert [right] and Messa [left] after dinner at the golf club. The photo was taken by Nareej.

June 03:

Today was a shopping day and when I asked about getting a custom suit, I was even supplied with a guide who took me to a place in "Little India". After being measured by the tailor, I walked around the markets and even braved some local food. I spent most of the afternoon in shopping centers along Orchid Rd.

A few years ago, an anamatronic dinosaur display came to Brisbane. For reasons unkown, I missed it in Brisbane. However, I was fortunate to find this one in one of the major shopping centres. Very entertaining. Later I even had time to go and see Terminator 4 at the cinema before going to dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe.

June 04:

My suit arrived in the morning at the hotel and I was asked to try it on by the tailor to ensure that it fitted.

WOW how cool are tailor made clothes?

June 05:
Depart Singapore International Airport at 0800.
Arrive Shenyang at 16:35 Via Guangzhou.

Going through Customs when one does not speak the native language is interesting to say the least. I was fortunate to meet and English speaking lady on the plane who was kind enough to see me through to Shenyang where I was greeted my English speaking Guide Maggie. Maggie ensured that I was checked in to the hotel room and even arranged for me to use an internet cafe.

June 06:
Maggie met me in the foyer of the hotel at 9am so that we could go and meet with Mr Lu. She did a brilliant job even though some of the technical stuff was beyond her understanding.

After the meeting, Mr Lu, Maggie and my self went out to lunch where we ate local food. Chinese food is awesome in China and I am afraid to say that Chinese food in Australia does not compare.

After lunch, we all headed off to a theme park for the after noon before going to a restaurant for an evening meal.

Maggie and me at the theme park entry
This is the only driving I was prepared to do in China

Driving is China is nothing short of an experience. The intersections were the most interesting. In Austrlia if you have a green arrow to turn right, the on coming traffic has a red light. It seems this is not the case in China. As we turned right, the driver honked the horn as the oncoming traffic proceeded to drive around us. Totally different from anything I have ever seen. Interestingly enough, I saw just 2 "fender benders" in my 5 days there. It seems that there is at least 20 every day in Brisbane.

June 07:

My flight was at 15:30, so I was taken to see a few thing like these Dragons and awesome fountains at a local shopping centre close to Down Town in Shenyang.

These fountains shot water some 5 stories up. Impressive stuff.

Depart Shenyang at 15:30
Arrive Nanjing at 17:30

Like my stay in Shenyang, I was greeted at the Airport by my guide [Lucy] who arranged my transfer and check in at my hotel - the 5 star " Royal Fortune Hotel". I found a local shopping mall and food court where I was able to experience Chinese culture.

The Great Wall Of Nanjing

Nanjing used to be the captial of China and its history dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The city has its own "great wall" with gates which are now huge arches allowing the motor ways to pass into the city.

The City of Nanjing has many more tradional buildings and is really worth a visit to if you go to China.

June 08:

I was picked up at the hotel by Robin of Wavelength and taken for the day to inspect the factories where many of the worlds optical components are made. Very interesting indeed.

June 09:
Depart Nanjing at 11:00
Interesting to say the least...

Arrive Guangzhou at 13:10

Depart Guangzhou at 19:10
The flight was delayed to 20:30...

Arrive Singapore at 23:05
Actual arrival time was after midnight.

June 10:
Went back to the Tailor to get a matching vest and tie for my suit.

June 11:

Note quite the real deal

To get real Indian, one needs to go to India. However, Singapore has a huge Indian population and this sample of Indian food was one of the best I have had.

June 12: Depart Singapore at 21:25
June 13: Arrive Brisbane at 06:50

So in closing, a visit to China is highly recommended.

Likes: The food was amazing, the people I met were kind and the culture is interesting. I think as a 'westerner' I have have learned allot from visiting a country like China.

Dislikes: The smog. Whilst cities like Shenyang have taken on a 'green' approach, it is a little to late to reverse the effects of polution.

Mark

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Everyone Should Have Dreams

And it took just 22 years

Recently I attended a 20 year high school reunion in Ingham [north of Townsville]. But the most exciting part was meeting up with a lady I first met in school and had not seen for 22 years.

Leah and Me at the reunion. I can't believe it took 22 years...

So whilst in Townsville, I decide to do the tourist thing and see some of the sites and the hazards...

A must see is the Reef HQ sporting the largest reef exhibit in Australia...

...and the chance to get up close and personal with some neat fish :)

Right next to Reef HQ is the Townsville Museum, but careful, the door man is a bit of a grouch...

and they have some of the largest spiders around too...
But plenty of history...

and some neat novel items as well...

And the chance to do all sorts of activities like rock climbing...

So overall I had a great time...

Mark

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I Can Do Anything If I Put My Mind To It

I proved this to myself during the week from Sunday 31st August to the 6th of September 2008. Anything is possible if I apply myself.

Mark

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River Fire

I took this shot last year off the William Jolly Bridge [looking towards Victoria Bridge] last year during the opening of River Fire 07. Well it is on again 30/08/08 and I was looking forward to getting even better shots of the "dump and burn" along with some fireworks shots this year, but I will be in Sydney on Saturday night [the 30th]...

Hopefully next year I will be able to make it...

Mark

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