SPEAKER_00 0:07

My name is Tim Russell. My name is Tim Rot. And this is great story.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Thank you for the beautiful. We're on boy. We're back. Great story. Episode 11.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Oh, so that's how in sync we are.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

We've had a week off and we're still in sync.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

I'm f I feel good. I'm fresh.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Hey. It feels good.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Nah, I was actually saying, tomorrow's my birthday. Oh. And I was saying to Riley last night, I was like, you know, it's weird how when it's your birthday coming up, like you're all like pumped and like in this weird kind of like um energy about you. But then when it's not your birthday, you're kind of like, oh yeah, nice bud, it's your birthday. I was like, I remember Jaden said to me the other week, like, yeah, it's my birthday like coming up, and I was like, Good onion, bruh, another day. But it's different when it's your own birthday.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Well that's how I feel about you. I was like, oh yeah, good. I was acting excited.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Good onion bud, yeah. How old?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

27. 27, bruh. 27, eh?

SPEAKER_01 1:04

27 laps around the sun. It's last day about last day being 26.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

It's a wild day.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

It just keeps on going up every year, as everyone knows, that's how it works.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

But like But even like I reckon I still feel like I'm 21.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

But I used to at times. Like I've been in I've been in youth work since I was 18. And I used to have your hands to people when I was like 19 and and like talk out, talk or whatever. They'll be like, How old are you? About 19. They're like, You're 19, like, wow, cuz. And then now I do that, and they're like, How old are you? I'm like 26. They're like, Are you 26? You look 18. I'm like, But it's like they always invite me to the youth advisory and come to the youth committee, come to the I'm like, bro, I'm 27.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Hey. Like, would you want me or not? Yeah. No, I just think it like even back then, you're like, oh, when I'm 28, I'm gonna have this or have this set up and do this. It's like fuck. That's bro, I don't even know, I don't even really change my underneath much.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

That's the biggest um like what's the word? The w the biggest thing that gets everyone unstuck is fucking like expectation in it. Yeah, because it's like everyone has this idea of like 25, full-time job, good job, cars, marriage, kids. It's like nah.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

For what?

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Yeah, create your own story.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Create your own story. Nah, I think I think I think the whole I know like in Australia, and especially around here, it's it's all ch sort of changing a bit. There's a bit of a shift to be like, nah, well that's it's not what you need. It's I think happiness and mental health should be at the forefront of everything you do. Yeah. Um don't worry about a car. I mean, don't worry about a house. I don't know how I'm gonna afford it. I'll just have to That's why I've been getting the good in the good books with the Rensei, hopefully just take over theirs when they're gonna be able to do it. Maybe if you listen to Mum and Dad, I love you so much. I'll make you dinner tonight. I love you.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Lawn mowers in the shed. Yeah, I'll be selling them.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

They can go, they'll be the first thing's gone. You want some artworks too? Bang, make some quick cash.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

So I I just don't know about like that lifestyle, bra with the whole like you know, get a house that you pay off the rest of your life. Like, I get it, but my parents have we've they've never owned a house, they've just run it their whole lives. And um, like, yeah, I don't know, it's just kind of like especially at a young age, like I was listening to podcasts with investors and people saying, like, it's it's probably just not the right way to go right now. If anything, um there's people out there, and I would probably consider this pathway more, um, go and buy an apartment somewhere and rent it out, and then you rent your house, and then they pay for your rent, but you have like equity or you have like an asset.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So, yeah, you're still building an asset. Yeah. I don't know. I'm just in a point now, and I I've sort of been in it for a while, but finally have I've finally just been saving a bit of money, but I like my goal is just to travel a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Um, before I do any of that stuff or get locked down to anything, um just do a bit of travel and just see a few things. I do want to do a trip around Oz.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

I want to do Oz. I bruh, so I wish I could remember this girl's name because I'd shout her out, but luckily we're a small enough thing we can get away with it. Um I think her name's DJ, but that's a TikTok name. But I don't know if you've seen that the video have you seen it, guys? I know who you're talking about, I think. Brah, she um she used she put this two-part video out on TikTok, and um I only stumbled across it yesterday because my sister reposted the second part, and I was like, alright, I've got a part one and have a look. Um, she would go solo travelling every year for a birthday just to a bucket list place that she went to. Uh like wherever she'd want to go, she'd just go basically for like about half a week or whatever. And um she went to Paris last year on her birthday, so it was like May last year. Um, and what she would do is the night before her birthday, she would always go and watch the sunset. So she's over there, Brian, and she's um she and she tells a mad story too. I'll give it to her. Like I was intrigued, I was like, I want to keep watching. Um I might be able to put it up somewhere for you, but she basically was at the Eiffel Tower and she's like, I have a few rules or non-negotiables that I have when I'm traveling either solo or two out with like two girls as a female going overseas. She's like, one of them is like, don't stay in the same place for too long. Um, once people around you kind of work out that you're alone, you're an easy target. Um she's like, so I'm watching the sunset and the sun goes down heaps late. Uh it takes ages to go down over there, um, particularly in winter. But she's at the Eiffel Tower picnic by herself, she's like, I'm there, I'm watching. Um, and she's like, I thought to myself, I want to wait until dark so I can see the Eiffel Tower with all its lights on. Um, these two guys come and sit like right in front of her and start watching the Eiffel Tower. And she's like, you know, I didn't really think anything of it. One of them turned around and smiled at me, and she's like, I took note because he was like an incredibly attractive guy. So being friendly, I just smiled back and then he came over and he started speaking to me in French, and I was like, sorry, I don't speak French. And he was like, Oh, you don't speak French, and she's like, Oh, you speak English, and he's like, Yeah, where are you from? And he's like, and she's like, Australia. And he's like, Um, oh, like, are you here by yourself? Or and she's like, No, no, no, like I'm here with like my friend. She's out of the room, like obviously a lie. And then um he like asked her for a phone number and she didn't give it to uh to him. But then she he asked her for her Instagram and she's like, Yeah, whatever, like anyone cut me Instagram, gave it to him. And then um she's like, still didn't really think anything of it. They were like, Come back to ours, like we're having a party, and she's like, No, I don't drink, and they're like, You don't have to drink, that's all right. She's like, No, I'm just gonna go back to the hotel, and then um they he was like came up behind her, grabbed her, and was like, Alright, well, before you go, we've got to at least get a photo, and they just started taking photos of her, and she straight away covered her face because she knew that like that's not like you can get sold on the black market and shit once you got photos of her. True. Um I sat there and they walked off, and I was just thinking, like, she was like, I'll spin it out a bit, and then I was like, nah, I'm all in my head. And then they walked down, and you know how these people always sell stuff around the alpha tower. They walked up to one of them guys, looked over and pointed straight at her, and she's like, I was just like, I need a run. She's like, FaceTime my best friend and said to her, like, I'm gonna go into every single restaurant and cafe in the area, just go in, chill, go to another one, go to another one, go to another one, just to make sure they're not following me. So she did that, right? She got on the train to go back to her room, and she's like, Um, I'm on the train, and I can see one person on the train, and like he was like asleep or whatever, just chilling. Oh no, he was just like doing nothing. She's like, he wasn't part of them or whatever. She's like, just as the doors were closing, like six people rolled in. The two that I seen at the Eiffel Tower, the one I was talking to sat down there and didn't even talk to me. All these people came and sat next to me. A girl came and sat next to me, started trying to talk to me, and then another group sat in front of the door so that she couldn't get out. And um was basically just like she FaceTimed a friend again, and then like she um got off she got off the train at the next like her friend was like, you need to go to like a busy train station. So the next one was like Notre Dame, and she's like, There's gotta be a police officer there. She's like, I got off the train at the um at the that place, there was no police, there was no nothing, like it was quiet as she's like, so I went to get back on the train, faked it, got off again, and then heaps of them got on, thought I was on the train, so they I I lose heaps of them. She's like, I thought I lost them all. Next train come, got on. There was one guy there asleep. I sat in the corner where I could see everyone, my back was against the wall. This one girl came and sat right opposite me and just stared at me and didn't say anything. And she's like, I was weighing out about it. And one guy sat in front of me and wasn't looking at me. And every time we come, and I tried to talk to the guy that was asleep, and he looked up and was like, No English, no English, went back to sleep. She's like, and every single time we would go to we'd come up to a station, the guy that was sitting in front of her would turn around, smile and go, Is this the one? Um she's like, I'm like crying at this point. So she FaceTimed a friend, um, and her friend was like talking to her and whatnot, and then um the other guy woke up that was asleep, like the good guy, and he was like um talking to her. Um, and her friend on the FaceTime was just like said to Omate, Do you speak this language or whatever? It wasn't French, it wasn't Australian, wasn't English. And oh mate's like, yeah, so then there like her friend that she's faceting from Australia, they're full having a combo. And um this chick was like, I didn't even know my friend could speak another language. That's why. And O mate was basically translating back to her um via her friend, like, I'm a security guard, I'll help you, you need to get out of here. Um, get off with me at the next station. And then she's like, Is he part of the plan?

SPEAKER_00 9:29

But we get out, they just yeah, he just turns on me.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

They get off at the station and he's like gives her the um gives him her big jack and was like, you need to stay close to me because like they'll steal you. Um and they walk off, and then um they're like, she he's like, You need to get on a bus and you need to get to where you wherever you're getting to. She's like, I'm not getting public transport. Like, I need to get an Uber. He's like, This is a bad area, like Ubers don't usually come here. Thankfully, an Uber did go there and they they she got back to her room, bro. And um like by that point, the um she was gonna post on Instagram but decided obviously probably not. So she posted in like her subscribers thing, and they were like, You need to go to the embassy. So she went to the embassy the next morning, and the embassy were like basically like you're on the black market, like you're like they've got a massive black market over there, and your face and all your details is on the black market, and people will be looking for you in France to try because it's about heaps of money to like turn like to get someone like you if they got you that night, you would have been in a different country today, like sold. Um she's like it was verbatim, like tick for tat, like taken. Like a movie, yeah, yeah. And have you seen that movie? Yeah, right. And the embassy was like, like everything he was saying to her, the exact same in the movie. Like, um, and apparently she's like, Oh, so you reckon like they're like, we need to get you on the next flight to Australia, and then the it wasn't until like the next day, so she had to go back to the room and the emb and she's like, Well, you reckon I should go to the police station and like report it, and the embassy were like, I mean, you can if you want, but nine times out of ten the police are also searching on the black market because of how much money it makes. That is wild, eh? And she got out of there, thankfully, but so I won't be going solo travelling. Bruh, it spun me out, eh? I heard it, like I was listening to the stuff.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

I won't have to look at that a I'll get that's a rabbit hole that I get stuck in there.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

I'll I'll send it to you because um I watched it at work and then I came home and I showed it to Riley. And um, yeah, it's just a sp- It was it was spinning me out because like and then she even like she even put in like like it was a TikTok, so she even put in the comments like this is the guy. Like I found him in front of it.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Oh yeah, call him out you're a dog, message him privately, then you're on the black men out market.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

I I found his Instagram and I was looking at it, but there wasn't much on there. I message him and I said, create your story.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Hey, you want to get it, I want to get you on the potty main. Nah, but it's just like another thing, but like is to touch your gut instinct out. Because she's like, nah, something's wrong. No, I'm just in my head, nah. If you know something's wrong or you feel like something's wrong, nine times out of ten it is, but the the the best thing you can do is trust that because fuck. If you if you just think and especially it's it's weird because my go-to thing is like, oh no, that only just happens in movies. Yeah, you know what I mean? But no, it doesn't. No, it's happening. Yeah, that is wild, eh?

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Well, and I'm I'm very like I'm very big on trusting my gut, but it's never normally like um small things, it's normally like you need to get out of here right now. And I'm j and I'll think that and I'll just be like, like, I've had that at parties and then seen shit go wrong, and I've had it at like heaps of different things where it's like I need to I need a cruise. Yeah, something's happening. It can be anywhere, bro, and I think that's the biggest thing. It's like it's easy to sit there and be like, you had the Eiffel Tower, and you know, maybe the like story you're gonna be telling is that um you had to you left early or whatever for nothing, but it's your gut instinct. Yeah, and I always like because I I'm a bit of a um like a bit of a true crime buff. Like I listen to true crime podcasts and I love watching um like True Crime on Neck Docos, yeah, and even just like um big events like Sydney Seas. Like I remember I remember being a kid seeing that happen and I love seeing like big disastrous events. Oh that's when the world burns. No, I'm not like like um yeah, I'm the same right. And nearly all of them say like oh there was always one thing that they didn't they didn't trust their intuition, yeah, and that's how they got there.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

So like um that's the message tsunamis and shit. Yeah, yeah. What about the the one in is uh there's one on like New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, I think it was in um Chip maybe not Japan, Tyler.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

It was the kid A. I think you remember that the kid was like, We need to get out of here. Everyone's like, What are you talking about? Yeah, and the kids running up the beach like you need to leave, you need to leave, and then it like talk the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Yeah, listen to the kids.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

That's what I'm talking about, bruh.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

And they reckon animals, animals, birds they can sense, like yeah, no, it's used to as a young fella be like, oh if her um tsunami hit, like do you reckon it would make it all the way to Maitland from New E?

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Yeah, come down the roundabout, stop at the traffic lights. Yeah, but yeah, Trust Your Gart. That could be the name of the podcast, actually. Trust your gut.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Yeah, because I I don't know, like I haven't really done heaps of solo travelling. Like I went to um the Brisbane and I knew a couple boys up there, and that was my first magic round. I travelled up there by myself just on a plane, first time flying and shit. And then um like once I linked up with them, I was with them. But then I went to Melbourne with a mate as well, and he stayed across the other side of the city in his own place, and I did a fair bit of solo travelling throughout the day just exploring stuff, and like it's a wig out anyway, because because I've watched so much stuff and I've I've seen so much of the true crime and that I'm I'm always profiling people, bro. Yeah, it's bad. Like I'm looking at people, I'm like, oh backpack, huh? Yeah, like you know what I mean. So I'm always looking wink. Yeah, yeah. I'm always kind of um yeah, and that's why they say, like, you know, she was like, if you travel in like don't make eye contact with people, like don't smile, um, blah blah blah. And I was just thinking, like, no wonder why different um races get bad names overseas. They oh they're rude. It's like we put on a black market.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

No, that's wild. I didn't even know that shit happened, like over there.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Well, the chief the embassy was like it's quite bad in Australia too, except it's just not as known. Yeah, right. So it's not as like but I've heard of heaps of yarns about how dodgy those fellas are outside the Eiffel Tower and like because they what they what they do is they give you stuff and then the like brace it's all like something, and they're like, No, you gotta pay.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

And they're like, No, well I didn't you just put it on me. Yeah. And they start skidzing up. Yeah. Don't try and take me. Is it I reckon they'd give me back after half an hour just stressing me out?

SPEAKER_01 15:43

I'd be kicking out. I'd be fucking doing everything I can, farting, kicking, screaming, spewing, scratching, scratching, um scratching sniff. Um I'll be making up rumors, buddy. Who told me about you? I'll be checking. I'll check him on the phone. Yeah, you gotta watch it, you gotta start. I was like, you don't understand that. Like he's working for this bigger mob and he's gonna black market you, you, you, and you. You know what he's doing, yeah. I know what he's doing. He doesn't even want to be here. Um is it like mad over and bothering that with any of that stuff, or even just like I've always heard yarns about like, oh, they'll try and um give you drugs or sell you drugs and then they're cops and they you gotta buy a way out of it.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

I I think there's that. Yeah, um I think smart about you've got to be smart and you've got to like just have your wits about, yeah. But I think I've heard of people getting into trouble over there. Um but usually comes down to respect to be honest. True. Like I've been in there was a there was a time actually it was me and um me and one of the boys because gangs is pretty bad over there, and we got on this the back of these mopeds, it was the first time I was over there, so it would have been like 16, 17. Yeah, and um it was a bit scary, and I felt oh my this is not right. So I'm like, oh, let me off. And they're like, No, no, no, we're going down here. I'm like, he's like, Well I'm like, oh we need to go to the beach, and he took me down this alley, I'm like, Well, this is not the beach, yeah. And then we got off the bikes and there's like four different blokes just standing there, and it was like a dead end. I'm like, oh, we're fucked here. I said, Oh just grab I said to me, mate, grab you, like hold your bag and shit, because they're gonna try and take it. I said, This is not the way to the beach, like, yeah, yeah, through here. I'm like, no, it's not. I'm like, we're gonna go back this way, and they're a bit sus. Um, and then we just started walking back, and I said, Oh, well, don't just don't look back. And anyway, it's all just a testament to the barley bagel bar. And I don't know what was happening, but then he there's a motorbike coming, I'm like, Oh, we're gonna get fucked up here. And he looks at me and just goes, Hello! I did my head bars like wait, just a random dude that yeah, with one of them blokes.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Oh, oh, true.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like he just came back, I'm like, like, stress me, mate. I'm like, bruh, we get ready, we're gonna have to do something. But I've heard of um people how yeah, there's been heaps of stuff happening, but I guess that can happen anywhere. Yeah. Um but yeah, I think especially with the hot the real harsh drug penalties over there, you've got to have your wits about you. Like, people will put it on your 60k. Or like be trying to be your mate and then they'll be a cop.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

It's wild. But like I said, that can happen anywhere. You just gotta have your wits about your boy. Yeah. That's why you trust your gut. If you feel like something's off.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Trust your gut.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Trust your gut. But yeah, what else?

SPEAKER_01 18:24

What else have you been doing?

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Nah, well, I haven't been here for a a minute, eh? Yeah, it feels like longer than a week.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yeah, I I suppose we just took a bit of time to reassess. Obviously, I started um a new job. How's that going? Right, it's been hectic, eh? So different, A. Yeah, heaps different. We um working for like a Laux, so local Aboriginal lands council. I've never really worked for um anything like that before. I've only ever worked for like non-Aboriginal organisations that run Aboriginal programs. Um, which is mad. It it's like I'm learning so much. And I I thought I knew about land rights and I thought I knew about native title, but um what I've learnt in the last week and a half, like, it's a spin out, bruh. And um, yeah, I don't really know how much I can say without. Yeah, yeah, no, that's right. Without um, I'd love to sit here and be like, this is what they're doing to us. But um, yeah, I don't want to be the reason why this amendment or this bill gets gets pushed through.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Yeah, imagine that. Create your story, see them rusty.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

We can talk about the the crux of it. Um but basically they um they they pushed a bill through the parliament, um, and it was a it was a me it was an amendment to the current um land rights act.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

And it was basically designed so that like I can't remember the ins and outs of what they were trying to um edit or what they were trying to change, but it basically gave them more right to be able to um do stuff with land. Um and obviously when you claim land rights or native tide or like lit land, it there's certain there's already hoops that a lock has to jump through. Yeah, and it can already take ages. But essentially, like not the financial year just gone the one before. I think there was 160,000 land claims given back to um local Aboriginal people, and in the last financial year there was like 150. True. So they've reduced it significantly.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Um and then they yeah, so but they pushed it through at like 9 30 at night, hoping that like no one so I think yeah, um Claire is like the the newswall CEO, she's pretty smart too. And she um obviously put some things in place to kind of stop that from getting pushed through and then run down the parliamentary clock as it's called. But again, um I'm very new to it, so just learning the ins and outs. But we had a meeting yesterday um with the minister of land who pushed it through. True.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

So that was good. But I mean No, it's definitely yeah, I feel like w coming from an NGO and going into that space. I feel like NGO's a good place to start, I reckon. Yeah. Like you build your skills up in an like in an in a and especially in a non-Aboriginal workplace. Yeah. Um, because that has its own struggles in itself. And you go over there when you're sort of support more supported by other Aboriginal staff. But um yeah, that's something that I'm not I'm not gonna say that I know much about at all, like native title and land rights and stuff like that, because I don't. Um, but it's definitely something I'm interested in.

SPEAKER_01 21:22

So they had um we had a developer come and talk to us, and um so Biruban, that's like where I'm working, we hold like the most land um than anyone in there, like with alongside government if that makes sense. Really? So we So from where? Uh it's like Morissette or goes all the way up there and then back to that side of the lake. So like Belmont, Bularoo. True. Um mad spots there. Yeah, bruh. So like one of the developers Caves Beach, huh?

SPEAKER_00 21:52

That's where that's where I was.

SPEAKER_01 21:54

Yeah, would be um heaps of the heaps of developers come and just speak at board. Meetings and just basically say this is what we want to do with your land, and like obviously the board can um can kind of all the members can kind of decide who they want to go with and be a part of that process. And um one of the developers, he was like so smart on land rights, and he's worked a lot with um Aboriginal communities and developing their land and stuff before. So he's like in Sydney, it's like he's an example of how like twist tw twisted the government is at the moment. He's like um I worked with a metropolitan um Low down there in Sydney, and we were developing this um square bit of land that we wanted to put things on. And he goes, our project was the exact same as this other company that was doing one on the other side of the city. Um exact same size land, and they wanted to develop it residential, or they wanted to do the same development we did. Um they had like 443 objections to what they wanted to do. We had 16,000.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

And that's just the difference between it's not what you know to you know what. Yeah, and it's not it's not what's being developed, it's who's developing it.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

Yeah. Um that goes to anything really life but a yeah, so it's been good, bruh.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Um and then yeah, we obviously launched uh from the ground up.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

From the ground up. So for anyone that doesn't know what it is, do you want to give them a bit of a Yeah. Um it's kind of No, if you don't know what it is, look it out at your socials and be active. Yeah, that's right. Engage.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

Um, it's kind of like just using the platform to give back to community, and the way we do that is um just going into different sporting clubs and and kind of creating content for them for free. Um, launching it on socials and I guess it's getting a bit of their story out and who they are, but also just um we got some really talented athletes within our community or within our village, and um I think just showcasing that I I know coming from an education background, working in schools and stuff like um we used to do this thing at at Mount View where they would on their main oval, which is in the middle of the school, they would have um this footy game every year, and basically it would be 14, so year seven and eight, um, and then there'd be another one which was year nine and ten, and the two P teachers would draft their um before the four games and um all the two games, and like all the teachers and all the kids in the school would watch the games as well. Um, and the amount of teachers that would say to me, like, I have this kid in my class and he doesn't communicate and he hates it and he's you know doesn't have very good teamwork, then I come here and I watch him play footy and he's talking, he's communicating about leadership, yeah. So um I think it's it's good to showcase that. We obviously um went out to Morpeth there and did a little bit for the for the men um for their before their indigenous round. So that was mad actually. It was good.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

I think um obviously I'm working I'm working this weekend, but I I've got next weekend off, so I'm hopefully to reach out to um Curry there, the 16s. Mad. Um and do depending on what you're depending on the Saturday or the Friday night. Um but I'd I'd like to do a game day one, I reckon that'd be six.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Yeah, well I'm gonna do I think um tomorrow and then Saturday I'm gonna do a bit with Riley Sisters netball team.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Even even if um even if because I put I might I don't even know if I'm working the next two, but even if we do a Friday night and then go into the Saturday, like just to build that you know what I mean? Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do with netball, but I guess it'll just depend on what time they play and whatnot because we'll um but yeah, I think as well is like and sort of what we notice doing that nations, and I know that I've noticed it in myself is like um sort of getting comfortable uh confident in front of a camera as well. Yeah. I feel like um it's something that I'm always trying to do, and I feel like just the more that you do it the better you get, obviously. But um I feel like if you can become confident in front of the camera and you I think that just can sort of get pushed in so many different like aspects of your life. Yeah, like you're just um confident to speak in front of people, you're like and I think the the the biggest thing is just not giving a fuck, to be honest, yeah, um, of stuffing up. Um and you know at the start there there was some boys and girls that were like, Oh, what do I say I do this? And by the end of it, they're I said just be like honestly, be yourself.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Um the more you think about it, I think that goes to any young person, like no matter what you do, and no matter where you kind of travel um in terms of career and you jump to different places, like you need to learn how to speak.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

And uh like sorry, if you don't know how to hold a conversation or if you don't know how to like be able to um communicate what you're doing or what project you're working on, or you know, what your aspirations are or what you want to achieve, then sit in your bedroom, look in the mirror, and learn how to do it because like in this world you need to be able to talk to where you get to. Yeah. Then obviously you can walk the walk after with your actions, but yeah, um, you know, think about everything in this adult life, it all uh evolves around speaking and communication. You go for a job interview, you need to be able to sell yourself, you need to be able to speak, like um, you need to be able to communicate with people that sometimes you might not even like. Yeah, um, and you know, you need to be able to tell your story, and if you can't do that, then like you can't can't text through a job interview, like you know what I mean. So um when we had this conference last week with Newswalk, like I I kind of got the microphone and spoke around they were talking about like barriers that our youth find or are finding, and I was listening to a few of the answers that was like drugs, alcohol, homelessness, and whilst they're good answers, they're kind of like what happens at the end of whatever we're not doing right in the early days. And um I spoke, bruh, and I was like, and you know how daunting that is when there's so many people that I don't know and they're all worked for Land's council. And they're all older stuff, yeah. But I was like, you know what? Like what I notice is the connections that we have today, um, they're all fake connections. Like I I don't like care if to say that, bruh. I have them myself. Like every single person listening to this right now has people that they have on Instagram, Facebook, um, Snapchat, whatever, that they've never met before and they talk to them, but it's not a real connection. Yeah, and what happens is and it's alright to have them as well, that's fine. Yeah, but do you know how many followers that I know that will message me or comment on the stuff that we put out there and be like, bruh, this is deadly, killing it, brothers, like I love this. And then I'll go to a NADOC day or I'll go somewhere in community and they'll walk straight past me and don't even realize that that's me. Yeah, like and that's wild to me, bruh. And I think um what that is creating is like our young people aren't confident to have conversations with people outside of their little kind of network. Um, and when we look at our young people in schools, you see that like you know, they'll text their friends, they'll be at school all day, bruh. They'll go home, they'll text their friends, and they'll be like, Do you want to come to mine for a sleepover? Well, you're with him all day, but you're too scared to ask. Like, and I think it's that fear of rejection and the fear of like whatever it might be, or it's just easier to do that. Um and I just feel like, and then what I said in this conference, I was like, what we're finding right now is there's a lot of really strong uh black leaders in our schools. The AEC, AECGs, junior AECGs in our schools are doing a significant job where they're identifying so strongly in year 11, year 12, year 7, year 8, year 9, year 10, they transition out of high school and they go, I want to keep doing this, I'm gonna go and join the LAC. They go to the LAC and someone says to them, Who's your mob? Where are you from? And they don't know what to say, they don't know how to have a conversation with someone like that. So they just say the wrong thing or they don't say anything, they get staunched out of there, and rightfully so. And then they come back and they go, I'm never gonna do that again. So I feel like whilst our young people are passionate and they're strong, and you know, they need to lead the way and they're gonna be the future generation, like they've got to earn the right as well. And you need you like I was always told growing up, bro, you've got two ears and a mouth for a reason, you need to do the double listing, you do the speaking. So sometimes it might be that you push yourself in that circle, you listen, you take it all in, and then you know, you start um having those conversations.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Yeah, but the the the only way to sort of broaden your skills and bit get better is stepping the uncomfortable as well. Yeah. Like the more if you're gonna sit there and overthink and like, oh, should I do this, do that, it's you're just gonna end up in your mind. And the only way um that you you see people that are you like you look at people, you might look at me and see like, oh, you're really good at speaking, it's like, yeah, but we have we had to earn that way. We we started just like you, yeah, and we had to step into the uncomfortable. That's right. There's been times where I've had to present in front of people where I'm like, I'd be like honestly shitting myself bra and wouldn't sleep the night before in in my own head, and then I'm like, I get up there, um, probably butchered it to be honest, but that's the only way to learn, and um the only way is to step into that uncomfortableness. Yeah. Um and that's why I've sort of been that's why I'm really passionate about um from the ground up is giving that youth that platform to tell their story. Um with social media being so big at the moment, um, I feel like if you can do that in front of the camera and you sort of build that comfortable um that confidence there, um I think that into other aspects of your life too.

SPEAKER_01 31:11

A good thing I do, bro, is if I apply for something, um, if it's like a um leadership program or anything like that, I always write in my notes like why I want to apply for that.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

What are the top three things I want to do at because mine's always like um yeah, sorry, go.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

No, you're right. Because um what happens is, and I did this with the young Aboriginal Leaders program I did, I wrote in there like why do I want to apply for it when I was applying for it, and it was like um get outside my comfort zone, um, build connections with people that think the way I do, yeah, and something else. And then when I got accepted into the program, um I was like, yeah, mad, deadly. And then when I actually got down to Sydney, bruh, um, or before even Packham, like, and I'm getting real anxious. I'm like, I got down there and like I don't know anyone, and like we bit we I don't like everyone's wigging out, and then you've got to speak in parliament, and I'm just proper like big city. I'm like, why did you want to do this? Yeah, those are the reasons. Sweet, you're doing that right now, cool. This is why you want and bruh, even speaking in parliament. Like, I have never um experienced the nerves like that before. It was a spin out, everyone's lined up waiting to be called. I know, but as soon as the first speaker started, I was like, I need a wee.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

I didn't, I was like, I'm surprised by that. You did it about four times in the past.

SPEAKER_01 32:28

I was like, right, I'm gonna wee myself. Yeah, and like I got up and spoke, and I don't think I went to the toilet for two hours after that. Like just full wigging. Um and I think also just going back to what we spoke about, if like you can't trust your gut or you can't trust your in instincts based off Snapchatting someone, or I mean you can, but not to the degree you need to. So I feel like a lot of young people get burnt, whether it be in relationships um or friendships or whatever, because they're the the main part of their relationship is built online, and then um when they get face to face, like they get they're already attached, but then they get burnt by these people. Whereas if you like I'll if someone reaches out to me that I don't know and they want to they they ask me all these questions about who should I contact or what should I do, I'll always say, like, bruh, let's catch up. And we did that, like that's how we started our friendship. Um, essentially, it was like, you know, and then sometimes you'll say that and it just everyone's so busy it doesn't happen for a while, but it'll happen when it's meant to, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Yeah. No, and I just want to touch on that as well. Like, obviously, you're talking about speaking in parliament. Um, but the start of this year I did something called the um ABC Trailblazers, which was um for um young people um in regional areas of Australia that are doing different projects in community um or wanting to do different projects in community, um, and the expression of interests for the haywire and trailblazers are open again for this year, or for next year, sorry, but um obviously they start the process at the end of this year. Um I just want to put it out there that any young person um that is wanting change or is wanting to try and do something in community that you think you don't have the support, or you um you're just second guessing a little bit, um this is a like an awesome opportunity, and this was something that I think that process there made me grow so much as a person, um, and it came from stepping out of my comfort zone, um, but then giving me a platform to tell my story for my community. Um, and it was such an awesome week. I met so many like great people that are now really good friends, um, and I've had so many like awesome opportunities from it. So if there's anyone out there and you have any and you're keen, um reach out to me for some questions. But I I really like I highly suggest you do it because it was so sick. That's my and they're just different opportunities that um probably weren't around 10 years ago, you know what I mean? So take every opportunity you can, and that's an awesome one to do mad, yeah. Yeah, but on the back of that too, that trailblazers thing, because I was shitting it the whole time, right? And I think they didn't and at the time I didn't know what they were doing, but there were so many different things that you just forget. Like you'd be like, Oh, I'm shitting it, and you're like, Oh, there's something else now, and it'll just be and you're like, Oh, I've just I've just done five different things that I was shitting about, I can do this next one.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

That was like ours, bruh, and like we it was just non-stop, eh? Yeah, it was so tiring at the end of the year. Yeah, we're all busted. You'll just go into like all these different places, meeting these different people. Yeah, some of them you remember fondly, some of them you kind of don't, but um, and you always get like you always get people in the group that they don't know no one and they got no shame. Like, I'm not that person, like I'm I'm not shy like I'm not a shy person, but I won't go out of my way to um kind of like be that clown and make everyone bond. Like I'm just not that kind of person, and um like I think it what that probably comes down to is I've done a lot of work lately around like I don't really need I'm not here to make friends, bruh. Like I don't really need that. Like so I've got the people in my network and um you know, and that sounds harsh, but it's kind of just basically like um understanding when you under when you have enough self-respect to understand that your time and energy is valuable and it costs something and be mindful of who you give it to, yeah, then um bruh, you're you're um you're unbeatable, and I think that's something that I've tried hard to learn over the last year. But um one of the boys in that in the program, Malik, deadliest fella.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Hey, they've got the mad shirts, bruh. Deadliest fella.

SPEAKER_01 36:31

Yeah, um sponsored or yeah, nine side, hey um yeah, the hectic shirts, but he's funny off on the losing stuff.

SPEAKER_00 36:37

Yeah, he was good for them followers everyone together, bro. Just yeah, no shame. I'm this I'm similar to you, A. Like once I get comfortable in a group, I'm able to do that. But I I seriously sit there and I just probably not look rude, but I I suss everything out like the environment, the people, we are um and who to say who I can say certain things. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 36:58

Yeah, we actually like I because I got there pretty early, went up to the hotel, was kicking back in the room, and we had to meet I think downstairs at five or something to go and see Parliament or two or something, and then it was early, and then Malik put in the group chat and he was like, Who's here? Come downstairs, and I was like, should I? And I was like, Yeah, right. So we went down and there was a couple of us and we had like a mad yarn and that. And um yeah, bro, I was just like it was it was a spin act, and then I think the next night or the yeah, the next night we'll get the biggest charge in Sydney.

SPEAKER_00 37:31

Did you like do anything online pre or prior to going there? Like did no, you just didn't even like know who else was in there. Didn't even know who else.

SPEAKER_01 37:37

We got we got sent a handbook and you could read their stories. Oh yeah. So you'd read the story and be like, Matt, I can't wait to kind of talk to this person or network with that person. Yeah. Um but like Yeah, and then yeah, well it was origin on the Wednesday night.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

So um we just did we win at least?

SPEAKER_01 37:54

No, it was that game that um Swali. No, no, no, we were down like 24 nil at halftime. We started coming back, but then we didn't quite I think it was twenty six, twenty two or something, but we were blind, bruh. Like true. We went that was the second last time I drank. Yeah, um it was June last year, yeah. We went in we were in out at this bar with everyone, and then me, Malik, and old Dre cargo bar? Eden, nah, um me, Malik, and Dre, brah, we just backdoored it and just diced and went up uptown. King's Cross, huh? Nah, and um yeah, it was a bit rough the next morning, but they'll they'll go, they said you know, you can go out of Vizwant, but um we've got to be leaving at seven. You still gotta turn up.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Yeah, you gotta turn up and I think we we'll got we got back about two third or something. We turned up, but that's the main thing.

SPEAKER_01 38:42

It was good, bruh. It was mad actually. Um anything else you want to touch on?

SPEAKER_00 38:47

No, I just wanted to touch on um I've been doing some one-on-one mentoring with a few different young people um from around here and new and stuff like that. And um sometimes in and this is another thing as well, sometimes I stress myself out. I'm like, oh, I need to have this planned for the session and have that planned, and um, I've sort of went away from that. I think um there's no point planning. Well, there is uh certain aspects to plan, but um I think just being present is massive. Like just to be able to get young people away from screens out on country, like we just went to Caves Beach because I was like, bro, you've ever been like seen the caves at Caves Beach, and you know I can low, I don't know if you've been there in low tide, but on low tide, it goes out and you can walk through the caves and stuff and go at the other side, and he's like, This is mad, bro. He goes, Like, can we catch some crabs? I'm like, Yeah. So I was in there catching crabs, yeah. Um, but I think or crabs, yeah, inching myself. But um, no, I think it was just mad um for me as well, just to take I'm always on my phone doing different things, just to sort of reconnect back and just have those conversations. He's like, Oh, I've got a boomerang, can we bring it and throw it around? I said, Yeah. So he's like he was was telling me what what how he does it and stuff like that. But I think it was just so mad just to get out away from everything and just have like conversation. Yeah. Sort of what we're going back to is like these young people are so connected via their phones that they sort of forget it to have conversations. So that's it's weird how you sort of brought that up because that's what I was thinking about there yesterday. I'm like, there's nothing more um important in this day and age just than to be just to be present to hold a conversation.

SPEAKER_01 40:21

Right, I I do this from time to time, but I want to put a challenge out to our listeners, and if you want to um if you wanna like reach out and kind of say that I did it and explain how you did it, um, that'll be mad. But like go somewhere and just leave your phone in the car and just go for a walk somewhere busy, like shopping center, um, or like go anywhere and just not have your phone and not be near your phone and just see how you how you respond to that because it's hectic. Like when if you leave your phone in your car and you go for like a 5k walk, you kind of get um in there and you're like, Oh, if something should go south now, yeah, what am I gonna bruh like learn to think about what what people were like before that, and it just really makes you realise that like nah, or um well the thing about it, and this is why our society has gone so far away from um the things that we need, and we talk about instinct and trust in your gut. Like, for example, if I'm not on my phone and I'm walking, say, down Newcastle foreshore and I don't have my phone, and something happens, like say someone approaches me, yeah, like anything happens. The first thing I'm or or even when that's not happening, but if I see someone a little bit sus, I'm always aware of my surroundings. I'm like, sweet, I've got people over there that are safe or that need protecting, this person's a bit sus, water there, like you know what I mean. You're always kind of like aware of everything and then situation. Um whereas then like if you're on your phone, it's kind of like you either don't see it or you're kind of googling things or you're getting things to help you in that situation.

SPEAKER_00 41:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

Um even just like bruh, like if you walked, if you like people walk along there all the time, right? Um if you stop someone after their walk and said, You see that bloke up there in the red t-shirt? Like if you're a police officer and you needed someone, they'd say nah. Yeah, but like, do you know how how many times do you reckon that happens where they're looking for like a person of interest? Whereas back in the day, bra when there was like big cases, that'd always be like, Um, oh, like, you know, our our lead comes from someone that said that they just happen to see him. It's because they're so present in like what is around me. And um, I guess just doing that simple what can I smell, what can I see, what can I hear, like yeah, whatever you need to do. But that's the challenge. Go and do something and not have your phone. And I don't mean like, oh, it was in my pocket the whole time, but because you still have that safety net of it, yeah, of having access to it. But remove uh um, yeah, it's a it's good.

SPEAKER_00 42:42

Hey, so you're gonna have no phone for the whole day, I reckon.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

I'll just do it sometimes, eh? Like I'll just leave it and yeah, no, I've been think yeah, I've like I used to go for a walk um around my where I live and just leave my phone at home. Yeah. And even that was a bit dicey sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

And obviously it's different for different people as well. So if you don't feel safe to do it, yeah, don't do it. I know for me walking through the um shopping sound each I have had no east central height. Especially you go to Green Hills, but I see 40 different people I know. I hate it. Um and I feel like that's uh it's like forced conversation too, because you're like, oh, you know what I mean? It's like, oh, how you going? What are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 43:20

Right going back to what we were talking about before with like just sus or sketchy environments, one for me was um Fortitude Valley. True. I've never actually gone to a place where I've felt like because I've been um like I went I remember going and staying down in King's Cross a couple years ago, and obviously it's not like it used to be, but like I've worked in Mount Gerald as well, I've walked through there, like I've you know, um I've seen some of those environments, but I've never felt as unsafe anywhere as I was when I was just cruising through the valley. Yeah, we were on lime scooters, um, and just like I don't know, bruh, it was just different gravy. I was just like, I said the dealer, I said, bruh, I was like, just it's a Maggie gravy that. I was like, just watch your um like I was always just watching my back. Sure, there was just like groups of people and like young and like you at any moment they look like there could be fights breaking out, like yeah, it was interesting.

SPEAKER_00 44:15

Nah, she's wild up that way.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

That's us or what?

SPEAKER_00 44:18

That's us. That's episode 11. We're back now. Week hiatus, but we're back and we're looking to take over.

SPEAKER_01 44:27

Um before we go, I did want to um say that if you aren't doing like anything on Saturday, um, I know it's a bit far, but I know the boys um down there join that good collective company. Good company collector. Yeah, good company. Um they got it like a little um barbecue get together and a little walk at Norrahead Lighthouse at seven. So down the coast.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Uh shout out to them boys, they're doing hectic stuff down there, and it's so good to see um other black fellows, especially around our age, doing things in community, I think. I see that. It's refreshing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:56

That did that's us that's owed later.