Latest news with #BenjaminLaw
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It's been interesting': The awkward questions Brooke Boney gets in England
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This week he talks to Brooke Boney. The Gamilaroi journalist, 38, has presented for Triple J, NITV, SBS, the ABC and Today, and is completing a master's in public policy at Oxford University. Her debut book, All of It, is a collection of essays. RELIGION Did you grow up with religion? It's a common misconception that all Aboriginal people are super-left or really progressive. There were always missionaries in Aboriginal communities, so in the country areas [Christian] religion is a big part of Aboriginality. My [maternal] grandparents believe in god; we weren't allowed to say any swear words, we weren't even allowed to say 'fart'. I used to go to church with my cousin and her nan and pop and they bought me a Bible, which I still have. The things we were taught about at Sunday school – about fairness, generosity and charity – are good principles. What do you tick now for 'Religion' on the census? Oh, I don't think I'd tick anything.
The Age
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘It's been interesting': The awkward questions Brooke Boney gets in England
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This week he talks to Brooke Boney. The Gamilaroi journalist, 38, has presented for Triple J, NITV, SBS, the ABC and Today, and is completing a master's in public policy at Oxford University. Her debut book, All of It, is a collection of essays. RELIGION Did you grow up with religion? It's a common misconception that all Aboriginal people are super-left or really progressive. There were always missionaries in Aboriginal communities, so in the country areas [Christian] religion is a big part of Aboriginality. My [maternal] grandparents believe in god; we weren't allowed to say any swear words, we weren't even allowed to say 'fart'. I used to go to church with my cousin and her nan and pop and they bought me a Bible, which I still have. The things we were taught about at Sunday school – about fairness, generosity and charity – are good principles. What do you tick now for 'Religion' on the census? Oh, I don't think I'd tick anything.
The Age
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘A thin line between badass and dumbass': How a mountain athlete stays alive
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This weeks he speaks to Jimmy Chin. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, athlete, photographer and author, 51, made the first US ski descent from the summit of Mount Everest in 2006. His book is There and Back. His films include Free Solo and Nyad. RELIGION Your parents are Chinese immigrants. Were you raised with religious beliefs or spiritual systems? No, not outside some Chinese traditional superstitions and beliefs. My parents sent me to a Catholic school – what they considered to be the best private school in the small town [Mankato, Minnesota] where I grew up. In college, I did a deep dive into Eastern religion and philosophy – particularly Buddhism and Taoism. I have a loose association with Buddhism, but I'm not a practising Buddhist. Is there a word that feels right for you nowadays? Agnostic? Atheist? Spiritual? Spiritual. I have a lot of spiritual experiences in the wildest places on the planet. You exude confidence. Do you ever doubt yourself? I often feel doubt about something, and I'm scared to do it, then I find I'm on the right path. My life has been fraught with doubt: doubt about the career that I've pursued; doubt about climbing another hundred metres up this giant mountain; doubt that we're going to make it down alive. People think, 'Oh, he's totally self-assured,' but there's a lot of risk in my line of work and you learn to kind of overcome the doubt. That's courage, I think. When people commit to a big dream, that's courage. There's nothing more vulnerable than having a big dream and then pursuing it. BODIES You ski, swim, climb and trek. Were you always this physically capable? I grew up swimming competitively. Swimming is one of those things where you really learn about your physical capacity. Swimming three hours in the morning, and three hours in the evening – that's six hours a day where you're constantly pushing yourself. Even a day off can put you back several days. So you really get to know your body and its limits. I also studied martial arts from about five or six and had my black belt in taekwondo by the time I was 12. You understand the discipline it requires to perform at an elite level from a very young age. So I had a really good physical and mental baseline to pursue any sport. That's not to say that I was talented in anything, but I understood what it took to become good at something. What's the most intense thing that you've physically had to endure? There's been a lot. Everything from skiing in the Tetons [in Wyoming, America] and rock-climbing in Maro [in Spain] to climbing and skiing on Mount Everest and climbing a new route in Antarctica.
Sydney Morning Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A thin line between badass and dumbass': How a mountain athlete stays alive
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This weeks he speaks to Jimmy Chin. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, athlete, photographer and author, 51, made the first US ski descent from the summit of Mount Everest in 2006. His book is There and Back. His films include Free Solo and Nyad. RELIGION Your parents are Chinese immigrants. Were you raised with religious beliefs or spiritual systems? No, not outside some Chinese traditional superstitions and beliefs. My parents sent me to a Catholic school – what they considered to be the best private school in the small town [Mankato, Minnesota] where I grew up. In college, I did a deep dive into Eastern religion and philosophy – particularly Buddhism and Taoism. I have a loose association with Buddhism, but I'm not a practising Buddhist. Is there a word that feels right for you nowadays? Agnostic? Atheist? Spiritual? Spiritual. I have a lot of spiritual experiences in the wildest places on the planet. You exude confidence. Do you ever doubt yourself? I often feel doubt about something, and I'm scared to do it, then I find I'm on the right path. My life has been fraught with doubt: doubt about the career that I've pursued; doubt about climbing another hundred metres up this giant mountain; doubt that we're going to make it down alive. People think, 'Oh, he's totally self-assured,' but there's a lot of risk in my line of work and you learn to kind of overcome the doubt. That's courage, I think. When people commit to a big dream, that's courage. There's nothing more vulnerable than having a big dream and then pursuing it. BODIES You ski, swim, climb and trek. Were you always this physically capable? I grew up swimming competitively. Swimming is one of those things where you really learn about your physical capacity. Swimming three hours in the morning, and three hours in the evening – that's six hours a day where you're constantly pushing yourself. Even a day off can put you back several days. So you really get to know your body and its limits. I also studied martial arts from about five or six and had my black belt in taekwondo by the time I was 12. You understand the discipline it requires to perform at an elite level from a very young age. So I had a really good physical and mental baseline to pursue any sport. That's not to say that I was talented in anything, but I understood what it took to become good at something. What's the most intense thing that you've physically had to endure? There's been a lot. Everything from skiing in the Tetons [in Wyoming, America] and rock-climbing in Maro [in Spain] to climbing and skiing on Mount Everest and climbing a new route in Antarctica.
The Age
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Former MasterChef favourite Marion Grasby's cooking commandments
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This week he talks to Marion Grasby. The former MasterChef Australia contestant, 42, is a businesswoman, TV presenter, cookbook author and founder of food company Marion's Kitchen. She has more than 853,000 followers on Instagram alone. SEX What initially attracted you to your husband and business partner, Tim? Food and wine. I was sent to work at the ABC in Adelaide as a cadet, and I didn't know anyone. One of my friends said, 'Oh, there's this guy there that we met once at a bar in Brisbane. Why don't you give him a call?' I was so desperate that I called him and said, 'You don't know me, but I have no friends. Could you help a girl out?' He was like, 'Sure, I'm having a dinner party tonight. We're going to drink a lot of wine, so make sure you get a taxi.' I wasn't very well-versed in wine at the time. For me, there was white and red. So I rocked up with two bottles of Yellowglen. He very politely put the wine aside, then produced a six-course tasting menu. And the rest is history. That's right. Except he never cooked anything again. So it was false advertising! What keeps you together? We've been running our companies for more than a decade now and we're not divorced, which is amazing. We work together every day and have two young children. What attracts me to him is how he operates in our companies: his integrity, the way he treats people, his business mind. But sometimes it's difficult because the kids will ask us, 'Well, who's the boss?' And what's your answer? I always say, 'I'm the boss!' And Charlie, my daughter, will say, 'But Daddy's the big boss.' I'm like, 'What do you mean?! I'm the big boss!' [ Laughs ] Any advice for other couples thinking of going into business together? Either you can do it or you can't. If you're both really strong-willed and not able to give ground, I don't think you've got any chance. You have to be really self-aware. Lead me through an ideal menu for a date night. Nothing too heavy. No one wants to be feeling like they need to undo a zipper … well, before you want to undo the zipper. So oysters, caviar, champagne. Then something a little spicy, like a really beautifully seared, crispy-skinned fish, but with chilli crisp oil and Sichuan peppercorn. Fresh but fiery, to get everything warm and tingly. And a really good dirty martini.
