The temperature at 4.00pm in Melbourne was 39.7 degrees. In Pakistan the temperature may have been about the same. For us it was a day to hit those wonderfully air-conditioned malls, or to stay inside with air con or fans. In Pakistan it was time to riot.
I chose to read about Benasir Bhutto in the weekend papers.
The media has cover almost everything about her life and death but I have yet to see any mention that the world has lost a remarkable woman in a country where women have next to no chance to be remarkable.
I believe she was one of the great women of our time. And I wonder if she has been a role model for young Pakistan women?
Did they look up to her and see a possible path for themselves even it was only to change the smallest thing in their lives? Is her sort of courage catching?
I also wonder if it's possible that she had no influence on the women of Pakistan. That they saw her, as a sort of god-like creature, that had no relevance to them or their lives.
Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for her murder. They also appear to have been behind the first attempt on her life when she arrived back from exile.
On both occasions al-Qaeda have killed, injured and maimed hundreds of other people. They have shattered the lives of their fellow country men and their fellow Moslems.
As I type this I understand that rioting is going on throughout the country, killing more people and further damaging lives and livelihoods. I also believe that a great many of the people killed will be men.
In Pakistan society the husbands and fathers are the breadwinners. They look after the families. What happens to the wives and children who are left? Who will feed them? Is this a chance for al-Qaeda to step in to make more converts?
How will these women view Benazir Bhutto? Will they take on her courage or will they blame her for their misfortunes?
I would like to think that we in the West would get some news of these people for they are the people most like us.
The question I keep asking is; what justification can there be for anyone or any cause to create so much havoc and misery to so many people?
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
St Kilda Beach Post Christmas
The shags were out in full force at St Kilda beach this morning.Most of them were fishing but these two were staring at the clean-up team and the early walkers and joggers.
The sand had been raked and carefully manicured but the beauty was marred somewhat by the piles of rubbish that were sitting around waiting to be collected. Collection is a major job. It is mind boggling to see the size of the piles. Some of it comes in on the tide but a lot of it has obviously been left by visitors to the beach.
This morning was a great time to be there. The air was still crisp but there was that magical tang that promises a hot day to follow.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Christmas Traditions
We had Christmas Dinner along side two enormous tomatoes plants. Had I realized how big they were and how they formed the background for dinner I might have decorated them with silver balls and coloured lights. As it was they were decorated with little round green tomatoes and the insignificant yellow flowers tomatoes produce.
It got me thinking about Christmas traditions. We hear about a ‘Traditional Christmas’ it has become as much of a catch phrase as ‘Working Families”. Both meaningless.
I come from a very small family. In such a family if the members aren’t available tradition falls by the wayside. There is also the fact that in a small family one person’s preference or vote carries a lot of weight. For example I am the only person who likes the traditional English Christmas pudding. There is no point in me sitting in solitary splendor at the Christmas table being watched as I eat it. I’m better to wait until after Christmas and indulge myself when the prices drop.
I have read about Christmases where people converge from near and far. They rush home laughing and smiling in expectation of mince pies, turkey, pork, cranberry sauce, apple sauce, sausage stuffing, Christmas pudding, brandy sauce, truffles etc etc. All this served up with goodwill and joyous reunions.
I remember a Christmas, when my son was young and not long before my father died, when we had Christmas lunch at my home. We sang some carols, mainly because my son had learned some at his church school. My father had a good light tenor and knew the words. My son sang along with him, very pleased to have brought something from school home and to find his Grandfather was up with it all. This could have become a tradition – a few carols with a glass of bubbly. It didn’t, because without my father there was no one to lead them.
Traditions can start with the simplest things. Last year it was cold and we ate inside and one guest volunteered to shell all the prawns. She very kindly and lovingly volunteered again this year. Now, that’s a tradition that I believe should become an unchangeable part of our Christmas !
I am grateful for all the wonderful Christmases I have had in Australia. I have learned a lot over the years and I believe Christmas is what you make of it with the resources available to you on the day.
We should let the spirit of love and contentment seep into us and leave us grateful and relaxed with whatever the day brings. With all this talk of traditions and the building-up of expectations that are often unrealistic the day can fall flat and leave a residue of disappointment and depression.
My recent Christmases have been full of love and happiness but next year – next year is unknown. I will be grateful for whatever comes my way. And I will remember Christmas 2007 as one of the good ones.
It got me thinking about Christmas traditions. We hear about a ‘Traditional Christmas’ it has become as much of a catch phrase as ‘Working Families”. Both meaningless.
I come from a very small family. In such a family if the members aren’t available tradition falls by the wayside. There is also the fact that in a small family one person’s preference or vote carries a lot of weight. For example I am the only person who likes the traditional English Christmas pudding. There is no point in me sitting in solitary splendor at the Christmas table being watched as I eat it. I’m better to wait until after Christmas and indulge myself when the prices drop.
I have read about Christmases where people converge from near and far. They rush home laughing and smiling in expectation of mince pies, turkey, pork, cranberry sauce, apple sauce, sausage stuffing, Christmas pudding, brandy sauce, truffles etc etc. All this served up with goodwill and joyous reunions.
I remember a Christmas, when my son was young and not long before my father died, when we had Christmas lunch at my home. We sang some carols, mainly because my son had learned some at his church school. My father had a good light tenor and knew the words. My son sang along with him, very pleased to have brought something from school home and to find his Grandfather was up with it all. This could have become a tradition – a few carols with a glass of bubbly. It didn’t, because without my father there was no one to lead them.
Traditions can start with the simplest things. Last year it was cold and we ate inside and one guest volunteered to shell all the prawns. She very kindly and lovingly volunteered again this year. Now, that’s a tradition that I believe should become an unchangeable part of our Christmas !
I am grateful for all the wonderful Christmases I have had in Australia. I have learned a lot over the years and I believe Christmas is what you make of it with the resources available to you on the day.
We should let the spirit of love and contentment seep into us and leave us grateful and relaxed with whatever the day brings. With all this talk of traditions and the building-up of expectations that are often unrealistic the day can fall flat and leave a residue of disappointment and depression.
My recent Christmases have been full of love and happiness but next year – next year is unknown. I will be grateful for whatever comes my way. And I will remember Christmas 2007 as one of the good ones.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Victoria Market - Christmas Eve
My family has developed a new Christmas ritual since we have lived in Australia. On Christmas Eve we turn up at the Victoria Market with a long list in our hand.
It’s an exciting time. Today we left home at 6.30am. The roads were quiet yet when we got to the market there was a queue to get into the car park and the traffic was at a stand-still. We whipped around the side of this queue and found a park nearby where we have parked every other year.
We hurried through merchandise area and saw one or two lone people beginning to open up. We noticed that we could buy a new barbecue brush. Cleaning the barbecue at our place is always a problem. I’d love to know how other people deal with this.
It’s exciting to enter the Food Hall and hear the stall holders shouting their wares. It’s always a joyous moment when we know that we have become part of a huge crowd all gathering goods to prepare for the same celebration.
Buying steaks and sausages is the easy part it’s fish that everyone wants.
The area was jammed with people and their shopping carts. We don’t take a shopping cart as it could only add to our struggle as we try desperately to check out the prawns and oysters. We saw a guy struggling with a large cart and an eskay on the top level. Today wasn’t hot enough for it to be useful.
I often wonder if the fish stall at the beginning of the Food Court is the best. We have never been able to see it. The buyers are about 10 deep and trying to wriggle through and see the merchandise is impossible. I am only there on Christmas Eve but I must go some other time to check-out this stall. My belief is the crowd gathers because it’s the first one they come to.
The fish purchased, we moved to the Delicatessen area where the crowd is thinner but increases where the bread is. We have bought some disasters here in the past and I think it is an expensive place to shop. This year we bought a Danish Blue cheese to add to the ones we already have.
The whole place abounds in good cheer. People smile, laugh, chat, remark on the size of the crowd and wish strangers Merry Christmas. They allow themselves to be served in the order they arrive rather than push ahead. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well here. But this is early; people are surging in as we leave. The atmosphere could get less tolerant and festive later in the day. We vow to be even earlier next year so we can get a really good look before we buy.
We were too early for the Spanish donuts. We ate them last year. We bought a wire brush for the barbecue and were home for N to go to work and me to get myself to the gym where my favourite instructor ( see my blog dated October 3rd) took the pump class.
He began by saying, “Gee it’s a long time since I did one of these but I know how it goes”, and grinned cheerfully at us as he cranked up the music.
I noticed the time table doesn’t have him down for another one so he’s not keen to come back to it.
It’s an exciting time. Today we left home at 6.30am. The roads were quiet yet when we got to the market there was a queue to get into the car park and the traffic was at a stand-still. We whipped around the side of this queue and found a park nearby where we have parked every other year.
We hurried through merchandise area and saw one or two lone people beginning to open up. We noticed that we could buy a new barbecue brush. Cleaning the barbecue at our place is always a problem. I’d love to know how other people deal with this.
It’s exciting to enter the Food Hall and hear the stall holders shouting their wares. It’s always a joyous moment when we know that we have become part of a huge crowd all gathering goods to prepare for the same celebration.
Buying steaks and sausages is the easy part it’s fish that everyone wants.
The area was jammed with people and their shopping carts. We don’t take a shopping cart as it could only add to our struggle as we try desperately to check out the prawns and oysters. We saw a guy struggling with a large cart and an eskay on the top level. Today wasn’t hot enough for it to be useful.
I often wonder if the fish stall at the beginning of the Food Court is the best. We have never been able to see it. The buyers are about 10 deep and trying to wriggle through and see the merchandise is impossible. I am only there on Christmas Eve but I must go some other time to check-out this stall. My belief is the crowd gathers because it’s the first one they come to.
The fish purchased, we moved to the Delicatessen area where the crowd is thinner but increases where the bread is. We have bought some disasters here in the past and I think it is an expensive place to shop. This year we bought a Danish Blue cheese to add to the ones we already have.
The whole place abounds in good cheer. People smile, laugh, chat, remark on the size of the crowd and wish strangers Merry Christmas. They allow themselves to be served in the order they arrive rather than push ahead. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well here. But this is early; people are surging in as we leave. The atmosphere could get less tolerant and festive later in the day. We vow to be even earlier next year so we can get a really good look before we buy.
We were too early for the Spanish donuts. We ate them last year. We bought a wire brush for the barbecue and were home for N to go to work and me to get myself to the gym where my favourite instructor ( see my blog dated October 3rd) took the pump class.
He began by saying, “Gee it’s a long time since I did one of these but I know how it goes”, and grinned cheerfully at us as he cranked up the music.
I noticed the time table doesn’t have him down for another one so he’s not keen to come back to it.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Best Dog Blog
I have set up my new blog DOGS OF MELBOURNE and posted my first post. Check it out. http://dogsofmelbourne.blogspot.com/
This is a blog for all animal lovers and especially dog lovers. It’s what I call a chance to get a ‘DOG FIX’
I want to recognize the dogs of Melbourne and the way they weave in with the city life.
When I arrived here I felt this was a city of dogs. Everywhere I went the dogs were part of the life. They took their owners to the gym, to the markets, out to coffee and meals. They walked in companionship with their owners. Sometimes they took the city air from the top of a shopping cart and sometime accompanied disabled people in their chairs displaying a bond and loyalty that brought me close to tears.
Owners stood in packs in parks chatting , bonding and watching their canine friends romped and play. A colleague at my first job here told me how her dog-exercising-group had arranged a pre-Christmas dinner together. Sadly, the dogs that brought them together would stay at home.
On another occasion one of the dogs had a birthday and brought treats for the park group of canines to scoff down in celebration of the event.
I had lived with two dogs( see the picture) the last one, Goldie, (centre) had died just before my move to Melbourne. The part the dogs play in everydat life here in Melbourne was new to me. I lapped it up and reported it to a friend in my home town who was grieving for a much loved Labrador. She asked me to take photos of the dogs I saw. I panned to but I got a job and Life took over. I believe now is the time. I am still in need of what I call a ‘dog-fix’ as my current circumstance doesn’t allow for a dog. My blog is photos and some writing..............
The photos are not portraits. The intent is to capture the dogs as they go about their lives.
Please tell me what you need for a fix and anything else you would like to suggest. This blog is to share my love for the dogs and the people in Melbourne.
http://dogsofmelbourne.blogspot.com/
I will continue with this blog which is a sort of magazine of my life – I enjoy doing it.
ONCE
ONCE
I saw this film in NZ. I had seen the shorts here but a quick look at the paper suggests that it has yet to be shown in Melbourne. I may be wrong and it may have come and gone.
Wellington has three movie theatres under the Lighthouse banner –They are small, intimate and have couches rather than chairs. You can take in food and drink and the idea is to relax and enjoy. There is one out of Wellington at the Pauatahanui Inlet. It is hard to know how it could be a going concern in such an out of the way place and I look forward to seeing if it is still there on my next visit. It is to be hoped the locals turn out for all the showings.
It is next to Rushes Restaurant and also has a café attached. So food and a movie work well. There’s a nice atmosphere in the theatre complex.
Two old friends and I lunched at Rushes then popped in next door to see ONCE. We took the back row and sank into a comfy pink couch. This still means that we were closer to screen than I like to be - it's a very small space.
The story is simple. It opens with a busker singing his heart out on the streets of Dublin. Glen Hansard, the busker is the lead singer of an Irish group called Frames.
Glen as the busker sings other people’s songs during the day for money and his own in the evening for his pleasure. Marketa Irglova, plays a Czech immigrant who is drawn to Glen’s original material.
It is a fascinating movie of two people drawn to each other and who endeavour to make music – a demo disc.
There were some lovely parts and some quirks. It is heart warming watching them put together the beautiful song “Falling slowly”. The words for this are on the marketing flier at the cinema. There is comedy where she is following him with a vacuum cleaner flowing behind her behind as if she was taking a dog for a walk. Just a few of the moments that keep coming back.
The film is quirky. For one thing the two main characters don’t have names. It was only afterwards, when we were discussing it that I realized this. They are referred to as the guy and the girl.
You could say it was a little movie, filmed with a hand held camera and I gather on the smallest of budgets. It is even more impressive because of this. I like the way it ends. They both face the reality of their lives and move on in a very practical and probably mundane way. Then that’s what a lot of life is about.
I didn’t know of Glen Hansard before this and I wonder if the music itself would mean more if you were familiar with his style. I wasn’t drawn to it enough to get the CD.
Try to see it even if you need to wait for the DVD.
I saw this film in NZ. I had seen the shorts here but a quick look at the paper suggests that it has yet to be shown in Melbourne. I may be wrong and it may have come and gone.
Wellington has three movie theatres under the Lighthouse banner –They are small, intimate and have couches rather than chairs. You can take in food and drink and the idea is to relax and enjoy. There is one out of Wellington at the Pauatahanui Inlet. It is hard to know how it could be a going concern in such an out of the way place and I look forward to seeing if it is still there on my next visit. It is to be hoped the locals turn out for all the showings.
It is next to Rushes Restaurant and also has a café attached. So food and a movie work well. There’s a nice atmosphere in the theatre complex.
Two old friends and I lunched at Rushes then popped in next door to see ONCE. We took the back row and sank into a comfy pink couch. This still means that we were closer to screen than I like to be - it's a very small space.
The story is simple. It opens with a busker singing his heart out on the streets of Dublin. Glen Hansard, the busker is the lead singer of an Irish group called Frames.
Glen as the busker sings other people’s songs during the day for money and his own in the evening for his pleasure. Marketa Irglova, plays a Czech immigrant who is drawn to Glen’s original material.
It is a fascinating movie of two people drawn to each other and who endeavour to make music – a demo disc.
There were some lovely parts and some quirks. It is heart warming watching them put together the beautiful song “Falling slowly”. The words for this are on the marketing flier at the cinema. There is comedy where she is following him with a vacuum cleaner flowing behind her behind as if she was taking a dog for a walk. Just a few of the moments that keep coming back.
The film is quirky. For one thing the two main characters don’t have names. It was only afterwards, when we were discussing it that I realized this. They are referred to as the guy and the girl.
You could say it was a little movie, filmed with a hand held camera and I gather on the smallest of budgets. It is even more impressive because of this. I like the way it ends. They both face the reality of their lives and move on in a very practical and probably mundane way. Then that’s what a lot of life is about.
I didn’t know of Glen Hansard before this and I wonder if the music itself would mean more if you were familiar with his style. I wasn’t drawn to it enough to get the CD.
Try to see it even if you need to wait for the DVD.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
New Zealand and home
Melbourne has embraced me again. This evening I sat outside in the warm balmy air with a lone cricket chirping away.
It had been almost a year since I was last in NZ and I thought my first impression on arriving could be interesting – given the time lag. However Wellington was the same – completely familiar and I fitted back like a foot into a worn and out of shape slipper.
The only remarkable thing about this trip was the weather. It was fine and windless.
The lack of wind made people uncomfortable. One of my mother’s careers announced, “Something is going to happen. It is all too still! It’s very weird and you can tell it’s not natural. Something will happen. I can just feel it.” Nothing happened while I was there except everyone smiled and was more friendly than usual. The weather was warm and hazy for days and I agree ‘weird for Wellington”.
I have posted photos of the Raumati Beach where I walked in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. The first photo is of the early morning. The horse appeared lame and the handler spoke soothingly as they wandered along. The photo with the dog and the one with two oyster catchers fosssicking about for food is late evening. The haze over the sun took colour from the sea and the evening was as silvery as the morning.
The one change I did notice was the number and the variety of birds. The locals put this down to the Karori Sanctuary (http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/). Even if the sanctuary is miles from where they live they still believe it has a positive influence on the birds around their homes. In Wellington itself a sighting of a tui, a native bird, is now common. Once seeing a tui was remarked upon. The birds are especially loved by NZers. Check out the photos on these sites. (http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Oceania/New_Zealand/photo143709.htm) (http://www.birdingnz.co.nz/directory.php?op=17)
It had been almost a year since I was last in NZ and I thought my first impression on arriving could be interesting – given the time lag. However Wellington was the same – completely familiar and I fitted back like a foot into a worn and out of shape slipper.
The only remarkable thing about this trip was the weather. It was fine and windless.
The lack of wind made people uncomfortable. One of my mother’s careers announced, “Something is going to happen. It is all too still! It’s very weird and you can tell it’s not natural. Something will happen. I can just feel it.” Nothing happened while I was there except everyone smiled and was more friendly than usual. The weather was warm and hazy for days and I agree ‘weird for Wellington”.
I have posted photos of the Raumati Beach where I walked in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. The first photo is of the early morning. The horse appeared lame and the handler spoke soothingly as they wandered along. The photo with the dog and the one with two oyster catchers fosssicking about for food is late evening. The haze over the sun took colour from the sea and the evening was as silvery as the morning.
The one change I did notice was the number and the variety of birds. The locals put this down to the Karori Sanctuary (http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/). Even if the sanctuary is miles from where they live they still believe it has a positive influence on the birds around their homes. In Wellington itself a sighting of a tui, a native bird, is now common. Once seeing a tui was remarked upon. The birds are especially loved by NZers. Check out the photos on these sites. (http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Oceania/New_Zealand/photo143709.htm) (http://www.birdingnz.co.nz/directory.php?op=17)
Now the birds are in everyone’s gardens.
The ‘sweet sound of bird song’ is very much part of everyday life in Wellington. This is a change from my back yard here in Melbourne, where the soft cooing of the pigeons and the raucous sound of the crows and the rosellas indicate that birds are around. The rosellas are prettier than anything you will find in Wellington.
It’s always good to be home.
The ‘sweet sound of bird song’ is very much part of everyday life in Wellington. This is a change from my back yard here in Melbourne, where the soft cooing of the pigeons and the raucous sound of the crows and the rosellas indicate that birds are around. The rosellas are prettier than anything you will find in Wellington.
It’s always good to be home.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Raumati NZ
I've been at Raumati Beach, New Zealand, with my mother for a week now. A time of sparkling weather, very slow progress as my mother moves around, old friends and numerous jobs.
I have hired a Daihatsu Sirion in a beautiful gold colour. The little car purrs around the streets and it is just the car for my mother to struggle into. Fairly high with a very wide opening door on the passenger side. I recommend it.
Internet access isn't easy here - I haven't found any Internet Cafes. I discovered that the local library has a couple of computers available and this one at Computer Solutions in Margaret Road, Raumati Beach.
I opened up to find hundreds of e-mails. Christmas is the time for advertising!!
There is nothing like a few hours with old friends to feel I have never been away. Sadly two of them had money in Bridge Corp Finance that has collasped. They are with 18,000 other people who are changing their dreams and their lives to cope with the lose of the Money. They are the little investors. The question they are asking is how the lives of the Directors are going to change. At the moment there is no answer to that.
I have learned that a number of NZ finance companies have gone to the wall over the last year leaving investors with nothing.
This doesn't make me proud to be an NZer and it also takes away any trust we may have in having our money looked after for us - where should any of us put our money??
Thank's Anonymous for your comments on the corks and Kingston Estate wines. I'll take your advice and try something from the range again. I now have a reliable cork screw.
I'm returning to NZ next week.
I have hired a Daihatsu Sirion in a beautiful gold colour. The little car purrs around the streets and it is just the car for my mother to struggle into. Fairly high with a very wide opening door on the passenger side. I recommend it.
Internet access isn't easy here - I haven't found any Internet Cafes. I discovered that the local library has a couple of computers available and this one at Computer Solutions in Margaret Road, Raumati Beach.
I opened up to find hundreds of e-mails. Christmas is the time for advertising!!
There is nothing like a few hours with old friends to feel I have never been away. Sadly two of them had money in Bridge Corp Finance that has collasped. They are with 18,000 other people who are changing their dreams and their lives to cope with the lose of the Money. They are the little investors. The question they are asking is how the lives of the Directors are going to change. At the moment there is no answer to that.
I have learned that a number of NZ finance companies have gone to the wall over the last year leaving investors with nothing.
This doesn't make me proud to be an NZer and it also takes away any trust we may have in having our money looked after for us - where should any of us put our money??
Thank's Anonymous for your comments on the corks and Kingston Estate wines. I'll take your advice and try something from the range again. I now have a reliable cork screw.
I'm returning to NZ next week.
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