Bloody Idiots

Time: 0645.
Place: Study at home.
Activity: Checking news on-line.

All seems innocent enough until I read the Toowoomba Chronicle for the day. Well, we have a crisis in South East Queensland and eastern Australia in general. It's called a drought, some say the worst ever recorded, but it is terrible and not getting better. A few months ago Toowoomba had a referendum on whether or not to add recycled treated sewage water into the dams to supplement what little there is left, to be used as drinking water. Well, the debate ebbed and flowed, and finally Toowoomba voted NO. This cost the government $450 000 to hold. It has come to pass that the State Government has now decreed that there will be no further voting and that recycled water WILL go ahead across the state.

Now, an ex Toowoomba mayor (aged 74) has been quoted as saying that we'll lose the Japanese beef export market if we clean their beef with this water. Water, mind you, that will not only meet but exceed UN health standards for drinking water. Here's my email to the Chronicle this morning:

As a former long term resident of Toowoomba, I find it disturbing to find a former mayor quoted in the media ad nauseum about his antipathy regarding the necessary implementation of water recycling in South East Queensland. The latest quote regarding Japanese market beef being washed in this ‘stuff’ is about as mature as his comments at the time of the introduction to Toowoomba of roundabouts, where he is quoted as considering Toowoomba motorists incapable of negotiating them. Adelaide has drunk recycled water from various communities up river on the Murray Darling for decades – no illness. Where does he think Adelaide gets its water from? The SkyLab astronauts survive for a year or more on recycled water. Does Mr Berghoffer and his ilk think for one moment this government/council/society will for one minute allow its citizens to be deliberately poisoned by this action? The answer is a resounding ‘NO’. To the sceptics I say use your tank water and allow the rest of us to progress at this period of dire supply.

I felt much better after that. I notice this evening that the Chronicle has taken off its article about the recycled water along with the former mayor's comments. I wonder if they'll publish it tomorrow?

Managing Mayhem

No, this isn't about the evacuation of the Sydney domestic Terminal 2 on Sunday after some twit ran through the x ray equipment and wasn't apparently caught (how is that possible?), no, it's about trying to coordinate visits to 4 schools and six sets of teachers and no end of children. Did I mention it was 35 C today? Anyway, at the end of the day it seemed like things were starting to come together, but I just know that tomorrow there'll have to be changes made again, and the day after, but at least it's a start.

Two of my new children arrived last week from Iraq. The mother has five children, the father kidnapped, whereabouts unknown. She has to start a new life with a little support but no extended family. I know how hard it was for mine starting a new life here 42 years ago, and we spoke English and had a little money. I came home to a wonderful partner, a new home, cool air conditioning, juggling our two cars and a motor bike for space in the garage and driveway. For a while this afternoon I fully appreciated how blessed I am in this world. I know I soon forget and whinge about this and that, but for a while I reflected on my good fortune. I meet the two children tomorrow morning.

Back to work...

This week it was back to work for me. New schools to get used to, new routines, new staff, new children. Tuesday did see Rene and I squeeze in lunch with friends at a cafe at the Manly Yacht Club here in Brisbane. In addition on Tuesday night, whilst at a trivia night at a pub in Spring Hill, I received a call to see if I wanted some last minute work doing orientation lessons with Korean students just off the plane. I said yes and saw myself 18 hours later in a hot hall at a youth camp just 25km from home addressing thirty-three 9-16 year olds. I got paid well, including travel time, for two days. I just did 2x90 minute sessions, but it was exhausting work. Lovely kids. I spent one session on Australian life and the next day on Australian schools. These children are staying with families in Brisbane and attending local schools for 4 weeks. Good prospects of much more to come in this direction too. I like the Korean connection seeing as though I have two Korean nieces. I may be even contemplating a trip to Korea as a sort of cultural education journey. I need to know more about them and their schools/homes to make my presentations more effective.

Had to laugh though. I mentioned Guus Hiddink, the Dutch football coach who guided Australia so well in the last World Cup. Of course he is a god in Korea from the previous World Cup and the smiles his name elicited was exciting for me. One boy even stood up and showed the T shirt he was wearing proudly stating 'General Guss Hiddink' on the front.

Medical Costs

WARNING - THE FOLLOWING IS A WHINGE FROM THE OWNER OF A VERY SORE LEG. BLAME IT ON THE DRUGS HE'S ON OR HIS POMMIE ANCESTRY OR BOTH.

This thigh/leg/muscle thing that's been happening lately has improved, but on occasions it has brought me to tears. Anyway, my doctor suggested having a CT Scan done and x rays, which has proved that there is nothing wrong more than inflammation of the L3 area and resulting pressure on nerves etc. Good news. Bad news....it cost $425 for the tests, and I get back just $265. Now if I was a patient in hospital it would cost nothing, all free (or covered) but I have been forking out money left, right and centre for a couple of weeks now and even with the best private health insurance it STILL costs you a lot of money. (The picture was taken by Rene at Sydney Airport on our way home. I was glad to be getting back to familiar territory. I intend going back to Sydney before not too long to do all the things I never got to do this trip).

Sydney Trip

Well, our four days in Sydney were a bit of a disaster. My leg didn't get better, I was in a great deal of discomfort and found walking difficult. The weather was glorious, we did get to Manly and walk on the beach. Flew Qantas down and Virgin Blue back, have to rate the Virgin Blue experience the better of the two (I think there's more leg room), but we are enormously fortunate to have two very excellent domestic airlines. Our hotel was fine, nicely located near Darling Harbour and China Town. First room was not perfect, complained, were moved the next day for two more nights into a very much better one bedroom apartment. It was like 34 on the Sunday afternoon so we saw Babel at the cinemas nearby. Engrossing film. Don't miss it.

Happy Australia Day 2007

Yesterday was January 26, Australia Day. Rene and I decided to have a calm day but invite friends over for a BBQ and drinks around 5pm. We had a wonderful night, lots of drinking and eating as well as excited chatting. Not one picture of the event. Sorry.

Up, up and away....

My lovely cousin Jane, from Oxford University, is at present in the Philippines doing work related stuff. Good on her! Me? Well, I'm off tomorrow with Rene for 4 days in Sydney. Not quite as romantic, but just down the road (well, just over an hour by plane). Meanwhile my sore thigh (muscle) hasn't recovered so I went this afternoon for another check up at the doctors and left with a script for pain killers. Hopefully, I'll be able to do some things in Sydney. The Sydney Festival is on http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/ so I'd like to get out and about a bit. I'm taking the wireless laptop and a good book, so if I have to rest up, I can do it in comfort with enough to occupy me. I think the drugs are working though, I'm much more optimistic.

Wills....not altogether a nice topic but an important one. As Rene and I get more entangled in property and other commitments its been necessary to revise my will and also for Rene to get one drawn up for the first time. A successful visit to a solicitor who specialises in same sex couples has left me feeling very positive about the security of our future. Even down to who has the right to turn off life support machines etc, permission for surgery, pensions kept in Holland, superannuation here in Queensland. It all has to be faced, and we took the first steps today. A good move all round.

The advent of LCCs (low cost carriers) has meant one-way tickets for flights at very reasonable prices. Tomorrow we fly Qantas, but our return on Sunday is by Virgin Blue, not because of price but timetable (and similar cost). I still remember one flight in 2003 from London Stanstead to Holland for GBP0 plus taxes. Just the tax. One flight I booked I never even bothered taking because my circumstances changed, the cost was nothing much at all. Yet the cost of getting to and from the airport is often more than the ticket. Go figure!

The Brisbane Airport Corporation is run by Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport and is currently Australia's #3 airport but #2 for overseas flights. http://www.bne.com.au/content/home.asp A new parallel runway is to be built to extend capacity. It already has a shopping outlet complex (125 stores) on site and a proposed hotel to be built plus extensions to both the domestic and international terminals.

When I post again there'll hopefully be some Sydney pictures. Until then, have a great remainder of your week.

Ooh the pain!

I'd love to tell you my leg is getting better fast but it isn't. To top it all off this morning my computer tells me for the umpteenth time to update to Version 7 of XP. Foolishly I do. Lo and behold after it's all over my previous email icon at the top is missing, can't be found. Poor Rene is working opposite me and gets really pissed off at me after I thump the table in frustration at not being able to resurrect this button so I can at least read my mail. I loathe Big Brother (whether it's Gates or anyone/thing else). My leg gave me grief again last night, but it is getting better, just not fast enough.

My brother Steve and his wife Adele came over yesterday for cards, dinner and a board game. Very successful night. Adele brought a 1.5L bottle of cab sav from a wine tasting we'd been to a few weeks ago, all gone (and I only had one glass). Nice drop (Taylor's, Clare Valley SA).

I hope you checked out Baghdad Burning, the blog by an Iraqi woman living with the hell of the present. I heartily recommend another, this time an American Republican voter's blog called http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/ . The beauty of blogs of some age and maturity is that you can see the evolution of thought from several years ago to the present.

Today at 2 we welcome Rebecca from Toowoomba, a former colleague of mine from last year at Toowoomba South State School. We couldn't make her birthday soiree last Friday because of my leg, so she's coming down for the night and we'll make up for time lost.

Presently my thoughts go towards Thursday when we fly off to Sydney for four days. I hope my leg will be sufficiently recovered to not inhibit me in any extreme way. Now, where did I put those drugs?...

Recent Films...

Recent viewings in Brisbane; Casino Royale, terrific scenery, action, too long, not my favourite genre, twice thought it was ending, disappointed when it didn't,3/5. We saw Borat with our Dutch visitor Han. We all loved it, a must-see in my book. 4/5 for sheer guts and originality, let alone balls. The Queen, fascinating, Helen Mirren, who attended my mother's school (St Bernard's, Southend on Sea), brilliant; Rene, (anti monarchist) irritated beyond words, I loved the whole thing, 4/5. Mrs Palfrey at the Clairmont was delightful, nice way to pass and hour or two. Another film Rene didn't want to see (not his genre). I loved it, but why do the old characters in these films always end up dying? Kay and I saw this in a suburban cinema in Graceville and the film was interrupted by horny possums racing across the tin roof - most amusing. 3/5. Volver, always love Spanish film, engrossing, 4.5/5. Saw it at the new Dendy Portside, a 5 screen complex at the new cruise terminal near us. Marvellous movie. Can't believe Penelope Cruz wore a prosthetic arse to make her figure more provincial Spanish. Little Miss Sunshine - laughed like a drain, scene with cop pulled up on freeway had me in stitches, Toni Collete of course shone along with Alan Arkin; Prarie Home Companion was delightful, American friends filled me in on the show before hand (it helped), was enthralled all the way through, 4/5; Devil Wears Prada had me fascinated from opening five minutes, loved it, Rene not too impressed, I gave it 3.5/5. Finally, for now, Marie Antionette, a sorry excuse for the expenditure of millions. I know the story, been to Versailles twice, especially her little farm set way back in the grounds (no reference to it at all in the film except using it for locations), all in all a shallow, glossy film of splendid locales but zero depth. 2/5. Rene was right in not bothering to see it. Yet to see Babel, coming next week on my schedule. Oh, Happy Feet also, co written by a lady from my city here in Queensland. Looks great on the large screen. At least there are some films still being made in Australia.

Bankcard RIP

Another link with the past died on New Year's Eve. Here in Australia the country's first ever credit card ceased to be able to be used. Bankcard has gone the way of the dodo. Now I didn't realise it until I saw a sign on a cash register in a business the other day. It began in 1974 as our first national card shared by all financial institutions. It had over a million users and 47 000 merchants accepting it within two years. Anyway, it has declined over time, each financial institution having its own cards (usually linked to MC and/or VISA). I cut mine up before heading overseas in 2003. I must have been one of the longest users of it in the country then. Anyway, Bankcard RIP.

Friday January 12

This photo is from the jungle in Costa Rica two years ago. It was a real adventure, and totally different from any vacation I'd taken before. Here at Casa Corcorvado, down in the Pacific south close to the Panama border, the only way to get there was by light plane then transferring to small boats to journey down the river, past crocodiles and snakes, out to sea then arrive at the jungle resort by beaching the boats. Cool stuff. What with the stunning monkeys and birds, plus other wildlife, it certainly was a memorable place.

Today, though, I find myself laid up a bit with a spasming right thigh that kept me awake half the night. Been to the doctor and hopefully what with a few drugs and a visit tomorrow to my new chiropractor I should be fine for our Sydney visit next week. I cancelled a trip to Toowoomba for a birthday party tonight because it is just too uncomfortable sitting or lying at present, but it'll be better soon.

Rene and I had a delightful dinner on Wednesday night for a friend's 50th, delicious food and good company. Last night we had dinner and played cards and a game at friends in Lota down on the Bay. Another fun afternoon and evening. Our social calendar is full from tomorrow until Sunday week. Just love it!

Australia is swamped lately by cricket and tennis. I'm sort of casually interested but fail to follow either religiously. Yes I know the Poms were slaughtered in the Ashes Series. I have a delightfully wicked joke about a child and his English cricketing father, but I'm a bit tame here at present shocking too many people, so suffice to say it'll remain for your edification only if you write to me at owen.langdale@gmail.com I'll send you the couple of jokes I have.

I posted on another forum something about the present situation in Iraq and got flamed by all the members of the Right, so I won't reitterate the topic here but I do remember being in a crowd of over 100 000 marching in March 2003 to stop even going to war. If I'm correct a million marched that same weekend in London, and of course many more in other cities. The current situation was forecast way back then, but still little heed was taken. We always have people saying "oh, with the benefit of hindsight"etc etc but we HAD hindsight, and it was called Vietnam (plus countless others). They mention in the media 3000 American troops killed so far, but never is a word said about the tens of thousands of troops wounded or maimed, let alone psychologically scarred for life - with its on going cost to society. I haven't forgotten the civilian toll in what is now a civil war.

I recommend reading 'Baghdad Burning', a blog by an Iraqi woman living day to day in Iraq. It was nominated for the Samuel Johnson literary prize in London for non fiction. Her blog has already won the best Middle East/Africa blog for 2006. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Well, enough, my thigh is paining a bit now, time to lie down. Have a wonderful weekend.

Welcome to my world...

Hans, Rene, Kay and Aurea at breakfast on New Year's Day 2007. A bit worse for wear, but OK. Notice the plates being used :)

Hello and welcome to my new blog. I'm not sure where it is heading but I'll give it a go and see what happens. The title comes from the lady of 'Keeping Up Appearances' fame, Mrs Bucket. She uses tableware for daytime called 'Eternal Beau', and to my surprise a few years ago I discovered that was the same pattern as I used every day. So in a world of bloggers trying to look for a catchy title, I hit upon this one.

Tonight Rene and I are off to a 50th birthday party at an Italian restaurant in New Farm, here in Brisbane. Friday we're off to Toowoomba for a cocktails and canapes 'do' and next week we're off to Sydney for four days - a last minute thing we decided this morning. It's not all that long before I'm back at work again. Rene is working on Module 6 of his study and it appears to be progressing well.

Those of you familiar with the Kolonista or Settler (I think it has German origins) board game will be pleased to know our Dutch version of the game gets another outing this Sunday when my brother and sister in law visit for dinner and hopefully a thorough beating at the game.

We're still waiting for true summer to arrive here in Brisbane. A day or two in the late 20's, but mainly mid 20's, very unusual for this time of the year. My Dutch and American friends tell me their weather is all mixed up too, so whilst I'm not sure we are experiencing global warming or whatever, but we are definitely in record breaking drought.