I recently saw a sign in my neighbourhood that said ‘The path is there to share,’ with pictures of both a pedestrian and a bicycle. I’m not sure when this changed, but it certainly wasn’t the case in the Sutherland Shire in my school days. I know because I was ticketed for riding on the… Continue reading The Path Is There To Share
Category: Australasia
The Good Samaritans
I didn’t see what befell the old man, but he’s being helped off the highway crossing by two others as I walk around the corner. He doesn’t appear to know his helpers and doesn’t acknowledge either. As soon as he reaches the curb, he grabs hold of a railing and tries to support himself. I… Continue reading The Good Samaritans
Cultural Ritual Protocol
I was dismayed to see that the French rugby team were fined for their response to the Haka at the World Cup Grand Final. Apparently there is a 10 meter exclusion zone for the ‘cultural ritual.’ This isn’t the first time that a team opposing the Kiwis has been challenged for responding inappropriately. I can… Continue reading Cultural Ritual Protocol
Ticket Gate Tailgating
Recently, a few people I know have expressed their irritation at tailgaters at train stations. These people get through the ticket gates without paying for access by closely following a paying customer through the gate to confuse the sensor. Tailgaters don’t contribute to the public transport system in terms of either money or statistics. I… Continue reading Ticket Gate Tailgating
Australians Against Change
During the week I joined a strata meeting for everyone who owns flats in my new building. The main reason for the meeting was to approve a change to the strata by-laws that excluded the entirety of one flat from the ‘common area’ of the building. The owner had decided to redo the bathroom and… Continue reading Australians Against Change
Cycling in Sydney
I thought that when I moved to my new flat I’d get out on my bike more. I’ve cycled most of my life, but where I used to live, there was large hill I had to conquer before I could go anywhere else and it was enough to put me off. I still took the… Continue reading Cycling in Sydney
A Day At The Airport
One person’s belief is another person’s superstition. This became clear during one of my classes for my anthropology degree. I’ve never been one to avoid black cats or walking under ladders. I do have a tendency to avoid cracks in the pavement, but that’s more a mild OCD than superstition. It’s been very difficult to… Continue reading A Day At The Airport
Census Night
There’s a lot of excitement in Australia at the moment over tonight’s census. Many fear that our growing Muslim population will cause the government to cater overly to their religion and culture. I’ve seen a number of posts on facebook urging non-Muslims to declare themselves as Christian rather than entering a joke answer. I can… Continue reading Census Night
Banning Plastic Bags in Canberra
A ban on plastic shopping bags is being phased in from this month in the ACT. My first thoughts on hearing the news was of a similar ban in Bhutan when I was there in 2005. They’d previously tried in 1999 and have apparently tried again in 2007. The ban had failed in Bhutan because,… Continue reading Banning Plastic Bags in Canberra
Do We Really Want Cleaner Air?
The government’s ratings are plummeting after the announcement of the new carbon tax in Australia. The tax, chosen from among the models already in use around the world, will be applied to the 500 biggest polluters in Australia to encourage them to find greener alternatives to their current processes. It seems strange to me that… Continue reading Do We Really Want Cleaner Air?