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
Category: Countries
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
Bhutanese Repatriated
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about Bhutanese/Nepali refugees settling into new homes. It’s news I’ve waited years to hear, but that’s short compared to the time these people have waited to feel welcome somewhere. While I’m always sympathetic to the plight of refugees, I generally don’t think that them fleeing, or repatriating them, is… Continue reading Bhutanese Repatriated
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?
Go Back To Where You Came From
When Dr David Corlett appeared on Go Back To Where You Came From and began using the reality show voice, I realised that the show would be sensational rather than true. That expectation was justified in the first episode when the participants were put on a sinking boat. From the comfort of my sofa it… Continue reading Go Back To Where You Came From
Science of Happiness
Only months before I moved to Bhutan I was introduced to the country by an article that gushed about Gross National Happiness, a concept created by the Bhutanese king in 1972 to guide development. Rather than measuring economic growth, Bhutan aimed for happiness through the four pillars — natural environment, good governance, cultural values and… Continue reading Science of Happiness