Australia was the first country to make voting compulsory by law, with a fine for those who don’t show up. I often hear people from other countries saying that it’s a good thing, but I’m not so sure. The usual reasoning is that it forces people to take an interest in what goes on in… Continue reading Compulsory Voting
Category: Countries
Echidna
Echidnas are a rare sight even in Australia, partly because they’re so shy (and generally nocturnal) and partly because there are so few of them. I’d only seen one in my life before today and that was deep in the mountains of Tasmania in the middle of a 6 day walk. But today, an adult… Continue reading Echidna
Aussie Humour
I lost my sense of humour while I was in Japan. At first, it was just disappointing because the Japanese didn’t understand my precious Aussie humour, but then one particular girlfriend started getting angry whenever I joked. She saw the humour as either derogatory (when directed at others) or proud (when laughing at myself) and… Continue reading Aussie Humour
Wildlife
I wasn’t too late coming home from work today, but it was already dark. Twice on the walk along the bush track I was startled by a scuffling sound. When I flicked on my torch on each occasion, I was greeted by a possum with glowing yellow eyes. The profusion of nature, right into the… Continue reading Wildlife
Brusseling
It was Brusseling when I arrived in Belgium – that misty drizzle that never quite settles. I wondered if I’d have the same feeling about Belgium as did for France, but whether the animosity had been dissolved by the positive experiences I’d had there, or because there was so much more to my Belgian history… Continue reading Brusseling
Windsor Castle
I’ve been to London a few times and I’ve seen pretty much everything I want to see, done everything I want to do. In fact, London is the only part of England that I’ve ever seen. I really wanted to go for a walk through All Creatures Great and Small territory, crossing fields and climbing… Continue reading Windsor Castle
Closed bar
Merle tried the door of the bar we’d come to on our return to Tallinn. In the middle of the old town, it was a place closed to tourists. The door was clearly locked and there was no intercom. Merle pulled out a card and stuck it in a reader by the door. A click… Continue reading Closed bar
Estonian Sauna
Analie offered to show me how to use a real Estonian sauna. Merle and the boyfriend she’d come to Saaremaa to visit would take one privately later. I followed Analie into the main farmhouse to an area curtained off from the living room. She stripped off and headed into the shower room. In the name… Continue reading Estonian Sauna
Road Trip
After spending all weekend with a group of Estonian girls, I’ve decided that Estonian sounds like Dutch, with all the shaped vowels and plenty of k’s, but with an Italian rhythm. The girls were quite pleased with this description. Although they spent much of the weekend talking Estonian, they took the time to translate key… Continue reading Road Trip
Estonian Films
I went to the cinema last night to see ‘Sex and Death’, a collection of short films by Estonians. Merle warned me they’d be surreal, but I still wasn’t quite prepared. The first started with a young man selling ice creams in a street cart. When he didn’t sell enough, his boss said he had… Continue reading Estonian Films