Archery is the national sport of Bhutan, but that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to try it while I was living there. I’ve loved the stories of King Arthur, Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers since I first heard them decades ago so I have always wanted to try fencing and archery. I looked… Continue reading Archery
Tag: australia
Is Anywhere Free of Bullies?
Last week, Sydneysiders took a break from discussing the earthquake in Japan to share their opinions on a video of a schoolboy bullying incident in an Australian school. The video, taken on a mobile phone, showed a school boy being hit repeatedly in the face by a much smaller boy. At first the larger boy… Continue reading Is Anywhere Free of Bullies?
The Joy of Camping
I’ve been so busy with uni and Dragon Bones that I’d forgotten how much of a refuge the Australian bush has been for me. I was reminded last weekend when I went hiking with my brother. We’ve grown closer since he started travelling, but we haven’t spent much time together so he suggested a camping… Continue reading The Joy of Camping
Deserve to be Scorched
I almost made it through the summer without getting burnt. Either this summer was mild or I’m only just getting used to the weather again after 4 years. The house I’m living in faces west and traps the heat. For three summers I have cursed the 4 months of hot days and sleepless nights, but… Continue reading Deserve to be Scorched
Baker Rises to the Occasion
Once again, Australians have stunned me with generosity. I spent the weekend with 20 newly arrived AFS exchange students, 20 newly returned exchange students and 10 or so hopefuls. The purpose of these quarterly weekend camps is to prepare the kids for their time in a new culture and that means lots of sessions to… Continue reading Baker Rises to the Occasion
Aussie Attitude About-Face
After my recent post about loving the Aussie attitude to adversity, it seems that we’re in the middle of a major turn-around. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is driving a change in the culture in a way that may not be so small. Last year she promised to turn her government’s spending habits around and to… Continue reading Aussie Attitude About-Face
When It Rains It Pours
After a decade of drought (with rain appearing only for my return trips) Australia finally has water again – lots of it. Over the past few months large areas of Queensland have been under water. According to one local blogger, the submerged area is greater than France and Germany combined. In 12 hours of January… Continue reading When It Rains It Pours
Plans for the Old Swan Brewery
During the course on Aboriginal interests that I did over the last 6 months, I took particular interest in the conflict over plans for the old Swan Brewery in Perth. Edge of Empire: Postcolonialism and the City by Jane Jacobs was written in 1996 so the issue is long since resolved, but it could easily… Continue reading Plans for the Old Swan Brewery
Intervention
The more I learn about the NT intervention, the angrier I become. Last night I read The Emergency We Had To Have by Larissa Behrendt, the first chapter in Coercive Reconciliation: Stabilise, Normalise, Exit Aboriginal Australia. The book is a critical view of the intervention, written by experts in the weeks following its announcement. The… Continue reading Intervention
The Tall Man and Dragon Bones
Over the mid-semester break, we were asked to read The Tall Man in preparation for discussion on the treatment of Aborigines in the Australian judicial system. This book chronicles the investigation into the death of Cameron Doomadgee in the Palm Island police station and the subsequent trial of Senior Seargent Chris Hurley for physical violence… Continue reading The Tall Man and Dragon Bones