http://www.imagesaustralia.com/mycountry.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Mackellar
Are Australians brainwashed to be stoic?
This question I ask as Australia is currently flooding in 5 states and is also in bush fire season and cyclone season with the usual assorted droughts.
UK newspapers have praised Australians for not complaining or appearing to be self pitying as allegedly do the UK populace when faced with disaster- I remain objective. This is the analysis of a UK journalist not myself.
If this is so then it could be, ironically, the English -stiff upper lip- influence on Australian culture. This manifests as the Australian -she'll be right mate- attitude, also corresponding to popular culture music lyric -dont worry, be happy- considered inane by some.
Another reason could be more sinister. Brainwashing. Generations of Australian kids have been forced to recite the poetry of
Dorothy Mc Kellar and others of similar genre. See above links. Is this a bad thing? I am uncertain on this. Maybe it is boring and low level anti social to whinge but if not complaining helps incompetent administrators get away with it then stoicism could be a counterproductive aspect of the national psyche.
I have analysed this because people are continueing to migrate to Australia and there is really no habitable space left so people will continue dwelling in flood plains and marginalizing the remaining wild life thats not yet extinct. And suffering consequently.
Yet another reason Australians can be stoic is if they have pioneer blood they may in the course of a harsh upbringing by a harsh line of battling settler soldiers/convicts/agriculturalists or very poor people, have got the impression they are born to suffer.
Who knows the true reasons for Australian's stoicism if it actually exists. Most Australians cope by going to the beach. Australians are for the most part, coastal dwellers as frankly the climate is very harsh and hot everywhere else on the sunburned country with droughts and flooding rains, terror and beauty you might have to be indoctrinated to love.
I had a splash in the sea this morning and it was cold and brackish. Far out towards the horizon -brown water with an aquamarine line delineated in the distance. Suddenly sunny yet yesterday flash flood warnings.
Australia's current floods are connected to record warm ocean temperatures off the north coast apparently.
Intrepid people in Scotland, England and Russia are in the news for bravely swimming in their oceans in the current northern winter. Yet their sea surface temperatures may be equal or more than their land temperature whilst mine was colder.
There was a lot of froth in the sea this morning and the water was brown as mentioned with rotting kelp washed up and stinking, a lovely quite big hairy dead crab on it's back and missing a leg and beautiful slimy red jelly cups sucking to rocks. The gas emitted by the sea weed is actually carbon monoxide as in car fumes apparently. Maybe this is why the beach can be soporific?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Bridge over the River Cocoa
The weather had normalized so i walked over the bridge to town to buy a few things. As far as the eye could see from the landward side of the bridge the river was the colour of cocoa from mud upturned in the powerful currents created by the torrents of rain. On the way i could see through the grating, that an extremely powerful torrent of water was absolutely gushing through the roadside culvert down from Ripples Restaurant at Queechy Cottages corner. At the sea edge the council sewage system overflow alarm beacon shone brightly in the complete absence of any visible sun all day.
The chemist, discount and hardware stores had -Closed due to flooding- notices posted. I bought strawberries, a lime and calcium tablets from IGA.
When I got home SES had sandbagged the door so I thanked them just as they were driving out down a drive nearby which had been like a gushing creek earlier in the day. It must be a long day for the SES and it will not end yet as a storm is expected tonight.
Down at the docks the jetties were crowded with vessels among them Emnicus which was not in it's usual mooring at the edge of the river just bayside of the bridge where only a few days ago in sunny weather people bought fish straight off the boat. -$24., $33.- Customers watched as they weighed and agreed prices and if filleting was requested this was deftly accomplished in view by a girl with a knife working from a work surface on the boat.
As people walked off with their whole silvery fish fresh and probably bursting with Omega 3 and 6 to improve intelligence, I felt the inadequacy of the imported, cardboard packaged, crumbed fillets in my own freezer that seemed more affordable.
At home I got the candles and matches ready in case of power failure. The carpet is still partially squelchy from flooding which i referred to in the prior post. I am hoping water will not invade the house again and that the carpet hurries up and dries. The problem is partly due to the situation of the house-downhill- and also because the house is built at ground level. A few steps up to the ground floor may have elevated the interior above the water level.
Birds are calling to each other outside and all is peace before the forecast storm. Yesterday evening before the deluge the crickets had been very shrill and highly audible dominating out all other sound. Then a shower came down suddenly and voila, the crickets stopped their incessant racket. I have heard but not sighted the nearby crickets. Their kind along the Bay of Fires are black and can be present in quite dense concentrations when mating in sunny weather. They cluster on big trees near the beach and dart about through the air looking for each other. They can be heard while in the car driving out to Binalong Bay. Probably they make a feast for the bird life in the area, but the trees unfortunately are getting thinner as people hack them away for a view of boring ocean but then lose their lovely natural wind break, privacy screen, water sponge flood preventative and bird life habitat.
The chemist, discount and hardware stores had -Closed due to flooding- notices posted. I bought strawberries, a lime and calcium tablets from IGA.
When I got home SES had sandbagged the door so I thanked them just as they were driving out down a drive nearby which had been like a gushing creek earlier in the day. It must be a long day for the SES and it will not end yet as a storm is expected tonight.
Down at the docks the jetties were crowded with vessels among them Emnicus which was not in it's usual mooring at the edge of the river just bayside of the bridge where only a few days ago in sunny weather people bought fish straight off the boat. -$24., $33.- Customers watched as they weighed and agreed prices and if filleting was requested this was deftly accomplished in view by a girl with a knife working from a work surface on the boat.
As people walked off with their whole silvery fish fresh and probably bursting with Omega 3 and 6 to improve intelligence, I felt the inadequacy of the imported, cardboard packaged, crumbed fillets in my own freezer that seemed more affordable.
At home I got the candles and matches ready in case of power failure. The carpet is still partially squelchy from flooding which i referred to in the prior post. I am hoping water will not invade the house again and that the carpet hurries up and dries. The problem is partly due to the situation of the house-downhill- and also because the house is built at ground level. A few steps up to the ground floor may have elevated the interior above the water level.
Birds are calling to each other outside and all is peace before the forecast storm. Yesterday evening before the deluge the crickets had been very shrill and highly audible dominating out all other sound. Then a shower came down suddenly and voila, the crickets stopped their incessant racket. I have heard but not sighted the nearby crickets. Their kind along the Bay of Fires are black and can be present in quite dense concentrations when mating in sunny weather. They cluster on big trees near the beach and dart about through the air looking for each other. They can be heard while in the car driving out to Binalong Bay. Probably they make a feast for the bird life in the area, but the trees unfortunately are getting thinner as people hack them away for a view of boring ocean but then lose their lovely natural wind break, privacy screen, water sponge flood preventative and bird life habitat.
Inside the flooded house
Drowsily I aroze from the nights slumber, just like a million previous mornings. So initially everything seemed usual and I padded out to the bathroom. Still half asleep, I noticed the bathroom, toilet room, laundry and kitchen floors were awash with water. Of course there had been a torrential downpour last night, but nonetheless I was surprised to be in a flooded house.
At first the carpets in the other rooms were not affected. Unfortunately water subsequently got in almost all around the house perimeter and now the carpets squelch beneath my bare feet as I pass through the house. I go about my business almost as I normally would. At least this is not as bad as Queensland, I agree with the SES guy who pops by for a few words. A stranger has placed a rolled beach towel and a small bank of tiles against the outside of the laundry door to stop the water. This is very considerate. Thank you whoever you are.
The water inside the house had taken on the hue of dark brown mud as I mopped up and this was a messy task. The rain continues and has not stopped at all although is lessened and the water is under better control.
I saw the first multipede since a month or so (as they are supposed to be hibernating), on the laundry lino and the snails are climbing joyfully up the exterior house walls, windows and anything vertical outdoors as is their privilege.
Many roads in North East Tasmania are blocked. Binalong Bay is inaccessible. More rain is forecast. I am expecting electricity supply failures, but hopefully they will not occur.
This house has flooded before I suspect as there were rusty marks on the lino in the laundry cupboard when I moved in and the lawn is sometimes very swamp like when it rains. It is situated at the bottom of a watercourse. Up at the top of the hill, the houses are not flooded. Obviously it is smarter to live on high ground. TV reception is better there too probably. I have no functioning TV anyway though so who cares about that, I dont miss it much since its mainly rubbish.
The TV programs I like are art, lifestyle,architecture and nature related for the most part. A sweet movie I viewed the other day was from 1971, set in Paris and the Camargue region titled - Friends - with music of Elton John.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camargue
All about the Camargue at the above link.
The rain has now practically stopped falling and I am just waiting for the squelchy floors to dry. Just now I enjoyed sipping a beverage concoction of my own design which I make from mixing some of the hot water that I cook red kidney beans in with creamy milk. Delicious and nourishing. Earlier for morning tea I ate a slice of buttered carrot ginger cake which I made sans recipe. By chance nonetheless edible although I am definitely not a gourmet cook. I am prepared to eat cooking mistakes as long as they are my own making. I am happy as long as I know what went into each unappetising bite.
Recently I read Alain De Botton's book titled- The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work.- Which I describe as a profound and readable analysis of work and economies.
I am currently reading Lisa Jardine's - Going Dutch - How England Plundered Holland's Glory. In this I find interesting information about art dealing and sales in that period. All of which are enmeshed in the history, politics, dynastic interests and liasons of the time. A lack of photographic evidence is made up for by the inclusion of descriptive historical illustrations and exquisite paintings from the Northern Rennaisance Dutch and Flemish schools of perspective realism including works by Titian, Rubens and Vermeer.
Because of the flood problem where I currently live almost at sea level and in a watercourse as previously mentioned, I have decided to sale price some paintings to raise money for a house up the hill where flooding is not a problem. Examples of these contemporary paintings of abstract and modernist genres can be seen at Aquamarine Art Gallery :http://konstsian.blogspot.com/
If considering purchase telephone:
61 from outside Australia 03 0488002412
At first the carpets in the other rooms were not affected. Unfortunately water subsequently got in almost all around the house perimeter and now the carpets squelch beneath my bare feet as I pass through the house. I go about my business almost as I normally would. At least this is not as bad as Queensland, I agree with the SES guy who pops by for a few words. A stranger has placed a rolled beach towel and a small bank of tiles against the outside of the laundry door to stop the water. This is very considerate. Thank you whoever you are.
The water inside the house had taken on the hue of dark brown mud as I mopped up and this was a messy task. The rain continues and has not stopped at all although is lessened and the water is under better control.
I saw the first multipede since a month or so (as they are supposed to be hibernating), on the laundry lino and the snails are climbing joyfully up the exterior house walls, windows and anything vertical outdoors as is their privilege.
Many roads in North East Tasmania are blocked. Binalong Bay is inaccessible. More rain is forecast. I am expecting electricity supply failures, but hopefully they will not occur.
This house has flooded before I suspect as there were rusty marks on the lino in the laundry cupboard when I moved in and the lawn is sometimes very swamp like when it rains. It is situated at the bottom of a watercourse. Up at the top of the hill, the houses are not flooded. Obviously it is smarter to live on high ground. TV reception is better there too probably. I have no functioning TV anyway though so who cares about that, I dont miss it much since its mainly rubbish.
The TV programs I like are art, lifestyle,architecture and nature related for the most part. A sweet movie I viewed the other day was from 1971, set in Paris and the Camargue region titled - Friends - with music of Elton John.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camargue
All about the Camargue at the above link.
The rain has now practically stopped falling and I am just waiting for the squelchy floors to dry. Just now I enjoyed sipping a beverage concoction of my own design which I make from mixing some of the hot water that I cook red kidney beans in with creamy milk. Delicious and nourishing. Earlier for morning tea I ate a slice of buttered carrot ginger cake which I made sans recipe. By chance nonetheless edible although I am definitely not a gourmet cook. I am prepared to eat cooking mistakes as long as they are my own making. I am happy as long as I know what went into each unappetising bite.
Recently I read Alain De Botton's book titled- The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work.- Which I describe as a profound and readable analysis of work and economies.
I am currently reading Lisa Jardine's - Going Dutch - How England Plundered Holland's Glory. In this I find interesting information about art dealing and sales in that period. All of which are enmeshed in the history, politics, dynastic interests and liasons of the time. A lack of photographic evidence is made up for by the inclusion of descriptive historical illustrations and exquisite paintings from the Northern Rennaisance Dutch and Flemish schools of perspective realism including works by Titian, Rubens and Vermeer.
Because of the flood problem where I currently live almost at sea level and in a watercourse as previously mentioned, I have decided to sale price some paintings to raise money for a house up the hill where flooding is not a problem. Examples of these contemporary paintings of abstract and modernist genres can be seen at Aquamarine Art Gallery :http://konstsian.blogspot.com/
If considering purchase telephone:
61 from outside Australia 03 0488002412
Friday, January 7, 2011
Zug system for Tasmania- Would it work?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2040142-1,00.html
The above link to an article about an obscure town in Switzerland whose economy profits from the non physical presence of global corporations, is interesting as Tasmania needs an economy not based on development or increased population.
Tasmania might benefit from becoming a banking low tax island dominion and places such as Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Mann and Zug have got systems to look to for Tasmania's future.
Locals get reduced rates for housing so they are not priced out of the market and everyone profits. The traditional pace of life is preserved as population is not increased just capital base. In this way the wildlife and habitat could stand a chance and mainland Australia could also benefit from proximity to the financial products available and from reduced Commonwealth funding required to keep Tasmania afloat.
The above link to an article about an obscure town in Switzerland whose economy profits from the non physical presence of global corporations, is interesting as Tasmania needs an economy not based on development or increased population.
Tasmania might benefit from becoming a banking low tax island dominion and places such as Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Mann and Zug have got systems to look to for Tasmania's future.
Locals get reduced rates for housing so they are not priced out of the market and everyone profits. The traditional pace of life is preserved as population is not increased just capital base. In this way the wildlife and habitat could stand a chance and mainland Australia could also benefit from proximity to the financial products available and from reduced Commonwealth funding required to keep Tasmania afloat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Domestic post modernist architecture
Door design circa 2009