Privacy at school

I drove past the new buildings at Christchurch Grammar School the other day and took this photo - quickly because of course the lights turned green as I was getting my camera out.

I hadn’t really looked too closely before but the lights were on in the upstairs classroom and I could see a student wandering around.

It occurred to me that I’m not sure I’d be too comfortable as a teacher or a student in a classroom that could be seen from the road. By people picking their noses at traffic lights. Not that I was but you know what I mean…

Oh c’mon! I was scratching it!

I also wouldn’t feel that great if the general public could see me at my desk at work. It would feel like an invasion of privacy.

And that’s a bit odd because we have regular tours through our offices - I guess they don’t go near my desk.

Do you work in an office where the great unwashed can walk by and watch you?

I’ve seen a few banks in New York who have desks right up against the window - just a pane of glass separating them from the shoppers, office workers, tourists and homeless.

I don’t think I would like that.

And I certainly wouldn’t have like my parents seeing me misbehave at the back of the classroom when I was at school… not that I did Mum…. that was a joke! Really.

I think the US version just might work

And I might even want to watch it.

I’m talking about the American version of Kath & Kim. Iconic Australian comedy. It’s hard to imagine the Yanks getting “our humour” right but I don’t know, the ads look… funny.

Kath’s hair is not so frizzy, Kim’s love handles less obvious, Kel not so daggy - but y’know I didn’t hate it… I hope we get to see it in Australia…

What do you think?

—-
And for those bloggers out there who sometimes find themselves at the computer wondering what on earth to write - check out the Lazy Blogger’s Post Generator - and you can post like me:

Darling I just had a cup of tea and realised I have not updated this since you last visited… You would not believe the amount of people that are totally stalking me. Seriously!.

I am absolutely consumed with keeping up with my favourite daytime soaps, playing The Sims, just generally being a coach to the local soccer team, my day seems to be a litany of stuff and giggles from sun-up to 11pm at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am beyond drunk most of the time. but never say never.

I send you kisses and I will write something that makes sense soon. Until then I need your shoulder to cry on. Unless of course the pool with the cocktail bar is heated!.

Sign me up for Dim Sum

Here’s an interesting statistic from this month’s Walkley magazine… Eric Ellis writes “Some time about 2025 but possible as soon as 2015, China will take over from the United States as the world’s largest economy.” Eric Ellis is a former China correspondent for the AFR who now writes for Fortune Magazine from south-east Asia.

photo credit: j.fisher

They are very different economies, very different communities. As Eric asks, now I’m asking you, how will our world change with China as the dominant force?

We are moving from the known to the unknown so you’d expect some scaremongering. While some might scoff at Americans and lament the amount of Americanisms leaking into Australian culture - the whatevers, the baseball caps, even the spellings; will we look back on this time with nostalgic fondness?

I think we will. From the “over sexed, over paid and over here” mentality from the 40s to the ‘knickers over the top of low slung jeans” fashions of the noughties we will look back and think “ahhhh those were the days” and “we had so much in common”. Yeah like the ANZUS treaty.

So can you imagine a world with China as the world leader?

It is hard when we are so enmeshed in the status quo.

Will we look to China to sort out Iran?

Would the Australian Prime Minister dare question their choices when it comes to things like Tibet?

Will our teenagers start wearing cheongsams?

In the meantime I’m planning Yum Cha this Sunday for brunch.

Last Horse Standing by Mike Keenan

Last Horse Standing by Mike Keenan tells the story of Jack Camp, a Kimberley stockman who went on a near fatal mustering expedition to Walcott Inlet in 1971. Based on a true story as told to Mike by Jack’s young jackeroo Peter Wann, the story tells of how Jack crossed the King Leopold Ranges and then the Isdell River to muster cattle grazing on the Walcott Inlet flats.

Things went wrong.

I was fascinated by the yarn. First of all it’s told well, but it also has special resonance for me because I rafted down the Isdell River when I was 16 as part of an Australian and New Zealand Scientific Exploration Society (ANZSES) expedition in 1983.

1971 was the year after a ban on shooting saltwater crocodiles was put in place. The salties had been hunted to quite low levels - although I suspect the remoteness of Walcott Inlet meant they were in reasonable numbers there. In the book Mike describes how dangerous the waters were because of the salties, how the Aboriginal people in the area called it Devil Devil.

In 1983 - some 13 years after the ban was put in place - you’d expect the numbers to have increased.

When we went on the expedition we knew saltwater crocs were to be avoided but we really didn’t know much about them or what signs to look for.

We thought they stayed in freshwater. We didn’t think about how far they might travel on land. We thought we’d be safe in our rubberised nylon yellow rafts.

Recently I transcribed my diary of that expedition 25 years ago. Here’s an excerpt. And be kind - I was only 16 at the time. :)

Around midday after a particularly large rapid with many of us feeling a bit annoyed with life – I was in front powering away and then K came up to talk to me. D went past and zoomed in front and W passed us as well and was between us and D.

Suddenly there was a loud cry of “BULLSHIT!” and I turned to see a large croc tearing into D’s raft – it narrowly missed his leg – it was just like JAWS and we were sure that if P had been there he would have made him rehearse it twice before shooting it.

D, after seeing that his raft was not an especially safe place to be anymore, decided to swim for a nearby rock. If it had been timed I doubt anyone could have beaten that 5 yard dash!! K and I meanwhile had made our own dash to a rock and sat there thinking that WE were next on the menu…

After we left the Isdell - clambering up a muddy bank with the odd crocodile slide evident - we followed the inlet on foot until we got to a skinny part - the ankle.

The sight of a large salty was enough to put K and me off and we decided to cross at an ankle deep ford. HOWEVER to get there we had to cross a muddy bank. It is hard enough without packs, with them it’s impossible.

Well after struggling down the bank and across the ford we looked ahead to find a mammoth task yet ahead of us. We staggered over soggy semi-firm sand towards the rest of the party. After much complaining and frustration we made it only to have to continue – we had barely gone a quarter of the way. My feet and legs were just so tired.

We had two more stream ford channels to cross (thigh deep!) and three soggy stretches as well as a slippery bank – all with heavy packs and leaden feet. I figured I might get a bit of a rest in between but no, it was push on.

It was later realised that had we reached the inlet half an hour later we would have either been trapped in the middle of the river by the incoming tide or have missed low tide altogether.

Because of course a saltwater crocodile would find it a real bother to swim the 2-300 metres to snack on us… not. We were very lucky.

But back to the book - Last Horse Standing - it’s worth a read - especially if you are interested in the outback and Australiana. The region Mike describes is wild and untamed - possibly even more so today than when I was there 25 years ago - and absolutely beautiful.

Picnic at Elachbutting Rock

On the way back from the station last week we stopped by Elachbutting Rock. This granite outcrop is one of many in the area but a bit more special because of Monty’s pass - where part of the rock has sheared off and created a tunnel, and the Rock Wave…. cunningly a little like Wave Rock would you believe.

The Shire says the name Elachbutting is thought to mean “that large thing standing”. Cute. And also according to the Westonia Shire: “Elachbutting has a reputation for being bigger, better and more pristine than any Wheatbelt granite rock formation that you may have seen before.”

This little redsultana story shows you what it is like. Your commentators are Hugamuga and Dippity.

Before I go… would you have been slightly concerned that your kids might have fallen off the side of the rock?

Billiards, boxes and bloggers - my weekend

Last night we went back to my old university college for a dinner to celebrate the recent fundraising. The guest list was described to me as “a bit random” with one old girl or boy from each year.

We met in the Junior Common Room - a place where I spent a great part of my four years at Uni. For those who might have been there too - what is missing from the photograph below?

That’s right. Where is the billiard table?! I can tell you where. It’s underneath South Wing. What the?

The billiard table is responsible for me being okay at pool. There was one pocket - the top left - we used to call the suction pocket because you only had to get the ball near it for it to be magically sucked down.

I found out last night that when they moved the table they discovered that the floorboards underneath it had completely rotted. Perhaps that’s what caused the slant.

Anyway it’s not going to go back. They are planning on extending the common room through where the kitchens are now… but it won’t be the same.

The JCR had one nice addition though…

The olden day equivalent of a CD collection!

Oh I love me a pianola.

Much wine was drunk thanks to this lady (who I noticed didn’t touch a drop herself).

In fact that probably explains why she was the one who came up with the line of the night. We were talking about my brother - who was there in her year - apparently he really hated one of the tutors and painted a rather graphic painting of her which was put up in the annual art auction… this is the students’ chance to rent a college artwork for the year and raise money for EOTK’s (end of term kegs).

The line was: “It was so graphic, that it wasn’t just her eyes that followed you round the room!”

And she seemed so demure too… ;)

All that red wine made it difficult to get up this morning but I was due to meet fellow blogger Jaycee for coffee. We went to the Dome in Northbridge.

Jaycee had brought her own photographer. :)

What a cutie.

I always find it interesting to meet other bloggers and to see what blogs in common we read. Turns out quite a few - which I guess isn’t really a surprise as we are both moderators with Aussie Bloggers.

After yesterday’s downpour today was absolutely brilliant. Blue blue skies. One of those bright winter’s days that makes you happy to be living in Perth.

This is my first winter without a dryer so I desperately needed a break in the weather, and I was pleased for Jaycee and JJ’s sake that Perth had finally turned on the weather it is known for.

The rest of the day has just been a catch up on the washing and shopping day - oh and I have another loaf of No Knead Bread on the go… this time using “proper” bread flour. I can taste it already… yum!

The last person to make No Knead Bread

I am well behind the rest of the world on this one. The NY Times unveiled the No Knead Bread recipe on the 8th November 2006 and I have only today found time to make it.

Well yesterday and today.

The trick is allowing the dough time to rise - 18 hours - and I imagine you could get away with less time if it wasn’t so freaking cold in my house.

The result - crunchy chewy crust - soft light interior.

Bliss.

I’m only posting this now to distract myself until Groover gets home so he can get a slice…

Of course baking bread also looks good to my daughter’s friend’s mother - see I can cook bread - I am trustworthy - I am the sort of homey type who will look after your daughter with care. Look at me - I am the GOOD mother.

;)

(Oh how easily you are all fooled…)

The forces of good and evil

As my friend the red setter owner says: Only in Australia! (except that it wasn’t… see below)

UPDATE: Snapp commented that this is a spoof! “The Pope is not in this photo, this photo is taken in Reykjavik Iceland. The man in front of Darth Vader is the Bishop of Iceland.
I know this because I live there and I saw it on the news, Darth Vader was protesting some thing (dont remember what it was).”

Seriously though, and I know it is 60 years since World War 2, did you find it as weird as I did to hear a man with a German accent preaching peace?

Weird… but good yeah.

Dust Storm near Mukinbudin

Driving home on Tuesday after a beautiful morning at Elachbutting Rock - photos to come - we drove through a vicious dust storm.

At first we thought it might be the rain that had been promised but it wasn’t until we’d passed Trayning that the rain started hitting the windshield and then it was constant windshield wiper action all the way back to Perth.

I only hope that rain continued to head east to Mukinbudin and beyond to where it is desperately needed.

Station country moments

We’ve just come back from four days on the station. Every time I go I wonder why it has taken me so long to go back.

This time it didn’t rain while I was there but the winter temperatures made walking a pleasure.

We taught the kids how to drive - Hugamuga driving by himself by the last day - and well. I love the fact that my city kids get the chance to practice driving on the station where there are no cars and just the odd bush to avoid.

I found it hard to cull the photos for this post, but if you’re really keen feel free to check out the set on Flickr.

Sunrise over Lake Deborah - it was very cold.

Lake Deborah could do with some rain.

My arty bark shot.

Dad rigged up a mini-water trough for the birds and set it high so the roos don’t get all the water.

Watching the cattle.

Face off at Ennuin Station.

Cracked earth near Gnamma Dam.

Help or hindrance?

East dam made for some fun leaping moments but no one got wet… this time.

Learning to drive.

Sun setting over No 1 Dam

An old billy says our new picnic spot has already been discovered.

Sunset over Ennuin Station

View the whole set.

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