Having moved the 1,000kms, it did mean "where do I go for Xmas??" It meant that I did not want to be near "She who demands to be obeyed" but wanted to see my children.
Was very hard when it was "We can just spend an hour with you but must be going to visit family." Worse was that they were visiting my sister for Xmas lunch and I was not welcome.
For those lucky enough to enjoy time with family and friends, I do wish you every happiness during this time.
It is neccesary at times to discipline people of all ages. I admit to smacking my children. The last time was when I did it was when my daughter was just out of nappies. Hitting a nappy (padding) just gave her a jolt. Without the nappies, I could feel the impact as well. That was the last time either children were smacked by me. Being sent to their rooms was usually enough after that.
My twin god daughters were never smacked. Their mother said that when they were old enough, she would reason with them. So they continued to throw food on the floor, cut up the curtains and furniture, just do what they liked. Mate built himself a man-shed to get away from them when they were having a hissy-fit. He worked hard and needed somewhere for peace and quiet. He did that because he lacked sleep because when they were doing it, he put them in the car and drove around all night to give his wife some peace. And then he would not be 100% in the factory (been through the lack of sleep when working on the roads). When they went to school, there were problems as they had no discipline.
They moved to Adelaide and when they went to school there, it was recognised they had "issues" with discipline. At that time, they were old enough to understand a thing called "consequences." They have turned out okay.
I watched "The 3 Musketeers" again this week. The punishment meted out by the king to the 4 characters (must be a French thing with numbers) for killing 40 of Richeleau's troops was "new clothes and a purse of gold."
After my fall in the late 70s, about the same height as you, I have learnt to be more carefull. But still do the hard yards when trying to prune the trees or even going on the roof. While I have aluminium stepladders (ex #2 has my good steel ones), I do have a choice between the very heavy wooden extension ladders and the lightwieght aluminium one. The wooden ones are a bit more stable.
The WorkSafe procedure is for ladders to be firmly fixed to a building, not just leant up, before being used. Still haven't worked out how you are supposed to secure the top of a ladder unless you climb it first.
And sorry to hear you fell down. I did that many years ago while sanding a roof. Leant that little bit far to get the last bit and, like you, landed flat on my back. My fault really. Had the aches and pains but did get over it. Ran a very hot bath, grabbed a book and 3 Scotches. Hour later and couldn't feel the pain.....
okay, my first wife lived a very long distance from me (15 minutes at high speed) and we had a few issues about this. She was Pomme through and not so through. I did not live "on the same street." Something you might understand of Pomme culture. My family had 4 cars on the road, a swimming pool (was the height of luxury way back then) and Mum didn't work. Her parents had the 1 car, both parents worked, and they had no swimming pool.
Local pubs??? I live in an area that has no pubs but does have 5 liqour outlets. I have 2 licensed venues within 5 kms. And both are very close to those limts.
It also comes down to the "equality" bit. I own my home. I have enough to survive. Am I willing to hook up with someone who lives mega-distance and has nothing?
Recently I learnt of someone who had made the "life change." She had relocated and shared the life with him. He passed away soon after and it turns out that the "family home" was mortgaged to the hilt. Actually, just rented because of the "mega deal" he had made without telling her.
I moved well away from all of my family many years ago to be with the "love of my life." It did not work out so well for me. Except my daughter did manage a similar move a few years later. So I do have one positive from that.
But I am not willing to distance myself again to sacrifice the family I have now.
Many govts have injected $Billions to keep such a large global company operational over the last few years to keep the local economy going with local employment. Who needs locally produced cars when we can really have much cheaper imported vehicles?
Maybe it is time that we should be looking at a single world-wide manufacturer for "simply the best product available." Whether that be the best car, the best oven, the best carpet.
We can import pre-cooked chicken from Thailand much cheaper than we can locally produce.
Halvo, one thing is that I am not peeved at is you finding something you have looked for. I am very happy to hear someone finding someone they want to spend the rest of their life with. It gives me hope that I will as well.
Contrary to what Mr Lookin says, I was not around in those days (although Mum was alleged to have welcomed Capt Cook).
Australia was invaded about 40,000 years ago and then just over 240 years ago. Studies have been undertaken in Mungo National Park, NSW which have established pre-40,000 years ago. So things have changed a lot over time. The Tasmanian Aborigines were the last descendants of the earliest known inhabitants.
Australia being such a large place, local traditions do vary. While the didgeradoo is associated with our Aboriginies, it should be recognised that it did originate in a very small part of the Northern Territory but is recognised as being the "Aboriginal" instrument even if it was not part of any other traditional area.
When in Switzerland, my 10 yo daughter did play the Alpine Horn. No musical or Swiss background. My nephews can do a "didgeradoo" on a piece of PVC pipe, even with thier Asian background.
Australia is such a large country and has so many diverse regions and cultures. Even over the last 240 years.
If you want to visit the "tropics" and the local indigineous inhabitants, you are limited to Cape York, Kakadu and Arnhiem Land.
What people do not understand is that Australia is so large and has many different cultures within the indigineous population, let alone even with our cities.
Short????????? That was the definition of "normal" at our school.
Girls had to wear a belt and usually hiked them a foot or so from that. Except on inspection.
And afternoon detention was a joke as too many were bussed in and had no way home if they missed the bus. I remember being one of the "lucky" ones who lived withing walking distance. I had to do it while others where "priveleged" to live where they could afford travel. I lived 100 metres too far to get free travel....and would have missed detention.
Pants, long or short, were grey. Shirt was white, tie was green, jumper or blazer was green. And shoes were shoes. Had to be black.
The private school my children went to insisted on "leather shoes." No Doc Martins, etc. My son had to where orthadpeadics. Meant he had to wear "non-confirming" shoes.
14 years later and my daughter still wears "school" shoes. And my son still wears more comfortable "boots."
Sorry, Jimbo, was hoping you had found the right partner.
Which is why most of us still here. HalvO is still here because he feels we should understand his great hapiness. And that there is always something to look forward to and willing to share his thoughts on the matter.....
An old friend from here, Daggy, did this as well. Unfortunately, he did advertise the "gudgie smugglers" and say how great his love was until it peeved a few newcomers.
Take it easy, some of us will say what we want. Some of us may have some baggage and say some hard/bitter things but.......do not give up.
Unfortunately Australia is a very big place with so many different things to see/enjoy/love/hate. It is often a few days drive to get to the next "good spot."
Hartmut from Germany loves to come here every year to experience another desert (we have many very different ones). I have met some Danes who have obtained sponsorship through their firm to come here to visit our deserts every 3-4 years and provide a documentary of their travels.
Some people come here to visit our different tropical areas (Arnhem Land, Kakadu, Cape York, Port Douglas). Some come to visit our snowfields during the European off-season. Many just to enjoy our many great surf beaches.
Biggest thing to look for is what you are looking for. If you scroll through the AU Photo Comp, you might see a few things we appreciate here.
One of the best things about being from an "effluent" area meant we were dressed the same (almost) at school. I ended up being a 'trend-setter' because I wore baggy trousers before everyone else.
They were 'hand-me-downs' with the cuffs taken up.
And better still, I ended up riding a bike a lot and ended up with skin-tight pants. Another 'trendsetter"
as Mum let the cuffs down.
But everyone gives a Gonski these days as it means you have to wear the "fashion of the day" when you go to school, work or play.
There are many highly educated people out there. There are many highly educated people out there who have no understanding.
For too many years, the Catholic & Private education systems were aimed at getting their sudents Uni entrance. And then those sudents dropped out in the first year because they only learnt by rote. So they changed to developing thinkers. Okay, most of them.
My children went to a private school. It was considered by the school phylosophy that they were there "only to assist the parents to educate their children." My children did not go on to Uni. But, like most of the students from that school, they do have meaningful employment.
I have had my worklife mainly in surveying and civil engineering. If I designed or assessed something that failed, I would most likely lose my job.
Unfortunately, teachers are able to progress through the system even when they have failures. I also know a few teachers that have gone out of their way to do the best for the students "under their responsibility."
Australia is supposed to be a uniform country but we have so many different "systems" in place. Maybe after all this time of "unification" we should be unified on something. We have tried with the Uniform Road Rules (except most States are still differnt after 15 years). Maybe with "Education" being uniform, maybe we Aussies can think as a whole country
It is hard when every State or Territory ha different ideas on education. It is even harder when classes have to bring the whole class down to the lowest denominator instead of teaching those falling behind to learn.
Teachers are against the Govt's efforts to make them produce "passing" students. Most of us have outcomes devized by our employers. If we don't produce the objectives, we are not rewarded.
Under current Federal Govt Educational allowances, private schools seem to get more money per student. If you come from Redfern, Moree, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, then there are some disadvantages and to attend a school which offers a decent range of suport is well worth the support.
Moree, NSW is recognised as a "Disavantaged" area for socio/econimic reasons. Except that the few farmers there are making mega-bucks while the majority are struggling. But the "formula" does recognise this as being a "Disadvantaged" area. So Kings, Parramatta does get lots of funding under the program for those few rich kids whose parents can afford the annual fees. I do see that the formula is wrong in looking at the "area" instead of the "parent's capacity to pay."My children went to a private school. My wife and I did have to pay a lot in fees and we made the sacrifice for them to have an education by both of us working. The Govt "handout" was more than the State schools received per student. In the first instance, this is obvious.
The difference was that State schools have the land, buildings, salaries, super funds, maintenance etc paid out of separate funding programs to the "handouts."
Trouble was that it was usually the 3 or 4 mates hanging around that were the problem. If you got the best of the little bloke who picked the fight, all his mates would jump in "to even up the score" if you looked like getting the better of him.
I did a course at Uni involving Statistics. About the same time that "Youth Suicide" had a 200% increase. Went from about 10 to 20 persons.
Males (pre-dominantly in the "separation stage") had a very minor increase of less than 5%. They went from 1,950 men to 2,000 men. Very small increase (percentage-wise) and not worth considering. And this was out of 2,500 suicides during the year 2000.
A bit of local knowledge does go a looong way. Way back then and the "family" was in Malaysia. Walk into hotel and it was $mega for the night. Sister-in-law goes back in and argues the price down to 1/3.
Simple thing is to say "too much" and see what they come back with. Then try for less. Very quickly, you will find something you feel good with, and they will be happy to make it. Lesson was that no matter how cheap it is, you can get a better deal.
It can be a surprise when we explore our own backyard. My parents bought land off mum's dad (bit of swamp, what would that tradie know) to build a home that was built in 1958. Us kids built our "air-raid shelters" and did much exploration through the swamps where Thomas Holt attempted to the create first commercial oyster farms.
I have 3 different types of birds that regularly inhabit my place. I have many differnt trees and gardens for them to enjoy. And hearing the crickets out in the Melb heatwave makes me think that my backyard is for them to enjoy.
The problem is that Govts do have some "good ideas" but they do not think them through before enacting them. Abbott has said he will commit the same $s to education. If a few States don't agree to uniromity of education, why should the Govt go the same way.
It is much like Qld having free medical services until Whitlam introduced Medicare. Free to all, but only if Qld agreed that people should pay some of the costs.
It is bit like a lot of societies who have offered low or no interest loans for families to build their homes, conditional on them helping someone else along the line in building their home.
Should a Federal Govt give a handout to a State with no conditions when that State that does not want to go along with a unified idea of education?
That is more inline with workers saying "We want more pay but we don't agree that we should have to produce any extra to get that money. We just want more to do it the way we always have."
One of the things I miss about living inner-city is being bored and taking a walk through the galleries and museums. Living in the "burbs" means it is a planned day trip.
Shackleton did this in attempt to reach the South Pole before the Yanks did it (the Brits had been beaten to the North Pole by Perry). The North Pole had been attempted many times (everyone wanted to visit Santa) and there was a lot of information about the failed attempts for it to finally succeed.
The South Pole was so much different. If you read the book "Mawson" which came out a few years ago, you will realise that Shackleton, like many others, had no idea of what they were heading into and were not remotely prepared for what eventuated. Much like early "Australian" explorers. Mawson travelled with Shackleton and learnt some very valuable lessons.
There was a guy who I met who did a trip around Australia in the 70s. He and his mate pulled up in a town and went into the pub for some refreshments after "running out of supplies" (beer) going along the WA coast.
When asked where they had come from, they told them that they had just followed some tracks along the coast and ended up in town. And they were told that no way they could do that, there is no road along there. Turned out that each station had done a bit that had eventually connected all the tracks out along the coast and they had been lucky enough to find all the connections. It is now an iconic trek called The Gib River Road.
No good me making cakes as I don't eat them, or just a bit unless I am doing a morning tea for work (out of that now). Same as the kangaroo sausage rolls which I used to make. They were very popular and I had to make about 1kg (that was the amount of kangaroo & sausage mince I would use) to feed about 20 people, plus all the other stuff I would do. And never a sausage roll leftover for my lunch.
Yesterday turned out to be my big cooking day. Did a stew in the crock pot. Trouble is that it does about 6 meals so half in the fridge and half in the freezer. Cook different vegies and use different sauces for variety each night I use it, sometimes use it as a topping on noodles.
Currently 35 and tonight looks like being something a bit on the salady side. Maybe just olives, fetta cheese and spring onions. If I had looked at the weather earlier, I might have bought some of that Italian bread and balsamic vinegar to go with it.
Ask in your hotel when you get there for ideas. And then sort a much cheaper ride/tour. Might be worth hiring a car & driver - always plenty of opportunities but hotel arranged may be double/triple the price of elswhere) and go for a drive into Malaysia and visit some towns.
And keep a good eye on your sugar levels as the food is very deceptive as far a carbs & fats are concerned. Sometimes not enough, other times too much ... sister-in-law is from Malaysia and it is surprising what they do or don't put in the food. Sometimes heavily sweetened, sometimes with nothing even though the spices make it so tasty.
wash2u Forum Posts (3,768)
RE: Christmas is nearly upon us.
Having moved the 1,000kms, it did mean "where do I go for Xmas??" It meant that I did not want to be near "She who demands to be obeyed" but wanted to see my children.Was very hard when it was "We can just spend an hour with you but must be going to visit family."
For those lucky enough to enjoy time with family and friends, I do wish you every happiness during this time.