The Weather Bureau is currently predicting a 7.2 metre flood peak at Lismore (my home town) tomorrow at 3.00pm. With all the heavy rain still forecast, it will probably go higher.
Thought these pics might be useful to know what a 7m flood peak means. They were from January last year.
2011 LISMORE FLOOD PHOTOGRAPHS
LISMORE FLOOD SIGNAGE
A sign from the record breaking 1974 flood with a family member’s house in the background.
Most of my family lives in the flood-prone areas, so hoping all will be okay.
MINOR TO MODERATE FLOOD WARNING FOR THE WILSONS RIVER AT LISMORE Issued at 8:31 pm EDT on Sunday 27 January 2013 Flood Warning Number: 1 An average of 140 millimetres of rain has fallen during the past 48 hours to 6pm today [27/01/2013]. However, the rain intensity has increased during the past 6 hours, with 50 millimetres falling during this period. Further heavy rain is forecast for the next 24 hours. At this stage it is not possible to predict the flood peak because of uncertainty over how much more rain will fall. A flood watch remains current for moderate to major flooding for the Richmond and Wilsons River Valley. Predicted River Heights/Flows: Lismore – Exceed minor flood level (4.2 metres) around 6am Monday morning – Reach moderate flood level (7.2 metres) around 3 pm Monday afternoon.
Even though I may have appeared on a Mardi Gras float or two in my life, a good friend claims that I just don’t act “gay” enough. In fact, part of her argument about why I’m “still single” is that I just don’t give off enough of a “gay vibe”. She argues I’m missing out on potential suitors because they just don’t know that I’m gay.
It would be wrong to use the phrase “straight acting” to describe myself. First, because I think it’s actually quite a negative, possibly homophobic phrase which carries with it some quite bizarre notions about appropriate gender behaviour. And second, because it’s simply not true: for everything aspect of my life that’s “straight acting” there’s probably another aspect of my life that’s “quite girly”.
Although I think we’re all a bit of everything, I’m not one for the “I don’t like labels” ideology that seems to be fairly common these days. I think if you’re straight, you’re straight (or gay or bisexual or whatever) and you should be happy enough in yourself to be able to say “yep, that’s what I am”. Although I understand notions of labelling theory, that once you declare yourself something, you can begin to fulfill the stereotype, I don’t think that needs to be the case in the modern world in which we live. I think we label ourselves in so many other ways, it’s crazy not to label potentially one of the most important aspect of our lives: who we fall in love.
It’s interesting though, as just a few years ago I was in Estonia where I went to a local club, “Angel”. On entering the door, they actually gave you a badge declaring your sexuality. They gave me a “gay” badge: I don’t know how they knew :) As I wrote at the time…
Swedish T-Shirt and Estonian Gay Badge
Looking around the room it was fascinating to see how people were defining themselves. The hip-hop dancers on stage had badges declaring themselves “bi”. Two blokes at the bar had badges declaring themselves “hetero”. Quite a few, though not as many as I’d hoped, had badges declaring themselves “gay”. And finally, there were lots of people declaring themselves “bi”. For just a moment I was standing next to a bloke wearing a “bi” badge. He was a nice looking bloke, dark blonde, a bit nerdy, about 30 years old, but pretty gay looking if you ask me. Obviously it must have caught the attention of someone else nearby who leaned over and began to speak to him. I’m guessing by the body language he asked about the “bi” definition. At that point the bloke pulled out his mobile phone and showed a photograph of a baby. Question answered…
On more than one occasion, I’ve had approaches from similarly aged females who for whatever reason find me attractive, interesting, whatever. Famously, my friend and I were at a dinner together in the country several years ago, and we were joined – in a large group – by a woman who had obviously expressed an interest in meeting me in a romantic manner, such that neither she nor her friend (who I had known for a while) had picked up on the obvious fact that I like blokes. I don’t think she felt embarrassed any more than I have been for all of the times I’ve expressed an interest in a bloke who I thought was obviously gay, but who turned out to have a wife and kids.
So getting back to my point. I think my friend is right, I think I need to be a little more obvious about this stuff, and I need to get out there and get a little more involved, and not just come home and sit in front of the computer/television/radio.
I guess it doesn’t help that so far this year, I’ve done absolutely nothing this year related to “Mardi Gras”. I was telling a colleague today – also gay – that I’ve almost completely missed Mardi Gras. No films. No plays. No events. Nothing. Even though one of my favourite annual events is the “Gay History Walk”, I even missed that this year. The closest I’m going to come is seeing Lily Tomlin on Friday night, and perhaps going for a look at the parade for a moment on Saturday (and even then I’m not sure, since I’m not one for crowds).
With a few days left I’m gonna have to make more of an effort, I reckon.
It’s Sunday night and I’m sitting at the Convenience Store on the corner of Devonshire and Crown Streets. My computer won’t start at the moment and so I have to take it for repairs sometime this week. But until then, it’s me and a couple of others typing away while observing the passing parade of people going to the service station, the Blockbuster video store and the Erciyes pide house which are located opposite. In the last six days since last I wrote a fair bit has happened.
The biggest highlight was a visit this weekend by Sue (from Melbourne) and Anthony (from Canberra). They arrived yesterday morning. And although it’s been a fairly leisurely weekend we’ve managed to pack a fair bit in, including dinner last night at Prastits Thai on Crown Street and Marigold Yum Cha today (as well as a visit to the Greek exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum with Andrew (from Alstonville). We also spent a fair amount of yesterday afternoon at the Sydney Writers Festival where, although I had to work for a while, we mostly sat around, chatted, drank Chardonnay and observed other members of the chattering classes. Sue observed the Sydney Writers Festival differed from the Melbourne Writers Festival in a couple of ways: people wore colours other than black; and the view from the wharf was pretty spectacular.
Sara (from work) and I attended the Opening Night Party on Wednesday which one of the Sunday papers had declared one of this past week’s “hot tickets”. Amongst the many celebrities we spotted on opening night were overseas authors, Alan Hollinghurst and Augusten Burroughs. I’d read a couple of Hollinghurst’s books many years ago and so was keen to see what he looked like in real life. And I’d met Burroughs earlier this week. He was the bloke who wrote “Running With Scissors” about growing up in a freaky family. And then this weekend, we saw the likes of some of our home grown writers: Helen Garner, Christos Tsiolkas and David Marr. There were also a thousand and one well known ABC-types including Ramona Koval, Stephen Crittenden etc. I also had to work at the festival on Friday night, so by now I’m all a bit “writered” (if such a word exists) out.
Work has been both busy and interesting. I’m having the day off tomorrow, actually, and I think I might ask for Tuesday as well. I’m not stressed nor tired, but I do need some silence in my life. Although I’m not contemplating a Buddhist retreat or anything, I think I just need a day of not talking, nor listening to others.
I’m also keen to go home to Lismore soon. I got an email tonight, actually from my niece, Michelle which says Mother Bob said send jim a line to see if he is still alive, and to ask you what do you think of this years lot of house mates. Get rid of Gianna.. I love my family… especially for reminding me it’s probably time to go home to watch Big Brother!
As we arrived at The Ensemble Theatre last night, I was blown away by the view. It’s not the first time I’ve been there – quite the opposite, I’ve been there many times – but it’s the first time I’ve been there early enough to enjoy the daylight view. Although I snapped this photograph through the full-length window using my camera phone, which explains the mystic blue quality, it’s still quite a beautiful view, don’t you think? And quite fitting too, as it’s probably the best play I’ve ever seen at The Ensemble. Smart, intelligent, warm, and reasonably challenging.
The Busy World Is Hushed is set in the United States, focussing on the life of a 50 year old (or thereabouts) female Episcopalian MInister (Anglican) and her son. They only have each other, as the father died weeks before the son’s birth. Neither has ever really gotten over it, with both searching for some meaning. Both are also searching for an explanation about the father’s death: did he drown or did he commit suicide? As a result of their individual searches for meaning, they both love each other desperately, though they’re unable to communicate that love. The mother buries herself in her work; the son “goes missing” for great swathes of his life.
The employment of a “ghost writer” for a book on theology brings a third person into the relationship, a young man who develops a relationship with the son, with the mother’s “permission”. But even that’s misunderstood and badly communicated. And at that point I won’t go any further into plot development, as it would take away some of the surprises if you’re planning to attend.
And I suggest you do. It’s a pretty good play, though I thought the second act lacked some of the intellectualism of the first. On top of that the acting and direction are excellent. All of the actors are genuinely convincing in their roles, and there wasn’t a single occasion when I didn’t believe them. They’ve obviously been well directed.
Obviously it’s not a play for everyone. At half-term, I heard a bloke apologise to his wife/girlfriend… “I didn’t know it was a religious play. And I didn’t know it was a gay play”. Amongst those in the audience there was a significantly large contingent of younger gay men. But I also spotted a prominent journalist and his wife, who are well known Christians. So if you have an interest in both theology and sexuality, it’s probably the ideal play for you, as it deals genuinely and honestly with some complex issues. It’s very “Uniting Church” if you know what I mean.
Aside from that, life remains pretty good. I went shopping on Thursday night for my Swedish language text book (ahead of starting lessons on Tuesday). I also bought a couple of DVDs including Shortbus which The Other Andrew has written enthusiastically about and Angels In America which I enjoyed immensely when it screened on ABC-TV. These DVDs might just be the solution to the continued wet weather in Sydney. I have a fair bit planned, though, with some Chinese NY activities today, the Mardi Gras launch, and then dinner and drinks with my mate Michaela, who, in further blatant advertising I wish to remind you has a terrific new show on SBS this Wednesday night.
Aside from a wander into Hyde Park for a while, it’s been a reasonably uneventful Australia Day for me.
Hyde Park was, as usual for Australia Day, full of people, a variety of food stalls, some great, and some not so great musical entertainment, and lots of cars.
I don’t remember having seen that many cars when I’ve been to Hyde Park in previous years. But this year, there were cars galore.
Noticeably absent this year were large numbers of young people walking around with the flag draped over themselves.
Yes, there were lots of flags, but most people this year seem to have chosen to carry them, not wrap themselves in them.
I loved seeing a group set up on Facebook earlier today called “Flags should be hung from poles, not bogans”.
Citizenship Ceremony
Hyde Park Horses
Message Tree
But aside from that, I’ve had a day of listening to music and fiddling around with my computer, and eating.
Yes, eating. I’m really hungry at the moment. And I’ve been eating a lot over the last few days. Maybe I’m psychologically stocking up for the cold winter of Stockholm?
For a bunch of reasons, the Andrew Olle Media Lecture marks a number of points in my life. It’s an annual event that I’ve been attending for, you know, maybe 25, almost 30 years. It’s an event where I get dressed up. It’s an event where there have been some memorable speakers, and it’s an event where there have been some pivotal moments throughout my life, so it’s a really interesting annual touchstone for me.
Last night, I went to this year’s Andrew Olle Media Lecture, which was given by Geraldine Doogue.
Geraldine spoke about the many changes in the media she’s seen in her life, and her enduring wonderment about what the media has to offer the community. In particular, I was intrigued about the work she mentioned being done by Swedish Radio to track the “public service value” of the stories they do.
Geraldine Doogue delivers the Andrew Olle Media Lecture
I also just love the fact that Geraldine has this incredibly sharp mind and passion for the news and media, having been working in the media for over 50 years. It was truly great to hear her interest, analysis and enthusiasm after all these years.
It was also a significant one for me in terms of my own journey with disability over the last couple of years.
Three years ago, I went to the Andrew Olle lecture a few months after my amputation and other life-changing health conditions. It was tough, to be honest, due to the combination of health problems, but it was still really great to be there. I was still using crutches at the time and figuring out how to get around. I remember one of the most amusing things at that particular event was the difficulty I had getting my shoes and pants on and off because of the prosthetic. The issue is that prosthetic leg is slightly wider than my human leg, and sometimes it’s hard to get skinny pants down over the top of it, aside from flexible material like track and cargo pants.
Last year, I was actually at a table where I discovered a woman near me who also had a prosthetic limb due to an injury she sustained in a car accident a number of years ago. It was a surprising and comforting moment of shared experience.
A year ago, I went to the Andrew Olle Media Lecture, and I was close to a point where I thought I might be able to wear long pants again over my prosthetic leg, without major clothing adjustments but at that point, that wasn’t possible. This was my interim leg, ahead of my “permanent” leg which I have now.
I was hoping it might be possible this year, and thankfully, it was!
In the last few months, knowing I’ll have this particular sized prosthetic for a few more years, I’ve started to have some pants adjusted. I actually went out and bought a brand new suit where the pants were a bit wider than the jacket, and then I had some amendments or adjustments made along the way to both legs, to make them a little bit smaller so it still actually goes over my prosthetic limb. Recently, I bought another suit from a second-hand store, and it just fitted over the top already, which was amazing, and I was able to get them adjusted just in terms of length. The height or the length wasn’t too bad, but it was, you know, it was good.
Then, a few months ago, I bought a pair of formal suit pants that were a bit wider at the knees, and they actually fit over my prosthetic limb! I was able to have them adjusted too in terms of length and width of the regular leg.
So, there was a great sigh of relief last night when I was able to put the pants on, put the jacket on, and pull the pants down, looking like I used to in the old days of going to the Andrew Olle lecture.
The only “informality” was the shoes I wear, a comfortable pair of Skechers. Getting the shoe on and off my prosthetic foot is difficult, and so I mostly wear the same pair of shoes everyday.
Relief, too, at the end of the night where I could also take them off easily. I know it sounds silly and superficial, but it was a really nice thing to do.
The Andrew Olle Media Lecture usually gets a run on ABC TV over the weekend, and will be available I assume on iview.
I went to see Company by Stephen Sondheim last night, the latest production by Kookaburra, the national musical theatre company, and was totally blown away. There were times when my jaw literally dropped in wonderment about how good it was.
Originally entitled Threes, its plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical comprised of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby’s 35th birthday.
I had been invited to opening night, but couldn’t go due to a work commitment, and so when my friend Colin suggested we go, I said yes instantly. Although I wasn’t particularly aware of the musical and its concerns, I was aware certainly of some of the great songs including “Another Hundred People” and “Ladies Who Lunch”.
I’d first heard “Another Hundred People” on the debut CD by Jodie Gillies, and I loved both the music, and the lyrics concerned with the anonymity of modern city life.
I can’t recall when I first heard “Ladies Who Lunch”, though, a drunken tirade (or maybe tribute) by a woman of a “certain age” about her peers who seem to do little with their lives. The sheer raw emotion of the performance last night was tremendous, one of the highlights of the show.
Another individual highlight was “(Not) Getting Married today”, which demonstrated great vocal ability, great humour, and great theatricality.
And David Campbell was spectacular too. He’s really come into his own, performing with strength, emotion and maturity. It was close to a flawless performance from him, the best I’ve ever seen him.
But although there were some great individual moments in this production, the key to its success was the strength of the ensemble, which makes sense, I guess, since the production is called “Company”.
The direction’s great, the singing’s great, the choreography’s great, the set design is simple (yet effective). This was honestly one of the best moments of theatre I’ve ever seen.
The only odd thing about last night was their decision to drop two numbers, including Barcelona which is a terrific song. Why, I don’t know. Maybe they should have told us? Or maybe they will tell us.
