I remember reading somewhere – maybe in a history of the Bega Show – that one of my ancestors was a champion pig breeder.
I have no idea what that means. The closest I’ve come to day to day agriculture is growing up on the outskirts of Lismore, where there were cattle in the paddock behind us. Occasionally, on the way to the saleyards they would break through the fence. My childhood “chore” was to jump over the fence and collect the dung, which I would then mix with water to put on the vegetable garden.
We would also regularly visit the farm of Uncle Barney and Aunty Maisie who lived at Goonengerry, near Mullumbimby.
That’s me with my back to the camera, along with assorted family members at the farm of Uncle Barney and Aunty Masie at GoonengerryYears later, working in Renmark, I did this.
And so it was with some interest that I went to see the film, “Gunda”. I’d seen the trailer the other week and thought, “yep I want to see that”.
When I told friends at lunch yesterday I was going, and told them a little about the film, they instantly referred to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, and the 1990s classic, “Babe”.
It’s not like that, I told them. “It’s a ninety minute documentary film, shot entirely in black and white, there’s no commentary and there are no humans in the film”, I told them. Doesn’t sound great? But it’s definitely worth seeing.
The film was shot on farms in Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. The connection with Norway is an appropriate one, as that country is also the home of “sakte-TV” (slow-TV), which has seen “marathon length” programs of everday life, such as train journeys receive high viewership.
In some ways, the film is a prime example of that. Over about ninety minutes, the film focuses on the everyday lives of a family of pigs. On the surface, not a lot happens. But in other ways, an awful lot happens, as the pigs (for example) transform from being very young (a few hours after birth) to being independent from their mother.
Though the pigs are at the centre of the film, there are side stories of chicken and cattle.
As I watched the film I couldn’t help but watch it with “human eyes”, to portray the events in terms of human emotions. In part, that’s because the film focuses so much on the animals eyes (giving you an insight into their “soul”), and because there’s so much about their experiences (eating, drinking, looking after their babies), in common with our lives. As you watch, you imagine the animals are, at times, happy, sad, and sometimes bored.
The film also sees the world from the perspective of the animals. For example, when a tractor comes into the film, you see the world from the line of sight of the pigs, and in close-up.
The film’s executive producer is Joaquin Phoenix, a well-known vegan, and so you have to think about the film from that perspective.
I really enjoyed the film. But as I watched it, I wondered about how my view might of the day to day lives of the animals might differ from that of my ancestors who were much closer to it all. I’d like to think they looked after the animals they had.
One of the best things I’ve done this year is subscribe to the Edition Series of Sydney’s 4A Gallery. 4A is a gallery which specialises in Asian art, both art by artists from Asia, as well as artists from Australia with an Asian background. I’ve been to a far number of their exhibitions and they’re always usually very good. The works are interesting, and they’re presented well.
What has been great about the Edition Series is the random nature of it all. For a $500 annual contribution, I’ve received three random art works (with the fourth just about to arrive). I’ve had no say in the works, which has been a really appealing part of the project – the surprise element. There have been three limited editions prints, and one piece of porcelain. The works have all been very lovely, and I’m pretty confident they’re worth more than the $500 I’ve contributed. In fact, I know the Jason Wing screenprint has been selling at the price of $500 by itself.
And so it was a real pleasure to go to the 4A Members Exhibition with my friend Kate, and to see all four works on display. The other works were very interesting also, but I have a soft spot and fondness for the work of the artists I now have in my own collection.
Part of the 4A Gallery Members Exhibition
Part of the 4A Gallery Members Exhibition
Part of the 4A Gallery Edition Series
Jason Wing Double Happiness, 2011 Offset lithograph Dims 70 x 50 cm Printer, Big Fag Press
FX Harsono Per Memoriam ad Spem, 2011 Offset Lithographic Print Paper size 60 x 40 cm
Vernon Ah Kee Unwritten, 2011 Offset lithograph, 70 x 50 cm Printer, Big Fag Press
Vipoo Srivilasa Coral Jug, 2011 Southern Ice Porcelain Dims 12 x 9 x 8 cm Produced at Claystone Pottery
I can’t recall the last time I indulged in a classic ‘Afterwork Friday Drinks.’ With my illness and the lingering effects of COVID lockdowns, it feels like long time.
A colleague recently shared that ‘Afterwork Thursday Drinks’ have become the new norm, likely due to the increased number of people working from home on Thursdays.
A spontaneous text from a couple of friends about weekend plans sparked an impromptu decision to explore the new metro line, check out a trendy bar, and perhaps cap off the night with a delicious dinner.
The New Metro in Sydney
Ever since its opening on Monday, I’ve been eager to experience Sydney’s new Metro. This high-speed train network offers a convenient alternative to traditional rail services, connecting destinations that previously lacked direct train access.
For instance, I’ve always enjoyed visiting The Wharf Theatre, but the limited public transport options and the need for taxis or ride-sharing have been a bit of a hassle. While I could catch a train to Wynyard and walk from there, the walking distance has become challenging since my right leg amputation. The new Metro station at Barangaroo is a game-changer, as it’s just a short walk from The Wharf. Personally, this new service will make a significant difference in my daily life.
My friends boarded the Metro at Sydenham, while I joined at Central Station. Our destination was Chatswood. As we traveled, there was a palpable excitement about the driverless technology, allowing passengers to stand at the front and enjoy the scenic views through the tunnels. Many children and older adults, including myself, were captivated by this unique experience.
It wasn’t until we returned on the conventional train that we fully realized the speed and efficiency of the new Metro. It’s truly an impressive addition to Sydney’s transportation network!
Maybe Sammy – Getting Legless
After our train ride we popped into the bar, Maybe Sammy which came highly recommended.
Presumably the name of the bar is a reference to Sammy Davis Junior, as the bar has a 50s rat-pack feel about it. The bar staff are dressed in a 50s night-club styles, and there was a DJ playing music appropriate to the theme.
There were lots of staff, and we felt well looked after. Still recovering from last year’s surgery, there are times when I need to remove my prosthetic limb, and the staff were wonderful in looking after my needs with appropriate seating.
We enjoyed some “happy hour cocktails”, which were excellent.
I posted this photograph on Facebook, and challenged my friends to caption this without using the word “legless”. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard someone make the legless joke, as if they were the first person to think of it.They were very clever. referencingthe leg as a “shoey” or a “leggy”; others talked about having a “knees up” or “cast drinks”. Very funny.
After that, we had dinner at an excellent Malaysian restaurant near the QVB, and finally a drink at the Marble Bar at The Hilton.
It was such a pleasure to go out and about on a Friday night for a few drinks, a few laughs, and to enjoy lovely time with good friends.
We spotted this Paralympics shop window in the Watches of Switzerland store at the bottom of George Street, which we thought was very cool.
In Other News
I should have seen the writing on the wall when my podiatrist started asking me questions about the NDIS during our last appointment. As a regular patient, I visit him every eight weeks for post-amputation care, including foot inspections, nail trimming, and general foot health advice.
When I arrived for my appointment today, the receptionist informed me that the podiatrist had resigned and there was no immediate replacement. Looking back, I realized the clues were there: the unusual conversation about the NDIS and the missing reminder text. It’s a shame he’s leaving, as I enjoyed our visits and appreciated his professionalism.
Now, I’m faced with the decision of whether to wait for a replacement at my local surgery or seek a new podiatrist. If you know of a reputable one in the Surry Hills area, please share your recommendation.
Fortunately, the blood blister on my toe has healed. However, I’ve been feeling under the weather lately, primarily experiencing fatigue. Despite taking a mid-week recovery break as outlined in my return-to-work plan, I pushed myself too hard last week, working five days straight and then overexerting myself on Saturday. This resulted in complete exhaustion by Sunday, forcing me to spend most of the day in bed.
I was eager to return to work on Monday for several reasons, including the launch of the new ABC News website. I was particularly excited about the reinstatement of the classic ABC TV news theme from the 80s, which was once remixed into a dance club hit. The original theme has now been revived and is featured on the ABC News channel and the 7pm News.
My enthusiasm stemmed not only from my love of media but also from the fact that the theme was co-composed by Peter Wall, a former manager and close friend. He was a constant source of support during my hospital stay last year.
After attending the launch, I worked from home for a few hours in the afternoon. By Tuesday, I was feeling better, and by Wednesday, I was almost back to normal.
It’s remarkable how physical health can impact emotional well-being. While I’ve experienced illness since my amputation, this was the first time I felt a significant emotional downturn. I questioned whether these feelings of fatigue would be a lifelong burden. Thankfully, I’m on the mend now.
When my friend Sue first spotted the “Nexus Holidays China Sampler” late last year, we both thought it sounded “too good to be true”. For about the cost of a return flight from Sydney to Beijing (about $1200-$1300), the sampler price also included an internal flight from Beijing to Shanghai, accommodation in “five star hotels”, about three quarters of the meals, tour guide support, and entry to lots of major tourist attractions.
That it was previously advertised at close to $3000, and was now being offered (through Living Social) at a much lower price, made it sound even more extraordinary. After consideration of the uncertainties we decided we would go ahead and book anyway, deciding to pay an extra $400 for single accommodation instead of the twin-share. Right up until the last couple of weeks before travelling, we still couldn’t quite believe the generousness of the deal.
The last time I was in China (I mean, the first time I was in China, which was in 2010), I visited my friend Kate who was living here pretty much permanently. She was working at an art gallery there, and had an apartment in a building a very non-western part of Beijing. She invited me to come to visit and so of course I said yes.
Being with someone who had spent a bit of time there, and who had developed a network of contacts and friends (mostly among expats) meant that I was able to go a little deeper more quickly into life in Beijing than the average tourist on a package deal, which is what I did on the China Sampler. I got to do some amazing things and really treasure the memories of that trip in 2010.
It’s one of those holidays where I can pretty much recall everything that happened on every day, and the way I felt about my experiences. But this time around, being on a tour group and the experience was different. Not better, not worse. Just different.
On the positive, I probably received a little more of the “educational backgrounder” than I’d enjoyed previously. On the negative, there were moments when I wished for something a little less “touristy”.
Flights with China Eastern
I was pleasantly surprised with the flights, since I’d read some pretty average reviews of China Eastern. People who write things like “the worst airline ever” without an explanation are wasting their time and mine. And those who fly budget but expect first class are just dreamin’. But having applied those filters I still want expecting much. China Eastern surprised me. We flew from Sydney to Shanghai on an A330: modern aircraft, good but not great entertainment system and plenty of leg room. The leg room was further enhanced by having scored four seats in the centre row between only two of us.
Our trip also covered an internal flight from Beijing to Shanghai, though noting the early morning flight was hell in the transport line.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Shanghai : The accommodation was excellent. It was genuinely in the range of four to five star throughout, with large rooms and good facilities. The only negative from my perspective was the accommodation in Beijing was quite some distance away, some thirty to forty-five minutes from the centre of town, which meant by the end of the day, we were much pretty much stranded. In all the other cities, however, we were close to town.
Tour Guides
Throughout the tour we had a “national guide” and a local guide in each of the cities we visited (Beijing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou and Shanghai). They were all knowledgeable, friendly, and all spoke reasonably good English, and often with an unexpected sophistication.
Tourist Attractions
We visited all of the “key” tourist attractions including Tiananmen Square, The Imperial Palace, The Summer Palace and The Great Wall of China, as well as lots of smaller attractions including The Lingering Garden which I’d never heard of before. Of all the attractions, the only one which disappointed my slightly was our visit to The Great Wall. I’d visited what I thought was a more attractive, more interesting part of the wall when I visited in 2010, whereas our visit on this occasion was to a very touristy, very busy part of the wall. Everyone else enjoyed it, though.
Temple of HeavenMei Jia Wu Tea Village/梅家坞Sue points to a sleeping panda at Beijing Zoo
Shopping Excursions
An important part of the tour is a number of “shopping expeditions” which, I’m sure, go some way to subsidising the overall costs. These expeditions included visits to a Chinese medicine facility, a tea factory, jade factory, a silk factory, and a copper art factory.
Chinese Medicine
As I don’t have the “shopping gene” these were the parts of the trip which I found least interesting. These were the parts of the tour most likely to divide the men and the women of our group. Even if the blokes weren’t all that interested in the finished product, there was still something about manufacturing which was enough to keep the men interested. There were times when I (and others) thought too much was allowed for these shopping adventures.
Others, however, really enjoyed these parts of the trip, and many people spent a lot of money. One couple, for example, bought $7000 worth of Chinese medicine products. A few other members of the tour group later seemed to suffer “shoppers regret”, as soon after they made their purchases, they realised they’d incorrectly calculated the exchange rate.
Optional Extras
Throughout the tour there were quite a few optional extras to the program, which included light shows, an acrobatics show, a hot pot dinner, a visit to the hutongs, and yum cha lunch to name but a few. While many people had paid for all of the optional extras, Sue and I took them on a case by case basis.
Food
About two-thirds to three quarters of all meals were included in the price, including breakfast every day and usually one or two further meals. I’m a little more adventurous in my taste in food than were most of the other people on the tour, and so I was sometimes a little disappointed with the food. That said, other people on the tour found it all a little more challenging than they were used to. There was a general agreement, however, food servings were very, very generous.
Toilets
Although squat toilets are the norm in China, they posed a few “challenges” for the female members of our tour group, particularly the older ones. Most of the time, however, our tour guides provided good advice about which toilets were more “western” in style. To overcome our uneasiness about squat toilets, Sue and I adopted a routine of going to the bathroom for a number two each morning at the hotel.
Overall Experience
Tour Group in Tiananmen Square, Beijing
Going on a tour group is, by its very nature, about individual compromise. Our group ranged in age from late 20s to late 70s, with most of the group aged 50-65, so there was room for a lot of different interests based on age alone. You need to go on a tour accepting there will some things you will enjoy, some things you won’t, some people you will like, some people you won’t. Life is about compromise. Sue and I were discussing this on the bus at one point, noting we would have found it difficult to have done so many of the things we had if we had travelled by ourselves. “We could have hired a driver and guide”, I said to Sue, but balanced that by noting it would have been more expensive to have done so, and then on top of that, there would have been all of the additional costs (including entry prices, accommodation and flights) which are all covered as part of this tour. Overall, I thought the trip was excellent value and would highly recommend it to others if the offer comes up again.
If you want more detail on what happened day by day, have a look at some of my China Posts
I’ve just watched a reasonably early repeat episode of “Teachers” on ABC 2.
In its early days it was a pretty good show. In fact, it was one of those shows which I watched every week. The glory days, of course, were when Andrew Lincoln played the character Simon.
Actually, if I were to draw up a Top 5 or Top 10 list of the television shows which have touched me most in the last ten years or so, two of them, without doubt, would have included Andrew Lincoln.
The first show I saw him in was on the show This Life, which screened in the mid-late 90s. In that show he played the character of Egg. Egg was a slightly flaky character in a relationship with the far more organised Milly.
I was pretty flaky myself at the time, and so I guess I related to him, even though there were other characters I found interesting including the gay boy, Warren (played by Jason Hughes) and the slightly dishy Miles (played by Jack Davenport).
But I loved them all, really, and I really looked forward to the show every week.
In Teachers, you might say there were lots of similarities between Egg and Simon. Both characters were reasonably flaky. Both had jobs they weren’t really suited to. And they were both surrounded by an ensemble of interesting characters.
But like a lot of my favourite shows over the years – Hamish Macbeth, Seachange, etc – it went a bit odd towards the end.
Although I was a reasonably fat as a baby and I’m reasonably fat right now, there was a time from about 1980 to 1990 when I was actually quite thin. In fact, you might say I was waif-like in this particular photograph taken in about 1982. Any wonder my mum kept trying to feed me :)
Waif-like teenage James
I discovered this photograph which I’d long forgotten while going through some family albums with my sister tonight. The imperative for this particular bout of nostalgic activity was my purchase for her of an electronic photo frame for Christmas. I pre-loaded for her about 50 older and more recent family photographs, mindful that she had a lot of photographs I don’t have copy of. The quid pro quo was that I got copies of lots of photographs, and she got someone to load some more photographs into the frame.
We had a pretty good production line going on. My sister went through the albums identifying suitable photographs for scanning and carefully removing them from the albums, I scanned them and did the appropriate photo-shop work, and my nephew replaced the photographs in the albums. It took us maybe a couple of hours to scan and edit about a hundred photographs. Along the way there was a lot of laughter.
Here’s a couple of favourites from tonight’s activities
First a photograph of my dad taken in about 1980 I think. As we lived on the outskirts of town, we often had wildlife come into the backyard. Mostly it was cattle from the neighbouring property… or snakes… but on this occasion it was a kangaroo or a wallaby (I can’t tell from the photograph).And I love this one taken at my sister’s wedding in 1968 featuring my dad, my mum and my granny. It’s odd to think I’ll be the same age next year as my mum was in this photograph. Dad looks like me may have enjoyed a drink or two. Granny looks grumpy…
