All posts by Sandra Graham
War is crap whichever way you look at it
I was in Canberra again over the weekend and visited the War Memorial for the first time since I was 12.
It’s a sobering experience to wander through the miles and miles of exhibits that meticulously catalogued every conflict Australia’s been involved in since the Boer War. However, the most interesting fact was a little display detailing the WWII massacre at Bangka Island, the place where my grandparents came from, and from which they had fled from probably just weeks before this took place.
The two long corridors that made up the Roll of Honour was a reminder of how many people were lost.
Some people in my group were surprised to see so many Japanese tourists at the Memorial, but I wasn’t surprised at all. After all, I have been to the Japanese musuems when I visited the Tokyo and Hiroshima. Hiroshima in particular was heartbreaking. It brought home to me that neither side got through unscathed.
War is crap whichever way you look at it.
Voices of Angels
Blogging about Karekare has made me think of Crowded House and their wonderful album Together Alone which they recorded in a makeshift studio at the back of the beach. It is my favourite CH album because it is so atmospheric.
I went in search of live performances of songs from the album, and while doing so I discovered this gem:
It must be the one of the most poignant versions of Throw Your Arms Around Me I’ve heard, and certainly the most unique.
The kids also did this fantastic version of another CH favourite, Private Universe.
Karekare
Black sand
Black as mud
Sea spray wisps
From pummelling sea
Footprints recede
Into majestic cliffs
Weathered driftwood
Like dinosaur bones
Bleached against black
Sensual sea
Smell, feel, taste
Invigorating
My soul to soar
Drawfed as am I
By such magnificence
Hokianga Heaven
In a secluded corner of Northland, far, far away from the tourist hordes of Bay of Islands, lies the jewel-like harbour of Hokianga. There are no buses – a battered old car is all you need – and no harbour bridges – you can only cross by car ferry.
It is tropical. The bush is actually sub-tropical rainforest, and they can grow macadamias and avocados and papayas and all other manner of tropical fruits there. It is coastal, with a massive dune system that stretches out into the ether.
It is also a very old place. Western civilisation may only be 150 years young there, but the forests themselves are thousands of years old. The trees there can be incredibly old, and when you look at the massive Tane Mahuta, you’re seeing history.
Hokianga has definitely left a mark on my memory.
To the End of the Earth
If New Zealand is on the edge of the world, then Cape Reinga must be where you fall off!
A day touring around the tip of Northland is eye-opening in a lot of ways. From the holiday village of Ahipara to the listlessness of Kaitaia, from the wildness of Ninety Mile Beach to the sheltered harbours of the east coast, from sandboarding down dunes to sedately fishing in calm waters. There’s certainly a lot on offer, and I got a good sample of it.
No doubt in Doubtless Bay
Just returned from New Zealand. Yes, your honour, I might have a slight addiction to this country. Then again who could blame me. There are so many stunning places. Witness my latest journey to Northland. Might have only been gone a fortnight and driven less than the distance from Sydney to Brisbane, but I saw 10x as many things.
Northland actually reminds me a lot of the NSW North Coast, only much, much more laidback, and with the exception of Paihia, much less touristy. The area around Doubtless Bay is an example. Absolutely lovely place, and thankfully a place where tourist buses have yet to roam.
Opera Rage – who would have thunk it?
So in an effort to be more cultured I coerced brought along some friends to the opera yesterday. Actually, it was the lure of a (and possibly shirtless) all-male cast that got me there (one man in particular).
Once seated, we amused ourselves by observing the opera demographic. Most were of a rather advanced age, and unsurprisingly considering the ticket price, moneyed. Seeing this, one expected the patrons to be, well, polite. What one didn’t expect was to be on the end of Opera Rage.
No, this was not where opera patrons took ‘e’ and boogied all night to ‘Don Giovanni’. Oh no, opera patrons take opera far too seriously for that. At the opera, one should clap in the right places, with the right level of exuberance (extremely exuberant when the shirtless lead takes a bow). They are wrathful to those who cough too much, who doze, who happen to laugh/clap/breathe at the wrong time, and particularly those who happen to bump their seats a little in an effort to get comfy.
If you have been to the Sydney Opera House, you would know that seats there aren’t exactly salubrious. In fact, they’re highly uncomfortable. And when one is trying to endure enjoy a 3 hour opera, one will tend to shift a bit while in the process of crossing one’s leg, perhaps bumping the seat in front of them.
But when a patron (in this case, a man of middle-years, probably an exec of some kind) turns around and hissy fits, “You’re bumping my seat!!”, giving you a look of such complete hatred that it could have frozen the sun, before holding up his nose and making a dramatic exit worthy of an Oscar, I couldn’t help but be completely stunned.
When the shock wore off I quickly came to the realisation that going to the opera was a more dangerous endeavour than I had anticipated. In fact, I would place it as being more dangerous than going to something like the Big Day Out. I mean, if heathen (ie. rock) fans were so damn sensitive there’d be an all-in brawl even before the support band warms up!
So is my SOP’s (Sensitive Opera Patron) reaction characteristic of the general opera goer? If so, then opera has an uphill battle if it wants to survive. 2/3 of the people in that theatre would be dead in 15 years, and the rest? I wouldn’t guarantee them coming back if they’re faced with such attitude. Then again, it might be a good thing for the art that they lose their humourless patrons. Perhaps it can spark a revival of sorts, with new ‘rules’ and a more relaxed atmosphere?
But that’s all by-the-by since it’s tainted my image of the arts just a little bit. Oh, I’ll be back for another opera – but only when they bring in more comfy seats. With leg room.
Tip-Toeing Through the Tulips
No Tiny Tim thankfully, but plenty of beautiful blooms at the Canberra Floriade.
Hungry Hungry Hippo
On a weekend road trip, one requires the sustenance that only a proper breakfast can give. Which would you choose?
Static and Silence 