ON POLITENESS IN THE WORKPLACE

“I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to have a lot, and to behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word - politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the spirit.” - Fran Lebowitz

I was rather incensed at work today with one of the contract staff that occasionally comes in and teaches for us. She is very experienced, knowledgeable and a teacher that usually gets quite good feedback from her students. However, other staff members have sometimes raised concerns about her approach and manner. Apparently she can be opinionated and overbearing and is very forthright with her views. Today I had the opportunity to see her in action and I was able to find out for myself that her manner was quite abrupt and dismissive, and what really annoyed me were her constant interruptions and interjections to the discussion and the very impolite way in which she talked over other people who were speaking. In the end I was unable to control myself any further and laid down the law. I warned her that if she continued acting in this way she would be ejected from the meeting (to which she was only an invited guest) and if she wanted to contribute to the discussion she was welcome to, but would have to do so only via the chair’s permission (i.e. mine).

Her surprised reaction was amusing as it was quite physical. She started back and her chair dragged back on the floor, while her arms were thrown back momentarily. She went to say something, but her mouth gaped and finally closed without uttering a word. The looks of exasperation on everyone’s face were replaced with relief and a little smile here and there. The disruptive teacher shut up and from then on glared at everyone with an extremely sour look on her face, while occasionally I could feel the daggers emanating from her eyes and heading in my direction. Needless to say the meeting progressed without a hitch after that, however, I had another surprise up my sleeve. At one point in the discussion a matter came up which was squarely within her expertise. After I invited some general comments and everyone except her had their say (she was still sulking), I invited her specifically to comment by asking her a leading question in my sweetest voice and with my broadest smile, intimating she was the best qualified person to answer. Another shocked look at me was soon replaced by a smile and she started to talk passionately about the matter at hand, knowledgeably, with a well-considered argument and offering useful advice. Everyone around the meeting table was attentive and appreciative, listening quietly without interruptions. When I invited questions, a couple were asked, which she answered well. I thanked her for her input and proceeded with the next item on the agenda. As the matter was being discussed, she piped up and in her inimitable style proceeded to talk over someone else. I raised my hand and looked at her with a steely eye. She wilted back into her chair and I said “thank you”. The meeting progressed without incident after that.

The meetings that I attend, whether as an ordinary member or chair, have fellow members that are mostly reticent, thoughtful, polite and measured in their approaches. Very few are more vociferous, taking charge and moving things forward quickly and more energetically. These are all legitimate approaches to running a meeting, and any one of them can work well for the benefit of the whole. As my example indicates, however, when one committee member’s personality or approach to the job is such that can throw a wrench into the whole system, then trouble begins. These are the people who try to dominate a meeting, try to push their own agendas no matter what the cost, and try to bully the other meeting members into seeing things their way.

A lack of practical experience and knowledge can cause disruption on the committee as people lobby back and forth on different issues. One person might think they know better than another, but if there is no basis in fact for that belief, troubles can arise.  It’s equally disruptive when a member starts to focus on his or her personal agenda versus the committee’s official agenda. In this particular instance that I have related, I was told afterwards that this teacher’s secret agenda was to impress me so that I would consider her for a permanent appointment in the near future. I was not impressed and her outbursts had decidedly the opposite effect. I dislike rude people and go out of my way to stamp out aggressive and impolite behaviour in the workplace. A team helps each of its members and graciously accepts the help they offer when the need arises. We should be civilised in our interactions and politeness with consideration of others is a non-negotiable desideratum. The workplace is somewhere we spend an enormous proportion of our lives and things there should be as pleasant as possible for everyone.

Controlling disruptive members of committees can be done by an effective chair who needs to to regain and then ensure strict, by-the-book conduct of all meetings. Meetings should be run very precisely – if possible Robert’s Rules of Order should be followed, and the meeting should stay with the heart of compliance and procedure. It’s in the absence of structure that those exasperating and aggressive voices try to fill the vacuum. Robert’s Rules were created for a reason. They allow the weaker members of a group to have a voice along with every other member. And that’s important in an organisation that relies upon the intellectual contribution of each and every person on its committees.

MOVIE MONDAY - THE INVENTION OF LYING

“And, after all, what is a lie? ‘Tis but the truth in masquerade.” - Lord Byron

At the weekend we watched the Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson 2009 film “The Invention of Lying”. We had avoided seeing this film as we do not particularly like Ricky Gervais and seeing this film was co-written and co-directed by him and was one in which he had the leading role, did not seem like a particularly attractive prospect. However, at the video store I overheard a couple of strangers talking about films as they were browsing the shelves and they got into a discussion about this film. Both of them were most complimentary of it, so I had to turn around (to my shame!) to see what they looked like. Although they spoke well and seemed quite cultured, I still wanted to see what they looked like before I finally decided on whether or not to get this film to watch. They looked OK, non-descript, average, middle-aged men, quite ordinary really - just like me! So I decided to get the movie to watch it…

Well, we were glad that I had taken a punt and got the film, as we were pleasantly surprised by it. Ricky Gervais and his plucked, shaped eyebrows aside, the film was a thought-provoking comedy with more than a touch of satire thrown in. It explored the concept of truth versus lies, honesty and integrity, the “black lie” versus the “white lie”, the importance of being honest with one’s self and what ultimate truths finally matter in our lives in the long run. It explored the power of different kinds of love and to what lengths we go to in order to make the people we love happy.

The film has simple premise as its starting point: It is set in a fictitious parallel universe earth where everything is the same, with the exception of a small but significant difference. Lying and fiction do not exist. Everyone tells the truth including just about anything they are thinking. Nobody can even consider lying as a possibility as they are compelled by their nature and the wiring of their brain to tell the truth. Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is a bad screenwriter, about to be fired from his job at a film studio making documentaries (what else? There is no fiction). Mark is short, has a snub nose, is chunky and not handsome, but he loves Anna (Jennifer Garner) who is statuesque, attractive, successful and obviously out of his league (as she loses no time in telling him). When Mark loses his job he goes to the bank to withdraw his last $300, but on the spur of the moment and due to one misfiring neurone in his very special brain, he lies! As a result he withdraws $800 because the bank assumes their computers have made an error. As he sees the success his fib has given him, he begins his crusade of lying with amazing results that see him catapulted to success, fame and riches. However, it’s his “white lies” that have the most profound consequences that result in enormous social change. The questions remain, will Anna still reject him as an unsuitable match of poor genetic stock, will his lying get him in more hot water than he bargains for, and will the society that idolises him ultimately reject him?

Good supporting actor performances are given by Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan and Rob Lowe (the last-mentioned giving a good self-mocking performance as the “good genetic stock” choice of Anna). The film is well-shot, but wins no cinematography awards, its music is unobtrusive and the comedy is restrained and subtle, while there are some scenes in which pathos and poignancy predominate, with Gervais handling those scenes sincerely and with aplomb (I am being objective here!). The topic of religion as covered by the film may be offensive to some hard-liner fundamentalists, but sociologically and psychologically, the film’s premise dictates quite logically the way that this topic is covered.

I would recommend this film to most open-minded people who watch a comedy not to belly laugh at slapstick, but who rather want a little more depth to the gags, which will more often than not cause one to smile or gently chuckle. The film has much to make one think about, but it’s not ‘philosophy 101’ or ‘psychology 201’. It is a very good B-grade comedy that although of not broad appeal, ticks quite a few boxes and is enjoyable and entertaining. It could quite possibly be a good film to show in year 12 and get the class to discuss, the teens discussing the themes raised with much gusto, I should think.

ART SUNDAY - FATHERS' DAY

“He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” - Clarence Budington Kelland

It is Fathers’ Day here in Australia today and I am featuring a painting by Edward “Bear” Miller. Miller was born and raised in the District of Columbia, and started painting in oils in high school. After graduating from Reed College and teaching history for more than ten years on the West Coast and in South America, he has returned to his home in Washington, where the forms and tones of the East Coast have proved to be a source of fascination for him more than ever. Robert Henri, Lucian Freud, and the Bay Area figurative painters inform his work, but he is consumed by a 21st-century admiration for our devastated natural world. Bridges, ships, and human forms in nature serve as motifs for contemplating humanity’s notions of liberation and progress in light of the biosphere’s diminishing robustness. The tragic beauty of oilrigs, mining operations, and commercial fisheries are subjects the artist plans to explore in 2011.

The painting above is an intimate yet strong portrait of a man the artist knows well and loves. Maribel, the artist’s father, has a strong, lined face with limpid blue eyes that look at the viewer with intensity. As the artist notes he and his father resemble each other a lot and it’s interesting to see the artist projecting himself in this portrait, crystal gazing into the future and seeing himself as he will be in several years time. All of us, sons see our father as a role model, as a paradigm of existence, as an exemplary life, which we would wish to aspire to. The artist has communicated this admiration, affection, love and respect for his father in this candid portrait. It is best perhaps to use the artist’s own words to describe his feelings and thoughts about this portrait and about his father:

“A year ago, my father, Maribel, and I went to India. It was Maribel’s and my second time in India, but our first time in the north: Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Rajasthan, and Agra. My father is an avid adventurer, hiker, tennis player, liberal, lover of paintings and music... interests we have shared and developed together over my lifetime. It was an honor and joy when he chose to come with us to India, because Maribel and I generally travel in dirtbag style and Dad said he trusted our judgement on how to move and where to stay. Pretty cool coming from a federal judge. Dad and I made a side venture to Ranakpur (near Udaipur) to see an ancient Jain temple, and I snapped a photo of him at a moment when he was immersed in his thoughts and impressions and not conscious of being photographed. Here he is in the midst of communicating something to me, his son. It’s worth mentioning that we look a lot alike.

This painting is about mortal recognition of the larger and alternative circumstances of existence. My father serves as the subject, but it is in many regards a self-portrait. India is such an eye-opening place on so many levels. One’s consciousness of self, destitution, quiet bliss, religious pandemonium, the diversity of humanity, and our connection to the natural world is heightened and tested.”

Happy Fathers’ Day to all fathers!

SPRING VS AUTUMN

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” - Albert Camus

A full day today again, with much done around the house and garden. The day was warm and sunny, a perfect Spring day. Started it off with a walk and then we went out for shopping and to price some garden furniture as we have put up a new gazebo (the old one had rusted badly)… We came back home, had lunch and then did some gardening, and moved a pond form one part of the garden to another. Then tonight it was out to dinner with some friends. They live in South Wharf and they have a beautiful view over the marina, as you can see from the picture above.

While it is springtime in Australia, in the Northern hemisphere Autumn is approaching and the song for this Song Saturday comes from the 70s, with Justin Hayward: “Forever Autumn”.

A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes
As if to hide a lonely tear
My life will be forever autumn
‘Cause you’re not here...



Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946 in, Swindon, Wiltshire, England) is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band ‘The Moody Blues’. Hayward was awarded the first of numerous awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for songwriting in 1974. In 1985, the Moody Blues picked up the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and in 1988 Hayward received the Novello, among other honours, for Composer of the Year (for “I Know You're Out There Somewhere”). In 2000, he was one of a handful of British artists to receive the “Golden Note” award for lifetime achievement by ASCAP. In 2004, Hayward was awarded the “Gold Badge” for lifetime achievement by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).

NO FOOD FRIDAY...

“Man can and must prevent the tragedy of famine in the future instead of merely trying with pious regret to salvage the human wreckage of the famine, as he has so often done in the past.” - Norman Borlaug

Twenty six years ago, the world’s pop stars gathered together at Live Aid in order to relieve the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa. They managed to raise $230 million for relief efforts in 1985 and a great humanitarian disaster was stemmed. We are now witnessing the return of the spectre of famine with millions of impoverished Ethiopians and Somalians facing the threat of worsening famine in what is shaping up to be the country’s worst food crisis in decades.

Declaring that a country’s population is suffering from famine is a political decision. While it awakens worldwide public awareness and can bring millions into aid programs, it is widely seen by the international community as a political failure of the incumbent political leader. The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission of Ethiopia is charged with preventing famines of the 1984-85 type, and generally the government supports these activities as the famine of the mid-eighties is the sort that can bring down governments. However, widespread political instability, conflict, economic mismanagement, corruption and extreme weather conditions have all conspired to bring back a critical situation that is claiming thousands of lives daily.

Practically, the difference between a food crisis and a famine is whether enough aid arrives to keep the starving populace alive. While the scope of the problem can be measured in the number of hungry people, the severity depends on the generosity of those in the rich, fed world. And this year the fat nations have been miserly with their aid. Despite the promise of G8 leaders to provide funds to improve food security in poor countries, contributions have slumped dramatically over the last few years as donor states have shifted priorities to supporting their banks and stimulating their own economies. The international community therefore is not living up to its promise to the World Food Program.

In mid July this year, famine was officially declared in two regions of southern Somalia – the first time a major famine has been announced since the famine in the Somali region of Ethiopia in 2000. This declaration of famine confirms that the Horn of Africa emergency is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world now. The United Nations is warning that if the international community does not act decisively, famine will spread to all areas of southern Somalia within the next few months. Across Somalia, more than four million people (more than half the entire population) are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. In some areas in the south, nearly half the population is malnourished. These areas have the highest malnutrition rates in the world.

Across the three worst-affected countries of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, more than 11 million people need immediate food assistance.  To respond to the growing humanitarian crisis, it is essential for international donors to commit funds to this emergency immediately to provide lifesaving aid to people affected by the famine and food crisis. The current humanitarian response is inadequate due to lack of funding and of access. The worst drought in 60 years has caused the world’s most severe food crisis in East Africa with more than 12.4 million people currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. People are crying out: “Please tell the world for us, that we need help, and that we need it now. We cannot last much longer…

The image above is taken by Brendan Bannon who is a photojournalist. Journalist Paula Nelson writes:
“I first went to the Dadaab refugee camp, close to the border between Kenya and Somalia, at the end of 2006…. Dadaab has become the largest refugee camp in the world, and Kenya’s fourth largest city: 440,000 people have gathered in makeshift shelters, made of branches and tarps. Experiencing Dadaab again last week was profoundly humbling. I was confronted with deep suffering and need. Slowing down and talking to people, I heard stories of indomitable courage and determination and of making horrible choices. Most of these people have survived 20 years of war in Somalia, two years of drought, and it’s only now that they are fleeing their homeland. They are accomplished survivors. One morning, I was talking to a family of ten. I poured a full glass of water from a pitcher and passed it to a child. He took a sip, and passed it on to his brother and so on. The last one returned it to me with enough left for the last gulp. Even in the camp, they take only what they need to survive and share the rest. What you see on the surface looks like extreme fragility, but it’s actually tremendous resilience and the extraordinary affirmation of their will to live…”

You can help by donating to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and be assured that 90% of your donation will go directly to the field to help people in need.

https://www.unrefugees.org.au/emergencies/current-emergencies/east-africa-crisis/donate

INDICTION

“Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be constrained by force.” - Flavius Josephus

Today is the first day of the calendrical southern Spring and the first day of northern Autumn. All sorts of notable events are celebrated today. Firstly, some famous birthdays:

Zoroaster, Persian mystic (6th century BC);
Lydia Sigourney, author (1791);
Engelbert Humperdinck, composer (1854);
Edgar Rice Burroughs, author (1875);
Jack Hawkins, actor (1910);
Vittorio Gassman, Italian actor (1922);
Yvonne De Carlo (Peggy Yvonne Middleton), actress (1922);
Rocky Marciano, pugilist (1923);
Conway Twitty, US musician (1934);
Seiji Ozawa, conductor (1935);
Lily Tomlin, US actress (1939);
Gloria Estefan, singer (1958).

The common fumitory, Fumaria officinalis, is today’s birthday plant.  Astrologically, it is ruled by Saturn and governs the spleen.  The language of flowers ascribes the meaning “ill at ease” to the plant.

The Anglican Church and some regional Catholic Churches celebrate the feast of St Giles who was a 7th century hermit living in Provence.  He loved wild animals and on one occasion he saved a hind which was pursued by hunters by causing thick bushes to spring around it and conceal it.  The hind is his symbol and he is the patron saint of cripples.  Many fairs were held on this day.  St Giles’s fair in Oxford is one of the oldest surviving British fairs.  Eccles Wake in Lancashire is another one, celebrated around the Parish church dating from 1111 AD, although most of the modern building is from the 15th century.  This is where Eccles Cakes were first made about 300 years ago.  Eccles Cakes may be bought in many bakeries and pastrycooks’ shops in Britain but the original recipe is a prized secret of Messrs Bradburn & Co, a family firm in Lancashire’s Eccles Borough.

Eccles cakes are made from a rich butter puff pastry and are round, about 3 inches (≈ 7.5 cm) in diameter.  They are filled with currants, butter and sugar that are wrapped in the pastry.  The cake is rolled twice, dusted with sugar and three light diagonal cuts are made over its surface.  The cakes are baked, sugar-side up, in a very hot oven for 15 minutes.  They are served cold.  Closely related to Eccles Cakes are Coventry Godshead, Chorley and Hawkshead Cakes.

The Greek Orthodox faith celebrates its Indiction today, which marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year. This is marked by a particularly resplendent and celebratory liturgy, attended by all clergy and officiated by high-ranking clergy. We are accustomed to think of January 1st as the beginning of the year. But the tradition of computing the start of a new year with autumn was common to the lands of the Bible and to all the lands around the Mediterranean. The summer harvest was at an end, the crops were stored, and people prepared for a new agricultural cycle. It was an appropriate time to begin a new year.

It is also the Greek Orthodox feast day of St Simeon Stylites, (c. 390 AD – 2 September 459 AD), who was a Christian ascetic saint who achieved fame because he lived for 39 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria.

It is Libya’s National Day (since 1951); Mexico’s President’s Message Day; Syria’s United Arab Republics Day. Libya needs no introduction, these days as it so much in the news. However, geographically speaking, it is a North African country on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 1.76 million square km and a population of 6.4 million people. Its capital city is Tripoli and other towns are Nalut, Sebha, Sirte, Tobruk and Benghazi. The country is almost all desert with practically no rainfall. The moister coastal plains are the most densely populated and are the areas where agriculture produces oranges, grapes, peanuts, wheat and barley. Oil is the main export.

indiction |inˈdikSHən| noun historical
A fiscal period of fifteen years used as a means of dating events and transactions in the Roman Empire and in the papal and some royal courts. The system was instituted by the Emperor Constantine in AD 313 and was used until the 16th century in some places.
Its use is still reflected in the Christian church calendars. The indiction in the Orthodox Church is on September 1.
• [ with numeral ] a particular year in such a period.
ORIGIN from Latin indiction-, from the verb indicere ‘proclaim, appoint,’ from in- ‘toward’ + dicere ‘pronounce, utter.’

POETRY WEDNESDAY - A RED UMBRELLA

“And Life is Colour and Warmth and Light and a striving evermore for these; and he is dead, who will not fight; and who dies fighting has increase.” - Julian Grenfell

I worked from home today and except for a 90 minute Skype meeting with people around the country, I had no interruptions and was able to get a lot done. I must finish a Teaching Handbook in time for our Academic retreat later this month in Brisbane, so today I did a great deal to break the back of the task.

The image above for this week’s Magpie Tales creative challenge, is now a pleasant diversion. A ripple in the calm still waters of my work-filled day and a dash of colour in the grayness of my intellectual pursuits of the day’s tasks.

A Red Umbrella

My life a silent movie:
Shades of gray,
Exaggeration of emotions – grimace-like,
Bad acting, jerky camera work,
A simple script and lines of text,
That punctuate its scenes with homespun homilies.

My street a colourless ghetto:
Gray crumbing walls,
Dirty sidewalks, litter dancing in the wind,
Concrete, asphalt, peeling paint, black graffiti,
An excess of signs full of warnings,
And quotes from council ordinance and by-law numbers.

My house a dark, dank cube:
Gray walls, gray furniture,
An empty, silent cage,
Full of melancholy routines,
And where each holiday
Adds a day more to my already long sentence.

My habits mirror my reality:
Work, eat and sleep full of gray dreams,
People I know who use and abuse me,
My friends distant, absent, silent,
A family I have chosen to disown,
And an ex-lover who still parasitises my heart.

My red umbrella today a bold decision:
To banish the grays of my existence,
To affirm my life’s worth,
To paint the pages of my life,
To exorcise the black past and colour my present.

A red umbrella and a red rose bouquet,
My gift to my new self.
An affirmation, a new life resolution,
A red umbrella to shelter my aquarelle dreams
So that their colours won’t run away.

EMBIGGEN BOOKS - A NEW BOOKSHOP IN MELBOURNE

“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books, the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are engines of change (as the poet said), windows on the world and lighthouses erected in the sea of time. They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind.  Books are humanity in print.” — Barbara W. Tuchman

I was on my way to a meeting off-campus this afternoon and I went by a new bookshop that has only been open for just under four weeks. As I had a little time before my meeting started I went in, not being able to resist, for as Henry Beecher says “Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?”. The shop is called Embiggen Books and is situated at 197-203 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, directly across the road from the State Library’s southern side, close to the corner of Russell Street.

If you have read my post on the closure of the Borders Bookstores you are also aware of the recent closures of several others in Melbourne (and considering the dicey state of the economy and the incertitude of the times), it may be considered an ill-advised move to open a new large bookshop in the City. However, the minute I walked into this shop, I felt a warm and welcoming atmosphere and the look and feel of this shop was so different to the large chain bookstores that I was pleasantly surprised. The shopkeeper was discreet and after greeting me continued working in his little nook, while I explored. He was most helpful and pleasant when I requested some information.

I was disappointed I didn’t have enough time to do a proper job of exploring the well-stocked shelves and certainly will go back sooner rather than later. One book did strike my fancy as it was the first one that I laid my eyes on and it is on a topic that fascinates me. It was a copy of Andreas Cellarius’ “Atlas: The Divine Sky” History’s Most Beautiful Celestial Atlas”. It is a collection of celestial maps by Dutch-German mathematician and cosmographer Andreas Cellarius (ca 1566 - 1665) and brings back to life a masterpiece from the Golden Age of celestial cartography. It is  a book first published in 1660 in the Harmonia Macrocosmica. The book that has been reprinted in glorious colour and includes the complete 29 double-folio maps and dozens of unusual details that depict the world systems of Claudius Ptolemy, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Tycho Brahe, the motions of the sun, the moon, and the planets, and the delineation of the constellations in various views. Cellarius’ Atlas is not only a work of science but also has superbly embellished details, richly decorated borders depicting cherubs, astronomers, and astronomical instruments, and features some of the most spectacular illustration in the history of astronomy. This reprint was made from the beautifully hand-coloured and complete copy of the first edition in the Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Mmmm, definitely one on my shopping list!

I loved the strategically placed seats and the ‘special offers’ bins conveniently located nearby – yet unobtrusive. Decorative touches here and there are provided by some tasteful objets d’ art or curios, some architectural detail such as the glimpse of the street through a hole in one of the bookcases and the general look of the shop. There is a children’s book section, but also sections on art, philosophy, science, fiction, history, politics, travel, poetry, social sciences, etc. This is a dark but not dingy store, spacious but not cavernous, well-stocked but not catering to populist tastes, eclectic and conducive to browsing, old-wordly yet modern, quiet but not funereal, and welcoming for every serious bookworm.

I was given a very small and elegant bookmark as I was leaving the store by its agreeable manager and the quote by Barbara Tuchman that begins this post is from the reverse of this bookmark. The obverse is an elegant business card with the name of the shop, its address and contact details surrounded by a delightful border that is in tenor with the ambience of the shop. Oh, and it’s all in black – so Melbourne!

Now before I am accused of having an interest in the place, as I am waxing quite lyrical about it, no, I do not have shares in the place. I just think that it is a delightful place and deserves success as a business venture in these uncertain times. I think the passionate bibliophiles who have opened this shop should be supported, and I for one will be going back to offer them my custom. Duck in and have a look and resist the temptations therein if you can!

MOVIE MONDAY - THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE

“Puberty for a girl is like floating down a broadening river into an open sea.” - Granville Stanley Hall

We watched another Australian film at the weekend, an oldie but a goodie. I remember missing out seeing this when it first came out, and even though we had the video for quite a while, we never had a chance to see it – or perhaps we had neglected to do so. We had heard many positive comments about this and it had won five prizes in the 1987 Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards, including best picture and best director, while being nominated for three more. It also won for its young male lead Noah Taylor, the 1988 Best Male Lead in the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards.

The film is John Duigan’s 1987 “The Year My Voice Broke”. Duigan also wrote the screenplay, which also won another AFI award. The film stars the young Noah Taylor, Loene Carmen and Ben Mendelsohn, all playing pubescent roles. Familiar faces of Australian Actors in the film include Graeme Blundell, Judi Farr, Nick Tate and Queenie Ashton. Ben Mendelsohn of course has progressed to bigger and better things, but this was a film that launched his career, having worked in TV prior to this. Noah Taylor has also gone to Hollywood, but Loene Carmen has concentrated mainly on TV.

This is a coming of age film set in 1962, in a small outback NSW town. Danny, a young prepubescent boy watches painfully as his best friend and first love, Freya, an older girl, enters into womanhood and falls for Trevor, a thuggish rugby player. This sets off a series of events that changes the lives of everyone involved. The film is simple and honest with natural performances by all the cast, and especially so the three young leads. Danny especially, is played excellently by Noah Taylor. The movie was filmed in Braidwood, New South Wales, and this location (together with good costumes and props) sets the scene of 1960s Australia admirably. The beautiful lonely countryside around the town contributes very much to the atmosphere of isolation, which counterpoints the loneliness that each of the young leads feels as they attempt to cope with their awakening sexuality and try to come to terms with adult relationships.

As Danny watches helplessly when Freya and Trevor begin their liaison, we come to sympathise with him as his feelings of unrequited love overpower him. He writes poetry and tries to emulate rock stars to win Freya over but his voice breaks when he tries to sing. Freya, an adopted child and a wild teenager, shares her every secret with Danny, as they sit in the hideout they share on top of rocky Willy Hill. Danny and Freya are joined because of their loneliness, Danny trying to escape from his macho schoolmates and Freya because she cannot fit into the family that has raised her.

Trains in the film play an important role, signifying the link with the big City, but are also a constant reminder that there is an escape route available to those who dare to leave the town. The increasingly dark mood of the film is lightened with touches of humour especially as it relates to Danny’s ineffectual use of telepathy and hypnotism. The film draws upon the characters’ belief in the supernatural in order to highlight their mundane problems that harsh reality creates for them. This is a film about the pains of growing up and how we each try and cope with puberty and its mysteries. Unfortunately, some of us make it, others are broken by it.

One thing that didn’t work for me was the use of Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” in the soundtrack. It just didn’t pass muster as far as its evocation of the Australian landscape was concerned. The music is so English and evocative of green meadows, that to use it in a film set in the Outback is just not on. Otherwise, we enjoyed the film very much and recommend it most highly.

ART SUNDAY - SURREALISM AT GoMA

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’” - George Bernard Shaw

While in Brisbane I managed to get to the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), which is hosting a major new exhibition of Dali, Magritte, Miró, Picasso, Man Ray and other surrealists in an exhibition titled: “Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams”. This exhibition highlights Europe’s most extensive collection of surrealist works from the Musée National d’ Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The GoMA, which opened in December 2006, is part of the Queensland Art Gallery building and is found at Kurilpa Point only 150 metres from the Queensland Art Gallery building. The GoMA focusses on the art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The Musée National d’Art Moderne, in Paris’s Centre Pompidou, is one of the world’s best museum collections of modern and contemporary art. Its Surrealism collections are the finest in Europe. It is form here that key surrealist works have been selected to stage the GoMA exhibition which presents more than 180 works by 56 artists, including paintings, sculptures, ‘surrealist objects’, films, photographs, drawings and collages. The exhibition is an excellent opportunity to see important art works that rarely leave Paris, and gain a fascinating and comprehensive overview of an  important artistic movement.

A historical record of Surrealism is charted by the art in this exhibition, beginning with the Dada experiments in painting, photography and film, through the metaphysical questioning and exploration of the subconscious in the paintings of Giorgio De Chirico and Max Ernst; to the readymade objects of Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray’s photographs. Gaining ascendency in the early 1920s, the movement’s development is recorded by the writings of Surrealism’s founder André Breton and key early works by André Masson. Paintings and sculptures by surrealists Salvador Dalí, Rene Magritte, Victor Brauner, Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti, Max Ernst, Fernand Léger and Paul Delvaux are all included.

Film and photography are also represented throughout the exhibition, including films by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, René Clair and Man Ray. Important photographic works by Hans Bellmer, Brassaï, Claude Cahun, Dora Maar, Eli Lotar and Jacques-André Boiffard also feature. The exhibition is rounded out with late works that show the breadth of Surrealism’s influence, and includes major works by Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky and Joseph Cornell. “Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams” is accompanied by an innovative Children’s Art Centre program, a range of public programs, including talks, discussions and performances, and a full-colour exhibition catalogue.

The Queensland GoMA was closed immediately after the Brisbane floods of January 2011, but reopened in March. In July 2002, Sydney-based company Architectus was commissioned by the Queensland Government following an Architect Selection Competition, to design the Gallery. A main theme of Architectus’s design is a pavilion in the landscape, one which assumes its position as both hub and anchor for this important civic precinct. Critical to this is the building’s response to the site, its natural topography, existing patterns of urban generation, and the river.

The image above is by René Magritte and is titled “Les marches de l’été” (The Steps of Summer) - 1938. It typifies surrealist works, in that incongruous images are superimposed to create a dream-like atmosphere of ambiguous and confronting reality. Magritte’s fascination with fractured mountainous landscapes in which some human elements are placed is shown in this painting, with its cube sky and neatly excavated trench. The female torso on the ledge challenges with its colour and texture. It looks like a classical statue but it its flesh-like upper half and its clay-like bottom half disorient the viewer. Even the title of the work is challenging and mystifies, rather than being explanatory. But such is surrealism: It highlights the creative potential of the unconscious mind by the irrational juxtaposition of often realistically rendered images.

SUGARY SATURDAY

“A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everything she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her.” - Helen Rowland

A leisurely day today, although it was full! Did a few things around the house, went out for some shopping, then a drive, and a movie in the afternoon, followed by dinner out…

For Song Saturday tonight, a blast from the past, a pop song from 1972, when I was in High School. Here is Lynsey De Paul singing one of her big hits “Sugar Me”.



Found it in a 4 CD compilation of favourite soft rock songs of all time that we bought at a garage sale today for $2.00… Lot of memories!

FOOD FRIDAY - HOME COOKING

“Good food and a warm kitchen are what make a house a home.” – Rachael Ray

One of the best parts of travelling for work is coming back home! When I came back home this evening, it felt as though I had been away for ages. I suddenly felt very comfortable amongst my own things, the wonderful “home” smell that greeted me with the familiar objects, paintings, furniture around me. I think this is a sure sign of getting older, not being comfortable for too long far from home. However, it is also because I was not away on a holiday, but rather for work.

In any case, for dinner tonight a wonderful home-cooked meal. Whatever one may say about restaurant meals (even in the best restaurants), the palate soon palls and one yearns for the honest to goodness, simple and tasty home-cooked dishes. And so it was tonight, with a traditional Greek dish, which although a hearty soup, it is at the same time quite light.

Youvarlákia
[Meatballs in Egg and Lemon Sauce]
Ingredients
•    750 grams of veal mince
•    1/2 cup butter (may substitute olive oil if desired)
•    1/2 cup rice
•    1/2 cup minced onion
•    3 heaped tablespoons finely chopped parsley
•    1 teaspoon finely chopped dill
•    1.5 litres chicken stock
•    4 eggs
•    3-4 lemons
•    salt, pepper

Method
•    Wash the rice well and drain, putting it into a large bowl.
•    Add the veal mince, the herbs, one egg white, salt and pepper.
•    Mix well, kneading the mixture so it becomes homogeneous.
•    Shape the veal mixture into small balls, each about 3.5 cm in diameter.
•    Melt the butter in a fairly large pot and add carefully the meatballs.
•    Add the stock so that the meatballs are covered (add water if not enough stock),
•    Boil and then simmer until the meatballs are cooked.
•    Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, beating well to incorporate it (this can be done with a mechanical whisk).
•    Gradually add the very hot stock the meatballs have boiled in, to the egg and lemon mixture using a ladle while continuing to whisk. The object is to cook the egg without curdling it.
•    Once all the stock has been added, pour the egg and lemon sauce back into the pot containing the meatballs and simmer gently so that cooking process is finished. Once again, be careful the egg does not curdle.
•    Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper and a dill sprig for garnish.

POSTCARD FROM BRISBANE

“Reverie is not a mind vacuum. It is rather the gift of an hour, which knows the plenitude of the soul.” - Gaston Bachelard

I am in Brisbane for work for a couple of days, attending a conference. I took the early flight up this morning, meaning that I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. so that I could have a leisurely start to the long day with a good, slow breakfast and then catch a taxi to the airport all in good time for my flight at 6:00 a.m. All went well and the flight was pleasant enough, although the Melbourne to Brisbane stretch is now about two-and-a-half hours with all the delays and holding patterns that one has to endure.

At least, it has been an interesting day with some good speakers, but especially so an excellent speaker in the face of Michael Pascoe (http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/economic-speakers/michael-pascoe/). I must admit that I have been a long-time fan of his as he has always been a good journalist and TV personality, giving incisive reports and commentary, as well as good financial and political analyses. He was an informative and entertaining speaker, making even the dull economical reportage interesting and engaging.

There was quite a great deal of networking at the conference and I caught up with many people I knew, as well as making some new contacts. There was a cocktail function in the evening, affording even more networking opportunities, but from what I could see from the other conference delegates some serious drinking opportunities also. A colleague and I stayed for a little while and then went off and had a pub dinner.

After coming back to the hotel for an early night, I suddenly felt the urge to go out for a walk. The air was warm and the night still and calm. I walked out and found my way to the Story Bridge. The river below was reflecting the lights of the City with boats and ferries still going up and down its length. After the hectic day it was relaxing to sit and watch the thousands of lights coruscating in the distance, their reflections scattered by the slow flowing water of the river. A thousand thoughts flitted in and out of my mind and the meditation of the sparkling lights seemed to have a calming, peace-giving effect.

My reverie was interrupted by a few fellow walkers, young men, who walked by noisily conversing, laughing and generally horsing around. I watched them walking on by and smiled, remembering my youth and similar excursions into the exciting nightlife of the big city. I felt sleepy then and came back to the hotel, thankful a little perhaps that I wasn’t a youth any more! Another early start tomorrow.

reverie |ˈrevərē| noun
A state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream: A knock on the door broke her reverie | I slipped into reverie.
• Music an instrumental piece suggesting a dreamy or musing state.
• archaic a fanciful or impractical idea or theory.
ORIGIN early 17th century: From obsolete French resverie, from Old French reverie ‘rejoicing, revelry,’ from rever ‘be delirious,’ of unknown ultimate origin.

POETRY WEDNESDAY - PICNIC

“It’s never safe to be nostalgic about something until you're absolutely certain there's no chance of its coming back.” - Bill Vaughn

There is almost nobody that doesn’t have an album or two of photographs around, each a little jolt that stimulate the wind of nostalgia to fill the sails of memory, making our mind’s ship travel back into the past. Nostalgia is a curious bittersweet pastille that for some has more sweet than bitter, while for others the bitterness overpowers the sweetness. Old photographs can make us smile, make us laugh, make us reflect on old times, but for some old photographs are a cause for tears as they rekindle old destructive fires and as they scratch old wounds to make them bleed yet again.

The creative writing group hosted by Magpie Tales has set a challenge based on the image above, which has stimulated the creative juices to flow yet again:

The Picnic

A sunny day, watercoloured, as those in the past can be
A brilliant morning full of joy and sunshine.
The four of us together as we so often were,
All laughter and shrieks of happiness.

A hamper, quickly packed with home-made delights,
A picnic rug rolled up, the car ready for the excursion.
The weekend all ours, and with our lips parted,
Smiling, joking, chatting, all so happy.

Maddie, Joe, Donna and Ted
The four of us together, sharing good times.
A snapshot moment, three first
Maddie, and Joe, Donna;
And then the other three
Maddie, Donna and Ted.

A song from the radio blares, as we sing along,
A special moment, this is what memories are made of.
The road unfurls, the accelerator touches the floor,
All laughter and shrieks of happiness.

A road sign, small towns, forests, hills,
A roadside stop, more snapshots, the morning all ours.
And once again on our way, the road an endless ribbon
Smiling, joking, chatting, all so happy.

Maddie, Donna, Joe and Ted
The four of us together, sharing good times.
A snapshot moment, three first
Maddie, and Joe, Donna;
And then the other three
Maddie, Donna and Ted.

A bend in the road, a treacherous rise, the lane narrow;
A truck up ahead swerving into our path,
The cries of joy turn to cries of fear
All tears, wide-eyed disbelief, and shrieks of terror.

A collision, the car spinning out of control…
A bad moment, this is what nightmares are made of.
The road collapses in on itself, the windscreen smashes,
Screams, howls and then silence as three lives are lost.

Maddie, Donna, Joe and Ted
The four of us together, sharing all till then.
A snap and the future’s shot, as three die:
Maddie, and Joe, Donna;
And since then I, alone lamenting
Maddie, Donna and Joe.

THE LIBYAN UPRISING

“Ισχύς μου, η αγάπη του λαού.” - Γεώργιος Α' (βασιλέας των Ελλήνων)
“My strength is the love of my people.” – George I, King of the Greeks

The situation in Libya has become critical in the last few days. The complete social upheaval that has been caused by the revolutionary insurgence is finally reaching a point where the fate of the whole country will be determined in a matter of weeks if not days. Moammar Gadhafi, the country’s present head of state has found himself in the unenviable situation of being surrounded by rebel forces with his power being diminished to his immediate staff and Libya’s control effectively in rebel hands. This marks the end of a 42-year-long reign and potentially the end of his dynastic control of the country, as his heirs will no doubt share his fate.

As hundreds of Libyan rebels blasted through the green gates of Moammar Gadhafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli today after five hours of intense fighting around it, they beat and killed some of those who defended it, fired celebratory shots in the air and hauled off crates of weapons and trucks with guns mounted on the back. The capture of the sprawling compound in the capital, had a substantive as well as symbolic significance. The storming of the seat of power of a leader effectively marks the downfall of the man as well as his regime. An iconic picture of rebels astride a monumental statue of a golden fist clutching an enemy warplane is immediately visible as proof of the overthrow of the old regime.

Pockets of resistance are likely to persist around the country for some time, even if the seat of power is controlled by the rebel forces. What is surprising is that the rebels advanced so rapidly into Tripoli, quickly capturing large parts of the city of 2 million in what was a lightning attack characterised by precision and effectiveness. Even though his compound is in rebel hands, Gadhafi’s whereabouts are still unknown, the leader having been driven underground and hiding out, possibly planning a counter-attack, however ineffectual this may be at this stage, or more likely looking for a way to escape the country.

The quote I started this entry with is significant. Any leader is only as strong as his supporters make him. The more the people supporting him are and the greater their love for him, the stronger the leader is and it is unlikely that he will be unseated. Lacking the loyalty of a significant number of supporters, a leader either topples or has to resort to becoming a dictator or a tyrant, clinging onto power through intimidation, torture, a vast propaganda machine and the support of a small but effective armed force that controls the country through terrorisation of the people. This is a situation that is unfortunately common both historically and geographically around the world.

The only problem that such a dictator or tyrant has to deal with in the fullness of time is that the populace will only remain subjugated for so long. Straw upon straw of repression, torture, suppression of civil liberties and the trampling of human rights will lead to the breaking of the camel’s back and a revolution will occur. Blood is shed, people’s fury is unleashed and in most cases the dictator is deposed. This is seen in the cases of even the so-called “benevolent dictators” as any form of dictatorship is perceived as a repressive regime that stifles free choice and the now universally revered ideal in government, true democracy.

The power vacuum that has been generated with Gadhafi’s downfall will need to be filled quickly if Libya is to become a modern country with a fair and honest government that truly looks after the interests of her people. As the rebel forces are not organised into functional political forces and as there is no charismatic universal leader, the scrabble for leadership in post-Gadhafi Libya will no doubt be the cause of further strife and conflict. I hope that someone emerges as a strong and fair leader that will give the people what has been denied them for so long and ensure that prosperity will ensue in a country that has rich energy resources.

The photograph above by Bob Strong is of a young boy who suffered a broken arm in a missile attack stands at the entrance to the main teaching hospital after Libyan rebel fighters pushed pro-Khadafy soldiers out of Zawiyah on August 20, 2011. It highlights for me the very real victims of the conflict in Libya. The people are suffering and innocent children such as this lucky one who survived, and some unfortunate ones who did not are paying an awful price for man’s ambition, greed, hate, corruption and fanaticism.

MOVIE MONDAY - I LOVE YOU TOO

“Tears and fears and feeling proud to say ‘I love you’ right out loud.” - Joni Mitchell

You know the feeling when sometimes you go around the neighbourhood and admire the flowers in other people’s gardens? You see a spectacular rose, for example, and you look at it admiringly, smell it and enjoy its beauty, even take photograph? Then you go back home and in your own backyard you suddenly find a similar rose that you had overlooked, smelling just as sweet and as beautiful as the neighbour’s you admired just before…

This was our feeling at the weekend when we watched Daina Reid’s 2010 “I Love You Too”, an Australian film that was shot in Melbourne. It was written by Peter Helliar and stars Brendan Cowell, Peter Dinklage, Yvonne Strahovski, Peter Helliar and Megan Gale. It was a romantic comedy with a light touch and some poignant moments, a film which proved to be satisfying and diverting. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a masterpiece or a film that was wildly original or one that changed the course of the cinematic art. However, it was enjoyable and funny with its heart in the right place. Ok, the rose wasn’t a named beautiful hybrid tea rose, it was a fresh, delightful garden-variety home grown type…

The film examines various aspects of love, for example, that between siblings who had to look after themselves for 20 years after their parents died in a car crash, a married couple expecting their first baby, the love between two best mates, and the love between two strangers who start off on the wrong foot, but find in each other a genuine friendship. There is also the fiery love that begins with a strong sexual attraction and develops into a romance, a romance that for over three years seemingly blooms, only to threaten to be cut short as one of the partners begins to feel unfulfilled.

The film focusses on the strained relationship between Jim (Brendan Cowell) and Alice (Yvonne Strahovski), a couple who meet in a bar, have a one-night stand, but who find their attraction keeps the together for more than three years. Alice hopes for Jim to tell her those magic four words that men seem to have a great difficulty in uttering: “I love you too”. However, the best Jim can do is give Alice a tinny “commitment ring” rather than an engagement ring and a proposal. Alice breaks up with Jim on his birthday, characterising him as a man-child who refuses to grow up.

Jim finds that his best mate Blake (Peter Helliar, who wrote the screenplay) is unable to support him in this serious phase of his life, Blake being more suited to having fun together and fooling around. Jim gets drunk, breaks into a car and thus begins his friendship with Charlie (Peter Dinklage, of ‘Death at a Funeral’ fame), a ‘little person’ with a big heart. It is Charlie who understands Jim’s anguish and it is he who will empower Jim to try and win Alice back. Jim will also return the favour as he helps Charlie attain his dream.

This is a film about love and friendship and human relationships. It starts off in a trite way, a little slowly and may turn some people off initially, but it soon gathers speed and several threads of narrative begin to weave together in order to ravel a satisfying pattern. I believe Australian cinema has come a long way in the last few decades and this is proof enough of the professionalism and accomplishments of the local film industry. This film is not purely a chick flick of purple romance one-dimensionalism, it has a little more depth and satisfies both men and women, as each sex will find plenty to identify with.

We would recommend the film as a pleasant matinée diversion, being entertaining, poignant, funny, romantic and well-acted. Peter Dinklage steals many a scene, while Blake can be so gauche and pathetic that one has to laugh. Jim and Alice make an unlikely but pleasant couple, while Megan Gale looks very sultry and gorgeous, carrying her role as ‘Francesca’, the super Italian model with aplomb. A very good Aussie movie!

ART SUNDAY - SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE

“In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” – Herodotus

August 18th is Vietnam Veterans’ Day. Originally it was a day to commemorate the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. The battle of Long Tan was the largest single unit battle fought in Vietnam by Australian troops. It began on the afternoon of August 18th and went right through the night until the morning of the 19th. The reason why it was looked on as decisive and significant was because the Australian army contingent had only been there a few months - it was the first major conflict involving Australian troops in Vietnam.

The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army were aware that the Australians were there to secure the province and decided that they would take them on. The was the fate that befell a company of men - Delta company, from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment - who were on patrol that particular day. The enemy lay in wait for them - a huge ambush in a rubber plantation called Long Tan. The Australians had to hold off thousands of enemy troops for the duration of that battle. Eighteen Australian troops were killed - up to a thousand of the enemy. The skills of artillery men and arrival of armoured carriers with more men saved the day. The 6th Battalion was called the “Baby Battalion” as it was made up largely of national servicemen - and they certainly underwent a baptism by fire.

August 18 has now been adopted by all Vietnam Veterans a day of commemoration. The Vietnam conflict went on for 10 years and was Australia’s longest war. This Sunday we took the opportunity to visit the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne again and see the museum and educational centre associated with it. The museum contains many artefacts, photographs, uniforms, medals, equipment and memorabilia associated with Australia’s involvement with the war efforts from the early 20th century until the present time.

For Art Sunday today, a small painting from this museum, which had a special exhibition on the Navy. It was painted by Peter Churcher and depicts the bridge of HMAS Adelaide (II), on 17 February 2002. It painted in oil on hardboard and the artist says this of this painting:

“I spent one day on the Adelaide. In the morning I painted the small panel of the operations room and after lunch I went up to the bridge where a young female officer was at the helm. She was in training for steering the vessel. Outside, all around us were the merchant vessel ships moored in the Komisky area.”

Please look at my Photoblog for more photographs of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

TCHAIKOVSKY FOR SATURDAY

“Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire.” – Virgil

It was a beautiful Spring day today after a foggy morning. We made the most of it by doing our chores and then spending some time in the garden and then a nice walk to the shops. It seemed that everyone had the same idea and the cafés were full, while layers of winter clothing had been taken off. It was nice to feel the sun warming our back and hear the laughter and chatter around us. We had some lunch in one of the shops we like in the neighbourhood and then walked back home. Having had our fill of sun and stimulated some Vitamin D production, we went back home and watched a movie. Then out to dinner tonight. Quite a busy day Saturday, but busy-good!

Here is something spring-like and gorgeously melodic from the pen of the master of melody, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). It is the waltz from his opera Eugene Onegin. This is a well-known example of lyric opera; the libretto very closely follows Alexander Pushkin’s original poem, retaining much of his poetry, to which Tchaikovsky adds music of a dramatic nature. The story concerns a selfish hero (after whom the opera is named) who lives to regret his blasé rejection of Tatiana, a young woman who loves him and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend.  The opera was first performed in Moscow in 1879.

To open Act II, whose setting is a gala birthday party for the young Tatiana, Tchaikovsky created one of his most splendid waltzes full of melody and his usual wonderful orchestration. It is a wonderful evocation of youthful optimism and the springtime of emotions.

ARTICHOKES FOR FOOD FRIDAY

“Life is like eating artichokes, you have got to go through so much to get so little.” - Thomas Aloysius Dorgan

Another busy day at work today with a couple of meetings, some staff interviews, lots of paperwork and of course the usual emails, telephone calls and I even popped out at lunchtime to pay some bills. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. Although the weather started out wet and cool in the morning, it fined up by lunchtime so it was quite good to walk out into the sunshine for a little while. A good weekend is predicted with temperatures climbing to the high teens and some welcome spring sunshine.

Artichokes have started to appear in the greengrocers and despite the fuss needed to prepare them they are a wonderful vegetable, whether eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of ways. A native of the Mediterranean, the artichoke can be grown as a perennial or annual crop. It is a member of the thistle tribe of the daisy family (Compositae). In full growth, the plant spreads to cover an area about 1.5 metres in diameter and reaches a height of 1.5 metres. It has long, arching, deeply serrated leaves that give the plant a highly decorative appearance. The wild artichoke can be very spiny, with thorny leaves and buds. It produces artichokes that are smaller, but tastier than the cultivated variety.

The 'vegetable' that we eat is the plant’s flower bud. If these buds are allowed to open, the blossoms can measure up to 15 centimetres in diameter and are a beautiful violet-blue color. The size of the bud depends upon where it is located on the plant. The largest are the terminal buds produced at the end of the long central stems. These are the ones you are most likely to see if you go past an artichoke field. The lateral buds are smaller and lower on the stem.

The artichoke is not suited to people wanting fast food or a quick meal! Some preparation is required, but it is well worth it. Artichokes have a unique, nutty flavour as well as having great health benefits. One medium-sized artichoke is a good source of vitamin C, folate, dietary fibre, magnesium and potassium. It’s low in sodium, fat-free and a dieter’s delight at only 25 calories each. New studies have shown that artichokes contain an unusual amount of antioxidants and in a study done by the United States Department of Agriculture, artichokes rank as the number one vegetable in antioxidant count. Among the most powerful phytonutrients in artichokes are cynarin and silymarin, which have strong protective effects on the liver.

Most people cook the whole artichoke, then serve it in a dish with some dressing on the side. The artichoke is grasped with the fingers, each petal is stripped off, dipped in dressing and then its bottom fleshy part is bitten and the petal drawn through the teeth, trapping the flesh in the mouth. Eventually one reaches the more substantial and delectable heart, which is also eaten with the dressing. Lightly cooked and dressed artichokes also make excellent additions to stir-fries, pizzas, antipasto and pasta dishes.

The way that we have always prepared artichokes at home is to buy many of them when in season, usually in large cartons of 30-40 pieces. They are cheaper that way and one can then prepare them to keep for several months. This way, one has to clean them raw. It is great fun getting a few people together and having an artichoke cleaning lunch! First one needs a large bowl of ice-cold water in which several lemons have been juiced. Then the fun starts. The outer petals are discarded and then one peels off a petal and nibbles on the fleshy bottom, discarding the rest. This continues until one gets to the young and tender petals at the heart, The stem is peeled and trimmed to about two centimetres and the artichoke heart is quartered lengthwise parallel to the stem. The central ‘choke’ part is scraped out and discarded. One then has neat, clean quarters of artichoke heart with attached small piece of stem that must be placed in the water quickly to prevent them going black. This is continued until all the artichokes have been prepared. One feels rather full after this, as nibbling on the flesh on each petal adds up quite considerably!

The artichoke quarters can be eaten raw in salads, after chopping them up. A good combination is chopped lettuce hearts, artichokes, spring onions, chopped dill and chopped hard-boiled eggs. A simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper completes the dish. If the artichokes are not to be consumed raw, they must be blanched. Not cooked thoroughly, just parboiled. They are then drained thoroughly and can be frozen laid flat in plastic bags in convenient meal-size portions. They last for several months in the freezer. Another way of preserving them is to drain them well after parboiling, place them in sterilised glass jars and cover them with olive oil.

If one wishes to use the parboiled artichoke hearts one can add them to all sorts of recipes. For example, one may chop them up, sauté them in butter and make a delicious omelette with them. They can be used in quiches, pizzas and pasta (especially with creamy sauces). A traditional Greek dish is a spicy stewed lamb ragout to which artichokes are added in the final stages of cooking. Another dish is roast chicken stuffed with a mixture of sautéed artichoke heart pieces, chopped sweet yellow capsicums and field mushroom pieces.

A YOUNG LIFE CUT SHORT

“Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals love them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more.” - Edwin Way Teale

We heard a rather distressing news item this morning on the news. A four-year-old girl was fatally mauled by a pit bull terrier, which rushed into her house and killed her while she was clinging to her mother’s leg. This happened on St Albans, one of Melbourne’s Western Suburbs, which are traditionally denoted as “working class” and “disadvantaged”. This may seem to be beside the point, but these suburbs often are bad-mouthed (and sometimes even by people who should know better, like politicians!) and all sorts of social ills are supposedly incubating in these locales.

In any eventuality, the sad case of Ayen Chol in one that is independent of location and class. A small child had her life cut tragically short and her death was horrible, with her last minutes in agony as the dog lunged at her. The animal, which belonged to a neighbour, wandered into the Chols’ house at about 8 o’clock yesterday evening, attacking the child and her cousin aged 5 years. The mother of the girl and Daniel Atem, a cousin aged 30 years, tried to get the dog away from the 5-year-old child, which was attacked first. They managed to save this older child, but the dog then lunged at Ayen who clung to her mother’s leg.

The dog tore the girl away from the mother, mauled her and caused her to die. The dog then slunk away and its owner came and took it away. The child’s father was overseas, working in the Sudan. The scene discovered by the police must have been horrific. The mother of the girl would have been inconsolable as she looked at her dead girl’s mutilated and bloody body and knowing that she had been there and unable to save her daughter’s life.

The State Government was motivated by this latest attack to announce that it would end an amnesty on dangerous dog owners and would allow Council staff to enter properties and destroy the animals. State government records of attacks show that between January and March a total of 721 people were attacked - meaning bitten, chased or harassed. Debate in parliament is expected to centre on whether the Crimes Act should be amended so that owners of killer dogs should face consequences similar to culpable drivers who can be put in gaol of up to 20 years.

The name “pit bull” for these dogs comes from fighting in pits. They are thrown in a pit with another dog and the two of them fight to the death. They are bred for fighting and their killer instincts tend to be preserved, even if cross-bred. If these killer dogs see something like another dog or a cat or a small child, move quickly they attack it with an instinct to kill. That some people choose to not only keep these dogs but also encourage these killer instincts in them is a sad fact of the human psyche. Animals are animals and they rely on instinct to motivate their actions. Humans have a brain and can think, they know right form wrong, they have intellect, emotions, a moral sense. That they can counter all of these and function in an inhuman way is perverse, criminal and amoral.

The dog in this case is acting as animal acts, and should not be blamed. It is an animal that acts out its animal instincts on which its survival hinges. The owner of the dog is the one to blame and if the lawmakers do the right thing, he should be the one to pay the price that justice should exact for the death of a little angel.

maul |môl| verb [ with obj. ]
(Of an animal) Wound (a person or animal) by scratching and tearing: The herdsmen were mauled by lions.
• Treat (someone or something) roughly.
noun
A tool with a heavy head and a handle, used for tasks such as ramming, crushing, and driving wedges; a beetle.
DERIVATIVES
mauler noun
ORIGIN: Middle English (in the sense ‘hammer or wooden club,’ also ‘strike with a heavy weapon’): From Old French mail, from Latin malleus ‘hammer.’