Silence or a conversaton

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There are times when it's good to be silent, not to engage in meaningless talk or being overpowered by a dominnt self-obsessed speaker. Yet we do need to communicate a lot of the time, to share ideas, to listen to others. But nowadays there seems to be such a distance between people from different generations and experiences. Leunig shows this up in a cartoon in today's Age newspaper.

A piano keyboard stairway, way to go

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My niece Bron posted on Facebook about the piano stairs and I think it is just a gorgeous idea. It's in Stockholm apparently and I'd choose stairs any day if they were like this one.
Piano stairs - TheFunTheory.com - Rolighetsteorin.se
1 min 48 sec - 7 Oct 2009 -
We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory. Do you have an idea that ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

If video doesn't work, then just google 'piano stairs' and there are several sites.

more pics from recent photos and sketches

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Just a few I managed to make using the second computer as the main one is still down. Peceli bought a new modem but I need some help it getting it going. Need grandsons urgently to help but they are in Fiji! These are of Southern Cross Station, St Mary's Basilica, Federation Square and a floral arrangement.

drawings of tortoises and other things

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Using a different computer in a church office, I just have a small opportunity to post a few recent pictures that developed from a trip to Jirralinga Animal Shelter. My own computer really has atharitus and can barely move - no internet - or so slow it won't get through, keyboard won't work, scanner/printer won't work - all this happened after I got the computer back from the virus bug fix-up! So it's back with the experts. My server techno guy advises me to buy a NB6 as the NB5 won't work with the fast speed. Hmmm. Peceli suggests that I have short-circuited some connection with my fiddling with cables!

Jirralinga Animal Welfare

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The batteries in my camera were flat so I was forced to take my sketchbook yesterday when we took our visitors from Fiji to the Jirralinga Animal Shelter in Barwon Heads so they could see koalas and kangaroos. It was a lovely visit, including Mere tentatively holding a baby wombat.

No time for drawing this week

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With visitors from Fiji staying with us, is too much talk and cooking nice meals, taking the couple around Geelong and so on, that I haven't done any drawings and paintings lately. Here are just a few photos messed about with - from my trip to Melbourne last week - of Federation Square and nearby. We are really having a good time with Rev Waisake and his wife Mere as they tell us stories of Navua, Rakiraki, Taveuni, all places we know. They are an amazing couple, - church planting in a difficult place. Here, many good things are happening each day such as a gift of many lilies, succulants, and plants to split up and repot or plant in the garden. We have many thoughtful friends so I guess the motto is to pass it on. There is also some interesting news from our relatives in Fiji too - that 'money for jam' is coming our way as a weather radar tower may be built on one of the hills on the Ratawa land. This is a gift that can provide money for school fees and development projects.

Walking in circles

from w,
Peceli and I spent the weekend at Dandenong, Melbourne, mostly at the Trinity Uniting Church. I noticed something new since last visiting there - a pattern in bricks in the garden. All in circles, but not really. It was called a labyrinth they said, and those interested could slowly walk the pathway until they reached the centre, pausing sevral times where there was a brick with a text - a question, a quote, something to reflect upon. I had never seen this before and thought it was an interesting idea. Perhaps we walk in circles though and never get to the centre to really focus on the meaning of life and spirituality eh? Our journey is not usually as orderly as a set-out pathway.

They also had an enclosed garden with sculptures and decorations that invite reflection. Trinity is a church with possibilities - sited in the midst of a very large outer suburb of Melbourne where there is a burgeoning population of migrants from many countries and new suburbs nearby. There's a lot going on there too as there's a plan to build a new hall, Pacific style, even with a place for a lovo (underground oven). Their website can be found easily. Peceli and I were there for the Hindi Fellowships Consultation where we met many old friends. More about that on the Babasiga blog.

Pet animals and the old and the young

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An event for Seniors' Week involved the elderly in a nursing home in Newcomb, small children and their mums and a host of pet animals from Serenity Farm. A pony, sheep, goats, ducks, chooks, rabbits and guinea pigs. And a little pink pig running around. In a sunny but sheltered verandah at the back of the nursing home the elderly residents had gathered, sitting in their chairs or wheelchairs, as they watched or held little creatures. It was a lovely idea. And I met a couple of people from our church, one a visitor and one a resident. Here are some photos I took there.

A day in Melbourne

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for Seniors' week buses and train travel is free in Victoria to those over 60 so I went up to Melbourne for the day, got sore ankles from climbing up and down stairs and on the hard concrete, but there were some good things to see at the art gallery, etc. and I took a few photographs. The Seniors hub at the Town Hall had ikabana demonstrations and a display from the country town of Birchip and lots of handouts on dementia, nursing homes, diabetes, good eating etc. I was really only interested in Anne McLellan's book on Birchip as Peceli and I know some of the people there, especially retired doctors John and Bev Horton whose photo was in Anne's book. They were missionaries in Fiji many years ago and my doctors. At Federation Square thousands of Storm rugby fans were waiting for the stars and I'd worn a purple jacket for the occasion but as I can't stand around, I wandered around the art galleries instead. The fashion display Together Alone from New Zealand and Australian designers was fabulous. I asked the security guy if I could take photos but the answer was 'No.' I'd already been told off for using a flash when taking a photo of an Aboriginal painting and speaker!
They often say that a woman's handbag is like a dog's breakfast - well when I was in the tram going back to Southern Cross Station I noticed a woman had her delicacies - Japanese sushi etc. in her handbag!

A Welsh choir sings in Geelong

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On Friday afternoon St Mary's Basilica in Geelong was crowded for the concert by the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir. It was a splendid occasion, inspiring, with a spirited pianist accompanying a large choir. Songs included Methodist hymns in Welsh, Negro Spirituals, a song from Africa and popular songs such as 'I still call Australia Home'. An elderly lady sitting next to me, perhaps with dementia, sang along with many of the songs - thankfully in tune. She knew all the words to 'Goodbye' from 'White Horse Inn' a musical of the 40s I think. I did a sketch before the concert started. Some years I have attended a gymanfa ganu - Welsh hymn festival - and the sound of the tenors and basses just make you toes tingle. I was invited to the Welsh church programs by Mr and Mrs Jones. Of course with that name. There will be such an event in Geelong on Sunday afternoon 24th October at Belmont Uniting Church 3 p.m. I've been told. Modern compositions by a Welsh composer Karl Jenkins include 'The Armed Man' and 'Adiemus' which are brilliant pieces of music. Samples of music from the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir and Karl Jenkins music can be found on youtube.

Geelong West Town Hall

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Waiting for a bus in Pakington Street, I made a quick sketch of the Geelong West Town Hall and later added colour etc. so it's not exactily like a photo! There are many older buildings in Geelong that mimic bits and pieces of classic Greek and a mixture of styles that were designed in a time of prosperity and optimism - mainly banks, public buildings and just a few private mansions. When several Councils in Geelong amalgamated such as Bellarine, Geelong West, Corio, some of the town halls became redundant so have been used for various purposes e.g. Geelong West front offices now are used by Diversitat (formerly Geelong Migrant Resource Centre) and Corio - which was formerly Osborne House - now is used for adult classes, some historical records, etc. and there's a plan to turn it into a hotel o something. Here are photos of a hotel in Queenscliff and the Geelong Town Hall showing the confident, opulant style of about 130 years ago.