Yoiking life

Last night I watched a Swedish film called Sami Blood.

The film is set in Sweden in the 1930s and tells the story of a 14-year-old Sami girl by the name of Elle-Marja. Sami are indigenous Laplander's who live in the northern parts of Scandinavia. I don't want to go into detail describing the film but I recommend watching it. 

Despite how uncomfortable I felt watching this film there was one aspect that brought great joy. Watching the girls Yoiking (or Joiking). Toiling is a form of singing that comes from deep within the spirit of the person, it can have words but not necessarily, its an expression of feeling and connection to another entity, person, place, animal, that is part of the Sami culture and deeply connects their identity and their relationship with the world around them. This is something I found really special and comforting. 

Lately I have been experiencing a lot of very powerful emotions, feelings of empathy and also pain. Personal pain from a sense of loss and brokenness but also relating to the loss of others. It's a bit of an ongoing battle I am having at the moment. Not something a man would willingly admit to but, why not? 

I recently received news of two suicides, I did not know the people but am affected by the frequency of suicide within my circle of friends and extended network. Lately I have been grieving close friends who I've recently lost and it seems the deaths just keep stacking up. Although this film was not about suicide, the cruelty of people and sense of alienation was overpowering for me. The strength of the lead female character moved me also. 

Suicide was not a theme but the pressures that often lead to that course of action were obvious. There were scenes in the film I just could not watch as I was trembling with rage and anguish. In one scene anthropologists were conducting eugenic studies and taking measurements of children's body dimensions that just left me wanting to howl.

I have no idea how this film will affect others. It's an interesting story with a very powerful  performance by Lene Cecilia Sparrok a Southern Sami actress from Norway who had me spellbound for the entire time.

I can't explain my sensitivity to these things at the moment, maybe I'm just thin skinned. Maybe I have not recovered from my own malady. I hope that I can come away from this with greater understanding and compassion for my fellow humans. In reality I am fluctuating between singing the great praises of God the universe and everything one minute and the next I just want to call it a day.

Australia Day

It's the day after Australia Day

Australia Day 26th January is the Anniversary date for the arrival at Port Jackson of the 'First Fleet' of ships sent from Britain to start the New South Wales colony. Of course at that time each of the colonies identified as quite separate entities which later grew into independent states each with their own relationship to the Mother Country, England. I don't believe 'Australia Day' was officially adopted as a National day of celebration until 1935.

According to the resources in the National Australia Day Council website Australian's first made a big deal about the Anniversary of British Colonization of Australia back in 1938 (The 150 year anniversary) 

Then there was the 1988 Bicentenary reenactment of the first fleets arrival. It was an absolutely spectacular event. I was spellbound by the sight of all those yachts on the ocean making their way to Australia (On TV, but some also visited Port Philip Bay where they sailed majestically past our camp at St Leonards). The romance of the sea is infectious but as the ships were on their way another story was emerging... Indigenous people from all over the country were mobilizing for a mass protest at their arrival.

I was 18, everyone was so excited but the whole event had an undertone of shame that would not be silenced. What a time to be Australian! Two worlds colliding! Australia hadn't really settled into being a multicultural society and I am sure many Australian's hadn't truly considered the implications of what they were celebrating, the invasion of a sovereign land resulting in the displacement  and deaths of 1,000s! As the protesters spoke out prior to the arrival of the ships I began to imagine what those ships must have looked like to the first people living around Sydney Harbor back in 1788 and what the colony meant to them. When the ships sailed into Sydney harbor I was no longer excited to see the boats, I began to feel a much closer affinity for the people whose lives were destroyed by their arrival. I empathized with the 1,000s of Aboriginal protesters for whom the whole event had a much deeper and more painful significance. I wondered how 'White Australia' could so callously perform such a reenactment without including some kind of treaty or attempt to make some kind of amends to the Aboriginal People... Otherwise the whole thing would amount to nothing more than one more kick in the teeth for Aboriginal people...  

We had an opportunity back then to change the meaning of that date and to make it a day for all Australian's. As a nation we chose to put on our boots, fire up the barbie and complain about the winging blacks for spoiling our bonza party.

So what does this day actually mean to Australians? I really don't know. I see a bunch of people driving around in utes, or dancing around full of piss draped in the Australian flag (Which although I'd like to see it changed I still find this a disrespectful thing to do), burning meat out doors etc...  Besides the loud but possibly few true believers I reckon it's a day which is quickly fading into obsolescence. The day a bunch of British colonists and convicts from England landed on the shores of a beach stuck up a flag and declared it and everything on it the property of England is not something that inspires National Unity for a country as diverse as Australia. For many Aboriginal Australian's this day is viewed as an obscene celebration of the theft of their land and all the atrocities that went along with it. It is a day often referred to as 'Survival Day' or 'Invasion Day', not a good foundation for creating national unity and we missed the opportunity for an act of reconciliation.

Personally I have no idea why, if we have to be Nationalistic, we can't come up with a day which is more valid to symbolize our unity... Or maybe we haven't done anything worthy of such a day? I dunno? Maybe?

Either way if I were a Patriot I doubt I would find much inspiring about the day currently celebrated as our 'National Day'. Although there are many people who love to get out and run around with their flags waving I doubt the events of this date have any real relevance to Contemporary Australians and I'm sure most of them wouldn't suffer too much if a new National Day were invented.

OK... Now I don't want to get into an ideological argument or cause any offense to those who are  committed to the 26th January, the point I wanted to make was mostly visual.

Here's something to think about. On the day when we're all supposed to be out having BBQ sausages with sauce and drinking beer out of Australian flag stubby coolers.....

many many many packets of sausages marked down to 1/2 price coz nobody bought them

Why is the supermarket full of marked down snaggs? If we were truly committed to our National Day surely the sausages would have sold out.

Is it possible we're finally ready to re-think what it means to be Australian and find new ways to celebrate? 

Talking to a brick wall - Political Stuff

Blogging politics...
It's funny this blog hasn't really been a platform for making political comment... at least I don't think it has. But a lot of my life seems engulfed by political issues that I can't escape from. My work and personal interests have made political issues an inevitable and unavoidable part of my life. The people I work with and for are directly affected by an enforced occupation of their land by a government that has never legitimized their presence in the form of any treaty or legally acknowledged process of acquisition. Their laws and customs have been interfered with at virtually every level. Traditional systems of governance that once maintained social harmony and balance are continually interfered with and they are blamed for the resulting dysfunction and accused of being unable to adapt!


The Federal Intervention into Indigenous Communities in the NT which even suspended the racial discrimination Act just so the government could completely take over Aboriginal communities was recenly perpetuated by legislation known as the Stronger Futures Bill. The Australian People barely batted an eyelid why should they care, since the laws only apply to Indigenous people. The average Ausie probably doesn't think their lives could possibly be affected by such discriminatory laws.

About a year ago A group of prominent Yolngu leaders from East, West and Central Arnhem Land got jack of being screwed around and so they formed theYolngu Nations Assembly known in Yolngu matha as (Yolnguw Makarr-Dhuni).
Last week in Maningrida the Makarr Dhuni gathered for a second annual meeting and have made a media statement which can be read HERE on the Blog Cultural Worlds, It's not likely they will get the media attention they deserve.

Last weekend representatives of Makarr-Dhuni met with the NT Chief Minister Terry Mills:

They made a formal statement on the following subjects:

• SHIRES AND COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE
• HOMELANDS AND THE “HUB TOWNS” MODEL
• HOUSING AND LEASES
• CHILD NEGLECT
• ALCOHOL
• EDUCATION
• RELATIONSHIP WITH NT GOVERNMENT AND POLICE

Here's what they had to say about STRONGER FUTURES:

"We want self-determination. We want democracy. We want the power of the people in Arnhem Land and in all Aboriginal communities to be recognised and our rights respected.
We want the Intervention to be thrown out, and we want the Northern Territory Government to lobby the Federal Government on our behalf. The Federal Government must start to listen to the voices on the ground. No more deception, no more lies, we want the Intervention out now and self-determination to be taken seriously.

We never consented to this law, and we were never asked if we wanted the continuation and extension of these laws under the deceptively named “Stronger Futures” Act. We will not tolerate this bullying and it is no way to treat human beings. We are being led around like dogs on a lead with the Basics Card, compulsory acquisition of our land, police coming into our houses without a warrant, and having our law disqualified from recognition or consideration in court.
All this was done and continues to be done under the lie that we are hiding pedophiles and that child abuse comes from our culture. This is disrespectful, slanderous and fundamentally untrue. It is undermining our law, our culture and our whole identity. All this so Government can get legitimacy to take over our communities.
We demand an apology from the Federal Government.
We have our own system of law to prevent disagreements from escalating. We keep peace and order through good governance and we have very serious and consistent ways of teaching respect and discipline to all our young people. We have ways of dealing with people who have broken the law that means they are not a threat to the community while they are taught responsibility and maturity. These processes are being eroded through community disempowerment and Government attacks on our legitimacy as leaders and our society as a whole."

Yolŋuw Makarr Dhuni (Yolŋu Nations Assembly)

Statement from the second assembly

Maningrida: October 11^th – 13^th, 2012.

Yolŋuw Makarr Dhuni represents the people of eight nations in the Western, Central and East Arnhem Land areas of the Northern Territory:

Miwatj, Laynha, Raminy, Marthakal, Garriny, Gumurr-Rawarraŋ, Gaṯtjirrik and Miḏiyirrk

With thanks to Cultural Worlds

STOLEN FUTURES Legislation

Recently the country didn't hear much about the new 'Stronger Futures' legislation brought down on Indigenous Territorians by Jenny Macklin.
You didn't hear much about it but that doesn't mean nobody's been talking! The problem is nobody's listening and even if they wanted to nobody's reporting it!
There's a tacit understanding amongst those who are aware of what's going on here and they'll tell you about it if you're interested.... If you're interested!

They'll tell you about "That Other Agenda".

....THAT'S RIGHT Winston!  "That Other Agenda!" We all know what it is... deep down we know!

Here's just one man speaking clearly... If you listen carefully to Mr Jeff McMullen you may hear something about us that you may not like.... The message is simple and clear and is being spoken loudly all around us. It may not be broadcast widely through your usual media sources... but they have another job to do!



"Walk With Us" book launch Sydney - p3: Jeff McMullen from 'concerned Australians' on Vimeo.

Bikey Boy rap...!

The family went out without me on Saturday night. I had a busy day and came home to an empty house!

I'm pretty sure it was the first time in a couple of years! I could have done anything but I wasted my time on the computer again..! Well it wasn't a total waste of time, I did manage to play my own choice of music on the sterio... through the speakers! As loud as I wanted! YEH!

Sam took the kids to the NT Schools concert IMAGINE. They were bombed out when they got back so we put the kids to bed and Sam told me all about the show. Apparently there were plenty of great performances but what the kids really liked was. The Bikey Boys from Nyirripi!

She was sure I'd like them and insisted that we look them up on Youtube straight away. We did, and I do!

Check out their video it's very cool!

Bikey Boys From Nyirripi

Some great lyrics in this song, fun dancing but, strangely, the Bikey Boys only have one bike between the lot of them!

"My bike is a bird, I fly around town.
Looking for food, crawling on the ground.
Watch out because it might be you.
There's no tellin what my bike bird could do"

Or how about this line?

"...It's me, My bike, and the dirt road!"

The beginning of the song reminded me of a section in the middle of 'The Brothers Cup' by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a little bit.

What is the message in this song?
BIKES ARE FUN!
Rap On Boys.. and get yourself some more bikes!

A film to watch

A pre-release nearly completed version of The film 'Our Generation' was screened in Nightcliff back in March. With only a few days notice well over 100 people turned up to see the film and take part in a public discussion relating to the Federal Intervention in Aboriginal Communities.

The film has since been officially released and the producers have taken it on tour along with guest speakers such as Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra who expresses his views throughout the film. This film questions the motives behind Federal Intervention and challenges Australia's treatment of Aboriginal people.

I haven't seen the film on the shelves at the video library, it may never appear in the mainstream but you can purchase a copy via the Our Generation Website  It's well worth watching.

Book of the week

WE ARE ALL BORN FREE

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
(Amnesty International UK section 2008)

 (We Are All Born Free)

Yep... just as the title suggests, it is a pictorial presentation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
This is a Children's book which presents a 'Simplified Version' of Thirty Human Rights Articles, The book is full of great drawing paintings and various other forms of cool images produced by 22 esteemed illustrators and artists.

Human Rights are not complicated. They are basic... Fundamental expectations that we would hope could be applied to all people regardless of where they are from, regardless of ethnicity, religion etc... etc...

Having attended the Federal Government’s round table discussion on human rights last year I was dismayed to learn that the overwhelmingly supported recommendation for an Australian Bill of Rights has been completely sidestepped.

Here in the NT most people are acutely aware of the fact that the Federal Government suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in order to impose their “Northern Territory National Emergency Response” better known as “The Intervention”.


We have also witnessed the arbitrary axing of Bilingual Education for Indigenous children which, if the decision referred to any actual evidence at all, it was based on erroneous data and nonsense.

Article 26 (part of) “...Our parents have the right to choose how and what we learn...”

Of course if our country has such little regard for the rights of it’s own citizens it should be expected that we would have little concern for the welfare of Asylum seekers or refugees! For those unfortunate enough to have had to flee their own country they may find insult and contempt added to their list of injuries when seek refuge in this Country!

Although most asylum seekers will be granted refugee status and be allowed to stay once they have endured the interminable wait for processing. They’ll enjoy very few basic rights while they are waiting! Here in Darwin Children have been detained for months with very little opportunity or space for play. Although it had been intended for children under 16 to attend school, it has taken months for them to actually have the opportunity. Now we hear that children will be released from detention while awaiting acceptance, but they’ll likely be a year older before that happens... Apparently they may finally taste freedom in June next year!

Article 14 “If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe”

A couple of months ago I drove by some Asylum seekers who'd jumped the razor wire fence of the detention center, just so they could stand by the road and hold signs begging for justice and compassion... They cried as drivers abused them for slowing the traffic and making them late for work... I heard that they were taken away soon after that... Who knows where they are now.



Additional Links related to this book

http://www.franelessac.com/docs/teachersnotes/We%20Are%20All%20Born%20Free.pdf

Festival Time in Darwin

If you wonder what people do for entertainment in Arnhem Land, you should check this out!



(With apologies to Dunganda Street Sounds - They Rock!)

The Darwin Festival has just opened... If you weren't there you missed some great performances!

Film Premier - Our Generation

Word was passed around last Sunday that there'd be a screening of a locally made film on Tuesday night... Two days time! Some people probably knew about it the previous week but I bet most didn't. The film was to be screened at the Nightcliff Uniting Church, a reasonably small building with room for maybe 100 people... That's in the dry season when it's reasonably comfortable to be huddled close together...(It's not the dry season!) On Tuesday 16th March people were lined up past the reach of the lights and into the dark of the carpark wanting to get in and see this film. The building was packed to the rafters! In a crowded hall on a balmy evening with fans whirling and people sweating we gathered to watch the documentary of Yolŋu testimony about how the Federal intervention has affected their lives. Every chair was taken and the audience filled every bit of floor space and spilled out into the yard where they watched through the doorways and slanted louver windows! It was a sellout crowd!

The Film (From the Our Generation Website)
"This project started out in June 2007, in response to the Howard Government’s controversial “Emergency Intervention” into Aboriginal communities in Australia’s remote Northern Territory. All in the name of “protecting children”, the Intervention took away all existing Aboriginal land rights, suspended the Racial Discrimination Act and placed over 70 communities under compulsory government control. Subsequent government measures have had little to do with directly improving the wellbeing of children, but instead have disempowered traditional owners, opened up access to valuable Aboriginal land, and sought to forcibly assimilate Aboriginal culture."

It was a truly special night! Shelly Morris came along and entertained the crowd while people were still trying to find a place to sit. There was a real sense of ease and camaraderie between the film makers, organizers, special guests, and the audience... This was not yet another occasion for Balanda to sympathize with Indigenous people from a distance. The audience consisted of a fairly broad range of people; there were those actively involved in Aboriginal issues , members of the local community, several Theological Students from Nungalinya College and Yolŋu folk currently living in Darwin.

The night was a hot, we were all squeezed in together, but the atmosphere was extremely friendly but intense. The story after all is about the outrageous offenses committed against Indigenous people in the Northern Territory by way of the Federal Government's Emergency Intervention! I think it was a validation of the sense of betrayal many of us have felt as a result of our Government's deliberate attack on the rights and dignity of Indigenous Australians.

The story was told primarily from the perspective of Yolŋu people from North East Arnhem Land. People who have endured colonization and to a large degree have managed to maintain much of their traditional culture. Due to their strong connection to their own law, (in many cases there has also been the influence of mission culture and Christian values) coupled with tools such as the Permit System Yolŋu had managed to avoid the full brunt of many of the social problems associated with exposure to Western Culture. The Federal Intervention seemed to have been based on a supposition that all Aboriginal Communities are suffering from the same degree of dysfunction that can be found in those most affected by the influences and corruption brought by Western Culture. This documentary tells of the bewilderment and dismay suffered by Yolŋu at the way the Intervention was forced upon them. The degrading ways in which many people had been treated as a result of the Intervention and their determination for justice.

The film contains excellent interviews with people who have been affected by racially discriminatory Government Policy. Each person presents a compelling argument against the validity of the Intervention but more disturbingly their testimonies indicate the obvious harm caused by a Government that is unable to recognize the cultural diversity within it's own country.

There is plenty of catchy music, some great footage from past and present, and including replays of the announcements made by our previous Prime Minister when the Intervention was announced. It still turns my stomach to see him speaking with so little respect.
The film also rightfully challenges the actions of our current Prime Minister Mr Rudd who delivered a very moving Sorry Speech but has proceeded to implement the same racist agenda of the previous government. With all his lovely words Rudd has only added sweetener to the poison! It looks like just the same discrimination against Indigenous people that our Governments have perpetrated ever since the British claimed this land for themselves.

After the film we had a panel of about 6 people including Yolngu, Balanda, and Larakia people. The prominent question and conclusions drawn from discussion was that we are currently living in a country that has actively and deliberately diminished the rights of it's indigenous people. The current situation is unacceptable to those who believe in justice and equality. It is the responsibility of each of us to stand up and fight for the rights of our fellow citizens.

If you ever get the chance to see this film I would highly recommend it. I hope the film makers continue to tour with the film and hopefully are able to include a panel similar to the one we had to engage the audience and get to the Heart of the matter.

Linguisticaly Barren

Last night 4 Corners (The ABC's real current affairs program) did a feature story on the threat to dismantle the bilingual education program in NT Schools.
Once again this is an issue of extreme importance and relevance to the future of several Australian cultures and languages that most Australians don't seem to be remotely aware of or even care very much about.
The 4 corners website has posted the whole story including additional interviews and a whole bunch of associated articles on the web page for this story that is well worth looking at.
"Going back to Lagamanu"

Although I am not an educator and as my friends and the education departments of Victoria and NT will attest... Barely Educated. I am interested in the concept of Bilingual Education and also in it's perceived failures.

From what I can tell after having to research it for a school report a few years ago and speaking to some people who'd hoped their kids could be taught the basics of language in their mother tongue; not to mention a couple of teachers whose skills are no longer relevant to the NT education department. There are some obvious failings in the System!

Yes it seems quite obvious that there are some extremely serious problems that can't be resolved and therefor the dominant culture has determined that total assimilation or annihilation is the only course of action! Someone's gotta take the blame for the fact that children in Aboriginal communities aren't achieving academically so it makes perfect sense that the Government and the Education department are choosing to hold Aboriginal Culture as the only culprit!

Is the bilingual approach really the failure? Or could the failures really lie in the lack of meaningful support from the education department? lack of real commitment and understanding from Government? What if appropriately trained teachers were available? If educators sent to communities had even an inkling of the culture they were about to enter prior to arriving? If senior administrators and principals worked in partnership with local communities? If the multitude of social problems faced by the communities were addressed successfully? If basic health and nutritional needs were adequate? If Australians didn't just want to relegate Aboriginal language and culture to the corner of some cute anthropological stage show for tourists!

I recall the discussion I had with my teacher back at TAFE when I discussed the program with her. I was surprised by her own hostility toward the bilingual program. What I sensed was a lack of appreciation for Aboriginal Language and the importance of culture. But most noticeable was her apparent resentment that the bilingual program required more funding than other schools. As a teacher I expect she had witnessed the whittling away of resources for education. Unfortunately rather than fighting the common enemy when times are tough, desperation seems to lead people to turn on their neigbour. Resentment and bitterness well up if there are perceived inequities and the State or education department are too big to fight so wham blame those who might receive more funding. Since teachers, according to my observations, are highly political animals, I'd say bilingual schools received more than their share of unsympathetic staff. There would have been opponenets on the payroll all the way back to it's inception.

I think I know why the Government finger is pointed at Bilingual Education. It is because bilingual education can be easily used as a smoke screen for quite great injustices before the eyes of the generally ignorant voting masses. The smoke screen would be something like this:
"They're not even speaking English! No wonder those kiddies aren't making the grade! Bilingual Education stands in the way of our benevolent education system and government from educating the poor little black kids. It hasn't succeeded in turning around the multitude of problems faced by people in remote communities and therefore must be responsible for them!"

Personally I think the Government is just trying to eliminate the program because it is a clear indication of their own failure! The real question should not be 'has bilingual education failed?' But rather "Why did out Government and Education department Fail the bilingual program by not fully supporting and engaging with Aboriginal communities in a mutually respectful way?"


Dear Mr Henderson. Please don't say hello to me again in the street, or at the local market. Don't attempt to shake my hand at the next Multicultural day or kiss my babies if I see you on election day. You've blown it.

Intervention... Rally Rock

Just keeping it on the radar... This won't go away; will it?
The people will speak.

Demand a Bill of Rights! Demand fair treatment for all people. End the racially discriminatory Intervention.

What's been happening?

It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks since we got back from Bali...
The routine of work, school etc...,


(Ordination)

We had a weekend in Jabiru where we experienced some rock art, a lovely swimming pool, the very real prospect of running out of fuel at dusk on the way back from Ubirr... (We had the air con off, and our fingers crossed as we and held our breath and traveled at a speed of 70-80 kmh for the last 20km), the Ordination of a Uniting Church Minister, and a couple of very friendly Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.



(Red-tailed Black Cockatoo)


A kid's party on a Friday night followed by the Sea Breeze festival on Saturday where we got to see some fantastic dancing including a traditional dance group from Lombok, a Pacific Island group whose lead dancer was absolutely mesmerizing and the local belly dancing troupe a member of which, I realized at some stage through the show, was my old library Cataloging teacher! It was a Great day and the kids loved it!




(Rraywala memorial plaque)

Last Sunday was a very special event. There was a long overdue memorial service in honour of a Yolngu man called Rraywala who was instrumental to the work of Anthropologist Donald Thompson and served Australia during WWII. However he was never given the recognition he deserved... It's no mystery why!
It was a very moving ceremony which was brought about primarily due to the work of researchers from the Museum of Victoria. Rraywala and Thompson became very close friends, brothers and the families of both men came together at the service as a symbol of the connection that continues to exist brought about by two extraordinary men.
It was an honour to be there and to hear the story of Rraywala's valour and the two men's commitment. I felt sad to think of this man who's own family may have been persecuted by white pastoralists, and had the grace to forgive and even assist them, had been neglected and treated so poorly.
I would like to learn more about this man and I hope that his story does become more prominent in the recorded history of this country.

There must have been about 100 people there. Heaps came from Ramingining, Milingimbi and Gapuwiyak, as well as the Thompson family, researchers and invited guests. A large proportion of the people came back to Nightcliff Uniting Church for lunch. There was a great feeling in the air and it felt like a celebration. I guess it was! Some of the stories might have taken us Balanda by surprise but the hard truth has been with these people ever since white settlement. Betrayal and disappointment seem to be fairly common events in our history.

I don't know what else I can say about the day. I don't really have authority to speak about it anyway . I can't say it made me proud to be an Australian but it did give me a little more insight into the capacity Yolngu have for patience and forgiveness. I don't envy Thompson who appeared to have humbly received their gifts of knowledge and help, but be powerless to afford Rraywala the equal level of respect from Balanda society!
I noticed someone else has written about the service why don't you check out the 'Two Worlds' blog if you want to read another person's impression of the day.





(Marching against the Marina)

Monday was the May Day March. There were quite a few of us marching against the proposed East Point Marina! I can't believe that crappy proposal! It's such a ridiculous proposition people are starting to think it's a decoy for what might be proposed as a less offensive development project later down the line. It is that unbelievable!


(Tiles.. bubbled and busted!)

Oh and finally one day this week... can't remember which one... The tiles in our lounge room exploded up off the concrete! Unbelievable!