Green Grass Grub

This is a song for Green Grass Grub

Grubs.
Green Grass Grubs that squish and squash and they squirt and squelch.
They squiggle in your face.
Pooing on your nose and weeing in your hair!
Sticky grubs are sticky and that's the end!
(copyright all rights reserved)


(I'll have to request a spider song next... after the encounter with a huge Orb Weaver I'm sure there'll be a wealth of material to go into that one!)

Visit and fellowship in Arnhemland

Thanks to good fortune I am currently employed in great job that occasionally requires me to travel to Aboriginal Communities in Arnhem Land. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Island community of Milingimbi in North Eastern Arnhem Land. This was a special place for me to visit since it was the home of a man who had made a big impression on me before he passed away last year. He was a special person who had an enormous capacity for love and forgiveness he did a lot to create channels of communication and understanding between Yolngu and Balanda.


This has been my longest stay in an Arnhem Land community and the best chance I've had so far to experience the atmosphere in this unique part of the world.

Although my schedule was extremely busy and there were all kinds of logistical problems that I just hadn't counted on, I still managed to find plenty of opportunities to get about and meet up with some rather inspirational people as well as attend some local activities.

There's a lot going on over at Milingimbi at the moment and from my perspective I'd say much of it is very good.


(Stained window, Milingimbi Church)

Milingimbi is an old Mission settlement and there are several Clan groups living in the township. As with most other Aboriginal Communities Milingimbi is affected by the Federal Intervention and all it's restrictions and impositions, however unlike many other Communities Milingimbi had already been dry for some time before the Intervention and functioned fairly well without the new laws that were brought down upon them 2 years or so ago. (Of course Milingimbi has seen some benefits from renewed interest from Government agencies)


(Sitting in comfort on a rug on the sand)

While I was there I was fortunate to see just how well things can come together at the initiative of local people. Although my experience of Christianity is quite limited (actually prior to 5 years ago I'd had no meaningful contact with the religion outside of attending weddings or funerals) I'd have to say that the activities at Milingimbi are quite a phenomenon! There is a strong Christian Fellowship in Milingimbi that meets every night and I found the gatherings quite amazing! On my second night there I went along to the beach expecting maybe half a dozen loyal followers of the tradition handed to them by missionaries in the early 20th Century... What I found was a crowd of maybe 200 people, gathered together in fellowship, families, young and old people together. Singing, Dancing, Sharing stories. I saw a group of up to 30 young children performing a carefully choreographed dance, perfectly synchronized, later a group of about 8 young men performing their own dance, then more beautiful singing from the older ladies and on it went until late at night. People sitting happily with their family and friends, on rugs and mats as a gentle northerly sea breeze kept the sand-flies at bay and cooled the brows of some very enthusiastic performers.
What a BUZ!

Unlike many outback townships there were no sounds of drunken brawls, no screeching tires, smashing glass, abusive language or any of the behavior that might prevent families from venturing down Mitchel Street on any night... Just the sound of singing, happy chatter and the bark of an occasional dog as people wandered home after a night of warmth and fellowship.

It happened to be school sports week while I was there so lunch times were spent cheering the young athletes as they raced each other down the mains street. I'd heard about low attendance rates at Community schools but what I saw on Milingimbi seemed to contradict this story completely. In fact I saw kids turning up more than an hour early for school full of enthusiasm and ready to get stuck into the learning before their teachers had even arrived. The kids there really seemed to be engaged and interested in learning... The school seemed to have just the right ingredients. Music, Sport, some really involved teachers and a library full of Yolngu stories. The library even had a traditional hand carved canoe and one of the bark canoes from the film 10 Canoes. The Milingimbi School is COOL!

(Image if person now deceased has been removed out of respect for the family)


(Rev. Larry B------ with some home grown watermelons)

All these things were great but there was one aspect to this trip that really impressed me. While I was talking to Rev. Larry we got talking about gardening and all the benefits that come from growing vegetables in particular. Before I knew it he was imparting a whole philosophy on me that absolutely fit perfectly the concepts I'd been thinking about over the past few years. A program for providing young people with an environment where they can develop a sense of, community self worth and become confident independent thinkers. The Patch down in Leanyer is a great example of the enormous benefit this kind of education can improve the outcomes for students who are struggling with the regular curriculum.
Nature is a great teacher, by engaging with the natural processes of planting, nurturing and growing vegetables we can learn a lot about the skills we need in other aspects of life. Patience, care, observation, a little bit of sweat and the reward of reaping what we have sown... If for some reason the crop fails we learn how to deal with disappointment as we proceed to try again.
Larry has teamed up with a teacher at the school and they've been working with a couple of boys who have benefited greatly from the activities. The idea of a larger project has taken on and they've produced a short documentary in which Larry explains the philosophy behind the project which has an excellent name that I will publish when I know it's OK to do so.

It seems the school may even come on board and dedicate some land especially for the purpose of developing a larger training program around this philosophy! Since all the fresh fruit and vegetables on Milingimbi are imported, this project could have many flow on benefits for the community.

There's so much more I could rant on about but basically I have come home feeling recharged and optimistic about all the potential of this small community.

Farewell

Last night was the big night of the Nightcliff Seabreeze festival but for my little family there was something more important happening.

A young family who we were only just getting to know were headed back out on the road. Last night was our last chance to say goodbye.
Our friends came to Darwin while traveling the world and found themselves as caretakers at a local Church. They were here for just long enough for us to fall in love with little "M" who became a significant part of our weekend activities and play.
We'll miss them dearly. Watching the kids play together was a highlight of my week!
Introducing the kids to all kinds of fresh grown food, sampling beans, fruit and vegetables from the garden together was an absolute joy! Sharing "J's" amazing sour dough bread, and listening to him play the Mandolin as we sat in the shade while the kids scooped at tadpoles in the bathtub pond has been the greatest pleasure for me over the past few months.
Saturday and Sunday mornings just won't be the same without you guys!

So while half of Darwin was whooping it up down at the Nightcliff foreshore a small group of friends gathered to share some food, play games and enjoy the rhythm of some pretty mean Jembe bangers as we farewell our friends about to begin a new adventure.


(Playing in the parachute)

Crafty skills

One of our little friends has been learning to sew and has picked up some pretty neat stitches along the way. I've been watching her practice her stitches the last few times we've been together and have been very impressed.

I was even more impressed when she told me she was creating a cushion for her friend (Our daughter). Time passed and we've been off gallivanting around NZ and Victoria for the past couple of weeks.
When we got back what do you suppose we were presented with...?


(Best butterfly cushion ever!)

Just the finest butterfly cushion I've ever seen from an 8 year old! And my daughter was well impressed too! There's nothing like the creativity of a child to make you feel good!

Calming tunes

(Big Jim)

Sometimes I don't know how I got here, why I'm here, what I'm supposed to be doing here, who I'm supposed to be doing it with, what the hell everyone else thinks I'm supposed to be or why I even care... (what the think I mean)!
Actually it's not sometimes... it's most of the time. My wife laughs with me when I confess these things and she gets that it's got nothing to do with herself or anything like that...
How have I managed to be at this for so long without the slightest idea of what it even is?
Sometimes it's just like that Talking Heads song "Once in a lifetime" and just the '...Same as it ever was'. So why should I be worried? Actually I'm not! and now is not one of those times. I am feeling totally comfortable and contented in this life that's wrapped itself around me. Whatever it is!

Leo Tolstoy packed up his kit and walked away from what most of us would expect to call 'his life' at the age of 82... apparently he died a few days later. He must have woken up a few times in that life and wondered '...How did I get here?' Why not? (I still haven't read the great book by the way)



Anyway I know these feelings very well but I'm not there right now. I've just been listening to one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs and it's kind of all about that, or maybe it's in reverse or something which is exactly what that feelings like anyway.
So how did I get here? Well it could be this is all just a world of my own making... "How did I get here?" Maybe back there somewhere I wished my way here.


(Apologies to The Boss)
It's not so bad you know... And this song was always one of my personal favorites... Actually I've never shared that.

He who hesitates is LOST!

Ezee Cadence (Image courtesy of Ezee_Bike)

I know it's a cliche line and there have, and will be, innumerable times in my life when more will have been lost due to my hesitation to act, and would probably make far more worthy content for a blog post but this one is still stinging so I'm gonna use it up while I'm still so darn annoyed with myself!

Yesterday I ventured out to my favorite store, (The local recycle and Dump Shop) where I often find some great bargains, (Most of the bikes I own came from there).

I hadn't been for a while so I was kind of hopeful there'd be some treasure...
Well there certainly was some treasure! The first thing that caught my eye as I entered were some very wide alloy handle bars, cruiser style! Just what I need for my Xtracycle... Of course the bars were attached to a bike, but not just any bike... It was an electric bike... But not just any electric bike... It was an Ezee Cadence.... (Click here for images)

See the Ezee Web Page


Until now I had been fairly committed to cycling without any motorized assistance but I've often wondered if an electric assist bike would enable me to reduce my car miles even further... It's pretty hot where I live and cycling always means that I turn up to places hot and sweaty! I am also having to cart two kids and their various paraphernalia along.... So 'why look a gift horse in the mouth?' An electric assist bike could be just what I need.

Of course I had no idea what an 'Ezee Cadence' was until I eventually looked it up on the internet at the end of the day, having already returned to the Tip Shop three times to admire the bike! It turned out that this is a high level electric bike with the best of bicycle components! Not just some battery operated imitation of a bicycle. The rear hub has an internal 7 speed gearbox and internal brakes! The front wheel contains a ' 250W Brushless DC hub motor with planetary gears'! This bike had so much gear on it I that I could use it wouldn't matter if the battery and electric motor were stuffed I would still have a bunch of really useful stuff that would be ideal for building my Xtracycle into a really nice ride! To quote the Police mechanic from Mad Max "... She's The Ducks Nuts!"

On the second visit I asked how much and not yet having any knowledge of the value of the bike I was dismayed to find that they wanted $200! I never have that much money lying around and I've just returned from a very expensive trip away, but I really wanted that bike! At the time I didn't realize what a bargain this was and could only feel bad about wanting to spend so much money when we are struggling to pay our bills! I spent the whole rest of the day deliberating about getting some money from somewhere (Our rainy day savings...The car Rego money actually)

It usually takes me a very long time to decide to buy something. I have waited years before purchasing something new (Like the bike I purchased two years ago, which never lived up to my expectations) and I normally don't have any trouble waiting for the desire to pass rather than spend money that I technically don't really have. In the long run I rarely feel as though I've missed out on anything at all. To be honest once the hype has subsided, most of the time the product I want fails to meet my expectation or even satisfy the original, desire so I'm generally pretty happy going without. Since I'm willing to wait a while the consumer society usually takes care of supply. I remember when animal liberation made fur coats very un-popular. The Opp Shops were struggling to sell them for years! If a fur coat was something you really wanted you could have had a choice from half a dozen or so at about $20 each. Of course people weren't buying them because it had become very unpopular to be seen wearing endangered species. Fur had gone out of fashion.
I remember when our family made the big decision to buy a VCR player/recorder. We had to pay $300 for a years membership at the video library and then pay for the videos on top of that! And there was only a selection of about 15 or so films to choose from! I can't remember how many times we watched Cabaret! Now people can't give them away!
It happens with just about everything! Because I'm willing to wait, things usually turn up eventually and I always seem to have what I need. However, when that special thing I've been waiting for appears I must be prepared to act. Seize the opportunity and act decisively!

Being naturally hesitant to spend money (OK I'm pretty tight!) my frugality occasionally causes me to miss out on the deal of a lifetime... Sadly I believe this was such an occasion!

Last night, after reading up on the Ezee bikes and being very impressed with what I discovered about the Cadence model I had resolved that this was a great deal! First thing in the morning I would go and I would purchase this bike... My head filled with all the potential it had for improving my mobility... and introducing me into the world of electronic transportation and power generation. (It occurred to me that I should find ways of charging the battery using solar or wind... That would be cool!) I had switched, as usual, from hesitant and guarded to completely obsessed in just a few ambivalent hours! This is very familiar territory for me.

This morning just after the Tip Shop had opened I was there! Cash in hand, ready and totally committed to buying the bike of my very recent dreams.

Just as I could have predicted and every other occasion where I had failed to act decisively had proven to me. The Bike was gone! It was SOLD in the half hour between closing time and when I'd been there the night before!

Carpe Dium!