A Day To Remember

There’s a day I hardly remember -

But, it’s one of the most

memorable days I’ve had!

Way back when I was a teenager, I was sitting

at the edge of a market. A Thai market

I can’t remember why I was sitting there.

(With unfamiliar languages bouncing around me,

there’s a chance I didn’t know - even then!)

I don’t remember exact events

or smells or noises from that day...

But, I remember Thai markets.

I’m sure there was a lingering sewerage smell

and the stench of rubbish would

have drifted from a dark corner.

Old ladies, bent from years of rice planting,

would have moved through the stalls,

selecting pieces of fruit and vegetables for their meals.

No doubt, it was hot and

I was sweating... for sure!

I probably heard the splashes as an eel

flipped in a tub of water, waiting to be sold.

Tiny turtles, frogs and fish were probably around me.

A buffalo or a goat may have been

chopped up and laid on the hot cement,

ready to be sold.

Chickens would have been housed

in small bamboo domes.

Desserts and delicious treats

would have been on display and someone

would have been selling iced coffee,

drowned in sweetened condensed milk

and served in a plastic bag.

So, what made this day so memorable?

... A sudden weight on my shoulder.

I was sitting on the seat,

surrounded by the market,

when a great weight

suddenly dropped onto my shoulder.

As I looked over my shoulder,

I stared up the trunk of an elephant.

An elephant had placed its trunk on my shoulder!

If it hadn’t happened,

I probably wouldn’t have believe it.

The elephant’s mahoot must have thought

I was a strange sight, sitting by the market,

surrounded by all things Thai.

A moment later, the elephant

lifted its trunk and turned away.

I gazed after it in amazement.

Years and years later,

I still remember this so clearly.

It's proof that even the most usual of days

might turn out to be one of the most amazing...

You just never know.

Hairy Coo jigsaw puzzle

Hairy Coo jigsaw puzzle Have a go at solving this! Click on the link and it will take you to the puzzle. How quickly can you solve it? Go on, give it a go!

Relive the Holocaust

As of this moment, your business is being boycotted.

You are now banned from public life.

You are stripped of citizenship.

You can forget dreams of marriage.

You’re now banned from entering parks.

Government workers – you’ve just been fired.

And, you must register everything you own.

Feeling scared? Worried? Angry?

Everything that belongs to you and your community...

places of worship...

places of value...

...overnight, they were all burned to the ground... looted...

Windows were smashed and your people were attacked.

30,000 of them were forcibly taken.

They were sent to concentration camps.

30,000 – in one night.

War breaks out and you are now forced

to wear the yellow Star of David –

a beacon, to draw your enemy to you.

You are ordered out of your home and

forced into crowded, shared accommodation.

Curfews now apply and you cannot leave your home.

Every day, up to 1000 people are taken away on trains.

You don’t see them again.

You escape and go into hiding.

You are hidden in an attic, living in silence above a shop. Moving might draw attention to your presence. You live in fear... constant fear.

And then... they find you.

You are forced into a train.

Arriving at a ”camp”, you are forced to line up.

You become separated from your family.

Women, children, the elderly and the sick are in one line.

The men are in another.

The men are sent off to work.

They live.

You are sent for a shower.

“It’s a good shower – it’ll disinfect you.”

Forced to strip, you enter the shower chamber,

surely with some fear.

Instead of water, gas falls down on you.

Your older brother is sent to a labour camp.

Camp life is hard.

Every day, he is forced to perform hard labour.

He is fed barely enough to sustain him.

He shares a bed with two other men.

There is no pillow... no mattress.

All around him, men are tortured and some... killed.

His hair is shaved.

He is forced to wear prison clothes,

which are too big and prison shoes, which are too small.

On his arm, he now bears a tattoo.

A number.

Now, the Nazis are realising that their reign is drawing to an end.

They begin to cover up their atrocious acts.

They bury the ashes of the murdered in huge pits.

The gas chambers are destroyed.

Your brother is at Auschwitz, one of the main camps.

He is one of the last prisoners,

weary from years of labour and starvation.

He is forced to march towards another camp.

In January, 1945, hope arrives in the form of the Russians.

Your brother is among the remaining prisoners

and is released.

Your brother is free.

His family have all been killed.

He has no home.

He has a tattoo... a constant reminder.

But, he is free.

In my old school library, turning pages of the dusty encyclopaedia, I first learned of the holocaust. It was a little too much for me to comprehend. Over the years, I’ve learned a little of the holocaust.

In 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany.

This is when the holocaust (sacrifice by fire) started. Twelve long years later, the holocaust ended when Hitler was defeated.

The Nazis targeted the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the disabled. People who resisted were killed.

11 million people were killed during the holocaust. (I’ll put that into perspective. On January 24^th, 2011, the Australian population was 22,541,665. During the holocaust, the equivalent to half of Australia’s population was killed.)

Six million of these people were Jews.

Over a million were children.

There were six execution camps.

One camp had four gas chambers.

Each chamber could murder 6,000 people a day.

24,000 people... A day...

In one camp...

Today is the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Tonight, I plan to light 11 candles,

one for each of the million victims of the holocaust.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/holocaustfacts.htm

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument

http://www.holocaust-history.org/

Australians All Let Us Rejoice

Standing in an Irish pub in Bangkok, a rugby game in full swing... I joined in with the screaming Aussie fans. After the game was won, we held our hands over our hearts, gazed up at the Aussie flag (hanging on the roof) and sang the National Anthem. We fell out into the steamy heat of a Bangkok street, belting out the words to Waltzing Matilda.

In an English pub overlooking Bangkok’s seedier district, we grouped around a piano and sang “I Still Call Australia Home”.

It’s amazing to be an Australian overseas.

I’ve never felt as patriotic as when I was “away”.

Our Aussie crowd in Bangkok would laze across lounge chairs, watching The Castle, eating Twisties and Tim Tams, laughing at “I dug another hole, Dad” and “Straight to the pool room”.

But... here in Australia, I don’t feel it so much.

Australia Day is mere hours away and I don’t feel it. Don’t get me wrong! I’m a proud Aussie. I love this country. I’ve been to a few places around the world and I know I’ve got it lucky, living in my beautiful town, surrounded by clean air and clean beaches. I know I’ve got it lucky – not having to fight to have my opinion heard, having equal rights and freedom to live.

I just don’t feel like singing it to the rafters – not like when I was overseas.

But, Australia Day can’t go unnoticed, so...

Some inventions.... things Aussies have come up with to make life even easier!

Gotta love the hills hoist! Remember swinging on it as a kid... Only, you had to be careful not to do it when the parents were watching! My brother-in-law just pulled his old, rusting hills hoist clothes line out. Before it was removed, there were several last swings around the yard. My dad even had a go! Love the hills hoist clothes line!

The ute... come on, can it get more Aussie?

How about the electric drill?? Renovations around the home would have been much harder without that!

Latex gloves.... well... the smell of those as the dentist feels around in your mouth... perhaps I didn’t need those!

What about the notepad! What would uni have been like without that? (Ok, I’m showing my age... I’m sure laptops are used now!)

The two stroke mower! Nothing is more Aussie than the sound of the mower starting up on a Saturday afternoon!

Oh! Aeroguard! The smell! Camping... great memories!

And the garage roller door...

What about Xerox photocopying! Imagine a workplace without the photocopier! Especially mine! And instant boiling water!

Aussies even came up with the first refrigeration unit! Go the Aussies!

Imagine a world without vegemite! My sister has never liked the stuff. (I’d call her unpatriotic – but she’ll read this, so, I won’t!)

Wine casks... come on.... You know you’ve drunk from them!

And the speedo swimmers.... we may cringe when we see them at the beach, but they’re our fault!

Then, there’s some incredibly amazing ones...

Spray-on-skin for burns victims. Respect and awe for that one.

Electronic pacemakers – they gave my Nan a little longer with us.

Aussies really are creative and wonderful people.

So, I guess I best push myself into a barbie tomorrow, throw some snags on the hotplate until they’re burnt and wear an Aussie flag tattoo on my arm for the day. Happy Australia Day.

http://www.whitehat.com.au/australia/Inventions/InventionsA.html

Ursus maritimus

Polar Bears are cool…

well, actually.. they’re not.

Although they live in one of the coldest places in the world, a running polar bear can suffer heat exhaustion! They are so well insulated against the cold that overheating can be a problem. So, they walk everywhere and… they nap. A lot!

But, they are cool.

They have hairy feet, which stops them from slipping on the ice.

They have black fur – to

soak up all of the sun’s rays.

How about this –

their fur has a hollow core...

another way to keep them warm.

They have up to 11 centimetres

of fat under their skin.

With large, slightly webbed front paws,

they are excellent swimmers.

Their back feet are like rudders.

Their paw can be over 30 centimetres long –

imagine that smacking you in the face!

They have a great sense of smell

– and a lot of patience.

A polar bear can sit quietly at

a breathing hole, waiting...

...and waiting...

...and waiting...

...until a seal pokes it’s

head out of the water.

The waiting polar bear uses its huge paw and smack!

Dinner.

If another bear begs well enough,

it will be allowed to share the meal.

They are fussy about being clean

and will wash after eating...

(Dirty fur will let in the cold)

A female will lie in a den, nursing twins ...

And when she emerges from the den, she’ll be watching out for male polar bears...

They’d eat her cubs – But she’s pretty ferocious and will fight them off!

They are smart, too – just as smart as apes.

During a blizzard, they’ll burrow into the snow

and sleep until the weather clears.

If there’s not enough food around,

They’ll slow their metabolic rate.

(This is called a walking hibernation.)

Polar bears are the top of their food chain.

They are cool animals –

Even if they constantly work

at not overheating!

http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/polar-bears-playing-canada/

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/polar-bear-cubs-playing-pod/

Photographs by Norbert Rosing

Spotting a Polar Bear

Stepping out of the train at nine o’clock in the morning, it was three degrees and a gentle snow was falling around me.

Hauling up my backpack, I stepped down the deserted snowy street, heading to the bed and breakfast.

Churchill.

Not many people live in this Canadian town.

But... when the polar bears come to town...

the tourists arrive, too.

The polar bears return to Churchill every autumn.

They wait in the area until the Hudson Bay

freezes over and they can move on.

In town, the locals keep their beautiful husky dogs in large cages. The high fences keep the polar bears away. Should a bear wander into town, the barking dogs quickly alert the locals.

Churchill has a story about a cafe burning down. One man thought he’d take advantage of this and filled his pockets with meat from the cafe’s freezer. You can imagine what happened... it was polar bear season. Walking home with the meat in his pocket, a bear smelled the meat and him... and killed him.

Polar bear attacks are rare.

Ordinarily, if a bear enters the town, it will be tagged and tranquilised. The sleeping bear will be moved away from the town. If it returns, it will be tagged and moved again. Should the bear return a third time, it will be killed. The bear has shown that it has lost the fear of people and is becoming a danger to everyone in the area.

Signs around the town warn people to stay out of polar bear areas. These huge animals could be hiding behind the rocks at Hudson Bay’s edges. Walking past a dozing bear will startle it... and most likely... end in your own death.

Ok... the bears.

That’s why I had travelled to Churchill.

Boarding a tundra buggy, I could feel everyone’s excitement. We were setting off to find a bear!

The tundra buggy was a bus, sitting on huge tractor tyres. The tyres allowed us to drive through the snow and sludge, across cracking ice and over rocks. The huge tyres also put us up high off the ground. We had to be up high... Polar bears sometimes stand up and look into the buggies. It would not be very nice having a 30 centimetre long paw reaching out and smacking your face. No, huge tractor tyres are a good idea!

Crossing the tundra was beautiful.

Being autumn, the tiny plants were turning red, yellow and orange. There were very few trees and the one that grew were very short. Without a lot of sunlight, they struggle to grow. The harsh winds blowing off the Hudson force the trees to grow at a lean. Locals can always find their way, using the trees as a compass.

And then... the word; “There!”

At first, all I could see was a few rocks and more tundra.

Excitement broke out on our buggy as we all spotted the bear.

Driving closer, we could see the bear lazing among the rocks. A huge paw reached out in a lazy stretch. I could see the hair covering its black feet. A head rolled back in a gentle massage and the bear closed its eyes.

This bear was a male and was alone.

Our buggy driver shared his knowledge of the bears, sharing his wonder and love of the animal with us. I remember so much of what he said. I’ve been fascinated by polar bears ever since.

Watching our bear stand up and walk towards us was incredible. He was huge.

Soon, the bear turned and walked behind a small bush. This huge animal lay down, curled up and disappeared from view. I was stunned that it could hide so well. There was no way I would be walking among the rocks at the edge of Hudson Bay now... not knowing how easily a bear could be hiding!

While the trek to Churchill was long and there was very little else to do ... being in Churchill was wonderful. The polar bears were worth it.

The Flood's True Heroes

The sound of helicopter blades has gone.

The media has pulled out of Brisbane’s flood zone.

As the water pulled away from the homes,

thick brown flood mud was exposed.

The stinking flood mud - which would

take a huge effort to clean.

... And then, they came.

The army of volunteers.

People carrying buckets and mops,

wearing boots, old clothes and gloves.

This is the true story of the floods.

When the waters pulled back and the home owners started the daunting clean-up, strangers arrived and helped.

People whose lives were scattered around them, broken and muddy, wiped back tears of gratitude and hope as strangers appeared.

These devastated people were able to stand tall and face the hard work because people were standing beside them.

Volunteers were turning up in incredible numbers.

Four assembly points were set up to coordinate them.

Lines of volunteers (over a kilometre long), formed as people waited to be assigned to different areas.

Buses were organised to transport these volunteers.

Today, about 12,500 people joined in on the huge clean-up. (In Brisbane. There’s no such information on the other flood areas, though I am sure they are working just as hard to clean everything.)

While the flood stories no longer fill the news, people are still being evacuated from their Victorian homes. People are still waiting for rivers to peak and the cleanup to begin... but the media is moving on.

Something Australians can depend on...

when the media has gone

and the politicians have left...

their fellow Aussies will step up.

My respect goes to those who are helping their friends... helping their neighbours... helping strangers.

They’re the real story.