G'day !
- never " G'day mates / friends / buddies / bru ".............just " G'day ", as my Australian Cultural Adviser, Dave Scarlett has informed me.
Whilst this photo wasn't actually taken on Australia Day ( 26th January ) it was taken from the Apartment block where we stayed over the long weekend and from where we did witness a spectacular fireworks display over Darling Harbour ( in picture ) on the night of the 26th. For those of you who don't know Sydney, we are looking over the Pyrmont Bridge facing East over the city. The Sydney Tower is prominent and the Harbour Bridge is out of picture to the left. Bronwyn's parents ( Brian and Pat ) arrived on Christmas Day and we took them down to the Big Smoke to show them around. Gee, it's been fantastic to have had them around and I've enjoyed a long break from work......I know, I know - you're wondering how much work I've been doing anyway and did I really deserve a break?
" Australia Day " commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788. Although they had actually landed at Botany Bay on the 20th ( I think ) January, Captain Phillip sailed up the coast in search of more suitable ground and stumbled across Sydney Cove which he promptly claimed for the British crown. For the most part it is a day of massive celebration around Australia. However, not everyone is thrilled and many Indigenous people call it " Invasion Day ". It has been interesting to see an attempt at reconciliation on a different continent and quite frankly the ratio of Indigenous to non-Indigenous is the difference. I honestly do believe that an attempt is being made to right the wrongs of the past and for the first time on Monday night I heard the first verse of " Advance Australia Fair " sung in the language of an Indigenous Nation. I have also read, but not witnessed that a minority of Australians treat Australia Day as a " Day of Exclusion " of other minority groups. Needless to say, they get a lot of attention.
Hey - how about that cricket ? Matt, Brian and I went to the first 2 days of the Sydney Test and to the Melbourne ODI. Bron, Matt and I were back at the SCG on Friday night. We have really enjoyed watching the tight contests unfold ( at decent times of the day unlike most of you )and we have enjoyed catching up with Mickey. I have won a few bets ( mostly beer from Dave ) but have remained humble.
Yes, I'm back - like stokies, bell bottoms, paisley and The Proteas.
From a hot Taree where we are ready to get stuck into what will almost certainly be a challenging year - more about that in the weeks to come.
Dylan, Bronwyn, Matthew and Jennifer
- never " G'day mates / friends / buddies / bru ".............just " G'day ", as my Australian Cultural Adviser, Dave Scarlett has informed me.
Whilst this photo wasn't actually taken on Australia Day ( 26th January ) it was taken from the Apartment block where we stayed over the long weekend and from where we did witness a spectacular fireworks display over Darling Harbour ( in picture ) on the night of the 26th. For those of you who don't know Sydney, we are looking over the Pyrmont Bridge facing East over the city. The Sydney Tower is prominent and the Harbour Bridge is out of picture to the left. Bronwyn's parents ( Brian and Pat ) arrived on Christmas Day and we took them down to the Big Smoke to show them around. Gee, it's been fantastic to have had them around and I've enjoyed a long break from work......I know, I know - you're wondering how much work I've been doing anyway and did I really deserve a break?
" Australia Day " commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788. Although they had actually landed at Botany Bay on the 20th ( I think ) January, Captain Phillip sailed up the coast in search of more suitable ground and stumbled across Sydney Cove which he promptly claimed for the British crown. For the most part it is a day of massive celebration around Australia. However, not everyone is thrilled and many Indigenous people call it " Invasion Day ". It has been interesting to see an attempt at reconciliation on a different continent and quite frankly the ratio of Indigenous to non-Indigenous is the difference. I honestly do believe that an attempt is being made to right the wrongs of the past and for the first time on Monday night I heard the first verse of " Advance Australia Fair " sung in the language of an Indigenous Nation. I have also read, but not witnessed that a minority of Australians treat Australia Day as a " Day of Exclusion " of other minority groups. Needless to say, they get a lot of attention.
Hey - how about that cricket ? Matt, Brian and I went to the first 2 days of the Sydney Test and to the Melbourne ODI. Bron, Matt and I were back at the SCG on Friday night. We have really enjoyed watching the tight contests unfold ( at decent times of the day unlike most of you )and we have enjoyed catching up with Mickey. I have won a few bets ( mostly beer from Dave ) but have remained humble.
Yes, I'm back - like stokies, bell bottoms, paisley and The Proteas.
From a hot Taree where we are ready to get stuck into what will almost certainly be a challenging year - more about that in the weeks to come.
Dylan, Bronwyn, Matthew and Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment