This is the photo of a backyard in a Sanctuary Lakes, Point Cook, townhouse that's being listed.
Sui, hor? Wonder if Jamie Durie had a hand in the makeover...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Landscaped Garden That Blows You Away
This is the photo of a backyard in a Sanctuary Lakes, Point Cook, townhouse that's being listed.
Sui, hor? Wonder if Jamie Durie had a hand in the makeover...
More On The Rejection Decision
The Wyndham Leader headline says it all:
Losing By Religion - Muslim teacher refused place at Christian school
You would think the editors ought to be a bit more restrained and cautious about how they slant their piece, but I suppose from the paper's perspective, they are just doing their bit and highlighting an important social and cultural issue.
What this news article captures that The Age didn't, is the response of the trainee teacher at the centre of the furore.
She has apparently lodged a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission alleging discrimination, prejudice and unequal employment opportunities.
Her exact words: "I am Muslim, wear a head scarf, and respect all fellow humans regardless of their beliefs, race, or cultural background."
By that, I suppose she means that HCC should accept her as a trainee on her own merits, regardless of its own stated position on its Christian ethos and recruitment policy and the fact that her faith is based on beliefs that are fundamentally at odds with Christianity.
In all the school newsletters I've read, staff vacancies have always been published with this caveat: "We are keen to employ staff members who are able to identify with the Christian foundations, Christian ethos and Christian practice of the College."
I take that to mean that an applicant must either be a Christian or at least agreeable with or open to what the faith is about, in contrast with someone who is a fervent believer of another religion.
According to the Leader report, the trainee teacher chose HCC for her training despite being advised by Victoria Uni (where she is doing a diploma course in secondary education) that HCC had a policy of accepting only student teachers whose values were consistent with the school's.
The trainee says she was not told of any such policy. She chose HCC because it was the school closest to her home and her son's childcare centre, and because HCC offers her specialty subjects (maths and French).
I think 'respect' is a word that cuts both ways. To be respected, you have to show respect. You can't demand it of someone else, or equate getting respect with getting your way. To cry foul because someone says 'no' to you is hardly a positive way to show your respect for another's point of view.
As the Equal Opportunities Commission website puts it - "having others respect our human rights comes with the responsibility that we respect the rights of others."
Interestingly, the Vent Your Spleen (aka forum) section in today's mx contained three responses by commuters/readers who all said the same thing: people who visit or choose to migrate to Australia should assimilate into Australian society and accept its norms, not expect Australians to bend over backwards to accept their ways. The example I found particularly memorable was that if an Aussie (presumably Caucasian) female visits a Muslim country, she would not wear a sleeveless top out of respect for the culture and religion of the host country. Therefore the reverse - that you should not expect special treatment when you are the outsider - should also apply.
There are a lot of gaps in the Leader's reporting of the decision. A lot of it is down to he-said-she-said, which in the case of a polarizing subject like faith, is hardly helpful. I would love to see an objective write-up on the subject, with facts and stats and written records to verify who said what and when, but I'm not sure if it'll happen anytime soon.
Losing By Religion - Muslim teacher refused place at Christian school
You would think the editors ought to be a bit more restrained and cautious about how they slant their piece, but I suppose from the paper's perspective, they are just doing their bit and highlighting an important social and cultural issue.
What this news article captures that The Age didn't, is the response of the trainee teacher at the centre of the furore.
She has apparently lodged a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission alleging discrimination, prejudice and unequal employment opportunities.
Her exact words: "I am Muslim, wear a head scarf, and respect all fellow humans regardless of their beliefs, race, or cultural background."
By that, I suppose she means that HCC should accept her as a trainee on her own merits, regardless of its own stated position on its Christian ethos and recruitment policy and the fact that her faith is based on beliefs that are fundamentally at odds with Christianity.
In all the school newsletters I've read, staff vacancies have always been published with this caveat: "We are keen to employ staff members who are able to identify with the Christian foundations, Christian ethos and Christian practice of the College."
I take that to mean that an applicant must either be a Christian or at least agreeable with or open to what the faith is about, in contrast with someone who is a fervent believer of another religion.
According to the Leader report, the trainee teacher chose HCC for her training despite being advised by Victoria Uni (where she is doing a diploma course in secondary education) that HCC had a policy of accepting only student teachers whose values were consistent with the school's.
The trainee says she was not told of any such policy. She chose HCC because it was the school closest to her home and her son's childcare centre, and because HCC offers her specialty subjects (maths and French).
I think 'respect' is a word that cuts both ways. To be respected, you have to show respect. You can't demand it of someone else, or equate getting respect with getting your way. To cry foul because someone says 'no' to you is hardly a positive way to show your respect for another's point of view.
As the Equal Opportunities Commission website puts it - "having others respect our human rights comes with the responsibility that we respect the rights of others."
Interestingly, the Vent Your Spleen (aka forum) section in today's mx contained three responses by commuters/readers who all said the same thing: people who visit or choose to migrate to Australia should assimilate into Australian society and accept its norms, not expect Australians to bend over backwards to accept their ways. The example I found particularly memorable was that if an Aussie (presumably Caucasian) female visits a Muslim country, she would not wear a sleeveless top out of respect for the culture and religion of the host country. Therefore the reverse - that you should not expect special treatment when you are the outsider - should also apply.
There are a lot of gaps in the Leader's reporting of the decision. A lot of it is down to he-said-she-said, which in the case of a polarizing subject like faith, is hardly helpful. I would love to see an objective write-up on the subject, with facts and stats and written records to verify who said what and when, but I'm not sure if it'll happen anytime soon.
Mulching
The gardener came by unannounced to lay the mulch for our front yard.
Just this morning, I was admiring how the black mulch contrasts nicely with the red brickwork of the house and the red roof.
In less than 2 hours, we've gone from black to brown.
I'll have to get used to this.
Just this morning, I was admiring how the black mulch contrasts nicely with the red brickwork of the house and the red roof.
In less than 2 hours, we've gone from black to brown.
I'll have to get used to this.
What decision would you have made?
CA just sent me this article which mentions Beth's school.
It's about a university student who sought a training placement at Heathdale Christian College and was rejected because she is of a different faith.
Read about it here.>>
My own thoughts on the matter?
An independent faith-based school like HCC makes a statement about its beliefs through its creed，which by itself acts to attract or filter out certain groups of people.
Parents who choose HCC knowing its stand are saying that they agree to their children being taught the Christian way of life, even if they themselves may not be Christian.
HCC makes it clear in its career opportunities publicity that it recruits only individuals whose values and faith are in line with its own.
Teachers are a poweful influence on young lives. If you are a Christian parent and you have chosen HCC because your family shares its values and philosophy, you wouldn't want the school teaching that the Bible is the Word of God and your child's teacher saying the opposite, would you?
From the viewpoint of the trainee teacher, I would imagine it could get awkward if the rest of the staff bow their heads to pray "in Jesus' name" or read a verse from the Bible. How would she respond to the students' curiosity about her garb (if it strongly identifies her as being of a different faith)?
The article did not mention the trainee's side of the story, but it would be interesting to hear what she has to say.
It's about a university student who sought a training placement at Heathdale Christian College and was rejected because she is of a different faith.
Read about it here.>>
My own thoughts on the matter?
An independent faith-based school like HCC makes a statement about its beliefs through its creed，which by itself acts to attract or filter out certain groups of people.
Parents who choose HCC knowing its stand are saying that they agree to their children being taught the Christian way of life, even if they themselves may not be Christian.
HCC makes it clear in its career opportunities publicity that it recruits only individuals whose values and faith are in line with its own.
Teachers are a poweful influence on young lives. If you are a Christian parent and you have chosen HCC because your family shares its values and philosophy, you wouldn't want the school teaching that the Bible is the Word of God and your child's teacher saying the opposite, would you?
From the viewpoint of the trainee teacher, I would imagine it could get awkward if the rest of the staff bow their heads to pray "in Jesus' name" or read a verse from the Bible. How would she respond to the students' curiosity about her garb (if it strongly identifies her as being of a different faith)?
The article did not mention the trainee's side of the story, but it would be interesting to hear what she has to say.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Australians to blame for Pacific Brands jobs demise: CEO
I caught a glimpse of the 60 Minutes interview with Pacific Brands CEO Sue Morphet last night. (PB, by the way, is the Australian company that manufactures iconic clothing brands like Bonds. They caused an uproar recently with their decision to shift manufacturing to China, which resulted in the loss of 1850 jobs.)
I came away with an image of a tough boss who knows what has to be done, does it and makes no apologies for doing her job.
Sue admits to having sleepless nights over her decision to sack 1850 workers, but says it's partly Aussie consumers' fault because they won't pay more for Australian-made goods anymore.
"My job is to ensure that this is a strong, vital company and if I have to cut off something - unpleasantly so - then I must do that.''
"If this company isn't run well, no jobs are safe...''
"We are the most efficient that we can be. Our people have worked hard to keep it going and the most efficient isn't good enough. There is no way we will reverse this decision,'' she said.
This is the reality of the workplace today.
We've always known job security is no security, that no one owes us a living. Yet when job loss happens to us personally, it's tempting to get angry and to blame someone, especially if that someone is paid more highly than we are and still has her job. We want the same benefits, but we don't necessarily want the responsibility that comes with it, to make the tough choices and face the wrath of others' disapproval.
The more constructive thing to do, which is also the harder thing, is to detach emotionally, accept the situation and move on.
Better still, prepare yourself by reviewing your career now, and start making plans for a future that doesn't depend solely on whether you have a job.
You alone are responsible for your career choices. Don't leave it in the hands of someone else.
Good on you, Sue. Thanks for the reminder of what commercial reality is all about.
I came away with an image of a tough boss who knows what has to be done, does it and makes no apologies for doing her job.
Sue admits to having sleepless nights over her decision to sack 1850 workers, but says it's partly Aussie consumers' fault because they won't pay more for Australian-made goods anymore.
"My job is to ensure that this is a strong, vital company and if I have to cut off something - unpleasantly so - then I must do that.''
"If this company isn't run well, no jobs are safe...''
"We are the most efficient that we can be. Our people have worked hard to keep it going and the most efficient isn't good enough. There is no way we will reverse this decision,'' she said.
This is the reality of the workplace today.
We've always known job security is no security, that no one owes us a living. Yet when job loss happens to us personally, it's tempting to get angry and to blame someone, especially if that someone is paid more highly than we are and still has her job. We want the same benefits, but we don't necessarily want the responsibility that comes with it, to make the tough choices and face the wrath of others' disapproval.
The more constructive thing to do, which is also the harder thing, is to detach emotionally, accept the situation and move on.
Better still, prepare yourself by reviewing your career now, and start making plans for a future that doesn't depend solely on whether you have a job.
You alone are responsible for your career choices. Don't leave it in the hands of someone else.
Good on you, Sue. Thanks for the reminder of what commercial reality is all about.
Facing Down My Fears
I am feeling pretty pumped up this morning.
First, I made it to the car dealer despite missing the entrance the first time and ending up on the freeway to Melbourne.
For an inexperienced driver in Aus, nothing can be more hair-raising than being on the freeway. I was gripping my steering wheel with that sense of helplessness from knowing that the car has to keep going because there are other cars behind, yet you don't know where you are, or more importantly, how to get off the freeway.
What made the incident more icky was that the fuel gauge was hovering dangerously on 'E'.
Which led to problem #2: I have only ever topped up the fuel tank once in the past 15 months, and that was out of sheer bo-pian (necessity). I prefer leaving these sorts of things to CA.
But when you're planning a detour from your usual route, you can't risk stalling at the side of the freeway.
So the first thing I did when I found the Hoppers Crossing exit (aside from heaving a huge sigh of relief) was to find a petrol station.
The first time I pulled up to the pump, I found I had parked too far back and the hose wouldn't extend to reach the tank. So I got behind the wheel and inched forward till the fuel tank was lined up with the pump. These are the sorts of things you have got to get right if you want your day to go smoothly.
Thank goodness there was only one other car in the station. I was inspired and comforted by the sight of the Malay lady driver squatting down as she pumped petrol into her car. I saw her again when I went inside the station to pay - she had a baby in one arm.
After putting in $15 worth of petrol, I found my way to Ballan Holden (again). This time, I knew exactly where the entrance was. The customer service lady gave me a smile of recognition and got the new transponder key for me. I tested it and it was all good, so I went back in to let her know. She was a lot more cheerful than when I saw her last week, so she must be having a good start to her week.
I am so pleased with my morning of achievement.
This afternoon, I'll have to face the traffic on Old Geelong Road to get Beth to and from her gym trial. I finally got round to booking her a free trial session at Hoppers Crossing Gymnastics Club. Unfortunately, most kid-centred activities are located on Old Geelong Road, the busiest stretch of road in the area other than the Princess Highway.
Then I have to get J from daycare, organize dinner and hopefully make it on time to P&F at 7.30 pm.
First, I made it to the car dealer despite missing the entrance the first time and ending up on the freeway to Melbourne.
For an inexperienced driver in Aus, nothing can be more hair-raising than being on the freeway. I was gripping my steering wheel with that sense of helplessness from knowing that the car has to keep going because there are other cars behind, yet you don't know where you are, or more importantly, how to get off the freeway.
What made the incident more icky was that the fuel gauge was hovering dangerously on 'E'.
Which led to problem #2: I have only ever topped up the fuel tank once in the past 15 months, and that was out of sheer bo-pian (necessity). I prefer leaving these sorts of things to CA.
But when you're planning a detour from your usual route, you can't risk stalling at the side of the freeway.
So the first thing I did when I found the Hoppers Crossing exit (aside from heaving a huge sigh of relief) was to find a petrol station.
The first time I pulled up to the pump, I found I had parked too far back and the hose wouldn't extend to reach the tank. So I got behind the wheel and inched forward till the fuel tank was lined up with the pump. These are the sorts of things you have got to get right if you want your day to go smoothly.
Thank goodness there was only one other car in the station. I was inspired and comforted by the sight of the Malay lady driver squatting down as she pumped petrol into her car. I saw her again when I went inside the station to pay - she had a baby in one arm.
After putting in $15 worth of petrol, I found my way to Ballan Holden (again). This time, I knew exactly where the entrance was. The customer service lady gave me a smile of recognition and got the new transponder key for me. I tested it and it was all good, so I went back in to let her know. She was a lot more cheerful than when I saw her last week, so she must be having a good start to her week.
I am so pleased with my morning of achievement.
This afternoon, I'll have to face the traffic on Old Geelong Road to get Beth to and from her gym trial. I finally got round to booking her a free trial session at Hoppers Crossing Gymnastics Club. Unfortunately, most kid-centred activities are located on Old Geelong Road, the busiest stretch of road in the area other than the Princess Highway.
Then I have to get J from daycare, organize dinner and hopefully make it on time to P&F at 7.30 pm.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Transponder, More Than Meets The Eye
If that sounds like a weird title, it's cos I was thinking of the Transformers theme song. :-)
Yesterday, we visited Ballan Holden to get our remote key replaced.
I had been told over the phone that it would take 1/2 to 1 hour and cost $100.
When I walked into the dealership, a quick glance at the row of waiting customers revealed that I was the only female in the room. I felt a bit conspicuous as I walked up to the service counter to announce my arrival.
Turns out the waiting time was going to be much longer as they were having "a busy morning". I was told the key would only be ready at 11 am.
As we had 2.5 hours to kill, we wandered around looking at the cars for sale. CA commented that every car there looked shinier and newer than ours. Jordanne was consulted every time we found a model and price that met CA's criteria, and she duly okayed or dismissed it.
A funny thing I've discovered from looking at car sites like CarSales and CarPoint is that a (used) small car is not necessarily cheaper. If you're looking at a car around the 10 y.o. mark and don't want to spend more than $10K, it seems to me that you're more likely to find one that is >3.5L than you are a <2L car. CA says that's cos most people want to drive smaller cars, so the demand pushes the price up.
A few minutes into this relaxing activity, my mobile rang. It was customer service, calling to say I had given the wrong model (it was "VP Holden Commodore", not "VS" - as if I knew or cared!) and as they didn't have the remote key in-house, they would have to order it from Sydney. That could take up to a week.
So we're back to jiggling the internal circuitry of the remote key every time we use the car.
Yesterday, we visited Ballan Holden to get our remote key replaced.
I had been told over the phone that it would take 1/2 to 1 hour and cost $100.
When I walked into the dealership, a quick glance at the row of waiting customers revealed that I was the only female in the room. I felt a bit conspicuous as I walked up to the service counter to announce my arrival.
Turns out the waiting time was going to be much longer as they were having "a busy morning". I was told the key would only be ready at 11 am.
As we had 2.5 hours to kill, we wandered around looking at the cars for sale. CA commented that every car there looked shinier and newer than ours. Jordanne was consulted every time we found a model and price that met CA's criteria, and she duly okayed or dismissed it.
A funny thing I've discovered from looking at car sites like CarSales and CarPoint is that a (used) small car is not necessarily cheaper. If you're looking at a car around the 10 y.o. mark and don't want to spend more than $10K, it seems to me that you're more likely to find one that is >3.5L than you are a <2L car. CA says that's cos most people want to drive smaller cars, so the demand pushes the price up.
A few minutes into this relaxing activity, my mobile rang. It was customer service, calling to say I had given the wrong model (it was "VP Holden Commodore", not "VS" - as if I knew or cared!) and as they didn't have the remote key in-house, they would have to order it from Sydney. That could take up to a week.
So we're back to jiggling the internal circuitry of the remote key every time we use the car.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Holden Commodore & Transponder Key
It happened again!
I got to school fine this afternoon, but as we were leaving, the transponder key refused to respond. So there I was, stranded in the hot sun fiddling with a broken key held together only by a postie band and a bit of scotch tape.
Not a good look.
Called RACV and sheepishly requested assistance.
The RACV guy fiddled with the ignition and the key and finally got the engine started.
"You'll have to get Holden to reprogram the key, or it's only going to keep doing this to you. It's only good while the engine's going," was his solemn advice.
I've just booked an appointment with Ballan Holden first thing tomorrow morning to get the key replaced.
Let's hope the car works between now and tomorrow!
I got to school fine this afternoon, but as we were leaving, the transponder key refused to respond. So there I was, stranded in the hot sun fiddling with a broken key held together only by a postie band and a bit of scotch tape.
Not a good look.
Called RACV and sheepishly requested assistance.
The RACV guy fiddled with the ignition and the key and finally got the engine started.
"You'll have to get Holden to reprogram the key, or it's only going to keep doing this to you. It's only good while the engine's going," was his solemn advice.
I've just booked an appointment with Ballan Holden first thing tomorrow morning to get the key replaced.
Let's hope the car works between now and tomorrow!
A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
In the past two years, our family has been greatly blessed by people who have come into our lives and rescued us at various times.
One such is Carmel and her family. Her son and Beth went to kinder together. Last year, they were in different classes so we didn't see a lot of each other. But this year, Joey and Beth are classmates again. And so I have the joy of greeting this lovely lady every school day.
Why do I call her friend?
When we just moved to Hoppers Crossing in Oct 07, I didn't have a drivers' licence, and Beth had two more months of kinder before the summer hols. Where we formerly lived in Werribee, we were able to walk to kinder, but after we moved, I was stuck.
Carmel lives quite close to the kinder, yet she offered to come and pick Beth up and send her to school...every kinder day!
I cannot tell you how huge a help that was, especially with J being under a year old then. I am still looking for ways to repay her kindness. In the meantime, I can pay it forward by looking out for other moms.
Another good friend is Yvonne and her hubby Steve.
CA and I had planned to attend a seminar yesterday, and we were supposed to drop off the kids at their place after dinner.
But when it was time to pick J up from daycare, the car wouldn't start!
We've had problems with the remote transponder key for our Holden Commodore (aka "lao pok chia") for a very long time. The connection for the key is extremely sensitive. If it's not positioned exactly so, the red light won't come on, which means you won't be able to lock/unlock/start the car. The original intention was a good one. It was a form of security alarm, to prevent someone from stealing the car (though who would steal a 17 y.o. HC I don't know). But because there's a problem with the immobilizer as well, it means our ability to get about hangs by a thread because we can't manually override the alarm function and use the key to unlock the car.
Very complicated I know, and I'm probably not explaining it very well.
Anyway...so last night Beth and I started walking from home to fetch J, a journey I estimated would take us a good half hour. It got colder as we walked, and I wondered if Beth would make it. She was being very brave, but also very stubborn, not wanting to take a jumper along or put on her runners.
We were approaching HXUCA when the remote key flashed red (I was fiddling with it, hoping that I could 'trick' it into responding). So we headed home and tried to start the car again.
No luck.
We even went up the road to see if our newest neighbour was in and might give us a ride, but for some mysterious reason, they hadn't moved in yet. (Yesterday was supposed to be their move-in day.)
As it was 6 pm by now, I dialled Yvonne and she immediately offered to come and pick us up so we could go and get J. After that, she sent me home, taking the girls with her and inquiring about J's food preferences.
I hadn't been home very long when the phone rang.
"Steve says he can send you and Calvin to the seminar and fetch you after it ends. It's getting cold."
Miraculously, CA was able to get the car started after numerous thumb-aching attempts, and we made it to and from the seminar safely. (It took another 5 minutes of twiddling in the carpark afterwards before we were able to drive to Yvonne's to pick up the kids.)
To cut a very long tale short, RACV sent someone to have a look at the car. It's working fine for now, and CA has taken the precaution of using a postie band to bind the key together very tightly so that the connection stays. We might just get a locksmith to deactivate the alarm so the car can be manually locked/unlocked. So much for gadgets that are meant to make life easier!
Moral of the story: One car is good; two are better!
But seriously, thank you God for our friends, who never hesitate to help us when we're stuck.
And thank you Carmel and Yvonne, for making room for us in your lives! God bless you abundantly.
One such is Carmel and her family. Her son and Beth went to kinder together. Last year, they were in different classes so we didn't see a lot of each other. But this year, Joey and Beth are classmates again. And so I have the joy of greeting this lovely lady every school day.
Why do I call her friend?
When we just moved to Hoppers Crossing in Oct 07, I didn't have a drivers' licence, and Beth had two more months of kinder before the summer hols. Where we formerly lived in Werribee, we were able to walk to kinder, but after we moved, I was stuck.
Carmel lives quite close to the kinder, yet she offered to come and pick Beth up and send her to school...every kinder day!
I cannot tell you how huge a help that was, especially with J being under a year old then. I am still looking for ways to repay her kindness. In the meantime, I can pay it forward by looking out for other moms.
Another good friend is Yvonne and her hubby Steve.
CA and I had planned to attend a seminar yesterday, and we were supposed to drop off the kids at their place after dinner.
But when it was time to pick J up from daycare, the car wouldn't start!
We've had problems with the remote transponder key for our Holden Commodore (aka "lao pok chia") for a very long time. The connection for the key is extremely sensitive. If it's not positioned exactly so, the red light won't come on, which means you won't be able to lock/unlock/start the car. The original intention was a good one. It was a form of security alarm, to prevent someone from stealing the car (though who would steal a 17 y.o. HC I don't know). But because there's a problem with the immobilizer as well, it means our ability to get about hangs by a thread because we can't manually override the alarm function and use the key to unlock the car.
Very complicated I know, and I'm probably not explaining it very well.
Anyway...so last night Beth and I started walking from home to fetch J, a journey I estimated would take us a good half hour. It got colder as we walked, and I wondered if Beth would make it. She was being very brave, but also very stubborn, not wanting to take a jumper along or put on her runners.
We were approaching HXUCA when the remote key flashed red (I was fiddling with it, hoping that I could 'trick' it into responding). So we headed home and tried to start the car again.
No luck.
We even went up the road to see if our newest neighbour was in and might give us a ride, but for some mysterious reason, they hadn't moved in yet. (Yesterday was supposed to be their move-in day.)
As it was 6 pm by now, I dialled Yvonne and she immediately offered to come and pick us up so we could go and get J. After that, she sent me home, taking the girls with her and inquiring about J's food preferences.
I hadn't been home very long when the phone rang.
"Steve says he can send you and Calvin to the seminar and fetch you after it ends. It's getting cold."
Miraculously, CA was able to get the car started after numerous thumb-aching attempts, and we made it to and from the seminar safely. (It took another 5 minutes of twiddling in the carpark afterwards before we were able to drive to Yvonne's to pick up the kids.)
To cut a very long tale short, RACV sent someone to have a look at the car. It's working fine for now, and CA has taken the precaution of using a postie band to bind the key together very tightly so that the connection stays. We might just get a locksmith to deactivate the alarm so the car can be manually locked/unlocked. So much for gadgets that are meant to make life easier!
Moral of the story: One car is good; two are better!
But seriously, thank you God for our friends, who never hesitate to help us when we're stuck.
And thank you Carmel and Yvonne, for making room for us in your lives! God bless you abundantly.
My Mother Made Me (Do It)
"I had a very difficult childhood.
My mother didn't want me.
She was 42 when she had me."
Who spoke those words? Apparently Josef Fritzl, the Austrian accused of locking his daughter in a cellar for 24 years, raping her and forcing her to have 7 children. He is now on trial and this is his mitigation plea.
My instinctive response when I read the article was one of utter revulsion and rejection. I don't need to hear more. Away with him! Lock him up forever and throw away the key!
Now, I have A LOT to say on the subject of parental influence (both the subtle and the overt) and how the desire to please can affect decision making years after the child has grown and is supposed to be able to think and act autonomously.
But I've also come to realize that I have a say in the outcome.
I have a choice.
I don't have to be a victim and to live forever burdened by resentment, regret and anger.
With God's help, I can write a new and better future, and help others do the same for themselves.
Few people are so completely good or irredeemably evil that we can ascribe to them all the good things that have happened to us, or all of our history that we wish had never happened.
Life is a complex, intriguing, mysterious confluence of the thoughts, decisions, and acts of many individuals, each living their own lives, striving for their own desires and not necessarily aware of how they are affecting other people.
Add to this mix those external circumstances over which we have no control, and the hand of God, and one might even start to feel a little compassion for the man or woman who acts in such a way as to repel and repulse his or her fellows.
And yet: at the end of it all, unless we are disabled in mind and so unable to think and reason and choose, do we not still have the choice to stand on the side of good or evil?
What makes some people more prone to hurting and harming others?
Not all criminals come from broken homes.
CS Lewis, author of the Chronicles Of Narnia, writes in Mere Christianity that each day, we make choices that turn us into something either angelic or something devilish. (Great liberties have been taken in the paraphrasing here.)
Do we spend so much of our waking hours consumed with the daily, urgent and evanescent that we choose to ignore that tiny subversive voice that encourages us to think about all the things we would rather not deal with? Like death, eternity, calamity, illness, poverty, suffering, the meaning and purpose of life.
Do we sometimes forget that we inhabit two worlds, the physical world that ends in death, and the eternal one that goes on in spite of death?
Let me know what you think.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Slash In Skilled Migrant Intake
In a bid to protect Australian jobs, the number of skilled migrants allowed into Australia is being slashed.
In a sign of the times, the permanent skilled migration program is being slashed by 18,000 over the next three months, with no foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters or electricians allowed in for the foreseeable future.
And the migrant worker program is likely to be cut back further in the May Budget.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Old-Fashioned Day
Today is Old-Fashioned Day for the Grade Ones.
They get to dress like schoolchildren did 100 years ago.
Beth and I had long discussions over this.
It started with "Must I?" when I first mooted a traditional Chinese costume... to this, which made us both happy.
Hopefully, it contributes to the cultural authenticity and discussion of the event as well.
After all, there weren't only angmoh in VIC 100 years ago what!
They get to dress like schoolchildren did 100 years ago.
Beth and I had long discussions over this.
It started with "Must I?" when I first mooted a traditional Chinese costume... to this, which made us both happy.
Hopefully, it contributes to the cultural authenticity and discussion of the event as well.
After all, there weren't only angmoh in VIC 100 years ago what!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Yard Duty Gems
The kids at school taught me a new game today.
I had four very enthusiastic and very flexible Year One girls all wanting to show me how to play it.
Here's how it goes:
I had four very enthusiastic and very flexible Year One girls all wanting to show me how to play it.
Here's how it goes:
My Aunt Anna
Plays the pia-na
Twenty-four hours a day
SPLIT!
Isn't it amazing how there's always something new to learn everyday?
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Sunday School with the Berenstain Bears
The young ones learned some valuable lessons about tidying up after themselves today.
Tricia, the Sunday School teacher for this term, introduced a Berenstain Bears YouTube video.
Beth loved it so much she watched it again at home.
Just as importantly, she was inspired to finally sort out her artwork before Mum treated it all as trash and threw everything away...as in the video!
Tricia, the Sunday School teacher for this term, introduced a Berenstain Bears YouTube video.
Beth loved it so much she watched it again at home.
Just as importantly, she was inspired to finally sort out her artwork before Mum treated it all as trash and threw everything away...as in the video!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
The Gift Of Staying Put
Monday is Labour Day. That means no Chinese class this Sat. Beth will surely love that. :-)
This long weekend, we're planning to stay put.
We won't be idle though. We plan to do all those small but necessary things around the house that get neglected in the frenzy of the everyday.
Sweeping the backyard, but that will depend on the weather. The winds have been so strong that the soil and dead leaves have piled up in untidy heaps all over Scottie's rest area under the pergola.
Painting the tiles. I want to find out if McKnight White Tile Paint will really transform my daggy bathroom tiles.
Cleaning out the gym.
Relocating the kids' toys and freeing up the front room to create a possible home office.
Getting ready for winter and friends who are coming to stay over the next few months.
This long weekend, we're planning to stay put.
We won't be idle though. We plan to do all those small but necessary things around the house that get neglected in the frenzy of the everyday.
Sweeping the backyard, but that will depend on the weather. The winds have been so strong that the soil and dead leaves have piled up in untidy heaps all over Scottie's rest area under the pergola.
Painting the tiles. I want to find out if McKnight White Tile Paint will really transform my daggy bathroom tiles.
Cleaning out the gym.
Relocating the kids' toys and freeing up the front room to create a possible home office.
Getting ready for winter and friends who are coming to stay over the next few months.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Aftermath of the storm alert
After the excitement of the Vic Police text message and prediction of a 6 pm storm, it's a relief that nothing serious happened in our area, beyond strong winds and dust everywhere.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
The Police Love You
Listening to the radio on the way to school, I was tickled by this comment by one presenter to another about the Vic Police's initiative to send out text messages to all residents.
"The police love me," he declared, because he'd received a text message and his co-presenter was still waiting for his.
What's this text message about?
Mine says: Extreme weather in Vic expected Mon night & Tues. High wind & fire risk. Listen to local ABC Radio for emergency updates.
Everyone I've talked to thinks it's a great idea using technology at a time like this.
It's nice to know Big Brother is thinking of us, even if we know they can only be in so many places at one time.
Let me get out our torches and candles, just in case there's another power failure...
"The police love me," he declared, because he'd received a text message and his co-presenter was still waiting for his.
What's this text message about?
Mine says: Extreme weather in Vic expected Mon night & Tues. High wind & fire risk. Listen to local ABC Radio for emergency updates.
Everyone I've talked to thinks it's a great idea using technology at a time like this.
It's nice to know Big Brother is thinking of us, even if we know they can only be in so many places at one time.
Let me get out our torches and candles, just in case there's another power failure...
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