Crank it Up

Sept has been a month of getting going again. The month of July was really quiet for Gi’s work and then in August everything was closed and we were away. So Sept is all about cranking it up again, contacting clients, reminding people that they should take care of their health issues. He is becoming a little disillusioned with the centre. Well, it's mainly the smoking and apathy of the owners and staff that are the problem. Suffice to say he is struggling with a few issues. The clinic itself has great potential, and they have spoken with Gi a lot about minor renovations to improve the dynamics and layout, advertising campaigns, attracting new clients, a membership program, introducing new therapies ….he has spent a lot of time counselling, advising, working and generating interest and enthusiasm but Dora (the main boss) doesn't really action anything. He doesn’t get paid for any of this, just for the massage work he does there. So, he’s getting a bit disappointed in it all. He recognises that things take time here but until they are ready to make changes they won’t. They’ve been running the clinic as a beauty clinic for the last 15 years and I am starting to get the impression that most of their clients are part of the family/friendship circle who only get charged 50% of the regular price.

In the meantime Gi has joined a local association that run the Centro Shen right in the middle of the historical centre. It’s much more of a community organisation with a focus on breaking even and providing health support and services to the wider community, lower income groups and students, immigrants etc. They embrace an ethos more in line with Gigi’s. He is giving Qi Gong classes at 7am in a park near the bay on Tues and Thurs, and one Sunday a month. Then all day Tues he is at the centre for treatments. The most exciting thing though is the Centro Shen’s support of his interest in teaching. He gave his first seminar on the Tui Na massage and Chinese Medicine last Saturday; a whole day of lecturing and a bit of practical. This has now lead to a course to be held every second Saturday for 6 months. The manager of the Centro Shen, Marcia, is a balanced woman who is environmentally focused and (I think) has become something of a mentor for Gigi. Marcia is now organising for Gi to give his seminar, but over a weekend, at other locations, outside of Naples etc. He is very keen to do as much of it as he can. He can give a weekend seminar and it covers our rent for the month. Whereas the massage treatments are much more up and down. People don’t always turn up for appointments and there are a lot of untrained massage people in Naples giving poor quality massages for about €20 which devalues the market for people like Gi who are qualified. It’s largely a matter of educating people, about different massage types, the benefits of Chinese medicine and dietics, ways to genuinely improve their health, and effectively recognising the benefits of investing their time and money in their health.

Every now and then I feel responsible for dragging Gi away from a beautifully functioning clinic in Newstead, Brisbane, where he was very busy and enjoying his work, to Naples where it’s a struggle and he is constantly being confronted with people’s ignorance, apathy and the lack of general appreciation for work that he does. He keeps saying he only wants to stay here for a year, but I have a feeling that life will present us with something at about that time that will point us in the right direction. These challenges are making him much more responsible in terms of being self employed and slowly he is recognising the value of his diversified skill base. It’s about finding your place in the market really.

And me, well after some induction, a bit of training and then talk of a teaching test I was called last week by the school to say that I would be teaching a group of govt employees Tues and Thurs afternoons from 2.15 – 4.45 for 2 ½ hour sessions for the next six months. They haven’t had time to do an in classroom assessment of me, but they don’t seem worried about it. I’m a bit miffed really. There has been about a 50% turnover of teachers at the schools (over the two campuses in Naples) with about 8 new teachers starting in Sept with me. I have met six of them, at least I can remember six of them…and that is without AFS name stickers!! The scary thing is that they all have TESOL, or TEFOL or some equivalent, qualifications and I don’t. A few of them are young, early 20’s, and without any teaching experience under their belt except for prac during their studies. I did a bit of teaching last time we lived in Naples and then a bit in Thailand, but it was very much fake-it-til-you-make-it stuff for me. However, I have realised that I am one of the oldest teachers at the school (although most of them don’t realise that either), and the Director of Studies and Manager seem more focused on the ‘younger’ ones before they let them loose in the classroom. Somehow, something has given them the impression that I’m already ‘capable’, although secretly I feel anything but capable when dealing with teaching English and grammar without using any Italian to a bunch of noisy Italians.

Most of this week has been focused on lesson plans and getting myself prepared for five hours of standing in front of 25 adults who have a reasonable level of English and want to know what sort of grammar you are trying to teach them!

I have a stack of writing to catch up on; the story of the summer saga is well under way. I am hoping that I soon find the courage to start sending off query letters for freelancing and that I can find a routine for writing, teaching and planning. I feel a million miles away from my accounting job at home, although I still get email questions.

The weather is changing. It’s raining quite regularly, which is normal for Oct but not for Sept. I am actually looking forward to the colder weather, although the missing boxes mean that I am without my favourite boots, scarves and winter skirts. I feel like I wear the same clothes all the time….I’ll just have to work on a replacement program!

For the second time this week a police helicopter has been hovering over our little quarter, sweeping back and forth as though looking for someone. I was out in the market and saw three lots of police standing around at intersections, one cop waving down cars while their partner stood to the side with a semi automatic gun at the ready. I don’t know what’s going on but have found the heavy helicopter activity rather unsettling.

Peter & the Pizza

We had a visitor last weekend. Unfortunately I've been busy working on the summer story and haven't had time to tell you that Peter Turner came to visit. I remember Peter as the little kid who lived next door to us at The Gap, in Brisbane. He's now all grown up and working in London.

There is something special about Peter, and it's something that hasn't changed over the years. It's his enthusiasm. It makes those around him feel good, and appreciated. He is always interested and engaged.

We hope to have some of his positivity, and infectious enthusiasm back in the city of Naples sometime soon.

Memorial and coup

I spent a couple of hours at school today in training and then enjoyed a girlie lunch with Dana. On the way to use the internet I was reflecting on how much I am enjoying the changes, learning at school and making new friends.

I get online and see the Channel Nine videos of the memorial service for Steve Irwin and end up in tears. His daughter Bindi, Russell Crowe and our stiff as a post PM John Howard spoke. What a tragedy.

Then I'm watching a news update about the military coup in Bangkok. The country is under martial law. Now I'm worried about my friends in Hat Yai (refer to recent blog about the bombings) and Bangkok. I also received a travel advice warning from the Australian Government advising Australians to reconsider travelling to Thailand.

This is a country I love and it's strange to imagine how this might be impacting on our family and friends living there.

I have been slightly heartened though by an article in the Bangkok Post, as follows:

Coup 'should not hurt tourism'(dpa) - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said Wednesday the impact of a bloodless military coup on Thailand's tourism sector had been minimal and advised visitors to continue with their plans to visit the country. Thailand attracts about 12 million tourist a year. "As you walk about the downtown areas of Bangkok there is very little to suggest the unusual, except that the traffic is lighter. Visitors here are saying that Thailand is as open and welcoming as usual," said Bob James, chairman of the Pata Thailand chapter. The tourism association said domestic and international airports, airline services and airport transfers were operating normally in Bangkok and throughout the country, despite the military coup that overthrew the government of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Tuesday night. Pata acknowledged road traffic in Bangkok was about 50 per cent of normal -- which might be a good thing. Luzi Matzig, director of Asia Travels - which specialises in European tourists to Thailand - said he had had no cancellations in the wake of the coup. "I have seen 15 coups myself in the past 30 years and this was the easiest one yet," said Matzig, a long time resident in Thailand. "A smooth-as-silk kind of coup."

What a mess. Sometimes Naples seem pretty reasonable. It also reminds me that nothing is to be taken for granted. Our peaceful lives, our good health, our ability to change things.

Trust you are caring and appreciating your loved ones.

J

What's going on?

I'm in the middle of training for teaching English. Have met some nice people, although I seem to be the most extrovert which is a real worry. Luckily my Aussie sarcasm is filling the conversation gaps...

San Gennaro festival tomorrow. Big day in the calendar for Neapolitans. I will write you a story about the blood, procession and crowds.

I have finally recovered from the summer holiday and have started writing about it. I am only onto the second day of the trip and it's already up to eight pages...definitely material for my book. I think I will put selective bits of it on the blog.

There was a bombing in the commercial centre of Hat Yai, major city in southern Thailand, on the 16 September. Hat Yai is the city where I spent a year as an AFS exchange student. Gi and I lived and worked there in 2000 as well. It's like a second home. Five people, including a Canadian teacher, were killed and more than 80 injured. Six bombs exploded on Saturday and the following day arsonists attacked local schools and vehicles.

Spare a thought for our friends and AFS families that are living through this horrific situation.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Sep2006_news18.php

On a brighter note my sister Kim sent me a photo of her two sons. That's them at the top of the page. Don't you just want to eat them up.

Cheers, oh, Gi is well, work is starting to pick up again.
More soon.

Beppe Grillo

Beppe Grillo is one of Italy's most famous comedians. He is infamous for his satirical commentary and dissection of Italian politics, economics, power, the environment, technology etc. He is a fascinating contrast to the closed 'free press' in Italy and manages to spread his message largely through his live shows and blog. His blog page is translated into English and can be found at www.beppegrillo.it/eng.

Yesterday he posted the following article which raises the issue of the abuse of children. In Naples it's evident that gypsy children are abused and misused as they beg on the streets, busk on the trains, pickpockets and scam people, try to wash windscreens at traffic lights. Coming from Australia it's one of those things you don't really appreciate until you've seen it yourself.

Ogre or Blind
In the city around us there’s a separate world. A world of ogres, blind people and victims. The ogres are squalid delinquents who exploit children. The blind people are us. Us when we turn away to the other side. The victims are children of five/eight/ten years old who are begging at the traffic lights.
Or they are playing the fiddle and too ashamed to ask for money, have their eyes towards the ground. Children who are beaten if they don’t collect a few hundred Euro a day. Children obliged to steal. Imported into Italy to sell themselves publicly on the streets.
Once upon a time, on seeing a child on his own, in difficulty, we would give him a hand. We would ask his name. We would take him to the town hall, to the police, to the church. We would offer him a sweet, an ice cream, a hug.
Between the blind people and the delinquents there’s a fine line. A very fine line. It’s not easy to grasp. In Milan, in front of a cemetery, the Musocco, the children from the East are low price merchandise. It’s certainly thanks to globalisation. Once upon a time they cost more and the risks were greater. Now it’s all much easier and more convenient. It’s not necessary to go abroad to have the pleasures of the flesh. In a few years we’ll be able to order them at home.
Today I want to publicise a number: 114, for child emergency. If you witness abuse of a child, don’t turn away, but telephone 114. Do it for yourself, not just for the children. You’ll feel better afterwards.
Posted by Beppe Grillo on September 12, 2006 12:13 AM in Wailing Wall Send to a friend

Parental Posturing

I've posted some photos but they appear further down the page under 8 September.

Enjoy.

Induction

I attended an induction session at InLingua yesterday afternoon. Roger, the Director of Studies, ran through a myriad of fascinating topics including the class registers, timesheets, dress standards and dismissible activities.

Part way into the session one of the other managers Katherine interrupted to give us an update on the public transport situation. I was completely unaware that there was a public transport problem. I had just assumed that the extraordinary number of people on the underground metro was the result of back to school and university crowds. Katherine advised that the buses were on strike. Well, sort of. Apparently it’s up to each individual bus driver whether they go to work or go out on strike. As that bit of information sunk in around the table, Roger quietly commented ‘the Neapolitans can’t even organise a strike properly!’

I met three new teachers today. Laura from Northern Ireland, Seb(astian) from London and Jonah (although Roger calls him John so maybe I misunderstood) from north of London. I’m terrible at remembering names after only one meeting. I’ll have to check again and write them down. It’s always a bit strange meeting other foreigners in an environment that is not related to travel or previous connections. Hearing different accents was also a little odd. Laura has one of those lovely Irish accents that take a while to tune into. Every time she spoke I had to ask her to repeat herself. Seb immediately asked if I was Australian or New Zealand. I shouldn’t have been surprised but in Naples I’m usually mistaken for Polish or Ukraine, or American. It was kind of nice to at least have someone get the right hemisphere.

So, the buses are striking all week. There is also a possibility that the metro will also be on strike on Friday. I’ve already decided to avoid public transport on Friday...although that shouldn’t be difficult if there isn’t any running!

Safran Sins

12 Sept 2006

Following my discovery of podcasts I downloaded the SBS television program ‘Speaking in Tongues’ with the infamous John Safran and Father Bob Maguire. We never managed to watch them when they aired in Australia. Watching them on the laptop proved both entertaining and educational. Now that we’ve watched the TV series I’m delighted to have found they are continuing their partnership on SBS radio. As I sit writing, I am listening to a ‘Sunday Night Safran’ podcast. This first podcast is from 30th July, so I am six weeks behind. It’s a bit like having a treasure chest waiting for my attention.

The joy of watching John and Father Bob, as opposed to just listening to them, is in the details. John Safran uses his hands and leans forward intently, making a point or seeking an answer. Father Bob’s face is priceless. His face swings between expressions of exasperation and deadpan disengagement.

One of the most interesting elements of both forms of media presentations is John Safran’s need to confess his sins and seek guidance from Father Bob on what action would be appropriate following the event. It is often something that most of us would consider negligible, but it always raises a moral issue of some description. Unreturned library books, being accidentally undercharged for a purchase and dating issues usually result in Father Bob insisting that he should instead seek out a rabbi.

It’s a fascinating relationship. Both knowledgeable in different ways and seeking answers they embrace all manner of issues and delve into all sorts of controversy, religious, political and social. It’s refreshing, and I’m looking forward to working my way through the treasury chest.

http://triplej.net.au/safran/podcast.xml

Working Girl

It starts tomorrow. My new part time career. I have secured a job teaching English as a second language, starting in September, contracted until July 2007. First though I have inductions sessions, and then teacher training, grammar studies and testing. They won't let me lose in the classroom until I meet the inlingua standards...thank goodness. It's all a bit scary, but I've done it before and it will give me something new to complain about. I might even make some new friends!

There are also changes afoot back home. My permanent government position is being transferred from the SDS hierarchy to the Departmental Finance team. What does that mean? Well when I come to the end of my twelve month special leave I have to either apply for an extension, go back to work or resign (No, don't do it!). The catch? I have to approach a different boss to the one when I left the country. Luckily I already know the new boss, Mr Bull (I kid you not). He's a good guy, an accountant nonetheless, but a funny guy.

So from a world of numbers and accounting to a world of words and teaching English I cross the great divide. Wish me well...if I get stuck I might resort to teaching them debits and credits.

Turkish Bath

Sunday afternoon. Gi and I have enjoyed a turkish steam bath with his sister Irene. She is now enjoying the pleasure and pain of her brother's massage skills. I have recently been thinking about how she's changed over the six months since we arrived in February.

Most change is slow, and Naples is a city that specialises in slow change. However, I am quite astounded at what has quietly been going on since we decided not to share living space with Gi's family. After several 'arguments' ("really, we were just talking Jenny"), tears and frustration we realised we had to walk away and let them be.

Here is an extract from an email I recently wrote to a girlfriend:

It’s something that I am most proud of, in a quiet way - the positive influence we are having on Gigi’s younger sister. Irene is 24 and hasn’t changed, progressed or achieved very much since we left in 1999 when she had just recently finished high school. She has spent much of the last 6 years asleep, in a depressed state, no real encouragement from either parent (for all manner of reasons), and no ambition. Our arrival and two months living with them shook things up considerably (understatement). After realising that we couldn’t actually ‘fix’ anything for either his sister or his mother, and certainly wouldn’t be happy living together, we resigned ourselves to getting on with living the lives we wanted, in Naples, hoping that if anything we might have an influence by ‘living by example’. Just before we moved into our own place a couple of big messy fights ended with emotional discussions about Irene still not having a drivers license, being held hostage in the house by the dog (long story), having no independence, refusing to look for work that wasn’t in a particular suburb (another long story) (I’m always sprouting off about getting a part time job as a start, only to be told that part time jobs don’t exist in Naples, sometimes my thinking can be so ‘Australian’ but I’ve learnt to shut up) and no ambition. One night she revealed that she’s done all this research for a college in Naples where she wants to study fashion design. I was gob smacked. After further questioning I was told it cost only €300 to enrol, then €190 each month for the tuition and materials. Irene receives €200 from her father each month as an allowance. She’s been waiting 6 years to start this study…after my fury subsided I told her, and her mother, it was terrible that she’s still waiting. I told her if you have the ambition, the motivation, and your health you’ve got the three most important things. The money is the easiest bit to find, for if you really want something the universe will find a way for it to happen. I know that my attitude towards achieving goals flies against every conventional belief in this city, and Gi’s jaded mother certainly thinks I’m nuts when I talk like this, but sometimes I just can’t help but let my ‘you-can-do-anything’ upbringing echo around the room.

Anyway, it is now four months later. Irene has quietly been thinking, saving and watching us. She has finished the theory part of her drivers licence and has had two formal driving lessons, and two practice sessions (now five) with her older brother. I sat in the back seat for one, and I gave her 6 ½ / 10 which she was very happy with. Her mother has moved the dog to a shelter. Irene has also quietly informed Gigi that she is looking for a part time job in the suburb where she lives (‘lowering her standards’, changing her previously exclusive criteria and eliminating all the public transport issues)….perhaps working as a sales assistant in a clothing store (something I suggested four months ago as it links in with the fashion design - at the time she completely snobbed the idea as way beneath her). The final thing is that this week she has secretly enrolled herself in the fashion design course and it starts in mid September. Her mother doesn’t know about the college enrolment yet as the subject causes an argument whenever they discuss it....(let's hope she doesn't read my blog!)

They joined us for a pizza dinner the other night, a farewell meal for Cieon who was leaving after ten days with us. Irene is looking happier and more relaxed each time I see her lately. She used to always look morose and withdrawn when out in the company of her mother. She has taken some big steps over the last six weeks, with more to come. Gi and I have learnt a valuable lesson in that you can’t save people from themselves, but you can light the way.

I watch with quiet anticipation and building pride, in the hope that Irene is on the path to finding herself and breaking out of the shackles that her parents have unknowingly bound her with.

Lovely Lucie

Watching DVDs...really.

After the haircut

Parental Posing

I'm working on the summer tale of our trip around Italy. In the meantime...

BBQ anyone?

5 September 2006

We went to a BBQ last night. Arriving at 8:30pm the host Carlo was just starting to prepare the barbecue, which entailed placing screwed up newspaper and BBQ beads inside a ‘device’ on their balcony that looked something like a mini pizza or old fashioned bread oven. It was a far cry from the traditional Aussie BBQ.

He came back out from the kitchen in full barbecue chef gear, much like the blokes do at home. A ‘miners’ light was strapped to his head. He told me he uses it to read in bed sometimes. His wife told Gigi the one time he wore it to bed (!) he adjusted it on his forehead, lay down, opened his book…and promptly fell asleep.

After lighting the newspaper Carlo fired up the other essential item for an evening of grilling chops and sliced onion…a hairdryer. Yep, a hairdryer; used to blow warm air into a small tunnel at the base of the tray holding the beads. On one hand it’s a brilliant alternative to the blow-you-lungs-out method. However it was not without side effects. The fumes from the smouldering beads were ghastly, sparks flew out into the night air, and the combination of flames, electricity and Neapolitan ingenuity just looked like a dubious combination.

For those of you that think I exaggerate please refer to the images.

Most of the evening’s food had been prepared in advance, the barbecue cooked only a few sausages and some fish wrapped in alfoil. We also enjoyed ricotta and prosciutto parcels, oven baked split sausages with melt cheese, mashed potato with provola cheese and prosciutto, potato cubes oven baked in olive oil and rosemary. Dessert was either hazelnut ice cream or truffle flavoured ice cream, or a combination of both, served in a plastic cup. Plastics plates, bowls and cup are very popular here, used in many ingenious ways, not only for serving food. Their impact on the environment seems to be outweighed by the convenience.

I was quietly craving a salad or a vegetable by the end of the night, missing the spread you’d find at a barbecue at home. I was surprised by the focus on sausages, cheese and potato and the fact that so little was cooked outside.

Barbeques are different all over the world. I do think though that the Aussie reputation for a good barbie on the weekend, our ability to cook almost anything on the flat plate, grid or rotisserie and do it without a hairdryer, is justified.

The word ‘barbecue’ actually came to the English language from the Caribbean, in addition to the word ‘cannibal’ ironically. I can only imagine how good a Caribbean BBQ might be. There certainly wouldn’t be any miners lights or hairdryers.

Newsworthy

5 Sept 06

Travelling overseas inevitably means I loose touch with the world at large. Gigi’s continuing reluctance to connect the antenna for our television is not helping me stay up to date with world affairs. However the magic of the internet helps fill the gap.

To that extent three news items have particularly struck me today.

Did you know that nearly 90% of the heroin supply in the world comes from the country of Afghanistan? A new UN report says opium cultivation has jumped almost 60% despite anti drug efforts. The report blames the rise in production on the growing resurgence of the Taliban militia. The violence from the Taliban has destabilised provinces throughout Afghanistan.

This caught my attention because northern Thailand also engaged in opium production and I remember visiting the poppy fields near the Golden Triangle as a teenager. The King of Thailand was largely involved in steering the local village agricultural focus away from the illegal production of opium to vegetable crops with introduction of better irrigation and agricultural practices.

It was nine years ago this week that Princess Diana was killed in car accident in Paris. It certainly doesn’t feel like almost a decade since the world dealt with the shocking news of her sudden death.

Andre Agassi has retired from professional tennis. He lost at the US open this week, and announced the end of his career. Having started his professional career in 1986, he’s been on the circuit for 20 years and will be a sorely missed sportsman and personality.

PS 8 Sept 06 Addition

Online tonight checking emails and current affairs only to find out that a second Ausie icon has died this week, Peter Brock.

What's with only the good guys dying young and tragically?

Steve Irwin

The unexpected death of Steve Irwin has shaken people around the world.

My friend Jane called me on Monday from Canberra with the news of the sting ray accident off the coast of northern Queensland. I think she summed it up for a lot of Australians when she said that she didn’t really feel much of a connection with Steve Irwin but the news of his death stirred something unexpected. The televised tributes she watched resulted in tears and she wrote by email that she hadn’t realised how much she liked the man.

Collectively, we feel a great sadness for a man we watched bounce around on our televisions espousing his fascination with animals, dangerous or otherwise, spreading the message of environmental conservation.

The news of his death has been covered all over the world on television, radio, newspapers and the internet. People are adopting a turtle symbol on their MSN messenger display picture as a sign of respect. Tributes are coming in from across the globe including India, Norway, Britain, Mexico and USA.

On the internet I read that the accident occurred near the Low Isles, in the Great Barrier Reef. This brought back childhood memories of boat trips to Low Island, swimming and snorkelling over the reef, and wondering at the smallest coral island I’d ever seen at the age of eleven. The clear waters provided a window to the vivid colours as the fish darted and floated in and around the wonderland of coral below. It’s very strange to think that such a paradise is where Steve Irwin met with the defensive system of an unsuspecting sting ray. One can only imagine if he even realised what had happened. The barb of a sting ray is used in self defence only and is the equivalent of a poison tipped kitchen knife plunging into his chest.

There have been and will continue to be hundreds of words written and spoken about Steve Irwin. Many clichés are being thrown around. He was an icon, an environmentalist, an entrepreneur, a husband and father, a media personality and a larrikin. Mostly he was seen as a real life Crocodile Dundee character. I will always remember the day we visited Australia Zoo, just forty minutes north of our house in Brisbane, over the Easter weekend in 2005. Australia Zoo was great, but it was the live show with Steve, his wife Terri and his crew managing the birds, reptiles, tigers, elephants and crocodiles that really made the day. Like most people I guess, I was completely unprepared for the fact that he appeared to be as energetic, effervescent and truly Aussie in person as he was on the small screen.

Even more impressive though were Steve Irwin’s plans for the continuing expansion of the world class Australia Zoo site from its current 68 acres to 300 acres. His vision was to develop the park to represent each continent on the planet, featuring native and exotic species from all around the world, to provide more natural environments for the animals and focus on the environmental education. The multi-million dollar investment scheme is aimed to create the best zoological facility in the world. The Irwin family have quietly been buying up large tracts of land in Australia, the US, Vanuatu and Fiji; areas that Steve felt should be preserved in an effort to protect them from urbanisation and industry, turning them into wildlife refuges. A large proportion of his earnings were invested in this initiative. It was this mindset that drew Gigi’s respect.

Gigi is not ordinarily a fan of television personalities, especially a larger-than-life character like Steve Irwin who was particularly attractive to the American public for his extreme behaviour, passion and craziness. However he was truly shocked at the news of his death, and truly regretful about the loss to the environment.

It’s a sad reflection of our cultural tall poppy syndrome when fellow Australians claim Steve Irwin was an embarrassment. Germaine Greer wrote in a UK newspaper that the animal kingdom has finally struck its revenge. She believed him to be a “self deluded animal tormentor” who “exploited animals by telling the world how dangerous they were and then treating them with disrespect”. (Click here to see Germaine Greer interviewed on A Current Affair.)

The Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, has emotionally recommended that the expatriate Australian should ‘back off’ and keep her ‘stupid’ comments on Irwin to herself. The Queensland government offered his family a state funeral. The Irwin family have officially declined this offer but are planning a memorial service. (Click here to read some of the public feedback & comments posted in response to Germaine Greer's opinion.)
Steve Irwin was a positive man, and certainly not known as a ‘knocker’ of others. He was one of the most famous and successful Australians of our times and regardless of the risks he chose to take in front of the camera, he always had an environmental message to deliver. This was demonstrated when, in response to the news of Steve’s death, the Australian Prime Minister stood up in Parliament, recognising his contribution to the environment, citing it as a huge loss for Australia. John Howard said "I am quite shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death”.
The local community of Beerwah, the location of Australia Zoo and the Irwin residence, will certainly struggle with the loss. As will his employees, family, friends and fans. I anticipate that the memorial services will draw more people than anyone expects. He was fundamentally a good bloke, dedicated to his family and his environmental beliefs. There are lessons to be learnt from everyone’s life, and perhaps it was Steve’s passion and his uncompromising stand on his messages of conservation, rehabilitation and education that we should absorb and apply to our own lives.

The world was shaken at the news of the untimely loss of Steve Irwin. It’s much simpler than that though. As individuals and as a country we feel like we’ve lost a friend, an inspirational and engaging one, but a mate nonetheless.

Fifteen seconds.

I have a confession. I have a new addiction. I bought an Ipod before we left Australia, and uploaded about half of my CD collection at home. I recently investigated the Podcast thing on the internet and have become a fan. My collection of Podcast subscriptions (all free) includes Italian language lessons, Yoga video classes (going to start them this week!), MTV news (need my fix as we still don’t have a TV antenna), real grown up news, Enough Rope (ABC, interviews by Andrew Denton), Lonely Planet travelcasts, Triple J stuff, ABC radio Late Night Live and The Book show and National Geographic & Wild Chronicles video shows. One of my favourites though is a homesickness cure, Nova 969 Merrick and Rosso, which includes stuff from their radio program but also 'Original Pirate Material' which they record just for podcasting. I never listen to them at home, but here, across the miles, their silliness, prank calls and Aussie style interviews strike a chord.

In accordance with a new addiction I sent Merrick and Rosso a very brief email, and Rosso read it out as part of the Original Pirate Material podcast on 29 August. My fifteen seconds of fame! I mentioned that Gi was a Tui Na Massage Therapist and of course that brought forth expletives about what the 'devil' is Tui Na. I'll have to send them a follow up email to enlighten them.