2/24/2006 03:56:00 AM|W|P|John Torres|W|P|I’m heading off to Sydney soon with hopes that the journey home won’t be quite as “eventful” as the journey here. I’ve had a really fantastic time in Canberra and I hope to be back soon with my family. I can easily picture myself making a life here. This trip was initially supposed to be for six months but I don’t know what I’d have done being away from my wife and son for that long. Luckily we cut that way back to just two weeks which has been an ideal amount of time. There’s been enough time to develop relationships with the people I’ll be working with remotely and I’ve had time to explore the surroundings on my own. I’m anxious to get home and I’m conveniently avoiding any thoughts about weather. At my farewell lunch I talked more about Australia’s social issues with some friends from work. I found my assumptions about the Australian-British and Australian-Aboriginal relationships to not be entirely correct. Before I go any further I should say that my impressions are based on the thoughts of a few people I spoke with and shouldn't be considered facts. I encourage any interested to look into this further. There is still some animosity below the surface towards the British, although it’s almost a rite of passage for Australians to go spend a few years working in the UK after getting out of college so it’s obviously not something that looms heavy in the hearts of Australians. The members of the penal colony are considered, by some, to be the first settlers and to have a direct link to them is a matter of pride. As for the Aboriginal voice, it’s not quite as vocal as I perceived it to be. Many of the Aboriginals were just killed when the British settlers arrived, and most of the others resorted to living in the desert. Some here still posses a deep rooted disdain for the Aboriginals. There’s a perception that they can’t secure jobs, are drunks and get a free ride from the government. I can’t comment one way or the other as in my two weeks here I haven’t seen any Aboriginals myself. There are plenty of Aboriginal inspired items, especially of the souvenir variety. I say inspired and not created because none of it seems to actually be produced by them. Australians seem perfectly comfortable cashing in on the international perception of the situation without acknowledging the state of affairs. It’s interesting to note that the settlers here never acknowledged the indigenous people in Australia. The Aboriginals were unorganized and unable to stand firm. The Maoris from New Zealand, on the other hand, were organized and did resist, at least to some extent. They’ve been acknowledged by the government and currently account for nearly 10% of New Zealand’s population compared to the 2% the Aboriginals can claim. The issue of acknowledgment still plagues the country. It’s largely ignored by most but some do feel ashamed of the history. Either this is just a small minority or the sentiment isn’t strong enough to actually provoke change in policy. Hopefully I have not shone and unfair light on Australia. Worst things can be said about most countries. Taking an outsider’s perspective on the situation has made it easy for me confront the issues here and pass judgement. I can only hope that my recent experiences and thoughts will allow me to make similarly harsh observations about my life and surroundings. Complacency seems to allow any ghastly change tolerable, so long as it’s gradual.|W|P|114077151004390796|W|P|Farewell Canberra|W|P|john.torres@gmail.com2/23/2006 07:19:00 PM|W|P|John Torres|W|P|Here's 360 degree view of Canberra from the top (middle actually) of a communications tower. The top of the tower is more than a mile above sea level. I'll post a close-up of the tower itself soon but for now here's the view: Click the image for the large panoramic|W|P|114074086293490027|W|P|Telstra Tower|W|P|john.torres@gmail.com2/21/2006 03:42:00 AM|W|P|John Torres|W|P|This weekend I had a chance to get out a do a few more touristy things like walk the city, visit some museums and galleries and ride a bike around a lake. It’s all been great fun. It made me wish for less time at work or more weekends. I’m not picky, I’ll take either one. The strange thing about Canberra is that everything closes by 5 everyday, and most places close even earlier on Sunday so I had to rent a bike in order to get everywhere in time. I visited was The National Museum of Australia. It’s a very impressive building set on the tip of a peninsula on Lake Burley Griffin and is ultra modern, inside and out. I wonder how Australians feel about it. Is this how they see themselves or is it something for the tourists. The museum is based on 3 themes: People, Land and Water. In side there is a revolving theatre that turns to face one of three exhibits corresponding to the three themes of the museum. All three exhibits were very well done. They used a combination of synchronized video flat panel monitors, which could move up and down, projectors, colored lights, sound effects and sculptures to tell a story. One of the things I was hoping to learn more about was the history of Australia as a penal colony but I notice any mention of it. I thought for sure this would have been the place to learn about it. There were however exhibits on the Aboriginals and their struggle to reclaim their land and their rights. I couldn’t help but think of the parallels between the struggles of the Native Americans in the United States, although the Aboriginal voice as a whole appears to be stronger and more respected here. The most prominent example I saw of their dissatisfaction with their place in the country was on the steps to the Old Parliament house. The field in front of the building has several makeshift huts bearing messages such as “Stop Killing Our Kids” (I wish I knew what this was in response to) and “Australia Has a Black History”. There were also a few Aboriginal flags. I’ve never been to Washington D.C. but I don’t imagine there are flag burnings and signs of that nature on the steps of Congress. I know this is the Old Parliament house and not the current one but the two buildings are very close. I’m not sure if the fact that we don’t have such public displays against the Government by the Native Americans or other groups is a knock against the government. As far as I know these types of protests are allowed (maybe not setting a bonfire or leaving a hut for long periods of time). I suppose it says more about the people… or maybe it says something about me. The truth is for all I know there are such protests and I’ve just never bothered to take part. I decided to have lunch at the National Museum and an older couple from England joined me. They were looking for a shady spot to sit and I happen to be in the only one, so I invited them over. They were both very nice and told me about their travels around the world. Australia is their favorite place to be. The woman said to me: “We should have left the convicts in England and come live here ourselves”. This made me think of a poem I had read at the Parliament. The gist of the poem was that both sides should come together and neither should stand in shame, neither the oppressed nor the oppressors. The poem was addressing the England-Australian relationship but it hinted at the Australian-Aboriginal relationship as well. It seems the Australians are both oppressors and oppressed at the same time and they’re trying to work things out. Any way… the reason I thought of this was that the woman’s statement hints that what makes Australia her favorite place in the world is the land and weather, not the people and culture. I wonder if this view is popular amongst the English. Although I won’t argue that the weather and the land here are wonderful I’ve also found Canberra to be a very culturally rich place. The museums are all very well designed and extremely informative. One of the best examples of this is The War Memorial. It’s incredibly rich in history and it’s all presented in such an aesthetically pleasing way that it really engages the visitor in the experience. All of the other museums and galleries have been equally interesting. You get a sense of culture here by just walking through the city. There are pieces of public art everywhere from fountains to sculptures and graffiti. I’m eager to get to Sydney and experience another side of Australia. I’ve heard it’s quite stunning, although I’m told that Melbourne is the better city but either way I shouldn’t waste my time in the cities. Australia’s not know for amazing cities, it’s known for amazing beaches. If and when I come back I plan on making that the focus of my trip.|W|P|114051241200641693|W|P|Out and About in Canberra|W|P|john.torres@gmail.com2/22/2006 04:34:00 PM|W|P| Anonymous|W|P|It is pretty surprising that the penal colony roots are completely overlooked, but I think it's understandable. It's not like the convicts made Australia what it is today - it was people like the pilgrims in the US and their native indians that helped shape it.

Latas.2/21/2006 03:40:00 AM|W|P|John Torres|W|P| View from Civic Center Inside one of the galleries of the Canberra Museum and Gallery I have a soft spot for old cars Dorms at the University of Canberra A generic brand scientifically engineered to make you feel as poor as possible I think this is called a Paper Wood Tree. It’s what the Aboriginals use An old food bus that's been abandoned in a parking lot Australia seems to have a love hate relationship with The States These birds are everywhere Graffiti in and around town Lake Burley Griffin… the arch across the lake is the National Museum of Australia Telstra Tower (I’m hoping to go there this week) A sculpture of the logo for The National Museum The arch you see from the opposite side of the lake The Australian War Memorial Mosaic at the grave of the Unknown Soldier Another one up close Capital Hill as seen from the War Memorial (the white building in front is the Old Parliament House, behind it is the new Parliament House) “Authentic” boomerang in front of the Old Parliament House The War Memorial is in the background, in the foreground is a hut with a sign reading “Stop Killing Our Kids” and an Aboriginal flag. Another hut… there are several of these huts with similar messages, all right in front of the old Parliament house. Aboriginal flag on the steps to the Old Parliament House… I don’t think this would fly in the US Back of the Old Parliament house The new and current Parliament House… There were some mixed feelings with the introduction of this building. Some people were expecting the building to make a grand statement but the new Parliament house is buried in a hill. The Queen is ever present here Looking out from the top of the Parliament House At night Circuitry - Fiona Hooton This is based on the outline of a human and is meant to symbolize the people, transport and information flowing through the city Cushion - Matthew Harding A poem by Marion Halligan is “scattered” on the ground. Illumicube - Kerry Simpson Commemoration of 25 years of electric supply by ACT Electricity Authority Lights inside used to respond to sound but as the population grew they disabled the feature to prevent people from sounding their car horns at all hours of the night The Canberra Times Fountain - Robert Woodward Marks the intersection of Ainslie Avenue with City Walk Father and Son - John Dowie From Alex Downer in the memory of his father Sir John Downer Ainslie’s Sheep - Les Kossatz There’s some joke about Canberra being a “A good sheep paddock spoiled” Ethos - Tom Bass The dish above her head has a relief map of the city. The statue is meant to celebrate the civic pride of Canberra The Theatre District|W|P|114051132688975850|W|P|Images from Canberra|W|P|john.torres@gmail.com3/03/2006 12:26:00 PM|W|P| Anonymous|W|P|I don't think you snapped that photo of the nail shop sign to make some statement about American culture in Australian society, dude. ;-)