Le petit Monde de Moi

2194 Days of War

2012-01-22T15:21:00.019+11:00

Most of my more recent posts have been rather wordy, and so I thought it fair time for something with not quite so many words. Here we have a few photographs from an illustrated chronology of World War II which I picked up in a secondhand bric-a-brac store for a mere $5, as well as two or three others from somewhere out there on the world wide web. Click on the images themselves to view the larger versions. These just go to show that the war was not all Hogan's Heroes.

The remains of a heavy bomber raid on a launch site at Watten, France; September 1943.

German Soldiers frozen to death:

This one struck me as being almost beautiful; in the midst of all that warfare, here a Catholic chaplain distributes Holy Communion during a mass with the 5th Marine Division.

A sketch from Edward Ardizzone's War Diary; the 300th travelling through a French village; 1940.

US Camp, on Guadalcanal, during the wet season:

Miserable scene, depicting the retreat of the Italian Tridentina Division in Russia, together with troops picked up from other scattered units, as they trudge back to Nikolayevka; January 1943.

With the Warsaw Uprising crushed, a wounded insurgent emerges from a sewer, into the hands of waiting German soldiers. 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire', one might say; October 1944.

US infantry attempt an attack under enemy fire during the Normandy landings.

British artillery in action at Tobruk, Libya; July 1941.

Coventry Cathedral, England, after air raid bombings; November 1940.

After the Russian retreat, a village near Vitebsk is littered with dead horses and upturned supply wagons.

German unit advancing across the snow during a counter-attack near Novgorod, in the Lake Ilmen area; 1943.

Bodies of Japanese soldiers killed nera Gona, New Guinea, after fierce, desperate battles. Despite their numerical superiority Allied troops made little headway against fanatical Japanese resistance; December 1942.

Double Jumbo ~ A Qantas A380 Trip Report

2012-01-15T22:28:00.000+11:00

It is no doubt rather obvious that I enjoy travelling to places and flying around on planes. Dare I, for one thing, go so far as to mention my account with FlightMemory.com?! In that case, therefore, it only seems proper that I do a trip report for Qantas flight 9; my first ever flight aboard the A380 'Super-Jumbo', back in June last year from Melbourne to Singapore. I find it interesting to read trip reports of others, both on Flyertalk and Airliners.net, to find out what can be expected on an upcoming flight or even when curious about what other airlines or aircraft are like. So: here goes, one from yours truly...

A friend of mine dropped me off at Melbourne Tullamarine airport the day I was due to fly out. We figured that arriving early would be best, as it always is with airports and airlines, but having only just finished packing that morning about thirty minutes after we were due to leave, we still arrived too early to check-in. Not long after noon, however, after a short stroll to pass the time, I was ready to find my gate for my 3:30pm flight, and to enjoy another chapter or two of my book. My mate walked me as far as he was allowed, to the security checkpoints, and we then shook hands, waved goodbye and I said something about sending him a bar of Kendal's mint cake because he'd never tried it before.

I must say, it really did feel rather weird to hear the lady say that I would not have to worry about my bag until London... until LONDON? That's on the other side of the world; surely, I thought, this must be all a dream! A good dream, nonetheless. But no - it was, in fact, the reality. I was about to set off on a two month-long adventure all around Europe, before which I was to meet up with my parents in Durham for a week.

The chap letting flyers through into the pre-airside security area, and telling other non-passengers to get lost (well not quite, I'm just keeping this short and sweet), said he felt like he was at the cinema, what with having to check all our tickets and such. Only, the smell of popcorn was replaced with the rather industrial smell of aircraft and airports.

Security turned out to be a breeze actually, unlike Helsinki, but we'll get to that another time. I was through, with a quick wave of my boarding pass and my brand new passport, and soon discovered even more duty-free with which to loosen one's wallet. I changed some Aussie dosh, now no longer needed, save perhaps for a rip-off Lipton's ice-tea and a focaccia. A few Singapore dollars might come in handy during layover, I had then thought. However, in the end, it turned out to be rather useless as I really only had time to jump off Qantas, walk several kilometres through Singapore's terminal 1, find my next gate, and disappear into Finnair.

Whilst waiting to board the whopping great Big Bird of a plane, I got chatting to some old lady (as you do). Both she and her husband were flying business class - oh la la! - to Frankfurt to see some of the rellies. By and by, boarding commenced and we went our separate ways; them through the tunnel to the Upper Deck, with me all the more envious.

Upon entering the Lower Deck myself, I found the colour scheme rather inviting, with half the seats green and the others red. It turned out that two girls behind me were also going on to Helsinki on the same connecting flight, and then on to Madrid and Russia for a tour. What a small world it is!

There were not many passengers, considering it was holiday season in Australia at the time. Both seats opposite me were completely vacant, which was absolutely lovely because I got to spread out and pile my junk on the seat next to me. Water, head-phones, pillows, blankets, snacks, camera...

A small suggestion for anyone flying around out there: take your shoes off. It is so relaxing and gives them a chance to breathe, and, after all, it does take a good twenty four hours to get to Europe. A little more when you fly via Helsinki, despite whatever their advertisements get you to believe. I'm over six feet tall, and even without a bulk-head seat I found the legroom to be rather reasonable aboard Qantas, and was able to stretch out (although not quite to the same extent as that old lady and her husband upstairs though). Comfy seats too, for economy (not that I'd know what I'm missing out on upstairs), and you get fed non-stop. I swear, every chance they had, the flight attendants came around and dished out drinks and snacks and ice-creams. And, of course, the famous Qantas hot chocolate which is so beautiful and rich and creamy and chocolatey that it is altogether just, simply, perfect.

Speaking of food, it all seemed pretty dang good. I was bracing myself for the worse, from what I've heard about airplane food, but instead I quite enjoyed the braised lamb with anchovy sauce. Anchovies, you cry? Whatever the sauce was, it was not fishy like the anchovies you pick off your pizzas, which was yet another thing to give praise for. At the rear of the aircraft there's a bar, where you may happily help yourself to drinks, muffins and cookies.

During the final stages of descent, I switched the in-flight entertainment screen to the sky-cam, which shows continuous live footage from a camera positioned in the plane's tail. Returning from an overseas trip, my Dad had once told me about this new thing on planes in recent years, and how scary it can be to actually see the plane trying to line up on the windy runway. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one views it), there must have been no such windy gusts in Singapore that particular evening. As we dropped lower and lower in altitude, I could see the lights of the runway on the screen, dead ahead, all the time. As we came to a nice smooth touchdown, the plane was straight as ever could be. I was officially overseas.

No doubt the excitement of my first international trip in almost ten years is partly the reason for why I enjoyed this flight so much. The only major drawback that I really remember now was a sore neck, apart from a little tiredness.

The staircase at the back of the A380, leading up to Premium economy and Business class:

Taking off from Melbourne, and somewhere in central-South Australia:

Wild at Heart

2012-01-10T14:56:00.000+11:00

The other day at work, a lady came up to the counter and showed me a book she had taken off the shelf and wasn't happy with. According to her, it was not appropriate for a Catholic bookshop to stock a book with such a cover as this, which promotes guns, violence, murder and death.

I smiled, and replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean." T'was left at that. Certainly I did understand where she was coming from... but I decided that perhaps it would be a good idea not to tell her that me and my Pa have been thinking about getting a gun license for a good while now, and for years we've been rather fond of archery and hunting. Or about that one time at school when the dress-up theme was 'Into the Wild' and, as I was going as a wild-man, my mother sewed a real hare skin onto the belt-loops of my shorts for me to wear. Or about when my Dad tried to shoot a rabbit sitting in a paddock, missed, threw a bent arrow at it and then the rabbit finally ran off after I tried to chuck a rock on its head. Or about that rotten kangaroo, or the fish who lived only to be shot with another arrow the next day.

So, it seems now that I am a terribly violent man? Not at all, as I hope to explain. And, by the way, I did grow up on Beatrix Potter's tales of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. But it is true that I see nothing wrong with the cover of this particular book. In my eyes, in fact, it is not promoting guns, violence and murder at all, but instead portrays the bond between a father and son, their love of adventure and enjoyment of the outdoors. Looks better than sitting on Facebook all day, you would surely have to agree?

Hunting only for the sake of killing is one thing, but hunting for food is another. If you ask me, it rather seems that the only point, if anything, of those huge hunting safaris was to prove the bravery and power of man over beast.

But there is something more in being able to hunt for the purpose of eating, rather than go for a short stroll down to the supermarket to buy your spaghetti mince there. The father and son in the photo look to be carrying their prize home for the pot. What's more, for any 'Greenies' out there, those pheasants were shot dead quick with a gun, and not 'holed' with a broad-tip arrow, in which case they could just as well have ended up bleeding to death.

Why is it that so many people love to grow their own fruit and vegetables? Homegrown plums and lettuces are commonly considered to be better than the ones we buy from Woolies, are they not? And what about collecting eggs from your own chickens? Many of us (at least, when we have the time in this turbo-charged fast-paced world) would prefer to pick and have more fun picking our own berries and making our own lemon cordial. As G.K. Chesterton once wrote, food is ultimately "a primary necessity that can only be got from the earth".

One of the reasons why many hunters love hunting is the 'reward' of being able to dish up a roast and say, "That was alive this morning. I didn't get it from the supermarket, it's totally fresh and I shot it myself. It's not full of steroids, it wasn't kept in a cage. It's tastier and fresher than the fresh food people!"

The author of this article thinks like me in this respect. And you will notice that he not only defends the hunter but also the hunted.

"...I also defend the hunted, since I don't want to waste one bit of their healthy and satisfying flesh, like the Lion who kills their prey just to consume the fat, leaving the lean protein for the vultures or to decay, unused. I don't like the idea of a cow living 3 years jammed in between hundreds of other cows, versus the elk I will slay this fall who has lived a long life in nature, raised offspring naturally and is fully prepared and designed to challenge me and even take me down if I screw up."

Do you actually know what goes on in abattoirs? Do you really know the process your supermarket-quality meat goes through, from the cage and pens to your plate?

On another note, this photo on the cover especially embraces masculinity. Or, in this day in age, ought I to say 'the stereotypical male'? The father is a role model for his son, who looks up to him in admiration. Hence the expression, one might say; like father, like son.

In his book, Wild at Heart, John Eldredge maintains the idea that "adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of a man." How true. We so often associate popular pastimes involving the great outdoors, like hunting and mountaineering and paddling all around in a big canoe, with men. (Although, I am not saying that women cannot enjoy such things as well!)

Hunting is not just blindly pointing a gun and killing. You have to get up close to take the right shot, be it with a bow or a shotgun. And that involves respecting the environment and tracking the animal, which requires human endurance and all five senses! As was stated in that article on the defense of hunting:

"It's what man was designed to do, and if you try it yourself this fall, you might find new uses for speed, stamina, sobriety, friendship and the ability to manipulate your hands in specific, engineered ways. Get away from your mouse and your monitor, your treadmills and stairmasters, your colon cleanses and barstools - and see what your body can do in nature."

CLICK HERE to read the famous Roger Scruton on animal rights and wrongs.

Almost every man, at some stage during his life, desires to go out and try something different, to seek adventure and to challenge himself. It is no wonder, therefore, that I long for the day when I can do my expedition around the Arctic, despite how wild and cold it may be up there, and despite how crazy it may seem.

A little long for a blog post, methinks? Well, it would not be right to finish without one more quote, a few more words from Eldredge. A man yearns for three major things. These

"...may be misplaced, forgotten, or misdirected, but in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue. I want you to think of the films men love, the things they do with their free time, and especially the aspirations of little boys and see if I am not right on this."

Roger la Grenouille - Part Deux

2011-12-29T21:52:00.000+11:00

(Click here to read part one, if you have not already done so)

With me feeling like the luckiest and richest man alive, after that little fling with the ATM, we set off at quite a pace for the Eiffel Tower, with myself explaining to Chris that, yes, we jolly well will go and try frogs' legs that night and celebrate our second and final night in Paris in style.

For years now, I had always said that as soon as I could get back to Paris I was a-gonna get me to the top of that great thing. We did a silly thing though. Thinking how good it would be to save €4, even after hitting the jackpot, we decided to do things the cheaper way and get a ticket to the second floor, at which point we'd buy a separate ticket to the top. But when we got there, the cupboard was bare... The second floor ticket office was closed until the crowds of tourists had disintegrated somewhat, because the queues to get to the top were so long. Heck, they stretched half way around the Tower!

Should we wait the hour out? But, it was already 9:30pm and we did so want to try frogs' legs, and, after all, we hadn't yet had dinner. Chris, who was staying longer in Europe and would be back in Paris within the next few days, said he would be happy to make the final push for the summit later, solo if need be. Thus, feeling slightly put out by the French determination not to queue like the Brits, we descended the however-many stairs and went hiking half-way across the city to find a restaurant called Roger la Grenouille, which the hotel receptionist had been so kind as to tell us about earlier that morning.

Well finally we did it, long after ten at night, having walked along what seemed like the entire River Seine for over an hour. But boy, it was worth it! We were ushered to a table at the front by an open window, as menus were placed in our tired hands. The service here was great, although they are a little slow on the drinks front. A warm, welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere with that yellowish sort of lighting, red table cloths and pictures of aimable frogs all around.

Not having to worry about money anymore (although not being ridiculously stupid with it at the same time, of course), we were able to enjoy our €30 meals, which included an entrée of deep-fried frogs' legs, served upon a white rectangular plate with a generous shot of tasty tartare sauce and a little refreshing towel like the sort they hand out on planes; a mains of poached chicken breast covered in a lemony sort of creamy sauce and soft, squishy vegies, rather like what Grandma makes which just melt in your mouth; topped off with s desert of three sorbets (raspberry, lemon and some green-coloured thing like kiwi or apple) and a layer of brandy-snap stuff, all sprinkled with icing sugar.

After placing the order, I began to ask the waiter what frogs' legs done in other way are like. You know, pan-fried for example, or this one here - pointing at the meny - in a creamy white sauce. Sounds like a totally daft question now, come to think of it, put like that, but it made sense then and there; you had to be there, if you know what I mean. The waiter started to explain, and then stopped mid-sentence and said in English, "Hold on, I'll see what I can do for you."

He came back five minutes later with a tiny plate, on which lay two freshly pan-fried frogs' legs, garnished with some nice saucy thing and a lettuce leaf. This he did not even charge to our bill!

Now, the big question. I can see some of you licking your chops and others are spewing up over there in the corner. But don't worry, because frogs' legs, I've decided, don't taste that bad. In fact, before you say anything, they are very nice indeed - oui, c'est vrai! - and taste rather like a light, delicate chicken. I would not hesitate to order them again. It's the escargots which I might hesitate over, but then I've never tried them and probably won't bother if there's a nice carbonara on the menu anyway....

Roger la Grenouille

2011-12-29T20:13:00.000+11:00

After several hours of beautiful French countryside, the train pulled up at Gare d'Austerlitz in the South-western part of Paris. I knew what I had to do, having studied the RATP metro map. I found the right platform and along came a train which I jumped on, only to discover two stations further down the line that it was going in the opposite direction. So I dragged my bag off, got lost underground (there aren't quite enough signposts in the French metro, it seems), found the other line and got back on another train. I then had to change metro lines, which, although easy enough, found me getting a little lost again.

But really, before I could say "Quelle horreur!" I was climbing the stairs of the Denfert-Rochereau station and out I popped to see the light of day once more. In front of me, across the street, rose the Hotel du Lion.

Ascending the flight of stairs up to the lobby, I said a cheery "Bonjour, madame!" to the receptionist sitting there, who was probably playing solitaire or space invaders or something over the internet with a Canadian. "J'ai une reservation ici pour Benjamin Cooper, pour deux nuits, s'il vous plaît. Er...parlez-vous anglais?" I added, knowing that my vocabulary was somewhat limited and she was already starting to babble a string of French, explaining something about the lift and the breakfast arrangements.

"Oui," she replied, in French. "Mais vous parlez le français très bien, donc nous allons continuer en français!"

"Er, d'accord." Then it suddenly dawned on me that she could also speak perfect English. But it's true you see, what people say about the French in the North. They'll continue speaking French to you, even if they know you would prefer English. It's good though, I suppose; practise makes perfect, one day...

After dumping my bag and examining every inch of the room, Chris, a friend of mine, arrived puffing up the stairs. We had both been travelling around Europe and had arranged to meet up in Paris for a few nights. We chatted about our adventures whilst standing on the balcony, somewhere south of the Jardins du Luxembourg, overlooking the night-time Parisian skyline. The Eiffel Tower with its flashy lights stood high and proud over to the right, and off to the left was an Aussie bar of all things. Cars and bicycles zipped by as the locals knocked off work and went home to their loved ones, and straight ahead we could just make out the Notre-Dame, sticking out from amongst the rooftops. It was no wonder they call this la ville des lumières! Talk about a room with a view!

We awoke the following morn with the Catacombs in mind for mission number one. I had been set on doing this ever since last year and, strange as it might seem, after seeing both the Roman and Maltese Catacombs, it seemed only obvious than the ones in Paris may as well be ticked off too. But, would you believe it, the queue to get in stretched right around the block! They only let in two hundred people at a time. Understandable I suppose, but we had to give that up and started walking North towards the river instead. Another Parisian truth discovered: You need at least a week to enjoy Paris.

Feeling slight peckish we ate some bargain-priced Chinese takeaway in the Luxembourg Gardens and then moved on. After browsing through several bookshops, we soon decided to navigate the metro once again and set off bound for the largest flew market in Paris, by Lonely Planet standards, in a suburb by the name of St. Ouen, which is even further out of town than the Sacré-Cœur. Although I wonder if anyone really knows exactly where the centre of Paris starts and finishes in the first place.

At first, it seemed that there is nothing but North Africans and Indians selling souvenirs, from the same rubbish you see in every other European city like Barcelona, Florence and Venice, to t-shirts and berets inscribed with 'Paris: Je t'aime!' It is not until you cross the road, however, and go deeper still into the very heart of the flea market, that you discover the permanent stalls through which Hergé himself may have well once window-shopped, hidden away behind all the other stuff. Here is a true flea market, where one may stumble upon who knows what: antiques, model ships, telescopes, shark teeth, bric-a-brac, old trench coats, fur hats, stamps, postcards, books, old suitcases, paintings and sketches....

The day wore on and we changed course, heading for the Eiffel Tower. Passing an ATM, I thought it would be a good idea to withdraw a little cash for my remaining three nights in Europe. I had been budgeting hard for the last two weeks, trying to squeeze out all the value one can get out of a single euro. What other tourist can say they've done Venice for a mere €4? However, I actually had no idea how much might be left in my account, and there was nothing left on my cash passport card. €50? €5? €150?

Beep, beep, ching, ching...out came €50. Well that worked, good. Let's try another €30...Beep, beep, ching, ching...out came €30. A mischievous grin smirked its way over my face as I tried for another €50. And I won the jackpot again! I was about to see if perhaps I could summon another €500, thinking it was indeed my lucky day, when my conscience got the better of me and I decided it would probably be best to have something in there upon my return home to Australia. How else does one pay V/line to take one to and from work; certainly not with Singapore dollars?

...Click Here to read part two...

Schoolboy Poetry

2011-12-13T22:42:00.000+11:00

The following piece below is my first ever poetry analysis, in its entirety, which I wrote way back at the beginning of my third year in high school, on 'Banjo' Paterson's A Change of Menu. It's great to be able to look back over one's old school work, and see how far one has come and the skills one has developed. So often, at the end of each year, we toss piles and piles of paperwork from school or university. However, I shall take the liberty at this moment to suggest that you think twice and hold on to some of those old assignments, to look back on someday. By no means am I suggesting that you become a Bowerbird and hoard everything within sight. At least two or three of your favourites, whatever the mark they received. It can be quite fascinating and rather amusing actually; did I really write that, I wonder now? Well yes, I did. And here it is... But first the poem itself, or you'll have no idea what this analysis is about in the first place, if one can really call it such.

Now the new chum loaded his three-nought-three,
It's a small-gun, but his hopes were big.
"I am fed to the teeth with old ewe," said he,
"And I might be able to shoot a pig."
And he trusted more to his nose than ear
To give him warning when pigs were near.
Out of his lair in lignum dark,
Where the wild duck nests and the bilby digs,
With a whoof and a snort and a kind of bark
There rose the father of all the pigs:
And a tiger would have walked wide of him
As he stropped his tusks on a leaning limb.

Then the new chum's three-nought-three gave tongue
Like a popgun fired in an opera bouffe:
But a pig that was old when the world was young
Is near as possible bullet-proof.
(The more you shoot him the less he dies,
Unless you catch him between the eyes).

So the new chum saw it was up to him
To become extinct if he stopped to shoot;
So he made a leap for a gidgee limb
While the tusker narrowly missed his boot.
Then he found a fork, where he swayed in air
As he gripped the boughs like a native bear.

The pig sat silent and gaunt and grim
To wait and wait till his foe should fall:
For night and day were same to him,
And home was any old place at all.
"I must wait," said he, "till this sportsman drops;
I could use his boots for a pair of strops."

The crows that watch from the distant blue
Came down to see what it all might mean;
An eaglehawk and a cockatoo
Bestowed their patronage on the scene.
Till a far-off boundary rider said
"I must have a look - there is something dead."

Now the new chum sits at his Christmas fare
Of a dried-up chop from a tough old ewe.
Says he, "It's better than native bear
And nearly as tender as kangaroo.
An emu's egg I can masticate,
But pork," says he, "is the thing I hate."

A Change of Menu is an interesting poem, written in the year 1933; telling a tale about a "new chum" who is tired and fed up with eating old ewe. He thinks that he might be able to shoot a pig. So out he went and came across a pig which he tries to shoot with his "three-nought-three", but instead the pig goes for him, and he jumps up a tree. Later on, while he is sitting at his Christmas dinner, eating what he first ate, he says he hates pork. Paterson probably wanted to either tell a fictional tale about a man trying to shoot a crazy pig or tell a true story about something along those lines that happened to him or someone he knew. Maybe he even owned a pig like that in the poem - old, mean and aggressive. Paterson may have wanted to try and bring out a moral in this poem - be happy with what you already have in life.

The poem is written in a steady but flowing rhythm; one can read it in an up and down like sing-song voice. In the first line (from verse 2 and onwards), the last word rhymes with the last word in the third line. The last word in the second line rhymes with that of the fourth line. Furthermore, the last word in the last two lines in the verses rhyme together. (A good example of this is in verse two; also the last two lines of every verse have lots of rhythm). The poem is one story, and each verse is like a new chapter, joining together smoothly. The first verse in the poem is somewhat like an introduction, and is longer than the other verses. the other verses are smaller, and have only six lines each.

The language in Paterson's poem is poetically worded, and sometimes you can pick out the 'older' English. It has a touch of an 'amusing-chuckle'-like humour in it. I think the poet has achieved what he had hoped and aimed for when writing this poem. It is a vivid poem with such very good descriptions and 'story telling' in it, allowing the reader to make a 'frame-by-frame' film in their head of what is happening. There is an interesting simile in the second verse, describing the sound of the man's "three-nought-three". "Then the new chum's three-nought-three gave tongue like a popgun fired in an opera bouffe."

'Gozah'

2011-11-18T23:47:00.000+11:00

After a pleasant sea voyage across to Gozo from Malta, we took the bus up to Rabat; or, probably because of both British influence and the fact that there’s already a Rabat in Malta: Victoria. (I wonder who started it first?) The warm sun was just setting, like a piece of pirate gold low in the sky, casting a beautiful yellowish glare all around. Few tourists venture over, so Gozo is much quieter than Malta and was very pretty in the light of such a sunset. Marvelous view from the castle walls by the Cathedral, and because the island is so small you can see the sea stretching around the whole island.

Tintin: There and Back Again

2011-10-28T19:26:00.000+11:00

We've known for a while now that Tolkien's beloved tale is currently being filmed in New Zealand as I type. (Well, no - it's dinner time so they would have knocked off for the day) However, Jackson had recently announced that the film - part one of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - will be premiered sometime near the end of November next year in Wellington, New Zealand. This was the same place where the premiere for The Return of the King took place, and Jackson's now-famous Weta Workshop is situated down there too. The Hobbit will then officially be released on December 14th; in New Zealand and Australia at least. Folks in the USA will more than likely have a while longer to wait. Oh, those timezones!

CLICK HERE for full details.

Peter Jackson is also one of the two 'head honchos' for the new Tintin film (along with Steven Spielberg), which will be released, in the land down under, on Boxing Day. What a great way to beat that post-Christmas anti-climax, when the rest of the family decides that the house must remain in extreme silence for a long afternoon of siestas. I was in Europe not one month ago, so it seems rather a shame that I only just missed the Tintin premiere in Brussels, Belgium. However, now I am beginning to think about a trip to New Zealand late next year....

For those like me who were also not present at the premiere, then CLICK HERE to see a video with all the highlights!

Having only seen the trailer, I noticed that the film is based on several of the original books. The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure are plainly obvious, but the meeting for the first time between Tintin and Captain Haddock, as well as a number of other scenes, although noticeably reconstructed for the big screen, are taken out of The Crab With the Golden Claws. For those of you who have read the books, you will remember that Tintin first starred by himself without the Captain for some time.

Certain liberties have been taken, as with all films based on books. However, judging by the trailer alone, I have to say that they have done remarkably well. I had at first thought that an animation would not be very good compared to the superb French adaptions way back in the early 1960s; which, in my opinion, are far, far better than any of the cartoons. The same technique has been used as with Jackson's Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. The result is one highly detailed and almost life-like animation thanks to both that amazing technology and a cast of some brilliant actors (Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, is now Haddock for example). It seems to go beyond that, even, of both the beloved Disney cartoons of the 1980s and 1990s, like The Lion King, and those Pixar things like Finding Nemo. Having said that, Ratatouille was great.

Tintin II, the sequel to what we shall no doubt enjoy on that day after Christmas, has already been talked about. No. I lie. It is, in fact, now official and, according to one French source, will be released sometime soon after The Hobbit. My guess will be mid to late 2013. With Anthony Horowitz of all people to punch out the keyboard for the screenplay, it will be based on the Incan adventures of both The Seven Crystal Balls and The Prisoners of the Sun.

And the third Tintin film?

"We haven't yet talked about it," says Steven Spielberg. Rumours have it, however, from perhaps nothing much more than the knowledge of Jackson's favourites, that the third film could be based on The Black Island or The Calculus Affair. Or maybe a combination? We shall see. Hence the expression; "Only time will tell".

EuroTour 2011

2011-10-24T16:37:00.000+11:00

I wasn't over there in Europe to film a documentary. I did, however, take some videos from time to time and upon my return decided to edit them and create this little film. If indeed one could really call it a film. It all seems highly amateur, and is in fact only my second project with Apple's iMovie (which, I should add, is far better and easier to use than Windows Movie Maker). I am by no means a pro when it comes to filming, especially on a mobile phone.

This is actually a 'downsized' version, as the HD version would have taken far too long to upload had I done so. As it was, I had already finished the vacuuming long before it had finally completed it's run through cyberspace.

180 - The Movie

2011-10-12T12:46:00.000+11:00

It's extraordinary to believe that there are people out there who have never heard of Adolf Hitler, and who don't even recognise his picture when they see it. As the Professor in C.S. Lewis' beloved tale once said; "Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools?"

IT Support in Medieval days

2011-10-09T19:16:00.000+11:00

Visiting Auschwitz

2011-10-07T15:37:00.000+11:00

Poland; a beautiful country that has been through hell and back. If you ever get the chance, it is well worth the visit and the language barrier is not so hard as it may seem. Trying to learn a few basic words and phrases in Polish can actually be a bit of fun. Paris, Rome and London are not bad, of course, but it's always good to get out further afield and explore the other parts of Europe. And in Poland, one might say, a deep magic lies within, making you want to return.

On that rather poetic note, life is not always all fun and games, and the famous Nazi death camp in Auschwitz is a big reminder of the horrors faced by many during the last war. Still today, one can wander around what remains of both Auschwitz I and the larger Auschwitz II-Birkenau. In fact, the old soldiers' barracks and prisoners' huts still remain where they first stood in Auschwitz I. However, these are now surrounded by pleasant green lawns and birch trees, with wonderful Christmas tree-like pines outside the camp. It brings to my mind the words from that song in the beloved film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which describe roses growing up out of the ashes. Has humanity learnt from those dreadful times? Sometimes it seems we have, other times it seems we have not. But I am writing no argument here just now, so let's continue.

One can see all sorts of personal items which once belonged to the prisoners. Identity cards, shoes, a huge pile of glasses (and remember, not everyone wears glasses), shaving equipment, piles of suitcases, combs, toys, prayer shawls and so on. Perhaps the most moving was the human hair, in a mound the size of our lounge room. It made you stop and think: "Those hairs were once part of living, breathing, talking people just like you and me. Then they were gassed and slaughtered. Murdered, in fact! People my own age."

Upon the walls of one corridor were the criminal-like mugshots of numerous prisoners. Never before have I seen such terror in the eyes of a person. Sure, they are mugshots. But the eyes are what gives it away; scared, half-mad, saddened, bitter faces. Faces with no hope whatsoever that they looked empty. Already void of life, of love, of everything. Would they survive or would they die? Most of them died, and they obviously knew it.

But one would walk back outside into the open air again, and be standing beside those green birch trees, wondering how it's physically possible to loose one's tour guide so many times in one day. Gravel crunches underfoot as one storms off in an attempt to catch up to that little waving flag, just as it disappears around the next corner, the rest of the group trailing behind like a worm. Sure, I am struck by those evils and atrocities that went on in this place, all those years ago. But, perhaps not as fully as one who has actually been through the horrors of war, with it's blood and tears and murder. Neither have I experienced starvation, torture and death like those who experienced it here. It's impossible to picture it, and almost impossible to believe that it could have ever occurred.

It was not until we filed into the gas chambers themselves that it became easier to imagine. Not that one really wants to imagine such things, but you know what I mean. The final scene from that other great film, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, came to mind as I looked up and saw the holes in the roof where the Nazis poured in the Cyclone B or whatever it was; the struggling naked bodies as the gas starts its work; and then as we continue to walk through the place and back out in the sunshine, the last short of the gas-chamber door, shut tight to the silence, as the camera slowly pans back and the picture gradually dissolves into inky blackness.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau was the larger of the two, the one which is always in all the picture and movies and documentaries. There wasn't quite as much intact as in the previous camp we'd seen that day, but still there were the old railway lines leading right into the heart of the camp, an old carriage which would once have been jammed with prisoners, wire fences, prisoners' huts and rickety old guard towers. What I found to be incredibly striking, however, was the sheer size of the place! It stretched, in all directions, as far as the eye could see. I've always known that this was one of the largest extermination camps, but I had never expected it to be this big. The MCG would be like a putting-green in comparison. It was obvious, then, that this had been no mere 'gas-a-few-jews-experiment'. This was organised mass genocide, cold-blooded murder, on a scale so tremendous it was intended to wipe out a whole population. No wonder they call it the Holocaust.

Perhaps, what is even harder to come to terms with, is that Stalin was much worse.

Xperia Arc Food Photography

2011-10-06T15:01:00.000+11:00

Maybe I'm getting a little carried away with these Xperia Arc photos, but I just wanted to post these for any of you food lovers out there. After all, what better food is there than the stuff you get in Europe?

Xperia Arc Travel Photography

2011-10-06T00:20:00.000+11:00

It seems that the same question is on many a person's mind, much like myself several months ago: How good exactly is the camera on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc mobile phone? Is it really as good as they say it is?

I searched and trawled the internet to find comparisons and reviews, and felt that the built-in camera was probably decent enough to use overseas in Europe for two months. That way, there was no need to have a phone and a phone charger, a camera and a camera charger, an ipod and an ipod charger and about three convertible wall plugs. Instead, I could just have the phone and it's charger with one little convertor plug which could both slip neatly down into a gap in my hand luggage. Sweet...although I did go over what I was at first intending to pay for a new phone.

But phone-camera reviews are like a science experiment. You can't just have someone tell you what happened, whether it was successful or not. You need some results. Or evidence, without which John Smith cannot be trialled. Hence the expression - "Seeing is believing" - or so they say.

I thought, therefore, for the benefit of others thrashing around out there in the same boat, to give you a few more examples and show off this camera. I have already posted the first three photos I ever took with this thing and gave a short review some months back. But the following are a few more so that you can really make your own mind up. Without all the fancy techno-jargon which makes sense to only a few; without having any sort of attachment to Sony; without spicing them up in Photoshop. What you see is what I got, after a click of the button. Albeit, some photos took a few tries (oh, for a manual focus) but it should be said that, for a mobile phone, this is one pretty darn good little camera and I will forever remember my two month-long stint around Europe with seventeen flights, fifteen trains, numerous buses and three cable cars.

Nothing beats a good old normal digital camera, like the sort you can buy in the Duty Free or Dick Smiths. But for something small which fits nicely into your pocket and doesn't make you look too much like a tourist, and for when you're not on a mission for National Geographic, it's great. Sony gets a pat on the back from me. If you're going to put a camera into a phone, then you may as well make it useful instead of that 2MP or even 5MP rubbish. One last thing - it actually does beat the iPhone. There, I said it. Go figure....

Flaps Away!

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000+11:00

The 'Big Bird' Airbus A380 is now old news it seems, after the very first delivery of one Boeing 787 Dreamliner (nice name) to ANA Japanese Airlines. Seats for the inaugural flight on October 26, from Narita Airport in Japan to Honkers, were offered up for sale on Ebay in a charity auction, two of which were sold for over $32,000!

Boeing claims that much design-research has gone into this plane's making, ensuring that passengers will be able to relax and have a more comfortable flight compared to the other jetliners of today currently in flight. It's spacious, lighter, allows more oxygen into the cabin, has larger overhead lockers and windows and soft LED lighting which can simulate both daylight and night time. I even read something about "hands-free toilets", but whatever that is I have no idea. Maybe you don't even have to worry about your aim? If that's the case - wow! - these modern inventions never cease to amaze me! According to Boeing's Director of Differentiation Strategy (quite a mouthful, that), these features all help to "improve harmony inside the cabin."

Boasting innovative technology means that it's greener too, for all you Global Warmies out there: the sleek wing design and some smart 'smoother-ride-technology' to combat turbulence are just two factors which help to decrease fuel consumption by up to twenty percent.

CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of some photos.

Boeing's rival, Airbus, is creating their own rival: the Airbus A350. While this plane looks sleek and cool as well, and has similar features to the Dreamliner, have you noticed that there's also not many pictures of economy? Obviously the majority of the masses can afford fancy-class these days....

The above is part of the banner on the Airbus A350 website, and if you look carefully, you can just manage to see some cattle-class seating. Looks to me fairly ordinary. If you want what's on most of the pictures (ie. the nicer seats in front), you've gotta pay for it! Reminds me of the Pensione Hotel in Sydney, but that's another story.

The Airbus A350 is only just being built, with the successful assembly of the first forward fuselage completed recently in Germany. According to compositesworld.com, the nose will soon be transported to the Hamburg site for systems installation. Other pieces of the A350 will come together, and the whole thing, I assume, will be completed in France. In fact, I flew to Toulouse a few weeks ago (Airbus' main HQ), and upon landing saw numerous Airbus planes which had no doubt just been finished off with a lick of paint and were ready to go to their hubs. Tiger Airways and JetStar planes were amongst the crowd.

World Youth Day: Madrid 2011

2011-07-22T20:11:00.001+10:00

World Youth Day is less than thirty days away, at the time of writing (or, rather, typing!) The celebrations last almost a week, beginning on Monday, August 15th, and coming to an enormous finale on the following Sunday, at the final mass.

"World Youth Day... Those few words alone bring up vivid memories of my first World Youth Day which I attended back in Sydney in 2008. Thousands of young people, many around my own age, coming together and having fun, building up their faith, learning about God and experiencing the wonderful culture of Australia. In fact, this was by far one of the biggest crowds I had ever been in and yet one of the first things that struck me about this event was how happy and friendly everyone was. There was no need to feel unsafe at all, and perhaps this just goes to show the spirit of the Catholic faith. Some claim that Christianity is 'dying out' amongst the young generation but an event like World Youth Day suggests the opposite, especially since Madrid's is expected to be at least four times the size of Sydney's."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this little article, which I wrote for the Canadian TV station, Salt and Light TV.

Sherlock Holmes II

2011-07-15T23:01:00.000+10:00

As you may well have realised, I'm jolly well looking forward to the sequel of the Robert Downey Jnr. adaption of Sherlock Holmes, due out by the end of this year. The trailer has finally been released, due to be shown amongst all the other ads which will precede the new, and final, Harry Potter film screenings in cinemas. Entitled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, it is already in the stages of post-production, according to IMDB.com. Not long to wait now....

A blog has been set up, with further details on the film. CLICK HERE to have a look. Or CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website.

Of course, as I mentioned in an early post here, Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was, is and will continue to be the best. However, Robert Downey's character is still fairly accurate to Conan Doyle's original tales, and for that I praise the film. For both an insight into, and a wonderful description of the original Sherlock Holmes and a number of other characters, including Dr. John Watson and Inspector Lestrade, you would do well to read A Study in Scarlet. This was the first case to be published over one hundred years ago, the first time readers were introduced to this remarkable man. I doubt there has ever been a finer detective who walked the streets of London. Perhaps it is a pity that he is only a fictional character...or was that meant to be kept secret?

Xperia Arc Photography Samples

2011-07-15T15:56:00.000+10:00

Last week, having done much research into the matter, I went over to 'that' side and bought my first ever smartphone; a Sony Ericcson Xperia Arc. I'll be taking it overseas, so for once the camera quality was a major factor when it came to choosing a new mobile phone. For others also pondering about such things, here are the first three photos I took with the Xperia Arc, to give you an idea of the quality. (Apparently, the Xperia Arc beats the iPhone when it comes to taking photos...and just so you know, I am an Apple-person) Click on each of the thumbnails to view them in full size.

I have to say, I am extremely happy with it, and am pleased to see that it should serve me well throughout my upcoming travels around Europe. (9 countries, 17 flights, more than 3 travel agents, 2 months...but that will make another story) None of the these three photos have been modified in any way, and were all taken with normal, default settings.

For those into the 'specs', well you can click on the full name of the phone above, which, after a jump through cyberspace, will land you on a page showing the full details. However, I will mention the camera's elements:

* 8.1 megawatt camera

* Records video in 720p HD

* up to 3264 x 2448 pixels

* LED Flash

* Autofocus

* No secondary camera for video-calls, but then I don't need that anyway, so who cares.

* Features include a touch focus, image stabilisation, geo-tagging, face and smile detection.

* Has a Sony Exmor R™ sensor thing, enabling you to take wonderful shots, even in low light.

Of course, I haven't a clue what half of that means, but there you go - the photos above show that phone-cameras can actually be comparable to your regular digital cameras.

George Smiley Returns

2011-07-03T15:14:00.000+10:00

George Smiley...he's a spy, he's British, he's famous in literary circles and now he returns once again to the big screen. I was just on IMDB and stumbled across the trailer for the new film adaption of John le Carré's brillant novel; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Here is yet another worthwhile film looking forward to, which is due to be released in Australian cinemas by late October. And it's got a band of stars, including Gary Oldman (George Smiley), Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Colin Firth.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of John le Carré, the man who wrote this amazing tale about a Russian mole in the British Intelligence, or, as it is known in Le Carré's novels, the Circus. Le Carré himself was once a spy, but now, according to his website, he lives on a Cornish cliff and hates cities. He writes and walks and swims and drinks.

For a most insightful look into George Smiley, the main character of a number of John le Carré's novels, this BBC radio commercial sums it up beautifully, narrated by Le Carré himself:

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy was not the first novel involving George Smiley. It makes up a trilogy, with part two being The Honourable Schoolboy, and part three is Smiley's People. Le Carrés novels contain numerous subplots, and are far from superficial. In this way, many consider them hard to read. But if you keep at it, they are rewarding in their own way.

A Most Wanted Man, a more recent Le Carré novel, is set to be made as well. According to IMDB, it will be due out next year, in 2012. CLICK HERE for more details, as IMDB does not seem to have much at the moment.

La Cathédrale de Reims

2011-06-10T21:59:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I opened the mailbox outside, braving the icy cold as Melbourne gradually becomes enveloped in the winter season, and discovered a beautiful cover addressed to me, all the way from Lyon, France. Many thanks to Eric Contesse, who is no doubt beginning to shed layers, getting ready for the warm summer, as we down under put on extra layers and crank up the heater!

The miniature sheet commemorates the 800th anniversary of Reims Cathedral, which is situated in the North-east of France. According to the BBC, it is one of France's most recognisable features. CLICK HERE for further details.

It just got me thinking, how young Australia is, especially in comparison to the history of Europe. Of course, some historians argue that the Aboriginals have a history as much as the Europeans do, but you know what I mean. There aren't any cathedrals here, down under, close on eight hundred years old. In fact, I believe that the oldest cathedral in Australia is St. Andrew's Anglican in Sydney, which was founded in 1819 and was consecrated in 1868 - so not much more than 150 years old! Still, I must say, it is certainly older than me! Whereas the 800th anniversary of Reims Cathedral was celebrated on May 6, the date thought to be that on which the first stone was set in place back in 1211. And this is, in fact, the second cathedral which stands in that place; for the last one was destroyed by fire.

All this talk about history brings to mind the words of Winston Churchill:

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days."

It seems, no doubt, that Churchill had a gift for words, as did E.H. Gombrich, who wrote the now-famous work A Little History of the World. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, or anyone who is just looking for some worthwhile holiday reading. In a relaxed, yet deeply captivating style, Gombrich attempts to recount the world's history, from the dawn of time to the twentieth century. For once, here is an historical account which is neither too dull nor too dense and is not simply filled with the ends of names and dates or academic arguments of a post-post-graduate level. Gombrich's A Little History of the World, in short, is immensely enjoyable.

If you can wait a while longer, there is a new, illustrated, hardcover edition coming out later this year in September. CLICK HERE for more info.

Le Rêve

2011-05-05T16:53:00.000+10:00

Ce n'est pas vendredi
aujourd'hui, c'est mercredi.
Ce ne sont pas les vacances
aujourd'hui, mais je danse!

Mon cœur, en fait, mon cœur
ne pense pas à du pain ou du beurre.
Il ne pense pas aux examens,
il n'y a pas de papillons dans mon abdomen.

En Europe j'irai, dans trois mois
un grand voyage de deux mois.
Ouvrez alors le champagne
parce que je vais en Espagne

En Pologne, en Italie, en France et en Angleterre.
Je vais visiter à Barcelone au bord de la mer,
peut-être mangerai des escargots à Paris,
et vais voir le Pape à Madrid aussi.

Est ce-que tu me comprends,
la sensation simple que je ressens?
Ce ne sont pas encore les vacances
aujourd'hui, mais je danse!

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow

2011-04-05T13:29:00.001+10:00

It's not everyday that one reads a delightful book. But 'delightful' is certainly a good way to describe A.J. Mackinnon's adventurous tale The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow. For indeed, after months of having only read dense and dull academic writing, essays and somewhat tiresome weekly University readings, Mackinnon's novel came to me as a delightful refreshment. He, along with his beloved Mirror dinghy (and pith helmet), took me away on a pleasant journey, as the blurb on the back of the books reads,

"...from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea - 4,900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars, or at the end of a tow-rope - through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures, including an encounter with Balkan pirates."

It is a journey filled with adventure, courage, warm humer and classy wit, interesting people, optimistic spirits no matter how foul the weather might be, and, of course, both the stunning scenery and colourful cultures of England and Europe.

There are a few times where Mackinnon seems to ramble a bit, especially during his stay in the hospital. At the same time, however, his writing style, rather like that of C.S. Lewis in my opinion, generally provides for a pleasant and easy read, and very much worthwhile at that. I enjoy the constant remarks and connections he makes with various characters and works of literature - particularly as he refers only to 'good' literature and not common trash - much of which I have also read and have come to love. Most notably, Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons novels, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Psalm 23 and the Narnia Chronicles, just to name a few.

My Grandfather has a remarkable talent for picking out bargains in op-shops and secondhand stores, and also for finding wonderful books amongst not-quite-so-wonderful-books in bookshops. It is thanks to him that I have been able to enjoy this charming tale, which I received as a Christmas present. Sitting there, surrounded by other happy relatives also opening their presents, filled with the joyful spirit of the festive season, I studied the cover of the book and it struck me how much it reminded me of the children's books of Arthur Ransome, an author much loved in our family. Upon reading the blurb and the snippets of reviews on the back, and after having had a good flick through, I came to the conclusion that "it looks jolly good and rather interesting." My Grandparents gave it to me on the condition that I let them borrow it to have a read as well, once I'd read it. I can honestly say that I am sure they will enjoy it as much as I have, and it would suit them brilliantly.

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow is not only a nice story, written by an author who is clearly gifted in that area. I would highly recommend it to anyone keen to travel or who is travelling to and around Europe, whether or not you intend to row the Danube, or simply to fly from Paris to Belgrave or sip a pint in an English pub. If you are a solo traveller, especially if you're about to embark on a solo voyage like myself in the coming months, this book is also for you. While it may not seem to be as comprehensive a guide as Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring, it certainly will be worth bringing along, if only to while away that wait in the airport terminal. Having said that, Mackinnon here perfects the art of slow travel. It might take him more than 24 hours, be he still gets from the Borders of North Wales to the Black Sea without taking a single plane, and all by boat. Perhaps this is what makes it all the more enjoyable. We often forget that slow travel is, in fact, the better and more rewarding way to go about one's holiday, or, in this case, long-service leave. Boat lovers, therefore, will also enjoy this charming novel.

Looking back on what I have just written, it seems my review, laced with a few too many 'delightful' adjectives, does little except praise the book. Readers of this, but who have never read of Jack de Crow, are probably still in the dark as to what Mackinnon's tale actually involves. Well, simply CLICK HERE to read a more in-depth review, most likely of much better quality than the one you have just read.

Another good place is HERE which explains the "Mirror Odyssey".

Even better, CLICK HERE to watch a video with the actual author, as he recalls his adventures.

Golden Oldies

2011-03-25T16:03:00.001+11:00

Two elderly couples were walking along, wives at the front and the husbands at the back.

Says Sam to Herb, "Gee, we went to a new restaurant last night and had the best meal ever. Good prices too."

"Well, we like to eat out from time to time too," replied Herb. "What was the name of the restaurant?"

A pause, as Herb thinks. "You're going to have to help me out here a little. What's the name of that pretty flower, smells sweet, grows on a thorny bush?"

"How about Rose?" Sam says.

"Yes, yes, that's it!" cries Herb, and then he calls ahead to his wife. "Rose, Hey Rose. What was the name of the restaurant we ate at last night?"

The Hobbit Underway!

2011-03-24T10:05:00.000+11:00

Filming has finally begun on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved tale, The Hobbit. See here for more information:

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/03/23/42921-scan-of-dominion-post-hobbit-feature/

The Way to Travel

2011-01-25T14:19:00.000+11:00

"Have you ever travelled on one of these before?" asked the lady sitting next to me on my recent flight aboard Qantas CityFlyer 2066, from Adelaide (ADL) to Melbourne (MEL).

"No, this is my first time," I replied.

"Well they're certainly a bit different."

And she was right; that plane really was quite different. The reason being it was a De Havilland Dash-8. I have to say, having now been on one, they are the way to travel if you cannot take a helicopter. Dare I say, just as fun. The Dash-8 almost makes the more regular Airbus A320s and the Boeing 737s seem rather boring in comparison.

I never knew Qantas (let alone Qantas CityFlyer) flew such small planes on such a busy route until the day I booked my flights. To my pleasant surprise, while looking to see if I would be fed a full lunch or just a small snack, I discovered that this flight was scheduled to be on the Dash-8. All thoughts of getting a good feed for the same price disappeared out of my head, and I immediately thought how fun it might be to try out a new type of plane, especially one much smaller than the Boeing 737 on which my flight to Adelaide was to be (especially evident by the 2-2 seating arrangements) and the fact that it was a turbo-prop sort of thing.

Since it was such a small plane, I was at first worried that there would not be much leg room but, in fact, I was extremely comfortable. There was no entertainment box or any other such thing under the seat in front of me (or maybe there was and it was something to do with the design of the plane) but I was even able to stretch my feet out under the seat in front of me. I can't do this with Tiger Airways, due to their cramped seating arrangements and my 6"3 figure. In fact, on Tiger, there isn't even any space between my knees and the seat infront.

There was little to no cloud cover the whole way over, which meant that when not eating, my eyes were fixed to the view outside. With the recent heavy rains in Australia, the paddocks were not as dry as usual and were very damp, most with some extras dams here and there. One whole town was completely flooded, amidst a massive body of water. Obviously, it is not only Queensland that has been affected.

Another pleasant surprise was the food. Being a Qantas flight, I was sure that they would serve something, but was expecting something more along the lines of a somewhat stale biscuit and tea for a "light refreshment". Instead, like an excited 6-year old awaiting a birthday present, or a middle-aged businessman awaiting his next pay check, I waited eagerly for the flight attendant to place the small lunchbox on my tray table. For I had seen people in front of me opening up theirs; inside was not merely one biscuit, but a packet of two nice ginger biscuits (the sort that taste like Grandma's recipe), cheese and crackers, water, an apple and something else too, I seem to have forgotten what. On top of that, there was a selection of complimentary drinks, either tea or coffee, juice, more water, softdrink and so on. All followed up by literally as many 'after-snack' mints as we wanted. Some flyers might have been concerned about the lack of alcohol, especially after the only problem - a three hour delay sitting on our backsides in the terminal - but I wasn't worried. Even though it wasn't exactly much come to think of it now, it was certainly more than I had expected food-wise.

Ah yes, the delay. Funnily enough, the last three times flying to Adelaide, three out of three of my return trips have been delayed. With Tiger Airways, an almost three hour-delay, causing me to touch down in MEL close to 7pm in the evening, instead of the 4pm scheduled time. With JetStar, a mere twenty minutes due to heavy thunderstorms in the area. And with this Qantas flight, instead of departing at 10:50am we did not take off from the runway until just after 1pm. However, despite these annoyances, they have occurred when I've been in a rather happy mood and could not have cared much less. I'm sure the airlines are thankful for that, unlike some other fellow flyers onboard....

On that somewhat sad note, I return once more to a merrier note; the Dash-8. What really makes it spectacular, and the main reason why I like it so much, is the fact that the engines, propellers, wing-flaps and landing gear are all right outside your window. With any other more 'regular' plane, you can see the wing-flaps working. But on a Dash-8 you can see the whole lot in working order. I somewhat regret now not taking a photo, but I figured that I ought to abide by the rules of the flight attendant and not switch on my mobile phone, and anyway, I do not intend that to be my last journey on such a plane.

I saw the landing gear pull up and disappear as we took off over Glenelg, and as we came down again over Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs, they then reappeared, giving me a full view of the wheels touching the runway, complete with the puff of smoke from the rubber, as we landed. Admittedly, I could not quite see the propellers because I was at the very back of the plane, but perhaps next time I'll sit a little further forward to see them as well....

CLICK HERE to see stats for the Qantas Dash-8, including seat maps.

Surprised by Joy

2011-01-23T19:55:00.000+11:00

Sherlock Holmes II - The Sequel

2010-12-13T14:29:00.001+11:00

While a few photos known as "spy-pictures" have somehow found themselves on the internet, the above is the first official still released just recently by Warner Bros. The filming for the new Sherlock Holmes sequel, due out in cinemas sometime around December 16 next year, is obviously well underway despite the fact that the official title is still not yet known.

The plot line also remains rather undercover at the moment, but it seems that Professor Moriarty's presence will be somewhat more predominant than in the first film from late last year, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as the famous detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson. Both actors will of course play the two major roles again in the upcoming sequel, with Guy Ritchie as the director, but there will be some new faces: Stephen Fry is to be Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft Holmes; rumour has it that Jared Harris will play Professor Moriarty; and Noomi Rapace as an as-yet unspecified role, but it seems her character will certainly not be unimportant, whoever she will be.

Going by the picture above, which depicts a rather battered and bruised Holmes and Watson, there will just as much action and excitement in the sequel as there was in Ritchie's earlier film, Sherlock Holmes. Interestingly, the woman on the left (Noomi Rapace) looks like she was probably having a bath not ten minutes before the photo was taken, unlike Holmes and Watson who have do doubt been running around the slums of London chasing their arch enemy for the last few days, without food or sleep.

Photos From the Garden

2010-11-03T17:09:00.000+11:00

As mentioned before in a previous post, I sometimes enjoy taking close up photos of plants and insects. It seems that, in order to get the best results, when taking photos of such things as flowers, a damp overcast day (yet still quite light) is a great time to take the shot. And today was just that sort of a day:

The Hobbit Has Been Confirmed!

2010-10-18T15:49:00.000+11:00

It's official; J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved novel The Hobbit is now officially going to be made into a film, with Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) set to direct it. Thousands around the world have been waiting for this for years, and finally the ball is actually moving after much delay.

From the Herald Sun, Sunday, October 17 2010:

The shooting of the two films based on The Hobbit will begin in February, with Sir Peter Jackson in the director's chair after financing was secured for the film. But the location of Middle-Earth remains a mystery.

Yesterday's announcement by New Line Cinema and its parent company Warner Bros came almost three years after Sir Peter and New Line reached an agreement over the movie - but it did not reveal whether the adaption of the JRR Tolkien novel would be shot in New Zealand.

A spokesperson for New Line Cinema said there had been no decision yet on where the movies, expected to cost about $500 million, would be filmed.

And about time too, in my opinion. The Hobbit is, in some ways, one could say, the prologue for The Lord of the Rings. I almost wish that they had filmed it first, and then followed suit with the Trilogy. We still have long to wait, however, as the first film of The Hobbit, at this stage, is not due out in cinemas until December 2012.

C'est officiel, après beaucoup d'années; finalement le roman célèbre de J.R.R. Tolkien, s'appelle L'Hobbit, et qui explique comment Bilbo Baggins a trouvé l'Anneau de puissance, sera fait pour les grands écrans. Il va sortir dans les cinémas autour le monde à la fin de 2012.

Just Some of my Travelling

2010-10-06T11:38:00.001+11:00

Adelaide, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Strahan, Australia

Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Australia

Mole Creek, Australia

Lorne, Australia

Daylesford, Australia

Mount Hotham, Australia

Aviemore, UK

Borrowdale, UK

Durham, UK

Leuven, Belgium

Pisa, Italy

Chamonix, France

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Find holiday rentals at TripAdvisor

Le Grand Monde de Moi

2010-09-10T14:11:00.000+10:00

At least 17 people have been killed in a suicide car bombing in a South-western Russian city, Vladikavkaz, which is situated in the republic of North Ossetia. The explosion, which has been said to be caused by a device equivalent to almost 40kg of high explosive, occurred in the central market, just after 11am local time on Thursday.

Three suspects have been detained by police and investigators of the affair have said that the car involved in the bombing had number plates from a near-by Muslim region, Ingushetia, whic, along with Chechnya and Dagestan, have been the place of many bombings and shootings in recent years. According to The Times, these Islamist militants are fighting to establish a "Caucases Emirate" across the region based on Sharia.

Today an emergencies ministry's plane, carrying injured people from the attack, landed in Moscow. According to the ministry's medic, Alexei Salnikov, while most of the wounded are now in a relatively stable condition, 110 out of the 138 still remain in hospitals. the government had claimed that the wounded will receive the equivalent of up to around US$13,000 in compensation, and relatives of those killed are to receive US$33,000.

Government officials have condemned the bombing, with the authorities of North Ossetia declaring today a day of mourning for the victims. Prime minister, Vladimir Putin, stated in a press-meeting that "We will do all we can to catch these monsters... who have committed a barbaric terror attack against ordinary people."

And speaking of explosions, a natural gas-line explosion is said to be the cause of a huge fire which ripped through San Bruno, after 6pm yesterday (Thursday). Looking like a giant Hollywood-like fireball, it was at first thought to be a plane crash, because the incident occurred only a few kilometres away from San Francisco International Airport.

"I heard a sound like a low flying plane, then all of a sudden the house shook," said Tina Diloia, who was with her baby at home, less than a mile away from the site of the explosion. "Then there was another explosion. I went outside and there was debris falling from the air."

People have been evacuated from the residential area as the fire jumped from house to house, roads were closed, and at least eight people have already been treated for severe burn injuries. Extra medical staff have been called in to help deal with the emergency.

(Just trying my hand at a little journalism....)

Another Nice BBC Series

2010-09-08T22:10:00.000+10:00

Search For Flights Online

2010-09-08T16:54:00.000+10:00

These days, more often than not, it seems as though there is a growing number of people who search and book for their flights without walking into a travel agent. And with the ever cheaper flights available, and airline specials, not to mention the number of easy-to-use online booking websites, it seems like a pretty good idea.

I myself always book domestic (within Australia) flights on the internet, and have found www.webjet.com.au to be the best. It lists in a sort of grid all the flights for that day, which makes for easy comparing. Also, unlike many other sites, it actually shows flights with Tiger Airways and JetStar, the two cheapest Australian airlines. StaTravel, for example (last time I checked), did not list any airlines cheaper than Virgin Blue. While they used to be the cheapest airline, both Tiger and JetStar have now taken over, offering rock-bottom prices and super hot specials!

However, in the last year or so, I have come into a habit of not actually booking tickets through Webjet, but only using it to search for flights. When I see the flight I want, I go direct to that airline to book instead. The advantage of this is that sometimes the airlines offer special internet-only deals on their own websites, and may not charge a processing fee. Webjet charges $19.95 to make a booking, which is understandable because it is, after all, a travel agent. Only one that is online. Secondly, you are automatically signed up to receive the latest deals from the airlines, some of which are only available to subscribers.

I have only flown with Tiger Airways once, which was Melbourne to Adelaide return. To be honest, my experience with them was pretty good, despite the 3 hour delay on the return journey (mind you, I wasn't in any hurry like one particular woman). The fares were less than $50 one way, the service was good and the soft drink is 50¢ cheaper than on JetStar. However, I made no changes to my tickets and did not carry sports-equipment or three guitars, which meant I wasn't charged too many extra fees and taxes. Many a rotten tale I have heard from those who had to change the names the tickets were issued under, or changed the date or something. What's more, they now charge $20 if you do not check-in online. So, as with many low-cost carriers, they are still able to make their money somehow, somewhere....

Another good thing about Webjet is that, as well as domestic and international flights, one can search for multi-city airfares. That is, say for example, from MEL to LHR, then PAR to BCN and finally MAD back to MEL. A terrific way to search for those wanting to return from another city, or else travel around-the-world, and you can plug in up to 6 different flights. Some of the other websites which do have this feature only allow you to plug in about 3 different flights. What's more, Webjet constantly has some nice specials on for both international and domestic flights.

If it's these hot-deals that you are after, then StaTravel is a great place to go to, especially for students and people under 26 years of age. They recently had what must have been a record-breaker price for Melbourne to Paris return flights, which were on sale for a mere $1299! Never before in all my life have I seen something like that. Again, if you want to be kept informed with these things from this website, sign up to their e-newsletter, which they only send out once every few weeks (so your inbox won't be flooded with SPAM). StaTravel is actually a travel agent, and they have numerous stores into which you can walk dotted around Melbourne and other Australian cities, and hence do probably charge some sort of small fee for their service. But it wouldn't be much, and for such good fares I wouldn't say no!

There are many, many online flight-searching and booking websites. So many, in fact, it is almost overwhelming. Orbitz is another good one with decent prices for international flights. There you can also plug in 6 multi-stop flights, with results often turning out to be cheaper than Webjet. You can book your flights with Orbitz, but I'm not sure if a fee is involved.

Last but not least, I recently stumbled across one of the most powerful flight search-engines on the whole world wide web. Powered by ITA Software (whatever that is) and called Matrix, this place is by far the best place ever! I believe many travel agents actually use this to search for their flights, which just goes to show the magic there at your fingertips.

You can plug in return flights, one-way flights and multi-stop flights. The prices are excellent, and because the site is not actually an agent (which means you can't book on it), it does not tack on an extra $20+ for its services. The price that comes up is the TOTAL price. If you click on the price, it will break it down for you to show things like airport tax, fuel surcharges and all the other prices within the price of the ticket itself. It will also show air many air miles that flight(s) will cover, and even how much CO2 is consumed - for crying out loud! You can click on "details" and it will show you the flight times, departure and arrival times, layover times, the type of aircraft, the airline of that particular flight and even what you get on that flight, whether it be a complimentary in-flight breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner, or if there is food and drink available to purchase. It will show you if an airport change is necessary.

What's more, similar to Webjet (but far superior), it lists all the flight-legs for your journey, and you can choose what airline you want or if there several different airlines will be used. You can find the cheapest fare for the whole month, or search exact dates. You can search for economy (coach) flights, or those in business class or first class, or even mixed business/first class and economy. You can search to and from almost any airport in the world, and unlike Webjet and other websites, if you put in a flight which means many connecting flights (like MEL to LYR or SYD to BRW) it will find something for you (depending if your dates fit the schedules).

As previously mentioned, you cannot actually book your flights with this terrific website, as it only lists what is available. When you click on the price, it takes you to an itinerary which you can then print out and show to a travel agent, who will book it for you, let's hope. I haven't booked a flight this way yet, as I have only just recently discovered this, but next time I fly, I will be sure to use this service. Heck, it's like experiencing first class even before you fly!

So, forget Expedia, Hotwire, Kayak and all the rest. CLICK HERE to search for flights online!

And if you want to see what the best seat is on your flight, then CLICK HERE.

Australia's Own Democratic "Dictator"...

2010-08-19T12:32:00.000+10:00

...of sorts. Australia's new prime minister, Julia Gillard, of the labour party, which may as well be as one with the Greens. Does this photo say enough?

Big Hearts and Tattered Pockets

2010-08-15T18:29:00.000+10:00

The other night at the Nova Cinema I saw the new Hindi film, Peepli [Live], produced by Bollywood star Aamir Khan. It was the first Indian film I have ever seen, so I cannot really compare it with anything which I have watched before. Obviously, as with any foreign film (and by 'foreign', I mean any language other than English) it is very different to the average Hollywood blockbuster. One must treat foreign films as something new and also in a different manner. It rather annoys me when so-called movie-buffs do not, in fact, enjoy such films merely due to the fact that they "can't be stuffed" reading subtitles and that they think foreign cinema is boring. Such folk, who live in a tiny niche when it comes to watching films, do not realise what they are missing out on. I myself, on the other hand, greatly enjoy foreign films partly because they are so different to the normal blockbusters. Many are terrific and a heck of a lot better than, for example, Iron Man and Heath Ledger. And Tais Toi! for one thing is certainly not tedious. Having said that, one cannot deny, of course, that both Hollywood and America in general have had quite an influence on international cinema. Take the three recent French Astérix films - there are some things in those movies which make slight mockeries of Hollywood and its blockbusters, all for the comedic value.

But that is another topic for another day and it is not so great to go off on long tangents; today I am only writing about Peepli [Live]. I had originally thought that "Peepli" must be the Hindi word for "Live", but having now actually seen the film, it struck me that, in fact, the title is like the news. Peepli, the little town in which the story is set, is being filmed LIVE by the television news reporters. You will understand when I come to explain the plot a little further below.

This Indian film has actually been a highly anticipated film in India, and now, according to The Times of India, it has been released on over 90% of single screens; (I'm not an expert when it comes to 'cinemaist-jargon', or perhaps it is their style of English, but I would assume that this means something along the lines of independent cinemas). Not only this, but it is apparently the first Indian film to appear in the Sundance Film Festival. While its budget was not necessarily as large a scale as compared to many other Hindi films (about 100 million rupees, equivalent to over AU$20,000, which seems a mere sum for a film which has gained this much media and popular attention), the cost was already recouped around the time of the film's release in India due to the selling of the rights for TV broadcasting, so I believe.

The story takes place, as already mentioned, in a small rural Indian town called Peepli, during the national election campaigns. Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri) and Budhia (Raghuvir Yadav), two poor farmers, are faced with the prospect of loosing their family farm if they cannot pay back the debt owing to the bank. Desperate, and struggling to even survive from the little they have (not to mention Natha's demanding grandmother), they hear of a government plan which grants 100,000 rupees to the families of deceased indebted farmers; that is, farmers who have committed suicide. After giving the idea much thought, Natha takes it upon himself to commit suicide in order that his family receives the money which they can then use to pay back the loan, hence saving the family farm.

There are many other similar such cases throughout India, and this affair would also have passed unnoticed had not a local journalist caught wind of the event. Once Natha's intention "to do what must be done" has been published in the local newspaper, it becomes a national affair all over the entire country. Within 72 hours, Natha is literally a celebrity. The little town of Peepli swarms like a hive with camera men, journalists and news reports from what seems like hundreds of rival news teams, not to mention police, fair-ground rides, popcorn and hamburger stalls. The same question is on everybody's lips: Will he, or won't he?

Peepli [Live] shows more than just the flashing neon lights and fancy business men of Mumbai; it provides an incredible insight into that 'other' side of India, the rural life of farmers and the struggles they must cope with in their lives. In fact, it has been likened to a documentary in that sense. This might seem somewhat clichéd, but - it has many of the elements of a decent film: despair, love, sadness, strong friendships, warm humour, as well as a 'reality' which makes it all the more believable. The news, media and politics depicted are exactly as crazy as they are in real life. The media only care about getting their hot stories, and as for politics - well, it's really all just a big game, isn't it!

Albeit, some of the jokes would be funnier for those who speak Hindi, and, for some, it seemed a little long-winded. But for me, I enjoyed it. When you see a foreign film, you have to try and appreciate it from the perspective of a native, if you know what I mean. So, if it's Tais Toi, then you should try and watch it as if you were French. And the same goes for Peepli [Live].

It's the kind of film where you're laughing and wondering, "Should I be laughing?"
-- Miami Herald

As mentioned in the first song of the soundtrack, India is a land of many colours and surprises, and, especially with the unpredictable plot, the film certainly shows that. It seemed to end rather suddenly, but then, on second thought, I did not write the screenplay myself did I? And perhaps, in some ways, it was just as well that it stopped there and then. After all, and it's difficult to write this without giving away too many spoilers, the media's story of Natha's intending suicide would have probably slowly died away after, well, after the news teams left the little town of Peepli I guess.... One could say that the 'cut-off' ending of the film reflects the feelings of the media and the locals, with whom we are left somewhat with wondering; What exactly happened to Natha? You will have simply have to see the film for yourself and come to your own conclusion, because, for the simple reason that some people are annoyed when they already know too much of the story before they see a film, I will refrain from writing too much....

Overall, as I said, I enjoyed Peepli [Live] - the first Indian film which I have seen to date at the time of writing. And, in conclusion, I hope that this will not be the last.

3.5 stars. Or, if you prefer, 6.95/10.

There was one man, coincidentally called Natha, who watched the film along with his family. He said:

"Babuji film ki kahani to ekdum theek hai. Issme kuch bhi banawti naahi hai." (Sir, the film's story is quite good and there is nothing artificial).
-- Glamsham.com

Macro-Photography

2010-07-29T15:19:00.000+10:00

I enjoy trying to get as close as I can and taking a photo of something, such as plants and and insects. This sort of thing is, in the world of professional photography, known as macro photography but I generally just refer to it as "close-up photography" which is, really, the same thing, but in the more vulgar tongue. Click on the images to see them at their full size...

The following are some photos taken during a recent trip to Mt. Erica, which is near Mt. Bawbaw in Victoria.

Many of the above look rather nice, but I personally think that this is one of my best:

New Films Set For the Big Screen

2010-07-16T13:14:00.001+10:00

Well it looks like there is a good bunch of upcoming films due out either next year or in the following three or so years. Most of them seem a long way off, but I guess, as the old saying goes: "Good things come to those who wait."

Firstly, we are expecting the much anticipated The Hobbit which is based on the beloved tale by J.R.R. Tolkien; one could say a sort of prologue to the equally beloved The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), which has already been made into three amazing films by director Peter Jackson. Because The Hobbit really sets the scene, so to speak, for LOTR, I was rather surprised as to why they didn't produce that first before they did the trilogy. However, I figured that surely they would have to do it sooner or later, following their enjoyable profit and the excitement from all the Middle-Earth fans. And now, finally, at last, and about time too, part one was scheduled for release in 2011. What joy to find that it was to be made into not one but two films! Later, however, rumours and information throughout hundreds of internet websites suggested that The Hobbit would, in fact, be part one. Part two was to be something extra, perhaps The Silmarillion or some other historic yarn taking place in Middle-Earth. I believe that this is still to be the case. Rumour has it that the White Council is expected to appear as well....

On the other hand, I say was scheduled for release in 2011, not that it will be. For the Internet Movie Database (IMDB; a great site, by the way, if you're after information on any particular film produced since the dawn of time) now states that part one has been delayed and is currently not due out in the USA until the end of 2012.

As far as I know there are several major reasons for this delay. Firstly, while the actual solid intention of making this film has been around for a number of years now, I think they were having trouble financing it. Why exactly, I have no idea. In my honest opinion, I think that they should just go ahead and do it because it is very unlikely that any money will be lost on such a project, especially since there is such a strong foundation with all the LOTR and Middle-Earth paraphernalia, both with the films and the original books. There are hundreds and thousands of fans out there, so many, in fact, that I wonder how the numbers compare to the fans of Star Wars.

Anyway, so one problem was, and still perhaps is to a certain degree, the financing. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which owns at least half the rights to The Hobbit, is a good $4 billion in debt to over one hundred creditors. So some folks out there won't be very happy chappies. Secondly, both part one and part two were going to be directed by Guillermo del Toro, with Peter Jackson, who is up to his nose in the upcoming Tintin films at the moment, to be the assistent-director. But Guillermo del Toro recently pulled out of the expedition, after a mere two years into this five year-long project. It seems that director Peter Jackson has now taken the bull by the horns and will now be the main director, and, in fact, is already casting actors in Los Angeles. Perhaps, however, this will ensure that the film will stay relatively true to Tolkien's original story and will have a similar flavour to LOTR, of which Jackson was also the director. It would be nice to also mention that Jackson himself is a fan of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Thirdly, the project has also now lost actor Ian McKellen, who played one of the most important roles in LOTR besides the four hobbits; that of Gandalf. Having said all that, at least it's now in pre-production; that's a start.

The official movie blog for The Hobbit hasn't had any updates since May 2008. And, by the way, part two is scheduled for release in December 2013, according to IMDB. So it seems we have to sit on our haunches for quite a while....

Another good upcoming film will be Sherlock Holmes II, which is to be due out late next year. Of course, as we have learnt with The Hobbit, this proposed date may not end up to be entirely accurate. I am looking forward to this, because the first Sherlock Holmes film which came to the big screen late last year highly exceeded my rather low expectations. I had not expected Robert Downey Jr.'s performance to be even half as true to the original figure in Doyle's much loved mysteries. And even the supernatural elements are true to the original stories, as one often finds Doyle's enjoyment of his supernatural yarns comes through in Sherlock Holmes. Of course, the Granada TV series with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke is still and will always be the best. There can never be a more perfect Holmes than Jeremy Brett.

The first Sherlock Holmes film (last year's that is) certainly gives the audience a run for our money as we sit there, intensely enjoying a cracking good plot with evil villains and a very lively detective who seems almost as eccentric as some of the Johnny Depp's characters. And all the while we see extremely subtle signs that make us remember the fact that professor Moriarty is still lurking in and around London.

I must admit, however, while there are elements in there for the "old-fashioned" Holmes fans, like myself, there enough things to make this a favourite with the typical blockbuster audience of today. There has always been a few punch-ups, struggles, blood and shots from revolvers in earlier productions (in fact, the Jeremy Brett version of The Hound of the Baskervilles is rated MA15+) but since when, for example, as Holmes seen as much hyped-up-Hollywood action and special effects as this on the big screen? Overall, in my opinion, considering this is not based on one of the actual original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and that they are merely taking the characters out and putting them into a story of their own, this is a pretty darn good attempt, especially when you think of what it would have been like had they really botched it up. 7 out of 10 from me.

The story line for Sherlock Holmes II is not yet known, but I'm sure it will be just as full of ripping adventure. Shooting is set to begin in October.

Then there is also MacGyver, again not due for ages (2013). Not much can be said about this film yet, other than it will be based upon the "action-packed" 1980s TV series under the same name, about a crime-busting cool dude who makes gadgets out of anything to escape or set up booby traps or whatever he needs at that particular time. Should be fun, especially with modern special effects to spruce it up. According to IMDB, it is still in development which suggests to me that it's not even in pre-production stages. Obviously the screenplay is still being written or perhaps there's financing and working out who's going to produce it and all of that movie-making-red-tape.

Then there's The Great Divorce, based on CS Lewis' well-known novel about a bus tour of Heaven and hell. IMDB lists it to appear next year but I will be surprised if it manages to come out before Christmas 2011. I don't know much about it yet, and neither does anyone else, other than it will be a most interesting production and I eagerly await to see how they piece this one together for the big screen. Both MPower pictures and Beloved Pictures have joined forces for this what-I-imagine-will-be an incredible movie, and those involved seem rather hotted-up about the project. So far, the green light is staying green, so to say. You can probably find some more information if you CLICK HERE.

And speaking of CS Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be out in a few months time. In fact, at the time of writing, the countdown on NarniaFans.com shows that there are only 146 days left until its release in cinemas. One guy I know has tickets to the premier (is that with an e on the end?), so he will have fun, that's for sure! David Arnold is already composing the score, although I must admit I've never heard of him. Hopefully he is just as good a composer as the likes of Hans Zimmer.

Some comic called Cowboys and Aliens is also currently in production. Looks like a sci-fi spaghetti western, starring Daniel Craig as one of the cowboys. Could be a load of trash, but then it might also be worth watching just once in my life, after which I can forget about it. CLICK HERE for some additional information of such a movie really sounds like your cup of tea!

I've been going on this post for a long time, and I'm hungry and tired. I would carry on until the cows come home, but the body just cannot seem to resist the thought of leaving a glaring computer screen to make a peanut-butter and strawberry jam sandwich. Come to think of it, there is some Nutella in the pantry which was only just bought yesterday, so that will go down nicely. However, before I leave you, I will just mention two other interesting films to be made. Firstly, the Resurrection of the Christ, which one could perhaps say will be like a sequel to Mel Gibson's film The Passion of Christ. Why it is called the Resurrection of the Christ instead of the Resurrection of Christ seems somewhat funny to me, but perhaps that is just a mistake from this blog where I found out about it. I do not know where that author got the information from, because I can't seem to find anything on IMDB. But perhaps someone has merely submitted a screenplay or is thinking about how to go about it or something, which would explain why IMDB hasn't managed to hear about it yet. Still, if it really is going to be a film and the author isn't just gas-bagging like I am now, then it would be worth going to the cinema to see, I'm sure of that. Although that's not to say they couldn't botch that up - many films have been despite having the potential to be excellent. And vice versa, of course....

There is also, according to IMDB, a film about Mary, Mother of Christ, apparently expected next year. Again, something I have not yet heard about, but it sounds interesting nonetheless and will definitely be going ahead judging by the information out there. It's not in the dark this one, and they've started the casting already.

And one final film: Catweazle. Are they serious? That's amazing; hopefully it will be just as good as the original TV series; such a question makes me wonder which actors they will choose, especially for Catweazle himself. Albeit, this is still in development and hasn't even hit the pre-production stages, despite being apparently due out next year. In fact, there seems to be even less information out there on this than there is with such expected films as MacGyver and the Resurrection of the Christ.

FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa

2010-07-12T12:33:00.000+10:00

Well the 2010 FIFA World Cup has finally come to an end. I did not manage to get up at 4am each morning to watch every match, but have watched more matches than the last cup, and the ones that I did see were highly entertaining. I certainly don't regret loosing 2 hours of sleep to watch some good TV, which, in my honest opinion, I find much more interesting than the AFL. It would have been great to actually fly over to Johannesburg and watch a few matches there, but I'm saving up for an overseas trip next year instead. As was expected, the Socceroos received quite a thrashing from the Germans, loosing 4 - 0. Now, on the other hand, had it been cricket....

Then there was Holland vs. Uruguay, which left Holland with a place in the big finals after they won 3 - 2. And Germany won for third place with the exact same score when they played against Uruguay.

Uruguay often play rather viciously at times, what with all their "superman-dives" and lunges for the ball. And yet, they didn't even get half as many fouls as Holland did this morning in the Grand Final (I call it the grand final, but that's probably more an AFL term. More likely it's just the "final). Perhaps it was just me, someone who doesn't know much about the soccer, but it seemed to me that the referee in the final match was somewhat sympathetic towards the Spaniards, who, many-a-time did things which would have seen a Dutch player receive a yellow card. For example, John Heitinga's action which caused him to be sent off with a red card looked fairly small in the replay and nothing much. In all, out of the 11 Dutch players, 8 of them received a yellow card, compared to a relatively mere 5 yellow cards for the Spanish. I'm not saying that the Dutch didn't play as hard as the Spanish, but that the referee was at times a little "behind" the ball, so to speak. In fact, on some News show on Channel 31 about an hour ago, on which they were discussing the World Cup, they did mention that the referees throughout the entire series have been a bit notorious for not noticing things which everyone else noticed, such as that noticeably clear goal for the English in another match. And what about Harry Kewell's so-called "handball"?

Holland (or the Netherlands if you prefer) put up an excellent fight, despite missing some incredible chances for a few goals. After 90 minutes, and more than an additional 15 minutes of extra time, not one team had scored a goal. It seemed almost like a Cold War which was to end in a penalty shootout. Spain was tough and, if my weary eyes at that hour weren't playing tricks with me, attacked more often than the Dutch. But Holland constantly held their ground, and refused to let Spain get the ball between the goals... Until that last slip, that is, when Andres Iniesta got the ball through the Dutch defence at 116 minutes. Only one goal, but it was enough for Spain to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain is now mad with joy, full of paella and blowing thousands of vuvuzelas... Holland is frustrated. Having admittedly been barracking for Holland, I must admit that perhaps it was nice for them to win (and they certainly think so), because they have never won a World Cup in the soccer, and, I believe, have never even managed to get into the finals. ¡So, pozo - hecho, amigos! (Probably not correct, so I'll go with french instead. It would have to be closer than English: Félicitations mes amis! et laissez une chambre d'hôtel libre pour moi quand je viens l'année prochaine pendant el Jornada Mundial de la Juventud Madrid 2011).

CLICK HERE to watch the final goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, from the Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.

CLICK HERE to watch the highlights from the Grand Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. (Spain vs Netherlands, 1 - 0 a.e.t.)

CLICK HERE to watch the highlights from the semi-final, Uruguay vs. Netherlands, 2 - 3.

La Comédie Française

2010-06-21T17:55:00.000+10:00

Un post en français; alors, pourquoi-pas? Je pense que peut-être, de temps en temps, je vais écrire un post sur mon blog en français juste pour que je veux me perfectionner en français. Je ne suis pas un français de souche (à vrai je suis Australien), donc vous devez m'excuser quand il y a des erreurs de grammaire. C'est seulement normal, bien sur. Alors, allons-y....

La comédie française est un peu différente que la des américains. Mais, comment exactement, vous me demandez? Qu'est ce-que la différence entre les deux? À mon avis, cette video au-dessous non seulement définit le terme «comédie française» mais aussi elle montre une séquence typique d'un film comédie française. Le film d'Albert Dupontel, qui s'appelle Le Vilain, est sorti à la fin d'année dernière. Je n'ai pas vu déjà le film, mais un jour je voudrais le voir parce que ce vidéoclip m'amuse bien.

Cependant, le meilleur directeur et scénariste des films comédies françaises est Francis Veber. Il a fait des films célèbres tels que Tais Toi! (Shut Up), Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game, ou traduire littéralement en anglais: "The Dinner for Idiots"), Les Fugitifs, Les Compères et je crois aussi L'Emmerdeur (A Pain in the Ass). Tous ses films sont fantastique avec des séquences très drôle. En effet, Veber est comme le moderne Jacques Tati pour la cinéma français, un des pères du comédie. Avec lui, on peut dire que la comédie n'était pas mort après la mort de Tati. Mais, quelquefois, les films de Tati paraît un peu ennuyeux ou longue malgré le fait qu'ils sont amusant. Les films de Veber ne sont jamais comme ça. Ses films ne sont pas simplement des comédies, mais aussi des films d'actions aussi.

Pour moi, un de meilleur films du monde entier (et le plus drôle) est Tais Toi!, avec les deux acteurs célèbres (non seulement dans la France mais aussi dans les pays non-francophones), Gérard Depardieu et Jean Reno. C'est arrivé sur le grand écran en France en Octobre 2003.

Jean Reno joue Ruby, un homme qui paraît sinistre et très sérieux (comme dans tous ses films), tandis que Gérard Depardieu joue Quentin (de Montargis), qui est maladroit et paraît un peu fou, mais il est gentil avec un bon cœur. Je pense qu'il y a deux caractères principales qui Depardieu souvent joue dans ses films: le type comme le Count de Monte Cristo ou Jean Valjean et aussi le type amusant comme Quentin ou Obélix. Peut-être le caractère de Quentin est la raison que ce film est un favori avec nombreux personnes - il nous fait mort de rire! En plus, le duo Reno-Depardieu marche a merveille malgré leurs différences de caractère.

Ruby est criminel recherché par la police et qui voudrait prendre la revanche sur l'assassin de sa femme. Il été arrêté et envoyé en prison pour un vol à main armée. Quentin est également envoyé à la prison. Il est irrépressible, et n'arrête jamais bavarder tout feu tout flamme à ses codétenus. Voyez ce séquence du film, par exemple:

Puisque Ruby demeure taciturne toujours, Quentin est mis dans la même cellule pour lui fait parler. Cependant ensemble ils sont envoyer à l'hôpital et ensuite à l'asile, s'échappent et finalement ils sont recherchés non seulement par la police mais en plus par la groupe qui a tué la femme de Ruby. Quentin voudrait ouvrir un café un jour avec son nouveau copain, mais Ruby pense toujours et seulement de revanche....

Quelques citations du film:

« Je m'appelle Quentin, je suis de Montargis! »

« Quand j'étais petit je voulais devenir jockey, mais comme je ne suis pas resté petit je ne suis pas devenu jockey. »

« Je connaissais un type il s'appelait Michaut ou Michelet ou Michalot, un truc comme ça. Il était comme toi, il avait toujours une grosse joue à gauche. Je me marrais et je lui disais ‹Tu ressembles à un cul mais t'as qu'une fesse!›. Il faisait du bruit et mangeant comme toi, une vraie pelleteuse le mec! Et je lui disais ‹Hé la-qu'une-fesse! Tu bouffes comme une pelleteuse!› »

« C'est un asile de fous, pas un asile de cons. Il faudrait construire des asiles de cons et vous imaginez un peu la taille des bâtiments. »

Je vous laisse avec un vidéo, pas d'un film de Francis Veber mais des bêtisiers du film «Astérix: Mission Cleopatre» (qui est égal à notre thème de la comédie français).

The Philatelic World

2010-06-15T16:52:00.000+10:00

Stamp collecting - or to use the official term, philately - is actually a much broader term than many people think. Some collectors, like myself, not only collect worldwide stamps but also covers, postcards, maxicards and entires; in fact, almost anything stamp-related. Other collectors limit their collecting to worldwide covers, for example, or collect stamps depicting certain thematic topics, such as birds, cars, ships, reptiles, olympics or space travel, just to name a few. Click here for a list of philatelic topics, and a similar list of collecting topics is available here. Still other collectors collect only certain continents, countries or states (or even one particular place), such as Australia, USA, England, Europe or New South Wales.

But then there are the Specialists. Those who collect only very specific things, and even if they like the look of something, if it isn't in their "collecting-spectrum" they won't bother with it. For example, there are specialists who collect first-flight covers, or even, only Australian first-flight covers. Others seek out varieties (like different toned-inks) and flaws (mistakes in the design often caused by printing errors) and will often buy 100s of just one particular stamp to look for that something special.

One of the most famous of all flaws was an American stamp called the Inverted Jenny, named after this type of flaw, an "invert error". A single MUH copy of this stamp can sell for up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and, in fact, a block of four sold for almost $3 million a few years ago. One website states that:

The 24 cent Jenny Stamp was created for delivery of mail by air - a new concept in 1918. This is a large sum compared to the 3 cents that it costs for ground delivery. As a result, the stamp was created and printed in a hurry.

Most likely, the fact that the printer was a little careless that day because the stamps were to be printed quickly is the reason for the world's most famous stamp error, and many others besides.

Some philatelists collect pre-stamp mail, that is, mail sent before 1840. 1840 was the year in which the Penny Black, the first ever postage stamp, was issued in England. According to the Hodder Stamp Dictionary, pre-stamp mail should not be described as "entires" but rather as "covers". Perhaps this is because most letters sent in those days, before the flat rate postage in 1840, were folded and sealed and hence became a letter and cover in one. An entire, on the other hand, is both a cover + the extra, separate contents, such as a letter, but not one that is part of the actual cover itself.

The great thing about collecting stamps is that there's something in it for everybody, from the beginner to the amateur to the specialist. One can spend nothing and merely soak the stamps off from one's own mail, or else buy stamps from a dealer or on Ebay and other such places. And when it comes to the buying of stamps, one can purchase anything from an expensive $2000+ pre-decimal kangaroo, like those which are often found on Glen Stephens Rariety Page, or just a few equally good-looking stamps for a mere 30¢, like the ones below which I bought at my local stamp dealer. You can click on the image for a much larger view. The detail in the engraving is superb!

Perhaps one of the most favourite buys of many collectors are packet mixtures, or even bigger and better still: bulk lots and estate collections. This gives the collector hours and hours of fun, as they have to sort through each stamp or cover. One can buy mixtures of stamps still on paper (that is, still attached to part of the envelope) or stamps which have already been soaked off, or even those which have never been used yet, known as mint stamps.

Bulk lots are a good collection starter, or a great way to add to one's collections, and can generally be bought for a good price because the seller doesn't have the time to sort through, catalogue all the items and then calculate an RRP. In fact, because of this, many bulk lots turn up a lovely find for the buyer, and can even make a handsome profit when it comes to reselling.

Not only can one find a rare stamp, but postmarks can be rare too. If a post office was only operating for three days for example, perhaps in an occupied country during war-time or a tiny town out in the sticks,

then there won't be much mail with that particular post mark on it. Similarly, special events have their own postmarks or slogans, some of which are highly sought after. Or there are times when a postmark on a common and boring-looking cover bears a date which is before that catalogued to be the first day of issue - is the catalogue wrong, or is it a postie's mistake?

Here's an example: Long-time, well-known stamp dealer Glen Stephens sold a very large cartoon of so-thought common stuff which he described as "rubbish". And indeed it may have seemed so until the buyer, who paid $150 for the lot, came across a $2000 cover. Details can be seen on this thread from a stamp collecting forum, stampboards.com. Also, have a look at this thread devoted to this kind of thing.

What better than to quote the words of a certain well known dealer: "Knowledge is Power"

Of course, not all bulk lots contain special gems of a price which is more than double the price for the collection. However, it is no doubt that one will always find appealing items, even if they aren't worth as much as a £2 Kangaroo. Not only that, but the hours (days, weeks and even months in fact) of fun one can get from a bulk lot make the $100 price-tag very worth while. Just try typing in "estate" or "hoard" or "10,000" into ebay's search bar, under the heading Stamps, and see for yourself the sort of nice things that appear for sale in the search results.

I leave you with a music video, a little song about stamp collecting:

I Come From a Land Down Under...

2010-06-14T18:12:00.000+10:00

Well I'm *new* to this fandangled ipod-generation blogging craze, and am making history as I type. Not that I've never posted before; I have posted "posts" on various forums and posted many a letter and parcel off at the post office. But this is the first time I've ever started a blog, and hence, one might say, have now gone "professional" - or else "pro" to keep it short, kool and sweet. It seems somewhat funny to think that, in only a few minutes after clicking "Create a Blog" it's possible to be alongside professional bloggers such as David Schütz and Eric Contesse.

Having said that, I am only a newbie and not at all as knowledgeable about Blogger, bloggers and blogging as they are, and, secondly, while most people blog only on the one subject, I intend to blog about anything I want (albeit, probably mostly stamps and WYD).

It could perhaps be that I'll forget about my blog after only a few months from now, and won't ever add to it again. Trends come and go - when I was young, I went through that "Pirate" age which has now stopped, and the same goes for the "Cowboy" period. Another time I went off cheese, but now I love it… except for le fromage bleu. I have never understood why people enjoy mouldy cheese, and as of yet have never acquired that "certain" taste, a taste which I highly doubt I will never come to acquire.

Will anybody actually read this blog? Who knows; probably only 3 or 4 hits in twice as many weeks at the most. We shall see…. "Then what's the point?" I hear you ask. Quite simply, I'm doing this for a bit of fun for myself and if no one reads it then I'm not too worried. Although, if you are reading this, then I encourage you to keep reading if you so desire. I also enjoy writing (creative writing, NOT essays), so perhaps a blog like this will keep me relatively sane until I have the time to sit down and write a whole dang novel some day (hopefully and god willingly before I retire at around the age of 80, assuming I don't go gaga until after I'm 101).

I thought it would be nice to have some of those widget-things in the side-column. I have a Macbook with that thing called Dashboard, which sort of introduced me to widgets. Before then, I didn't quite know what they are, but now, I realise, some of them are quite fun. In fact, I've seen some people who have their entire screen filled with widgets. That is a little overdoing it, if you ask me, but then who am I to say such a thing when I go and fill up the side-column with them anyway.

Perhaps one of the coolest widgets I've added is a Mario game, one of the most well known games in the computer age. He was even around in the early 90s, but is still popular today. Go ahead, enjoy, and play it for a bit. After all, everyone says "all work and no play never did anyone good."

There's not much need to say any more, especially since this is only a first post and not a detailed, University-standard, philosophical essay. Although, if you are reading these words, I should add that any questions, comments, queries, criticisms, praises and suggestions are most welcome. I believed that anyone can comment my posts (although I will, obviously, delete any such thing that is merely a bunch of random swear words. Anything else, however, and I would be glad to here from you, and in fact, if you do want to criticise something I have written in a relatively friendly manner, you may do so if you wish. After all, there is no such thing has a published book which has absolutely no people who don't like it that much, despite many fans). You can also send me an email at: bjcoopsblog[at]gmail.com - obviously, just replace [at] with @. I only write it like that because scammers and computer-bot-things automatically search the web for any email address to send @#$%!&* junk mail to. Writing [at] instead of the @ symbol means that computer-bot-scammer-things think my email address is actually not an email address. Stupid things….

Testing, Testing, 1... 2... 3

2010-06-14T18:07:00.000+10:00

Just a quick test to see if this post works...

Edit: Another test, just to see if editing works (that is, it changes the original post and doesn't create a new one...)