Remembering 9/11

We got a text message from one of Jason's work colleagues to say, "Turn on the television, CNN". It was just before 9pm. We were living in Kuching, a small city on the island of Borneo.

Before us unfolded something that looked other worldly. A smoking skyscraper, with oft-repeated footage of a plane flying into it, live on our screen. We sat, transfixed as we saw, to our horror, another plane fly into the next tower, live on our screens. Now, we realized, it couldn't have been an accident.

We lived in a large 19 floor hotel with apartments on the top ten floors. I remember thinking, "What if a plane flies into this building next?" Seems a bizarre thought now.

I'm pretty sure I spent the next three days glued to that television set. I wept when I saw the people jumping out of the towers, and when those same towers collapsed but when I saw the people holding up pictures of their lost loved ones, I wept the most, as they stood there bereft, amongst the smoke, dust and tiny pieces of paper.

RIP

The Birds

I was beetling about on the computer this arvo, listening half heartedly to the building going on in the units behind us. Heard a couple of funny noises, though I'd go for an inspection...

Cheeky bugger had flown into the house. I cowered, held my hands over my head hoping there would not be any Alfred Hitchcock moments..

Then, after a couple of fly overs, he flew out the sliding door. Hallelujah!

Thank God he didn't poo. I'll tell you what though...I nigh on shat myself! (substitute nigh on for nearly, just in case you were thinking otherwise!)

Fantastic Tan

No, not talkin' about some spray on thingummy. Talkin' 'bout "The Tan".

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Melbourne, "The Tan" is the quintessentially Aussie style nickname for The Botanical Gardens. It has a 5km walking/running/cycle track around it that is well used, to say the least.

Helpful that you're walking by beautiful gardens and the Yarra river. Plus there's a great cafe, a children's garden and a beautiful walk through to please the doutiest anti-gardener.

We went to a fabulous production by the Australian Shakespeare Company of Wind in the Willows by the lakeside there at the end of summer. Had a ball. We all ran around like banshees as part of the production and they even utilized the lake as part of it all. Sensational.

We oft go to the children's garden in the warmer holidays as they have a little trickily stream running through it and the kids wear their bathers and splash around for hours.

Went for a walk there yesterday with my three amigos. Much hilarity echoed thorough the foliage.