Made my day!

Doing some shopping at a local market this morning I met Suzie, a wonderful young lady I taught during my years at Willetton SHS.  I urged her to visit for a cup of tea and we had probably about an hour of great reminiscences about family, school and friends.

Suzie has an ongoing affliction of migraine headaches and over a number of years she has tried the usual medical treatments and even some alternative treatments to no avail.

She is hopeful of eventually finding the cure.

Suzie today and another pic from my scrappy marks book when I taught her in Year 8.

You made my day Suzie.

How is it so?

Today I received a small tool I had ordered from Germany.  It is designed to accurately push out pins in a metal watch band to adjust the size to suit a wrist.  As an old bloke I am getting quite skinny and I needed to shorten the band of the watch I received from my school upon retirement some 17 years ago.   It cost a mere A$1.40 and was sent air mail, post free and delivered to my door by Australia Post.  How is that done?  Click to enlarge the image.

  

I’ll try it out tomorrow, but not be too upset if it doesn’t do the job.

Music on the Brain

Wonderful programme on ABC Catalyst recently....Music on the Brain.

Research worldwide has shown that people in deep dementia awake and even sing along when headphones playing familiar music are placed on the head of patients with remarkable results. Similarly, patients with advanced Parkinson’s Disease when experiencing dance music lose all the dyskinesias associated with Parkinsons and begin dancing effortlessly. Footage taken in nursing homes show this amazing temporary change.

If you are in Australia you can view this 30 minute program on ABC iView.

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1502H006S00

Oldies gathering

Had a gathering yesterday of a bunch of oldies with a lifelong association with the scouting movement.  As we have lost a few in the years gone, their wives have remained friends as part of this small group.  Most of us started out in the Cub Scouts at around age 9/10; progressed to Sea Scouts and then the Rovers.  So I, at least, joined the movement at around 67 years ago.   Here is a pic.  I am not in it as I was wielding the photographic machine or whatever it’s called. 

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Imagination

This morning I ‘installed’ a small job I did for daughter Helen’s Pre Primary class. I drove to the school and went to the office to sign in as a visitor.  The school registrar quizzed me about what I was here for and asked if I had a Working With Children certificate.  I told her I hadn’t and she was on her way to tell the Deputy Principal.  I yelled out that I was not going into a classroom and my daughter had chosen this exact time so that her class would not be outside in the playground.  She hummed a bit, but signed me in and gave me a visitor’s badge to wear.  A lot of people think that Principals run schools, but in my experience the registrar seems to be in charge most times.

The little job was to try and attach a few things I had made onto a tree to entertain the kids and spark a bit of imagination.  The tree wasn’t my choice as it was difficult to get all the things looking like they should.  I would have preferred a straight trunk tree, but Helen said it looked fine and the kids would love it.

I stood outside the fence when the kids were let out to take a look.  It was a great success.  One girl told everyone the ‘there is someone inside there’ and tried to open the little door.  Worthwhile project.

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Young performers

A friend (and ex-student of mine) Sean, has two lovely kids, Cody and Bae.  I took a snap of Bae when my wife Joan and I visited Sean and his family in NSW some 10 years ago.

Click images to enlarge.

Bae is now 16 and is quite the thespian.  Pic here of her playing The Bad Joke Monster in a production of ‘Conundrum’ and was nominated for Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) award.

Cody is a music performer and has recently commenced a music diploma.

Canadian visitors

Had a nice couple of days with cousin Ann and husband Doug visiting from Canada.  Ann was a Lock from Narrogin Valley in Western Australia and she met Doug who was in Australia, working and they returned to BC, Canada where they still live.  They are leaving Australia on Sunday flying direct to South Africa (Sith Iffrica) for a few weeks there on safari etc.

Many laughs in the two days they stayed over at my place.  My wife Joan and I visited Doug and Ann in Canada for a pleasant week and they suggested that I could return for another visit.  Maybe; or I could just wait for their regular four yearly visit back to Australia to catch up again.

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Joan Lock

Today marks five years since my Joan died.    We had 46 wonderful years together.  Miss her every day.

A few pics of our time together. Click to enlarge

1965

1973

1990

?

From Bridgetown, Yogyakarta, Agde (France),Bali and Penang

Honour among thieves?

A friend, Joy, had her purse stolen from a shopping trolley in a store at a large shopping centre.  She only realised it was gone when she fronted up to the cash register to pay for her purchases.

She immediately cancelled her bank cards and tried to remember what other details one does keep in a purse or wallet.  I don’t offhand know all the cards etc I have in my wallet. 

Yesterday she received a parcel from Australia Post’s Returned Mail Office containing her purse, minus the cash, her bank cards and drivers licence.  She enquired with Australia Post as to how her purse became returned mail.  It seems that opportunistic theft of purses and wallets is mainly to get cash and credit cards.  The rest is often dropped into an Australia Post mailbox and when sorted is dispatched to any address on ID in the purse.

Joy has already sourced a new driver’s licence card and her bank cards will take a few days to arrive.

Edison Amberola Phonograph

Apart from computers, I am working on refurbishment of an Edison Phonograph I have owned since building it from bits I found under a house in 1965.  It needs a touch up of the box and I have readjusted the needle height and drive.  The phonograph was manufactured in 1917.   It runs well after all those years, but I thought I would pretty it up before I fall off the perch.   I have 110 cylinder records in excellent condition.  Click on pics to enlarge them.

Edison Amberola...batteries not supplied.

 'When the Corn is Waving'

by the Knickerbocker Quartet

Edison visited the Eiffel Tower and met Eiffel in his apartment at the top of the tower. When my wife and I visited France we looked in on the mannequins of Eiffel meeting Edison

This article is well worth reading. Copy and paste in your search engine.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gustav-eiffel-s-secret-apartment

Astronauts

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The visit

Yesterday I had a visit from two sisters, Kris and Danielle I ‘taught’ at Willetton SHS some 18 years ago.  It was a wonderful morning with reminiscences about teachers and students and the school itself.  These two gals made my day.

Kris, who took this snap on her phone explains the shedding of 40 years off my life, telling that it was taken using the Meryl Streep filter.   I am going to contract her to take all my photos from now on.

click to enlarge

Hiri Motu

Some 18 years ago when I was still teaching, I was rounding up 13 years at Willetton SHS in Western Australia.  I had occasion to be in the front office when a family came to enrol their son.  I could see and hear that they were Motuans from the Central District of Papua.  I had learned a pidgin version of their language called Hiri Motu and in the crowded office I said loudly.  Umui be daika...Lau be Kerema tauna.  (who are you..I am a man from Kerema).  The family looked around for a dark skinned male but couldn’t see one.  I introduced myself and met the lad who was enrolling, Hane Nou.    I retired and Hane finished high school.    His father was in W.A. doing a PHD at a local university.  When he finished his PHD they all, except Hane, went back to Papua New Guinea.

I taught Hane in my last years at WSHS.  Hane is still here in W.A. and we are to catch up next month.

Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"  I have just watched the remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Wonderful; confusing, somewhat unsatisfying, but  stimulating to the point that I must re-watch it again.  I can remember the saying ‘A Walter Mitty character’ when I was a youngster describing a person who was a bit of a dreamer and quite unbelievable. 

Post war ramblings

My father was a skilled carpenter/builder and just after WW2 finished, my parents bought a housing block in the suburb of Bicton for £30.0.0.  Dad went on to build our family house, finishing in 1947.  Building materials were scarce after the war and parts of the house and Dad’s workshop were completed as materials became available again.

A few days ago I was looking through family memorabilia in a bit of a nostalgic trip and found an old newspaper advert for kitchen cupboards.   I recognised the cupboards as being the same as the ones in our family home.  Dad had copied the arrangement and built his own.  I remember helping him with the glueing of the frames.  The glue back then was animal glue and I was the glue boy who had to be very quick at poking glue in the dowel holes as Dad clamped them together.  Animal glue had to be used hot and fluid.  I do not recall any of the glue joints failing even up to the time we sold the house circa 1998.

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Car Warranty

I bought a  Kia sedan just over 12 months ago.   I remember all the hype about a 7 year warranty.    The dealer I bought it from has been writing to me reminding me that if I don’t service my car with them, the warranty is void.   It is past the original warranty time of three years and they remind me that the new warranty runs out in 2020 and if it is not serviced by them I am no longer covered.

It seems that the extended warranty is offered by Kia dealers and not Kia.  I like the car and will take my chances and get it serviced by a local service centre at around two thirds of the dealers price.  Shonky deal that most people would not know about without reading the fine print.  

Look back at the past

Our Bicton home on Canning Highway was built in 1897.  We were the second owners to occupy that grand house with many of the belongings of the last family to live there still intact; artefacts of a family gone.  One is an autograph book belonging to Elsie Murray.  Over the years I have looked at this book with drawings, poems and well wishes from an era long gone.

One man named George D’Arcy-Evans painted a couple of pictures for Elsie in her autograph book in May 1914.

Click images to enlarge

  Just today I googled the name D’arcy-Evans and had two hits.  One is a GP and I left a message at his surgery to see if he was interested in having the paintings.  

Another couple of pages featured the visit to Fremantle Harbour in 1916 of the Japanese Cruiser Iwate....Allies in WW1; the baddies in WW2.

Last drinks at the Thirsty Camel

It’s last drinks for the local bottle shop near my home.  Chelsea is one of the staff doing the last shift before the new owners take over tomorrow.  Not one of the dedicated staff of this bottle shop has been offered a job by the new owners. 

Sad that I will not be able to enjoy their pleasant service especially the charming Chelsea.  She should walk into a job easily with her pleasant personality and charm; hope so.

Click the photo to enlarge.

Bare shelves 

Bye Bye Psoriasis

Today I finished the Ultraviolet ray treatment for Psoriasis.  In all I had 47 treatments.  There are a few residual bits of Psoriasis, but nothing serious.  The nurse in charge is reminiscent of Nurse Ratched; bossy and a bit offhand.  I am happy to have done with the treatment.

When I left the treatment rooms I told her that I hoped that I would not see her again.  She merely replied........’You’ll be back’.

Moses has gone

Today I received a message from the son of one of my ex students from 1962 in Papua.  He informed me that his father had passed away.  

Moses Hailai was a cheerful, intelligent and friendly lad in my class at Arehava Primary School in an isolated village in the Gulf of Papua.   I was Teacher in Charge at the PS for three years before transferring to Madang Technical School.   Moses trained as a teacher and he too became Teacher in Charge of a school in Lae, New Guinea.

He retired some three or four years ago and his son, also Moses Hailai, found me on Facebook and we have been corresponding for a couple of years.  Moses senior and his wife are both gone now.  Life expectancy is not great in PNG.

I have thought of returning to PNG for a visit after leaving there some 40 years ago.  If I am to do it, I should make plans soon.

Click to enlarge

Moses with hibiscus flower

A printer bargain

An Australia-wide store advertised Canon printers for $12.00 (one per customer)  I visited two branches and bought a printer at each and my daughter and husband James were out shopping so I asked them to buy me two more.  They will go with computers I give to needy people. I usually either get given printers or buy second hand ones and spend hours getting them running and buying ink cartridges. Either way is still more expensive than a $12 brand new printer.   These printer cartridges can be refilled either by yourself or exchanged for refilled cartridges at a cartridge store, much cheaper than the original/genuine cartridges.

Rebecca Baumann..Artist

A few days ago I visited the Fremantle Arts Centre to view an installation by one of my fav ex-students, Rebecca Baumann.  I confess that I am not as familiar with art in its many forms as I am with the workings of an internal combustion engine, but I did enjoy Bec’s show.

You might like to know more about Bec here.   She is world-renowned and has exhibited in quite a few countries.

   Video of part of the installation

Remembering Mike Treasure

Yesterday evening, family and friends of Michael Treasure gathered in the gardens of the University of Western Australia to dedicate a bench seat as a memorial for Mike.  His body was donated to the university medical faculty to serve the training of MDs and hopefully research into Parkinson’s disease.  Mike wanted it so.   

The bench is made from English Teak and the price included a perpetual maintenance contract.   After the dedication, the group of friends and family enjoyed some champagne, food and then a movie in the university outdoor theatre.

The University of Western Australia is this year, 100 years old.  The grounds are quite wonderful with huge trees and a variety of plants and ground cover.

Dorothy, Mike's wife; Brian and Lilli and on the right Katherine and Rick

Pliny the Elder

My niece’s husband Rick, gave me a nice Xmas present of two bottles of a California beer named Pliny the Elder. He brought it into Australia in his luggage. It is bottled in 510ml bottles and cannot be shipped outside of California; for what reason I know not.  Another difference with Pliny is that when you go to a store you can only purchase two bottles.     Pliny is 8% alcohol and maybe that is somehow restricting.    I enjoyed it.  Thanks Rick.

I will catch up with Rick tomorrow evening and find out the reasons for the two bottle only deal and why it cannot be shipped out of California.  Rick and Katherine are heading back to the U.S. on Wednesday.

If you are so inclined, you can read about this brew here.

Christmas Day

Daughter Helen and hubby James drove me ‘north of the river’ for Xmas Day at my sister-in-law Dorothy’s place for a major calorie upload.  Fab food, wine and conversation with niece Katherine and her husband Rick who are here in Western Australia visiting from San Francisco. My nephew Brian and his wife Lili rounded off a good day.

Helen was elected as Father Xmas to hand out the presents under the tree.  When I received a large package from Dorothy, I joked that I hoped it was one of her watercolours that I have always admired. Dorothy insisted I take it down off the wall and take it home. I was quite taken aback, thinking she must be a bit angry, but no, she knew I have liked it for years and now it is mine. Yeah!!

When I was dropped off home by James I was asked to come in to my neighbours’ house for a glass of French Champagne which turned into a lovely meal.  A good day!

The South of France

We spent a month in France in 2005 (?) mostly based in Agde on the med coast. Wonderful!
A couple of roadsigns on the outskirts of Beziers. Very effective.

Translation..On this road between Beziers Vias and 29 deaths since 5 years SLOW

The grandkids visit

Me with my grandkids Rosie and Ruby.

Mahatma Ghandi

I have been reading some articles about Mahatma Ghandi.  No special reason.  The world probably needs more leaders like he was.

Mahatma Ghandi’s worldly possessions at the time of his death include a watch, eating bowl and sandals.   

The wooden sandals look as though the toe holds were cotton reels.

The Mulveys visit

Had a visit from a friend, Brendan Mulvey.  We taught together at Willetton SHS. Brendan’s wife, Tracie is an exec with Chevron and based in Houston, Texas.  They are here in Western Australia for a short break over Christmas.

Brendon gets the occasional job with Chevron running Aussie classes for U.S. folk who are being transferred to work in Australia.  He tells me that there are vast differences between Oz and the U.S. and these need explaining in detail to people who are about to experience a similar, but often quite different place.

Tracie dropped Brendan off at my place and much talk over a few beers was had.  She collected him so no expensive cabs were used. He brought some expensive boutique beers, but I thought he might like a W.A. beer.    He didn’t mind it; at least that’s what he said.

Brendan and Tracie

Catching up with Tracey

During this last week I visited an ex-student of mine in her business premises. Tracey told me that she didn’t enjoy school very much and as soon as she could, left and got on with life.  Now at the age 37, she has her own business as a finance company, financial planner and a small import agency importing Chinese products. 

She has talked to school leavers at a high school in a low socio- economic area showing them that they don’t have to have a degree to be successful.

Her businesses employ 21 people and are very successful.  I was most impressed with her management style and the obvious loyalty of her staff.

We had a couple of hours reminiscing about the past, our families and future plans.

 Tracey could talk under water. 

Resurrecting a MacBook Pro

A couple of weeks ago I was offered a MacBook Pro for my giveaway project.  I gratefully accepted the gift even though the owner told me that a repair firm had deemed the Logic Board to be kaput.

When I did receive it, it was sans charger, so I charged the battery to see if  the MBP was devoid of life: pressed the startup button and it leapt into life.

I had a small moment of moral turpitude, thinking for a second, that I should not tell the donor that his machine is OK and keep it.  That thought rapidly disappeared and I emailed him suggesting that when I had done some maintenance on it that he should collect it.  He was surprised and grateful and if a few tests over this week prove that it is running well, he told me he would collect it and give me a slightly older MacBook for distribution.

PS: There is a problem with the donated laptop.  It will not always boot up and I suspect it is a problem with overheating.  I will download a piece of software to adjust the cooling fans and see what happens.

Joan's Rose

My dear Joan’s ashes enrich this rose.  I will also help when it is my time; but not just yet.  Daughter Helen is the custodian of Joan’s resting place.

Queensland Fruit Fly

I notice that my neighbour’s apricot tree has been attacked by the Queensland Fruit Fly. A newspaper article told how there have been outbreaks of QFF in suburbs near my house.  QFF had travelled to Western Australia most probably in fruit brought over by travellers.  I have fruit fly traps in my fig tree and I notice plenty of flies on my trap which look like the Queensland Fruit Fly I have seen in photographs.

Click to enlarge...

Do I approach my neighbours and ask that they remove and burn all the infected fruit?

When I was a young fella, the Department of Agriculture in this state demanded that every household bait for fruit fly and I guess it is not politic anymore for government to be so prescriptive.

122 years

I arose this morning finding myself to be 76 years of age.  How did that happen?

Daughter Helen had her 46th birthday celebration yesterday.  Her and her husband James are having people around for lunch to celebrate both our birthdays.

Chinese company to lease Port Darwin

I normally do not comment on politics or religion.

But I confess to not understanding how the Australian Federal Government is to allow the 100 year lease of Darwin harbour to a Chinese firm.  China is spreading its wings commercially and militarily.  In the last 30 years or so, China has transformed itself from an agrarian peasant state to a manufacturing giant.   I have looked for Australian made products and except for cars, most of the goods for sale emanate from the PRC.  

I recently bought a worm farm and was pleasantly surprised to see it was manufactured in Australia.  Searching the house I cannot see anything else I have bought in the last 10 years made in Australia.

Darwin port has a RAAF base alongside it and there is a U.S. presence there in the form of shipping and approximately 1500 Marines on rotation.

Dumb policy move Australia.

Tree House

My daughter Helen has a Pre-Primary class at a school near Rockingham.  She, and her enthusiastic Teachers Aid, Lyndy, decided they should enhance the school yard with a Tree House and I was recruited to build the tree house and associated mushrooms and windows. The house is not as you might imagine.  The plan is to make a door an entrance to the tree. Later will come small windows around the trunk of the tree and a small crop of mushrooms around the base of the tree.

It sounded like a good idea and I bought bits and pieces from our local hardware store to construct the tree house door and it did test my woodwork skills as my woodwork tools run to a jigsaw and hammer.  I'm more of a metal bloke.

The doorway is to be fixed to the base of a tree in the school yard and further up the tree trunk will be windows with people ( things) looking out.  

I am only the artisan in this project and I hope that what I have made will stir imagination in their pupils.

The door to the tree house

Mushroom mould. Modelling plaster to be added.

Lyndy, with yet to be painted mushrooms

Oops they turned out to be Toadstools.

With Helen our daughter

Power cable storage

With all the computers, printers etc I have received over the years I have heaps of power cables left over from machines that were not restorable.   They used to live in a large cardboard box on the workshop floor, but now the black cords have their own rack.

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A Papua New Guinea Expatriates' gathering

Four ex-Papua New Guinea expatriates got together on Sunday.  Two served in PNG as Kiaps (Patrol Officers); I taught there for ten years and the other, Mike, was with DASF (Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries).

Harvey was a Kiap and we met in the Sepik District in the early 1970s.  My Vocational Centre students completed two projects for Harvey; one an aid post and the other to dismantle a prefabricated building and move it another site and reassemble it.

Vocational centres had to be self-sufficient with materials, tools, vehicles and fuels etc.  Staff salaries and boarding school rations were the province of the administration.

Much discussion on Sunday was about different characters, successful and some not so successful.  The DASF person Mike had also moved to different stations during his time in PNG and the day was spent imbibing some (plenty of) beer (I remained sober as I was to drive Harvey’s car back to his home) and lots of ‘Do you remember so and so?  All of us agreed that we were most fortunate and proud to have been part of the the lead up to Independence with extraordinary adventures never to be had again anywhere.

The old fellas....me being the oldest at 76 this month. Click to enlarge.

Mike, me, Harvey and Garry

Huge aloe vera

A couple of photos of an aloe vera bush (tree?) I saw at a market garden a few kilometres from my place.  There is a small house behind the plant.   

Click photos to enlarge.....

This closeup shows the dangers in arriving home

PP (partially pissed) and walking into the aloe vera

Narrowband therapy heating up

I am in my fourth week of Ultraviolet Light Phototherapy-Narrowband UVB treatment. Treatment is three times a week with each session increasing in exposure time.  Yesterday’s treatment was for 5 minutes 40 seconds.  I am thinking that the end of the treatment exposure time will be 10 plus minutes.  Yesterday’s exposure time was quite warm and I figure that during the final week, it should be hot enough for me to smuggle in a nice bread roll and a hamburger patty and onions to have for the drive home.*

So far I have noticed a vast improvement in my skin and my arms at least, will soon be able to be shown to the public.  Itching has calmed down also.

* Just kidding