smile!

I've stuck up a few photos of our Sydney travels (Surry Hills and a capoeira roda in Newtown) on Facebook if you want to check them out. We're currently in Melbourne for new years adventuring... photos will be sure to follow.
More importantly, tomorrow i'm off to the MCG for the final day of the test match against Australia... where SA will (hopefully) make history and win the series! Who would have thought this possible after our dismal batting on day two? Forgive me if i have a smug grin on my face for the rest of the week!

the longest day

On Sunday I'm playing in the Longest Day Beach Ultimate Tournament on Sydney's North Narabeen beach, with some friends from Canberra. Billed as Australia's top beach tourney, I'm looking forward to it - especially the boxes of fruit that they bring in for refreshments! Beach, sun, ultimate, fruit, ocean, summer... aah.. what more could one want?
Seeing how much we enjoyed Sydney last time, Julie and I are going to make a weekend of it. We found some budget accommodation at the Quaker House in Surry Hills, so are leaving tonight. Tomorrow we will squeeze in a capoeira class with Mestre Roxinho, window shopping on the colourful Oxford street, dinner in Surry Hills and maybe some more big city excitement.
Today is also the last day of work before the Christmas break, so this is a great way to celebrate the end of the year. Woohoo!

pearls of wisdom from c&h

Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favourite cartoon strips. For me, it ranks right up there alongside the Far Side, Madam and Eve, and Zapiro. I think Calvin has a fabulous imagination, and ridicules 'adult' norms very well. Get your daily dose here.

Here are some priceless quotes for today:

Talking with you is sort of the conversational equivalent of an out-of-body experience.
~ susie to calvin

People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children.
~ calvin

Looking out for Joy

In a completely different vein to the last two posts, here's installment 2 of the Advent reflections on Joy for this week. (You can follow the whole series here.)

Oh, and i'm feeling a bit more joyful and inspired than last time. Last night i did a bit of creative writing, some quick charcoal sketches, and started to read The Little Prince again - all of which seemed to clear some of the clouds up.

Advent Reflection 2 - Looking out for Joy

Two reflective pieces to mull over as we wait with anticipation for the Joy of the world to come:

Unpredictable Joy

In the Gospel of John, Jesus sums up pretty much everything by saying, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). He said it at the supper that he knew was the last one he’d have a mouth to eat.
Happiness turns up more or less where you’d expect it to – a good marriage, a rewarding job, a pleasant vacation. Joy, on the other hand, is as notoriously unpredictable as the one who bequeaths it.
~ Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house empty
of its furniture, still,
treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
~ Rumi, The Guest House

When did Joy unexpectedly knock on your door this Advent season? Was she alone, or accompanied by some friends? (Say, perhaps sadness, or peace?) And, how did you treat these unexpected guests?

sock and awe

Play it!


My top score is 13.

size 10 shoe for Mr Bush

I know this isn't good for world peace and all, but i had to laugh at this clip of shoes being thrown at George Bush in Iraq yesterday:

Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

Notice how well he seemed to dodge them, as well as the 4 security men that pour out of the door behind him as soon as it happened. (a bit too late, i might add)

Image from the BBC

(un-joyful) advent thoughts about joy

I’ve been feeling rather uninspired and uninspiring lately. Something you may have picked up by the quality and number of posts. Quite a bad spot to be in, when you add in missing home, nostalgia about studying in the states, trying to find meaning in a new country, and some really big conversations about meaning, identity and spirituality. There seem to be some lights and the end of some of the tunnels, and I’ll let you in on them when I know what they are!

There’s also cool news about jobs for next year, furniture at home, and some pictures of our second Sydney adventure. When/if I get to them. Oh, and my garden now has some green tomatoes, capsicums and strawberries. No signs yet of any melons, and the rocket has aphids. There are pictures of them too (the garden, not the aphids), that I’ve been meaning to put up, but like I said, haven’t had a substantial amount of motivation or inspiration to get it done.

Deadlines and external pressure help in that regard. So I do have one piece of creativity that I can show for the last while - a reflection on Joy for Advent. I was asked to write 3 pieces for this week for a church. Quite an interesting task, since Joy is not up there with the many emotions running around in me head.

But I tried. Here’s the first piece… a bit cerebral and cynical, with some big words thrown in to show off, but true to where I am. Something to read if you are looking for an un-joyful Advent reflection on joy. (Hey, you never know what arb things people are looking for these days) ;)


Advent Reflection 1 - ‘Defining’ Joy

I’m not usually a supporter of ‘dialectic definitions’. Actually, I don’t really know if there is such a thing as a ‘dialectic definition’, but let’s pretend there is. What I mean, is that I don’t usually buy sayings such as, ‘you can only know peace if you have seen war’, or ‘only real sinners understand grace’ etc. The implication is that an emotion or state can only really be known once you have experienced its opposite or absence. For me, this type of reasoning seems too negative and dualistic.

However, this advent, my ‘rule’ seems to have met its exception in Joy.

I’ve been trying to ‘describe’ joy, and found that it is rather hard. The fabric or texture of joy is rather elusive. You either know what joy is, or you don’t. It’s not a propositional truth - something you can explain - but rather an experiential or relational truth – something you must experience. Hence my struggle in trying to reflect on Joy using words.

The only way I can come close to grasping the real texture of joy, is to place it alongside two other strong and complimentary emotions (themselves also rather hard to explain). So, let us begin our reflection on Joy this week by holding it alongside Sadness and Peace.

Although you would think Sadness is the opposite of Joy, it isn’t really. In a strange way, in times of despair the only thing that allows us to truly mourn, and still come out the other side, is that sliver of joy that seems to be hiding patiently, graciously, just below the surface of our lives. In my life, my saddest moments have often been a precursor to a renewed understanding of true joy and life.

When I rise up, let me rise up joyful, like a bird

When I fall, let me fall without regret, like a leaf.

~Wendell Berry, Let Me Rise

For his anger is but for a moment, his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

~ David (?), Psalm 30

And then there is Peace. Peace is far more restful, controlled, and safe than exuberant, wild-partying Joy, but yet, there’s a common texture to the two:

Joy is Peace at play,

And Peace is Joy at rest

~ Anne Lamott, Travelling Mercies

Joy. It’s not the opposite of sadness, nor equal to peace, but it’s somewhere in there. It is an other-worldy state that can’t be drowned by sadness, nor quietened by peace.
Perhaps, like any real emotion associated with the mystery of advent, it is actually just grace by another name.

the positivity of kakness*

This is beautiful!

I know you are not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but if there is one book I’ll buy based on the title alone, it is this one:
Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Kak?
The Whinger's Guide to South Africa - from AA to JZ

The co-author, Tim Richman, has just released a sequel, Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Still Kak? More than that though, he’s written an interesting post for SA Good News, on finding a way through the polar opposites of blind optimism and distrustful pessimism. If you are a South African concerned and/or hopeful about the country’s future, I’d suggest you read the short article. Here are some good extracts:

Grumpy, angry, annoyed, aggravated, disappointed, dismayed, irritated, irate, incensed, infuriated, indignant, outraged, ticked off, hacked off, pissed off - guilty as charged. When I'm stuck in traffic, standing in queues, dealing with my bank, listening to hold music, listening to Julius Malema, then I'm all of these things and more. (Who isn't? And what medication are they on?) But I'm also a generally positive guy who loves South Africa and celebrates the fact that he can call it home…

"If you scratch a cynic you find a disappointed idealist."

Cynicism has its localised appeal, there's no denying it. It can be humorous and even insightful, and when dealing with certain elements of life - advertising, estate agents, Telkom - a cynical approach is possibly the only way to stay sane. But people who live their lives as daily distrustful pessimists, always predicting the worst, are ultimately insufferable. Not to mention boring.

"Utopia" does not exist…(The word, invented by Thomas More in 1516, comes from Greek and literally means "not a place".)

So you can call me a realistic skeptic. Or a skeptical realist. Take your pick. It boils down to this: while I hope for the best, I also plan for the worst - which means I genuinely believe that our country has every chance of a bright future ahead but I'm not overly disappointed when the rand drops through the floor or Malema says something particularly stupid or the Scorpions are finally disbanded.

One thing's for sure: there isn't much humour at those outer ends of the scale, and at times like these you're going to struggle to survive if you can't see the lighter side of things.

You can find more info on the books from the publishers TwoDogs who print ‘South African books worth reading.’ They also have quite an interesting selection of books, including another catchy title: Why I’ll Never Live in Aus Again.

[*for the non-Saffers reading this, 'kak' is an afrikaans word used widely by english speaking South Africans. It's literal afrikaans meaning is 'sh*t', but when used by english people it approximates to a milder expletive, similar to 'crap', but with more emotion. (Isn't it funny how other languages feel free to use words that, in the original language, wouldn't be acceptable?)]

the Ultimate YMCA national convention

I back on the Frisbee pulpit again this weekend.
(I'm assuming that to mean that my previous 'sermon' went down well.)
Australia's YMCA are having their National Convention in Canberra this weekend, including a multi-faith experience/service on Sunday morning. As the convention’s theme is ‘Active and Involved’, Gordon (who seems himself to be active and involved everywhere) thought it would be good to have a Frisbee ‘stall’ alongside the Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
So, after the Aboriginal smoking ceremony, and a welcome by Julia Gillard (deputy Prime Minister of Aus), delegates can pick two of the five ‘experiences’ to attend for this multi-faith service: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Ultimate Frisbee!

Here’s my little blurb for the flyer:

Active and Involved – Ultimate Frisbee
Frisbee: (friz-bee) n. archaic – ancient fertility ritual involving graceful movements and the symbolic passing of a upturned round bowl. Accompanied by negotiations over alleged infringements or errors. Long abandoned by civilised societies.

“We used to say that Frisbee is really a religion - 'Frisbeeterians,' we'd call ourselves. When we die, we don't go to purgatory, we just land up on the roof and lie there” Ed Headrick, inventor of the Frisbee.

Ultimate Frisbee is not really a faith, but it is followed and played with as much devotion as if it were. Learn about the ‘spirit of the game’, how to play, and why it’s a great devotion to have. Perfect for being ‘active and involved.’


I’m interested to see who chooses the ‘Ultimate path to enlightenment’! ;) If you want to, we’re at the National Convention Centre in Civic spreading the good news of frisbee. The program starts at 9:00 this Sunday.

becoming myself

A succinct Hasidic tale for monday:

Rabbi Zusya, when he was an old man, said, “In the coming world, they will not
ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?’ They will ask me: ‘Why were you not Zusya?’”

saving lives

The Journey
Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems

source: Inward/outward

Party-animal god

And, here's the week's third and final piece on Joy for my advent reflections.
Party time!

Advent reflection 3 - A God of Joy

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
~ Romans 14:17

Of all the adjectives used to describe the kingdom of God, I’m rather surprised at the choice of Joy. Somehow my childhood images of angels playing harps on fluffy clouds, doesn’t really seem like Party Central. Wasn’t the joke that the party was always downstairs with the devil and all the good music?

Thankfully, the image of God as an old, boring, stern white man does not find any support in Scripture. In contrast, the God of the Israelites is a God who is full of Joy. We may even go as far to say that this God is a party animal God! It follows then that God’s reign/kingdom would be full of Joy.

What would be the overarching description that you would give you your experience of God’s reign? I hope that Joy is in there somewhere amongst the adjectives.

Let us reflect some more extent of this Joyfulness, and the celebratory God we serve:

In the Jewish Scriptures, where the notion of ‘the kingdom of God’ finds it’s roots, the Lord mandates 46 different festivals and parties for Israel in their year. That’s almost party a week!

In just the first 5 books (the Torah) of the Jewish Bible, God institutes 7 sacred festivals. What’s more, three were considered as ‘major feasts’: the Feast of Passover (Pesach), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

These are often called ‘pilgrim feasts’ because all adult males were required to travel to the sanctuary to take part (Deuteronomy 16:16). There’s no VIP list, or ‘by invite only’ in this Kingdom. Everyone is invited, even mandated, to come to the party.

What’s more, if 7 days of partying wasn’t enough, when the 7 day Tabernacles festival ended, there was one more day of partying to celebrate the fact they had just had a week long celebration! Phew! It was called the Last Great Day, the 8th, an extra day of assembly. No work was permitted on this day and the people once again gathered at the Tabernacle to join their Joyful God.

This advent, whether your waiting is sad, nostalgic, peaceful, or at ease, may it lead you closer to the Joy of the promise of advent, when we can once more party and sing:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing.

my alternative sports wishlist

If, for some obscure reason, i was unable to play ultimate frisbee anymore, I have a mental list of a few other alternative sports I'd like to try my hand at:

parkour
adventure racing
moutain biking
rock climbing (my last climb was 3 years ago)

Capoeria is not on the list, as I'm already doing it. Extreme ironing never really excited me. Sports involving being underwater, or in the sky, seem to scare me. [Kudos therefore to my braver friends: Lu-dogg who has recently taken up kite-surfing, Nic who is a very experienced sky diver, and Dan the scuba man]

Anyway, I've just discovered a new sport that has some potential: Extreme kayaking.
Take a look at this BBC report of some clowns brave people who kayaked down a 300ft dam wall.

Phenomenal or phenomenally stupid? Here's the BBC's full picture and caption:

James Davies captured this image of extreme kayaking
at Llyn Brianne reservoir in Carmarthenshire. The activity
over the 300ft overspill has been condemned by Welsh Water,
which has threatened action. Photo: James Davies Photography, Swansea

Any other alternative sports out there that you have tried/want to try?
[rhetorical question to my non-existent blog readers ;)]

Images from the BBC/James Davies

travel advisory

Quantas had a 2-for-1 deal on international flights yesterday, so Julie and I scooped up tickets home for half price. Hooray! We’ll be visiting for 3 weeks over Easter next year, and be back in Australia-land just in time for Aus Nationals in Perth. Unfortunately it does mean I’ll miss New Zealand Nationals in early April, but sometimes Frisbee has to take the back seat for family and friends!

I’m already looking forward to the visit. We’re going to be in Jozi, Durbs and Cape Town, so as to see all our friends that we miss so much. If you are in either of the cities, please pencil the dates in your diary (28Mar-18April).

Hooray

He won!
Watching the news unfold at the Australian Labor Party's HQ with colleagues. McCain has just conceded graciously, now we're waiting for Barack to speak in Chicago.
Needless to say, we haven't done much work today (luckily most of the bosses were out).

For a laugh, Moby had a rather humorous post recently wondering where right-wing Republicans could emigrate to if Obama won. He concludes that Oklahoma, Iran or Saudi Arabia seems the only solace for them.

Quote of the day

"you can't fire cruise missiles at the global final crisis."

NY Times' Op-ed columnist Nicolas Kristof explaining how the US can use Obama to rebrand itself and restore it's international reputation. "That’s not because we crave admiration, but because cooperation is essential to address 21st-century challenges; you can’t fire cruise missiles at the global financial crisis."

Well said sir.

Article here: Rebranding the US with Obama.

BrisVegas here i come!

Tomorrow at 6am I, and 44 other Kaboom compadres, make our way from the ACT up to the fabulous BrisVegas for the 2008 Australian Ultimate Mixed Nationals tournament. 24 teams from around the country, 3 days of competition, 3 games per day... and a casino themed party on Sunday night - should be a really good time!

Canberra is sending 3 teams along to mixed nats... pretty good going for a small city. I managed to make it into the Kaboom A team - playing alongside some very talented folks. Follow the news on the mixed nats site, or look for a report on our blog. And, if you are in Brisbane (what are the chances!) look out for us in our smashing yellow shirts:BTW - I've no idea why Brisbane is fondly called BrisVegas. Canberran's don't have much idea either. Someone told me that it may be because there are a lot of neon lights in the city. I'll have a look and tell you.

Oh, and i'm also going to meet up with a high school friend of mine - Jimmy Nixon - who moved to Brisbane 8 years ago. Should be good to see what he's up to.

still streaming...

...a few more mini-streams and updates that come to mind... with pictures!

Capoeira
Julie and i started capoeira a few weeks ago, here at the ANU gym. It's great fun, and reminds me a lot of my 2 years dancing at the state theatre in Pretoria, and primary school gymnastics. It's a kind of mix between dance, martial art and music. Very tiring and enjoyable. Look it up on YouTube.

Kubb & Ben Boyd
Last month we went camping down to the coast with some friends. It was Sally's 30th, and about 15 folks trekked 4 hours to Ben Boyd National Park, just outside of Eden. It is a beautiful coastline, and i hope to get down there again soon. It was also so good to be out in a tent again. We ate, hiked, spoke, slept and played Mafia around the campfire. Good times, good times. Sally's brother in law is German, and he brought along his Kubb set. The game is a bit like pétanque, but with a bit more strategy. Maybe pétanque cross chess. We played it on Sunday morning before leaving, and i seemed to do rather well! Now to make my own set and teach my friends.

a breathtaking view of 'disaster bay' at Ben Boyd
looking out to Antarctica

Affluenza
I realised last week that the new guy in the ACC&C office is actually rather famous. I knew his name was Clive Hamilton and he was from CAPPE, but didn't know he was the Clive Hamilton of Affluenza fame. Next time he's in his office I'll have to have a chat and hear his story. I like what he writes.

Gardening
Canberra seems to come alive in Spring. The city looks fuller and greener when the weather warms up, daylight savings kicks in, and you can enjoy the long evenings outside. The spring feel also seems to get people into their gardens. We don't have a garden, but that didn't deter me from spending Saturday planting some seedlings on the patio. The garden will still develop, but for now i'm happy with my tomatoes, rocket (arugula), yellow capsicums, basil (in an old frying pan) , celery and carrots. I also plucked a few cuttings, a small oak tree, and some bulbs. I'll try to keep them alive until we have a place with a garden. Here is a pic or two:

rocket pot and basil frying

Floriade
Another neat thing about springtime in Canberra is Floriade - a display of over 1 million bulbs and tulips. Breathtaking colours! We visited 2 weeks ago - it was quite a sight. Take a look at this flowery goodness (click to enlarge):


Wheels
(this stream is very outdated, but still worth mentioning)

3 months ago Julie and i went shopping. After successful negotiations and test drives etc, she has four wheels and I have two wheels.

Julie's transport is a '04 Mazda2 Maxx, with really low kms, 1.5l, 5speed automatic and CD changer. We looked at a lot of old Subaru station wagons, but in the end chose something newer, lighter on fuel and less maintenance risks. I hadn't really noticed the Mazda 2 before, but now i see them everywhere. It is neat little car that is very spacious inside. It's in the same fold as the Honda Jazz, Toyota Echo/Yaris, Hyundai Getz etc and often reviews as best in its class.

My transport is a second hand road bike that i got from a frisbee guy here. Although not as retro and character-full as my previous bike, it does the job just fine. Canberra has the highest proportion of population in Australia that cycle to work, and extensive cycle paths and lanes throughout the city. Law here requires helmets, and front and back lights fitted on each bicycle, so in addition to the actual bike ($150) I spent almost double that on 'extras' (lights, helmet, lock, pump, puncture kit, pannier bag ... the list goes on). I'm almost fully kitted out for the daily (25min) commute to work.
As always, once i'm more financially settled, i still hope to get a fixie, and a mountain bike - there are great off road tracks in the mountains hills around Canberra.



So, things are developing rather well here in Canberra. We seem to be meeting people, making friends, learning new things etc etc. Still miss home and my family and friends there, but i'm trying to be as present as possible here in Aus-land.

streams of conscience

13 october 2008
streams of conscience/
stream of consciousness

Blah
I’m at home. Sick. On the couch. It’s windy and overcast outside. My body mimics the conditions inside. So I’ll take a break from work for a day (it was only a half-day in any case) and sleep, recoup and maybe write something. I felt it coming on for the last 3 days - a dry cough, general dis-ease and a need to relax. As always its timing couldn’t be worse - I’m off to Brisbane on Saturday for mixed nats.

Borndays
It was my birthday last week. Julie says Bornday. It was a good day. On my way to work I passed some cyclists on the cycle path. One of them said “Good morning Gareth.” It was Jess, a frisbee friend, who recognised me as we sped past each other. Starting to feel like I belong a bit more here in Canberra.

At work over lunch I was asked how old I was.
‘26’ was my reply.
Boss Barry recalled where he was at 26, and was frightened at the recollection.
‘I wish I was as wise as you when I was 26’ he remarked.
What a graceful statement. Hmm… yes. Thank you.

Again, at frisbee training that night, I was seen. Larissa saw my birthday on the afda website and brought honey cakes and rum balls for after training. I don’t like being the centre of attention. I like being the centre of attention.

Internet grace
Facebook is not something I’ve spent much time on lately, but last week I was thankful for it, and the way it reminds me of my full life. Friday morning I read through my facebook happy birthday messages. From close friends and distant faces.
Thank you, thank you.

Skype joined in on the internet birthday grace on Thursday. I spoke to 5 of my 6 family members. Parents and sisters are all well in Jo’burg. Mom sold 5 paintings at a recent figure studies exhibition in Melville. There were a few hundred people at the opening. And as a naked man.

[Naked man
‘There’s a naked man here!’ Tash shrieked to my parents.
He was naked, and clothed.
He had been body-painted. Tiger stripes on his upper body. Grass over his belly button. Olive green legs. Some men were shocked. A (conservative?) Afrikaans man captured it perfectly:
‘Daar’s a tier in die kamer, en ‘n slang in die gras’
‘There’s a tiger in the room and a snake in the grass’

I laughed!
I finished working at Fox Antiques on Friday. Having our beer at 5 after work we spoke of nakedness again. Barry sharing stories of co-ed saunas in Holland, topless beaches in Germany and Australian prudishness]

Family (ctnd)
Bronwen got a new job teaching reception class. Vicki is waiting for Uni to start. Jane is in Cape Town getting ready to lead a DTS. Dad told me that derth is spelled with an ‘a’. Dearth. I laughed.
I hung up with them at 11pm, warmed by the conversation. As if by grace Matthew came online from London, so we spoke for almost an hour.

Mat
is almost finished his London adventure. Told stories of Slovenia, poker and my aunt. I said he must add the Lake Districts to his Scotland trip in a few weeks. I miss him. There’s a photo of him and Gra mooning the camera, jumping into some lake in Slovenia!

Blogging
is rather taxing on me. I find myself thinking about what I should write, the opening line that will draw people in, and show off my deft use of language. As with many of my well intentioned ideas, I never get around to it. I have 5 unfinished posts in my drafts folder. If I wait long enough they will be so outdated that I’ll delete them. And delete the minutes they filled up running around in my head. For nothing. Making me agitated.

But then, sometimes, I’m sick in bed, and I write. Freely. Mostly.
I still try to show off (is any writing completely devoid of ego?).
I still censor. That’s okay. I’ll keep trying.

Julie
is beautiful.
Studying for her UNISA exam today. She’s next to me on the couch:

‘G. Guess what’
‘What?’
‘Women work 65% of the world's working hours. And guess how much of the worlds salaries they get paid?’
‘20%?’
‘No, 10%
And they own less than 1% of the worlds assets.’

The exam is on Theological Ethics: Human rights, values and social transformation. At the SA High Commission at 2 today. It’s a big white Cape-Dutch style house near to Parliament here in Canberra. I’ve been there once. They weren’t very helpful.

stream of consciousness
and conscience
to get out all the half-post I’ve been thinking about over the last weeks. I should try it again.

What else is there to say?
started a garden
got a black eye from a frisbee
got some good wine from Adrian & dad
saw Utopia: the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye yesterday. Profound artist and messenger. What is the message?

This week
No more Fox antiques. 3 days with the ALP IP, 2 days with the ACC&C. Make that 1 day with the ACC&C - today I’m off sick.
I stopped working at Fox on Friday. The ALP wanted more days from me, and the work was too tiring.

I’ll miss:
the sweet smell of the wax we polish the antiques with,
the casual banter in the workroom,
the lunches out on the pavement in the sun opposite the Belgian Beer place.
I won’t miss:
the dirty dish-clothes
the heavy lifting.

Global economic crisis.
Crap.
I’ve not paid it much attention. (still have to study my Masters of Development Economics)
But I read this article today. It helped to outline what’s going on, and why this could well be the end of the current economic system as we know it. That’s a good thing - in my mind. However, as usual, the poor will feel it first and worst.

One last stream:

Clergy Gentrification
(what!?)
I heard about it at last weeks’ conference. Which went very well by the way. Maybe I’ll write about it. Or, more likely, I’ll plan to write about it. Work out some sentences, and then not write.
Back to the clergy and how they are like buildings.
Clergy are well educated, get a salary, their children then go to school, go to university and get an office job. After a generation or two you have a wealthy, educated clergy of and for the bourgeoisie, the status quo, those in power… with no connection to the working class any more.

Just a thought.

That’s maybe why liberation theology (take the text back to the poor and let them interpret it) and feminist theology (reading from the margins and the underside) make sense to me. Me - someone with no natural connection to the working class, though trying to follow/understand a Jesus of the poor?

End

I
am okay.
and happy.
and am not a poet.
(yet?)

Thankful for all the streams that have made, fed and changed me.
Got to take Julie to the High Com to write.
Okay bye.

okay

As the recent derth of postings shows, I've been rather busy elsewhere. But fret you not (those of you who fret) - i'm okay, doing my ususal things: Canberra has warmed up, the forest of blossoms have become green with leaves, i wore shorts for the first time in 3 months, cycling to work is energising, frisbee training on Thursdays, going to poetry slams with friends, reading a good book etc etc.
The most pressing thing is the ACC&C conference which starts tomorrow, but this seems well under control. That ends on Sunday, then i've got a 1 day ultimate tourney in Sydney on Monday. After I resurface from all that excitement i'll put up some updates, pictures and general ramblings and musings. It is my birthday month after all, so i've got to get this state/stage back in action!
toodles...
G

when faith and frisbee meet (and other high flying stories)

Things have been really busy here, with 3 jobs, Frisbee practices and a few weekend trips out of Canberra. I've still got some admin to do, and some pics to post here (of Sydney, camping at the coast, life etc) but thought I'd share a few frisbee stories quickly:

1. Last week my indoor ultimate team (the giant dwarfs) won the Indoor Winter League in Canberra. We were unbeaten in the 12 league games over the last 2 months, and on Wednesday won our semi game, and the final. It was a great re-entry to competitive ultimate, and a great way to meet new folks in Canberra. We finished with a beer at All-Bar-Nun in O'Connor, just up the road from our house, to celebrate.

2. Yesterday I booked tickets to Brisbane! Mixed nationals is there on October 18-20, and I'm part of the Kaboom team from Canberra. I'm excited about playing at this level, seeing a new city, and training with the Canberra folks. I'm not sure what to expect, but we do have about 5 people who went to worlds, so we should do rather well.

3. And lastly, the headline story:

On Sunday i spoke/preached at Kippax. Gordon is a clever man, and knew that one of the few ways to get me back into a pulpit would be to ask me to speak about Ultimate. So that's what i did. They are having a series on 'What are you passionate about', and as Ultimate really is something that grounds/energises/fulfills me, i was asked to tell the congregation about it. Not having been in a pulpit for about 6 or so months, this was a real mind-bender. Was it a Sunday sermon, or a frisbee development clinic talk? It was really different not to be standing there daring to speak God's word, but yet to still be talking about 'good news', and something that i take part in religiously.

Anyway, i think it went rather well. Many of the listeners were over 50, and i guess won't be taking up the sport tomorrow. However, I did ask them what it was that made them tick, and managed to squeeze in an explanation of Examen prayer in too. After explaining what Ultimate was, I expanded on why i thought Ultimate was such a life-giving thing for me. I found 3 reasons:

i - it is a sport: It gets me out of my head, into my body. As wise man Barry quotes: 'The 3 most important spiritual questions you can ask are, 'How am i eating, how am i sleeping & am i exercising regularly?'" With Ultimate at least one of those can be answered in the affirmative.

ii - it is a team sport: the 'Ultimate community' is a great inclusive, accepting, affirming bunch of people, and a wonderful breath of irreverent fresh air at times.

iii - it's not just any sport: although 'sport' and 'community' can cover a wide range of life-giving activities, there is something special about Ultimate that sets it apart from all other sports. And... that is its philosophy of "the Spirit of the Game." Read about it here and here and see for yourself. Just fabulous.

So, that was my frisbee sermon. To round it off, here's a quote from Ed Headrick, the inventor of the Frisbee:

We used to say that Frisbee is really a religion - 'Frisbeeterians,' we'd call ourselves. When we die, we don't go to purgatory, we just land up on the roof and lie there.

haha! I know, i'm an unashamed frisbee addict (and evangelist). But it is such good news, and so life-giving, that i'm excited to tell others.

my workplace diversity (religion,politics&woodwork)

For the last two months I’ve been filling out job application essays, and have often come across the terms ‘workplace diversity’ and ‘participative management practices’. Once I worked out what they were, I had to think up ways to prove to the recruitment people that I practiced/believed in/followed these cool terms. Thankfully, I don’t have to do any more proving, as I’m employed! Hooray. And… what’s more – I didn’t just find one job, but three! I’m workplace diversity all in one!

These three jobs are all tasters/testers for now, and I guess I’ll have to pick one sometime, but for now I rather enjoy the variety and exposures. So, here then is what keeps me busy during the week in Canberra:

First up (monday & tuesday): Religion with the ACC&C
(Am I taking Jesus’ words ‘seek first the kingdom’ too literally here?) ;)

It’s a big title, but as the Global Network for Public Theology Officer, basically all I’m doing is organising a conference (something I’ve done before). My employer is the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, where I work with Julia Pitman and James Haire. Julia is of the opinion that James is the top theologian in Australian. I don’t know too many theologians yet to make that call, but the impromptu lectionary commentary and exegesis we get each week at staff meetings is phenomenal. It’s really hard not to want to record all that he says!
Anyway, back to work – the conference I’m organising is in October, and entitled: The Christian Mission in the Public Sphere. It’s a mixture of public theology and mission studies – both areas of interest to me. And, would you guess, the keynote speaker is Prof Nico Koopman from Stellenbosch! He was on the board of the SACC Parliamentary Office in Cape Town where I worked last year, and is the chair of the Beyers Naude Centre for Public Theology! It’s a small world! The actual conference logistics aren’t that exciting, but the papers seems promising, and the contacts valuable. (Oh, and the centre where I work is on a beautiful site overlooking lake Burley Griffin, with a labyrinth and a Bible Garden and outdoor chapel!)

Moving on to the secular (wednesday): Politics with the ALP IP

I’ve just started one day a week working with the Australian Labor Party (the folks in power) in their International Projects office. Development work is really big here in Canberra, and something that I looked into quite a bit when I arrived. All the development work here in Aus is focused on South East Asia (an area I know nothing about), but I’m keen to learn and see where it takes me. So I work with the director Michael Morgan and help out where I can. As funds become available, and the work increases, this job may expand. The IP office has a $1 million a year democracy building program in SE Asia, as well as historic links to the ANC and trade unions in South Africa (not to mention close ties with the UK Labor, and the Democrats in the US). A good place to be I think!

And to round the week off (thurs&fri), a bit of manual labour: Woodwork with Fox Antiques

When I was in SA I googled a few job pages in Canberra and saw an advert for an Antique Furniture restorer at Fox Antiques. I didn’t apply for the job, but kept the idea in my mind. After a failed attempt at being a waiter at a restaurant, I thought that if I were to do some low paying physical task, it may be in an area that I enjoy (I was top woodwork student at high school, and have done some restoring as a hobby) So I went to see the folks at Fox and asked to work, It’s been 3 weeks so far, and I’ve enjoyed every day. The pay ain't great, my hands are really dirty, and there’s a lot of heavy lifting, but it’s not every day that one gets to play around with 19th century French antiques. I’m learning a whole bunch, and getting my hands dirty with beautiful woodwork. And, on Friday after work we all have a beer (corporate bonding) and a chat. It’s not theology or politics, but good old labourer conversations!

So... that's what keeps me busy.
Add to this mix Frisbee 3 times a week, and I’m a full and happy man. Just have to find time to garden and read (and maybe blog)! This full-ness is probably not sustainable, so after the conference in October, I’ll have a look and choose one of these jobs. Or perhaps something else – I’m talking to a local Uniting church about a community faith development position that seems very exciting. So, that’s my diverse workplace. And I’m very thankful for it.

SA at Worlds - follow the action

"Worlds" has been on this week, and the SA team have been giving it all against some stiff opposition. They lost their crucial match against Italy today which means they didn't make it to the top bracket. Tough luck guys. There are still 4 games remaining, so follow the division schedule, and SA's stats, on the World's website. However, for the real story (with pictures), be sure to read Steve (and others') great commentary on the SA blog.
Good luck for the next stage of the tournament team! (and kudos to Mike Weston for what sounds like an awesome layout score against the Swiss on Sunday. Wish i could have seen it!)

It's snowtime!

One of the things i really wasn't expecting to find here in Australia-land was ... wait for it... SNOW! I mean, come on! Isn't it a just big desert island with some beaches and good sportspeople? Apparently not. Canberra is actually in an area with a inverting snowline (I'm not really sure what that is... some garden survey guy told me on monday), and gets snow every couple of years. It hasn't snowed in the city yet, but with these freezing cold temperatures, it sure it trying hard. Canberra is also a mere 2 hour drive from the highest hill mountain in the country, which incidentally is also home to the best ski-slopes in the country.
Last weekend there were record snow dumps in the Snowy Mountains, so we joined the Rathbones and headed out to Thredbo to see for ourselves. Julie's three younger cousins (Dayne, Luke & Rory) went really early and spent the day snowboarding, while the rest of us caught a ski-lift up the mountain to see the view and grab some tasty food and Lindt hot chocolate. Jules and i spent a bit of time out in the snow, before retreating back into the restaurant to eat. I'm still trying to get my head around the alpine-like town in the middle of Australia! Just to prove i'm not fabricating the whole story, here is the evidence:

Me, Julie, 'Uncle' Alan,Clyde & 'Aunty' Glynis at Merrit's Chairlift

one of the slopes

idyllic!

Snow in Australia? Who would have thought. Our next little adventure is a weekend trip out to the newly discovered Egyptian pyramids in the Outback (200 miles south of Darwin). Pyramids? Who would have thought!

Canberra style

Don't be fooled... though it may seem small and boring and full of public servants... under the skin Canberra's got style. Just ask Nina or Canberrablog.

It's rather different from the South African (street) style, but difference is good. I look forward to unearthing some of the more edgy and arty sides to this little city as i settle in (and when the weather warms up).

Some good frisbee news

After the sad frisbee news of missing worlds and nursing my ankle, here's some good news. Last night the indoor winter league started here in Canberra. I signed up a while back, and thought i'd give it a try. I haven't run or played frisbee in two months, and was wary as to how my ankle would perform. I bandaged it up nicely, put on an aircast, and it held up surprisingly well. There were a whole bunch of aspects that contributed to a smooth return to my favourite pastime: the court we played on at the AIS was a sprung floor, i was able to wear cushioned shoes, the games were only 30 mins long, and the small court means less running. I came home really energised from the run around, and from meeting cool new frisbee folks - a great change from the boring job applications that usually colour my day.

(PS> The Canberra Ultimate crowd are running some frisbee development clinics on Monday nights from next week... i know about 8 people in this city, and have convinced 4 to come along! What a frisbee-evangelist i am.
PPS> Julie has expressed an interest to come along. I've told her that i love her just as she is - ultimate player or not- but she, of her own volition, wants to learn and play too! Hooray!)

ACT update... with pictures!

Yes, this one even comes with pictures!

So, we’ve been here a month, and are starting to get vaguely settled. Apart from the freezing cold, things are falling into place. We moved into our flat a week ago, and my dream of house-husband is almost realised! Without a job (yet) I’m cooking, cleaning and decorating. If only there was a garden! With a few garage sales, and some of Julie’s aunt’s surplus furniture, we’ve managed to scratch together reasonable furnishings. My favourite are 4 delightful old suitcases we picked up from a church, and use as storage and decoration:
The block we're in is old, but the unit itself is really nice, and has been recently redone. I especially like the kitchen sink, and cabinets with downlights in them. The light helps to accentuate my great Edward Monkton mug that my brother sent to me from London! Thanks Matt! ;)

our only plant, the kitchen, and my mug and classy wine glass

We’ve made some friends with the Quakers (we stay two houses down from the meeting house), and we've also met quite a few SA folks who came here in the 70’s and 80’s in exile. It’s been refreshing to hear their stories, and have people who understand where we come from. Most of the people here are civil servants, or linked to the University. I’ve begun to network some with people from the Uniting Church, as well as some developmental agencies. I was wandering around ANU last week, and looked around their courses. I’m quite interested in their Masters in Developmental and International Economics, and may try to get one of those while I’m here ;) During my wanderings I carried on through the campus to the National Museum of Australia - a rather impressive building on Lake Burley Griffin where you can see Civic (the city) and Parliament over the water.

a collage of abstract museum shots

the city, ainslie hill, and the commonwealth bridge over Lake Burley Griffin

I am enjoying the relative peace and security here - being able to walk around at night, and not worrying about hijackings when you stop at traffic lights! Sometimes I do wonder if I’ll get ‘soft’ though. I have met quite a few ‘activists’ who are saying and doing things about social justice, but in a sense it’s just not the same if you are not living with the injustices in your face. Mind you, the ‘grass-is-greener’ saying is not true, there are problems and dis-eases here in Aus too. Our flat has an alarm system, and the council houses are known for crime and drugs. From a surface level, the problems may seem petty, but there are big issues to deal with: youth suicides in the rural areas, shocking history with the natives, big environmentally un-friendliness etc. So, there are some dangers, plenty of work, and quite a lot to learn from the people here.

Oh, I’ve also met a Dutch Reformed minister from Stellenbosch here, and have really enjoyed chatting to him about Canberra, South Africa, theology and life. He followed his wife here 5 years ago, and then found a Uniting Church to minister at. He has a PhD from Holland, and a good take on the city. He’s been very encouraging about me finding a position in the church here. My question now is to discern whether that is the work i want to do just now.

sad frisbee news...

It’s about time I let my blog in on some sad news… After nationals I was chosen as part of the SA team to go to Worlds in Vancouver in August. Worlds! Like where all the best ultimate players in the world go. I started training and strategising and all. BUT, in my last game in Cape Town, I hurt my ankle rather badly (read: torn ligament). Pants! I had hoped that I would recover in a few weeks, but it’s been 6 and I still can’t run properly. So, last week I had to call the captains and cancel. Big downer.
There’s not much I can do about it, but I would have given my left ankle to play at Worlds. Quite a few of the players all started playing with me about 4 years ago, and I would have loved to play alongside them. All I can do now is wish them luck, and make sure I fix my ankle and play in all the tournaments I can here in Aus. Hopefully I’ll stay in shape and in 4 years time I’ll still be good enough for the SA team. That is debatable though, as there are some really skilled young players coming up through the LoveLife program and schools’ leagues. Good news for SA ultimate, but bad news for (what will be) and old fogey like me in 4 years time. We shall see!
Good luck to the rest of the team… they leave in under a month for Canada.

American Incongruity

"The earth, reeling as it is, produces more than enough food to feed plentifully every man, woman and child on the planet. There is enough food; yet, our economic system produces murderous scarcity. A few have more than they can consume, so much that garbage disposal is a critical problem; while millions perish in sight of plenty. One nation, containing a tiny fraction of the earth's population (the majority of whom think of themselves as Christians), consumes half the earth's resources, yet it still manages not to feed its own hungry."

Theodore Jennings, Jr. - Good News to the Poor

bungendore...

Glynis (Julie's aunt) took us to Bungendore yesterday. It's a little farming/artist town 40 minutes out of Canberra. It also has a fun name, that rolls off the tongue rhythmically. It reminded Julie of Howick, and reminded me of Dullstroom. Quaint little red brick houses, antiques, brick-a-brack, art and good food. All rather scenic and picturesque and all. Everybody seemed to be enjoying it, from the bikers on their breakfast run to the elderlies on their community outing. We even enjoyed it! We saw some fantastic wood sculptures at Bungendore Woodworks, and mesmerising aboriginal art at a beautiful old house. The aboriginal story is something we are trying to learn more about. How's this painting:
Here's the local hotel and a bookstore:
And here's the road on the way to Bungendore. After a few hills and eucalyptus forests (no Koala Bears unfortunately), you come out into this pastoral scene. Very similar to SA scenes.

soul food

Here's some more thoughtful poetry that's been sitting with me for a while... 'cause it's good for the soul.
Mull over them, ruminate on them, sit, listen and enjoy.

Rumi
Too Full to Talk About

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other'
doesn't make any sense.

The Enlightened Heart, an Anthology of Sacred Poetry

Mary Oliver
Wild and Precious

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

The Summer Day

As always, the pertinent poets come from inward/outward.

the (new) state of gareth...

... is now in ACT.
(Australian Capital Territories, that is. Technically its a Territory, and not a state, but who's being technical?)

Julie and I arrived here two weeks ago. It all happened so fast, so i guess i can back-track some:

The Canberra Journals #1: The prologue
We were exploring working overseas for a bit, tried Seattle, went and got jobs, but the not-so-friendly Dept of Homeland Security wouldn't play along when it came to Jules' visa. So, in the midst of our despair, Julie's cousin (a famous/infamous rugby player) happened to give her a call. "Hey Cuz, we've been looking for someone for our company, the Aussies are not good enough, and we want YOU!" he said, sounding a lot like pre-war Uncle Sam posters. So, we thought about it, and fought about it, and wished it were anywhere but Aus-land.

In the end I got over my issues with Australia, we appeased our shocked friends, and decided to give it a go. The tome of visa papers went in, and 10 days later we had an email in our inbox telling us we had a 2 year 457 working visa. Wow. We weren't too sure what to do with it intially, as it came so soon. But, being the intrepid adventures that we are, we looked at our calendars, Julie resigned from work, I finished CPE, had a week at home with respective parentals, said goodbye and boarded flight Quantas flight QF64 to Sydney on June 1 2008. (phew)

The Canberra Journals #2: The arrival
We disem-boarded in Australialand 17 hours later.

The Canberra Journals #3: First steps
And here we still are! The first few days we allocated to sight-seeing. We covered all the sights in an afternoon and then slept for the next 3 days! I'm exaggerating a bit, but it is a small city and after a few days we pretty much had the inner north, south and civic sorted. Julie started work Monday last week with Healthfutures, and that left me to deal with the cut-throat world of the Canberra rental market. It's crayzeeee! On Thursday we secured a nice little apartment for a not so nice price (prices here are exhorbitant) in Turner - a suburb in the inner north, a couple of block from the city centre, and two houses down from the Quaker meeting house! We move in there on the 24th, sans any furniture or anything! We will start with a matress on the floor and paper plates. Things can only get better from there so watch this space!

At Ease?

At Ease

Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

Ryokan, The Enlightened Heart, an Anthology of Sacred Poetry

Hmmm... what an enticing picture. Reminds me of the 'perfect plan' that Gus constructs in David James Duncan's The River Why - living in his self-sufficient little hermit cottage in the woods fishing for 8 hours a day. I often wish I was less driven and 'responsible' and ambitious and could just 'be'. Let the world take care of itself.
Some wise fellow at Quaker meeting in Canberra last week said this:

"The most dangerous people in the world are those who claim to know what is wrong with the world and how to fix it".

Hmm. I'm challenged by how to balance Ryokan and this wise Quakers' thoughts with the calling I seem to have that encourages me to change/save/enlighten myself/society/the world.
E B White seems to capture my struggle:

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

E B White, Planning the Day, Notes and Comment, the New Yorker

G'day mate.

Hello...

... from Canberra. ACT. Australia.

Yes, it's true. This is coming to you live and not-so-loud from the planned, not-so-sprawling metropolis of Canberra, ACT, Australia. It's like DC - a planned capital city with its own state - but not. It's small and quiet and clean and full of bush. Not W. Bush, small 'b' bush. They call Canberra the 'bush capital', because its a city built into the surrounding nature. It's rather pretty, athough cold and dry at the moment. The suburbs remind me of 1960s farm towns, the horses and hills remind me of the Natal midlands and the bush reminds me of the Eastern Transvaal. The kangaroos are just wierd, and i'm still getting over the fact that people actually plant bluegum trees here!

So yeah, that's where i am. Canberra. Hello.

a lighter whiter side

Haha... here's a great 'sociological' blog. Ever thought white-ness was normative, and everybody else had 'culture' and 'superstitions' etc? Well, white people are rather strange too! Here's a great blog worth reading if you want to laugh at yourself:
Stuff white people like.

I've just read the first page, and, yes, i'm there! Grammar, Toyota Prius', Organic food, free healthcare, sushi, diversity, having gay friends... the list goes on. I'm wearing a scarf, and I bought a pair of New Balance running shoes 2 weeks ago! (I'm not a big fan of bumperstickers though)

Have a look and a laugh. Here's the full list of 'stuff'. It's rather US-centric (specifically liberal, democratic, educatedl hippie whites) but still funny.

Shameful dark days in South Africa

UPDATE: My friend Jo has just put together a moving video of the Cape Town situation, where things are still desperate and relief needed. If you are on facebook, watch it here.

cartoon © JONATHAN SHAPIRO. 26-5-2008

Man, SA is in a strange place. Crazy-ness has been going on here lately - horrible xenophobic violence, looting, raping and killing. It started in Alex (Jo'burg) two weeks ago, and reached Cape Town on Thursday. On Friday the air in CT was really tense, and we were worried about the safety of friends in the townships. Not fun at all! Jules and I had our farewell party on Friday night and it was hard for anyone to be really present knowing what was going on around us.

I’m sure people are trying to work out what went wrong and why SA (the 'rainbow nation') is so anti-foreigners. One of my surmises is that it is not really xenophobia, but systemic injustice. You can’t stand on people for so long without them getting angry. Scholars will talk about Gini coefficients and economic policies and crab-bucket syndrome, but, in plain talk, the poor had had enough of the poverty and unemployment levels here and were expressing their anger. (The interest rate hikes, huge food & petrol price increases and Eskom woes all contributing) Unfortunately the scapegoats were fellow poor people, who just happen to be born North of our borders, and their manner of expression was violent and destructive.

So, South Africa erupted, and we had some of our darkest days since Apartheid. Although xenophobic violence is not new to SA, something somewhere has tripped, and this was on a different scale. My question though is - once we have patched up this eruption, will there be structural change and action from government and the ‘haves’ to ensure the root causes are dealt with, or will we just wait for the next crisis? And, if things don’t change, who will be the recipients of the anger this time? Will it be the real creators and benefactors of the status quo - privileged whites? You and me?

I’ve been offline for a bit (reasons to follow on the blog) so I followed these developments via word of mouth, radio and newspapers. Today I was able to scour the net and read some of the online and international commentary on what actually happened, and how multi-faceted the issues are. If you want a brief synopsis of what happened, here are three helpful articles with background, commentary and interviews:

M&G - Hunted by gangs, migrants flee flames.
BBC - Tensions erupt in city of promise. (Joburg)
M&G - Is this the end of the rainbow nation?

And for those of us in SA, the problems aren’t over. 45 000 displaced foreigners is not an easy task to deal with, nor are the sights and stories at the community centres and churches where those chased out are gathered. It is good to hear some stories of communities reaching out. I was especially glad to hear of the apology at Masiphumelele, where the community has asked the foreigners to come back, and are going around returning the looted items. Maybe there is still some rainbow here in our nation, barely visible shining through the dark clouds?

the last day

On the last day of the world
I would want to plant a tree.

W. S. Merwin, Place