Moving out

I am moving out the of the house sit today.  Just for a few weeks as the owner is coming home.  I meet her at the airport in the morning. 

I took knickers to Ipswich yesterday. I am pleased with my little effort to help those disadvantaged with the floods.  It has been quite a moving experience.  I had been to Ipswich just days before the big flood.  In fact the Bremer River was already in flood - but I saw for myself some of the damage it did later on when the river broke it's banks and poured the dirty sludge through the city.   Coles supermarket is being completed cleaned out - and will need a complete refit.  One can see other buildings around - shops, offices, etc closed - some are being rebuilt and others sport a notice - 'due to floods we have relocated to......"

I went to Ipswich early, then went to Wynnum. Met with a guy doing work on the history of the professional fishermen in the Wynnum area, and then eventually headed back to Paddington.

I had seen views of the Brisbane River and the city from the top of the cliffs of the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point.  It was the site of what was Southbank TAFE - one of the very early TAFE colleges in Brisbane.  Recently it had been demolished and parklands developed there.  A nice looking cafe sits on the top of the cliffs giving diners a fantastic view up and down the river.  One day I will go there.

From the cliffs to the city.

I had time though to stop and take a few photos from the top of the cliffs.

Looking upriver from Kangaroo Point

From Expo 2010 - some of the farewell performance.

This is quite amazing!  Look at the musicians sitting on the invisible chairs.  How do they do it?

China? Not in 2011.

I had been procrastinating about going to China.  How I wish I could - but I had too many issues home in Australia to deal with, so here I will remain for 2011. Still though I can keep in touch with everyone, and with any luck can have one or two students stay with me later in the year.

My study will keep me going - and I may try to get some of my m/s finished/published this year.  As well I have a long to do list.  I don't make resolutions - but I have a lit of things I wish to accomplish during the year.  One of course is to do well at all subjects for Swinburne (Masters)  Perhaps by end of February 2012 I will be finished.

It looks like I could have some long term house sitting adventures, so I will wait and see - and save my dollars. 

Meanwhile I am reading a fantastic book about China.  Peter Hessler is a journalist in China, and has written several books.  The one I am reading now is "Country Driving" and he tells the tales of his driving around China.  It means a lot more to me having been there, and having some understanding of the complex Chinese culture, and while it is a big book, I am slowly wading through it - as well as coping with my studies.