Hello everyone,
I've been thinking about it and I decided to revive the blog. Not sure why now, but here goes. Last weekend we went Ginger Goodwin in Cumberland BC.

This is a weekend of labour history and activism. Ginger was a pacifist, a trade unionist, socialist and activist. He was shot in the back by a police constable and his death prompted the first general strike in Canadian history.

Looking back at '07

So it has been a busy year. Many things happened and I missed New Years since I was flying to Australia so 2006 and 2007 were sort of the same year. But some highlights include:
- Finishing my masters
- Traveling around Australia, seeing the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Sydney, Great Ocean Road and the rest.
- Seeing friends in Montreal
- Going to London with my mom
- Working in Welland
- Coming back to Canada and seeing the old man and the dog again
- Going to Victoria and seeing my friends and family
- Snowshoeing on boxing day
- Having John Howard lose
- Seeing a wombat in real life

Some lowlights were:
- Fighting with DIC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship)
- Going to Mr. Lube to get the car fluids replaced and having them not put transmission fluid in. Then it took a month to get my car back while they had to rebuild the engine

If you have another one, let me know.

I Really Want John Howard to Lose

You know when there are things that annoy you so much you can't look at them or hear their voice without getting angry. I feel that way about stupid evil John Howard (the Prime Minister of Australia. With the election coming I really hope that he loses, and not a small loss; but a big, giant, whopping, mega-slap-in-the-face, Australian-people-hate, me-asking-god- why? loss. He is a racist, misogynist, environmentally destructive leader.

We'll see what happens. It's hard when you're not there to know what is going on, but good luck to the Aussies who are working to keep him out.

Back at it

So it is weird coming back. I opened my boxes with found all my old stuff. I wondered why I had wanted to keep a lot of it. I found things written in own handwriting but they are now meaningless (who is Keith and why do I have his phone number?).

Also, here I feel older. I keep getting called ma'am. In my absence did I become such a thing? I did not receive a memo, nor am I using it as a title on my bank statements. I usually use the title of Captain, I think that is way more fun than ma'am. Although I keep waiting for someone to ask me what I am a Captain of. At RACV (the BCAA of Victoria, Australia) I was using professor and got asked what I taught....

So since my return to my home and stolen land I have been to a number of cities and things look busy, dirty and on the move. There is more poverty here than Australia. Perhaps not more poverty, but a greater gap between rich and poor. The poverty on the streets of Welland, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria is confronting. People begging, sitting on the streets, ripped clothing, no teeth....

I met some people from Manchester, England on the Victoria - Vancouver ferry and they said they were thinking of migrating here but would not because of this gap between the haves and the have-nots. We discussed where to go. What magical land exists that deals with racism, poverty, violence, sexism, homophobia in a progressive way. We could not think of one. But I guess that is the point of being an activist, to create that land.

Back In Canada

So being back in Canada is a bit hard. I am in a small, what use to be industrial, town in Southern Ontario. Due to NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement, with the US and Mexico), many of the factories have closed. So the town is older, mostly white, very suburban; strip malls and highways.

Some comparisons, between Australia and here:

• People have the same accent as me.
• Lack of discussion about 'Australian' values, although racism is alive and well. It is expressed here 'that if people don't like it, they can leave.' Unlike Australia, white Canadians are not concerned with what it means to be Canadian, but those who don't like it, apparently can leave and not really encouraged to point these things out.
• In Canada, there are people of colour on television, and unlike Australia there are many television channels. The TV in my hotel has over 30.
• I can find poutine, but no street sushi or curry.
• There are lots of people who speak French, also the packaging on items is in English and French.
• Elections are different, you have to make people go out and vote, where in Australia they get fined if they don't.
• People in Canada move faster, are fatter and seem more worried about money. They need to relax. It is annoying. Although, unlike Australia they aren't dogfuckers, which could be more annoying. At least people here work and don't sit around complaining all day about how hard work is (I wish it was everyone).
• The beer here stinks. There is no Coopers Green. Don't worry, I will remain vigilante in my search for a good beer.
• The nice lattes available in Australia, in Melbourne they are everywhere. Here Tim Hortons is everywhere with its drip coffee and donuts. It's not as nice as a latte.

So on the whole, I do miss Australia. The people, the food.... but not stupid John Howard, and the whinging people.

Goin' Home - Part 1

Hello there,

Sorry I have not written for a while. Since the visa has still not been granted, I am returning to Canada on Sunday. It is happy and sad. Happy that I get to see people there, sad that it is going into winter.

My friend that waited for his visa for six years, got it last week. He suggested that I be patient and wait for another five and a half, I don't think I have it in me.

Anyway, I thought I would list some of the things that I will miss here:

• My lovely friends (some Australian, although heaps of international students)*


• the wine and Coopers Green


• the street sushi


• the diversity of food and people in Melbourne


• the tram (especially seeing the elephants when I go past the zoo, route 55) and the Hope Street bus


• the architecture, gardens and lovely buildings

* Please note the use of Australian slang with 'heaps'.

Review of the 457

So the visa that I applied for is a 457. These visa types are currently under review. I like to say it is the same kind that Dr. Haneef had. He is now back in his country. Like I ask many people now that I am leaving here. Do you want my sim card?

The Real Truth

So we on the left often blame each other. We are busy with it, spend a lot of time doing it. Is it deserved? Should we forgive? How do we end up fighting the common enemy (right-wing nut-jobs) and not each other?

Well, as my father would say, "everyone needs to carry their own water." So people need to put their asses where their mouths are. If people fuck up, they need to admit it, not point fingers at everyone else.

Not to leave my mother's pearls of wisdom out of my blog. One of my favourites from her is, "Let the work speak for itself." If you do the work, people will know. If you just talk about it, they will figure it out that you are not a do-er. It just may take a little longer. On occasion, we can all be baffled by bullshit.

Sittin', Wishin', Waitin'

I know the title of this post is from a Jack Johnson song but someone was listening to him the other day and thought of me.

So I am still in Melbourne. On July 3rd I called DIC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) and they told me that I would have a response about my visa situation on July 6th. The exact words were, "Do not fly tomorrow". So I changed my ticket and thought that the visa would come.

Today there is still no visa.

Now, I am pissed off. And as my father told me, "It's better to be pissed off, than pissed on." I am okay with anger. I am not on prozac and have feelings. I express them. I know that this makes some people uncomfortable and they would rather discuss the weather or pretend that everything is super. But it's not. I don't have any interest in pretending it is.

I am tired of people telling me to wait. I am sick and fucking tired of waiting. People always want you to wait. As I once told someone, "I am an activist, not a wait-ivist."

Living without knowing your visa status, and not seeing your loved ones sucks. It is hard to plan, impossible to think your next steps. Someone I know has been in visa limbo-land since 2001. Imagine.

Anyway, please don't tell me to wait, or that it will come. I feel duped by DIC since I believed it when they said two days. Governments lie and I should know better. But the not knowing, that is the stuff that makes you feel cuckoo.

Here is a creepy painting I saw at the Guggenheim exhibit at the NGV the other day. It sums things up. It's called 'Asylum.'

Rockhampton and the Biggest

Hello there,
so now we are in Rockhampton and the rain has stopped. There are blue skies today, which are nice to see. I have been collecting, and observing signs and notes of the biggest, best, most, first, etc. I thought that I would share some from one brochure on Rockhampton just to give you an idea of how common these statements are:
- The beef capital of Australia
- beside the largest and most picturesque river in Queensland
- largest studding venue in the southern hemisphere.

But the brochure does not mention that there is a large military base here. There is Shoalwater Bay Military Training area, and the US and Australia are doing military training exercises there. The largest in Australia! Protesters are there highlighting the environmental and evil associated with these actions.

Alice to Douglas

We are still on our trip around Australia and have traveled from Alice Springs, to Cairns and now we are in Port Douglas.

Port Douglas is one point of access for the Great Barrier Reef. We have not gone out on the boat since it has been rough and the woman at the travel centre recommended against it. So we went on a tour to the rainforest today.

In Alice Springs the local paper had articles on the “Pine Gap Four.” These four Christian activists were arrested breaking into Pine Gap, near Alice Springs. Pine Gap is the US military base and has 2-3000 US troops stationed there for two year assignments. In Alice Springs there were many indigenous Australians, but only white people worked in the establishments we went to. There were a lot of indigenous art galleries, with some interesting pieces. This picture is of Simpson's Gap, which is nearby.

Next we went to Cairns and it is a pretty town and stayed at a place on the beach. It was very relaxing. They had a lovely botanic garden there with lots of cool plants that would be fun to grow. We went to the market and they had lots of fresh food there; pineapples, avocados (five for $2.00), tomatoes, and exotic fruits.

Now we are in Port Douglas and unfortunately it is rainy. We did see some crocodiles on the river and they were big. Here is a picture of one.

Uluru - Ayers Rock to others....

Hello there,
so the journey around Australia has begun. Last week we went around Victoria to Bright and Euchua. Did you know that outside of Melbourne there are only white people living in these towns? We went to some grocery stores and only saw one person of colour. It is weird out there, I'm not too sure what is happening outside of Melbourne.

Here in Uluru (although many people insist on calling it Ayers Rock), there is a large tourist compound. Apparently, it is owned by a multi-national corporation. In 1985 the Commonwealth government returned the land to the traditional owners and then promptly had them sign a 99 year lease back to the government. So the tourist compound is not on the traditional land, and instead this companies land. They have a 60 year supply of water and do not recycle it. Also the power comes from a diesel generator over near the airport. So like mining, when it's gone, it's gone.

The Anangu people have a 100 person community nearby, but we did not see it. We went on a tour by with the only indigenous tour company, but most people opted for the McDonald's of tour companies -AAP. I have not seen any indigenous people working in the tourist compound, not even the 'local' artist. Also, all the guests seem to be white or Japanese. I'm not sure what that means or why....

Howard Happy with Harper for Canada's Withdrawl from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples!

So being reported on the news here is that Howard is not that bad since Canada agrees with him. Canada is seen as a progressive country so if we agree with Howard, that means he is not entirely evil and racist (even though he is). And the international reputation of Australia is protected.

The Globe and Mail reported on June 9th that
"Canada's decision to withdraw support for the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples coincided with a visit to Ottawa by Prime Minister John Howard of Australia — a country that strongly opposes the declaration...But the United States and Australia remained staunchly opposed. And Mr. Harper walked away from his meeting with Mr. Howard believing the declaration would be problematic, the sources said...Mr. Benjamin (Craig Benjamin, an aboriginal-rights campaigner for Amnesty International) said, “You can see how important it would be to them to get a moderate state on side — a state with a positive reputation, a state that countries with much more limited technical resources were turning to for advice.”

So Harper is ruining Canada's reputation by turning us into a country like Australia. But it's ok, since that brings us closer to the Americans too. We can be like Britain and Australia, trailing after the US on their globe-trotting missions of destruction.

“The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples presents an inspiring alternative vision of collaboration and reconciliation among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples working together to advance the rights of all,” Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International."

Sounds like the exact type of thing we want to avoid. Advancing rights....

"Mr. Harper and Mr. Howard have reportedly been fast friends since becoming acquainted at a 2005 meeting for the International Democratic Union, a forum for conservative leaders."

I didn't even know they had a forum for conservative leaders, (apparently Howard is the chair)sounds like a good time. I bet they eat endangered animals and cackle a lot. Good times....

International Development/Modern Day Missionaries

Hello everyone,
as some of you know I call international development workers 'Modern Day Missionaries.' Some are going to 'developing' countries and 'helping' people. Apparently, there is only poverty 'over there.' Anyway, some spread the word of Jesus and the oh so fun, Catholic Church (check out the link to this movie I just saw, Deliver Us From Evil). But others, the more sinister lot, believe they are doing good and are spreading the good word of capitalism.

As one international development student said, "If only we could go to Africa and get everyone a job." Yes, a perfect world is one half-full of fat-ass-over-consuming- westerners and the other half-full of people working in sweatshops. We can shop our way to a better world. If only everyone can consume more.... (screw the environment, etc).

Enough of that, you get the idea. But here is poem Lauren found:

The Development Set
Ross Coggins, September 1976

Excuse me, friends, I must catch my jet
I'm off to join the Development Set;
My bags are packed, and I've had all my shots
I have traveller's checks and pills for the trots!

The Development Set is bright and noble
Our thoughts are deep and our vision global;
Although we move with the better classes
Our thoughts are always with the masses.

In Sheraton Hotels in scattered nations
We damn multi‑national corporations;
injustice seems easy to protest
In such seething hotbeds of social rest.

We discuss malnutrition over steaks
And plan hunger talks during coffee breaks.
Whether Asian floods or African drought,
We face each issue with open mouth.

We bring in consultants whose circumlocution
Raises difficulties for every solution ‑‑
Thus guaranteeing continued good eating
By showing the need for another meeting.

The language of the Development Set
Stretches the English alphabet;
We use swell words like "epigenetic"
"Micro", "macro", and "logarithmetic"

It pleasures us to be esoteric ‑‑
It's so intellectually atmospheric!
And although establishments may be unmoved,
Our vocabularies are much improved.

When the talk gets deep and you're feeling numb,
You can keep your shame to a minimum:
To show that you, too, are intelligent
Smugly ask, "Is it really development?"

Or say, "That's fine in practice, but don't you see:
It doesn't work out in theory!"
A few may find this incomprehensible,
But most will admire you as deep and sensible.

Development set homes are extremely chic,
Full of carvings, curios, and draped with batik.
Eye‑level photographs subtly assure
That your host is at home with the great and the poor.

Enough of these verses ‑ on with the mission!
Our task is as broad as the human condition!
Just pray god the biblical promise is true:
The poor ye shall always have with you.

End of Semester

Hello everyone,
As the end of semester and the completion of my masters are nearly here I thought I should comment on what is going on, in case you are curious. I have a few options in front of me and I am thinking about what to do next.

So my aunt Susie is coming and we will be travelling around Australia for a few weeks. That should be fun. And then after that I have a ticket to return to Canada. I am not sure if I will use it.

Some of my options include; staying here and working (this depends on getting a job and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, DIC), staying here and studying more (I'm not sure I'm too keen on that), going back to Canada and Victoria, or going somewhere else. So this mixed with school papers is what I am on about these days.

I do like the idea of being in summer, but I also like it here. Anyway, there you go, in case you were wondering what is going on. Of course there are other things too, for example, I got a new haircut, that kind of stuff.

Mr. Floaties Lives

Hello everyone,

POOP (People Opposed to Outfall Pollution) is a group that I am a member of. In the city I am from, Victoria, British Columbia (as opposed to the state I am in, Victoria, Australia) dumps its raw sewage into the ocean. I believe 120 million litres a day. Now although it's kinda funny that tourists pay to go in boats out past the outfall and don't know. Also that some of the sewage heads down to our southern neighbours (who are in turn shitting on the rest of the world) does not excuse our crappy behaviour.

Those of you who attened my LUP will remember how Mr. Floatie paid a visit. Here is a picture that I took of him when I helped escort him in the Oak Bay Tea Party Parade. He is giving the 'number two' signal, as he often does in photos. He is holding Flat Stanley, who is a world traveller.

Here is a video that POOP made. So watch it and feel free to tell others too.

Australia and the US Working Together Again!

Hey there,
Given all the stuff that has been going on in the news people may have missed this one. So I thought I would draw attention to it.

Did you know that on Tuesday, April 17th, the US and Australia signed an agreement to exchange asylum seekers? So if you are fleeing persecution and you get on a boat to head to Australia (since you believe they may want to help you since they claim to believe in democracy and a 'fair-go for all'), you could end up in the US. That's right. These two migrant-loving countries have agreed to swap asylum seekers.

So Howard said, "It is part of our policy to reinforce the message to those who would engage in people smuggling that this country has a very tough border protection policy," (Squires, Nick, April 19th, 2007, "U.S. To Exchange Asylum Seekers With Australia", Daily Telegraph).

On a, I believe, somewhat related note, the Australian government is gearing up to open a new 800 bed detention centre on Christmas Island. We knew they were gearing up for something.

Construction and Diggers (what they call soldiers, I think)

Hello,
so today is Anzac Day. It's about soldiers, like Remembrance Day. Anyway, I thought I would do a lot of homework and reading today, since I don't have to go to work.

But the house next door is under construction, and has been since I moved in. Anyway, today there are people working there. But the part that is really annoying, and bugs me when I am home during the day, is that they only appear to have one or two people working at any one time. This was the same at the last place I lived. They have too few workers, working too few hours (but apparently holidays are fine), so things take way too long. And as a neighbour, there is one hammering every seven minutes, which is very disruptive to thinking about public policy.

My message to these people is to hire an adequate number of staff and have clear timelines, and quit making all this noise when I am trying to study.

P.S - for those peace-lovers like myself, I have a happy story. Last weekend my friend Mona and I went to the town of Portland to visit my friend Lillian. Her friend Andy, has a radio show on the local community radio station and he asked if we would be his for the hour and a half. Mona is from the Middle East and I'm from Canada, and we met at an anti-war meeting in Melbourne. Anyway, we discussed Anzac Day in the face of the current wars that are being fought, specifically since Australia is in Iraq.

PPS- I am still mad at the construction.

Biggest and Best Part 2

Hey there,

Sorry it's been a while. School and work are killing me. But I have more biggest and best to report on. In the paper (the Age, daily paper in Melbourne) there was an article about building the BIGGEST desalination plant in the WORLD. Yow. Here are some photos that I have taken.

You will notice this one is 'Offically The World's Best Cheese', (the word officially means it's true).

This is the 'World Famous Penguin Parade' - I never heard of it before I came.

This is apparently where they grow the 'Best Asparagus in the World'.

No but Yes or Yes but No

Communicating with Australians is a difficult task. After being here for a year and living, working, studying, and socializing with them, I can honestly say they are an indirect bunch. I explain it this way. If you ask them what they want for dinner, they will tell you they had chicken last night. So they won't answer your question directly. You have to be Sherlock Holmes and deduce what they mean. Sometimes you get it right, and other times not so much. It depends if you care or not.

I figure if the issue at hand is really important then someone can tell me in regular words, if they don't care enough to say, then I don't care either. This lack of interest in what other people aren't saying, leads to people talking behind your back. But if they would rather waste time whining (or in Australia whinging) as opposed to addressing the issue and coming to a resolution, then obviously they have too much time on their hands.

This then leads to questions of work ethic and decision making. Work ethic.... well Australia is the home of the 8 hour day. 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure and 8 hours of sleep, which is cool, but does seem to give people a certain amount of entitlement about their work. That is if they are working, some workers don't want to or don't have the skills.

So why is that? What prevents people from pulling their thumb out and keeping their head down? This is what I call the 'No but Yes.' Things that are obvious and inevitable, when originally presented are generally given a no at first. Then with some discussion, it is turned into a yes, which is what it should have been in the first place. This is the biggest time waster, and it's boring.

Those in positions of authority buy into it with providing the whinger an opportunity to voice their concerns, rather than providing clear directives. But being direct is not something they are good at so the cycle continues.