Whereas Europe and elsewhere on the Northern Hemisphere Summer is welcomed we here down under have to deal with the Winter. Australia is known to be a pretty warm place, and one of the few areas, besides the mountains, where it really gets cold in the Australian National Capital, Canberra.
I have to admit Winters are much different here than I am used to in northern Europe. Whereas some days it will freeze overnight during the day it still is bright and sunny and temperature easily rises to 15 degrees. So I walk for lunch in a business shirt whereas sunnies are useful as well. This is much better than the dark and grey Winters back home.
Last weekend we made a daytrip to the mountains. We saw some beuatiful sights, even Kangaroos hopping across the road, but unfortunately it was raining, something which is pretty rare here in Canberra or Australia in general.
Last Friday when I rode to work I got my own rendez-vous with the Australian road user, a truck reversed its way onto the street, leaving a very narrow space for me between a parked car and the truck itself. And when the car opens its door.............
In two hours I'll be in Parliament house, where a former Malaysian politician will lecture us about Islam and Democracy, sounds interesting to me.
Talking about Parliamentary stuff, last week Peter Costello (Treasurer & Deputy Leader of the Australian Libeal Party, the ruling party at the moment) provoked a leadership crisis with the current PM, John Howard over a certain promise that mr. Howard would step down after one and a half term as PM. Something which didn't happen. Looks like the coming elections will be interesting to watch!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Clipping
'Kangoeroes vroeger vleesetende monsters'
SYDNEY - Wie dacht dat kangoeroes slechts schattige buideldieren waren, heeft het mis. Paleontologen hebben in Australië fossielen ontdekt waaruit blijkt dat kangoeroes vroeger grote slagtanden hadden en dodelijk gevaarlijk waren. Dat meldde de Australische zender ABC woensdag.
Onderzoekers van de universiteit van New South Wales ontdekten in Queensland overblijfselen van zeker twintig kangoeroesoorten, die tussen de tien en twintig miljoen jaar geleden leefden. Enkele van de fossielen hadden grote slagtanden, om vlees mee af te scheuren. „Als je toen Skippy zocht, had je die zeker niet gevonden. Je zou zijn voorganger hebben gevonden, die jou direct had opgegeten”, aldus professor Michael Archer van de universiteit.
De wetenschappers troffen ook longvissen en „demonische eenden” aan. Het team onderzoekers bestudeert alle fossielen om meer te weten te komen over de verandering van het klimaat, tussen de vijf en 24 miljoen jaar geleden.
De Telegraaf, 13 Juli 2006
SYDNEY - Wie dacht dat kangoeroes slechts schattige buideldieren waren, heeft het mis. Paleontologen hebben in Australië fossielen ontdekt waaruit blijkt dat kangoeroes vroeger grote slagtanden hadden en dodelijk gevaarlijk waren. Dat meldde de Australische zender ABC woensdag.
Onderzoekers van de universiteit van New South Wales ontdekten in Queensland overblijfselen van zeker twintig kangoeroesoorten, die tussen de tien en twintig miljoen jaar geleden leefden. Enkele van de fossielen hadden grote slagtanden, om vlees mee af te scheuren. „Als je toen Skippy zocht, had je die zeker niet gevonden. Je zou zijn voorganger hebben gevonden, die jou direct had opgegeten”, aldus professor Michael Archer van de universiteit.
De wetenschappers troffen ook longvissen en „demonische eenden” aan. Het team onderzoekers bestudeert alle fossielen om meer te weten te komen over de verandering van het klimaat, tussen de vijf en 24 miljoen jaar geleden.
De Telegraaf, 13 Juli 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
A new beginning
Last Monday I started a new job, at the intensive support branch. I am working in the team that is responsible for the Stuctured Training and Employment Programme (STEP). In short this is an area which received proposals for funding of employment related activities for Indigenous people. We have to review the proposals and decide whether to go on with it or not.
In this branch there is also a grad coordinator for all the grads on the floor, and one of the things we all have to do is visit a state office to see how the monitoring of the programmes work. Whereas we in the national office make decisions and policy, the state offices implement and stay in contact with the local programmes. It is very interesting to see how it works, as I have seen in Tasmania last January. Apparantly everybody already indicated last week where they wanted to go, I just said I liked the sun and therefore I will visit Tropical North Queensland, Townsville to be more precise.
I hope I will be able to visit some remote areas and get an impression how things work over there. Sitting behind the desk in the national office obviously does not provide this experience.
Tonight we will also watch the third leg of the State of Origin match (Rugby League), where New South Wales will play Queensland. Both sides won once so this will be the deciding game. Thank God it is at a normal time, not like the world cup soccer @ 5 am....
In this branch there is also a grad coordinator for all the grads on the floor, and one of the things we all have to do is visit a state office to see how the monitoring of the programmes work. Whereas we in the national office make decisions and policy, the state offices implement and stay in contact with the local programmes. It is very interesting to see how it works, as I have seen in Tasmania last January. Apparantly everybody already indicated last week where they wanted to go, I just said I liked the sun and therefore I will visit Tropical North Queensland, Townsville to be more precise.
I hope I will be able to visit some remote areas and get an impression how things work over there. Sitting behind the desk in the national office obviously does not provide this experience.
Tonight we will also watch the third leg of the State of Origin match (Rugby League), where New South Wales will play Queensland. Both sides won once so this will be the deciding game. Thank God it is at a normal time, not like the world cup soccer @ 5 am....
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