MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

(C) Nouvelles Images S.A. Jean-Michel Labat et Florence Rouquette 2006 My daughter has become a mother for the first time in the past year and is having another baby at the end of the year. For any mother, or father, this is a time of happiness...and reflection  The changing nature of one's child's journey through life encourages thoughts of the past...of  a little girl growing up,  always organised and forward thinking..."Where is our next adventure Mumma?  What are we going to do in our next holiday break?  Mumma I'm going on Rotary Exchange to Japan for two months...Mumma  I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament skiing in Japan, but I'm not coming home yet... Mumma I am going to go to East Timor as a volunteer with my University, just after the UN arrives,  to teach English at a remote school with the little children...Mumma I'm going to America on University Exchange...Mumma I bungee jumped into Acapulco Bay for my 21st birthday...Mumma...

Teresa in the island's beautiful church (photo LP) Yesterday I received the following letter from a young woman who lives on one of the most remote islands in the world, Pukapuka, in the Northern Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean.  I was fortunate to meet her and stay in her house during the infamous voyage on  SV Discovery   through the Suwarrow National Marine Park and other islands in the region in May 2011. Teresa's letter Prior to our departure I asked Edwina (Teresa to us) what she would like me send her from Australia. The island is regularly short of what we would regard as ordinary staples like rice, sugar, flour and medical supplies. The island " supermarket" with empty shelves (photo LP) But what Teresa particularly wanted for her family were vegetable and fruit seeds.  The islanders are largely restricted in their choice and eat mainly taro, every islander has their own small patch of soil in which to grow it, and coconut. ...

I read an interesting article this morning in The West Australian newspaper about manners and the mobile phone. The journalist had canvassed a range of smartphone users, of all ages,  and asked for their comments about the use of their phones.  The article advised that "global studies have linked excessive mobile phone use to everything from depression and insomnia to loneliness and poor social skills."   The journalist suggested that for most people a mobile phone is "more than either a convenient gadget or a psychological disorder waiting to happen - it is a way of life". Later in the day a friend sent me an email which included all the photos in this post...the author and photographers are unknown.  They say that every picture tells a story... A visit to the Museum or Art Gallery I travel extensively and I have noticed that the use of mobile phones, in lieu of, and in situ with, face-to-face conversations has become more and more obviou...

Sydney Harbour 1 January 2013 (photo abc.net.au) I have decided this year to make New Year  'íntentions' rather than 'resolutions' and this quote by Albert Einstein, I think, says it all: Learn from yesterday Live for today Hope for tomorrow. I hope that 2013 for you will be filled with love, laughter, happiness, good health, opportunities...and good luck.