MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

Beautiful Bordeaux I am really angry today... After having my son brutally bashed two years ago in Bordeaux on the last evening of our mother/son road trip in France by people who only wanted his money and didn't get his passport,  but in doing so crushed three vertebrae at the bottom of his spine the night we were due to fly home to Australia... ...to today in Australia where I too have been the victim of thieves...or a thief.  But unlike the situation in France, when my son was the victim of probably illegal migrants who needed money I was the victim, in an affluent suburb, in a regular supermarket, of someone who just took my wallet from my handbag....my credit card was "hacked" within the 30 minutes in which I realised I had been robbed. Our world has been traumatised in last few days by terrorist attacks in three nations on three continents...our values have been assaulted by the horror of these circumstances. Additionally, at the same time, one country ha...

Teenagers in the early 1970s...(Google Images) I am going to celebrate a milestone birthday later this year and unfortunately it doesn't commence with the number "5"!  The year is going to be filled with adventure.  I am returning to France for a month to immerse myself again in a course at the Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer; I will be visiting my beautiful grandson on the other side of my continent;  and hopefully visiting Far North Queensland with my partner as well.  And in between, indulging myself with the contracts I will choose and enjoy with  The Percy Institute of International Protocol. Recently I have been trying to place myself in this "age" in which I find myself;  perhaps the easiest way to do this is to revert to remembering the people my parents and their friends were in their 60's? In the early 1970's I was still at high school, looking very similar to the girls in the photo above...somewhat awkward.  I al...

The floral memorial in Martin Place, Sydney (photo news.au) This time last week most Australians were riveted to the live streaming of the hostage situation in the Lindt Cafe in Sydney's Martin Place;  tragically the outcome was the deaths of two of the hostages. The situation was made particularly poignant for me because my daughter  knew the husband of one of the hostages and had spoken to him as he raced to the cafe where he knew his wife regularly enjoyed her morning coffee with colleagues after hearing of the hostage situation.  Australia has reacted to this crisis in a spirit of "mateship" and mutual support.  As the floral memorial has continued to grow at the scene politicians, local Sydneysiders, visitors from other States and from other countries, children and the elderly have made a pilgrimage into the centre of the city which, despite the tragedy, is filled with preparations for Christmas and the other religious occasions which occur at ...

A little hand feeling spring for the first time... This post is not so much about manners but spring...its influences and inspirations.  While I have written about spring and its impact on me previously, somehow this year the burgeoning rose buds, and flourishing new wisteria plumes have meant so much more.   Spring for me has always had a huge influence...the change in the light as the dawn calls me at 5.30 for a walk along the river with my dog...somehow the energy of the light infuses me with enthusiasm.  Ruby and I revel in the dawn light... And this year I have become  a grandmother for the first time; it is an extraordinary experience and can give, if one accepts it, a new view of the life which remains to be lived. The opportunities which are offered are more shiny somehow...the difficulties which were part of the last two or three decades somehow feel now like necessary experiences... I live a modern life.  My grandchild lives ...

The wisteria is in bloom around the pool Finally, after a very long and wet winter here in Western Australia, spring has sprung with full force, reminding us that she is here, encouraging new life and new opportunities.  The blue skies, the scattered rain showers making the heads of the newly emerging rosebuds shine, and the spring in my step as I walk my dog in the morning, remind me of the power of nature and the effect of the seasons on me. Ruby and I love our early morning walks A protracted dose of painful and exhausting shingles overwhelmed me throughout autumn and winter...the cold and wet days, the grey skies and blustery winds all contributed to my malaise.  I realised, again, that I am a "victim" to the brightness of the skies, the calm of the air and the green of the foliage around me. The Chinese Tallow trees are bursting with new leaves But life goes on and some months ago, I was asked to give an interview about the etiquette of...

My iMac is now at home.... After much deliberation I decided last week to upgrade my computer.  It was a decision not taken lightly, because a computer, used for many purposes during the trials and tribulations of daily life becomes a close ally, and most of the time, a friend. Mine had been my daily companion for over five years, and we knew each other's foibles.  However, with the passage of time, and I have no doubt some unrealistic expectations on my part about its performance after such a relatively long time in "computer life", it became obvious that, like me, it was slowing down and needed a gentle nudge into semi-retirement.  And so it is confined to the rather boring process of accounts and bill paying and mind-numbing record keeping, rather than the excitement of new voyages towards beckoning horizons in the world of the internet. I took the leap of faith to an iMac from a PC, and despite my incredulity about it's beauty and accessibility, I felt some...

Ruby guarding the Christmas tree My phone has been ringing with people wanting to know how to handle the difficulties that arise during occasions such as Christmas with “blended” families. The old adage that you can choose your friends but not your family is often relevant at Christmas, and particularly with families which have divorced and perhaps remarried partners. Unfortunately there are very few happy melded families like “The Brady Bunch”...at least initially. If having good manners is about behaving well around other people and treating each other with respect, then at times of probable stress and possibly strife, the need to be even more cautious with words and actions is really important. My children’s father and I have been divorced for many years. But over the years we have developed strategies to make our shared Christmases with our children and our new partners as pleasant as possible. We have always attended Christmas church services together, and afterwards ha...

Cindy and Ruby watching the spring rain overflow, Gingin, WA  I have had a break from blogging for three months for no reasons, other than "blogger's block", and travel opportunities which unfortunately cooincided with my making some rather substantial renovations to my home.  With the arrival of spring and my decision not to "downsize" just yet, a long overdue "cosmetic transformation" was made on my home of 22 years. The "transformation" begins, August 2013 And during the transformation, some changes occurred in my family as well.  I find that each year the arrival of spring tends to bring on not only nature's transformations but life's as well, some welcome, others not. The most important transformation has been for my daughter and her husband. Spring ushered in their news that they are expecting their first child together, and my first grandchild, in autumn next year; already I have a room in newly renovated ...

The Dalai Lama in  Melbourne (photo Justin McManus, The Age)  It has been a fortnight in which bad manners have unfortunately had front and centre stage. These manners have not only been exemplified by our politicians, readying for the battle of a looming Federal Election, and some of the journalists who report on their campaign;  they have also dominated the headlines of the newspapers about the battle for appropriate behaviour on Western Australia’s public transport system. And I use the word “battle” cautiously.  It seems as if so much of Australian society, from the top down, is in “battle” mode.  Common courtesy and considerate gestures seem to have no place in this “lucky country” .  Unlike most of the world, while Australia endures some economic turbulence, we have nothing of the scale of Europe, for example. I have been interviewed a few times this week about manners in our society.   Tomorrow, following on from an in...

I am a tourist in Monte Carlo (photo a fellow tourist 2013) Three days ago, I returned to Australia after a seven week sojourn in France, during which I completed a four week French language immersion program at the Institute de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer. I have written about my observations of the wonderful Institut in recent posts. Jet stream from aircraft sending a "kiss" to my apartment in Villefranche-sur-Mer (photo LP 2013) The course was followed by a two week mother/son “road trip” firstly through Provence, and then through the wine growing regions of Bordeaux. My son and I,  both “foodies”, challenged ourselves by attempting to emulate some of the beautiful meals we shared. While visiting the fresh food markets in the little towns and stocking up on provisions,  I practised my French with the stall owners while he chose the various vegetables, fruits, fish, fruits de mer,  poultry and meats with which we would try and reconstru...

Villefranche-sur-Mer, as seen from  Cap Ferrat (Photo LP 2013) After almost seven weeks my sojourn in France is ending in a few days.  Having spent short holidays in France over the past 30 years, I wanted to stay for a longer period and to have the opportunity to live like a local, albeit a transient one.  My month long course at the Institut de français in Villefranche-sur-Mer enabled me, for five weeks, to mix within the welcoming community of that ville...to share their market, their boulangerie, their boucher, their inclement weather, and their daily greetings as I would commence my walk up the hill to my "school" each morning.  The teachers and administration personnel at the Institut were, each and every one of them, encouraging of we students, even while they corrected our language and at times laughed with us over our mistakes.  The two teachers who conducted my class, Intermediate 3, over the four...