Ever since I got my Seniors Card (at 60) I've thought it would be fun to hop on one of the many buses that goes along Anzac Highway near where we stay in town and just see where it ended up and then catch another one and then another and...
I also had a bit of a yen to go on the OBahn.
Well at last it happened!
Last Saturday we had some spare time (it was either that or clean the house) and thought we'd pop into town to see a SALA exhibition of the work of Andrew McDonough who does the Cecil the Sheep books that we often use for Holiday Adventures with Primary School kids.
We waited a few minutes and a random bus came along saying it wsa going to Tea Tree Plaza. It had to go into the city so we hopped on. Five or six minutes and we were at our destination but in a moment of daring we decided to stay on and experience the OBahn and TTP.
Well that was fun! I don't like shopping centres but not bad for a walk on a rainy day and we had coffee (not the cheapest and not the dearest - and not the best) then hopped on the bus back into town.
Lunch, then a bit of a walk to the SALA event and then a bus home.
What a day! Phew, can't say I'm not a jet setter!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
More Musings
It's a while since I wrote here and I thought perhaps it was enough but it seems not. If you are not a member of the Uniting Church I give you full permission to skip this one. Or even if you are...
On Friday night I attended, as an observer, a special meeting of the Presbytery Synod of the Uniting Church in South Australia to consider some issues around the storage of nuclear waste. The focus was on solidarity with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.
There were 8 speakers and a chance to discuss and ask questions.
Many of the speakers spoke with passion and emotion.
Some things were clear:
Nuclear medicine does a great job of diagnosis and treatment
There is already clear wasue and we need to deal with it
We acknowledge the dreadful treatment of Indigenous people in the past
But it is a complex issue.
It is clear that the Adnyamathanha people do not wish to have the nuclear repository on their land at Barndioota in the Flinders Ranges. But is there any land that is not considered as belonging to some traditional owners?
There was no mention of the studies done regarding seismology or impact on water systems; it was just assumed there would be problems. Nor was there mention of other voices in the community (as in a letter from the Hawker Uniting Church in the latest edition of New Times. (You can track it down on line if you are keen.)
We read many pages of information supplied as background reading but felt some was ignored and dismissed out of hand. Three was also some clouding of the issues by not sticking to the topic and talking about high level waste which want on the agenda for the evening.
It was surprising that a quorum of members was not achieved. Maybe Friday night at 6.30 was not a good time or maybe some were reluctant to be involved where emotions run high.
I was glad to have the opportunity to hear more and to listen to what was said. I was grateful for the wise and sensitive leadership of Moderator Deidre Palmer and proud to be part of a church which doesn't avoid the issues but seeks a way forward in relationship.
PS The first draft of this got lost somehow. I'm sure it was brilliant. I offer this rewrite as a poor substitute.
On Friday night I attended, as an observer, a special meeting of the Presbytery Synod of the Uniting Church in South Australia to consider some issues around the storage of nuclear waste. The focus was on solidarity with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.
There were 8 speakers and a chance to discuss and ask questions.
Many of the speakers spoke with passion and emotion.
Some things were clear:
Nuclear medicine does a great job of diagnosis and treatment
There is already clear wasue and we need to deal with it
We acknowledge the dreadful treatment of Indigenous people in the past
But it is a complex issue.
It is clear that the Adnyamathanha people do not wish to have the nuclear repository on their land at Barndioota in the Flinders Ranges. But is there any land that is not considered as belonging to some traditional owners?
There was no mention of the studies done regarding seismology or impact on water systems; it was just assumed there would be problems. Nor was there mention of other voices in the community (as in a letter from the Hawker Uniting Church in the latest edition of New Times. (You can track it down on line if you are keen.)
We read many pages of information supplied as background reading but felt some was ignored and dismissed out of hand. Three was also some clouding of the issues by not sticking to the topic and talking about high level waste which want on the agenda for the evening.
It was surprising that a quorum of members was not achieved. Maybe Friday night at 6.30 was not a good time or maybe some were reluctant to be involved where emotions run high.
I was glad to have the opportunity to hear more and to listen to what was said. I was grateful for the wise and sensitive leadership of Moderator Deidre Palmer and proud to be part of a church which doesn't avoid the issues but seeks a way forward in relationship.
PS The first draft of this got lost somehow. I'm sure it was brilliant. I offer this rewrite as a poor substitute.
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