Australia Day and the Highland Clearances

Australia Day came and went and alas, not once did I think about my birthplace, Scotland, or the country where I spent my childhood (New Zealand). The older I get and the further away from my Citizenship Day ceremony (January 26, 2000), the more it seems I have assimilated. I do not mean assimilate in a flag-wearing, gum boot-tossing, beer-swilling, ‘It-was-in- the-‘Stralian-so-it-must-be-true’, sense. Regardless, it is some admission from an iconoclastic alien, someone who had…

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Last drinks at the Paradise Motel

As I gave up drinking alcohol some 36 years ago, it was probably not surprising I forgot the essential ingredient for a house-warming party. “Um,” said She Who Trusted Me with the Catering, “What about the ice – for those who are bringing something to drink?” Off I went on a mercy dash to buy a bag of ice. The first guest had arrived before I returned and showed me the best way to prepare…

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Australia Day and the beach

There’s nothing much planned here for Australia Day (aka Invasion Day) except a trip to the (doggie) beach and an evening neighbourhood gathering at a local park. You won’t find much flag-wearing/waving, lamb eating, dunny-racing, gumboot-tossing fervour in this essay, probably because I am among the 16% of Australians who think a national day of commemoration is unnecessary. (Robbie Burns’ birthday (today) being the exception to the rule – Ed). The headline item in a…

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Speed dating with Stan

Sometime in December, I signed up for a one-month free trial with a streaming service, just to see how it measured up. A week later I was telling a young friend, “I’ve been speed dating Stan.” He gave me that WTF look 30-somethings sometimes give their elders: “It’s called binge-watching, Dude.” And so it is. If you succumb to the marvels of being able to stream TV drama to your mobile phone, iPad, laptop and…

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