You might be wondering what on earth is Sue on about now, what is an Ulladulla factor? I'll enlighten you...
My brother, Robert, lives on the south coast of NSW in a rural town called Ulladulla. He coined this term and now I will steal it from him and embellish it a little
He has often spoken of people in his small town getting very excited about their children's accomplishments in sport (nothing wrong with that to a degree), with the belief that their child is destined for sporting fame, if they are successful in their country town. He often speaks of how kids from Sydney might visit his town , say for a tennis comp, and the country child prodigy then gets smashed by the city sider, and everone is left perplexed and heart broken.
My kids are swimmers and coming from Sydney they, and I, know what sort of competition is out there, so we are lucky . However, I can't help but feel sorry for all these great kids doing well at their sport, here in country Victoria, and bewildered when the family and friends get over excited about it. Perhaps it has something to do with the enormous celebrations and chanting before the swim meet begins? I feel like I am a rebel breakaway in a scientology cult.
Its a big, big world out there and I see other parents looking at Greg and I, perplexed at our lack of excitement at our kids recent achievements at the Country Swim Championships, when they are in tears when their child medals in a relay. Don't get me wrong, any kid participating in sport is fantastic in my view, but I refer to the sporting parent who believes their child will be the next Michael Phelps for winning gold at a local meet and booking their tickets for the London 2012 games....The Ulladulla factor.
Its not just us avoiding the Ulladulla factor but a cultural difference .You see here they are mad AFL fans (yes I know I am too) but the mad cheering you see on the TV isn't just reserved for the AFL but for basically anything! Yep, anything. Even the smallest of achievements gets a grandstand full of parents screaming and cheering like its the AFL grandfinal. I am convinced if there were 2 flies walking up a handrail the crowd would start baracking and cheering on one or the other to make it to the top first. Some even had mega phones,no lie, to cheer their child on from the bleechers! This is nice... I think?... In fact to be honest I am not sure. I dont know if I am just the big city reserved type or if I am just more realistic and aware of the big world out there so reluctant to get too excited.
Anyway I can finally relate to what my brother has been bewidered about for ages. You defiantly see the world as much bigger when you move from city to country. I just hope the bubbles don't burst too soon and they enjoy it while it lasts.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My god its hot here!
Have I mentioned how cold it gets here? Well please remind me next time I complain about it. Good lord its 40 plus degrees here and I live in a tin shed! Worse still its going to be hotter tomorrow.
Now I understand we all have our weather extremes but at least in Sydney we were equiped for the heat. Two split system air conditioners and a 9 metre pool. Here even the dam has dried up (not that you would swim in it) and there is absolutely nothing except a couple of fans to cool us down. Still many before us have endured a lot worse without even refrigeration, so I should stop complaining, but that doesnt make me feel any cooler lol! And out come the snakes!
The grass has gone yellow and the lush green landscape has been replaced with the type of dry, brittle harshness that really is unique to the Australian countryside. From sunrise to sunset now you can hear the seed pods in the trees splitting and bursting in the heat. Still its paradise here .... If only I had a pool !
Now I understand we all have our weather extremes but at least in Sydney we were equiped for the heat. Two split system air conditioners and a 9 metre pool. Here even the dam has dried up (not that you would swim in it) and there is absolutely nothing except a couple of fans to cool us down. Still many before us have endured a lot worse without even refrigeration, so I should stop complaining, but that doesnt make me feel any cooler lol! And out come the snakes!
The grass has gone yellow and the lush green landscape has been replaced with the type of dry, brittle harshness that really is unique to the Australian countryside. From sunrise to sunset now you can hear the seed pods in the trees splitting and bursting in the heat. Still its paradise here .... If only I had a pool !
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A New Year beginning
Wow its 2009 already ... Happy New Year to you.
The New Year has not bought the type of hot weather we may have experienced in Sydney but I am told its coming...we'll see but I am happy to not feel the heat. It is odd though to have 5 degree temps in the evening to us and even needing to light the fire! Good Lord imagine what winter is going to be like!!!
The mail arrived the other day and I find myself assulted with not one but two speeding fines! Jesus ! One was only 8 km over the limit and both on the same stretch of freeway! I don't really know what else to say, but I am inclined to justify my speed as there is still alot of Sydney Girl in me and, well yes, I still feel like a busy woman and rushing everywhere. I do admit to thinking how slow the Victorians drive here, and they do, especially the country folk. I am a city, lane switching, freeway peak hour driving expert compared, so need to change or risk my licence! Time to slow down and kick back more.
When we first arrived here Connor and I were in Melbourne for the afternoon and I was dashing about as you do in the city. He pulled on my handag and said "slow down you look silly"and sure enough, even the city Victorians don't rush and dash about as frantically as we do in Sydney. I am trying really hard now to walk slower and try to relax :)
A book I have been reading about an Englishman who moved to rural Spain has reminded me of my quest to live simply and more off the land. He mentions how he still found himself being enslaved to modernism and found himself still buying and wanting lots of things. I thought again about this and realised I am still living very much the same, working to afford the items we need or do we? Thus my quest begins...
Mum pulled some (what we thought were) shallots from the garden and left them by the side of the vege patch. I have since discovered these to realise they are garlic bulbs! In the spirit of my new quest I decided would no longer buy garlic but ultilise the fruits of my land and set about peeling half a bucket of garlic cloves with Cameron. My fingers ache and smell horrid but I now have a jar of frozen garlic cloves and a bottle of garlic oil in the fridge and feel much more like a farmer and saved us... mmmm probably a whole $2 or $3 ! Thinking I need to evaluate effort vs output principles a bit more lol!
Anyway lets hope 2009 brings Gippsland a drought and fire free Summer and a prosperous year ahead. The same to you where ever you are...
The New Year has not bought the type of hot weather we may have experienced in Sydney but I am told its coming...we'll see but I am happy to not feel the heat. It is odd though to have 5 degree temps in the evening to us and even needing to light the fire! Good Lord imagine what winter is going to be like!!!
The mail arrived the other day and I find myself assulted with not one but two speeding fines! Jesus ! One was only 8 km over the limit and both on the same stretch of freeway! I don't really know what else to say, but I am inclined to justify my speed as there is still alot of Sydney Girl in me and, well yes, I still feel like a busy woman and rushing everywhere. I do admit to thinking how slow the Victorians drive here, and they do, especially the country folk. I am a city, lane switching, freeway peak hour driving expert compared, so need to change or risk my licence! Time to slow down and kick back more.
When we first arrived here Connor and I were in Melbourne for the afternoon and I was dashing about as you do in the city. He pulled on my handag and said "slow down you look silly"and sure enough, even the city Victorians don't rush and dash about as frantically as we do in Sydney. I am trying really hard now to walk slower and try to relax :)
A book I have been reading about an Englishman who moved to rural Spain has reminded me of my quest to live simply and more off the land. He mentions how he still found himself being enslaved to modernism and found himself still buying and wanting lots of things. I thought again about this and realised I am still living very much the same, working to afford the items we need or do we? Thus my quest begins...
Mum pulled some (what we thought were) shallots from the garden and left them by the side of the vege patch. I have since discovered these to realise they are garlic bulbs! In the spirit of my new quest I decided would no longer buy garlic but ultilise the fruits of my land and set about peeling half a bucket of garlic cloves with Cameron. My fingers ache and smell horrid but I now have a jar of frozen garlic cloves and a bottle of garlic oil in the fridge and feel much more like a farmer and saved us... mmmm probably a whole $2 or $3 ! Thinking I need to evaluate effort vs output principles a bit more lol!
Anyway lets hope 2009 brings Gippsland a drought and fire free Summer and a prosperous year ahead. The same to you where ever you are...
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