Honzablog

Forwards!

2012-01-31T13:03:00.000+10:00

High above the Chengdu streets, The Sichuan Neighbourhood Patrol is keeping an eye out for any misbehaviour or misdemeanor from the people below. They don't want a return of the days of the Boxer Rebellion, but are ready should that event arise. The Patrol ensure that people will sleep safely in their beds tonight, and look forwards to a good night sleep themselves, secure in the knowledge that peace will reign in the land...

I did a tiny sketch of a fighting vehicle which turned out so well that I scanned it and gave it a complete photoshopping, before placing it (and a companion) in the skies above Chengdu. This was the view from my hotel window when I visited the town in 2008. I look forward to returning some day. It was a very interesting city, the landscape in the rural areas was beautiful and the people were so friendly! Now, if only they could do something about the smog and pollution.

Prepare

2012-01-18T13:53:00.000+10:00

During the Saturday morning session of 'Faith and the Arts', Josie got up on stage and started painting an amazing portrait of Eric Ajaye, our bass man for the week. As she prepared to paint, she popped on an old shirt, and I was struck by the image of her 'putting on the mantle of an artist'. She had been inspiring me all week with her skills and her being challenged to paint in a much looser style. And as she painted, I did this sketch, also in a slightly looser style than I usually do, trying to capture some of her energy.

But to paint like this, Josie had to do a certain amount of preparation, preparing her board, preparing her sketch outlines, most of all, preparing herself. As I say, putting on the mantle of an artist...

Definition of MANTLE

a : a loose sleeveless garment worn over other clothes :cloak

b : a figurative cloak symbolizing preeminence or authority, mantle of leadership

I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus

2011-12-15T19:52:00.000+10:00

I was helping raise some funds for the Salvation Army by doing Christmas Gift wrapping at the Yeppoon shopping centre, and to keep me company, there was an older guy with me, playing Christmas songs on his cornet. I was surprised by the youth of Yeppoon. Two young lads came out of the adjacent Surf Shop and one said 'listen to the old guy on the trumpet!' The other boy said 'it's not a trumpet. That's a cornet!' See, not many people can tell the difference, so I was duly impressed.

Anyway, my cornet playing friend would've played "I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus" at least three times, and in the quiet times between gift wrapping, I worked on this.

Might see if I can get it done as a T-Shirt for next year, maybe...

just the FAQs

2011-11-30T14:04:00.001+10:00

frequently asked questions...

How may I help you?

How long is a piece of string?

Who do you think you are?

Why is it so?

What time is it?

What about me?

Do you want fries with that?

What are you lookin’ at?

Huh?

Is there a God?

And what does he want of me?

Who's on first?

Do you even know what day it is?

Excuse me sir, do you know how fast you were going just now?

Does it come in red?

Do you really want to hurt me?

Would I lie to you?

Who are you?

How do you do?

How dare you?

Is that all?

DO YOU LOVE ME?

******

variety...

2011-11-29T15:08:00.004+10:00

I've just glanced over the things I’ve done for Illustration Friday this last month or so. I hadn’t realised that there was such a variety of styles and techniques! Going backwards from here we have

· paper sculpture combined with carved MDF to create a kinetic artwork
· drawings done in Flash using only the shapes tools
· a cartoon done with a fineline pen and markers
· a cartoon cat scanned, vectorised and coloured in Flash
· a watercolour
· two photos and some drawn elements combined in photoshop
· a gouache painted paper sculpture mounted on a flash back ground
· another cartoon scanned and coloured in Flash
· my old blog header, done in photoshop, probably, with photo of my head which I traced and cartoonified, probably in Flash using my old Wacom tablet
· scan of my sketch pad with other graphic elements added
· fineline drawing
· google sketchup 3d graphics
· and a drawing done with a biro

I have a bunch of other vector drawing programs, but I still like the style that Flash mx gives me. But then, I guess I’m a little weird…

Round and round

2011-11-27T15:44:00.000+10:00

Round and round.

After I made my last post, I remembered this guy, an unfinished automaton that I started a few years back, but who now resides in another part of the continent. His hair goes round and round.
He is carved out of medium density fibreboard (MDF) using a computer controlled routing machine and painted with acrylics. Note the articulated eyebrows and ping pong ball eyes.

The suave, and civilised little devil and the ratbaggy little angel are made of components printed on photo paper, cut out and assembled. The devil's arms and pitchfork move to animate the jabbing action.

The story line goes as followed. The angel is grabbing our hero by the ear and trying to show him all the hurts in the world, the injustice that needs to be dealt with; the last, the lost, the least of the human race that need some mercy and compassion.

Eventually he starts to listen and feel moved to do something but then, JAB! the little devil gives him a quick poke with his pitchfork. Suddenly his focus is back on himself, rather than the plight of others. 'Its all too hard! What will the neighbours think...'

And around it goes...

I could imagine him singing the Delirious song Gravity

This generation is full of religion
Fed up with a diet of nothing
Give me the real thing flowing through my veins
This is the day, this is the hour
Show me the truth cos I want to be blinded
I wanna run, which way should I go

Gravity's pulling me, but heaven is calling me and
My head's spinning the world's twisted
My head's twisted the world's spinning
My head's spinning the world's twisted
My head's twisted the world's spinning round, around

What do they say? Evil happens when good people do nothing...

So, if you feel a little angel prompting you to do right, do it! But be prepared for distractions from that 'civilising' little devil...

round

2011-11-27T09:04:00.000+10:00

Round. Circles. Songs that overlap and never end. Balloons. Fat ladies. Billowy clouds. Round, the very sound in my mouth is round. RRrrrrrroooouuund.... So I though, how much of an illustration could I do using as much as I could circles and ellipses. No pre-drawing, or scanning sketches. Just throw a bunch of curves together and see what happens. Hmm. See what happens? A Weird looking Zeppelin (a non-round sounding word, its full of spikes, not really suiting its lighter than air elegant but dangerous grace), and a rather rotund angel, suspended below. A fun exercise, but I dunno....

you have the right to remain SILENT

2011-11-17T09:23:00.000+10:00

I've been on a jury all week and the judge tells us what an important right this is, the right to remain silent. It has been an interesting week so far, but has left little time to work on illo's or get them on-line. So, here's a quick one i did a couple of days ago, but haven't uploaded til now. Hope it'll do!

Stripes 2

2011-11-08T14:35:00.000+10:00

Here's another cat in stripes. This one however, is probably a little too nerdy to dream of being a tiger...

Tiger Dreaming – Stripes

2011-11-08T14:17:00.000+10:00

Do you ever dream that you were something you’re not? Perhaps richer, better looking, taller, thinner, fitter? Or more patient or more assertive or less prone to anger? Perhaps you are a small cat dreaming of tiger stripes? Obviously, there are things you can change and things you cannot and you need to know the difference. As it says in the Good Book "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?” Matt 6:27. But as for being a bit fitter, or thinner, I can work on that.

Who are your heroes? Who are the people you admire? Martin Luther King? George Scott Railton? Frederick Booth Tucker? (and not just for their double-barrelled names!) Desmond Tutu or Bono? Or Indiana Jones or Han Solo? Mother Theresa, Joan of Arc or Amy Johnson? Or do you like the way Bugs Bunny can come through any situation unruffled? Or is there a family member, a mentor or a close friend? What is it you admire in these people? I’ve been told that what you admire in another person is actually inherent in you. So look at your heroes and discover that thing in them that you admire, and find that is also in you. The little cat may never become a tiger, but she has big cat instincts within her makeup. So be encouraged to develop those admirable character traits, and you could become my hero too!

An analogue illo this week, I pulled out my old gouaches (found that they’d actually dried up…) and attempted a bit of water colour. There’s no undo button in real life, and more cleaning up to do, but I find it satisfying in a different way to the digital stuff I’ve been doing lately.

What really IS Scary...

2011-11-03T11:42:00.000+10:00

I submitted an illustration for Illustration Friday a few days ago for the topic of scary. It was a fun image of an elephant, a haunted house, and hang gliding mice. Scary indeed...

But today I was confronted by something scarier. The town I live in has a reputation for its high rates in youth suicide. In fact the suicide levels for 10-14 year olds is among the highest in this country. I was just this morning talking to a young lady I know at the local High School's Breakfast Club, where I help at twice a week. She was telling me about her big sister, who is in hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. Why this loss of hope?

As I come in contact with young people in this town, I hear stories of family break down and kids living in complicated situations. Its really not easy for a lot of them an it manifests in all sorts of ways. Suicide is one way; disaffected youth, and homelessness are others things that happen here.

This is a T-shirt design I am working on to raise awareness of Youth Homeless issues. Yes, there is a Banksy influence in it, but I thought that was relevant. Why is it that disaffected and homeless kids are always shown in hoodies?

And another scary thought is that these young people are the future of this country. A lot of them really great kids with a lot of potential, but how many will be able to realise this potential. Despite the huge coal and iron ore mining industries here, people are our greatest and best resource, but so much possible goodness is being lost.

But there is hope. And I try to be part of that, shining my light in the dark.

Scary...

2011-10-29T22:36:00.000+10:00

Haunted houses are supposed to be scary, aren't they?

Not so, thought Eddie, I can stay in that one all night. I'm not scared of any ectoplasmic visitations!

And as it was, that wasn't the problem, nor the thunderstorm, or the creaky doors and cob webs. Not even the cat that walked across the keyboard of the ancient pipe organ.

No, it was the bats, plain and simple.

No, wait, not bats, bats aren't scary.

It was the mice.

Mice, with hang gliders!

Or, if you prefer German: Fledermäuse, Nicht!! Fliegenmäuse mit Fallsegelflugzeugen!

This is an elephant I sculpted out of paper, and painted a long time ago. But only today have I completed the haunted house and hang-gliding mice to put his terror in context. Elephants are apparently known for their fear of mice. What are you scared of?

Fuel - Bicycle Gasoline

2011-10-25T14:00:00.000+10:00

Bananas are yummy, and full of potassiummy goodness, as my friend Murray would say. But he's a gorilla, and slightly biased. I like bananas, and I live in the state of the Banana Benders, ie, Queensland, but last summer's floods and cyclones wiped out much of the banana crop and as a result, they have been horribly expensive all year, up to $12 a kg... A friend of mine has recently visited London, where she got to eat bananas at a good cheap price, kind of ironic as they don't even grow them there. I remember visiting eastern Germany during the last banana shortage in 2006, and eating lots of even more ironic bananas there. Because, back in the day, bananas where virtually unobtainable there, a symbol of the decadent west. I daresay they are cheaper there now than they are here...

Anyway, bananas are terrific fuel for cycling, it is said a single banana can give you enough energy for another 10km! According to the how stuff works website '...you will find that a person riding a bicycle at 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour) burns 0.049 calories per pound per minute. So a 175-pound (77-kg) person burns 515 calories in an hour, or about 34 calories per mile (about 21 calories per km).

A gallon of gasoline (about 4 liters) contains about 31,000 calories. If a person could drink gasoline, then a person could ride about 912 miles on a gallon of gas (about 360 km per liter). Considering that a normal car gets about 30 miles per gallon, that's pretty impressive!

Actually the average banana contains around 172 calories, so, do the maths, how far could you go? At 21Cal per km, that's... well, only 8.19km, but bananas convert energy much more efficiently than do mars bars for example.

As I was doing this weird little illo for illustration friday, I had the Delirious song going through my mind, the one that goes:

'She don't need no bicycle gasoline,
She just needs her violets.
She don't need no bicycle gasoline,
She just needs her violets.'

Brilliant song, very clever, slightly weird, but I like it.

time for a new look

2011-10-18T12:08:00.000+10:00

Time to say goodbye to the classic Honzablog header and freshen the place up a bit. What do you think?

Scattered

2011-10-17T15:13:00.000+10:00

Scattered. That's the Illustration Friday challenge this week. I was a bit stuck by this one, not wanting to do anything too literal. So instead of an illustration, I ironically ended up with literature, well, an attempt at poetry anyway. I didn't know where it was going when I started it, I just made a collection of words that rhymed with 'scattered and battered them into some sort of shape. How many allusions can you pick? Anyway, I scanned my sketchbook, and then collaged a few bits to it to make it a bit more illustrative. Ah well...

IF - Contraptions part ii

2011-10-11T15:31:00.000+10:00

Well, I already added the drawing of a masculine butterfly as my entry into Illustration Friday's Contraption challenge, but I was not convinced by it. I mean, I like the design, and I think it has a future to be developed into a future project, but it's not what I would really call a contraption. A contraption is something, in my book, that is cobbled together by an inventor, without the additional benefits of industrial design. Now, I'm a big fan of good industrial design, but I love contraptions too. I grew up reading the adventure of Professor Branestawm, looking at Heath Robinson drawings, wishing I had a mousetrap game and making stuff.

And later on, what about Wallace and Gromit? I love that stuff! But, alas, my butterfly was more Buck Rogers than Heath Robinson.

But this is a contraption. How better for a young man to plight his troth by serenading his princess with his sackbut? A steam powered winch, a grappling hook (launched by a harpoon gun) and eight legs to climb her tower. She would be impressed!

This is quite an old, but unfinished sketch - I finished inking it just now so I could scan it for my blog, but the design evolved and I actually made a working model which really did climb, once I rearranged the centre of gravity and such! I moved the story into the thirties, and had my hero playing his trombone to the heiress of the BaconBitz empire in her penthouse suite of the BaconBitz ArtDeco Skyscraper from his 'Arachnoflyvver', which got industrial designed in the 1930's streamlined style. Hmm, not such a contraption now! But a definite Buckminster Fuller, rather than Buck Rogers influence! I was planning on even making a 3m tall art deco Skyscraper facade for it to climb. Maybe I will some day... I couldn't find the actual model, it's lost in transit somewhere, but here is a representation of it done in Google Sketch-up.

IF - Contraption

2011-10-08T20:53:00.002+10:00

This biro drawing was inspired by the phrase 'Masculine Butterfly'. What would a masculine butterfly look like? Hence this slightly gangsta sci-fi contraption. One day I would like to make a scale model of this, and mount it in a display case as if it were an exotic lepidopteric exhibit from the Amazon or some such place. Or is it a tiny Alien spacecraft designed to blend in in natural Earth conditions, although this may only be possible in a garden of artificial flowers...

IF - Hibernate

2011-10-03T12:42:00.002+10:00

Why do so many people live their lives as if they are hibernating? As I wander around my local shopping centre I wonder at all the people there with dead eyes, going through the motions. If they look up they may see wonderful things all around them. Look again at the world with child-like wonder, maybe you won't see a roller-skating elephant in a pink tutu, but you may see something that will make you smile, make you think, make you live again...

The image that this illo is based on is the classic Australian painting Collins St, 5pm by John Brack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_St.,_5_pm

Ferocious!

2011-09-29T15:09:00.003+10:00

Ah, well, appearances are deceiving. He's not really ferocious. Just his natural shortsightedness is further blurred by love at first sight, and there aren't that many eligible female dinosaurs around any more. As a result, in about three seconds time he is going to be mistaken for a hideous, fire-breathing Dragon. Yes, smoking is not good for you, and, as you can guess, led to the demise of the dinosaur...

Out of Balance

2011-09-28T14:42:00.004+10:00

It's time to update the blog. A month or so back I won my local library's Children's Book Week Competition, not a huge prize, but it encouraged me to dust off an old project I started ages ago, a look at that old stereotype that elephants are scared of mice. I take it to its illogical conclusion and attempt a story that combines deep seated prejudices with elephant jokes. In a few weeks, I might send something off to a few publishers to see if we can do business. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I'll never know if I don't give it a go!

Safari

2011-05-15T23:16:00.003+10:00

Haven't done Illustration Friday for a few weeks, so I thought it was time I dashed off a quick sketch while watching Eurovision Song Contest.

I haven't looked at any of the other entries, so maybe everyone has done their version of this idea.

Not everyone will be able to go on a Safari in Africa, but I'm sure the cat wouldn't mind a bit more space...

Bicycle 2

2011-04-25T17:32:00.007+10:00

After two Dawn services in two days, this afternoon could've been spent snoozing. Instead I hopped on to my trusty deadly treadly and rode across town to the airport. There were no planes due to land within an hour, so I rode home again.

Anyway, two Dawn Services? Well, on Sunday at 6am, people from the Rocky Baptist Tab, and the Cap Region Salvo's hosted an Easter Morning Sunrise service on Mount Archer. A beautiful morning remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus, a time to contemplate sacrifice and suffering and affirm life.

And then today, at 4:27am we commemorated the the ill-fated landing of Australian and New Zealand troops on Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915, and two nations being tried by fire and coming to age as nations on the world stage. A time to contemplate sacrifice and suffering and affirm life.

'Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends...' Not often do Easter and Anzac day coincide, but they do provide a chance to really think about what life is all about, and what is it we are living for.

Life is too short to have prejudices, to judge others without even knowing who they are. Who knows? Elephants may find that mice CAN be their friends. And maybe cars and bikes can even share the same roads. Utopian dream? Maybe, but that doesn't mean we don't try for it!

Bicycle

2011-04-24T14:41:00.002+10:00

I ride my bike around town a lot, not actually having a car, and I find Rocky is such a friendly town, drivers are often so courteous, and passengers often wind down windows to yell out helpful advice, like, 'Hey mate, yer wheels. They're going 'round!' or just an encouraging 'aaaaargh!'

Anyway, many years ago now, I drew a sketch of an Elephant on a bicycle, and I thought, what would be a nerve-wracking scenario for him, and I thought, it had to be a big car full of mice giving him a hard time. This gradually morphed into an idea for a picture book, featuring a heap of mice vs elephant scenarios, an examination of prejudice and stereotyping.

This is a rough mock-up of the bicycle page, with an early attempt of mine of paper sculpture. I'd love to re-do this properly one day, in good quality paper and really paint instead of markers and coloured pencils. Maybe I should pull out the old book and give it another shot. It's mostly written, but has lain dormant for far too long...

Journey Man

2011-04-17T18:28:00.002+10:00

Strip off Uberdude's muscle suit and super powers, and beneath lies Journeyman, a mild mannered ordinary guy, who nevertheless does what he can with what he has to make the world a better place. No special abilities or extraordinary talents, unable to leap even reasonable short towers, less powerful that a resting locomotive, quite a bit slower than a speeding bullet and yet, through Journeyman, and people just like him, just doing the best they can, the world IS a better place, and that makes him a real hero.

Thank you Journeyman, your work here is not done, but you are not about to to fly of to your Fortress of Solicitude, or your Bat Cavern. You're here for the long run. Because, changing the world IS a journey...

Bottled...

2011-04-10T16:17:00.002+10:00

Aye, it's hideous, I grant ye, But what I really want to know is, how did they get something that big out of the bottle?

It's all about perspective. It's been said that we don't see the world how it is, we see the world how we are. Our view is the world is coloured by our culture, our attitudes and our experiences. Mercy is the ability to see the world from someone else's perspective, to walk a mile in their shoes, to really empathise with them, not just sympathise. How many people really know how life is for you? And how many people do you know what life is really like for? That's a measure of the level of community you are currently experiencing.

So, what are you waiting for? Look at life through new lenses. Realise your viewpoint isn't the only one. Get out of your bottle and live life!

IF - Duets

2011-04-03T17:33:00.002+10:00

Back in January I went to the fabulous Faith and the Arts week in Poatina, Tasmania to hang out with and be inspired by creative people from many disciplines including drama, music, painting, photography, creative writing (Slam Poetry!) and print making. I've never tried print making before, so I gave it a go, and really loved it. Come to Tassie next Jan to experience it for yourself, or if you can't wait that long, there's the Canada edition in a few months.

Anyway, two of the stars of the week were Eric and Spike, who, despite not having met before inspired us with their duets. Amazing jazz. Check out my Youtube video. And when Spike's wife Lea joined them, there was magic in the air.

So what better subject for Illustration Friday's Duet challenge than Eric and Spike.

It gave me a chance to play with my new Wacom Tablet (a bit easier to draw with than my laptop's scratch pad...) and play around with a demo version of Artrage software. This is a lot looser than what I normally come up with, but I liked the energy of it and had to resist the temptation to clean it up too much in GIMP! Hope you like it.

big boys toys

2011-03-31T12:34:00.002+10:00

All these sf movies that like the idea of big mechanical walking machines, from Star Wars, District 9, The Wrong Trousers, Avatar, and many many more, it must be fun stomping around alien landscapes with big metal legs. Obviously a case of toys for big boys. But once alien lands are conquered, and you've finished stomping on the Rebel alliance, there are still chores to be done... So stop playing, and Do Some Work! Ok?

IF - Toy

2011-03-26T13:54:00.002+10:00

a few years ago I worked at a signage company that had a lot of very cool computerised machinery that could do wondrous things. Unfortunately I couldn't do wondrous things with them very often, there was more mundane work to do. And Laser engravers and huge 3d NC routing machines apparently aren't toys... Frustrating! However, occasionally I was able to do something.

Fish on a Stick is the result of one of those times. his head is airbrushed styrofoam, scales are felt and his internal structure is laser cut acrylic. His whole body was fully articulated and he could move his tail with a flick of the wrist.

His jaw was held shut with a mouse trap spring, and opened by pulling on a piece of (ironically) fishing line which was fed down the blue handle, which Fish sat on like a rod topper.

He was a lot of fun, to play with, too, a nice, almost magical puppet. But the real toy was my laser engraver. I wish I still had access to one...

IF - Warning

2011-03-14T15:49:00.004+10:00

This is a piece that really speaks to me. Notice the artist's use of bold colours and composition; the way that the raw meaning of the words is subsumed in the context of the dichotomy of the post-modern other as he tries to catch the zeitgeist of mundane everyday reality yet inject some whimsical, phantasy to instill in us a sense of urgency, even, impending doom. Yes, this artist has something very profound that he is trying to communicate with us, and I think has succeeded admirably.

Illustration Friday is a weekly challenge where readers are asked to come up with an illustration inspired by the word of the week. Last week's word was warning. note, I said LAST week's word... yup, I'm a few days late to post this. This week's word is stir. I might have something here in three weeks for that! Or maybe not.

Alternative idea was also a sign -

CAUTION

This Sign has SHARP EDGES!

(Also, the Bridge is out...)

Bert Spanish Rap 16

2011-01-29T19:53:00.000+10:00

boy meets girl, a film for Michael and Vicki

2010-05-09T20:09:00.003+10:00

Leah's World Tour

2010-01-11T17:09:00.003+10:00

This is just to let you know that my friend Leah Robinson is touring around the world, looking at the Salvation Army's work in the field of justice where-ever she goes. And she's blogging about it!
Well, after a very good start, she's dropped off the intensity a bit... Not that I can be the first to throw stones on that score!
Anyway, check it out, leave a comment to encourage her, it is a big thing that she does, and it will help her in her quest to make Central Queensland a more just place.
leah's blog

2009-12-03T16:07:00.001+10:00

Berlin, Germany

Dresden, Germany

Chengdu, China

Melbourne, Australia

Poatina, Australia

Adelaide, Australia

Hamburg, Germany

Launceston, Australia

Ostrava, Czech Republic

Port Antonio, Jamaica

Johnstown, PA, USA

Rockhampton, Australia

Prague, Czech Republic

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Travel time again

2009-12-03T15:16:00.003+10:00

Wow. This time next week I'll be in New Delhi! I'm sure I'll have much to blog about there. But look at this photo. It's the readers picture in this week's Australian WarCry, I took it of the Great Wall of China in August 2008. I also saw Beijing and spent time in Wuhan, Cheng Du and Deyang. I also visited villages that were destroyed by the May 2008 Earthquake. Amazing stories. And yet this is the first time I've blogged on China...

Hopefully I won't be so remiss when it comes to India. That should be a memorable time, and I'm sure the extremes of the poverty there will impact on me.

In the meantime, gaze at this Wonder of the World (albeit one that cost many hundreds of lives in its construction...) and pray for our team in South Asia (as well as our Chinese Friends) as you do.

just another Sunday

2009-09-04T15:02:00.000+10:00

Pilgrim Feet

2009-06-23T11:02:00.004+10:00

Someone once said something along the lines of 'a tourist is one who passes through a land taking pictures, but a pilgrim is one who lets the land pass through them' I did a bit of a google for the exact quote, but cannot find it anywhere.

Anyway, the feet of a pilgrim are an important thing, it is by his feet that a pilgrim stands and walks on the land. And wherever your feet are, there you are also... (barring altercations with crocodiles and other unforseen events)

And so, here are the photos of the feet of around 60 people as we travelled from Brisbane to Uluru and back.

Fortunately we went by bus, rather than walking the whole distance, or we'd still be on the way!

'Life is a journey, long is the road...' 'It's a long way to travel alone...' 'the long and winding road, that leads to your door...' 'and I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more...' So many songs that involve the image of pilgrimage. All I know is that the Uluru Pilgrimage was a significant time for many young people, but life itself is a pilgrimage, and we are all on that journey. The sad thing is so many people go through lives as tourists, and many of them have no idea of their final destination.

As we all travel along, we need to help those we meet on the way, help them find their direction, because we're all in this together. So lets get on our feet and walk a life worthy of our calling.

Uluru 09

2009-04-22T11:47:00.003+10:00

yes, it is time for another update to this rather infrequent blog...

Just this morning I arrived back in Brisbane after around 7800km in a bus with 60 or so young people and their leaders for an 8 day pilgrimage to Uluru.

On the way we stopped in Peterborough Sth Australia for lunch. I used to live in Peterborough when I was in grade 4, in fact, here is a photo of my old house. That was my bedroom window on the left. There used to be an almond tree outside that window, and a water tank, whose bottom rusted out just after we arrived and we couldn't have fresh rain water to drink. We had to drink town water which needed to be filtered and boiled before it was consumable as we waited for the rain to fall...

At Peterborough we had a locust plague and I remember the air thick with them, us kids spending school lunch times seeing how many we could catch in our lunch boxes. It was where I had my first crush - Jacquie Adams - prettiest girl in class, and it's where Allan walked into a Stobie pole and still carries a scar.

It's also where, in the little Salvation Army Hall next door where I as an 8 year old gave my heart to the Lord. It's where I became a junior Soldier in the Salvation Army.

Ah, memories... but an hour or so in Peterborough wasn't the only thing that happened in the last week or two but that can wait for another blog.

Perhaps...

Long time, no see...

2008-12-21T21:44:00.002+10:00

Well, I'm back in Melbourne for a few weeks before heading down to Tassie (again) and then back to Brisbane early on in February. On the way down here, I spent a day in Sydney taking lots of photos of the sights and sites of a photegenic city. And it was a warm sunny day - I have the sunburnt nose to prove it!

Anyway I met a few friends today who I hadn't seen for awhile, and they asked when was I going to update my blog? When indeed? Well, I didn't know people were still reading it!

If occasionally, if you think I've been a bit slack and you want an update, just leave a comment in the comment box. It doesn't take long, and its just the spur that I need.

Meanwhile, look at my little digital collagey thing and tell me which photo was NOT taken last Tuesday!

Back to Tas

2007-09-24T12:13:00.000+10:00

For a week now I have been in Tasmania - which is not quite as tropical as Rockhampton (there is a hint of sleet here today...) for Fusion's annual International Conference. For the first few days Fusion teams from all over the world presented reports on what they'd been doing in the last year. Inspiring stuff. Then the last half of the week was more about business.
Lot's of intrepid young adults with great stories. At my breakfast table the other day Ashleigh was telling us what it was like to be a young white girl in Trench Town in Jamaica, Kingston's roughest suburb. And then Bec was telling us about being a young white girl based in Beijing. A whole other set of challenges!
There were Ghanaians, Jamaicans, Sri Lankans, Poms, Albanians, Canadians, Germans... all reporting on how this Aussie style of mission was working in their countries. And the work in Australia as well.
During the last intensives, my diploma class got all excited by an idea to set up a global network in the next three years to bring advent pageants to primary school children in every country that Fusion is involved in. We were ambitious and decided that in 8 years time we wanted 75% of the children in all the Fusion countries to have the opportunity to do an advent pageant, and thus learn the Christmas story.
Yep, that's a lot of kids...
It's a daunting project, but the people at this Conference decided to adopt this as the first global project for Fusion International.
Can your local primary school get on board? Let me know, its part of my class's plan to take over the world by 2015. More on this soon...

Oh, and in other news, the family I was living with in Brisbane have bought a unit which they are keen to rent out to Grego and me. It looks really nice, and is only a Kilometre from the office. Really good, and we'll be able to move in in a week or so after we get back to Brissy!

...my hat....

2007-09-01T15:43:00.000+10:00

In further news from Queensland, things are happening apace in all departments except the hunt for a permanent place to live. I've been staying these last few weeks with a nice family with interesting children and a nice house that is halfway up a nice, scenic hill. But a nice, cheap flat within walking distance of Woodridge station would be good too.
The weather too is nice, well, except for the record August rainfalls of last week. Very much of it happened for several days, but the water supplies here are still well below where they should be.
This time last week I was at a beach at Bluff Point which is near Yeppoon, which is near Rockhampton, which is on the edge of the tropics. Off the coast, the tourist resort of Great Keppel Island was visible. I was there wearing cardboard armour and having flour fights with a nice bunch of kids as the tide came in. The Daytrips such as this one at Rocky is a chance for kids contacted at schools to have a safe, fun day of adventure and see Christian values role-modelled. The rain that was with us for most of the 650km or so drive up on Friday finally caught up with us as the bus was taking the tired but happy kids home at the end of the day.
This time next Saturday will be the South East Queensland day trip, we are going cable skiing!
About a week after that I'll be back in Tassie, seeing if the southern spring is much different to the one here. As a pointer, the last daytrip in Tassie was a snow trip!

whereever I lay my hat...

2007-08-14T21:21:00.000+10:00

Well, I am on the sunny Gold Coast now. Actually it's not so sunny because the sun set a few hours ago... I arrived in Brisbane on Saturday night, and that's where I ate and slept. On Sunday night I was staying on the Gold Coast, just across the water from Sea World. That's the place I first met Murray, all those years ago. I was back in Brisbane on Monday night, and here on the coast (in a different house) for the next two nights. Then its back to Brissy, and at another new house . This sort of thing will continue until Greg and I are able to find somewhere of our own to stay.
If you're the praying kind, I know your prayers will be appreciated.
We need a two bed place in the region of Woodridge, and it must be CHEAP! The Aussie Government is very kindly providing me with funds for study, just not many of them! And poor ol' Greg is not even getting that! On top of that there are plans afoot to go to China next year (and I'd like to go back to Germany too, but we'll see).This is a bit of an experiment in living by faith and seeing how the birds of the air are fed and the lilies of the field are clothed and finding out if that applies to us too!
Still, it's all an adventure, and I know we'll be looked after. Just how will be the interesting part!

"Fish-on-a-Stick"

2007-08-04T21:42:00.001+10:00

Deep in the Sea,
Where the Vicious Fishes swim...

...there once was a fish.
On a stick...

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, a little project to make use of the technologies at work - Computer-aided design and Laser cutting capabilities.

But when he was done, what did I have? Well, yes, Fish. On a stick. With a mouse-trap powered jaw and a fully articulated body that flapped around in fishy sort of way.

But of what use is that? Once, I took him to church along with a Gold Fish (called Rod Davies) in a plastic bag. I showed the kids. " Here is a fish I made. And here is a fish made by God..." We are all created in the image of God, so I think that makes us like little creators too! Just not quite as good at it...

Now it looks like Fish-on-a-stick has found a purpose in life! He is in training to go to the Olympics in Beijing! How cool would that be for a little Aussie fish?

Watch this space!

PS. Rod Davies is actually a very talented singer-songwriter. He seems to be a closely guarded secret, well, from radio airplay at least. Captain Midnight will be playing him soon, I hope. The sister of the guy I borrowed the gold fish off had a bit of a thing for Rod back in the day!

overdue...

2007-07-30T20:22:00.000+10:00

yes, for all you readers just hanging out to see if I got those assignments done, well, I won't keep you in suspense any more.
yes. All done. I now have a Certificate iv in Youth and Community Work (Christian).
After graduation, I had about three hours off before getting involved in the Poatina Artists retreat. I spent a couple of days helping to make large puppets for use in festivals, with an eye at the Beijing Olympics. Before that had even finished I begun learning the stuff I needed to go on for the Diploma. This was more days in class, and any spare time making puppets, including a larger version of my 'fish-on-a-stick'.
Then came the week-long Foundations Course - How to Live With God, With Others and With Yourself. Very good course, well worth doing, its twice a year in Poatina and people come from right across Australia, and also the world (though not so many of them...). An extra 200+ people in the village and then we finished it with an open day. That was a festival where another 429 people (I know, I counted them) came to our remote
little village and appeared to have a really nice day in the winter sun.
No rest, because straight after Foundations week, we started Diploma 'intensives' - classes from 9am til 9pm for two weeks.
This is why I haven't done much blogging in the last 6 weeks.
Now I am in Melbourne, having some holiday time, before I move up to Brisbane to do my placement in the Fusion centre there.

Poatina Sunrise

2007-06-08T21:57:00.000+10:00

Probably should be doing assignments, but I thought I'd better update the blog. Yeah, yeah, procrastination... and actually, the fleetingness of time was apparent too me when I took this photo, the Earth rapidly revolving beneath my feet. I got up the other morning and saw this fantastic pre-dawn red sky out my window. by the time I had grabbed my camera, the sun had already popped up onto the Horizon. By the time I got my shoes on and got to the back fence, it had already cleared the said horizon. By the time the sun does this another 22 times, I need to have all my assignments done. Can I do it?

Life, it's a race against the sun. 'The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older...' That's what Pink Floyd would say. The Psalmist. however is a tad more positive. 'But I trust in you, O Lord... My times are in your hands.' Psalm 31:14,15

Mercy, justice, compassion

2007-05-27T12:04:00.001+10:00

Lately we have been studying books like 'Small is Beautiful' and 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed' and looking at how God sees injustice in the world as he spoke through the Old Testament prophets. Jesus himself announced his ministry on Earth by quoting Isaiah 4:18,19;

God's Spirit is on me;

he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to

the poor,

Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and

recovery of sight to the blind,

To set the burdened and battered free,

to announce, "This is God's year to act!"

There has also been the anniversary of the illegalization of the slave trade in England; we've studied some of the great reformers, Lord Shaftsbury, Wilberforce, Wesley, Luther, Booth; yet still the world is full of injustice, the rich nations oppress the poor, powerless people are still trafficked in their thousands in the modern day slave trade, third world workers are exploited, young girls forced into prostitution, major corporations more often than not are concerned with the profit margin over and above the welfare of their workers. To be truly Christian, we must align ourselves with the poor and carry on Christ's mission to the oppressed. But what can one person one do?

Awareness of the issues is a start, knowledge is powerful. Frustration is better than apathy…

It's time to go to the archives. Here's a poem I wrote long time ago:

Sole Music

The squeak of his boots as he shoots for his goals,

Brings payment for his fame in the game,

He gained the world when he leased his soles;

Twenty million dollars for his Name.

The tingling ring of the register drawer;

Takes her two hundred dollars from her view,

'...But to wear a pair like Jordan wore'

Said her son 'is the cool thing to do...'

Sewing Machines stutter on the sweat shop floor

Where the boots are produced at a price.

Sixty hours a week at eighty cents an hour

Barely covers the cost of his rice.

The African mourns the death of his daughter

But drought, dust and war leave naught to eat,

No land, no home, no hope, no water,

No boots! He's thankful he has feet.

The squeak of the boots, the register's ring;

The sewing machines click clackity.

The rich man, the poor, who mourn, who sing?

Listen

To the din

Of Inequity...

small coincidence

2007-05-07T11:12:00.000+10:00

On the way back from Uluru, we stopped one day for lunch in Port Augusta, in a nice park in the centre of the town. I could see from where we parked the bus the old Salvo hall, just further up the street. I used to live in the house right next door to that! My parents were the Salvo officers in Port Augusta when I was about 4. A fair while back now...
The house is no longer there... But sitting in the park, we found a Warcry, the Salvo magazine. And in it was an article about Christian Radio Broadcasting in Australia! About half a column on that story was about a woman called Sarah McIllwraith, a program director at a Christian radio station in Adelaide, who had trained in radio here in Poatina with Fusion. We wondered if this was a sister of our class-mate Julia, who hadn't come to Uluru with us (but I had borrowed her plastic plates for the trip). It turned out it was! Cool!
A further small coincidence. My friend Fiona, who is currently doing a doctorate in theology (at a much bigger bible school that the one I am at now) and has also worked on radio - some of it was as a producer for ABC radio in Horsham (a much bigger radio station than Heart fm where I work!), also lived in Port Augusta as a pre-schooler, when HER parents were officers in Port Augusta. hmmm

Uluru song

2007-05-06T17:56:00.000+10:00

Uluru 2007 Tasmania Song

Sweet Home in the Outback

Bus wheels keep on turning

See red dirt everywhere

We’re far from home Tasmania

To meet some fine folk such as you

Sweet home in the Outback

The Southern Cross is in our sights

We’re a bunch of Tassie Pilgrims

Big Red Rock we’re comin’ to you!

We went to Tandanya

Learnt about the didgeridoo

Aboriginals call it Yiriki

We hope you learnt something new

We stayed in caves in Coober Pedy

Had a look around the town

Sang some songs and we got tired

Way before the sun went down

We have faced some persecution

10 Million flies are in our face

As pilgrims we should love our enemies

We’ll make exceptions in this case

We’ll soon be off home back to Tassie

Goodbye heat wave, hello thermals

With all your faces in our memories

We will bare the winter cold

Sweet home Tasmania

We have gone to the rock

Now we’ve got crusty undies

And a pair of smelly socks

George sings!

2007-04-29T14:04:00.000+10:00

For all his faults, George has a nice singing voice. See him here covering a U2 classic!

George George George...

2007-04-25T21:21:00.000+10:00

I'd like to quote the President of the United States of America... In a recent speech where he offers condolences to the shooting victims in Virginia he says, ' In times like this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God. As the Scriptures tell us, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."'

They are fine words, worthy of a statesman. But didn't they apply back on Sept 11, 2001 also?

Wow, how would the 'War on Terror' have gone if we had applied this to it? If America had bombed Afghanistan with a billion dollars worth of food, or better still, intelligent sensitive aid? And Iraq? It would be hard to drum up support to attack people who are being overwhelmingly nice to you? What family would allow their sons to be suicide bombers to destroy the people who are making your life so much better? Many of those boys come from desperate poverty and do it partly to stop these American devils, but also because their families are taken care of.

I don't know. I'm rambling a bit here... Probably George W is correct in all he does. But am I alone in thinking that there is a sort of disconnect between this quote and events in the Middle East? No easy answers, but who ever said 'Love your Enemies' was the easy path to take?

How would the world be if we took that seriously?

Easter Conspiracy

2007-04-06T21:17:00.000+10:00

Around two thousand years ago there lived a man.

He lived in an obscure backwater of the Roman Empire,

and never ventured out of that region.

For three years he walked from town to town with a small group of friends,

an itinerant story teller.

He held no formal position of civic, religious or military authority,

or even owned property beyond the clothing he wore.

He was executed with common criminals, and laid to rest in a borrowed tomb.

And yet, the implications of this life and death are still felt today.

When Jesus was buried, his followers were a dispirited lot. One of them had even hung himself when he realized that betraying him into the hands of the authorities would not result in glorious revolution against the Romans, but a cruel, shameful death. Their world had caved in. The One they thought would bring about God’s Kingdom on Earth was dead.

Could it be then that this small group of ordinary people could pull off the greatest hoax in history by stealing the body of Jesus from the tomb, and proclaiming him alive?

Firstly the disciples would have to come up with the story – Myth making of epic proportions – that Jesus had risen from the dead, and the redemptive outcomes of that in God’s great scheme of things. They had virtually one day of mourning to come up with a huge, subtle and sophisticated theology – and this from the minds of a bunch of rough, thick-headed fishermen and other un-learned working men!

Next they needed to steal the body. If Jesus’ body was not hidden away, the authorities only had to produce it to prove that the disciples were lying. To steal the body, this group of ordinary guys, who two days earlier were too afraid to even witness the crucifixion, would need to take on a contingent of heavily armed Roman troops who were guarding the tomb. And if that occurred, all Jerusalem would have heard of it. As it was, the guards maintained that the Disciples stole the body as they slept. They must’ve been heavy sleepers not to hear the huge stone dragged away from the entrance of the tomb! But sleeping on duty was punishable by death for Roman Soldiers. It was generally accepted that the Jewish religious leaders bribed them to tell that story after promising to fix things up with their superiors.

And then, they would need to stick to this story, no matter what. How could they get away with this, telling this story in the very time and place that it happened unless it was true? There would’ve been plenty of witnesses to confirm or deny what had happened, a fraud would’ve quickly been exposed. Apart from a certain amount of fame, there would be no gain for them in proclaiming a risen Jesus. What selfish advantage could be gained from such a story? Virtually all of the disciples would die martyrs deaths maintaining the truth of the resurrection right to the end. Who knowingly would die for a lie?

But perhaps Jesus didn’t die on the cross. Maybe he was unconscious and revived in the cool of the tomb?

There are a few problems with this theory. When Roman Soldiers execute people, they are extremely efficient, nobody survives a crucifixion. There were strict procedures in place; in fact bungled crucifixions resulted in the would-be executors being executed themselves. Jesus’ legs were not broken to hasten his death because he was already dead on the cross. John, an eyewitness, wrote in his Gospel that when the soldier put his spear through Jesus’ side, blood and water flowed out. Forensic experts would attest that this is a sure sign of death, total lung collapse, asphyxiation, the blood breaking down into its constituent parts.

If by some miracle Jesus had survived and was laid unconscious in the tomb, and revived, this badly beaten, seriously injured man had to singled-handedly move the huge stone in front of the tomb entrance and overpower a contingent of Roman Guards, who would be in deadly trouble for letting a dead man escape.

And when Jesus did re-unite with his followers, they were convinced that he was gloriously resurrected and not someone in need of intensive care. He was able to convince ‘Doubting’ Thomas (my Lord and my God) and his own disbelieving brother James that something miraculous had happened.

Jesus’ life and death are the most recorded events of the Ancient era; there is no doubt that they actually happened. And the circumstances surrounding his resurrection make it’s happening far more likely than it not happening. The evidence adds plausibility to his claims of being the son of God. It’s worth thinking about.

Uluru Journal

2007-04-05T17:45:00.000+10:00

Hey everyone. Easter comes soon, and with it, the big Uluru pilgrimage!
Check out the journal, it's updated every day. And pray for us, it's a big event, lifechanging for many of the young people who go.
The Uluru Journal

Latrobe Festival

2007-04-01T20:03:00.000+10:00

Well, that was a fun day! Just now come in from doing a festival in Latrobe, a nice town north of here, I think it's a bit to the left of Davenport. A bunch of us from Poatina went up there to help out the local churches with their first Easter Festival, and it was a lot of fun, as these things always are. The public were suprised and pleased to find that everything was free, the sausages, the coffee, the games, my expert tuition in stilt walking... everything!

Families came to pass an hour and stayed all afternoon, and a lovely friendly atmosphere was created, a corner of the Kingdom of Heaven. I spent most of the day helping kids (and the odd brave adult) try out stilts and geeter boards - when three or four people strap their feet to a pair of boards and try to walk in step. Harder than it looks!

There was water balloon Volleyball, and some new statues were installed in the park for the day; the one pictured above would be Winston. Usually he is in storage in Poatina, but we dust him off and take him out occasionally. He enjoys the sunshine, but not the pigeons...

I also took part in a wheelbarrow race with a local school principal pushing me. Unfortunately he pushed faster than my hands could go, and I ended up with a teeth full of grass as we crashed out right at the start.

Be that as it may, a good start to the Easter period, and people left with a little bit of the story of Easter to think about in the coming week.

uluru

2007-03-23T20:20:00.000+10:00

Just a short up-date. Right after going down south to Hobart for the Easter Awakening, my C4 class and a heap of other younger Tasmanians begin our pilgrimage to the nation's heart, to Uluru. Buses will converge on the Rock from most of the more popular compass points, and we will spend a few days with the Indigenous people of the Centre. They tell me that the Journey is all as much a part of it as the destination. This is a real life changing adventure for lots of people. There are kids from Schools that we are working at that want to come, and all is being done to see that as many as possible can come, but it's an exercise in faith for us all to see where the money will come from! A team is already on their way to set up base camp for us. To follow their travels, have a look at Uluru Journal, in a short time, hundreds of us will join them in the shadow of Ayers Rock, Uluru.

I hope I will get to be re-united with my nice warm sleeping bag in Melbourne on the way through, those central Australian desert nights can get a tad chilly...

Back to the Bubble

2007-03-21T16:22:00.000+10:00

I have spoken of the Bubble effect before. I managed to capture this image the other day from the van window. Notice the power station and the lines going up the hill towards town. It takes a lot of power to maintain a bubble of this size, we need a Hydro-Electric Scheme of our own to do it. Can you see the pipeline behind the town, going down the mountain? It supplies water from the Great Lake (up on the Mountain plateau) to keep the Electricity happening. Very clever engineering. And so our venerable village on our holy hill radiates the glory of God to the surrounding countryside. Actually the source of power here comes from a far higher source than the Hydro Commission...

hear the art on heart fm

2007-03-19T18:22:00.000+10:00

Tune in tonight to hear the Biz, Loz and Honza show on Captain Midnight on 95.7 heart fm. Here's Biz and Loz in action in the studio. The captain is probably off flying around the broadcast area in his Sopwith Camel or re-arranging his collection of art deco and Memphis design furniture. He doesn't get on the radio much, but he watches what goes on, and keeps us all in line. And you can drop us a line and get your request played between 9 and 12 tonight. The number is 1300 um... 6? 72... 9? um... I'll get back to you. Leave a message...

hear the art heart hearthearthearthearth earth earth eartheartheartheart hear the art....

Living in 'the Bubble'

2007-03-11T19:15:00.000+10:00

One of my classmates tells me that living in Poatina is like living in a bubble. Sometimes, when the light is just right, you can even see the bubble shimmer as you approach town. It's a unique place, unlike any other town in the area, a place of safety and refuge for some, a bit too isolated for others.

Well, it IS a bit of a drive to a supermarket, and mail doesn't seem to find it's way here. The road doesn't even go through the town, you have to take a turn-off. The streets are safe for young people to walk on, or ride their scooters. Some of them here even ride unicycles to school...

Just in the last week they have put speed bumps all around the town, not so much to slow the traffic down, as to give the unicyclists more of a challenge! I'm a bit worried about the lack of street sense of the younger children when they leave the bubble. They've never really had to worry about watching for traffic as they play on the road.

One thing that sets Poatina apart is the 'Book of Norms'. It's a bit like Leviticus, but with less animal sacrifice. By following the guidelines set out therein, it makes this level of community life possible. Some of the norms take a little getting used to, but by setting up clear boundaries, everyone knows where they stand, and the vulnerable are protected. It's an interesting paradox that people are more free when they know where the boundaries are.

By the way, if you click on the pictures, you can see them at a bigger size, if you want!

Monument

2007-03-08T16:34:00.000+10:00

This is a view of the monument that you see as you come up the main road and drive into the village. I don't know how many bits of glass that they had to melt down to create the glass bricks but it was quite an involved process for Keith, one of the guys from the arts colony to produce this. He had a good sized crew to help him. It's very symbolic, and I'll probably put a few more shots of it here every now and then.
Anyway, it's about a three minute walk out of the village from my place. It can be a bit tricky crossing the cattle grid in the dark, but it's a place people like to stroll to. On a clear night, outside of city limits the stars are spectacular!

Captain Midnight

2007-03-06T16:37:00.000+10:00

Last night I made my radio debut on the Captain Midnight Show on Heart FM, our community radio station. I was in the the studio with three young ladies, and it was a lot of fun. Freda spent most of the night laying on the floor, she had turned up a day early for her shift but decided to hang around anyway.

Freda is from Ghana, and today marks 50 years since their Independence from British rule, the first sub-Saharan nation to do so. She said nothing on air, the microphones didn't pick up her snoring either.

So it was mostly the three of us chatting and playing lots of music, the Biz, Loz and Honza show. Biz was our trainer, she's done a lot of radio here, despite her youth, and Lorraine did Captain Midnight last year as part of her C4 course, as I am now. So I was the only Newbie...

Anyway, looks like I'll be on every Monday night for the next few months on 95.7 Heart FM in the midlands between 9pm and midnight. I was going to put the number for requests here, but I can't quite remember it... You will just have to put your favourite radio song in my comments, and we will see what we can do!

can't think of a creative title tonight...

2007-02-27T20:42:00.000+10:00

...but this is a picture of the mountain we have in our back yard. We are on a hill 300m above sea level, maybe 100m above the surrounding farmland, the mountain is around 1300m and beyond it is a high plateau and the Great Lake. Water from there powers the Hydro-electric scheme, waters this town, and tastes great straight from the tap!
As you enter Poatina, my house is one of the first you come to. This, however, means I have the furthest to travel of all my classmates as the Training centre is at the opposite end of the town. I'm up here in Poatina Heights and have to travel through the Central Business District to get to school down in the northern suburb of Poatina Links. It's next to the Golf Course. The only further suburb is the new development at Valley Vue. This walk can take in excess of five minutes! Longer, because you stop and pass the time with everyone you meet. Of course I take my lunch every day because there is just no time to get back up here to eat a sandwich, because, by the time you do, you have to turn around and head back down again. If only they would extend the lunch hour beyond 75 minutes...
We are now studying the tragic doomed love story of Hosea. Fascinating insights.

splash

2007-02-19T19:48:00.000+10:00

Just a short note to say hi. Last week we started our look in Ecclesiastes (All is Meaningless..) and Victor Frankl's reflections on his life as an Auschwitz resident (Man's Search for Meaning). It's interesting to see how all these things tie in with each other. Even having just studied James, and before that, Haggai we are making all these wonderful connections.

Speaking about making connections, here is young Tim, from Tasmania discovering the meaninglessness of Human Flight, and about to make connections with the deep end of the Poatina Pool...

Life's pretty good here, don't have much time to get bored. Just been for a walk down to the creek through the bush with Sara, my Thessalonikan class-mate, and Layne, a young guy from Broken Hill, via Adelaide.

I have a great group of guys in my class, unusually for this course, two thirds are male, but all excellent people, including three Greeks (one half English, one half German) and three Ghanaians (all African!) and assorted Aussies.

More photos soon!

poatina and Potaroos...

2007-02-11T18:06:00.000+10:00

This place is invaded by wild-life every night; from dusk on, the potaroos roam the streets, looking for what they may devour... there are also reports of echidnas and wayward wallabies, a few nights ago one of the boys in my class was accosted and harrassed by a Tasmania Devil. Well, he says he was, it might have just been a sabre-toothed possum.

Yesterday we had a fusion Expo day where people were able to come from al over Tassie to learn how to run Community Festivals as outreach events to build connection and comunity in their areas. Mal Garvin gave one of his famous Key Note addresses, and there were stories of past successes and the chance to learn a few festival skills or explore further how to do these things or discuss issues, network, play a few games, juggle, face-paint, eat a potato or just meet people. There will be one next week in Victoria. http://www.fusion.org.au/vic/Pages/Training/expoday.html

If you have a day to spare, and are interested in ways of reaching your community, check it out.

Like to thank my English/Greek classmate Patrick for the loan of his internet connection, but his computer is bi-lingual, and much of it is in greek. Do you know the greek words for cut or paste?
Anyway, he's been quite happy lately, now that the English cricket team has started to win...

Well, back to Studying the book of James, Quiz first up tomorrow. Consider it all joy...

1st day of school

2007-01-30T12:13:00.000+10:00

Well, it's the first formal day of school, and already I've learnt so much. We've had a couple of days of orientation, and before that a week of Foundations, where there were about 300 extra people in town, or so it seemed. It's a lot quieter now.

Anyway, the online access place is only open for a short time each day and there are people who want to check their emails. Unfortunately I have problems with checking mine, so if you are expecting me to answer your email, I can't right now, 'cos I haven't read it... expect to get something sorted soon!

Like to get some photos here, maybe next time...

see ya!

here and now

2007-01-22T12:49:00.000+10:00

Well, I've been in this town since thursday and sooooooooo much has been going on. Just to let you know I'm still alive and it's al really good! Catch up when I have more time!!
At the moment access is a bit scarce, and there's so much to say but, it's all good.
Nice town, this.

ch ch ch changes

2007-01-16T10:57:00.000+10:00

Yes, a new look Honzablog. But then, changes is all around, as regular readers will no doubt be aware! In 2 days time I will be on my way to a new adventure, a new life in Tasmania. What's in store? God only knows... I mean, I think that this was his idea!

Anyhow, watch this space!

recent trends in white goods design

2007-01-10T21:15:00.000+10:00

Whilst sifting through my junk I came across these old sketches of a brilliant idea I once had.

I think at the time, potbelly stoves were quite big (as in popularity, not in their physical dimensions.)

So I thought I would apply the potbelly principal to other household appliances. I looked no further than the humble refrigerator.
I though everyone could use a pot bellied fridge!

Rebelling against the notion that white goods had to be white I did my first sketch in potbelly pink. This led to the blue singlet version with the workboot feet, and a sort of eighties paint job on the body.

The more astute reader will of course realise I have these two pictures in the wrong order. The rest of you be assured there is nothing wrong with your eyes. Well, nothing that Honzablog has caused!

Following this came a more definitive Australian themed version, complete with a green and gold body with stylized kangaroos, Aussie flag, the ubiquitous blue singlet motif, and to finish it off, wearing thongs... oh, for non-Australians, read 'Flip-Flops...' (ooh that can be embarrassing!)

Of course the great thing about the potbellied fridge is all that extra storage space in the door! WOW!

I'm not sure how this feature would suit the dieter, so much more food can be stored.

Although, on the other hand, generously girthed individuals might find reaching the handle quite a challenge...

PS: for illustration Friday readers! This is your actual peice of Industrial Design concept Sketching what I did back in the eighties (when I was a mere toddler...), And it is kind of a coincidental incident that I upload this two days BEFORE the eighties topic is announced. I even mention in the original text that the design is eighties style. Not quite a Memphis fridge, but the colours would do...

All is Quiet...

2007-01-01T20:01:00.000+10:00

on New Year's Day.

Not much to report except how easy it is to find alternatives to packing!!! These dodgy photos show Mr Clayton with his bass, and Mr The Edge and Mr Bono.

I shall stop blogging now...

Mysterious Ways...

2006-12-31T21:50:00.000+10:00

There is a theory that time was invented to stop everything happening at once. In November there was a four week period where I felt that time had let me down and everything indeed was happening at once.

Let me list some of these events.

I guess we start on 16th of November when cancer finally took my mother.

18 November I went to see Mr Paul 'Bono' Hewson, a noted activist, champion of the poverty-stricken and the justice-deprived, friend of presidents and popes, Pavrottis and punks, and some-time lead singer of a little band called U2. One of the finest bands of this genre in the world. These are some of the photos I took with my mobile phone... we had a great spot, perhaps only 5 metres from Mr Bono and Mr The Edge when they played on the little sattelite stages. A fantastic concert.

21 November was the last class in Foundations, a short course I had been going to on every Tuesday night for a few months. It's run by Fusion and is a very worthwhile look at how to live with yourself, with others and with God.

23 November was mum's funeral.
The next two weeks were reasonably quiet until...

7 December. Fusion contact me and tell me that I have been accepted into their 6 month Intensive Certificate course in Youth and Community work. It means moving to Tasmania and getting into penniless student mode.

8 December. Dad put's on his Santa suit and goes to Boronia Mall, where he falls ill. He is rushed to the hospital, but only kept alive long enough for my brother and I to see him...

9 December, Mike Pilley who captain's my cricket team and plays trombone in the Melbourne Staff Band gives me tickets to their Christmas concert. MSB is one of the finest bands of ther genre in the world. Also sharing the stage was the a Cappella group The Idea of North, one of the finest groups of their genre in the world. A fantastic concert.

11 December, Volleyball Grand Final. We won the first two sets reasonably comfortably, but then got a little anxious and showed signs of choking when Kaylor's team won the next two... We got our act together in set five and finished the season in style! I've played volleyball in this competition every season since 1987, except for a season of basketball in '98, but that is my last game of v-ball for the forseeable future.

12 December, Dad's Rotary club's Christmas party. A month ago we were all looking forwards to going to this annual event, Penny, Allan, their three kids, me, mum, dad... six of us went and saw a bunch of very sympathetic Rotarians, and despite not buying ANY raffle tickets, we won four prizes! hmmm...

13 December, I hand in my notice at work. I've only been there since 1987, so it's no big deal really...

15 December, Dad's funeral. Mum and Dad re-united on their 44th wedding anniversary.

Since then it's been me procrastinating about packing, and getting serious about de-cluttering myself, finding homes for stuff. Anyone wanna buy some cheap stuff? Lot's of books and old Cassettes? Unbuilt model kits? Vinyl records from the eighties? (mostly played once to record to cassette, so 'as new') old clothes? call me...
I move to Poatina on Jan 18, so I really should get stuck in.

Bono sang the song Mysterious Ways that day at the Docklands Stadium. The words of the bridge mean something.

One day you'll look back
And you'll see
Where
You were held how
By this love
While
You could stand
There
And not move on this moment
Follow this feeling...

It's Alright..
We move through miracle days
Spirit moves in Mysterious Ways.

Penny doesn't know how we've made it through this period except to say that we've been held. God has given us his peace. Mum and Dad's birthday and Christmas all occurred between dec24 and dec27. Miraculously those days all passed with more joy than sadness.

And now a new year begins. A new adventure awaits. New doors open. May I have the courage to step through them and the Faith to know that God is right here with me all the way.

masks

2006-12-13T18:58:00.000+10:00

This week's topic in Illustration Friday is Masks. I asked my 6yo neice to help me with this one. She loves drawing, and has discovered painting on the computer too, I supervised and suggested, but she did the colouring herself.

People wear masks all the time, to hide how they feel, who they really are. It seems safer, but is it? to deny your true self?

re-united...

2006-12-11T08:40:00.000+10:00

The last few days have been surreal. Smoke from fires in the north of the state have blanketted the city in a dirty fog, the sun an alien red orb bathing us in eerie light, not bright, but intensely hot.

And my father. Since my mother died, a large part of him left too. On friday morning he went out in his Santa suit, to do that thing that he loved, but early in the afternoon, dad was re-united with mum, both now safe in the arms of Jesus.

From Fiona

2006-11-27T17:14:00.000+10:00

Hi John, I led the service at Ashburton this morning and as we follow the Christian calandar, it was "Christ the King" Sunday, a day when we traditionally celebrate Jesus as both king and servant. I wrote one of my prayers using images that came to me on the day when we honoured the life of your Mum.
This was my prayer...

Let us pray ..

To Jesus whom we worship as King,
but who constantly comes
to us as Servant.
Jesus with sleeves rolled up ... and hands in the sink.
Jesus in gumboots ... sweeping out sheds and milking cows.
Jesus, the sign of hope in every drought...
move among us ... stand among us....
teach us to love ... teach us to serve.

You are God in human flesh,
God with human hands.
Open our hearts;
Fill our lives with your compassion.
As we bring our lives as a daily offering...
to Jesus Christ,...
our Servant King.
Amen.

(Let us stand to sing, "The Servant King".)

eulogy

2006-11-23T20:24:00.000+10:00

Major Lorna Cooper. Bill Cooper's missus. The lady at the shop. the tea-lady's daughter, radioactive Nan, My mum...

What can I tell you about my mum that you might not know? She was the first of four children born into a dairy farming family in the western districts of Victoria, and grew up in Warrnambool, a practical, down-to-earth country girl. Through Salvation Army Youth Councils she met a certain young Ballarat lad called Bill, and a friendship was struck up. Actually the story goes that there were two Bills but the other Bill realised that it wasn't to be, because he destined to go to Officer Training College and she wasn't. Ironically, that Bill never made it to college, but mum did, a year or two after dad, the Ballarat Bill, had been there.

Mum and Dad applied through the correct channels to be engaged, and after getting the okay from the Army, Mum was promptly transferred to Tasmania. Despite it's faults, mum loved the Salvation Army and the opportunities it gave her to serve.

Eventually they got married, and not too long later I came along. At that time we were living at the Mt Barker Boys Home in South Australia, it was a dairy farm, but the lady officers were not supposed to be involved with the cows at all. I don't clearly remember, but I'm sure mum wasn't too impressed by that. She still had plenty to do though. On the day we came home from hospital she ironed the shirts for 50 boys while I was watched over in the bassinette by a golden haired retriever. She was not the sort to sit idly while there was work to be done, mum had a strong sense of duty.

During a short break from Army service, Allan was born in Warrnambool, and then we were back into it. The life of an officer of that era involved a good deal of travelling and a variety of appointments; boys and children's homes, corps in the inner city of Adelaide and in country South Australia. Then there was 5 years in Melbourne and seven in Perth. In Perth, Mum set up about a dozen new thrift stores for the Army, showing the staff by example how to run a store, and when they knew what to do, she opened up another.

Finally mum and dad were transferred to The Basin Farm where they retired early due to dad's health problems. Not that they ever really retired, there was always things that they could and did do.

As boys we didn't really enjoy mum's occassional sermons. Yes, they were much shorter than when dad preached, but she always told anecdotes about 'her boys...' Anyway, mum's strengths were always more on the practical side of officership, working alongside people and showing by her example. No-one better exemplified how to be a servant and yet still be a leader. She could take charge, yet still the country girl was there with the common touch, showing the men at the farm how to milk cows, how to herd them at 5 in the morning. She was not scared of dirt on her hands, or mud on her boots, and she quickly earned their respect.

She was very particular about being punctual, unlike the rest of the family. To get us on time for things she had every clock in the house set ten minutes fast. Of course, we knew the clocks were wrong and we were still late! She was also the organiser. If my brother and I were going on a youth camp, she would always make sure we packed more than we could possibly need, but we never forgot anything!

Mum never really learnt to cook, fortunately dad did, or we would've starved! I think her best recipe was probably packet Macaroni Cheese and Fish fingers... She had a sweet tooth though she tried to deny it.

Mum spent a lot of the last twenty years caring for dad with one ailment or another, dad has had fragile health, and so Easter Sunday 2000 was a big shock for us, mum in hospital and close to death. But she was a fighter, and wanted to see her first grand child. When she was finally realeased from hospital in the June, we took her to visit one day old Bella on her way home. She was a proud and doting nanna who got to see not just one but three grand kids. The first time that she allowed Bella to eat her sweets before she finished her main course Allan and I were in shocked horror! She never let US get away with that!

As soon as she was able, she was back at work at the corps shop, she loved being busy. However in the last few months the cancer finally got the better of her. She tried to hide it, and carry on, I don't any of us really knew how sick she was until near the end. And yet she didn't want us to worry, we won't ever know how much pain she was in, she tried not to show it, probably the greater pain was not being able to work as she had. Even in hospital she tried to be helpful and assist the nursing staff with watching over the other patients in her ward.

Mum's favorite bible passage (Php 1:19-26) deals with Paul's dilemma, on one hand wanting to be with Jesus in Heaven, on the other hand, knowing that there is still much work to be done serving Jesus on this Earth. Mum was born to serve, and now has recieved her 'well done, Good and Faithful Servant' . No more tears, no more pain. She knew where she was going and died at peace and with a smile on her face.

There'll be an empty seat at the hall on Sunday and some one else will have to take up the offering. But in heaven there is one who is probably right now trying to teach the angels to play the timbrel.

forwards to the battle

2006-11-05T22:36:00.000+10:00

Found this image in the 1935 Christmas Warcry (Australian Edition), and played with it a bit on my poor old 'puter, adding a touch of colour, etc.
Echos of Communist Proaganda posters in it's composition, but I like that about it.
What do you think, Fiery Prophet, whoever you are!

there's a red moon on the rise...

2006-10-27T15:31:00.000+10:00

This happy looking gent is Count Zinzendorf. Just recently I have discovered that this long-dead German aristocrat has been stalking me for a few years... Well, maybe not, but I am becoming aware of his influence. Back in July 1999 I visited the Czech Republic, mostly in the Moravian area. We came across a statue in tribute to the Moravian Church which despite depicting a man holding a Bible overhead, survived many years of a Communist political system. Read a very ill-informed blog and see a photo here.
When i wrote this entry earlier this year, I had no idea that i would actually be spending a day and a night in Zinzendorf's village, a place called Herrnhut, the site of the hundred and twenty odd years of non-stop prayer I alluded to, and the inspiration of the 24-7 prayer movement I also alluded to (without any real knowledge about either) .
Herrnhut is a very nice little village in the sth east corner of Germany within sight of the Czech Republic and Poland. Young Count Zinzendorf allowed Moravians who were being persecuted in their own country to settle here in the 1720's, and the village they built has a significant place in Church history, history that is still being written.
And then a few weeks ago my friend Daniela in Berlin suggested I read a book called Red Moon Rising by Peter Greig. I popped into Word Bookstore on my way to ACC at Box Hill Salvos (see my blog of Sept 29 - easy to find, it's only two blogs back...), but I didn't spot it on the shelves there. Probably they had it but I didn't bother asking.
The next day at ACC, Major Brendan Nottle from Melbourne 614 got up to do his annual rant on the state of the Army (not to be missed!) and in the middle of it read out something called the Vision which challenged us all. Actually had lunch with Brendan just after that, he introduced me to John Cleary (ABC Radio Religion journo and Salvo historian who also joined us) as his star Face Painter, I had my first go at Face Painting at the Rugby World Cup in Brendan's team, and it was in some ways through that I went to Germany to the football World Cup to paint faces and found myself for a day in Herrnhut. (incidentally football first came to Germany with English students who wanted to study under the Moravians IN Herrnhut! Herrnhut, the birthplace of German Football!!! True!! And I was there during the German World Cup!!! How cool is that!! Didn't get to any games, but saw the birthplace which few people knew about - even the Moravians themselves till the Football Assoc pointed it out.)
Anyway, I digress. Somehow, during the next week I discover that the Vision was also written by Pete Greig, and now I had to get his book! I picked it up the following Saturday at Koorong Books on my way to play cricket (first game of the season and we won! yay us!). That night, co-incidentally a red moon DID rise, it was the full Harvest moon, and it seemed to reinforce that I really had to read the book.
So what is Red Moon Rising all about? It's the story of the beginning of the 24-7 Prayer movement (previously alluded to), and how did it start? Where did the idea come from? Pete Greig was touring around Europe, and en-route to the Czech Republic from Germany found himself in Herrnhut, and discovering Zinzendorf. Greig tried 24-7 prayer out in his church in England and the results were impressive. Others tried it too and now the 24-7 prayer thing is all over the World, and the Salvation Army is quite a big part of it. Greig helped launch a German branch of 24-7 prayer by taking a bunch of young Dresden Goth Christians to Herrnhut and I would've loved to have been there for that!
After reading the book (it took only three days) I loaned it to Danny, my officer (minister/pastor guy to non-Salvos) as I know that Prayer is his thing. He has only read the first 40 pages but has already put it into his top ten Christian books, and this morning preached a bit on the Order of the Mustard Seed, in 1715, aged just 15, Zinzendorf and 4 friends first formed the group which became the Order of the Mustard Seed. And there is another thing that Zinzendorf started so long ago and is now experiencing a re-birth. The basis of the OMS? True to Christ, Kind to People, Gospel to the Nations.

So, what has all this got to do with me? Dunno, maybe God is saying I should pray more...
Or should I stop looking for these silly little co-incidences that pop up? What do you think?

101

2006-10-23T21:14:00.000+10:00

We just missed the chance for a blog-party. My last blog was number 100, but i didn't realise until today... oops! Bit late to celebrate that now! oh well... Only 899 posts 'til blog 1000! Then we'll have a party. Of course i'll be about 197 years old then....

When I'm calling you...oo oo ooo, oo oo ooooh

2006-09-29T21:36:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday I went to ACC (Agressive Christianity Councils) (here's a report). Our new leader in this half of Australia, Commissioner James Knaggs, spoke of our need to go Deeper and Wider, ie, Deeper into God's love, and then, spread His love wider... As an example of wider, he discussed various places in the World where the Army needs people to go. The first place he spoke about was Germany.
Why is it always Germany? The place haunts me...
Anyway, here is a doodle I did at ACC. Might make a nice tattoo! Anyway, it's based on the old Salvo motto of Blood and Fire. I might do a colour version soon. I did a version based on the Red Shield as an idea for a T-shirt motif a while ago, but there were issues with using the red Shield.

illustration Friday - Phobia

2006-09-24T15:19:00.000+10:00

Phobias... Irrational fears, that's this week's Illustration friday topic. In this picture we see a character with a dilemma. She has to face her phobias. She has to decide which is a phobia and which is a reasonable fear. She has to face heights, fire, trust that the firemen will catch her, and the elephantine fear of mice... what to do, what to do? Place yourself in her oversizes fluffy slippers and tell me what happens next!

The house is in Friedenau in sth west Berlin, and has been treated to look less photographic and retouched to remove excess cars and trees and add fire in Photoshop . The drawings were scanned into Flash, vectored and tidied up there before being added to the Photoshop file...

No houses or mice were harmed in the production of this illo!

hmm... mouse, house, why not mice and hice?

I still live!

2006-09-13T21:56:00.000+10:00

Yup, it's been a while since I posted. No real excuses. Not really...
Anyway, I still move and live and have my being. I'm busy making other plans as life continues to happen to me, blood still courses my veins, and the odd thought still occassionally flickers across the vast alleged emptiness between my ears.
However, those times when I am high on inspiration I am low on computer time, and strangely enough, times when I do sit at my computer (like now) nothing of lasting literary, philosophical or artistic merit appears.
And you can't force that out. Neither can you just wait until you get inspired...
So, may I suggest you look at Lynette's blog from Newfoundland, she's always good value, and look also at the blogs by Jenn and Tez, two of my favourite Pennsylvanians. Links on the right. (that might confuse any German reader, but everyone else should work it out!)

Be sure to pop back here on the off-chance I have posted something new. Any gems will be treasured mainly for their rarity value.

Doing things backwards

2006-08-11T17:34:00.000+10:00

I have just been reading this book, see? About this guy who discovered some things that the church had kept hidden for years. And the deeper he dug, the more he found out. And the angrier and more dangerous the church became... I thought I'd read the book, because I'd seen the movie, and in fact, toured some of the locations when I was in Europe. Yeah, backwards. Always do things the hard way, I think that's my motto. Get a paper round, then decided that learning to ride a bike would be a good idea... stuff like that.
Anyway, this guy discovered all these ancient secrets that the church was not to keen to see revealed. Secrets about core belief systems, about faith and grace, stuff about who Jesus really is. Stuff that would turn the church on it's head, and take so much political and spiritual power out of the Pope's hands. And unlike Dan Brown's potboiler, it's all true.
This guy, whose name was Martin Luther, discovered, as he studied the ancient scriptures in Hebrew and Greek, that you didn't need a priest to intercede between you and God; that paying no amount of money to the church or 'good works' would get you into heaven, only by faith; and the traditions of the Roman Catholic church were mostly of man, not of God. Contraversial stuff.
'Only Scripture' was his cry, 'if I am wrong', he said 'show me where in God's word'. Luther's Reformation of the church completely changed northern Europe and Western Civilisation. His translation of the Bible into modern (16th Century) German placed God's word into the hands of the people for the first time in hundreds of years (and actually formalised the German language), so that people could see for themselves what God was saying.
An incredible story of how, after a long period in the Dark Ages, where the light was held by very few, God's truth burst into the world again, and it came through one poor monk who stood up against the might of kings, the Holy Roman Empire and the Church itself.

now and then...

2006-08-10T18:16:00.000+10:00

About two weeks ago I was looking through a few old things and found my photo album from my trip to Amerika, in fact, I found the one that featured Jenn and Andy's wedding. Jenn was one of the team I went to Jamaica with back in '98. Wow, that's 8 years ago! I stayed with Jenn's family for about a month, a period that included the wedding. I thought that the Spangler family were pretty wonderful for taking in a stray, homeless Aussie, especially during the height of wedding preparations! And how great was the wedding? I don't think i've ever taken so many photos in one day, with so many different cameras!

Jenn's brother Scott and his girlfriend Tez (my name for her, it's an aussie type nick), said I should come back and take photos at THEIR wedding too!

Unfortunately they forgot to send me an airline ticket...

Anyway, I was having a spot of nostalgia and was wondering how things were going over in sunny Pennsylvania. As so often happens you make some great friends that you know you will last, but you lose contact. It's sad, but when there is a planet between you, it can be hard, even in this global village we live in. I said a silent prayer for them, and hoped all was well.

Only a couple of days later I got an email. From Jenn! Wow! The timing was uncanny! I replied, and included the address of Honzablog. Next thing you know Jenn has a blog of her own so I can catch up with her news! Two days ago was her wedding Anniversary! Congrats you two! As I said, I was just thinking of you. They have three kids, hopefully all as cute as their mum.

And then a couple of days later, so does Tez! And she links back here! Scott and Tez have two kids (they got married without me...), and I really hope that they are as cute as their mum too!
So, to all the friends of Tez, or Jenn, or anyone who remembers me or Murray from our days in PA, a very big welcome to honzablog!

As soon as I can work out time differences, there are people in Amerika who can expect phone calls very soon! Much to talk about!

Illustration friday... SACRIFICE

2006-07-18T21:54:00.000+10:00

Eeek! It has been so long since I have contributed anything to Illustration Friday! This week's topic is Sacrifice! Wow, such a deep topic, and one, as someone who tries to adhere to Christianity, I should really attempt to portray. You know, trying to share a bit of subtle light in the on-line illustrating community. But how do you portray sacrifice in an illustration without being preachy or obvious? You want to make people think and not just get a meaning at a glance, then move on to the next website.
And also, and more to the point? How can I produce a net-worthy illo when my computer is playing up as it is? I mean, really I could go out and buy a new computer tommorrow. I would LOOOOOOVE a new computer!!!! If I could buy one largish item this month, thats what it would be. However, I am in a place where I really need to squirrel away as much money as i can this year, because I am hoping things will be very different for me in January. A new adventure beckons. I must harken to the call. But to do this I must look at my priorities, and that means... sacrifice. No new computer. Hoping my old car will last another 6 months.
Huh. Sacrifice. Maybe I can't draw sacrifice, but perhaps I can illustrate it with my life... Sacrifice isn't cool, isn't part of a post-modern lifestyle, but it does build character, and in the long run it's the better path to take.

Oh, and I know I've talked on Germany a bit lately, but I found this blog on a Salvo kick-off site that mentions meeting up with the Fusion guys in Leipzig. If you want to improve your bilinguality, or have an interest in Australian Salvos meeting Fusion Aussies in Leipzig, then check out:
http://heilsarmee-leipzig-wm2006.blogspot.com/2006/06/siegesfeier-und-aussie-treff-victory.html
If you don't want to you don't have to, but it's not a big sacrifice...

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. tell you what it means zu mich

2006-07-09T21:14:00.000+10:00

I was strolling through my local shopping mall yesterday when a young Credit-Card salesman buttonholed the Dad with a young daughter in from of me.
'excuse me, Sir...' he began till he got the brush-off. Then he turned to try his luck on me.
'Hey, buddy...' he started, but my only interest in credit cards at the moment is which scissors are best at cutting them up!

But why did the other guy rate a 'Sir', yet he felt he could address me as 'Buddy'? Do I LOOK like his buddy?

But it made me think of something that happened in Germany, not once, but twice.
Both at Hamburg and in Hannover, while being involved in festivals, children came to me and said 'Du bist ein Clown!' (you are a clown) Yes, I admit I had some face-paint on, and a funny hat, and yes I was acting up at the time, but the point is, to correctly address an adult in German, especially one they don't really know, shouldn't they have gone with the more formal 'Sie sind ein Clown...' ?

I get no respect...

a rare day

2006-07-06T22:44:00.001+10:00

It's 6th of June, and for the first time since about 1997 I went to work! I thought I'd better, I probably wont be there next June 6, if all goes well. On previous 6th junes I have taken days off, and remembered travelling to places. Its a good day to travel. In 1998 I started in Dunlo in Western Pennsylvania, and by bed time, and two vans and three planes later, was in Port Antonio in Jamaica.
In 1999 I left Singapore at midnight, and after two planes, two vans and several hours on a train was in Ostrava in the Czech republic. In the middle of that was 8 hours of walking in Prague.
in 2000 and 2001 I was in Sydney for the Hillsong conferences.
Since then it's either been a weekend, or I have taken the day off.
This year, I thought I had used all my allocated holiday days off, what with two weeks with the Commonwealth games, then three weeks in Germany for the world cup, but, as I discovered today, I still had a few days up my sleeve.
So, June 6, 2006, memorable only for being not memorable in any way...
I need less days like this!

Next year I will be somewhere else doing something different.

singin' the Azzuri...

2006-07-05T21:51:00.000+10:00

This morning I did a silly thing. I got up at 5am to watch some football. I wanted to see Germany exact some revenge for Australia on the Italians. Or maybe I just wanted to hear some German singing. There are German people I love to hear sing, but in hindsight it was very unlikely that they would be in Dortmund for the game. And even if they were, I don't think I would hear them anyway.
So, about 2 hours of playing time after I got up a goal was finally scored. Unfortunately it was by the Italians. To make sure of it they scored a second one a minute later and the game was over... If only Australia had managed to last out 'til extra time last week, we might've won and found ourselves in the last eight, then beaten Ukraine, Germany, and whoever wins tomorrow and being world champs! What ifs and might've beens. If only... if.. if... If my Grandmother had wheels, she'd be an omnibus....
Still, the singing lasted the whole game, although it was more Italianate rather than Germanic at the end. But soccer songs sound much the same whoever sings them, I think. Thousands of people in full voice, though not a lot of harmony. Singing on the train in Berlin was a wonderful experience (see a previous blog), the feeling of adding your voice to a whole and creating a sound that's bigger than all of you. And the pride of singing for your country in a foreign land is special too.
One day however I will sing with a vaster crowd, inumerable. With people of all nations,including Germans and Italians, singing a song with one accord. We sang 'Ich will von deine Liebe singen, immer von deine Liebe singen' and in English 'I will sing of your love forever..' and 'our God is an Awesome God' and felt a touch of the hereafter in the here and now. But to sing 'Holy Holy..' with the angels will beat anything.

a journey...

2006-06-24T13:59:00.000+10:00

yup, i'm back home, feeling a bit sleepy, but I guess you can expect that.
Here's how to get from Friedenau to Bayswater...

Thurs 22. 9:10am lug your bags to Frederich-Wilhelm-Platz and catch the U9 underground train in the direction of Osloer Str. but get off at the next stop at Bundesplatz and go up the escaltor to get an S41 on the ring line going anti-clockwise. Austeig rechts at Jungfernheide and get on a bus. Acording to the plan we had, the airport bus goes from here. Plan is old, it changed a month ago, so catch another bus and go two stops and catch bus 109 or X9 (express service) to Tegel Flughaven. A better plan would've been to stay on the U9 to Zoo Station, and catch the X9 from there. But we didn't know that then. Said 'Seeya' to Daniela, never Goodbye...
11:40 LH183 Berlin to Frankfurt. 55mins
14:40 VN542 Frankfurt to Ho Chi Minh City. 11 hours, 25 mins or so. I meet up with Peter and Graeme and they bring news that the Economy part of the Vietnam Airlines plane is over-booked. We ask nicely and get upgraded to deluxe economy. Very nice, hardly anyone in that section, a bit of extra leg room and we could stretch out on the long flight and get comfy. Didn't sleep though...
Graeme heads off to a backpackers hotel, while Peter and I get the complimentary bus to our Day hotel deeper in the town. For 45 minutes our (thankfully airconditioned - very sticky here) wends it's way through the Saigon traffic, like a whale in an ocean teeming with significantly smaller sea life. This mad-crazy scooter city.
A few hours for spazieren, sleeping and showering before getting on a smaller, less air-conditioned bus back to the terminal, for interminable queuing and news that our plane was delayed. Lot's of sitting around waiting. I read Stasiland while Peter fell asleep in his chair.
Over 90 mins late, VN781 finally takes off. No possiblity of an upgrade, and in fact, my seat has less legroom than normal. There is a metal box fitted under the seat in front at exactly the place I want to put my right foot. So my right leg was always on a slight angle and I was worried that it would affect my knee. However, I did manage to get some decent sleep in for once, and awoke in daylight somewhere over Oz and not very long before breakfast!
Arrived at around 10am 24 June(all times local times), the pilot had picked up time, but it was still an 8 hour sort of flight. Peter was flying on to Launceston and thence by donkey or camel to Poatina. I caught to airport bus to 'Southern Cross Station'. Silly name, most people still know it as 'Spencer Street'. Coincidentally Papestr. Bahnhoff in Berlin has also been recently up-graded and renamed Südkreuz - German for south cross. What's with this city synchronicity?
Anyhow, to plat form ten, get a Belgrave train and get off at Bayswater, then about three stops on the Chirnside park bus (don't recall it's number) and walk down my street.
So that's 6 buses, 3 trains and three planes...
It's easy. Come visit some time.

Berlin... the next days

2006-06-22T01:56:00.000+10:00

Saturday night... about 2 thirds of our team went in to the Fan-Meile to watch some live big-screen action with a large crowd. And it was quite a large crowd, the game Italy vs USA was already underway, and the Italians had already scored two goals, one for each team! But we were there for the atmosphere and there was plenty of that! We watched on one of several huge screens set up on Srasse des 17 Juni, (co-incidentally it WAS the 17th day of June.) the screen which almost totally blocked out the Brandenburger Tor. We were split into small groups by the crush of the crowd, but we managed to re-group at the end for a yelling of Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi and another group photo. On the train back to Nollendorf Platz, we had a sing off with a bunch of German fans, us singing (very loudly) 'give me a home among the gum trees' and Advance Australia Fair' and 'Waltzing Matilda' and them answering with songs like 'we will win, all others are §$%&' and such like. But it was fun and we got a big cheer from the passengers when we got off.
Sunday night I watched Brasil play Australia at Korps Süd-West Berlin, and was not impressed by the World Champions. A zwei-null win flattered them.
Monday and I went to Potsdam with Daniela, beautiful gardens, old buildings, and much walking on a warm day. Then dinner with Dani and Uta in an Italian restaurant
Tuesday and Uta took me to Treptower park, a very Russian Memorial to the victims of Fascism and the heros of the soviet union... after that we went to the Korps Berlin-Mitte to watch Deutschland play Ecuador. The local boys had a good win, and I saw that Mitte was very different to Friedenau where I am staying now. Kind of Bohemian... On the way home from there, we started to see the local football fans fill the train. Not only were there 70,000 at the Berlin Olympic Stadion, but perhaps 700,000 on the fan-meile. We would've been swamped if we were any later getting through.
Today was shopping with Dani, and now I should be packing, for tomorrow, I return to Ho Chi Minh city, and thence home, to Melbourne.
However Berlin also feels like home, and one day, I will return here.

Berlin

2006-06-18T21:00:00.000+10:00

Today Honza blog comes to you from sunny Berlin. This morning a good number of the team flew back to Aust. Well, they are now either at Frankfurt Airport, or already on their way to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of us went to a nice German church in NollendorfPlatz, complete with wireless translation headphones for those whose grasp of the German Language is less than superior.
Later tonight I will go to die Heilsarmee in Friedenau to see my oldest german friends, Uta and Daniela, and watch Australia take on the might of Brazil...
Yesterday we were in Lutherstadt Wittenberg learning all about Martin Luther, and seeing the places he walked, spoke, and nailed things to doors. On thursday night we watched the Luther movie in Wittenberg, so we had lots of context. Luther had an amzing effect on German, European, and world history, just through standing up and saying the church had it all wrong, that they should get back to the teachings of Jesus.
On Thursday we had come from Herrnhut, where for the third time I saw Poland in the distance without actually going there. Herrnhut is, topically, the birthplace of German football. English students studying under the Moravians brought the game with them, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Perhaps in a previous blog you read how the Moravians influenced John Wesley. In Herrnhut, Count Zinzendorf provided a safe haven for the Moaravian Christians fleeing persecution in their own land. From there they started a missionary movement which touched, and influenced most of the world.
It's amazing how much of an influence Germany has on world history, both good and bad. If a revival is to come to Europe it would have to start here. And if ever a place needed to rediscover its incredible christian roots, it's this one. I feel i have a part to play, The harvest is ready, but the workers are so few...

hamburg pictures

2006-06-13T18:45:00.000+10:00

Okay, for you who can't find their way in a german website, here's the link to the pictures!

2006-06-13T18:31:00.000+10:00

Hallo from Hannover!!!
On Sunday I tried to update this from Hamburg, but there was one or two issues with a slightly dodgy connection and an over-helpfull German boy. But all is well.
The weather has been wonderful, and our German hosts have been so, so welcoming. Before we came to Germany it was cold and wet here, not much different to Melbourne, but in the last week summer has come!
After a few days in a former East German sports training centre where we learnt variuos festival skills, our group broke up into 3 teams of ten and headed out in opposite directions. My team spent three days in Hamburg at the Stadtmission they have a website check it out, they said they would put pictures from our event there. It was very good, and many new people to the church came along and enjoyed the day.
Now in Hannover we are running festivals in the street at Listerplatz, a pedestrian shopping street. There are many mothers with small children around and good contacts are being made.
I don#t have much time to chat, but thank you for your prayers etc. They are appreciated!

pre world-cup practice

2006-05-26T17:39:00.000+10:00

Last night I went to the centre of the world's third (some say second) largest Greek speaking city to the arena where 95,000 people gathered to watch Greece, the European Football Champions, take on the Australian 'Socceroos' in a pre-cup 'friendly'. Thousands more gathered in the city to watch the game on big screens. I volunteered to help out on the Salvo Face-Painting team as a bit of a personal warm-up for the World Cup. The crowd, as happens on these occassions, was happy and determined to enjoy themselves at a big Footballing event. These things happen only rarely here, about once every four years, as Australia tries to qualify for the World Cup, and mostly fail. It's been 32 years since the last time the Socceroos featured in the Tournament, (and most of those qualifiers have been torment - so close, but no..)

Anyhoo, I got to do a spot of face-painting, and it was pretty good. I got there a bit late because I had to come from work, but for the first hour I painted mostly the blue and white of Greece, or most popularly, a Greek flag on one cheek, and the Australian on the other. Many people with divided loyalties, but then Greek Australians are a large part of what make Melbourne the Multicultural city that it is. It wasn't until the last 30 minutes that I finally started to get more Australians to paint.

It's the first time I've been to the MCG since they've completed the new stand. They got it finished in time for the Commonwealth games. And it's a huge place. 95,000 is a sell out, although I think the ground can actually hold just on 100,000. We were set up outside Gate One, the new Ponsford stand. After we packed up and the game had safely started, I was able, with the help of a Restricted Access pass, to enter the actual stands, and, well, stand! It didn't entitle me to a seat at all, but I got to soak up some atmosphere, and I was there when Josip Skoko scored. Yay! Australia one nil. Had to leave shortly after that, but I saw the goal!

In the heart of the city, Federation square was packed, and Greek flags and Greek Australian accents were heard everywhere. I spent half an hour there, until my train was due to take me home. One thing you can say about Melbourne and Melbournites, they love an event and will come out in droves for it! It's not every day that the local team gets sent of to the biggest competition in international team sports, and we meant to celebrate.

In a couple of weeks I will see first hand how this happens in another country. I've seen big crowds here at Commonwealth games, Rugby World Cup, and now soccer, and know Australians are generally well behaved and friendly at such events. How will the crowd dynamic be different? I'm not a sociologist, I never sought to be one, but one might be interested...

And now some Scores. Australia won, Greece, nil. And last week at the Fusion retreat we played our own soccer friendly. We divided into two teams (that seems to work best for Soccer), and imaginatively named them One, and Two. I was at one with the twos. The result of that game, the Ones Won, with the scoreline reading One 2, Two 1.

kick off

2006-05-21T21:54:00.000+10:00

well, in two weeks time I will be back in Berlin! It's starting to feel that this is true, this will happen, but it's still hard to believe, even holding the airline tickets in my hands.
Anyway, I'm trying to keep a lid on things, and take things as they come, but, Berlin! that's like, in Germany! As Rich Mullins once sang 'Well the other side of the world Is not so far away as I thought that it was' although I'm allowed to change my mind after 25 hours flying with Vietnam airlines I'm sure!

Met some of the Fusion crew yesterday. i popped in on their state retreat, and they seem like a likeable, crazy, and committed bunch. I think we will go well together. Thank you God, for opening this door!

Angels & Demons

2006-05-12T23:49:00.000+10:00

Ok, here's the scenario, in this idea for an automaton, as you turn the handle, the ratbaggy, scruffy little angel grabs the guy's ear and jumps up and down and wave's his arms trying to get his attention. There is much good that needs doing in the world, wrongs that need to be righted, evil to be stood up against. Just as he gets the attention of the man, ol' Nick, the pious demon gives the guy a surreptitious little jab in the neck with his trident to distract him. 'Don't make waves', he says, 'What would the neighbours think?'

Martin Niemoeller wrote:

When the Nazis came for the Communists
I was silent
I wasn't a communist
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats
I was silent
I wasn't a Social Democrat
When the Nazis came for the trade Unionists
I was silent
I wasn't a Trade Unionist
When the Nazis came for the Jews
I was silent
I wasn't a Jew
When the Nazis came for me
There was no one left
to protest

illo friday - Angels and Demons

2006-05-12T23:36:00.000+10:00

This is Nick, a very pious and righteous demon. He is part of an idea I am working on for an automaton. Why is it Angels and Demons NOW? This isn't any where NEAR finished! and it's not likely to be before next friday! It's a pity, because it would be perfect for the topic!
I couldn't do anything for last week's topic FAT (I nearly posted an elephant picture...), although I did briefly contemplate using fat as a medium!

The world game

2006-05-07T17:05:00.000+10:00

On 1st July 2002, I blogged on watching the World Cup final in Melbourne while other friends were watching the same game (Brazil vs Germany) in Berlin. In slightly less than 1 month's time I will BE in Germany for the World Cup!!! This is kind of incredible, because, although I really want to go to Germany, and for the last 4 years thought the World Cup would be a good time to be there, I didn't do much more than to casually look into it.
At the back of my mind, during my time at the Commonwealth Games with the 'More Than Gold' team, I thought it would be pretty good if I could do similar things at the World Cup. As it was I heard about the work Fusion were doing at the Games, and heard they were planning on going to Germany. I made a couple of casual inquiries, and now, the rest will soon be history!
A bit from their website : Germany World Cup Outreach Arrive in Germany Sunday 4th June 2006 for 4 days of training across the country in readiness for the Opening Night on Friday June 9th 2006. The next week we will be supporting local Christians across Germany when they are running "Open Crowd" Festivals in their cities. Most of the team will return on 18th of June. Click here for Fusion's KickOff Brochure
I will stay on for an extra few days to catch up with my German friends and help out die Heilsarmee with there own World Cup outreach programs, or see if Fusion can use me for another day or so.
I feel God is calling me to do something in Germany, something perhaps more permanent than three weeks of Football festival, this is just another step in that direction. He will open doors when the time is right, and reveal what His plan is for me one step at a time. You don't always notice his leading at the time, but as you look back you can see patterns.
God has made me me for a reason, and has something for each of us to do. The Fusion mix of Creativity and Germany seems a good fit for me for June.
After that, only God knows...

vicious fishes?

2006-04-29T16:23:00.000+10:00

This is a family of fish I have had printed on photo paper and cut out as part of an 'under the sea' relief illustration for my two young neices. See the previous blog! Anyway, I am in the process of populating an ocean with many two dimensional computer generated sea creatures which will become hard copy, taking the idea of 3d computer art off the screen (where it's only virtually 3D) and into the real world...

Illofri - under the Sea

2006-04-29T15:55:00.000+10:00

Deep in the sea where the Vicious Fishes swim...

For once I will present illustration Friday with an illustration I haven't done yet, instead of one I've had sitting around for ages!
Okay, well it's work in progress... As you see a gentleman has pulled his boat up on a small island and is indulging in a spot of fishing. Unfortunately his luck is out, and all he seems to be catching are old tyres and boots. Down below, 'Under the Sea', which is teeming with un-caught fish, mermaids are taking the opportunity to clean the ocean by putting old tyres and boots on his hook.
Sharp eyed viewers will eventaully also note that the 'island' is actually a very large fish who is wearing a potted palm as a disguise. 'oh er...' as they used to say in the old english comics!
The coloured mermaid is my neice Maddy who I have turned fishy. The actual artwork I am working on is in relief. I have carved the large fish background out of 6mm MDF using an NC routing machine, and painted in sea colours, eye and teeth carved into the substrate. The part I am working on now is creating lots of sea creatures on my computer, having them printed at a 1 hour photo place (matt finish), cutting them out (leaving a black outline), curving and shaping them, and mounting them on little bits of wire to float out from the back ground. Both my two neices are to be mermaids (it's a picture I am making for them), and maybe their daddy will be the fishing man. This is a technique I am experimenting a bit with at the moment. I don't know how well the finished item will photograph, but it should look good live!

random words that go together...

2006-04-23T21:17:00.000+10:00

these wont make much sense, but it's possibly work in progress.
Just a few words I think sound good in juxtaposition (dontch love that word?)

We live our lives in wild surmise,
where hope exists, but often lies...

The clever never think the foolish wise
the who's the what's the when's
knowing all, the questing dies,
the means unto our ends...

and where it ends, it all depends
upon the way we take
paradox and purpose, whichever God sends
discerning facts from the fake...

Where silent truth and strident lies
compete for favour before our eyes..

The way of the wise, the why's of the way...

Awaken hope from where it lies,
lift my eyes beyond the skies...

the Lie of the land is carved in the sand,
lie it all down to gain a crown....

Just a bunch of words I've been playing with. Why's wise is something I think has potentialities, not to mention two meanings for lie - and a heap of availlable rhymes too! Well, you learn more from all your mistakes than from all the takes you miss... If you never go, you''l never know.

illofri - another Robot: Rainbot

2006-04-22T17:14:00.000+10:00

I nearly forgot I did this - and it fits the topic pretty well I think! I mean, it IS a robot! Rainbot's job is to water the last flower in the desert, and is delighted one day to discover a butterfly.
I think this is the very first illo I did on computer. A scanned pencil sketch coloured in Corel painter 5. That might date it!

Illustration Friday - Robots!

2006-04-21T22:25:00.000+10:00

Today's illo (subject - robots) comes with a poem...

He looked across the crowded room,
Her radiance struck his eye,
Love's arrow struck within his heart...
But he wasn't supposed to DIE!

The power surged, the sparks: they arced.
One glance, and he was dead.
The Doctor came and saw the scene
"ELECTROCUPID", he said.

To see this idea modelled in relief in brass and aluminium, check out my Angels in the Architecture site.

slapstick - how to get a pie in the face...

2006-04-19T22:17:00.000+10:00

It IS hard being an elephant at the circus! The things you have to do! It's not just the pies in the face, there's knives being thrown at you by blindfolded mice, who also shoot you out of canons. And as for the trapeze act, leaping from one trapeze to the welcoming arms of Michaelangelo Mouse on another, with OUT a net, can be a tad nerve-racking.

No wonder the elephant ran away from the circus to join an orphanage!

Illustration Friday - Spotted 2

2006-04-18T21:40:00.000+10:00

I have spotted another elephant in my archives that might fit this week's theme! Although perhaps 'splatted' would be title for it...

I want the rest of my 16,000,000 colours back!!!!