War and Memorials

Yesterday I visited the War Memorial Museum in Canberra and got to thinking about war memorials and war in general. Several people, both on this blog and elsewhere, recommended visiting this site. The size and diversity of the collection are impressive but like other war museums, this one is ultimately two things: a glorification of war and a place where overgrown boys can get their jollies by imagining they are soldiers. I’m all in favour of public institutions that help people learn about the history of their country but glorifying war is not what those institutions should be doing. And have no doubt that this is what they do. Perhaps not in an obvious way - it’s not as if they triumphally brag about victories - but the materials subtly present as noble and dignified what is ultimately the most fundamentally immoral form of behaviour possible. The memorial centrepiece is a church-like room with twenty foot representations of a soldier, a navyman, a nurse, and an aircraft pilot between stained-glass windows inscribed with virtues such as ‘courage’, ‘patriotism’, and ‘honour’. We’re obviously supposed to be impressed and humbled by these pictures. War is a remnant from the middle-ages, a form of dispute-resolution for numbskulls. Most of the wars that Australia has been involved in have been unjust wars - Boer, First World War, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq (I’m willing to concede the Second World War was necessary to overcome fascism). I’d like to see war memorials replace the current ‘noble sacrifice’ message with one that says: ‘Like unintelligent cavemen who used to kill each other for bad reasons, countries also attack each other for bad reasons. Here’s what happened and why and here’s some of the stuff they used.’

Australia and New Zealand both fought in the First World War and the battle at Gallipoli in Turkey has become heavily symbolic in both countries, with increasing numbers of people (and increasing numbers of young people) commemorating Anzac Day every April 25th. The reason they fought Turkey is that they were allies of Britain and Britain was at war with Germany who were allies with Turkey. ‘The friend of my friend’s enemy is my enemy’ is hardly a sound basis on which to take action that will kill thousands (and as it turned out, millions) of people. Imagine Amy and Adam are friends and Ben and Bill are friends with each other, but Amy and Ben are enemies. So is it right for Adam to be hostile to Bill? Surely not. So the action at Gallipoli was actually an unjustly hostile invasion of Turkey by Australia and New Zealand. I’ve never seen any suggestion of this in a war museum.

It gets worse actually. Unlike in some other wars, the soldiers who fought for Australia and NZ in the First World War were volunteers. They freely chose to take part in this unjust war. So not only should the governments of the countries be held responsible for declaring an unjust war, but the soldiers themselves ought to be held accountable. Instead of honouring the surviving veterans every April 25th, we should actually be putting them on trial for war crimes.

Miranda's dress

At the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, there is a display of various items from Australian films, including the dress worn by Miranda in Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's one of my favourite films and if you've seen it you'll know that Miranda is the pivotal character. Sorry the picture is a bit dark but I think you can make it out.

Canberra

I’ve spent three days in Australia’s capital city. The first thing that strikes the visitor is how self-important the city is. Parliament House is a huge building inside a circular piece of land and all around is a wide and spacious area dotted with other large buildings and statues. The area looks like it's trying to be Washington D.C and they even call it 'Capital Hill'. It's handy for when you are lost, for you simply scan the horizon for it, but otherwise the area is a sterile, forboding place. A sweeping vista of land leads from the parliament to the lake, and from the other side of the lake to the war memorial. Nearby, the old parliament house has been converted into a Museum of Australian Democracy, recording the 2000 years of development of democracy, as though this was a historical process that was always leading up to a culmination in Australia’s form of government. It is as though this nation - which although geographically large is only a small country of twenty million people - is stamping its foot and saying ‘take me seriously!’ Having said all that, I did enjoy my time here though. I sat in the public gallery of the House of Representatives and heard them debate paid parental leave policies. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said 'fair dinkum' at one point and another politician said it three times!

Puzzle solution

The correct answer is Sydney Opera House. A fantastic building, so unusual. It wouldn't get built today, cities are no longer daring, imaginative, or wealthy enough.

Puzzle

Can anyone guess what this is, what it is from? Answer in next posting.

The Man Who Cannot Die

Today I sought out the offices of Frew Publications, the Sydney-based firm that has been publishing the Phantom comic book (which I read when I was young and still buy the occasional issue of) since 1948.

For those who came in late, a brief summary of the Phantom: The character began in 1936 as a newspaper strip created by Lee Falk, portraying the adventures of a costumed hero (no super-powers) based in the jungle of a fictional country. He battles pirates, robbers, and various other villains, as the 'keeper of the peace' in the jungle. The newspaper strips were collected into comic books by the Frew company in Australia, are still published every week, and there have now been over 1500 issues. So popular was the Phantom that when newspaper strips ran out, other stories had to be found. The Phantom is also very popular in Scandinavia and writers and artists there create original stories, which Frew then translates and publishes in the Australian comic book.

Tentatively, I knocked at the doors of Frew's offices, not knowing how they'd react to a member of the public dropping by. They were very welcoming, letting me look at the framed prints and other Phantom memorabilia there. Then the editor Jim Shepherd invited me into his office and we chatted for over half an hour on all things Phantom-related. I now have lots of inside info about things such as Lee Falk's sometimes frosty relationships with Phantom artists, the difficulties of tracking down the original strips, and the possibility of a new film version. And to top it all off, Mr Shepherd gave me a replica Phantom ring as a parting gift! So, a great experience, the memory of which I will cherish for a long time.

The Frew front office

Postscript added on 18 March: I've just been to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and found this Phantom-inspired piece of artwork. It's a shield of the Wahgi people of the village Korkor in Papua New Guinea, where Phantom comic books are also popular.

Totally, like, awesome

I'm in Sydney now and instead of the usual tourist sites I thought I'd bring you some unusual ones. I visited the Powerhouse Museum where there is an exhibition about 1980s culture. While reminiscing about the music I listened to (though where were Frankie Goes to Hollywood?) and the films I watched in that decade, a group of very loud and out of control school children came through. When they discovered a room that re-created the mood of an 80s nightclub, they went completely mental. Not just usual childish-high-spirits mental, but screaming-like-in-a-riot mental. Here's the proof in a brief video clip I shot. (It's an AVI file which can be viewed on most computers I hope.)

P.S. Can anyone guess the song that's playing? Title and artist please.

Here are a couple of other pictures: an Atari video game (I spent hundreds of hours on one of these) and a giant Rubik's cube.

Brisbane, city of rain.

I’m at the end of my stay in Brisbane and here are a few facts about the city:

1. It rains a lot. Four or five days of constant rain. I’ve never seen so much of it. I’ve lived in Auckland where it rains a bit and been to London where it also rains, but Brisbane takes the record. At least now whenever Australians hassle me about NZ weather I can mention Brisbane.

2. There is a beach in the middle of the city. Artificially created of course but there is sand and a bit of water to swim in. Unfortunately it rained so constantly that I never got a chance to sit on the sand or swim in the water.

3. There are river taxis you can catch and from which you can enjoy views of the city. Can’t really enjoy this when it’s raining though, which is ALL THE TIME.

4. It is close to Surfer’s Paradise, which I went to but didn’t really enjoy because of the rain. See earlier post.

5. The cultural centre - containing two art galleries, a museum, and the state library - is a good place to go to when it is raining. You may get wet getting there though.

6. There is a casino in the old Treasury building. This is something to do when it rains. I didn’t but I thought it was funny that the treasury is now a casino.

7. Fortitude Valley is the main nightspot with bars and clubs, though its difficult to get round when it is wet, and that is (have I mentioned this?) almost ALL THE TIME.

Surfer's paradise?

I'm sure it's probably much nicer when it isn't raining.

Communication

A non-travel-related blog entry, just for a change. For some time I've been interested in communication difficulties, partly because of professional interest (I'm a university lecturer). I think it was poet Philip Larkin who said that if we realised how seldom we are understood by those we talk to, we'd hardly ever make the effort. Probably too strong, but I think misunderstandings are more pervasive than we think. Anyway, the reason I thought of this is because I came across this cartoon today I liked, so I took a photo of it. (Hopefully my blog entries are clear.)

Crikey

I visited 'Australia Zoo' - the wildlife park made famous by Steve Irwin and now still run by his family - and saw kangaroos, wombats, koalas, crocodiles, etc.

"Crikey! A stingray!"

Please post your favourite Steve Irwin jokes here.

Montville

I'm chilling out for a few days at my aunt and her partner's place in Montville, an hour or two north of Brisbane. Had tours of the Blackall range and the Sunshine Coast and just went for a really refreshing swim in a rockpool. I've been adding photos to my earlier posts (problem now fixed) so scroll down to see. More photos to come.

NZ to Australia by sea

First sighting of Brisbane.

February 22

Came off the ship this morning at about 8am, saying goodbye to the captain and crew and thanking them for a comfortable trip. Shared a ride into the city with the other passengers who were going to a hotel and I am now on a train to my aunt’s house north of Brisbane. Coming into port last night was a marathon effort. We seemed to sail up and down the coast a few times before coming in. And then it was a delicate exercise in parallel parking the ship into the wharf between two other ships already berthed. Before that, we waited in Brisbane harbour about 18 hours before being allowed to approach and have a pilot come aboard. For that long period of waiting, I’m lifting the endurance rating to a six.

I haven’t finished reading ‘Moby Dick’ yet. Its a bit boring. 300+ pages in and this is what’s happened: the narrator has gone aboard a whaling ship and since setting out has discovered that the captain is obsessed with catching the particular while that bit off his leg. They have caught one whale (but not the right one). That’s it. For 300+ pages. And this is supposed to be the greatest American novel. Anyway I’m determined to finish, having once before started it and given up several years ago. You might say that Moby Dick, the book rather than the whale, is my white whale. I will not give up until the final page is finished. The book probably deserves an endurance rating of seven.

February 20

We should be reaching Australia tonight according to the captain. Whether we will berth is uncertain. We may have to wait until the morning. Either way, I will probably spend the night on board the ship since it’s already booked and paid for. I’ve fared fairly well on board the Basel. It’s difficult to get exercise and the meals are sometimes a bit stodgy but overall its been pretty comfortable. The biggest hassle has been not completely recovered from flu which I’m certain is partly due to the air conditioning system here. I’ve got it switched off in my cabin but whenever I go to the dining room which has it switched on, I start coughing and spluttering again (I pity the other diners). I’ve decided to give Endurance Ratings to various parts of my trip, measuring how difficult a part was to get through on a scale of one to ten, where one is a bus trip to your local shops and ten is walking through the Saharan desert. Spending nine days on a freighter ship I’d give an endurance rating of five. Its a bit like being in a hotel, only you’re stuck in the hotel and there’s not much to do. On the other hand, taking walks around the ship and sitting up in the bridge are fun. Around 10 days seems to be about the right length - enough to be a real voyage but any more than that would be too monotonous.

February 18

We’re about halfway through the voyage to Brisbane and thankfully its been an uneventful one. No storms, just a slow steady journey to the destination (the Basel travels at about 15 knots which is roughly 30 km/hr). Yesterday we saw the last of New Zealand, the stretch of land between Cape Reinga and North Cape at the top of the North Island. If you look very closely at the photo you can just make it out. The other picture is a typical view from one of the two portholes in my cabin. So far I’ve seen a few whale-spouts in the distance and one whale more closely swimming past us, diving and reemerging every now and then to spout. No dolphins, but my fellow passengers say they saw a school of about twenty. (Some of you may say that ‘school’ is the wrong collective noun since it applies to fish and dolphins are mammals. However, Melville in Moby Dick insists that whales and dolphins are fish, not finding any of the reasons given for classing them otherwise to be convincing. If it’s good enough for Melville then it’s good enough for me.)

Last sight of NZ. If you look really closely you can see some land. It's the stretch of land between Cape Reinga and North Cape at the top of the North Island.

Australia recommendations?

Here's where the blog gets interactive. Please post here any suggestions for what I should do in Australia. My plan is to travel from Brisbane to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and then travel on the Ghan train through to Darwin (which I've booked for mid-April). If there's anything along that route that you think I should do, please let me know.

Tauranga

We're docked at Tauranga port and its a grey drizzley day. I still can't get photos from my camera to my laptop but I have remembered that my phone takes photos, though low quality ones, which I can email to myself. Here is a picture of me coming out of Tauranga port.

Tauranga is our last stop before Brisbane, so this is the last time I'll see New Zealand for a while. I'm trying to think of something appropriate to mark this occasion. Perhaps buy a bottle of L&P to take with me?

This is also the last we'll see of land for six days. The real trip starts here! Will I survive six days at sea? Or perhaps I'll get cabin fever. And what if reading 'Moby Dick' at the same time gets to me? By the end of the six days perhaps I'll be hell-bent on seeking out a white whale to destroy. On the other hand, I'll probably just read books, watch DVDs, go for walks around the ship, and swim in the pool when the weather is nice. Anyway, I won't be able to write here during the voyage so tune in again in six days time to hear how it went.

Life on the MSC Basel

February 15

I’ve started to perform a useful function aboard the ship, that of telephone assistant. Whenever we come into a port, a phone is hooked up so that crew can make calls to family. They use various types of calling cards but these cards are not always easy to use, the automatic instructions sometimes difficult to hear, so I have become the go-to guy for figuring out how to get a call through using calling cards. I’ve also learned the wide variance between calling rates: a $5 card will get you 71 minutes to Estonia but only four minutes to Kiribati. So calling from Napier port to Estonia is actually cheaper than calling a cellphone in New Zealand.

The other passengers aboard are a married couple from Berlin who have been going round NZ. Their English is not so good and they are of the stare-at-a-person-until-he-says-something type. Whenever I say something they look at me as if I’m insane, even when it’s something as innocuous as ‘having a good day?’ We are permanently assigned to the same table at mealtimes, so I’ve started going to meals early in order make my escape as promptly as possible. I told them that I was an admirer of the German film director Werner Herzog but they’d never heard of him. They were more excited by the fact that Germany had won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, an event for which I have almost zero interest.

It’s several hours later now and we’ve just pulled into port at Tauranga at 10pm. I sat up in the bridge and watched as the pilot guided us in. This was the highlight of the trip so far. It is a perfectly still night and we moved with precision past Mount Maunganui and slotted into a position alongside the container wharves. The Basel is 215 metres long and 32 metres wide, so seeing such a big ship moved so delicately is fun.

The Bridge

Napier

The ship drew into the port of Napier just a few hours ago. I managed to catch a flu while in Wellington and have spent most of the day resting in my cabin, even sleeping through lunchtime. But I have summoned the strength to leave the ship and find an internet cafe in town.

Traveling on the ship is a strange experience. It feels like I'm in a foreign country because all the signs are in German and nobody on board speaks English that well but they all speak it a little. But then we come into port and suddenly I'm in familiar New Zealand again. Then back to the ship and it seems I'm in a foreign land again. I guess it prepares me for future travels when I really will be in foreign lands, but in those cases I won't have momentary returns to NZ! I have, however, settled in now and am enjoying the experience.

Still Docked

Gale force winds have meant that we haven't left Wellington yet, which is great because it means I get to spend more time with my girlfriend who lives here. When I went back to the ship this morning to check the situation, I was nearly blown away into the sea! Shore leave has been extended to 8pm, with expected departure at 11pm. 

I haven't yet uploaded any photos onto the blog because I'm having a problem transferring them from my camera to my laptop. Getting that problem fixed may have to wait until I arrive in Australia.

At Sea

The view from my cabin.

On the bridge

As I write these words I am still on board the ship, even though I will have disembarked in Wellington in order to post them online. The ship left Lyttelton early this morning and I felt it start moving as I was half-awake. So, what does a person do while traveling on a freighter? There’s not much - a very small gym, a TV room, a games room, and a small pool but nothing in them to keep me occupied for long. I felt a bit restless and then worried that this was only my first of nine days aboard! However, I think the restlessness is due to having been rushing around the previous two weeks doing lots of things preparing to leave and now suddenly being constrained in a smallish space. Once I get used to it I reckon I’ll relax. After all, some of the crew (as I just learned over a cup of tea) spend eleven months on board. I have books, magazines, music and dvds, and chatting with the crew is also good. I’m the only passenger on board at the moment but apparently a married couple are getting on in Wellington, bound for Brisbane.

I’ve started reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville which I brought along with me, thinking it would be ideal reading on a sea ship. According to the book’s narrator Ishmael, I’ve chosen the wrong capacity to travel in: ‘Now, when I say that I am in the habit of going to sea ... I do not mean to have it inferred that I ever go to sea as a passenger... Passengers get sea-sick - grow quarrelsome - don’t sleep of nights - do not enjoy themselves much.’ I’ve felt a bit sea-sick, for which I’m taking some ‘Travel Ease’ and I didn’t sleep great, but haven’t yet grown quarrelsome. However there’s still time.

The only disturbing thing I’ve noticed so far is the racial segregation. There are two mess-rooms, one scummy and like a tiny factory canteen, the other relatively plush, and could be a dining room in a mid-priced hotel. The Kiribatis all use the first while the rest of the crew have the second. Now perhaps there is some good reason for this - perhaps one is for engine-room crew and the other for navigators, technical officers, paid passengers and so on, and it just so happens that the first are Kiribatis (though arguably even that would not be a good reason). But to see a workplace in which all the workers with dark skin have the scummy tea-room while everyone with white skin has relative luxury is not a good look. Will there be a race-based mutiny? I’ll keep you posted.

Departure Day

I got on the MSC Basel this afternoon in Lyttelton, bound for Brisbane with stops in Wellington, Napier, and Tauranga. Departure is in a few hours so they let me come ashore and I found an internet cafe to write this. The Basel is huge and walking past the gigantic machines loading containers is a little intimidating. My cabin is great though - en suite and a TV and very comfortable. Crew seems to be a mix of eastern European and Kiribati though the captain is German. As I boarded, a Canadian woman in her 70s was disembarking! It all feels a bt scary but also very exciting.

Not sure when next I'll be able to post here, it depends on whether I can find internet access at our stops. Anyway, this time tomorrow I will be arriving in Wellington according to the captain (though all the times I've been given seem very changeable!)