The Perth Bell Tower, with the CBD behind it and the Swan River in front of it. |
On another "job" front, I met with some geology profs/researchers today about possibly doing some geochemical prepping/sampling/etc for them. They're working on trying to see if Boron in corals can provide a proxy record for pH of the oceans, and thus to figure out this acidification of the oceans problem, so I might do some ICP/wet chem/clean lab work in addition to the lovely grunt jobs of cutting and grinding, etc. The labs themselves are not actually set up yet though, so I have to wait at least a month before they'll call me again. I liked both these researchers though (they took me to the uni club and got me a juice! :D I'm easy to please), and they know of both Zach and Yemani (in whose labs I've done some work), so that was a bonus. ^_^
Sailing continues to be awesome-sauce, though I'll have to skip one week for a geomorph field trip. Crossing my fingers that will be more fun than the lectures have been so far....
I have been very happily devouring books, and am currently working on The Silver Brumby, the Australian equivalent of Misty of Chincoteague. Pro tip #9: Read the children's books that everyone read as a kid. Entertaining and enlightening.
Also, it’s high time I introduced you to the unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda. The lyrics are a poem by Banjo Paterson, written in 1895. I like this version for the vocab lesson and this version for the pretty pictures (plus Slim Dusty was the one who sang Waltzing Matilda at the Sydney Olympics), but this version makes me want to cry too. Though there is a lot of contention about this and other “out-dated” models of what it means to be Australian (or at least what it meant to be poor, white, rural Australian men in the 19th and early 20th centuries), pretty much everyone has to agree that this song is an important part of the historical and cultural identity of Australia.
On a more recent cultural note, Nicholas linked me this song, because "Apparently in London you can find the Australian expatriates by playing this song loudly, and listening for people singing along." However, it makes me smile hugely because it mentions Santa Fe in the first line! :DDD Also, I'm just a total sucker for shiny lights and cute men in bell-bottoms. ;P
p.s. Whooo, double digits of Followers! ^_^
p.s. Whooo, double digits of Followers! ^_^
Wow, I've heard this song many times but this is the first time I've listened to it. You have two links to Andre and the big crowd (it made me cry too) and I missed the vocab lesson. I've been listening to different versions of this song all afternoon. Thanks sweetie, I love you.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't figure out how to just link you up but the article was in "The New Yorker" April 27, 2009 page 22 -- "The Bells". I goes deeply into what these bells can mean to people. Love you.
ReplyDeleteHey, I fixed the first link to the "vocab" lesson video, thanks for pointing that out dad. ^^ Also, APPARENTLY there are better versions than the Andre Rieu rendition, so look for me posting more Waltzing Matilda links later. Good lord, this song is going to be etched into my brain at this rate..... ^^;
ReplyDeleteNice. Like the music history... I knew virtually nothing about that song... and I'm a sucker for music. THIS is MY favorite Waltzing Matilda... Definitely makes ME want to cry...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkOMiA_uGso