Home at last

I had my final procedure on 25th and my urologist, Dr. Boon Kua said it all went well. It must have as I now feel nearly back to normal -- no pain and just some minor residual symptoms which seem to be steadily diminishing. So I am optimistic for the near future. But I did go though three pretty grim weeks to get to that point. A couple of complications cropped after the initial procedure which left me in a fair bit of episodic pain and discomfort.

Anne and I celebrated tonight with an Indian takeaway from one of our usual suppliers of Indian food and it went down exceptionally well after hospital food. Not that the food was bad at the Wesley. It was just a bit Australian for someone who long ago converted to ethnic food. Though they did quite a reasonable Thai curry on a couple of occasions. And their bread rolls were always excellent. And quite good porridge for breakfast was also appreciated. I am stiill Australian when it comes to porridge.

Anne visited me fairly regularly while I was in hospital and Paul came up a couple of times too -- accompanied by Susan and Matthew. Matthew was undoubltedly the one who enjoyed himself most on both occasions. Exploring my motel-type room was great entertainment for a 9-month-old.

I have top private insurance so even the costs of a high class outfit like the Wesley were fully covered. I had to pay only admission fees and anaesthetists.

The mostly female staff were invariably pleasant and using my call button always elicited a prompt response. I was amused that even the Wesley had a contingent of Filipina nurses -- but they were perfectly competent and spoke reasonable English. Filipina nurses seem to pervade the world these days. Maids, wives and nurses seem to be the main exports of the Republic of the Philippines. But a good work environment at the Wesley means that they can pick the best ones.

The key to the Wesley is plenty of staff. So when I fronted up to the Emergency Dept. on three occasions, I did not have to wait 4 to 8 hours to be seen by anyone -- as I would have to wait at a public hospital. I in fact waited on all three occasions about 2 minutes. It shows the difference that adequate staffing can make. Anybody who relies on the public hospital system gets what they pay for: Third class service. Good private insurance costs no more than what the average smoker spends on his habit so you pays your money and you makes your choice. And over 40% of Australians take out private health insurance.

Another hospital visit

A serious complication to my treatment arose on Thursday morning (17th) so I took myself off the the Wesley again and was readmitted. I had corrective surgery first thing on Friday which seemed to go well. I was discharged early on Saturday.

A visit from a caveman

Because of complications I was readmitted to the Wesley for a few days. While I was there Paul and Susan paid me a visit -- on the night of 13th. They brought their little caveman with them: Matthew.

Civilization goes back only about 5,000 years so it is too recent to have had much effect on our genetics. So little boys grow up as trainee cavemen. It is the caveman life that their genetics prepare them for. And cavemen of course largely feed themselves by chasing and killing animals. So they have to be very lively for that. So little boys are programmed to run and jump and climb and generally rush around like mad things.

People who want them to sit quietly are asking something unnatural

All that is particularly true of people of Northern European origin. People who have been civilized for a long time -- such as the Chinese -- are more passive. But our ancestors were living by hunting as little as 2,000 years ago. And hunting is still a popular sport.

So Matthew was the perfect little caveman. He could not sit still and was crawling and climbing wherever he could. Such behaviour can annoy some people but it is just his innate programming and if you realize that it is a little caveman you are seeing, that should make you indulgent.

Understanding cavemen as I do, it was a delight to see such a lively child as Matthew.

Back home

Still convalescing but I might as well do that at home. It is just a matter of time now (I hope)

A Serious illness

I am not up to writing much at the moment but I thought I should put up how I am situated at the moment

At about 11am last Wednesday (2nd.), I was suddenly struck with a severe pain in my lower right abdomen -- roughly where the appendix is. So I was fortunate to get a 12.40pm appointment with GP Rangiah at the Annerley Medical center -- where I normally go. He poked and prodded and then said: "You have to go to hospital"

I took a taxi to the Wesley and was given morphine shortly after arriving. I was then given a CT Scan and a kidney stone was detected. I was on the operating table at about 6pm that night under urologist Boon Kua -- an Australian Chinese who speaks good Australian and did his studies at UQ. He impressed me favourably.

He inserted a stent to fix the connection between my kidney and my bladder and that fixed the pain, with actual laser destruction of the stone scheduled for 2 weeks further on

So all went well initially but just before I was due to go home, I started to pee lots of blood -- so had to stay in. Dr Hua theorized that I have a unrinary tract infection but the medication he has prescribed has had no effect and I am still doing lots of painful bloody pees.

I have had UTIs in the past and found that Bactrim gave me relief in hours so I will suggest that to him next time I see him. He probably will say more moderrn drugs are better but Bactrim works for me if it really is a UTI..

But at the moment nobody knows what the problem is so I may be heading for serious trouble.

The Tweede Kamer

For the whole of my adult life I have had Dutch people around me in some way and without exception I have thought highly of them. A Dutchman once told me that I would make a good Dutchman and I regarded that as a high compliment

But I must admit that for no good reason I find the name of the Dutch parliament amusing. "Tweede Kamer" sounds like "the tweedy chamber". "Tweedy" is most often used in a derisory way in English (with apologies to the good people of Harris and Lewis).

But it is of course just a routine example of low German: "Zweite Kammer " (second chamber) would be the Hoch Deutsch version of it

It just means the "lower house" of the Dutch parliament. And bicameral parliaments are after all common in the Anglosphere too (though we don't have one in Queensland, where I happily reside)

We hardly ever hear anything about the "Eerste Kamerlid" (the Dutch Senate or "first chamber") and I don't know enough Dutch to read easily what information about it that is available online. I gather, however, that a member of that august body is called a "volksvertegenwoordiger", which would blow anybody's mind. I think it means something like "Worthy people's representative".

A Dosa lunch

I put on a "welcome home" lunch for Simon today after his recent deployment to Afghastiland.  We went to the "Riverwalk Tandoori" at Highgate hill  -- run by Sikhs.

Being in the military during wartime is a hard life even if you are not being shot at.  You are away from your family for months on end in some rather unpleasant places so you not only miss your family but are aware that you are not there to support and protect them.  So the difficulties of war affect not only the serviceman himself but his family as well

Although I did volunteer for service in Vietnam during my time in the army many years ago  I never got there so I speak not from experience but rather from having seen a lot.  And what I have seen makes me very appreciative of  the men in our military.  So putting on a welcome home lunch for Simon was the least I could do from my viewpoint. It was my way of saying "thank you" for his service and an  expression of appreciation for him personally.

Due to illness and other things there were a few people who had to cancel at the last minute but there were still about 10 of us there and the dosas made their usual good impression.  Simon rapidly cleaned his plate so there is no doubt he enjoyed his.  Dosas were new to most people there so I was pleased to have been able to introduce a few more people to the dosa experience.

The restaurant was packed and there was even a small queue outside at one point so we were where it was  at.  And many of the diners were Indian so that is a strong testimonial for any Indian restaurant.  There was such a big demand placed on the kitchen that it was dosas only.  The normal Indian menu was not available.  Our dosas came reasonably promptly.

Simon and I talked about Afghastiland and agreed that the Western withdrawal from there will be not a moment too soon.  The Afghans will have to fight it all out between themselves from now on but at least the whole population now know that there is an alternative to a 7th century theocracy so hopefully we will have left a legacy of awareness in Afghan minds that there are options about how to live their lives and run their country.

A letter to a little girl

One of the reasons I put this blog up is as an aide memoire to myself. I have an atrocious memory for events in my own life but have an excellent memory for factual things like the date and purpose of the Peace of Westphalia (1648, ending Europe's religious wars). I have forgotten something like 99% of the events in my own life. So this blog is a sort of substitute for the memory I don't have.

I was therefore greatly pleased that one of my twin stepdaughters recently found in her things a letter I had written to her many years ago when she was 12. I had forgotten just about everything in it. I was in Sydney at the time while she was in Brisbane. And her mother and I had our toddler son with us in Sydney: Joey. Below is the letter. You will note that we had pet names for one another. We always got on well.:

6.5.90

Lady Von,

Thank you for the letter that you wrote to Mummy and me.
I am pleased that you enjoyed your trip to Cairns. I thought that you might get car sick. Maybe you are growing out of that.

You will like my place in Sydney when you see it. It is quite a pretty house. In my room there is a marble fireplace. It has very pretty green and brown tiles around it. When it gets cold I may light a fire in it to keep warm. It is not very cold at the moment but when we do have cold days I normally just put the electric heater on. It is a lot easier than lighting a fire.

Did you have lots of rain in Brisbane? In Sydney it has been raining almost every day except for the last week. For the last week there has not been even a cloud around so it has been a nice time to go for trips. Yesterday we went for a ferry ride on Sydney harbour. Everything looked very beautiful. Joey loved looking at the water as it went by. He always likes looking at water. He loves fountains.

We also went to the beach yesterday. Sydney has lots of beaches so we go to one every weekend. Joey always plays ‘sandcastles”. He has his own little plastic bucket and spade to help him build them. One day last weekend we went to places that did not have beaches. When we went to go home, Joey cried and shouted out ‘sandcastles”. He didn’t want us to go home until he had been to the beach. He has never had enough of the beach.

Whenever we want to go home from the beach he always complains. He would stay there all day if we let him. We never stay long, however. Neither Joey nor I can take a lot of sun. We would get burned. So instead of going to the beach once for a long time we go to the beach often for short times. It only takes a short drive to get to the beach in Sydney so it is not as hard to go to the beach as it is in Brisbane. I am sure your mother will take you to the beach when you are in Sydney.

Cheers!

Johnny

Sunday lunch

Paul and Susan very kindly invited Jenny, Anne and me to lunch today. Susan put on another one of her usual masterful spreads with the curried prawns being particularly good.

I took over a donation to Paul: My complete library of books about Sir Johannes Bjelke Petersen. "Joh" was a very influential and hence controversial figure in recent Queensland history and Paul had expressed regret that it was all before his time and he hence knew nothing about Joh. My collection comprised about 7 books so that is a lot to be written about a non-national politician.

We talked a lot about politics with the other major topic being the future education of young Matthew. Paul wants to get him taught German from Primary school on but is finding that not many schools offer it. It is certainly easiest to learn a language when you are young.

At one stage we were lamenting that Susan knew not one word of Dutch despite her Dutch ancestry. So I told her how to pronounce Gouda cheese in the correct Dutch way -- complete with the initial guttural. I can't remember her exact response but it was something like "Good Heavens"! Dutch pronunciation does sometimes have that effect!

The party below:

A very busy day -- Easter Saturday

Suzy and Russell decided to bring their two little ones over to visit Jenny for lunch today. Jenny promptly rang me and we all met at her place for a 1pm lunch.

Being resourceful, Jenny whipped up an excellent lunch at short notice featuring a range of foods -- including sausages. Being a sausage enthusiast that's the only detail I really remember as I really got into them -- with bread rolls and salad accompaniments, of course.

Saharah seems finally to have lost her fear of me and allowed me to hold her for the first time today -- at age two and a half. Little Dusty had grown a lot since I last saw him and seemed a very placid and contented child.

We spent almost the whole time talking about baby and toddler matters of course but I take a great interest in the little ones so that was fine by me.

About 3pm I went home and had a nap

Then at about 5:30 pm I rolled up at Anne's place for the annual dinner that she gives for her two sisters. Ralph was also there. We had roast lamb with lots of good accompaniments.

It might seem a bit much having a big lunch followed by a big dinner but I normally miss breakfast and have an early lunch between 11am and 12noon anyway so it was only a minor variation of my usual routine

Since we were all getting on in years and all of a Presbyterian background we had a rather jolly time discussing old times and also spent a fair bit of the time discussing church matters.

An unexpected event was that Anne had just bought a "radio turntable" -- something on which to play the collection of old LPs that most of us oldies have about the place. Anne unpacked it and I set it up and we played a record of Bing Crosby singing old favourites. Can you get more geriatric than that? It probably sounded like a nursing home! We enjoyed it anyway. It is is a small machine but it produced quite good sound.

I weaved my way home at about 9pm and caught up with the remaining blogging I had to do.

Easter

Easter is going to be a busy time for me -- by my standards anyway.

I DID get to church this morning. I grumble every year about the Good Friday service being at 9am. It is apparently so people can get away a bit earlier on their vacations. So as a late riser I have to make a special effort.

Anyway, Anne woke me up at 8am so I was able to get ready and arrive at Ann St Presbyterian in good time. Fortunatelly it is only about 5 mins drive from where I live. I even got a parking spot just over the road! I was still pretty bleary walking into the church however so it was fortunate that Anne was with me to do most of my talking for me. We were greeted at the door by a very chatty and good-natured lady, which was nice.

Because my appearances there are so rare, someone always asks me if I have been to the church before -- whereupon I inform them that I was was a member there way back in 1964 -- which always seems to get a respectful response.

Anyway the sermon was quite good. Our interim minister (Ron Clark, a former moderator) put the events of Christ's final days into the context of his times. Clark seems a very learned man even though his academic qualifications are modest. We had him last year too so a whole year has gone by without a new minister being called. I suppose our retired minister (Archie McNicol) would be a hard man to replace

The Good Friday service is of course a communion service and I decided to take the tokens today. Although I am not now a believer, doing so does celebrate a momentous event and expresses solidarity with the other people there -- people of the sort I grew up among.

It was good to go back to my metaphorical roots. And Anne likes going back there too, as it is her old church too.

And for my being a good boy, Anne made me some porridge for breakfast when we got home -- followed by hot cross buns that were actually hot.

The Parramatta female factory

It seems likely that my great-great grandmother passed through this place after her arrival in a convict ship. Some comments on it below by His Eminence Archbishop Pell:



Last week I visited the Parramatta convict "Female Factory", built by the ex-convict architect Francis Greenway in 1818.

Five thousand women passed through its door until it closed in 1847, and an action group is working hard now to persuade the government to preserve this historic site.

We need to be reminded how tough the early situation was, how far we have travelled and that we must never return to such a level of cruelty.

Life was difficult beyond our understanding. The women were divided into three classes, with the worst class breaking stones.

For some years unruly women could be flogged, and when money ran out for the ablutions block the women had to wash in the open with water from a few taps.

The punishment cells where women were incarcerated in isolation and fed only bread and water can still be seen, with their small windows high in the walls.

However, not everything was grim and inhumane.

Men outnumbered women four to one and would visit the factory to select a wife _ if she consented.

Orphans and the destitute lived there too and many youngsters were born in the small maternity hospital. Infant mortality worsened when the factory closed.

Some women reoffended in order to return, as conditions were even tougher outside.

Source

Paul's birthday

Jenny put on a small birthday do for Paul tonight. Paul, Susan, Anne, myself and Nanna were in attendance -- plus a young bruiser named Matthew. Matthew is only 6 months or so old but is already amazingly big and solid. He'll have a footballer's physique when he grows up and is projected to be 6'3" tall. He is also happy natured and enjoys a good toe!



Jenny put on a feast with several main courses and the conversation really rattled along, with the recent electoral triumph of the conservatives in the State parliament a major topic. There was much speculation about what Campbell Newman would actually do now that he is in power. Just having him in charge will encourage business and thus create jobs.

We also talked about the Katter party and I pointed out that he is no Pauline Hanson in that he is very supportive to Aborigines.

I regaled the party with an unusual story: The story of the origin and evolution of the Oxford Book of English verse. You won't find it written down anywhere as I have put it together myself from the known facts. It is a surprisingly good story. I have got Paul enthused about poetry so I am going to get him a copy of the book if I can, though it will have to be secondhand at this stage. We talked a lot about poetry generally.

A small high tea

I hadn't had any "Devonshire" teas for a while so I got Anne to organize a high tea for me at 4pm today. We had pumpkin scones with jam and cream, tea out of a teapot kept warm in a tea cosy, cucumber sandwiches and jam doughnuts.

Anne's sister June came over and joined us so it was a congenial occasion with just the 3 of us. My 3-tier cakestand was deployed but not the silver tea strainers as Anne used teabags in the pot.

While Anne was making the tea, the electic jug blew the circuit breakers for some reason so Anne had to boil the water in a pot on the gas stove. So even a high tea can have its minor dramas.

We were pretty full after all the goodies so just had cheese sandwiches as supper later on. But it was Gouda cheese and Danish butter on the sandwiches!

I don't normally eat Gouda cheese. I normally stick to the good old Australian "Tasty". But a Gouda cheese (Vermeer) has just been voted the best cheese in the world at a big cheese expo so I thought I should look into it. It did make a very nice cheese sandwich.

A picnic

Last Friday Anne and I went for a picnic brunch at Wynnum. I love Wynnum. It gives me a feeling of calm. We found a shelter overlooking the sea near Sallyanne's beach.

Anne had prepared chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches which were very good and we Humbered out there. The Humber gives me a feeling of being on an expedition

And the only euphoriant we took was mineral water!

So after the picnic did we drop into Anne's Tingalpa home for a cup of tea? Not on your Nellie! We Humbered back to my place (with a stop at Aldi for bargains) where Anne shortly thereafter departed to view a performance of the final part of Wagner's Ring Cycle. I am myself approving of opera -- within some limits -- but Annne knows no limits in that department.

A busy weekend

After dining with Paul and Susan on Saturday, Anne and I dined with Jill and Lewis on Sunday. The occasion was a slightly belated celebration of Jill's birthday. I am gallant enough not to say which one of course.

Lewis however announced that he turns 80 soon so that will be quite a milestone. He is getting over a minor medical problem so looked a little more gaunt than usual but was nonetheless still wearing well.

He and Jill are going on a cruise shortly so he looks like he will be fit for it. They will be starting out from Buenos Aires so it is lucky they will be there for only one day. The English are very unpopular there at the moment and both Jill and Lewis could be mistaken for English. I suggested that they take a small Australian flag to wave but that might add fuel to the fire -- as the Australian flag has the Union Jack quartered in it.

We went to the Kafe Meze. As usual, I ordered an array of appetizers for us all and they all hit the spot. The keftedes were much admired as usual.

The kitchen there is an open one and it was quite an inspring sight as we walked past -- four chefs preparing a whole range of delicious looking food. The owner was there in the kitchen as we were watching and looked pleased about our obvious admiration so I gave him a hail and a smile which he returned.

A Bible study

Paul knows practically nothing about the Bible to I offered to introduce him to my favourite book of the Bible: Ecclesiastes. He and Susan were both keen to learn more and Anne also seemed in need of a proper introduction to it so the four of us got together on my verandah over a curry as usual.

I pointed out Solomon's relevance to modern times and explained that his blase attitude was a consequence of his "having it all" as King of Israel.

I went through only Chapters 1 and 9 explaining everything as I went and Paul and Susan were both rather amazed at what they heard. Ecclesiastes is a VERY different book. It is literally a personal message from 3,000 years ago. And everyone present could see the wisdom there.

I did only two chapters as there is probably only so much wisdom one can absorb in one night.

St Valentine is remembered again

I did all the right things. Anne got a card, a big bunch of red flowers and an enormous sample box of Whitman's chocolates

And I took her to dinner at a nice Greek restaurant: The Kafe Meze in West End. I think I took her there last year too.

As usual I ordered a series of appetizers rather than any main course: Tarama, Haloumi, Keftedes etc. And all washed down with a stubby each of Fourex Gold, a Brisbane mid-strength beer. Most non-Greeks seem to be unaware of it but cold beer goes very well with Greek food and on a warm Summer night it went down exceptionally well

From what I saw the men of Brisbane seemed to have bombed out big time. The restaurant was very busy but most of the customers were glammed-up groups of women. Sad.

For some reason incomprehensible to both Anne and me, the waitress gave us a 20% discount. I didn't argue, however, but just said: "Thank you very much". It could have been a Senior's discount but I don't think we are quite wrinkly enough for 20% yet.

Another poetry night

For both Joe and Paul, I try to make up for the way the school system today deprives people of their inherited culture. And some of the most prominent cultural elements are the great heritage of poems in English. When I have read classic poems to both Joe and Paul in the past, they have greatly enjoyed it and Paul in particular is quite outraged at how he was nearly robbed of some great cultural experiences

So over our usual curry we had a selection of poems out of an old 1961 Grade 6 reading book! Primary school kids once got a better cultural education than High School kids do today!

We read Lord Ullin's daughter, The Song of Cape Leeuwin, Sea Fever, The Pioneers, Boadicea, Love of Country and a few others

Both Paul and Susan really enjoyed their contact with eloquent expressions of our thought-provoking past.

Matthew was also present and in good spirits. Susan, Paul and Anne all helped look after him until he eventually went to sleep.

I gave Susan a crazy gift: A tin of Heinz Spotted Dick made in England. It wasn't as crazy as it sounds, however. She was delighted to get it. Cooking is one of her main interests so she was pleased to get a mainstream version of a classic British dessert. She had never heard of it until I mentioned it.

A birthday lunch

On Monday there was a lunch in celebration of the birthday of Anne's sister Merle. I won't be so ungallant as to say WHICH birthday.

Suffice it to say that the three sisters, Anne, Merle and June had one of their relatively rare times together, which they all appreciated.

We met for lunch at a restaurant at Manly called the Cuttlefish. It had a very promising menu but the promise was poorly realized. The food was very mediocre. Anne described her Paella as "not unpleasant" and my "Barramundi" was tasteless. Even the salt-shaker did not work -- which led to my doing a somewhat messy dissection of it!

I was amused to see on their menu that they had a "Greek plate" that included neither Haloumi, Tarama nor Souvlakia -- Let alone Keftedes! They left out most of the essentials of a Greek meal, in other words. And their Paella was as about as authentic as their Greek plate!

Maybe they should have called their Greek plate a Mediterranean plate -- but then one would have expected Tabouli, Hummus, Falafel etc. -- which did not seem to be in evidence. I am not even sure that they had Feta! But they did have Dolmades!

But each lady brought along the man in her life so it was a fun party for 6. Colin and Ralph are smart men.

I shouted (in the Australian sense).

A time for traditions

The Left have done their best to destroy all that is traditional in our society but people like traditions. They like connections with their past and with other people past and present. A couple of billion people in the Far East actually worship their ancestors!

So the traditions that have survived the Leftist onslaught are much celebrated. A great Australian tradition is ANZAC day in which we remember our war dead. And far from it being a celebration for old fogies, it goes from strength to stength, with young people joining in the ceremonies in droves. Precisely because they have so little left in the way of traditions, many young people seize on ANZAC day eagerly as a way of helping them understand and relate to their past.

And yesterday and today were days of other traditions that are growing rather than dying out. The first was on Wednesday: Burns night. It is of course a celebration of the life and work of Scotland's greatest poet, always held on his birthday, 25th January -- and there now more Burns Night suppers in England than in Scotland, which is another indication of how people grab onto those traditions that have not been snatched away from them. And Burns Night is in fact a cluster of traditions. There are quite a lot of things that one traditionally does on Burns night and I usually do a fair few of them, varying from year to year.

We had all the traditional food yesterday -- led of course by the haggis -- but also including tatties and neeps, oatcakes, Dunlop cheese, clootie dumpling, tablet etc. We played pipe music, welcomed in the haggis with a recitation of the Burns poem to that effect and then toasted it in Scotch whisky.

Present were Anne and myself, Jill and Lewis and Paul and Susan. And we also had Vonnie with us for a while via Skype from New Zealand. She seemed very pleased to see me in the kilt.

I am normally pretty quiet on social occasions but I got into the Scotch rather a lot so that loosened my tongue and I may in fact have talked as much as Paul, which takes some doing. I probably made admissions that I shouldn't! Anyway, we all enjoyed the food and the poems and I even ventured a solo rendition of "Scotland the brave". It was probably pretty brave of people to listen to me as I am not much of a singer.


Matthew wearing a Scottish cap -- with proud mother

5-month-old Matthew was of course the star of the occasion and in good sentimental style we talked at some length about his education. We decided to send him to a Catholic primary school, followed possibly by a secondary education at Eton. He should be smart enough and robust enough to do well at the latter. But Paul and I would have to find the large fees involved to give him that advantage, of course.

It was quite late when we wound up after all that.


At table eating our Burns supper

And today was Australia Day. Australia Day commemorates the landing in Australia of the first settlers from England and there are always grumbles from the miseries on the Left that it should really be called "invasion day" or the like. For many years it was little celebrated but again the very fact that it is a tradition and commemoration that has survived makes it popular these days. Lots of people now fly the Australian flag on their cars on that day.

My family on my mother's side have celebrated it for many years with a lunchtime BBQ and it was good to see today quite a rollup, with people we hadn't seen for a while. I brought along some leftovers from Burns night and talked mostly to Peter and my brother as I usually do.

Peter is very au fait with all things Chinese and I know a fair bit about German so we agreed that the expression that the Chinese use to describe their country can adequately be translated into German ("Mittelreich") but not into English. Many are the woes of translators!

And, as usual, it was a great pleasure to see and hear Peter's vivacious Eurasian daughter, Michelle.

Peter is my cousin once removed and we are the "brains" of the family. It's a very bright family but Peter and I are the only academics.