Joe's Ramblings

Insane Person Depot (Deli Can Depot)

2008-06-26T12:31:00.008+09:30

The above photo I took is of an old deli and can recycling depot on Sturt Road, Brighton, Adelaide.

In the Turkish language "deli" means 'mad, insane, crazy, lunatic'; "can" translates as 'soul, life. person' and "depo" is 'depot'.

Euro 2008 - Turkey's Into Another Soccer Semi-Final

2008-06-21T10:39:00.003+09:30

The streets of Turkey's cities and towns would have gone wild last night after Turkey beat Croatia on 3-1 penalties in the Euro 2008 semi final. The score was 0-0 at the end of normal time and then 1-1 after extra time. In another dramatic escape, Turkey equalised with the last kick of extra time, a few moments after the Croats celebrated what they thought was their winning goal. In an amazing statistic, Turkey has only lead their opponents for a total of 9 minutes this tournament.

The following Reuters article headline ("Christmas comes early for rescued Turkey") is amusing for a largely Muslim country:

Over at Ankara Football Oz Kanka has posted photos of locals celebrating Turkey's group win against the Czech Republic. He'll probably upload photos from the Croatia festivities later today.

I was living in Mersin during the 2002 World Cup and the streets were chaotic after Turkey beat Senegal with a golden goal in the quarter final. People drove around with flags waving, horns tooting and general disdain for laws (hey, that's no different to normal :). In the city centre locals rocked random cars up and down, testing the suspension. A genuine feeling of happiness and joy permeated the streets, something rarely felt society-wide in the aftermath of Turkey's early 2001 economic collapse.

Absolutely no work (or other non-TV-watching activities) was done anywhere in Turkey during the 2002 World Cup semi final versus Brazil and I'm sure the same will be the case with this upcoming semi final versus Germany. Go Turkey!

Bulent Ersoy And Turkey's Growing Pains

2008-06-20T22:56:00.004+09:30

I found the above news article from today's Daily Shopper newspaper about Turkish singer Bulent Ersoy notable for two reasons:

1) The story is another example of Turkey's immaturity and slow development as a democratic nation. Turkey will never reach its huge potential until a) she gives greater value to freedom of speech and b) her military's political powers are curtailed.

2) The article does not mention or focus on the fact that Bulent is a transsexual and instead sticks the relevant facts (something odd for a tabloid paper).

The BBC has more on the story.

Hi From Sydney!

2008-05-16T12:14:00.002+09:30

I'm in Sydney for AIESEC's 60th Anniversary Cocktail Event, to have a short holiday and see friends. The cocktail event last night was fun and I caught up with some fellow AIESEC alumni I hadn't seen for years. At least 7 of us who attended the December 2000 WANC (Western Australian National Conference) in Perth were there: Dan, Josh, Lil, Brea, Trent, Brett and myself. Afterwards we went to the Slip-Inn and then Cargo.

I'm staying in Dave's pad in Pyrmont, next to Darling Harbour. Coincidentally, it is also very close to the Hotel Ibis, where I stayed in 1998 for U2's Popmart tour concert, the last time I was overnight in Sydney.

The weather is beautiful and I should get off this computer and hit the town...

Persimmon Season

2008-05-12T21:05:00.002+09:30

The 2008 persimmon season is peaking in South Australia. The above Riverland-grown fruit were purchased at the brilliant Sunday morning Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers Market. I first fell in love with persimmons in Turkey where they are known as 'cennet meyvesi' ('heaven fruit).

Whereas persimmons sold in Turkey are largely astringent and sold very ripe, soft and squishy, I've only seen hard, non-astringent fruit in Australia.

Although hard non-astringent fruit are delicious to eat, I prefer softer persimmons and have a basket full ripening in the dining room.

Lost: One IKEA Virginity

2008-05-05T23:02:00.000+09:30

Yesterday I saw the inside of an IKEA store for the first time. IKEA Adelaide is located next to the Airport on Sir Donald Bradman Drive (the old Burbridge Road), Richmond. Not bad for someone who's visited 19 IKEA countries :)

My main reason to visit IKEA was to take the niece and nephew to a free Mother's Day children's promotion. Afterwards, the kids showed me around the shop-they knew every corner and attraction. I didn't have much time or peace for a proper look but enough to grab a 5-pack of coat hangers for $1.50.

After checking out we ate a $1.00 hotdog at the IKEA cafe. The pink artificial sausage in a lifeless white bun was almost worth the money and I swear it suited vegetarians (not containing any meat).

From my short visit I could see how IKEA keeps its overheads low:
- Utilising the space from the shop floor to the roof to store excess stock
- Minimal input required to transform pallets from container storage to shop-floor readiness
- Not allowing shopping trolleys in the car park
- Only opening one huge IKEA market in a city instead of several smaller outlets

After observing so much ugly nationalism in different parts of the world I enjoyed the pleasant nationalism on display at IKEA. The products contained Scandinavian names and there was a Swedish food section. I write "nationalism" because there is no real reason for a global brand like IKEA to promote these things (besides creating an image) and it struck me being odd for such a place to promote Swedish food.

I'm sure I will return to IKEA sooner than the 30 years the first visit has taken, particularly if I need to furnish a house in the future.

Mersin On The Internets

2008-03-31T21:23:00.003+10:30

A few stories from my old city in Turkey:

Turkey is looking to build its first nuclear reactor in Akkuyu, Mersin Province. The idea of a nuclear power plant at Akkuyu is not new but seems more likely to happen this time.

Desert Girl, an American woman living in Kuwait has a quite humorous but unflattering report of her visit to Mersin for GISKAD's "1st International Business Women Congress". A quote:

We were herded like cattle into the little ballroom of the Hilton in Mersin, and then practically trampled by the onslaught of male Turkish media covering the event who bumped the participants out of the way; I’m sure you know the type – pony tails and khaki men.

Older news:

Mersin was a candidate city for the 2013 Mediterranean Games. She ended up losing to the Greek city of Volos. Compare their two videos: Mersin and Volos.

Forum Mersin, Mersin's largest shopping centre opened. I would be surprised if all of Mersin's shopping centres survive in the short to medium term with Forum Mersin joining Carrefour, Marina Vista and other modern shopping centres crowding Mersin's small market.

My New Mobile Phone: Nokia 2630

2008-03-29T17:38:00.000+10:30

Last night I bought a Nokia 2630 to replace the seminal Nokia 3310 I purchased from Bahrain Airport Duty Free in June 2003. Although my 3310 is almost indestructible, its size, age and malfunctioning "0" key meant the time the time for a new mobile phone had well and truly arrived.

The 2630 is twice as slim as the 3310 and yet contains so many extra features: bluetooth, FM radio, VGA camera, video recording, full colour screen, e-mail, support for MP3 ringtones, etcetera, etcetera.

Despite the mobile phone's small size and multiple features, it still cost only $149 from an Optus dealer for use with Optus pre-paid plans. The phone is locked for either 6 months or until I charge it with $80 worth of credit. The 2630 must be a popular model as the first two Optus dealers I visited had sold out and I only got the last phone at the third dealer.

I have had one or two small issues with the screensaver and finding the predictive text function (just found it!) but overall I'm full of praise for the 2630.

I've just entered the 21st century world of mobile communications!

Brickworks Markets, Thebarton

2008-03-25T22:30:00.002+10:30

Friday afternoon (21 March) I took Eilish and Breandan to Brickworks Markets, Thebarton. This Inner Western Adelaide institution is named after an old brick factory, the chimney of which is the location centrepiece. The place was new to me as I can hardly remember my last visit to Brickworks more than 20 years ago despite passing by the place thousands of times on the bus.

Besides many market stalls, including a Turkish bazaar-like area, the Brickworks Markets contain multiple eating areas and several old-style entertainment options.

Eilish on a bumperboat

Breandan playing mini golf

Eilish and Breandan whizzing down the jumping castle slide

Neither Breandan or Eilish were tall enough to ride the can-am cars (go-carts) so they begged me to go around the track for them (which I happily obliged).

Overall, the three of us enjoyed the day although Breandan was cranky by the end. The Brickworks is a fun alternative for a family day out.

Hot Weather Now But A Memory

2008-03-25T21:41:00.002+10:30

Last week the longest ever heatwave for an Australian city in recorded history ended in Adelaide: 15 consecutive days above 35 degrees Celsius.

I didn't mind the heat too much as:
(a) I have experienced 1 consecutive year of warm weather (in Turkey and then Australia), and
(b) I spent the hottest part of each day in an air-conditioned office.

The Adelaide Zoo In Words And Pictures

2008-03-10T19:23:00.001+10:30

On Sunday the 2nd of March I took my 9 year old niece Eilish and 7 year old nephew Breandan for a visit to the Adelaide Zoo. Located in the city's parklands, entry for adults costs $20 (AUD) and $12 for children. I used an Entertainment Book voucher for a 25% discount.

Eilish and Breandan in the front of the alligator

It was many years since I visited Adelaide zoo and the place has changed substantially. Many of the traditional zoo fortress-like cages have been replaced with contoured landscapes, moats and clear sightlines to the animals, particularly in the South East Asian Rainforest Immersion area. These clear sightlines give both the illusion of being closer to the animals and a less artificial feel.

The alligator waving its leg

The cassowary, a very large flightless bird from north eastern Australia and New Guinea

A meercat in the foreground and giraffe in the background

A beautiful kookaburra's tail

Two tapirs

One of the monkeys in the South East Asian Rainforest Immersion Exhibit

Two very colourful native Australian parrots

The zoo keeper feeding fairy penguins fish

Although selected exhibits still seem cruel, the educational value of learning about the endangered species and what can be done to help save them more than makes up for it. I'm sure thousands of people, particularly children, have been inspired by a trip to the zoo to contribute towards saving the natural environment and the wild populations of the animals contained within. Adelaide Zoo's partnership with Monarto Zoo and their native and exotic endangered species breeding projects and campaigns also point to the zoo serving higher level purposes the traditional zoo "freak show". this is great contrast to the terrible Tarsus Zoo in Turkey.

My highlight of the day were the animals in the Nocturnal House including native rodents and bats.

Before catching the bus back home we walked to a cafe in the city to give the kids a babycino and spend time away from the heat. The above photo is of a reflection from the Mall's Balls, a Rundle Mall landmark.

Eilish and Breandan were excited and full of energy in the morning but by the end of the hot day their crankiness and tiredness ruled supreme. Breandan steadfastly refused to sit down on the bus and when he did he was not a happy chappy. I love this no-look shot I took of him:

Overall it was a good day together and I look forward to taking the kids out more in the future.

Ronnie Taheny And The Outhouse Orchestra

2008-02-10T17:00:00.000+10:30

Amanda Goodfellow, Ronnie Taheny and Marie de Lint of The Outhouse Orchestra performing in Edithburgh

The last time I had seen Ronnie Taheny in a formal concert setting was 2001. Now I've been lucky enough to witness her perform 3 times in 2008:

1) Ronnie's traditional hometown gig in Edithburgh, Southern Yorke Peninsula 3 weeks ago

2) Her official DVD launch at The Governor Hindmarsh ("The Gov"), Adelaide on 2 February

3) A private concert last night

The Outhouse Orchestra played at all three while At Edithburgh and The Gov Ronnie was joined by Jarrad Payne (of Satan's Cheerleaders and 1.1 Immermann) on drums and Michael Bahlij on piano.

The Outhouse Orchestra consists of Marie de Lint on flute, Cellist Amanda Goodfellow and Ronnie on keyboard. Together they add an alternative classical feel to many of Ronnie's tunes. The Outhouse Orchestra is the perfect act to perform at classy weddings, corporate events and other functions.

I loved all 3 evenings for different reasons.

Michael Bahlich (keyboard) and Jarrad Payne (drums) back Ronnie Taheny, Edithburgh Football and Sports Club

The Edithburgh gig held at the Football and Sports Club was billed as "Wallflowers". I heard many new songs and interpretations of old songs for the first time. Seeing the spontaneous wit and energy of Ronnie again was a pleasure to behold. Toyland, and Would You Know If My Arse were amongst many highlights of Ronnie's sets. The concert finale included a super Johnny Cash cover by Michael Bahlij. In between sets, Ronnie's cousin, comedian Fiona O'Loughlin had the audience falling apart with personal stories, almost all of which hit the funny bone very hard.

Ronnie Taheny's poster at The Gov

In my opinion, The Gov was the best of the 3 gigs with Ronnie really warming up to the full house and giving her absolute most. I was with 5 friends, who also absolutely loved the concert despite not having heard Ronnie's music before. The new songs premiered in Edithburgh were more refined and Jarrad, Michael, Marie and Amanda added a stellar sound, aided by The Gov's superior facilities. The biggest crowd reaction was saved until the encore for the spoken word "Darcy", all about the search for the perfect man and inspired by the character Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Ronnie's new release "It's All About Me (Ronnie and Her Bloody DVD" was officially launched this night. The DVD features footage from last year's The Gov concert and a number of extra features that should not be missed.

onedogonebone

Last night original rock group onedogonebone opened the private backyard concert in suburban Adelaide despite creating a heavier sound than The Outhouse Orchestra. Ronnie, Marie and Amanda performed very well in front of a demanding audience of friends and acquaintances. Despite the informal nature of the evening, requests to play Khe Sahn were steadfastly refused.

Very soon Ronnie Taheny will begin her 2008 European tour in Germany. All those in Australia who missed Ronnie perform will now have to either a) fly to Europe to see her there, b) wait until January/February 2009 when she returns to the land down under or c) hire The Outhouse Orchestra.

Personal disclaimer: Ronnie Taheny is my Auntie (our identical surname is not coincidental) and I was her roadie on the 1999 European tour.

2008 Australian Open Tennis, Melbourne Park

2008-01-28T17:35:00.000+10:30

The Melbourne Park tennis complex in front of the Melbourne Cricket Ground as viewed from the Eureka Tower. The blue patches are the outside courts.

Tuesday 15 January was the second day of 2008 Australian Open Tennis Tournament but my first visit to any professional tennis event. Enjoying tennis but not being a huge fan, I attended without any major expectations.

The main Melbourne Park tennis complex entrance

On a warm day I joined thousands of tennis fans from around the world at the only grand slam event held in the Asia/Pacific region. As a holder of a ground pass, I could access all tennis courts except for the main Rod Laver and Vodafone Arenas.

Michaella Karajicek

The first match I saw was in the women's first round between Japan's Akiko Morigami and Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands on Show Court 3. Morigami won convincingly 6-2 6-2.

Akiko Morigami

I stayed at Show Court 3 to see 10th seed David Nalbandian from Argentina thrash Australian Robert Smeets 6-1 6-1 in the first two sets. (Later I discovered the third set was far tighter with Smeets forcing a tiebreaker but still losing 7-6).

Robert Smeets

This match provided my moment of the day. A Smeets shot was obviously going to land in the doubles lane before the ball hit the top of the net and spun 90 degrees to land in Nalbandian's court and count as a winner!

David Nalbandian

After 4 one-sided sets I headed to Margaret Court Arena where Korean Hyung-Taik Lee and another Aussie Chris Guccione were entertaining a more vocal audience. Despite Guccione playing at home, Lee won in straight sets 7-6 6-3 6-4.

Chris Guccione on the left hitting a shot towards Hyung-Taik Lee in the white cap

Outside the courts were the food vendors and sponsors' tents. People waited 2-3 hours to enter "Garnier World" for a treatment and a goodie bag. I showed my MasterCard credit card at their tent to receive an FM radio. Aviva provided refreshing neck coolers to everybody completing their one question quiz forms.

All in all, a good day.

Watching tennis at the event provided a greater perspective than viewing the sport on television. Instead of just the tennis players, as shown on TV, in person I could observe the ballkids, line umpires, chair umpire, photographers and fellow spectators. The distances on and around the court were also more identifiable. These insights proved useful viewing the Australian Open final last night between Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2008-01-23T21:33:00.000+10:30

Luna Park, St Kilda at night

I spent a week in Melbourne and had a fabulous time with relatives and friends. I either stayed in or visited Northcote, Fitzroy, Camberwell, Broadmeadows, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, Melbourne Park, St Kilda, Prahran and the City.

The tram is one of Melbourne's icons

The beauty with Melbourne is that so many of its attraction are both close to the city centre and easily accessible by its great public transport system.

One of several street performers witnessed. This one tried to flip fish with one foot up into the bowl on his head whilst balancing on a unicycle.

Another aspect of Melbourne I loved was its ethnic diversity. I thought Adelaide was multicultural (and it is compared with most of the world) until I visited Melbourne.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) behind the Yarra River

Snooker playing, tenpin bowling, poker machining, art gallery visiting, eating out, pubbing, cappuccino drinking, sightseeing, Luna Parking and tennis viewing were just some of the activities I did.

Peter, Michael and I went up to the 88th level of the Eureka Tower, the tallest apartment block in the world

I must wholeheartedly thank Libby, Alexei, Harriet and Rob; Peter, Jansin and Michael; Euge and Mitch; Ardent and her family; and Kate and Alex for their hospitality. The evening with Ardent and family was particularly rewarding seeing as we had not met previously!

The view back into Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) from Port Melbourne

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Tiger Airways' Inaugural Adelaide To Melbourne Flight

2008-01-11T12:15:00.000+10:30

Yesterday, Thursday 10 January 2008, I flew from Adelaide to Melbourne on Tiger Airways' first flight for this route.

Tiger Airways is a Singapore-based low-cost airline hoping to become Australia's third full-scale domestic airline after QANTAS and Virgin Blue. Tiger also flies to many Asian cities from its Singapore hub.

Tiger Airways' Australian hub is Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine. From Melbourne Airport's very basic Terminal 4 (T4; see photo at bottom), Tiger flies to several primary and secondary Australian domestic destinations including Adelaide (of course), Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Newcastle, Perth, Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast. From Perth and Darwin, one can fly Tiger Airways onward to Singapore. Tiger does not yet fly to Australia's busiest airport, Sydney's Kingsford Smith International due to its high landing charges.

Tiger's Adelaide destination was announced in November 2007. Upon hearing the news on the radio I turned on my laptop and checked their website, discovering fares to and from Melbourne for as low as AUD 9.95 inclusive of all taxes and fuel levies. I booked return flights for an almost unbelievable total of $22.90, including a $3.00 credit card fee.

The Tiger Airways check-in desk decorated with black and yellow balloons

Checking in at Adelaide Airport was very slow and it was obvious this was not only the airline's also the check-in staff's first flight. Beforehand, Tiger Airways had recommended passengers arrive to the airport 2 long hours prior to the scheduled departure time of 12:25.

My seat allocation was 7A, a window seat. I like window seats as I can watch the scenery outside.

Tiger Airways' plane waits patiently at its gate whilst a Jetstar flight lands

A reasonable media contingent was on hand to watch the first flight leave

A photographer shooting photos of a family and their boarding passes

The boarding desk heaving under the weight of a stuffed tiger toy

After a departure delay caused by onboard computers malfunctioning due to 41 degree centigrade tarmac temperatures the flight eventually left. The inflight conditions were nothing special for people who have flown on low-cost carriers previously:
- Short seat pitch
- No free food and drinks
- No inflight entertainment except magazines to read

According to Tiger Airways' inflight magazine Tiger Tales, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam has a population of 621 million.

The detention-centre like conditions of T4, Melbourne Airport

Overall, if a prospective passenger can find a flight cheap enough, Tiger Airways is worth flying with. People requiring greater service, later check-in times and more convenience are advised to take an alternative airline. For $22.90 return, I cannot complain.
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Givle.com - A Worthy Search Engine

2008-01-11T12:14:00.000+10:30

In 2007 Kev and Richie, the champion poker players from early morning New Years Day, developed a new search engine based on Google: Givle-the search engine that gives.

The Givle website (as displayed in the screenshot above) uses a black background to save energy.

Givle donates all the revenue it receives from Google Adsense to charity. The more people who use Givle, the greater it can give. Set Givle.com as your homepage and use it just as you would use Google. The search results are the same but with Givle you are helping a worthy cause.

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New Year 2007-2008

2008-01-04T10:29:00.000+10:30

The following photos are from a very enjoyable and relaxing new years eve with old friends up at Kev and Lucy's eco-house at Flaxley, near Mount Barker.

After the ladies went to bed, Kev, Dave and Richie schooled me in Texas hold 'em poker. After learning how to play it, I can now see why the game is so popular amongst gamblers and non-gamblers alike.

Dave took me up there in his Sigma station wagon, giving me flashbacks of my old Sigma wagon.

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Christmas 2007 With The Family At Home

2007-12-31T17:59:00.000+10:30

The end of the year is nigh so it is finally time to get on my backside and post an update. More will come soon, I promise...

I hope everyone had a special bayram or Christmas and wish you all a wonderful new year and healthy and happy 2008.

Christmas this year was my first at home since 2008. I was very lucky to have my grandparents from Mum's side fly over from Ceduna for the occasion.

'Marga' and 'Poppop'

My first Xmas with nephew Breandan and niece Eilish since they were babies

The ancient 'handing out the Christmas presents ceremony' on the morning of the 25th of December

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Satay Celup: A Malacca Favourite

2007-11-29T21:36:00.000+10:30

Continuing on with posts from my trip to Malaysia in October...

Li Ching and Carina brought me to a well-known satay celup restaurant for our main evening meal in Malacca (Melaka). I've forgotten the restaurant's name but it was the original restaurant on the street. We had to wait for a table to eat at, in contrast to the almost identical satay celup place (opened by a former employee of the original's) which was almost empty.

The satay celup tables are specially-designed with a pot set-in in the centre containing boiling satay sauce, heated by gas from table-specific bottles.

The attendant brings around various satay sticks for the guests to choose what they want and cook them in the satay in their own time.

Various satay celup sticks including quail eggs, rice balls, fish sticks and fish balls

The very top left of the satay celup tray contains pigs ears. The small plate has cucumber slices and the satay pot is in the bottom right.

The pigs ear was crunchy. Carina and Li Ching did not want to tell me what it was before I ate it as they were scared I would refuse to eat it if I knew beforehand. I did find out and was not put off :-)

Prawns, fish and clams. Century egg with ginger is on the small blue plate. The egg tasted interesting.

Cooking the satay celup sticks in the simmering sauce

The restaurant menu

The staff calculated our meal cost by adding up the number of sticks left on our table. Each stick cost half a Malaysian ringgit (about 16 Aussie cents).

As I like to try everything, I tried every single different type of satay stick. Needless to write, by the end of the delicious meal I could eat very little more.

Australian Federal Election Day 2007

2007-11-24T17:34:00.000+10:30

After several months of unofficial and 6 weeks of official electioneering, today, 24 November 2007, Australia finally votes. Thank goodness I have been out of the country for all but the last 6 weeks and I have not had to put up with the constant politicking.

The Fulham Gardens Primary School election booth in the electorate of Hindmarsh

The polls have just closed in some of the Eastern states and they will close soon in my state of South Australia. Tonight I will enjoy a hardcore election evening via both the Internet and television.

I yearn for a change of government. The current Liberal-National Coalition have been corrupted by 11 years of power, control of both houses of parliament and a rodent named John Winston Howard.

The opposition Labor Party (ALP) have been favourites in both the opinion polls and betting markets for months but they are not certainties to win back government. I doubt anybody will be celebrating until the election result is certain.

Both major parties have similar policies in many areas and a common feature of this election campaign is the me-tooism. The Labor Party haven't wanted to differentiate themselves from the governing parties except for policies that they believe most people support.

Election posters; from left to right: leader-centric Labor Party, xenophobic One Nation, negative Liberal Party

Despite their name, the Liberal Party are socially conservative and have increased governmental powers, taxes and spending during their time in power. Unfortunately, their spending decisions were often made in a knee-jerk fashion and not based on evidence, leading to poor outcomes. The Liberal party has campaigned on fear and negativities. Their posters at the polling booth didn't even mention the party or their leader and instead focused on bad things that might happen if Labor get elected. The Liberals lack a vision.

I did not vote in the last few elections as I lived abroad, mainly in Mersin, Turkey, and years ago my name was taken off the electoral roll.

I am located in the Federal electorate of Hindmarsh, suburban Adelaide. It is currently a marginal Labor seat held by Steve Georganas. The Liberal contestant is Rita Bouras. An interesting side note: both major party candidates are of Greek ancestry.

This morning I voted at the Fulham Gardens Primary School (located in Henley Beach, not the neighbouring suburb Fulham Gardens) election booth. The different party posters were on display and their supporters were handing out how-to-vote (HTV) cards. I refused to take any cards stating I cared for the environment. Instead of following a certain political party's preferences, I chose my own.

Voters lining up at the Fulham Gardens Primary School

The voter line up extended for about 20 metres. Upon booth entry, I was directed to an electoral roll worker. She asked for my surname and name, asked if I had voted before, and then signed and gave me the Senate and House of Representative ballot papers. The lack of an ID check surprised me.

Because of the honesty and openess portrayed over the years by Queensland Senator Andrew Bartlett in his blog I gave the Australian Democrats candidates high preferences on both ballot papers. I placed Coalition and fundamentalist parties like Family First Christian Democratic Party (CDP) and One Nation very low down. I also placed ALP fairly low, although always above the Liberals. This was particularly true for ALP's lead Senate candidate Don Farrell.

Don was my union boss during the time I worked at Foodland Fulham Gardens. Every Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) newsletter contained 6-15 photos of himself and I did not appreciate his self-promotion. I also am not impressed by his very conservative values. I did appreciate the work done by the SDA though.

Besides the Democrats, I also gave high preferences to the libertarian Liberty and Democracy Party (LDP) and independent candidates.

My completed ballot papers

The South Australian Senate race was made more interesting after Nick Xenophon of No-Pokies fame announced his Senate candidature. As Nick's grouping received 20% of the upper house vote in the last state election he is expected to gain the 13.4% quota required for a Senate seat.

Let the election night begin!

The ABC with their election guru Antony Green generally has the best election coverage.

As always, wikipedia has a good run-down of the Australian electoral system for those who want to learn more.

PS: I still have many posts about Malaysia and Australia to write and photos to upload. Sorry about the slackness... :)

POST-ELECTION UPDATE: The incumbent Liberal/National Coalition has been kicked out and the Labor Party has won the most seats enabling them to form the next government. To my delight, the former Prime Minister John Howard looks highly likely to lose his Bennelong seat to Maxine McKew. Unfortunately, the blogging Andrew Bartlett was not re-elected to the Senate.

Let's wish for a more accountable and open government and less cynical wedge politics.
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Malaysia: Food

2007-11-03T16:59:00.000+10:30

As mentioned earlier, I ate masses of wonderful food in Malaysia. I ate Chinese the most but also sampled Indian, Malay and Nonya (Peranakan) cuisines. Later I will write a specific posting on the Satay Celup I ate in Malacca.

From left to right: porridge (Kim, what kind?), various dumplings (in silver trays), chickens feet with mushroom, and dipping sauces

The first meal I ate after arriving on the overnight flight from Istanbul was dim sum somewhere near Bandar Tasik Selatan, the 3rd stop on the KLIA Transit train between the airport and KL. Kim took me to an outdoor restaurant full of people eating their Sunday dim sum breakfasts.

Dim sum involved different waiters coming around with trays offering their portion-sized dishes. We were free to select whatever we wanted of the huge variety on offer. Each dish was on a distinct plate and at the end of the meal our bill was calculated by the number and kind of plates left on our table.

After visiting the Batu Caves, Kim and I ate at an adjacent vegetarian Indian restaurant. Curries and chutney were scooped out of the containers onto specially divided plates and eaten with the fried flat bread.

Clams, BBQ pork and dumplings

The hawker centre signs in the background list such delicacies as Pork Organ Soup and Claypot Frog Porridge

From left to right: paw paw, guava, pineapple and another fruit. The small bowl contains a dipping mixture made up of sugar, salt and dried plum powder.

The above 3 photos come from the Chinese hawker centre Kim took me to on my first night in Malaysia.

Satay, omlette and clams

Two nights later I met up with Yinli and Pek Yen at another Chinese hawker centre for some good food and beer and great conversations. Afterwards I took a taxi back to Flic's place in Brickfields. The taxi rate was very cheap even allowing for the 100% after midnight loading (when it should have only been %50) :-)

Clams, squid and snails in Malacca

Prior to the satay celup meal, Li Ching, Carina and I ate 'entree' at a critically acclaimed but difficult to find and (on the surface) somewhat seedy backstreet restaurant. The hole behind the plate in the centre of the photos is an integrated rubbish bin.

A delicious spicy laksa and barley water breakfast at Donald and Lily's nonya restaurant, Malacca.

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Malaysia: Friends

2007-10-31T23:33:00.000+10:30

Before this trip I only knew one friend currently living in Malaysia: Flic. However, mainly with the help of expat Malaysian Fiona, I met several new friends.

Eating dim sum with Kim. Kim looked after me brilliantly on my first day in Malaysia including a trip to the Batu Caves.

With Flic (3rd from left), Aaron (2nd from left), Flic's Canadian flatmate and her Malaysian colleagues at the Ramadhan markets in KL. Flic kindly hosted me in KL.

I enjoyed a truly memorable evening with Pek Yen and Yinli at Chinese Hawker centre in KL.

Carina and Li Ching generously took time off from work to meet me in Malacca (Melaka) and show me all around that historic city including the best food places :-)

Drinking cocktails with Aaron, Flic and Sharmini (who I had met before in Adelaide) at Pacific Regency's 34th floor Luna Bar.

Thank you all for helping make a fantastic trip!

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Malaysia

2007-10-31T22:21:00.000+10:30

The South-East Asian nation of Malaysia was my home from the morning of 7 October to the evening of 12 October.

My brief 6 days there were fabulous and sometime I'd like to go back for a longer period to explore more places and eat more foods. I will eventually upload many photos in differently-themed posts.

Malaysia takes religion very seriously and the government works hard not to offend their resident religions. One example of this is the above censored Malaysian Airlines magazine article. The censored words are "and meet God". Ethnic Malays are automatically Muslims and it is extremely difficult to renounce their religion should they want to. Chinese and Indians have greater religious choice.

2007 is the 50th anniversary of "Merdeka" or independence for Malaysia turned 50 this year. There were indications of this anniversary everywhere. The above celebratory banner contains portraits of the country's 5 prime ministers: Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak, Hussein Onn, Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Aidilfitri, the end of Ramadan (Malay--Ramadhan; Turkish--Ramazan) holiday was about to take place and there were decorations in many areas. This display was at the entrance to KL Tower (also known as Menara Kuala Lumpur).

The Malaysian postal system is called "Pos Malaysia". POS can also refer to English-language acronyms Point Of Sale or Piece Of ....

This warning sign is attached to a fence on the walk from from Flic's place to KL Sentral. Public signs are usually only in Malay and English although this is also in Chinese and (I'm guessing) 2 Indian languages as it is near the Indian Brickfields area.

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Welcome To Adelaide

2007-10-24T14:29:00.000+09:30

Being able to walk 10 minutes to a clean, white and almost empty sandy beach is brilliant...

I'm back in Adelaide, Australia, staying with my family in Henley Beach.

Coming from Mersin, Turkey, following are a few of the differences I have noticed in Adelaide:
- distances are far greater around the city
- many more people are overweight
- the standard of dress is less formal
- home is so quiet. The loudest noise during the day comes from wild birds squawking and nights are dead quiet. Each night of my first week when going to bed I had ringing in my ears because I was used to a continual background noise.

I returned from Turkey to Australia via 6 wonderful days in Malaysia. I will write more about Malaysia and upload photos from there soon.

For the first time ever I arrived to Adelaide Airport on an international flight. The immigration guy scanned my passport but he did not obviously indicate to the interrogator that I was a "special" case. After passing through, an interrogator asked me to stand aside. She looked through my passport and questioned me where I had come from; how long I was going to stay in Australia; why had I gone to Pakistan; why had I gone to Iran; why I had visited so many Muslim countries; what I did in Turkey; proof of of my stay in Turkey (I showed the traineeship and work visas in my passport); etcetera; and then let me go to the customs line-up. I doubt the official could read Arabic as she did not ask about my multiple Syrian visas.

Even if I didn't have the Turkish apple tea and duty free chocolates to declare I would have been hauled through the red customs channel anyway. The same interrogator asked me to place my bags on the table and then proceeded to ask me several disclaimer questions before advising me to open my laptop bag for inspection. After putting on the gloves she went through some of my documents, asking more questions on the way. Once satisfied I was not a terrorist threat I was waved on my way.

All through my questioning the official was jovial and calm with a forced smile on her face. I enjoyed the questioning and, as I could justify everything I've done, had no problems answering her questions. I'm sure if I visited the USA with the same passport I would face a much tougher time.

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Leaving Istanbul/Turkey On A Jet Plane

2007-10-06T21:19:00.000+09:30

I'm in Ataturk International Airport on Istanbul's European side. I arrived to Istanbul from Mersin via an overnight Mersin VIF bus ride. My flight to Kuala Lumpur leaves in just over an hour. My 36th Turkish stamp is freshly imprinted in my passport and I'm about to go to the boarding gate.

I was meant to have a baggage limit of 30 kilograms for my flight, 10 kg more than normal because of my Enrich frequent flying membership. However, when checking in, the woman at the Malaysian Airlines desk said she had not received word of this. This is despite me calling earlier the Malaysian Airlines office earlier this week and receiving verbal confirmation of the extra luggage limit. Thankfully, I didn't have to pay for extra luggage but am now dragging around two carry-on bags as opposed to one.

In the last few days I've said goodbye to many colleagues and friends in Mersin. Although I'm tired of living there, I hope I get the chance to visit again not too far into the future.

I have to catch up with many emails, replying to comments and sending photos. This may not occur until after I arrive to Australia. Thank you for writing and apologies to those still waiting a reply...
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