i like to ponder the meaning of words
"Australia"
is derived from 'australis'
which [more or less] means 'southern' or 'of south'
and
i quite often like to sign off on an email with
"blah blah [insert something warm and friendly] from the Deep South"
because i live in South Australia
which is kinda 'SouthSouth' if you think about it
which led me to thinking about things i like about the South
not just our South
but also the South of the North
[may be getting a tad confusing here]
and wondering "what if what the others think is on the bottom of the whirled is really on the top?" after all, we're not exactly falling off.
we have excellent wine [even the cheap stuff is quite good]
wonderful blue skies
the scent of eucalyptus and
the Southern Ocean
as well as some of the best chocolate on the planet
[which is so far as we know the ONLY planet with chocolate and therefore extra special]
the other south has extremely delicious food
and also
Alabama Chanin
not to mention lovely New Orleans, where i will be spending the month of November this year
today i worked on a sample of something a little out of the ordinary for me
some paper and cloth that might expand into my project for the month that i'll be working with NOCCA
we'll see. i'll set it aside for a week or two and see if it's still singing to me when i look at it again...
the scent of eucalyptus and the colors of indigo......... some lucky girl you are..........
ReplyDeleteXXXm
i know it and am grateful...
DeleteIs it true that Australian chocolate has something added to it to stop in melting in the heat?
ReplyDeleteThat maybe a silly myth and I feel embarrassed to ask but I've always wondered.... x
oh good gracious what a horrible thought! but no, i'm pretty sure they don't. even the cheapies become a blob if left in the warm
Deletewe Australians have simply learned to eat our chocolate BEFORE it turns into a puddle...and Haigh's will very kindly place their product in a foil bag at purchase, to assist with getting it to its destination safely.
AND they always offer the customer a complementary morsel when a purchase has been made.
WOW! A month in New Orleans! I'm soooooo jealous!
ReplyDeletethey offered, i accepted :)
DeleteYep, I frequently take advantage of quiet corners to do a happy dance at the thought of having India around for a whole month. Especially since November is one of the most beautiful months of the year, here. Just think how much more gorgeous it will be this year!
Deletehappy dance happening this side of the pond too
DeleteI have pondered about the issue of direction too... very interesting to note that in ancient times, the Chinese drew all their maps with South to the top of the page and North to the bottom... the poles are real, but assigning one as 'top' and one as 'bottom' in translation into maps is completely arbitrary. I wondered, what if you looked at the earth from out in space, which would be top and bottom? And I realised that in space, you would have no reference to top or bottom. There would be no 'right way up' or 'upside down.' So, yep, the 'down under' concept is all in our collective cultural imagination.
ReplyDeleteI often reflect on how lucky we are in Australia. I have travelled quite a bit, mostly Europe and Asia and have experienced some beautiful destinations but I always love coming home to the wide open spaces and everything that is Australia.
ReplyDeleteWanting to smell the eucalyptus, but even more intense is that now I'm craving chocolate... don't think I have any :(
ReplyDeleteWine from down under is my favorite! Someday I would like to come visit.
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