Gentlefolk,
This post describes our main activities during the month of February 2023.
The contents of this post are in the following sequence:
Photos of our activities during February 2023.
Some news items which caught my eye in February 2023.
First, photos of some of our activities during February 2023:
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| We have been fortunate to have a wonderful Eye Specialist, Dr David Tridgell. He looked after Mom for years, and then us. Dr Tridgell has advised that he will retire in July 2023. End of an era, sad!!! |
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| Our friend Ghislaine visited from Sydney, haven't seen her since pre-Covid. We had dinner with Aniko and Peter. |
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| The main public activity organised by the Australia China Friendship Society is the annual Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is held two weeks after Chinese New Year, and marks the end of CNY celebrations. We missed the last two years beecause of Covid. |
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| Carol Kiel, President of ACFS, being interviewed by ABC TV. |
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| Carol with Minister Sun representing the Chinese Embassy. |
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| Some of the onlookers at the Lantern Festival. It was a cool, windy night, not pleasant. Perhaps around 300 turned up to watch performances of Chinese music, dance, martial arts, etc. |
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| Performance by the ANU's Ensemble of Chinese Classical Music. |
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| One of the dance performances. |
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| Wonderful exhibition of Cressida Campbell (born Sydney 1960) woodblock paintings at the National Gallery of Australia. She now lives in Bronte, Sydney. |
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| Self-portrait of a young Cressida Campbell. |
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| This novel is set in Beijing in the 1980s. The author, Nicholas Jose, was Cultural Counsellor at the Australian Embassy. We were at the Embassy just before him, and could relate to many of the scenes in the book. An interesting read. |
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| The team in the Trade Office of the Australian Embassy, Jakarta in 1988; from left Colin Hook (The Boss), Andrew Homer, Me, and Paul Brewer. Paul died two weeks ago in Brisbane; we watched the funeral which was streamed. Following his posting in Jakarta, Paul did an MBA, and then a PhD. He had a distinguished 'second career' as a lecturer in the Business School of the University of Queensland. |
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| Paul Brewer was a keen member of the Jakarta Hash House Harriers, as I was. We set the Australia Day run in January 1989 together with another Aussie, Ian Murray. Paul had a wry sense of humour and always saw the lighter side of life. A great colleague. RIP, Paul! |
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| Dinner with Robin and Tieke. |
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| Jen visited Canberra for a reunion with some of the girls she went to school with. |
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Noel Cock married Thuy Hoang on the shores of Lake Ginnindera in Belconnen. Noel met Thuy in 2014 during a visit to Vietnam. The relationship developed despite distance and Covid. We wish them all the best for a wonderful future together.
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| Don Watson signing books after the launch. |
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| We went to this concert in Queanbeyan with Sue and Frank. The audience were almost all our age - people who grew up with The Beatles in the 1960s. Did you know that Lennon (1940-80) & McCartney (1942-) were one of the most successful song-writing teams in history? They wrote 192 songs, many very popular. They were both from Liverpool, England and from humble origins. John's father was a merchant seaman; while Paul's mother was the main income-earner in his family. |
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| Damien Lieth and Darren Coggan on stage; they were backed by 3 violins and a bass which made for a much bigger sound. Some of the songs: All my loving; Can't buy me love; Eight days a week; Eleanor Rigby; Love me do; Lucy in the sky with diamonds; When I'm 64. Lennon & McCartney - musical legends!!! |
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News items which caught my eye during February
2023.
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Global
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Big earthquake near Turkey/Syria
border – over 50,000 dead, widespread destruction. Another smaller earthquake. After 8 years Nicola Sturgeon
resigned as SNP leader. Indian conglomerate Adani
cancelled proposed $2.5B share sale following plunge in share price as a
result of an unfavorable report by Hindenburg Research. Shell announced a profit of $40B
in 2022 (the most in its 115 year history). BP profit $28B, also a record.
French Got energy giant EDF reported a loss of $18B because prices capped. 35 countries have asked the IOC to
ban Russia & Belorussia from participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics. English Premier League club
Manchester City charged with 100 breaches of financial rules 2009 – 18. After 44 years, English comedian
John Cleese and his daughter Camilla will star in a return series of Fawlty
Towers. Credit Suisse reported a loss of
$7.9B in 2022. The Canadian Govt will boost
spending on healthcare by $149B over 10 years. Novak Djokovic had his 377th
week as World #1, a record. Death toll from the Turkey/Syria
earthquake over 50,000 and climbing. Israeli army raid of Nablus
resulted in 11 Palestinians killed and 80 wounded. UNGA passed a motion condemning Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine (for 141, against 7, abstained 32). Indian Govt pressured BBC office following
documentary critical of President Modi. The Australian womens cricket team
beat South Africa to win its 6th T20 World Cup. |
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Russian invasion of Ukraine |
First anniversary of Russia’s
invasion on 24 Feb 2022. President Biden visited Kyiv;
pledged support “until the end” and an immediate additional $500B. Then he
visited Warsaw where he met several European & NATO leaders. In reaction,
Putin pulled Russia out of the New Start nuclear weapons limitation
agreement. President Zelensky visited London and
Paris seeking continued support including fighter jets. US said that Russia has committed
“crimes against humanity’. The Russian economy shrank by an
estimated 2.1% in 2022, less than expected.
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USA
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President Biden gave the annual
State of the Union address to Congress. An alleged Chinese spying balloon
was shot down after transiting parts of the USA. China claimed it was a
weather balloon which had gone off course. Later US jets shot down three
other small unidentified objects. Federal Reserve raised interest
rates 0.25% (much lower than previous increases). Boeing announced cessation of
production of its iconic 747. NFL Super Bowl: Kansas City Chiefs
38 beat Philadelphia Eagles 35. It was the first time two Black quarterbacks
started (Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts). After 23 years in the NFL,
champion quarterback Tom Brady (45) announced his retirement, this time ‘for
real’. He won 7 Championships; 89,214 passing yards; 649 touch downs; 251
wins. The US secured access to 4
additional military bases in the Philippines. According to preliminary figures,
in 2022 US had a trade deficit in goods and services of $948B (up 12% over
2021). Goods exports to China totaled $153B, while goods imports from China
totaled $536B giving a bilateral trade deficit of $383B. NBA: champion
basketballer LeBron James passed Kareem
Abdul Jabber’s 39 year record of 38,387 points when James scored 38 in the
Lakers loss against Oklahoma City. James has won 4 Championships since
joining the NBA in 2003: 2x Miami Heat; 1x Cleveland; 1x Lakers. What a champion! Famous songwriter
Burt Bacharach died aged 94. Actress Raquel Welch died aged 82; she starred
in 30 films and 50 TV series. Bruce Willis (67) has dementia. Nikki Haley
announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2024
Presidential election (Trump running, also likely Ron DeSantis). Winter storm hit 29
States; 5,000 flights delayed or cancelled. City of Seattle
banned discrimination on the basis of caste (aimed at Hindus).
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Australia |
The Reserve Bank increased
interest rates by 0.25% (to 3.35%). The unemployment rate increased from 3.5% to 3.7%. The Minister for the Environment
blocked a proposed coal mine which would have been close to the Great Barrier
Reef. The Australian War Memorial
announced the replacement of external Chinese CCTV cameras (seen as potential
security threat!). Trade Minister Don Farrell and his
Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Wang Wen Tao held virtual trade talks
(first since 2019). The first shipments of Australian coal reached China. Member for Aston (Victoria),
former Minister Alan Tudge, resigned from Federal Parliament. The by-election
on 1 April will be keenly contested. Senator Lydia Thorpe resigned from
The Green, She will sit as an independent “to better represent Black
sovereignty”. World Pride held in Sydney 17 Feb
– 5 March; 300 events, expect 78K visitors. Prime Minister Albanese (&
wife) marched in the parade. The Federal and Queensland Govts
announced $7B funding agreement for the 2032 Olympic Games. Official launch of the ‘Yes’
campaign – a referendum will be held in the last quarter of 2023 to enshrine
an indigenous Voice to Parliament. Coles and Woolworth Supermarkets
dominate the food sector; both announced record profits: Coles A$643M (up
17%), Woolies $907M (up 14%). Qantas half-year profit A$1.4B.
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China |
According to the Pentagon, China
has 340 vessels in its Navy while the USA has 280. Foreign Minister Wang Jie presented
a possible peace plan, but rejected by Ukraine and USA.
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
My 30 year career as an Australian Trade Commissioner gave me an interest in matters related to international trade. I subscribe to Bloomberg's excellent daily newsletter "Supply Lines - tracking Covid-19's impact on trade" (former title 'Trade Matters').
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*Best Era Ever;
Best ever generation*
Born in .................... 40s/50s
/60s
Grew up in .............. 60s/70s
Educated in ............ 70s/80s
Ventured out in ...... 80s/90s
Stabilised a bit in.... 2000s
Got a bit wiser in..... 2010s
*Made it to ............. 2023 oooph!*
*We have lived in* .....
EIGHT Different *Decades*
TWO Different *Centuries*
TWO Different *Millennials*
We have been through...Phonebooth, Pager,
Beeper, Thuraya/Satellite phone, Mobile phone to latest Smart phone -
Radio, Transistor radios, Black & White TV, TV with glass shell screen to
compact TV, flat screen, to Smart TV.
Gramophone player, Tape recorder, Betamax/VHS Video Cassette Recorder (VCR),
Walkman, Cassette player, Cartridge player, YouTube to Wireless Streaming.
Handwritten letters , Typewriters
(Popular brands: Remington, Imperial, Oliver, Olivetti, Underwood), Dictaphone,
Pitman Stenography as shorthand to Electric Typewriter, Electronic typewriter
(Brother, golf ball, typewheel), Telegrams, Teleprinters (Telex), Fax Machine
to eMail, WhatsApp,
Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram.
Money Orders,
Postal Orders, Bankers Cheque, Travellers Cheques, DD to
NEFT, RTGS, PayTM, Google Pay, etc.
Basic computers (20
MB Hard disk drive to 2 TB) to latest laptop, 5.25 inch to 3.5 inch floppy disk
to CD disk to PenDrive -
And ...
We missed the Spanish Flu .....but here for
Covid.. Ah!
Some of us were
hippies and yuppies. We looked good in bell bottoms and turn-ups, went
through pencils "drainpipes"and
then settled for a cut in-between.
Walked,
cycled, rode, drove, went on train, on sea, played in the
streets with dust, mud, went underground, in the air, surfed,
flew & now awaiting
the Elon Musk SpaceX to the Moon.
Wow!!! What a Life it's been
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That's it for this post.
Our best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.
Vera & Alex Olah
Canberra, Australia
Tuesday 28 February 2023.
