Post #283 31 October 2024

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of October 2024.

The most important event was moving from Canberra to Nirimba, near Caloundra on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The move was more stressful than expected. Getting ready for the packing was difficult enough, but saying goodbye to family and friends was an emotional wrench. 

Will it all be worthwhile? Only time will tell.

Kent Removals did the Packing on 2 October, and the Uplift the following day. We left Canberra on 6 October. Canberra has been our base for close to 60 years and it was a strange feeling to drive away, not just for a short time as previously, but this time for an indefinite period.

We know that sometimes a move like this doesn't work out, so we are keeping our apartment in Kingston in case we decide to return. We'll give the new location at least a year (or two) before making a final decision.

On  the way north we stayed with Siri & Bob Morrison in Nambucca Heads and then with Shana and Greg in Ocean Shores, before stsying at Jen & Tom's place in Brisbane. 

 On Monday 14 October we drove to Caloundra; final settlement occurred the next day and we got the keys to our house. Kent delivered our shipment comprising 90 boxes plus furniture on 16/10. 

Then the fun of unpacking started. How in hell did we accumulate so much 'stuff' in an apartment???? The Kent guys helped get us started, and within 4 days we were essentially unpacked - a hectic time - although still a long way from working out where everything should go.

Here are some photos - the story of our move continues after the photos. 

Kent Removalist packing team packed up our apartment in Kingston. did a good job.

Saying goodbye to our lovely neighbour, Alysia.

The Kent Uplift Team came the following day - everything fitted in a 20 foot container. 

The fully loaded container. The apartment was empty, so we moved to Aniko & Peter's place for 4 nights - thanks guys, always so hospitable!

Moritz visited Canberra to check on Tesla operations here, and we had dinner with him.

Saying goodbye to my parent's graves in Gungahlin Cemetery.

Also said goodbye to good friend Ian Loiterton who passed away from a sudden illness in 2019. 

We picked up some take-away at a Filippino restaurant at the Watson shops.

Luton Properties is going to manage our apartment - we handed over the keys to Chauntelle and Maggie on Friday 4 October 2024. 

Vera saying goodbye to good friend Demsi who works for the Samoan High Commission.

Family dinner with Britt, Lani, Tui and Nouvie, and Aniko & Peter.

Saying goodbye to Dynamic Duo Aniko & Peter. Wonderful couple - thanks for all your help and encouragement - we will miss you1 

While packing we came across this wonderful old photo of my mother's parents in Dresden more than 100 years ago. 

We visited Canberra's annual Spring Flower show, Floriade. May be a while before we can go again.

 

Last supper in Canberra on Saturday 5 October (at the Yacht Club) was with the Guys & Dolls social group: from left Joh, Michael, me, Donna, Helen, Paul, Marlene, Vera, Nadia, Geoff, and Neil.

We had lunch in Sydney with Tini and Michael Kramer and their family.

Met Geoff & Albert at a cafe near Nabiac. They love living in the Village in Forster; will do a tour of China soon.

We stayed a night with Bob & Siri Morrison in Nambucca Heads.

Stayed with Greg & Shana Mills at Ocean Shores.

Jen & Tom invited our friends for lunch on Saturday 12 October: Hugo Hofgartner, Sean O'Shaughnessy, me, Vera, Andy (my brother visitng from Rarotonga), Jen & Tom.

Andy & Jen.

Vera with Hugo.

Sean in typical mode.

Nate farewelled us from the Roberts - we are off to Caloundra and a new life.

We stayed near Cooma St. I grew up in Cooma - a sign???

We stayed in the Belaire Place Motel for 4 nights before moving into our new home. Big room, with a view.

Our motel was a short walk from Kings Beach, Caloundra. Early morning dip - the water was great! After breakfast we went to our house and continued unpacking. When we moved in on Friday 18 October (coincidentally our wedding anniversary) we only had 30 boxes still to unpack.

We got the keys to our new home at 133/25 Banya Ave, Nirimba on 15 October 2024.

Renee Wraith from Stockland did the induction to our new home.

Our shipment was delivered by Kent Removals on Wednesday 16 Octoer 2024. 90 boxes, plus furniture. Did we really have this much "stuff" in our apartment in Canberra??? The Delivery Team brought everything inside and then helped us unpack the first 30 boxes. Big help. 

Vera with the Kent delivery team. They did a good job.

The Kent packing Team did a good job in Canberra. We had very few breakages: a couple of fairly old Chinese jars, and this chair (fairly clean break so which we should be able to have it repaired). Also couldn't find a set of cutlery which we bought in Brazil 40 years ago. Not worth claiming on insurance, as we had no receipts and the total value would have been well below our 'excess'.

Jen & Tom came us for the day on Sunday 20/10 to give us a hand; they were a great help. Young people have so much energy and decisiveness!

Our first visitors, on Tuesday 22 October: Paul & Niniek (who were visiting Brisbane) and Doug & Nora.

Jenny & Richard Emerton called in - Jenny was in my class in High School, and we have kept in touch. They visited friends in Noosa and were heading back to Port Macquarie.

Bron & Daz Hensley were on the tour of India 4 years ago. They live in Maleny, not from from us. We met for a coffee in Beerwah.

We are now in our second week in the Village. It's been a bit of a blur. We are meeting so many new people, can't remember names, gets confusing.

This Village is classified as an Over 55s Lifestyle Village and is called Stockland Halcyon Nirimba. It will have 244 homes, the first residents arrived almost 2 years ago. Our villa was one of the last to be built - there are 5 more under construction which will be completed by early next year.

While the minium age to buy here is 55, almost everyone is 70+. In reality it is a kind of retirement place, with good common facilities such as Clubhouse, heated swimming pool, gym, bowling green, pickle ball, Men's shed, community garden and so on. Our facilities are fairly modest compared to some, but adequate.

There are quite a few activities on offer, some organised by the developer and others by the residents:  exercise groups, yoga, bowling, craft, painting, various card games, trivia, bingo, happy hour, and so on. 

Everyone is friendly and welcoming. But I must admit, at this stage, we miss our old friends and lifestyle in Canberra. Here everything is new and a bit of a struggle, whereas in Canberra we knew exactly where to go or what to do. 

We are assured that it is natural to feel anxious in a new environment - everyone says they had the same experience - and that it always takes time to adjust to new surroundings. 

Our lifestyle will certainly be different here.

We are trying all the activities to see which ones suit us. At 7am we have been starting start each day with an exercise class which is really good. I have had an introduction to lawn bowls - looks simple but requires much skill.

Another difference is the weather - I have only worn shorts and t-shirts since we arrived! They say summer (December, January and February), is hot and humid, but the rest of the year is very pleasant. Let's see, so far so good.

For me the biggest difference is the traffic. We used to whinge in Canberra, but it is a well-planned city, and there were rarely traffic problems. Caloundra, actually all the Sunshine Coast, is undergoing rapid development and the infrastructure hasn't kept up. Something I will have to get used to.

This Village is part of Stockland's huge AURA development - we had not fully appreciated how much construction is going on in this area. A big Town Centre (with shops and recreational facilities) is planned close to us, but that is probably still 2 years away. It will be great eventually, but in the meantime this area is a massive construction site with limited facilities close by.

Most importantly we think we have found a good doctor.

It's early days still - let's see how things develop over the next few months.

 

......

 

News items which caught my eye in October 2024.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	EU: imposed tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles. China responded with tariffs on cognac and threats of others. Rafael Nadal: announced his retirement after an amazing career. He won 22 Grand Slams (including 14 French Opens); Olympic gold in Singles and Doubles; 4 Spanish Davis Cup twins; 209 weeks at world #1. Great rivalry with Roger Federer – Rafa won 24/40 contests with Roger. Wimbledon: announced that Hawk-eye will replace line judges in future. Malaysia: hundreds arrested in child abuse investigation. Indonesia: inauguration of Prabowo (73) as President and Gibran (37) as Vice President; five year terms. BRICS: Leaders meeting in Russia hosted by President Pun; Iran attended. World Bank & IFM marked the 80th anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. Starlink: Musk’s Starlink has 6,419 satellites in low orbit; so far 4M subscribers in 100 countries. Turkey: The PKK attacked an aircraft factory in Ankara with 5 dead and 22 injured. In retaliation Turkey bombed PKK bases. Japan: the govt lost it’s majority – is trying to form a coalition. Spain: flash flooding in southern Spain, 95+ dead and much damage.  UK: Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced Labour's first budget which featured significant increases in taxation (yes, you read correctly). China: Hurun's annual Rich List included 753 US$ billionaires. Richest Zhang Yi Ming (founder of Tik Tok) worth $49B, second Zhong Shan Shan (Nongfu bottled water) $48B; third Ma Hua (Tencent) $44B.
Israel – Hamas (Gaza)	There are almost daily reports of Israeli strikes (and resulting deaths and injuries) on parts of Gaza and now Lebanon – I will stop trying to list them.  First Anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 Oct 2023. Still about 100 hostages in captivity. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed last week. Estimated almost 43,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza (mostly women & children) and over 100,000 injured (many will die from lack of medical services and supplies).  Many Israel ground and air strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, including parts of Beirut. 5 UN Peacekeepers injured. Aust Govt arranged rescue flights for Australian citizens in Lebanon. USA deployed Thaad anti-missile system, including staff, to Israel.  Israeli jets bombed targets in Iran in retaliation for Iranian missile attack which in turn was in response to Israeli assassination of leaders.  Israel’s Knesset passed a law banning UNRWA (the UN’s Palestine aid organization) from the country. International condemnation of this action.
Russian invasion of Ukraine	Australia will give 49 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine (due to be replaced, worth an estimated A$245M). Reports that North Korean soldiers are fighting for Russia. Ukraine is anxiously watching the American Presidential election – if Trump gets in he will probably stop American aid to Ukraine to force them to negotiate a settlement with Russia.
USA	Election: Count-down to election day, Tuesday 5 November 2024. Polls show Trump and Harris very close (as at 30 Octo er, polls suggested Trump had 219 Electoral College votes, and Harris 226 – need 270 to govern); all attention on “battleground States: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina. Billionaires who are contributing most to Trump campaign: Miriam Adelson $95M; Elon Musk $75M; Richard Uihlein $50M. Elon Musk has come out strongly for Trump. Hurricane Helene devastated SE USA: 200+ dead in Georgia & North Carolina, etc. Another, Hurricane Milton, hit Florida. NBA: Father & Son LeBron & Bronny James play for LA Lakers. Al Pacino (84) has 4 children: daughter 34, twins 23, and son 16 months. East Coast dockworkers threatened to strike, but entered into negotiations instead. Boeing workers (30,000) on strike, refused an offer of a 35% pay increase over 4 years. The Supreme Court allowed the EPA to enforce climate rules on power plants. Tickets for the World Series finals between NY Yankees and LA Dodgers average $1,700. As at 30 October, the Dodgers were winning the best of seven games 3-1. The Yankees have won the World Series 27 times, the Dodgers 7 times.  Ohtani’s 50/50 ball sold at auction for $4.4M.
Australia	King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Australia for 6 days, enroute to the CHOGM leaders meeting in Samoa. Aussie Rules AFL Grand Final: Brisbane Lions beat Sydney Swans 18-12=120 to 9-6=60. Rugby League NRL Grand Final: Penrith Panthers beat Melbourne Storm 14-6. Penrith’s 4th consecutive Premiership. Former prominent TV journalist George Negus died aged 82. Australia’s birth (fertility – babies per woman) rate dropped from 1.86 in 1993 to 1.5 in 2023 (record low). Without immigration Australia's population would be in decline. ACT election for Legislative Assembly was held 19 October: Labor 10 seats (vote fell by 3.7%), Liberal 9 seats (vote fell by 0.3%), Greens 4 (vote fell by 1.3%)probably 3), Independents 2. It looks likely that the Labor / Greens coalition will continue (Labor has been in Govt for 23 years, and the Labor / Greens coalition since 2012). Queensland State election held 26 October: change of Govt as the LNP easily beat Labor. Result as at 31 October: Liberal National Party (LNP) 51 seats, Labor 34, Greens 1, Katter Party 3, Other 1. Three seats still in doubt (LNP leading in 2, Labor in one). New Premier is David Crisafulli, leader of the LNP. September quarter inflation down to 2.8% but "underlying inflation" still over 3% so commentators do not predict interest rate cuts until early next year.

 

 

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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" (former title 'Trade Matters').  

Here are some of the more interesting graphs in the Bloomberg newsletter during October 2024; they are largely self-explanatory.

 

......

That's it for this post.

Today is my sister's birthday. Angie lives in Narooma on the NSW South Coast and is very much involved in the local community, especially through Rotary.  Keep up the good work, Sis! Our very best wishes for today and for the year ahead. 

Not sure about the future of my blog - will we do enough interesting things here to make it worthwhile? I'll keep it going until the end of this year and then reassess. 

In the meantime, best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling!!!

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra Queensland

Thursday 31 October 2024.

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Post #282 30 September 2024

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of September 2024.

The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during September 2024.

News items which caught my eye in September 2024.

The Paris Paralympic Games.

International Trade.

Highlights:

September was spent getting ready to move, and saying goodbye to friends. Got quite emotional. Must admit that we are still feeling conflicted about the move - are we doing the right thing??? 

On 24 September we visited our new home near Caloundra for the "Pre-Settlement Inspection".

Vera won an "Indonesian dinner by Ibu Yetty" at the AIA charity night. Maria Helena and Paul Nicoll kindly agreed to have the dinner at their home on 1 September. Other guests were Karen & John Macdonald and Tieke and Robin Brown. Thanks, Maria Helena and Paul - an enjoyable night of delicious Indonesian food and good conversation.

Bush Poet was the speaker at our Australian History Group - brilliant!

We had a weekend in Sydney to say goodbye to Andrew, Caz & family before they leave for 3 weeks in Europe. Jay participated in a Netball festival.

Jay's team playing netball.

Andrew has regular tennis training and game at Coogee on Saturday mornings.

Paul Milton & I went to the Swans v Giants Aussie Rules game the SCG. The Giants led the whole game, only to be pipped at the post by the Swans. Exciting! The Sydney Swans will play the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Grand Final on 28/9.

Andrew & Caroline hosted farewell drinks for Piper Witt, who is off to join the Crazy Horse dance troupe in Paris - dreams can come true! 

Niniek & Paul showed us their new apartment at Breakfast Point in Sydney. 

Festival at Bondi Beach. Lots of people, music and kites!

Bondi Beach was crowded for the Festival of the Winds. Cool morning, but a lovely afternoon.

Hakoah Soccer Club's end-of-season presentation night at Woollahra Oval.  Eddie got the Award as "Player's player" of the Under 10s team. Although he was injured for much of the season, he made an effort to attend the games which was obviously appreciated by his team-mates.

Eddie's impressive collection of sporting trophies (mainly soccer, and tennis).

Saying goodbye to Eddie (10) and Jay (7); in a week the family will leave for Europe.



 

On the train back to Canberra. The train takes 4 hours, but is more comfortable than the bus (and the train station is less than 15 mins walk from our apartment in Kingston).

Saying goodbye to Kaye O'Hara and Jim O'Callaghan. I'm holding the Hash House Harriers (HHH) shirt of a run Jim & I set in Jakarta back in 1989.

Vera & I were very fond of Patrick O'Hara (Kaye's husband) who died recently. RIP!

Kerry & Jim Enright, whose friendship we value. Jim was a wonderful Austrade colleague.

I attended the ANU's annual "Indonesia Update" conference. The theme this year was "Jokowi's legacy" looking at his ten years as President of Indonesia. Joko Widodo made many improvements (especially in health and infrastructure), but his last years were marred by allegations of nepotism. 

Four friends at the Indonesia Update conference: Les Boag, Robin Brown, Michael Kramer, and Peter Rayner (not shown, Heath McMichael).

There were many excellent speakers at the Indonesia Update Conference, including Sidney Jones who spoke about "the security environment". 

Good friend Michael Kramer stayed with us during the Update Conference.

We often bought delicious Indonesian food made by Iis Dunbar. Here we are picking up an order from her husband Raden Dunbar in Philip (Woden).

Vera enjoyed this French film, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

With Don Scott-Kemis and Jane Freebury in their lovely new home in Reid.

We attended the Afternoon Tea put on by the Australia China Friendship Society. Saying "zai jian" to fellow Committee members Tanya Naeher (Sec), Jean Norman (Editor), Neil Birch (Treas), and Carol Keil (Pres).
The ACFS does important work fostering cultural understanding and people-to-people ties.

Shortly after moving to Canberra in 1996 we joined the Canberra Old Time Dance Club (COTDC). These two couples, Bob & Kay Stoddard and Eugene & Nee Braun, helped us learn and enjoy sequence dancing.  We will miss them! 

Some of the participants in Monday evening's U3A German Conversation group: Robert, Peter, Bodhan, me, Trevor, Diane, and Edmund (missing: Ian, Martin, Karin, Gaby, Rivera, Irene & Harry). This group has been fun, and educational too. Hope I can continue on the Sunshine Coast!?

Celebrating David Evan's birthday, and our departure, with Christine Evans and Noel Cock. 

Close friends since 1965 (we had hair in those days) when we were colleagues in the Treasury Department!

We have had many enjoyable dinners with Niken & John Robson, and Niken's grandson Billy.

Golfing buddies Brian Edwards and Noel Cock at Royal Military College Golf Club (other regular players George, Phil, John, Michael, Peter). I have been playing twice a week (9 holes), I enjoy the game and the company but why is my golf not improving, in fact going bckwards? One of the mysteries of life ...

With former Trade Dept colleague Ray Wright at RMC Golf Club.

We met Helen & John Hemphill in Jakarta in 1972 (more than half-a-century ago!), when John & I were colleagues in the Trade Section of the Australian Embassy.

Buddies Sue & Frank Tavares, we have become great friends!

Audrey & Rob Rough organise a monthly social dance at the Belconnen Seniors Club. Marvellous hosts.  We'll miss these special events and the attendees.

Dancing friends for 25 years, Gwen & Duncan Souter. Wonderful couple.

We flew up to Brisbane (stayed with Jen & Tom). On 24 September we did the "Pre-Settlement Inspection" of our new home at Nirimba near Caloundra. Final settlement will be on 15/10/2024 and Kent Removals will deliver our goods the following day.
Brave new world.... 

New friends in Nirimba: Lu & Bill kindly invited us to lunch with other residents Christine & Graham.  They have been living here for a few months, and thoroughly enjoy the Village and surrounds. That's positive! The next chapter of our lives unfolds....

While in Brisbane we had lunch with Michael Tjoeng at Ginga, his favourite Japanese restaurant. Michael drove us to Nirimba the previous day - what a wonderful friend!

Some of the dishes at Ginga delicious!.

Back in Canberra I attended this concert at the National Library theatre.

We have been fans of John Shortis and Moya Simpson since we arrived in Canberra 25 years ago. They were supported by their choir for this concert. Uplifting!

Walking up to Kingston shops, Vera took a tumble and hurt had facial injuries. We went to the Emergency Dept of Canberra Hospital. She had a cut on her forehead which needed 4 stitches; the CT scan showed broken bones in her nose. Quickly developed two nasty-looking "black eyes". Amazingly, she had no concussion, and bounced back quickly, 


 

The Indonesian community had a gathering at Mia & Garry Miller's place outside Canberra. 

We celebrated Ibu Supomo's 88th birthday. She and Pak Supomo came to Canberra 50+ years ago to teach in the Indonesian Faculty of the Australian National University. Her husband died several years ago, but she is still going strong.  A wonderful couple, they were stalwarts of the Indonesian community in Canberra.

Tieke and Robin Brown organised a farewell dinner for us with Reno & Heath McMichael and Iis & Raden Dunbar.

.....

 

News items which caught my eye in September 2024.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	Germany: Far right party AfD won 33% of vote in State election in Thuringa; also did well in Saxony (31%). Germany: VW announced cost cutting (including jobs) as profits fall 11%; it employs 680K world wide (of which 290K in Germany). New Zealand: After housing starts fell by 19%, Reserve Bank cut interest rates by 0.25% to 5.25% (still higher than 4.35% in Australia). NZ increased the entry tax on tourists from NZ$35 to NZ$100. Brazil: the Supreme Court upheld the Govt’s decision to ban X (Twitter) for spreading misinformation. US Tennis Open: Aryana Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 2-0 to win the Women’s Singles; Jannick Sinner beat Taylor Fritz (3-0) to win the Men’s. Pope Francis: Visited Indonesia, East Timor and PNG; huge crowds. Vietnam: Over 150 killed by Super Typhoon Yagi. UK: damning report on the 2017 fire at Grenfell Tower. Actress Maggie Smith died aged 89. Christiano Ronaldo reached 1B followers on social media. Storm Boris wreaked havoc across Central Europe. F1: Young Aussie Oscar Piastri (McLaren) on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc second (Ferrari). Glasgow: will host a “slim” 2026 Commonwealth Games of only ten sports. Harry Kane playing for Bayern Munich became the highest scoring Englishman in the Bundesliga (41 goals in 36 matches). European Court of Justice ruled that Apple should pay Ireland Euros 13B in back taxes. Gold hit a new record of $2,670 an ounce (up 29% this year). Thailand: King signed gay marriage equality bill into law - first SEA country. Bloomberg's Billionaire ranking top 4: Elon Musk $272B; Jeff Bezos $211B; Arnault $207B; Mark Zuckerberg $201B.
Israel – Hamas (Gaza)	UNWRA started mass vaccination of children in Gaza against polio. Big demonstrations in Israel calling for a negotiated settlement to release the remaining hostages (six found dead); rejected by Netanyahu who said Hamas must be totally destroyed first. Israel Defence Force (IDF) launched widespread raids in the West Bank. IDF strikes in Gaza continued to kill and injure many; estimated total deaths (many women & children) in Gaza now close to 45,000 with over 100,000 injured. UK announced suspension of some arms shipments to Israel. A Houthi missile struck Israel. Pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah in Lebanon exploded; dozens dead, thousands injured. Israeli missile strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds. Many Israel strikes on Lebanon; one killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Most delegatres staged a mass walk-out when Pres Netanyahu addressed the UNGA,
Russian invasion of Ukraine	Ukrainian drones attacked targets in Moscow; Russia retaliated. President Zelensky announced major changes to his cabinet. UAE negotiated swap between Russia and Ukraine of 206 prisoners.  President Zelensky visited NYC for theUNGA. Biden announced a $8B military package for Ukraine; Trump met with Zelensky but sceptical.
USA	The Kamala Harris - Donald Trump debate on TV attracted a big audience; most thought Harris won, although Trump claimed otherwise. Trump accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets in Springfield Ohio. Harris proposed a 2nd debate, but Trump refused. Taylor Swift endorsed Harris. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a ‘jumbo’ 0.5% to 4.75%; Wall Street hit record highs, before retreating. Gold hit new record at $2,670 per ounce. In the Dominican Republic US agents seized the Presidential plane of Nicolas Maduro. Former aide to Governor of New Your State, Linda Sun, charged with acting as an agent for China. 14 yo Colt Gray shot 2 students and 2 teachers (and wounded others) at Apalachee High School in Georgia. His father was also charged as an accessory (had given him the gun for Xmas). NFL: Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (31) signed a 4 year contract for $240M; a new record. House of Reps voted 306-81 to blacklist five big Chinese bio-tech companies. SpaceX launched the Polaris Dawn; first commercial space walk by Jared Isaacson. Safe return after 5 days in orbit. Judge Juan Merchan said he will delay sentencing Trump (convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records) until after the November election. Ryan Routh (58) arrested in Florida for plotting to shoot Trump. Food storage company Tupperware (founded in 1946) entered bankruptcy. 30,000 Boeing workers went to strike for better pay and conditions; 45K East Coast dockworkers threatened to strike. Rupert Murdoch went to court in Nevada to try to change an “irrevocable trust” set up during his second divorce which gave each of his older 4 children equal shares in News Corp when he dies. He now wants control to go to son Lachlan. The USA will ban Chinese software and hardware from all new EVs. 50+ killed by Hurricane Helena in SE USA; 14th most powerful storm on record.
Australia	Vigorous debate on whether to ban gambling advertisements. Australians lose $25B pa in legal gambling, but State Govts get taxes of about $7B pa so many interested parties to this debate. In Dandenong (a region of Melbourne) crimes by 10 to 17 year olds increased by 32% in the past year, but crimes by 18 to 25 year olds decreased by 25%. Victoria will increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years and introduce tougher bail laws. State and Federal Govts considering how to restrict 14 year olds and younger from access to social media. Govt excise duties have driven up the price of cigarettes to the extent that an estimated 80% of cigarettes are now purchased on the black market. The Canadian owners of King Island Dairy announced its closure (after 130 years). Anti-war demonstrations at a Military Expo in Melbourne.  AFL Grand Final: Brisbane Lions 120 beat Sydney Swans 60; just over 100,000 spectators at the MCG.
China	Chinese and Filippino boats collided near the Sabina Shoal (about 75km from Phil coast and 630 km from Chinese coast). China responded to talk of increasing tariffs on EVs by threatening to investigate imports of canola oil from Canada and pork & dairy products from EU. China’s exports in August were valued at $309B (4th month over $300B). Retirement age raised from next January: Female blue collar from 50 to 55, Female white collar from 55 to 58, Men from 60 to 63. China introduced measures to stimulate the economy (eg cut interest rates and increased ability of banks to lend). China is home to half the robots in the world. In the past 10 years the number of robots in China has increased from 49 to 470 per 10,000 workers.

 

 

2024 Paralympic Games held in Paris 29 August to 8 September 2024.

4,463 athletes from 170 countries participated, 549 events in 22 sports.

 

2024 Paralympics Medal Table, first 10 countries ranked by Gold Medals

 

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total Medals
China	94	76	50	220
Great Britain	49	44	31	124
USA	36	42	27	105
Netherlands	27	17	12	56
Brazil	25	26	38	89
Italy	24	15	32	71
Ukraine	22	28	32	82
France	19	28	28	75
Australia	18	17	28	63
Japan	14	10	17	41

 

As in the regular Olympic Games, I think “total medals” is a better reflection of a country’s sporting prowess.

China did remarkably well in the Paralympics, although its achievement got little coverage in the Western media.

The other country which stands out for me is Ukraine, which despite a vicious war with Russia still sent a team to the Paralympics with very good results. Congratulations, Ukraine!!!

 

......

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" (former title 'Trade Matters').  

Here are some of the more interesting graphs in the Bloomberg newsletter during September 2024; they are largely self-explanatory.

......

That's it for this post.

The packers will come on 2 October, and we will leave Canberra on 6 October. Settlement of our new home is scheduled to take place on 15/10 and the Removalist will deliver our belongings the next day.

October will be a busy and disrupted month. I will probably just do a mini-post if I can.

The next chapter of our lives is about to begin.  We are excited, yet anxious, at the prospect of moving to a new environment, and also sad to be leaving our friends and our settled life in Canberra; very much a time of mixed emotions. This move has been surprisingly stressful - our age isn't helping!

Our new address, from 16 October 2024, will be: 133/25 Banya Ave, Nirimba Qld 4551. Nirimba is a suburb of Caloundra, which in turn is part of a region called The Sunshine Coast (incorporating Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Buderim, Bli Bli, Coolum, Sunshine Beach, and Noosa).

Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah

Canberra, Australia

Monday 30 September 2024