Ash Wednesday - Lent

Dear All

That is quite a sombre title I have given this week, but I was so 'holy' on Ash Wednesday I didn't wake up until 6.20 am, which was a bit late to get to 6.30 am Mass! Luckily, it was a Thesis Day and I was home and able to go to the 12.10 pm Mass. There is a definite increase in daily Mass-goers here from Ash Wednesday onwards. There are quite a few men there, some quite young and alone. In the congregation we will have Filipinos, Chinese, mixed race, Europeans etc. The priest is Indian. Outside, before the light dawns properly about the time 6.30 am Mass starts, there are prone figures on the cement landing at the side entries to the Cathedral - sometimes up to 6 sleeping at the same angle on the cement. About 6.45 am the 'First Response' people in their orange jackets come around and wake those who haven't woken themselves and moved on. The sleepers would normally be all Aboriginal men - perhaps from out of town, perhaps not. There are always groups of Aboriginal people around the streets in Darwin and when it rains they congregate under awnings of buildings at entrances which are not used much. Some are drinkers, some are not. I am told these people sleep on cement back at their communities too. I would be acutely uncomfortable sleeping on cement, but I suppose the alcohol helps! That's a sad side to Darwin and you won't get any photos of that.

Today after work - close to 6 pm (remember it doesn't get dark until well after 7 pm) I went for a walk along the Esplanade and, near theParliament building there was a caravan serving hot meals with a lot of people lining up looking pleased to get one. It was raining lightly and I used an umbrella for the whole walk. The people I saw getting meals were mostly white, but there were dark people as well. There was a young white fellow on the McMinn Street bridge out of town on Friday morning as I drove to work. He had was wavinga cardboard placard : "Work wanted". The ABC reported on him in the news tonight and he is only 19 and came to the Territory because he thought work was plentiful up here, but that hasn't been his experience. Perhaps he has no skills? I haven't heard if he got a result for his effort.

All the planning and preparation work is continuing out at Nungalinya. There is a possibility we will not have regular Theology classes this year !!!!!!!! but that is not decided yet. I would be unhappy about that but there is a lot to do. There are groups coming in for FACS and CIF (Family and Community Service and Creating Indigenous Futures) The latter has started already with 17 young Aboringal people, mostly from difficult situations getting picked up daily and doing a variety of things - many of them off-site; while the former group starts next Monday for 5 weeks. In the middle picture below you can see the corner of a white board behind myself and rob and the writing on it is the notes from a planning meeting by FACS teachers in preparation for the new group. The Theology Department is still working out its 'salvation'. It doesn't fit readily into a VET framework (Vocational education and Training - like TAFE) so that is all being sorted out at multiple meetings. The FACS group invited the Theology group over for afternoon tea yestersy, so I have a few pictures of that to treat you with.

1) Some of the group sitting around a table in the 'work' room for the staff of FACS. They use the upper level of an ordinary house. On the left is Lorraine, who is from Theology and opposite her are two of the Aboriginal ladies I photographed earlier, plus Gail, who is attending the Certificate IV course with me and who has a part-time role in Theology where she deals with Wholistic Health. She is a lovely and capable person and would do an excellent job.

2) This is one of those self-set photos and Rob, the esteemed Theology Co-ordinato, is hamming it up for the camera

3) You can see Rob (the white speck) walking from the FACS house back to the Admin building in the distance . Students in FACS have their sessions over at the building with classrooms to the left of the admin building which you can't actually see in the photo.

In the meantime, I am trying to get my head around the Certificate IV assessment tasks in any spare time I have at work. I feel a bit discouraged about that because on Friday I had a good slab of time and was still struggling to complete Q 1 out of 6 in the first Assessment task out of three. Sometimes I feel just plain dumb!

Today we farewelled one person and celebrated three birthdays at the regular Friday Devonshire mornos in the Dining Room. You'll get glimpses of the dining room behind the photos I took and the kitchen staff there really take a pride in making it look attractive. Apparently that is the way they have the dining room all term. All the students get meals there as part of their accommodation and staff join them if they wish and can pay a small amount to eat there as well. Someone was commenting what a small group we were in the Dining Room! which shows it is usually quite full. The cook, Ken, and his off-sider, Del run that side of things. Here are the pics for the morno:

1) Nearest the camera is Jane, the Deputy, one of the 'Birthday' people. There are a mixture of staff with her - from admin, theology, cif, and a former groundsman. In the background you can see a corner of the dining room and the finance person, Catherine, making her getaway!

2) Here's the 2nd Birthday person, Keith, who hails originally from French Island near Philip Island in Victoria. Del is lighting the candle on the cake which was scrumptious. A different corner of the dining room in the background.

3) Kerry, the departee (part-time in Theology Teaching) who is moving to Groote Island to work there for the Anglican Church, is looking at the camera. Staff in the background are spreading these lovely fresh scones with jam and cream. Yum! Can you see the pot plants and decorations which make the place very attractive? I'll throw in a couple more pics with little commentary.

You get some good glimpses of the dining room decor as well as of different staff in the above three photos.

The first picture shows Valda and Dorothy? and Helen.

The middle picture shows Del, the cook who arrived late because of the floods on the Barkly highway with Valda, a cute little Aboriginal staff member.
The third picture shows Tim, originally American but long in Australia, (Theol) and Judy who does the pay. I'm sure she does other things too.

1) Finally, I took this 'fantastic' photo of myself grinning triumphantly at the self-set camera and holding my 'dog tag' aloft . We are supposed to wear this ID all times while on site. I am sitting at my desk behind the computer. Just bear with me! .

2) Then I must 'edify' you with a photo of my Office, which looks OK on camera, but needs a lot of serious work which it is not going to get in a hurry.

3) The final photo shows the top of my bookshelf in my room at home and I thought I would put it in for the interest of Rochedale Parishioners who watched as I was presented with this memento of St Peter's. It was too heavy to put on any wall hook, so it looks very nice where it is - surrounded by some family photos and a few mementos. I just noticed when I enlarged the photo in the blog that the ceramic sheep (a 'Mum' memento) looks as though the St Peter's rock in the picture is on its back! !! Well, it isn't. That sheep is roaming free! The three name tags from parishes you might observe on the shelf, are there because I don't know what to do with them except throw them out and I haven't had the heart to do that yet. That is all in what I call my 'previous life'. I used that term at a meeting the other day and everyone looked at me as though I had come back from the dead!

On that note I will finish for this week. The weather is not too bad at present - one of the Aboriginal ladies at FACS said she felt a 'dry weather' breeze the other day, and someone has seen a dragon fly (they arrive in swarms in the dry) but I think the dry will not arrive for a while. We had a couple of hours of heavy rain yesterday early in the morning and then a couple more hours of downpour about 3 pm as well as the light rain I walked in.

At last, (it is 11.20 pm) I think the hoon outside has ceased operations. He (surely not a she?) has been round and round the area multiple times for hours. Sleep may be possible. Uh, oh! Here he comes again! He (or one of his friends) has a 'woofer' too - I think that is the name. If it is not, then it should be the name because it suits.

God bless. Hope John's big O went wonderfully. Sarah comes next - 8 years old on 5th (growing up so fast!) and Simone comes after that- 4 years old on 8th (Wow! ). Then of course, comes Brian, ready to get what Aunty Rita used to call the 'Wool cheque!"

Love from Rita

Week 4: Patterns & Events

Dear All,

I hope everyone is well down south and that Kevin's birthday card arrived by 18th! Next is John and the big O. I have had the card for two months, so I must remember to post this one in time.

This week's Nungalinya activities were all Sessions - first two more TAA days (Certificate IV) up at the Chamber of Commerce beside Casuarina Shopping Centre, then two AQTF days (Australian Quality Training Framework days) at Nungalinya with most of the staff , while Jane, the Deputy, took us through the implications of the whole framework for us as a RTO (Registered Training Organization). It could be summed up in one word: 'Work'. Most of it I am not in a position to do, although I am sure I will be able to contribute in some way (I offered to dust the others' rooms, if that would help!) I have homework from TAA and one exercise is to plan a lesson in my workplace!!!! That poses challenges, but I am using my imagination, plus course notes I've found lying around!

I've booked to come to Brisbane from 3 - 19 April (staying at Corinda). My time will be full of Thesis, Appointments, Catching up on people, including family & Rochedale etc. The Thesis is a stone around my neck but I am soldiering on. Working on Part III this weekend - should be finished by 8th April. Another 2 weeks to cover Part IV will take me to 22nd March, then the Conclusions before I head to Brisbane where I will have to do all the fine-tuning of footnotes, pages, set up, links etc etc etc. Watch out Mary! I could be visiting for all the wrong reasons! I can finish the printing up in Darwin and send the copies south by the end of April. Then I will be a free woman. Yippee!

Last night our local Community (5 comprising 4 from St Mary's and 1 from Salonika) went to visit the 'Dominican of the Holy Cross Sisters' who have moved to Darwin this year (last year, actually). They have set up a house here to enable Asian sisters from their Order to stay in Darwin and do intensive English courses to help them with their work situation. They found a house which could have been purpose-built (plenty of living areas and 5 good bedrooms plus 3 possibilities for emergencies) and we had a most pleasant evening with them chatting and getting to know each other. They are from Adelaide, but are not the Dominicans we are used to in Brisbane. I found out when I was in USA that there are a wide variety of 'Dominican' Orders. When we entered the living room, I was very interested to see a map of the world and several Asian areas highlighted, then, surrounding the map (on the wall) 5 different clocks each set to the time of one region and a ribbon connecting it to the relevant part of the map. That would be so welcoming and helpful if you came from another country and stayed there. The visiting sisters will go to Charles Darwin University which runs 10 week and longer courses in intensive English. Nungalinya is only 'around the corner' from Charles Darwin, so the Domincan Sisters are quite close to where I work, but Darwin, being rebuilt since 1974, has 'modern' street structures once you get off the main roads and they go around in semi-circles and into cul-de-sacs etc. You need a map until you know your way around.

I see that Cardinal Pell is coming here in May and saying a Mass for all the Religious followed by breakfast at our place. It is a pity I will not be able to attend because it clashes with my work time! (read my mind!)

I explained the difficulties of morning walks and I have to sacrifice the TV news to go for evening walks, so I am settling for one or two days in the evening and then on Friday (presently a Thesis Day), Saturday and Sunday I am able to get out for that reasonable length walk. Today I came a cropper on the footpath, distracted by some boys skateboarding on and off the path ahead of me and not watching where I was going - did quite a fancy run and landeda about two paving stones from where I tripped! No harm apart from dignity and a few grazes! I was more worried about the camera around my neck, but no worries there either, so I took a few photos of scenes along the way.

1) The path goes along beside the Darwin Public Golf Course. The Deputy at Nungalinya lives in one of the units in the block you can see - a first floor one, which has a wider balcony! She loves her view.

2) I walk along the path beside Gardens Road. On the other side, a bit further down, the Botanic Gardens start. It is very pleasant.
3) Past the palm trees in photo 2 there are spreading trees in a wide 'picnic' area between the road and the golf course.

1) The Gardens Road Cemetery is beside the path at the bottom of the hill. Behind the cemetery you can see the Football stand at Gardens Oval (AFL)

2) In one corner there are lots of little fenced plots. I found most were children.

3) Here is one of the small, fenced plots with a sad notice.

There are these lovely Torres Strait Pigeons up here during the wet. I saw this one in a tree beside the path last week and, lo and behold, there it was in the same tree today! There are little green berries all over the tree. S/he was most reluctant to be photographed and I had to be very patient to get even these less-than-perfect shots, but each shows a different part of the bird. They are very attractive birds and you know how I like birds. Expect more photos. There was a flock of magpie geese on the golf-course last week, but I didn't have the camera. I've also had red-tailed black cockatoos in the trees at Nungalinya.

The hair trim went VERY satisfactorily on Friday - comparable price to what I paid in Brisbane and the girl was right on time. It is near Nungalinya so I will be able to keep going there at lunchtimes or after work. All of this because a nice Chinese lady chatted to me as I crossed the street in Darwin City last week and I said, "Do you know anywhere in Darwin you can get reasonably priced hair trims?" and she told me about this one. It cost less than half of all the other quotes I had (a quarter of one!) and the whole arrangement was very satisfactory.

A note to John L (Rochedale) Thanks for your Comment on a previous Blog. I was chuffed to discover you are a 'follower' and I have your photo in this section. It is really good when people comment because then I know someone is reading my blog. Otherwise it is like sending balloons into outer space with no radio attached!

Back to the Thesis!

Love to all. Rita

Mini-Post - It was WET!

Dear All,

Darwin turned on a good downpour for the drive to work today. Wipers were on full bore! Had to watch out I didn't drive into the floods which extended onto the road from the rushing gutters. I had a new umbrella which I was pleased to have found for a reasonable price, so thought 'Goody! Goody! A chance to use this!' Alas! It lived up to its 'el cheepo' origins. One spoke let go of its outer edge of cloth upon opening and there was a fine fine spray coming through. Add to this the fact that the pathways into Nungalinya became waterways in full flood, and you have the picture. At lunchtime I rushed over to K-mart and bought some black plastic thongs for any such future eventualities, so my shoes will live longer than a few weeks! They were soaked. There was nowhere to walk except in the water. Here are a couple of watery pics.

1. It was easing off a bit as I sat in the car and surveyed the entrance to Nungalinya. 2. View through the window as I pulled up. 3. Can you see the current in the water along the path behind me where I had just come to stand under the little verandah and close my brolly etc before entering the building.

Postscript: It was dry by the time I went home so the black thongs are still in the bag in the car. It is raining tonight but not quite as heavily.

Love Rita

More Darwin Details for Week 3

Dear All,

I'm becoming a 'Darwinite' after 3 weeks, surely. Last week, four days were spent at the Certificate IV Course at Casuarina. For the next 4 weeks we'll be continuin it for 2 days a week and for the next 3 weeks we have 2 days of other input about QTAS (have I got those letters in the right order?) back at Nungalinya (Noong -a-linya). There are assignments with the Cert IV Course which is 'competency based', so I can keep submitting them until I achieve 'competence'! Since I have been sweating over Section II of the Thesis, I haven't given them any thought yet. I hope to start during the evenings of the week. Wish me luck. It is starting to fall into place in the brain, but when you get assignments you can feel bewildered by the questions at first! Groan! But I will pass, I promise you!

(1) Six Cert IV students & Facilitator (2) The 'offending' balconies! (3) See the brick'skin' protecting an upstairs corridor.

I have found a nice walking circuit to do from here - down Gardens Road, up between the old Cemetery and the Golf Club to Gilruth Avenue opposite the Casino, then back up that road to Smith Street and down a few blocks to McLachlan Street. Takes half an hour which is just nice - with one hill thrown in for good measure.

Across Cavenagh Street from my room (remember, we see everything through the 'holey' besser brick skin around the Convent) there is an apartment tower with corner balconies facing this way. I am told some of the groups who stay there are in from the mines for the weekend. Last night must have been one of those groups because they were broadcasting loud music with drumbeat from 4.30 am. Not welcome! On the other side of the Convent (McLachlan Street) there is a Council Car Park opposite which attracts the hoons and a whole lot of 'campers' - mostly Aboriginal people in from remote areas. It can get noisey too. There are many advantages to having the air-conditioner on at night, and not all of them are related to the weather.

Our Community is now complete with the arrival back of Sr Jo today. She was in good form. On her plane were some very dishevilled male passengers who did a bit of sleeping and were treated very very kindly by the hosties. They seemed to be in clothes they had worn for several days and were not 'sweet' company! One kept on reaching out and touching the older man in front of him. The Hostess kissed them good-bye and told them to get some sleep. Sr Jo was behind them as they walked out and heard enough to gather they were Firies from the bushfires in Victoria. Sr Liz rang a teacher she worked with at Port Keats some years ago and who now lives in an area not too far from Kinglake. Upon hearing who was ringing, Sue (the teacher) burst into tears. Her brother-in-law and his wife had perished in the fires. Brings it home to you, doesn't it?

Denise would be interested to know I have met one of her old friends up here - she spent a week on holidays with Jan W in her youth. Now Jan and husband are working up here and Jan was handing out newsletters before Mass at the Cathedral. We had a great chat about the bushwalkers (she flew down for the 50th Celebration) and what had happened in the years since then.

(1) You might be able to get an idea of how close we are to the Cathedral. (2) Here's the Cathedral - it faces onto Smith Street. (3) Those here at the Convent (including visitors who stay from outlying missions) call this the Bus Stop! The kitchen is right behind there and it is a lovely breezeway in which to sip the cuppa and gaze out into the courtyard! There are covers for the seats - removed temporarily during the rainy weather.

This morning when I set out at 6.30 am for my walking circuit I said 'Hello' to a man near the front of the Cathedral. He turned out to be a priest from Chicago who had just arrived from Singapore and was going to be staying at the Presbytery, but no one was up. He joined me on the walk and we had a very interesting chat, after which we were able to get some attention for him. He found the humidity a bit trying, but I didn't really notice (until I stop I don't notice, then I become wet all over!)

I said to Sr Mary that there were not really so many at 8 am Mass this morning in the Cathedral. She replied, "It's not the tourist season. You wait until then." She works with the Chinese community here in Darwin and is involved in many many things with them. She's been here 15 years so has had time to build up her contacts! Baptism and Sacramental Preparation, RCIA, Music, entertaining Alzeihmers visitors, Hospital visits, Personal contacts etc etc. This is just what I have observed this week. She also cooks and is a great gardener. Her Office is near the Nightcliff Catholic church. Sadly, she will move to Salonika in March!

I am sure I do not need to explain what she is doing in the picture!

I was amazed at the prices for hair cuts in Darwin! On Friday afternoon I walked through Darwin City and was quoted (senior concession!) from $30 - $54. Out at Casuarina I found $23, $26, and $28. But I met a Chinese lady as I was crossing the street last Friday and asked her if she knew anyone and she put me onto a 'nice' lady at a small shopping centre only a couple of streets away from Nungalinya who trims for under $20. They say there is 2 weeks between a bad and a good haircut. The last one I had was 'bad' and I'm still having difficulty getting my hair to sit where I want it to sit. She can't do worse than that. But my Chinese friend said she cuts hair 'very nicely' so, here's hoping.

Mostly trivia this week. But I have been working on the Thesis and am making some progress, even though it is agonisingly slow. I'll put a few pics in now. Love to all from Rita

More Darwin activities

Dear All,

The wet has been active here this week and the mornings are wet, and the evenings are wet, and in between it is not so wet! That upsets my walking schedule somewhat, coupled with the fact it is not light until 6.30 am so I have developed a new practice of walking (fast - arms swinging fully) around the extensive enclosed verandas upstairs late in the evening. I am careful to warn any approaching sister who comes through the darkness! One must be enterprising in this life. No photos unfortunately, except one I tried to take of the courtyard this morning which looks like the mountains down south in the mist because the humidity was so high I couldn't get my lense clear! For what it is worth - here 'tis!.
1) the Courtyard at St Mary's ( 2) View over Mindil beach with monsoon weather ( 3) Self, Jane & Catherine relaxing
A little light relief came on Sunday afternoon when I went with a couple of staff members to Cornucopia - the restaurant attached to the Museum - for coffee and cake in the afternoon. There are some photos of that. The 'surf' was up on the bay and I tried (fairly unsuccessfully) to photograph the 'wild' waves. It is a very pleasant and popular place to eat and relax.

On Monday the 'real' show got on the road with the start of the Certificate IV course up at the Chamber of Commerce in Casuarina. So far is is VERY structural and I think I will make a dictionary with all the acronymns. Here is a sample - do you know what all (or any) of them mean? DET (which was DEET), DEEWR (which was DEST), AQTF, RTO, AQF, VET, ISC, STA, NAC, NTF, IBSA, KPIs, EEO, CRICOS, .....Do you need to see any more. After a while I will be using them freely like the fully initiated.
Computer problems abound, but we soldier on! I'll publish this because I might not get another chance this week. Hope all goes well with you. Happy 6th Birthday, Nikki.
Love Rita

Meetings, Meetings everywhere!

Dear All,
Last night I went to the first meeting of priests and religious in Darwin for 2009. The group used to be called 'Spirit of the North' and was for the mutual support of the many priests and religious up here. It was going 20 years ago when I was first here. People from outlying places were unable to attend - Alice Springs, Katherine, Wadeye, Nguiu etc etc, so about half of those in the Territory were there. Congregations involved were: MSC priests and brothers, OLSH sisters, Canossian sisters, Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's lot), Sisters of St Anne, Missionaries of God's Love, Sisters of Mercy, Diocesan Priests (& the Bishop). Here are the photos of the group able to attend - I told them they might appear on my blog and none of them left the room).

(1) Behind the equipment in Photo 1 is Bishop Eugene Hurley, formerly Bishop of Port Pirie. Third across on his left is Bishop Ted Collins, msc, the retired Bishop of the Diocese. Beside the Bishop is a priest from India and then an msc brother. The fourth person is David, a priest from the Missionaries of God's Love who is out at Martin de Porres Centre not far from where I am an Nungalinya. When I have finished my Thesis I will go to Sunday Mass out there because it is a particularly Aboriginal Mass Centre, although others come too because they like it.

(2) In the far left of the centre photo you can see the other two olsh currently in Darwin - Sr Lorraine who works at St John's College, and Sr Elizabeth who is a Chancellor in the Diocese and is in charge of where I live at St Mary's. She has a long history in Primary Schools in Darwin and in the Territory including 17 years at Wadeye, so she is a great source of information and support to me. Next comes a Diocesan priest who hails from Malanda originally, an msc brother, two St Anne sisters, and an msc priest.
(3) This group shows a Missionary of Charity, Fr Louis (not sure what Order he is from but he was at Karama when I was here in the 80s and is still there), an msc priest, another priest, a St Anne sister, and Rose, a sister of Mercy who works at Centacare I gathered!

(1) The first photo shows the retired Bishop, Fr David then Fr Malcolm Fyfe - the other Chancellor in the Diocese and the brother of our Superior General, Sr Mary Fyfe. Then you can see a Canossian sister and our olsh Sisters, Lorraine & Liz again.

(2) These birds were not at the meeting! But I needed to put three photos in, so ....... ! These curlews inhabit the Nungalinya grounds - a mother and offspring, I suspect.

(3) This was one of these photos that can be set up remotely and then the photographer has to rush into the appointed place. It turned out OK but I would have avoided all the legs if I had taken it by 'eye'. Fr Brian Healy was the PP at Casuarina when I was here in the 80s then he subsequently was PP of Alice Springs. He helps at the Cathedral now. Then you have the Canossian, Sr Angela, who has been in Australia since the trouble in East Timor a while back when she was one of the ones evacuated to Darwin. Next you have 'moi', then a Sister of St Anne. (Don't forget you can enlarge the outside photos by clicking on them)

Nungalinya

Today (Wednesday) we have our first whole-Staff Gathering at Nungalinya with the Deputy Principal, Jane, who will take us through all the things we have to do to be ready for re-accreditation in the second half of the year. With permission of all involved, I took some photos. We have the meeting in the Conference Room, which is very well set up for such things.

(1) Jane (Deputy & Presenter ), Joanne (back) & Amanda - both involved in 'FACS' - Family & Community Services.

(2) Ken, Catherine, Renee & Vince - Ken & Catherine have support role; Renee is the Receptionist, and Vince teaches, but I don't know what department

(3) Joanne, Dorothy & Helen would rather sit on the floor. Most indigenous people would!

(1) Evelyn and Mina are involved in SIFS (Shaping Indigenous Futures)

(2) Kerry, Lee & Rob are all involved in Theology Teaching; of course Lee, being the Principal, is involved in everything!

(3) Tim, Jane & Lorraine are all involved in Theology also.

Now finally I will include the photo of myself and Joanne whcih was taken remotely by the set-up camera. This works well on this camera and the photos generally turn out well.

Today was a 'head-dead' day for me by the finish! All this recording and quality assurance and assessment recording and ...... All the teachers who read this know just how much paper-work is involved with teaching nowdays. Well, this looks as though it will be more than even what happens in schools!!

!!!!! Sigh!!!!!! Life will improve when I know a bit more about the place and meet up with some students! God bless. Rita