A Funeral, a Dawn Service & the Gardens

Dear Family and Friends,

I have been having a lot of trouble both last night and today uploading images to my blog. Sigh! I will persevere with the dodgy connection via the Darwin internet! Perhaps later today it may improve!

At the College I have been getting onto the assignments for TAA (Certificate IV) and have actually put one in. It might come back to me as incompetent in some areas (I find this a depressing prospect) but at least it is in, and some of it will meet the competency criteria (see how I am starting to use the lingo!). There were meetings too of course - none of our meetings is ever short. And I actually taught a lesson - yes, it was a 'pretend' lesson as part of my TAA assessment, but it became a real lesson with a group of 3 Aboriginal ladies from the staff who obliged me and became my 'guinea pigs' to trial a 'Delivery Session'. I enjoyed it and they did too, so that is hopeful. No pics of that but two of the ladies are already pictured on one of th earliest blog entries.

On Wednesday, I attended the funeral of an Aboriginal man from Tiwi Islands, Hyacinth Tungatalum who was the first full-blood Aboriginal in Australia to be elected to Parliament. The Church was replete with MLAs. The Chief Minister up here, Paul Henderson, read the 1st Reading; two MLAs spoke between the Psalm and the 2nd Reading, which was read by Malcolm Turnbull, the Federal Opposition Leader, who stayed in Darwin for the rest of the week then. After Communion (I flitted the coop before this and didn't hear these) were two more speeches, one by another MLA. The Liturgy was a mixture of Tiwi customs and Catholic Liturgy. The electric fans were whirring furiously (they are noisy) and the microphones kept going on and off so at times it was like watching a distant 'performance' up around the Altar where only silence emanated when there should have been spoken prayers!

I sat in the 2nd back seat and this left me with a very low feeling of involvement. Behind me, an aboriginal man who came in late kept connecting with the aboriginal people around him with the conversation continuing intermittently all through Mass. The photo shows an a ceremony that happened after the Readings. You won't be able to hear the wailing and keening that accompanied this ceremony after the people were invited to come forward and put a rose on the coffin [while 'The Rose' was played on a CD] after which Family members and other Aboriginal (and non-aboriginal also) people grouped around the coffin and keened and cried aloud for a quite heart-rending 15 minutes or so, while others came up, placed their rose, and returned to their seats, many weeping audibly. The wailing startd again during Communion as people passed by the coffin. Since I didn't know the man or the mourners I kept a very low profile and was careful not to intrude with any photography. If I ever get any of the photos to upload, you will see that I am viewing from very much 'outside' the groups. Double click on the photo to enlarge it and you will see a bit of the group around the coffin.

For the first time in my life, I think, I went to the Anzac Dawn Service because all I had to do ws to walk down a few streets. I was too late to get one of THE seats, but was behind the central shrine in the corner of a backing (low) wall on which I was able to sit whenever required. It was a lovely ceremony but one who goes to them all, because she had two uncles at Gallipoli, said it was not such a good one this year! However, I was impressed - perhaps more by the crowd of thousands all pouring through the streets in the darkness beforehand - a crowd who stood mostly in silence with only the occasional childish voice asking a question. I didn't take my camera - thought you would see plenty of photos on the News. We had Mass in the Cathedral at 7.30 with a 'Catafalque' party from the Navy surrounding the Altar for the Eucharistic prayer. It was explained this this happens only in Cathedrals in Capital Cities on Anzac Day. I have a picutre of that!

Yesterday was another first - my first wander around the Botanic Gardens here in Darwin since this year. The Gardens have been extended a lot and there is a lot more to see than I remember from the 80s. It was delightfuly green of course, since the dry is only just beginning.

I went up a rainforest walk to a waterfall and along a shade walk. There is a children's garden with all sorts of delights for them, although I didn't actually go through it. I took a picture of the entrance today. I think Kath and John will enjoy it when they come up in July.

I was interested to be able to see the St John's College bridge over the gully now which replaces the 'walkway' on which in the 80s we went down 20 steps and up 30 at a much lower level through the gully. Now there is a very professional-looking structure that goes straight from one side to the other at the top.

I went to St Martin de Porres Church in the northern suburbs today where the Darwin Aboriginal Community gathers each Sunday for Mass. Apparently the official starting time is 10 am but it depends when the pick-up bus arrives. I will be going there regularly to become more aware of Aboriginal concerns and customs.

The picture shows the children dancing when they returned from Children's Liturgy while everyone sang and clapped to "This Little Light of Mine". In the background you can see the Easter Banner that was obviously painted by a parishioner. I enjoyed being with that Community for Mass. It was very alive and friendly and informal and I look forward to going there regularly.

Love from Rita