Monday, October 4, 2010

Some observations

Being on holiday, I have a little time to be reflective. So let me blather on for a bit about a few things I've noticed.

1. Why can't I sleep more? I'm on vacation. I don't have to wake up in the morning to rush kids to school and daycare, and get to work. Yet 5.15am arrives, and I'm wide awake. Good writing time, I guess. But the same thing happens at the other end of the day, too. I find that I'm incapable of getting to bed before 11.30 or so. Even when I try.

2. Canberra isn't so much a city as a garden. My dad took me on a drive around Canberra yesterday and I was struck by how green the city is. In fact, it's not really a city at all. There is no real center to it, just a bunch of suburbs dotted around with vast expanses of parkland and nature reserve in between. It's pretty, much more so than the last time I was here which was during the drought, but it doesn't feel functional to me. And it's weird having kangaroos just hopping about behind the house.

3. Why will my kids listen what their grandmother says, but ignore me entirely? They've been driving me nuts this trip. Neither of them will listen to a word I say. And if they do, they don't do whatever it is I ask them to do. Yet Nana asks, and they jump. Unfair!

4. Australian birds are loud but not tuneful. They screech. Loudly. But you can't really get mad about it because they are so beautiful.

Just a few random thoughts....

2 comments:

  1. Canberra sounds beautiful, except I suspect the lack of focus would get to me quickly. And sleep isn't for vacation - I don't think anyone ever gets enough sleep on vacation ^_^

    Sounds like you might just be having a good time anyway ;-) good luck with revisions!

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  2. It's just odd. I guess artificially made cities are always going to be different to ones that grew organically, but it feels off somehow.

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