A Priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The Priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthy slid his hand up her leg. The Nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The Priest removed his hand. But, changing gears he let his hand slide up her leg again. The Nun once again said. "Father, remember Psalm 129?". The priest apologized"Sorry Sister but the flesh is weak." Arriving at the convent the Nun went on her way. On his arrival at the church the Priest rushed up to look up Psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Go down to the fish market and look into the crab barrel. They never have to put a lid on it because if one crab starts to crawl out, the others will grab on to him and pull him down. That's what negative peer pressure does.

The time to make friend is before you need them.

Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

Remember that when you are standing on the edge of the cliff, the best way to make progress is to back up.

Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Forgiveness:

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting or condoning offences or reconciling with the offender..it means giving up the right to be angry. Shifting rigid personal "rules" for how people should behave to "preferences" and accepting that no adult can control another. Moving from blame to understanding ....and then moving on.

You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She is 97 now and we have no idea where she is.

The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.

Do not walk behind me for I might not lead. Do not walk ahead of me for I might now follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just leave me the hell alone.

Do not follow my footsteps.  I walk into walls.

It is always darkest before dawn. So if you are going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that the time to do it.

We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.

Sometimes the only thing I can change is myself...but sometimes that makes all the difference.

If the enemy is in range, so are you.

Regardless if there is such a thing as a heaven or a hell it is preferable to do good deeds.

When money speaks, the truth keeps silent.

Speak the truth, then leave quickly.

No matter how far you have gone down the wrong road, turn back.

Profit is profit. Even in Mecca.

Dear God: You do such wonderful things for complete strangers: why not me?

Anybody can become angry, that is easy. But to be angry with the right person and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way...that is not within everybody's power. That is not easy. 

Aristotle.

When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

In disagreement with love ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

He is not a complete idiot...some parts are missing.

It is far more impressive when someone discovers your good qualities without your help.

Some people think that Golf is a matter of life or death. But it's far more important than that.

I still have my feet on the ground. I just wear better shoes.

Stupid people do not know they are stupid....so you cannot do anything about it.

Stating the obvious -same country.

Somebody should have paid more attention in class...

    Mr Magoo again.

Same country -same problem.

Bloody Foreigners !

I know that Australia is a celebration of diversity. Race, religion, culture, language, food…so many diversity which unites us all and yet I feel that there must be an understanding that while we tolerate diversity we need to respect each other space. For example there are fundamental expectations of how one is expected to behave in public.

It is very annoying to have to put up with loud chatter while riding on Public Transport. Time and time again that loud chatter is in a language foreign to me. Yesterday first on the bus I was subjected to the incessant and inane chatter of a group of Chinese teenagers – three to be exact – who find a necessity to hold a conversation at a decibel that could put an F1 race to shame. While the F1 spectacular does have the added attraction of those wonderful aerodynamically challenged cars these three Chinese youngster only managed to annoy me. Theirs was a conversation that went on at speed approaching ninety miles an hour with spit showering those too close to the action – at times punctuated with swear words which I recognized but did not fully understand. I could not understand the need to shout at each other when the three of them were within kissing distance of each other. There were with us from Goodwood right up to the Central Markets – virtually twenty minutes of annoying chatter that made me liked the Chinese a bit less.

Then it was on the trams. This time it was a lady from one of the African states – they all look the same to me. Again in a language possibly a bit more sing song and less annoying as that used by the  Chinese but nevertheless intruding into my ‘sound space’.

Yes we celebrate our diversity but surely these bloody foreigners should be taught that good manners and common decency precludes such annoying habits as holding loud chatter on public transport. At times I resolve that I will not enter a bus or a tram where the possibility of that happening is totally eliminated – but friends there are too many of these bloody foreigners around for me to do that!   

Coming home.

All things considered Australia is one hell of a place! Having lived in Malaysia and London there was never any doubt in my mind that this would be the place to call home. Where exactly in Australia to call home has been a work-in-progress for the past thirty years – but most probably it would be a toss up between Perth and Adelaide. Possibly Adelaide would win out being closer to the rest of the other places of Australia. But as I said, it is a work-in-progress.

You must live in Perth to feel the attraction of the place. It is simply a vibrant city, which promises much, and it is up to you to make what you want of it. But its isolation from all things Australia tends to inhibits some people – including me. But that is I. Sydney was too big a place to enable me to develop any sense of belonging during the six months we were there and so it was back to Adelaide. Everything within twenty minutes of your reach – the city or any suburbs you care to go to. Maybe a bit more time might be needed now that traffic has become dense during the rush hours – morning and late afternoon – but no hassle no stress to get from Point A to Point B. That is Adelaide for you.

I have been away from Adelaide for close to ten years and the first thing that hit me when I got back was the bloody foreigners – so many of them greeting me. Asians and Africans. Well to be more exact it was the driver of the taxi that I took from the Airport to get to our place in Panorama. It was early morning (no planes into Adelaide before 6am!) and when I got to the taxi rank – all taxis there had Asian’s drivers. Never happened to me before in the time that I was here many years ago. I got in and settled into the back seat happy that I will be seeing my wife and son again after two years apart. The driver had some foreign/Indian songs playing on the radio or tape. That disturbed me because I am paying for the rent of the taxi and I wanted my peace. This was not to be and I suffered the music as best as I could at 7am in the morning. He again annoyed me when he only referred to his A to Z after two wrong turns into a dead end road. Patience I told myself. These new Australians are still trying to fit in.

And so I am home in Adelaide again after a long absence. There has been no change that I could see for myself when I went into town later that day for a look see of Rundle Mall. If I could go back in time it would not have mattered, Adelaide was essentially as I left it years ago. I have not changed. It is good to be home.          

In the beginning..

Bloody foreigners...they are everywhere and I am one of them! Came over to Perth thirty years ago and am pretty settled down now. There are so many things I want to write about, share and discuss with anybody that care to do so and have been thinking and thinking and thinking about starting a blog - and eventually did - today! 

Just the act of starting this is a commitment of time, effort and hopefully the start of making acquaintances here and anywhere else that friends can be made - all of us calling Australia home! I know not where this will lead but I have begun....and the moving finger writes...  as of today 3rd September 2009 - the third day of Spring here in Adelaide.