The Bush Party and the Cakes

The Queen's Hat- Inspired by the Royal Wedding 2011.  The table cloth is a replica of a typical Aboriginal painting.

Today is a 'bad cake day' for me.

I was invited for a birthday celebration and was told that it's an Australian bush party.  Janet, a friend in the Port Wakefield Catholic community, turns seventy today; and since I have been trying to learn baking lately, I decided to bring a birthday cake as a present. My original plan was a chocolate cake shaped like 'cowboy hat' but I eventually thought that a Queen's hat would be more appropriate for a lady celebrant.  Even if the the cake would deviate from the theme of the party, I believed that Janet would love it considering that Her Majesty is currently Down Under for a ten-day visit, and that Australia has been proud of it's British roots.

But my dilemma about the cake didn't end there.  I only started to learn baking and cake decorating last autumn, and have been using buttermilk icing since then- absolutely perfect for cooler days but not for a warm day like today.  The forecast was 31'C, and being a chicken farmer who has been closely monitoring Port Wakefield's weather for almost four years now, I believe the mercury could rise two to three degrees above the temperature outlook.  So I researched for the best cake frosting that could stand in a warmer or hot temperature.  There were two options: a buttercream frosting or a Royal icing (very famous in the Philippines), and after how many hours of consideration I settled for the butterceam icing.

I found this 'temperature forecaster' hanging on the wall at the venue. Brilliant, ay?

To make the story short, it didn't work!  Starting at half past midday, we drove for ten minutes to get to the venue of the party, the cake was in a huge plastic container at the boot of the car.  The internet told me that shortening melts at around 40'C, so I was confident that my cake's crust was strong enough to hold.  Just imagine my face and my heart after opening the container and seeing a part of the cake decoration collapsing!  I forgot to consider the powdered sugar and the milk that I added to to the shortening to achieve the frosting.

The photo above was taken at the party, the broken part of the cake decoration was at the back but the 'golden' roses on the side was noticeably sagging.  Anyway, if you look at the photo of the Queen's hat during the Royal Wedding, the flower on the side of her yellow hat was a bit saggy too.

This post was originally intended to tell the story about the outback-themed party but it didn't turn out to be that way.  I am sharing some photos below, in case you're interested. 

The birthday celebrant Janet and his husband Robin (who's wearing a typical Australian work clothes).

This is Rhondda, she's 91 years old!  She's wearing a cork hat or a bushman's/outback hat; the cork dangling around the brim of the hat ward off the flies.  For those who don't know, the Australian outback is infested with blow flies. 

This is Esma (locals/friends would pronounce it as /Es-may/) with her huge coffee mug!

The chook-minder at the gate.  The outback-themed birthday party was held inside.

After fifty-seven months of living in Australia, it was my first time to eat an Australian damper.  It is a traditional outback cake baked in the coals of the campfire.  I don't have a photo of it, I got carried away during the luncheon. 

Speaking of cakes, Janet loved her yellow birthday cake; she was very happy and grateful!



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Boomerang

The facade of the Freo Market, W.A., Australia

February 28, 2011.  I was exploring the Fremantle Market (Western Australia) and was expecting to see the local fresh produce of the region but was surprised to discover that there were also arts and crafts, silver jewelries and a few food stalls around.  And in one corner I noticed this boomerang shop.

Boomerang Shop.  Fremantle Market, Western Australia

Boomerang.  I heard this word when I was younger but couldn't understand when the older folks would relate boomerang with a person's deed.  My mom had tried to explain to me that boomerang is a flying tool that, when thrown, will surely come right back without hitting the ground; but she never showed me a photo nor did she draw the said tool, the reason why I couldn't understand the 'boomerang effect' that they were saying. 

...until I came to Australia and have seen the different designs of boomerang! According to Wikipedia, the oldest Australian Aboriginal Boomerangs are 10,000 years old.













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Rising...

Glenelg, South Australia

I am thinking that thousands or even millions of souls wandered around the state of South Australia at around 3 in the afternoon last November 2, 2009.

It was very hot (41'C), dry and sunny in Port Wakefield, and the gusty wind was angrily blowing from the north (the Northern Territory and South Australian desert) at around 2 pm. But there was a very sudden 'cool change' at 3 when the wind started blowing from the south (Antarctic); in just a span of thirty minutes I had to rush to the chicken sheds, shut the blinds and turn the cooling facility off to maintain the required 21'C temperature inside.

The relatively cool environmental temperature sustained for another three days, at the maximum of only 22'C. I love it, no more complicated tunnel ventilation setting, no hassles, and no worries.

I think I have to review my Climatology so I can explain these incidents in a more scientific way and stop blaming the non-guilty souls of my departed loved ones for the cool days last week. I was stricken by my conscience for not lighting even a single candle for them that day. Well, I joined the Australians for deliberately ignoring the commercialized and American-influenced Halloween celebration. Certainly, the cemeteries Down Under would have been totally forsaken had the Filipino widows (Australian by residence or citizenship) failed to visit the grave of their deceased husband that day.

Back to my weather report, the forecast for this week is very bad. According to my favourite TV station, the South Australian weather or temperature at this time of the year has never been like this before. I really hate dry, warm, or hot weather (this always reminds me to get closer to our Saviour), that's why I have been upset since Friday after hearing the news about the coming heatwave in S.A.. This means that starting today until Friday, maximum temperatures will be above 35'C.

Yesterday was my day off, and together with my friends, we visited Glenelg. ...never heard? Well, if Queensland has its Gold Coast, and New South Wales boasts for its Bondi beach, South Australia is very proud of its Glenelg.

My apology, I am too lazy to describe and write more things about Glenelg this time. I'll just share some photos I've taken yesterday, instead.

Pines, not palms!

The Glenelg beach-front condominiums.

On the jetty...

McCafe, Glenelg, S.A.

On queue... Mc Donald's, Glenelg, S.A.

"Have it here or take-away?"- in Australia
"Dine-in or take-out?" -in the Philippines

Left to right: Toti, RJ, Jollie, and Fernan.
Literally and figuratively, 'full'!

Uhmn, after all, it seems that summer isn't really that bad.

The mercury has been rising! The hormones are 'rising'... everything is rising!





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Proudly Australian

RJ and an Indigenous Australian.
Hindley St., Adelaide City, S.A.

Ang mga Aboriginal Australians o Indigenous Austalians ay pinaniniwalaang dumating sa kalupaan ng Australia mula sa mga pulo ng Papua New Guinea at Indonesia mga 40,000 o 80,000 na taon na ang nakalipas. Kahit na napakakumplikadong manirahan sa kontinenteng ito dahil sa mapanghamon nitong klima (masyadong tuyo at mainit kung tag-araw at napakaginaw naman kapag tag-lamig), at kahit na salat sa makabagong kaalaman sa pamumuhay ang mga taong ito, sila'y nagtagal at nagtagumpay sa kanilang paninirahan dito. Sila'y hindi gumagawa ng kanilang sariling bahay kaya sila'y pagala-gala, at nabubuhay lamang sa panghuhuli ng mga hayop at pangungulekta ng mga bungang-kahoy o mga nakakaing ugat ng mga halaman.

Nulla nulla or Aboriginal hunting stick.
(Pamalo ng buntot ng kangaroo. More stories here- 1, 2...)
Narana Aboriginal Centre, Geelong, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Sinasabing posibleng may populasyong 315,000 hanggang 750,000 ang mga Aboriginal Australians noong dumating ang mga Ingles noong taong 1788. Sa panahong ito, pinaniniwalaang mayroong 275 na mga wika, at 600 pangat na mga wikang ginagamit ang mga naunang taong ito (ngunit sa kasalukuya'y 200 na lamang sa mga wikang ito ang nagagamit at 20 sa mga ito ay pinangangambahang tuluyan nang mawawala).

Sa kadahilanang malayo sa kabihasnan ang mga katutubong Australiano, hindi sila nahaharap sa mga samut-saring mikrobyong nauuso noon sa mundo kaya sila'y biglang tinamaan ng matinding bulutong tatlong taon pagkatapos dumating ang mga taga-Europa. Dahil sa mahina ang kanilang resistensiya, tinalo sila ng mga mikrobyong dala ng mga 'puti' (pati ang mga sakit na dala ng pakikipagtalik) na naging sanhi ng malalang epidemya. Tinatayang umabot sa 50% ng kanilang populasyon ang namatay noong mga panahong 'yon.

Hindi naging madali ang pagsasama ng mga (dating) 'dayuhan' at ng mga katutubo, dahil napakalaking balakid ang wika. Napakahirap ding makipag-usap sa mga Indigenous Australians dahil bukod sa napakarami nilang tribu at wika, ay wala pang nabuong pamahalaan o di kaya'y iisang taong namumuno sa kanila. Dahil dito, idineklara ng mga Ingles na 'terra nullius' o effectively uninhabited ang napakalaking kontinenteng ito.

Taong 1901 nang naging isang demokratikong bansa ang Australia, ngunit hindi nito kinilala ang mga Aborigines bilang mga Australiano kaya sila'y hindi pinahihintulutang bumoto tuwing halalan. Ito'y tumagal hanggang noong taong 1962-1967 kung saan sila'y binigyan na rin ng karapatang makapamili ng ninanais nilang lider tuwing may eleksiyon sa Australia.


ISANG NAPAKA-KONTROBERSIYAL sa kasaysayan ng Australia ang tinatawag na Stolen Generation- kung saan ang mga katutubong sanggol (kahit na ang mga kapapanganak lamang) at mga batang nagkaka-edad ng hanggang 16-21 ay sapilitang inaagaw ng pamahalaan mula sa kanilang mga magulang. Ang mga katutubong bata at mga kabataang kanilang nakuha ay ipinagkakatiwala sa pambansa o di kaya'y sa mga pang-estadong ahensiya ng pamahalaang Australia pati na sa mga grupo ng relihiyosong misyonaryo; at ang iba nama'y ipinamimigay sa mga pamilyang 'puti'NG naninirahan sa bansa.

Sa kanilang bagong 'tahanan', mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pagsasalita ng wikang Aboriginal. May mga nagsasabing ang mga kalalakihan ay ginawang katulong sa pagsasaka, at ang mga kababaihan naman ay naging utusan. Sinasabing hinahangad ng batas (kautusan) na itong protektahan ang mga anak ng katutubo mula sa kapabayaan sa kani-kanilang mga tribu, bigyan ng magandang edukasyon, at hasain sa mga makabagong pamumuhay habang tinuturuan kung paano ang tamang pakikihalubilo sa modernong lipunan.


Ngunit ang pang-aagaw ng mga katutubong kabataang 'yon ay kinondena ng pamahalaang Australia noong dekada '80 kaya't nakakuha ng magandang pagkakataonng magprotesta at humingi ng pinansiyal na kabayaran ang mga biktima nito. Ika-13 ng Pebrero ng taong 2008 ng pormal at opisyal na humingi ng kapatawaran ang pamahalaang Australia sa mga naging biktima ng Stolen Generations sa pangunguna mismo ng kasalukuyang Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.



MAY MGA Indigenous Australians na naging kilala sa larangan ng isports, at pulitika (1, 2); at ang kanilang mayamang kultura at kakaibang sining ay hinding-hindi rin mapapantayan saan mang dako ng mundo. Sila'y naniniwala sa kapangyarihan ng mga panaginip, naging kilala sa kanilang istilo ng pagpipinta, at espesyal na mga tunog ng kanilang musika.

Original Aboriginal artwork.
Narana, Aboriginal Centre, Geelong, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Aboriginal Musician playing his digieridoo.

May mga pag-aaral na nagsasabing medyo nahuhuli sa dunong, mas sakitin, mas nasasangkot sa krimen at mas nahihirapang makakuha ng trabaho ang mga katutubo kung ikukumpara sa mga 'di-katutubong' Australiano. Dahil dito, ang pamahalaang Australia ay patuloy na nagbibigay ng umaapaw na suporta (1, 2, at marami pang iba) sa mga Indigenous Australians.

Sa ngayon, ang mga Aboriginal Australians ay urbanisado na dahil humigit-kumulang 27% na lamang sa kanila ang naninirahan sa mga liblib na pook; ang karamihan ay tahimik na namumuhay malapit sa mga lungsod, lalung-lalo na sa gawing timog-silangan ng bansa (Queensland, New South Wales, at Victoria). Sa kabila nito, ang mga Indigenous Australians ay bumubuo lamang ng 2.6% ng kabuuang populasyon ng bansang Australia; ibig sabihin sa kasalukuyang 21,000,000 na mga Australiano, 546,000 lamang nito ang mga katutubo.









Sources:
http://bovination.com/
Wikipedia
Australian Aboriginal Map by http:/mappery.com/