Upside Down

I'll be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship in thirty-five days.  I have been tirelessly counting days and nights for the past fifty-five days and it has made me excited to get up every morning knowing that I have survived the challenges of the previous day and currently given another opportunity to continue my countdown and accomplish all the tasks ahead to get closer to my goal.  Mornings have been getting cooler and cooler since the onset of autumn three weeks ago, and the sun rises usually after seven but the low temperature and darkness haven't stopped me to start performing my daily farm routine at 5:40 AM.       

While I was checking the sheds at sunrise this morning, I've noticed a stunning reflection on the poorly drained area between our new chicken sheds.  So I took my camera and captured the view.

The reflection of the grain silos and the morning sky at Port Wakefield, South Australia.  March 29, 2011.

Early bird catches 'special worms', indeed! 


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Dear Santa...

Port Wakefield, South Australia
24 December 2010
 

Dear Father Christmas,
 
Good day! How are yah?

Busy ay? If our chicken sheds are only empty, I would love to give you a hand in giving gifts to these excited kids down here who have been very good boys and girls althroughout 2010. But I still have two sheds of broilers left over the weekend, and will get emptied on the 27th, so sorry, I can't help you.

Just a reminder though, if you are coming to Adelaide today and tommorow, our maximum temperature forecast here is 34'C and it can possibly get even higher than that. So please leave your warm northern hemisphere clothes over there, you don't need that down here. I am saying this because for four years that I've been in Australia, I have seen you wearing those thermal garment well-suited for the winter season up there. Mate, it's summertime down here, I am only concern of your comfort, you know...

I believe that you know a lot of great costume designers in Australia or New Zealand, they'd be very happy to create a summer outfit for you. I just don't want to see you uncomfortable Down Under.

A Happy Christmas to you Big Bloke!

 

It's me,
RJ

Joining the Magi

Twenty-three days from now, the Christian (as well as some of the non-Christian) community across the globe will be celebrating the most festive day of the year. Everyone has been looking forward for the coming of this very special day and has been traditionally counting the number of sleeps before Christmas immediately a day after the last Christmas celebration!

Undeniably, people whose workplace is miles away from home would love to schedule their vacation during Christmas season, and those whose workplace is just close to their hometown couldn’t resist the desire to take a day off during this day. In some countries, employees are obviously very excited as December draws near because of a longer break from work during the holidays and primarily, it is the time to receive the ‘thirteenth-month pay’ and the Christmas bonus from their generous employers.

Christmas really has a magical impact in this world! It is the season when houses and offices; malls and stalls; as well as gardens and lanes are displaying colourful lights and decorations! It is the time when Christmas carols fill the air, and Christmas cards occupy the mail boxes... and when ovens, fridges and pantries are packed with special meals for every member of the family.

Through the years, Christmas has gradually become more modernized and commercialized. Airline, bus and boat companies, food producers and processors, as well as product wholesalers and retailers directly benefit from the event. As we gear to celebrate with our family and friends, prepare to have a special dinner to feast on, and choose to give the best gifts to our loved ones, businesses are certainly making more money during this festive season of the year.

There’s nothing wrong with the contemporary way of celebrating Christmas, of course... but as we pack our bags to fly or sail home this Christmas, we should also join the magi in riding their camels as they journey towards the manger to celebrate the birth of the real Celebrant this Christmas. May we never fail to light and decorate our hearts with faith and hope. ...guided by the bright, shining Star may we, at all times, be ready to give love to every person we meet as we travel in this life so we could feast on everlasting peace and joy in this world!




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Come and See!

...dito sa aking blog, hindi ko pa 'to nagawa; ngayon lang. Ang magmamanok ay humihiling ng inyong mataimtim na panalangin.

Simula pa kahapon ay may namumuo nang pag-aalala sa aking isipan at kaba sa aking dibdib. Ito'y hindi dahil sa mga bampira ng pelikulang New Moon na sinimulang ipalabas ngayong araw, kundi dahil sa warning ng Australian Bureau of Meteorology para sa lahat ng mga nakatira sa South Australia.

Sinasabing ang buong state, lalung-lalo na ang mga nasa agricultural areas, ay posibleng magkakaroon ng catastrophic bushfire kahapon at ngayong araw. Kinansela ang pasok ng mga mag-aaral sa malawak na bahagi ng lalawigan, at seryoso ang babala ng mga estasyon ng radyo't telebisyon sa lahat ng taong nasa fire danger zone, habang lubusan namang pinaghahanda ang mga empleyado at mga volunteers ng Country Fire Service at iba pang mga ahensiya ng pamahalaang may kaugnayan sa health, safety and emergency services.

Ngayong umaga, tatlong beses ko nang narinig sa weather reporter ang mga salitang 'good luck' para sa lahat ng mga taga-Timog Australia (kasama na ako rito). Magdadalawang linggo na kasi ang heat wave sa lalawigan, at nakikinitang 43'C ang magiging temperatura sa lungsod ng Adelaide ngayon, samantalang mid-40's to 47'C naman dito sa aking pinagtatrabahuan.

thanks Wikipedia

Napakatuyo ng kapaligiran, 13% humidity ang pinakamababang naitala kahapon. Ngayong araw, natatanaw na magiging malakas raw (hinuhulaang 21-36kms/hr) ang ihip ng tuyo at mainit na hanging manggagaling hilaga (gitnang bahagi ng kontinente) kung saan naroroon ang malawak na disyerto ng Australia.

Ipinaliwanag ng Sunrise Weather (Channel 7) kung bakit posibleng magkakaroon ng devastating bushfire ngayong araw:

The formation of dry lightning and thunderstorms.
(by Seven's Sunrise Weather)
illustrated by RJ

Mamayang hapon o gabi, mataas ang tsansang magkakaroon ng pag-ambon, pagkidlat at pagkulog sa South Australia. Ngunit dahil sa napakatuyong air space ng lalawigan, biglang matutuyo o mawawala ang mga patak ng ulan habang ang mga ito'y nasa himpapawid, kaya maiiwang tatama sa kalupaan ang mga dry lightning at thunderstorms na siyang magiging sanhi ng malawakang sunog.

Sanay ako sa Pilipinas na nagkakaroon ng mga pag-ulan, pagkulog at pagkidlat at hindi naman ako natatakot. Ngunit noong nakaraang Pebrero, aking naranasan sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ang bagsik ng mga matatalim na kidlat at napakalakas na kulog habang walang ulan- ito'y walang tigil sa loob ng 45 minuto hanggang isang oras! Hindi ito biro; at inaamin ko ako'y natakot ng husto!

Hindi ko na pahahabain pa ang post kong ito... Narito ang mga nakuha kong larawan dito sa manukan para maipakita sa inyo kung gaano katuyo ang aming kapaligiran.

Ang kalsada papasok sa manukan.
# 22 Pareora Rd., Port Wakefield, South Australia

Wheat field surrounding the poultry farm.

Harvestable wheat, a closer look...

Sa labas ng Aking Tahanan...

The awful scenery in the northeast of the poultry farm.

We slashed the grasses as a compliance to the orders of the Wakefield Regional Council -one of the preventive measures against the invasion of the poisonous Australian brown snakes and fire.

Hangad ng mga taga-Australian Bureau of Meteorology na sana'y sa pagkakataong ito sila ay nagkamali sa kanilang inilabas na forecast. Sana nga... sana.

Sa kabila ng lahat ng 'to, ako nama'y naniniwala nang may buong katatagan sa kapangyarihan ng pagdarasal.

Sabi ng mga Australians, "Os-tral-ya iz a nAys pLAyz (Australia is a nice place)!" well, it's true. So, come and see!






...there is no relevance, but the title of this post has been inspired by the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.


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My Christmas 2,008

I know I need to end all My iLLusions! I have to accept the fact that Santa Claus does not exist in my world anymore, and finally have to admit that no Santa could ever grant even just one of my wishes this Christmas!

As expected, my Christmas would be literally cold and dull this year. Aside from celebrating alone inside My Caravan, and possibly doing the night chicken harvest, the average temperature forecast for Adelaide on the 25^th is only 22’C—much better than the usual Australian summer temperature in the previous years (it’s warmer, whew!).

A little bit dull because during this holiday season, I am held in captivity (as usual) with my chickens in this isolated poultry farm—93 kilometres away from the colourful Christmas decorations, deprived of the shining Christmas lanterns and of those shimmering Christmas lights in the capital city of S.A.!

For the past 5 days, the breeze has been carrying these fine fibres of dried wheat and barley straws from the adjacent auburn field towards my place! These nasty stuff outside complicates with the dusty, smelly and feathery environment inside the chook shed that are constantly threatening my respiratory health should I fail to wear the necessary protective mask all the time.

My daily south-eastern view from this Aussie caravan has always been the same (except the varying colour of the landscapes) since I arrive in Port Wakefield last January. The flock of sheep and the herd of cattle grazing on the dead, brown grasses across the boundless and dry South Australian horizon are the only colours that my eyes could ever enjoy during this time of Advent.

The other night I was awakened by the lingering and later, interrupted plaintive bleat of a lamb that had been probably left or lost from the flock somewhere in the middle of the nearby field. I got out of the caravan and attempted to locate the origin of the disturbing noise but I failed because the night was dark. The moon was missing and those countless flickering stars up above the black sky were the only source of faint light on this sunless side of the earth that time.

Cold, dark and starry night...Wheat and barley straws... Cattle, sheep, chicken and the dusty, smelly shed—this is My Christmas this 2008! Should there be a cry of a newborn child, I would think that this is exactly the First Christmas 2,008 years ago!

Overheat

My air-con has been broken since winter, and because I still have a well-functioning oil-filled heater, I never bother myself to fix it before.

But now that it’s getting warmer and hotter, a cooler is already a necessity...

Read more...