TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: DECEMBER 2002

Tuesday, December 17, 2002

2:57 PM
Posted by jodi rose

thanks to Emer for this fabulous message!

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for
an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress,
non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the summer/winter solstice
holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious
persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with
respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others,
or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all...

And a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically
uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar
year 2003, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other
cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Australia great,
(not to imply that Australia is necessarily greater than any other country
or is the only "Australia" in the western hemisphere), and without regard
to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice
of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is
subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no
alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually
implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where
prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.
This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application
of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a
subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited
to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole
discretion of the wisher.)

Manager, Teaching & Learning
Global Sustainability, RMIT

Tuesday, December 17, 2002

12:38 PM
Posted by jodi rose

hello again,
I've managed to extricate myself from the maelstrom of life's vortex which sucked me up for a while there, spinning me round to sydney and the south coast and spitting me out back on my porch in melbourne. It's a beautiful day here, sunny and warm and summery - at last, after that eternal autumn melbourne weather seems to indulge in.

Everyone around me seems to have been engulfed in christmas delirium - but I haven't gone there yet and don't intend to start now. There is no manic rushing round to catch up with everyone I have ever know for a drink 'before christmas' - hello, does the entire population just disappear in january? - and I haven't bought a single present.... well being on the meagre allowance provided by the fine art sponsors at the local fitzroy office helps with that, as does not having any friends.... (I'm joking. kind of) and taking the attitude that all these shiny things hanging from shops are part of a strange foreign custom that I know nothing about and don't understand and has nothing to do with me. (I'm a little bit bah humbug about xmas in case you hadn't picked that up - no real reason to be, there are no trauma scars from years passed, it's usually a very enjoyable celebration with my various family and orphan groups, but all the FUSS really bugs me)

Taking it very slowly, about to pick up my new computer and plug myself into it for a month or so - maybe when I come out of my room again the world will make sense and that american idiot won't be trying to force an insane war on us all. And I might even have some work done - the 13th miracle. I'm actually still really excited about making stuff with the sounds I've collected, and following through on all this, but that doesn't mean that focusing on it and really getting stuck into the work is happening that much. But then, at least I'm feeling positive and hopeful, albeit tinged with a sad melancholy after realising - yet again - that external circumstances really don't change anything much, and if you're going to be happy and fulfilled and loving and joyful, it comes from within.
Oh well, maybe I can take the week off - for christmas! - and come back refreshed in january.
merry mayhem and happy humbug to all my beloved friends and family, wherever you are, lets just hang out more next year.
xxxxxooooooxoxoooxoooxooooooooxoooxooxxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoooooxoxoxoxoooxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo