Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
You can take the man out of Australia, but...
Yes, if you're wondering, I slept in my Akubra hat last night.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Last Call from Down Under
Well, the Australian election has ended, and my trip is soon to follow. I'll be flying back to Sydney tomorrow (Dec 2) and flying back to the States on the 3rd. I haven't quite entered into the reflection mode as I have been truly living in the "moment" post-GSE. I have seen some of the most spectacular natural areas Australia and New Zealand has to offer. Simply put, life's been good, that is, until I get my credit card bill in a few weeks. But it'll be worth it. I've had a truly remarkable trip and experience in Australia, met some tremendous folks from Down Under, developed a great friendship with my GSE teammates, and needless to say, look forward to catching up with everyone upon my return. Ya know, I don't even know if anyone is still reading this, but I really want to take this experience to the next level, whatever that may be. Climate change, in all it's overwhelming complexity, seems solvable now. And I suppose it's not so much the level of 'change' we actually accomplish, but whether we actually try. And difference is not so much of a matter of degree, but a matter of fact. "Where ordinary people do extraordinary things..."
Steve
Steve
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Final Thoughts
Today is my last full day in Australia as I am flying out of Canberra in less than 20 hours. This past weekend, we have enjoyed attending the District 9710 conference in Canberra and reuniting with what I now consider to be old friends. We also were given the opportunity to meet the team of Australians who will be travelling to Indiana in April 2008 and I am confident that they will have as great an experience in District 6540 as we have had in their country.
I mentioned this in the presentation we gave this morning at conference and I just thought I should share with all who are reading this blog a few final thoughts:
At the beginning of my trip here, I really felt kind of lost. I had never travelled overseas and have never been away from my family and friends this long. Our first few days here, I was seriously questioning whether or not I had made the right decision in applying for this program as I was extremely homesick. But after being here for 4 weeks, it is with tears in my eyes that I am leaving. I have enjoyed every moment of this exchange and will never forget the experience. The Rotarians that have guided us through this journey have been more than willing to ensure our time here was enjoyable and have opened their homes and hearts to us in a way that I could have never imagined. And even though I may be returning to my family back home, I really feel as though I am leaving two others in my teammates and new Aussie friends.
And finally, I cannot wait to share this experience with Rotarians and others in D6540 upon my return home. I have learned so much about Rotary in the last month and can only hope that I will be able to give as much of myself as those here and around the world have to spread the mission of Rotary.
I mentioned this in the presentation we gave this morning at conference and I just thought I should share with all who are reading this blog a few final thoughts:
At the beginning of my trip here, I really felt kind of lost. I had never travelled overseas and have never been away from my family and friends this long. Our first few days here, I was seriously questioning whether or not I had made the right decision in applying for this program as I was extremely homesick. But after being here for 4 weeks, it is with tears in my eyes that I am leaving. I have enjoyed every moment of this exchange and will never forget the experience. The Rotarians that have guided us through this journey have been more than willing to ensure our time here was enjoyable and have opened their homes and hearts to us in a way that I could have never imagined. And even though I may be returning to my family back home, I really feel as though I am leaving two others in my teammates and new Aussie friends.
And finally, I cannot wait to share this experience with Rotarians and others in D6540 upon my return home. I have learned so much about Rotary in the last month and can only hope that I will be able to give as much of myself as those here and around the world have to spread the mission of Rotary.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Midterm Report
Berry-Gerringong
November 8, 2007
The trip is moving rapidly forward. 10 more days….
I have seen another part of the world, and in fact, another part of Australia, most will never see. We started our exchange in Australia’s capitol, Canberra, and then travelled north to the spectacular vistas of the Southern Highlands in and around Berrima. We then ventured south again, through Canberra and on to Cooma where towns, once lost to the “Scheme” and flooded valleys, are now exposed due to the “drought.” Carrie and I conquered, or better yet, experienced, Australia’s tallest summit in gale force winds and subzero temperatures. And yes, Australia has snow! And then back up to Canberra and the Woden Club, the US Embassy and Parliament, the museums, the ‘planned’ city, politics, and wine. We then ventured east to the coast, to Mollymook and its ineffable marine environment. And now Berry.
As good spirited as I may seem, I am lost. Or better yet, I am finding comfort in the unknown. Australia is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. The island, which is the size of the continental U.S. mind you, claims to have over 900 species of eucalypts and of these, only 2 (at most 5) are endemic outside of Australia. I walked the escarpment rainforests just outside of Berry with three botanists yesterday, and attempted to learn all the species by scientific and common names in less than an hour. Needless to say, my feeble mind was instantly overloaded, and when I awoke hours later, I found myself eating raw oysters, crabs, prawns, and other various unknown sea creatures. And if you’re wondering, yes, I had a few glasses of wine. When in Rome… I mean, when in Gerroa…
My general midterm thoughts on Australia are as follows: 1). Australia is an ancient land with ancient, human interaction and influence. 40,000 years of firestick farming, in addition to its relative and long-standing geological isolation, has shaped Australia into one of the most marveled, unique and justifiably distinctive environments on earth. 2). Australia’s Rotarians, more specifically, our host clubs, are truly outstanding people. I have made many friends here in Australia, and feel quite privileged and honored to have done so. I am indebted. 3). We, the American people, still have a good friend in Australia and we should do whatever possible to recognize and thus maintain this friendship. I feel America is rather insular at times and may not fully comprehend its international status. I value what the Australians think and feel about Americans. I value what France thinks, too, but that’s for another time. With that said, the American people need to collectively acknowledge and value the global society in order to fully spread goodwill and understanding. Outside of sampling a few more wines, I think this is my newfound mission in life.
Vocationally speaking, the trip has been very good to me. I have fostered a greater awareness of the environmental movement through many of my visits and conversations, and discussed in depth the concepts of sustainability, bushfires, waste management, resource management and natural areas restoration. I am pulled toward indigenous affairs for reasons known and unknown. And somehow, I will need to make sense of the aforementioned, which I’ll save for poetical prose in the final report.
Cheers,
Stevie “Baby” Barker
(Long story and one best told over a cuppa, or better yet, a glass of Australian wine. Or two...)
November 8, 2007
The trip is moving rapidly forward. 10 more days….
I have seen another part of the world, and in fact, another part of Australia, most will never see. We started our exchange in Australia’s capitol, Canberra, and then travelled north to the spectacular vistas of the Southern Highlands in and around Berrima. We then ventured south again, through Canberra and on to Cooma where towns, once lost to the “Scheme” and flooded valleys, are now exposed due to the “drought.” Carrie and I conquered, or better yet, experienced, Australia’s tallest summit in gale force winds and subzero temperatures. And yes, Australia has snow! And then back up to Canberra and the Woden Club, the US Embassy and Parliament, the museums, the ‘planned’ city, politics, and wine. We then ventured east to the coast, to Mollymook and its ineffable marine environment. And now Berry.
As good spirited as I may seem, I am lost. Or better yet, I am finding comfort in the unknown. Australia is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. The island, which is the size of the continental U.S. mind you, claims to have over 900 species of eucalypts and of these, only 2 (at most 5) are endemic outside of Australia. I walked the escarpment rainforests just outside of Berry with three botanists yesterday, and attempted to learn all the species by scientific and common names in less than an hour. Needless to say, my feeble mind was instantly overloaded, and when I awoke hours later, I found myself eating raw oysters, crabs, prawns, and other various unknown sea creatures. And if you’re wondering, yes, I had a few glasses of wine. When in Rome… I mean, when in Gerroa…
My general midterm thoughts on Australia are as follows: 1). Australia is an ancient land with ancient, human interaction and influence. 40,000 years of firestick farming, in addition to its relative and long-standing geological isolation, has shaped Australia into one of the most marveled, unique and justifiably distinctive environments on earth. 2). Australia’s Rotarians, more specifically, our host clubs, are truly outstanding people. I have made many friends here in Australia, and feel quite privileged and honored to have done so. I am indebted. 3). We, the American people, still have a good friend in Australia and we should do whatever possible to recognize and thus maintain this friendship. I feel America is rather insular at times and may not fully comprehend its international status. I value what the Australians think and feel about Americans. I value what France thinks, too, but that’s for another time. With that said, the American people need to collectively acknowledge and value the global society in order to fully spread goodwill and understanding. Outside of sampling a few more wines, I think this is my newfound mission in life.
Vocationally speaking, the trip has been very good to me. I have fostered a greater awareness of the environmental movement through many of my visits and conversations, and discussed in depth the concepts of sustainability, bushfires, waste management, resource management and natural areas restoration. I am pulled toward indigenous affairs for reasons known and unknown. And somehow, I will need to make sense of the aforementioned, which I’ll save for poetical prose in the final report.
Cheers,
Stevie “Baby” Barker
(Long story and one best told over a cuppa, or better yet, a glass of Australian wine. Or two...)
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