Pacific
Last weekend the Melanie Jewson Foundation was formally launched to honour the life of Melanie Jewson, a Geelong teenager who died tragically in a car accident in 2004. She was about to turn 19.
Melanie was a remarkable person who had a zest for life. She was a regular at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre where she loved to perform. She danced and sang like an angel. She had the respect and love of her peers being elected the school captain of Western Heights College in 2003.
She had a gift for communication: in movement, in voice and with the written word. On her tribute website melaniejewson.com there is a short piece of her writing which tells the story of a particular performance, of her passion for music and of her love for her father. It is simply impossible to read it with a dry eye.
Continue reading "A heroic young Aussie whose spirit lives on in the Pacific" »
In so many ways it looks familiar. Players lining up for their turn to lead, mark the ball, and pass to their team mate leading in the opposite direction. It is the quintessential footy drill.
But with the familiarity comes two big differences. First, despite this being Australian Rules we were not in Australia. And second, every sprinting player left a cloud of dust rising in his wake.
Nauru is a footy mad nation and the Linkbelt Oval is its home of footy. It is the MCG. It may also be the most unique ground in the world of AFL. It is not a field of grass. Rather, footy is played on soft phosphate looking dirt which sits upon a base of coral rock.
Continue reading "The power of sport to cross cultural divides" »
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Shawn says:
Sports bring people of different culture together as it gives them a common interest and passion. Read more »
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Michael C says:
almost a year on, and having seen the 4th installment of the AFL international cup, and attended the Gala dinner at the end of the tournament - I can vouch for the ‘bringing people together’ stuff. It may change way into the future if it all get’s hijacked by ‘professionalism’… Read more »
Hooray it’s Friday @ The Punch
Today in 1996 French President Jacques Chirac promised France would stop testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific.
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Darryl Price says:
No, ABC News radio had a story about somewhere (didn’t catch the name) that there was apparently actual data on glacial retreat. It is interesting that the Albanian glaciers at at lower altitudes than normally expected - possibly due to cooler conditions in the region? Read more »
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stephen says:
France : all pomp and no circumstance. Read more »
It’s impossible not to feel for the victims of all three disasters that have struck the South Pacific and Asian region this week.
Did you see Kerrie Ritchie’s piece in Samoa on the 7:30 Report last night?
I hope I never know how it feels to be the Melbourne mother, picking through the rubble who lost her mother, twin girls and a newborn baby all in a matter of seconds.
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pc says:
Hi Lucy, I think it’s time we began a world fund - 1% or more of our gdp, on top of the pittance we already give - in order to help our neighbours and ourselves in times of need. (Which is always) Read more »
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Michael says:
“It’s impossible not to feel for the victims of all three disasters that have struck the South Pacific and Asian region this week.” That’s not true at all. Read more »
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