Sunday outings

Hi Taves,
We went out and had a day in the city, it was very good day. We forgot to take the camera, so I asked Erik to choose a photo instead. I like it very much. You know you can click each photo to get a bigger picture.

We headed off a little late so we decided to drive into the city instead of the train. All was going well until we were almost in the middle of the city, first the traffic was heavy with the MIFGF (?) you know the flower show, but was not too bad. Then as we headed for the city car parks we found the streets blocked for some reason. Russell was at a stand still and we would have been late if I did not spot a sneaky back entrance to the car park under my work. $8 for the day so it was a good price too.

We started walking down Swanston and noticed thousands of people walking up Swanston. Then I realised it was a "Run for the Kids" fun run and walk. The run was 14km, over the bolte bridge and through the tunnel under the Gardens/Yarra. On the news tonight it said that 20,000 people had entered (or maybe $20,000 raised). Anyway there was a lot of people and at the writers festival, a lot of people mentioned being held up.

The Emerging Writers festival was good. Trudi received lots of encouragement. On man like writing at school. His father was a boiler maker and said to his son, you have to do better than me, so you should .... get a trade and be a fitter and turner! He ran away from the huge factory he was working at and became a shearer. After a while he left this job and a number of other and decided to settle down, stick out one job to support his family, so he worked underground for 6 years. I think he was building a sewerage tunnel under Werribee. After doing this he for 3 years he suddenly was struck that he was not going to be discovered as a writer or be known for anything much while working so far underground. It took him 3 years to get out of that job.

He then enrolled in university and has now completed his masters, oh he also joined the Jung society, but he still looked like a shearer to me :-)

Another man grew up in Turkey and became an Engineer, he also live through a military coup in the 60s and learnt to not criterise the government. After coming to Australia he realised that he was sexist and racist, this just was the way to be in Turkey while growing up. He started reading lots and in 1999 all his previous beliefs and values fell away to nothing, he was in limbo for 4 days. He started learning about his countrys writers and poets and now writes and sings his own.

So what I am getting to here is that these men were older than Trudi, much less educated and had to learn what Trudi has already done, professional writing etc. But had progressed and made a success with their writing, so I think Trudi is in a good position to make a success of her writing.

It was interesting that they mentioned that if they had been brought up with a love of the arts and writing while growing up and not had their mid life crisis they would not have the same strong desire to write they have now.

While we were listening to the writing guests, Trudi and I could hear these loud noises. A cross between a tram rumbling past and a rock band. Trudi asked a door attendant what the noise was and he said a group of people called the Earth shakers booked out one of the Melbourne Town Hall rooms and played this music. It was like meditation.

Erik walked around China town and found more little bars and shops. One was out doors and seem to made up of cut up packing crates (for tables and chairs etc), I think it is famous.

After the writers festival Erik convinced us to go to the Nova and see a movie, The squid and the whale. It was very funny and we all enjoyed it very much. We met Draha (Lucas ? mum)from school while walking from the car.

After the film we went to Readings over the road, I found a boxed set of 7 Wong Kar-Wai films, Erik's favorite film director, for $70. He has some of the films already so we are going to put them on eBay this Thursday and hopefully get at least $10 each.

A Swinburn short courses brochure came today and while I was looking up the writing courses I noticed a Professional Horticultural Writing course, I did not know there was such a course. I started think about you and your trip and all the new plants you mush be seeing. If you get a chance could you write about some. I guess it would be best if you had a laptop?

Lots of love
Gavin