Handing it down

Continuing with the BBQ theme of my last post ...

There comes a time when the baton does not need to be passed on to the next generation so much, as the preparation for the baton passing needs to begin.  So it is with the BBQ.  With the BBQ, it is not a baton that is passed, it is the tongs.

We are experiencing a hot summer as usual here in Perth, and one of the joys of that heat is cooking on the BBQ with beer in hand.  #1 is just about 15 years old, so it has come time to begin his initiation into manhood, and here, at Chooka's place, that begins with learning a few BBQ basics.

The most appropriate place to start this initiation most people think is with the humble sausage.  I have to disagree with this.  Starting with sausages makes sense from a financial point of view, because if the junior chef burns them, it doesn't cost you much.  What it does do however, is ingrain the 'fiddling with the food' habit early - always turning the sausages and pushing them around the hotplate.  I prefer to start with the humble BBQ Steak.  Relatively cheap, cooks quickly and only needs to be turned once.  It looks good on the plate or in a burger - very versatile, and the sense of achievement when you have BBQ'ed your first steak for the family is palpable.

It is a proud moment when you start inducting the next generation into manhood - it continues to nurture the bond between father and son as the relationship matures.  It is a bit of a sad moment too as you are beginning to 'let go' of the nurturing hold you have had on your offspring for so long as they take their first tentative steps into adulthood.

Long may there be years of continuing to share quality time in that most secret of male rituals - cooking the BBQ.

Oh, and the steak was pretty good too.

Until next time,

CfB

BBQ Etiquette

My work colleagues and I made the decision yesterday to do something a bit different and have a barbecue for lunch.  We have the required facilities at work, so we decided to take advantage of them.

To the uneducated observer, the act of BBQing looks just like a group of blokes standing around a hotplate looking at sausages and other assorted animal products cooking away.  This is far from the truth however.  You see, this is a social ritual, fraught with danger and traps for the uninitiated.  It is "Secret Men's Business"!

As with any ritual, there is a hierarchy that must be strictly observed.  The person who suggested that we have the barbie becomes the de facto leader.  This person is easily identified because they are the one who has the tongs.  The tongs are the symbol of power.  Every other bloke wants to wield them, and the whole group knows it.  Thus, the rest of the group arrange themselves and jockey for position to be the next in line to the tongs.

The complication is, that etiquette dictates that no-one else is allowed to touch the tongs without them being handed to you.  Simply picking up the tongs is tantamount to picking up his wife and having your wicked way with her.  Social isolation and exclusion from the group is sure to follow.  If the tongs are simply put down, there they must stay there until the leader picks them up again.

If you are handed the tongs my the leader, you can assume that the leader has decreed you worthy of higher honour and supreme trust - a cherished position indeed.  New respect is won from the group and the rewards must surely follow.  This is a rare phenomenon, and one almost never observed by those outside the group.

Once the barbie has been cooked, the whole social fabric relaxes,  The last part of the ritual is to complement the tong bearer on their expert handling of the tongs and the cooking of the sausages.

There is far more to BBQ Etiquette than this, but that will do for now.

My question is, "What other bits of etiquette should be observed at a BBQ?"

Until next time,

CfB

Relief at last!

I was woken at 1.06 this morning by a very strange and unusual noise.  It was difficult to identify immediately, particularly in that haze between sleep and awake.  "That's bloody rain!", I thought to myself.  No, it couldn't possibly be.  Yep, that's definitely rain!

It has been 62 days since the rain gauge has been bothered in Perth, and whilst we only got 1.6mm where I live, the change it has brought has been absolutely amazing.

Most noticeably is the lift in people's moods.  There is more of a smile on their faces, although those faces contain bleary eyes because the associated thunderstorms were terrifically loud and woke many households.

After such a long, hot dry spell, the relief the rain has brought is palpable.  All the plants seem to have lifted and the atmosphere seems clearer.  Maybe it is just a change in perception.  This rain is certainly the main topic of conversation around the place.

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me with her ability to refresh and renew.  The whole place certainly seems clearer and cleaner.  People's spirits have been lifted, the bird life is chirping and rejoicing in the cooler, albeit humid conditions.

Thank you Mother Nature, you have made our little patch of paradise a little more so today.

Until next time,

CfB

Where is society at?

In the aftermath of Australia Day I, like many others returned to work on a 40 degree day.  Glad to be driving home at the end of the day, I noticed a whisp of smoke in the distance.  20 minutes after getting home, I was out the door again taking #2 to cricket training.  The whisp of smoke was now a plume and there was another fire starting a little distance away from the first.  By the time 5.00pm rolled around, homes and lives were potentially under threat from what could only have been deliberately lit fires.

Not 24 hours after celebrating what it means to be Australian, someone or ones, with total disregard for anybody's safety is trying to burn the place down.

For me, it begs the question "Where is society at?" if this sort of thing continues to happen.  Every summer there is an epidemic of arson in and around Perth, and without doubt other parts of the country as well.  The potential for disaster is real, and if it wasn't for the dedicated fire fighters, career and volunteer, countless homes and probably lives, would be lost every year to these acts of wanton vandalism, which border on domestic terrorism.

The answer to that question lies in the response to these fires.  The fire fighters risk their lives going in to protect those that they don't know, and the aerial responders never cease to amaze me with the precision they attack the fires with.  For me, this is where society is at.  A community that rallies around its' own to protect it from the few recalcitrants that live in our midst.  Recalcitrants that the authorities will continue to hunt and bring them to account.

As I write this, these two fires continue to burn and the fire fighter continue to defend against them.

Not withstanding Rosie Batty's undisputed acknowledgement as "Australian of the Year", the nameless masses of firefighters who risk so much every time they respond to an incident get my vote!

Until next time,

CfB

Australia Day is here, let us rejoice ...

Well, Australia Day is here again - January 26.  Let the BBQ's cricket, drinking and fireworks begin.  And here in Perth, a balmy 37 degrees Celsius awaits us.

Rosie Batty has been announced as "Australian of the Year".  Without doubt she is a popular choice, and anybody who is familiar with her story would agree.  Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in any society ANYWHERE!  For those unfamiliar with her tragic story, please take the time on this day to look her up.

Hopefully, we all take at least part of the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian - and clearly that is different for all of us.  I would like to think that as Australians, we are grateful to live in a country where we are free to live in peace and without fear; a country where we are free to express ourselves in a multitude of ways and not be persecuted for doing so.  But above all, I hope we all enjoy the day with family and friends.

For those who are not familiar with Australia Day, this is the day that the Australian nation celebrates the anniversary of the first permanent European colony established in 1788.  The primary purpose for this colonisation was that England needed another place to dump her criminals after the American Revolution closed that door to her some twelve years earlier.

In the 220+ years since that day, the Australian nation has well and truly punched above her weight on the international stage - wait for the ANZAC Day commemorations this year if you are in any doubt about this.  "Black Box" flight recorders, Hill's Hoists, Combine Harvesters and Dame Edna Everidge are a few other contributions to the world we can be thanked for.

This is not to say that our history does not have it's 'dark side'.  Recognition of our indigenous peoples in our constitution is chief amongst these.  Our indigenous were finally recognised as citizens in 1967, and the fight to have them recognised in the constitution as the first peoples continues.  Given that the 1967 Constitutional Referendum to recognise our indigenous peoples as citizens was an overwhelming success gives me hope that we can finally right this wrong, but as with many things in Australia, it takes time.

I'm off to fire up the barbie and have a beer now.  Might even watch the cricket, hopefully we can beat India (it's their national day today too).  So, "Australians all, let us rejoice ...", for we DO live in the best country on Earth.  I believe it is our obligation to use this gift to make our country even better.  Rosie Batty, we are with you!

"What do you think?"

Until next time,

CfB

Friends will be friends

We had a couple of friends over for dinner last night (not in the Hannibal Lecter kind of way), and all told, it was a very pleasant evening.  This is sort of an annual event which marks the end of the holiday period before we are all caught up in the maelstrom of work and the business of everyday life.

It struck me during the evening that we had been doing this for a number of years now, and whilst it is a farewell to the festive period, it is also a celebration of a friendship that has developed and endured over the years.

I am not the sort of person who feels the need to have a whole load of friends - for the most part, I am an introverted personality.  I prefer to have a smaller group of close friends to share my life with, and theirs if they choose.  I am also not into 'living in each other's pockets'.  I have my own life to lead, and if my friends know every detail of it, there is no conversation, and to that end, no privacy.  In this ever changing digital world,  I believe that privacy is something to be cherished and clung on to.  My friends respect that, and I respect that in them.

Yes, I have a Twitter account (@real_chooka), and this blog.  This is how I choose to interact with the online world.  I am a believer in us all living in one world, and these are my chosen methods for reaching out to places I could never hope to go.

I have no Facebook account.  If I ant my friends to know that I have just had a coffee, I will tell them myself, except, it is really not that important.  In no way am I implying criticism of Facebook or those who choose to use it, it's simply not my thing.

I have no idea what those friends are up to right now, and they have no idea that I am writing this.  In fact, in all probability, they do not know this blog exists.  For me, this is the way it should be - something to talk about later.

What are your views on friendship?  I would appreciate your input.

Until next time,

CfB

Second Hand Books

I indulged one of my passions yesterday - second hand book shopping.  For me, this is one of the truly simple pleasures in life.  To be able to take your time looking at a massive array of pre-owned books on every imaginable topic, from the esoteric to the popular.  A place where a 70 year old book can be sitting next to a two year old book on the shelf.  A place where a long out of print title might be found.

Oh, and did I mention that they are pretty cheap?  I like the concept of recycling in general, and a second hand book shop to me is like a recycling centre.  I am grateful to the people who sell their old and unwanted books to a second hand book shop rather than throw them out.  It breathes new life into the books when they find their way to another home.

I find something distasteful about throwing out a book.  Somebody originally bought the book, either for themselves or as a present for someone they considered important.  Whatever the reason, there was thought behind the purchase, and throwing out a book to me is like throwing away that thought.  I like to think that when I buy a second hand book, that that original thought is being honoured and is being complemented by a new one.

To me, a book is a thing of beauty, and the culmination of much effort on the part of the author.  It is a window into another world, real or imagined.  Maybe a window into another time.  Take for example "Air Power", by Stephen Budiansky.  This was a ripping read about the development of the aeroplane as a weapon of war that I never knew existed.  I found it a fantastic holiday read for $10. A 518 page first edition hard cover in pristine condition.  Not to everyones taste I wouldn't think, but a great example of a quality read on a topic I enjoy for next to nothing.

The question I would like to ask is, "Are books still important today, or are they a thing of the past, a relic from a pre-digitised world?"

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Until next time,

CfB

A Resolution for the New Year ...

After being away from home for the best part of the last month, I have to say that it is great to be home.  It is great to sleep in my own bed and be surrounded by all the familiar things in my life.  I never cease to be amazed at how quickly the set and established routines of my home life retake centre stage after being away, and up until now, I have never questioned that that should be so.

Maybe it is just a stage of life, but I am finding that I am increasingly questioning many things that I have previously accepted as "just the way things are".  That is not to say that there is anything inherently wrong with how life is travelling along, but I am wondering if there is a better way.

Take "New Year's Resolutions" as an example.  They seem to be a pretty common thing that lots of people do, myself included, but after a couple of weeks, I find that they fade into the maelstrom of 'normal' life, and are barely considered again until the next new year.

So why do we wait until the new year to take stock of where we are 'at' and make some decisions about what we want to be different?  The second that marks the difference between December 31 and January 1 is no more or less significant than any other of the 31, 536, 000 seconds in a year.  To my mind, any resolutions that we make need to be made at the point in the year that they need to be made to be effective.

I am in the middle of doing the standard data review of performance during the previous year at work.  It is the same questions being asked, and I am suspecting with increasing certainty that the same answers will be arrived at, whereby achieving nothing.  Albert Einstein once famously said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  So I am wondering if work is asking the right questions to analyse previous performance in an attempt to improve future performance.  The bigger question for me is "Why do we wait until the end of the year to determine if we are doing a good job?"  Surely we should be constantly reviewing things to seek improvement?

I believe that this kind of thinking could be applied in all areas of my life.  That is what I resolve to have a crack at this year.  Does that make sense?

Until next time,

CfB

Thank you Peter Greste

I have been incensed for quite some time by the abjectly abhorrent treatment of Peter Greste and his Al Jazeera colleagues at the hand of Egyptian authorities for some time now, and in the time honoured conservative Australian manner, I have kept my views to myself.  I have been thinking about this over the last few days, and I have come to the conclusion that Peter Greste is perhaps the overarching factor in this blog coming to life.

I do not believe that what I have to say is of any more or less value than anything anyone else has to say, but I do believe in the right to say it (freedom of speech if you will).  I further believe that we all have the right to say it in safety, even if those around us do not agree with it.  Essentially, if you do not agree with what I have to say, feel free not to listen.

I further believe that I have a responsibility to be mindful regarding what I say.  Deliberate mistruths or distortion of fact can be damaging, and as such needs to be guarded against.

Nothing that Peter Greste or his colleagues said or did can in any way be construed as deliberate mistruth or distortion of the facts.  When the Egyptian regime reacted the way it did, and continues to do, to me says that Peter Greste was reporting inconvenient truths that, in time honoured dictatorial fashion, the Egyptian authorities attempted to gag in as thuggish a manner as possible.  All they have managed to do is highlight the manifestly unfair treatment of those who have a responsibility to report the truth, and they have inadvertently given many others a voice to proclaim loud and strong the mistreatment of innocent people.

I am one of those people.

Thank you Peter Greste!

Until next time,

CfB

A little good news please?

Let's face it - bad news sells.  Around the world recently we have had Air Asia losing a plane and all souls on board, a murderous rampage by terrorists in Paris, massacres in Nigeria and on the local front, savage fires on the northern Perth fringe in Bullsbrook.  It seems that the world is full of bad news, and not a very nice, if not downright dangerous place to be.

Good news may not sell, but it does make a refreshing change.  To my mind, it all comes down to the way we look at some of these stories.  Without a doubt, much of what is reported is tragic and this should never be underestimated or ignored, but I wonder what would happen n if we looked at some stories from the other side of the coin.

Take the Bullsbrook fires as case in point.  We could focus on the devastation of the fire, or one of the most striking examples of the Australian spirit of hundreds of volunteers, as well as career fire fighters coming together and risking a great deal to protect the lives and property of vulnerable community members that in many cases are complete strangers.

We could focus on how dedicated government agencies work seamlessly together to ensure as best they can the safety of our community at large.

This sort of thing goes on all around the world every day.  To me, it is a matter of perspective.  What is going on in your community that could be represented differently by the media?  I would love to know.  Feel free to let me know in the comments section.

Until next time,

CfB

An open question ...

I find that when you are sitting on a plane for five or so hours and the movies that they show just don't grab you, you have finished the book you took with you, and the person next to you is asleep, all you have left to do is think.

I have had a fair bit going on in my head recently, and one question that has popped up for reasons yet unanalysed is this ...

"Where do you draw the line between putting others' interests first and putting your own interests first, without being either a doormat or selfish?"

I have to admit that I simply do not know the answer to this question.  Putting other people first is a quality that both my wife and I consider important, and as such we reinforce this with our kids.  I guess I am a little worried that if I cannot always get the distinction right in my own life then I don't know if I am teaching the 'right' balance to my kids.

I would love your input to this question.  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section.  I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Until next time,

CfB

Going Home

We are sitting at the airport now, waiting to board our flight home.  We have had to call a premature end to our holiday due to a bereavement in the family.  Whilst getting home to be with family is the undisputed priority here, this holiday will have my wife's words echoing in my ears for eternity ...

"Do we need travel insurance?", she politely inquired about two weeks before we left.

"No, I think we will be fine.", was my reply.  When you put that out there into the universe, I guess you are just tempting fate.

So what started out as a fantastic way to end 2014 and see in 2015 with my family, will, in time I suspect continue to be viewed that way, just for the moment my feelings towards this trip are experiencing severe turbulence.  The "Fasten Seatbelt" sign has gone on and the pilot is sounding a little nervous on the intercom.

Like all turbulence, it will come to an end and the plane will land safely.

And then there is the funeral to get through.  I suspect there is more turbulence ahead ...

Until next time,

CfB

About Me

Having previously stated that this is not narcissistic, I think it only fair to put out there a little bit about me so those of you who take an interest in this blog might be better able to see the angle from which I view the world, and hence, am coming from.

I am married with two children - both boys.  I enjoy most things, some particular favourites are beer, food (and cooking), music and hanging out with friends.

As I write this, I am also enjoying watching the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India from the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

I do feel the need to state upfront that should I mention, review, praise (or indeed the opposite) any product or service (such as a particular brand of beer, for example) I am in no way being paid by anyone, or otherwise offered inducements for a particular commentary.  Any and all views expressed in this blog are mine alone (unless otherwise clearly stated), and I alone take responsibility for said views.

Now that that is out of the way, I will let you go and post my first proper blog post shortly.

Cheers,

CfB

Welcome to the blog

Welcome one and all to the blog of Chooka from Bertram.

This is not a narcissistic attempt to immortalise myself, rather the simple musings  of a middle aged Aussie bloke and how he views and interacts with the world around him.

I certainly welcome your comments - good and bad.

I plan to blog on a wide variety of topics, and as I work out how to use this thing effectively, I plan to categorise my blog posts to make it easier for you to follow topics that are of particular interest to you.

Welcome once again, and may you find something of interest to you.

CfB