tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141966422011-11-28T10:49:18.703+11:00HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.comBlogger3451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-9441013090697875172010-01-08T16:48:00.001+11:002010-01-08T16:48:41.653+11:00

We're on our second iPod touch, after the first got a soaking from the gardenhose and promptly died. And by "we" I mean of course the little monster. Although he adores computers, one of the symptoms of his disability is poor fine motor skill - he struggled to use a mouse. After I read about how other autistic kids are using the touch to play games and as a communications device, the LM got

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-88104167471039453782010-01-07T22:24:00.000+11:002010-01-07T22:24:49.572+11:00

Guess who turned three today...How time flies.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-55528558270559045212010-01-04T16:19:00.000+11:002010-01-04T16:19:47.996+11:00

Happy New Year!  The good news is, my dad’s out of hospital - he’s had to spend his Christmas day there, unfortunately, but they released him on the 27th of December.  I probably will have to go back soon to sort out some stuff with him and the family.  Down here in Oz, we’re going to have a busy year. The Little Monster is (finally) starting therapy sessions in February – both occupational and

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-15519749343463726092009-12-24T12:26:00.000+11:002009-12-24T12:26:15.866+11:00

I sure am glad I'm not a Shopping Trolley Rustler in the mall today...people are so rude to you.  People don't really show any Christmas spirit in a mall parking lot, do they? After a couple of 35 degree days, it looks like it's going to be a relatively cool and rainy Christmas Day here in the Oz Capital.  Merry Christmas everyone!

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-8771634350068382332009-12-18T16:09:00.001+11:002009-12-18T16:09:15.462+11:00

I just heard this morning that my dad is very ill, and might be having surgery before Christmas. Which might mean that I will have to make the trek to South Africa in the next week or two. I wish it was under better circumstances...- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-77090103955710965922009-12-17T20:53:00.000+11:002009-12-17T20:53:42.669+11:00

As we are sitting here sweltering away in 39 degree heat (my employer apparently decided to turn down the air conditioning, probably to score green points with the local Green political party, with whom they are occasional bedfellows in politics), I'm left wondering about the poor design of Australian buildings.  It's not designed to withstand the extreme heat conditions at all.  I mean, in

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-28782346386863985142009-12-15T11:54:00.000+11:002009-12-15T11:54:52.730+11:00

I’m feeling sad or rather melancholic at the moment. We just received a parcel from back home, filled with books and music (and a DVD for martin). I usually order something from “home” every couple of months. Initially, when we started living in Canada, I ordered magazines to try and keep up to date, but as the years went by the faces and names in the magazines became less and less recognizable.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-38834347498984472572009-12-12T13:48:00.004+11:002009-12-12T13:55:37.189+11:00

We had breakfast this morning at that nice organic cafe in the Belconnen Markets...The little monster is in the pic below, playing with his new toy. Martin's Ipod Touch was the best early Christmas present we ever could have bought. Several other blogs about autistic children have mentioned the effect it has, so we took the (financial) plunge and bought him one...And what a difference it has

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-9516834420459090302009-12-11T22:37:00.001+11:002009-12-11T22:37:32.885+11:00

Now I just need to practice using my thumbs on this little keyboard, and I'll be fine (I knew there was a reason we had opposable thumbs...).- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-73724779020650668112009-12-10T22:47:00.001+11:002009-12-10T22:47:17.585+11:00

I'm testing out blogging from a phone...might induce me to blog more frequently.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-6087172546132100652009-10-09T16:11:00.004+11:002009-10-09T16:20:32.361+11:00

The paediatric psychologist went to Martin's childcare to observe him there, and interviewed all the care workers in the toddler room. About a week after that, we had a family interview with her at her chambers (as they call a health care professional's offices here). Her prognosis was grim. "I'm so sorry," she said in parting, as if she was responsible. That wasn't so bad. It began to get

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-8721376650937460912009-10-06T16:21:00.001+11:002009-10-06T16:22:48.371+11:00

What you have to understand is that the events I am now describing, happened a couple of months ago. It is only now that I feel able to express them on this blog.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-68165838649580911472009-10-02T15:17:00.003+10:002009-10-02T15:22:48.089+10:00

Meanwhile, I was offered a job in one of the local government departments last week, after treading water for the past three years, careerwise...scary and exciting at the same time.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-55861008551018769962009-10-02T14:34:00.001+10:002009-10-02T14:36:27.584+10:00

Between the time of our first visit to the developmental paediatrician, and the time of the scheduled psychological assessment, we started reading everything we could find about autism. I mean, apart from the movie Rainman, who knew anything about autism, anyway? We certainly didn’t. So we waited, and read, and grew ever more anxious, because some of the stuff we were digging up on the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-87069837195019454762009-09-29T10:49:00.002+10:002009-09-29T10:56:34.331+10:00

Since the moment he stopped crawling, Martin was always running. It was as if he could not stop the urge to run. Whenever we would go somewhere - a park, or the mall, or anyplace new to him, he would immediately start running. The problem with this was, he never came back on his own. You could call and shout, but the little running man just kept on going. Oh, and he also did not want to be

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-76150666587017093492009-09-25T21:00:00.001+10:002009-09-25T21:02:16.410+10:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-18506117340475861612009-09-25T15:06:00.003+10:002009-09-25T15:19:33.326+10:00

About this time last year, we started to realize that the little monster was maybe a little different than most other kids his age. Although we had gotten over the initial worries of him walking, what with him being born with crooked feet an all, and he was now running around like a little energizer battery bunny, we were still a littler worried about his delayed speech development. 18 months

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-70191183267592193822009-09-23T21:40:00.003+10:002009-09-23T21:48:18.853+10:00

...and here's a nice little video of the massive dust (and kangaroo poo) storm that covered Canberra on Tuesday.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-36120944375735938722009-09-21T20:48:00.004+10:002009-09-21T21:00:51.417+10:00

Spring is regarded by many Canberrans as their favourite season, and here's one of the (many) reasons why: Floriade is in full bloom again. I visited the festival on Sunday. Too many people for my liking, but it was a glorious day. Of course, many hayfever-sufferers in Canberra hate Spring...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-15424107861567889652009-09-21T20:43:00.000+10:002009-09-21T20:44:15.547+10:00

Take a very, very deep breath...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-84174182340957680992009-09-21T20:42:00.000+10:002009-09-21T20:43:27.724+10:00

Pause, for 8 and a half months...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-72751890081276757342008-12-05T20:11:00.005+11:002008-12-05T20:34:44.957+11:00

I know, I know, I haven't been keeping the blog up to date. I promise I'll try to post more. A new year's resolution, if you will. The last few weeks have been eventful, on a personal basis. The Little Monster has had several ear infections, and when we finally went to see the specialist ('only' a six week wait - funny how fast that seems, after two years in Aus), the LM decided that enough

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-30186015333847478972008-11-13T11:36:00.000+11:002008-11-13T11:37:05.533+11:00

There are many things about his life that I don't understand. Getting older, for instance. The elderly is is supposed to be wise and full of grace. The older I get, however, the more bewildered I seem to become. The self-assured twenty something i once was has long been gone, and every day I feel less and less secure. I am puzzled by life's meaning or purpose. Now that I have procreate and

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-40212046386858639992008-11-07T14:02:00.000+11:002008-11-07T14:03:00.275+11:00

Yay for America.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-39363624329955308332008-10-20T21:21:00.008+11:002008-10-20T21:49:23.381+11:00

We attempted to take a break to the nearby Bateman's Bay coast on Friday, and go camping - Our 1st time in Oz, and our 1st time with the LM. We stopped to stretch our legs in Braidwood, a well-preserved rural town about an hour's drive east of Canberra.I dropped of Mrs B and the LM at the local park, and went shopping for bread (and other yummy stuff) in the famous Braidwood Bakery. When I got

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-71919272006988057562008-10-12T21:57:00.001+11:002008-10-12T21:57:57.075+11:00

Be right back.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-40677362516446832902008-10-02T18:32:00.003+10:002008-10-02T18:35:09.259+10:00

If you click on the Books tab on top of this blog, it will take you to my New! Improved! books blog pages. I've just posted a link to a free audiobook chapter of the great Neil Gaiman's new book, The Graveyard Book. Go and take a listen...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-9059553724134395432008-09-30T20:57:00.004+10:002008-09-30T21:04:54.689+10:00

In this time of global financial crisis, of somebody like Sarah Palin inching here stiletto heels ever closer to being the second-mist powerful figure in the free word, and of imminent climate change leading to Armageddon, I am going to blog about...Australian clothes. And the fact that clothes bought here is not tumble-dryable (is there even such a word?). Anyway. Most clothes we brought with

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-11150795727723733882008-09-28T20:46:00.003+10:002008-09-28T20:54:26.058+10:00

We just wanted a life of serenity and calm. You know, peace, zen, tranquility. We'd go to Australia, we thought, land of surf and beaches and sun, and on Sundays we'd lie in hammocks all day, drinking tall cold glasses of something alcoholic and yummy, leisurely page through the no-doubt excellent Sunday papers, talk about politics and philosophy over a glass of delicate Chardonnay, and maybe

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-19861757301884824882008-09-26T10:52:00.002+10:002008-09-26T10:56:13.731+10:00

And one of the reasons why my head feels like it's filled with damp straw...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-90794566995331816782008-09-23T21:23:00.001+10:002008-09-23T21:25:16.571+10:00

Too exhausted to blog..It is at times like these that I wish we had family nearby.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-30957246205988940182008-09-22T20:34:00.003+10:002008-09-22T20:44:58.657+10:00

It's raining in Canberra (hallelujah). This afternoon the western skies turned dark, but not the dark blue-grey one would normally associate with thunder storms, no, the skies turned a menacing red. A sign that the farmers in the western outback have been busy with their spring ploughing...One hopes. Not signs of the apocalypse. They haven't started bombarding particles in the Hadron

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-38064907465316809992008-09-21T16:50:00.005+10:002008-09-21T17:10:54.584+10:00

I'm sorry I haven't been in touch for a while, but it's been one thing after another in the B-household. First, the old Volvo decided to give up the ghost, pouring out oil faster than a Texas well (terminal, the mechanic said, sadly shaking his head), and then the whole clan had the flu/cold/near-death illness that's currently doing the rounds here in Canberra. Anyway, that's no excuse for not

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-11273648908448748202008-08-26T22:03:00.004+10:002008-08-26T22:07:37.397+10:00

Do you think Obama will become the next president, the presidential candidate's half-brother was asked by the earnest reporter. Yes, he replied. Why do you think so? the reporter wanted to know. Because he wants to be, the half brother replied, and I believe that in this life one becomes what one wants to become.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-62593762021959832522008-08-22T11:27:00.002+10:002008-08-22T11:37:30.283+10:00

He's in running mode at the moment - never walks, always runs. Usually with one of us behind him. But, in rare moments like these, don't you just want to love him to bits?

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-78006104224588966302008-08-21T18:47:00.002+10:002008-08-21T18:50:45.890+10:00

And, just in case you're sitting there, late at night, and have found this blog by accident, googling for "sunburn", or "toxic waste", the great Neil Gaiman has written a song for people just like you...um, us, I mean... I Google youlate at night when I don’t know what to doI find photosyou’ve forgottenyou were input up by your friends I Google youwhen the day is done and everything is

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-36594788078433369902008-08-17T18:19:00.003+10:002008-08-17T18:21:45.081+10:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-67230808958360305672008-08-15T21:27:00.003+10:002008-08-15T21:46:14.842+10:00

Haven't we been down this road before? Going through the whole process of gathering all the necessary paperwork,paying all the fees, getting all the fingerprints done, going for medicals...And when you're within sight of your goal, something happens to slow you down, or make you start all over again. Dealing with bureaucracy when applying for permanent residency is never easy, but who would've

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-35922229792746304752008-08-12T18:37:00.004+10:002008-08-12T18:48:43.509+10:00

We briefly visited the land of the great white cloud recently. A week in Christchurch (with me babysitting), bookended by a day on the TranzAlpine Express and a few days on a wine farm near Kaikoura, and we were smitten. It's a beautiful country, with spectacular scenery, and I can understand why movie directors choose to film their mega-blockbusters (Lord of the Rings, Narnia) there. The

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-39136448193332156292008-08-11T20:35:00.003+10:002008-08-11T20:48:32.481+10:00

I got a phone call on Friday from a recent South African immigrant. She was feeling homesick, and desperate for someone to talk to, so she started paging through the phone book until her eye caught a South African-sounding surname (mine). So she called me. And I answered, and listened, and sympathised. We went through the same process, not once, but twice. And it is never easy to move to

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-33595895096544878352008-08-10T18:02:00.003+10:002008-08-10T18:13:02.851+10:00

The Olympic Games opening ceremony was probably the best I've ever seen. The spectacular choreography also made more sense when I read this morning that Yimou Zhang, the director of "House of flying Daggers" was involved.I guess we shouldn't be surprised, Chinese artists have always been known for grand, operatic gestures. Anyway, China definitely made and impressive debut on the world stage...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-62751700973189675392008-08-08T21:43:00.001+10:002008-08-08T21:43:26.401+10:00

Abba2, originally uploaded by hhbotha.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-72757339927527100812008-08-03T21:11:00.000+10:002008-08-03T21:13:44.990+10:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-81803301071142384032008-04-20T21:26:00.004+10:002008-04-20T21:35:39.058+10:00

Up up and away they go...That's Australia's parliament in the background, by the way.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-38819903638717111272008-04-19T20:57:00.003+10:002008-04-19T21:04:32.014+10:00

Autumn has sprung, even here in the pathetic little area of our backyard formerly known as a garden. This is one of the best times of year to be in the capital - tomorrow morning we might (if we can force ourselves out of bed) go and see about 40 hot air balloons taking off from parliament hill, at the annual Canberra balloon festival (where else in the world will they let you do that, I

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-62333211991342095302008-04-16T20:05:00.002+10:002008-04-16T20:08:13.668+10:00

Never, ever travel over more than one time zone with a 15-month old...The LM is still on South African time, waking up in the middle of the night wide-awake and demanding attention. Not good for the nerves, I tell ya.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-86975484755789532242008-04-13T22:40:00.005+10:002008-04-14T22:32:04.520+10:00

We arrived on a sweltering hot day in Johannesburg, but the arrival hall's ventilation was down. And, after negotiating our re-entry into the country of our birth via a sour-faced immigration official, so was the baggage delivery belts. Everybody's luggage (about six international flight's worth) were unceremoniously dumped onto the floor of the baggage hall. For a moment there, I was

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-47436741642517375652008-04-09T20:22:00.003+10:002008-04-09T20:30:33.965+10:00

Well, we made it back from our South African sojourn in one piece. We haven't lived there for almost eight years, and this time back we really felt more like tourists than returning citizens. It was memorable, scary, crazy, beautiful, exciting, nostalgic, horrible...(not necessarily in that order). Everyone survived (more or less). But more about that later. Still have to catch up on some

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-25409179655367973242008-02-27T19:01:00.001+11:002008-02-27T19:02:10.558+11:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-90898504866769456722008-02-26T17:36:00.003+11:002008-02-26T17:40:28.510+11:00

We toured some of the local wineries on Sunday - excellent wine, and only a stone's throw from Canberra, too. And we also saw this at one of the farms:

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-65365797097999132972008-02-18T20:46:00.001+11:002008-02-18T20:52:13.519+11:00

Click on the pic to enlarge, then you'll see what I mean. One of the first photographs I took with my new toy... :)

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-34658614477187288482008-02-13T07:17:00.000+11:002008-02-13T07:36:38.284+11:00

And we all thought paper and scissors only made snowflakes and paper dolls...There's an interesting hoax e-mail doing the rounds, showcasing incredible paper art, and claiming that it was: Entries for an art contest at the Hirshorn Modern Art Gallery in DC. The rule was that the artist could use only one sheet of paper. The art is real, but the gallery in question didn't hold the competition,

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-47279551583472259492008-02-10T20:04:00.000+11:002008-02-10T20:06:21.188+11:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-67734656934027220242008-02-02T17:38:00.000+11:002008-02-02T17:40:48.914+11:00

Do not, under any circumstances buy headphones on e-bay. Most of them are counterfeit, as I found out this week.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-34763768301251084242008-01-31T19:47:00.000+11:002008-01-31T19:59:39.957+11:00

Yesterday, we drove to Goulbourn, a pretty country town about an hour's drive north of Canberra, where we saw this:We also saw the LM's orthopedic surgeon, who told us that Martin's feet were fine, wonderful and perfect, and we only need to come back to see him in a year's time. So now we've reduced the Wearing of the Shoes to sleeptime. Whoohoo!I was also informed by the Powers that Be, that

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-68082417065812465552008-01-30T19:23:00.000+11:002008-01-30T19:32:02.880+11:00

Some nice gentlemen are coming to Canberra to perform their acclaimed stage show, "Puppetry of the Penis." I kid you not. Apparently, the show revolves around two grown men prancing around on stage, wearing nothing except for little doodads on their penises. Or something like that. And where are they performing, you may well ask, surely it will be in the seedy nightclubs on the far side of

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-33593862844395904242008-01-27T07:51:00.000+11:002008-01-27T08:00:40.549+11:00

Yesterday we drove around the countryside outside Canberra (although some people might say that you can do that without ever leaving Canberra), just playing round with this vague idea that, if we had to settle here permanently (and it certainly starts to look like we might be here for a while), it might be a good idea to provide the LM with the same kind or rural upbringing that both his parents

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-21467981563343770932008-01-17T11:22:00.000+11:002008-01-17T11:35:04.369+11:00

We've bitten the bullet (only figuratively speaking, I hope), and bought plane tickets to visit the relatives in South Africa...We wanted to go for Christmas, but the LM only got his first passport in late December. Hopefully, we'll get his Oz visa sorted out before we leave, otherwise he'll have to live in the airport for the rest of his life (mmmm...). I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-48213817166196639642008-01-01T21:40:00.000+11:002008-01-01T21:53:33.800+11:00

Martin's new ability to move around has made his brace quite lethal...he does some high-kicks that look a lot like Capoeira style, the Brazilian martial art (wait for the end of the video below)...I already received one on the cheekbone, and my knees have been severely damaged.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-39256186784965910452007-12-31T20:39:00.000+11:002007-12-31T20:43:06.036+11:00

It's too hot down here...too hot to celebrate New Year's eve...too hot to do anything. Except drink things in long glasses with lots of ice.

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-66948432564821632362007-12-26T19:39:00.000+11:002007-12-26T19:46:59.179+11:00

The Little Monster finally managed to pull himself up into a standing position today...motivated by the allure of bright shiny knobs on the TV...Walking cannot be far behind, then. As his first birthday approaches, he has decided to change his sleep patterns, and the wife and I are starting to resemble zombies again. So much for a happy Christmas. Anyway. We bought one of those little

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-83647152835643240862007-12-23T20:06:00.000+11:002007-12-23T20:13:50.392+11:00

I used to write a story every Christmas, and we would send it to our friends with their Christmas cards. This year nothing happened, so here is one of the older stories:The King’s GardensOnce upon a time there stood a statue of an angel in an old garden, high on the hills above a small fishing village on the Mediterranean Sea. The gardens once belonged to a wealthy businessman, who liked to

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-75057997870960642382007-12-21T10:23:00.000+11:002007-12-21T10:24:25.982+11:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-83620753209735384122007-12-17T20:37:00.000+11:002007-12-17T20:48:28.416+11:00

On Saturday morning, at our usual early morning breakfast place (best coffee in Canberra, and cheapest breakfast), a little boy at another table pointed at the little monster's boots 'n brace, and laughed. His father scolded him, but I was still sad.------------------------------------------------------I just learned over at The Neil's blog that the amazing Terry Pratchett, author of the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-70617539365825117942007-12-08T11:29:00.000+11:002007-12-08T11:34:59.566+11:00

This week everything (it seemed) broke down. First, the vacuum cleaner died. This was disastrous, because the little monster had just learned to crawl forward, at high speed, and suddenly every dirty floor in the house became within his reach. Then, the washing machine started leaking. And, to top it all off, on Thursday the indicator stalk of the Volvo snapped in two ( leaving me wondering

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-31439709101909826802007-11-25T21:56:00.000+11:002007-11-25T22:11:25.762+11:00

While the whole of Oz were getting ready to cast their votes to get rid of their current Prime Minister, we drove down to the fly-infested beautiful NSW south coast for a quick holiday - mostly to allow the Dr to catch her breath before starting her new job on Monday...We had four days of rain, but all was saved by one glorious Saturday (election day) of sunshine (we should have guessed - the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-74122904990458007622007-11-18T09:09:00.000+11:002007-11-18T09:18:28.962+11:00

Right. So, where was I? Oh yes, some good news (I think). Mrs B was offered (and accepted) a permanent position here in Oz, at the big flagship research organization where she currently occupies a post-doc position....There was even some sort of a bidding war going on between two groups to get her! It's a big jump up from her current temporary post-doc position, and will give us the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-52114781168553418362007-10-23T19:14:00.000+10:002007-10-23T19:24:11.172+10:00

While the Boks were busy getting ready to trounce England in the Rugby World Cup Final, I was lounging around in a little metropolis called Sydney. Although we've been to the Sydney Children's hospital before, I've never been downtown (where most of the tourist attractions are). And quite a lovely place it was too. I gawked at all the lovely people in their designer outfits, (and their

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-1375673283585552672007-10-23T19:03:00.000+10:002007-10-23T19:11:50.713+10:00

Sergei Lukyanenko - "The Night Watch". The first in a series of supernatural thrillers with a Russian twist - a sophisticated read interspersed with references to Russian literature and pop culture...With a cynical look at modern-day Russia, where even vampires have more morality than the country's corrupt leaders. The only drawback is the sometimes sloppy translation - the publisher seemed to

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-21351181143558157542007-10-11T19:19:00.000+10:002007-10-11T19:21:09.815+10:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-35468750231968054942007-09-29T18:59:00.000+10:002007-09-29T19:06:47.606+10:00

It's springtime here in the Capital Territory, and so Hannelie & the Little Monster went to Floriade last week...I was sick (again), and couldn't join them. Floriade is a huge annual flower show (biggest in the southern hemisphere, so they tell me) staged here in Canberra, in Commonwealth Park, on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. Masses of flowers everywhere.The LM seemed to have enjoyed the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-50757605066451594312007-09-29T18:58:00.000+10:002007-09-29T18:59:24.018+10:00

We finally have e-mail again...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-51846184336270736672007-09-26T19:33:00.000+10:002007-09-26T19:38:22.284+10:00

If anybody has been trying to reach me via e-mail over the last couple of days, sorry I haven't responded. Our brilliant Internet service provider, Grapevine, crashed their e-mail server on Sunday, and it hasn't been operational since. Sometimes I wonder about Australia...Every now and again something happens that reminds me of the kind of third world attitude I last experienced in certain

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-37702236436762770282007-09-25T07:41:00.000+10:002007-09-25T07:44:34.632+10:00

Yesterday morning the radio traffic guy warned motorists in Canberra's CBD to be on the lookout for a few wild kangaroos, hopping around in a parking lot in the city centre. They don't call it the bush capital for nothing!

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-69315103648450078652007-09-19T21:16:00.000+10:002007-09-19T21:18:45.061+10:00

I got a belated birthday cake at work today (thanks for reading the blog, Meredith)...So it's going a bit better today...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-63846590500164633642007-09-18T20:17:00.000+10:002007-09-18T20:23:07.308+10:00

Today is my birthday (no, I won't tell you how old...very old, based on how I feel right now). I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself right now, Mrs B has gone to Hobart (Tasmania) for a conference, so no hugs and kisses for me today...Baby Martin also threw a screaming fit when I tried to dress him after his bath earlier tonight - not a hug from that one either. Even at work today, where even the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-66729595363745918032007-09-12T21:56:00.000+10:002007-09-12T22:08:02.833+10:00

It's time for the Rugby World Cup again, which is about the only time I feel any nostalgia for South Africa, and readily admit to being one. Although we'll probably lose again...Those Kiwis look pretty tough to me. Anyway. There are a lot of Afrikaans to be heard in Canberra these days...but we have learned not to introduce ourselves when stumbling upon an Afrikaans-speaking mother out

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-21051182877085506692007-08-28T19:35:00.000+10:002007-08-28T19:57:13.623+10:00

I've been struck down by the mighty Australian flu & cold bugs again (for the third time this winter), this time with bronchitis. But, while I'm wheezing and coughing my lungs out (so I'm told), all is not doom and gloom.Well mostly it is, but have you heard about the marvelous new invention by the makers of Google Earth? Now you don't even have to go outside anymore to look at the evenin' sky

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-18512783352379067442007-08-18T18:44:00.000+10:002007-08-18T19:08:28.259+10:00

We had a good trip - the orthopaedic surgeon was satisfied with Martin's progress, which was great news. Afterwards we drove down to the coast through the extremely picturesque Kangaroo Valley, where all the Sydney gentry have their summer homes and keep their thoroughbred horses, or something to that effect. The so-called Princes Highway (if you can call a one-lane back-road a highway - gee, I

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-33866272090418855062007-08-07T20:16:00.000+10:002007-08-07T20:23:38.602+10:00

After hinting at it for several weeks, the little monster decided to change his usual sleep pattern tonight, leaving his parents befuddled, tired and cranky. It will be a long, hard slog to re-train him in the art of self-settling...We're taking him to see his orthopaedic surgeon Friday, and afterwards we're going down to the coast for a five-day break. That is, if young master Martin (as the

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-91955276615001675432007-08-03T10:21:00.000+10:002007-08-03T10:27:54.503+10:00

"I had a shitty morning" the teenage girl in the seat behind me said to her friend, "but, then I got some drugs, and now life is good.""It's my birthday," the young girl in the seat in front of me shouted into her cellphone, "I have to get drunk! There better be a bottle of scotch waiting for me when I get home!""I hate Canberra," the girl behind me said, "I hate all the people here." She started

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-69063678830964302672007-08-02T20:52:00.000+10:002007-08-02T21:00:34.182+10:00

We spent a few harrowing hours at the Canberra Hospital ER on Tuesday night, after Baby M was diagnosed with bronchiolitis by our GP, who immediately sent us to the emergency room to have oxygen administered. (That was after his colleague diagnosed Baby M as having asthma the previous evening, but that's another story). Luckily we could take him back home with us in the wee hours of Wednesday

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-14921837951896950062007-07-18T21:38:00.000+10:002007-07-18T21:41:51.325+10:00

So, the snow didn't quite make it to Canberra today...However, the mountains surrounding the city got a fair dusting, though. Eucalypt trees covered with snow, and kangaroos hopping around in the white stuff...just doesn't sound right, does it?

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-12440451725653015392007-07-17T19:14:00.000+10:002007-07-17T19:17:29.918+10:00

Just look at the weather forecast for tomorrow here in Canberra...Yes, this is Australia...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-74290644237620014392007-06-26T19:28:00.000+10:002007-06-26T19:37:36.378+10:00

It's been raining steadily all day, and this afternoon while driving from work, I noticed a dusting of snow on the mountains surrounding Canberra. Apparently, this kind of weather used to be the norm, up to five or six years ago, when the drought started. Hopefully this change in the weather will continue for the rest of winter...The place looks really miserable when it's bone-dry at the end

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-12347375387371936472007-06-21T18:57:00.000+10:002007-06-21T19:04:27.205+10:00

I'm currently stuck in bed, with the same cold that's been circulating around our family for the last two weeks or so. First Hannelie had it, then Martin, and now I've got it.With the snow that fell on the mountains around Canberra this past week, it is only proper to think of Christmas...and it gets even better when you actually receive a box of goodies in the mail! Shelly, who is currently

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-80309273456125392762007-06-19T20:28:00.000+10:002007-06-19T20:34:48.907+10:00

Hannelie (finally) finished another quilt, one she's been working on for a while now, during those tiny periods of restfulness in between bouts of screaming babyness. Here's a peek at the finished product:And in more detail...Now we just need to change the rest of our furnishings to fit in...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-64853469446299014822007-06-17T19:56:00.000+10:002007-06-17T20:06:54.494+10:00

What news?, you say, and I'm thinking, I can't write about the weather again, that would be like, soo lame. Although New South Wales did get hit by a killer storm, resulting in a deluge which swamped homes and destroyed roads, sometimes while people were still on them. Even a big coal tanker got stuck on a sand bar because of the storm surge, and there she still lies, leaching oil and whatnot

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-55900024646813688112007-06-06T20:35:00.001+10:002007-06-06T20:36:46.481+10:00

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-74806181353534629952007-05-24T19:01:00.000+10:002007-05-24T19:22:09.694+10:00

Just a very quick post to say that I'm still alive (just incredibly busy). Remember to breathe, as Ampersand Duck always says. In the meantime, you can check out the incredibly cool Bookcrossing Catch/Release Map, giving a real-time view of world locations where books in the wild are released or caught. What do you mean, you haven't heard of Bookcrossing before? Just go their site by

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-66365178261665891542007-05-13T21:38:00.000+10:002007-05-13T21:52:37.494+10:00

We are slowly returning to our usual (pre-baby) weekend activities, such as having Saturday breakfast at a nice breakfast place, or exploring the Canberra surrounds. Baby permitting, of course. On Saturday morning we had some excellent fare at the Pancake Parlour in civic. A very nice breakfast it was too, considering all their produce are either free-range or organic,and they do the most

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-81615218018163739482007-05-08T21:41:00.000+10:002007-05-08T21:43:19.693+10:00

And in other news, a local radio station announced today that it will host a wife-carrying contest, in which the winner will receive his wife's weight in beer (!).

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-7843460952869763772007-05-06T22:03:00.000+10:002007-05-06T22:13:39.739+10:00

We visited the village of Bowral on Friday, where the little monster's orthopaedic surgeon gave the thumbs-up to his feet's response to the surgery. We almost didn't make it on time, because we got snagged in a traffic jam just off the highway, somewhere between dungtown and buggerup. Small towns shouldn't have traffic jams, in my opinion...But this close to Sydney, every little backroad turns

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-50274257486554496572007-04-29T17:06:00.000+10:002007-04-29T17:09:19.849+10:00

Seen on a menu board in a restaurant in Bungendore today. What discerning taste these Australians have...Guess they're not worried about mad cow disease over here...

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-85499293785322070072007-04-25T19:29:00.000+10:002007-04-25T19:44:31.254+10:00

It's Anzac day today (sort of like Remembrance day in Canada), and, unfortunately, the last of a string of public holidays that we've had in April. The next one is in June, I think.On another note, the other day I drove past our local police station, and was surprised to see electric fencing around the edges of the roof...I wonder who they're afraid of, and should we be worried?Here's a new pic

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-48769081819133576682007-04-22T19:00:00.000+10:002007-04-22T19:09:43.554+10:00

Apologies for the long silence, but I am (some would say unfortunately) still alive here in the upside-down-land, having successfully fended off sick babies, pending bankruptcy, mental breakdowns and demanding bosses. Anyway. Autumn is well and truly here, and we went for a delightful stroll this weekend along the shores of Lake Ginninderra, a lovely lake close to our house. We even saw

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-18516037714340404042007-04-11T20:12:00.000+10:002007-04-11T20:25:18.200+10:00

It's autumn in Canberra - glorious, mild days followed by cool nights, and beautiful autumn colours put out by those pesky 'imported' northern hemisphere trees. This weekend it's the annual hot air balloon festival along the shores of lake Burley Griffin, apparently a sight to behold as the early morning fog swirls over the lake. We'll try to catch it, Baby willing (we stayed home most of

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-72859972074151309252007-04-06T19:45:00.000+10:002007-04-06T20:03:28.979+10:00

Somebody told me recently that Australia is the only western democracy without an official Charter of Human Rights. Don't know if it's true - but if it is, it's shameful. There was a big fuss here about the way the Australian David Hicks was treated by the Americans at Guantanamo Bay - 5 years without a trial, alleged torture, etc. Well, this from a country without any human rights legislation

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-27312694320923170402007-04-01T21:53:00.000+10:002007-04-01T22:09:15.097+10:00

I'm totally knackered. We drove up to Sydney Friday morning, had them take off Martin's casts, and fit him with (very expensive) booties, and then drove back to Canberra an hour r so later. It didn't help that the wind was blowing like mad either - Volvos don't really like to be driven in high winds...(At least it wasn't a snowstorm, right?). Baby's legs looked great when the casts came off,

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14196642.post-24232302606069994922007-03-31T17:15:00.000+10:002007-03-31T17:21:04.367+10:00

Seen on the back of a transport truck on the way to Sydney:"Consultants are people who come down the hill to shoot the wounded after the battle is over"

HannesBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497363352396501100noreply@blogger.com1