Month: <span>April 2006</span>

Audio from the Age website by Rev. Kevin Rietveld (whom we know rather well) on the riots in Honiara.

Read the current article here.

I bet the Honiara Hotel’s burnt to the ground.

In my last post forgot to mention why China Town in particular has been targeted. Again it has to do with bribery and wealthy business owners – who are often Chinese. Quite simple really. Some say it might have been intentionally planned by someone in a power position. Whatever the case, it’s not good. Not many of our fellow SITAG’ers are over there at the moment, just the Ashely’s – the others are out in their villages and shall be staying there for sometime I should think. The Rietvelds are there but they live far enough out, I hope that for the sake of those of us over here that Uncle Kevin (not literal uncle) will continue updating Australia.

This reminds me a small way of what we dubbed Ground Zero (see photo) and the burning expats car on the way home from Emily Mudges, the day we had to get police escorted.

As said, it’s a different kind of violence this time. I don’t know how the Aussie troops are going to help things. More like build further resentment.

Honiara’s burning, honiara’s burning
Fetch the engine, it’s probably broken down
Fire, fire,
Riot, riot
pour on water,
pour on Sol Brew

“The public violence yesterday shows the public’s dissatisfaction over the election of Snyder Rini as the country’s new Prime Minister.”

“I can assure the people this country that my new government I will continue the programme of peace and reconciliation, economic recovery and sustain RAMSI in Solomon Islands so that the country will enjoy peace.”

“Honiara residents woke up this morning to find China Town in total ruins.”

I have been meaning to say something about Solomon Islands politics for a while now- however the names and the process confuses me so I’ve steered from doing so.

If I had been listening to the radio this morning I would have found out about the rioting, the destruction of China town and the newly elected Prime Minister. This from an Australian broadcast, which indicates the severity of the problems. Instead I happened to overhear my Dad talking on the phone to my Oma, who unlike me, had been listening to the radio.

By this afternoon there will be more Australian troops making the three and a half hour plane trip to this pathetically screwed up, once beautiful, ‘happy isle’.

The election was as much of a concern before even the response kicked in. Solomon politics when it comes down to it, is nothing like Australian politics – perhaps some of the methods might be the same, but it is fraught with corruption. Bribery is a well known fact, and wantok business is abused from it’s usual friendly survival means. Loyalty is first and foremost to your wantoks – your clan, your relatives. If you are in some way minutely related or have some connection with those in power, you will vote for them (if you vote at all – it is not compulsory) regardless if they will do the country no good, loose the very minimal dollars poured into the place by the Chinese government or whoever it is “willing” to offer aid. Aid that undoubtably is heavily laden with political motives. You will vote for you wantoks despite it being against advice from the Churches who have been stressing upon the public to vote against corruption.

Of the three candidates up for Priministeral duties, two are known to be corrupt – one (the one just elected) was the finance minister and who knows what he’s been doing with the money that’s meant to be sustaining and failing the economy. The third was an unknown.

None of the few men and one woman (that I know of) that could’ve possibly set the country back on it’s axle made it so far as to even become a candidate. These are well loved, well known individuals, yet loyalties die hard and those that are illiterate (which is a significant proportion of the population) are often too afraid or unsure to vote.

Oh, and – did I mention that one of the candidates (not sure if it was the guy that’s been elected) is under scrutiny by the courts? Judicial systems take too much time.

I did not know what to feel when I heard about China Town. I am deeply sad about the state of the country and it could be a selfish thing, but a great many memories that could’ve been revisited have now been destroyed. I remember many trips to China town. The Bulk store, Passions cafe, The Hot Bread Shop, QQQ (which is still standing), infact some of my earliest memories of the Solomons are of the shell shop, which did close later in China Town. This also means the outlook from the Australian war memorial will be entirely altered, the street is gone, burnt, destroyed.

… oh look, I just return to the Solomon Star website and find this:

“The result of yesterday’s election was influenced by promises of large sums of money, a former prime minister has claimed.

Francis Billy Hilly told the Solomon Star some MPs were offered between $30,000 and $50,000 to cast their vote for the winning candidate.”

Why is that not a surprise?

It is a hard thing to stand by and watch your first country wash down the drain.

The Age has an article here.

It sits in the driveway at last! No plates yet – they come by Friday, no insurance yet – still have to think about that, no finely tuned superbly running engine- still have to talk to Henry about that. BUT it joins the others in our too tight driveway and you are privilaged enough to see it though a very hastily taken photo – not from the best viewing position as Dad just restained the deck and you can’t really walk anywhere along it.

So shown here is what should be my pride and joy (but isn’t, simply because, hey it’s a car thats good but so what) maybe the novelty will grow on me… actually I know it will. So yes, it is my pride and joy.

I personally think it is far cooler than Laura’s even though hers is newer. Red cars go faster. Hahahha – although I don’t know if this one will.

It seems that the city and I are becoming companions over these few days ‘off’.

I went in today to take photos for my Urban Landscape assignment however I made the mistake of not having much of a plan. The images are in some way meant to fit together with you chosing from one of three categories, people, architecture, abstract – that’s me paraphrasingin the briefest possible sense. I wanted to do people but it wasnt too possible so I opted for the buildings/architecture one. I have come home with not much of a clue of what I actually took. Real smart Rebecca.

I ended up spending most of the afternoon hanging out with Paul. We wandered into Kings Domain to see if we could find the fire that claims ‘sacred ground’ by some non-melbournian Aborigines. It took us a while to locate it as we came in from the wrong spot, however eventually spotted a police car and so aligned ourselves and found their base camp. I did not use my camera. We also made it up the the Shrine, which I don’t think I’ve ever been to before so it’s probably a good thing, being Victorian that I now have. I’ve been to many other war memorial type places in my life but never the one in the ‘home’ location. It was alright, not as interesting as the Canberra one, the view from the balcony over Melbourne was fairly excellent.

A good afternoon, although I eternally fail to understand myself when I have those days where my thoughts refuse or do their worst to not make it into words – I can be entirely comfortable with who ever I’m spending time with, but just not be overly sociable/chatty. (Sorry Paul!)

Tomorrow morning I treck inward again, to use up the next film in the Queen Vic Market – to try do the ‘people’ one – so I’ve got some kind of choice of which I want to run with. Then on to ACMI to deal with the horrible assignment based around interactive exhibtions and other hideously tedious take a million notes because you have to hand them in things. That, or I’ll go to the Museum another Melbourne thing I haven’t made it to yet (did go to the old one a long time ago).

An early start for me, just wonder if I can possibly have the early night to match?

Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned them before, but at the moment some my most played (favourite) music is by The Shins.

I had them on in the car when Sam was with me one time and she dubbed my music intelligent-indie which I found thoroughly humorous. I suppose if you cared to genre dub it, it would be indie-rock or something. I’m hopeless when it comes to categorizing music.

Anyhoo. I really, really like the Shins. I first heard them on the Garden State sound track, traced my way to New Slang and discovered I liked the rest of it.

For the record, Sam doesn’t like it, Dad doesn’t really like it (despite finding an odd affinity with Sixpence – also my influence), Mum and Laura don’t mind it and Emily and Hannah were instantly won over and now slightly obsessed.

Just today a friend of mine was surprised by the fact that I also like Relient K – how’d they miss that?! I’ve been listening to them for a good few years now, discovered on impulse and a joint buy with Hannah of their Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right, But Three Do CD, by which we were immediately hooked and now own all of theirs collectively. “I thought you were more into accoustic stuff?” Yes, but… sometimes you need a change – to be honest RK is fairly accoustic in it’s own way.

I’m not into music where you cannot understand what’s being said eg. screamo. I’m not a fan at all of hiphop/rap type stuff nor what I call shopping centre music, although I’ve been slighly persauded to not mind a few due to influences of Jess W and her incesent playing of every single genre under the sun. I travel with Jess a lot and so have to put up it. She has not yet and will not ever win me to liking Bollywood.

The accoustic thing does explain a lot of my music, the more mellow stuff. Anything within and moving a bit on from the realms of Simon and Garfunkel is usually a winner.