Aftermath/Recovery Blogs – Page 3

Experiences of Epiphany in the big Smoke – Part 4

Presenting the Aftermath story is quite emotional. I have to hold back tears as I hear Carolyn’s story once more, even though I know things are pretty cool for her family these days – it makes me think of all the people who have been forced to move away from the area.

News stories are about real people, and if everyone saw news about wars, floods, famine, the way ABC Open is covering them we might just fix the world up a bit quicker.

A funny moment during the presentation is when my son is photographing us speaking and forgets to keep the flash down as instructed; I know flashes distract speakers and have instructed to him to not use it. I give him a little signal and this is immediately followed but not just by him – by the whole audience – who giggles. He is so cute – mini documentary maker in the making with his doting mentor mum forgetting about the audience oops. Later I will I mix many of his photographs into a slide show.

There are some special moments immediately after the presentation, like meeting Heidi Den Ronden who went through the floods in Brisbane, and a facebook buddy Clara Guy and her Mum.

Being the avid documenter I ask them all to be in photographs, but this time Roly and his buddy and Karen help take the photographs. There is one taken of me and and my son!

Most of the time it’s going to be him enjoying Brisbane in these pics so this ones a precious one.

You can read more about the presentation at the ABC Open blogs. Now I pick up the story after the presentation.

Saturday afternoon 10th March 2012

After the presentation it is time to devote some time to my dear son, he has been so helpful – handing out ABC fliers and being a junior ambassador for the program.

He is keen for the science centre but first we purchase some presents for the family as I am sure we wont get the chance after this. I find a book on women illustrators and collectors from Queensland and some illustrated science books. We find a limited edition owl necklace for my daughter and a grow a dinosaur in water egg, which is for my son to enjoy with his sister. He amazingly doesn’t opt to buy anything for himself.

We are given free entrance to the science centre by the museum staff, who realise I have just given a talk in their museum, this is a surprise that a keen ten year old develops springs in every single step from and my son is bouncing as if from wall to wall with energy drink delight. We head off to the science centre, and he has an absolute ball and sees some balls with very flash zippy lights in them too. First of all we solve a crime in a forensic exhibition. It’s an engaging exhibit and very hands on, encouraging kids to observe, reflect, take notes and put together all kinds of clues.

Then we go to the science show, which is announced on the loud speakers. Here my son’s hand is up for every question. He loves it!

Science Show _Brisbane March 2011 127 — Science Show presenter – notice the halo!- By June

We learn about the nature of light – and I have the feeling that this is something my son is never going to forget. Our presenter for the day invites lots of audience participation and has a wry sense of humour poking fun mostly at himself. We see demonstrations of reflection, refraction and the colours that make up white light.

My son impresses the presenter so much with his enthusiasm that he talks to us at the end. Turns out he has connections to Tully – small world hey!

Now we explore the rest of the exhibit. My son has fun with this optical illusion which results in his head appearing on a platter. Needless to say every second parent was taking this photograph of their kids in this exact pose. Can you work out how they did it?

Brisbane March 2011 151 — Illusion time – June Perkins

Now for the sporting fanatic a short sprint and a chance to be timed is just the ticket.

There is so much more, and of course I took a lot more photographs, but you should probably just visit the museum so I won’t spoil it for you. It’s probably worth making my son a photo book of our visit – he loves looking through our holiday pictures so much.

So that was Saturday afternoon – luckily they had places for exhausted parents to sit, as I was feeling a bit worn out by my bounding happy son. Next stop – off to the station to be picked up by Karen – and a visit to the cinema to see HUGO – a wonderful film and a post in its own right – a movie review. And as for Sunday – we went for a pilgrimage to the outside of the GABBA and on a ferry trip. All that to look forward to in my next posts on our trip to Brisbane. I want to write this up the whole trip so my son will have a this blog to refer to in future times. It takes me back to the whole reason I started a blog, which was to document and share our family’s special events. I better write up my parent’s in law’s fiftieth wedding anniversary at some stage – and our visit to Melbourne, but I was just too busy enjoying and photographing it to write it at the time.

(c) June Perkins

Experiences of Epiphany – in the ‘Big Smoke’ Part 3

Brisbane March 2011 037 — West End Markets – June Perkins

Saturday Morning 10th March

The morning of the aftermath presentation arrives and my friends ask if I’d like to go to the West End Markets before my talk. It seems like a good idea to quell the nerves.

It is something to behold though, we arrive to a mellow saxophonist sitting by the entrance. The car park is almost to capacity but we are directed to a spot near an oval and park a short walk from the stalls.

The market itself is a sea of people. We are moved on a wave of humanity and have almost no individual identity. Stopping to look at stalls is a mild relief but hard when you want to hop back on the wave and move. It’s crowd surfing on the edge for someone who now has the soul of a country girl.

My hosts are apologetic saying they usually come later and it’s not quite this fast moving sea. They are tired out by the moving wave. I stop to find some material made flowers, and the seller of these is a very arty looking young lady who also has an array of colourful scarves. I will place one in my hair as goodluck for the looming presentation.

I keep my wits about me, to make sure my son is not swept away by the wave. Karen orders some pumpkin and curry puffs for a small snack.

We head off to where there is usually music, but instead there is a loud performance and a couple of people are in what appears to be a television studio on the go. It could be pantomime, I am not sure. We don’t stop long. It’s not our cup of tea.

Soon we escape though and sit under a large avenue of trees and Daryl dives back into the sea to grab coffees and a hot chocolate for us.

Karen tells me that she grew up in the country too, and isn’t that keen on the state of the market today; they like to come when it is less crowded. She tells me about other markets in the area and their character.

Daryl tells us about the trees and how they had been roped off for a long while to recover from all the trampling on the ground near their roots andthe disease they had. Many trees have been lost. The hope is that the break from people and treatment will assist them to survive. I share a little of our lost trees in Tully and the cyclone hit areas. So many humans love trees – and associate them with memories. I wonder what happened to the lost Kauri Pine out the back of our old place in Feluga. It was so tall and so attractive to birds that nested there. Now it’s just a photograph. I wonder if the wood was put to good use.

My son chatters as well, about all the things dear to him and what he’d like to do for the rest of the trip. He is keen to go to the movies that evening or afternoon if we can.

Soon we are away again, back to Daryl and Karen’s for a brief break before heading off to a café near the Queensland Museum.

They drop me and my son off as we are there early to prepare before the talk – and they will return later. We are at The Café waiting for Miranda, Scott and Solua to arrive. We seem to be first on the scene. Whilst we are waiting we notice people hiring picnic baskets and going and sitting on the lawn to be served as if they are high class society people with butlers.

Miranda arrives with her brother Roly – and we take a table ready to have a last minute discussion before we head off to the Museum to present. Scott and Solua are not far behind and discussions begin.

I ask my son to photo document, and he takes to his task with relish. I realise how much he has been watching me take photographs. He is not at all scared to take on this role.

Brisbane March 2011 042 — Break from the Wave – June Perkins

To read the account of the Aftermath Presentation at the Museum click here. I’ve posted it at ABC Open. But our Brisbane Adventure doesn’t end there …

Wonder a Day 3: Mothers

Mothers are a wonder if they embrace this role and care not only about their children, but about other mothers.

This poster is inspired by that idea but also about special mothers who came together in response to Cyclone Yasi. They were the mothers involved in Operation Angel who raised and sent goods to mothers and other members of the Lower Tully community. Operation Angel is not just made up of mothers but they are at the heart of it.

Do you remember all the mothers in your life?

In many cultures Aunties are like mothers.

Mother figures can enter our lives at many points, acting as mentors, nurturers and steadying points.

Sometimes the mothering role is not well done and this can have far reaching consequences for the whole society, but an empowered mother, empowers others.

Ten Months on From Cyclone Yasi part 2

10 Months on from Yasi and we have a new pet Mynah bird – a cane toad of the sky – but it’s been removed from the gene pool to be our beloved pet. It fell out of a tree. Hubby and everyone love the bird. It is so sensitive and loves to snuggle up to us just like a kitten. We thought it had taken off yesterday forever as it disappeared from the house – but no it had gone to explore the garden and got trapped from some other bully birds. It was rescued, and unlike a kitten with some coaxing it could fly down. My hubby is enjoying holidays from teaching, and is relaxing ready for next year.

My youngest son remains and will ever be cricket obsessed. He is still a bit frightened of thunder storms. However, he can talk very matter of factedly about cyclones and he laughs and giggles a lot. He loves Copper and just this morning came to wake me up with the bird on his shoulder.

My daughter 10 months on is enjoying our tablet – we bought this on special and she loves taking panoramic photographs with it, and talking to her dear friend who spoke to us during Yasi. They have become even closer friends and met up in Melbourne in September and regularly skype each other. She smiles a lot.

I love gardens and take loads of pictures of plants, trees, light and am reading more about them. We won some plants in a school raffle, that was a big surprise and it included some books on rare tropical plants.

My eldest son is enjoying bonding with his brother and sister. He is kicking some goals for the future and ready to take on the world. He has come a long way from the boy falling asleep on the stairs in those days after the cyclone and is still in love with his guitar and now owns a bass as well. He is a man of few words and rarely talks about the cyclone, but is very caring towards his pets and his family.

Next year we are looking forward to the future and Yasi becomes a chapter of our story and we are ready for the next one. We are all mindful that for some this will take a year or more as they are still in the midst of recovery and without houses. We think of them and hope their new books open soon!

Launch of Cyclone Yasi Our Stories

Poets of Yasi, sometimes you can say more with less – the collection mixes it up with accounts or emotions that are sometimes expressed in poetry.

Seven of the Licuala WINQ writers took they time to contribute to the anthology of Yasi stories, four of them pictured here. Well done everyone for taking time out of clean ups and moves to write up your experience and share it.

Volunteers doing their bit for history, literature and thirsty launch attendees. A friendly bunch showing the community spirit of Cardwell is and strong. Cardwell Lions did a lot in the post Yasi clean ups even when they themselves had a lot to do! We love our volunteers on the Cassowary Coast, always thinking of others.

Catching up with Sue Tidey and meeting her hubby Robert was great. Wonderful contributors to the Cyclone Yasi, our Stories, who said it actually uplifted them to be included and to come along today.

We had fun discussing cameras, wildlife, ABC Open and blogging!

You can see more pictures of the launch here.

Watch out for a guest ABC Open post soon, but you can always find me here on my homebase blog.

Pearlz Dreaming.

For more details about the book visit Cardwell Historical Society.

For more go to the ABC Open Post on the Launch – Launch of Cyclone Yasi our Stories, Our Words.