We've actually had a winter this year in Brisbane but it appears that it's finally run its course. Today was quite a lovely day, not quite as warm as I expected although the evening was warmer. I'd been to the 5pm Mass at St Mary's but rather than get the bus all the way home, I got off in the City and walked back along the River Walk. But I was quite surprised how warm it was walking back, perhaps the captured daytime heat being radiated back from the cliffs?
I rather like the River Walk at night time as most of the cyclists have called it quits by then and there aren't all that many joggers either. Mostly walkers and the occasional folks fishing. The main drawback is that the City Cat ferries are on the night timetable and so there is only the chance of one or two going past while you're walking. I'm just a big kid at heart and the thing I love about the River Walk is that most of the way to New Farm it's on pontoons floating on the river itself. When a City Cat or other large and relatively fast moving boat goes by, the pontoons start undulating with the wake. I still remember the first time I experienced it, I got a real thrill out of it and I still do. So walking home on a weeknight evening during the peak hour rush can be quite a buzz as there's liable to be several ferries going by both ways. And so I can have regular bouts of walking up and down with the waves as the pontoons rise and fall. And why I love the feeling, I just don't know. But it is a simple and delightful pleasure nonetheless. Perhaps it is the feeling of being just like a kid again and enjoying something so simple with utter delight.
The next two weeks look like being very busy with me. Both weeks the Mondays are teaching days and then Tuesdays to Thursdays both weeks I'll be fully committed working with the NTEU at Griffith University. And then next weekend I'm attending a two day workshop on making digital stories at the State Library so I'm thinking this space could be a bit quiet for a while. That's as a result of my new role as convenor of the LGBT History Action Group at QAHC. So even if I did want to write something it could only be at night and I suspect I could be too tired (mind you it hasn't stopped me blogging even if it means I am falling asleep over the laptop).
But I do have some topics I want to write about. I really want to write more about Joshua the book and explain a little of what I mean when I say that readings that assume it's a straightforward story about invasion and genocide are likely to have been taken in by a surface narrative device and missed some of the more interesting and strange aspects that work to undermine such certain interpretations. And if I write on Joshua, then I'll have to write on Judges, not least because it opens giving a very (even more?) non-triumphalistic version of the events in Joshua. And I really want to say some more on Judges as carnival, a crazy topsy turvy world which bears little relationship to any history. I also want to write something on same sex love in Lord of the Rings. It's a trilogy that abounds with male-male love both within and across species and not necessarily couplist either. Mention of same sex love reminds me that I should do some thing more on adelphopoiesis and sworn friendships. I have also been reading some Aelred of Rievaulx and want to write something on that. And I still have to write something on prophecy.
But I can't see it possible in the next couple of weeks. What I might do is put up pointers to some of the interesting material you can find on my blog roll. I was checking out The Dunedin School this morning and there's some good stuff there that I reckon you should do yourselves a favour by exploring. And that's just one blog, albeit a group one, which gives it greater chances for consistently interesting reading. I might even consider a guest post or two. So if any of you feel an ovewelming desire to adorn my blog page with your thoughts drop me line and I'll see what we can arrange.
Otherwise I'll do what I can to keep this site interesting.
I rather like the River Walk at night time as most of the cyclists have called it quits by then and there aren't all that many joggers either. Mostly walkers and the occasional folks fishing. The main drawback is that the City Cat ferries are on the night timetable and so there is only the chance of one or two going past while you're walking. I'm just a big kid at heart and the thing I love about the River Walk is that most of the way to New Farm it's on pontoons floating on the river itself. When a City Cat or other large and relatively fast moving boat goes by, the pontoons start undulating with the wake. I still remember the first time I experienced it, I got a real thrill out of it and I still do. So walking home on a weeknight evening during the peak hour rush can be quite a buzz as there's liable to be several ferries going by both ways. And so I can have regular bouts of walking up and down with the waves as the pontoons rise and fall. And why I love the feeling, I just don't know. But it is a simple and delightful pleasure nonetheless. Perhaps it is the feeling of being just like a kid again and enjoying something so simple with utter delight.
The next two weeks look like being very busy with me. Both weeks the Mondays are teaching days and then Tuesdays to Thursdays both weeks I'll be fully committed working with the NTEU at Griffith University. And then next weekend I'm attending a two day workshop on making digital stories at the State Library so I'm thinking this space could be a bit quiet for a while. That's as a result of my new role as convenor of the LGBT History Action Group at QAHC. So even if I did want to write something it could only be at night and I suspect I could be too tired (mind you it hasn't stopped me blogging even if it means I am falling asleep over the laptop).
But I do have some topics I want to write about. I really want to write more about Joshua the book and explain a little of what I mean when I say that readings that assume it's a straightforward story about invasion and genocide are likely to have been taken in by a surface narrative device and missed some of the more interesting and strange aspects that work to undermine such certain interpretations. And if I write on Joshua, then I'll have to write on Judges, not least because it opens giving a very (even more?) non-triumphalistic version of the events in Joshua. And I really want to say some more on Judges as carnival, a crazy topsy turvy world which bears little relationship to any history. I also want to write something on same sex love in Lord of the Rings. It's a trilogy that abounds with male-male love both within and across species and not necessarily couplist either. Mention of same sex love reminds me that I should do some thing more on adelphopoiesis and sworn friendships. I have also been reading some Aelred of Rievaulx and want to write something on that. And I still have to write something on prophecy.
But I can't see it possible in the next couple of weeks. What I might do is put up pointers to some of the interesting material you can find on my blog roll. I was checking out The Dunedin School this morning and there's some good stuff there that I reckon you should do yourselves a favour by exploring. And that's just one blog, albeit a group one, which gives it greater chances for consistently interesting reading. I might even consider a guest post or two. So if any of you feel an ovewelming desire to adorn my blog page with your thoughts drop me line and I'll see what we can arrange.
Otherwise I'll do what I can to keep this site interesting.
The cliffs do radiate heat in the evenings - when I used to rockclimb, I always enjoyed an evening climb in winter if it had been a sunny day because the cliff would be warm to the touch. If there wasn't a freezing cold breeze, you could climb in shorts and a t-shirt, and be kept warm by the heat coming off the rock.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael - thank you for the comments.
ReplyDeleteThe link for the Dunedin School went haywire, though.
Fixed that. Thanks for letting me know.
ReplyDeleteYou're invited to make a guest post, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, but that will have to be at a later date, Right now, tutoring with first essay due n tomorrow that I'll have to mark plus union work building up to industrial action means I'm pretty flat strapped
ReplyDelete