An Age of Magic

Stone is built to last…

We had another pretty spectacular storm last night – one aspect about living in southern France is the rather pretty lightning shows you get whenever there is an electrical storm. It is all to do with the weather you see; all this heat and humidity and then the cooling down thing…I think that’s how it works anyway. We have already seen what a truly big tempest can do to this region when our enormous oak tree was blown over back in February – which explains why the houses here are built from stone rather than just ordinary brick or cement. I wonder if even steel buildings would stand up to the fierce winds that we get here.

Nevertheless, one thing that usually pays a price is the tv antenna which never withstands the high winds and strong storms…we always have to reset the darn thing!

Popularity: 20% [?]

A move back to mobile homes…?

Mum has been telling me that Australia has record levels of homes being repossessed and homeless people – while at the same time immigrants are arriving getting access to all the jobs and housing. Another friend told me that in Sydney it is impossible to get a job unless you wear a turban or are asian or a foreign student…

I remember back in the 80’s when manufactured homes were an economical way to get into a first home especially for young couples but I wonder if those days still hold true. Park rents went up when we were in recession and even retirees found it hard to maintain their mobile homes. Still it remains though that Australians are finding themselves being sidelined in their own country as Kevin Rudd has undone all the work John Howard did to decrease levels of immigration. My son has been unemployed for three years – and yet in his area the shops are almost exclusively staffed by Indian and Chinese students who can barely speak english.

Whose country is it now…?

Popularity: 23% [?]

My advice…go back to road maps!

We have just completed a major road trip through France, Spain and Italy and the one huge headache we had was following the new navigator that we bought recently. I have since wondered how many marriages have foundered since these new gps systems became commonplace in people’s cars…?

We got lost so many times, ended up on rural roads, farm tracks and private drives that in the end we gave up and got out the good old road map. At least it doesn’t talk at you in some annoying voice!

Popularity: 42% [?]