ANZAC Day

It is three years ago today that I stayed up all night at a very cold ANZAC cove on the Galipoli peninsula in Turkey.

When I think back about that day I will remember amongst other things, the old people sitting in front from Perth - blocking our view in their chairs, the curious Turkish onlookers who were treated like brothers, the service starting well before dawn at 4:27 exactly, the time that the diggers stormed the beach, walking along the stony beach where so many died, going to the Australian service at Lone Pine and never before feeling so patriotic with so many other Aussies, seeing the girls in VB shirts having their photo taken with Turkish soldiers, watching the game of two-up being played by Aussie soldiers and backpackers and of course reading those immortal words said by Ataturk.

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives....
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours....
You, the mothers
Who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

Outdoor Exhibitions

I was thinking about other great photo exhibitions that I have been to after I wrote about the World Press Photo one and I remembered the few brilliant outdoor exhibitions that have been to around the world.

Earth From Above
The best would have had to have been Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Earth From Above. I was lucky enough to see this twice on my travels - during the same trip in August 2002 - once in Oslo and then again in Stockholm.

If you haven't seen the books and postcards it is a collection of his fantastic photos taken from helicopters from around the world all in large prints. Yann certainly has travelled around - lucky bastard - there are shots from every corner of the globe.


Earth From Above in Stockholm

M.I.L.K.
Saw this twice as well, once in Sydney in Feb 2003 and then again down in Melbourne a month later. It wasn't intentional to see it twice, but like the Earth From Above one, it was just the way it worked out.

I love these photos because they are all beautifully taken by normal people and full of emotion and sensitivity. If someone can tell me web address for MILK it would muchly appreciated.

The Millenium Family
I can't remember exactly the name of this exhibition but it was a collection that heralded the arrival of the new millenium with family portraits from across the globe.

I saw this on Hohenzollern bridge in Cologne, Germany way back in October 2000 as I was travelling through Europe and was transfixed as we crossed the Rhein to go to the Dom (seen in the photo below). The entire length on the long railway bridge was impressively covered.


On the Hohenzollern bridge in Cologne

Been to any good outdoor photo exhibitions?

I sent this email to an American friend of mine.

You might enjoy this site. This guy has had some fun with romance novel covers. A classic example is below.

Check them out here http://www.worldoflongmire.com/features/romance_novels/

He replied with the following ...

I'll get into the link later on, but have to say I don't get the joke/point/whatever of the one you've included here. What's the tweak? Am I supposed to recognize those characters or names? I don't get it.

My question is ... was it really that hard to get. My mate is a little bit on the older side, but has been around. I thought it was pretty obvious and very funny.

Maybe it is just my sense of humour ... or wording. Is it?

World Press Photo

I do love photography and in 2003 I went to one of the best exhibitions I have ever been to, and it was free. It was the World Press Photo Award exhibition at the State Library of NSW. Last year I missed out, as I was in PNG and this year it will be the same.

So for those lucky enough to be in a place where the exhibition will be travelling to I really recommend you to trot on over. The Australian exhibition will be again on at the State Library of New South Wales, Sydney between 24th of June and 17th of July.

You will get to see quality and topical photos like last years winner.


Woman mourns relative killed in tsunami, Cuddalore, India, Tamil Nadu, 28 December | © Arko Datta

Or 1st prize in the Spot News: Stories section, won by an freelance Australian photographer.


Tsunami aftermath, Aceh, Indonesia | © Dean Sewell

Previous years winners include images that surely everyone must know.


1968


1989

Well the Pope is dead and the press and news agencies have really gone to town. Even the Post Courier here in PNG here has devoted three pages to it.

There is no doubt that the old guy was an important figure - he is afterall the spiritual head of 1.2 billion people - but do they have to devote so much time to it. I like the comments made on Radar by Jack Marx, this guy is voicing my opinions exactly.

That he "redrew the physical map of Europe" or "changed the world" is nonsense - if it's not, someone should tell us exactly how he did these things, rather than simply alluding to the fact that he did.

The other thing that really irked me about the whole situation is how the faithful were praying and holding vigil in the hope that he made it through. Let the old guy go for God's sake! Clearly he was not in the best of health and would have been better off shuffling off the mortal coil, but no, the faithful were too selfish to just let him pass on.