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Welcome, strangers!

9/11/2022

2 Comments

 
By Harry Freeman

What would a family need to start a new life in a distant country?  Somewhere to live?  Learn a new language?  Find a way to earn an income?  And a school for their kids?  The list goes on – and on.
​
In July a report in the Post (Warm welcome awaits refugee family) told of how a Syrian refugee family will very soon be arriving in our community with all these needs and more.  They will arrive as part of a new approach to settling refugees on Humanitarian visas. It is known as the Community Refugee Initiative Support Program (CRISP), and relies largely on specially trained community groups to support the refugees for their first 12 months in Australia.

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Where’s the whatsit?

17/10/2022

4 Comments

 
PictureHarry Freeman reports a conversation that’s happening
more frequently in his household – as far as he can
remember. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
By Harry Freeman

“Where’s the whatsit?”

“The whatsit?”

“You know the hoojamaflip we got the other day to replace the one that broke.”

“Oh that. Isn’t it in the drawer with the others?”

“No, don’t you remember, the new one’s a bit bigger so it wouldn’t fit in there.”

“Ah yes, that. Let’s think, what am I looking for again? It’s blue isn’t it?”

“No this one’s red, don’t you remember anything?”

“In the circumstances that’s a bit rich isn’t it? Well, it might be near where you are right now. On the top, with the other thingummyjigs.”

“I can’t see it anywhere.”

“Do you need these steps? You might need to get up and look behind the other things?”

“Oh thanks. Let’s see – I’ll just push these what-do-you-call-its out of the way. Aha! What’s this?”

“Have you got it now?”

“Yes, here it is just where you said it would be! Thanks.”

“That’s great.”

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Welcome, strangers!

19/8/2022

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By Harry Freeman

WHAT would a family need to start a new life in a distant country?  Somewhere to live?  Learn a new language?  Find a way to earn an income?  And a school for their kids?  The list goes on – and on.

A report in the last edition of the Post (Warm welcome awaits refugee family) told of how a Syrian refugee family will very soon be arriving in our community with all these needs and more.  They will arrive as part of a new approach to settling refugees on Humanitarian visas. It is known as the Community Refugee Initiative Support Program (CRISP), and relies largely on specially trained community groups to support the refugees for their first 12 months in Australia. ​

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Gamble responsibly

24/3/2022

7 Comments

 
PictureHarry Freeman’s cautionary tale about a game of backgammon with a Kurdish carpet seller in Turkey which nearly ended his marriage
By Harry Freeman

HAVE you ever been to Ephesus?

It’s one of those magical places that time and the world have literally passed by. A slow, winding river (appropriately known for many centuries in various languages as ‘the Little Meander’) carries sediment from the local hills, past the town and sets it down further and further to the west forming a new coastline as it goes. So what was for centuries a bustling and important seaport is now several kilometres inland and no ship has been able to drop anchor in its harbour for well over a thousand years.

But for many centuries previously the quayside at Ephesus received visitors from many lands, including such notable figures from history as Alexandra the Great, who was welcomed with pageantry into the city after his first major victory on his way to conquering the Persian Empire, and Cleopatra, who came here with Mark Anthony to assemble a massive fleet in their forlorn attempt to become the rulers of Rome.

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Jonathon Livingston Seagull: a diary

11/2/2022

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Part 1

By Harry Freeman

One Sunday afternoon in January my wife and I found a severely disabled seagull on the beach at Coronet Bay. After some debate we decided to bring it home. It was only later we discovered the bird was keeping a diary.

Day 1
I have no memory of how it happened but there I was, dazed and shocked, stuck halfway up the beach, unable to move a muscle in my body except for my beak. And that wasn’t a lot of use because when I tried to call out no sound emerged.
Picture
Photo: Toby Hudson

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