Its been raining alot lately. In a way it is a welcome relief from the drought conditions we have had the past year or so in Australia. I'm enjoying the rain. Its great for quiet musings. The grey skies, the reflections on the water, and people sheltering underneath umbrellas conjures up a bit of romance. Call me crazy. Or maybe its because we have not had rain for a good portion of a year. Its been a long time coming. Anyway, I just wanted to write about the music I am listening to, which has now become one of my favourites for times that you want to reflect, to muse, and just stare outside the window. Also great for rainy days. The band is called Beirut. The album I am listening to now is 'The Flying Cup'.  (thats a cover for another album. I'm aware)
Lovely. On another note, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has officially said 'Sorry' to the 'stolen generation'. Basically it was an apology for the past wrongs done to the Aboriginal people here in Australia, for generally screwing around their lives. It goes deeper than that of course. At first it seemed like useless weepy-eyed rhetoric. But upon reading the people's reactions to the speech, and the emotional release that followed thereafter, I thought, maybe this symbolic gesture wasn't such a bad thing after all. Some cynics note that a mere speech will not get rid of aboriginal poverty, inequity, abuse, or 'petrol sniffing'. But I think it is so refreshing to see a new Australian Government acknowledging past wrongs, even if it is in essence merely symbolic. Some important things in the scheme of life are more than just the tangible things, it is things like this that somehow changes the dynamic and energy of a people in ways that we cannot see or describe. Like one person said it was like a chain was lifted off of them. The cynics can deride all they want. Great changes were made with changes of heart first. Mr Rudd, I commend you for stirring the heart of the nation today. 
(photos sourced from www.smh.com.au) In other sadder news, I was shocked to hear that one of our great Korean National Treasures was lost to fire. 
Its pretty clear now that it was general ineptitude that led to the gate being burnt to the ground. No doubt heads will roll for this. But apart from this, it is a huge loss. People crying in the streets as they looked on at the charred remains of the 610 year old structure, which dated back to King Sejong's era, the structure that defied and still stood despite countless wars, and turbulence. It was a comforting symbol of the tenacity of the Korean people, that despite all challenges, we still stood. Only to be burnt down to the ground in 6 hours, by a lone arsonist. The authorities failed to install the necessary security measures on what was regarded as Korea's Number 1 National Treasure. They installed a total of 8 fire extinguishers, 1 hydrant, 4 CCTV cameras. And at the time of the fire, there was no-one guarding the structure. I think a school or an office block would have more security than this. The fire department didn't have a clue about the internal structure and layout of the structure either. This may be trite, but it brought to mind the old adage: you don't know what you got until its gone. It is also embarrasing in a sense that we did not protect our so called most treasured asset even to a passable standard. Take home lesson: protect your assets. | 
