Living Life Twice

As I drove home this afternoon caught in the freeway crawl and stutter, I had ample time to listen to the radio. I was hoping for some light relief. The announcer asked people to call in and talk about things that had fallen out of use, or gradually faded from view. I immediately had a connection to a conversation I had with some teachers the day before. We were discussing vocabulary development and the challenge that idiomatic language often presents for English language learners.   As we talked, the conversation turned to the fluid nature of language. Words come and go. Words fall out of use. Words that featured strongly during one’s childhood, may rarely be heard in latter years. For me, I think of words like, skedaddle, bonza, piffle and scallywag.   Each generation develops its own preferred word set it seems. – And so in an attempt to pay homage to at least one of those old words and prolong its use, I have written the following homage to that great littl...

At least once a week I get a book shop fix. I frequently visit Book and Paper in Williamstown close to where I stay when working in schools in Melbourne's Western suburbs. I usually grab a grab an after work coffee before wandering into the book shop further along Williamstown's Ferguson Street. I have been visiting this great little shop for the last four years. There is a sense of trust and a level of comfort in this book browsing experience. All my reading needs in the one small shop.  Today when I entered the shop, Sue, the owner greeted me with a knowing smile as she checked in new stock. She then purposefully moved out from behind the counter and walked to the back of the shop before quickly returning with a book and handing it to me. 'I think this book is one you'll love Alan.' I like that awareness; that sense of knowing me as a reader. Sue is familiar with my work and my purchasing history. This familiarity is re-assuring. It's a h...

In this past week I have heard the term, ‘reluctant writers’ on at least three separate occasions. It’s a term that causes me to respond. I feel the need to challenge its use. I try to do it diplomatically of course, but I do challenge it, as I did this week. When we talk of young writers in this way, we pull up way short of the mark. We need to ask why is this student behaving in this manner when it comes to writing? Asking  ‘why?’ is a key to finding out more about that particular young writer and hopefully what is inhibiting their enjoyment of writing. Invariably what is impeding the writer from experiencing a stronger connection to the writing task is confidence- or rather a lack of it. And if you dig a little deeper it is frequently connected to a poor self perception in relation to spelling. It may also be the challenge presented by the physical task of writing due to a lack of a fluent writing style. Sometimes it is related to matters of sight or hearing. For...

I have become a willing disciple of Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli-born cookery writer and chef. Born in Jerusalem he now lives in London. Last September I had the good fortune to visit his restaurant in Islington, London. It was an experience that has greatly influenced my culinary  endeavours since that time. I purchased Ottolenghi's book, 'Jerusalem' before I even left the restaurant in London, such was my admiration for the quality of the food I had eaten. Ottolenghi’s cooking style borrows from his Middle Eastern upbringing employing Middle Eastern flavours– with a western twist. His salads in particular have incredible textures and flavours that are bold and memorable.  The freshness of the ingredients, combined with the knowledge that the food we are eating is healthy, has driven my efforts in the kitchen to new levels. I am braver. I am more a confident cook following a summer of delving into my new book.  As recently as last evening I made a...

It was extremely hot in my world again today. This exceptional run of autumn weather persists. Breaking records, baking the earth around us and turning us towards the beach. Today we endure our eighth autumn day above 32 degrees (90 degree Fahrenheit) = a record! It was also a public holiday across Australia today. We had an action plan for the day. Get out early before it got too hot and take our grandchildren to the Mornington Regional Gallery to view a wonderful collection of works by Australian authors and illustrators for children books. It is currently on loan form the State Library of Victoria until April. We were looking for the story behind all those iconic books and the details of the illustrating techniques employed to create that special magic that is the picture story book. The children took their own sketch books just in case they saw something they might want to capture or imitate. For Vicki and I, it was a chance to more deeply connect with the work of author...

Sunni and Sass are still at an age where they enjoy my jokes. I am making the most of it. Whether at home just sitting around, in a café, driving in the car, or at the beach, they frequently ask, -Tell us a joke, PLEEEAASSE! So naturally, I oblige. I willingly embrace any opportunity to play the part of the story teller. The look of wonderment that quickly turns to puzzlement and then finally onto realization is a wonderful process to watch unfold. They can’t be too scarred. They continue asking to hear more.   At the beach today, Sass, aged ten, asked for a puzzle as we sat together on the sand. So, I willingly proffered the following standby… How far can a dog run into a forest? She immediately got that quizzical look on her face. -Followed by an audible, ‘Eh?’ Sass thought for a while, looked out towards the water before turning back to me and admitting, ‘I give up, tell me.’   So I showed her how to work it out. The sand became my teaching resource. Using a st...

Australia is one of the few modern democracies not forged in the fires of revolution. Its nationhood was achieved as the result of somewhat protracted debate. -Spirited, yet pragmatic debate, that found its origins in the 1880’s. Voices grew, the vision was shared and agreement was sought. Eventually on January 1, 1901 the separate colonies collectively became the states of the Commonwealth of Australia. The origins of our nationhood, engender a source of pride…   I doubt that there could ever be a revolution in our nation because when Australians get hot under the collar, they don’t storm the barricades,- oh no. When we Aussies get hot and bothered, we tend to storm the beach! Yes, we gather up our beach gear and hit the waves. Towels, hats, sunscreen, a pair of sunnies, swimming gear, umbrella, bucket and spade, a ball, flippers and goggles, surfboards, skimmer boards –check! Cool drinks, fruit, maybe something to read (book, magazine, newspaper) beach chairs –chec...

Yesterday I wrote about our record breaking Autumn weather and how we are enduring an unprecedented number of days where the temperature above 30 degrees (Celsius) If it continues until next Wednesday as forecast, it will represent the most days consecutively above the 30 degree mark. Well, today I have been thinking about that word ‘most. ‘ I began posing questions to myself. Questions involving ‘mosts.’ From there, a series of personal mosts began to form in my mind. I do this sort of thing quite frequently I must admit… The most number of people I have seen gathered in one place… Well, that was in New York City when I proudly took part in a peace march against the Iraq War. Almost 200,000 people participated   that day (in 2003 ) in what was a large scale peaceful statement about our collective concern regarding the invasion of Iraq .   The most daring thing I’ve done so far … White water rafting on the Barron River in Cairns , Queensland . Closely foll...

Australia has just endured its hottest summer on record. A late burst of rain prevented much of my home state of Victoria recording a summer of severe dry conditions. We live on the driest island continent on earth, but our weather is often contradictory. The intense heat across much of Australia this summer occurred at the same time as much of the Queensland coast experienced rain from major storm systems. We are now into Autumn and the heat persists. The average temperature in Melbourne for March is usually 24 degrees Celsius but so far we have not experienced a day below 30 degrees. This is setting a precedent. This run of above average temperatures is forecast to continue until at least next Wednesday with the temperature soaring to 37 degrees. This weather is taking us into new territory. It will represent the longest run of days above 30 degrees since records were first kept. I usually love facts. This one? –not so much.   Such a spell of hot days (and warm nights...

It is natural for teachers to want students writers to make progress. Unfortunately,it occasionally leads them to wrest control of writing away from students. As a result the methods used in some classrooms to teach writing convince the emerging writer that any control over writing lies entirely with the adult teaching it.  The teacher latches onto controlling topics like a bulldog latches onto a bone. This need to control  has it origin in their own writing history. Their actions are based on what they know about writing. Their teaching over emphasises the surface features of a text. It's about the writing, not the writer. Such approaches don't encourage brave actions on the part of student writers. Every day I work with young writers I talk about all of us being brave writers. -Writers who are fearless. Writers unafraid of  words and ideas. Writers prepared to experiment and explore our thoughts and ideas. We celebrate problems solved and discoveries made ...