k d lang

Smithy and I went to see k d lang in concert at QPAC last night. She's here promoting her new album, Watershed (which is No 1 in Australia). The concert was fantastic. k d just gets better and better. Her voice is awesome and her vocal control stunning. And she's funny and interacts with the audience really well - giving and taking presents, shaking people's hands, cracking jokes.

It's a privilege to hear one of the best singers of this century performing in a beautiful arena like QPAC's Concert Hall. The acoustics are brilliant and showcased k d's voice fantastically. The show was a really good mix of new and older material - Paydirt, Constant Craving, Western Stars, Miss Chatelaine - the only song she didn't sing that I think the audience expected her to do was Crying. But then I read in an article recently that k d believes recording that song was a mistake, although she didn't explain why. She sang Hallelujah instead - which could easily turn into her next signature piece. My favourite song of the night was Jealous Dog.

I've been a fan of k d's since 1985 and this is the third time I've seen her live. I've really enjoyed her musical journey and love the latest album. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

It was also fantastic to see k d's involvement with the Tibetan movement at the Canberra Torch Relay. I just wish I could have been there too.

Click on this link to see k d perform Hallelujah at the Juno Awards in Winnepeg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

Free Tibet

The recent events in Tibet have focussed the world's attention on China's continuing brutal occupation of Tibet and its people. China is in the spotlight like never before because of the upcoming Olympic Games. Whilst I've always held that the Games should never have been awarded to Beijing, it's been a fantastic opportunity to highlight the Tibet issue.

It's time the international community, which for so long has turned its back on Tibet and condoned its invasion by Communist Chinese troops, started to pressure China on its record in Tibet. It's time, I feel, for nations to start withdrawing their acknowledgement of China's sovereignty (historically dubious) over Tibet. Recent events have shown that the Chinese cannot be trusted with the welfare of Tibetans. Just as the 1989 protests were brutally repressed - just a few months prior to Tianamen Square - so the Chinese have similarly reacted in 2008.

A boycott of the Olympics may not happen but the least we can all do is boycott the opening ceremony. No athletes 'careers' will be harmed, but by the same token, China's "coming-out" party will be spoiled if no-one turns up and no one watches it on television.

I for one will not be watching one minute of the Olympic broadcasts. What will you do? Or does seeing your favourite athlete win a medal outweigh the lives of Tibetans?

Vale Sir Edmund Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary died on Friday 11 January 2008, aged 88. WIth him goes another piece of Everest history. Yet his name will live on for generations - not so much for being one of the first to climb Mount Everest - but for the legacy he has built in the villages that sit in Everest's shadow. Sir Ed's achievement is remarkable because he used his fame to enrich others, not himself. He dedicated 50 years of his life to helping the Sherpa people of Nepal. Setting up the Himalayan Trust, he has worked tirelessly to raise funds to build 26 schools, 2 hospitals, 30 clinics, an airport and many bridges. Scholarships support children and funds assist monks' educations as well as monastery repairs/improvements. The Trust was instrumental in helping rebuild Tengboche Monastery after it was destroyed by fire in 1989.

Trek in the Everest region and it's easy to understand Sir Ed's love affair with the people and the mountains. Most of us leave Nepal with a similar love and admiration for these tough but generous people. Not many of us devote our lives to making theirs better. Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the few that did. In my book, that makes him a real hero.

Standing in front of the statue of Sir Ed at the Sir Edmund Hillary High School in Khumjung, Nepal

Welcome to 2008

So another year begins. The old one finished in quite a spectacular fashion as a tropical depression took up residence just off the coast, causing near-cyclonic winds and whipping the sea into a frenzy. Torrential rain bucketed down forcing the cancellation of fireworks shows on both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. Smithy and I were up at the Sunshine Coast to see the new year in with friends. We set up our tent in B's backyard and crossed our fingers that it wouldn't blow down on us.

There were a few moments during the night when we were buffeted by enormous gusts of wind and I thought for sure we'd end up in the Maroochy Canal! But the sand pegs held and we ended up having a very snug and dry night!

We all spent the morning of New Year's Day leisurely sitting around the table on B's back porch enjoying a wonderful cooked breakfast of eggs, sausages (veggie and meat), mushrooms and haloumi and marvelling as squalls of wind and rain kept sweeping over us.

I've never seen weather like this at this time of year, but the born and bred Queenslanders assure me it's typical storm season weather and that every christmas it would be the same - and I thought it was only Melbourne where the weather was miserable at christmas time!

Our next big adventure is only four months away so we're starting to crank up our fitness regime with increased visits to the gym and bushwalking every weekend. We're booked to go on a 30 day trek into the Everest region to commemmorate the 55th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest. Very exciting! I'll be writing more about the trek and our preparations in my other blog http://allmoraineisterminal.blogspot.com.

Lily Rush and The Librarians

Telly on a Wednesday night just does not get better than this! First off, Cold Case with the delectable Lily. Tonight we find out if she survives the shooting from last episode. She must do! They wouldn't kill her off. Would they.....?

Then at 9.30pm the premiere of The Librarians on the ABC. I can't wait! Finally, a show about me! Well, not just me - all us wonderful librarians out there.

Once you've seen the episode, head over to Second Life on Thursday night, 1 November (7.30pm AEDST, 1.30am SLT (PDT) and chat about the show with other librarians at the ABC Auditorium, ABC Island Second Life.

Don't even think about ringing me up tonight. I will not be available. My seat in front of the telly is booked!

The big 5-0 creeps another year closer

Today is my birthday and I get to spend it at work - in my little windowless library. Not nearly as much fun as last year's birthday. For those of you who read my other blog http://allmorainisterminal.blogspot.com/, you'll know that this time last year I was trekking in Nepal. I woke up in Besi Sahar, spent half the day on a bus travelling to Pokhara, and then had pizza and birthday cake for dinner. Lovely!

Smithy is taking me out to dinner tonight. We're going to one of our favourite restaurants, the Tibetan Kitchen in West End, which I'm really looking forward to. I love their food. Mind you, with the Tibetan Moon Cookbook that Smithy gave me today, I'll be able to make all our favourite meals whenever we crave them. Mmm momos.....

Climate Change Ad by GetUp

Help GetUp screen their Climate Clever-er ad during the AFL Grand Final by making a donation to www.getup.org.au

See the ad here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W90bfVeNhY