yes actually.. a friend (who just happens to be Mohawk) was in a bind and needed a place to stay for about a month (his apartment building had burned down 'n he was being relocated but it would take some time) so I offered him a spare room.. as payment, because his income came from his handicrafts (which he lost a lot of in the fire) he offered to teach me how to make dream catchers while he 'restocked'.. we had a great time creating new designs and even realized some of my jewelry ideas.. I still dabble but LIFE keeps getting in the way.. lol.. if time permits, I'll be going to the pow wow this summer though.. but I have to go to the reservation before that cuz I need to restock on some sinew, bone beads and feathers.. but it was a wonderful growing experience.. listening to his stories.. discovering a new culture and like with Obaachan.. discovered a deeper respect to all things living.. amazing people.. to this day I still carry the medicine bag he made for me out of deer hide.. their annual pow wow happens typically between the 10th and 15th of July.. if you're ever out this way then.. you'll have a REAL treat.. the pow wow also offers native food dishes and other unique items for sale.. including clothes, moccasins, belts, head dresses.. etc..

with the lot out your way.. I'd imagine you've some experiences with the aboriginals as well?

Strange how things turn out isn't it? One day you're living in total ignorance of a culture and the next day your living it.

Indeed i have been fortunate enough to spend a little time learning about the aboriginal culture....although this is just one of those 'scratch the surface' experiences as the aborigine people are considered one of the oldest living indigenous people in the world. Their culture dates back thousands of years...and is extremely deep and very spiritual. They blow me away with their inbuilt knowledge of their land...i've been out in the bush with the aboriginal people and kids as young as 3yrs old are able to spot djanda (goanna) in the bush from distances that would astound you. Truly!...i couldn't see them until i moved closer to the tree in which the critter was completely still...and even then i had trouble. The kids of course thought me blind! I have a few stories of that time, but one that stands out is when we went swimming in the river...never swim alone in any body of water in the Territory....trust me on this. Splashing around and cooling off in the Daly was awesome on one particularly hot day...when the kids started yelling and pointing at the river. Believe me when i say i didn't hesitate or look around to see what they were pointing at...i got out of that river quicker than i ever thought possible. As it turned out...there was a croc in the water not far from where we were swimming. Crocs are territorial, and this one decided to explore a new territory....much banging and slapping of the water deterred the croc from stopping there. That was pretty scary.

I was most privileged to receive an aboriginal painting from a very prominent artist in the Territory, which i have hanging proudly on one of my walls. The painting depicts the area she is from (Daly River) and is of turtles...which is one of her favourite foods. I would love to spend more time in that community, and if it be so...i will, but am grateful for the time i did.

Sorry for the edit...i dislike typos.

WOW.. how cool.. and how lucky for you huh.. but no worries.. since my 'memphre' encounter.. I've not had any desires to enter any type of body of water.. other than a pool! Thankfully I'd already done some coral reef snorkeling(in Grand Cayman & Dom. Republic).. although I DID jump in with the dolphins(in Cuba).. but I hear they're naturally feared by other voracious fish so.. felt safe enough however I did decline jumping off the catamaran into the Atlantic Ocean.. ya never know what yer gonna bump into.. and I'm a Justin Case type of gal

that's a great memory.. and agree.. we both are blessed to have some extraordinary tales to tell of cultures we've lived.. I think to date my most fascinating one (the most adventurous goes to Egpyt LOL) has been Malta.. Mind you.. I was like a kid in a candy store in Rome (my 'guide' is an ancient histories professor.. what a Treat THAT was) and got to see things well apart from the typical tourist traps.. but Malta was simply surprising.. and Valetta's beauty is it's unassuming simplicity.. their buildings seem plain and un-noteworthy.. but they hold treasures beyond belief.. marvels actually.

but I ramble.. one day though I will return.. as I will to Greece

so people.. come join in.. tell us about YOUR story

hey K do you have any funny animal stories? (other than the scary croc one )

by the way.. is there any meaning behind ""Kahurangi""?

bump

seriously people yer tellin me that NO BODY is freezin their coconuts off 'n dreamin about a warm sandy beach somewhere..? no digging the car out from under 2 feet of snow at 5am so you can get to work??

which would YOU prefer... THIS or THIS

I live in Perth, Western Australia. It is hot and dry alot of the time but also a beautiful, clean city. Lots to see especially if you are a fan of the beach. I have always wanted to travel, and now that I am single again I might actually get to do it. I have been to Melbourne and Sydney and also travelled to New Zealand many times. Anyone with queries about Australia?

hi Jo.. welcome..

Kahurangi lives in Melbourne and she's been telling a lot about what she knows.. Perth sounds wonderful.. do you have any pictures you can post? I'd love to see them..

are there any places YOU'D like to visit outside of Australia?

Had a cocky once....but i didn't like it when they clipped his wings, so refused to get them clipped again. We became good friends and he would sit up on my shoulder and screech at anybody that came within 5ft of me, when he wasn't wandering around the property and doing as he pleases. (it was bliss when i wanted time out to myself). Of course the wings were always going to grow back weren't they?? So...i received the fright of my life when the little buggar decided to descend from the tree onto my shoulder via flight. He happened to do that whilst i was taking a little nap outside on a hammock...no prizes for guessing the tangle i got into and the cocky screeching like a mad thing following it. We were both somewhat dishevelled and glaring at each other.

Kahu in maori is hawk...rangi is sky. The language is read back to front at times...depending on the context on which it is meant. But there is no meaning to Kahurangi really...it's just something that popped in to my head at the time of signing up to Mingle.

Hi Jo ...Perth is probably the best place to be right now, with the floods in Qld and the fires in Vic ;-)

Edit to ask Jo if she had a good "Straya Day" :-)

Had a lovely "straya day" thanks, quite hot. I'll look for some pics to post. I have many many places on my bucket list - NZ South island, Europe (in particular Germany, France, England, Russia and Italy), Tokyo, New York, Canada and here in Australia I'd love to see Uluru, spend more time in Melbourne and visit Tasmania. Who wants to come travelling :)

I'll give this a shot.. a 'cocky' is, I assume, a cockatoo bird?

looking back I bet NOW it's funny huh.. but probably wasn't at the time..

sounds like yet another wanderer has joined our ranks.. hey K.. she wants to do Europe too.. maybe not for the same reasons though

so Jo.. where do you plan on starting first?

Yes he was a sulphur crested cockatoo...and i wanted to ring the little buggars neck at the time...but i couldn't stay mad at him because he was rather comical in his squawking, flapping manner :-)

Sadly...he ended up flying off with his cocky mates one day lol

I lived in Otautahi or Christchurch as it is commonly named for a couple of years wayyyy back in the early 80's (shudder @ the memory of the hairstyle i sported back then)...but they were good times!! So it would pain me to go back to see Christchurch as it is now, because it was once a beautiful city. Did you know Adelaide is a sister city to Christchurch? They both share similar architect with their cathedral and church like structures...thus Christchurch receiving it's name.

That is the one place i have yet to venture to here in Australia...Central Australia and Uluru<<----<<<apparently they say that big old rock can be seen from space.

the visual IS absolutely comical an old boyfriend had an all white one.. hysterical birds.. so I can see being pizzed off then busting a gut..

cocky buggers huh
too funny....

hellllllooooooo
helllllloooooo
hellllloooooo
helllllooooo
hellllooooo
helllloooo
hellloooo
helllooo
hellooo
helloo
hello

seems there's an ECHO in here






everyone must be all traveled out huh...

Oh so this is where all the colorful birds hang out

yup

although lately there's been a bit of an absence.. and I'm playin in ma sandbox all by me lonesome.. wanna play? you can borrow my shovel, dump truck and pail

Oooo aaah...sand sculptures. They are an annual thing down on the foreshore not far from where i live, and some of the sculptures are amazing...

This is but one of many....



And Penny Lane is definately on the check it out list in England Zee ;-)