History and Travel, my passions – welcome to my Postcards from Downunder. What is this about? Time travel, let me explain.
Since retirement in September 2020, I have been writing a public journal about things that interest me. My main focus is travelling. I write travel blogs, not the usual ones, I include the historical context of locations. I call it ‘Time Travel’, (you may understand it easier as the study of history). First a little about me.
A sixth generation Australian of Irish and Scottish extraction. Probable convict heritage, but certainly Irish economic refugees. I have worked as an Architect. was in harness to the now past Queen Elizabeth II (as an infantry soldier, then artillery officer). My work life was completed after 12 years as a construction project manager.
Interest Summary.
My general interests are diverse, I am tragically also passionately obsessive about just as many. I do write a lot about the following topics:
- Leadership lessons from history;
- History and its influence on contemporary life;
- Travel adventures; and
- Human passions: eating, architecture, spiritualism, artifacts, many others.
Obsessively passionate about Asian food, gardening, planting trees, cool cars, Persian rugs, fishing, literature, ancient history, Winston Churchill, and all manner of beautiful objects to fill your home.
Speaking with an Aussie Voice.
Not being an expert nor qualified in any of this I try to keep my ponderings ‘real’ and ‘grounded.’ Australian culture fascinates me, so I write specifically, intentionally with an Aussie voice. The only one I have, to do otherwise would lack integrity, to be something other than what or who I am. Australians since, say the South African Boer War of 1899, have injected their culture on the world stage, so I’m simply following national historical tradition.
Self-Deprecation, Twisted Language and Rhyming Slang.
Ok, I can’t help myself, self-deprecation is a constant sub theme in my writing. Brits and Kiwi’s get this, many other English speakers don’t. It’s often perceived as a lack of confidence, that could not be further from the truth. I would love to say its humility, but I would be getting above myself. It’s a similar aspect with Australians twisting of vowels, altering the strict meaning of words, and of course liberal use of profanity. What a bastard of a thing to underpin a national culture.
Jumping back to 1914, the year Australia entered World War 1. The Aussie subjects of George 5, King Charles 3’s, Great Grandfather: Well, they had turned the ‘King’s English’ on its head. ‘Bastard’ had become a salute of honour, praise, and respect. Only Australians would take another country’s derogatory terminology, spin it, give it a completely opposite meaning. It’s origins?
Perhaps started with British convicts, those from the ‘back blocks’ of London, those transported to Australia for petty crimes. Such people created a coded language ‘rhyming slang’, intended to be their own, intended to confuse those in authority.
Definitely an Australian motivation for such colloquial language is in large part a ‘thumb your nose’ approach to those who get above their station. Australians still aspire to an egalitarian society where no man is a King, and no man’s fine language makes him better than the rest.
Time Travel – Snapshot Postcards of History and Travel.
The term ‘Time Travel’ is used but not in the science fiction sense. You may prefer the simple term history. A theme of my writing is a consistent anchoring of the present in the past. For example, my adventure stories in Singapore, and Indonesia (click to read these adventures) always explain the historical context for the current events and subjects of my ripping yarns.
So why the description ‘Postcards’? ‘Postcards From Downunder’ is conceived like a traditional Postcard: short, subjective, first person, illustrated by photographs, spontaneous, and none to polished.
My Posts are supported by my own past reading, general life experience, and much research. So, I leave much available content out of my published Posts. Doing this in order to share my passion for the human experience presented through the lens of at least some historical content. I don’t want to lecture or be boring.
I include links to content outside my Webpage as well as links to other content contained in my page. Thus, I hope if you have a quiet moment, yes those are rare today, well delving into one of my Posts, following the bouncing ball of those links, may well give you half and hours entertainment.
Gonzo Journalism and the Travel through History.
I aspire to ‘Gonzo Journalism’: Hey life is a journey after all. I never claim objectivity, I insert my own bias, conscious or otherwise, in my stories. Energy, pace, and humor are as important as the event or actual subject of my writing. Be warned: Sarcasm, exaggeration, cynicism, and profanity are my loyal friends – I did mention my Aussie voice.
Take care, life is short, enjoy, laugh heaps, Look out for your mates!
This my early warning: I am quite a stream of consciousness pondering person, seeing connection between all manner of things, not necessarily in the same place or time, ok that can be annoying. I will try to stop short of some lame standup comedy routine, cannot promise anything.
But I will try not to be boring.
Love to hear from you.
