At Sea - Page 14

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Details: Written by: Richard_McKie; Parent Category: Travel; Category: East Asia; Published: 06 April 2024; Hits: 8566

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Back on the ship we had another sea day before Singapore and for the first time it was a bit rough, creating interesting waves in the solarium pool, caused by the ship rolling slightly. The waves are considerably larger periodically but, as usual, as soon as I got my phone out they stopped. Something to do with resonance? There's a subsurface ledge that acts like a beach, causing the bigger waves to break. It's probably deliberate, to dampen the oscillations and stop it sploshing over. Cool.

Waves in the solarium pool

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Travel

Egypt, Syria and Jordan

In October 2010 we travelled to three countries in the Middle East: Egypt; Syria and Jordan. While in Egypt we took a Nile cruise, effectively an organised tour package complete with guide, but otherwise we travelled independently: by cab; rental car (in Jordan); bus; train and plane.

On the way there we had stopovers in London and Budapest to visit friends.

The impact on me was to reassert the depth, complexity and colour of this seminal part of our history and civilisation. In particular this is the cauldron in which Judaism, Christianity and Islam were created, together with much of our science, language and mathematics.

Fiction, Recollections & News

The Coronation

Last Time

When George VI died unexpectedly in February 1952, I was just 6 years old, so the impact of his death on me, despite my parents' laments for a good wartime leader and their sitting up to listen to his funeral on the radio, was not great.

At Thornleigh Primary School school assemblies I was aware that there was a change because the National Anthem changed and we now sang God Save The Queen.

Usually, we would just sing the first verse, accompanied by older children playing recorders, but on special occasions we would sing the third verse too. Yet for some mysterious reason, never the second.

The Coronation was a big deal in Australia, as well as in Britain and the other Dominions (Canada, South Africa and New Zealand) and there was a lot of 'bling': china; tea towels; spoons; and so on. The media went mad.

Opinions and Philosophy

In Defence of Secrecy

Julian Assange is in the news again.

I have commented on his theories and his worries before.

I know no more than you do about his worries; except to say that in his shoes I would be worried too.

But I take issue with his unqualified crusade to reveal the World’s secrets. I disagree that secrets are always a bad thing.

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