October 12th, 2004

samvara: Photo of Modesty Blaise with text "All this and brains as well" (Default)
Tuesday, October 12th, 2004 03:33 pm

You know how you get the feeling Australia has some damn strange naming conventions for towns?

I give you Burpingary!

Fraser Island turns out to be a 4WD holiday heaven. First prize goes to the family with the Humvee - if they get bored of holidaying they can always go to war - am jealous, want huge transport vehicle to go buy milk with at corner store. Mother says 'Where would you park?' to which I respond 'Anywhere I want to.'

The Island has many fascinating native animals including White-bellied Sea Eagles (vewwy impressive) Humpbacked Whales (also vewwy impressive) Dingos, and Sugar gliders (vewwy cute and strangely reminiscent of flying hankies). Failed to see any tree frogs for which I am sad.

Ate a half crocodile emu kangaroo and half 'Barrier Reef' pizza - don't recommend it although one should always take the opportunity to devour one's native animals.
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samvara: Photo of Modesty Blaise with text "All this and brains as well" (Default)
Tuesday, October 12th, 2004 04:19 pm
Darwin's Children by Greg Bear. Humankind spontaneously does some evolving and the Americans cope as best they can. The virus Sheva scares the pants out of everyone with its lethal potential, but are its children truly dangerous? It's personal and sweeping and enjoyable, wanted to bring it home to lend to people but my father who kept vanishing off to have a quiet read hijacked it.

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett. ’There is a difference,’ said Shufti. ‘I think it’s the socks. It’s like they pull you forward all the time. It’s like the whole world spins around your socks.’  Re-reading because I can. Pratchettiser in good form, saw this as a stage production earlier this year and liked it very much.

Market Forces by Richard Morgan . Chris Faulkner just landed a job with Shorn Conflict Investment where it's not enough to turn up first in the morning - you need the blood of your competition on your wheels. SCI invests in wars of liberation and revolution in return for a slice of the action when the war is won. It's a fast, cynical, brutal lifestyle and Chris has a lot to prove. Would have been a great short story but doesn't quite have the guts to make it as a novel, having said that, it's still good, just not quite a rich as his previous two novels.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. A Booker prize novel - I have a dodgy relationship with them - I find them thoroughly worth reading but hard work. Not this book though, was happily curled up with it from beginning to end. The back reads

"After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen year old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orangutan . . . and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger."

if you ever wanted to know how to try and tame a tiger with a turtle shell and a whistle now is the time to find out.