TheWetlands

Posted on 13 April 2024 by Di Hill

The Wetlands

Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia, is near the mouth of the Brisbane River, which flows into Moreton Bay, which has over 350 islands.  There are quite a few wetlands areas along the coast, and the Wynnum Wetlands, just south of the mouth of the Brisbane River is a great place to visit.

I confess I have not been able to explore it until this day, April 2024. The area near the wetlands was once a huge rubbish tip for Brisbane City, but a few years ago, it was deemed full and the area was recreated into a public park and wetland area, with access to a Bird Hide, Walks through the mangrove and other trees, and a great boardwalk to explore the sea.

I have been before but not walked the whole track – but so glad that I have at last done soon.  I am sure I will sleep well tonight! There are several ways to access it, but I went to the northern entrance which has a good parking area.

On the Walking Track

Taken with Olympus EM10

Near the entrance to the park.

With all the rain that Queensland has experienced over the last few months, everything green is very green.  The walking path is easy but slopes up and down around the property.

The views are great – especially from the higher slopes.  All sorts of trees, and birds abound in the area, and it is a place where migratory birds come each year, usually between March and September.  I didn’t see any on this occasion.

TheWetlands 1

Bushland

Olympus EX10 Camera

Swampy creek where many of the birds like to rest.

The Bird Hide in the Wetlands

There’s a great bird hide, made with many recycled items from the old rubbish dump.  It’s a good idea to have binoculars to get a good view of the birds.  I could see some in the distance.

There’s seating, spaces to “hide” to watch the birds and plenty of information about the feathery visitors from overseas.

Taken with my Olympus EM 10

The Bird Hide

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Taken with my Olymp-us EM 10.

The wetlands

I’d like to see a little more information about the route around the wetlands, as it is a long walk and a little confusing at times.

Taken with Olympus EM 10

Heading to the Boardwalk

Queenslanders are very familiar with mangrove trees as they grow pretty much all along there cost and as we have tidal changes every day, the mangroves grow well with their roots in mainly water – salt water.

Crabs and Fish

It is also a habitat for some fish to breed and various crabs.  The muddy tides are a popular spot for the wonderful mud crabs too, and it is not surprising to see a few crabpots nearby.

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On the Boardwalk

Olympus EM 10

On the Boardwalk looking out onto Moreton Bay

There is a reminder on one of the signs to look up and down.  Some of the birds will not be on the ground or water, but high overhead in the trees.  There are things to see above and below.  Sometimes it is good to stand or sit quietly for a while and listen.  You will hear strange sounds from the water and the trees above.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Spoonbills in the Swamp

Words of  Advice

You can do a short walk or a long walk.  Wear comfortable shoes, and make sure you have your phone with you – just in case.  A hat may be a good idea – and as mosquitos love the wetlands, it is a good idea to take a repellant too.  There are not a lot of places to rest, but do so if you are feeling stressed or tired.

As I was walking alone, I also carried a personal alarm, which I have with me all the time.  (I’ve never had to use it – but I am comforted by having it with me!

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Helping a Butterfly

Posted on 13 April 2024 by Di Hill

Helping a Butterfly

I love butterflies and have on occasions visited Butterfly exhibits in Singapore International Airport and the Bribie Island (Queensland).  At Bribie I had two of my grandchildren visiting with me – but it was a while ago.  I must visit again one day.

But this story is about a butterfly I met last week.  I went to the Library in Wynnum to collect a book that I had ordered a few weeks earlier and had received advice that it had arrived in the Library.

I was carrying a handbag and another bag as I was on my way to the supermarket.  I was waiting at the lift and happened to see a beautiful butterfly flapping in a corner of some windows, clearly trying desperately to get out into the fresh air.  It had no hope as it had somehow found its way into the corner and there was no easy escape.

Shuffling the book and bags into my left hand, I reached for the butterfly and holding its wings together as kindly as I could, I picked it up and, as the lift arrived I walked in, still holding the exhausted butterfly and as the lift descended to the ground floor I spoke to the butterfly, telling it I was trying to save it.

It didn’t flap or move – I think it was somewhat exhausted from its failed attempts to escape through the window.

Where would I put the butterfly?

As I tried to balance the things in my left hand, keeping my eyes on my new friend, I suddenly had to work out what I was going to do with it, and walked out onto the footpath.  Then I saw, just 10 feet away, some bushes and I quickly walked towards them.  Carefully I placed the butterfly on the bush, and watched to see what it did.

Helping a Butterfly 3

The Butterfly rests.

For a few seconds, it just remained still.  I had a feeling it was exhausted.  I can’t recall what I said, but I did speak to it.  I wished it well and told it to hide amidst the leaves.  Then I watched it slowly creep lower into the bush.

I was able to take out my phone and take a few quick pictures of it – even getting a glimpse of its beautiful wings.  Then I left, feeling very good about my good deed.

I hope it is now safe and happy.  I know I will never see it again, but I will remember it as long as my memory holds.

taken with PixelA Camera.

Goodbye Butterfly. Stay safe.

 

 

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Photos and Transport Memories

Posted on 29 March 2024 by Di Hill

Photos and Transport Memories

I remember when there were few cameras.  As I peruse photos in my vast collection that go back to the 1940’s, I note that in those days the photos were in black and white and were few and far between. Most of my photos are on my computer – most taken in the last 20 years or so when I chose to make photography a hobby.  While so many are digital these days, I still get many printed – and often use them on cards I create.

As I am trying to downsize I am very challenged.  So many photos I will discard, as they mean nothing to my family these days.  I have so many from my times in China and I found these in a photo album and have scanned them to include in this post.

When I arrived in China we were surprised and astounded at the traffic on the roads, from huge trucks with men and women sitting atop the load – no safety rules apparent.  Sitting on the side of a road with my camera always allowed me to record things we’d never see in Australia.

Only in China.

Transporting water bottles on the campus.

The Water Bottle Carrier

Drinking local water was not always a good idea, so we would use a water dispenser in our apartments.  The building was a six-story building, and we would send a message that our water had run out, and a man would ride his bike to us, and carry the huge bottle upstairs on his shoulders.  We would often hear him huffing and puffing as he struggled up the stairs.

We always lamented that there was no lift in the building, as with luggage and shopping the stairs were always a challenge and of course, we felt for the man struggling with our water!!

The Cane Chair Delivery

In the city of Shaoxing where I was living and teaching, we would often see scenes like this.   I was told that the chairs were probably made in a nearby village and this is the way they were transported to the retailer.  It’s hard to calculate how many were loaded onto the bicycle, but certainly looks to be an economical way to transport.  I found it amusing that the man in charge chose to use a pedestrian crossing.

Photos and Transport Memories 4

Waste?

Photos and Transport Memories 5

To the Tip?

This load looks like it would head to the tip – or recycling.  Who knows, but at least this transport vehicle had an engine, so the delivery journey would not be hard.

These were common sights when I was in China

More boxes of ????

Another worker transporting product – no idea what is in the large packages.  Maybe transferring from warehouse to retailer.

Photos and Transport Memories 6

 

And wait, there’s more….

Worker in China

More Boxes

Photos and Transport Memories 7

On his way to the tip? Who knows.

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Remembering Lady Baden Powell and Guides

Posted on 24 March 2024 by Di Hill

Lady Baden Powell – IWD and more.

As the month of March 2024 comes to an end, I am reflecting on a busy and interesting time, with special events to celebrate International Women’s Day (or Month), and much more. I’ve had teeth out, I’ve tried (with mild success) to get back to writing more often, and I have failed to tidy up my boxes of paperwork in the lounge room. And I acknowledged Lady Baden Powell, the founder of Girl Guides.

Speaking

While I am often prepared to speak at OWNQ (Older Women’s Network Qld) events, as I am the president and I have been “public speaking” for many years, though less these days.  Also being a teacher has helped me be comfortable speaking to a room of people.  Mostly.

At one event, when another speaker finished early and I was suddenly asked to speak, I managed to do so of course, but laughed at the less than 60 second notice I received.  At another event the keynote speaker was late, so again with no notice I was asked to speak –  and luckily the speaker arrived shortly after, so my short unprepared talk was adequate.

Lady Olave Baden Powell

At another event, I spoke about a lady, who was significant in my life when I was in my teens – Lady Baden Powell.  When I was around 10 years old, I became a Brownie, (the junior groups of Guides) and a year or two later graduated to the 1st Warradale Girl Guide group, in Adelaide.

I was an enthusiastic Guide – happy to work to achieve various awards, and eventual Captain of the Swallow Patrol – meeting in a hall that was built by my father and other volunteers.  My mother by this stage was the Divisional Commissioner (she had been a Girl Guide in her teenage years too).

In 1961 Lady Baden Powell visited Adelaide, and there had been a competition and the three top patrols were presented to her in the parklands near South Terrace in Adelaide.  The Swallows came second, so I was one of the lucky ones to meet her – I was 17 years old, and she was in her 70’s.

My

My Queen’s Guide Badge

The following year, I was awarded the Queen’s Award at Government House Adelaide on Thinking Day.  No photos – but a certificate that has not survived well and a badge, which I still have.  Not long after I joined the senior girls group, the Ranger Guides, and it was as a Ranger that I attended a tour of the QEII Hospital, and on the spur of the moment decided to be a nurse.

The following month, I was on a train to Mt Gambier, in the south-east of South Australia to start my nursing training, which I completed in 1966. Sadly I never went back to Guiding.

I was pleased to tell the story of Lady Baden Powell, who was the instigator of the Guide Movement in 1910 – an organisation that continues to this day.  I am glad I remembered her on IWD and shared some of her story.  What a legacy she left!

Sometimes I do think about Guiding and how it meant so much to me, and how I never returned to it.  My children were not interested as sport and music were more important to them.  I do spend time recalling those days – of the people I met, and the event I went to in Perth in 1962.   Two of my grandchildren were Scouts for several years, but again ,sport took over their live too.

It is an amazing organisation and I value the things I learned and the learning of good personal skills too.  I am glad it is still in existence though.

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The Kindle Story

Posted on 18 March 2024 by Di Hill

The Kindle Story

Dancing in the Dust on Kindle – I’m glad I bought it.

I bought my first Kindle when I was travelling quite a bit. I learned early in my adventures that I would like to read, but carrying a heavy book on my travels presented a few challenges. My first Kindle (bought nearly 20 years ago) still works – though it is slow and not able to use the latest technology, so I have a second one – smaller and it works well for me.

My Kindles

My Kindles

Most of my reader friends prefer “real books” and I share their love, but the Kindle is much easier to use when travelling. Smaller, easy to read and mine is loaded with books, so I can go back and read something I bought years ago.  And it is not as heavy – it weighs no more if I have one book in my Kindle or 20! All the books from my first Kindle are now on Kindle Number 2 – Kindle Paperwhite – Version 11.

Nurses and the Bush

The last addition to my Kindle collection is a book that resonates with me.  I was a registered nurse and have worked in hospitals and nursing homes around Australia and I have driven around Australia too.  So, I connected well with the new book.

“Dancing in the Dust” was written by Ann Martin, who is a nurse who trained in Brisbane (where I have lived since the 1970s), and in 1967, she and two of her other nursing friends left Brisbane in an old VW Kombi van to travel and work around Australia.

My Story

I completed my nursing training in 1966, in Mt Gambier, South Australia and went to Melbourne where I worked briefly at the Austin Hospital before doing some “private casing”.  I returned to Mt Gambier to do Midwifery training, but the course was cancelled a few days before it was due to start.  I married in 1967, and by 1969 I was back living in Melbourne, with a husband and two toddlers.

As a family, we travelled back and forth from Brisbane to Adelaide (to see my family) and Melbourne (to see my husband’s family) for many years.

My solo travelling around Australia did not start until November 2012 – by which time my marriage had ended and it was travel alone or don’t do it!  I did not set off with friends, but all alone in a Mitsubishi Lancer which was about 1 year old, and it took me nearly five months.

The Book was added to my Kindle

I didn’t look for a new book last week  – I have plenty to read, but somehow, I accidentally found the Kindle version of  “Dancing in the Dust” and when I saw it was about nurses driving around Australia – I just had to have it. Moments later it was added to my Kindle and I started reading and couldn’t put it down.  Within a couple of days, I had completed it.

My Review of “Dancing in the Dust”

It certainly was a fun read and I was impressed that they were able to find work, all three of them, in hospitals in the outback and the tremendous fun they had with their new friends, families around the country and the Kombi van that seemed to be on a route to break every piece of itself.

The travellers visited many of the places I visited, so it helped me revisit much of my journey. I enjoyed that part of their story, though I acknowledge that since 1967 many things have changed – even in some of the outback.

I did find quite a few errors that the editor must have missed.  There were simple things with missing words or letters, which of course irritated me.  Now I know there is usually one error in every book, but I found too many.

Also, I would like to have seen a more interesting biography of the writer, as I have been unable to find out much about her even though she has published several other books.

Some more information about the title

When I Googled the title to learn more about the author, I found that in 2003 there was an award-winning movie also called “Dancing in the Dust”.  There is no book, and I may one day pay to watch the video.  It is a story about an Iranian man, and I am sure if it is in English.

I am interested that the title of Ann’s book is the same as the movie.  I doubt it was intentional, and I wonder if it is a good idea to use a name for a book that is already used? I would choose not to do so.

The trailer for the movie is below.

I do recommend the book – it is an easy read and quite hilarious.  Well done, Ann Martin.

Readers, do you have any comments?

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International Women’s Day 2010

Posted on 16 March 2024 by Di Hill

Second International Women’s Day Event

When I went to China in 2008, and spent almost a year there, working at a college/university, I had no plans to return, and in 2009 I expected I would stay home in Wynnum, Queensland.

But I was offered an opportunity to spend 3 months in South Korea, in a city called Jeon Ju and with a little fear and trepidation I accepted.

Not long after returning to Australia after that adventure, I was offered a position back in Shaoxing, for just one semester, so in February 2010, I was on my way back to China.

As was the case in 2008, I was there in time for International Women’s Day – but this time the celebrations were quite different. It was to be held at a major hotel in Shaoxing, and when we received our invitations, it came with a request to perform.  As often happened, it was me who set out to arrange something that the Aussie ladies could do. And of course, no one wanted to participate. It was funny that again we were asked about our Australian National Dress.  What is it?

Australian National Costume?

I have Googled “Australian National Costume” – and there is no “one” outfit that fits this concept.  We often laughed and said, t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.  What if?

I am Australian

Anyway, we were not in any national costume for this event, but a friend and I took to the stage and sang the famed Seeker’s song “I am, we are, Australian”.   As one who does not like to perform in public (or at all), I was pleased with our act, and we got plenty of applause!!

Qui Jin

It was some time later, that I learned about Qui Jin – who was from the city of Shaoxing.  I don’t recall any mention of her at either of the IWD events I attended.  What a shame!  As a local amazing woman, with her statue in the middle of town, I would have thought there would be a mention of her.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qiu_Jin

Why wasn’t she mentioned at an International Women’s Day event in China?  She was active around the beginning of last century in trying to stop the binding of feet of Chinese women – which was part of tradition.  Maybe it was to stop the wives running away when their marriages were not happy.  But young girls had the bones in their feet broken and turned under the foot, which was painful for them.

Over many years, various entities attempted to get the act of foot binding banned, and there is a great story of the history of this terrible custom on Wikipedia here.   Around 1910 things were changing in China and footbinding was on the way out.  An interesting story.

Anyway, I have good memories of International Women’s Day celebrations in China.

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IWD

Posted on 5 March 2024 by Di Hill

International Woman’s Day Stories

 Part One

I attended my first IWD event yesterday with members of the Older Women’s Network at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. It was a great event with the ladies from many Queensland branches.

Of course, I have been attending International Women’s Day events for many years but two stand out.  Both were in China.

Visiting a Match Factory?

In 2008, I set off to take on my first contract teaching at a college south of Shanghai.  I and two other Aussie teachers arrived in February, and I was delighted to receive an invitation to an International Women’s Day event.  Our invitation was mainly in Chinese, and the information from the college staff was that it was to be held in a “match factory”.  All of the women teaching staff were invited and we met in what was called SPT Street in the college and boarded a bus.

Our first stop was a ceremonial hall with gifts from the many “sister cities” worldwide that had connected with the city of Shaoxing.  After a short tour of this venue, we returned to the buses for the trip to the factory. There were Chinese and foreign (lowai) women in attendance.

It didn’t take long to learn that it was not a “match” factory, but a “mattress factory” where high-quality mattresses for upmarket hotels around the world were manufactured.  We were taken on a tour through display hotel rooms, to see the products they made, before being taken to a huge hall for the official ceremony.

We were not allowed to take a camera into the venue – for photos of the rooms and mattresses were forbidden.

There were presentations in English and Chinese -from talks, to dances and Chinese Opera too.  At the last performance, a lovely young lady in a beautiful traditional costume made her way around the stage doing a dance with twirly hand movements. Foreigners were asked to join her.  No one did, that is almost no one.  I had hoped one of the younger ladies would have joined the dancer, but when no one else did, I chose to.

My efforts to follow her movements were a total failure, so as the music pace increased, I did my own version.  I might add that the dancer was in wonderful costume, and I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket and sneakers – not the best attire for this!

As I embarrassingly departed the “stage” I heard the MC describe me as “the blonde Aussie disco dancer.”  We all had a laugh, and strangely I was to bump into the MC on many occasions over the next year and he always referred to me as “the blonde Aussie disco dancer.

Afterwards, we were treated to a delightful banquet, and we all received a gift of a silk scarf, which I still have.

Fortunately, there are no photos of me there – though I was to learn later, that there was a TV report for IWD, with a short view of me dancing and some of my students saw it and spoke to me about it later!!!

(Over the next few days I will post two more stories about International Women’s Day information).

This week I will be attending four events to celebrate IWD, so more stories to come.

Dear Reader, if you wish to comment on an International Women’s Day event that you can report on, feel free to do so in the contact form below.

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What? No Cash?

Posted on 18 February 2024 by Di Hill

A World with No Cash?

Sadly, our world is moving to a cashless society!  And it is getting more and more complicated.  We are all hearing strange stories of people having to make challenging changes to our normal lives, because of the strange changes banks are making.  Banks don’t like cash, and they don’t like cheques.

Only recently I had to transfer some money to someone’s account urgently to help with an issue.  I went to “my” bank with the other person’s details, but could only transfer $1000.  The amount needed was more than that, so I had to go to another branch of my bank.  Really??  This was only a bank transfer – no cash or cheques involved!!!   But that is what I had to do.

What? No Cash? 8

No Piggy Bank

 

Cheque???  No, thank you.

It’s not only cash that is an issue, but the banks don’t like cheques. A friend was purchasing a brand new car, from a car business they were familiar with.  This family does not do Internet banking, and there was little or no information from the car retailer about how the payment was to be made.  The couple turned up to pick up the car, with a cheque to pay, as they had done previously.  No, the business wouldn’t accept a cheque (though I did think that for a new car, a cheque might have been an issue!).

It took quite a few days in the end, to pay the bill and collect the new wheels.

No Internet – No Business.

In recent months in Australia, there have been huge weather issues.  A cyclone in North Queensland, floods and storms in other parts of Queensland and Australia.  Some businesses lost electricity, and not for just a short time, but for hours, days or weeks.

Of course, many food items had to be destroyed, but without electricity, a business cannot accept payments.  Some can’t even process cash – but it was a disaster for many businesses, even when they were still able to do business, getting payment was a BIG issue.

What about the tooth fairy?  And how do you give money to your grandchildren?

Elderly Folk want to use Cash!!!

How many senior folk don’t use Internet banking?  Hundreds and thousands.  All they have ever used was cash or cheques.  To use Internet banking wisely it is good to be familiar with checking their bank balances, and be able to buy items online, and much more.

So many senior folk have never used a computer, and may not have the skills to learn how to use them.  How many senior folk don’t have a “smart” phone, but only use a photo to make phone calls?  And for some trying to see the small letters and numbers on a normal smartphone is likely to produce challenges.

Bank branches are closing everywhere -because of the increase of online banking and the demise of cash and cheques, but I am interested to see how it all pans out over the next few years.

I am not confident that the current processes are going to work long-term.  I am concerned, especially for those who cannot or do not want to go in that direction.  I don’t believe proper research has been done, and there is no information on how it is all going to be managed long-term.

What if there is a major event – and no one can access bank information, and they don’t have cash, and if there is no electricity nothing will work????

We certainly need more information on how our country will work in the event of a major event.

I understand many people are collecting and hiding cash.  But will that work????

What do you think?  I’d like to hear from you.

 

 

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About Blogging

Posted on 17 February 2024 by Di Hill

What is Blogging?

I started many years ago –  when I travelled to Ireland in 2007, my friends and family asked me to inform them of my travels.  I discovered that the easiest way to do it was to create a blog.  I did this through a paid platform and did my best to keep updated with photos and stories.

As a result, I have been blogging ever since – having a lot of fun, enjoying my writing and at times making money with my blog.  Sadly I get too busy at times to keep it up.

So what is blogging and what is its history?  Click here to find out.  (I love Wikipedia!)  I ended up teaching courses on it – between my other activities.  I ended up with quite a few blogs – most of which were not updated much.  My dog had his  own blog, and I kept updating it until his passing.

Why Blog?

It started somewhat like a diary, where I posted stories about my travels.  And it was 2007 when I got serious.  I went to Ireland on a mission, (that’s another story) and was using Typepad in my endeavour to keep family and friends informed of my activities.  It was hard, as in those days getting internet access was a challenge.

Businesses use blogging to update customers on new products, services etc, and for many it as part of their marketing – though many of the posts are more like articles than blogs.  There is often little SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), or putting the message out that there is a new blog post.

I think it is almost essential for writers, but I have learned that many do not understand the amazing benefits of doing blogging right, and if they are writers it should be easy for them to learn a few extra skills to promote themselves and their work in a blog.

Helping Bloggers – Task for 2023 

Recently  I was asked to help a group of writers create their own blogs, and I learned that most did not have a website.   Mmmm.  That means I have to start from scratch.  So where did I go for help?  Google and Youtube.

So soon these folk will be directed to this great site for newbies to learn.  Click here to find it.  You can too. It’s free to watch (after some ads).

About Blogging 9

Kramer – the mini dachshund

I ran Kramer’s Diary – or should I have called it Kramer’s Blog.  Anyway he was my favourite dog at the time and I liked recording his story.  The point is you can do almost anything in a blog – well, as long as it is legal and appropriate.

When I was house-sitting, I recorded a lot of my adventures, and when I travelled I did too.

Photos and Images

Photography came into my life around that time – not only was I recording the places I visited but I found it extremely useful to use them in my blogs.  I ended up getting fancy cameras, joining a Camera Club and entering competitions.

About Blogging 10

Rain Drops taken with OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

There are websites offering free images (you must acknowledge the photographer) but I prefer to take my own photos.   And it means I can set up some special images for particular topics too.

For me it is more like a hobby, though I may find that this year brings me speaking/training opportunities and more guest blogging opportunities.

I already have some consultations in motion, so I will see how blogging goes in 2023 and beyond.

If you are a blogger and would like some information, please comment below.

 

 

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The Knife

Posted on 12 February 2024 by Di Hill

Transporting the Knife

I taught in a College in China in 2008, and at the end of the year, I transported all the things I had purchased there, especially those items that I believed I could use when I was back home in Brisbane.

When my colleagues and I arrived at the college campus, we were shown to neat tidy apartments, with beds made and all set for us to stay, but the kitchen had very few useful items.  So in our first few days, we bought crockery, coffee mugs, and cutlery (knife, spoon and fork), among other things to make our lives more comfortable.  Later, it was a knife (not the one I bought the first time I was there) that caused a problem.

The post office in the centre of town was a place we would visit occasionally. We’d send gifts back to family members for birthdays, and items of interest as souvenirs of our travels, or add to our collection of postage stamps or coins too.

One day when I went in, the man who looked after the boxes in the post office, took me to meet his daughter who stood in a very strange space selling lottery tickets.  That was her job.  He wanted me to talk with her as she was attending English classes.  So every time I visited the post office, I’d go and talk with her. Just a friendly short visit with about 5 minutes of chatting.

I didn’t plan to return in 2010, but I did, just for one semester.  On my return trip back to Australia, I planned to stay a few days in Hong Kong so sent several boxes of things back home via the post office. I didn’t want to lug a heavy suitcase around, so put a knife, spoon, fork and teaspoon in one of the boxes, along with a whole range of other safe items.

When you want to send items by post you have to purchase a box from “the box man” and the post office staff check that you are not sending unlawful items, and after the check, you can pack the box with the help of the box man.

The Knife Problem

But I had a knife in my box.  Forbidden.  Someone might get stabbed.  Really??? I was told I could not send the knife but would have to carry it in my luggage.  Would someone look for this weapon in the box of goodies in the many boxes on the plane?  Crazy stuff. The staff member put my cutlery aside and I paid for the postage and filled in the documents while the box man packed and sealed the box.

When I went to leave I could not find my cutlery.  A little annoyed and assuming that one of the staff had stolen my “dangerous” cutlery, I left feeling a bit angry over the whole thing.

The Knife 11

My Chinese Cutlery Collection

The above photo is of my collection of cutlery.  The set on the right was the one I bought in 2008 and brought home safely in my luggage. The set on the left is the cutlery with the scary knife that caused me trouble in the post office that day.

So how did I get the whole set back?

On my return to Australia after an interesting few days exploring Hong Kong, the box of things that I had posted from China a few days before my departure, arrived at my home address in Brisbane.

When I unpacked it, I was shocked to find the cutlery packed in the box!!  I was gobsmacked!  How did that happen?

So my cutlery was not stolen in the post office, and I suspect my dear box man, who appreciated my friendship with his daughter, snuck the cutlery into the box and it arrive safely for me to keep as a reminder of my time in China.

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