Doing Well Down Under...Not That!

Howdi?





I am writing from Canberra, Australia. I was a part of the APCSS delegation to the Australian College of Defense and Security Studies (CDSS). We were running an elective module on energy security. The course went well. I have also managed to find a little time to visit the War Memorial and Australian Mint. Historical museum at the Memorial was quite interesting.





First of all, I never thought Australia would be an expensive place, but it is true at least in Canberra. I exchanged U.S. dollars into Australian dollars, and got less! The rate is almost parity, and the bank commission tilted the balance. Plus, grocery and meal costs are higher here than in Honolulu. Shrimp fried rice should not cost $12.80!!! (OMG!!!)





I have been amazed by numerous large avian specie here. Flock of cockatoos and playful "mudpies" (black-and-white craws) can be seen in the middle of the city as well as in suburbs. In fact, nature is right there. I saw a dead kangaroo by the highway. (On the U.S. mainland, dear is a usual roadkill.) Live ones also came out by the CDSS campus. There were signs around CDSS about "snake sighting." It is venomous brown snake that is somestimes seen around the campus. I tried hard to take a picture of the sign with my colleagues in it, but missed a few opportunities.





Cool weather is nice sometimes, but I am ready to return to Hawaii. It is such a luxury to be able to jump into the ocean throughout the year. Fine "wine-and-dine" in Canberra is great for a few days, but I can equally be satisfied with kalbi, lau lau, kalua pork, and poke. But, most of all, I miss my two children. I got them games for souvenir. It was nice I could talk to them on Skype a few times during the trip. They had fun looking at the pictures I sent them while we chatted.



I fly out of Canberra this afternoon. After a brief touch-and-go in Honolulu, I will have to join another APCSS outreach event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I hope to find something new there. (Last time I was there was in 2004. The city was going through major development then.)



See you later, friends.

Yoichiro