School has finally started at SCA

Hi Everybody,

School has finally started.

Courses in SCA (Sydney College of the Arts) seem to be based very much on the students' independent development, and that can be quite formidable. As a skill based training, the requirement is 90% of attendence as prerequisite for assessment. (No marks for guessing the grade if the work is not assessed.)

But it is like teaching a person to blow glass and expect them to infuse their work with meaning. In the intro lecture, different supervisors showed slides of past years' work. One of the most imaginative and sophisticated works we saw was done by a Korean artist who made a thousand ceramic bowls and laid it out on the gallery floor to form . . . an aerial view of a fingerprint. The interplay between the microcosmic view and the big picture was simply awesome.

Brings one to a position of worship. A fresh realisation of what a meticulous God who made us. What has white ceramic bowls got to do with worship? That's the brilliance of a beautiful idea I think.

Photomedia and painting seems to be the most popular studios - and I was wrong in that about 10% of the freshmen population are Asian. The challenge ahead is for Paul to pick up the skills, and to produce work that is both thoughtful and thought provoking. No mean feat for logical left brainers like mua. May God be gracious and merciful

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We have been staying at this lodge for a week now. The neighbour to our right smokes (we hope cigarettes) and holds long dialogues at night. Upstairs, someone (or some people) likes rock music - there's a dull thud, thud, thud of the drums and the bass guitar - a background of sounds that permeate the days and sometimes the nights as well. Oh well, we can conclude that HDB is not privacy-deprived as we used to think.

The cost of everything around (except car and petrol) means that it is DIY for most things. Experiencing the satisfaction of throwing star anise into the pot (after about a week of oregano - for some reason, curries just evade my thinking). Driving 25km to reach a chicken factory (no kidding) and a beef wholesaler seems totally sane now - the sanity occupies a space just adjacent to the unspoken prayer for a bigger fridge - at least a bigger frozen compartment . . . All we need to be totally happy now is finding a vegetable farm willing to sell us a sprig of parsley (grin).

Seriously what is insane is paying $9 for twenty minutes parking. I was in the heart of Sydney getting information about my conversion course - literally ran with the information - because another ten minutes and I would be paying $18 for a hour's parking in a disused train tunnel that has been converted into a very, very expensive carpark. To think that we complain about paying for parking in the CBD!

In Sydney it takes two to drive - one to commandeer the vehicle ("Turn right after the third traffic light") and the other to drive. I wish I could say that we are quite democratic about it and have equal chance to drive, but until now ... (no marks for guessing who is the spatially challenged one who gets relegated to driving.) We are quite thankful to get an inexpensive 1993 3L 6V Mitsubitshi - it is no looker - likely was a langa car - but structurally sound and the engine is great - smooth and silent. Thankfully we are neither of us speed demons - the last owner gave it up to get a sports car. But after six years of driving a van, it's a treat to be able to pick up like the rest, and not be left chasing ... a trail of dust? Well, the car does 6km to the dollar, and that means a trip to school is about 40 - 50 cents - sures beats a $2.80 bus trip followed by $2.80 rail per person.


We are pleased to realise that we have visited two of the four surrounding churches. No Mr Yap, we did not start with the Roman Catholic one. But we attended high church in the morning - complete with pipe organ and unrecognisable hymns. You would have liked it. And in the evening, our worship was 'fueled' by drums, a bass guitar, keyboard and two MCs. Never heard the songs before, but their lyrics were quite theologically sound and musically satisfying ... felt right at home. The bassist is a "four week old" grandad (we saw the photos of baby). Anyhow, we have had a good diet of new songs since we came to Aussieland. PP was so disappointed that both churches had no choir - Bethel can be quite pleased that a small singing team is better than no choir at all.

Mr Yap - you asked why was I "writing for Paul". I suppose those who have exciting, challenging lives - live it. And those who don't - write about it. I ask him how was his day, and while he used to always want to talk to me and complain that I was not listening - now I'm all ears, and he's too tired to talk. Well, that's how I find myself writing long, long letters, and ... somehow this one sounds like ... Seinfield ??? ...

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Anyway, we're both enjoying the scenery .... and scaring (myself) reading Michael Critchon (free from Annandale community centre), and getting on the MSN, and watching Paul prepare for his coursework and enjoying the idea that I presently have nothing more important to do than writing nonsense that you guys will trash ... no confidences to keep, no problems to solve ... just watching Paul busy with school work ... and ... enjoying God ... and ... soooooo very anxious to change visa and get a job.

I'll stop talking nonsense by then ... promise.

Janet Tanchio
Eccle 3 : 1-14
Malachi 4 : 2