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Confession: daylight savings has always managed to confuse me. It always seems to approach when I least expect it, I never know which way it goes and I’m still confused as to how it makes more or less daylight. Then I moved to Arizona – and there’s no daylight savings here. The state stays on Mountain Standard Time year round. Well, except for the Navajo Nation, which does go onto daylight savings (because it spreads across three states). Except for the Hopi Nation, which is completely surrounded by the Navajo Nation. But in most of the state the time of day is the time of day year round.

There’s a link between time and place. From Mothers’ Days to Independence days, every community has its own versions of the same celebrations. Some, like Christmas, are celebrated on the same day worldwide while others like Father’s Day can vary by region. There’s even a few that do both: there’s the New Years that restarts everyone’s calendar year and then there’s the Chinese New Years and the Water Festivals and Rosh Hashanah.

Switching hemispheres means even switching seasons and as we change places, we change holidays too. Sometimes we even go to a place because of their Mardis Gras or Carnival.

For me, that means spending Christmas at my parents house includes television ads about summer blowout sales for swimwear and other summertime wares, though the temperatures may be nearly equal in summer Taupo and winter Phoenix. Either way, my Kansas winter coats haven’t left their box in the years since we’ve left.

For my parents, the relocation has been longer and deeper. My mother’s birthday is now in fall. And my father has started doing something he never did before. He spends each April 25 walking with other veterans.

How do travel and holidays relate to you – do you go somewhere every Thanksgiving or have you ever dreamed of being somewhere on a certain day? What holidays would you carry with you wherever you go?

Poppies 1
photo credit : James Pratley

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Written in April 2010 by my mother, Ellen Kroeker, and shared here with her permission

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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Poppies with new camera

The Ode comes from “For the Fallen,” a poem by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon and was published in London in The Winnowing Fan: Poems of the Great War in 1914. This verse, which became the “Ode for the Returned and Services League,” has been used in association with commemoration services in Australia since 1921.

Turkey - Asia Minor in 1849

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

We were at the Dawn Parade for ANZAC day today, a big occasion here. April 25 might be one of the most sacred days in New Zealand. While it is in honor of all service personnel, it is mostly a commemoration of Gallipoli, a devastating battle in Turkey during WWI, and an honoring of those who died there. Our friend (89, former British Royal Navy WWII and son of a man wounded in Gallipoli) wanted us to go with him and we did.

When the white haired men march behind the kilted pipes and drums through the dark autumnal morning, one can feel the ghosts of the slaughtered young men hovering around them. Surrounding them as they stand in a great circle for the service, families hold their babies, teenagers with poppies pinned to them jostle, albeit quietly , and one is aware that these are the descendents of those who served and connected to those who died. About 100,000 New Zealanders served in World War I out of a population of less than a million. The man in front of me, the woman beside me wiped tears throughout the service. The morning was mild and as they all marched away, first the old veterans, then some whose hair was not completely white and finally, bringing up the rear, the snappily dressed young ones, the rosy fingered dawn spread across the sky.

Map of Indochina including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

Gil, who grew up on Sunday night documentaries that extolled the heroism of those who fought in WWII and listened to his father’s stories from his time in the South Pacific during that war, always wanted to be on the side of the good guys, to fight the kind of people who were responsible for the Holocaust and for Pearl Harbor. These were the myths that he grew up with. There were no other narratives presented.

So the little Gil listened, learned, and when he grew up, he dedicated his life to being one of those good guys. But the enemies were shadowy and some seemed to be in his own government, the men of government who sent young men into the Vietnamese jungles for dubious purposes. It wasn’t a clean or clear war as WWII had seemed to be. Still, he had made a commitment and he had to meet his obligations.

1972 population map of Vietnam from Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

1972 population map of Vietnam from Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

When he was presented with an alternative (if you go back to Vietnam, I’ll divorce you, said his then-wife; if you don’t go to Vietnam, we will court-martial you, said the Navy), he went to Vietnam and, back in the jungle, with hostile fire around him, he got his “Dear John” letter, informing him that the divorce was going ahead.

And when he returned to the States with his discharge papers much later, there were no parades, no heroes’ welcomes. He was no one’s hero. Change out of your uniform, he was advised. Try to travel incognito, as if no one would recognize a military haircut in the days of long-haired hippies. He opened his green footlocker and packed all the medals and citations away.

This week, Laurie, our older friend and the Royal Navy veteran, urged Gil to pull out the medals, pin them to his chest and march in the Dawn Parade. Gil said it wasn’t his military, it wasn’t his occasion. Laurie said, come on and Gil doesn’t easily say no to Laurie, this cheerful man who once introduced Gil to someone as his “other son.” So we got up at 5 am, and while Gil put his ribbons on, they were nearly undetectable under his jacket. Gil was introduced to others at the gathering place as former LT of the US Navy and welcomed as such.

Wellington, New Zealand - credit : Ellen Kroeker

The kilted bagpipers and drummers swung into place, and the white heads, male and female stood to attention under the instructions of a very quavering voice. They turned on command, the drums began, the pipes began a mournful tune, and, with fragmented step, they marched off to the town center and the cenotaph for the Dawn Service. There, among the Brits, the Maoris, the Scots with their family tartan colors, the Irish, marched one American, slightly uncomfortable, slightly at home, as always. Along the side of the marching column walked wives and husbands, children and grandchildren.

On one corner, a small boy was riveted by the parade of heroes.

Poppies 1
photo credits : Fleur Phillips & James Pratley

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On my way to Auckland, I had nearly a day long layover in Brisbane, Australia. After clearing customs around 9am local time, I rented a locker for most of my carryon luggage and sprinted for train. I had one goal : koalas.

But there were some hurdles to jump first – the train from the airport to the Cultural Centre got me there 10 minutes after the morning boat left for Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Fortunately, two kind docents at the nature museum gave me a bus number and pointed me toward the platform to catch it. I arrived in time to spend a few hours there amidst all the animals which also include birds, lizards, snakes and kangaroos.

When I was about three, my mother’s friend Christine gave me a koala stuffed animal that I carried all over the place. It paid off – great-uncle Wally took the little guy and placed him high in a southern California eucalyptus tree for me, the highlight of the visit.

“Someday,” I thought. “I’ll see real ones!”



Afterward I caught the Mirimar boat back to the Culture Centre and the train to the International Terminal. With a slight sunburn, a full camera card and memories, I was on my way to New Zealand.

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Spring break has come, and not a moment too soon – as you can tell, I’ve gotten a bit behind. Regular entries should resume in the next few days as I rest, regroup, and reorganize, but here’s a quick round-up of tomorrow morning’s news…

Happy birthday dotcom as internet domain name turns 25 – Dotcoms changed the way we use the internet – this article describes how, as well as exploring what new changes may be coming up next.

FBI ‘most wanted’ list still fascinates – Also celebrating a birthday is the FBI list, which just turned 60 – click here to learn how the list grew out of a set of profiles and how the people on the list have changed over the years.

Sailing the Nile – in disguise – Jill Worrall’s photos (like the one below) accompany a short anecdote from her trip down the Nile.

Luxor

UN chief says world hasn’t forgotten Haiti – Ban Ki-moon says that shelter is the current priority in Haiti, while President Rene Preval says the country “must start looking to the longer term and think about its future economy.”

Soccer: Beckham’s World Cup dream in tatters – This article discusses the injury likely to prevent David Beckham from playing in his fourth World Cup, taking place this summer in South Africa.

Helicopter patrols spot 200 sharks – Australia is experimenting with helicopter patrols along the nation’s beaches. Whether the patrols will continue is still being decided, but the results so far at least impressive to me! For this and more great underseas photos, check out petersbar on Flickr.

Hammer from Cocos Island, Costa Rica

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TNTlogo

the Good: Harbour Bridge goes green for a day

Did you know there’s an official website for going green? I didn’t. It has Al Gore.

Anyway, whether they checked the website or not, Sydney is on the green ball with what may become an annual event – in case bridge climbing isn’t exciting enough already.

(In other news, despite my initial excitement, this Nathan Rees is not the Premier of New South Wales, and this Nathan Reese does not seem to have Twitter…).

the Bad: Karadzic hoping to call the shots as he defends himself

As the BBC explains, war crimes first became an international legal issue after WWII with the Nuremberg trials, so named the city where they were held. Now international trials are held at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Karadzic is actually being tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), also in The Hagu. A similar tribunal set up for the 1994 genocide, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). It’s worth noting that all three websites are available in both English and French (the original language of diplomacy), and the ICTR is also available in Kinyarwanda with contact addresses listed in Kigali, Rwanda, and Arusha, Tanzania as well as The Hague.

Both courts are pursuing open investigations as well as trials; the ICTY is still trying to locate Ratko Mladic for trial and Idelphonse Nizeyimana was just apprehended and extradited for trial by the ICTR. Recent reports on the aftermath of war crimes appear from time to time, often on anniversaries of important dates, proving that these events have long lasting effects.

the Ugly: Botched facelift puts pyramid’s world heritage status at risk

World Heritage sites all over the world are monitored by UNESCO, and unfortunately they’re reconsidering how to handle a site in the Bolivian Andes after repairs were attempted on the pyramid there. Only two other sites – Oman’s Arabian Oryx sanctuary & Dresden’s Elbe Valley- have ever been removed from UNESCO’s registry, both because of man made changes. As UNESCO decides, Bolivia Web may be a good forum for seeing what people are saying.

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NZ Herald writes up Jessica Watson

NZ Herald writes up Jessica Watson


Teen sailor to leave Sydney next week

These stories come up from time to time, and I know what I used to think – I know, I know – nice, cute feature piece. Dedicated kid, but fluffy coverage. Good for her… but moving on, right?

Three things about this article caught my attention.

First of all, there’s this idea – going around the world. Think about it for a second – going around the world. That’s a huge idea. And it’s a recurring one. From the camp to the romantic, it comes up again and again in the media, and also in the news. Forget the record setting – talk about the ultimate idea of travel!

To go around the world – to see everything?

Well, everything may not be possible – but imagine how much you WOULD see…

Secondly, in good brand creating fashion, Watson has a webpage and a blog which both seem to be well updated. I haven’t had time to read all the way back, but the entries I have read make me want to (and that’s always a good sign, right?).

Another teen going the distance, Jasmine Jordan, also has a website and got her cross-country covered Arizona press earlier this fall.

JasmineJordan

This stands out to a girl going through media bootcamp. This is a great way to combine self expression (especially for Watson) with a little media savy – I can almost hear a certain professor’s critique of their efforts, made in certain sports related terms.

And that brings me to the third point – who’s taking the journey. It’s not “the” experts or leaders or well known public figures, at least not yet. Their journeys might make them into something, but at the very beginning, these are individuals who want to go somewhere. Watson and Jordan travel for different reasons, but they’re both on the move. Jordon could have held a sale or done interviews or protested or written letters to bring attention to her friend. She choose to run. Watson could have stayed on lakes or in harbors. For that matter, Amelia Earhart could have stayed on the ground, or at least in Kansas. I can’t help thinking that each is responding to something inside, as well as all those outside voices of reason and encouragement.

These are not simple journeys, either. Anyone who’s ever run cross country or just done a morning jog knows that Jordon’s run will be intensely physically demanding. Watson’s course takes her through waters that experience everything from tsunamis to pirates (oh, yes, I’ll address pirates here someday, but that’s another story). Earhart did not complete her last flight.

The world is a big place. Don’t let a feature article gloss the complexities too much, even if character is a teenage girl. I think, especially if the character is a teenage girl. Especially if she’s going somewhere.

‘Course, I’m biased. I want to go somewhere someday too.

Still – hopefully I’m not the only one who doesn’t think these are just fluff pieces anymore – I prefer to think of them as first chapters, ones with lots of back story to be included as the story unfolds. I hope that as the months roll on and the miles rack up, there are a few more of these from time to time, so we can all see where Watson and Jordon are going. Hey, maybe if we’re lucky, some of us are will be reading these updates from the road ourselves.

JW 27 Aug 03

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