http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com Engaging the border region in Australian politics and international affairs. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:31:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://0.gravatar.com/blavatar/e1a748e0fd36a2a721d370b9b527a73e?s=96&d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.png http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/wallerstein-1968redux/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/wallerstein-1968redux/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:47:05 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1976 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/wallerstein-1968redux/feed/ 0 politicsalburywodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/photo-essay-yanji-2/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/photo-essay-yanji-2/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:17:42 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1805 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/photo-essay-yanji-2/feed/ 0 One of Yanji's many karaoke establishments. These places are like five star hotels, where patrons get private suites with big screen TV, four microphones and waiting service. Karaoke is taken very seriously in this part of the world. politicsalburywodonga Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (in red). Map courtesty of Wikipedia. Looking east along the Bu'er Hatong River (Bu'er Hatong He). The Henan Jie bridge. Looking west along the Bu'er Hatong River. Ice on the surface of the Bu'er Hatong River. The maximum temperature reached a frigid -10 degrees C on this day and can reach as low as -25 degrees C at the height of winter. For an Australian with little history with snow and ice, the frozen Bu'er Hatong River was a novelty. Lanterns floating in the breeze above the Bu'er Hatong River. A black mesh screen across the river protects a large ice skating rink that has been created on the river ice. Yanbian University. These large smokestacks are scattered throughout the city, emitting exhaust fumes from the boilers that heat the buildings. All buildings in Yanji are centrally heated in winter. Another artifact of the intense winter cold, the main football pitch at Yanbian University is covered with astroturf because ordinary grass would die off in the winter. A fruit tree orchard on the hills overlooking the northern edge of the city. Stalks remaining from the corn harvest. The dried out stalks are used as a domestic fuel through the winter. Yanji's football stadium, home to the Yanbian Baektu Tigers who play in China's second division. The cable car in the Yanji People's Park. The ghostly scene of the carnival site in Yanji People's Park. In summer the park is alive with thousands of people and is one of the central recreational locations for residents. Communal table tennis facilities in Yanji People's Park. Communal basketball court in Yanji People's Park. Apartment construction on the Bu'er Hatong riverfront. China has been gripped by a real estate bubble which has driven construction of numerous residential and commercial high rise projects. Much of this construction has been financed by loans outside of the formal banking system. The informal loan market is now in the process of collapsing, leading to fears of a credit crunch in China and the bursting of its real estate bubble. A wier across the Bu'er Hatong River. Notice the men on the right fishing in the open pool created by the running water. The riverside carnival, in hiatus for the winter. One of many street vendors selling snack foods. This vendor has set up shop across from the railway station. Street vendor in central Yanji selling nuts and legumes. A street stall selling confectionary. A herbal medicine shop in the Korean market in central Yanji. Nuts and legumes on sale in the Korean market. Yanji's very prominent christian church, situated next to the Yanji River (Yanji He). Christianity is important to the story of modern Korea and christian churches of many denominations are active in the Yanji area, often helping North Korean defectors to flee to escape across the Tumen River frontier. Young love in the snow. The facade of this commercial building illustrates Yanji's unique ethnic flavour. All signs in Yanji are written in both Chinese and Korean, reflecting the city's large ethnic Korean population. Students playing basketball at Yanbian University. One of the many tricycles used by lower-standing Yanji residents to collect refuse material for recycling and sale. The local ice skate repairer. The delectable toffee fruit skewers, available all across northern China during the winter. Communal exercise equipment on the Bu'er Hatong riverfront. While common in China, it's interesting to see similar facilities starting to appear in Australia as well. This restaurant - Gina's Place - is Yanji's sole expat hangout. Ginseng hanging out to dry. A full moon in Yanji. There was a lunar eclipse later this night, which was partially obscured in Yanji by cloud. Yanbian University of Science and Technology. Overlooking the northeastern quarter of Yanji. Overlooking eastern Yanji. This is not a UFO, but rather a monument to those killed during the Japanese occupation of the area in the 1930s and 1940s. Yanji's cavernous train station. Apartment complexes of various vintages in western Yanji. Ice skating on the Yanji River. The Yanji River joins the Bu'er Hatong River on the other side of this bridge. Ice bikes. Speed skaters training on the Yanji River ice rink. Little ice chairs with ski poles, specially made for kids. The makeshift dam across the Yanji River, trapping water to freeze into the Yanji River ice rink. Ice scapes are incredibly beautiful. The new...solar hot water systems sit atop all new apartment buildings. China is the world leader in solar and renewable energy technologies. The old...the local coal fired power station. A new coal fired power station is said to be constructed every week somewhere in China. An industrial fire on the outskirts of the city. China has a dismal record for industrial safety standards. This is what snow comes to look like in a country where cars are not fitted with catalytic converters. Imagine your lungs looking like that after living all your life in a polluted Chinese city. An outdoor market in downtown Yanji. http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/eotm-kanderson/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/eotm-kanderson/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:04:48 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1905 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/eotm-kanderson/feed/ 0 Earth politicsalburywodonga Earth http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/photo-essay-fangchuan/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/photo-essay-fangchuan/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:22:29 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1888 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/photo-essay-fangchuan/feed/ 0 politicsalburywodonga Map: Tumen River Joint Development Area (Arase, 1999). UN World Heritage Site Looking west along the Tumen River. Wild berry Wonjong Bridge between Quanhe on the Chinese side and Wonjong-ri on the North Korean side. A busy border crossing point leading to the Norht Korean port of Rason. The North Korean border town of Wonjong. Buildings in the North Korean border outpost at Tumangang, across the Tumen River from Fangchuan. Trucks lined up at the China-North Korea border crossing point at Qianhe. The queue of trucks stretch for half a kilometre. Rogue cows on the Hunchun-Fangchuan road. Harvested corn husks, dried and ready for use as a burning fuel. In the background one can see a cage full of corn cobs. Marker at the China-Russia-North Korea border convergence, erected in 1886 by Wu Dacheng, the imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, and the representative of tsarist Russia. The marker is a visual manifestation of the 1886 Sino-Russian border treaty, which continued to allow Chinese ships to enter the Sea of Japan from Hunchun on the Tumen River. Looking north across the Russian border into the Primorski Krai province of Russia. The archetypal Fangchuan photo. The Chinson rail bridge across the Tumen River between Russian and North Korea. Gazing across the frozen Yalu River into North Korea. Observation tower at Fangchuan. The Tumen River. The North Korean outpost of Tumangang and mountains beyond. Chinson railway bridge across the Tumen River, a mere fifteen kilometres upstream from the Sea of Japan. The village of Podgornaya, on the Russian side of the border fence. China-Russia border fence. Distant hills inside Russia. Observation building at Fanghuan. Razor wire fence near the Tumen River bank. Artifacts from the Khasan War battlefield, on display in th Khasan War museum. Shell fragments dug up from the nearby Khasan War battlefield, in display in the Khasan War museum. Khasan Heights and the memorial to the Khasan War. An old well pump near Lake Khasan. Chinese border post and radio communication tower on the bank of the Tumen River. The Fangchuan sand dune park. The presence of shifting sand dunes above the ice and snow pack illustrates just how close Fangchuan is to the ocean. Monument to Wu Dacheng, the imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty, and the representative of tsarist Russia. North Korean communications towers on the mountains overlooking the Tumen River at Fangchuan. http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/photo-essay-porto/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/photo-essay-porto/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:11:46 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1676 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/photo-essay-porto/feed/ 2 Clerigos Tower rising above Porto's old city. The tower and associated church were built in the eighteenth century in the baroque and rococo architectural style. politicsalburywodonga Map - Portugal (courtesy of Eurosis) Gazing east along the Douro River upon traditional wine boats, with the Ponte Luis I bridge in the background. Prior to the industrial revolution, these boats would bring barrels of port wine from the vineyards upriver to the cellars in Porto. Gazing upon the city of Porto from its twin city of Vila Nova de Gaia, on the southern bank of the River Douro. The north bank of the Douro River. Distinctive architectural styles to be found in the old city. The Porto Stock Exchange Palace. Built in the nineteenth century, this neoclassical building was architecturally inspired by the Alhambra Palace in the Spanish city of Granada. In the foreground is the Estátua do Infante Dom Henrique, the monument to Prince Henry the Navigator, who was responsible for many of Portugal's early maritime discoveries. The famous Lello Bookshop. As I walked into this place I remarked to our guide how much it looked like a set from Hogwartz Castle in the Harry Potter movies. I was duly informed that JK Rowling wrote much of the first Harry Potter book while staying in Porto and frequenting this shop. JK Rowling also spent time drinking coffee here at the Majestic Cafe, also notable for its Potter-esque interior design. Inside the Majestic Cafe. A tree-lined avenue in Cordoaria Park. The eighteenth century Ordem Terceira De Nossa Senhora Do Carmo church. Ordem Terceira De Nossa Senhora Do Carmo's impressive tile fresco, added in 1912. Beautiful communal gardens lying behind building frontages. The balcony garden, adding greenery vertically. Hillside garden maintained by a resident in the old city. Impressive utilisation of garden space to grow fruit and vegetables in confined spaces, evident in various parts of the old city. A Porto roof-scape, featuring the Igreja de S Lorenco in the background. The Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar monastery, towering above wine cellars on the south bank of the Douro River. Porto's World War One monument. Portugal was dragged into the Great War on the side of the allied powers due to the disruption of its vital trade links with Britain by German U-boats. The Porto Cathedral, built in the twelth and thirteenth centuries. The main altar in Porto Cathedral, design and constructed in the baroque style during the seventeenth century. Gothic colums of the central aisle of the cathedral. The Pelourinho tower in front of Porto cathedral. Doing the washing; the practicalities of living in the old city. Porto's most famous shopping street, the Rua de Santa Catarina. São Bento Train Station, built in 1916. On the platform in São Bento Train Station. A spectacular tile fresco in São Bento Train Station. The São Bento Train Station clock. The is a mime artist under there somewhere. He can hold his poses for hours on end. River bank houses below the wall of the old city, the Muralha Fernandina. An impressive building on the banks of the Douro River. Evidence of the decay of the old city buildings along the river. Looking across the Douro River at the Wall of the Ribeira Shelters, a series of porticos and caverns along the river bank that have now been inhabited by restaurants. How to relax on the Douro River. The former customs building, the Alfandega Nova. Teens cooling off in the Douro River. An abandoned building on the Douro River bank. The Ponte Luis I bridge between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, designed and constructed by Téophile Seyrig, a protege of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The bridge was completed in 1886. Barrels of maturing port wine at the Graham's Winery cellars in Gaia. One can't go to Portugal without trying a Portuguese custard tart...as good as advertised. Inside the Mercado do Bolhao market. Regular visitors to Melbourne's Queen Victoria Markets or the Central Markets in Adelaide would love this place. Fruit, vegetables and herbs on sale in the Mercado do Bolhao. Flower shop in the Mercado do Bolhao. Live chickens on sale in the Mercado do Bolhao. A sweets shop in the Mercado do Bolhao. A fish monger in the Mercado do Bolhao. Porto's best smallgoods, available at the Mercado do Bolhao. Shoppers in the Mercado do Bolhao. Christian figurines on sale in the Mercado do Bolhao. The Portuguese are devout Roman Catholics. Chilli and garlic on sale in the Mercado do Bolhao, two vital ingredients in Portuguese cooking. Beautiful fresh-baked bread at the Mercado do Bolhao. A street busker, playing a lonely tune. No, this is not a set from Doctor Who. A selection to make any cheese lover drool. Porto City Hall. The Avenida Dos Aliados, an immense avenue in front of Porto City Hall. This is also the gathering place for football fans during the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Cup soccer tournaments. Looking west down the Cais da Ribeira. The distinctive image of Sandeman Winery, visible on buildings around the old city. Wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Another example of the dilapidated state of many of the buildings in the old city. The saturday flea market. http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/what-is-australia-day-really-about/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/what-is-australia-day-really-about/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:53:23 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1868 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/what-is-australia-day-really-about/feed/ 1 politicsalburywodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/youth-voice-communism-or-capitalism-with-chinese-characteristics/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/youth-voice-communism-or-capitalism-with-chinese-characteristics/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:08:45 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1833 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/youth-voice-communism-or-capitalism-with-chinese-characteristics/feed/ 0 politicsalburywodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/photo-essay-yasawas/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/photo-essay-yasawas/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:17:31 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1603 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/photo-essay-yasawas/feed/ 0 A young child learns his village's mekke. politicsalburywodonga Yasawa Islands Drinking kava. I came to enjoy the ritual and communal bonding of the kava ceremony, where one can consume a coconut bowl of a tea-like drink brewed from the roots of the kava plant, Fiji's favourite psycho-active flora. The 'Turtle Airways' sea plane. Due to the mountainous terrain of the Yasawa archipelago, travel by sea plane is the only viable means of air travel too and from the mainland. Slower ferry services also make the trip daily. Banana plantation. Like many other tropical nations that are former members of the British empire, Fiji produces cash crops such as sugar and bananas, as pictured here. Students of dependency theory will understand the economic relationships that underpin the image in this picture. House at Nasisiri village, Nacula Island. The 'bakery' near Nasisiri village, Nacula Island. This bakery is owned and run by a female from Nasisiri village. Female entrepreneurs are very rare in Fiji. Venus and the sunset over Tavewa Island Looking south down the Yasawas from Nacula Island An aerial view of one of the many coral reefs surrounding Nacula Island Nacula village Trellacing for vegetable cultivation Entrance to Nacula village House in Nacula village Boat landing outside of Nacula village Communal grazing of pigs. Every family in the village will own one or two pigs, which are grazed in the common land around the village. Common grazing has not been a feature of agriculture in the Anglophone world since the enclosure movement in 18th century England. Thatched roof house in Nacula village Inside Nacula village Brick and tin roof house in Nacula village. The traditional thatched houses are being replaced by brick and tin roofed houses because of their greater durability. Our village guide told us that traditional houses need to be rethatched approximately every five years. Traditional thatched house in Nacula village Kids avoiding the sun in Nacula village Thatched house in Nacula village Nacula village's solar array. The renewable energy revolution has reached the Yasawas. This solar array, along with a diesel generator, provide Nacula village with approximately four hours of electricity every day. Because the supply is limited, electricity use has to be rationed for important uses. Kids playing in Nacula village. No matter where one travels around the world, nothing illustrates the common humanity of the world's different cultures more than playing children. Nacula village's Methodist church The chief's hut. In this building the village chief and elders perform ceremonies and conduct important business. Inside the chief's hut. Notice the spectacular coconut wood beams supporting the roof, which are lashed together decoratively with rope. Nacula village's Catholic church Different attitudes to open space and community. The absence of fences, roads and cars give Nacula village a radically more open and integrated feel that the standard suburban landscape in Australia. It's not coincidence that community life is more cohesive here due to the nature of the built environment. The atomisation of suburban neighbourhoods into the isolated, self-contained cantons that the ordinary Australian house has become is a great crime of Australian urban planning. Nabukenu village, Vawa Island Teenagers chatting on the foreshore in Nabukenu Sea cave under the limestone island of Sawa-i-lau Looking up through the roof of the sea cave Kids from Nabukenu swimming with us in the sea cave. No matter where you are in the world, give teenage boys a deep body of water and high rock faces and watch them jump! School of fish swimming above a reef off Nacula Island Tracks in the sand left by hermit crabs Tropical fish swimming among coral off Nacula Island Parrot fish swimming along the reef. Snorkelling above Nacula Island's coral reefs was and ethereal experience. Floating above these spectacular undersea gardens, accompanied only by the sound of one's own breathing, is meditative and good for the soul. A lovo pit. The lovo is a Fijian in-ground barbeque, where food is buried with coals that have been heated in a fire. Food cooked in a lovo has a slightly smokey taste but is absolutely delicious. Nathula villagers perform their mekke. A mekke is a performance of song and dance. Each village has their own songs and dances, handed down from generation to generation. Nacula village mekke. Spectacular coral off Nacula Island. Like coral reefs in other parts of the world, reefs in the Yasawas are being damaged by coral bleaching. Coral off Nacula Island. Coral formations Veggie garden beds at Blue Lagoon Beach Resort on Nacula Island. In a place so reliant on imported goods, growing one's own food is an important exercise, even for a business like Blue Lagoon Beach Resort. A farm in at the foot of Mount Koroba, outside Nadi Tracks for the cane train. Every year at harvest time, the 'cane train' comes along to collect harvested sugar cane. Breadfruit plantation Storms brewing in the distance. Spectacular lightning storms and torrential downpours are a feature of the rainy season in Fiji. Ominous looking clouds Fiji Muslim League mosque and school in Nadi. With its large Indo-Fijian population Nadi is a significant centre for Islam and Hinduism in Fiji. Sri Siva Subramaniya Hindu temple in Nadi. This beautiful temple is the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere. Spectacular sunset over Tavewa Island. I believe that admiring the majestic beauty of sunsets is good for the soul. http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/no-bullshit-career-advice-for-school-leavers/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/no-bullshit-career-advice-for-school-leavers/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:15:02 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1599 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/no-bullshit-career-advice-for-school-leavers/feed/ 3 politicsalburywodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/deathofkimjongil/ http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/deathofkimjongil/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:52:10 +0000 Politics Albury-Wodonga http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/?p=1581 ]]> http://politicsalburywodonga.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/deathofkimjongil/feed/ 1 politicsalburywodonga