Change is in the air

The winter was long and quite dreary 

But now spring is arriving so cheery 

The cold winds now cease 

Warmer days increase 

As winter makes way for spring weary

Yes. Things are changing. Mostly for good. But not always. It sometimes feels like time just flows. And sometimes feels like Groundhog Year. I once liked the fact that the newspapers in this new adopted country of mine is a little more civil , with regards to reporting the news. But even that is now going down the drain. The elections might be over in the former United States, but the coverage, and its aftereffects is on the other side.

First , lets get this out of the way: the pandemic is over. The COVID-19 pandemic first reached Australia in early 2020. The government implemented increasingly restrictive measures like bans on public gatherings and travel to slow the spread of the virus. This had significant economic and social impacts on Australia. By April/May 2021, Australia had experienced over a year of the pandemic. Some of the key responses included closing schools which affected vulnerable children's education outcomes. The Reserve Bank of Australia also implemented unconventional monetary policies to support the economy. Throughout the pandemic, there were acute impacts on Australians' mental health as well as challenges for the healthcare system in treating patients and accessing personal protective equipment.

Inflation in Australia likely peaked in late 2022 and is projected to continue declining in 2023 and 2024 . But costs of things continue to stay high. The borders are now open, and temporary and permanent migration is not only high, but some say are higher than it has ever been.

But the biggest topic that has caught people's mind is the phenomenal , almost overnight rise of AI and the jobs it will reduce. And the repeated complaints of employers asking employees to return to office. Although these might look like two unrelated issues, they are more closely related than it seems.

I can still recall about 5 years ago, when Rising incomes, low public debt, affordable welfare state and immigration were discussed as things Australia was doing well. There was a general air of hope and confidence; this was the place to be, the model country for others to admire.

Maybe that spring isn't far away.

There once was a group full of hope Who said their investment would cope With schedules each day They planned things that way But optimism can lead us off scope

No-Vac Djoker

And this, kids, is why No-Vac Djoker will never be in the same league as Federer and Nadal.

Mixed Year, Missed Year

This is difficult, writing this down. 2021 has definitely not been the year we all wished we had. After an entire year of gloom, sickness and death, the whole world was looking to return to normalcy. 

Nothing fancy, just a normal life like it used to be. Whoever said that 'normal is boring' had no idea what fun it is to be stuck in public transport with random strangers, and eating out at restaurants, and meeting others in parks and cafes. It is only when you are deprived of your regular freedoms that you begin to miss things you took for granted. And so, 2021 was supposed to be that big year when everything went back to how it was.

Yet, it didn't. We missed the whole year again. We humans have this uncanny ability to over-estimate and be under prepared. Despite all those warnings, humanity did not learn anything. Many more fell sick, and many of them died. Variants. Mutations. These scientific terms is now everyday lexicon for the billions that survived.

So cautiously, here is hoping that we are now prepared for what is to come round the corner. Hope everyone has a normal year.

A normal, boring year. We can't take any more surprises.

Earthquake !!

22nd Septmber, 2021. It began like any other day in lockdown, me logging in to work from home, on a cold, grey day. Promise of sun later in the day. First meeting ended about 5 minutes past 9am. I remember thinking: goodness, its only the first meeting of the day and it already went overtime. What a promising way to start.

And then, it happened. About 12 minutes after 9, my table began to shake. Slowly at first, and then a little more visibly. I ran into the adjacent room, and felt the table there. Yep it moved too. No sound. Then called the family and all of us took shelter under the big wooden table in the dining room. 

Now we could really feel the shakes, the entire house was shaking. I was surprisingly calm on the outside, but I could hear my heart beat fast. Mentally I was thinking what I need to take with us if we had to run out. Phone ,wallet, Ids, mask, jacket...It was 30 seconds of soft adrenaline pump.

I had read about earthquakes and what one needs to do in case one hits. And distinctly remembered taking shelter under a strong table, to protect from falling objects. And we had known there will be aftershocks too, in many cases the aftershocks are more powerful than the first wave.

Once the tremors ended, we took up what we could and ran out and down. Others had come out too, all looking around in surprise. But the majority of folks were still inside. We later found out that there were five more aftershocks later, but we didn't feel any on the ground. And around us, there were still people in exercise gear doing their morning runs, having no idea that an 5.8 scale earthquake had just hit.

After a few more minutes of waiting, went round the corner and got some coffee, they sure got some business in the morning. Nothing like a strong coffee to wake you up from a morning tremor.

Experiences like these are once in  a lifetime, I hope ! 🙄 That was a massive shake, and most cities give up easily, with buildings crumbling to the ground. Apart from a few fallen bricks, Australia didn't report any damage. Not one single death. And that is remarkable. Or maybe just lucky this time.

This is science at work, and nature. We are after all, inhabiting a part of a tectonic plate, which is constantly moving over molten lava. Yes, we can build strong , and discover new materials. But if the ground beneath gives way, whats the construction above going to do ? There are natural powers on this planet far more strong and un-controllable than human overconfidence.

Just another reminder that we are here as guests. Enjoy what we can when we still have time.

One quirk I hate about life here.

This is not a rant. At least not 'that' kind of rant. But I had to write it down somewhere.  There is this one thing I hate about life in a developed nation like Australia. It is not a first world problem per-se. But it looks like one for someone who just came in. It is about doctors. 

Doctors in this country simply don't want to prescribe medications. There, I said it.

If GPs here had their say, which they do, they would rather every sick person just stay at home and recover naturally, via a miracle. You could have 50 degree fevers, and coughing from your lungs, but the doctors here will not prescribe antibiotics. At best, they will recommend getting an OTC cough syrup. And then, plenty of rest. 

Now I work in a system with ample sick leaves to take, so I can stay at home and rest, aided by the medical certificate issued by the GP, and will still get paid for it. But that does not make my illness go away. It actually makes things worse for us because now I need special care, and the fear of spreading something to the family. The sooner I get better, the better it is for everyone.

But not everyone working here has ample sick leaves. Most workers prefer contract jobs, because they pay higher. But contract workers do NOT get paid sick leaves. In fact, they don't get any paid leaves. So those workers, will try to still work and get to office, even when they are not fully recovered. And this is a humongous problem.

This means that ill workers still spread their illness to unsuspecting co-workers, because they don't want to miss out on pay.

And a private GP will gladly charge you 100 dollars, and still not prescribe a proper medicine.

In most cases, this means a worsening condition leading to hospitalisation. 

Which is where I am typing this rant from. 

Summer's out !

I think we can officially say this, Victoria's summer's out, until December this year. Just checked the accuweather forecast , and the temperature is not expected to cross over 27 for the next 3 months. And I still don't know they can do it this accurately ( they are pretty much spot on), but they usually able to predict temperatures months ahead, with a variance of 3 degrees ! So that's it, we never had a summer last year. We sort of just drifted the low 30s for about 5 days in all of Feb, and off we go to a wonderful autumn !

Which just brings back the old realization: how  time flies ! This time last year, the world was just starting to realize that 2020 won't be the fun and games everyone expected it to be. Australia was still a month away from its first official lockdown. At this point, we were still getting our morning runs and noon beach trips. Australians were still planning their international holidays, and international students were still coming into the country. 

And by all means, the worst may be over here, but it has definitely not ended. Australia officially rolled out their first vaccine shots this week, and best estimates say it will be till October until a sizeable chunk of us get them. And just like in every cucumber country, there are fierce anti-vaxxers here as well; who would rather get the disease over sacrificing their irrational beliefs.

Technically, it is better for our species to let these people by. You know, evolutionwise.

Victoria has just voted to extend its state of emergency till December this year, to have that level of caution. Hopefully this will rein in the more adventurous folk, by levying heavy fines for rule breakers. 

The La-nina is still around, and it is expected to bring gloomy weather, with overcast , cloudy skies and long rains. Friendly reminder, rain is always good. Yes, you need to carry an umbrella, but at least you will have water round the year to grow those avocados. But the chilly, cloudy skies is a bummer, and a reminder that harsh winters are just around the corner.

Times up. Time to go find that missing glove and raincoat. Have a chilly good day !

Post Vacation Blues

I am going through a weird withdrawal phase right now. Having serious holiday blues. I think the clinical term is post-vacation blues. After spending more than a month in vacation, I am now strangely detached from work life. I have no idea what I was working on the last day of work. No idea where I start again, and whom I owe. 

2020 was a particularly tiring year, which I why I decided to take such a long holiday. But maybe I overdid it. Enjoyed Melbourne's , what third winter , this year. A very cold and rainy December, just like back home. Saw dark blue seas and shallow beaches.  Walked through woodlands and around tall trees. Breathed in the eucalyptus laden fresh air. Saw more animals and birds than humans. Completely went off the diet. Pretty sure gained a few kilos. 

But now when I suit up, I realize how fortunate I have been, to be able to take time off work. To be able to say I still have a job, in this troubled economy. To spend more money in a month than what I usually spend in six months. And to easily forget what a horrible year the last one was.

The good news is already starting to come in. Australians will be given the Astrazeneca vaccine, it is being reported. By March. Splendid. And twitter has banned its biggest cyberbully !

This is going to be a good year. I can tell. Only thing is, my mind is still somewhere lost in holiday.

Time to get back to work. Theres lots of to be done.

A scientific opening up of the state

This just in. After more than 3 months under probably the world's harshest COVID-19 induced lockdowns, the metro area of Melbourne, and the state of Victoria is cautiously &  slowly opening up to a summer of hope. 

From midnight tonight, the city's imposed restriction of travel within 5 kms of resident's home, is being relaxed to a generous 25 kms ! And the max time limit of 2 hours is also gone for good. Families in the city can now be outdoors for however long they wish to be, as long as they don't mingle too much with other families. Outside of the family bubble, social distancing still applies, people have to wear masks and stay 1.5 m apart. But that is a small price to pay to the relative freedom this move brings to the millions locked down in the city. 

And if you can't already tell from my ear-to-ear smile, I am one of those millions who will now be able to enjoy a bit more of the elusive sun.

But nothing is set in stone, as the premier has repeatedly warned. If the case numbers grow , the restrictions will return. So we could still, technically, lose it all, if we decided to ignore the rules at the risk of public health.

But keeping that aside, Victoria's scientific and often extremely strict approach to containing this virus stands in stark contrast to how other states, and countries have bungled their own approach. After losing the plot by a ill-handled hotel quarantine system, the state had to hibernate for many months to earn their right to taste freedom again. And yes, many hundreds died during that time, and thousands of businesses went bust, but the state chose the lesser of two evils at every point. In the absence of a vaccine or anti-dote, the govt decided to save lives, instead of opening up for the sake of its destroyed economy. And this is where other countries, like the US, UK and India have got their priorities wrong.

Kudos to the city, state, and to the millions of Victorians who saw us all through. Yes this winter was longer and harsher than usual, but we can now look forward to warmer days in the sun. 

While the rest of the world decides to learn from us.

Well done, Melbourne !

Take a look at the COVID case graph of Victoria. It just keeps going down , down and down !

 

Now that, is impressive. Most of the cases in Victoria were concentrated in the capital city of Melbourne. But we knew all Victorians could see us through. It was tough, the past 6 weeks, made worse by us becoming the laughing stock of the nation. But all that matters is the result. And this is impressive indeed.

Here’s hoping we continue to keep the trend , and come out clean on the other side.

A stitch in time.

Victoria is right now in its 4^th week of its stage 4 restrictions, which was enforced starting August 2^nd. This is more of a curfew than a simple restriction and is far stricter and fine grained than the earlier restrictions. And it seems to be working. Take a look at the graph of new cases being reported in the state of Victoria.

The 2^nd of August is right in the middle of this graph, when the number of cases being reported was at its peak. And then the counts go down gradually, as soon as the curfew hits the city, and later the state completely. It is a familiar pattern, the number of infections decrease as soon as the primary vector, humans ,are immobilised. Everyone is staying locked in , until 13^th September, the date these restrictions are scheduled to end.

Simply put, a stitch in time saves nine.

It is not , and was never, that easy to ask Victorians to stay in. Aussies are an outdoorsy folk, the live outside, under the sun and in the rain. They could maybe stay in a few weeks, but definitely not in months. All through this period, there have been conspiracy theorists and plain idiots calling for a boycott of the curfews, asserting falsely, that it violates their ‘freedom of movement’, whatever that means. There were also calls from small business owners to re-open in a controlled way, in order to bring back much needed business. Add to this the bunch the virus deniers and anti-vaxxers, you have a gathering of monsters to control. Having never experience a war first hand, and not used to being ruled under a regime, people here take their own personal freedom for granted, and not  a privilege. The only thing the country had going for it was the small population. At 25 million people, there are more people in the state of Kerala in India than the total population of Australia and New Zealand combined ! So some police presence on the road, and the new of Australian Defence Forces patrolling the streets was enough to herd in the dissenters. And of course, the heavy fines 😊.

So verdict ? It seems to be working. One can only hope the course will hold steady until the counts come down to 0. And hopefully, this will the last time this lesson need to be learnt. This is our second time doing this, remember ?

Can’t go back. There can not be a third wave.

Its worse the second time.

The last few weeks have been really weird living in Melbourne . The city is usually crowded with people walking in long winter jackets. It sometimes rains suddenly without warning , and people run to the nearest shelter. The days are very short , and people lap up multiple cups of coffee and run in the parks. Pubss, restaurants, hotels are always full, no matter what time of the day it is .

But you would be hard pressed to realise that this is the same city we're living in right now. There is nobody outside, absolutely nobody. Melbourne is now in a stage four locked on restriction. State of Victoria is in stage three locked on restriction. until a few years ago, Melbourne was known as the best city to live in the whole world. The irony of it. Despite being a properly planned city , with excellent infrastructure and better than average governance, the city has gone to the dogs. If you people, mind you are very few small number of people, never thought of staying in during the restrictions imposed in the first wave lockdown. And now the larger city and the entire state is paying its price for it .

It's always tougher the second time around. During the first wave lockdowns, the people were largely confident that we will be able to easily beat the coronavirus . After all we are the Australia ,the country which survived the last recession. Even when the lockdowns were announced, there was sheer optimism on the walls and on the internet . Those storeys of optimism going around , people were donating money to the poor, the needy, the sick . people for donating things like toilet paper dried foods to those in need. Many were keeping teddy bears on the windowsills so children could count them . But the second time around stop that optimism is gone for the better. the number of positive cases is now more than three times the big count from the first wave . More people have died . There is nothing to be optimistic about.

Countries like Australia have a problem, they have never seen Days of restriction. The citizens often strike and shut down the streets, but they have never seen a day when the government shuts down the streets and forced people to stay home. such things are only heard of from developing nations like India, or a failed state like the current USA. People here have always been free, as a country and as individuals. So when a law is passed requiring them to give up those freedoms, they don't know how to react. For the average Australian, giving up a full few days of freedom is OK, but anything more than a week and the people will start to revolt. They don't understand staying in . These are people who spend more time outdoors than inside their homes anyway.

But there's always a first time , specially days like this pandemic. There's a lot riding on this latest stage for restriction. It's not only the entire country, but the entire world watching us right now. It is essential for everybody in the country to follow the government imposed restrictions this next couple of weeks in order to ensure we come out clean on the other side. As I've said before, we are at war . We are fighting an invisible enemy. But the good thing is we don't have to go out and fight listen to me.

All we have to do is shut up and stay home.

Doing the right thing is always tough.

The great state of Victoria is right now the laughing stock and the black sheep in Australia. With rising counts of COVID-19 cases, clearly pointing to large scale community transmission leading to a second peak, and the inability of the government to prioritize resident health over revitalising the economy has clearly shown the lack of strong leadership in the state. And the relative outstanding performance of other states, even neighbouring states, paints a bleak picture for Vic. If these other states can efficiently manage these numbers, why can’t us ?

This is the same failing leadership which was on display during last year’s bush fires. Yes, that was just last year. This ‘wait and watch’ approach to emergency situations is something typically seen in developing nations. It does not sit well in such a developed country.

The truth is, the people in power know what the right thing to do is. But can’t. It takes courage, and commitment, to do the right thing.

The kids in the government need to grow up.

A world of changes.

It has been quiet, lately When I go out now, there are fewer people on the road, in the trams, and everywhere else. Trains are no longer full, and run on time. For the first time in maybe years, all trains are been cleaned. It is now easier to drive on the roads, fewer cars outside, no traffic jams. No crowds, no noisy neighbours, and when you sneeze, nobody turns around and says “bless you!”

If it was not for the pandemic, and the fact that so many people have already died, this would have been a much better world to yearn for. It is ironical that it took a disease to tell us that there are indeed more powerful forces on this planet than brute human strength.

March, 2020. This month is going to live on in infamy. It took 3 months for the whole world to wake up to the threat; a new, invisible enemy that our planet has to fight. In these past days, two things have become ever clear. One: we are not prepared. Not even the most developed and advanced countries on earth are prepared for a pandemic of this proportion. All the while nations were busy fighting over each other, stocking up arms and preparing for future wars. No one thought of other ways their nations could be defeated: sheer human lethargy. Things have come to such an extent that some nations have issued shoot at sight orders against their own citizens, if they ever step out of their homes! Others have just resorted to fines at the moment, while some have started using brute force, with no regards to human rights and constitutional rights of its citizens.

Two: The borders between the rich and poor have never been as clear and sharp than what is exposed right now. Its easy for the govt of any country to declare mandatory social distancing. But only those who have a home can stay home. Social distancing is a privilege, enjoyed by the rich, or at least financially prepared. For the poor, who live from day to day, and with no long term social security or planning, it is simply not an option. While those with disposal incomes were hoarding supermarket produce, ordering takeout delivery ,staying home and watching streamed videos, those who couldn’t do it were struggling to pay their and rent and buy the day’s essentials. Many lost their jobs, due to companies running into overnight losses, and many others have been kicked out of their homes, due to inability to pay rent. Buried within the statistics of COVID deaths is an invisible count of people who died due to the shutdown, but not directly due to the virus.

In India, the nation’s stark difference between its rich and poor have exposed how unprepared the govt is at managing a pandemic. While cabinet ministers are at home playing board games, and PM is on tv shedding crocodile tears, a long line of poor, migrant workers is snaking across the nation, in an attempt to get home. Ignoring all calls to socially distance, millions of daily wage workers have come together to strike for the day’s meal, or just ask for the path to travel home. Due to public transportation being shutdown in most places, and borders between states now being closely monitored, these workers have resorted to walking hundreds of kilometres home through dangerous forests and treacherous  terrain, to slip under the eyes of authorities. Many have died in this exodus. The govt has tried to shift responsibilities to its well to do urban rich, asking them to pay their workers during the lockdown, blindly believing the non-existent trickle down economy will take of the lower levels. The numbers of COVID infected are meanwhile, growing exponentially.

This event is undoubtedly going to change the world. For the better, I sincerely hope. Now is the time to see the benefits of social welfare programs taking care of a nation’s needy. This is not the time to worry about a failing economy, but the failing healthcare system. Already some world leaders have been infected, showing the world that a pandemic like this does not differentiate between the rich and poor. Or between religion and borders. Lets learn from this, and be better prepared for next time.

PS: I am reminded of Ian Malcolm’s ramblings in Jurassic Park, when he says the world and nature will find a way to stop humans. This world was here billions of years before us, and will persist fo billions more without us. Incurable diseases is just one way of keeping escalating population in check.

World war C

This is war. Full on. No government might mention or accept it, but we are now at war. Against an enemy we can’t see or hear.  We are at war with the Coronavirus. And therefore, at each other.

You see, the only way the virus could have spread this far out into the world was my human-to-human contact. And governments world over have now started to advice social-distancing. Things have now come down to this, we now have to avoid each other ! Governments in Italy ,China, Spain have announced full lockdowns, restricting its people from even venturing out, whether they are infected or not. And other countries are following suit.

Australia, too panic-stricken to lead by example, is yet to call a nation-wide absolute lockdown. Worried more about its economy, which was already sliding before the pandemic, they only banned flights from China, and advised people to follow minimum protocols. Now with 290 confirmed cases and 3 deaths, there is a little more seriousness in the way their approach to the war. A few weeks back, the idiots down under lit up Australian national monuments in red and yellow, to show solidarity & remember the sacrifice of China; but it was more of a PR effort to retain the good relations with that country. It took the Aussies an additional week to announce the full ban against travellers from Italy, and the damage is now visible. The country had barely recovered from the disastrous bush fires, right into this pandemic. The fight for toilet paper is still on.

Things aren’t looking any better for India, who’s leaders took all their sweet time to draft and finalize a proper response. Kerala was the first Indian state to report an infection, but also the first to announce a fool-proof action plan to isolate and treat the patient. This was last month, showing exceptional knowledge & leadership in the matter. The rest of India at the time asked questions as to why is it always Kerala that is the epicenter of new, viral diseases, and religious bigots blamed the food habits and breakage of temple rituals for the initial spread. But now no-one is questioning the lack of leadership from the central government, now that there are 100 cases and 2 deaths.  Sanghis are resorting to drinking cow-urine and bathing in cow-dung to prevent an infection, becoming the laughing stock of the rest of the world.

And it is ironic that Italy and Iran , countries known to be too open and too closed to the outside world, are equally affected by COVID infections.

But no country was un-prepared for this pandemic than, wait for it….the US. The leader of the free world was caught with its pants down with s serious outbreak, when the nation was itself busy in the initial stages of its presidential election. The whitehouse, again more worried about the falling stock markets, continued to pelt lies and false propaganda, and struggled to lead a country which does not even have universal health care. The gaps in its preparedness and leadership is now as clear as night and day, with 45 deaths right in the state of Washington. If nothing else, this alone should be enough to wipe the country of its real infection, the virus sitting in the oval office, and hopefully, its citizens would vote for the democratic party, just to receive a generous medical insurance cover.

Scientists and leaders are shocked at the un-precented rapid spread of the viral pandemic, around the world, in just 3 months. At this moment, there are over 169,000 confirmed COVID cases, and 6,500 deaths. You could chart and sort the data however you want, but the fact remains that the world was too busy fighting oil wars and trade and tariff wars with each other, and no body had a plan or a prediction for a viral outbreak. Hollywood is good at making movies about viral epidemics, but for once, a horror movie is coming to life. In the initial days, virologists were trying to figure out the original source of this aberration, blaming bats, snakes and pangolins for being the host. But everyone has forgotten that branch of thought, the current host right now are human beings. The more we embrace and thank each other, the more we are passing on the virus.

This incident will change the world. Later generations, hopefully there are a few, will talk, discuss and study how grossly unprepared the world was. They will study how false news and hype caused more damage than the actual infection. And how leaders were focussed on economy and money, and were hesitant to focus on their greatest wealth and asset – human beings. Hopefully, we will emerge from this unscathed, with a fraction of the world population lost, but with lessons learnt from the mistakes we made.

This maybe the next big war we fight, as one. So please stay together in spirit, but ironically, remember to maintain your distance.

A burning nation. A doomed world.

2019 is about to come to its end. And this year's loud and clear message has to be 'natural disasters'. From incessant and unforeseen flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and burning forest fires, specially the man made ones triggered in the Amazon jungles, disasters have ruled the news. It has also exposed the weakness and unpreparedness in mankind's resolve to preserve the planet. Without a will, there surely is no way.

Closer home, Australia has seen bushfires burning just after its winter months. Raging fires in the New South Wales area has spread east and south, coming as far as Canberra, burning through millions of hectares of its reserve forests. Few people have been killed, and millions of tonnes of pollutants have been released into the air, injuring countless others. Sydney has seen a dystopic orange hazed sun for weeks now, and a drought of level 2 severity has been declared across the city.

Elsewhere, Time magazine has fittingly named 16 year old activist Greta Thunberg as it person of the year. The young Swede was fore center of the youth agitations for climate emergency all through the year.

And yet, all the agitations seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Politicians are indifferent or in-denial of a climate emergency. I thought India had the worst politicians, and was dumbfounded by the truly jaw dropping assumptions of the idiots in power down here in Australia. Strayan baffoon Barnaby Joyce blamed , of all people, the Green party for policies which caused the fire. The baffoon also blamed the sun's magnetic fields for causing the bushfires, and declared that most of the affected people were supporters of the Green party.

This just underscores the reality that people voted to power are out of touch, or not open to reading the scientific facts right; that they are quick to blame problems on those who oppose their policies, and are quick to churn out outlandish , unverified claims. Compare this to the calm and scientifically sound way the scientists and supporters of the climate movement have phrased their facts and called for action.

“I want you to panic,” she told the annual convention of CEOs and world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. “I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.”

The looming disaster in the earth's climate in the very near future will be the number one talking point in the new year. 2020. And its high time people start looking at the facts right. Our nation is burning, and the world is doomed. The adults in power seem to behave like children. So it is now in the hands of children, that the world now sees a better future.

Fitting. When adults behave like children; children have to behave like adults.

Heres hoping the sky is a little more clearer, and bluer, and forests are a little more greener, and briming with life, in this new year. That you see more of pleasant rain and calm suns, and less of storms and fires, in this new year.

The last of the inspections.

Nope, I have not mistyped the name of that stupid 90s movie: The Last of the Mohicans. This week, we are indeed giving the last of our inspections. In Australia, renting tenants have to open up the premises for an inspection by the landlord or agent, once a quarter. Sometimes only twice a year. This is for the landlords to verify that there is no serious damage done on the premises, and everything still works. The lot has to be in a respectable condition, which means it has to be cleaned and furniture properly arranged; if the tenants want to continue staying. of course.

And this is a real headache. You don't want to be ousted out of the premises for leaving some grime on the kitchen counter, or if the flooring is damaged. The only way out of this perennial cycle of cleaning and torture is to stop renting completely.

And get your own place !

And so , back to the story. Hopefully, we will never have to give another inspection during our time here. Maybe for life. It was worth it, the struggle, cause this will be the last of the inspections.

We can now damage the floor.

Go green, and fight the cars

The news nowadays has always been disturbing. But for the past few weeks, there has been a shift in focus. Instead of reporting news of religious conflicts, political interference, and greedy corporations; the focus is now on : the changing climate.

There was a (?) nationwide strike in Australia's cities last week, people standing up for a greener future. Against un-controlled climate change. Greta Thunberg's climate activism has got people talking. Scotland has become the first country to declare a climate emergency. There are petitions being signed, videos and audioblogs being shared.

And I have been listening to the war on cars podcast. Australia loves its big, huge cars. And they get touchy when the topic comes to parking.

Some strongly support market prices—except for parking. Some strongly oppose subsidies—except for parking. Some abhor planning regulations—except for parking. Some insist on rigorous data collection and statistical tests—except for parking. This exceptionalism has impoverished thinking about parking policies. If drivers paid the full cost of their parking, it would seem too expensive, so we expect someone else to pay for it. But a city where everyone happily pays for everyone else’s free parking is a fool’s paradise.

For the first time, I see some hope for this planet. The war against cars has started.

Heres hoping for a greener future.

Birds in the city

It is spring time in the city. After a particularly stretched winter, I can now hear bird sounds in the morning again. Not just simple chirping charping. Melodius, long , complex bird songs !

Always a good sign, the birds are the first to know of the changing season. The next few months are going to be pleasant , cool and a little rainy (hopefullly), until we get fried by the harsh Australian summer.

Not looking foward to that. Summer is the worst part of the year.

Best museum visit ever !

Today I learnt a lot. Because today, I went to the museum. I felt like a kid again, and boy, was it fun. This would be my best museum trip ever. I visited the Melbourne Museum in Carlton, just because I had a day off and didn't kmow what else to do. A day well spent.

First off, I have always had dual relationships with museums. The name is supposed to spark curiosity, and fun, and questions. But the museums in India are so poorly done, the only question it invokes is "Why is this place still open ?". They don't have that many speciemens, due to …well, lack of funding. They focus on near history, our recent past only, and no address what we know in the long term. And they also don't bother about the future. They put up paintings and sculptures on their walls, but they don't spark curiosity.

But I have had better museum visits outside India. The natural history museum in Helsinki had dinosaurs. The one in Austria focussed on European flaura and fauna. Also..Vikings ! These guys really know their stuff. So I had high hopes when I walked into the largest museum in the southern hemisphere , in Melbourne.

The dinosaur walk was front and center. And they talked at length on the earth, meteorites, and a little too much about crystals and stones. Nothing fancy about that. One or two collections would have been enough. But upstairs, they talked about evolution, and the principle minds that worked behind that idea. And a room full of taxidermied animals ! And more bees and butterflies !  Some of Darwin's and Owens' original specimens are also on display, you have to squint to spot them ! The focus was on animals found in Victoria, but they also added a polar bear and a panda. The whole arrangement, lighing, and occasinal sound effects were all perfect.  Just enough information to answer your queries, without a long monotnous speech. Sadly, I missed the marine room.

The outdoor installation of Forest history is very cleverly done. I doubt anybody else would have thought about that. They already had giant trees in the back, and they built underground installations to show the birds and animals of such a forest.

Wonders never cease. They have spent a good portion of their space to talk about Victoria, and Melbourne's own little history. Through detailed research and hundreds of actual historical pieces, they have told a continous story of this city from its colonial past. The original natives of this place is mentioned, and without sugercoating, they have also detailed the cruelty these people had to suffer at the hands of 'white-men'. After the gold rush, and a huge influx of migrants, the city planners really had to work overtime to get back to a planned, livable city.

This is where the history of Melbourne differed from a place like..well, an Indian city. Through planning , and efficient government, they built the most livable city in the world, out of slums and closed mines. They go through both the world wars, and were able to successfully move to modernizatin. There are separate exhibits of objects used in all these various time-capsules. The first electrical appliances, the first cable driven trams, old movies, and radios, and then music and footy..the time travel was instantaneous ! I specially adored the pieces designed for their maritime history, with scale models of wooden clippers, and large luxury liners, even a navy ship. They have these little photo albums placed at various points, with real photos taken by people living in here, in various points of time. Thanks to photography, we can now glimpse how they lived , more than 120 years ago. No question, they put on their best clothes while posing for the cameras !

So, in closing, this is how a museum should be designed. There is no way a place can cover 4 billion years of history in a day. The key is to show snippets, and answer questions that really matter. If you have a spare day, spend it at the museum, you feel like a kid again. You won't be dissappointed.

Australian visas and immigration: Changes from July 1

Longtime in the works, Australia is changing their immigration laws, reducing the overall number of Visas being handed out, but allowing for migration to its rural areas. This will allow the cities to shed some of their growing population, but also encourage economy and development in relatively un-populated areas.

Immigration cap lowered

Following months of posturing on the issue of growing congestion in Sydney and Melbourne, the Federal Government announced in March this year that it will cut back Australia's annual permanent immigration intake to 160,000. The intake has been capped at 190,000 since 2011 but the actual intake fell to just over 162,000 in 2017-18 for the first time in over a decade.

The impact of the overall cut will be absorbed by Skilled Independent visas that allowed people to live and work anywhere in Australia. The annual quota of this subclass has been slashed from over 43,000 to nearly 18,000 – a move that has temporary residents in Australia worried that it might force a prolonged temporary residency period on them.

The government said the cap will be maintained for the next four years.

New regional visas

The government also announced an increase in the number of visa places for regional Australia with 23,000 skilled visas being reserved for those willing to live and work in the regions.

The two new provisional regional visas to be introduced in November this year – Skilled Employer Sponsored Visa and Skilled Work Regional Visa will have 9,000 and 14,000 places respectively within the annual immigration cap of 160,000.

Visa holders of these subclasses will be required to spend at least three years in regional areas in order to become eligible to apply for permanent residency, instead of two years. A new regional permanent visa will be introduced in 2022.

International students will be able to access an additional year of post-study visa if they study in an educational institute in the regions, outside of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and southeast Queensland.

The changes to the points test are to introduce:

· more points for having a skilled spouse or de facto partner (10 points);

· more points for applicants nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by a family member residing in regional Australia (15 points);

· more points for having certain STEM qualifications (10 points);

· points for applicants who do not have a spouse or de facto partner (10 points); and

· points for applicants with a spouse or de facto partner who has competent English (5 points).

Citizenship changes abandoned

According to media reports, the Federal Government has abandoned the legislation that would have made migrants to wait longer and prove they have competent English proficiency before they could apply for Australian citizenship.

New parent visa

The new Temporary Sponsored Parent visa applications are being accepted from 1 July 2019. The visa – first promised ahead of the 2016 federal election – is being made available this year after the legislation it was tied to passed through the federal parliament in October last year. The new visa is linked to a sponsorship framework under which Australian citizen or permanent residents have to first apply to become approved sponsors. Once they are approved as sponsors, their parents will be able to apply for the visa that will allow them to stay in Australia for a continuous period of up to five years with a single opportunity for renewal. The total number of visas issued is capped at 15,000 per year.

What this means

The decrease in total number of Visas is clearly aimed at decongesting Australia's cities, where immigration has been a hot debate topic for years, as that is where most of the skilled migrants end up. The increase of geographically restricted visas outside the capitals  is aimed to moving some of the incoming migrants to the parts of the country most in need of help. The points system for migrants to these rural areas has also ben revamped so that immigrants qualify with enough points inorder to get through the set thresholds. Already the minimum points required to qualify for a 189 skilled migrant visa is 85 , a far cry from the minimum requirement of 60 from just two years ago.