When I told my father that I’m going to Australia, he said, “Did you know about the tiny spider that children step on and die?” I’m surprised he didn’t mention drop bears: the bears that drop on your head and then you die. A few weeks ago I blogged about spiders and other deadly Australian animals. … Read more
What’s Australian food like? I’ll find out soon enough. So far, I’ve tried two Aussie favourites: Tim Tams and Vegemite. A Tim Tam is a cookie, or a biscuit, as Aussies say. It’s two layers of chocolate malted cookie separated by a light cream filling, and coated in chocolate. Yes, it’s heavenly. Vegemite is a … Read more
Last week I blogged about 12 dangerous Australian animals. Most of them are pretty obvious – spiders, snakes, sharks. But Australia has also cute and fuzzy animals that can kill you. They are especially nefarious because, well, they’re so darn cute. Australian Dingo: “Who’s a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!” Aw, look how … Read more
I need more than one English translation. English is not my first language. I was born in Havana, Cuba. When I was almost three years old, I emigrated to the US with my parents and sister. We came on the Mariel boatlift just like Tony Montana (Scarface) except that none of us of went on to … Read more
We’re going to Tasmania! My partner Theo has a client who owns a holiday home there. They’ve kindly offered to let us stay there for a few days. Tasmania is an Australian island and state about 150 miles south of the continent. Tasmania is promoted as the “natural state”. About 37% of Tasmania is reserves, … Read more
I make no secret of the fact that I practice an uncommon form of spirituality. I’m Pagan. What’s that? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s an introduction to Paganism. Paganism is more easily described in terms of observable behaviours than beliefs. Broadly speaking, it refers to a collection of spiritual behaviours that include animism, pantheism, … Read more
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We aim to provide an inclusive service.