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Correspondence A selection of letters, moderated by the Editor Received on 9 February 2003 from Belgium A
Letter from Hedwig Eembeeck, Belgium Congratulations
on your site. I am writing from Belgium but in the past was roaming
Australia three times, every time for five weeks, and next year I head
over there again. So I guess, without being conceited (I am, as a matter
of fact), I know more about the continent than many Australians do. I am
one subject of the vast army, stretched over the whole world, of
Australia-lovers but I hope without the romantic connotations many have of
Oz as a kind of escapism. Australia is just a very fine and, in its own
way, beautiful country with (usually!) a surprising tradition of
hospitality and gentleness, you could even say naivety, but I do not, that
you don’t often find in overpopulated Europe. What
I’m more interested in than the usual “touristic attractions” is the
real way how Australians live and cope with the harshness and loneliness
(and beauty) of the more remote stretches of the continent, as in the
bush. As a tourist, it is not possible (and not done) to be assimilated by
the Australian society but reading Australian newspapers, as your site,
give more insight. Also into the way Australians look at the rest of the
world because, despite their remoteness, they feel more “citizens of the
world” and are more open than many egocentric countries (you just have
to compare with the United States, for instance). But I’m certainly not
blind to a few minor features of Australia. So
thanks for the “more insight” I get with your site. I’m certainly
downloading it in the future. And good luck! Hedwig Eembeeck, Belgium Received on 1 February 2003 from Darwin A Letter from Nicola Harrison, formerly of the ABC in Darwin, in response to BushMag editor Helen Womack’s interview with Nicholas Rothwell in The Australian on 30 January, 2003. Helen said: “I object to the constantly negative focus of the conventional media and I do so purely on the grounds of accuracy. Life isn’t just negativity and horror. Journalism has strayed from its pure source of objectivity, fairness and truth – and that’s why most ordinary people regard journalists now as scum. Yes, of course there is horror in the world, and I’ve seen enough charred corpses to last a lifetime. But I’ve come to the firm belief that what you put in your mind becomes your reality. That’s why the media today have such power, and that’s why the public seems to live in something like a constant state of psychosis and war frenzy. But there’s another side as well as darkness: there’s colour and light.” Nicola writes: “Your site is an inspiration. I really captures the energy of Alice – slightly Sapphic, creative and earthy. I read the article by Nicholas Rothwell yesterday. I loved what you said about the media’s negativity fixation. It’s something I’ve talked about with my women friends in journalism often but it is so rarely expressed in public. There’s always the risk of being branded a flake or not being able to “cut it” in that current affairs world. So good on you for “outing” the stupidly narrow prism of most journos.” Received on 19 January 2003 from Moscow. This message from Russia from two simple Boys. We live in Moscow Russia and we desided that australian people never see russian snow so let's show them the snow!!! Bovil with best regards!!! Click here to see the pictures from Bovil and Cyril.
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