Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Bananas and Sugar Cane

Our unwelcome houseguest Cyclone Larry has been in the news quite a bit this week. The big scare is the price of bananas and sugarcane, both set to skyrocket due to the ruined harvest. Just in case, I've begun hording banana splits, having eaten three this morning alone.

Most of the damage hit far North Queensland. Concerns about crocodiles using raised flood plains to get into communities and houses are amusing to hear, it will make the clean-up process pretty treacherous. The cane toad infestation is too an immediate concern. They're rumoured to be attempting a political coup, taking power under the banner of the Green party.

The news radio has just been repeating Katrina, Katrina, Katrina (as opposed to Marsha, Marsha, Marsha). It was a Katrina sized storm before hitting land, flooded the banana benders in a fashion similar to Katrina. Now that they're on to the logistical part of the recovery process, precautions are being taken as not to have another Katrina-type of logjam.

Given that the amount of people living along the Gulf of Mexico probably outnumber all of but two states here, it is really not on the same scale. I'm a fan of bananas and sugarcane as much as the next guy, but even the biggest city in the impact zone, Cairns, is still just a backpacker-filled country town. Regards to those who lost their homes, but the collapse of a major metropolitan infrastructure, along with the eventual large-scale gentrification, makes Larry look miniscule. My preconceptions may be proven wrong when we visit in May.

posted by ncawthon at 1:30 PM

Monday, March 20, 2006

A Cyclone of Snot

Australia is in news again this week, this time because of Cyclone Larry. The last time CNN gave front page press to Australia, the Cronulla riots were making waves. This time, Larry is making waves up north in Queensland. 100mph winds, flooding, bananas being strewn about everywhere. General chaos abound. We're looking forward to our trip up there in a few months time, it should have the smell of fresh rain.

Here in Sydney, we've had quite bad allegries as of late. The air conditioner in our laboratory torments me on a daily basis at the University, spewing out cold, dusty air. I'm convinced that it hasn't been cleaned since manufacture. There are trails of tissue that follow us wherever we go - in our bedroom, in our car, at our desks, on the couch. We're vulnerable to sneeze fits of five or ten in rapid succession. Not sure what is causing this, as were into early Fall, not the Spring. Pollen, dust, sand are all suspect.

posted by ncawthon at 5:38 PM