Beauty and the Beast

Well it's been a while, so it must be time for a blog. The volunteers are here and the beauty salon is up and running, very popular. Some of the women have great skills as hairdressers and are keen to learn, while everyone else is just lining up for a haircut. Dyeing is very popular too. The blokes are working outside making a bough shade shelter while we wait for the fencing materials to arrive.

The mark of the beast (perhaps it is uranium mining) is also upon us. The army has arrived (one truck and three people in gear that looks like 1990's kids fashion wear, I'll post a photo when I have one) and will be here for three weeks, taking over the clinic. Saving the children in that time seems a big ask but then it is a very demanding government we have. If anyone had asked the people here they would have asked for the army to build houses and train builders, as has been done elsewhere. Reducing overcrowding would definitely reduce child abuse (and ill-health).

I have just taken a long weekend to camp at Wigley's waterhole, the expected overnight walk with the bushwalkers club didn't eventuate and I was so exhausted it was a good thing. Instead I hung out with the birds, stargazed and enjoyed the absolute peace and stillness of the massive quiet of the desert at night and the frost patterns on the van window in the morning light. I played my recently araldited guitar by the fire, explored and read two books. I saw so many different kinds of birds, the rarity of water drew a huge variety - cormorants, finches, parrots, thornbills, flycatchers, everyone was there to delight me and heal me. The parrot in the picture is a rarely seen mulga parrot
and my favourite willy wagtail posed for me.

I have been feeling very stressed and torn, knowing that I will be leaving at a time when there is so much turmoil and change here. I am still hoping to find someone good to take over my work as it has all been going so well and it does make a difference to the women here.

This worrying may just be me making mountains out of molehills (I hope so), like the huge piles of rubbish that adorn the landscape all around the Papunya tip. Everyone here has been keeping their yards really clean and clear of rubbish (just so it's plain that they look after their kids and won't be harrassed or lose them) but the effect is somewhat marred by the fact that the CDEP co-ordinator can't get the workers to work to pick up the overflowing bins in the streets...ah Papunya!

I leave you with a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, my favourite Buddhist poet: " You who are journalists, writers, citizens, you have the right and duty to say to those you have elected that they must practice mindfulness, calm and deep listening, and loving speech. This is a universal thing, taught by all religions..."