Arbour Day 2007

Note: Just bringing out my old blogs so I can make new adjustment with the page template. I am contemplating of changing the template in the future.


It was Tree Planting yesterday, here in Sydney, or perhaps, the whole of New South Wales. I am not sure because the only source of information I got was the TV. Since I only had half-watched this Community Ad, and, in between my house chores, I do not have the adequate details to tell about. Other than, the City Council of Sydney spearheaded by the Gay Group brokered it.


My friend Jacqui invited me for a social get-together just for the two of us, as her way of thanking me for doing a well-done job in her charming, well-preserved Federation home that looks as neat as new. She is a very busy woman working for the Attorney General in our state. Like me, she is also a single mother with a grown-up daughter, who is away on a six-month holiday to Europe. (Isn't she lucky?).


Though I work for Jacqui, we seldom see each other in person. She's already gone to work every time I arrive at her place. And, she's not home each time I leave after I finish work. Our main point of contact is either email or phone. Mostly, she does the contacting since her time is unpredictable and I find it hard to contact her by phone at home. Besides, I do not want to disrupt her at work. She carries a very important responsibility for the State Government.


It was the third time we got together yesterday since I work for her. We mainly catch up with many interesting things to chat about. She took me to a Sunday Flea Market which is just a stone throw away from her place. In Orange, this kind of Sunday Market is called Trash and Treasure, where vendors sell the trash (old relics) of others that would mean a Treasure to some, especially to the collectors.


Of course, this market has a variety of something uniquely Australian. Their organic products are very popular. From vegies, fruits, poultry, meat, deli-cuts, cheese, dairies and even bread and cakes, preserved jams, marmalade and chutneys - all ingredients contain no chemicals and are homegrown in an old-fashioned way.


You will also find a smorgasbord of bric-a-bracs, toys, furniture, old records, art works, jewelleries, and home- knitted items. There are also stalls that sell hot dogs, coffee, soups, sandwiches, flowers, and plants and about just anything, you can buy.


Then, Jacqui and I would go back to her home and she would set the table for our informal lunch over salad sandwiches, which we do ourselves from an array of selection that she places on the table. Fruits of banana, apple, kiwi, and grapes make very good compliments. In addition, the afters would be many cups of green tea, homemade of either banana, walnut, pumpkin cakes or date loaf or the yummy garlic bread and cheese that we bought from the market.


As we dine, our conversation would flow at random in any subject from personal, poetry, social or civic activities, hobbies, including politics.


Jacqui is a highly intellectual person who happens to have come from a very well off family with naturally dignified upbringing. Yet, she never displays any self-importance in her person but instead it's the other way around. Generally, in my observation, Australians are very much down to earth people regardless of their stature in society. If there is anyone who dares to show off a high and mighty attitude, mostly it is the wannabes, just like in any other culture.


Although this has been our routine in the last past two Sundays on intervals that we socialized, yesterday was something extra special.


Jacqui got friends from Melbourne who drove a long way down by car to Sydney just to take part in the tree planting. They are Greenies composed of decent, friendly gay people. They are very active supporters of the Greening the Environment and Aids Group Movements. It was a pleasure to meet some of them.


Jacqui fetched me in Newtown Railway Station, where I took off from Blacktown, and from there, we strolled along King Street towards the Bricks Hill. In this particular place, there are remnants of buildings and towers for landmarks, made of course with bricks. The features are so well preserved that they become a tourist attraction in this part of the old suburban dwellings. The bricks' kilns are even well intact for this had been once a brick plant many years ago. It is very impressive.


We followed a paved-footpath up the hills; there were about five or six hills smoothly rolling in magnificently soft green manicured grasses. Each kerb is supplanted with a mini arboreal park of native flora and now a home to the tweeter birds of colourful plumage. These mini parks only require low maintenance, as the trees, shrubs, and indigenous plants are drought resistant and do not need much watering. Still they keep their photosynthetic greens all year round.


We ended up on the peakiest hill, where we met Kendall. Apparently, he is the leader of the pack. Jacqui introduced me to him and we stayed on for a little while. As I promised to Jacqui that I would like to help in the planting, I was indeed welcome to partake in that day's worthwhile activity.


After a few more introductions, I wasted no more time that I rolled my sleeves up, took a sharp spade, a hand shovel and a bucket of recycled water. I first watched Kendall's demonstration of the process and soon I was on my own. I did more than a dozen of pot plants. Gee, that was fun!


I was very impressed with the civic-mindedness of the people's involvement in this worthy cause. Friends, families that include little children, professionals, government officials, and even visitors were there to help with the planting, replacing the dead plants. Then there was this so-called blessing of the trees conducted by gays wearing a nun's habit, and there was a kind of a mock Cardinal, obviously a woman. After which, they all staged a short poetry reading that their voices were blown away by the cold wind; I could not decipher a word, but Carnation, whatever.


Then we decided to leave for the market. Before we went, I was asked to sign on my name on the roll, grabbed a couple of complimentary native plants to take home. I chose Banksia and a Bottlebrush. They are very easy to grow in any kind of tough clayish soil that my yard is so rich of. I also got a helping of one piece of unbuttered soft roll and a bottle of water, since Jacqui declined to have one for her.


Mr McNeill, of the Scottish stock, a teacher of Sydney's biggest Technical College, walked with us. Before we finally left the planting activity, we walked uphill a bit farther to see the spectacular view of the city. Brick Hills is topographically located right in the centre of the city camouflaged by what is known as insignificant small back streets.


I felt so much of an accomplished person yesterday for the little contribution I made in that community whom I did not even belong. A community that has welcome me so warmly. There was even one person who mistook me to an English-speaking Mongolian with a Filipino accent.


If I will be still around Sydney, I would love to join them again and will try to make myself useful to the community and to the beautiful country to which I am so indebted with my good life here.


Sometimes in doing things, which are far removed, it needs to have the right contact; then you don't have to feel like an intruder.


@lcd

30 July 2007