“arbitrary” dates: on why Australia celebrates Father’s Day during the first Sunday of September

because i was originally from the Philippines, having Father’s Day on the 3rd Sunday of June was ingrained in me. partly i think because the Aussies are not that fond of the Americans, it is on a different date. i think it is celebrated here on the 1st Sunday of September (i think that’s correct but i still get confused sometimes). as i’ve got family back home, i need to keep track of both dates – as my cousin in the States puts it, you need an international calendar to keep up.

some people hypothesise, it is nearer to Christmas so it can be “conveniently” regifted if they are not very chuffed about it. some people say because spring time is different in the Southern hemisphere (in case you want to do a picnic). some say because we are influenced by England’s calendar and we have another occasion in June – so it is spread out for pragmatic purpose.

spinning around: on sitting at the back seat of cabs and headaches

i recently returned seeing my nerophysio again because South Australia is gradually lifting isolation restrictions due to COVID-19.

it feels weird to sit in the back to maintain physical distance as I usually sit upfront. there is an increased “challenge” of manoeuvring in and putting on the rear seatbelt, until yesterday i forgot why i preferred the “old” way. let’s just say i didn’t have a “talented” driver and my headache was compounded by sitting at the back.

unfortunately, i can’t do much about this – it’s simply the luck of the draw as my previous rides had been okay…

when things (start to) fall apart: on the effects of ageing

i racked my brain for reasons some things that happened to me recently but i couldn’t think of any likely culprits so i concluded it’s probably due to ageing.

had an “advanced” birthday recently. last week, i “chipped” part of my back molar and my dentist tried a “temporary” fix first (depending on how “bad” it ends up being an “elaborate” procedure might be required) – she said it probably would be much worse had i not worn my night guard every day. Moreover, my right ankle started “hurting” this week when i placed any weight on it. as i didn’t seem to do anything to it that obvious, my neurophysio thinks i probably “tweaked” it during my sleep.

i never really minded getting any “niggles” – it’s only a concern now as i don’t want it to compound my current circumstances.

woman in gold: on a Klimt portrait and one of my dear friend’s favourite pieces

i’m a bit of a Philistine when it comes to “traditional” visual arts. previously when she first showed it to me, i’m no art afficinado but i found the artwork aesthetically pleasing and was not surprised to find out it was one of her favourites.

up until recently before seeing the film Woman in Gold, i was unaware of its provenance and significance – if pressed, all i could say Klimt, the artist, was Austrian. I was ignorant that for a “long” time it was referred to as The Lady in Gold or The Woman in Gold as the Nazis wanted to hide the subject’s Jewish heritage: the actual name is Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I . There was a second portrait of her although not as famous.

i can only presume that there was some “dramatic license” in retelling the story since it was a film. nonetheless, the merits of “art restitution” can be argued.