Column 8 Washington correspondent Chris Keane is currently in Ukraine doing his bit for orphan refugees and can relate to Michael Ward’s Brazilian running of the lights experience: “As someone who always gets the red when driving, I can appreciate the recent power-saving blackouts in Ukraine. No power means no red light. No stop needed, just a brief pause, and then proceed. One of the orphans in the car observed ‘this drive is going so much faster than normal. You should only drive during blackouts’.”
“Further to Michael’s experience of ‘optional’ red lights in Rio, some time back in Hangzhou, China, walking home at night we came to an intersection,” writes Craig Forbes of Lewisham. “The lights changed, and I stepped out only to have a near miss with a truck barrelling through. I asked my Chinese companions what was going on. The response, ‘There’s no policeman on duty’. Apparently, this attitude to the presence or absence of authority is commonplace. It appears things have improved but looking twice is still advisable.”
“Unless memory serves me false, the (Blue?) Bayeux tapestry (C8) also contained the earliest known depiction of Bill Haley’s comets,” ponders Don Bain of Port Macquarie.
“Yes, Geoff Gilligan, (C8) the Irish do have a taste for Irish Chinese food,” says Mia David of Wollongong. “On a trip to Ireland, long ago, we found a very rustic Chinese restaurant in Limerick. When ordering our meal, we were asked if we would like chips with that. And tomato sauce?”
Charles Davies-Scourfield of Culburra Beach thinks we should “Forget County Coogee for the Irish diaspora. Having just spent 10 days in the wonderful Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, I can vouch that nearly every nurse, male and female, in the ICU and wards had emigrated from there. Perhaps the name that attracted them.” Hope you’re doing OK now, Charles.
“Would it be crazy to rename NAIDOC week NAIWOC?” asks Josh Watts of Leura. “I can’t think of another example of a day that is also a week, but surely, there must be?” Well, Woman’s Day is a weekly and the Women’s Weekly is a monthly.
“The mention of the village of Broke (C8) reminded me that many years ago its service station had the signage ‘Broke Service Station. Wasn’t Meant To Be, But Is’,” says Bob Roobottom of Taree. “When I passed by, months later, it was indeed closed and for sale.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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